JP6767566B2 - Assistance device - Google Patents

Description

The present specification relates to an assisting device.

With the progress of the aging society, the needs for assistance devices are increasing. The introduction of the assistance device will reduce the physical burden on the caregiver and the person being assisted, as well as the labor shortage of the caregiver. As an example of the assistance device, there is a device that assists the transfer operation of the person being assisted from the sitting posture. This type of assistance device generally assists the person being assisted in the transfer operation by controlling the movement of a support portion that supports a part of the body of the person being assisted. Patent Document 1 discloses a technical example related to the control of an assisting device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a method of setting an operation of a standing / sitting motion support robot. In this motion setting method, a custom trajectory is acquired by correcting the base trajectory of the standing / sitting motion according to the position of the body part of the person being assisted. Then, in the custom trajectory during the standing motion, the support portion is moved so as to tilt the chest angle of the person being assisted before the buttocks of the person being assisted are separated from the seat surface. As a result, the person being assisted can comfortably stand and sit.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-162896

By the way, in the technical example of Patent Document 1, the movement of the support portion is controlled without delay along the acquired custom trajectory. Therefore, even when the position and posture of the body of the person being assisted do not match the support part, the support part moves and the physical burden on the person being assisted increases. In particular, the person being assisted shifts from a comfortable posture to a burdensome posture when the buttocks are separated from the seating surface. Therefore, it is important to properly adjust the posture of the person being assisted and the position to be supported at this time in order to reduce the burden.

In the present specification, the support portion after starting the movement is temporarily stopped, and a time is provided to properly adjust the posture and the supported position of the person being assisted so as to reduce the physical burden on the person being assisted. It is an issue to be solved to provide the assisting device.

The present specification is an assistance device that assists the transfer operation of the person being assisted from the sitting posture, and is a movement relative to the base while supporting the base and a part of the body of the person being assisted. A support portion capable of the above, a drive portion for driving the support portion, and a stop position at which the support portion stops after the movement starts, corresponding to the movement of the buttocks of the person being assisted from the seat surface. Disclosed is an assistance device including a temporary stop control unit for temporarily stopping the support unit at a stop position.

According to the assistance device disclosed in the present specification, the stop control unit temporarily stops the support portion after starting the movement at a stop position corresponding to the buttock portion of the person being assisted moving away from the seat surface. Therefore, while the support portion is temporarily stopped, the person being assisted can properly adjust the posture of the body and the position to be supported by himself / herself or while receiving assistance. As a result, when the buttocks of the person being assisted move away from the seating surface and shift from a comfortable posture to a posture with a heavy burden, the posture of the person being assisted and the position to be supported are well adapted to the support part. Therefore, the physical burden on the person being assisted is reduced.

It is a perspective view which looked at the assistance device of 1st Embodiment obliquely from the rear. It is a figure which shows the initial state when the assistance device assists the transfer operation of the person to be assisted, and is the side sectional view which cut the assistance device by the center line. It is a figure which shows the intermediate state when the assistance device assists the transfer operation of the person to be assisted, and is the side sectional view which cut the assistance device by the center line. It is a figure which shows the final state when the assistance device assists the transfer operation of the person being assisted, and is the side sectional view which cut the assistance device by the center line. It is a block diagram which shows typically the structure of the control part of the assistance device. It is a figure which showed the operation flow of the temporary stop control part at the time of assisting the transfer operation of the person being assisted. It is a figure explaining the load detection part, and is the side sectional view which cut the body support part by the center line. It is a figure which showed the operation flow of the temporary stop control part of 2nd Embodiment.

1. 1. Configuration of Assistance Device 1 of the First Embodiment The assistance device 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assistance device 1 of the first embodiment as viewed obliquely from the rear. Further, FIG. 2 is a view showing an initial state when the assisting device 1 assists the transfer operation of the person being assisted M, and is a side sectional view of the assisting device 1 cut along the center line. FIG. 3 is a view showing an intermediate state when the assisting device 1 assists the transfer operation of the person being assisted M, and is a side sectional view of the assisting device 1 cut along the center line. FIG. 4 is a view showing a final state when the assisting device 1 assists the transfer operation of the person being assisted M, and is a side sectional view of the assisting device 1 cut along the center line. Further, FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control unit 90 of the assistance device 1.

The assistance device 1 assists the transfer between two different places, such as the transfer between the bed and the wheelchair of the person being assisted M and the transfer between the wheelchair and the toilet seat. The assisting device 1 supports the torso of the person being assisted M and assists the transfer operation from the sitting posture to the transfer posture and the sitting operation from the transfer posture to the sitting posture. Here, the transfer posture is a posture in which the buttocks are lifted from the seat surface, and includes a standing posture and a mid-waist posture. That is, the transfer posture includes a state in which the upper body is upright and a state in which the upper body is leaning forward. Further, the assisting device 1 can transfer the assisted person M in the transfer posture when the two transfer locations are separated from each other.

The assistance device 1 includes a base 10, a drive unit 2, a support unit 50, a control unit 90, and the like. The drive unit 2 includes an arm 20, an actuator 30, a link mechanism 40, and the like. The drive unit 2 moves the support unit 50 relative to the base 10.

The base 10 is formed of a frame 11, a footrest base 12, a front wheel 13, a rear wheel 14, a lower leg rest portion 15, and the like. The frame 11 is formed of a rear member 11a that is horizontally arranged close to the floor surface F, and a front member 11b that extends diagonally upward and forward from the front end of the rear member 11a. The actuator support portion 11c is projected so as to be closer to the front side of the upper surface of the rear member 11a. The footrest stand 12 is fixed to the upper surface of the rear member 11a substantially horizontally. On the upper surface of the footrest stand 12, a mark 12a for guiding the position where the person being assisted M puts his / her foot is written.

The two front wheels 13 are provided on the front member 11b, and the two rear wheels 14 are provided on the rear member 11a. The steering function of the front wheels 13 and the rear wheels 14 enables the assisting device 1 to perform not only straight movement and turning movement but also lateral movement and super-credit turning. Further, the front wheel 13 has a lock function for restricting movement. The lower leg pad 15 is formed of a pair of support members 16 and a cushion material 17. The pair of support members 16 are erected from the front member 11b in an obliquely rearward and upward direction. The cushion material 17 is provided at the upper end of the support member 16. The cushion material 17 is located above the footrest 12 so that the vicinity of the lower leg of the person being assisted M can come into contact with the cushion material 17.

The arm 20 that constitutes the drive unit 2 is formed of two rod-shaped members that are separated and parallel to each other. The lower side of the two rod-shaped members is connected by using the swing shaft 21, and the upper side is connected by using the bearing shaft 22. The arm 20 has a curved shape in which two rod-shaped members project forward, or a bent shape. A link support portion 27 is provided near the middle of the arm 20 in the length direction. Further, a regulation member 28 having a shape substantially along the arm 20 is provided near the link support portion 27 of the arm 20. The arm 20 swings in the front-rear direction with the swing shaft 21 supported by the front member 11b as the swing axis.

A stopper mechanism 23 is provided to regulate the swing angle of the arm 20. The stopper mechanism 23 includes a contact member 24 fixed to the lower side of the arm 20, and a first stopper 25 and a second stopper 26 fixed to the front member 11b. The arm 20 extends from the rear position where the contact member 24 contacts the first stopper 25 (shown in FIG. 2) to the front position where the contact member 24 contacts the second stopper 26 (shown in FIG. 3). Swing between. 35 ° can be exemplified as the swing angle range of the arm 20, and the swing angle range is not limited to 35 °.

The support portion 50 is formed including a body support portion 52 and a pair of side support portions 53. The body support portion 52 is swingably supported by the bearing shaft 22 of the arm 20. As a result, the support portion 50 swings in the front-rear direction with the support shaft 22 as the swing axis. 30 ° can be exemplified as the swing angle range of the support portion 50, and the present invention is not limited to this. Further, the body support portion 52 includes a handle 52a and a locking portion 52b. The handle 52a is formed in a substantially quadrangular frame shape. The handle 52a is a portion gripped by the person being assisted M, and is also a portion gripped by the caregiver to move the assisting device 1. The locking portion 52b is located near the center of the rectangular frame of the handle 52a. The body support portion 52 supports the area from the chest to the abdomen of the body of the person being assisted M.

The pair of side support portions 53 are attached to the chest sides on both the left and right sides of the body support portion 52. The side support portion 53 is formed in an L shape that bends at an obtuse angle. The short straight portion from the base end on the attachment side of the side support portion 53 to the bent position is the shoulder receiving portion 53a, and the long straight portion from the bent position to the tip is the side approach portion 53b. The shoulder support portion 53a is located in substantially the same plane as the body support portion 52, and supports the front surface of the shoulder of the person being assisted M. The side approach portion 53b gradually moves away from the plane and enters the sides of both sides of the body of the person being assisted M so that the person being assisted M can extend toward the back surface. The surface of the side support 53 is covered with a cushioning material that is easily deformed and compressed.

The pair of side support portions 53 enter the sides of the body of the person being assisted M and support both sides. The side support portion 53 can swing around the base end, and the angle formed with the body support portion 52 can be adjusted. Therefore, when the person being assisted M leans against the side support portion 53, the side support portion 53 swings, and the leaning operation becomes easy. Further, the support portion 50 copes with a physical disparity of a plurality of people M by swinging the side support portion 53.

The actuator 30 that constitutes the drive unit 2 is formed of a main body unit 31, a movable unit 32, a motor 33, and the like. The movable portion 32 moves linearly with respect to the main body portion 31 and projects from the return position via the intermediate position. The motor 33 serving as a drive source is provided in the main body 31. The motor 33 is controlled by the control unit 90 and drives the movable unit 32 via a power transmission mechanism such as a transmission gear (not shown). The drive source is not limited to the motor 33, and may be a pressure drive source that linearly moves the movable portion 32 corresponding to the piston by using hydraulic pressure or air pressure. The base end 31a of the main body 31 is tiltably supported by the actuator bearing portion 11c of the frame 11. As a result, the actuator 30 tilts in the front-rear direction with the actuator support portion 11c as a fulcrum. The tip 32a of the movable portion 32 engages with the link mechanism 40.

The link mechanism 40 constituting the drive unit 2 is formed of a first link member 41, a second link member 42, and the like. The first link member 41 is a long-shaped member made of metal, hard resin, or the like. The first link member 41 has a supported portion 41a in the center, a driven portion 41b and a roller 41c at one end, and a connecting portion 41d at the other end. The supported portion 41a is swingably supported by the link supporting portion 27 of the arm 20. The driven portion 41b is engaged with the tip 32a of the movable portion 32 of the actuator 30. When the movable portion 32 further protrudes from the intermediate position, the roller 41c can come into contact with the regulation member 28 of the arm 20 and roll.

The second link member 42 connects the connecting portion 41d of the first link member 41 and the locking portion 52b of the body support portion 52. The second link member 42 is formed by using a flexible material such as rubber, elastomer, soft resin, or film-like hard resin. When the connecting portion 41d and the locking portion 52b move in a direction away from each other, the second link member 42 is in an interlocking state in which the connecting portion 41d and the locking portion 52b are interlocked with each other. On the other hand, when the connecting portion 41d and the locking portion 52b move in a direction approaching each other, the second link member 42 allows a non-interlocking state in which the connecting portion 41d and the locking portion 52b are not interlocked.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the control unit 90 includes a control main unit 91, an actuator 92, a battery power supply 96, and the like. The control main body 91 and the battery power supply 96 are fixedly installed on the front side near the lower end of the arm 20. The battery power supply 96 is shared by the control main body 91 and the motor 33 of the actuator 30. The actuator 92 is connected to the control main body 91 using the connection cord 93. Not limited to this, the actuator 92 may be connected to the control main unit 91 by communication using wireless communication. The actuator 92 is provided with an ascending button 94 and a descending button 95.

The control main body 91 is configured by using a computer device having a CPU and operating by software. The control main body 91 switches and controls positive connection, reverse connection, and disconnection of the voltage supplied from the battery power supply 96 to the motor 33. Correspondingly, the motor 33 rotates forward, reverses, and stops, and the movable portion 32 protrudes, returns, and stops. The control main body 91 controls the actuator 30 according to the operating state of the actuator 92.

More specifically, while the ascending button 94 is pressed with a finger, the control main body 91 controls the ascending mode in which the movable portion 32 of the actuator 30 is projected from the main body 31. The ascending mode corresponds to assisting the transfer operation of ascending the buttocks of the person being assisted M. Further, while the lowering button 95 is pressed with a finger, the control main body 91 controls the lowering mode in which the movable part 32 of the actuator 30 is returned to the main body 31. The lowering mode corresponds to assisting the sitting motion of lowering the buttocks of the person being assisted M. When the finger is released from the ascending button 94 and the descending button 95 and the pressed state is released, the control main body 91 immediately interrupts the control. As a result, the actuator 30 and the support portion 50 are immediately stopped, and high safety is ensured.

Further, the control main body unit 91 includes the function of the stop control unit 97 once. The stop control unit 97 functions when controlling the ascending mode. The stop control unit 97 temporarily stops the support unit 50 after starting the movement at the stop position. The stop position of the support portion 50 corresponds to the buttock portion of the person being assisted M being separated from the seat surface. In the first embodiment, the stop position of the support portion 50 is set to the position shown in the intermediate state of FIG. That is, the position of the support portion 50 at the time when the forward swing of the support portion 50 ends and the forward swing of the arm 20 starts becomes the stop position.

Further, the stop position of the support unit 50 is defined by a predetermined drive amount of the drive unit 2. In other words, the stop position of the support portion 50 is defined by a state in which the motor 33 of the actuator 30 rotates by a predetermined rotation amount from the initial state and the movable portion 32 protrudes to the intermediate position. The stop position of the support unit 50 is obtained in advance by an experiment, a simulation, or the like, and is temporarily stored in the stop control unit 97.

The purpose of temporarily stopping the support portion 50 is to secure time for properly adjusting the posture and the supported position of the person being assisted M. The temporary stop of the support portion 50 is performed when the buttocks of the person being assisted M separates from the seating surface, and the effect of reducing the burden on the person being assisted M is enhanced. More specifically, as the buttocks of the person being assisted M move away from the seating surface, the load supported by the buttocks moves to the torso and both legs on the support 50. At this time, the posture of the person being assisted M and the position to be supported are adjusted so that the person to be assisted M fits well into the support portion 50. As a result, the burden on the person being assisted M is not concentrated on a part of the body, but is dispersed and the reduction effect is enhanced. In addition, the person being assisted M does not feel cramped or uncomfortable, and does not feel stuffy or painful. The stop control unit 97 performs control using a restart flag indicating that the support unit 50 may be temporarily stopped and restarted. The details of the function of the stop control unit 97 will be described in the following description of the operation.

2. The operation, action, and effect of the assistance device 1 of the first embodiment Next, the operation, action, and effect of the assistance device 1 of the first embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the control and operation of the ascending mode that assists the transfer operation of the person being assisted M will be described. In the ascending mode, the assisting device 1 operates from the initial state shown in FIG. 2 through the intermediate state shown in FIG. 3 to the final state shown in FIG. When assisting the seating operation of the person being assisted M, the assisting device 1 operates in substantially the reverse order of the assistance of the transfer operation, except for the function of the stop control unit 97.

First, the caregiver presses the lower button 95 of the actuator 92 to return the movable portion 32 of the actuator 30 to the return position shown in FIG. Subsequently, the caregiver grasps the handle 52a and moves the caregiver 1 to approach the care recipient M in the sitting posture. The person being assisted M makes the lower body enter the area between the base 10 and the support portion 50. Further, the person being assisted M places both feet on the mark 12a of the footrest stand 12. The person being assisted M can obtain a stable posture by bringing a part of the lower leg into contact with the cushion material 17 of the lower leg pad portion 15.

Subsequently, the person being assisted M tilts the torso forward to bring it into surface contact with the torso support portion 52, and leans against the side support portions 53 on both sides. At this time, since the body support portion 52 swings in the upright direction, the forward tilt angle of the body can be small. Further, since the side approach portion 53b of the side support portion 53 is substantially horizontal or slightly lowered, the person being assisted M can easily lean against the side support portion 53. The posture of the person being assisted M at this time is the initial posture. The caregiver may assist the series of operations of the person being assisted M described above. In the initial posture, the buttocks of the person being assisted M are on the seat surface. Therefore, the person being assisted M is in a comfortable posture because the load due to the body weight is supported by the buttocks.

Subsequently, the caregiver presses the ascending button 94 of the actuator 92. As a result, the control main unit 91 starts the control of the ascending mode, and at the same time, the stop control unit 97 starts to function once. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the temporary stop control unit 97 when assisting the transfer operation of the person being assisted M. In step S1 of FIG. 6, the stop control unit 97 first resets the restart flag to prohibit restarting the operation of the support unit 50 from the stop position. In the next step S2, the stop control unit 97 checks the pressed state of the ascending button 94. When the pressed state is resolved, the stop control unit 97 repeats step S2 for execution.

When the pressed state is continued, the stop control unit 97 temporarily advances the execution of the operation flow to step S3, and determines whether or not the current position of the support unit 50 matches the stop position. This determination is made by comparing the current amount of rotation of the motor 33 with a predetermined amount of rotation. In the first step S3, the current position of the support portion 50 has not reached the stop position. Therefore, the stop control unit 97 temporarily advances the execution of the operation flow to step S4 and rotates the motor 33 in the normal direction. As a result, the movable portion 32 slightly protrudes from the main body portion 31. After that, the stop control unit 97 returns the execution of the operation flow from step S4 to step S2.

While the pressed state of the ascending button 94 is maintained, the stop control unit 97 repeats the loop including step S2, step S3, and step S4. As a result, the amount of protrusion of the movable portion 32 gradually increases. Before the movable portion 32 protrudes to the intermediate position, the roller 41c of the first link member 41 is not in contact with the regulation member 28. Therefore, the first link member 41 is driven by the movable portion 32 and swings counterclockwise in FIG. At the same time, the actuator 30 tilts forward. Further, the arm 20 maintains the rear position in the initial state. As the first link member 41 swings, the support portion 50 swings forward in conjunction with the second link member 42. This operation is continued until the current position of the support portion 50 coincides with the stop position. At this time, since the side approach portion 53b of the side support portion 53 is lowered forward, the person being assisted M is restricted from moving backward and does not fall off from the support portion 50.

Due to the swing of the support portion 50, the upper body of the person being assisted M gradually develops in a forward leaning state. Then, when the support portion 50 swings to the stop position, the intermediate state shown in FIG. 3 is reached. In the intermediate state, the movable portion 32 projects to the intermediate position, and the roller 41c comes into contact with the regulating member 28. The swing of the first link member 41 is finished, and the swing of the support portion 50 is also finished. Then, the buttocks of the person being assisted M are in a state at the moment when they are separated from the seating surface.

At this time, since the current position of the support unit 50 coincides with the stop position, the stop control unit 97 temporarily advances the execution of the operation flow from step S3 to step S5. In step S5, the stop control unit 97 checks the restart flag. In the first step S5, the restart flag is in the reset state. Therefore, the stop control unit 97 advances the execution of the operation flow to step S6, and temporarily stops the motor 33. As a result, the stop position of the support portion 50 is maintained.

By repeating the loop including step S2, step S3, and step S4, the support portion 50 tilts during the movement to the stop position to guide the torso of the person being assisted M in the direction of tilting. Therefore, even if the initial posture of the person being assisted M shown in FIG. 2 fits well with the support portion 50, there is a concern that the fit condition may deteriorate due to the subsequent inclination of the body. There is also a concern that the initial posture of the person being assisted M does not fit the support portion 50 from the beginning.

In response to these concerns, at the time of step S6, the person being assisted M can properly adjust the posture and the supported position of the body by himself / herself or with assistance. For example, the person being assisted M can finely adjust the position of the upper body in the front-rear direction to improve the adhesion to the support portion 50, correct the left-right balance of the upper body, and relax the opening of both arms. As a result, the person being assisted M can satisfactorily adjust the posture of the body and the supported position to the support portion 50 when the buttocks are separated from the seat surface and shift from a comfortable posture to a heavy burden posture. .. Therefore, the physical burden on the person being assisted M is reduced.

In order to further advance the support portion 50 from the stop position, the caregiver releases the finger once from the ascending button 94 to release the pressed state. In step S7 following step S6, the stop control unit 97 waits for the release of the pressed state of the ascending button 94. In step S8 when the pressed state is resolved, the stop control unit 97 temporarily sets the restart flag. After that, the stop control unit 97 returns the execution of the operation flow to step S2.

After the person being assisted M properly adjusts the posture of the body and the position where the person is supported, the caregiver presses the ascending button 94 again. As a result, the execution of the operation flow proceeds from step S2 to step S5 via step S3. In the second step S5, the restart flag is in the set state. Therefore, the stop control unit 97 temporarily shifts the execution of the operation flow to step S4 and rotates the motor 33 in the normal direction. As a result, the support portion 50 is restarted from the stop position. After that, in step S3, the current position of the support portion 50 does not coincide with the stop position. Therefore, the stop control unit 97 repeatedly executes the loop including step S2, step S3, and step S4.

As a result, the arm 20 is driven by the movable portion 32 and swings clockwise in FIG. At the same time, the actuator 30 tilts further forward. Further, the connecting portion 41d and the locking portion 52b are in an interlocking state, and the supporting portion 50 maintains a constant posture with respect to the arm 20. This operation is continued until the final state of FIG. 4 when the arm 20 reaches the front position. As a result, the person being assisted M leans forward while the upper body moves diagonally forward and upward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the person being assisted M is in a transfer posture in which the buttocks are greatly raised from the seating surface and the legs are extended.

According to the assistance device 1 of the first embodiment, the stop control unit 97 temporarily stops the support unit 50 after starting the movement at a stop position corresponding to the buttock portion of the person being assisted M moving away from the seat surface. Let me. Therefore, the person being assisted M can properly adjust the posture and the supported position of the body, and when the buttocks move away from the seating surface and shift from a comfortable posture to a heavy burden posture, the physical burden is applied. It will be reduced.

3. 3. Assistance device of the second embodiment Next, the assistance device of the second embodiment will be mainly described with respect to the differences from the first embodiment. The assistance device of the second embodiment further includes a load detection unit 6. FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the load detection unit 6, and is a side sectional view of the body support portion 52 cut along the center line. The right side of FIG. 7 corresponds to the chest side of the person being assisted M, and the left side of FIG. 7 corresponds to the abdomen side of the person being assisted M. The fuselage support portion 52 has a support plate 55 and a fuselage contact member 56. The support plate 55 is a member having a substantially rectangular plate shape in a plan view. The support plate 55 is swingably supported by the bearing shaft 22 of the arm 20. The handle 52a described above is fixedly attached to the support plate 55.

The body contact member 56 has a two-layer structure including a surface layer 56a and a base layer 56b. The surface layer 56a is arranged on the side closer to the body of the person being assisted M. The surface layer 56a is formed in a curved surface shape that fits the front surface of the body of the person being assisted M by using a flexible and easily deformable material. The base layer 56b is arranged closer to the support plate 55. The base layer 56b is harder and less likely to be deformed than the surface layer 56a. The body contact member 56 equalizes the distribution of the load acting on the support plate 55 from the person being assisted M.

Four load detecting units 6 are provided at the boundary between the support plate 55 and the body contact member 56. The four load detecting portions 6 are arranged apart from each other on the chest side and the abdomen side of the support plate 55, in other words, they are arranged at the apex positions of the rectangle. A pressure sensor or the like can be used as the load detection unit 6. The detected value of the load detecting unit 6 is transmitted to the control main body unit 91.

While the buttocks of the person being assisted M are on the seat surface, most of the load due to the weight of the person being assisted M is supported by the buttocks, so that the detection value of the load detecting unit 6 is small. When the buttocks of the person being assisted M are separated from the seating surface, the load caused by the weight of the person being assisted M acts on the support part 50, so that the detection value of the load detecting part 6 increases. By using the four load detecting units 6, the influence of the variation in the load distribution due to the imbalance in the left-right direction and the front-back direction of the body of the person being assisted M is suppressed. The number and arrangement of the load detection units 6 are not limited to the above.

The temporary stop control unit 97 of the control main unit 91 adds or averages the detected values of the four load detecting units 6, and further performs a predetermined conversion process to obtain the detected load value (detected load value). The stop control unit 97 estimates the stop position at which the support unit 50 is temporarily stopped based on the detected load value. Specifically, the stop control unit 97 sets the position of the support unit 50 when the detected load value becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined load value for the first time as the stop position. The predetermined load value is set based on the increase in the detected value when the buttocks of the person being assisted M separates from the seat surface. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the temporary stop control unit 97 of the second embodiment.

As can be seen by comparing FIG. 8 with FIG. 6, step S3A is executed in the second embodiment instead of step S3 in the first embodiment. Further, steps S1, S2, S4 to S8 of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. In step S3A of FIG. 8, the stop control unit 97 determines whether or not the detected load value is equal to or greater than the predetermined load value. While the buttocks of the person being assisted M are on the seat surface, the detected load value is small, and the stop control unit 97 repeatedly executes the loop consisting of steps S2, S3A, and S4.

Then, when the buttocks of the person being assisted M start to separate from the seat surface, the detected load value starts to exceed the predetermined load value. At this time, the stop control unit 97 temporarily advances the execution of the operation flow from step S3A to step S5, and checks the restart flag. In step S3A, a condition of duration in which the detected load value is equal to or greater than the predetermined load value may be added. According to this, even if a transiently large load detection value is generated at the moment when the body of the person being assisted M tilts forward and comes into surface contact with the body support portion 52, the operation flow is erroneously executed in step S5. Never proceed to.

In the first step S5, the restart flag is in the reset state. Therefore, the temporary stop control unit 97 advances the execution of the operation flow to step S6 to temporarily stop the motor 33. As a result, the stop position of the support portion 50 is maintained. Therefore, at the time of step S6, the person being assisted M can properly adjust the posture and the supported position of the body by himself / herself or while receiving assistance.

When the caregiver releases the ascending button 94 once and presses it again, in step S8, the stop control unit 97 temporarily sets the restart flag and returns the execution of the operation flow to step S2. Execution of the operation flow proceeds to step S5 via step S2 and step S3A. In the second step S5, the restart flag is in the set state. Therefore, the stop control unit 97 temporarily shifts the execution of the operation flow to step S4 to rotate the motor 33 in the normal direction. As a result, the support portion 50 advances from the stop position, and the buttocks of the person being assisted M separates from the seat surface. After that, the detected load value changes to a value larger than the predetermined load value. The stop control unit 97 repeatedly executes the loop including step S2, step S3A, step S5, and step S4.

As the support 50 advances further from the stop position, the assisting device of the second embodiment finally reaches the final state of FIG. As a result, the person being assisted M is in a transfer posture in which the buttocks are greatly raised from the seat surface and the legs are extended. In the second embodiment, the stop position for temporarily stopping the support portion 50 is not fixed. That is, the stop position of the support portion 50 is not limited to the position in the intermediate state shown in FIG. 3, and may change to a position between FIGS. 2 and 3, a position between FIGS. 3 and 4, and the like.

In the second embodiment as well, the physical burden on the person being assisted M is reduced as in the first embodiment. In addition, in the second embodiment, the stop position of the support unit 50 is estimated based on the detected load value of the load detection unit 6. Therefore, even if the stop position fluctuates due to the difference in body size of the person being assisted M or the like, the stop control unit 97 temporarily stops the support unit 50 by estimating an appropriate stop position for each person being assisted M. it can. That is, in the second embodiment, the accuracy of determining the stop position of the support portion 50 is higher than that in the first embodiment.

4. Modifications and Applications of the Embodiment In the first embodiment, the predetermined stop position of the support portion 50 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. That is, the stop position of the support portion 50 may be a swing position between FIGS. 2 and 3, or may be determined by a specific swing angle position of the arm 20 between FIGS. 3 and 4. .. Further, instead of actually providing the load detection unit 6 such as the pressure sensor described in the second embodiment, an arithmetic load detection unit that calculates the detected load value from the current value flowing through the motor 33 may be adopted. According to this aspect, there is a predetermined correlation between the detected load value and the current value flowing through the motor 33, and the current value can be converted into the detected load value, which has the same effect as that of the second embodiment. Occurs. In addition, according to the calculation type load detection unit, the cost of the load detection unit 6 can be omitted.

Further, the drive unit 2 uses one actuator 30 to first swing the support portion 50 and then swing the arm 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the drive unit may include a plurality of actuators, or the support unit and the arm may be slid to move. Further, the support portion 50 may be formed by only one of the body support portion 52 and the side support portion 53. Further, the body contact member 56 does not have to have the two-layer structure described in the second embodiment, and may be formed of a single material. Various other modifications and applications are possible in the first and second embodiments.

1: Assistance device 2: Drive unit 10: Base 20: Arm 30: Actuator 31: Main body 32: Movable part 33: Motor 40: Link mechanism 50: Support part 52: Body support part 53: Side support part 55: Support Plate 56: Body contact member 6: Load detection unit 90: Control unit 91: Control body unit 92: Actuator 96: Battery power supply 97: Stop control unit M: Person to be assisted

Claims (4)

It is an assistance device that assists the transfer operation from the sitting posture of the person being assisted.
Base and
A support portion that can move relative to the base while supporting a part of the body of the person being assisted.
A drive unit that drives the support unit and
A stop control unit that temporarily stops the support portion at a stop position that stops after the support portion starts the movement and corresponds to the buttock portion of the person being assisted moving away from the seat surface.
Assistance device equipped with. The assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the stop position is defined by a predetermined drive amount of the drive unit. The assist device further includes a load detection unit that detects a load value acting on the support portion from the person being assisted.
The assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the stop control unit estimates the stop position based on the detected load value. The support portion
Supports the torso of the person being assisted and at least one of the left and right sides of the torso, and
The assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which tilts during the movement to the stop position and guides the torso of the person being assisted in a tilting direction.

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