KR101846276B1 - Walking assistant device adaptable to plurality of situations - Google Patents

Abstract

A walking assist device capable of adapting to a plurality of walking environments includes a foot supporting portion corresponding to a foot, a shank supporting portion having one end rotatably connected to the foot supporting portion and corresponding to the shank, and a second point of the foot supporting portion, Wherein at least one of the first point and the second point is capable of selecting one of a plurality of points according to a walking condition and changing the first point and the second point, So that it is possible to provide an optimal walking assistance function according to various walking environments.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a walking assist device capable of adapting to a plurality of walking environments,

The present invention relates to a walking assist device, and more particularly, to a device capable of assisting the walking of a pedestrian in accordance with various walking environments of a living environment.

In general, patients with habitual ankle instability experience difficulty in walking due to loss of ability of the ankle joints. In these patients, when the ankle muscles become weak, excessive ankle joint accumbles can be felt have. To assist this, some walking assist devices that can be worn on ankle or ankle joints are being developed.

For example, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1641344 discloses an ankle walking assist device, which comprises a shank support, a footrest on which the foot is rested, and an upper end rotatably connected to the upper portion of the support And a foot angle adjusting body which is rotatably connected to the foot side and whose length is adjustable. The gait assist device prevents a foot drop from the ankle joint and supports the body weight when the one toe is released from the ground.

Korean Patent No. 10-1650101 also discloses an ankle stiffness assisting device and method, wherein the ankle stiffness assisting device is configured such that an angle formed between a foot and a foot during a human body movement is deformed, To a mechanism capable of assisting the propulsion required for movement, comprising: a first coupling portion corresponding to a foot; A second engaging portion corresponding to the lower leg; And an elastic body which is connected to the first and second coupling portions at both ends and stores a force generated at an angle change between the foot and the lower leg of the pedestrian.

Conventional gait assist devices are designed to restrict the movement of the ankle by restricting the ankle joints by restricting the ankle joints directly or by restricting the forces generated when walking, So that the load on the ankle can not be effectively reduced.

First of all, according to the actual living environment, the walking environment varies from flat surface, slope, and stairs, and even when the slope or the stairs are up and down, the range of motion of the ankle is remarkably changed depending on each situation. The ancillary device may not be able to actively cope with changes in the ankle joint displacement and dorsiflexion owing to the loss of ability of the ankle joint.

In addition, although the conventional walking aiding device restricts the ankle motion, it can not effectively reduce the ankle load generated in the walking support due to the direct limitation, The ankle motion is restricted at a uniform angle, so that the shock absorber and the repulsion driving force can not be provided to the walking support device or the stance.

The present invention provides a walking assist device capable of adapting to various gait environments in consideration of kinematics and kinematic variables acting on ankle joints in walking on various terrains such as a flat gait, a downward gait, a rising gait, and a stair gait do.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a walking assist device capable of adapting to a plurality of walking environments includes a foot supporting portion corresponding to a foot, a shank supporting portion rotatably connected at one end to a foot supporting portion, At least one of the first point and the second point including a resilient support for resiliently supporting the first point and the second point connecting the first point of the support and the second point of the shin support, It is possible to select and change one of a plurality of points and to provide an optimal walking assistance function according to various walking environments.

The conventional walking assist device has the first point of the foot support portion and the second point of the shank support portion fixed and always provides an elastic force in a constant direction. However, in the walking assist device of the present invention, the first point and the second point can be changed in accordance with the walking conditions, that is, the points supported by the walking conditions such as the flat walking, the uphill walking, the downhill walking, the stepping, And the load applied to the ankle joint during the ankle diving can be dispersed at an optimum angle through the elastic support.

In the present invention, the position of the first point rather than the second point may be variously defined and changed according to the walking condition, but the second point may also be changed during walking or may be set to a changed point before the walking, have.

The movement support may be provided on the foot support part or on the support part of the shank and may be provided on both sides of the support support part. Do.

The displacement support and the resilient support can be coupled together in various coupling schemes, but in one example, the displacement support can provide a guide slot in the form of a straight line, arc, curve, or bend line that is tied to the end of the resilient support, A plurality of fixing grooves for fixing the end portions of the elastic supporter may be formed in the guide slots.

The second point defined in the shank support can be located corresponding to the center of gravity of the shank and the shank center of gravity can be understood as the center of the upper and lower length of the shank and the center of gravity of the shank It can be understood as a corresponding position. The second point may be located exactly at the center of gravity, but in some cases it may correspond to the periphery of the center of gravity.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a walking assist device capable of adapting to a plurality of walking environments includes a foot supporting portion corresponding to a foot, a shank supporting portion rotatably connected at one end to a foot supporting portion, At least one of the first point and the second point including a resilient support for resiliently supporting the first point and the second point connecting the first point of the support and the second point of the shin support, While moving during walking, the elastic support may be supported between the foot support and the shank support at a position where the elastic support is continuously changed. That is, the first and second points may be temporarily fixed during walking, but may be continuously changed during walking so as to support the foot supporting portion and the shank supporting portion at an optimum position.

The walking assist device of the present invention can reduce the load applied to the ankle in response to various gait environments and protect the ankle by distributing the load applied to the ankle to the ankle or the shin.

In other words, it is possible to distribute the load of the ankle caused by the ankle joint to the leg including the shin, and to replace the weakened ankle muscle due to the ankle injury, and to prevent the injury of the ankle .

The walking assist device of the present invention can disperse a part of the wear of the wearer's ankle joint load to the shank using the elastic support pedestal and alleviate the physical energy used for walking while radiating elastic energy stored in the walking support device to the stance .

1 is a perspective view for explaining a walking assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a front view for explaining the walking assistance device of Fig. 1;
3 is a view for explaining a case of walking on a flat ground using a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view for explaining a case of walking on a rising slope using a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a view for explaining a case of walking on a rising slope using a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a side view for explaining a case of walking on a flat ground using a walking aid apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a side view for explaining a case of walking on a rising slope using a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a side view for explaining a case of walking on a descending slope using a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a partially enlarged view for explaining a movement support of a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a side view for explaining a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view for explaining the resilient support and the movable support in the walking aid device of FIG. 10; FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. For reference, the same numbers in this description refer to substantially the same elements and can be described with reference to the contents described in the other drawings under the above-mentioned rules, and the contents which are judged to be obvious to the person skilled in the art or repeated can be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining a walking assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view for explaining a walking assistance apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG.

1 and 2, a walking aiding apparatus 100 capable of adapting to a plurality of walking environments includes a foot supporting unit 110 and a foot supporting unit 110, one end of which is rotatably connected to the foot supporting unit 110, A first point I and a second point II connecting the corresponding shank support 120 and the first point I of the foot support 110 and the second point II of the shank support 120, And an elastic supporter 140 elastically supporting the elastic member 140. [

In this embodiment, a movement support 130 is provided on the foot support 110 corresponding to the first point I, and the movement support 130 includes a guide slot 132 and a guide slot 132 formed in a straight line. And a plurality of fixing grooves 134 formed at a lower portion thereof.

Also, although not shown, the connection portion corresponding to the second point II in the elastic support member 140 is also formed as a short slot so that the elastic support member 140 can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the shank support portion 120 And may be connected to the side of the upper fixing table 124.

In this embodiment, the resilient support 140 and the movable support 130 are provided on both sides of the gait assistant 100, but may be provided only on one side of the gait, and the design conditions are not the same And can be provided in a differentiated structure.

The shank support 120 may include an upper fixture 124 corresponding to a central portion of the shank and a lower fixture 126 for securing a lower or ankle portion of the shank between the foot support 110 and the upper fixture 124 .

Analysis of ankle pattern during uphill, stair, and flat walking

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining a case of walking on a flat ground using a walking aid apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a view for explaining a case where a walking aiding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is used to walk FIG. 5 is a view for explaining a case of walking on a rising slope using a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the above figure, x axis is one step process (%) and y axis is Ankle angle (deg) and Ankle moment (Nm / kg).

Referring to FIG. 3, the maximum ankle angle is about 17 degrees and the maximum ankle moment is about 119 Nm on the basis of an adult male 70 kg.

At this time, the maximum ankle moment is the moment when the ankle is bent before releasing the heel. The angle at which the ankle bends is also the maximum ankle angle in this case. If the angle is applied to the device, the impact of the ankle can be effectively absorbed.

Referring to FIG. 4, the maximum ankle angle is about 22 degrees as the upward inclined walking, and the maximum ankle moment is 84 Nm based on 70 kg of adult male.

This is because the maximum ankle moment is lower than that of the flat walking, which can be reflected when the pedestrian perceives himself by walking on the inclined surface. Strength is not applied to the ankle, but the thigh side, so the thigh may support the body rather than the ankle.

However, since the maximum ankle angle is large, there is a risk of falling when walking on an inclined surface rather than a flat surface, so it is necessary to stabilize the movement of the pressure of the sole by fixing the foot.

Referring to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the maximum ankle angle is about 27 degrees and the maximum ankle moment is about 133 Nm on the basis of an adult male 70 kg. The fact that the ankle moment is large implies that a large crowd is applied to the ankle. Therefore, it can also be seen that, in actual walking situations, the situation in which the person climbs the stairs has the greatest impact on the ankle.

An ankle patient may have a strong impact on his / her ankle when he / she switches to a stair walking while walking on a flat stair. In addition, stair walking is the most dangerous to pedestrians because of the risk of falling.

3 to 5, it can be seen that the maximum ankle angle in the flat walking, the inclined walking, and the stair walking occurs in different walking cycles of the 1 st step and the 1 st step, There is also a difference.

FIG. 6 is a side view for explaining a case of walking on a flat ground using a walking aid apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a view for explaining a case where a walking aiding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is used to walk FIG. 8 is a side view for explaining a case of walking on a falling slope using a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6, the end of the elastic support 140 is coupled to a fixing groove in the center of three fixing grooves 134 formed in the movement support 130, and the elastic support 140 is fixed to the elastic support 140, It is possible to absorb the impact and provide the repulsive force in correspondence with the digging and the dorsal cusps.

7, the ends of the elastic support rods 140 are coupled to the inner side of the three fixing grooves 134 formed in the movement support 130, that is, to the fixing grooves adjacent to the shank support portion 120 . In such a binding, the spring of the elastic support 140 forms a more compressed state, so that it can provide relatively strong repulsive force to the dumbbell, and it is possible to easily climb up with the increased repulsive force while climbing uphill .

The upper rotation center of the elastic support 140, that is, the second point II, can be located at the center of gravity of the shank, and the load transmitted through the movement support 130 can be dispersed to the shank.

8, the end of the elastic support 140 is fixed to the outer side of the three fixing grooves 134 formed on the movable support 130, that is, the fixing groove which is furthest from the shank supporting portion 120 Can be bound. In such a binding, the resilient support 140 relatively provides a relatively weak repulsive force to the dorsal root so that excessive repulsive force prevents the user from falling forward or leaning while walking downhill.

9 is a view for explaining a movement support of a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9A, a curved or arcuate guide slot 132 'is formed in the movement support 130' connecting the resilient support 140 and the foot support 110, and guide slots 132 ' 'May be formed with a greater number of fixing grooves, that is, seven fixing grooves 134'.

9 (b), a curved or arcuate guide slot 132 'is formed in the movement support 130' 'connecting the elastic support 140 and the foot support 110, and the guide slots 132' ") Can be positioned approximately at the second point of the resilient supporter 140, the center of the arc.

When the center of curvature of the guide slot 132 "is located at the second point of the resilient supporter 140, the change in the reaction force of the resilient supporter 140 due to the movement of the fixed slot 134" It is possible to dispose the spring at an appropriate angle corresponding to the angle of the ankle which is mainly used in an inclined surface, a flat surface, or a downward inclined surface. At this time, it is also possible to adjust the reaction force by the spring through the length adjustment or the like so that an appropriate reaction force is formed.

In this embodiment, three fixing grooves 134 "may be formed in the guide slot 132 ".

The guide slot may have various shapes, angles and directions, such as an arc, a curved line, a straight line or a folded line, and the number and the spacing of the fixed grooves may vary depending on the designer or the user. In this embodiment, although a structure using a slot and a groove is used as the movement support, a groove or a projection is formed in the elastic support without using a slot and a groove as a structure for fixing the end of the elastic support to the movement support, Conversely, protrusions or grooves may be formed on the movable support to bond them together.

In the previous embodiment, although the binding position between the movable support and the elastic support is determined manually, it is not necessary to manually change the first point each time the gait condition is changed, but a separate actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder, It is possible to automatically change the first point through a motor or the like using the robot, and to make the first point move in real time during walking as well as walking conditions.

FIG. 10 is a side view for explaining a walking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view for explaining an elastic support and a movement support among the walking aiding devices of FIG.

10 and 11, a walking aiding apparatus 200 capable of adapting to a plurality of walking environments includes a foot supporting unit 210 and a foot supporting unit 210, one end of which is rotatably connected to the foot supporting unit 210, A first point I and a second point II which connect the first point I of the foot support 210 and the second point II of the shaft support 220, And an elastic supporter 240 for elastically supporting the elastic supporter 240.

In this embodiment, a movement support 230 is provided on the foot support 210 corresponding to the first point I, and the movement support 230 includes a guide slot 232 formed in an arc shape, As shown in Fig. Of course, even if a fixed slot is included, the slot may not be fixed to the fixed slot of the guide slot but may be designed to move only the slot.

In this embodiment, the elastic support 240 and the movement support 230 are provided on both sides of the walking aid 200, and the first point I is a position that is optimally supported while changing position in real- It can also be changed.

The shank support 220 may include an upper fixture 224 corresponding to a central portion of the shank and a lower fixture 226 for fixing the lower or ankle portion of the shank between the foot support 210 and the upper fixture 224 .

For example, when walking on a flat surface, a wearer including the walking aid device 200 heels a heel, flat feet on the flat surface, and toe off with the toes. This can correspond to (a), (b) and (c) in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, respectively.

In contrast to the region (b) where the sole touches the flat land, the region (a) where the heel bottom reaches the first region (I) is located relatively rearward and the region (I) may be located relatively forward.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, 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 in the following claims. It can be understood that

100: a walking aiding device 110:
120: shank support part 130:
140: Elastic support

Claims (7)

A foot support corresponding to the foot;
A shank support part having one end rotatably connected to the foot supporting part and corresponding to a shank; And
And a resilient support for elastically supporting the first point and the second point, connecting the first point of the foot support and the second point of the shin support,
At least one of the first point and the second point may be changed by selecting one of a plurality of points according to a walking condition,
Wherein the movement direction of the first point and the second point is not parallel to the elastic restoring direction of the elastic support. The method according to claim 1,
And a movement support for guiding an end of the elastic support to correspond to the first point or the second point, wherein the guide direction by the movement support is not parallel to the elastic restoring direction of the elastic support. Walking aids. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the movement support member is provided with a guide slot having a shape of a straight line, an arc, a curved line or a curved line which is connected to the end of the elastic support frame, and the guide slot is formed with a plurality of fixing grooves. The method according to claim 1,
And the second point is located corresponding to the center of gravity of the shin. A foot support corresponding to the foot;
A shank support part having one end rotatably connected to the foot supporting part and corresponding to a shank; And
And a resilient support for elastically supporting the first point and the second point, connecting the first point of the foot support and the second point of the shin support,
Wherein at least one of the first point and the second point moves while walking in accordance with the gait condition so as to support between the foot supporting portion and the shank support portion at a position where the elastic supporter is continuously changed,
Wherein the movement direction of the first point and the second point is not parallel to the elastic restoring direction of the elastic support. 6. The method of claim 5,
Further comprising a movement support for guiding an end of the elastic support to correspond to the first point or the second point, wherein the movement support provides a curved or straight guide slot to be coupled with an end of the elastic support, , And the guide direction by the movement support is not parallel to the elastic restoring direction of the elastic support. 6. The method of claim 5,
And the second point is located corresponding to the center of gravity of the shin.

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