JP7091579B2 - Caps and walking aids with caps - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cap and a walking aid equipped with a cap.

Conventionally, walking aids such as canes and walkers have been used for walking assistance. A rubber or plastic cap is attached to the tip of these walking aids.

The cap has a disk-shaped, hemispherical (Patent Document 1), conical (Patent Document 2), or the like in the shape of the ground contact surface portion in contact with the ground.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-1003788 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-165862

However, when the cane is brought into contact with the ground, the axial direction of the cane is not actually perpendicular to the ground, but is tilted at a certain angle. Therefore, if the shape of the ground contact surface is (1) a disk shape, the ground contact state is close to point contact, and (2) if it is hemispherical, it can correspond to any inclination angle, but the ground contact state is also a point. If it is close to contact, and (3) conical, it will be line contact only at a specific tilt angle, but at other tilt angles, it will be close to point contact.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cap having high ground contact with the ground and a walking assisting tool equipped with the cap.

The present invention is grasped by the following aspects in order to achieve the above object.
(1) One aspect according to the present invention is a cap having a mounting portion mounted on the leg portion of the walking assist device and a ground contact portion that touches the ground, and the ground contact portion is a first ground contact surface portion. And the second ground contact surface portion, and when the cap is tilted with respect to the ground so as to bring the first ground contact surface portion into contact with the ground, the second ground contact surface portion does not touch the ground. When the cap is tilted with respect to the ground so that the second ground contact surface portion touches the ground, the first ground contact surface portion does not touch the ground.
(2) In the embodiment of the above (1), the first ground contact surface portion is a cone shape that protrudes toward the ground and has a first apex angle, and the second ground contact surface portion is the first ground contact surface portion. It is a cone formed around the ground contact surface portion, projecting toward the ground, and having a second apex angle. The first apex angle is larger than the second apex angle. You may.
(3) In the embodiment (1) or (2) above, the first ground contact surface portion protrudes toward the ground and has a plane intersecting at the first apex angle, and the second ground contact surface portion is , Which is formed on the outside of the first ground contact surface portion, protrudes toward the ground, and has a plane intersecting at the second apex angle, and the first apex angle is the second apex angle. The angle may be larger than.
(4) In any one of the above (1) to (3), the ground contact portion may have a concave groove formed on the outer periphery of the boundary with the mounting portion.
(5) Another aspect according to the present invention is a walking assisting tool, comprising a head and legs hanging from the head, and the legs are provided from the above (1) to (4). ) Is attached to the lower end of the cap according to any one of the above.
(6) In the embodiment of (5) above, the leg portion is composed of a first leg portion, a second leg portion, and a third leg portion, and the lower end of the first leg portion is the lower end of the second leg portion. And may be provided in front of the lower end of the third leg.
(7) In the aspect of (6) above, the first leg portion may be inclined with respect to the second leg portion and the third leg portion.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cap having a high ground contact property and a walking assist device equipped with the cap.

A three-view view, a perspective view and an arrow view A showing a cane to which the cap of the embodiment according to the present invention is attached, (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, and (c) is a right side view. (D) is a perspective view, and (e) is an arrow view of A. It is the schematic which shows the cap of the embodiment which concerns on this invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a sectional view. It is a schematic diagram which shows the ground contact state of the cane which attached the cap of the embodiment which concerns on this invention, (a) is the enlarged view of the 1st leg part, (b) is the enlarged view of the 2nd leg part or the 3rd leg part. Is. It is the schematic which shows the cap of the 2nd Embodiment which concerns on this invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a sectional view. It is the schematic which shows the cap of the 3rd Embodiment which concerns on this invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a sectional view. It is a three-view view, a perspective view and an arrow view A showing the cane of the modified example 1 to which the cap is attached, (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a right side view, (d). Is a perspective view, and (e) is an arrow view of A. It is a three-view view, a perspective view and an arrow view A showing the cane of the modified example 2 to which the cap is attached, (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a right side view, (d). Is a perspective view, and (e) is an arrow view of A.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiments of the present specification, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals throughout.

First, before explaining the cap 50 of the embodiment according to the present invention, the cane 100 as a walking assisting tool to which the cap 50 is attached will be described. 1A and 1B are a three-view view, a perspective view and an arrow view A showing a cane 100 to which the cap 50 of the embodiment according to the present invention is attached, FIG. 1A is a front view, FIG. 1B is a plan view, and FIG. ) Is a right side view, (d) is a perspective view, and (e) is an arrow view of A. It should be noted that FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (c) show a state in which the cane 100 is in contact with the ground G at three points at the lower part of each leg and stands on its own. Unless otherwise specified, the upper side in FIG. 1 (b) and the right side in FIG. 1 (c) are referred to as front, respectively, and the lower side in FIG. 1 (b) and the left side in FIG. 1 (c). Will be referred to as the rear, respectively. Further, in FIG. 1, the cap 50 is not shown.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cane 100 includes a head 40 and a leg portion that branches off from the head 40 and hangs down, and a cap 50 in contact with the ground G is attached to the lower end, and is made of wood or iron. , Stainless steel or aluminum, pipes such as fiber reinforced composites or solid rods are formed by bending or welding. The leg portion is composed of three legs, a first leg portion 10, a second leg portion 20, and a third leg portion 30.

As a result, even if the ground G is not landed, the lower three points of each leg (first leg 10, second leg 20 and third leg 30) come into contact with the ground G via the cap 50. Therefore, the head 40 can be stably supported. Then, even if a force acts on the cane 100 due to the user leaning against the cane 100, the reaction force can be appropriately transmitted to the user by the minimum number of legs. Further, since the cane 100 firmly supports the user without tipping over, the stability is improved.

Further, since the center of gravity of the cane 100 is set so that the cane 100 can stand on its own in a state where the lower three points of each leg are in contact with the ground G, the cane 100 can be kept in a stable state even when not in use. ..

The lower end of the first leg portion 10 is provided in front of the lower end of the second leg portion 20 and the lower end of the third leg portion 30. As a result, even if the user leans forward and a force directed diagonally forward acts on the upper end of the first leg portion 10, the lower end of the second leg portion 20 and the lower end of the third leg portion 30 are connected. Since the first leg 10 resists the force that the entire cane 100 tries to rotate forward around the line, the cane 100 does not fall and firmly supports the user, so that the stability is high. Become.

As shown in FIG. 1 (c), the first leg portion 10 is inclined forward (with respect to the direction perpendicular to the ground G) at a predetermined angle α in the side view. As a result, even if the user leans forward and a force directed diagonally forward acts on the upper end of the first leg portion 10, the direction of the force and the upper end of the first leg portion 10 and the first leg portion 10 Since the deviation from the direction connecting the lower end of the cane becomes small, the cane 100 firmly supports the user without tipping over, so that the stability is improved.

By the way, the tilt angle α tilted forward of the first leg portion 10 is larger than the tilt angle β tilted to the left and right rear of the second leg portion 20 and the third leg portion 30 (with respect to the direction perpendicular to the ground G). For example, the tilt angle α is 16 ° and the tilt angle β is 10 ° (see FIG. 3). The inclination angle β includes the axes of the second leg portion 20 and the third leg portion 30, and is a direction perpendicular to the ground G (vertical direction) when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the plane perpendicular to the ground G. ) Indicates the angle of inclination. Further, an opening indicating an angle at which a plane including the axis of the first leg 10 and perpendicular to the ground G and the plane including the axes of the second leg 20 and the third leg 30 and perpendicular to the ground G intersect. The leg angle γ is, for example, 120 °.

As a result, even if the user puts his / her weight toward the cane 100 from above to the rear as if he / she stopped at the place without walking, the second leg 20 and the third leg 30 are mainly applied. Since the force acts in the axial direction (approximately vertical direction), the moment acting between the head 40 and the second leg portion 20 and the third leg portion 30 is reduced, the deformation of the cane 100 is suppressed, and the cane 100 is firmly suppressed. Can support the user. Further, even if the weight is applied toward the cane 100 diagonally forward and downward as in the state where the user is walking, the force acts mainly on the first leg 10 in the axial direction, so that the head The bending moment acting between the 40 and the first leg portion 10 is reduced, the deformation of the cane 100 is suppressed, the user can be firmly supported, and the stability is improved.

Next, the head 40 is provided with a horizontal portion 41 extending substantially horizontally, and a first inclined portion 42 and a second inclined portion 43 extending continuously so as to incline downward and rearward from both sides of the horizontal portion 41. Has a hand and. Since the head 40 has the horizontal portion 41 as the handle portion, even if the user leans forward while holding the horizontal portion 41 by hand, the user's hand is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal portion 41. Since the force is transmitted, the hands are less likely to slip. As a result, the cane 100 can firmly support the user. Similarly, since the head 40 has the first inclined portion 42 and the second inclined portion 43 as the handle portion, the user holds the first inclined portion 42 and the second inclined portion 43 by hand and moves forward. Even if the user leans against the hand, the reaction force is transmitted to the user's hand substantially vertically from the first inclined portion 42 and the second inclined portion 43, so that the hand does not slip easily. As a result, the cane 100 firmly supports the user, resulting in high stability.

Here, the first leg portion 10 is connected to the horizontal portion 41. As a result, the rigidity of the horizontal portion 41 is increased, so that even if a force acts directly on the horizontal portion 41 by the user, the force can be transmitted to the first leg portion 10 and the displacement of the horizontal portion 41 is suppressed. Be done. That is, even if a force is applied to the horizontal portion 41, the position of the horizontal portion 41 is unlikely to change because the first leg portion 10 is stretched by the reaction force from the ground G. As a result, the cane 100 can firmly support the user and has high stability.

On the other hand, the second leg portion 20 and the third leg portion 30 are connected to the lower ends of the first inclined portion 42 and the second inclined portion 43, respectively. Thereby, by bending the bar material and the pipe material, the second leg portion 20 and the third leg portion 30 and the first inclined portion 42 and the second inclined portion 43 can be integrally formed. The second leg portion 20 and the third leg portion 30, the first inclined portion 42 and the second inclined portion 43, and the horizontal portion 41 may be integrally molded. As a result, it can be easily formed by bending a bar material or a pipe material. Alternatively, the head 40, the first leg 10, the second leg 20, and the third leg 30 are separated from each other, and the first leg 10, the second leg 20, and the third leg 30 are separated from each other with respect to the head 40. The three legs 30 may be individually fitted to form a structure in which the cane 100 can be assembled.

Further, the transition portions from the lower ends of the first inclined portion 42 and the second inclined portion 43 to the second leg portion 20 and the third leg portion 30 are curved and gently connected. As a result, even if the user holds the transition portion by hand, the reaction force is not concentrated on the part of the hand and is dispersed, so that the cane 100 can be easily held.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the cane 100 has a symmetrical shape in a plan view. As a result, the cane 100 can support the user in a well-balanced manner regardless of whether the user exerts a force on the lower left side or the lower side on the right side. Therefore, for example, the cane 100 can be used even if the user walks while holding the cane 100 with both hands by holding the first inclined portion 42 with the left hand and the second inclined portion 43 with the right hand at the same time. Can firmly support the person.

Finally, the cap 50 of the embodiment according to the present invention will be described. 2A and 2B are schematic views showing a cap 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 2A is a front view, FIG. 2B is a side view, and FIG. 2C is a sectional view.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cap 50 is attached to the lower end of the cane 100 for shock absorption, non-slip, etc., and is attached to the attachment portion 51 attached to the cane 100 and grounded to the ground G. It has a portion 52 and. The cap 50 is formed in the shape of a rotating body in which a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional view is rotated about an axis by integral molding using elastic rubber, elastomer, plastic resin, or the like. The cap 50 of the present embodiment is made of EPDM having a hardness of 65 degrees.

The mounting portion 51 has a substantially conical table shape with a small diameter on the head 40 side of the cane 100, and a cylindrical mounting hole 51a into which each leg portion 10, 20, 30 of the cane 100 is inserted is formed in the center. (See Fig. 2 (c)). A mounting groove 51b for mounting a washer 53 having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 51a is formed on the inner side of the mounting hole 51a. The washer 53 is a ring-shaped metal such as stainless steel.

Further, a relief hole 51c having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the washer 53 is formed on the innermost side of the mounting hole 51a. With such a configuration, the mounting portions 51 are mounted by inserting the legs 10, 20, and 30 into the mounting holes 51a. At this time, the lower ends (tips) of the legs 10, 20, and 30 are in surface contact (contact with the surface) that comes into contact with the inside of the cap 50 via the washer 53, and the impact force on the ground G is dispersed. It is possible to prevent damage to the cap 50.

The grounding portion 52 has a conical first grounding surface portion (first conical surface portion) 52a having a first apex angle θ1 and a conical second grounding surface portion (second conical surface portion) having a virtual second apex angle θ2. Surface portion) 52b and. The first ground contact surface portion 52a and the second ground contact surface portion 52b project toward the ground G, and the second ground contact surface portion 52b is formed around the first ground contact surface portion 52a. In FIG. 2C, the inclination angles to the first ground contact surface portion 52a and the second ground contact surface portion 52b when the ground G is used as a reference are shown by α and β.

In the present embodiment, the first ground contact surface portion 52a is divided into a portion including the apex of the cone and an annular portion on the outer periphery thereof by the first annular groove 54a, but the first annular groove 54a is not formed. You may. Further, although the second annular groove 54b is also formed at the boundary between the first ground contact surface portion 52a and the second ground contact surface portion 52b, the second annular groove 54b may not be formed either. In addition, a linear groove or a lattice groove may be formed instead of the first annular groove 54a and the second annular groove 54b.

In this way, by forming various grooves such as the first annular groove 54a and the second annular groove 54b in the ground contact portion 52, the edge of the groove portion can firmly catch the ground G, and when the ground contact is made with a water pool or the like. The grip can be improved by efficiently draining water from the groove, and by taking (absorbing) gravel or pebbles into the groove when they are scattered on the ground G.

The first apex angle θ1 has a larger angle than the second apex angle θ2. For example, the range of the first apex angle θ1 is about 150 ° to 170 °, and the second apex angle θ2. The range is about 140 ° to 160 °. As described above, the grounding portion 52 is formed in a two-stage conical shape, but may have three or more stages. However, when the number of stages is three or more, the angle difference between the apex angles θ1, θ2 ... Of each cone is small, and the ground contact area for each stage is also small, so two stages are preferable.

Further, a concave groove 55 is formed on the outer periphery of the boundary between the mounting portion 51 and the grounding portion 52. Since the concave groove 55 is more easily deformed (bent) than other parts, it absorbs the impact when the cane 100 touches the ground, and bends (stretches) in a predetermined direction according to the touching angle of the cane 100. (It is compressed or compressed). The concave groove 55 is formed at a height closer to the apex of the cone than the bottom of the internal escape hole 51c (for example, at a height of 8 mm from the apex).

Further, a ring body such as an O-ring 56 may be fitted in the concave groove 55. Since the O-ring 56 is fitted to the cap 50, the tip of the ground contact portion 52 of the cap 50 is worn by the use of the cane 100, and when the cap 50 reaches the O-ring 56 or the O-ring 56 is also worn, cut or cut. If it falls off, it can be used as a guide for the replacement time to replace the cap 50. That is, the worn state of the cap 50 can be easily confirmed by the O-ring 56.

At this time, if the color of the O-ring 56 is different depending on the size of the cap 50 or the cane 100, when the cap 50 is sold as a replacement cap 50, it is difficult to make a mistake in purchasing. As the O-ring 56, a commercially available one that can be obtained at a low price may be adopted.

Further, the same effect can be obtained by coloring the concave groove 55 itself in place of or in combination with the O-ring 56. When the fitting of the O-ring 56 and the coloring of the concave groove 55 are used in combination, it is advisable to make the colors different from each other.

Here, the ground contact state of the cap 50 with respect to the ground G will be described with reference to Examples. 3A and 3B are schematic views showing a ground contact state of a cane 100 to which the cap 50 of the embodiment according to the present invention is attached, where FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of the first leg portion 10 and FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the second leg portion 20. Alternatively, it is an enlarged view of the third leg portion 30.

(Example)
As the cap 50, a cap having a first apex angle θ1 of 160 ° and a second apex angle θ2 of 148 ° was used (see FIG. 2). The maximum diameter of the cap 50 is about 40 mm. The cane 100 has an inclination angle α of the first leg portion 10 of 16 °, an inclination angle β of the second leg portion 20 and the third leg portion 30 of 10 °, and an open leg angle γ of 120 °. Was used (see FIG. 1).

Assuming that the ground G is flat, as shown in FIG. 3, in the cap 50 attached to the first leg portion 10, the second ground contact surface portion 52b is in line contact with the ground G, while the second leg In the cap 50 attached to the portion 20 and the third leg portion 30, the first ground contact surface portion 52a comes into line contact with the ground G. That is, when the cap 50 is tilted with respect to the ground G so that the first ground contact surface portion 52a is in line contact with the ground G, the second ground contact surface portion 52b does not touch the ground G and the second ground contact surface portion 52b is touched. When the cap 50 is tilted with respect to the ground G so as to make line contact with the ground G, the first ground contact surface portion 52a does not touch the ground G.

As described above, the cap 50 has different apex angles θ1 and θ2 corresponding to the inclination angle α of the first leg portion 10 of the cane 100 and the inclination angle β of the second leg portion 20 and the third leg portion 30. By forming the ground contact surface portion 52a and the second ground contact surface portion 52b, the ground contact property of the cane 100 with respect to the ground G can be improved. In particular, it is preferable to set each of the inclination angles α and β so as to satisfy [(180-1 first apex angle θ1, θ2) / 2], and conversely, each of the first apex angles θ1 and θ2 , [180-2 × (first apex angle α, β)] may be set.

As described above, the cap 50 of the embodiment according to the present invention is a cap 50 having a mounting portion 51 mounted on the cane 100 and a grounding portion 52 that is in contact with the ground G, and the grounding portion 52 is a grounding portion 52. A conical first ground contact surface portion 52a having a first apex angle θ1 and a conical first ground contact surface portion 52a formed around the first ground contact surface portion 52a while projecting toward the ground G, projecting toward the ground G and a second ground contact surface portion 52a. The first apex angle θ1 includes a conical second ground contact surface portion 52b having an apex angle θ2, and the first apex angle θ1 has a larger angle than the second apex angle θ2. Thereby, it is possible to provide the cap 50 having high ground contact with the ground G. Further, when the ground contact portion 52 includes the conical first ground contact surface portion 52a and the second ground contact surface portion 52b, the first leg portion 10, the second leg portion 20, the third leg portion 30, and the like have a round pipe or a round bar shape. In the case of the above, since there is no direction in which the cap 50 is attached, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of erroneous assembly.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is also apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Further, it is clear from the description of the claims that the form with such changes or improvements may be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

(Second Embodiment)
The cap 150 of the second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. 4A and 4B are schematic views showing a cap 150 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 4A is a front view, FIG. 4B is a side view, and FIG. 4C is a sectional view.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cap 150 has a grounding portion 152 having a shape different from that of the grounding portion 52 of the cap 50 of the embodiment, and the description of other parts such as the mounting portion 51 will be omitted.

The grounding portion 152 includes a first grounding surface portion 152a having two planes intersecting at a first apex angle θ1 and a second grounding surface portion 152b having two planes intersecting at a virtual second apex angle θ2. Includes. The first ground contact surface portion 152a projects toward the ground G about the ridge line passing through the apex of the first apex angle θ1, and the second ground contact surface portion 152b is formed on the outside of the first ground contact surface portion 152a. .. That is, the ground contact portion 152 includes a first ground contact surface portion 152a and a second ground contact surface portion 152b, like a gable roof formed on both sides of a ridgeline in a two-stage one-sided flow shape.

Further, although the first linear groove 154a is formed in the first ground contact surface portion 152a, the first linear groove 154a may not be formed. Further, although the second linear groove 154b is formed at the boundary between the first ground contact surface portion 152a and the second ground contact surface portion 152b, the second linear groove 154b may not be formed either. The groove formed in the ground contact portion 152 does not have to be a linear groove parallel to the central ridgeline, and is, for example, a linear groove orthogonal to the central ridgeline, another lattice groove, or an annular shape of the first embodiment. It may be a groove or the like.

The first apex angle θ1 has a larger angle than the second apex angle θ2. For example, the range of the first apex angle θ1 is about 150 ° to 170 °, and the second apex angle θ2. The range is about 140 ° to 160 °. In this way, the grounding portion 52 is formed in both streams of two stages, but may be three or more stages. However, when the number of steps is three or more, the angle difference between the apex angles θ1, θ2 ... Is small, and the ground contact area for each step is also small. Therefore, it is preferable to use two steps.

As described above, the cap 150 of the second embodiment according to the present invention is a cap 50 having a mounting portion 51 mounted on the cane 100 and a grounding portion 152 grounding to the ground G, and the grounding portion 152 is a grounding portion 152. Along with projecting toward the ground G, a first ground contact surface portion 152a having two planes intersecting at a first apex angle θ1 and a first ground contact surface portion 152a formed on the outside of the first ground contact surface portion 152a and projecting toward the ground G. , A second ground contact surface portion 152b having two planes intersecting at a second apex angle θ2, and the first apex angle θ1 is larger than the second apex angle θ2. Thereby, it is possible to provide the cap 150 having high ground contact with the ground G. Further, when the ground contact portion 152 includes the flat first ground contact surface portion 152a and the second ground contact surface portion 152b, the ground contact area can be increased.

(Third Embodiment)
The cap 250 of the third embodiment according to the present invention will be described. 5A and 5B are schematic views showing a cap 250 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 5A is a front view, FIG. 5B is a side view, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cap 250 has a grounding portion 252 having a shape different from that of the grounding portion 152 of the cap 150 of the second embodiment, and the description of other parts such as the mounting portion 51 will be omitted. ..

The grounding portion 252 is mounted with the first grounding surface portion 252a having one plane inclined by (90-α) ° from the axis of the mounting hole 51a in a side view, instead of the two flows as in the second embodiment. The second ground contact surface portion 252b having one plane inclined by (90-β) ° from the axis of the hole 51a may be in a one-sided flow shape so as to intersect at a ridge line passing through the axis of the mounting hole 51a. However, the first ground contact surface portion 252a and the second ground contact surface portion 252b may intersect above the axis in FIG. 5 (c) (that is, the ridge line may not pass through the axis of the mounting hole 51a). ..

As described above, the cap 250 of the third embodiment according to the present invention is a cap 250 having a mounting portion 51 mounted on the cane 100 and a grounding portion 252 that is grounded to the ground G, and the grounding portion 252 is a grounding portion 252. The grounding portion 252 includes a first grounding surface portion 252a and a second grounding surface portion 252b, and the grounding portion 252 tilts the cap 250 with respect to the ground G so that the first grounding surface portion 252a is grounded in surface contact with the ground G. When tilted at °, the second ground contact surface portion 252b does not touch the ground G, and the cap 250 is tilted at an inclination angle β with respect to the ground G so that the second ground contact surface portion 252b touches the ground G in surface contact. The first ground contact surface portion 252a includes a first ground contact surface portion 152a and a second ground contact surface portion 152b so as not to touch the ground G when tilted at °. Thereby, it is possible to provide the cap 250 having high ground contact with the ground G. Further, when the ground contact portion 252 includes the flat first ground contact surface portion 252a and the second ground contact surface portion 252b, the ground contact area can be increased. Further, when the ridge line where the first ground contact surface portion 252a and the second ground contact surface portion 252b intersect passes through the axis of the mounting hole 51a, both ground contact areas can be made equal.

(Modification example 1 of the cane)
Next, the cane 200 of the variation example 1 to which the caps 50 and 150 are attached will be described. 6A and 6B are a three-view view, a perspective view, and an arrow view A showing a cane 200 of a modified example 1 to which the caps 50, 150, and 250 of the embodiment according to the present invention are attached, and FIG. 6A is a front view, (a). b) is a plan view, (c) is a right side view, (d) is a perspective view, and (e) is an arrow view of A. 6 (a) and 6 (c) show a state in which the cane 200 is in contact with the ground G at three points at the lower part of each leg and stands on its own. Unless otherwise specified, the upper side in FIG. 6 (b) and the right side in FIG. 6 (c) are referred to as front, respectively, and the lower side in FIG. 6 (b) and the left side in FIG. 6 (c). Will be referred to as the rear, respectively. Further, in FIG. 6, caps 50, 150, and 250 are not shown.

Since the difference between the cane 200 of the modified example and the cane 100 of the embodiment is the configuration of the head 40, the head 40 will be mainly described below, and the description of common parts may be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cane 200, like the cane 100, has a head 40 and a leg portion that branches off from the head 40 and hangs down, and caps 50, 150, and 250 in contact with the ground G are attached to the lower ends. And. Like the cane 100, the leg portion is composed of three legs, a first leg portion 10, a second leg portion 20, and a third leg portion 30.

Further, like the cane 100, the head 40 has a horizontal portion 41 extending substantially horizontally, and a first inclined portion 42 and a second inclined portion 43 extending downward and rearward from both sides of the horizontal portion 41. Has a handle portion provided with.

Here, the head 40 of the cane 200 has a stiffening portion 44 that is separate from the handle portion. As shown in FIG. 6B, the stiffening portion 44 has substantially the same shape as the handle portion in a plan view, and is aligned with the horizontal plane, in other words, parallel to the ground G. Have been placed. The stiffening portion 44 is, for example, for each of the first transition portion between the first inclined portion 42 and the second leg portion 20 and the second transition portion between the second inclined portion 43 and the third leg portion 30. They may be connected and integrated via welding or another member, or may be integrated by fitting the other to one of the stiffening portion 44 and each transition portion. As a result, the rigidity of the cane 200 as a whole is increased and the cane 200 is less likely to be deformed as compared with the cane 100 in which the legs are directly connected to the handle portion, so that the cane 200 can firmly support the user.

Further, the first leg portion 10 is connected to the stiffening portion 44. As a result, the rigidity of the cane 200 as a whole can be increased, and the first leg portion 10 is not connected to the handle portion, so that the user can easily hold the handle portion. Further, the handle portion is cantilevered and supported by the upper ends of the second leg portion 20 and the third leg portion 30, and is easily elastically deformed in the direction indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 6 (c). When a person applies a force to the front and lower part while holding the handle, the force can be absorbed by the elasticity of the handle.

Further, in particular, when the user walks, it is assumed that the cane 200 is repeatedly landed on the ground G from the state where the cane 200 is lifted from the ground G, but the impact on the user from the cane 200 at the time of landing is softened. The cane 200 can be made so that the user does not get tired even if the cane is used for a long time.

(Modification example 2 of the cane)
Next, the cane 300 of the variation example 2 to which the caps 50 and 150 are attached will be described. 6A and 6B are a three-view view, a perspective view, and an arrow view A showing a cane 300 of a modified example 2 to which the caps 50, 150, and 250 of the embodiment according to the present invention are attached, and FIG. 6A is a front view, (a). b) is a plan view, (c) is a right side view, (d) is a perspective view, and (e) is an arrow view of A. Note that FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (c) show a state in which the cane 300 stands on its own with the three points at the lower part of each leg in contact with the ground G. Unless otherwise specified, the upper side in FIG. 7 (b) and the right side in FIG. 7 (c) are referred to as front, respectively, and the lower side in FIG. 7 (b) and the left side in FIG. 7 (c). Will be referred to as the rear, respectively. Further, in FIG. 7, caps 50, 150, and 250 are not shown.

The difference between the cane 300 of the modified example 2 and the cane 200 of the modified example 1 is the configuration of the head 40. Therefore, in the following, the head 40 will be mainly described, and the description of common parts may be omitted. be.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cane 300, like the cane 200, has a head 40 and a leg portion that branches off from the head 40 and hangs down, and caps 50, 150, and 250 in contact with the ground G are attached to the lower ends. And prepare. Like the cane 100, the leg portion is composed of three legs, a first leg portion 10, a second leg portion 20, and a third leg portion 30.

Further, like the cane 200, the head 40 has a horizontal portion 41 extending substantially horizontally, and a first inclined portion 42 and a second inclined portion 43 extending downward and rearward from both sides of the horizontal portion 41. Has a handle portion provided with a.

Here, the head 40 of the cane 300 has a stiffening portion 44 that is separate from the handle portion. As shown in FIG. 7B, the stiffening portion 44 has a rod shape having substantially the same shape as the handle portion in a plan view, and is parallel to the horizontal plane, in other words, parallel to the ground G. Is placed in.

Further, the first leg portion 10 is connected to the stiffening portion 44. Further, the second leg portion 20 and the first inclined portion 42 are formed in a straight line in a side view, and the third leg portion 30 and the second inclined portion 43 are also formed in a straight line in a side view. As described above, the cane 300 is configured in an inverted "y" shape when viewed from the side. The cane 300 has a structure in which the head 40 and the legs are separated, and the horizontal portion 41, the first inclined portion 42, and the second inclined portion 43 of the head 40 are also separated so that they can be assembled. ..

The canes 100, 200, and 300 of each of the above embodiments and modifications 1 and 2 are provided with three legs, but may be two front and rear legs, and only one leg. You may. When the caps 50, 150, and 250 are attached to the one-legged cane, even if the contact angle of the cane 100 with the ground G is different for each user, it is possible to make line contact or surface contact.

In the caps 50, 150, and 250 of each of the above embodiments, the external shape is pentagonal in cross-sectional view, but the first ground contact surface portions 52a, 152a, 252a and the second ground contact surface portions 52b, 152b of the ground contact portions 52, 152, 252. Shapes other than, 252b are not limited to this.

Further, the shape is such that the conical surface of the first ground contact surface portion 52a of the cap 50 of the first embodiment and the flat surface of the first ground contact surface portion 152a of the cap 150 of the second embodiment are combined (for example, FIG. 2 (c). ), The shape may be such that the upper part from the axis is a conic section and the lower part is a one-way cross section.).

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the walking assisting canes 100, 200, and 300 are shown as walking assisting tools, but it is necessary to support the user and the body, which become unstable when walking with the walking assisting tools 100, 200, and 300. In the case of a user or the like, caps 50, 150, 250 may be attached to each leg of a so-called walker such as a fixed walker or an alternating walker.

100,200,300 cane (walking aid)
10 1st leg, 20 2nd leg, 30 3rd leg 40 Head, 41 Horizontal part, 42 1st inclined part, 43 2nd inclined part, 44 Stiffening part 50, 150, 250 Cap 51 Mounting part , 51a mounting hole, 51b mounting groove, 51c escape hole 52, 152, 252 grounding part, 52a, 152a, 252a first grounding surface part, 52b, 152b, 252b second grounding surface part 53 washer 54a first annular groove, 54b second Circular groove 154a 1st linear groove 154b 2nd linear groove 55 Concave groove 56 O-ring G Ground α, β tilt angle, γ open leg angle, θ1 1st apex angle, θ2 2nd apex angle

Claims (7)

The attachment part attached to the leg of the walking aid and the attachment part
A cap that has a grounding part that touches the ground.
The grounding part is
Including the first ground contact surface portion and the second ground contact surface portion,
When the cap is tilted at a first inclination angle with respect to the ground so that the first ground contact surface portion touches the ground, the second ground contact surface portion does not touch the ground.
When the cap is tilted at a second inclination angle with respect to the ground so that the second ground contact surface portion touches the ground, the first ground contact surface portion does not touch the ground.
The first ground contact surface portion is a conical shape having a first apex angle while projecting toward the ground.
The second ground contact surface portion is a conical shape formed around the first ground contact surface portion, projecting toward the ground, and having a second apex angle.
The first apex angle is larger than the second apex angle.
A cap that features that. The attachment part attached to the leg of the walking aid and the attachment part
A cap that has a grounding part that touches the ground.
The grounding part is
Including the first ground contact surface portion and the second ground contact surface portion,
When the cap is tilted at a first inclination angle with respect to the ground so that the first ground contact surface portion touches the ground, the second ground contact surface portion does not touch the ground.
When the cap is tilted at a second inclination angle with respect to the ground so that the second ground contact surface portion touches the ground, the first ground contact surface portion does not touch the ground.
The first ground contact surface portion has a plane that protrudes toward the ground and intersects at the first apex angle.
The second ground contact surface portion is formed on the outside of the first ground contact surface portion, projects toward the ground, and has a plane intersecting at a second apex angle.
The first apex angle is larger than the second apex angle.
A cap that features that. The range of the first apex angle is 150 ° to 170 ° and the range of the second apex angle is 140 ° to 160 °.
The cap according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that. The ground contact portion has a concave groove formed on the outer periphery of the boundary with the mounting portion.
The cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cap is characterized by the above. With the head
With the legs hanging from the head,
A cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is attached to the lower end of the leg.
A walking aid that is characterized by this. The leg portion is composed of a first leg portion, a second leg portion, and a third leg portion.
The lower end of the first leg is provided in front of the lower end of the second leg and the lower end of the third leg.
The walking assist device according to claim 5. The first leg is inclined with respect to the second leg and the third leg.
The walking assist device according to claim 6.

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