JP2024082377A - Walking support tool and use method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a walking support tool which can achieve an effect of assisting walking and also can achieve an effect of lower extremity muscle strength training, and a use method of the same.SOLUTION: A walking support tool 1 comprises: a waist fitting part 2 fitted to the waist of a user; and lower extremity fitting parts 3 whose upper ends are connected to the waist fitting part 2, and which are stretchable in a longitudinal direction and have on a lower end part, a foot fitting part 4 to which the foot of a user is placed. In a state of winding the lower extremity fitting parts 3 in a stretched state from an inside of the thigh part to the ankle in a spiral shape from the waist of the user through the side belly and the front side of the thigh part, the feet of the user are placed on the foot fitting parts 4, therefore contractive force of the lower extremity fitting parts 3 acts so as to assist in a direction for bending the cruris part in a swing leg period, and lifting up the thigh part in walking of the user, and acts so as to resist stretch motion when stretching the cruris part in the swing leg period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Application for application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Law filed. Publication and sale of a product (product name: "Just Wrap It Around and Work Out") on the website of Ranka Co., Ltd.

The present invention relates to a walking aid for assisting walking and a method for using the same.

A walking aid for assisting walking is known, for example, as described in Patent Document 1. The walking aid described in Patent Document 1 has a waist attachment part attached to the waist of the user, a greater attachment part attached to the thigh, and an elastic body connecting the side of the waist attachment part to the front of the greater attachment part. The waist attachment part is attached to the waist of the user, and the greater attachment part is attached to the thigh of the user, so that the elastic body passes over the side of the greater trochanter of the user. When the user walks, contraction of the elastic body passing over the side of the greater trochanter applies an elastic force in the direction of swinging the user's thigh forward, thereby assisting the user's walking.

JP 2022-80230 A

However, in the walking aid described in Patent Document 1, the large attachment part is attached to the thigh, so the elastic force of the elastic body assists the force in the direction of swinging the user's thigh forward, but does not assist the force in the direction of bending the lower leg of the leg in the swing phase (the leg away from the ground surface), which may cause the user to stumble while walking. In addition, because the elastic force of the elastic body does not act on the user's lower leg, it cannot be expected to have any effect as muscle training for the legs (lower limbs) of the user while running.

In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a walking aid that not only assists walking but also has the effect of training leg muscles, and a method for using the same.

The walking aid according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a belt-like waist attachment part that is attached to the waist of the user, and a foot attachment part having an upper end connected to a connection part provided at a predetermined position of the waist attachment part and a lower end to which the user's feet are attached, the lower leg attachment part being stretchable in the longitudinal direction and having a length that, when extended, can be wrapped in a spiral shape from the waist of the user, passing through the flank and the front of the thigh, from the inside of the thigh to the ankle.

Preferably, multiple connection parts are provided on the waist attachment part at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction.

Preferably, a fabric that is substantially non-stretchable or difficult to stretch in the longitudinal direction is sewn to the back surface of a predetermined area of the waist attachment portion, including the portion where the connection portion is provided.

The method of using the walking aid according to the present invention comprises a belt-like waist attachment part attached to the waist of the user, and a lower limb attachment part having an upper end connected to a connection part provided at a predetermined position of the waist attachment part, which is stretchable in the longitudinal direction and has a foot attachment part at its lower end to which the user's foot is attached. The lower limb attachment part is wrapped in a spiral shape from the waist of the user, passing through the flank and the front side of the thigh, from the inside of the thigh to the ankle, in an extended state, and the user's foot is attached to the foot attachment part, and the contractile force of the lower limb attachment part acts to assist in bending the lower leg in the swing phase and in lifting the thigh when the user walks.

The method of using the walking aid according to the present invention comprises a belt-like waist attachment part attached to the waist of the user, and a lower limb attachment part having an upper end connected to a connection part provided at a predetermined position of the waist attachment part, which is stretchable in the longitudinal direction and has a foot attachment part at its lower end to which the user's foot is attached. The lower limb attachment part is wrapped in a spiral shape from the waist of the user, passing through the flank and the front side of the thigh, from the inside of the thigh to the ankle, and the foot of the user is attached to the foot attachment part in an extended state. When the user walks, the contraction force of the lower limb attachment part assists in the direction of bending the lower leg in the swing phase and in the direction of lifting the thigh, and when the lower leg in the swing phase is extended, it acts against the extension movement.

In this invention, the lower limb attachment part connected to the waist attachment part is wrapped in a spiral shape from the user's waist, through the flank, and the front of the thigh, from the inside of the thigh to the ankle, in an extended state, and the user's foot is attached to the foot attachment part.When the user walks, the contractile force of the lower limb attachment part assists in bending the lower leg in the swing phase and in lifting the thigh.Furthermore, when the lower leg is extended, it acts against the extension movement, so that it assists the user's walking and can also be expected to have an effect of muscle training for the legs (lower limbs).

1 is a front view of a walking aid according to the present invention. 1A to 1C are a front view, a plan view, a left side view, a right side view, and a bottom view of the walking support device in an unfolded state. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the walking aid in an unfolded state. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the walking aid in a worn state. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the walking aid in a worn state. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the walking support device in a worn state. Electromyograms during walking with and without the walking aid attached. 1 is a motion diagram illustrating one walking cycle of a user.

Below, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below, and includes appropriate modifications of the embodiment described below within the scope obvious to those skilled in the art.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a walking support device 1, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, has a belt-like waist attachment part 2 that is attached to the waist of the user, and left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 whose upper ends are connected to the waist attachment part 2 and which are stretchable in the longitudinal direction. Annular foot attachment parts 4, 4 that are attached to the feet of the user are integrally formed at the lower ends of the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3, respectively.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the walking support device 1 is used by attaching the waist attachment part 2 to the waist 101 of the user 100, wrapping the lower limb attachment part 2 spirally from the inside of the thigh 102 to the ankle of the user 100 along the waist 101 and sartorius muscle of the user 100, and attaching the foot attachment part 4, which is the lower end of the lower limb attachment part 2, to the foot 104 of the user 100.

By wearing the walking aid 1 as described above, when the user 100 walks, the contractile force of the lower limb attachment unit 2 assists in bending the lower leg 103 of the leg in the swing phase (the leg that is away from the ground) and in lifting the thigh 102, and when the lower leg 103 in the swing phase is extended, it acts against the extension action. This allows the user to walk with a wider stride and more agile walking, and since the strength of the thigh muscles in particular is required when extending the lower leg 103 while lowering the leg in the swing phase, it is also expected to have the effect of leg muscle training.

Next, the walking aid 1 will be described in detail.
The waist attachment section 2 of the walking assistance device 1 is made of woven polyester rubber that is stretchable in the longitudinal direction, and is formed in the shape of a belt that can be worn by wrapping it around the waist 101 of the user 100.

In the following, the term "front surface" of the waist attachment section 2 and the lower limb attachment section 3 refers to the surface opposite to the surface facing the skin of the user 100, and similarly, the term "reverse surface" refers to the surface facing the skin of the user 100.

A male hook-and-loop fastener 21 and a female hook-and-loop fastener 22 are sewn to the front of one end of the waist-mounted section 2 and the back of the other end. This allows the length of the waist-mounted section 2 to be adjusted according to the physique of the user 100.

Directional indicators 23, 24 indicating "left" and "right" are provided on the surface near one end and the other end of the waist attachment unit 2, respectively. This allows the user 100 to attach the waist attachment unit 2 to the waist 101 without confusing left and right by visually checking the characters on the direction indicators 23, 24.

Left and right connection parts 25, 26 to which the upper ends of the left and right lower limb attachment parts 2, 2 are respectively connected are provided at predetermined positions in the longitudinal direction of the waist attachment part 2. The connection parts 25, 26 are formed in a shape similar to a belt loop so that the upper end of the lower limb attachment part 2 can be inserted in the vertical direction. Preferably, the waist attachment part 2 is formed with a plurality of connection parts 25, 26 (two in this embodiment) at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction so that the connection position of the waist attachment part 2 can be adjusted according to the physique of the user 100.

A substantially non-stretchable or difficult-to-stretch fabric, such as a tape-like satin fabric 27, is sewn to the back of the area including each connection part 25, 26 in the waist attachment part 2 so that the part where the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3 are connected in the waist attachment part 2 does not stretch unnecessarily. This reduces the stretching of the part where the connection parts 25, 26 are formed in the waist attachment part 2 when the waist attachment part 2 is attached to the waist 101 of the user 100, and allows the upper end of the lower limb attachment part 3 to be firmly connected to the connection parts 25, 26 of the waist attachment part 2. Furthermore, the front and back of the waist attachment part 2 can be easily distinguished, and a luxurious feel can also be expected.

The left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 are formed in a belt shape using polyester woven rubber that is stretchable in the longitudinal direction. The left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 are connected by being inserted at their upper ends into the connection parts 25, 26 of the waist attachment part 2, respectively, and have foot attachment parts 4, 4 at their lower ends to which the foot part 104 of the user 100 is attached, and have a length that allows them to be wrapped around the waist part 101 of the user 100 in a spiral manner, passing through the flank and the front side of the thigh part 102, from the inside of the thigh part 102 to the ankle, in an extended state. Preferably, a male hook-and-loop fastener 31 and a female hook-and-loop fastener 32 are sewn to the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3 near the connection parts 25, 26, respectively. This makes it possible to adjust the length of the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3 according to the user 100, and to freely adjust the assist force acting on the thigh part 102 and the lower leg part 103. Furthermore, preferably, the front and back of the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 are sewn with a zigzag stitch along the longitudinal direction. The color of the houndstooth stitch thread 33 on the back side of the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 that comes into contact with the skin of the user 100 is different from the color of the lower limb attachment parts 3. In this embodiment, the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 are black, and the thread 33 is white. This is expected to guide the user to wrap the side with the white thread 33 against the skin.

The left (right in Figs. 1 and 2, left in Fig. 3) lower limb attachment part 3 is attached to the left leg of the user 100 by connecting its upper end to the left connection part 25, and then extending it in the longitudinal direction from the waist 101 of the user 100 through the left side abdomen along the left sartorius muscle, wrapping it around the front side of the thigh 102 of the left leg, passing through the inside, and wrapping it around the ankle in a spiral manner. With the foot attachment part 4, which is the lower end of the lower limb attachment part 3, facing forward, the foot part 104 of the left leg is inserted into the foot attachment part 4, and the lower limb attachment part 3 is attached to the left leg of the user 100.

The right lower limb attachment part 3 (left in Figs. 1 and 2, right in Fig. 3) is attached to the right leg of the user 100 by connecting its upper end to the right connection part 26, and then extending it in the longitudinal direction from the waist 101 of the user 100 through the right side abdomen and wrapping it around the right thigh 102 in a spiral manner from the front to the inside and down to the ankle, so that the foot attachment part 4, which is the lower end of the lower limb attachment part 3, is at the front, and the foot part 104 of the right leg is inserted into the foot attachment part 4, so that the right leg attachment part 3 is attached to the right leg of the user 100.

As described above, by attaching the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 in a spiral manner around the left and right legs, it is possible to minimize slack in the contracted lower limb attachment part 3 when the user 100 walks. This improves the fit and appearance, and allows the walking aid 1 to be worn inside the trousers while still wearing the trousers.

Furthermore, by attaching the foot attachment part 4 formed at the lower end of the lower limb attachment part 3 to the user's foot 104, when the user 100 walks, the contraction force of the lower limb attachment part 3 assists in a force in the direction of lifting the thigh 102 of the leg in the swing phase, and also acts in a direction of bending the lower leg 103. This assists the natural leg lifting movement, naturally widening the stride length when walking, reducing fatigue caused by walking for long periods of time and preventing falls due to tripping.

Furthermore, when lowering the leg during the swing phase and extending the lower leg 103, muscle strength is required to extend the lower leg attachment part 3 in the longitudinal direction, so walking while wearing the walking support device 1 can be expected to have the effect of training the user's 100's muscle strength, particularly in the thigh muscles.

The left and right foot attachment parts 4, 4 are integrally formed at the lower ends of the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3, respectively. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the left (right in FIG. 1) foot attachment part 4 is formed by folding the lower end of the left lower limb attachment part 3 forward so that it faces diagonally upward outward (right in FIG. 1), and sewing the back surface of the end of the folded part to the surface of the unfolded part. Also, the right (left in FIG. 1) foot attachment part 4 is formed by folding the lower end of the right lower limb attachment part 3 forward so that it faces diagonally upward outward (left in FIG. 1), and sewing the back surface of the end of the folded part to the surface of the unfolded part, as shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 1. This allows the user 100 to wrap the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 around their respective legs in a spiral shape and easily insert the foot part 104 into the foot attachment parts 4, 4 to attach them in a comfortable position while sitting on a chair.

On the underside of the left and right foot attachment parts 4, 4 that contact the sole of the foot 104 of the user 100, a substantially non-stretchable or difficult-to-stretch fabric, for example, a tape-like satin fabric 41, is sewn to cover the houndstooth stitch thread 33. This makes it possible to distinguish between the front and back of the foot attachment parts 4, 4, prevent stretching, and improve strength, and makes it possible to securely attach the foot 104 of the user 100 to the foot attachment parts 4.

Figure 7 shows the electromyogram of the thigh muscle (vastus lateralis) measured while walking. Figure 7(a) shows the result when the walking aid 1 is not worn, and Figure 7(b) shows the result when the walking aid 1 is worn. The electromyograms shown in Figures 7(a) and (b) show the amount of muscle activity when stepping seven times in approximately 12.5 seconds. The horizontal axis shows time, and the vertical axis shows voltage.

As is clear from the electromyograms shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), when walking while wearing the walking aid 1, compared to walking without wearing the walking aid 1, it is understood that the amount of muscle activity in the thigh muscles is more active because a force is required to extend the lower limb attachment part 3 when extending the lower leg part 103 of the leg in the swing phase. As a result, when the user 100 walks while wearing the walking aid 1, it is expected that the walking of the user 100 is assisted and that it is also effective for muscle training.

Next, the effect of the walking support device 1 on the user 100 will be explained based on the operation diagram shown in Figure 8, which shows a schematic representation of one walking cycle of the user.

In FIG. 8, (a) shows the phase when the foot of the contralateral lower leg (right leg) in the stance phase touches the ground, (b) shows the phase when the toe of one lower leg (left leg) leaves the ground, (c) shows the phase when both lower legs cross, (d) shows the phase when one lower leg moves forward, and (e) shows the phase when the foot of one lower leg touches the ground.

In addition, IC (Initial Contact) in Figure 8 refers to the moment when the foot of the opposite leg (right leg) in the stance phase touches the ground, PSw (Pre-Swing) refers to the pre-swing phase, which is the period from when the foot of the opposite leg touches the ground to when the toe of one leg (left leg) leaves the ground, ISw (Initial Swing) refers to the early swing phase, which is the period from when the toe of the foot of one leg that has entered the swing phase leaves the ground to when both legs cross, MSw (Mid Swing) refers to the mid-swing phase, which is the period from when both legs cross to when one leg moves forward, and TSw (Terminal Swing) refers to the end swing phase, which is the period until the leg that has moved forward touches the ground.

In this specification, "one leg" refers to the left leg, the leg whose movement is being watched, and "other leg" refers to the right leg opposite to "one leg."

As shown in FIG. 8, when the phase (a), the PSw period, the phase (b), and the ISw period are passed to the phase (c), and during the action of swinging the one lower limb (left leg) forward during the phase (c) or around the phase (c), the contraction force of the left lower limb attachment unit 3 acts as a force that tries to lift the thigh while bending the lower leg of the one lower limb. Therefore, during the first half of MSw, the contraction force of the lower limb attachment unit 3 assists the user 100 in the action of bending the lower leg of the one lower limb and lifting the thigh. As a result, compared to when the walking aid 1 is not worn, when the walking aid 1 is worn, the user 100 can swing the one lower limb forward widely while bending the lower leg of the one lower limb in the swing phase and raising the thigh, so that the stride becomes larger, the user can walk more easily, and falls due to stumbling can be prevented.

During the latter half of MSw up to (d), when the leg of the side that has been swung forward is extended, muscle strength is required to extend the leg attachment unit 3 against the contraction force. This allows muscle training, particularly of the sartorius and thigh muscles, to be performed simultaneously with walking, in conjunction with the extension of the leg that inevitably occurs before the foot touches the ground. Then, as shown in (e), when the left leg that was the side leg touches the ground and the right leg that was the other leg moves relatively backward, the contraction force of the right leg attachment unit 3 acts on the right leg as it transitions to the swing phase.

As described above in detail, according to the walking support device 1 of this embodiment, the waist attachment unit 2 is attached to the waist 101 of the user 100, the left and right lower limb attachment units 3, 3 are spirally wrapped around the left and right legs of the user 100 in an extended state, and the left and right foot attachment units 4, 4 are attached to the feet 104 of the user 100. When the walker 100 walks, the contraction force of the lower limb attachment unit 3 assists the force of the user 100's legs to move the thigh 102 diagonally upward forward while pulling up the lower leg 103. As a result, when the walker 100 walks, the stride is large and the walker can walk lightly, and the lifting motion of the thigh 102 and lower leg 103 is assisted, so that walking can be efficiently supported and falls due to stumbling can be prevented. As a result, by wearing the walking support device 1, even elderly people and people with weak joints such as knees and weak leg muscles can walk easily. Also, like a supporter, it can reduce the feeling of pressure and stuffiness when worn.

Furthermore, when the lower leg 103 is extended before the foot 104 touches the ground, the extension action of the lower leg 103 is necessarily performed against the contraction force of the lower leg attachment part 3, so that muscle training of the thigh muscles in particular can be performed at the same time as walking.

Furthermore, because the lower limb attachment part 3 is attached by being wrapped around the leg in a spiral shape, loosening of the lower limb attachment part 3 can be minimized when the user 100 walks, so the walking aid 1 can be attached inside the trousers while still wearing them, improving the fit and appearance. It is also expected to correct bow-legged and knock-kneed gait.

Furthermore, by forming multiple connection parts 25, 26 on the waist attachment part 2 to which the upper end of the lower limb attachment part 3 is connected, the connection position of the lower limb attachment part 3 relative to the waist attachment part 2 can be adjusted according to the user's physique, improving the ease of wearing.

Furthermore, by forming the foot attachment part 4 integrally with the lower end of the lower leg attachment part 3, the structure is simplified and lightweight, improving the wearability of the walking support device 1.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, depending on the user's usage style, the lower limb attachment section 3 may be on either the left or right side. The waist attachment section 2 may be non-stretchable. The lower limb attachment section 2 may be long enough to be wrapped around the leg in a spiral shape two or more times in an extended state.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Walking aid 2 Waist attachment section 21 Male hook-and-loop fastener 22 Female hook-and-loop fastener 23, 24 Direction display section 25, 26 Connection section 27 Satin fabric 3 Lower leg attachment section 31 Male hook-and-loop fastener 32 Female hook-and-loop fastener 33 Houndstooth stitch sewing thread 4 Foot attachment section 41 Satin fabric 100 User 101 Waist 102 Thigh 103 Lower leg 104 Foot

The walking support device according to the present invention comprises a belt-like waist attachment part that is attached to the waist of a user, and a lower limb attachment part having an upper end connected to a pair of left and right connection parts provided at a predetermined position of the waist attachment part and a foot attachment part at a lower end to which the user's feet are attached, the lower limb attachment part being stretchable in the longitudinal direction and having a length that, when extended, can be wrapped in a spiral shape from the waist of the user, passing through the flank and the front of the thigh, from the inside of the thigh to the ankle ,
The present invention is characterized in that two or more sets of the connection parts, one on the left and one on the right, are provided on the waist attachment part at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction .

In a method of using the walking assistance device of the present invention, the device comprises a belt-like waist attachment section that is attached to the waist of a user, and a lower limb attachment section whose upper end is connected to a set of left and right connecting sections provided at a predetermined position on the waist attachment section, which is freely stretchable in the longitudinal direction and has a foot attachment section at its lower end to which the user's foot is attached, and further, two or more sets of the left and right connecting sections are provided on the waist attachment section at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction, and the lower limb attachment section is wrapped spirally from the user's waist, through the flank and the front of the thigh, from the inside of the thigh to the ankle in an extended state, and the user's foot is attached to the foot attachment section, whereby the contractile force of the lower limb attachment section acts to assist in the direction of bending the lower leg in the swing phase and in the direction of lifting the thigh when the user walks.

In a method of using the walking assistance device according to the present invention, the walking assistance device includes a belt-like waist attachment section that is attached to the waist of a user, and a lower limb attachment section that has an upper end connected to a set of left and right connecting sections provided at a predetermined position on the waist attachment section, is stretchable in the longitudinal direction, and has a foot attachment section at a lower end to which the user's feet are attached, and further, two or more sets of the left and right connecting sections are provided on the waist attachment section at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction, and the lower limb attachment section is wrapped spirally from the user's waist, through the flank and the front side of the thigh, and from the inside of the thigh to the ankle in an extended state, and the user's feet are attached to the foot attachment section, whereby the contractile force of the lower limb attachment section assists in the direction of bending the lower leg in the swing phase and in the direction of lifting the thigh when the user walks, and when the lower leg in the swing phase is extended, acts against the extension motion.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the walking assistance device 1 is used by attaching the waist attachment section 2 to the waist 101 of the user 100, and by wrapping the lower limb attachment section 3 spirally from the waist 101 of the user 100 along the sartorius muscle, from the inside of the thigh 102 to the ankle, and by attaching the foot attachment section 4, which is the lower end section of the lower limb attachment section 3 , to the foot 104 of the user 100.

By wearing the walking aid 1 as described above, when the user 100 walks, the contractile force of the lower limb attachment unit 3 assists in the direction of bending the lower leg 103 of the leg in the swing phase (the leg that is away from the ground) and in the direction of lifting the thigh 102, and further acts against the extension action when the lower leg 103 in the swing phase is extended. This allows the user to walk with a wider stride and more agile walking, and also has the effect of training the muscles of the legs, since the strength of the thigh muscles in particular is required when extending the lower leg 103 while lowering the leg in the swing phase.

A pair of left and right connection parts 25, 26 to which the upper ends of the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3 , 3 are respectively connected are provided at predetermined positions in the longitudinal direction of the waist attachment part 2. The pair of connection parts 25, 26 is formed in a shape similar to a belt loop so that the upper end of the lower limb attachment part 3 can be inserted in the vertical direction. Preferably, two or more pairs of connection parts 25, 26 ( two pairs in this embodiment) are formed on the waist attachment part 2 at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction so that the connection position of the waist attachment part 2 can be adjusted according to the physique of the user 100 .

A substantially non-stretchable or hardly stretchable fabric, for example, a tape-like satin fabric 27, is sewn to the back surface of the region including the pair of connecting parts 25, 26 in the waist attachment part 2 so that the part of the waist attachment part 2 where the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3 are connected does not stretch unnecessarily. This reduces the stretching of the part of the waist attachment part 2 where the pair of connecting parts 25, 26 are formed, and the upper end of the lower limb attachment part 3 can be firmly connected to the pair of connecting parts 25, 26 of the waist attachment part 2 when the waist attachment part 2 is attached to the waist 101 of the user 100. Furthermore, the front and back of the waist attachment part 2 can be easily distinguished, and a luxurious feel can be expected.

The left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 are formed in a belt shape using polyester woven rubber that is stretchable in the longitudinal direction. The left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 are connected by being inserted at their upper ends into a pair of connecting parts 25, 26 of the waist attachment part 2, respectively, and have foot attachment parts 4, 4 at their lower ends to which the foot part 104 of the user 100 is attached, and have a length that allows the user 100 to wrap the lower limb attachment parts 3, 3, from the waist part 101 to the side of the abdomen and the front side of the thigh part 102, around the inner side of the thigh part 102 to the ankle in a spiral manner in a state of being extended. Preferably, a male hook-and-loop fastener 31 and a female hook-and-loop fastener 32 are sewn to the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3 near the connection to the pair of connecting parts 25, 26, respectively. This allows the length of the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3 to be adjusted according to the user 100, and the assist force acting on the thigh part 102 and the lower leg part 103 to be freely adjusted. Furthermore, preferably, a zigzag stitch is applied along the longitudinal direction on the front and back of the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3. The color of the zigzag stitch thread 33 applied on the back side of the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 that contacts the skin of the user 100 is different from the color of the lower limb attachment parts 3. In this embodiment, the left and right lower limb attachment parts 3, 3 are black, and the thread 33 is white. This is expected to guide the user to wrap the side with the white thread 33 close to the skin.

Furthermore, by forming two or more sets of connection parts 25, 26 to which the upper end of the lower limb attachment part 3 is connected on the waist attachment part 2, the connection position of the lower limb attachment part 3 relative to the waist attachment part 2 can be adjusted according to the user's physique, thereby improving wearability.

For example, depending on the usage pattern of the user, the lower limb attachment section 3 may be on either the left or right side. The waist attachment section 2 may be non-stretchable. The lower limb attachment section 3 may be long enough to be spirally wrapped around the leg two or more times in an extended state.

Claims (5)

A belt-like waist attachment part that is attached to the waist of a user;
a lower limb attachment part having an upper end connected to a connection part provided at a predetermined position of the waist attachment part and a foot attachment part at a lower end to which the foot of the user is attached, the lower limb attachment part being stretchable in a longitudinal direction and having a length that, when extended, can be wrapped in a spiral shape from the waist of the user through the side and the front of the thigh, from the inside of the thigh to the ankle;
A walking aid comprising: The walking aid according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection parts are provided in a plurality at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction on the waist attachment part. The walking aid according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a fabric that is substantially non-stretchable or difficult to stretch in the longitudinal direction is sewn to the back surface of a predetermined area of the waist attachment part, including the part where the connection part is provided. A belt-like waist attachment part that is attached to the waist of a user;
a lower limb attachment part having an upper end connected to a connection part provided at a predetermined position of the waist attachment part, being stretchable in a longitudinal direction, and having a foot attachment part at a lower end to which the foot of the user is attached;
The lower limb attachment part is wound in a spiral shape around the user's waist, side, front of the thigh, and from the inside of the thigh to the ankle in an extended state, and the user's foot is attached to the foot attachment part.
A method of using a walking assistance device, characterized in that the contractile force of the lower limb attachment part acts to assist the lower leg in the swing phase in the direction of bending and lifting the thigh when the user walks. A belt-like waist attachment part that is attached to the waist of a user;
a lower limb attachment part having an upper end connected to a connection part provided at a predetermined position of the waist attachment part, being stretchable in a longitudinal direction, and having a foot attachment part at a lower end to which the foot of the user is attached;
The lower limb attachment part is wound in a spiral shape around the user's waist, side, front of the thigh, and from the inside of the thigh to the ankle in an extended state, and the user's foot is attached to the foot attachment part.
A method of using a walking assistance device, characterized in that the contractile force of the lower limb attachment section assists the user in bending the lower leg in the swing phase and in lifting the thigh when the user walks, and acts against the extension movement when the lower leg in the swing phase is extended.

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