JP7358569B1 - Knee care walking assist supporter for the elderly - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a knee support that takes care of knee pain by tightening the band only when the knee hurts and loosening it when the knee does not hurt, while also allowing the knee joint to bend easily, without causing congestion, and that can be smartly worn all day long. The challenge is to [Solution] It consists of an artificial muscle part, a sensor part, a compressed air input/output device part, and a control device part, and the artificial muscle part has a plurality of small diameter artificial muscles arranged in a cloth shape or a pad shape. The myoelectric potential sensor provided around the knee joint sends the state of the knee within the range of motion of the knee joint to the control device section, and the artificial muscle section is activated only when the knee is in a state of pain. The compressed air input/output device is controlled by the control device so as to tighten the artificial muscle and loosen the artificial muscle when the knee goes to a state where it does not hurt, thereby taking care of knee pain and making the knee joint easier to bend. The configuration was adopted. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field of a walking assist supporter that cares for the knees of elderly people. Specifically, the present invention relates to the technical field of a walking assist supporter that takes care of the knees of elderly people. It also concerns the technical field of a knee support that allows the knee joint to bend easily, does not cause congestion, and can be worn smartly all day long.

People are aiming for a world in which people of all ages and genders can live like normal people and do not feel uncomfortable or difficult to live in, and in that world, the term barrier-free will no longer be necessary. However, one of the factors that prevents this from happening is knee pain among the elderly, and it is said that there are as many as 1.25 million patients with knee arthropathy (potentially 30 million patients).

Therefore, when we consider what methods are available to protect elderly people from knee pain and help them live a vibrant life, we find that elastic supports are the most common, followed by medical treatment such as surgery and medication. It is thought that there will be provision of virtual reality that allows people to experience walking and running through actions and VR (Virtual Reality). However, although supports are the most affordable and effective, they have the problem of making it difficult to bend the knee, causing congestion, and making it difficult to wear them for long periods of time.There are also problems with surgery and drug administration, which are too risky to be used easily. Although VR provides an experience that is superficially similar to the real experience, it is not essentially reality, which creates the problem of making the user feel even more inconvenienced.

Walking assist is a means to solve these problems. Walking assist uses actuators such as artificial muscles and motors to move joints, so it can be said to be very effective for people with weakened muscles. However, while conventional walking assists can assist with muscle strength, they cannot at all address knee pain. That is, this is because artificial muscles and the like are not used to protect the knee joint against the load applied to the knee joint. Furthermore, because conventional walking assist devices are equipped with frames and motors around the knee joints, many elderly people are concerned about their appearance, and describing them as stylish or smart is not a flattering compliment. Ta.

Given this current situation, it is desirable to provide a knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly that can be worn easily and stylishly while alleviating pain in the knee joint.

Therefore, various technical proposals have been made in the past. For example, a technology is disclosed in which the title of the invention is "supporter worn on the body" (see Patent Document 1). Specifically, the problem was to provide a new supporter that generates force in the direction that intersects muscle fibers, and the solution was to provide a supporter that is worn on the body. Sometimes, a force is generated in the supporter that moves the muscle fibers in a direction that intersects the muscle fibers (in the direction in which they extend) and moves the muscle fibers in either internal rotation or external rotation. Pull the supporter from one of the parts as a starting point, and when it is pulled (see the broken line in Figure 5), it will come into close contact with the skin above the muscle fibers, and by using the "tensile stress" generated at this time, the supporter will be pulled together with the supporter. By moving the muscle fibers and fixing them at a predetermined location, the muscle fibers are moved in a fixed direction that intersects with the muscle fibers. ” is an invention. However, the technology described in Patent Document 1
Since the supporter is pulled from any part of the body and brought into close contact with the skin, the skin is pulled regardless of pain, which can lead to congestion and skin irritation due to long-term use. Therefore, the problem of the present invention has not been solved yet.

Furthermore, a technology with the title of the invention as "exercise assisting device" has been disclosed (see Patent Document 2). Specifically, "an exercise assisting device that can be attached to a person to be assisted with appropriate fitting properties and that can appropriately apply force to the person to assist the leg movements of the person to be assisted. The problem is to provide a solution to the problem, and the solution is described as follows: ``An exercise assisting device includes a thigh frame, a lower leg frame, and a knee joint mechanism disposed on the outside and inside of the knee of the person to be assisted. The thigh frame includes a first element frame that extends in the longitudinal direction of the thigh from a base placed on one side of the lumbar region of the auxiliary subject P to the lateral knee joint mechanism, and a first element frame that extends in the longitudinal direction of the thigh from the base to the medial knee joint mechanism. This invention has a second element frame extending diagonally on the front side of the thigh, and a body support member spanned between both the element frames on the back side of the thigh. However, since the technology described in Patent Document 2 uses a frame structure for each element including the thigh, knee joint, and sole of the foot, it has the disadvantage that the wearer's resistance to wearing it becomes unsightly. be. Moreover, the problem of the present invention has not yet been solved.

Furthermore, a technology with the title of the invention as "knee supporter" has been disclosed (see Patent Document 3).
Specifically, "it prevents changes in the pulling direction angle of the strap due to changes in the position of the strap's attachment point or repeated bending and stretching movements of the joint, and stabilizes the appropriate restraint of internal rotation and external rotation. The problem is to provide a knee support that can be obtained, and the solution is to ``provide a knee support that can be applied to the outer circumference of the supporter body from the bottom to the top in a direction opposite to the direction of internal rotation or external rotation of the lower leg relative to the thigh.'' A knee supporter is provided with a strap that is wound and fixed in a spiral shape, and the strap includes a belt portion, and an elastic string portion that is inserted through the end portion of the belt portion that becomes the lower side when worn. The elastic string part is composed of a hook-and-loop fastener piece part to which the end part is fixed, and the end part which becomes the upper side when the belt part is attached is detachably or fixedly attached to the upper part of the supporter main body. , and the elastic cord part is slidably attached to a cord insertion guide attached to the lower side of the knee joint covering part of the supporter main body, and the hook-and-loop fastener piece part is attached to and detachable from the lower part of the supporter main body. A knee support characterized by being freely attached. However, in the technique described in Patent Document 3, the strap that is spirally wound and fixed constantly applies a tensile force while pulling from the lower part to the upper part in the opposite direction to the internal rotation or external rotation direction of the lower leg relative to the thigh. Since it is tightened regardless of the occurrence of pain, it is thought that it may cause congestion, swelling, etc.

JP2007-162192 JP2016-123620 JP2022-30659

Our goal is to provide a knee support that can be worn smartly all day long, making it easy to bend the knee joint without causing congestion, while taking care of knee pain by tightening the band only when the knee hurts and loosening it when the knee does not hurt. do.

The present invention is a supporter for suppressing and alleviating knee pain, which includes an artificial muscle section, a sensor section, a compressed air input/output device section, and a control device section, and the artificial muscle section has a small diameter. An artificial muscle in which a plurality of artificial muscles are arranged in a cloth shape, a pad-like or tube-like artificial muscle, and a combination thereof, and the sensor section is composed of at least a myoelectric potential sensor and an acceleration sensor, and the compressed air The input/output device section is equipped with an air pump, a pressure hose, and a regulator, and the control device section is equipped with a power supply device, a calculation device, and a storage device for recording operation data. The state of the knee within the range of motion of the knee joint is sent from the myoelectric potential sensor provided around the knee joint to the control device section, and the artificial muscle section is tightened only when the knee is heading toward a painful state, and when the knee is heading toward a non-painful state. The compressed air input/output device section is controlled by the control device section so as to loosen the artificial muscle section, thereby taking care of knee pain and making the knee joint easier to bend.

Further, the present invention provides an air tank and a solenoid valve in the compressed air input/output device section, and for storing air compressed from the air pump in the air tank and turning the solenoid valve on and off. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a signal is sent to the control device section for control.

Furthermore, the present invention recognizes the walking condition of the user wearing the knee care walking assist supporter for elderly people according to the present invention using a myoelectric potential sensor and an acceleration sensor, and determines the appropriate timing to activate the artificial muscle part. Predicted by AI, the relevant timing is assumed to be the time when weight is applied to the knee and the response time of the artificial muscle is subtracted from just before the knee becomes painful. Features are extracted from the myoelectric potential sensor and the acceleration sensor, and threshold processing is performed. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the user's walking status is classified in real time using a machine learning model.

Moreover, the present invention can also adopt a configuration in which spats are provided with all the members constituting the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly.

Moreover, the present invention can also adopt a configuration in which the supporter is equipped with all the members constituting the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly.

According to the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly according to the present invention, it is not a conventional walking assist supporter that supports the body weight and assists in bending and straightening the knee, but it copes with knee pain and suppresses the pain. It is particularly effective and can be easily used by elderly people with knee joint diseases.

In addition, the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly according to the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to solve the problems of conventional supports, such as difficulty in bending the knee, congestion, and inability to wear it for long periods of time. demonstrate.

In addition, the knee care walking assist supporter for the elderly according to the present invention has the advantage of being easier to use without fear of risks compared to medical procedures such as surgery or administration of drugs. It is effective.

Further, according to the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly according to the present invention, the structure is simple and there is no need to arrange a bulky frame or actuator around the knee joint, so it is different from conventional walking assist devices. In comparison, it can be worn smartly, such as by being able to be worn under pants, and has excellent effects.

In addition, the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly according to the present invention has the excellent effect of expanding the range of activities of elderly people with knee diseases and enabling them to live more active and fulfilling lives. be.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a basic structure explanatory drawing explaining the basic structure of the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly based on this invention. FIG. 2 is a pain state explanatory diagram showing the relationship between knee joint motion and pain of the knee care type walking assist supporter for elderly people according to the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is an Example explanatory drawing explaining the Example of the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly based on this invention. It is an Example explanatory view explaining another Example of the knee care type walking assist supporter for elderly people according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a usage example illustrating another example of how the artificial muscle portion is routed to the knee joint in the knee care type walking assist supporter for elderly people according to the present invention. It is an explanatory view of an application example showing an application example of the knee care type walking assist supporter for elderly people according to the present invention.

The present invention is a supporter for suppressing and alleviating knee pain, which includes an artificial muscle section, a sensor section, a compressed air input/output device section, and a control device section, and the artificial muscle section has a small diameter. It is a combination of artificial muscles in which a plurality of artificial muscles are arranged in the form of a cloth, and artificial muscles in the form of pads or tubes, and the sensor section includes at least a myoelectric potential sensor and an acceleration sensor, and The device section is equipped with an air pump, a pressure hose, and a regulator, and the control device section is equipped with a power supply device, a calculation device, and a storage device for recording operation data. The state of the knee within the range of motion of the knee joint is sent from the myoelectric potential sensor provided to the control device section, and when the knee is in a painful state or heading toward a painful state, the artificial muscle section is tightened, and the knee is in a state where it does not hurt or is not in pain. The main feature is that the compressed air input/output device section is controlled by the control device section so as to loosen the artificial muscle section when going to the state, thereby taking care of knee pain and making it easier to bend the knee joint. It is something to do. That is, the inventor of the present invention changed his thinking and proposed using an actuator such as an artificial muscle not for power assist but for protecting the knee. The following will explain based on the drawings. However, the shapes and configurations are not limited to those shown in the drawings, and can be changed within the scope of obtaining the effect of creating the technical idea of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a basic configuration explanatory diagram illustrating the basic configuration of a knee care type walking assist supporter for elderly people according to the present invention. Moreover, FIG. 1 is also an explanatory view of the operating state showing the operating state of the knee care type walking assist supporter for elderly people according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the sensor section 20 sends a signal from the myoelectric potential sensor 21 to the control device section 200, the arithmetic device 220 grasps the movement state around the knee joint, and controls the suction and discharge of compressed air from the air pump 130. This figure shows a configuration that calculates the timing to perform the on/off control of the solenoid valve 170, the position control of the motor, etc. The control of the artificial muscle section 10 using compressed air may be performed based on data from patients on a large number of knee joints in advance, or may be configured to allow higher control based on teacher data by the AI 240. is also suitable. Incidentally, if the air tank 140 is used in a configuration that can cope with the case where the moving speed is high, it becomes possible to cope with this.

The knee care type walking assist supporter 1 for the elderly has the control device section configured to tighten the artificial muscle section 10 only when the knee H is in pain, and to loosen the artificial muscle section 10 when the knee is not in pain. 200 controls the electromagnetic valve 170 and the like to treat pain in the knee H and to make the knee joint easier to bend. That is, the inventor of the present invention changed his thinking and proposed to use an actuator such as an artificial muscle not for power assist but for the main purpose of protecting the knee H. Specifically, the artificial muscle part 10 protects the knee H by tightening it only when weight is being applied or will be applied to the knee H, and the knee H is bent without any weight being applied to the knee H. When attempting to do so, the tightening force is loosened to allow free movement. With such a system, there is no need to support the user's weight, so the artificial muscle section 10 and the compressed air input/output device 100 do not need a large output, and can be downsized.

The artificial muscle part 10 is an artificial muscle (11) in which a plurality of small-diameter artificial muscles are arranged in a cloth shape, or a pad-like or tube-like artificial muscle (12), and a combination thereof, and is made of compressed air. An artificial muscle is used that is configured to generate tensile force, etc. when it is moved in and out. The reason for using an artificial muscle with such a configuration is that the artificial muscle tightens or loosens the area around the knee as appropriate depending on the situation, and in addition to the ability to care for the knee H as a supporter of the knee H, This is to not hinder free movement and to prevent deterioration of blood flow and congestion due to continued tightening.

The artificial muscles 11 arranged in a cloth shape are made by knitting small diameter artificial muscles into a cloth shape. This stems from the user's need to ``not want people to know about their auxiliary devices,'' and to select actuators that are as inconspicuous as possible. Although the output of such small-diameter artificial muscles is inferior to that of normal artificial muscles, the force required to tighten the knee H is approximately 42 N, and the force required to tighten the knee H is approximately 42 N. If you have it, you can fully demonstrate your abilities. Specifically, the cloth-like artificial muscle 10 is installed around the knee H, compressed air is taken in and out through the myoelectric potential sensor 21, the acceleration sensor 22, the air pump 130, the solenoid valve 170, etc., and the shape is cloth-like. Therefore, it can be made into a supporter format or a spats format. Therefore, unlike conventional joint drive using actuators, the air pump 130 and the air tank 140 are small and lightweight, and can be stored in a pouch or bag. This allows the area around the knee joint to fit neatly. In addition, although the cloth-like artificial muscles 11 are not shown as having thin-diameter artificial muscles arranged side by side in the drawings, in reality, a plurality of thin-diameter artificial muscles are arranged side by side or are woven to form a cloth-like shape. It is composed of

The pad-shaped or tube-shaped artificial muscle 12 is an artificial muscle in which small-diameter artificial muscles are arranged in a pad shape, and particularly exhibits an assist function. That is, it exhibits the auxiliary effect of the artificial muscle (11) arranged in a cloth-like manner, and the operating principle is the same as that of the artificial muscle (11) arranged in a cloth-like manner, but the artificial muscle (11) arranged in a cloth-like manner 11 is used to relieve pain in the knee H, whereas the pad-shaped or tube-shaped artificial muscle 12 is different in that the main purpose is to provide power assist to the muscle. Specifically, artificial muscles molded into a pad-like shape are placed on the outside or inside of the knee H so that the longitudinal direction is the long side, and when a load is applied and the knee H is extended. The device applies pressure with compressed air and releases the pressure when bending, thereby assisting the muscles and making it easier to bend and straighten the knee H.

The myoelectric potential sensor 21 is a sensor that senses myoelectric potential, which is an action potential generated when muscle cells (muscle fibers) of living organisms contract. Human muscle movements can be read from the electromyogram, which shows changes in the weak electric field generated within the muscle, so the mechanism for measuring myoelectric potential is to obtain the weak electric field from the mechanism of muscle movement. . Muscles are composed of a large number of muscle fibers, and these muscle fibers have excitable cell membranes similar to those of nerve fibers, and their membrane potential changes as they are excited. This is a phenomenon that occurs in each muscle fiber, and in muscles where multiple muscle fibers are bundled, this action potential occurs at various timings. Muscles have a structure in which multiple muscle fibers are bundled together, but when a small force is exerted, only some muscle fibers contract, so as you gradually increase the force, the muscle fibers that contract gradually The number of action potentials also increases. In other words, the magnitude of a compound action potential that combines multiple action potentials increases depending on the degree of force applied. This compound action potential is used and recorded in a storage device.

The acceleration sensor 22 is a device that measures the acceleration of an object. In addition, there are 1-axis, 2-axis, and 3-axis types of acceleration sensor 22. The 3-axis sensor measures velocity in the 3-axis directions of up and down, left and right, and front and back, and can detect tilt, direction, and gravity. can be detected. For example, it is possible to determine the moving speed near the knee, to determine the bending angle of the knee, and to automatically measure changes in these speeds and obtain information for making decisions. Although the downsized acceleration sensor 22 has a small mass and therefore has reduced sensitivity, it can be dramatically downsized and does not lose its smartness even when placed near the knee joint. Note that since the accuracy depends on the measurement axis as a reference, care should be taken regarding the placement position, such as fixing the direction of the axis along the thigh.

The air pump 130 is a device that pumps compressed air, and is a machine that pumps fluid such as gas or liquid by the rotational movement of an impeller or rotor or the reciprocating movement of a piston. Also called a compressor. Note that the air pump 130 is classified as a fluid machine, and is a machine that converts mechanical energy into energy possessed by fluid. Therefore, the blower, compressor, and exhaust fan that give energy to gas and send it from low pressure to high pressure are essentially the same machines. These different names are based on their respective uses, such as pressure feeding or discharge, or low pressure ratio or high pressure ratio, but the operating principle is common. Both are characterized by the fact that the heat and pressure of the gas generates large stress in each part of the machine, and the higher the pressure ratio, the greater the power required to pump, requiring a design that takes into account the compressibility of the gas. . The air pump 130 used in the knee care walking assist supporter 1 for elderly people according to the present invention is preferably a so-called positive displacement pump, which sucks in and discharges liquid by reciprocating a piston or plunger. . It may be a rotary pump that drives a rotor or gears from the rotation of a motor, or a vane pump, as long as it performs suction and discharge continuously. A reciprocating pump that repeatedly sucks in and discharges air through reciprocating movement of a piston is suitable.

The air tank 140 is a device used to ensure stable air pressure in the compressed air supplied from the air pump 130. Small compressors have a small built-in tank capacity, so repressurization frequently occurs during use. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to add an air tank 140 to store more high-pressure air. Further, the added air tank 140 can be removed from the compressor while still storing air.

The electromagnetic valve 170 is a combination of an electromagnet and a valve, and is used to stop or flow compressed air fluid, or change the direction of flow, by turning electricity on and off. The electromagnetic valve 170 is turned on and off based on signals from the myoelectric potential sensor 21 and the acceleration sensor 22, and is operated by an output signal calculated via the control device section 200 to switch the direction in which the compressed air flows.

The pressure hose 150 is a flexible tube used for conveying compressed air, working fluid, etc., and has high airtightness and pressure resistance.

The check valve 180 is a valve that is attached to a gas or liquid pipe and has a structure in which a valve body is operated by back pressure of the fluid to prevent backflow. Since compressed air flows from a higher pressure side to a lower pressure side, it is desirable to provide this because it can prevent backflow when the pressure difference between the primary side and the secondary side is reversed for some reason.

The power supply device 210 is a device that supplies power to drive the air pump 130, the control device section 200, the solenoid valve 170, and the like. In order to improve portability by reducing the size and weight and increase the number of charging cycles, it is possible to use lithium batteries for mobile devices, which have become popular in recent years.

The storage device 230 is a device that can store, retain, and retrieve programs and operational data. Also called storage. The control device section 200 stores both the program and data in the storage device 230, and sequentially executes the instructions that make up the program and performs operations on the data (or even the instructions in some cases). The process will be performed automatically. Therefore, it can be said that the storage device 230 is an essential component in the control device section 200.

The compressed air input/output device 100 includes an air pump 130 necessary for driving the artificial muscle part 10, a pressure hose 150 for transmitting the compressed air generated by the air pump 130, and a regulator for regulating the sending pressure. 160 etc. Note that this does not exclude water pressure types and hydraulic types that use not only gas but also water and oil as the working fluid.

The regulator 160 is a device for reducing the pressure of compressed air created by an air compressor from high pressure to low pressure. Artificial muscles require a specific range of air pressure, and are almost always used when handling pneumatic equipment.
For example, if 0.7 MPa of air flows from the air pump 130, but what is actually desired is 0.5 MPa, the regulator 160 will reduce the pressure from 0.7 MPa to 0.5 MPa for adjustment. Artificial muscles and solenoid valves used on the secondary side (outlet side) have a maximum working pressure, which is the maximum pressure required for safe and normal use of the equipment. There are cases where the air pressure is adjusted within the range of the maximum working pressure, and in such cases it is necessary to lower the pressure with the regulator 160. Furthermore, since the thrust of the artificial muscle is determined by its size and operating pressure, it is necessary to adjust the pressure by lowering the pressure with the regulator 160 in order to prevent the force of the artificial muscle from becoming too strong than necessary. It should be noted that the pressure of the compressed air produced by the air pump 130 pulsates, increasing and decreasing significantly, and the occurrence of such pulsations can have serious negative effects such as making the thrust of the artificial muscle unstable and shortening the life of the device. give. However, the regulator 160 also has the function of suppressing such pressure pulsations, and therefore, even if there is no need for pressure regulation, it is desirable to provide the regulator 160 for stable operation of the device.

The control device section 200 is a device that performs a preset operation on a controlled object such as the electromagnetic valve 170 based on program instructions written in the storage device 90 . In addition, the control device section 200 calculates necessary control commands such as ON/OFF operation and timing of the solenoid valve via an arithmetic circuit based on input signals from the myoelectric potential sensor 21 and the acceleration sensor 22, and generates control signals. Output. Note that if the target of the control command is the motor control of the air pump 130, and the motor is a servo motor or a stepping motor, the rotation angle is controlled by pulse width modulation of PWM control, and the pump piston moves from the top dead center. It is possible to repeat linear motion to the bottom dead center.

The pressurization amount adjustment mechanism 110 is a mechanism that can adjust the tightening force of the artificial muscle. To give a simple specific example, the acting force obtained by adjusting the compressive force of air to the artificial muscle can be adjusted using the regulator 160. By determining the upper limit, it is possible to further limit the pressure and adjust the pressure within the usage range.

The supporter 300 is generally a cloth bandage woven with rubber that is applied by athletes to protect the joints and private parts of their limbs. In the knee care type walking assist supporter 1 for elderly people according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, it is a supporter 300 that includes all the constituent members only around the knee joint.

The belt 310 is used to easily carry heavy objects such as an air pump, an air tank, a battery, or other power supply device, or a member that is large in volume by placing it on the belt around the waist K.

Spats 400 are popular and widely worn for sports training as they have enhanced functionality such as high elasticity and excellent sweat absorption. Taping is being developed based on the principles of taping based on sports medicine, and is said to support and tighten the lower abdomen, buttocks, knee joints, and lower back, suppress muscle sway, and prevent injuries. be done. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, by providing all the constituent members according to the present invention, the effects of the present invention can be obtained just by wearing the spats 400.

The AI 240 is a so-called artificial intelligence that learns the timing when the knee H hurts and the timing when it does not hurt, which is training data, from various sensors (myoelectric potential sensor 21 and acceleration sensor 22), and uses this data to adjust the knee H based on this data. and the pain that accompanies the movement. As a result, instructions are given to the AI 240 regarding the timing of tightening and loosening the artificial muscle 10 based on the state of leg movement. In addition, various sensors are used in combination to learn as training data the state in which weight is being applied to the knee H and the state in which it is not. Such learning information can be used to capture the joint movements of many people in advance, and since knee H pain differs from person to person, it is necessary to access the database via the Internet in order to collect more information. It is also effective to make it possible.

FIG. 2 is a pain state explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the movement of the knee joint and pain of the knee care type walking assist supporter 1 for elderly people according to the present invention, and FIG. 2(a) shows the pain state when walking on a flat place , and FIG. 2(b) shows the time of going down the stairs. In both cases, there is relatively no pain in the state of the knee H (circled) (the state in which the body weight does not act on the knee), and pain occurs in the state in which the knee H (the state in which the body weight acts on the knee) is in the circle. be. Although the degree of pain varies from person to person and cannot be generalized, it is a typical example of knee H pain in elderly people. Therefore, taking this as an example, it is desirable to send compressed air to the artificial muscle and start tightening it just before the state of the knee H (squared) changes to the knee H (circled). The driving is performed by predicting from the signal of No. 21. Thereafter, the compressed air is discharged from the knee H (circled) to the knee H (squared) to loosen the compression force and make it easier.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an embodiment of the knee care type walking assist supporter 1 for elderly people according to the present invention, which is of a so-called spats type. That is, the necessary components are attached to the spats 400, and the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly can be used simply by wearing the spats 400.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another embodiment of the knee care walking assist supporter 1 for elderly people according to the present invention, which is a so-called supporter type. That is, all the necessary components are attached to the supporter 300, and the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly can be used simply by wearing the supporter 300.

FIG. 5 is a usage example explanatory diagram illustrating another example of how the artificial muscle part is routed to the knee joint in the knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly according to the present invention, and FIG. The diagonally intersecting configuration is shown as a front view on the left side and a side view on the right side. Figure 5(b) shows the configuration in which the upper and lower knees are placed diagonally inward from the outer foot, and the lateral direction above and below the knees. A front view is shown on the left, and a side view is shown on the right.

FIG. 6 shows an application example of the knee care-type walking assist supporter for elderly people according to the present invention. FIG. A view from the back is shown. It shows a configuration in which the upper and lower parts of the knee are arranged diagonally from the outer foot toward the inside, and the upper and lower parts of the knee are arranged horizontally. As shown in FIG. 6, the knee care type walking assist supporter 1 for elderly people according to the present invention is applied to people who have low back pain, especially when they experience pain while obtaining the effects of a corset. It is also possible to consider a usage system in which it is tightened and loosened when no pain occurs.

According to the knee care type walking assist supporter 1 for the elderly according to the present invention, it can contribute to many people who suffer from knee pain due to elderly people or sports injuries, and it is considered that it has high industrial applicability, especially in the medical field. It is something that

1 Knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly 10 Artificial muscle part 11 Artificial muscle arranged in a cloth form 12 Pad-like or tube-like artificial muscle 20 Sensor part 21 Myoelectric potential sensor 22 Acceleration sensor 100 Compressed air input/output device 110 Pressure amount adjustment mechanism 130 Air pump 140 Air tank 150 Pressure resistant hose 160 Regulator 170 Solenoid valve 180 Check valve 200 Control device section 210 Power supply device 220 Arithmetic device 230 Storage device 240 AI
300 Supporter 310 Belt 400 Spats
H Knee K Waist

Claims (3)

A supporter that suppresses and relieves knee (H) pain,
an artificial muscle part (10);
A sensor part (20),
A compressed air input/output device section (100),
It consists of a control device section (200),
The artificial muscle part (10) is a combination of an artificial muscle (11) in which a plurality of small-diameter artificial muscles are arranged in a cloth shape, and an artificial muscle (12) in which the small-diameter artificial muscles are arranged in a pad-like or tube-like shape. It is something that
The sensor unit (20) includes at least a myoelectric potential sensor (21) and an acceleration sensor (22),
The compressed air input/output device section (100) includes an air pump (130);
Pressure resistant hose (150),
Equipped with a regulator (160),
The control device section (200) includes:
a power supply device (210);
a computing device (220);
a storage device (230) for recording operation data;
Equipped with AI (240),
Sending the state of the knee (H) within the range of motion of the knee joint from the myoelectric potential sensor (21) and the acceleration sensor (22) provided around the knee joint to the control device section (200);
The feature amount of the state of the knee (H) is extracted , and the user's walking state is classified in real time using a machine learning model.
If the AI (240) determines that the knee (H) is in a painful state or heading toward a painful state, compressed air is sent to the artificial muscle part (10) to start tightening it;
When it is determined that the knee is in a pain-free state or heading toward a pain-free state, the compressed air input/output device section (100) is controlled so as to discharge the air pressurized to the artificial muscle section (10) to loosen it. (H) A knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly (1) which is characterized by caring for pain and making the knee joint easier to bend. The compressed air input/output device section (100) includes an air tank (140) and a solenoid valve (170), and the air pumped from the air pump (130) is stored at one end in the air tank (140). The knee care type walking assist supporter for the elderly according to claim 1, wherein a signal for turning on and off the solenoid valve (170) is sent to the control device section (200) to control the solenoid valve (170). 1). The knee care type walking assist for elderly people according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a supporter (300) is provided with all the members constituting the knee care type walking assist supporter for elderly people (1). Supporter (1).