JP3129495U - Index member and walker equipped with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To provide a walker that has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture and use, and can prevent a user from falling when walking.
In a walker 1 that is formed in a substantially U shape or a substantially semicircular shape in a plan view by a pair of left and right leg portions 2, 3 and a connecting portion 4 that connects the leg portions 2, 3 together. A rubber plate 9 as a flexible index member is provided at the lower part of the legs 2 and 3, and the rubber plate 9 has a front end facing each other, and a gap is formed between the front ends. Is provided. According to this walker 1, the rubber plate 9 can be used as a trigger for swinging out the free leg, and after starting to walk, it can be easily avoided by kicking backward by the force of the user's foot. Therefore, the structure is simple and easy to manufacture and use, and it is possible to prevent the user from falling when walking.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a walker that assists the walking of Parkinson's disease patients.

  It is known that a person suffering from Parkinson's disease gradually reduces voluntary movement, and is accompanied by a gait disorder called a free leg that makes it difficult to start walking. This freezing foot can be improved if there are landmarks that trigger the swing. Therefore, various walking aids have been developed that provide the user with a mark for improving the freezing foot.

  A walking aid is mainly known as a walking stick type, and the spring mechanism works when the user applies a load to the walking stick, and the auxiliary plate that is normally folded to the support post of the walking stick is positioned in front of the foot. A pressure-actuated type (see, for example, Patent Document 1) that is installed in a laser beam and a laser type that emits light at a position in front of the foot on the floor surface have been devised.

JP-A-11-309187

  The above-described pressure-operated cane has a complicated structure because it employs a spring mechanism, and the installation angle of the auxiliary plate depends on the degree of pressurization, that is, how the load is applied to the cane, and the load is small. In this case, there is a problem that the original function as a mark cannot be achieved because the auxiliary plate does not descend completely. Also, as the spring deteriorates with time, the descending auxiliary plate may become difficult to return.In this case, the auxiliary plate can serve as a mark that triggers the slack foot, but it is used once. If a person starts walking, it becomes an obstacle during walking, and the user may fall. In addition, the laser type has a problem that it is difficult to use the laser beam in a place where it is too bright or dark, so that it is difficult for the user to identify the laser beam.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a walker that has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture and use, and can prevent a user from falling when walking.

  In order to solve the above problems, a walker according to the present invention is a walker that is formed in a substantially U shape or a semicircular shape in a plan view by a pair of left and right legs and a connecting part that connects the legs. In this embodiment, a flexible indicator member is provided at a lower portion of one leg portion, and the indicator member is provided such that a tip thereof faces the other leg portion.

  When the user stands at the position on the open side of the walker that is formed in a substantially U-shape or semi-circular shape in plan view and grasps the walker, the indicator member crosses the direction of travel on the floor just before it. Will exist. When the user sees and confirms this, the user tries to swing the foot forward beyond the index member, so that the user can start walking and the user can start walking. . Since the index member is flexible, after starting to walk, it can be easily kicked backward by the user's foot force, while the index member returns to its original position by its repulsive force. Return.

  Here, the indicator member is preferably a walker provided on each of the pair of left and right legs.

  According to the above configuration, since the index member is provided on each of the pair of left and right legs, the index member can be stepped forward from either the left or right foot as a trigger for swinging out the foot.

  Further, it is desirable that the leg portion includes a front leg portion which is a front side with respect to the traveling direction and a rear leg portion which is a rear side, and the index member is provided on the rear leg portion.

  With the above configuration, the load applied to the walker by the user can be supported by both the front leg and the rear leg, strengthening the strength as a walker with a simple structure and at the time of using the walker As stability can be improved and the index member is provided on the rear leg, the index member will be located in front of the user's foot when grasping the walker. It is possible to easily give a trigger for the person's free leg to swing out.

  Here, it is desirable that wheels be provided only at the lower end of the front leg portion.

  If wheels are provided at the lower ends of the front and rear legs, the walker will start moving forward with a slight load applied by the user, and the user may fall with it. is there. On the other hand, if the wheel is not provided at the lower end of the leg, the user must move the walker forward by slightly lifting the walker or rubbing on the floor every time it moves forward. It becomes a big burden for the person. According to the present invention, by providing the wheel only on the front leg portion, it is possible to facilitate the movement of the walker and prevent the possibility of falling.

  In addition, the indicator member may be made of any material as long as it is made of a flexible member. However, the indicator member is less deteriorated with time even if it is repeatedly elastically deformed. It is desirable to use rubber.

  According to the present invention, in a walker formed in a substantially U shape or substantially semicircular shape in a plan view by a pair of left and right leg portions and a connecting portion that connects the leg portions, a lower portion of one leg portion Is provided with a flexible indicator member, and the indicator member is provided so that its tip faces the other leg, so that the indicator member can be used as a trigger for swinging out the leg, After starting to walk, it can be easily avoided by kicking backwards with the force of the user's foot, so the structure is simple, easy to manufacture and use, and prevents the user from falling when walking It can be a possible walker.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a walker according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the walker according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the indicator member according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a walker 1 according to the present embodiment is formed of a stainless steel tubular member, and a pair of left and right legs 2 and 3 and a connection for connecting the legs 2 and 3. Part 4. The leg portions 2 and 3 are formed in a substantially anti-U shape by the front leg portions 2a and 3a and the rear leg portions 2b and 3b and the grip portions 2c and 3c that connect them. Anti-slip members 2d and 3d for preventing slipping when the user holds the walker 1 are wound around the grip portions 2c and 3c.

  The front legs 2a and 3a are each provided with a caster 5 as a wheel. Further, reinforcement is provided between the front legs 2a, 3a and the rear legs 2b, 3b to prevent the shape of the legs 2, 3 from being distorted when the user puts weight on the walker 1. A member 6 is provided. Moreover, the length of the leg parts 2 and 3 can be adjusted, respectively, and the walker 1 can be adjusted to a user's favorite height.

  In addition, index members 7 are provided at the lower portions of the rear leg portions 2b and 3b, respectively, such that the tips thereof face each other. As shown in FIG. 3, the index member 7 includes a cylindrical fitting member 8 fitted into the rear legs 2 b and 3 b and a rubber plate 9 provided continuously to the fitting member 8. The rubber plate 9 is formed so that its thickness gradually decreases from the base end side provided continuously to the fitting member 8 toward the tip end side, and has a structure in which bending easily occurs. The index member 7 can be easily attached by fitting the fitting member 8 into the rear leg portions 2b and 3b, and can be detached from the rear leg portions 2b and 3b when unnecessary. In the present embodiment, the length of the rubber plate 9 is adjusted so that the ends of the rubber plate 9 do not contact each other and a slight gap is formed between them.

  Next, the usage mode of the walker according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how the walker according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. As shown in FIG. 4, the user stands on the open side of the walker 1, that is, on the side where the connecting portion 4 is not provided, and holds the grip portions 2 c and 3 c with both hands. In this position, when the line of sight is dropped to the front floor surface, the rubber plate 9 protruding from the rear legs 2b and 3b toward the center on the floor surface just in front crosses the user's traveling direction. Will be.

  The Parkinson's disease patient who is the user A recognizes the index member 7 as an obstacle by looking at the index member 7, and swings his / her foot forward to avoid the obstacle as shown in FIG. put out. Thereby, the user A can take the first step. At the same time as the weight shift is performed on the foot side swung out before the index member 7, the user A puts the weight on the walker 1 and advances the walker 1 slightly. Here, the walker 1 in the present embodiment is provided with casters 5 only at the lower ends of the front legs 2a and 3a, so that the walker 1 moves forward by an appropriate distance according to the movement of the user A. To do. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4B, the index member 7 hits the foot of the user A, but the rubber plate 9 of the index member 7 which is an obstacle is a flexible member. It can be easily bent backwards only with the force of the lower limbs. Further, in the present embodiment, the rubber plate 9 is formed so that the thickness gradually decreases as it goes toward the front end side, and the front ends of the rubber plate 9 do not contact each other, and there is a slight gap between them. By being formed, the rubber plate 9 is simply bent backward simply by abutting on the user A's foot, so the user has to kick the rubber plate 9 backward when walking. It is not necessary to have such consciousness, and there is no burden on the user A's foot. Thereby, the user A can advance the walker 1 easily without scooping his / her foot on the rubber plate 9 serving as the index member and falling down.

  At the same time that the rubber plate 9 leaves the foot, the bent rubber plate 9 returns to its original state by its repulsive force. Thereby, when taking the next step, the rubber plate 9 can function reliably as a user's mark.

  As described above, the walker 1 according to the present embodiment has a simple structure in which the index member 7 is provided at the lower ends of the leg portions 2 and 3, and can provide a trigger for swinging out the free leg of the Parkinson's disease patient. A possible walker 1 can be obtained. Moreover, even if it is not a walker only for Parkinson's disease patients, it can be set as the walker 1 concerning this embodiment only by attaching the parameter | index member 7 to the walker used widely generally, Compared to the number of parts, the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the rubber plate 9 is attached to the rear leg portions 2b and 3b via the fitting member 8. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the rubber plate 9 can be used even after repeated use. If it does not come off from 3b, it may be attached by any method such as attaching the rubber plate 9 directly to the rear legs 2b, 3b.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, it was the structure which connected the leg parts 2 and 3 formed in the substantially anti-U shape in the planar view substantially U shape by the connection part 4, but it is not restricted to this, A pair of right and left The leg portions 12 and 13 and the connecting portion 14 whose central portion protrudes forward are connected in a substantially semicircular shape in plan view as shown in FIG. 5, and the rubber plate 9 is provided at the lower ends of the leg portions 12 and 13. There may be.

  The present invention is useful as a walker used by patients with Parkinson's disease. In particular, the structure is simple, easy to manufacture and use, and can be suitably used as a walker capable of preventing a user from falling when walking.

1 is a perspective view of a walker according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a rear view of a walker according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the indicator member concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a figure which shows the usage condition of the walker concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the walker concerning other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Walker 2,3,12,13 Leg part 2a, 3a Front leg part 2b, 3b Rear leg part 2c, 3c Holding part 2d, 3d Anti-slip member 4,14 Connection part 5 Caster 6 Reinforcement member 7 Index member 8 Fit Member 9 Rubber plate

Claims (6)

In a walker formed in a substantially U shape or a substantially semicircular shape in plan view by a pair of left and right leg parts and a connecting part that connects the leg parts,
A walker having a flexible index member provided at a lower portion of the one leg portion, the index member being provided so that a tip thereof faces the other leg portion.   The walker according to claim 1, wherein the index member is provided on each of the pair of left and right legs. The leg portion includes a front leg portion that is a front side with respect to a traveling direction, and a rear leg portion that is a rear side,
The walker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the indicator member is provided on the rear leg portion.   The walker according to claim 3, wherein a wheel is provided only at a lower end of the front leg portion.   The walker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indicator member is made of rubber.   A pair of left and right legs and a connecting part that connects the legs are flexible at the lower part of one leg of the walker formed in a substantially U shape or a semicircular shape in plan view. The indicator member is attached so that the tip is directed to the other leg.

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