JP3123810U - Walker - Google Patents

Abstract

A walker with excellent safety and operability is provided.
A walker 10 includes a front leg frame 1 having a front leg 11 at a lower end portion, a rear leg frame 2 having a rear leg 21 at a lower end portion, and upper end portions of the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 that can be opened and closed. Hinge part 3 coupled to the front leg frame 1, the handle part 4 connected to the upper end of the front leg frame 1 and controlling the opening / closing angle θ between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2, and the movement of the front leg frame 1, The structure includes a hydraulic cylinder 5 and a spring 5 that follow the leg frame 2, and the handle portion 4 is pushed down to increase the opening / closing angle θ between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2. Then, the handle portion 4 is pulled up so that the rear leg frame 2 moves forward following the front leg frame 1.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a walker used to assist walking.

  Conventionally, as this kind of walker, as described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a plurality of rollable devices while supporting the frame on the lower end portion of the frame provided with a handle portion gripped by the user. A walker with a wheel is known.

  In Patent Document 1, in a walker having at least one front wheel at a lower end portion of a frame, a spring is provided that allows the front wheel to be displaced upward from a position during traveling. The front wheel is lifted upward so that the front wheel does not get caught in the step, and when the front wheel passes the step, the front wheel is pushed back to the running position and the front wheel is driven again, so that the step can be walked. The proposed walker has been proposed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a rear wheel provided on a rear leg frame, in which a rear leg frame having a pair of rear wheels at a lower end portion and an upper end portion of a front leg frame having a pair of front legs at a lower end portion are connected in an openable / closable manner. There has been proposed a walker provided with auxiliary legs so that the bottom surface is positioned above the bottom surface of the rear wheel. Also, between the front leg frame and the rear leg frame, a traction spring that always projects the lower end of the front leg forward from the rear leg frame, and the lower end of the front leg against the traction spring against the walking surface. And a stopper for holding in contact therewith. That is, this walker causes the rear leg frame to move forward by rotating the rear wheel in the direction of travel, and after the rear wheel approaches the front leg in a stationary state, the rear leg frame is tilted backward in the direction of travel. By moving the center of gravity to the auxiliary leg, the front leg is pushed forward by the spring force of the traction spring to advance.

JP-A-2005-118153 JP 2001-327562 A

  However, in the walker described in Patent Document 1 described above, since the wheel is provided at the lower end of the frame, the walker is used in an inclined place or the user stumbles forward the walker. When pushed out, there is a problem that the rotational speed of the wheel increases, and it is difficult to stop the self-running of the walker.

  Further, in the walker described in Patent Document 2 described above, the front leg is advanced by the spring force of the traction spring as the rear leg advances, so that the user can reliably operate the front leg of the walker. There is a problem that it cannot be controlled. For this reason, if the front leg of the walker that jumps up due to the spring force of the traction spring collides with a person or object located in front of the walker, or the place where the front leg of the walker has landed is a stepped part or an inclined part, It may become impossible to move the vessel forward stably.

  Then, this invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and makes it the subject to provide the walker excellent in safety | security and operativity.

  In order to solve such problems, a walker according to the present invention includes a front leg frame having a front leg at a lower end, a rear leg frame having a rear leg at a lower end, and each of the front leg frame and the rear leg frame. As the front leg frame moves, a connecting part for freely opening and closing the upper end part, a handle part connected to the upper end part of the front leg frame and controlling an opening / closing angle between the front leg frame and the rear leg frame, Traction means for following the rear leg frame, and by pushing down the handle portion, the opening and closing angle between the front leg frame and the rear leg frame is increased to advance the front leg frame, By pulling up the handle portion, the rear leg frame is caused to advance following the front leg frame.

  Moreover, the walker which concerns on this invention WHEREIN: It is preferable that the said front leg is arrange | positioned 2 or more in series toward the advancing direction.

  At this time, two or more front legs are arranged in series in the traveling direction on the bottom surface of the flat plate attached to the lower end portion of the front leg frame, and the front leg frame is attached closer to the traveling direction of the flat plate. More preferably.

  Furthermore, in the walker according to the present invention, the traction means may be composed of at least one of a hydraulic cylinder and a spring. Here, by providing a hydraulic cylinder as the traction means, it is possible to obtain an action as a buffer member that alleviates the collision between the front leg frame and the rear leg frame when the front leg frame and the rear leg frame are opened and closed.

  According to the walker according to the present invention, both the front leg provided on the front leg frame and the rear leg provided on the rear leg frame are fixed, and after the front leg frame is advanced, the rear leg frame is caused to follow the front leg frame. Because it is possible to prevent the walker from running on its own and to control the movement of the front legs reliably, the operability and safety are improved compared to the conventional walker described above. it can.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a walker according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a walker according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the walker 10 of the present embodiment includes a metal front leg frame 1 having a pair of left and right front legs 11, and a metal rear leg frame 2 having a pair of left and right rear legs 21. However, the upper end portions thereof are connected to each other via a pair of left and right hinge portions (connecting portions) 3 so as to be freely opened and closed.

  The front leg 11 includes a first front leg 112 and a second front leg 113 that are fixed in series toward the traveling direction X of the walker 10 on the bottom surface of the flat plate 111 attached to the lower end of the front leg frame 1. Here, the front leg frame 1 is attached to a central portion of the flat plate 111 where the distance from the first front leg 112 and the distance from the second front leg 113 are substantially the same. The flat plate 111 is made of metal, and the first and second front legs 112 and 113 and the rear leg 21 are both made of rubber and are fixed.

  Further, a handle portion 4 including a grip portion 41 that is gripped by the user is connected to the upper end portion of the front leg frame 1. Accordingly, by moving the handle portion 4 in the vertical direction, the front leg frame 1 is also moved in the vertical direction, and the opening / closing angle θ between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 can be controlled.

  Further, the lower portions of the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 are connected by a hydraulic cylinder (traction means) 5 and a spring (traction means) 6 fixed to the attachment portions 12 and 22, respectively. As a result, the opening / closing angle θ between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 is made larger than the initial setting value, and a tensile stress is applied between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2. When the center of gravity is moved, the rear leg frame 2 is pulled and followed by the front leg frame 1 by the elastic force of the hydraulic cylinder 5 and the spring 6.

Further, a stopper 7 is provided between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 for defining a maximum opening / closing angle between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2.
Here, the initial setting value and the maximum opening / closing angle of the opening / closing angle θ between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 are determined according to the user's stride and walking state (for example, when walking on a step, when walking on a slope, and when turning). Change accordingly.

  In the walker 10 of the present embodiment, the hydraulic cylinder 5 and the spring 6 are provided as the traction means. However, the traction means is not limited to this, and either the hydraulic cylinder 5 or the spring 5 is provided. Alternatively, other traction means such as rubber, a pneumatic cylinder, and a hinge with a spring may be provided.

Next, an example of the operation when going straight using the walker 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an operation example in the case of going straight using the walker according to the present invention.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3A, the walker 10 of the present embodiment is installed with the front leg frame 1 side on the traveling direction X side. At this time, the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 are opened at a predetermined opening / closing angle θ between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2, and the first front leg 112, the second front leg 113, All the legs 21 are in contact with the walking surface.

  When going straight using the walker 10, the user first stands behind the rear leg frame 2 and pushes down the handle portion 4 in the traveling direction X while holding the handle portion 4. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), only the front leg frame 1 connected to the handle portion 4 is pushed out in the advancing direction while the rear leg 21 is stationary, and the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 are The opening / closing angle θ between the front leg 11 and the front leg 11 moves forward. At this time, the rear leg 21 is stationary at the initial position, the first front leg 112 is in contact with the walking surface, and the second front leg 113 is floating from the walking surface.

  Subsequently, the handle portion 4 is pulled up in the direction opposite to the traveling direction X. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3C, the second front leg 113 also comes into contact with the walking surface, the center of gravity moves to the front leg frame 1, and the rear leg 21 floats from the walking surface.

At this time, an elastic force acts on the hydraulic cylinder 5 and the spring 6 between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2, and the rear leg frame 1 is pulled by the front leg frame 2 as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the first front leg 112, the second front leg 113, and the rear leg 21 are all in contact with the walking surface.
That is, by repeating the operations shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D, it is possible to go straight in the traveling direction X using the walker 10.

Next, an example of operation when climbing a step using the walker 10 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example when climbing a step using the walker according to the present invention.

  When climbing a step using this walker 10, first, the handle 4 on the rear leg frame 1 side is pushed down in the traveling direction X to move the center of gravity to the rear leg 21, and only the front leg 11 is placed above the step. Position. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4A, the rear leg 21 is positioned at the lower part of the step and the front leg 11 is at the upper part of the step with the opening / closing angle θ between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 increased. It will be in the state located. At this time, the rear leg 21 is stationary at the initial position, the first front leg 112 comes into contact with the walking surface above the step, and the second front leg 113 floats from the walking surface above the step.

  Subsequently, the handle portion 4 is pulled up in the direction opposite to the traveling direction X. As a result, the second front leg 113 also comes into contact with the walking surface above the step, the center of gravity moves to the front leg frame 1, and the rear leg 21 floats from the walking surface below the step.

At this time, an elastic force acts on the hydraulic cylinder 5 and the spring 6 between the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2, so that the rear leg frame 1 becomes the front leg frame 2 as shown in FIG. The first front leg 112, the second front leg 113, and the rear leg 21 are all in contact with the walking surface above the step by being pulled and moved to the top of the step.
That is, by repeating the operations shown in FIGS. 4A to 4B, the step can be raised using the walker 10.

  In addition, although this embodiment demonstrated the case where the level | step difference was climbed using the walker 10, it is not restricted to this, A level | step difference can also be lowered | hung using the walker 10. FIG. In this case, first, as described above, the center of gravity is moved to the rear leg 21 by pushing down the handle part 4 on the rear leg frame 2 side in the traveling direction X, and only the front leg 11 is positioned at the lower part of the step. Thereafter, the handle 4 may be pulled up in the direction opposite to the traveling direction X, and the rear leg 21 may be pulled to follow the front leg 11 and moved to the lower part of the step.

Next, an operation example in the case of changing the direction using the walker 10 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 5 shows an example of operation when changing direction using the walker according to the present invention, (a) shows an example of operation when changing direction to the right in the traveling direction, and (b) shows direction toward the left side of the walking. It is explanatory drawing which shows one operation example in the case of changing.

  When changing the direction of the walker 10 to the right of the traveling direction X, first, the handle 4 on the rear leg frame 1 side is pushed down toward the traveling direction X to open and close the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2. The angle θ is increased, the rear legs 21A and 21B and the first front leg 112 are in contact with the walking surface, and the second front leg 113 is lifted from the walking surface.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5A, the right rear leg 21B and the front leg 11 are moved to the right rear side in the traveling direction X by an angle θ1 with the left rear leg 21A in the traveling direction X as a fulcrum. Let

  Subsequently, by pulling up the handle portion 4 in the direction opposite to the traveling direction X, the second front leg 113 comes into contact with the walking surface and the rear legs 21A and 21B are pulled by the front leg frame 1 as described above. To go forward. Thereby, the advancing direction of the walker 10 can be changed to the right side of the advancing direction X, as shown to Fig.5 (a).

  When the walker 10 is turned to the left side in the traveling direction X, first, the handle portion 4 on the rear leg frame 1 side is pushed down toward the traveling direction X, so that the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 are separated. , The rear legs 21A, 21B and the front legs 112 are in contact with the walking surface, and the second front legs 113 are in a state of floating from the walking surface.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5B, the left rear leg 21A and the front leg 11 are moved by an angle θ2 to the left rear in the traveling direction X with the right rear leg 21B in the traveling direction X as a fulcrum. Let

  Subsequently, by pulling up the handle portion 4 in the direction opposite to the traveling direction X, the second front leg 113 comes into contact with the walking surface and the rear legs 21A and 21B are pulled by the front leg frame 1 as described above. To go forward. Thereby, the advancing direction of the walker 10 can be changed to the left side of the advancing direction X as shown in FIG.

  That is, by repeating the direction change to the right side of the traveling direction X shown in FIG. 5A or the direction change to the left side of the traveling direction X shown in FIG. The direction of travel can be changed by a desired angle.

  According to the walker 10 of the present embodiment, the front leg frame 1 and the rear leg frame 2 are provided with the fixed front legs 11 and the rear legs 21, respectively, and after moving the front leg frame 1 forward, the rear leg frame 2 is moved to the front leg frame 1. Since the walker 10 moves forward by following the movement, the user can reliably control the operation of the front leg frame 1 without the walker 10 running on its own. And safety can be improved.

  Further, according to the walker 10 of the present embodiment, the front leg 11 is configured by the first and second front legs 112 and 113 arranged in series in the traveling direction, so that the front leg frame 1 is stably provided. Since it can support, operativity and safety can be improved further.

  In the walker 10 of the present embodiment, the case where the front leg frame 1 is attached to the central portion of the flat plate 111 where the distance from the first front leg 112 and the distance from the second front leg 113 are substantially the same has been described. However, the attachment position of the front leg frame 1 on the flat plate 111 is not limited to this.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 6, in the flat plate 111, the front leg is located at a position where the distance from the second front leg 113 is closer than the distance from the first front leg 112, that is, a position near the traveling direction X of the flat plate 111. It is good also as a structure to which the flame | frame 1 was attached. According to this configuration, when the front leg frame 1 is advanced, the flat plate 111 bends and acts as a cushioning material, so that the front leg frame 1 can be supported more stably and is mechanically hard in use. It will cause a soft touch rather than a touch.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows an example of the walker based on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the walker based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows one operation example in the case of going straight using the walker which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows one operation example when climbing a level | step difference using the walker based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows one operation example in the case of changing direction using the walker which concerns on this invention. It is a side view which shows the other example of the walker based on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Front leg frame 11 Front leg 2 Rear leg frame 21 Rear leg 3 Hinge (connecting part)
4 Handle 5 Hydraulic cylinder (traction means)
6 Spring (traction means)
10 Walkers

Claims (4)

A front leg frame having a front leg at a lower end part, a rear leg frame having a rear leg at a lower end part, a connecting part for opening and closing each upper end part of the front leg frame and the rear leg frame, and an upper end part of the front leg frame A handle portion for controlling an opening / closing angle between the front leg frame and the rear leg frame, and a traction means for following the rear leg frame as the front leg frame moves,
By pushing down on the handle portion, the opening angle of the front leg frame and the rear leg frame is increased to advance the front leg frame, and then the handle portion is pulled up so that the rear leg frame becomes the front leg frame. A walker that is configured to follow and move forward.   The walker according to claim 1, wherein two or more front legs are arranged in series in the traveling direction.   Two or more front legs are arranged in series in the traveling direction on the bottom surface of the flat plate attached to the lower end portion of the front leg frame, and the front leg frame is attached closer to the traveling direction of the flat plate. The walker according to claim 2, wherein: The walker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the traction means is at least one of a hydraulic cylinder and a spring.

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