JP2606711Y2 - Walking aid - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a walking assist device, and more particularly to a walking assist device for a physically handicapped person or an elderly person having difficulty in lower limbs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A walking aid has been conventionally used to assist a person with a physical disability or the elderly in walking. This type of walking assist device includes a handle portion that allows a user to store weight, and a plurality of frame members for supporting the handle portion, and a plurality of wheels are mounted on a lower frame. .

[0003] Of the plurality of wheels mounted on the lower frame, for example, a front wheel has a caster structure, and can freely rotate in any direction to switch directions, that is, to steer. .

[0004]

With a conventional walking aid using a caster structure, steering is difficult and it is not easy to control the traveling direction. Further, in the case of the caster structure, when the wheel collides with an obstacle, there is a problem that the traveling direction is easily changed against the intention of the user.

An object of the present invention is to enable easy and reliable control of the traveling direction.

[0006]

The walking aid according to the present invention includes left and right support portions, left and right front frames, left and right rear frames, a coupling mechanism, and a steering link mechanism . The left and right front frames are rotatably and relatively
The vehicle has a wheel provided so as not to be able to turn and has a handle portion on the upper portion , and is rotatably supported by left and right support portions. The left and right rear frames are arranged behind the left and right front frames, and have wheels at lower ends. The connection mechanism is a mechanism that connects the left and right front frames and the rear frame, and is also connected to the left and right support portions. The steering link mechanism is
With the operation of one handle of the front side frame, the left and right front
This is a mechanism for controlling the steering angles of both wheels of the side frame.

[0007] In or the walker, the coupling mechanism, mutually approaching the front and rear of the side frame of the left and right, a configuration of separating rotatably connected, and the front side frame of the left and right in a folded state in which to approximate each side frame It may be a mechanism that controls the operation of the steering link mechanism so that the rotation of the steering link mechanism is prohibited.

Further, in the walking assist device, a rotation prohibiting member for prohibiting the rotation of the left and right front frames in a deployed state in which the side frames are separated may be provided.

[0009]

In the walking aid according to the present invention, wheels are mounted at the lower ends of left and right front frames provided with a handle portion at an upper portion, and the left and right front frames are rotatably supported by a support portion. I have. Each wheel turns relatively to the front frame.
Impossible, not a caster mechanism. Therefore, the wheels can be easily moved in the traveling direction by rotating the handle portion.
, And the direction can be reliably controlled according to the user's intention. In addition, a steering link mechanism is provided
The left and right front frames.
Control the steering angles of both wheels on the left and right front frames.
Control with one hand even if the other hand is inconvenient.
Operation and direction control can be performed more easily.

[0010] In prior Symbol walker, a coupling mechanism, folding, if to control the operation of the steering link mechanism so as to prohibit the rotation of the front frame in expanded freely configured and folded state, folded In this state, the rotation of the front frame is prohibited and the direction does not change. For this reason, it becomes possible to use the walking aid in the folded state instead of the walking stick.

[0011] Further, in the above walking assist device, when a rotation prohibiting member for prohibiting rotation of the front frame in the deployed state is provided, rotation of the front frame can be prevented when directional control is not required. It is possible to suppress the fluctuation of the direction.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The walking aid shown in FIG.
2, right and left rear frames 3 and 4, a connecting mechanism 5 for connecting these side frames 1 to 4, and left and right support brackets 6 and 7 for rotatably supporting the left and right front frames 1 and 2. And The left and right front side frames 1 and 2 respectively have a main pipe 10,
A handle pipe 11 fixed to an upper part of the main pipe 10; The lower end of the main pipe 10 has a wheel support 12
Has been fixed. The wheel support portion 12 has an inverted U-shaped support portion at a lower end, and a front wheel 13 is rotatably mounted on the support portion. The upper part of the main pipe 10 is rotatably supported by support brackets 6 and 7. In the upper part of the main pipe 10, upper and lower connecting members 14 and 15 are provided at predetermined intervals vertically so as to sandwich the support bracket 6. The upper and lower connecting members 14 and 15 respectively rotate together with the main pipe 10. The upper connecting member 14 is fixed to the upper end of the main pipe 10, and the handle pipe 11 is slidably supported. On the other hand, the lower connecting member 15 is fixed to the lower end of the handle pipe 11 and is slidable vertically with respect to the main pipe 10.

A handle portion 16 is fixed to an upper portion of the handle pipe 11. The handle portion 16 has a shape bent so as to extend rearward from the handle pipe 11, so that the user can easily put weight on the bent horizontal portion 16a. A brake lever 17 is attached to a rear end of the handle portion 16. The brake lever 17 extends forward substantially in parallel with the horizontal portion 16a of the handle portion 16, and can rotate up and down around a rear end portion. A wire 18 for braking a rear wheel, which will be described later, is connected to the brake lever 17.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the main pipes 1 of the front frames 1 and 2.
The enlarged view of the connecting portion between 0 and the handle pipe 11 is shown.
As shown in these drawings, a mechanism for fixing the slide between the main pipe 10 and the handle pipe 11 and positioning the handle portion 16 in the height direction is provided at the upper end of the main pipe 10. This mechanism has a cap 20 attached to the upper end of the main pipe 10 and a screw member 21 that penetrates the upper end of the main pipe 10 in the lateral direction. The cap 20 is a cap body 2 that covers the upper opening of the main pipe 10.
0a and an insertion portion 20b inserted into the main pipe 10. A female screw member 22 is provided at the center of the insertion portion 20b.
Is formed in the groove 20c. Further, a hole through which the screw member 21 penetrates is formed in the insertion portion 20b. The screw member 21 has a spherical operation portion 21 a and a screw portion 21 b inserted into the lateral hole 14 a of the upper connecting member 14. The opening of the horizontal hole 14a has an operation unit 21a.
A pedestal 14b is formed so that a part of the pedestal 14 is in close contact. The screw portion 21b is screwed into a female screw member 22 mounted on the cap 20, and the tip of the screw portion 21b passes through a positioning hole 11a formed in the handle pipe 11.

In such a configuration, if the screw member 21 is loosened so that its tip comes out of the hole 11 a of the handle pipe 11, the handle pipe 11 can be slid vertically with respect to the main pipe 10. is there. 2, a plurality of positioning holes 11a are formed in the handle pipe 11 at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction.

The right and left rear frames 3 and 4 are each provided with a pipe 30.
have. Fixing bracket 3 on the upper end of pipe 30
1 is fixed, and a wheel support 32 is fixed to the lower end. The fixed bracket 31 has a support portion 31a (see FIGS. 2 to 4) extending to the front end side at an upper portion.
The tip of the support portion 31a has a forked shape. The fixing pin 33 penetrates the fork of the support portion 31a. The fixing pin 33 penetrates the main pipe 10, and a notch 10 a is formed in the corresponding portion on both sides of the main pipe 10. Further, inside the main pipe 10, a middle pipe 34 is inserted into a portion corresponding to the notch 10a. The fixing pin 33 also penetrates the middle pipe 34. The middle pipe 34 is provided to prevent the fixed bracket 31 from moving in the notch 10a of the main pipe 30 in the front-rear direction.
Is rotatable. In such a configuration, the main pipe 10
The handle portion 16 around the pin 33 and the middle pipe 34.
Can be turned in the R direction to the position shown in FIG. 5, and can be turned in the L direction by a similar angle. This turning angle is the steering angle of the front wheels 13.

A rear wheel 35 is rotatably mounted on the wheel support 32. Here, the rear wheel 35 is mounted so as to be deviated outward from the center of the pipe 30. The left and right front frames 1 and 2 are connected by a steering link mechanism 40. The steering link mechanism 40 includes a first link member 41 and a second link member 41.
The link member 42 is provided. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6 which is a plan view thereof, first and second link members 41,
One end of 42 is connected to one main pipe 10 by a clevis 43.
It is connected to. Each clevis 43 is connected to each link member 4
1 and 42 are attached to the main pipe 10 so as to be able to rotate up and down around the clevis 43. The other ends of the link members 41 and 42 are attached by a connecting member 44 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.

With such a steering link mechanism 40,
When one main pipe 10 rotates clockwise as shown in FIG. 7, the other main pipe 10 and the front wheel 13 also rotate clockwise by the same angle. The connection mechanism 5 is a mechanism for connecting the left and right front frames 1 and 2 and the rear frames 3 and 4 so as to approach and separate from each other. FIG. 1 shows a state in which each of the side frames 1 to 4 is expanded by the connecting mechanism 5, and FIG.
Indicates a state in which the side frames 1 to 4 are folded close to each other.

The connecting mechanism 5 includes a front link mechanism 50, left and right horizontal link members 51 and 52, a main X link mechanism 53,
It has a sub-X link mechanism 54 and a folding link mechanism 55. The front link mechanism 50 is a mechanism for connecting the left and right front frames 1 and 2, and includes a third link member 56 and a fourth link member 57. One end of the third link member 56 is rotatably attached to a slide bracket 58 slidably attached to the main pipe 10 of the front frame 1. One end of the fourth link member 57 is rotatably attached to a slide bracket 59 slidably attached to the main pipe 10 of the front frame 2.
The other ends of the link members 56 and 57 are rotatably connected by a connecting plate 60. Each link member 5
A gear portion is formed at the other end of each of the gears 6 and 57 so as to mesh with each other and rotate by the same angle when folded. Therefore, folding can be performed smoothly.

The horizontal link members 51 and 52 are mechanisms for connecting the front and rear side frames, and their front ends are rotatably attached to the corresponding slide brackets 58 and 59, respectively. The rear end is rotatably attached to rear brackets 65 and 66 fixed to the intermediate portions of the corresponding rear frames 3 and 4 substantially in the height direction. The main X link mechanism 53 is a mechanism for connecting the left and right front frames 1 and 2 in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and has a fifth link member 70 and a sixth link member 71 crossing each other at a central portion. . The center portions of the link members 70 and 71 are rotatably connected by a pin 72. The upper ends of the link members 70 and 71 are rotatably mounted on the support brackets 6 and 7, respectively, and the lower ends are rotatably mounted on the slide brackets 59 and 58, respectively.

The sub X-link mechanism 54 includes a front link mechanism 5
This is a mechanism for connecting 0 and the left and right rear frames 3 and 4 and has a seventh link member 74 and an eighth link member 75 that cross each other in an X shape. Each link member 74, 7
Reference numeral 5 designates a cross section rotatable by a pin. Each front end is rotatably attached to the side of the third and fourth link members 56 and 57, and the rear ends are rear brackets 66 and 6.
5 is rotatably mounted.

The folding link mechanism 55 is a mechanism for expanding or folding the main X-link mechanism 53, and has a ninth link member 76 and a tenth link member 77.
One end of each link member 76, 77 is rotatably connected to link members 70, 71 of the main X-link mechanism 53. The other end is rotatably connected to each other by a folding handle 78.

FIG. 9 is a diagram viewed from the direction of the arrow Z in FIG. As shown in this figure, the inner portion of the support bracket 6 has a rear frame pressing portion 6a extending downward and a projecting portion 6b extending upward. The rear frame holding portion 6a is in contact with an inner portion of a fixed bracket 31 fixed to an upper end of the rear frame 3, thereby preventing the rear frame 3 from being twisted inward. A steering restricting member 81 is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the protrusion 6b via a pin 80. A notch 81 a is formed in the steering control member 81. When the steering restricting member 81 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG.
A notch 81a is formed in the pedestal 14b formed on the upper connecting member 14.
Are fitted. In this state, since the rotation of the upper connecting member 14 is prohibited, the handle can be prevented from wobbling, and the vehicle can always go straight.

A receiving member 85 for receiving the tip of the umbrella is mounted above the wheel supporting portion 12 of the front frame 1. Next, the opening and closing operation of the walking aid will be described. First, the case of folding from the unfolded state shown in FIG. 1 will be described. When folding the walking aid, the handle member 78 of the folding link mechanism 55 is lifted upward. As a result, the folding link mechanism 55 is folded such that the central portion thereof is directed upward, and at the same time, the central portions of the front link mechanism 50 and the steering link mechanism 40 are folded downward. Furthermore, along with the folding operation of these link mechanisms, the slide brackets 58, 59 move downward along the main pipe 10 of each of the front frames 1, 2, and the main X link mechanism 53 and the sub X link mechanism 54 are also folded. Since each mounting end of the sub X-link mechanism 54 can rotate in the horizontal and vertical directions, the sub X-link mechanism 54
The front part is folded so as to be inclined downward.

When the handle members 78 are lifted upward and the front frames 1 and 2 approach to some extent, the user moves the left and right front frames 1 and 2 to each other.
Hold the second handle portion 16 and fold it closer to each other. As a result, the left and right front frames 1 and 2 and the rear frames 3 and 4 are folded so as to approach each other in the state shown in FIG. Folds closer to 2. Here, since the rear wheel 35 is disposed so as to be deviated outward from the rear pipe 30, the rear wheel 35 is folded such that the rear wheel 35 overlaps the outside of the front wheel 13.

In the folded state, the link members 41 and 42 of the steering link mechanism 40 are sandwiched between the front link mechanism 50 and the auxiliary X link mechanism 54.
Therefore, in the folded state, the steering wheel 16 cannot be turned, and the steering of the front wheels 13 is restricted. Therefore, in the folded state shown in FIG. 8, the walking aid can be used as a cane.

When the walking assist device is deployed, the left and right handle portions 16 are spread apart from each other from the state shown in FIG. Then, each link mechanism is expanded by an operation completely opposite to the above-mentioned folding operation, and a state almost as shown in FIG. 1 is obtained. In this state, the handle member 78 of the folding link mechanism 55 is pushed downward to exceed the dead point of the link members 76 and 77, so that the deployed posture of each link mechanism can be maintained in a stable state.

In such an unfolded state, for example, if the front frame 1 is rotated in the direction in which the user wants to advance while holding the handle portion 16 of one of the front frames 1, the main pipe 10 is supported by the support bracket 6 and the slide bracket 58. And is rotated in a desired direction. Thus, one main pipe 10
Is turned, the main pipe 10 is provided with the steering link mechanism 4.
Since 0 is connected, the other front frame 2 also rotates in the same direction, and both front wheels 13 rotate in the same direction.

By controlling the steering angle of the front wheels 13 by holding one handle portion 16 in this manner, both front wheels 13 can be directed in the same direction. Also, the front wheel 13
If it is not desired to steer (rotate) the steering control member 8
1 is rotated to engage the notch 81a with the pedestal 14a of the upper connecting member 14 as shown by the dashed line in FIG. In this state, the upper connecting member 14 is fixed to the support bracket 6, and the rotation of the front frames 1 and 2 is prohibited.
Therefore, the handle portion 16 is fixed at a fixed angular position, and the straightness is improved.

[Other Embodiments] (a) Another example of the mounting structure of the rear frames 3 and 4 is shown in FIG. In this example, a support bracket 90 is attached to the upper end of the main pipe 10.
Is installed. The main pipe 10 supports the support bracket 9
It is freely rotatable with respect to 0. The support bracket 90 includes
A support portion 90a projecting rearward is formed integrally.
The upper end of the pipe 30 constituting the rear frame 4 is rotatably attached to the support portion 90 a by a pin 91.
At the lower end of the support bracket 90, a notch 90b is formed leaving a part on the rear side.
A pin 92 fixed to the main pipe 10 is engaged with b. For this reason, the main pipe 10 has the notch 90
It can rotate until it comes into contact with the end 90c of b.

In such a configuration, the fixing bracket 31 and the middle pipe 34 of the rear frames 3 and 4 in the above embodiment are not required, and the structure is simplified. (B) In the above embodiment, the link members 41 and 42 of the steering link mechanism 40 are rotatably connected by the connecting member 44. However, both link members 41 and 42 may be directly rotatably connected. .

[0032]

As described above, in the present invention, the left and right front frames are rotatably supported by the left and right support portions, and the front wheels can be steered by operating the handle portion. And the direction control of the front wheels can be reliably performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial side view of a front frame of the walking assist device.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a mounting portion of a rear frame.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view for explaining the operation of the steering link mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view for explaining the operation of the steering link mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a folded state of the walking assist device.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing an attached state of a steering restricting member of the walking assist device.

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, front frame 3, 4 rear frame 5 coupling mechanism 6, 7 support bracket 16 handle part 40 steering link mechanism 81 steering inhibition member

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. Left and right support portions are provided at respective lower ends so as to be rotatable and relatively unrotatable.
It has a handle portion at the top and having a was wheels,
Left and right front frames rotatably supported by the left and right support portions, left and right rear frames disposed behind the left and right front frames and having wheels at lower ends, and the left and right front frames and rear side And a coupling mechanism coupled to the left and right support portions, and a front mechanism associated with operation of one of the handle portions of the left and right front frames.
A steering link that controls the steering angle of both wheels on the left and right front frames
A walking aid equipped with a mechanism . 2. The connecting mechanism connects the left and right front and rear side frames so as to approach and separate from each other, and in a folded state in which the side frames are close to each other, rotation of the left and right front side frames is prohibited. controlling the operation of the steering link mechanism so that, walking assist device according to claim 1. Wherein the further comprising a rotation prohibiting member for prohibiting the rotation of the left and right front frame in a deployed state of being separated on each side frame, the walking assist device according to claim 1 or 2.