JP2022080230A - Walking support device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a walking support device configured to make a user feel a natural assist.SOLUTION: When a wearer wears a waist-worn part 20 and femoral-worn parts 30, elastic bodies 40 for connecting the waist-worn part 20 and the femoral-worn parts 30 are located at positions of passing through lateral sides of the greater trochanters of the wearer. Thereby, when the wearer walks, compared with a case of not passing through the lateral sides of the trochanters, this configuration can minimize a change in the length of the elastic body 40 and the magnitude of an assist torque, so that the wearer feels the natural assist, alternatively, has a simple configuration, so that the wearer can easily use clothing such as trousers, with the walking support device 10 worn, and further is configured to be unnoticeable from the outside, with the clothing used. Accordingly, the walking support device that is difficult to be visually recognized from the surroundings can be provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a walking support device.

Conventionally, walking support devices for supporting walking have been known. For example, in Patent Document 1, the expansion and contraction force is converted into a rotational force by a cam by a coil spring, the passive walking theory is used in the walking cycle, and the force is stored when the leg is pulled in the hip joint extension direction, and the timing of swinging out. A walking support device that can be assisted by the head and can adjust the assisting force in the required walking cycle by the shape of the cam is described.

Further, Patent Document 2 describes a walking support device that is attached to the user and assists the user in walking, and is arranged on the front side of the thigh along the rectus femoris muscle of the user at the time of attachment. Uses a scale-shaped elastic body, a first fixture that fixes the upper end of the elastic body to the user above the user's hip joint, and the lower end of the elastic body below the user's hip joint and above the knee joint. A walking support device having a second fixture for fixing to a person is described. This walking support device has a simple configuration and can provide a walking support device at a lower cost as compared with the prior art.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-121943 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-21279

However, in the walking support device described in Patent Document 1, there are many negative contents such as the user's leg disability and walking problems due to the use of the walking support device, which is seen by the surrounding people. There is a problem that they do not want to be worn and that they are required to be able to wear it in their clothes.

Further, the walking support device described in Patent Document 2 has a problem that the assist force is reduced at the time of flexion, so that the difference between the assist force at the time of extension and the assist force at the time of flexion becomes large, and a natural assist feeling cannot be felt.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a walking support device capable of feeling a natural assist feeling.

The present invention has taken the following steps to achieve at least one of the above objectives.

The walking support device of the present invention is
The waist-mounted part that is attached to the waist and the waist-mounted part
The thigh mounting part to be mounted on the thigh and the thigh mounting part
An elastic body that connects the lateral side of the waist mounting portion and the front side of the thigh mounting portion,
Equipped with
The elastic body is characterized in that it is located at a position where it passes through the side surface side of the greater trochanter of the wearer when it is mounted.
It is a thing.

In this walking support device, the wearer attaches the waist-mounted portion and the thigh-mounted portion, so that the elastic body connecting the waist-mounted portion and the thigh-mounted portion passes through the lateral side of the greater trochanter. To position. By doing so, when the wearer walks, the change in the length of the elastic body becomes smaller than when the wearer does not pass through the lateral side of the greater trochanter, and the difference in assist force during flexion and extension is reduced. It can be made smaller and gives a natural feeling of assistance. In addition, because it has a simple structure, it is possible to easily use clothes such as trousers even when wearing walking support equipment, and in addition, it is difficult to see from the surroundings because it is not noticeable from the outside while wearing clothes. .. Here, the "position passing through the lateral side of the greater trochanter" means that when the walking support device is attached to the wearer, at least a part of the elastic body is on the right side or the left side of the greater trochanter of the wearer. It means the position to pass.

In the walking support device of the present invention, one end of the elastic body is on the lateral side of the greater trochanter and is attached to the waist mounting portion above the greater trochanter of the wearer, and the other end of the elastic body. May be characterized in that it is attached to the front side of the thigh mounting portion. By doing so, the elastic body passes through the lateral side of the greater trochanter, and the elastic force can be applied upward from the front side to the thigh mounting portion, so that a natural assist feeling is felt. be able to. In addition, because it has a simple structure, it is possible to easily use clothes such as trousers even when wearing walking support equipment, and in addition, it is difficult to see from the surroundings because it is not noticeable from the outside while wearing clothes. ..

In the walking support device of the present invention, the elastic body may be characterized in that it is located along the surface of the wearer's skin when the waist-mounted portion and the thigh-mounted portion are mounted. By doing so, it is possible to easily use clothes such as trousers even while wearing walking support equipment while maintaining the function of being able to feel a natural assist feeling, and the state of using clothes. Since the elastic body is not noticeable from the outside, it is difficult to see from the surroundings.

The walking support device of the present invention may be characterized in that the elastic body is attached to the waist-mounted portion via an adjusting portion whose length can be adjusted. By doing so, the elastic force of the elastic body can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the adjusting portion. In other words, for example, when not walking, the elastic force can be adjusted to zero by lengthening the length of the adjusting portion to reduce the burden on the foot, and the elastic force can be adjusted according to the wearing situation. It is possible to improve the usability of the wearer.

The walking support device of the present invention may be characterized in that the waist-mounted portion, the thigh-mounted portion, and the elastic body are integrally formed as a part of clothing. By doing so, it is possible to wear the walking support device at the same time as wearing the clothes (for example, trousers), so that the attachment / detachment can be facilitated. In addition, while maintaining the function of being able to efficiently support walking, it is possible to easily use clothes such as trousers even when wearing walking support equipment, and in addition, from the outside while wearing clothes. It is inconspicuous and difficult to see from the surroundings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the walking support device 10. FIG. 2 is a front view and a side view showing a state in which the walking support device 10 is attached. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the assisting force of the walking support device 10. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the walking support device 110 of another embodiment.

Next, the walking support device 10 will be described in detail as an example of the embodiment of the present invention. The embodiments and drawings described below exemplify a part of the embodiments of the present invention, are not used for the purpose of limiting to these configurations, and do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. It can be changed as appropriate. The corresponding components in each figure are designated by the same or similar reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 1, the walking support device 10 which is an example of the embodiment of the present invention has a waist-mounted portion 20 mounted on the waist of the wearer and a thigh-mounted portion mounted on the thigh of the wearer, respectively. A portion 30 and an elastic body 40 whose one end side is attached to the waist mounting portion 20 via the adjusting portion 50 and the other end side is attached to the thigh mounting portion 30 are provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the walking support device 10 is used by attaching the waist mounting portion 20 to the wearer's waist and the thigh mounting portion 30 to the wearer's thigh (upper part of the knee joint). do. By doing so, when walking, the force of swinging out by the elastic force of the elastic body when swinging the leg forward is supported, and the walking of the wearer can be supported.

As shown in FIG. 1, the waist mounting portion 20 is formed in a belt shape that can be wound around the waist portion and can be used, and one end side of the elastic body 40 is attached to the surface via an adjusting portion 50 described later. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, it is attached to the wearer by wrapping it around the waist of the wearer, and when it is worn by the wearer, it is on the side surface side of the wearer and is larger than the greater trochanter A. One end side of the elastic body 40 is attached to a position where one end side of the elastic body 40 is located at an upper position (see FIG. 2B). By doing so, when the femur mounting portion 30 is mounted on the wearer, the elastic body 40 passes through the lateral side of the greater trochanter A of the wearer, so that the lateral side of the greater trochanter A is pressed. Compared to the case where the elastic body 40 does not pass, when the wearer walks, the expansion and contraction of the elastic body 40 can be reduced, so that the difference in the assist force between the extension and the flexion is reduced, and the natural assist is achieved. You can feel the feeling.

As shown in FIG. 2, the thigh mounting portion 30 is formed in a belt shape that can be wound around the thigh and used, and the other end side of the elastic body 40 is attached to the surface. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, when the wearer is attached to the wearer by winding it on the lower side of the wearer's thigh and above the wearer's knee joint, and is worn by the wearer. The other end side of the elastic body 40 is attached at a position where the other end side of the elastic body 40 is located at a position on the front side (left side in FIG. 2B) of the wearer. By doing so, when the thigh mounting portion 30 is attached to the wearer and the elastic body 40 contracts, the thigh portion of the wearer is elastic in the direction of being swung forward with the contraction of the elastic body 40. Since the force is applied, the wearer's walking can be assisted in a natural direction.

The elastic body 40 is, for example, an elastic body in which elastic energy is generated by being pulled by rubber or the like and elastic force is stored in the direction of contraction, and is formed of a thin member such as a rubber cord or a belt. .. As shown in FIG. 1, the elastic body 40 is attached to the surface of the waist mounting portion 20 via the adjusting portion 50 on one end side and to the surface of the thigh mounting portion 30 on the other end side. By doing so, as shown in FIG. 2, when the wearer wears the walking support device 10, the side surface side of the wearer's waist (see FIG. 2B) to the front side of the thigh (see FIG. 2A). Will be placed along the surface of the wearer's skin. Therefore, when the thigh mounting portion 30 is mounted on the wearer and the elastic body 40 contracts, an elastic force is applied in the direction in which the thigh mounting portion of the wearer is swung forward with the contraction of the elastic body 40. In addition, it is possible to assist the wearer's walking in a natural direction. In addition, by forming the elastic body 40 with a thin member, when the clothing is worn on the walking support device 10, the elastic body 40 is located from the side surface side to the front side along the skin surface of the wearer. Therefore, the unevenness on the side surface side or the front surface side becomes small, and it is difficult to be visually recognized from the outside. As for the method of attaching the elastic body 40, it may be attached via the adjusting portion 50, may be directly fixed with an adhesive, fibers or the like, or may be detachably attached with a hook-and-loop fastener or the like. ..

The adjusting portion 50 is, for example, a member whose length can be adjusted, such as a belt, which is connected to one end side of the elastic body 40 and attaches the elastic body 40 to the waist mounting portion 20. In this way, by providing the adjusting portion 50 whose length can be adjusted on one end side of the elastic body 40, the length of the adjusting portion 50 can be adjusted, and the elastic force of the elastic body 40 generated during walking can be adjusted. In other words, the assisting force of the walking support device 10 can be adjusted. In addition, for example, when not walking, the elastic force of the elastic body 40 can be attenuated by increasing the length of the adjusting portion 50, and the burden on the legs can be reduced.

Next, a graph showing the assist force generated by the walking support device 10 is shown in FIG. Here, FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the change in the hip joint angle and the assist torque at each angle. The horizontal axis represents the hip joint angle [°], and the vertical axis represents the assist torque [Nm]. Shows. The hip joint angle is 0 ° when it is stationary (standing on the floor with both feet), the angle when the foot is swung forward, and the angle when the foot is positioned backward. It is expressed as negative.

As is clear from FIG. 3, the magnitude of the assist torque does not change significantly from the value of 1.0 [Nm] regardless of the angle of the hip joint. As described above, since the difference in the magnitude of the assist torque when the leg is flexed and extended is small, it is possible to give a natural assist feeling when supporting walking. In particular, when a known walking support device is used, the assist torque tends to decrease when the hip joint angle is large (when the leg is flexed). Therefore, it is possible to give sufficient assist especially when the leg is flexed. It can be said that the effect of the present invention is great in that it can be done.

According to the walking support device 10 of the embodiment described in detail above, an elastic body that connects the waist mounting portion 20 and the thigh mounting portion 30 by the wearer wearing the waist mounting portion 20 and the thigh mounting portion 30. 40 is located at a position where it passes the lateral side of the greater trochanter A of the wearer. By doing so, when the wearer walks, the change in the length of the elastic body 40 is small and the change in the magnitude of the assist torque is small as compared with the case where the wearer does not pass the lateral side of the greater trochanter A. , You can feel a natural assist feeling. In addition, since it has a simple structure, clothes such as trousers can be easily used even when the walking support device 10 is worn, and in addition, it is inconspicuous from the outside when the clothes are used, so that it is visually recognized from the surroundings. Hateful.

Further, one end of the elastic body 40 is on the lateral side of the greater trochanter A of the wearer, and is attached to the waist mounting portion 20 above the greater trochanter A, and the other end of the elastic body 40 is the thigh mounting portion. Since it is attached to the front side of 30, the elastic body 40 can pass the lateral side of the greater trochanter A and can apply an upward force to the thigh mounting portion 30 from the front side, so that the thigh can be attached. It can assist the movement of the thigh when the part moves upward, and can efficiently support walking. In addition, since it has a simple structure, clothes such as trousers can be easily used even when the walking support device 10 is worn, and in addition, it is inconspicuous from the outside when the clothes are used, so that it is visually recognized from the surroundings. Hateful.

Further, since the elastic body 40 is formed of a thin member, when the waist mounting portion 20 and the thigh mounting portion 30 are mounted, they are located along the surface of the wearer's skin and walk efficiently. Clothes such as trousers can be easily used even when the walking support device 10 is worn while maintaining the function of being able to support, and the elastic body is inconspicuous from the outside when the clothes are used. , Can be used at the same time as clothing, and is difficult to see from the surroundings.

Furthermore, since the elastic body 40 is attached to the waist mounting portion 20 via the adjusting portion 50, the elastic force of the elastic body 40 can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the adjusting portion 50, and walking assist. When is not needed, the elastic force can be reduced to zero.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be carried out in various embodiments as long as it belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the thigh mounting portion 30 is mounted on the thigh, respectively, but it may be mounted only on either the right thigh or the left thigh. good. In this case as well, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, the elastic body 40 is attached to the waist mounting portion 20 via the adjusting portion 50, but the adjusting portion 50 may not be provided. In this case as well, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, one end side and the other end side of the elastic body 40 are attached to the surface of the waist mounting portion 20 or the thigh mounting portion 30, but the back surface side of the waist mounting portion 20 or the thigh mounting portion 30. It may be attached to. By doing so, the elastic body 40 is located closer to the wearer's skin as compared with the case where the elastic body 40 is attached to the surface side, so that the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. In addition, it is possible to obtain the effect that it is more difficult for others to see when it is attached.

In the above-described embodiment, the waist-mounted portion 20 and the thigh-mounted portion 30 are formed in a belt shape, but the shape is not limited to the belt shape as long as it can be attached to the wearer. For example, it may have a shape that can be attached to the wearer with a hook-and-loop fastener, a buckle, or the like. Further, for example, it may be a part of clothing such as trousers, underwear, leggings and spats. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, a highly rigid material is provided around the waist to form a waist-mounted portion 120, and an elastic material is used or an elastic material is added to form an elastic body 140 as a part of clothing. It may be the built-in walking support device 10. Also in this case, in addition to the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment, it is possible to obtain an effect that it is more difficult for others to see when it is attached.

As shown in the above-described embodiment, it can be used in the field of walking support, particularly as a walking support device.

10 ... walking support device, 20 ... waist mounting part, 30 ... thigh mounting part, 40 ... elastic body, 50 ... adjusting part, 110 ... walking support device, 120 ... waist mounting part, 130 ... thigh mounting part, 140 ... elastic body , A ... Greater trochanter.

Claims (5)

The waist-mounted part that is attached to the waist and the waist-mounted part
The thigh mounting part to be mounted on the thigh and the thigh mounting part
An elastic body that connects the lateral side of the waist mounting portion and the front side of the thigh mounting portion,
Equipped with
The elastic body is characterized in that it is located at a position where it passes through the side surface side of the greater trochanter of the wearer when it is mounted.
Walking support device. One end of the elastic body is on the lateral side of the greater trochanter and is attached to the waist-mounted portion above the greater trochanter.
The other end of the elastic body is attached to the front side of the thigh mounting portion.
Walking support equipment. The elastic body is characterized in that it is located along the surface of the wearer's skin when the waist-mounted portion and the thigh-mounted portion are mounted.
The walking support device according to any one of claims 1 or 2. The elastic body is characterized in that it is attached to the waist-mounted portion via an adjustable portion whose length can be adjusted.
The walking support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The waist-mounted portion, the thigh-mounted portion, and the elastic body are integrally formed as a part of clothing.
The walking support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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