JP5653589B2 - Cane - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cane that is used exclusively for the purpose of assisting walking, and particularly to a cane that reduces the burden on the wrist.

  Walking may be difficult due to diseases such as rheumatism and cerebral infarction, and knee joint disorders associated with aging. In such a case, a cane is used for the purpose of stabilizing walking.

  In normal walking, the body is supported by only two feet, but by using a cane, there are three locations, and the body can be supported widely, so that walking is stable. Also, by putting some weight on the cane, the load on the foot can be reduced, and the burden on the disease side can be reduced.

  In general, the cane has a structure in which a grip is attached to the upper end of the support and a stick tip such as rubber is attached to the lower end.

  As the shape of the grip, there are a wide type that supports a palm widely, in addition to a T shape and an L shape.

  In the old days, the grip was made of wood, and it was hard and slippery. Recently, a core made of a hard material and coated with a soft material with a high friction coefficient has been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). When the user grips the grip, the covering layer is elastically deformed, and the grip can be held in close contact with the finger, and the hand is difficult to slip from the grip.

  The following Patent Document 3, which is a prior art document, will be described later.

JP 2008-67796 A JP-A-10-225313 JP 2000-1116738 A

  All of the conventional canes are supposed to be used with grasping the grip, but in patients with rheumatism etc., the grip strength is very low and it is difficult to grasp the cane firmly. . In addition, even users who are not rheumatics have a concern that if they grip the grip strongly, force is applied to their wrists, elbows, and shoulders.

  The present invention has been made by paying attention to such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cane that can have a grip without being gripped strongly and can reduce a burden on a wrist or the like.

  As described above, it is assumed that the conventional cane is used by grasping the grip, but the present inventors have attempted to develop a cane that can be held without performing an active grasping operation. Invented.

  The cane according to the present invention is a cane provided with a support and a grip, wherein the grip is attached to the support along the axis of the support, and a front part is projected forward and backward from the center axis of the support And the rear part has a vertical thickness (G) of 35 to 50 as a ratio of each part of the grip, and the right and left of the front part at a distance of 10 from the center axis of the support to the front The direction width (E) is 15 to 25. That is, the ratio of each part is “G”: “Distance from the central axis of the support column”: “E” = 35-50: 10: 15-25.

  In addition, although the specific magnitude | size of each part of a grip changes with the magnitude | sizes of a user's hand, when a user is an adult, the up-down direction thickness (G) of the said rear part is 35-50 mm, and the said support | pillar The width (E) in the left-right direction of the front portion at a position 10 mm away from the central axis is 15 to 25 mm. When the user is an adult, G is preferably 40 to 45 mm and E is 15 to 20 mm. When the user is a child, the above-mentioned ratio may be configured according to the size of the hand.

  When the human hand is in a natural state where force is not applied (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “natural state”), each finger joint is slightly bent and a little C-shaped between the thumb and index finger. It becomes a state.

  In the present invention, even if the hand is held in such a natural state during walking, it can be used without a sense of incongruity. In other words, if you have a grip with a natural hand, you just hook the grip on your finger. Therefore, when swinging out the cane during walking, a gap is formed between the palm and the upper surface of the grip. When the wand is poked, the palm touches (contacts) the upper surface of the grip, so that there is a difference in the positional relationship between the palm and the upper surface of the grip between the projecting state and the swinging-out state. In this regard, since the G is thick in the present invention, this drop is small, so that it can be used without a sense of incongruity.

  In the present invention, even if the hand is gripped in a natural state, the vertical thickness (G) of the rear portion is sufficiently thick as described above, so that the contact range between the hand and the grip is widened and the grip is held. You can give your hand a feeling that

  As described above, in the present invention, even if it is held by a hand in a natural state, there is a feeling of holding a grip, and it can be used without a sense of incongruity when walking.

  Therefore, according to the cane of the present invention, since it can be held without force, the burden on the wrist or the like due to strong grasping can be reduced. It can also be used by people with weak grip.

  Furthermore, in the rear part of the grip, it is preferable that at least the lower surface of the rear side 1/3 has adhesiveness.

  When the hand is held with a grip in a natural state, the grip is caught exclusively on the little finger. Therefore, if the grip surface where the little finger abuts is sticky, it is difficult to slip and the cane is difficult to fall from the hand. Therefore, as described above, it is preferable that the lower surface of at least the rear side 1/3 of the rear portion is adhesive. More preferably, the entire lower surface of the rear portion is adhesive.

  Further, in the present invention, the rear portion of the grip has an elliptical shape in plan view with the longitudinal direction of the grip as a major axis, and the left and right side views and rear view have the center of the elliptical shape as the top. It has an arcuate bulge, and the ratio of each part of the grip is that the horizontal length (A) from the center axis of the support column to the highest vertex of the rear part is 30 to 40, and the rear part from the center axis of the support column The length (B) to the end is 60 to 80, the width (C) of the elliptical minor axis is 45 to 55, the radius of curvature (D) of the arc along the major axis in the elliptical shape is 55 to 70, The radius of curvature (H) of the arc along the short axis is preferably 25-30. That is, as a ratio of each part, “G”: “distance from the center axis of the support column”: “E”: “A”: “B”: “C”: “D”: “H” = 35-50: The shape is preferably 10:15 to 25:30 to 40:60 to 80:45 to 55:55 to 70:25 to 30.

  When the user is an adult, the horizontal length (A) from the center axis of the support column to the top of the rear portion is 30 to 40 mm, and the length from the center axis of the support column to the rear end of the rear portion. (B) is 60 to 80 mm, the elliptical minor axis width (C) is 45 to 55 mm, and the radius of curvature (D) of the arc along the major axis in the elliptical shape is 55 to 70 mm, along the minor axis. The radius of curvature (H) of the arc is preferably 25 to 30 mm. When the user is an adult, more preferably, A is 30 to 35 mm, B is 60 to 65 mm, C is 45 to 50 mm, D is 60 to 65 mm, and H is 25 to 28 mm.

  When the rear part of the grip is configured in the shape and size ratio as described above, the dent of the palm fits into the rear part. In this state, the distance from the wrist joint center to the center axis of the cane support (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the wrist-power point distance) is a moderate distance that does not place a burden on the wrist and is easy to control the cane. It becomes. For example, when the user is an adult male, this distance is about 30 mm. With this distance, the line of action of the load passes between the index finger and the middle finger near the distal end of the radius, There is little burden.

  Here, the necessity of making the wrist-power point distance appropriate will be described.

  The load applied to the grip of the cane is transmitted to the tip of the lower end of the cane through the support of the cane and supports the body. At this time, the line of action of the load on the cane becomes the central axis of the column. On the other hand, the body load deposited in the hand is applied around the wrist joint center. When the action line of the cane is far from the joint center of the wrist (that is, when the wrist-force line distance is long), a large force is required to support the body, and the load on the wrist increases. When such a use state is continued for a long period of time, there is a concern of causing inflammation of the wrist.

  In the case of a conventional cane, since the grip is held, the distance between the wrist and the line of force tends to be long (for example, the distance between the wrist and the line of force is about 80 mm).

  On the other hand, even if it is a conventional cane, if you hold the grip from directly above the support column (for example, the gripping method with the shorter grip on the little finger side) The wrist-field line distance is shortened and the burden on the wrist is reduced. However, if the wrist-field line distance is too short, it becomes difficult to control the staff and it becomes difficult to poke the staff stably.

  In this regard, in the present invention, when a hand is applied along the shape of the grip, the rear part of the grip fits comfortably in the depression of the palm as described above, and the cane can be held naturally at an appropriate wrist-field line distance. it can. As a result, the burden on the wrist or the like is small, the control of the cane is facilitated, and the walking can be performed stably.

  Further, in the present invention, as a ratio of each part of the grip, the hanging part preferably has a diameter (F) of 10 to 20 at a position of a distance 70 downward from the highest vertex of the rear part. That is, as a ratio of each part, “G”: “distance from the central axis of the support column”: “E”: “distance from the top of the rear part to the bottom”: “F” = 35-50: 10: 15 It is preferable that it is a shape which becomes -25: 70: 10-20.

  In addition, when a user is an adult, it is preferable that the diameter (F) in the position of the distance of 70 mm is 10-20 mm below from the highest vertex of the said rear part about the said hanging part. When the user is an adult, F is more preferably 15 to 18 mm.

  When the cane is held, the hanging portion of the grip is sandwiched between the index finger and the middle finger. However, as described above, since the F is sufficiently small, the index finger and the middle finger can be naturally held without greatly expanding.

  Next, the tip of the cane according to the present invention will be described.

  In the present invention, the tip of the cane includes a grounding portion wider than the diameter of the support column, and the grounding unit is located on the outer side of the center portion and connected to the support column, and an inner periphery that is elastically deformable. And an outer peripheral portion that is located outside the inner peripheral portion and is harder than the inner peripheral portion.

  When walking with a cane during walking, it is rare to project the axis of the cane in the vertical direction. Usually, the cane that is swung forward obliquely strikes the ground in the diagonal direction, and then moves vertically as the body moves. Change the direction of the axis of the cane in the direction. In this way, since the beginning of the projection into the ground is in an oblique direction, the tip of the cane only catches the ground only at the corners of the ground contact surface, and is inferior in stability due to slipping depending on the state of the ground. Further, the tip of the cane is gradually scraped off by the friction with the corners. The reason why it can be cut obliquely is that the grip direction of the grip is constant, so that the portion of the cane that hits the ground is also determined in one place.

  Therefore, in the past, the tip of the cane was made of soft rubber, and when it was struck, the corner was bent and the ground contact area was widened. There has been proposed one that bends and widely captures the ground surface as a whole (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

  However, if it is too soft or it is too easy to bend, the tip of the cane will wobble, resulting in a loss of support as a cane. If it is hardened, the effect of capturing the ground widely as described above is lost, and the stability of the cane is inferior as described above.

  Regarding this point, the cane tip of the cane of the present invention captures the ground largely and also has good supportability of the cane.

  That is, as described above, the inner peripheral portion located outside the center portion can be elastically deformed and the outer peripheral portion is relatively hard. Therefore, when the cane is projected obliquely, the inner peripheral portion is deformed. And since an outer peripheral part hardly deform | transforms, this outer peripheral part changes direction so that it may follow a ground by a deformation | transformation of an inner peripheral part. In this way, the ground contact surface of the outer peripheral portion is directed to the ground side, so that the ground can be largely captured as a whole, and the tip of the cane is difficult to slip and exhibits good stability.

  On the other hand, since the center part of the cane is in contact with the ground while projecting in the same direction as the support column, the load applied to the support column of the cane can be firmly transmitted to the ground, and good support is exhibited.

  As described above, in the present invention, while maintaining the supportability of the cane in good condition, the ground is greatly captured by the ground contact surface of the outer periphery of the tip of the cane and good stability is exhibited.

  According to the cane according to the present invention, it is possible to have a grip without gripping it strongly. Therefore, even a user with weak grip strength can use it. Moreover, since it is only necessary to hold it lightly (or it can be held with a natural hand), the burden on the wrist or the like can be reduced.

It is a side view showing the whole cane concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing the grip in the cane of one embodiment, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a front view. It is a perspective view from the slanting front showing the grip in the cane of one embodiment. It is the SS sectional view taken on the line shown to Fig.2 (a). (A) is the TT sectional view taken on the line shown to Fig.2 (a), (b) is the U sectional view taken on the line shown to Fig.2 (a). It is a figure showing a mode that the cane of one Embodiment was held by hand. It is a longitudinal section showing a cane tip in a cane of one embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the cane tip in the cane of one embodiment, (a) is a figure seen from the slanting upper part, and (b) is a figure seen from the slanting lower part. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of cane tip vicinity showing a mode that the cane of one Embodiment protruded diagonally on the ground.

<Embodiment>
In describing a cane according to an embodiment of the present invention, 1: about the configuration of the grip of the present embodiment, 2: about the use of the cane by the grip of the present embodiment, 3: about the configuration of the tip of the present embodiment, 4: The use of the cane by the cane according to the present embodiment will be sequentially described below.

1. About the structure of the grip of this embodiment FIG. 1: is a side view showing the whole cane 10 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. 2A and 2B are views showing the grip 11 in the cane 10, wherein FIG. 2A is a plan view, FIG. 2B is a side view, and FIG. 2C is a front view. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the grip 11 in the cane 10 from an oblique front. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line SS shown in FIG. 2A, FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line TT shown in FIG. 2A, and FIG. It is the U line sectional view shown to a).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cane 10 has a grip 11 attached to the upper end of a support column 21 and a cane tip 31 attached to the lower end.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the grip 11 has a hanging portion 14 along the axis of the support column 21, a front portion 13 protruding forward from the central axis 21 c of the support column 21, and a rearward extension from the central shaft 21 c. Part 12.

  The rear portion 12 has an oval shape 12f whose plan view is the longitudinal direction of the grip (see the two-dot chain line shown in FIG. 2A). The upper surface 12a of the rear portion 12 protrudes in an arc shape with the center of the ellipse 12f as the highest vertex α (FIGS. 2B and 2C). The lower surface 12b of the rear portion 12 is recessed in an arc shape substantially along the arc shape of the upper surface when viewed from the side (FIG. 2B). A through hole 15 is formed on the rear end 12e side of the rear portion 12 so that a string or the like can be inserted therethrough.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the front portion 13 following the rear portion 12 is continuously narrowed from one side of the elliptical shape 12f, and is slightly expanded toward the tip. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the front portion 13 has a shape that once decreases along the bottom of the arcuate bulge in the rear portion 12 and slightly rises toward the tip.

  The hanging portion 14 is hollow, and the upper end portion of the support column 21 is inserted into the hollow portion 18 and fixed by an adhesive or the like. The diameter of the drooping portion 14 is reduced at a position 70 mm away from the highest vertex α of the rear portion 12 (position F). In this embodiment, the diameter of the support column 21 is 21 mm, which is relatively thick. Therefore, in order to make the position of F thin, it is preferable to make the tip portion of the column 21 thin. At this time, the thickness of the column 21 is set in consideration of the strength of the column 21.

Here, reference numerals indicating the length of each part in the grip 11 will be described.
A: Horizontal length from the central axis 21c of the support column 21 to the highest vertex α of the rear portion 12 (mm)
B: Length from the central axis 21c of the support column 21 to the rear end 12e of the rear portion 12 (corresponding to the length of the elliptical long axis) (mm)
C: Oval short axis width at the rear portion 12 (which is the maximum width of the rear portion 12) (mm)
D: radius of curvature of the arc along the major axis of the ellipse at the rear portion 12 (mm)
E: The width in the left-right direction (mm) of the front portion 13 at a distance of 10 mm forward from the central axis 21c of the column 21
F: Diameter (mm) of the drooping portion 14 at a distance of 70 mm from the highest vertex α of the rear portion 12
G: Vertical thickness of rear portion 12 (mm)
H: radius of curvature of the arc along the minor axis of the ellipse at the rear portion 12 (mm)
And the size of each part in the example of illustration is
A: 33mm
B: 65mm
C: 46mm
D: 60mm
E: 18mm
F: 16mm
G: 40mm
H: 27mm
It is. In addition, the grip 11 is symmetrical and is used for both right and left in use.

  The grip 11 is manufactured by two-color molding of synthetic resin (FIGS. 4 and 5). A relatively hard resin is used for the core portion 17 (for example, polycarbonate), and the load applied to the grip 11 is received and transmitted to the column 21. A relatively soft and sticky resin is used for the surface layer portion 16 (for example, soft acrylic or olefin elastomer), and a soft and gentle touch is given to the hand having the grip 11. Moreover, since the surface becomes sticky, it is hard to slip. The thickness of the surface layer portion 16 is preferably 5 mm or more.

  The Shore hardness of the grip 11 is preferably A60 to A90 (JIS Z 2246 Shore Hardness Test-Test Method). Since the softer is superior in the pressure-removal effect, the softer is less tiring when long-time use is considered. On the other hand, if it is too soft, the load applied to the grip 11 cannot be transmitted well to the support column 21 and is difficult to hold. Considering these points, the Shore hardness as described above is preferable. When the load applied to the cane is small such that the user is a child or the like, the shore hardness should be set low accordingly.

2. About Use of Cane by Grip of this Embodiment FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state where the hand 60 holds the grip 11 of the cane 10 according to this embodiment. The hand 60 is in a natural state where no force is applied, and represents a state when the cane 10 is swung out.

  In the natural state, the joint of each finger is slightly bent, and the little finger 65, ring finger 64, and middle finger 63 are caught on the lower surface 12 b of the rear portion 12 of the grip 11. The thumb 61 and the index finger 62 are located in the vicinity of the E portion (position at a distance of 10 mm forward from the central axis 21c of the support column 21) in the front portion 13 of the grip 11 (see also FIG. 2), and the vicinity is narrowed. (E = 18 mm), it can be pinched with a natural hand without any sense of incongruity. Since the hanging part 14 of the grip 11 is located between the index finger 62 and the middle finger 63, and this hanging part 14 is sufficiently thin (F = 16 mm), the hanging part 14 is sandwiched between the index finger 62 and the middle finger 63 without a sense of incongruity. be able to.

  In addition, since the surface layer 16 of the grip 11 is made of an adhesive resin and the surface of the grip 11 is adhesive, the finger caught as described above is difficult to slip.

  When the cane 10 is struck on the ground, the palm 66 comes into contact with the upper surface 12 a of the rear part 12 of the grip 11 and deposits a part of the weight in the cane 10. At this time, since the upper surface 12a of the rear portion 12 fits in the recess of the palm 66, it is easy to leave the weight on the cane 10, the weight can be supported by the palm 66, and the burden on the wrist is reduced. Further, since the rear portion 12 of the grip 11 is wide (C = 46 mm), the pressure is not concentrated and the palm 66 is hardly painful.

  In addition, with the upper surface 12a of the rear portion 12 within the palm 66 as described above, the wrist-field line distance naturally becomes an appropriate length (for example, 30 mm). Therefore, the burden on the wrist or the like is small, and the control of the cane is facilitated.

  In the case of a natural hand, a gap is formed between the palm 66 and the upper surface 12a of the rear portion 12 when the cane 10 is swung out (FIG. 6). Although there will be no gap, this head is small, so it can be used without a sense of incongruity.

  In this way, the cane 10 of the present embodiment can be held lightly even if the grip 11 is not strongly gripped, so that a user with low grip strength can also be used. Further, if the hand is gripped strongly, force is applied to the wrist, elbow and shoulder, and if the cane is struck in this hardened state, there is a risk of damaging the joint such as the wrist, but the grip 11 of the cane 10 of this embodiment is only lightly held. Therefore, it is possible to avoid damaging a joint such as a wrist.

  Furthermore, since the surface of the grip 11 is sticky, it is unlikely to slip and fall when the cane 10 is leaned against a wall or the like. Therefore, it is convenient when the cane 10 is stood temporarily.

3: About the structure of the stick tip of this embodiment FIG. 7: is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the stick tip 31 in the stick 10 of one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the cane tip 31 viewed from obliquely above, and FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the cane tip 31 viewed obliquely from below.

  The cane tip 31 is made of rubber, and includes a grounding portion 36 that is a portion that is grounded to the ground, and a connection portion 32 that is connected to the support column 21.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the connection portion 32 is hollow, and the lower end portion of the support column 21 is inserted into the hollow portion 38 and fixed by an adhesive or the like.

  The diameter of the grounding portion 36 is wider than the diameter of the support column 21. The center portion 33 of the grounding portion 36 has a cylindrical shape, is located on the extension line of the connection portion 32, and is connected to the support column 21. A circumferential portion 34 is formed in a ring shape outside the center portion 33. The inner peripheral portion 34 has a small thickness (FIG. 7) and can be elastically deformed. An outer peripheral portion 35 is formed in a ring shape on the outer side of the inner peripheral portion 34. The outer peripheral portion 35 is thick and unlike the inner peripheral portion 34, it is difficult to deform.

4: About use of cane by cane tip of this embodiment FIG. 9: is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of cane tip 31 vicinity showing the mode that the cane 10 of this embodiment protruded diagonally to the ground.

  When no pressure is applied to the cane tip 31, as shown in FIG. 7, the grounding surface (bottom surface) of the grounding portion 36 is in a direction perpendicular to the central axis 21 c of the column 21.

  When the cane 10 is projected obliquely with respect to the ground 70, the cane tip 31 bends at the inner peripheral portion 34 and directs the ground contact surface 35 a at the outer peripheral portion 35 to the ground 70 as shown in FIG. 9. That is, since the outer peripheral portion 35 is not substantially deformed, the outer peripheral portion 35 has its ground contact surface 35 a directed to the ground surface 70 as a whole. And since the ground surface 70 can be largely caught by the outer peripheral part 35 in this way, the cane tip 31 is hard to slip and exhibits favorable stability.

  On the other hand, the center portion 33 is grounded to the ground 70 while protruding along the axial direction of the column 21. Accordingly, the wobble tip 31 does not wobble, and the load from the support column 21 is transmitted straight to the ground 70 via the center portion 33. Therefore, the supportability of the cane is improved.

<Other embodiments>
Regarding the grip on the cane, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the side surface of the rear end side of the grip 11 is recessed, but even if it is a shape that hangs straight or bulges to the rear side good.

  Regarding the cane tip, in the above-described embodiment, the lower end of the support post 21 is located at the connection portion 32 of the cane tip 31, but the support post 21 may extend to the center portion 33 of the cane tip 31. In addition, in the cane 31 shown in FIG. 7, the waistline between the connection portion 32 and the grounding portion 36 is shown to be constricted, but the shape reaches the grounding portion 36 with the same thickness without forming the constriction. Also good.

  As mentioned above, the cane according to the present invention has been specifically described with reference to the drawings showing examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples, and can be appropriately changed within a range that can be adapted to the above-described purpose. It is also possible to carry out by adding any of these, and they are all included in the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Grip 12 Rear part 12a Upper surface 12b Lower surface 13 Front part 14 Hanging part 21 Post 31 Cane tip 32 Connection part 33 Center part 34 Inner part 35 Outer part 36 Ground part

Claims (5)

In a cane with a post and a grip,
The grip includes a hanging portion attached to the column along the axis of the column, and a front portion and a rear portion projecting forward and backward from the center axis of the column,
The vertical thickness (G) of the rear portion is 35 to 50 mm ,
A cane characterized in that a width (E) in the left-right direction of the front portion at a position of a distance of 10 mm forward from the central axis of the support column is 15 to 25 mm .   The wand according to claim 1, wherein at least a lower surface of the rear portion at least one third of the rear side has adhesiveness. The rear portion has an elliptical shape in plan view, the major axis of which is the longitudinal direction of the grip, and the left and right side views and the rear view have arcuate ridges with the center of the elliptical shape as the highest vertex,
The horizontal length (A) from the central axis of the support column to the highest vertex of the rear portion is 30 to 40 mm , the length (B) from the central axis of the support column to the rear end of the rear portion is 60 to 80 mm , The elliptical minor axis width (C) is 45 to 55 mm , the radius of curvature (D) of the arc along the major axis in the ellipse is 55 to 70 mm , and the radius of curvature (H) of the arc along the minor axis is The cane according to claim 1 or 2, which is 25 to 30 mm . The cane according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hanging portion has a diameter (F) of 10 to 20 mm at a position of a distance of 70 mm downward from the highest vertex of the rear portion . The cane tip of the cane is provided with a grounding part wider than the diameter of the support column,
The grounding part is
A central portion connected to the column;
An inner peripheral part which is located outside the central part and is elastically deformable;
The cane according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an outer peripheral portion that is located outside the inner peripheral portion and is harder than the inner peripheral portion.

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