JPH0131207Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a device for measuring the muscle strength of the thigh muscles.

Conventionally, there have been two methods of measuring the muscle strength of the thigh muscles: using a spring meter and using a tension meter. In either method, the person to be measured (hereinafter referred to as the patient) is seated, a fixation band made of leather or cloth is attached to the distal part of the lower leg that has drooped down, a string or wire is extended from the fixation band, and the string or wire is A spring meter or tension meter was installed on the wall, and the tip of a string or wire was fixed to the wall to measure the tension.

With conventional devices like this, it is difficult to maintain a constant angle of the patient's knee joint during measurement, resulting in inconsistent and inaccurate measurement values.Also, during maximum effort to extend or flex the lower limbs, muscles surrounding the hip joint and trunk muscles The disadvantage was that the compensatory movements of 2 were added, making the measured value abnormally large and making the measurement inaccurate. Furthermore, the conventional device requires a lot of time to be attached to the patient, and since the string or wire is attached to the wall, the measurement location is limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide a portable lower limb muscle strength measuring device that is easy to measure, inexpensive, and capable of accurately and objectively measuring muscle strength.

That is, the present invention includes a thigh frame 1 that is attached to the thigh, a hinge part 5 formed at the tip of the thigh frame 1, a lower leg frame 9 that extends from the hinge part 5 to the lower leg, and a lower leg frame. This is a lower limb muscle strength measuring instrument that is comprised of a measuring section 12 that is provided at the tip of the lower leg frame 9 and measures the force acting in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the lower leg frame 9.

Further, a shaft 6 is provided horizontally at the tip of the straight frame 2 constituting the thigh frame 1, and a protrusion 7 is provided in parallel to the shaft 6 on the straight frame 2 near the shaft 6. A center hole 10 is drilled through which the shaft 6 passes, and a plurality of angle adjustment holes 11 into which the protrusions 7 are fitted are drilled on the lower leg frame 9 near the center hole 10 to form the hinge portion 5. By selecting and changing the angle adjustment hole 11 into which the protrusion 7 is inserted, the angle between the thigh frame 1 and the lower leg frame 9 at the hinge portion 5 can be changed.

Further, the measurement unit 12 is incorporated in a case 13 attached to the tip of the lower leg frame 9, and a box-shaped base 18 attached to the case 13 has a case 13 attached to the case 13.
A transmission rod 15 of the abutment tool 14 extending outward is slidably held, and one surface of the free end side is brought into contact with the tip of the transmission rod 15 facing inside the base 18, and a leaf spring 16 is attached. One end of the dial gauge 19 is fixed in the base 18 in a cantilever manner, the tip of the operating rod 17 of the dial gauge 19 is brought into contact with the other surface of the leaf spring 16, and the dial gauge 19 is fixed to the base 18. A reset pin 23 that adds or removes resistance to sliding is provided in the case 13 in contact with the action rod 17.

Furthermore, the measurement unit 12 is incorporated in a case 13 attached to the tip of the lower leg frame 9, and a box-shaped base 18 attached to the case 13 has a transmission member 14 extending outward from the case 13. The rod 15 is held slidably, the free end side is brought into contact with the tip of the transmission rod 15 facing inside the base 18, and one end of the leaf spring 16 is fixed inside the base 18 in a cantilever manner. A strain gauge 26 is attached to the spring 16, and an electric circuit section 27 that converts the resistance change of the strain gauge 26 that occurs when the leaf spring 16 is strained into a voltage change, and a voltmeter 28 that displays the output voltage of the electric circuit section 27. are provided inside the case 13.

Furthermore, the measurement unit 12 is incorporated in a case 13 attached to the tip of the lower leg frame 9, and a box-shaped base 18 attached to the case 13 has a transmission member 14 extending outward from the case 13. The rod 15 is held slidably, and a load cell 31 is clamped between the tip of the transmission rod 15 facing into the base 18 and the inner wall of the base 18 facing this tip, and the resistance change of the load cell 31 is further controlled. An electric circuit section 27 for converting voltage changes is provided inside the case 13, and a voltmeter 28 for displaying the output voltage of the electric circuit section 27 is attached to the case 13.

Next, the configuration of the present invention will be explained in detail based on the drawings.

The thigh frame 1 has two straight frames 2 made of rectangular steel plates facing each other, and between the straight frames 2, a downwardly convex circular steel crosspiece 3 is horizontally welded at two places. A leather band 4 is strung upward between the straight frames 2 of the book.

A hinge portion 5 of a pivot mechanism is formed at the tip of the thigh frame 1. That is, at the ends of each of the two straight frames 2, a shaft 6 is erected horizontally outward. On the straight frame 2 near the shaft 6, there is a projection 7 made of a small cylinder at a symmetrical position with the shaft 6 in between.
is provided. A male thread is cut at the tip of the shaft 6, and a hand nut 8 is screwed onto the male thread.

The lower leg frame 9 is made of two rectangular steel plates, and a center hole 10 is bored at the base end of the lower leg frame 9, through which the shaft 6 passes, and a concentric circle of the center hole 10 is formed near the center hole 10. Eight protrusions 7 equally spaced on top
An angle adjustment hole 11 for insertion is bored.

The hinge part 5 is assembled using two straight frames 2.
The center holes 10 of the two lower leg frames 9 are penetrated by two shafts 6 protruding from the outer surface of each of the lower leg frames 9, and the angle between the thigh frame 1 and the lower leg frame 9 is adjusted to 90 degrees or
The protrusion 7 is fitted into the angle adjustment hole 11 at a position of 135 degrees or 180 degrees, and then a hand nut 8 is screwed onto the shaft 6 to fix the thigh frame 1 and the lower leg frame 9. A measuring section 12 is provided at the tip of the lower leg frame 9. The first part of the measuring section 12
In this embodiment, a lower leg frame 9 is fitted into an insertion hole 30 having a knob bolt 29, and a measuring section 1 is attached to a case 13 that is slidably fixed to the lower leg frame 9.
2 components are attached. The case 13 includes a transmission rod 1 of a contact tool 14 that comes into contact with the lower leg during measurement.
A base 18 for slidably holding the transmission rod 15 is provided, and the base end of a leaf spring 16, which is a detection member, is fixed to the base 18 so that one surface of the free end side is in contact with the tip of the transmission rod 15. Eggplant. A dial gauge 19 is provided on the base 18 as a display member that slidably holds an operating rod 17 whose tip abuts on the other surface of the leaf spring 16. The operating rod 17 is formed to be loose within the dial gauge 19, and a pinion 20 is engaged with the easy portion, and a pointer 21 is attached to the pinion 20. A coil spring 22 is provided at the base end of the operating rod 17 so that the operating rod 17 is projected back to its original position when the pressing force is removed after the operating rod 17 is pushed into the dial gauge 19.

The operating rod 17 is a hole 24 made in the reset pin 23.
A spring 25 is provided below the reset pin 23 and always acts to push the reset pin 23 upward.

The second embodiment of the measurement unit 12 has a plate spring 19, which is the detection member of the first embodiment, replaced with a plate spring 19 and a strain gauge 28 attached to the plate spring 19, and further has a display similar to that of the first embodiment. The dial gauge 19, which is a member, is replaced with an electric circuit section 27 and a voltmeter 28.
That is, instead of the dial gauge 19 for detecting the deflection of the leaf spring 16 in the first embodiment, the leaf spring 16
A strain gauge 26 is affixed on the leaf spring 16 between the fixed base end of the transmission rod 15 and the contact point of the transmission rod 15, and the resistance change of the strain gauge 26, which changes due to the pressing force of the transmission rod 15, is converted into a voltage change. An electric circuit section 27 that maintains or cancels the peak voltage of the electric circuit section 27 is provided in the case 13, and a voltmeter 28 or a digital display (not shown) that displays the output voltage of the electric circuit section 27 is provided. A reset switch 32 for releasing the holding of the peak value of the output voltage is attached to the case 13.

In the third embodiment of the measurement unit 12, a transmission rod 12 is used instead of the plate spring 16 that receives the pressing force of the transmission rod 15 into the base 18 and the dial gauge 19 that detects the deflection of the plate spring 16 in the first embodiment. A load cell 31 is clamped between the tip of the rod 15 and the inner wall of the base 18 facing the tip. Furthermore, the transmission rod 15
An electric circuit section 27 is provided in the case 13 to convert a resistance change of the load cell 31 that occurs when the load cell 31 is pressed into a voltage change, and to maintain or release the peak value of the voltage at the output terminal. Furthermore, a voltmeter 28 or digital display that displays the output voltage of the electric circuit section 27, and a reset switch 3 that releases the retention of the peak value of the output voltage of the electric circuit section 27 are provided.
2 are attached to the case 13.

The operation of the present invention having the above configuration will be described below.

When measuring the strength of the quadriceps femoris on a patient who is doing recovery training for the muscles of the lower limbs, especially the quadriceps femoris,
Using the lower limb muscle strength measuring device of the present invention, the device is worn from the thigh to the lower leg.

A steel plate crosspiece 3 of a thigh frame 1 is applied to the lower part of the thigh of a patient in a sitting posture, and a leather band 4 is passed over the upper part of the thigh and fastened to attach the thigh frame 1 to the thigh. At this time, the hinge parts 5 are positioned on both sides of the knee joint, and the lower leg frame 9 is suspended at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the thigh frame 1 in a substantially horizontal position, thereby fixing the hinge part 5.

The hinge portion 5 is fixed by fitting the protrusion 7 of the straight frame 2 into the angle adjustment hole 11 of the lower leg frame 9, and then tightening the hand nut 8.

Bend the knee joint approximately 90 degrees, place the lower leg on the lower leg frame 9, place the ankle side on the abutting tool 14, apply force to the lower leg in the direction of extending the lower leg, and move the abutting tool 14 inward of the measuring section 12. Aim and press. The pressing force applied to the abutting tool 14 pushes the leaf spring 16 via the transmission rod 15. The deflection of the leaf spring 16 due to the pressing force appears in the deflection of the pointer 21 of the dial gauge 19, and the contact tool 14
The pressing force applied to is read on the scale of the dial gauge 19.

The pointer 21 of the dial gauge 19 that has swung after one measurement stops, and by pushing the reset pin 23, the resistance due to the pressure of the spring 25 added to the sliding of the action rod 17 is removed, and the action rod 1
7 is pushed by the coil spring 22 and returns to its original position, and the pointer 21 returns to its original zero position.

Although the method for measuring the muscle strength during extension of the lower leg has been described, when measuring the muscle strength during flexion of the lower leg, remove the hand nut 8 at the hinge part 5,
The interval between the two lower leg frames 9 is widened, the lower leg frames 9 are removed from the shaft 6 of the thigh frame 1, and the lower leg frames 9 are attached to the two shafts 6 by replacing each other.

In addition, when changing or adjusting the distance from the hinge part 5 to the contact tool 14, loosen the knob bolt 29, shift the measuring part 12 to the desired position with respect to the lower leg frame 9, and then tighten the knob bolt 29 again. This is to fix the measuring section 12.

Further, when changing the angle of the hinge portion 5, the hand nut 8 is loosened, the fitting position of the protrusion 7 into the angle adjustment hole 11 is changed, and after the change, the hand nut 8 is tightened to fix the hinge portion 5.

The effects of the present invention having the above configuration and operation will be described below.

Since the angle of the thigh frame and lower leg frame is fixed at the desired angle at the hinge, measurements can be made at the middle third angle, where muscle strength is most easily produced, and at the outer third angle, where muscle strength is most difficult to produce. In addition, since the lower limb posture can always be measured in the same posture, measurement errors can be reduced and accurate measurements can be made.
In addition, since the thigh frame is configured to be attached to the thigh, even if the lower limbs of a sitting patient move when force is applied to the lower limbs, there will be no change in the positional relationship between the lower limbs and this device. This made it possible to accurately measure the muscle strength of the lower limbs without any measurement errors.

Furthermore, the thigh frame is placed on the lower part of the thigh, and the thigh frame is attached and fixed to the thigh using a leather band, and the muscle strength is measured by pressing the contact tool on the ankle side of the lower leg, making it easy to use in a short time. The device of this invention can be attached to the measurement site and can easily display muscle strength numerically, making it easier to handle in clinical settings.Furthermore, the numerical display allows the state of muscle strength recovery to be immediately understood, making it easier to improve muscle strength for patients. It has the effect of increasing the motivation for recovery training, and the display of numerical values also creates a desire to compete with other patients, further promoting recovery.

In addition, the hinge part is configured so that the joint parts of the thigh frame and lower leg frame can be swapped and attached by removing the hand nuts, so it is easy to measure the muscle strength of both legs during extension or flexion of the lower leg. Now that it can be done with equipment, it has become extremely convenient to use.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The attached drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 is a plan view, Fig. 3 is a perspective view, Fig. 4 is a plan perspective view of the measuring section, and Fig. 5 is a plan view. Fourth
6 is a partial view showing the hinge portion of the thigh frame, FIG. 7 is a partial view showing the hinge portion of the lower leg frame, and FIG. 8 is a second embodiment of the measurement unit. A partial perspective view, FIG. 9, is a diagram showing the main part of the detection section of the third embodiment of the measurement section. 1...thigh frame, 2...straight frame, 5...
... Hinge part, 6 ... Axis, 7 ... Protrusion, 9 ... Lower leg frame, 10 ... Center hole, 11 ... Angle adjustment hole, 12 ... Measurement part, 13 ... Case, 14 ...
Contact tool, 15...Transmission rod, 16...Plate spring, 17
... Acting rod, 18 ... Base, 19 ... Dial gauge, 23 ... Reset pin, 26 ... Strain gauge, 27 ... Electric circuit section, 28 ... Voltmeter, 31
...Load cell.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) A downwardly convex semicircular steel crosspiece 3 between two facing straight frames 2 that are attached to the thigh and are attached to the thigh.
is horizontally welded and a band 4 is stretched between the straight frames 2, a hinge part 5 formed at one end of each thigh frame 1, and a lower leg part extending from the hinge part 5. A lower leg frame 9 consisting of a pair of frames attached to the
and a measurement section 12 that is provided at the tip of the lower leg frame 9 and measures the force acting in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the lower leg frame 9, and a A shaft 6 is provided in the horizontal direction, and a protrusion 7 is provided on the vertical frame 2 near the shaft 6 in parallel to the shaft 6,
A center hole 10 through which the shaft 6 passes is bored at the base end of the lower leg frame 9, and a plurality of angle adjustment holes 11 into which the protrusions 7 are inserted are bored on the lower leg frame 9 near the center hole 10. By selecting and changing the angle adjustment hole 11 into which the protrusion 7 is fitted, the angle between the thigh frame 1 and the lower leg frame 9 at the hinge portion 5 is changed, and the measurement portion 12 is configured to abutting tool 14 that abuts
An upper limb muscle strength measuring device comprising: a detection member that supports the contact tool 14 and detects the force applied to the contact tool 14; and a display member that displays the value detected by the detection member. (2) The detection member is a transmission rod 15 whose tip is attached to the abutment tool 14 and is slidably held through the case 13.
, a leaf spring 16 whose free end is in contact with the base end of the transmission rod 15 and whose fixed base end is fixed in the base 18 in a cantilever manner; and a strain gauge 2 affixed to the leaf spring 16.
6, and the display member is an electric circuit 27 that converts the resistance change of the strain gauge 26 that occurs when the leaf spring 16 is strained into a voltage change, and a voltmeter 28 that displays the output voltage of the electric circuit section 27.Request for Utility Model Registration A lower limb muscle strength measuring device as described in item 1.