JP7422400B2 - Rehabilitation standing aid - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is designed to treat symptoms such as after-effects of cerebrovascular diseases such as hemiplegia due to stroke, lower limb fractures due to falls, and disuse syndrome (so-called muscle weakness due to inactivity) where the patient learns not to use the affected lower limb when standing up. This invention relates to a lower-limb-mounted standing-up aid that can be used for patients who have trouble standing up due to a disease that causes the disease, and can be applied from just after the onset of symptoms to after-effects remain.

Currently, Japan is an aging society, and the number of elderly people requiring care is expected to increase in the next few decades. Causes of the need for nursing care among the elderly include paralysis due to the sequelae of cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral infarction, and disabilities such as fractures due to falls. In elderly people who have a current or past history of such diseases or disorders, physical function on one side of the body deteriorates, resulting in left-right asymmetry in movement in the frontal plane.
When left-right asymmetry occurs, not only the walking motion becomes unstable, but also the standing motion when standing up from a chair becomes unstable. Among the aids that assist with standing up, there are aids that are worn on the lower limbs.

Most conventional lower limb-mounted assistive devices that assist in standing up have an actuator that uses a power source such as a motor as a component, and provide torque assistance for movement of the knee joint, etc. (for example, (See Patent Document 1.) The wearable movement support device disclosed in Patent Document 1 can assist the movement of standing up from a squatting position, but it does not include a knee drive device for connecting and rotating a pair of left and right thigh frames and lower leg frames. It is constructed using an electric motor and assists in the movement of the knee joint, etc.
In this way, with the type that uses motor drive to assist the movement of the knee joint, etc., it takes time to adjust the drive control suitable for each user, and it is difficult to change the standing posture from relying on assistive devices to being independent. There are problems in that it takes time to acquire them, the weight of the auxiliary equipment is large, and the cost is high.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-187385

Unlike conventional lower-limb-worn assistive devices, there is a need for a standing-up assistive device that does not require a power source such as a motor and is excellent in terms of adjustment time, weight, and cost. Furthermore, there is a need for a standing-up aid that can maintain and increase the user's leg strength by assisting the user's standing up motion so as to utilize as much of the leg strength as possible on the diseased side.

In view of this situation, the present invention assists the joint movement of the lower limb on the side where the ability to stand up has decreased due to paralysis due to the after-effects of cerebrovascular disease or fractures due to falls, etc., and provides rehabilitation aimed at making the standing up movement bilaterally symmetrical. To provide an actuator-less lower-limb-mounted standing-up aid that can be used to stand up in a correct posture by utilizing the strength of the leg on the diseased side of the user, without causing the center of gravity of the user's body to sway from side to side during standing-up movements. purpose.

In order to solve the above problems, the standing-up aid of the present invention is a lower-limb-mounted standing-up aid that does not use an actuator, and allows the user (person wearing the aid) to lean forward with the upper body from a sitting position with the knee joint bent. The present invention includes a link mechanism that can begin to support the front side of the lower leg diagonally upward and rearward when the knee is pushed forward, and continue to support the front side of the lower leg diagonally upward and rearward until the knee joint is extended and the knee joint is extended and the knee is pushed forward. Features. The standing-up aid of the present invention has two concepts for supporting standing up: "support" and "guidance", and the feature of this standing-up aid is that the movement of one joint also causes the movement of other joints. It is. By continuing to support the front side of the lower leg obliquely upward and backward until the knee joint is extended and the patient stands up, the lower leg can be raised and the movement of the ankle joint can be guided. That is, the link mechanism in the standing-up aid of the present invention continues to support the front side of the lower leg obliquely upward and backward while the knee joint is extended, thereby raising the lower leg and guiding movement of the ankle joint.
By attaching this standing-up aid to the lower limb of the diseased side, the user uses the muscle strength of the diseased leg to stand up in the correct posture without the center of gravity of the body swaying to the left or right when standing up. be able to. This standing-up aid uses a link mechanism that supports the front of the lower leg diagonally upward and rearward until the knee extends, by absorbing the own load that is applied to the lower part of the knee just before the movement of standing up from bending the knee while sitting on a chair. and assist in standing the lower limbs upright.

Here, the standing-up aid of the present invention is capable of standing up to some extent, that is, it is possible to stand up with a little assistance, but due to the decline in the function of the user's lower limbs, the center of gravity of the body sways to the left and right during the standing-up movement. This is aimed at users who exhibit asymmetry in their movements. In this specification, the term "assistance" does not mean "assistance of force by an actuator such as a motor" as might be imagined from the term, but rather, the position of the center of gravity of the body sways from side to side during standing up. It is used to guide people to stand up in the correct posture.

Specifically, the link mechanism in the standing-up aid of the present invention includes the following a) to d).
a) A lower leg front side support part that supports the front side of the lower leg diagonally upward and backward when the knee is pushed forward.
b) A lower leg side link part that extends along the side surface of the lower leg and moves to the forward leaning and standing positions following the lower leg's forward leaning and standing positions.
c) A guide portion that guides the vertical movement of the lower end of the lower leg side link portion.
d) A mechanism in which the lower end is displaced from top to bottom due to the displacement of the lower leg side link part from forward leaning to the standing position as the knee joint is flexed and extended, and the lower leg front support part is displaced from the forward leaning position to the standing position by levering.

Preferably, the standing-up aid of the present invention further includes a mechanism that supports the rear side of the thigh upward and assists the buttocks in lifting off the floor when the knee is pushed forward. This standing-up aid uses a link mechanism that converts the load placed on your lower knees just before you stand up into lifting your thighs, and by lifting your thighs when you stand up from a chair, lifts your buttocks from the seating surface of the chair. Assist in getting out of bed.

More specifically, the link mechanism of the standing aid of the present invention includes the following configurations 1) to 6).
1) A base formed by the sole surface and the left and right side surfaces of the foot.
2) A lower leg front side support part that is a part that is rotatably fixed to the left and right foot sides of the base part and is rotatably fixed, and supports the front side of the lower leg.
3) A foot side link section that has support shafts on the left and right side surfaces of the base, and has an arch section that is located on the front side of the ankle and connects the left and right sides.
4) A sliding part is provided at one end that fits into a vertically extending elongated hole provided in the front support part of the lower leg and slides in the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole, and the other end is connected to the arch part of the foot side link part. Lower leg front link part that is fixed and movable.
5) A pair of left and right lower leg side link parts that have a joint part at the lower end that is rotatably connected to the rear end of the foot side link part, and extend along the lower leg side surfaces.
6) A pair of left and right guide parts that are fixed to the rear ends of the left and right foot sides of the base part and rotate the joint part in an arc shape up and down about the support shaft.
With this configuration, the load applied to the lower part of the knee during a standing motion can be firmly supported from the front side of the lower leg to the upper diagonal rear side, and this support can be continued until the knee joint is extended and the user stands up. Note that the above-mentioned a) lower leg front support part, b) lower leg side link part, and c) guide part are respectively the above-mentioned 2) lower leg front support part, 5) the pair of left and right lower leg side link parts, 6) corresponds to the pair of left and right guide portions. The mechanism d) above is realized by adding the elements 1), 3), and 4) above.

The link mechanism of the standing aid of the present invention has a rotation shaft at the upper end of the left and right lower leg side link parts, is rotatably connected, is a part that can support the rear side of the thigh, and is rotatable. The thigh support section further includes a rear thigh support section having a limited area and a fixed minimum opening angle with the lower leg side link section.
With this configuration, the load applied to the lower part of the knee just before standing up can be converted into a force for lifting the thigh.

In addition, the lower leg front support part in the standing aid of the present invention is provided with a limiter mechanism that limits the rotation of the left and right foot sides of the base part by the rotation axis within a predetermined angle range forward from the vertical direction, and includes a lower leg front link. The sliding part of the part is configured to reach the upper limit angle forward when it comes into contact with the upper end part of the elongated hole. In addition, the standing aid of the present invention has an opening space surrounded by the sole surface of the base, the left and right foot sides, and the arch of the foot side link, so that it can be inserted and worn from the toe side while wearing shoes. The size makes it convenient to wear.

The rear thigh support part in the standing-up aid of the present invention rotates from a position where its longitudinal direction extends in the horizontal direction to a position where its longitudinal direction extends in the longitudinal direction of the lower leg side link part, using a rotation axis at the upper end of the lower leg side link part. Rotate. Further, the rear thigh support section is connected to the lower leg side link section via a gas spring, and brakes knee bending by the reaction force of the gas spring.
The rear thigh support part in the standing-up aid of the present invention includes a hook-and-loop fastener located on the front side of the thigh and connects the left and right sides, and the front lower leg support part includes a hook-and-loop fastener located on the back side of the lower leg and connects the left and right sides.

According to the standing-up aid of the present invention, it can assist the joint movement of the lower limb on the side where the standing-up function has deteriorated, and can be used for rehabilitation aimed at making the standing-up movement bilaterally symmetrical, making use of the muscle strength of the user's diseased leg. This has the effect that the center of gravity of the body does not sway from side to side when standing up, allowing the user to stand up in the correct posture. Note that the standing-up aid of the present invention can be used for walking rehabilitation even after standing up.

External perspective view of the standing-up aid of Example 1 Explanatory diagram of the flexion limiter mechanism and extension limiter mechanism Explanatory diagram of hip release assistance using the rear thigh support section Explanatory diagram 1 of the standing aid in the second phase of standing up movement Explanatory diagram 2 of the standing aid in the second phase of standing up movement Explanatory diagram 1 of the standing aid in the third phase of standing up movement Explanatory diagram 2 of the standing aid in the third phase of standing up movement Explanatory diagram of the 1st to 3rd phases of standing up motion External perspective view of the standing-up aid of Example 2 Other embodiments of the bending limiter mechanism (Example 3)

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples, and numerous changes and modifications are possible.

An embodiment of the standing-up aid of the present invention will be described. The standing-up aid of the present invention is a lower-limb-mounted aid that does not use an actuator, and is intended for users who have decreased physical function on one side of their left and right sides and who have developed left-right asymmetry in movement in the frontal plane. The user uses the device by attaching it to the lower limb on the side where physical function has deteriorated.

Here, with reference to FIG. 8, the standing up motion of a person (user) will be described. In FIG. 8, (1) is a state in which the user 9 is seated on the chair 18, (2) is a state in which the user 9's knees have fallen forward and the buttocks are off the seat surface of the chair 18, and (3) is a state in which the user 9 is seated on the chair 18. (4) shows a state in which the user 9 has raised his/her upper body and started to extend the knee, and (4) shows a state in which the user 9 has finished extending the knee and has completed the standing motion. Although FIG. 8 shows a state in which the user 9 is wearing the standing-up aid 1, the same applies even when the standing-up aid 1 is not worn.
As shown in FIG. 8, in this specification, when a person performs a standing motion from a seated state, the standing motion is divided into three phases, ie, a first phase to a third phase, from a kinematic viewpoint.

First, the first phase refers to the time when the upper body of the user 9 sitting on the chair 18 leans forward, the lower legs fall forward, the knees stick out, and the buttocks leave the floor. That is, the first phase is defined as the period from the state of sitting on the chair 18 shown in FIG. 8(1) to just before the buttocks leave the bed as shown in FIG. 8(2). The second phase refers to the period immediately after the buttocks lift off the floor until the lower leg falls further forward, the knee protrudes further, and the knee joint flexes to its maximum. That is, from the state shown in Fig. 8 (2) to the state shown in Fig. 8 (3), the posture becomes more forward-leaning, the knee is maximally flexed, and the upper body is raised to the point where the knee joint begins to extend. It is assumed to be 2-phase. The third phase refers to the period from immediately after the knee joint begins to extend until the standing motion is completed and the lower limbs are fully extended to the standing position. That is, the third phase is defined as the period from the posture shown in FIG. 8(3) until the knee joint extends to the standing posture shown in FIG. 8(4).
In the figures described below, the Z direction is in front of the user who wears the standing aid, the Y direction is above, and the X direction is the left direction when viewed from the user.

FIG. 1 shows an external perspective view of the standing-up aid of Example 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the standing-up aid 1 includes a base part 10, a lower leg front support part 2, a foot side link part 3, a lower leg front link part 4, a lower leg side link part (5a, 5b), a guide part (6a , 6b) and a thigh rear support part 7. The base portion 10 is formed of a sole surface 11 and left and right foot sides (12a, 12b), and the user, while wearing the shoe, should place the toe of the shoe so that the sole surface 11 of the base portion 10 is located around the arch of the foot. Step on the side.
The front lower leg support part 2 is a part that has a rotation axis and is rotatably fixed to the left and right foot sides of the base part 10, and supports the front side of the lower leg (the shin between below the knee and the ankle).

The foot side link part 3 has support shafts (31a, 31b) on the left and right foot sides (12a, 12b) of the base part 10, and has an arch part 32 located on the front side of the ankle and connecting the left and right sides.
The front lower leg link part 4 is provided with a sliding part (42a, 42b) at one end, and is fitted into two elongated holes (41a, 41b) on the left and right extending vertically provided in the front lower leg support part. It is configured to be slidable in the longitudinal direction. Further, the other end of the lower leg front link section 4 is fixed to a rotating shaft 33 and rotatably fixed to the arch section 32 of the foot side link section 3.

The lower leg side link portions (5a, 5b) extend along the side surfaces of the lower legs, and their lower ends and the rear end of the foot side link portion 3 are rotatably connected by joint portions (51a, 51b). There is. The joint parts (51a, 51b) are connected to the support shaft ( 31a, 31b) and rotates up and down while drawing a circular arc trajectory.

The thigh rear support part 7 is a part that supports the rear thigh, and is rotatably connected to the upper ends of the left and right lower leg side link parts (5a, 5b) via a rotation shaft 17. The rear thigh support part 7 supports the rear thigh upward by a support belt 72, and its rotational range is limited by a limiter mechanism, and the minimum opening angle and maximum opening angle with the lower leg side link parts (5a, 5b) are limited. The opening angle is fixed. It should be noted that, except for people with knee tension, the maximum opening angle does not usually open more than 180°, and fixing the maximum opening angle is necessary because the user's knee will not bend further forward after bending and stretching. A limiter mechanism may be provided accordingly.

The rear thigh support part 7 is provided with a hook-and-loop fastener 73 that connects the left and right sides on the front side of the thigh. The rear support part 7 can be fixed. Although not shown, the front lower leg support part 2 is also provided with a hook-and-loop fastener that connects the left and right sides on the rear side of the lower leg. , the lower leg front support part 2 can be fixed around the lower leg.

Here, a limiter mechanism for limiting the rotational range of the thigh rear support portion 7 will be described. FIG. 2 shows an explanatory diagram of a bending limiter mechanism for limiting the range of motion in the bending direction and an extension limiter mechanism for limiting the range of motion in the extension direction. As shown in FIG. 2, in the standing-up aid 1, the thigh side link part 71a is rotated by θ _K ( A rotation movement of 0°≦θ _K ≦maximum movable angle is performed on the lower leg side link portion 5a. Here, the maximum movable angle is an angle larger than 90°, for example, 110°.

The bending limiter mechanism 14a is provided on the thigh side link part 71a, and limits the range of motion in the bending direction by contacting the lower leg side link part 5a. Further, the extension limiter mechanism 15a is similarly provided on the thigh side link section 71a, and rotates clockwise around the rotation axis 17 from the state shown in the figure. It can rotate until it comes into contact with 15b, but cannot rotate after it comes into contact with it, which limits its range of motion in the direction of extension. The bending limiter mechanism 14a and the extension limiter mechanism 15a limit the angle of _θK to the maximum movable angle.

Further, the thigh side link part 71a and the lower leg side link part 5a are connected by a gas spring 13, as shown in FIG. The thigh side link part 71a and the lower leg side link part 5a are rotatably attached by a rotation shaft 17, but in order to prevent knee bending as will be described later, the gas spring 13 rotates the thigh side link part 71a and the lower leg side link part 5a in a sudden counterclockwise direction. Suppress the rotation of. The gas spring 13 has a connecting portion 13a connected to the thigh side link portion 71a, and a connecting portion 13b connected to the lower leg side link portion 5a. For example, the gas spring 13 has a minimum length of 6 cm, a maximum length of 11 cm, and a stroke of 5 cm.

The gas spring 13 is a spring that utilizes the reaction force of compressed gas. A closed cylinder is filled with an inert gas as compressed gas, and the gas is compressed by a piston to increase the reaction force, which helps lift heavy objects with a small force. It can be done. It assists the lifting of the buttocks and the extension of the knees during the above-mentioned standing up motion, and also has the role of braking the knees when standing up and walking after standing up. In this embodiment, the connecting part 13a of the gas spring 13 is fixed to the thigh side link part 71a, but it may be structured so that it can slide over a predetermined range in the longitudinal direction on the thigh side link part 71a.

With reference to FIG. 3, a description will be given of how the buttocks are lifted off the floor with the assistance of the rear thigh support section 7. As shown in FIG. 3(1), the rotation angle of the thigh side link part 71a is limited to the maximum movable angle of _θK by the bending limiter mechanism 14a, and the thigh side link part 71a and the lower leg side link part The angle formed with 5a is fixed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3(2), when the lower leg side link section 5a is tilted forward by θ _L , the thigh side link section 71a is linked to the lower leg side link section 5a, and the lower leg side link section 71a is moved forward by θ _T (= θ _L ), thereby pushing up the buttocks and assisting in getting off the seat.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the movement of the lower leg front support portion of the standing-up aid during the first phase to the second phase of the standing-up motion will be described. When in a sitting posture, the lower legs are in a state where the lower legs are standing straight or the knees are located slightly behind the lower legs, and as shown in FIG. It stands straight along the vertical direction _LF . When the user's upper body leans forward, the lower leg falls forward, and the knee sticks out, the lower leg front support part 2 rotates forward from the vertical direction L _F with the rotation axis 43 as the center of rotation, as shown in FIG. Rotate to L' _F (Z direction). This rotation angle θ _F is determined by the forward tilt limiter mechanism 8. That is, in the second phase of the standing motion, when the lower leg falls further forward and the knee further protrudes, the lower leg front support part 2 rotates forward (in the Z direction) L' _F about the rotation axis 43. , the convex portion 81 rotates in response to the rotation, and the convex portion 81 comes into contact with the periphery 82 of the notch portion on the rear side of the foot side surface 12a of the base portion 10. When the convex portion 81 abuts the peripheral edge 82 of the cutout portion, the lower leg front support portion 2 stops rotating forward (in the Z direction) L′ _F . In this way, the forward tilt limiter mechanism 8 is configured by the convex portion 81 and the peripheral edge 82 of the notch portion.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the lower leg front link part 4 connected to the lower leg front support part 2 via the sliding part 42, the sliding part 42 extends upward along the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 41 by a range R. It is in a slidable state. As shown in FIG. 5, when the lower leg front support part 2 tilts forward (in the Z direction) L' _F , the sliding part 42 slides toward the upper end of the elongated hole 41 and finally reaches the upper end. At the same time, the lower leg front link part 4 stands up in the vertical direction and rotates by an angle θ _f around the rotation axis 33 at the lower end as shown in FIG. 4 . For example, the angle θ _F is adjusted by the forward tilt limiter mechanism 8 and by limiting the sliding of the sliding portion 42 so that the maximum angle is 22° or less.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the movement of the lower leg front support part and the lower leg side link part of the standing up aid during the third phase of the standing up motion will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the lower leg side link part 5 rotates by an angle θ _L in the -Z direction, and the joint part 51 at the lower end of the lower leg side link part 5 and the rear end of the foot side link part 3 connects. The portion 51 rotates by an angle θ _M1 and moves in the -Y direction along the guide portion 6 having an arcuate guide hole using the support shaft 31 as a rotation axis. As the rear end of the foot side link part 3 rotates, the pivot shaft 33 at the front end of the foot side link part 3 rotates by an angle θ _M2 (=θ _M1 ) about the support shaft 31 . The rotation shaft 33 rotates by an angle θ _M2 around the support shaft 31, thereby moving in the -Z direction and being pushed up in the Y direction. As the rotation shaft 33 is pushed up in the Y direction, a force F in the Y direction is applied to the sliding portion 42 at the upper end of the lower leg front link portion 4 . Since the sliding portion 42 reaches the upper end of the elongated hole 41 of the front crus support portion 2, it applies a component force _F1 to the front crus support portion 2. The component force F ₁ applied to the front lower leg support part 2 is a force that supports the front part of the lower leg in the -Z direction and the Y direction, that is, in the upward and diagonal backward direction _. Keep adding.

As shown in FIGS. 7(1) and 7(2), the sliding part 42 of the lower leg front link part 4 is tilted forward in the -Z direction and the Y direction with respect to the lower leg front support part 2, which is tilted forward in the L' _F direction. By applying a component force F ₁ to the upper diagonal rearward direction, the lower leg front support part 2 rotates by an angle θ _F in the -Z direction, and stands upright in the L _F direction from the state of leaning forward in the L _{' F} direction. Displaced into a state. With the displacement of the front lower leg support part 2, the lower leg of the user that is in contact with the front lower leg support part 2 also rotates by an angle _θF , and as the lower leg is displaced to a state where it stands upright in the L _F direction, As shown in 3), the knee joint in the flexed position is extended, and the user assumes a standing posture.
In addition, in FIG. 7(1), the convex part 81 is braked by the peripheral edge 82 of the notch in the forward tilt limit mechanism 8, and the lower leg front support part 2 is further moved in the -Z direction (rearward) from the state where it stands upright in the _LF direction. ) so as not to be displaced.

The target users of standing aids range from elderly people in general to small to large adults, so the use of standing aids depends on the individual characteristics of the target user (geometric dimensions such as the length and thickness of the thighs and lower legs, and the timing of the standing movement). Each of the lower leg front support part 2, foot side link part 3, front link part 4, lower leg side link part (5a, 5b), guide part (6a, 6b), thigh side link part (71a, 71b) of 1 The dimensions and range of motion angle of the region (see FIG. 1) will be adjusted appropriately. For example, the lower leg side links (5a, 5b) are of a two-stage nesting type, and the part that links with the thigh side links (71a, 71b) extends in the longitudinal direction of the links (5a, 5b). It has a structure that can be extended and contracted by sliding linearly, and the length of the lower leg side link part can be adjusted according to the individual characteristics of the target user.

Other embodiments of the standing-up aid of the present invention will be described. Like Example 1, the standing-up aid of this example is a lower-limb-mounted aid that does not use an actuator, and is intended for users with left-right asymmetry in movement. It is used by attaching it to the lower leg. Unlike the standing-up aid of the first embodiment, the standing-up aid of this embodiment does not have a function of assisting the first phase of the standing-up motion (the motion from the sitting position to just before the buttocks leave the floor).

FIG. 9 shows an external perspective view of the standing-up aid of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the standing aid 1a includes a base part 10, a lower leg front support part 2, a foot side link part 3, a lower leg front link part 4, a lower leg side link part (5a, 5b), and a guide part (6a). , 6b). The standing-up aid 1a of this embodiment does not include a portion corresponding to the rear thigh support portion 7 in the standing-up aid of the first embodiment, nor does it include the gas spring 13, the bending limiter mechanism 14a, and the extension limiter mechanism 15a. Therefore, it does not have the function of assisting the buttocks in getting up from the floor or preventing knee bending.

The standing-up aid 1a is the same as the standing-up aid 1 of Example 1, except that it does not have the above-mentioned parts and mechanisms, and the other components and their interlocking operations (the operations already explained in FIGS. 4 to 7) are the same. It is.
That is, the base portion 10 of the standing-up aid 1a is formed of the sole surface 11 and the left and right foot side surfaces (12a, 12b), similar to the standing-up aid of Example 1, and the user can walk while wearing the shoes. The toe side of the shoe can be stepped on so that the sole surface 11 of the base part 10 is located around the arch of the foot. Further, the lower leg front side support part 2 in the standing-up aid 1a is a part that has a rotation axis on the left and right foot sides of the base part 10 and is rotatably fixed, as in the standing-up aid of the first embodiment. , supports the front of the lower leg (the shin between the knee and the ankle). In addition, the lower leg front link part 4 in the standing-up aid 1a is provided with a sliding part 42 at one end, as in the standing-up aid of Example 1, and has two left and right lengths provided in the lower leg front support part extending up and down. It is configured to fit into the holes (41a, 41b) and to be able to slide in the longitudinal direction of the long holes. Further, the other end of the lower leg front link section 4 is fixed to a rotating shaft 33 and rotatably fixed to the arch section 32 of the foot side link section 3. In addition, the lower leg side link parts (5a, 5b) in the standing-up aid 1a extend along the side of the lower leg, as in the standing-up aid of Embodiment 1, and the lower end thereof and the rear end of the foot-side link part 3 are rotatably connected by joint parts (51a, 51b). The joint parts (51a, 51b) are connected to the support shaft ( 31a, 31b) and rotates up and down while drawing a circular arc trajectory.
The detailed interlocking operations of these components have already been explained in Example 1 (FIGS. 4 to 7), so the explanation will be omitted here.

The standing-up aid of this embodiment differs from the standing-up aid of the first embodiment in that it does not have the rear thigh support part 7 and cannot be fixed around the thigh with the hook-and-loop fastener 73 that connects the left and right sides at the front of the thigh. Therefore, a hook-and-loop fastener 74 is provided on the lower leg side link portions (5a, 5b) to connect the left and right sides at the rear side of the lower leg. When the user puts on the standing-up aid 1, the user fastens the rear half circumference of the lower leg with a hook-and-loop fastener 74. Thereby, as the lower leg changes from leaning forward to standing, the lower leg side link portions (5a, 5b) can follow the movement of the lower leg.

Other embodiments of the bending limiter mechanism for limiting the range of motion in the bending direction will be described. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the bending limiter mechanism. As described above, in the standing-up aid 1, the thigh side link part 71a is movable around the rotation axis 17 of the thigh rear support part 7, which is the connection part with the lower leg side link part 5a, but there is no bending limiter. The mechanism 14a limits the range of motion in the bending direction (see the description of FIG. 2 above).
As another embodiment of the bending limiter mechanism 14a, as shown in FIG. , the protrusion length 77 can be adjusted within a range of 0 to 1 cm, for example. That is, by adjusting the position of the load portion 75, the movable range in the bending direction can be finely adjusted. Although the range of motion angle of θ _K shown in FIG. The maximum angle of θ _K in the bending direction of the link portions (71a, 71b) can be adjusted by adjusting the protruding position of the load portion 75 as described above.
Adjustment of the load portion 75 changes the user's knee joint angle and lower leg angle when the load portion 75 contacts the lower leg side link portions (5a, 5b). By increasing the protrusion length 77 of the load portion 75, the angles of the knee joints and ankle joints that receive support for lifting the buttocks of the user change. Appropriate assistance timing can be obtained by changing these adjustments for each user's unique standing motion characteristics or for each initial knee joint angle based on the seat height during the standing motion.

The standing aid of the present invention is useful as a rehabilitation device in hospitals, elderly facilities, nursing care offices, homes, etc.

1, 1a Standing aid 2 Front lower leg support part 3 Foot side link part 4 Front lower leg link part 5, 5a, 5a Lower leg side link part 6, 6a, 6b Guide part 7 Back thigh support part 8 Forward tilt limiter mechanism 9 User 10 Base part 11 Plantar surface 12a, 12b Foot side surface 13 Gas spring 14a, 14b Flexion limiter mechanism 15a, 15b, 16a, 16b Extension limiter mechanism 17, 33, 43 Rotation shaft 18 Chair 31, 31a, 31b Support shaft 32 Arch Part 41, 41a, 41b Long hole 42, 42a, 42b Sliding part 51, 51a, 51b Joint part 71a, 71b Thigh side link part 72 Support belt 73, 74 Hook and loop fastener 75 Load part 76 Screw part 77 Projection length 81 Convex Part 82 Periphery of notch

Claims (9)

A lower limb-mounted standing assist device that does not use an actuator,
When the user leans his or her upper body forward from a sitting position with the knee joint bent and pushes the knee forward, the front side of the lower leg may begin to be supported obliquely upward and backward, and said support may be continued until the user extends the knee joint and stands up. Equipped with a link mechanism ,
The link mechanism is
A base portion formed by the sole surface of the foot and the left and right side surfaces of the foot;
A lower leg front side support is a part that is rotatably fixed and has a rotation axis behind the left and right foot sides of the base part, and supports the front side of the lower leg diagonally upward and backward when the knee is pushed forward. Department and
a foot side link part having support shafts on the left and right foot sides of the base part, and having an arch part located on the front side of the ankle and connecting the left and right sides;
A sliding part that fits into a vertically extending elongated hole provided in the front lower leg support part and slides in the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole is provided at one end, and the sliding part abuts the upper end of the elongated hole. When they come into contact with each other, the rotation of the front support part of the lower leg stops, and the other end is rotatably fixed to the arch part of the foot side link part located in front of the support shaft, extends along the side surface of the lower leg, and supports the lower leg. a lower leg front link part that follows the forward leaning and standing positions and is displaced to the forward leaning and standing positions;
a pair of left and right lower leg side link portions extending along the lower leg side surfaces, the lower end having a joint portion rotatably connected to the rear end of the foot side link portion located at the rear of the support shaft;
a pair of left and right fixed to the rear end portions of the left and right foot sides of the base portion, which rotate the joint portion vertically in an arc shape around the support shaft, and guide the vertical movement of the lower end of the lower leg side link portion; a guide part,
a rear thigh support part that has a rotation shaft at the upper end of the lower leg side link part and is rotatably connected to support the rear thigh side;
A standing aid device characterized by being equipped with . A bending limiter mechanism is provided in which the range of rotation of the left and right lower leg side link parts and the thigh rear support part is limited, and a minimum opening angle is fixed ;
The standing-up aid according to claim 1 , characterized in that when the knee is pushed forward, the rear thigh is supported upwardly and the buttocks are assisted in getting off the ground . The lower end of the lower leg side link is displaced from top to bottom due to the displacement of the lower leg side link from the forward tilt to the standing position as the knee joint is flexed and extended, and the lower leg front support part is moved from the forward tilt due to the lever. Equipped with a mechanism to shift to a standing position,
3. The standing-up aid according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that, by continuing to support the front side of the lower leg diagonally upward and rearward during the extension of the knee joint, the lower leg can be raised and movement of the ankle joint can be guided. The front lower leg support section includes a forward tilt limiter mechanism that limits the rotation of the left and right foot sides of the base section around the pivot axis from the vertical direction forward to within a predetermined angle range;
The standing-up aid according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sliding portion of the lower leg front link portion reaches an upper limit angle forward when it comes into contact with the upper end portion of the elongated hole. The opening space surrounded by the sole surface of the base portion, the left and right foot side surfaces, and the arch portion of the foot side link portion is large enough to be inserted and worn from the toe side while wearing the shoe. The standing-up aid according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The rear thigh support part may rotate about a rotation axis of an upper end of the lower leg side link part from a position where its longitudinal direction extends in the horizontal direction to a position where its longitudinal direction extends in the longitudinal direction of the lower leg side link part. The standing-up aid according to claim 2 , characterized by: The thigh rear side support section is connected to the lower leg side link section via a gas spring, and includes the bending limiter mechanism that fixes a minimum opening angle with the lower leg side link section and a gas spring that assists the bending limiter mechanism. The standing-up aid according to claim 2 or 6, characterized in that the knee bending is braked by force. 8. The standing-up aid according to any one of claims 2, 6, and 7 , wherein the thigh rear side support part includes a hook-and-loop fastener located on the front side of the thigh and connecting the left and right sides. The standing-up aid according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the front lower leg support part includes a hook-and-loop fastener located on the rear side of the lower leg and connecting the left and right sides.