WO2011115318A1

WO2011115318A1 - Walking assistance device and method for controlling same

Info

Publication number: WO2011115318A1
Application number: PCT/KR2010/001726
Authority: WO
Inventors: 권재국
Original assignee: 대진기술정보
Priority date: 2010-03-19
Filing date: 2010-03-19
Publication date: 2011-09-22

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a walking assistance device, and more particularly, to a walking assistance device for which operations can be automatically controlled according to whether a walking path is flat or inclined. According to the present embodiment, a user can advantageously walk easily and safely while being supported by the walking assistance device.

Description

Walking aids and control methods

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a walking aid.

Recently, the life span of human beings is gradually increasing due to the improvement of the living environment and the development of medical technology. As a result, the elderly population is gradually increasing.

In general, the elderly are not easy to support themselves by walking alone when walking, and often move by walking aids such as canes or wheelchairs. In addition, patients with discomfort, such as a lot of need to move to rely on the device.

However, the walking stick of the conventional walking aid may function to support the user's weight to some extent, but since the supporting force may be transmitted to the user as it is, it may be difficult and inconvenient when used for a long time. there was.

On the other hand, the wheelchair has the advantage of being able to sit and move, but when driving the wheelchair manually takes a lot of force, there are a lot of problems in the place to move, for example, the way the jaw is present.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a pedestrian assistance device that can be conveniently moved by pedestrians.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a walking assistance apparatus whose operation can be automatically controlled depending on whether the place to walk is a flat or inclined road.

In the walking assistance apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the walking assistance apparatus movable on a flat or inclined road surface, the frame having a plurality of moving wheels; A handle portion extending from the frame to enable gripping; A drive motor providing a driving force for the movement of the moving wheel; An operation member provided on one side of the handle part and configured to control a movement of the wheel; An inclination sensor for detecting a degree of inclination of the road surface; And a control device for controlling the driving of the driving motor according to the inclination value detected by the inclination sensor or whether the operation member is operated.

In addition, the control method of the walking aid device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in the walking aid device movable on a flat or inclined road surface, the power is applied to the walking aid device, the power transmission unit is connected to the drive motor ; Determining the inclination mode or the flat mode according to whether the inclination change detected by the inclination sensor lasts for more than a predetermined time; Determining whether the operation member for driving the driving motor is operated when the change of the inclination satisfies a preset inclination range in the inclination mode; And when the operation member is operated, power is supplied to the driving motor, and the speed of the driving motor is changed in response to the detected slope.

According to the embodiment according to the above configuration, the user has an advantage that it is easy and safe to walk on the walking aid device.

In addition, the inclination of the place to walk by the inclination sensor, and whether the driving unit or the speed can be automatically controlled according to the detected result, there is an advantage that the user can walk conveniently and safely.

In addition, when the first walking assistance device is purchased, the inclination value at which the driving unit starts to be driven or a speed corresponding thereto may be set in advance so that a user-specific customized device may be implemented.

In addition, the walking assistance device is configured to stop when the operation of the operation member stops, there is an advantage that even if an unexpected situation during walking, the user can prevent the safety accident, etc. just by stopping the operation of the operation member.

1 is a front perspective view of a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6 is a flow chart showing a control method of the walking assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings will be described a specific embodiment of the present invention. However, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention can easily suggest other embodiments within the scope of the same idea.

1 is a front perspective view of a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention Exploded perspective view.

1 to 3, the walking assistance apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a frame 110 forming an appearance, and moving

wheels

120 and 130 provided below the frame 110. In addition, a driving box 150 for providing a driving force for driving the walking assistance device 10 and a control box 160 for controlling the walking assistance device 10 are provided at a rear side of the driving box 150. Included.

The frame 110 forms a skeleton of the walking assistance device 10, and a plurality of pipes may be coupled to each other.

The moving

wheels

120 and 130 include a first wheel 120 provided at the front lower side of the frame 110 and a second wheel 130 provided at the rear lower side of the frame 110. Each of the first wheel 120 and the second wheel 130 is provided in plural on both sides.

The drive box 150 is provided between the plurality of first wheels 120.

Inside the drive box 150, a drive motor 151 for generating a driving force, a power transmission unit 152 for transmitting the driving force of the drive motor 151 to the first wheel 120 and the power transmission. A rotating shaft 153 connecting between the portion 152 and the first wheel 120 is included.

The power transmission unit 152 may include an electronic clutch that is selectively connected (connected) to the drive motor 151.

When the driving motor 151 is driven while the power transmission unit 152 is connected to the driving motor 151, the driving force of the driving motor 151 is the rotation shaft 153 through the power transmission unit 152. Is delivered). In addition, when the rotation shaft 153 is rotated, the first wheel 120 may be rolled.

That is, the first wheel 120 is a drive wheel rotated by the driving force of the drive motor 151, the second wheel 130 is driven wheel rotated by the rotation of the first wheel 120. It may be defined as.

In addition, the drive box 150 further includes a rechargeable battery 154 (see FIG. 4) for supplying power to the walking assistance device 10.

In addition, an auxiliary power supply unit 155 for supplying auxiliary power is provided at an upper portion of the driving box 150. The auxiliary power supply unit 155 may include a solar cell that converts sunlight into electric power. The auxiliary power supply 155 may provide auxiliary power when the battery 154 is discharged.

The control box 160 may be supported on the frame 110 by the support frame 165. The control box 160 includes components for controlling the operation of the walking assistance device 10, that is, a tilt sensor 240, a timer 250, a setting unit 260, and a control device 200. (See Figure 4).

The setting unit 260 may include a speed adjusting unit 161 for setting a moving speed of the walking assistance device 10, and an inclination adjusting unit 162 for setting an inclination threshold for driving the driving motor 151. And a mode adjusting unit 163 for selecting at least one of the flat / tilt mode.

The inclination value at which the driving motor 151 starts to be driven may be preset through the inclination adjusting unit 162. For example, the inclination controller 162 may be set to start the driving motor 151 when the inclination value becomes 5 ° or more.

In addition, the speed of the device 10 corresponding to the inclination value in the inclination mode or the speed of the device 10 in the flat mode may be preset through the speed adjusting unit 161.

When the mode adjusting unit 163 is selected as the flat mode, the walking assistance device 10 is set to be moved at a constant speed regardless of the inclination value.

On the other hand, when the mode adjusting unit 163 is selected as the inclined mode, when the walking assistance apparatus 10 moves flat, power of the driving motor 151 is cut off and manually walked to minimize power consumption. . However, when the walking aid 10 moves the slope, the walking aid 10 is set so that the speed can be moved in response to the inclination value.

The setting unit 260, that is, the speed adjusting unit 161, the tilt adjusting unit 162 and the mode adjusting unit 163, the first time the user purchases the device, the user's walking speed or health condition or uphill / downhill It may be preset in consideration of the resistance to the.

In this case, the user does not need to separately control the speed and the inclination of the walking assistance device 10, thereby increasing the convenience of use. However, the setting unit 260 may be readjusted as necessary.

On the other hand, the setting unit 260 is provided on the lower surface of the control box 160 is not easily exposed to the outside, thereby reducing the risk of failure due to the operation during use of the device 10.

On the other hand, the rear portion of the control box 160, the power switch 167 for the on / off operation of the power of the walking aid 10, and a power lamp for displaying the on / off state of the device 10 168 and an incline ramp 169 indicating that the inclination control is being made as the device 10 moves along the inclined path.

By the power lamp 168 and the inclination lamp 169, the user has an advantage that it is easy to know the operating state of the walking aid 10 and whether the tilt movement. In particular, depending on whether the inclination lamp 169 is on or off, it may be necessary to readjust the inclination of the inclination control unit 162 or whether the inclination sensor 240 is an error.

In addition, the frame 110 includes a handle unit 170 for the user to grip.

The handle unit 170 may be disposed at a height easy for a user to grip, and may be configured to be bent backward from a portion of the frame 110 extending upward from the

moving wheels

120 and 130. By this configuration of the handle portion 170, the user can conveniently grip the handle portion 170.

In the handle portion 170, a user can press the operation member 175 and the hinge portion 178 to be rotatably operated to control the driving of the first wheel (120). ) Is included.

The hinge portion 178 is provided at both sides of the handle portion 170, the operation member 175 may be configured to rotate by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction with respect to the hinge portion 178.

In addition, the manipulation member 175 may be disposed at a position that can be naturally pressed when the user grasps the handle portion 170. That is, the user does not need to take a separate action to operate the operation member 175 while holding the handle unit 170.

And, the hinge portion 178 is provided with an elastic member (not shown), when the external force is not applied to the operation member 175, the operation member 175 is restored to the original position by the elastic member Can be.

Depending on whether the operation member 175 is operated, the drive motor 151 may be selectively driven. For example, when the user grasps the operation member 175 and the operation member 175 is moved downward, the driving motor 151 is supplied with the battery 154 power so that the driving motor 151 is applied. Can be driven.

On the other hand, when the user releases the operation member 175 and the operation member 175 returns upward, that is, when the restoring force of the elastic member is applied, the power applied to the driving motor 151 is Is blocked. In this case, the device 10 may be braked.

According to this configuration, when the user is unable to walk at the same speed as the driving force of the driving motor 151 or the first wheel 120, the power is automatically cut off when the operation member 175 is released, the walking assistance The device 10 is stopped in place and accordingly there is an effect that can prevent the safety accident of the user.

Referring to FIG. 4, a walking assistance device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an operation member 175 operable by a user to control rotation of the first wheel 120, and the device 10. An inclination sensor 240 for detecting the inclination state of the road surface is moved and a timer 250 for counting the change time of the inclination of the inclination sensor 240 is included.

In detail, when the road surface is detected to be inclined by the inclination sensor 240 more than a preset angle, that is, more than the angle adjusted by the inclination control unit 162, the timer 250 starts to operate.

And, if the inclination value of the predetermined angle or more lasts for a predetermined time, the device 10 can be switched to the inclination mode.

According to this configuration, when the device 10 is moved on a flat surface, when the change in the angle of the tilt sensor 240 is detected by shaking, it is possible to prevent the device 10 from switching to the inclined mode. Can be.

In addition, the walk assistance apparatus 10 includes a receiver 210 that receives sensing information of the inclination sensor 240 and operation information of the operation member 175, and information received by the receiver 210. A traction force is applied to the first wheel 120 by controlling whether the driving unit 270 is driven according to a comparison result of the comparing unit 220 and the comparing unit 220 determining whether the driving condition of the device 10 is satisfied. An operation control unit 230 for providing an over braking force is included.

In detail, the receiver 210 determines whether the manipulation member 175 is pressed, that is, whether the manipulation member 175 is turned on or off, and whether the inclination sensor 240 senses an inclination value by a predetermined angle. Receive or not.

The comparison unit 220 determines that the operation member 175 is turned on (if pressed) as a driving command of the driving motor 151. The comparison unit 220 may determine whether the inclination degree of the road surface or the road surface is uphill or downhill according to the angle change value of the inclination sensor 240.

The comparison unit 220 determines whether the driving motor 151 is driven by comparing a predetermined inclination value for driving the driving motor 151 with the inclination value detected by the inclination sensor 240.

In addition, the comparison unit 200 may determine whether the driving motor 151 is driven by comparing the time counted by the timer 250 with a preset time. That is, when the time counted by the timer 250 continues for more than the predetermined time, it is determined that the driving condition of the driving motor 151 is satisfied.

The operation control unit 230 may determine whether the driving unit 270 should be driven or a speed to be driven to control the operation of the driving unit 270. Here, the driving unit 270 includes the driving motor 151, the power transmission unit 152, the rotation shaft 153, and the like described above.

When the driving unit 270 is operated, the first wheel 120 connected to the driving unit 270 may be rotated at a predetermined speed.

The operation of the walking assistance device 10 according to the above configuration will be briefly described.

First, when using the walking assistance device 10 for the first time, a state of the setting unit 260 may be set in advance in consideration of a walking speed, a health state, or a resistance to uphill / downhill.

That is, the slope threshold of the road surface on which the device 10 should be electrically driven and the speed of the driving motor 151 or the first wheel 120 corresponding to the change of the slope of the road surface may be set in advance.

On the other hand, when the user moves the flat or inclined surface, when the operation member 175 is turned on by operating the operation member 175, the drive motor 151 is driven to the first wheel 120 is automatically Will rotate.

Then, whether the inclination of the road surface is determined by the inclination sensor 240. When the information of the inclination sensor 240 is smaller than the inclination threshold to drive the driving motor 151 (including the flat), the operation control unit 230 does not drive the driving unit 270, the user Manual walking (normal walking) is possible.

On the other hand, when the information of the inclination sensor 240 is greater than the inclination threshold, the comparator 220 may determine whether the road surface is uphill or downhill.

When the road surface is uphill, the operation control unit 230 causes the driving unit 270 to generate the traction force to drive the first wheel 120, and thus the device 10 pulls the user and Assist walking

When the road surface is downhill, the operation control unit 230 reduces the speed of the driving unit 270, that is, generates the braking force to drive the first wheel 120, so that the user has a burden to walk quickly. You can walk safely without feeling.

By this action, since the first wheel 120 can be driven at a speed slightly lower than the flat walking speed of the user on the uphill or downhill, the user is holding the handle without applying a large force to the device 10 You can get walking assistance while relying on.

5 and 6 are flowcharts illustrating a control method of a walking assistance apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6, a control method of the walking assistance device 10 will be described.

For use of the device 10, the power switch 167 is turned on and the power transmission unit 152 is connected to the drive motor 151. This state may be defined as a ready state in which the driving motor 151 and the power transmission unit 152 may be operated when power is applied by the operation of the operation member 175. (S11, S12).

Then, it is determined whether the road surface on which the device 10 is placed is formed to be inclined. That is, it is determined whether the change in the slope of the road surface is continuously detected for a predetermined time or more (S13).

In step S13, when it is detected by the inclination sensor 240 that a change in inclination has occurred for a predetermined time or more, inclination mode control is performed (S14).

In the inclination mode control, it is determined whether the inclination value detected by the inclination sensor 240 satisfies a preset inclination range, that is, whether the detected inclination value is greater than or equal to the inclination range (S15). If the detected inclination value satisfies a preset inclination range, whether the manipulation member 175 is manipulated is detected (S16).

When the operation member 175 is operated, power is supplied to the driving motor 151, and the driving force of the driving motor 151 is the rotation shaft 153 and the first wheels through the power transmission unit 152. 120) (S17, S18).

In addition, the speed of the driving motor 151 may be controlled in response to the inclination value detected by the inclination sensor 240.

As an exemplary embodiment, when the inclination value detected by the inclination sensor 240 is large, the speed of the driving motor 151 is controlled to be low. When the inclination value is not large, the speed of the driving motor 151 is controlled. It may be controlled somewhat higher (S19).

On the other hand, in the step S17, if the operation member 175 is not operated, the power of the drive motor 151 is maintained in the OFF state, accordingly the device 10 can be maintained in a stopped state (S20).

In the step S15, if the inclination value does not satisfy the preset inclination range, whether the operation member 175 is detected.

When the operation member 175 is operated, the connection of the drive motor 151 of the power transmission unit 152 is released, thereby allowing the user to perform manual walking by moving on his own.

That is, when the power transmission unit 152 is disconnected from the driving motor 151, the first wheel may be rotated by the user pushing force (S21, S22, S23, S24).

On the other hand, if the operation member 175 is not operated in the step S22, the power of the drive motor 151 is maintained in the OFF state, accordingly the device 10 can be maintained in a stopped state (S25).

In step S13, when it is not sensed that the change of inclination has occurred for more than a predetermined time by the inclination sensor 240, the flat mode control is performed (S26).

In the flat mode control state, the operation of the operation member 175 is detected. In addition, when the operation member 175 is operated, power is supplied to the driving motor 151, and accordingly, the first wheel 120 is automatically rotated. As a result, the user may walk automatically through the walking assistance device 10 (S27, S28, S29, S30).

On the other hand, if the operation member 175 has not been operated, the power supply of the drive motor 151 is maintained in the OFF state, thereby the device 10 can be maintained in a stopped state (S31) .

Another embodiment is proposed.

In FIG. 5, it is illustrated that the steps S11 to S13 are performed while the walking assistance device 10 is stopped on the road surface. Alternatively, in operation S12, the user may operate the operation member 175 to drive the driving motor 151, and the operation S13 may be performed while the first wheel 120 is rotated.

That is, the control method performed at step S13 and below may be performed regardless of whether the walking assistance device 10 is in a stopped state or being moved, and the tilt change detection of the tilt sensor 240 is performed by the power switch 167. ) Can be turned on in real time.

Another embodiment is proposed.

On the other hand, when the operation member 175 is operated in the step S28, it has been described that the power is supplied to the drive motor 151 is made of automatic towing walking, otherwise it may be controlled so that manual walking can be made. . In this case, the power transmission unit 152 may be disconnected from the drive motor 151.

As described above, since automatic walking can be performed on a flat surface or an incline in a manner suitable for the user, the user can safely walk by the walking assistance device.

According to this embodiment, the user can walk easily and safely by relying on the walking assistance device, so the industrial applicability is remarkable.

Claims

In walking aids movable on flat or inclined road surface,

A frame having a plurality of moving wheels;

A handle portion extending from the frame to enable gripping;

A drive motor providing a driving force for the movement of the moving wheel;

An operation member provided on one side of the handle part and configured to control a movement of the wheel;

An inclination sensor for detecting a degree of inclination of the road surface; And

And a control device for controlling driving of the driving motor according to the inclination value detected by the inclination sensor or whether the operation member is operated.
The method of claim 1,

And a timer for counting a time for which the inclination value detected by the inclination sensor lasts longer than a preset inclination value.
The method of claim 2,

And a comparator for comparing a time counted by the timer with a preset time, and when the counted time is equal to or greater than the preset time, the control device drives the driving motor.
The method of claim 1,

A setting unit for inputting a driving condition of the walking assistance device is further included. The setting unit includes:

An inclination controller configured to set an inclination threshold of the road surface for driving the walking assistance device;

A speed controller for adjusting a speed corresponding to the inclination set by the tilt controller; And

The walk assistance apparatus includes a mode adjusting unit for selecting a flat mode or an inclined mode of the walk assistance apparatus according to the flat or inclined road surface.
The method of claim 4, wherein

In the control device,

And an operation controller configured to selectively apply a current to the driving motor according to an input condition set by the setting unit and the timer and input information sensed by the operation member and the tilt sensor.
The method of claim 1,

A power transmission unit selectively transmitting the driving force of the driving motor to the moving wheel; And

Walking assistance device further comprises a rotating shaft connecting the drive motor and the moving wheel.
A walking aid that is movable on a flat or inclined road surface,

Power is supplied to the walking assistance device, and a power transmission unit is connected to a driving motor;

Determining an inclination mode or a flat mode according to whether the inclination change sensed by the inclination sensor lasts for a predetermined time or more;

Determining whether the operation member for driving the driving motor is operated when the change of the inclination satisfies a preset inclination range in the inclination mode; And

And when the operating member is operated, power is supplied to the driving motor, and the speed of the driving motor is changed in response to the detected inclination.
The method of claim 7, wherein

When the inclination change does not satisfy the preset inclination range, when the operation member is operated, the power transmission unit is disconnected from the driving motor, and the walking assistance device is a walking assistance device. Control method.
The method of claim 7, wherein

If the operation member is not operated, the drive motor is maintained a power-off state, the walking aid device control method of the walking aid device, characterized in that stopped in place.
The method of claim 7, wherein

In the flat mode, when the operation member is operated, power is supplied to the drive motor, and the walking assistance apparatus is characterized in that the automatic traction walking.