KR102646007B1 - walking aid band and walking aid treadmill - Google Patents

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a walking assistance band and a walking assistance treadmill that assist patient movement during the swing phase.
A walking assistance band according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hook-shaped fixing part; A connecting ring made of elastic material, one end of which is connected to the fixing part; and a wearing portion connected to the other end of the link and including a band wrapped around the knee. It includes, and the link is installed in front of the wearing part based on the walking direction and can apply an elastic force to the front of the wearing part during the swing phase.

Description

Walking aid band and walking aid treadmill {walking aid band and walking aid treadmill}

The present invention relates to a walking assistance band and a walking assistance treadmill for inducing a normal walking pattern.

The gait cycle consists of a stance phase and a swing phase, of which the swing phase refers to the process in which the lower extremity located behind moves forward off the floor when walking. Meanwhile, in the case of patients with lower extremity gait disorders due to diseases such as brain lesions, there is a problem of poor control of the muscles that bend the entire lower extremities in the swing phase and excessive use of the muscles that straighten the lower extremities. Therefore, in this case, the swing phase becomes a gait in which the lower limbs are stretched out and turned outward to take a forward step.

For the rehabilitation of these patients, there is a need for a device that can induce a normal walking pattern in which the lower extremities located behind are bent and move forward during the swing phase.

Patent Document 1 below discloses a treadmill for patient rehabilitation to solve this problem, and specifically discloses a technology for installing a robot arm connected to the patient's knee in front of the treadmill and pulling the patient's knee with a cylinder. . However, since the robot arm is driven by a motor, it cannot immediately respond to the patient's movements, and the patient's legs have no choice but to move passively throughout the entire gait cycle, including the swing phase, due to motor drive according to a set logic. Additionally, it is expensive and installation is complicated.

The above-mentioned background technology is technical information that the inventor possessed for deriving the present invention or acquired in the process of deriving the present invention, and cannot necessarily be said to be known technology disclosed to the general public before filing the application for the present invention.

US Patent Publication US 6666831 B1

The present invention aims to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and specifically, to provide a walking assistance band and a walking assistance treadmill that assist patient movement during the swing phase. Additionally, the purpose is to provide a walking assistance band and a walking assistance treadmill that are inexpensive and easy to install.

However, these problems are illustrative, and the problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited thereto.

In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides the following walking assistance band and walking assistance treadmill.

A walking assistance band according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hook-shaped fixing part; A connecting ring made of elastic material, one end of which is connected to the fixing part; and a wearing portion connected to the other end of the link and including a band wrapped around the knee. It includes, wherein the link is installed in front of the wearing part based on the walking direction and can apply an elastic force to the front of the wearing part during the swing phase.

In addition, an elastic support part including a string made of elastic material and the fixing parts installed at both ends of the string; It further includes, and the link may be connected to one side of the string.

Additionally, the string is repeatedly formed with valleys and peaks along its length, and one end of the link can be positioned over the valley of the string to fix the position.

In addition, the elastic support portion further includes a bent tube-shaped ring position adjusting portion disposed on the outer periphery of the string, wherein a plurality of ring position adjusting portions are disposed in the longitudinal direction of the string, and one end of the connecting ring is configured to adjust the ring position. The position can be fixed by draping over the curved part of the unit.

In addition, the connecting ring is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction in the form of a chain of rings, and clips are disposed at both ends to be connected to the elastic support portion and the wearing portion.

In addition, a walking assistance treadmill according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the configuration of the walking assistance band described above, and includes a pair of first supports disposed in front of the treadmill and extending in the height direction; and a second support, both ends of which are fixed to the first support, and arranged in the width direction; Includes.

In addition, the first support has a plurality of first fixing holes formed through it in the longitudinal direction, and the second support has second fixing holes formed through it at both ends, and the first and second fixing holes are formed at the same time. a support position adjusting unit that passes through and fixes the second support to the first support; It may further include.

Other aspects, features and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings for carrying out the invention below.

According to the problem solving means of the present invention as discussed above, various effects including the following can be expected. However, the present invention does not require all of the following effects to be achieved.

A walking assistance band and a walking assistance treadmill according to an embodiment of the present invention, during rehabilitation treatment of patients with walking disabilities, bend the lower extremities in the swing phase and encourage them to move forward. In other words, it helps patients learn normal walking patterns.

Additionally, by using elastic force rather than motor drive, the present invention can immediately respond to the driving of the patient and the treadmill, and the magnitude and direction of the elastic force applied to the patient's leg can also be appropriately applied. Furthermore, it has the advantage of being easy to install and low cost.

In addition, the present invention has the advantageous effect of being able to adjust the fixing position and length of the elastic support portion and the connecting ring, so that it can be installed and applied appropriately to the patient's physical conditions.

1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the walking assistance band and walking assistance treadmill of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a front view of one embodiment of the walking assistance band of the present invention;
Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the elastic support part in Figure 1 and a view showing several embodiments of the ring position adjusting part;
4 is a front view of another embodiment of the walking assistance band of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a diagram of a state in which the wearing part in Figure 2 is not worn and a state in which the wearing part is worn;
Figure 6 is a diagram showing a configuration for height adjustment in one embodiment of the walking assistance treadmill of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the procedure for inducing a normal walking pattern using the walking assistance band and the walking assistance treadmill of FIG. 1.

Since the present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the description of the invention. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, the same identification numbers are used for the same components even if they are shown in different embodiments.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When describing with reference to the drawings, identical or corresponding components will be assigned the same reference numerals and redundant description thereof will be omitted. .

In the following embodiments, terms such as first and second are used not in a limiting sense but for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component.

In the following examples, singular terms include plural terms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the following embodiments, terms such as include or have mean that the features or components described in the specification exist, and do not exclude in advance the possibility of adding one or more other features or components.

In the drawings, the sizes of components may be exaggerated or reduced for convenience of explanation. For example, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are shown arbitrarily for convenience of explanation, so the present invention is not necessarily limited to what is shown.

In the following embodiments, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are not limited to the three axes in the Cartesian coordinate system, but can be interpreted in a broad sense including these. For example, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis may be orthogonal to each other, but may also refer to different directions that are not orthogonal to each other.

In cases where an embodiment can be implemented differently, a specific process sequence may be performed differently from the described sequence. For example, two processes described in succession may be performed substantially at the same time, or may be performed in an order opposite to that in which they are described.

The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. In this application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

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

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a walking assistance band and a walking assistance treadmill of the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view of an embodiment of a walking assistance band of the present invention, and Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the elastic support portion and ring position adjustment portion in Figure 1. A drawing showing several embodiments, Figure 4 is a front view of another embodiment of the walking assistance band of the present invention, Figure 5 is a drawing of the wearing part in a non-worn state and a wearing state in Figure 2, and Figure 6 is a drawing of the walking assistance band of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration for height adjustment in a treadmill according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a procedure for inducing a normal walking pattern using the walking assistance band and the walking assistance treadmill of FIG. 1 .

The present invention discloses an embodiment of a walking assistance band 100 and a walking assistance treadmill 200 including the same. As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment of the present invention, a walking assistance band 100 may be installed in front of the treadmill 200. Below, the walking assistance band 100 will be described first, and then the walking assistance treadmill 200 will be described.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, one embodiment of the walking assistance band 100 includes an elastic support part 110 whose both ends are fixed to the treadmill 200, and a link 120 whose one end is connected to the elastic support part 110. ), it is connected to the other end of the connection ring 120 and may include a wearing portion 130 that the wearer wears on the knee.

The elastic support part 110 may include a string 111 made of an elastic material and a fixing part 112 installed at both ends of the string 111. Since the string 111 is made of an elastic material, the elastic support portion 110 is formed to be elastic as a whole. More specifically, the string 111 may be formed to be stretchable and restoreable.

The fixing part 112 is formed in a hook shape as shown in FIG. 3 and may include a hook-shaped clamp 113 and a fixing screw 114. Therefore, the clamp 113 can be inserted into an object formed in the shape of a bar or panel, and the object can be fixed in close contact with the clamp 113 by tightening the fixing screw 114. Therefore, the fixing part 112 is inserted into the support formed on the treadmill 200 and serves to fix the string 111, and the fixing position can be moved by loosening or tightening the fixing screw 114.

Furthermore, the elastic support portion 110 may include a ring position adjusting portion 115 disposed on the outer periphery of the string 111. One embodiment of the ring position adjusting unit 115 is shown in Figures 2 and 3. The ring position adjusting part 115 may be formed in a bent tube shape. And a plurality of them may be arranged in series in the longitudinal direction of the string 111. The string 111 is inserted into the ring position adjusting unit 115, where the inner surface of the string 111 and the ring position adjusting unit 115 may be interviewed, and the ring position adjusting unit ( 115) has a larger inner diameter, so it is irrelevant even if there is no interview. Due to the curved shape of the ring position adjusting portion 115, the string 111 may be formed in a shape in which valleys and mountains are repeatedly formed along the longitudinal direction. And, the connecting ring 120 is hung on the bent inner side of the ring position adjusting part 115, that is, the valley part of the string 111, to prevent and fix the connecting ring 120 from arbitrarily moving in the longitudinal direction of the string 111. You can. This is indicated as a fixed point (P) in the drawing. In addition, by varying the position of the connection ring 120, the fixation point (P) of the connection ring 120 can be adjusted according to the user's physical conditions such as height.

In addition, several embodiments of the ring position adjusting unit 115 are shown in Figure 3. In the first embodiment, the ring position adjusting portion 115a may be formed in a '>' shape with a bent center. In the second embodiment, the ring position adjusting portion 115b is formed in a curved '>' shape, and the length of the upper side may be longer than the length of the lower side when installed and inserted into the string 111. In a state in which the tension of the string 111 is removed, the second embodiment is designed to prevent one end of the connecting ring 120 from falling downward compared to the first embodiment.

Furthermore, in the third embodiment of the ring position adjusting portion 115, the ring position adjusting portion 115c may be formed in a shape bent multiple times in one direction. In the fourth embodiment, the ring position adjusting portion 115d is formed in a shape bent a plurality of times, but unlike the third embodiment, it may be formed in a shape bent in two or more directions. In the third and fourth embodiments, a plurality of fixing points (P) can be provided, and the fixing points (P) are adjusted to the ring position adjusting portions (115c, 115d) by the arrangement and tension of the string (111). It may be formed on the inner upper and lower sides, respectively. Therefore, in a state where the tension is removed during the swing phase, one end of the connecting ring 120 does not fall downward, and the position can be fixed by being caught by a fixing point formed at the lower part.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the connection ring 120 may have one end connected to the string 111 side of the elastic support part 110 and the other end connected to the wearing part 130 side, as shown in FIG. 2. . Furthermore, clips 121 may be installed on both ends of the connection ring 120. Therefore, it can be connected to the elastic support part 110 or the wearing part 130 using the clip 121. Additionally, clips 121 may be disposed on both ends of the connecting ring 120 and connected to the elastic support portion 110 and the wearing portion 130. Additionally, the connecting ring 120 may be formed to extend in the longitudinal direction in a shape in which a plurality of rings are intertwined or may be formed to form a plurality of rings, and may be formed of an elastic material. Accordingly, the clip 121 can be directly connected to the elastic support part 110 or the wearing part 130, and the clip 121 can be connected to the elastic support part 110 or the wearing part 130 by penetrating the connection ring. It is also possible to hang and fix it at (120), and elastic deformation is possible, such as being stretched in the longitudinal direction and then restored.

Furthermore, in another embodiment of the present invention, one end of the connecting ring 120 may be connected to the ring 116 of the fixing part 112, as shown in FIG. 4. This has the advantage of omitting the configuration related to the elastic support portion 110.

Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the wearing unit 130. The wearing portion 130 is connected to the other end of the connecting ring 120 and may be formed to include a wearing band 131 that surrounds the knee. A hole may be formed through the central portion of the wearing band 131 so that the wearing band 131 can be smoothly deformed according to the size and shape of the wearer's knee. Additionally, the wearing band 131 may extend outward from the hole formed in the center, and thus may be formed overall into a butterfly shape. Based on the drawing, the portion connected in both directions at the top may be formed to surround the upper side of the wearer's knee, and the portion connected in both directions at the bottom may be formed to surround the lower side of the wearer's knee.

Furthermore, a Velcro back attachment portion 132 is formed at the end of the wearing band 131, and it can be worn by placing a hole in the front protrusion of the knee and then connecting the attachment portion 132 at the back of the leg (L). .

Additionally, a fixing ring 133 may be placed at the bottom of the wearing band 131. The fixing ring 133 is configured to connect or separate the other end clip 121 of the connecting ring 120 and the wearing band 131. By placing the fixing ring 133 on the front of the wearing bed 131, the elastic force of the elastic support unit 110 can be transmitted to the front of the user's knees, thereby causing the knees to come forward and the legs to bend. .

With the above-described configuration, the walking assistance band 100 of the present invention, when installed in front of the wearing unit 130 based on the walking direction, exerts a restoring force of the elastic string 111 in front of the wearing unit 130 during the swing phase. This can be applied to move the wearer's legs forward and at the same time bend the knees. Therefore, it can be helpful in correcting incorrect walking caused by brain lesions, etc. by rotating the legs from back to front with the legs straight.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the walking assistance treadmill 200 of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 6 and 7. Referring to these drawings, one embodiment of the walking assistance treadmill 200 of the present invention may include the walking assistance band 100 described above. The elastic support portion 110 of the walking assistance band 100 may be fixed to the treadmill 200 through the fixing portion 112. A bottom frame 211 and a belt portion 210 may be installed at the bottom of the treadmill 200. The belt unit 210 is actually a functional part of the treadmill 200, and the belt rotates by driving a motor. The user can stand on the upper part of the belt unit 210 and walk in the opposite direction of rotation of the belt. Therefore, the belt can be installed so that the rotation direction is backward.

A first support 220 may be installed in front of the treadmill 200 in the height direction of the treadmill 200, that is, in the vertical direction. Additionally, more than one pair of first supports 220 may be installed. In this case, the first support 220 may be disposed in the front of the treadmill 200 in the width direction. That is, it can be arranged in the left and right directions. Furthermore, the second support 230 may be installed in a direction crossing the first support 220. The second support 230 may be arranged in a horizontal direction, may be fixed to the first support 220, and may be installed in one or more pairs.

The elastic support portion 110 of the walking assistance band 100 may be fixed to the first support 220 or the second support 230 by fixing portions 112 at both ends. In the drawing, a pair of first supports 220 are formed to extend in the vertical direction, and a pair of second supports 230 are arranged at different heights in the horizontal direction intersecting the first supports 220 to form the first supports 220. It is shown fixed at 220. In addition, the elastic support part 110 is arranged in a vertical direction and is shown as an example in which one end is fixed to the upper second support 230 and the other end is fixed to the lower second support 230. However, one walking assistance band 100 can be arranged in parallel with one first support 220 and fixed to only one first support 220, and the elastic support 110 is arranged in the horizontal direction so that both It is also possible that all stages are fixed to only one second support 230.

In addition, the first support 220 and the second support 230 each have a first fixation so that the second support 230 can be fixed, released, or released and moved to the first support 220 and then fixed again. A hole 221 and a second fixing hole 231 may be formed. And it may further include a support position adjusting part 240 that penetrates the first fixing hole 221 and the second fixing hole 231 and restricts the fixing position on the second support 230 on the first support 220. You can. The support position adjusting unit 240 may be formed in a screw shape as shown in FIG. 5, and may penetrate the second support 230 and be inserted into the first support 220 to fix the second support 230. You can.

Therefore, when it is desired to change the position of the second support 230, the support position adjusting unit 240 and the second support 230 are separated from the first support 220 as shown in FIG. 5 (b). It can be moved and fixed by inserting into another first fixing hole (221). At this time, a screw-type support position adjusting unit 240 can be used to increase the fixing force. Alternatively, when both ends of the second support 230 are configured to move while inserted into the first support 220, the support position adjusting unit 240 made of a spring-type hanger can be used. In this case, it can be fixed by pulling the spring-type hanger to unfasten it, moving the second support 230 and the support position adjuster 240 together and inserting them into the first fixing hole 221 again.

Figure 6 shows the state of use of the present invention according to the above-described configuration. It is shown that the user wears the wearing part 130 on the knee and then operates the treadmill 200 to walk. Figures 6 (a) and (b) show the stance phase, and Figures 6 (c) and (d) show the stance phase. It represents swing phase. In the stance phase, as the foot moves away from the fixation point (P), the link 120 becomes taut and the string 111 of the elastic support portion 110 is stretched. And just before the swing phase begins, the elastic force of the string 111 is maximized, and during the swing phase, the string 111 is restored, and the user's knees are pulled and the legs are bent. Through this action, the user can learn a normal walking pattern.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, these are merely examples. Those skilled in the art can fully understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible from the embodiments. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined based on the attached claims.

The specific technical content described in the embodiment is an example and does not limit the technical scope of the embodiment. In order to describe the invention concisely and clearly, descriptions of conventional general techniques and configurations may be omitted. In addition, the connection of lines or the absence of connections between components shown in the drawings exemplify functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections, and in actual devices, various functional connections or physical connections may be replaced or added. It can be expressed as connections, or circuit connections. Additionally, if there is no specific mention such as “essential,” “important,” etc., it may not be a necessary component for the application of the present invention.

“The” or similar designators used in the description and claims may refer to both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise specified. In addition, when a range is described in an example, the invention includes the application of individual values within the range (unless there is a statement to the contrary), and each individual value constituting the range is described in the description of the invention. same. Additionally, unless the order of the steps constituting the method according to the embodiment is clearly stated or there is no description to the contrary, the steps may be performed in an appropriate order. The embodiments are not necessarily limited by the order of description of the steps above. The use of any examples or illustrative terms (e.g., etc.) in the embodiments is merely to describe the embodiments in detail, and unless limited by the claims, the examples or illustrative terms do not limit the scope of the embodiments. That is not the case. Additionally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, combinations and changes may be made according to design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

100 Walking assistance band 110 Elastic support
111 string 112 fixing part
113 clamp 114 fixing screw
115 ring position control unit 120 connection ring
121 Clip 130 Wearing part
131 Wearing band 132 Attachment part
133 Fixing ring 200 Walking assistance treadmill
210 Belt section 220 First support
221 1st fixing hole 230 2nd support
231 2nd fixing hole 240 Support position adjustment unit

Claims (7)

Hook-shaped fixing part;
A connecting ring made of elastic material, one end of which is connected to the fixing part;
a wearing portion connected to the other end of the link and including a band that surrounds the knee; and
An elastic support part including a string made of elastic material and the fixing parts installed at both ends of the string; Includes,
The link is installed in front of the wearing part based on the walking direction and applies an elastic force to the front of the wearing part during the swing phase,
The link is a walking assistance band connected to one side of the string. delete According to paragraph 1,
The string is formed repeatedly with valleys and peaks along its length,
A walking assistance band in which one end of the link is fixed to the bone portion of the string. According to paragraph 3,
The elastic support portion further includes a bent tubular ring position adjusting portion disposed on the outer periphery of the string,
A plurality of ring position adjusting units are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the string,
A walking assistance band in which one end of the link is fixed in position by being placed over a bent portion of the link position adjustment unit. According to paragraph 1,
The link is a walking assistance band that extends in the form of a chain of rings in the longitudinal direction, and has clips disposed at both ends to be connected to the elastic support part and the wearing part. In the walking assistance treadmill including the walking assistance band according to any one of claims 1 or 3 to 5,
a pair of first supports disposed in front of the treadmill and extending in the height direction; and
a second supporter fixed at both ends to the first supporter and disposed in the width direction;
Includes,
The first support has a plurality of first fixing holes formed through it in the longitudinal direction,
The second support has second fixing holes formed through it at both ends,
a support position adjusting unit that passes through the first and second fixing holes simultaneously and fixes the second support to the first support;
A walking assistance treadmill further comprising: delete

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