JP6847290B2 - Assistance robot - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an assisting robot.

Patent Document 1 discloses an assisting robot that assists the person being assisted in standing up. This assisting robot includes a shaft portion that moves linearly in the vertical direction and a holding member (table) that is swingably provided at the upper end of the shaft portion. This assisting robot swings (forward turns) the holding member to move it to the ascending preparation position with the elbow of the person being assisted in the sitting posture placed on the holding member, and then raises the holding member. This makes the person being assisted stand up.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-217686

In the above-mentioned assisting robot, if an object exists below the holding member while the holding member is descending, the holding member may hit the object.

An object of the present invention is to provide an assisting robot capable of alleviating an impact when an object existing below the holding member and the holding member collide with each other.

The assisting robot according to the present invention is provided with a base, a moving member that can move at least up and down with respect to the base, and freely rotatable in the vertical direction with respect to the moving member, and is provided on the body of the person being assisted. A holding member for holding a part thereof is provided, and by moving the holding member up and down by the moving member, the person being held by the holding member is assisted in standing up from a sitting posture to a standing posture. An assisting robot that assists in sitting from the standing posture to the sitting posture. The holding member is restricted from rotating downward with respect to the moving member by a regulating portion, and the holding member is restricted from below. When an external force of the above is applied, it separates from the restricting portion and freely rotates upward with respect to the moving member.

According to this, since the holding member is provided so as to be freely rotatable, even if an object exists on the ground contact surface below the holding member while the holding member is descending, the holding member located at the used position can be used. At the same time as it hits an object, the pushing force causes the holding member to tilt upward from the position of use. Therefore, the impact when the holding member and the object collide with each other is alleviated.

It is a rear perspective view of the appearance of the assisting robot of this embodiment. It is a view from the side which the holding member of the assisting robot of FIG. 1 is positioned at the use position. It is a figure which looked at the state which the holding member of the assisting robot of FIG. 1 was rotated in the direction of an escape position from the side. It is a figure which shows the free rotation mechanism of a holding member, and is the figure which looked at the state positioned at the use position from the side. It is a figure which shows the free rotation mechanism of a holding member, and is the figure which looked at the state which rotated in the relief position direction from the side. It is the figure which looked at the state before the assisted person attracted the assisting robot from the side. It is the figure which looked at the state after the assisted person pulled the assisting robot from the side. It is the figure which looked at the state which the person being assisted leaned against the holding member of the assisting robot from the side. It is the figure which looked at the initial state when the person to be assisted receive standing assistance from the side. It is the figure which looked at the state which the person to be assisted was in the standing posture from the side. It is the figure which looked at the state which was positioned at the use position in the 1st alternative form of a holding member from the side. It is the figure which looked at the state which was positioned at the relief position end in the 1st alternative form of a holding member from the side. It is the figure which looked at the state which was positioned at the use position in the 2nd alternative form of a holding member from the side. It is the figure which looked at the state which was positioned at the relief position end in the 3rd alternative form of a holding member from the side. It is the figure which looked at the state which was positioned at the use position in the 4th alternative form of a holding member from the side. It is the figure which looked at the state which was positioned at the relief position end in the 4th alternative form of a holding member from the side.

(1. Configuration of assistance robot)
The configuration of the assisting robot of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the assisting robot 1 includes a base 10, wheels 20, an elevating part 30, an arm 40, a holding member 50, a grip 60, a lower leg rest 70, and a control device 80. The elevating part 30, the arm 40 and the grip 60 function as moving members. In the following, the front-back, left-right, up-down are the front-back, left-right, up-down as seen from the person being assisted M (see FIG. 4).

Here, the assisting robot 1 assists the person being assisted in standing up from a sitting posture to a standing posture and assists in sitting from a standing posture to a sitting posture. In particular, the assisting robot 1 of the present embodiment mainly targets the assisted person M who has difficulty in standing up by himself / herself, and for example, assists the person being assisted in putting on and taking off the bottoms (clothes worn on the lower body) and the person being assisted M. It is effectively used to assist the excretion of robots. When the assisting robot 1 supports the upper body of the assisted person M in the standing posture, one caregiver can perform the above-mentioned treatment of the assisted person M.

That is, the standing posture in the present embodiment means at least a state in which the lower body of the person being assisted M is standing, and does not mean a state in which the upper body and the lower body are standing. The assisting robot 1 of the present embodiment will be described for the purpose of assisting the assisted person M in a standing posture in which only the lower body of the person being assisted M stands up. It can also be used as an aid.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, the base 10 includes a frame 11, a support column 12, a footrest stand 13, and a fixed cover 14. The frame 11 is provided at a position slightly distant from the ground plane 2 (floor surface, ground) and is provided substantially horizontally with respect to the ground plane 2. The support column 12 is fixed to the frame 11 and is erected upward from the front upper surface of the frame 11. The support column 12 is arranged in the center of the front of the frame 11 in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, the assisting robot 1 has one support column 12, but may include two or more support columns 12.

The footrest base 13 is fixed to the rear of the upper surface of the frame 11. On the upper surface of the footrest stand 13, a ground contact mark 13a for the foot of the person being assisted M is marked. That is, the ground contact mark 13a has a role of guiding the position of the foot to the person being assisted M. The fixing cover 14 is fixed to the frame 11 or the support column 12 so as to surround the lower portion of the elevating main body 31 of the elevating portion 30, which will be described later.

The wheels 20 are arranged at the four front, rear, left, and right corners of the frame 11. The wheel 20 has a locking function that regulates rotation. In the present embodiment, the wheels 20 are provided so as to be freely rotatable, but the wheels 20 may be provided so as to be driveable by a driving device.
The elevating portion 30 includes an elevating main body 31, a swing support portion 32, and an elevating cover 33. The elevating main body 31 is formed in an elongated shape in the vertical direction, and is provided on the front surface of the support column 12 so as to be linearly movable in the vertical direction.

The elevating main body 31 is guided by a guide (not shown) on the front surface of the column 12, and is driven by a linear motion device (not shown). The elevating main body 31 is surrounded by a fixed cover 14. The swing support portion 32 is provided on the upper end side of the elevating body 31, and has a swing axis 32a parallel to the left-right direction. Specifically, the swing support portion 32 is formed so as to project rearward from the upper end of the elevating main body 31. That is, the swing axis 32a is located behind the support column 12 and behind the elevating main body 31.

The elevating cover 33 is fixed to the elevating portion 30 so as to surround the elevating portion 30, the support column 12, and the fixing cover 14. The elevating cover 33 has an overlap with the fixed cover 14 even at a position where the elevating portion 30 is raised. In the present embodiment, since the assistance robot 1 has one support column 12, it has one elevating part 30. However, if it has two or more support columns 12, the number of support columns 12 is increased. It will have a corresponding number of elevating parts 30.

The arm 40 is provided so as to be swingable about the swing axis 32a of the swing support portion 32 of the elevating portion 30 as a central axis. The arm 40 is swung by an arm drive device (not shown). The arm 40 swings at a position higher than the swing support portion 32. That is, the swing range of the arm 40 includes a state in which the tip of the arm 40 (the end opposite to the end on the swing axis 32a side) extends rearward of the swing support portion 32 (state in FIG. 6). , The state where the tip of the arm 40 is located near the upper part of the swing support portion 32 or the elevating main body 31 (state in FIG. 8). When the assisting robot 1 assists standing up, the arm 40 turns forward from a state of extending backward, and when the assisting robot 1 assists sitting, it turns backward so as to extend backward.

The holding member 50 is provided on the arm 40 so as to be freely tiltable, and holds the upper body of the person being assisted M. The free tilting mechanism of the holding member 50 will be described later. The holding member 50 includes a body receiving portion 51 that comes into contact with the body of the person being assisted M, and a side receiving portion 52 that holds both sides of the person being assisted M. The holding member 50 may include only one of the body receiving portion 51 and the side receiving portion 52.

The body receiving portion 51 supports the body of the person being assisted M from below. The body receiving portion 51 is formed in a planar shape and is formed of a cushion material. The body receiving portion 51 is formed into an initial shape corresponding to the body of a standard person to be assisted M, and is flexibly deformed according to the body of an individual person to be assisted M. In the present embodiment, the body receiving portion 51 contacts the person being assisted M from the chest to the abdomen.

The side receiving portions 52 are formed in an arc shape, and are arranged on the left and right sides of the body receiving portion 51 so that the arc openings face upward. The side receiving portion 52 supports the upper body of the person being assisted M by supporting the side of the person being assisted M from below. Further, the side receiving portion 52 regulates the back-and-forth movement of the person being assisted M by sandwiching both sides of the person being assisted M from the front-rear direction. Therefore, the body receiving portion 51 and the side receiving portion 52 can regulate the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M in a state of being held by the holding member 50.

The center line in the left-right direction of the body receiving portion 51 swings in the range of 20 ° to 110 ° with respect to the vertical line due to the arm 40 swinging with respect to the elevating portion 30. When the angle of the center line of the body receiving portion 51 is in the range of 20 ° to 90 °, the body receiving portion 51 is in a state of facing upward and backward. On the other hand, when the angle of the center line of the body receiving portion 51 is in the range of 90 ° to 110 °, the body receiving portion 51 is in a state of facing upward and forward.

The grip 60 is formed in a U shape, and both ends of the U shape of the grip 60 are fixed to the lower surface of the body receiving portion 51. The central portion of the grip 60 is located in front of the body receiving portion 51 and is gripped by the person being assisted M held by the holding member 50.
The lower leg pad 70 determines the position and posture of the lower body of the assisted person M in the sitting posture by contacting the front part of the lower leg (shin or knee) of the assisted person M in the sitting posture. In particular, the position of the foot is determined to some extent. The lower leg pad 70 is fixed to the support column 12 of the base 10. The lower leg pad 70 includes two support members 71 and a lower leg pad main body 72.

The support member 71 is formed in an L shape. One end of the support member 71 having an L-shape is fixed to the support column 12, and the other end of the support member 71 having an L-shape is located behind the support column 12. The lower leg pad main body 72 is fixed to the other end side of the support member 71, and is located behind the elevating cover 33 and below the swing support portion 32. The lower leg pad main body 72 is a portion where the front part of the lower leg of the person being assisted M is brought into contact with the lower leg pad body 72, is formed in a planar shape, and is formed of a cushion material.

The control device 80 is fixed to the frame 11 of the base 10, and is erected upward from the front upper surface of the frame 11. The control device 80 is arranged next to the support column 12. The control device 80 controls the vertical movement of the elevating unit 30 and the swing of the arm 40 to assist the person being assisted in standing up and sitting. When the operator (assisted person M or assistant) executes the adjustment operation of the standing start height, the control device 80 controls only the vertical movement of the elevating unit 30, and does not swing the arm 40 at this time. That is, the control device 80 adjusts the standing start height according to the height of the person being assisted M.

Further, the control device 80 stores in advance a standing assist program for performing the standing assist operation. The control device 80 executes the standing assist program by executing the standing assist operation by the operator (assisted person M or the caregiver), and controls the vertical movement of the elevating unit 30 and the swing of the arm 40. In addition, the control device 80 stores in advance a seating assist program for performing a seating assisting operation. The control device 80 executes the seating assist program by executing the seating assisting operation by the operator (assisted person M or the caregiver), and controls the vertical movement of the elevating unit 30 and the swinging of the arm 40. Further, the control device 80 corrects the standing assist program and the sitting assist program according to the standing starting height.

(2. Free tilting mechanism of holding member)
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the holding member 50 is provided so as to be freely rotatable about a rotation axis 53 provided at the tip of the arm 40 as a central axis. That is, the holding member 50 is not controlled by the control device 80, and is rotatably provided by an external force, for example, a human force by the person being assisted M or the person being assisted.

The holding member 50 can freely rotate in the direction from the used position (position shown in FIG. 2A) in contact with the rear end of the grip 60 to the escape position (position shown in FIG. 2B) above the person being assisted M. Provided. The used position is a position where the lower end of the holding member 50 is restricted from rotating downward by a regulating portion provided on the grip 60, and the escape position is a position where the lower end of the holding member 50 is rotated upward from the used position. Any position to be moved. When the assisting robot 1 performs the standing assisting motion and the sitting assisting motion, the holding member is located at the used position.

In this way, since the holding member 50 is provided so as to be freely rotatable, the person being assisted M or the caregiver can lift the holding member 50 located at the use position upward from the use position, for example, by lifting it by hand. It can be rotated. Then, the person being assisted M or the caregiver can hold the holding member 50 in the relief position by rotating the holding member 50 to an arbitrary relief position and then supporting the holding member 50 by hand. Then, when the person being assisted M or the caregiver returns the holding member 50 held in the escape position to the used position, the holding member 50 is used by the weight of the holding member 50 by loosening the support by hand. Can be rotated to.

Further, since the holding member 50 is provided so as to be freely rotatable, even if an object exists on the ground contact surface 2 below the holding member 50 while the holding member 50 (elevating portion 30) is descending, the holding member 50 is positioned at the used position. At the same time that the holding member 50 hits the object, the holding member 50 rotates upward from the used position due to the pushing force. Therefore, the impact when the holding member 50 and the object collide with each other is alleviated.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, as a detection means for detecting that the holding member 50 is positioned at the use position, for example, an optical, mechanical, or capacitive sensor 54 is attached to the arm 40. It is provided at the tip and is connected to the control device 80. Further, warning means for warning when the detection signal from the sensor 54 cannot be received even though the holding member 50 needs to be positioned at the use position, for example, a buzzer, a lamp, or the like (not shown). Is connected to the control device 80.

As a result, when the holding member 50 hits the object and rotates upward from the used position and then sandwiches the object with the ground plane 2, the control device 80 receives the detection signal from the sensor 54. Therefore, it is possible to stop the lowering of the holding member 50 (elevating portion 30) and warn the person being assisted M or the person being assisted by a buzzer, a lamp, or the like. In this case, the person being assisted M or the person being assisted takes measures such as removing an object sandwiched between the holding member 50 and the ground plane 2.

(3. Standing assisting motion and sitting assisting motion by the assisting robot)
First, the standing assist operation for the person being assisted M by the assisting robot 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. Here, in FIGS. 6-8, the thick solid line shows the locus of the shoulder position P during the standing motion of the person being assisted M. The control device 80 moves the elevating portion 30 up and down and turns the arm 40 forward so that the shoulder position P moves on the locus shown in FIGS. 6-8.

In the following, the height of the current assisted person M is higher than the height of the former assisted person M used immediately before, and the height h of the lower end portion of the holding member 50 shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. A case where the current assisted person M is positioned at a position lower than the height H from the ground contact surface 2 at the top of the bent knee will be described. In such a case, the current assisted person M or the caregiver can adjust the standing start height according to the height of the current assisted person M with the control device 80, but the assistance robot 1 of the present embodiment has such trouble. Can be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the initial state of the standing assist operation, the assisted person M is in a state of being seated on the seat surface 3 (a state of a sitting posture), and the assisted robot 1 stops in front of the assisted person M. It is in a state of being. The assisted person M or the assisted person needs to move the assisted robot 1 in the direction of the assisted person M, but as described above, the height h of the lower end portion of the holding member 50 is the top of the knee of the assisted person M. It is positioned at a position lower than the height H of.

Therefore, if the assisting robot 1 is moved in the direction of the assisted person M as it is, the lower end portion of the holding member 50 comes into contact with the top portion of the knee of the assisted person M. Therefore, the person being assisted M or the caregiver puts his / her hand on the lower end of the holding member 50 and lifts the holding member 50 by hand, and moves the holding member 50 upward from the use position with the rotation axis 53 as the central axis. Rotate in the direction of. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the assisted person M or the assisted person moves the assisted robot 1 in the direction of the assisted person M in a state where the holding member 50 is rotated.

As a result, the person being assisted M or the caregiver is allowed to pass the lower end portion of the holding member 50 above the upper part of the knee of the person being assisted M, so that the holding member 50 is smoothly approached to the upper body of the person being assisted M. be able to. After stopping the assisting robot 1, the assisted person M or the assisted person rotates the holding member 50 to the used position. At this time, the lower body of the person being assisted M is arranged in the space below the holding member 50. Then, the foot of the person being assisted M is located on the ground contact mark 13a. Then, the lower leg of the person being assisted M comes into contact with the rear surface of the lower leg pad main body 72.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the assisting robot 1 is set to the initial state of the standing assisting operation by the operation by the assisted person M or the assisted person. The initial state of the assisting robot 1 is a state in which the holding member 50 is located at the rearmost position in the standing assist program. That is, the initial state of the assisting robot 1 is a state in which the arm 40 extends rearward.

In this state, the person being assisted M or the caregiver performs a vertical movement operation of only the elevating part 30 according to the height of the upper body of the person being assisted M who is in a sitting posture on the seat surface 3, thereby causing the control device 80. Moves the elevating part 30 up and down. In this way, the front surface of the body of the person being assisted M comes into contact with the body holding surface of the body receiving portion 51. Further, the person being assisted M places his side on the side receiving portion 52, and the person being assisted M grips the grip 60. In this initial state, the upper body of the person being assisted M is in a slightly forward leaning posture.

Subsequently, when the assisted person M or the assisted person starts the standing assist operation, the control device 80 coordinates the lowering of the elevating part 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40 to sit the assisted person M according to the standing assist program. Shift from posture to intermediate posture. In this first transition operation, the holding member 50 is raised with respect to the elevating portion 30 by the forward turning of the arm 40. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M is substantially equal to the shoulder position P. Move forward horizontally.

Further, in the first transition operation, the body holding surface of the body receiving portion 51 tilts forward and moves forward due to the forward turning of the arm 40. Then, due to the coordinated first transition operation, the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M moves forward, and the rear end of the body receiving portion 51 rises. Therefore, the upper body of the person being assisted M is tilted forward, and the vicinity of the abdomen of the person being assisted M is lifted. By such a first transition operation, the back muscle of the person being assisted M is stretched and the pelvis is raised while maintaining the state where the buttocks of the person being assisted M are in contact with the seat surface 3. Therefore, the holding member 50 can stably support the person being assisted M in such a posture.

Subsequently, the control device 80 switches the operation of the elevating unit 30 from descending to ascending. In the present embodiment, the control device 80 shifts the person being assisted M from the intermediate posture to the standing posture by coordinating the raising of the elevating portion 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40 according to the standing assist program. Due to this second transition operation, the holding member 50 is slightly advanced by the forward turning of the arm 40 and is raised mainly by the ascent of the elevating portion 30. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the person being assisted M The shoulder position P rises almost straight up while slightly advancing from the intermediate posture.

By performing this second transition operation, the buttocks of the person being assisted M rise away from the seat surface 3. In the second transition operation, the body holding surface of the body receiving portion 51 is further tilted forward by the forward turning of the arm 40. The upper body of the person being assisted M leans further forward while rising. Therefore, when the upper body of the person being assisted M is raised by the second transition operation, the state in which the back muscle of the person being assisted M is stretched is maintained. Therefore, during the second transition operation, the holding member 50 can stably support the person being assisted M.

Next, the seating assistance operation for the person being assisted M by the assisting robot 1 will be described. Here, the operation of the assisting robot 1 from the standing posture to the sitting posture is a reversal of the operation of the assisting robot 1 from the sitting posture to the standing posture, that is, the operation in the order of FIGS. 8, 7, and 6. Therefore, a detailed description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the person being assisted M is seated on the seat surface 3 (the state of the sitting posture), the power of the assisting robot 1 is turned off by the operation of the person being assisted M or the caregiver. .. In this state, the lower end of the holding member 50 is in contact with the upper part of the thigh of the person being assisted M. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the person being assisted or the caregiver attaches his / her hand to the lower end of the holding member 50 and lifts the holding member 50 by hand, and holds the holding member 50 with the rotation axis 53 as the central axis. Rotate in the direction of the escape position above from the use position. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the assisted person M or the assisted person moves the assisted robot 1 in the forward direction of the assisted person M in a state where the holding member 50 is rotated.

As a result, the person being assisted M or the person being assisted can pass the lower end portion of the holding member 50 above the upper part of the knee of the person being assisted M, so that the holding member 50 can be smoothly separated from the person being assisted M. The assisted person M or the assisted person does not lift the holding member 50 by hand, and moves the assisted robot 1 in the forward direction of the assisted person M with the holding member 50 in contact with the upper part of the thigh of the assisted person M. You may let it. Even in this case, since the holding member 50 slides while freely rotating the upper part of the thigh of the person being assisted M, the holding member 50 can be smoothly separated from the person being assisted M.

(4. Another form of holding member)
As a first alternative, in the above-described embodiment, the holding member 50 is in an escape position (a position shown in FIG. 2A) above the side of the person being assisted M from the position where the holding member 50 is in contact with the rear end of the grip 60 (the position shown in FIG. 2A). The configuration is such that it can freely rotate in the direction (position shown in FIG. 2B). However, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the first, second, and third regulating members 55a, 55b, and 55c that regulate the free rotation range to a predetermined range may be provided.

That is, the rotation axis 53 is provided with a columnar first regulating member 55a protruding from the peripheral surface of the rotation axis 53, and the tip of the arm 40 is a regulating member that accompanies the rotation of the rotation axis 53. The second and third regulating members 55b and 55c that can be brought into contact with each other when the 55a is rotated are provided at a predetermined angle θ. As a result, the holding member 50 has the first regulating member 55a and the third regulating member 55a and the third regulating member above the person being assisted M from the used position (the position shown in FIG. 9A) where the first regulating member 55a and the second regulating member 55b abut. Free rotation is possible within the range (range of angle θ) up to the escape position end (position shown in FIG. 9B) where the 55c comes into contact.

As a second alternative form, as shown in FIG. 10, in the above-mentioned first alternative form, a tension spring 57a for positioning the holding member 50 at the use position is provided on the first regulation member 55a. As a result, the holding member 50 is always positioned at the use position in a natural state where no external force is applied.

As a third alternative form, as shown in FIG. 11, in the above-mentioned first alternative form, a tension spring 57b for positioning the holding member 50 at the relief position end is provided on the first regulating member 55a. As a result, the holding member 50 is always positioned at the relief position end in a natural state where no external force is applied.

As a fourth alternative embodiment, in the above-described embodiment, the holding member 50 is configured to be freely rotatable about a rotation axis 53 provided at the tip of the arm 40 as a central axis. However, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, a cam mechanism 56 may be provided instead of the rotation axis 53 to enable free swinging.

That is, at the upper end of the arm 40, two cam pins 561a and 562a (561b, 562b) projecting to the left and right outward are provided. Cam plates 563a (563b) are provided on the left and right sides of the holding member 50. The cam plate 563a (563b) is formed with cam grooves 564a (564b) that can be engaged with cam pins 561a, 562a (561b, 562b).

The cam groove 564a (564b) is formed so that the front side is linear and the rear side is arcuate. The holding member 50 is connected to the arm 40 by a cam mechanism 56 so as to be movable back and forth and tiltable. That is, the holding member 50 moves forward by the linear portion of the cam groove 564a (564b). Further, it is tilted forward by the arc portion of the cam groove 564a (564b).

(5. Effect)
The assisting robot 1 described above includes a base 10, a moving member (elevating portion 30, arm 40, grip 60) capable of moving up and down at least with respect to the base 10, and a moving member (elevating portion 30, arm 40, grip 60). ), And the holding member 50 that holds a part of the body of the person being assisted M, and the cover that is held by the holding member 50 by controlling the movement of the moving members (elevating portion 30, arm 40, grip 60). The caregiver M is provided with a control device 80 that assists the caregiver M in standing up from a sitting posture to a standing posture and assists in sitting from a standing posture to a sitting posture. The holding member 50 is provided on the moving member (elevating portion 30, arm 40, grip 60) so as to be able to freely tilt between the lower used position and the upper escape position.

Since the holding member 50 is provided so as to be freely tiltable, even if an object exists on the ground contact surface 2 below the holding member 50 while the holding member 50 (elevating portion 30) is descending, the holding member 50 is located at the used position. At the same time that the holding member 50 hits the object, the holding member 50 rotates upward from the used position due to the pushing force thereof. Therefore, the impact when the holding member 50 and the object collide with each other is alleviated.

Further, since the holding member 50 is provided so as to be able to freely tilt when an external force of a predetermined value or more is applied, a drive source for tilting the holding member 50 becomes unnecessary, and an increase in cost can be suppressed.
Further, since the holding member 50 is positioned at the end of the used position or the relief position by the urging force of the urging member (tensile springs 55a, 55b), it is possible to suppress the fluttering of the holding member 50 when not in use.

Further, the control device 80 includes a detection means (sensor 54) for detecting that the holding member 50 is positioned at the use position. As a result, when the holding member 50 hits the object, rotates upward from the used position, and then sandwiches the object between the holding member 50 and the ground plane 2, the control device 80 receives the detection means (sensor 54). Since the detection signal cannot be received, the lowering of the holding member 50 (elevating portion 30) can be stopped, and the person being assisted M or the caregiver can be warned by a buzzer, a lamp, or the like.

(6. Others)
In the above-described embodiment, the moving member (elevating portion 30, arm 40, grip 60) is configured to be vertically movable and swingable, but at least it may be configured to be vertically movable. In addition, a configuration with only one vertical movement axis, a configuration with only one swing axis, a configuration with a combination of a plurality of linear motion axes, a configuration with a combination of a plurality of swing axes, and a configuration with a linear motion axis and a swing axis are combined. It may be configured.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the holding member 50 is configured to come into contact with the rear end portion of the grip 60 to restrict downward rotation from the used position, but downward rotation is restricted at the used position. If it is done, other configurations may be used.

1: Assistance robot, 10: Base, 30: Elevating part, 40: Arm, 50: Holding member, 54: Sensor, 55a, 55b: Tensile spring, 56: Cam mechanism, 60: Grip 80: Control device, M: Person being assisted

Claims (2)

Base and
A moving member that can move up and down at least with respect to the base,
A holding member that is provided so as to be freely rotatable in the vertical direction with respect to the moving member and holds a part of the body of the person being assisted.
With
By moving the holding member up and down by the moving member, the person being held by the holding member is assisted in standing up from a sitting posture to a standing posture and seated in the standing posture to the sitting posture. It is an assistance robot that assists
The holding member is restricted from rotating downward with respect to the moving member by the regulating portion, and when an external force is applied to the holding member from below, the holding member is separated from the restricting portion and moved upward with respect to the moving member. An assistance robot that rotates freely. The assisting robot according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is positioned with respect to the regulating portion by its own weight.

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