JP5719961B1 - Walking aid - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a walking aid that respects the autonomy of a user who wants to walk on his own and assists him / her to walk on his / her feet. In this walking aid 1, a first frame body 10 having a leg 12 with casters 13 that can be gripped by a user, and telescopically connected to the first frame body 10 is provided. A wearable harness 40 is attached, and the second frame body frame 20 is provided with leg portions 22 without casters. The leg portions 22 of the second frame body frame 20 are interlocked with the rising motion of the user. In addition to the floating state, the leg portion 22 of the second frame 20 is brought into a grounded state in conjunction with the user's sitting operation. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking aid developed for a person diagnosed with dementia (hereinafter referred to as a dementia patient), a visually impaired person, a baby who has started walking, and the like.

  Conventional walking aids walk while supporting the body with both arms on the walker main body. Therefore, in the case of a left (or right) half-body who cannot hold the body by himself / herself, walking training using the walker has been almost impossible.

  Therefore, in Patent Document 1, for example, a walker main body that is taller than the height is provided, and the parachute harness is suspended from the upper part of the walker main body via a suspension tool such as a winch, and the height of the parachute harness is increased by the suspension tool. A walker capable of self-walking characterized by adjusting is disclosed.

  In this case, even if it is difficult to recover walking function, such as left (or right) half-body, the parachute harness is used. It is relatively easy even for users who can hold the standing position and cannot naturally support their weight by themselves, even if the vertical load is converted into rolling resistance by casters and the leg strength is weakened. It is described that gait training is possible and there is a possibility of regaining the gait function.

  However, unlike the facility with a high ceiling, the technique of Patent Document 1 cannot be used in a small place such as a general home. Moreover, when there is no helper, standing cannot be canceled and it cannot be applied as it is to a patient with dementia. That is, if the parachute harness is set low, the user will walk using his / her legs while sitting, as is often seen in wheelchairs. On the other hand, if the parachute harness is set high, the user floats in the air as soon as the user tries to sit down and the leg is shrunk, but the dementia patient does not understand it and flutters. As a result, the body may shake and hit the walker main body.

  This hinders the autonomous willingness of dementia patients to walk, and now humans who can walk independently can no longer walk, and the foot pump called the human second heart does not work. There was a risk of systemic deterioration. Requests for the development of walking aids that support not only patients with dementia but also visually impaired people and babies who have started walking, who respect the autonomy of wanting to walk on their own, and assisting them to walk independently with their feet was there.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a walking aid that respects the user's autonomy and wants to walk independently with his / her feet. It is to be.

  The present invention is a walking aid for promoting self-sustained walking by a user's autonomy, and includes a first frame body that includes a leg portion with wheels and that can be gripped by the user, and extends and contracts to the first frame frame. A second frame frame having a second frame frame having a leg portion without wheels and having a seat portion that is freely connected and on which a user can sit is attached. The first frame is provided with a first brake in which the leg portion of the second frame is brought into a grounded state in conjunction with the user's sitting operation.

  According to the present invention, a first frame body that includes a leg portion with wheels and that can be gripped by a user, and a seat portion that is extendably connected to the first frame body and that can be seated by a user are attached. The second frame frame with leg portions without wheels, and the leg portion of the second frame frame floats in conjunction with the user's rising motion, and also interlocks with the user's sitting motion And since the leg part of the said 2nd frame frame was equipped with the 1st brake which will be in a grounding state, it will become possible to use as a walking implement only by the user getting up. In addition, when a user who is in use as a walking device loses his / her intention to walk and tries to take a break, the user can sit down, but at this time, the legs of the second frame are in a grounded state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from walking with his / her foot while sitting.

  As a result, the user's autonomous gait (self-walking) is promoted, and the daily exercise amount is improved, and the whole body exercise leads to the enhancement of muscle strength and the activity of metabolism. Further, since the user himself / herself exercises safely, the usually required watching is not complicated, and the workload of a care worker or the like can be reduced, so that there is further social significance.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the seat is preferably formed integrally with a harness that can be worn by a user.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the seat portion is integrally formed with a harness that can be worn by the user, the seat portion can be used as a walking tool simply by standing up. Further, when a user who is in use as a walking tool loses his / her intention to walk and tries to take a break, the harness is suspended like a hammock, and the user can be seated.

  By the way, in order for a user to enter and walk in each frame body frame, a seat part may become obstructive, but conventionally, the assistant has raised the seat part to the back side. However, this requires an assistant to stand up and walk, and if the space in each frame is small, it will interfere with the user who is standing up when the seat is raised to the back side. As a result, there are various problems such that each frame frame becomes larger. Therefore, as in the third aspect of the invention, the seat portion hangs down on the back side in conjunction with the rising motion of the user, and the seat portion returns to the original position in conjunction with the seating motion of the user. It is preferable to do.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, the seat portion hangs down on the back side in conjunction with the rising motion of the user, and the seat portion returns to the original position in conjunction with the seating motion of the user. This eliminates the need for an assistant when standing up and walking. Further, by hanging the seat portion to the back side, the user's standing motion is not hindered, and each frame frame can be downsized. Furthermore, the impact of the user when sitting is absorbed by the returning operation of the seat.

  As in the invention of claim 4, the first frame frame is obtained by fixing leg portions with wheels at a plurality of positions substantially equally dividing the circumference of the annular frame, and the second frame frame is the first frame frame. It is preferable that leg portions without wheels are fixed at a plurality of locations that substantially divide the circumference of an annular frame having a diameter different from that of the single frame frame.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the first frame frame is obtained by fixing the leg portions with wheels at a plurality of locations substantially equally dividing the circumference of the annular frame, and the second frame frame is the first frame frame. Since legs with no wheels are fixed at multiple points that divide the circumference of an annular frame with a diameter different from that of a single frame, it is possible to walk in all directions and use it during the walk. It is possible to surely prevent a person from falling out of balance and falling down due to sitting down.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the second frame frame is connected to the first frame frame in a telescopic manner and has a first auxiliary frame attached with a seat portion on which a user can sit, It is preferable to have a second auxiliary frame that is coaxially and rotatably connected to the auxiliary frame and includes a leg portion without wheels.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the second frame frame is connected to the first frame frame in a telescopic manner and has a first auxiliary frame to which a seat portion on which a user can sit is attached, The second auxiliary frame is coaxially and rotatably connected to the auxiliary frame and has legs without wheels. By twisting the body while holding the first frame frame, the seat portion follows the first frame frame and rotates, so that the user can easily change the direction.

  As described in the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that each frame frame can be opened and closed when a user enters and exits the inside of each frame frame.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since each frame frame can be opened and closed when the user enters and exits the inside of each frame frame, the user can easily enter and exit each frame frame. Can be made.

  Alternatively, as in a seventh aspect of the invention, the first frame is formed in a horseshoe shape or a U-shape in plan view, and the second frame is supported by the first frame. A rod-shaped member is preferable.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the first frame is formed in a horseshoe shape or a U-shape in plan view, and the second frame is supported by the first frame. Since it is a member, the user can be easily moved in and out of each frame body frame.

  As in the eighth aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the assistant includes a canceller that cancels the brake operation of the first brake when the user sits down.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the assistant has a canceller that cancels the brake operation of the first brake when the user sits down, even if the user remains seated, the assistant does not The transfer function can be utilized by prohibiting the operation.

  By the way, dementia patients are difficult to recognize obstacles, so there is a risk of colliding with the walls of the facility, etc., and if movement from the place is inhibited for some reason, disturbing behavior due to dementia-specific stress It is known to take The same applies to visually impaired persons and babies who have started walking. Therefore, as in the ninth aspect of the invention, a sensor for detecting an obstacle is provided, and a second brake for extending a leg portion of the second frame body to a grounded state according to a detection signal of the sensor. It is preferable to provide.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the sensor for detecting an obstacle is provided, and the second brake for extending the leg portion of the second frame body to be in a grounded state according to the detection signal of the sensor. Therefore, when the user approaches the obstacle up to the set distance, a locked state is reached in which the user can not proceed any further. Therefore, when the user changes direction, the locked state is released. In this way, since the user moves away from the obstacle along with his intention to change direction, an effect of suppressing disturbing behavior due to dementia-specific stress can be expected.

  It is preferable to provide a counter that counts the number of times the user stands up or sits down.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since the counter is provided for counting the number of times the user is standing up or sitting down, the health status of the user is grasped based on the number of times.

By the way, the walking aid must be as robust as possible because it receives the total weight of the user. On the other hand, it is preferable that the walking aid is as light and compact as possible in consideration of the storage location. It is preferable to be as versatile as possible by adding a person's rising function. The invention according to claim 11, developed in response to such a request, is a walking aid for promoting self-sustained walking by the user's autonomy, comprising a wheel frame and a frame that can be gripped by the user, A seat that is attached to the frame and allows the user to sit in, and a first brake that allows the frame to advance when the user stands up and prohibits the frame from advancing when the user sits And a counter that counts the number of rising motions or the number of seating motions of the user, wherein the frame body includes an annular first frame that can be gripped by the user, and a wheel having the same diameter as the annular first frame are those with an annular second frame with via posts per, the seat is attached to the frame body frame via a lead, the first brake, the user standing In conjunction with the rising operation while allowing rotation of the wheel, is characterized in that restricts the rotation of the wheel in conjunction with the user's sit operation.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, a frame that has wheels and can be gripped by a user, a seat that is attached to the frame and that can be seated by the user, and a frame when the user stands up. The frame includes a first brake that allows the frame to progress and prohibits the frame frame from being advanced during a user's sitting operation, and a counter that counts the number of rising operations or the number of sitting operations of the user. The annular first frame that can be gripped by the user, and the annular second frame with wheels having the same diameter as the annular first frame via a support column, the seat portion has a lead. The first brake is allowed to rotate the wheel in conjunction with the rising motion of the user and in conjunction with the sitting motion of the user. Since restricts the rotation of the wheel, robust, with a lightweight and compact configuration, it becomes possible to use as only walking equipment that the user gets up. In addition, when a user who is in use as a walking device loses his intention to walk and tries to take a break, the user can be seated, but at this time, the rotation of the wheels of the second annular frame is restricted. Therefore, it is prevented that the user walks with his / her foot while sitting. Furthermore, since a counter is provided for counting the number of rising motions or the number of sitting motions of the user, the health status of the user can be grasped by the number of times.

As a result, while grasping the health condition of the user, it promotes the independent walking by the user's autonomy (improvement walking), improves the daily exercise amount, increases the muscle strength by the whole body exercise, and the activity of metabolism It leads to encouragement. Further, since the user himself / herself exercises safely, the usually required watching is not complicated, and the workload of a care worker or the like can be reduced, so that there is further social significance.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the seat portion is integrally formed with a harness with a lead that can be worn by a user.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, since the seat portion is integrally formed with a harness with a lead that can be worn by the user, the seat portion can be used as a walking tool simply by standing up. Further, when a user who is in use as a walking tool loses his / her intention to walk and tries to take a break, the harness is suspended like a hammock, and the user can be seated.

  As in the invention described in claim 13, it is preferable that the annular first frame and the annular second frame are openable and closable when a user is moved in and out of each frame.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the annular first frame and the annular second frame can be opened and closed when a user is moved in and out of each frame. Users can easily go in and out.

  As in the invention described in claim 14, it is preferable that the assistant includes a canceller that cancels the brake operation of the first brake when the user sits down.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, since the assistant is provided with a canceller that cancels the braking operation of the first brake when the user sits down, even if the user remains seated, the assistant etc. The brake function can be prohibited and its transfer function can be used.

  As in the invention described in claim 15, it is preferable to provide a sensor for detecting an obstacle and to include a second brake for restricting the rotation of the wheel in accordance with a detection signal of the sensor.

  According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, since the sensor for detecting the obstacle is provided and the second brake for restricting the rotation of the wheel is provided according to the detection signal of the sensor, the user sets the obstacle. When approaching the distance, it will be locked so that it can no longer be advanced. Therefore, when the user changes direction, the locked state is released. In this way, since the user moves away from the obstacle along with his intention to change direction, an effect of suppressing disturbing behavior due to dementia-specific stress can be expected.

  According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the sensors are provided, and the direction of the frame can be changed by locking or unlocking the wheels according to the detection signal of each sensor. It is preferable that

  According to the invention of claim 16, a plurality of the sensors are provided, and the direction of the frame body can be changed by locking each wheel or releasing the lock according to the detection signal of each sensor. Therefore, even if the user approaches the obstacle up to the set distance, the user can naturally change direction by simply moving forward. Thus, since the user moves away from the obstacle regardless of whether or not the user intends to change direction, an effect of suppressing unrest behavior due to dementia-specific stress can be expected.

As in the invention according to claim 17 , the annular first frame and the annular second frame are horizontally placed so as to form parallel rings, and the seat portion is an outer peripheral surface of the annular first frame. The annular first frame and the annular second frame until they are taken out relatively below and relatively above the outer peripheral surface of the annular first frame with the user placed on the seat. It is preferable that the user is erected by being rotated as parallel wheels.

As in the invention according to claim 17 , the annular first frame and the annular second frame are horizontally placed so as to form parallel rings, and the seat portion is an outer peripheral surface of the annular first frame. The annular first frame and the annular second frame until they are taken out relatively below and relatively above the outer peripheral surface of the annular first frame with the user placed on the seat. Is rotated as a parallel ring, so that the user stands up, so that a user's rising function can be added for multi-purpose use.

  According to the present invention, a first frame body that includes a leg portion with wheels and that can be gripped by a user, and a seat portion that is extendably connected to the first frame body and that can be seated by a user are attached. The second frame frame with leg portions without wheels, and the leg portion of the second frame frame floats in conjunction with the user's rising motion, and also interlocks with the user's sitting motion And since the leg part of the said 2nd frame frame was equipped with the 1st brake which will be in a grounding state, it will become possible to use as a walking implement only by the user getting up. In addition, when a user who is in use as a walking device loses his / her intention to walk and tries to take a break, the user can sit down, but at this time, the legs of the second frame are in a grounded state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from walking with his / her foot while sitting.

  As a result, the user's autonomous gait (self-walking) is promoted, and the daily exercise amount is improved, and the whole body exercise leads to the enhancement of muscle strength and the activity of metabolism. Further, since the user himself / herself exercises safely, there is a further social significance such that the normally required watching is not complicated and the workload of the care worker is reduced.

It is a side view which shows the whole structure of the walking aid which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view which shows the whole structure of the walking aid which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the harness which concerns on this Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of a first brake according to the first embodiment. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the 2nd brake which concerns on this Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system which concerns on this Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of a control system according to the first embodiment. It is a side view which shows the whole structure of the walking aid which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a top view which shows the whole structure of the walking aid which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram around the seat part which concerns on this Embodiment 2, Comprising: (a) is an initial state, (b) is a state in which the 1st brake is working, (c) is a state in which the 2nd brake is working. . It is a conceptual diagram of the guide which concerns on this Embodiment 1, 2, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view. It is a side view which shows the whole structure of the walking aid which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a top view which shows the whole structure of the walking aid which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the walking aid which concerns on this Embodiment 3. FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the 1st and 2nd brake which concerns on this Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system which concerns on this Embodiment 3. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation of a control system according to the third embodiment. It is process drawing which shows the rising function of the walking aid which concerns on this Embodiment 3.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a walking aid 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. In addition, up and down (Z direction), front and rear (Y direction), and left and right (X direction) in each figure are set based on the user P who is using the walking aid 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the walking aid 1 according to Embodiment 1 includes a first frame body frame 10 including leg portions 12 with casters (including wheels) 13 on the front, rear, left, and right, respectively. A second frame frame 20 which is connected to the first frame frame 10 so as to be stretchable and includes a leg portion 22 without casters, and a harness 40 integrally formed with a seat portion on which a user P can sit. I have.

  The harness 40 is an improvement of a so-called paraglider harness, and has a deformed main body 41 that is worn so as to cover the back of the user P from the back to the buttocks, a belt 44 that secures the user P to the main body 41, and a belt 44. An adjusting portion 45 for adjusting the length of the belt, connectors 46 and 47 for connecting the belts 44 in a separable manner, lower harnesses 42 and 43 for connecting the user P to the second frame frame 20 so as to be extendable and retractable, And an upper harness 48 that secures the person P to the first frame body 10. However, unlike a normal paraglider harness, here, in order not to give a sense of restraint as much as possible to the user P, a contrivance such as cutting the neck of the main body 41 greatly is made.

  The first frame body 10 includes an annular frame 11 formed so as to surround the user P, and leg portions with casters 13 on the front, rear, right, and left (four surroundings) on the lower side of the annular frame 11. 12, a telescopic spring 14, its protective cover 15, a sensor 16, and a counter 18. The annular frame 11 also serves as an assistant grip bar, and the leg portion 12 is fixed so as to spread obliquely downward. A caster 13 rotates around the vertical axis at the lower end of the leg portion 12. It is freely mounted and rotatable around the horizontal axis.

  The second frame 20 is connected to the first frame 10 so as to be stretchable and an annular frame 31 as a first auxiliary frame to which a harness 40 that can be worn by the user P is attached, and the annular frame 31. An annular frame 21 is provided as a second auxiliary frame that is coaxially and rotatably connected to the frame 31 and includes leg portions 22 without casters. A contact plate (not shown) may be provided at the tip of the leg portion 22 to increase the frictional resistance with the floor G.

  Each frame frame 10, 20 has the second frame frame 20 at the break of the annular frame 11 of the first frame frame 10 when the user P is moved in and out of the inside of each frame frame 10, 20. The annular frames 31 and 21 can be opened and closed in a state where the extended lines of the cuts are aligned. That is, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, a part of each frame frame 10, 20 is opened by rotating in the direction opposite to the A direction around the hinge 17 of the first frame frame 10. , It is closed by rotating in the A direction. The opening / closing direction and the number of opening / closing positions of the frame frames 10 and 20 are not limited to the above. For example, as a so-called double door opening method in which a hinge is provided at the center of the back side of the frame frames 10 and 20 to open and close the left and right. Alternatively, instead of opening and closing a part of each of the frame frames 10 and 20, they may be raised and lowered.

  In addition, as is often seen in conventional wheelchairs, it is desirable to encourage the user P to walk independently by preventing the user P from walking with his / her legs while sitting. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the leg portion 22 of the second frame 20 is in a floating state in conjunction with the rising motion of the user P, and the user P sits down as shown in FIG. 4. In conjunction with this, a first brake 32 is provided in which the leg portion 22 of the second frame 20 is brought into a grounded state.

  FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory view of the first brake 32. Here, the harness 40 is lowered in the B direction against the elasticity of the expansion spring 14 by the sitting operation of the user P. Then, the annular frames 21 and 31 are lowered, and the leg portions 22 come into contact with the floor G to be locked. On the other hand, by the rising operation of the user P, the elastic spring 14 is elastically restored and the harness 40 is raised in the direction opposite to the B direction. Then, the annular frames 21 and 31 are raised, and the leg portions 22 are lifted from the floor G, and the locked state is released. At that time, the protective cover 15 prevents the user P from coming into contact with the expansion spring 14 so as not to be damaged.

  Moreover, since the user P who is a dementia patient has difficulty in recognizing the obstacle, there is a risk of colliding with, for example, the wall of the facility, and when the movement from the place is inhibited for some reason, It is known to take disturbing behavior due to stress. Therefore, a sensor 16 that detects an obstacle is provided, and a second brake 90 that extends and brakes the actuator 23 provided on the leg portion 22 of the second frame 20 is provided according to the detection signal of the sensor 16. ing. FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of the second brake 90 and the like, and FIG. 6 is a control block diagram thereof.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, the second brake 90 and the like are provided, for example, slightly below the leg portion 12 positioned at the front portion of the first frame body 10, and detect an obstacle. 16, a counter 18, and a mounting box 91 including a battery 92 and a control device 93.

  As the sensor 16, for example, an optical distance sensor capable of detecting an obstacle such as a wall is adopted. As the counter 18, for example, a load cell is adopted. As the battery 92, a rechargeable storage battery is adopted. As 93, for example, an armadillo (registered trademark of Atmark Techno Co., Ltd.) board is employed. Functionally, the control device 93 includes a storage unit 931, a measurement unit 932, a determination unit 933, and a control unit 934.

  The storage unit 931 stores various programs and various setting values. The measuring unit 932 measures the distance of the obstacle detected by the sensor 16 and the number / time of the rising motion of the user P detected by the counter 18 (or the number / time of the sitting motion). The determination unit 933 compares the measurement value obtained by the measurement unit 932 with the set value stored in the storage unit 931. The control unit 934 controls the expansion / contraction operation of the actuator 23 based on the comparison result in the determination unit 933, and issues an alarm from an alarm device (not shown) as necessary. Depending on the type of actuator 23 and its control method, an appropriate driver is required.

  Hereinafter, the usage example of the walking aid 1 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated. As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, this walking aid 1 is in a state in which a part of each frame body frame 10, 20 is opened and a user P entering from there can always use it. Yes.

  The user P enters the frame frames 10 and 20 of the walking aid 1 after wearing the harness 40. When this user P enters, the first brake 32 automatically operates, so that it is safe. That is, in conjunction with the sitting operation of the user P, the leg portion 22 of the second frame 20 is brought into a grounded state. Then, it is assumed that the user P grasps the annular frame 11 of the first frame body 10 and stands up. Then, in conjunction with the rising motion of the user P, the legs 22 of the second frame 20 are in a floating state. Accordingly, the user P can walk while holding the annular frame 11 of the first frame body 10.

  Here, the operation of the second brake 90 and the counter 18 will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the second brake 90 and the like. When a power switch (not shown) is turned on, various programs and setting values stored in advance in the storage unit 931 of the control device 93 are read, and a measurement unit 932, a determination unit 933, and a control unit 934 are constructed.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, the flag i = 0 is set as an initial setting, and the counter 18 is reset (step S1). Next, the sensor 16 starts distance measurement, and the counter 18 starts measuring the number of rising operations of the user P (step S2). Next, it is determined whether or not the flag i = 0 (step S3). If it is determined that the flag i = 0, it is determined whether or not the obstacle is approaching within a set value (for example, 50 cm) (step S4). If it is determined that the obstacle is not approached within 50 cm, the process returns to step S2. On the other hand, if it is determined that the obstacle is approached within 50 cm, the second brake 90 is used and locked (step S5). Specifically, the actuator 23 may be extended to the maximum according to the measured value of the distance to the obstacle. Thereafter, the flag i is changed to 1 (step S8), and the process returns to step S2.

  At this time, since it is determined in step S3 that the flag i is not 0, it is determined whether or not the distance from the obstacle exceeds 50 cm (step S10). If it is determined that the distance from the obstacle does not exceed 50 cm, the process returns to step S2. On the other hand, if it is determined that the distance exceeds 50 cm from the obstacle, the lock is released (step S11). Specifically, the actuator 23 may be reduced to the minimum. Thereafter, the flag i is changed to 0 (step S12), and the process returns to step S2. The above steps are repeated until a power switch (not shown) is turned off.

  If the user P wants to stop walking and take a break, the user P can be seated in the reverse procedure just by taking the sitting posture as it is, and the leg portion 22 of the second frame 20 is in a grounded state. So that it can be braked reliably. Further, the user P does not fall down by the upper harness 48 connected to the first frame body 10.

  Here, when the user P sits down, the assistant has a canceller that cancels the brake operation of the first brake 32. In the canceller, for example, a regulating member (not shown) for preventing the compression spring 14 from being compressed is detachably provided between the seat portion 30 and the support frame 21. Thereby, even if the user P is sitting down, the assistant can prohibit the brake operation of the first brake 32 and use the transfer function. And when the user P completely stops using the first frame body 10 and the upper harness 48 and the second frame body frame 20 and the lower harnesses 42 and 43 in the seated state, A part of the frame is opened again, and the user P is withdrawn therefrom, and then the harness 40 is removed.

  As described above, according to the walking aid 1 of the first embodiment, the first frame body 10 that includes the leg portion 12 with the caster 13 and can be gripped by the user P, and the first frame body 10. And a harness 40 that is connected to the telescopic spring 14 and can be worn by the user P, and has a second frame body frame 20 that includes the legs 22 without casters. The first brake in which the leg portion 22 of the second frame body frame 20 is in a floating state in conjunction with the operation and the leg portion 22 in the second frame body frame 20 is in a grounded state in conjunction with the sitting operation of the user P. With the function of 32, the user P can be used as a walking tool simply by standing up. In addition, when the user P who is in use as a walking tool loses his intention to walk and tries to take a break, the harness 40 is suspended like a hammock, and the user P can be seated. However, at this time, since the leg portion 22 of the second frame 20 is in a grounded state, the user P is prevented from walking using his / her foot while sitting. Furthermore, the operation of the counter 18 counts the number of rising operations of the user P, and an alarm is issued from an alarm device (not shown) as necessary. For example, if the time during which the user P is sitting exceeds a set value, an alarm is issued from the alarm device to alert the caregiver. Thereby, the health state of the user P is grasped.

  As a result, while grasping the health condition of the user P, the self-independent walking of the user P is promoted, daily exercise amount is improved, and muscle strengthening and metabolic activity are promoted by whole body exercise. . Further, since the user P himself exercises safely, the usually required watching is not complicated, and the work amount of the care worker including the caregiver is reduced, so that there is further social significance.

(Embodiment 2)
8 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the walking aid 1a according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a conceptual view around the seat portion 30a. In addition, up and down (Z direction), front and rear (Y direction), and left and right (X direction) in each figure are set based on the user P who is using the walking aid 1a. However, the same number is attached | subjected to the element similar to the said Embodiment 1, and the duplication description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the walking aid 1 a according to the second embodiment includes a first frame body 10 a including leg portions 12 a with casters (including wheels) 13 a on the front, rear, left, and right, respectively. The first frame body 10a is connected to the first frame body 10a via a telescopic spring 14a, and includes a second frame body frame 20a having legs 22a without casters and a seat section 30a on which a user P can sit. .

  The seat portion 30a has a horizontally long rectangular shape in plan view. The front end of the seat portion 30a is attached to be rotatable downward in the range of 0 to 90 degrees around the left and right axis immediately before the second frame body 20a (in the direction D ′ in FIG. 10). is there). This is because, as long as the user P takes a standing posture, the seat portion 30a can be a combination mechanism of a pulley and a rope (not shown), a link mechanism, a rack and pinion mechanism, a motor drive mechanism, etc. This is because the operation always hangs down and does not hinder the user P from walking. For example, in the pulley mechanism, lower harnesses 42 and 43 are detachably attached to the left and right ends of the front portion of the seat portion 30a via the pulley. When the user P wearing the harness 40 stands up, the lower harnesses 42 and 43 are pulled up, the direction is changed by the pulley and the seat portion 30a is pulled down. As a result, the seat portion 30a rotates in a hanging direction, while the harness 40 When the user P wearing the seat sits down, the lower harnesses 42 and 43 are pulled down, the direction is changed by the pulley, and the seat 30a is pulled up. As a result, the seat 30a returns to the original horizontal posture around the horizontal axis. Rotate. Since the rotating seat portion 30a absorbs the impact when the user P is seated, the user P can be seated at any time. Instead of hanging the seat 30a, the seat 30a may be retracted to the back side.

  Here, the conventional wheelchair has a structure that does not get tired even if the user P sits for a long time, but in the present invention, the user who has difficulty in self-control as a walking tool. In order for P to stand on its own, the seat 30a is deliberately shallow, and the structure is such that only the pelvis is at least in contact with it, and promotes the autonomy that the user P wants to get up. It is like that. However, the points where cushions, guards, and the like are appropriately arranged are the same as those of a normal walker and wheelchair, and therefore illustration and description thereof are omitted for convenience of explanation.

  The first frame 10a includes a horseshoe-shaped (or U-shaped) frame 11a formed so as to surround the user P except for the front side thereof, and the front, rear, left and right of the lower side of the horseshoe-shaped frame 11a ( A leg portion 12 a with casters 13 a, a telescopic spring 14 a, a sensor 16, and a counter 18 are provided at four locations around the periphery. A protective cover for the expansion spring 14a may be provided as necessary. The sensor 16 may be extended to a place where it does not interfere with the user P's foot using a flexible joint (not shown). Further, the horseshoe-shaped frame 11a also serves as an assistant grip bar at the rear part, and the leg part 12a is fixed so as to spread obliquely downward. A caster 13a is arranged around the vertical axis at the lower end of the leg part 12a. It is mounted so as to be rotatable and rotatable about the horizontal axis.

  The second frame 20a is connected to a support frame 21a laid between the left and right legs 12a, 12a of the first frame 10a, and is telescopically and rotatably connected to the support frame 21a. A seat 30a on which P can be seated is attached, and a caster-less leg 22a to which a telescopic actuator 23 is attached is provided on the lower side. An abutment plate (not shown) may be rotatably provided at the distal end of the leg portion 22a to increase the frictional resistance with the floor G, while allowing the first frame body frame 10a to change direction.

  Here, since the user P can be made to enter and exit from the open side of each frame body 10a, the opening / closing mechanism or the like as in the first embodiment is not necessary, but the grip bar 19a is provided to be freely opened and closed. It has been. Then, the leg portion 22a of the second frame body frame 20a enters a floating state in conjunction with the rising motion of the user P, and the leg portion 22a of the second frame body frame 20a in conjunction with the sitting motion of the user P. Is provided with a first brake 32a that is in a grounded state.

  Also here, the sensor 16 for detecting the obstacle is provided, and the actuator 23 provided on the leg portion 22a of the second frame 20a is extended and braked according to the detection signal of the sensor 16, or the A second brake 90 for releasing braking is provided.

  Hereinafter, the usage example of the walking aid 1a which concerns on this Embodiment 2 is demonstrated. As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 9, the walking aid 1a rotates the grip bar 19a around the vertical axis in the E direction so that the first frame body 10 is opened, and the user P can always It is in a usable state.

  After wearing the harness 40, the user P enters the first frame body frame 10 a of the walking aid 1. When the user P enters, the first frame body 10a is closed by rotating the grip bar 19a about the vertical axis in the direction opposite to the E direction. At this time, when the user P sits on the seat 30a, the first brake 32a automatically operates, so that it is safe. That is, in conjunction with the sitting operation of the user P, the leg portion 22a of the second frame body 20a is brought into a grounded state. Then, the user P grips the grip bar 19a of the first frame body 10a and tries to stand up. Then, in conjunction with the rising motion of the user P, the seat 30a is moved upward (in the B ′ direction in FIG. 10A) by the elastic return force of the expansion spring 14a. As a result, the second frame 20a. The leg portion 22a is in a floating state. At the same time, as a result of the seat portion 30a rotating downward (in the same D 'direction) by the action of a link mechanism (not shown), the feet of the user P are expanded. Accordingly, the user P can easily walk by gripping the grip bar 19a of the first frame body 10a. The counter 18 counts the number of rising operations.

  The operations of the second brake 90 and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment. That is, when the sensor 16 does not detect an obstacle, a detection signal is not issued. At this time, the leg portion 22a is contracted by the actuator 23 of the second frame 20a to be in a floating state (see FIG. 10A). On the other hand, when the sensor 16 detects an obstacle, a detection signal is issued. At this time, the leg portion 22a is extended by the actuator 23 of the second frame body 20a (see FIG. 10C). For example, when the obstacle detected by the sensor 16 reaches a set value (for example, 50 cm), the user P enters a locked state in which the user P cannot proceed any further. Therefore, when the user P changes direction, the sensor 16 also changes direction, so that the locked state is released. In this way, since the user P moves away from the obstacle along with his intention to change the direction, an effect of suppressing disturbing behavior due to dementia-specific stress can be expected.

  And if the user P wants to stop walking and take a rest, it can be seated reliably in the reverse procedure as before, and the leg portion 22a of the second frame body 20a is in a grounded state. Thus, braking is reliably performed (see FIG. 10B). Moreover, the user P does not fall down by the upper harness 48 connected to the first frame body 10a.

  Here, when the user P sits down, a helper cancels the brake operation of the first brake 32a. In this canceller, for example, a regulating member (not shown) for preventing the compression spring 14a from being compressed is detachably provided between the seat 30a and the support frame 21a. As a result, even if the user P remains seated, the assistant can prohibit the brake operation of the first brake 32a and utilize the transfer function. At this time, the flip-up type foot plate 50a can be used horizontally.

  When the user P completely stops using the first frame frame 10a after releasing the connection between the first frame frame 10a and the upper harness 48 and the seat portion 30a and the lower harnesses 42 and 43 in the seated state. The grip bar 19a is opened, the user P is withdrawn from the open end, and then the harness 40 is removed.

  As described above, according to the walking aid 1a of the second embodiment, the first frame body 10a that includes the leg portion 12a with the casters 13a and can be held by the user P, and the first frame body 10a. The seat 30a, which is connected to the arm via the elastic spring 14a and on which the user P can be seated, is attached and has a second frame body frame 20a provided with legs 22a without casters. The leg portion 22a of the second frame body frame 20a is in a floating state in conjunction with the operation, the seat portion 30a is suspended, and the leg portion 22a of the second frame body frame 20a is in conjunction with the sitting operation of the user P. With the function of the first brake 32a in the grounded state, the user P can be used as a walking tool simply by standing up. In addition, when the user P who is in use as a walking tool loses his intention to walk and tries to take a break, the seat 30a is in a substantially horizontal state and the user P can be seated. Since the leg portion 22a of the second frame 20a is in a grounded state, the user P is prevented from walking using his / her legs while sitting. Further, the counter 18 functions to count the number of rising operations of the user P, and an alarm is issued from an alarm device (not shown) as necessary. For example, if the time during which the user P is sitting exceeds a set value, an alarm is issued from the alarm device to alert the caregiver. Thereby, the health state of the user P is grasped.

  As a result, while grasping the health condition of the user P, the user P's self-sustained gait (suspicious walking) is promoted, the daily exercise amount is improved, the whole body exercise increases muscle strength, and the metabolism activity Leads to prompting. And, since the user P himself exercises safely, there is also a further social significance such as that the normally required watching is not complicated and the workload of the care worker is reduced.

  In the first and second embodiments, the first brake 32 (32a) and the second brake 90 are provided, but only one of them may be provided. For example, instead of the second brake 90, a cushion guide 100 for restricting the action range of the walking aids 1 and 1a as shown in FIGS. do it. The cushion guide 100 includes a thin base 101 and a thick guide 102. When the base 101 is placed on the floor in front of an obstacle, the walking aids 1 and 1a ride on the base 101, Since the guide 102 does not easily fall over and does not exceed the guide 102, safety can be easily ensured, which is convenient. The dimensions and shapes of the left and right bases 101 of the guide 102 are set according to the placement location. Alternatively, a metal tape may be attached to the floor and detected by a magnetic sensor, or a gate may be installed to read an IC chip. Further, the first brake 32 (32a) and the second brake 90 may be incorporated into the caster 13 (13a) of the leg portion 12 (12a) of the first frame body 10 (10a). Depending on the operating conditions of the first brake 32 (32a) and the second brake 90, a further alarm may be issued from an alarm device (not shown). For example, this is a case where the user P leaves the range where walking is allowed for some reason.

  In the first embodiment, the harness 40 and the seat are integrally formed. In the second embodiment, the harness 40a and the seat 30a are separated from each other. Good. For example, the hammock-like harness 40 of Embodiment 1 and the seat portion may be integrally formed, and may be configured to absorb the impact when seated in Embodiment 2. In the second embodiment, it is convenient to apply both brakes 32a and 90 around the seat portion 30a in a centralized manner and combine them with a commercially available walker. Furthermore, it is more convenient if the seat 30a is used as a saddle, and this is applied to a commercially available walker. Such modules can also be retrofitted to existing walker.

  In the first embodiment, the second frame 20 having a smaller diameter than the first frame 10 is arranged on the inside of the first frame 10, but on the outside of the first frame 10. A second frame 20 having a diameter larger than that of the first frame 10 may be disposed.

Moreover, in the said Embodiment 1, the leg part 12 of the 1st frame body frame 10 is expanded below, and ensuring of stability in a compact structure and securing of the walking space of the user P are aimed at. However, if possible, an annular frame having the same diameter as the first frame body 10 may be added below the first frame body 10 for reinforcement. Furthermore, it can also be used as a device that assists the user P to get up by rolling it sideways. In this case, it is needless to say that no protruding portion that inhibits rolling is provided. Such a configuration will be described later as a third embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, the first frame body 10a has a horseshoe shape (or U-shape) and the second frame body 20a is a rod-shaped member. It is good also as a horseshoe shape (or U-shape) like the one-frame body frame 10a. In that case, the second frame body 20 smaller than the first frame body 10 may be disposed inside the first frame body 10, and the first frame is disposed outside the first frame body 10. A second frame 20 that is larger than the body frame 10 may be arranged. Further, in the first embodiment, four legs 12 of the first frame frame 10 and four legs 22 of the second frame frame 20 are provided, but the scope of the present invention is limited to this. It is not limited, For example, 3 or less may be sufficient and 5 or more may be sufficient. Moreover, the leg part 12 of the 1st frame body frame 10 and the leg part 22 of the 2nd frame body frame 20 do not need to make the same number, and may differ. The same applies to the second embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 12 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the walking aid 1b according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, FIG. 13 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration thereof. In addition, up and down (Z direction), front and rear (Y direction), and left and right (X direction) in each figure are set based on the user P who is using the walking aid 1b. However, the same number is attached | subjected to the element similar to the said Embodiment 1, 2, and the duplication description is abbreviate | omitted as much as possible.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 14, the walking aid 1 b according to the third embodiment includes casters (including wheels) 13 b on the front, rear, left, and right, respectively, and a frame 10 b that can be gripped by the user P. And the seat part 30b in which the user P can sit down, the 1st brake 32, and the 2nd brake 90b are provided.

  The seat portion 30b is integrally formed with a harness that can be worn by the user P (hereinafter, it may be referred to as a seat portion 30b including a harness with leads 40b). Thereby, the user P can be used as a walking tool simply by standing up. In addition, when the user P being used as a walking tool loses his / her intention to walk and tries to take a break, the user P can be seated on the seat 30b.

  The frame body frame 10b is formed so that an annular first frame 11b formed so as to surround the user P and an annular second frame 12b having the same diameter as the annular first frame 11b overlap in a plan view. They are arranged and connected to each other via four support columns 14b provided on the front, rear, left and right thereof. A seat portion 30b is suspended from a portion of the annular first frame 11b slightly spaced from the upper connection portion of the support column 14b via a lead 40b with a load cell 18b. A caster 13b, an actuator 15b, and a sensor 16b are attached to the vicinity of the lower connection portion of the support column 14b of the annular second frame 12b.

  The annular first frame 11b and the annular second frame 12b are arranged such that when the user P enters and exits both the frames 11b and 12b, the annular second frame 12b It can be opened and closed with the extended lines of the cuts combined. That is, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 13, by rotating around the hinge 17b of the annular first frame 11b in the direction opposite to the E direction, a part of each frame 11b, 12b is opened. It is designed to close by rotating in the direction. The opening / closing direction and the number of opening / closing positions of the frames 11b and 12b are not limited to the above, and for example, a so-called double door opening method in which a hinge is provided at the center of the back side of each frame 11b and 12b to open and close left and right, Instead of opening and closing a part of each frame 11b, 12b, they may be moved up and down.

  The first brake 32b allows the casters 13b to rotate by shrinking all the actuators 15b in conjunction with the rising motion of the user P, and all the actuators in conjunction with the sitting motion of the user P. By extending 15b, the rotation of the caster 13b is restricted. A contact plate (not shown) may be provided at the tip of the actuator 15b to increase the frictional resistance with the floor G.

  The second brake 90b allows the rotation of the caster 13b by contracting the actuator 15b according to the detection signal from the sensor 16b, or restricts the rotation of the caster 13b by extending the actuator 15b. Is. In this way, the caster 13b is locked or unlocked to prohibit the advancement of the frame body frame 10b or to change its direction.

  FIG. 15 is an operation explanatory view of the first brake 32b and the second brake 90, FIG. 16 is a control block diagram thereof, and FIG. 17 is a flowchart thereof. Here, the circles in FIG. 15 indicate the planar positions of the load cell 18b, the actuator 15b, and the sensor 16b. Of these, the circles indicate the on state for the load cell 18b and the sensor 16b, and the actuator 15b. Indicates the extended state.

  As shown in FIGS. 12, 15, and 16, the first brake 32b and the second brake 90b include an actuator 15b (151, 152, 153, 154) and a sensor 16b (161, 162, 163, 164). And a load cell 18b and a mounting box 91b including a battery 92b and a control device 93b at appropriate positions.

  As the sensor 16b, for example, a magnetic sensor capable of sensing a metal tape (not shown) laid on a floor surface G 50 cm in front of an obstacle is used. As the load cell 18b, for example, a seat 30b is attached to the lead 40b. The battery 92b employs a rechargeable storage battery, and the controller 93b employs, for example, an armadillo (registered trademark of Atmark Techno Co., Ltd.) board. ing. Functionally, the control device 93b includes a storage unit 931b, a measurement unit 932b, a determination unit 933b, and a control unit 934b.

  The storage unit 931b stores various programs and various setting values. The measuring unit 932b measures the presence / absence of the obstacle detected by the sensor 16b and the presence / absence / number / time of the rising motion of the user P detected by the load cell 18b (or the presence / absence / number / time of the sitting operation). It is. The determination unit 933b compares the measurement value obtained by the measurement unit 932b with the set value stored in the storage unit 931b. The control unit 934b controls the expansion / contraction operation of the actuator 15b based on the comparison result in the determination unit 933b, and issues an alarm from an alarm device (not shown) as necessary. Depending on the type of actuator 15b and its control method, an appropriate driver is required.

  Hereinafter, the usage example of the walking aid 1b which concerns on this Embodiment 3 is demonstrated. Although this walking aid 1b also has a function to assist in getting up, FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the function. First, as shown to Fig.18 (a), the annular | circular shaped 1st frame 11b and the annular | circular shaped 2nd frame 12b are set | placed horizontally so that a parallel ring may be made. Next, as shown in FIG. 18B, the seat portion 30b is taken out of the annular first frame 11b, and the seat portion 30b is positioned relatively below the outer peripheral surface of the annular first frame 11b. Thus, the lead 40 is replaced.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 18 (c) and 18 (d), the user P who is the person being assisted wears the harness in the sitting position with the assistance of the assistant P ', so that the user P can sit on the seat 30b. It will be put on the state. In this state, the annular first frame 11b and the annular second frame 12b rotate in the R direction in FIG. 18D until they are relatively above the outer peripheral surface of the annular first frame 11b. Is done. At this time, since the ground contact portion of the annular first frame 11b serves as a fulcrum, the seat 30b close to the fulcrum serves as an action point, and the annular second frame 12b away from the fulcrum serves as a force point. The assistant P ′ can lift the user P, who is the person being assisted, together with the seat 30b with less force. However, in some cases, the supporter P 'may hold the annular second frame 12b side and rotate it.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 18E, the person being assisted P 'removes the lead 40b from the outer peripheral surface of the annular first frame 11b with the user P holding the table T or the like. The user P is erected. Accordingly, a function for assisting the user P to get up can be added to achieve multipurpose use.

  Next, the walking aid 1b is returned to the original standing posture. And as shown with the dashed-two dotted line of FIG. 13, by opening a part of the annular | circular shaped 1st frame 11b and the annular | circular shaped 2nd frame 12b of the frame body frame 10b, the user P who entered from there uses anytime Make it possible.

  When a power switch (not shown) is turned on, various programs and set values stored in advance in the storage unit 931b of the control device 93b are read, and a measurement unit 932b, a determination unit 933b, and a control unit 934b are constructed.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 17, the flag i = 0 is set as the initial setting, and the counter and the actuator 15b are all reset, as shown in FIG. 17, by the functions of the units 932b to 934b. Specifically, the count number is set to 0, and all the actuators 151 to 154 may be reduced as shown in FIG.

  Next, the load cell 18b starts detecting whether or not the user P is seated, and the sensor 16b starts measurement such as detecting whether or not there is an obstacle (step S52). Next, it is determined whether or not the flag i = 0 (step S53).

  Here, if it is determined that the flag i = 0, it is determined whether or not the user P has sat down (step S54a). If it is determined that there is a sitting operation, the first brake 32b is used and locked (step S55). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15B, all the actuators 15b (151 to 154) may be extended to the maximum according to the measurement value of the load cell 18b.

  Here, when the user P enters the frame body frame 10b of the walking aid 1b, the first brake 32b automatically operates, so that it is safe. That is, in conjunction with the sitting operation of the user P, the tips of all the actuators 15b are in a grounded state. Then, it is assumed that the user P grips the annular first frame 11b of the frame body frame 10b and stands up. Then, in conjunction with the rising operation of the user P, the tips of all the actuators 15b are in a floating state. Therefore, the user P can walk while holding the annular first frame 11b of the frame body frame 10b. The counter counts the number of rising operations. Thereafter, the flag i is changed to 1 (step S56), and the process returns to step S52.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the user P has not sat down, the user P may stand up and walk, so the user P approaches the obstacle within a set value (for example, 50 cm). It is determined whether or not there is (step S54b). If it is determined that the obstacle is not approached within 50 cm, the process returns to step S2. On the other hand, if it is determined that the obstacle is approached within 50 cm, the second brake 90 is used and locked (step S5).

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15C, the actuator 153 may be extended to the maximum according to the measured value of the obstacle detected by the sensor 161. In this case, the user P rotates either clockwise (F direction in the figure) or counterclockwise (G direction in the figure) around the grounded tip of the actuator 153, Obstacles can be avoided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 15D, the actuator 154 may be extended to the maximum according to the measured values of the obstacles detected by the sensors 161 and 162, respectively. In this case, the user P can rotate around the grounded tip of the actuator 154 counterclockwise (H direction in the figure) to avoid an obstacle. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15E, the actuator 152 may be extended to the maximum according to the measured values of the obstacles detected by the sensors 161 and 164, respectively. In this case, the user P can rotate in the clockwise direction (I direction) around the grounded tip of the actuator 152 to avoid an obstacle.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG.15 (f), what is necessary is just to extend the actuators 151-154 until it becomes the maximum according to the measured value of the obstruction respectively detected by the sensors 161,162,164. In this case, the user P cannot avoid the obstacle or is out of the preset range, so he calls for help by issuing an alarm. Thereafter, the flag i is changed to 1 (step S56), and the process returns to step S2.

  At this time, since it is determined in step S53 that the flag i is not 0, it is determined whether or not the user P has started up (step S60a). If it is determined that there is no rising operation, the process returns to step S52. On the other hand, if it is determined that there has been a rising motion, it is subsequently determined whether or not the obstacle has exceeded 50 cm (step S60b).

  If it is determined that the distance from the obstacle does not exceed 50 cm, the process returns to step S52. On the other hand, if it is determined that the distance exceeds 50 cm from the obstacle, the lock is released (step S61). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15A, the actuator 15b may be reduced to a minimum. Thereafter, the flag i is changed to 0 (step S62), and the process returns to step S62. The above steps are repeated until a power switch (not shown) is turned off.

  And if the user P wants to stop walking and take a rest, it can be seated reliably in the reverse procedure just as before, and the tips of all the actuators 151 to 154 are in a grounded state, It is surely braked.

  Here, when the user P sits down, a helper cancels the brake operation of the first brake 32b. In this canceller, a switch (not shown) for cutting the detection signal of the load cell 18b is provided at an appropriate position. Thereby, even if the user P is sitting down, the assistant can prohibit the brake operation of the first brake 32b and use the transfer function. And when the user P stops use completely, while opening a part of frame body frame 10b again, the user P is made to leave from there.

  As described above, according to the walking aid 1b of the third embodiment, the user P can be used as a walking tool simply by getting up with a robust, lightweight and compact configuration. In addition, a user P rising function can be added for multipurpose purposes. In addition, when the user P who is in use as a walking tool loses his intention to walk and tries to take a break, the user P can be seated. At this time, the caster 13b of the annular second frame 12b Since rotation is restricted, the user P is prevented from walking using his / her foot while sitting.

  As a result, the user P is encouraged to walk independently by self-confidence (improvement walking), improve daily exercise amount, and lead to enhancement of muscle strength and activation of metabolism by whole body exercise. Further, since the user P himself exercises safely, there is a further social significance that the usually required watching is not complicated and the workload of the care worker is reduced.

  In the third embodiment, the load cell 18b of the first brake 32b is also used as a counter, but may be provided separately. Further, the pair of the sensor 16b and the actuator 15b of the second brake 90b is provided at four positions on the front, rear, left, and right of the frame body frame 10b. However, if more pairs are provided, the obstacle avoidance operation becomes more detailed. Is possible. The load cell 18b is not necessarily provided in the connecting portion of the lead 40b, and may be provided in the seat portion 30b, for example. The sensor 16b is not necessarily a magnetic sensor, and may be an optical distance sensor as in the first and second embodiments. Furthermore, it is good also as providing only one of the 1st brake 32b and the 2nd brake 90b.

  In the third embodiment, the caster 13b and the actuator 15b are separately provided on the annular second frame 12b of the frame body 10b. However, the actuator 15b may be incorporated in the caster 13b. For example, the brake pad provided on the caster 13b can be pressed by the actuator 15b.

  Moreover, in the said Embodiment 3, although the function which assists standing up is given to the walking assistance tool 1b, and it is made multipurpose, the cyclic | annular 1st flame | frame 11b which comprises the frame body frame 10b of this walking assistance tool 1b, and cyclic | annular 1st Grooves are formed on each peripheral surface of the two frames 12b, and these grooves are fitted into parallel rails temporarily set on the floor G, and the both frames are rotated, thereby making the walking aid 1b easy. You can go straight on. Furthermore, the walking aid 1b may use only the standing assistance function, or may use a separate device having the standing assistance function in combination.

  Furthermore, as a future concept, the above-described Embodiments 1 to 3 are equipped with a GPS function, and in conjunction with the national infrastructure industry, small sensor base stations are arranged in various public facilities such as sidewalks, roads, and parks, It is conceivable to create a space where not only use but also a general user P can walk freely. This reduces the physical and time burdens of care workers in facilities and general households, and uses the location information confirmation system of the mobile phone to identify the current location and greet the user P without waste. It is possible to go to. In addition, the first to third embodiments may be applied in combination as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Walking aid of Embodiment 1 10 1st frame frame 11 Toroidal frame 12 Leg part 13 Caster (equivalent to a wheel)
14 Telescopic spring 15 Protective cover 16 Sensor 18 Counter 20 Second frame frame 21 Annular frame (corresponding to the first auxiliary frame)
22 Leg 23 Actuator 31 Circular frame (corresponds to second auxiliary frame)
32 First brake 40 Harness 90 Second brake 1a Walking aid 10a of the second embodiment 10a First frame frame 11a Horseshoe-shaped (or U-shaped) frame 12a Leg 13a Caster (corresponds to a wheel)
14a Telescopic spring 20a Second frame frame 21a Support frame 22a Leg 30a Seat 32a First brake 1b Walking aid of Embodiment 3 10b Frame frame 11b Circular first frame 12b Circular second frame 13b Caster (wheel) Equivalent to
14b Strut 15b Actuator 16b Sensor 18b Counter 32b First brake 40b Lead 90b Second brake

JP 2002-35065 A

Claims (17)

A walking aid for promoting self-sustained walking by the user's autonomy,
A first frame that has legs with wheels and that can be gripped by a user;
A seat part that is telescopically connected to the first frame body and on which a user can sit is attached, and has a second frame body frame with legs without wheels,
In conjunction with the user's rising motion, the legs of the second frame are in a floating state,
A walking aid comprising a first brake in which a leg portion of the second frame is brought into a grounded state in conjunction with a sitting operation of a user.   The walking aid according to claim 1, wherein the seat is integrally formed with a harness that can be worn by a user. In conjunction with the rising motion of the user, the seat is suspended on the back side,
The walking aid according to claim 1, wherein the seat returns to its original position in conjunction with a sitting operation of the user.   The first frame frame is obtained by fixing leg portions with wheels at a plurality of locations that substantially divide the circumference of the annular frame, and the second frame frame is a circle having a diameter different from that of the first frame frame. The walking aid according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein leg portions without wheels are fixed at a plurality of locations that substantially divide the periphery of the annular frame.   The second frame frame is connected to the first frame frame in a telescopic manner and is connected to the first auxiliary frame and a first auxiliary frame on which a seat portion on which a user can be seated is attached. The walking aid according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a second auxiliary frame provided with legs without wheels.   The walking aid according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each frame is configured to be openable and closable when a user enters and exits inside each frame frame.   The first frame body is formed in a horseshoe shape or a U shape in a plan view, and the second frame body is a rod-like member supported by the first frame body. The walking aid according to any one of 1 to 3.   The walking assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a canceller that cancels the brake operation of the first brake when the user sits down.   A sensor for detecting an obstacle is provided, and a second brake for extending a leg portion of the second frame body to a grounded state is provided according to a detection signal of the sensor. The walking aid according to any one of the above.   The walking aid according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a counter that counts the number of rising motions or sitting motions of the user. A walking aid for promoting self-sustained walking by the user's autonomy,
A frame body that has wheels and can be gripped by the user, a seat portion that is attached to the frame body and that can be seated by the user, and allows the frame frame to advance when the user is standing up. A first brake that prohibits the progress of the frame during the sitting operation, and a counter that counts the number of rising operations or the number of sitting operations of the user ,
The frame body is provided with an annular first frame that can be gripped by a user, and a wheeled annular second frame having the same diameter as the annular first frame via a support,
Said seat is attached to the frame body frame via a lead,
Said 1st brake permits rotation of a wheel in response to a user's standing-up operation | movement, and regulates rotation of a wheel in response to a user's seating operation | movement, The walking aid characterized by the above-mentioned.   The walking aid according to claim 11, wherein the seat is integrally formed with a harness with a lead that can be worn by a user.   The walking aid according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the annular first frame and the annular second frame can be opened and closed when a user enters and exits inside each frame.   The walking aid according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising a canceller that allows the assistant to cancel the braking operation of the first brake when the user sits down.   The walking according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein a sensor for detecting an obstacle is provided, and a second brake for restricting the rotation of the wheel is provided in accordance with a detection signal of the sensor. Auxiliary tool.   16. A plurality of the sensors are provided, and the direction of the frame can be changed by locking or releasing each wheel in accordance with a detection signal of each sensor. The walking aid described. The annular first frame and the annular second frame are horizontally placed so as to form parallel rings,
The seat is taken out relatively below the outer peripheral surface of the annular first frame;
The annular first frame and the annular second frame are rotated as parallel wheels until the user is placed on the seat portion and relatively above the outer peripheral surface of the annular first frame. The walking aid according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the user is erected.

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