KR101673166B1 - Walking aid apparatus for Gait disturbance - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a walking assisting device for a person having gait disturbance due to weakened lower extremity strength. The walking assisting device comprises: a body (10) having a driving wheel (11) and a handlebar (12); a gripping means (20) formed to support a person having gait disturbance on the body (10) while the person is standing; a balancing means (30) formed to assist the body (10) to be maintained in balance; and a control means (40) for controlling the gripping means (20) and the balancing means (30) through set algorithms. Accordingly, in a step of assisting movement of persons who are difficult to normally walk due to gait disturbance and hemiparalysis, a convenience is ensured because a person having gait disturbance can ride on the walking assisting device by himself/herself. Also, safety is improved to deal with an accident during movement.

Description

[0001] Walking aid apparatus for Gait disturbance [

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a walking assistance device, and more particularly, to a walking assistance device for a walking person who is assisted by a patient who has difficulty in performing a normal walking function.

Walking is an important means of movement, whether it is young or old, and it is one of the important factors that determine the quality of life as a goal. However, if the gait function deteriorates due to aging or disability, it should be dependent on the walking aids. The walking aids can be divided into the type of walking car that is pushed or boarded, and the wearing type which is worn on the body. R & D and patent application are increasing rapidly in order to enhance convenience by combining various forms or various technologies.

In this connection, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2015-0051709 (Prior Art 1) and Korean Patent Registration No. 1012734 (Prior Art 2) are known as prior art documents which can be referred to in this connection.

The prior art document 1 includes a position measuring unit for measuring the position of a pedestrian positioned inside the walking aid and transmitting the measured information; And a control box for controlling the movement speed of the walking aid by controlling the operation of the driving motor based on the information of the position measurement unit. Therefore, it is expected that the pedestrian 's ease of walking will be assured and the rehabilitation of patients who perform rehabilitation will be assisted.

In the prior art document 2, an upper shaft having a handle and a lower shaft having a moving wheel are formed with a single vertical shaft as a main shaft, a lower shaft for protecting a pedestrian is formed at a lower portion, and a driving wheel And a pedestrian on the pedestrian can be boarded on the pedestrian drive rails with a movable footrest. Therefore, it is expected that a walking aids can be installed by themselves or a sitting effect on the chair can be moved.

However, according to the above-mentioned prior arts, there is room for improvement in terms of the convenience of the person with a walking disability to wear and moving himself / herself, and there is also room for improvement in terms of safety to mitigate the shock added to the patient in preparation for an accident occurring on the move.

1. Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2015-0051709 entitled " Safety Walking Aid for Patients "(published on May 13, 2015). 2. Korean Registered Patent No. 1012734 entitled " Electric Mobile Assist Device "(Published on May 30, 2010).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to provide a walking assistant for a walking disabled person who is comfortable in boarding, Thereby providing a walking aid.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a walking aid for a walking disabled having weak leg strength, comprising: a body having a traveling wheel and a handle; A gripping means provided on the body so as to support the walking obstacle in an upright state; Balance means provided to assist balance of the main body; And control means for controlling the gripping means and the balancing means with an established algorithm.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the main body is characterized by being provided with a saddle and an air cushion for selectively protecting a walking disabled from being selectively detachable.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the gripping means is characterized in that a pair of opposed C type movable bands are rotated by a driver to open and close.

As a modification of the present invention, the balance means is characterized in that the auxiliary wheel is provided on the outer end of the support arm which is supported so as to be able to move in and out of the main body through the operation table.

In a detailed configuration of the present invention, the control means includes a control portion for storing and executing an operation algorithm, a pneumatic portion for providing an air pressure required for operation, a power portion for providing power for operation, And a driving unit for applying the driving signal.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the safety in preparation for a moving accident in addition to the convenience of self-boarding in the process of assisting the movement of the pedestrian with difficulty in a normal walking function.

1 schematically shows a main part of an apparatus according to the invention;
2 is an enlarged view of a gripping means of the device according to the present invention;
Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the control means of the device according to the invention
4 is a configuration diagram showing a modification of the balancing device according to the present invention
Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a device according to the invention in use; Fig.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention proposes a walking aiding device for a person with a mobility impaired leg weakness. But it is not necessarily limited to patients who need assistance with gait due to spinal cord injury or paraplegia. Standing life in patients with paraplegia contributes to decreased bone loss, decreased depression index, prevention of bowel movements, and pressure ulcers. The walking assist device of the present invention is intended to assist the standing person in addition to the mobility of the person with a gait disorder (patient).

According to the present invention, the main body 10 is provided with the traveling wheel 11 and the handle 12. The main body 10 is based on a known moving means capable of traveling and stopping by the operation of the handle 12. [ The traveling wheel 11 is preferably three-wheeled for weight reduction, but may be constituted by four or more wheels. The handle 12 is preferably configured to adjust its width and height in accordance with the body of a passenger (a person with a walking disability). Therefore, the outdoor movement through the standing-type mobile means of the disabled person is actively carried out, and independent social activities can be increased.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the main body 10 is characterized in that the saddle 15 and the air cushion 17 for selectively protecting the occupant are selectively detachable. The saddle 15 may be configured to electrically switch the occupant's sitting and standing. The air cushion 17 is installed in the saddle 15, the handle 12, or other position to protect the occupant in collision or rollover. The air cushion (17) is a manual type in which air is injected when necessary, or an automatic type in which air is supplied from outside. The air cushion 17 can support the hip region in the forward direction, thereby stabilizing the standing up. The saddle 15 and the air cushion 17 can be installed in a detachable manner to reduce the weight of the main body 10. [

According to the present invention, the gripping means (20) is provided on the main body (10) so as to support the walking obstacle in an upright position. The gripping means 20 supports the lower half of the person with a gait disorder and maintains a stable standing state during movement of the main body 10. [ 1, a state in which the fixing table 21 is provided adjacent to the lower end of the handle 12 is illustrated.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the gripping means 20 is characterized in that a pair of opposed C-type movable belts 22 are rotated by a driver 25 to open and close. 1 and 2 illustrate a state in which the movable base 22 is rotatably mounted via the hinge 23 to the upper side of the fixed base 21. As shown in Fig. The movable base 22 is formed in a C-shape as seen in a plan view, and has an inner surface provided with a cushion or the air cushion 17 described above. The driver 25 preferably uses a pneumatic cylinder to minimize the impact on the leg, but is not limited thereto. The actuating rod of the both side actuators 25 and the both side movable bands 22 are connected by respective links 26. Then, the lever (switch) on the handle 12 is operated to bring the movable base 22 into the open state as indicated by reference numeral 22 ', and then the main body 10 travels in the closed state.

When the pneumatic cylinder is used as the actuator 25, the valve 28 interrupts the pneumatic pressure for the operation of the movable stand 22, opens the movable stand 22 when the shock is overturned, It also performs the function of operating.

In addition, according to the present invention, the balance means (30) is provided to assist balance of the main body (10). The balance means 30 is a hardware element for the running stability of the main body 10, but does not exclude software. As an example of the balancing means 30, the pressure sensor 31 senses a change in load acting on the foot of a passenger, and in another example, the attitude sign 32 detects a change in the posture (tilt angle) of the main body 10 or the occupant . In addition, the balance means 30 can be configured to maintain the balance of the body 10 by varying the height between the three traveling wheels 11.

As a modification of the present invention, the balancing means 30 is provided with an auxiliary wheel 35 on the outer end of a support arm 34, which is supported so as to be able to move into and out of the main body 10 via an operation table 36 . Fig. 4 illustrates a configuration in which two auxiliary wheels 35 come in and out of the front of the main body 10, but it is preferable to apply the same configuration to the rear of the main body 10. Fig. The operating rod 36 is helically engaged with the operating bolt of the motor 37 and the supporting arm 34 is connected to the operating rod 36 via the guide roll 38. [ As the motor 37 is operated, the two side support arms 34 are separated from each other and are advanced to lower the auxiliary wheel 35 to the ground, and the both side support arms 34 are approached to be retracted and concealed by the main body 10. The front or rear auxiliary wheel 35 is lowered along the tilting direction of the main body 10 to improve the running stability. The guide rolls 38 guide the support arms 34 on both sides to advance in the course of descending.

In addition, according to the present invention, the control means (40) controls the gripping means (20) and the balancing means (30) with an established algorithm. The control means 40 is connected to the traveling wheel 11, the gripping means 20 and the balancing means 30 of the main body 10 and performs interrupt processing by the passenger while executing basic programs.

In a detailed configuration of the present invention, the control means 40 includes a control section 41 for storing and executing an operation algorithm, a pneumatic section 43 for providing an air pressure required for operation, a power supply section 45), and a driving unit (47) for converting the output of the control unit (41) into a required power source and applying it.

The control unit 41 includes a microprocessor, a memory, and a microcomputer circuit having an input / output interface. The operating algorithm of the present invention is stored and updated in memory. The pneumatic portion 43 can provide pneumatic pressure to the air cushion 17 in addition to operating the movable stand 22 by providing pneumatic pressure to the driver 25. [ The power supply unit 45 is provided with a rechargeable battery and supplies power to the balancing means 30 and the control means 40 in addition to the driving force of the traveling wheel 11. [ The driving unit 47 is responsive to the output of the control unit 41 to load the valve 28, the motor 37, etc., which are difficult to drive.

As an example of the operation, when a passenger places both legs on the main body 10 and moves to a desired place in a state in which the movable base 22 is closed, when the vehicle enters the speed increasing braking chute or the ramp in accordance with the conditions of the road, The air cushion 17 is operated when it is judged that there is an accident risk such as rollover by the signals of the pressure sensor 31 and the attitude sign 32. Then,

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It is therefore intended that such variations and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

10: main body 11: traveling wheel
17: air cushion 20: gripping means
21: fixed base 22: movable base
25: driver 26: link
28: valve 30: balance means
31: pressure sensor 32: attitude sensor
34: Support arm 35: Auxiliary wheel
36: Actuation stand 37: Motor
38: guide roll 40: control means
41: control unit 43:
45: power supply unit 47:

Claims (5)

A walking assistance device for a person with a mobility impaired leg weakness, comprising:
(10) having a traveling wheel (11) and a handle (12);
A gripping means (20) provided on the main body (10) so as to support the walking obstacle in an upright state;
Balance means (30) installed to assist balance of the main body (10); And
And control means (40) for controlling the gripping means (20) and the balancing means (30) with an established algorithm,
The main body 10 is provided with a saddle 15 and an air cushion 17 for selectively protecting the saddle-
The gripping means 20 includes a movable base 22 rotatably mounted on the upper side of the fixed base 21,
The gripping means 20 is configured to open and close a pair of opposed C-type movable belts 22 by a driver 25,
The balancing means 30 is provided with an auxiliary wheel 35 on the outer end of a support arm 34 which is removably supported on the main body 10 via an operation table 36,
Wherein the auxiliary wheel (35) is guided to extend in a process of advancing and lowering the support arms (34) on both sides. delete delete delete The method according to claim 1,
The control means 40 includes a control portion 41 for storing and executing an operation algorithm, a pneumatic portion 43 for providing an air pressure required for operation, a power supply portion 45 for providing power for operation, a control portion 41, And a driving unit (47) for converting the output of the driving unit into a required power source and applying the converted driving power to the walking assistant.

Images