JP5656703B2 - Walking assist device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking assist device that can assist a user's walking motion.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a walking assist device that assists walking motion has been used mainly for walking training for persons with lower limb disabilities and injured legs. The walking assist device is for a user to perform a walking motion by moving only a leg while sitting on a seating portion. In a state where the user is seated on the seating portion, the seating portion supports the weight of the user, so that the burden on the user's lower limb during walking training is reduced.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a seat raising / lowering walking vehicle in which a seat is raised by an electric actuator from a state where a user is seated on the seat. In this seat part raising and lowering walking vehicle, the user can take a suitable standing posture by adjusting the height of the seat part.

JP 2004-8464 A

  However, the seat part raising and lowering walking vehicle described in Patent Document 1 is such that the seat part moves up and down by a parallel link mechanism. When the parallel link mechanism is used, the seat portion moves in an arc shape when moving up and down, so that the user seated on the seat portion may move back and forth when moving up and down, causing a sense of discomfort.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a walking assist device in which a seating portion on which a user is seated can vertically move up and down.

  The present invention includes a base portion that can travel on a road surface, a seating portion that is attached to the base portion so as to be able to be raised and lowered, a seat that can be seated by a user, an actuator that raises and lowers the seating portion, and an output of the actuator. A link mechanism that transmits to the base, and the link mechanism is supported at one end by the base portion and is pivotable toward the seating portion, and is rotated by the output of the actuator. A first link that has one end connected to the other end of the first link, a third link that has one end connected to the other end of the second link, and the other end connected to the seating portion. And a fourth link that is supported at one end by the base portion and pivotable in the same direction as the first link, and that the other end pivotably supports the third link, and the seating portion vertically Can move to Characterized by comprising a sul guide portion.

  In the present invention, the rotation of the first link by the actuator is transmitted through the second link and the third link, thereby raising and lowering the seating portion. The seating portion is guided by the guide portion so as to be vertically movable. Therefore, the seating portion on which the user is seated can be raised and lowered vertically.

It is a side view of the walk auxiliary device concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a top view in FIG. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of a walking assistance apparatus, and shows the state which the user approached from back. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of a walking assistance apparatus, and shows the state which the user sat down on the seating part. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of a walking assistance apparatus, and shows the state which the seating part which the user sat down raised.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, with reference to FIG.1 and FIG.2, the walk assistance apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  The walking assist device 100 is mainly used for assisting walking motion in walking training for persons with lower limb disabilities and injured lower limbs. The walking assist device 100 includes a base portion 1 that can travel on a road surface, a seating portion 10 that is attached to the base portion 1 so as to be movable up and down, and that can be seated by a user, and an electric cylinder 30 that serves as an actuator for raising and lowering the seating portion 10. A pair of link mechanisms 20 that transmit the output of the electric cylinder 30 to the seating portion 10 and a connecting bar 40 that connects the pair of link mechanisms 20 to operate in synchronization with each other.

  The walking assist device 100 is for a user to perform a walking motion by moving only his / her leg while sitting on the seating portion 10. In a state where the user is seated on the seating portion 10, the seating portion 10 supports the weight of the user, so that the burden on the user's lower limbs during walking training can be reduced.

  The base portion 1 includes a frame 2 forming a body frame, a pair of front wheels 3 and a pair of rear wheels 4.

  The frame 2 is formed by a pipe. The frame 2 has a U-shaped bottom portion 2a that is provided horizontally along the road surface and has a rear end portion that is open, and a pair of standing portions 2b that are erected upward from the rear end portions of the bottom portion 2a. With. The frame 2 is supported on the road surface by a front wheel 3 and a rear wheel 4 attached to the bottom 2a.

  The front wheel 3 is a small free wheel that always faces the traveling direction during traveling. The front wheel 3 is turned by the frictional resistance with the road surface and steered so as to face the traveling direction.

  The rear wheel 4 is a fixed wheel provided so as not to be steered in the front-rear direction of the base portion 1. The rear wheel 4 is formed with a larger diameter than the front wheel 3.

  The seat portion 10 includes a saddle 11 on which a user can sit and straddle, a handrail 12 on which the user seated on the saddle 11 puts his arm, a connecting portion 13 that connects the saddle 11 and the handrail 12, and will be described later. A pair of support portions 14 that connect the handrail 12 and the base portion 1 via a guide portion 25 are provided. The seating part 10 is supported via the guide part 25 so as to be vertically movable with respect to the base part 1.

  The seating part 10 can be moved up and down according to the height of the user and fixed at an arbitrary height. By adjusting the height of the seating portion 10 according to the height of the user, the user can take a standing posture while straddling the saddle 11. Thereby, walking training can be performed while reducing the burden on the user's lower limbs while the seating unit 10 supports the weight of the user.

  Further, if the height of the seating portion 10 is adjusted to be lower than the height of the user, it is possible to perform walking training with a little burden on the lower limbs of the user.

  The saddle 11 is provided toward the front-rear direction of the base portion 1. The saddle 11 is supported from the front by a connecting portion 13 extending from the handrail 12. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the user can sit across the saddle 11 from the rear without hindering the user's access from the rear.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the handrail 12 is formed in a U shape with an open rear end. Thereby, the handrail 12 does not prevent the user from accessing from behind.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting portion 13 extends in a substantially J shape from the center portion of the handrail 12 and is connected to the lower surface of the saddle 11. As a result, the saddle 11 is supported by the handrail 12 and can be moved up and down integrally with the handrail 12.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the support portion 14 supports the vicinity of both end portions of the handrail 12. The support portion 14 is connected to the guide portion 25 and supports the handrail 12 so as to be movable up and down with respect to the base portion 1.

  The electric cylinder 30 includes a rod 31 that can be advanced and retracted. The electric cylinder 30 is configured such that when a user or his / her assistant operates an operation unit (not shown), power is supplied from a power supply device (not shown) and the rod 31 advances and retreats.

  The electric cylinder 30 is rotatably supported at one end 30 a by the base portion 1, and the other end 30 b that is the tip of the rod 31 is connected to the other end 21 b of the first link 21, which will be described later, via a connecting bar 40. One electric cylinder 30 is provided between the pair of link mechanisms 20, and rotates the pair of first links 21 in synchronization via the connecting bar 40. Further, the electric cylinder 30 is rotatable toward the seating portion 10 around the one end 30a.

  The electric cylinder 30 is provided at the front end portion of the frame 2 in the base portion 1, and raises and lowers the seating portion 10 provided at the rear end portion of the frame 2 via the link mechanism 20. That is, the electric cylinder 30 is located at a position farthest from the seating portion 10. Therefore, even if the electric cylinder 30 is provided at the approximate center in the width direction of the frame 2, there is no interference when the worker seated on the seating portion 10 performs walking training.

  The electric cylinder 30 includes a brake mechanism (not shown) that restricts the advance / retreat of the rod 31 when not operating. Therefore, even if the weight of the user seated on the seating portion 10 is transmitted via the link mechanism 20, the rod 31 does not advance or retreat. Therefore, after the seating portion 10 is adjusted to an arbitrary height, when the electric cylinder 30 is deactivated, the seating portion 10 is fixed at that height.

  Instead of using the electric cylinder 30, for example, an actuator for directly rotating the first link 21 may be attached to the one end 21a.

  The link mechanism 20 includes a first link 21 that is supported at one end 21 a by the base portion 1 and rotated by the output of the electric cylinder 30, and a second link 22 that has one end 22 a coupled to the other end 21 b of the first link 21. The other end 22b of the second link 22 has one end 23a connected to the seat portion 10 and the other end 23b connected to the seating portion 10, and the base portion 1 has one end 24a supported in the same direction as the first link 21. The other end 24b is provided with the 4th link 24 which supports the support part 23c of the 3rd link 23, and the guide part 25 which guides the seating part 10 so that a movement to a perpendicular direction is possible. A pair of link mechanisms 20 are provided in parallel, and are respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the base portion 1.

  The first link 21 is provided so that the other end 21 b can rotate toward the seating portion 10. The first link 21 is tilted toward the front of the base portion 1 when the rod 31 of the electric cylinder 30 is the shortest, and is rotated back and forth so as to tilt toward the seating portion 10 when the rod 31 is the longest. . The other ends 21 b of the left and right first links 21 are integrally connected by a connecting bar 40.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting bar 40 extends in the width direction of the base portion 1 and connects the other ends 21 b of the left and right first links 21. The other end 30 b of the electric cylinder 30 is connected to the approximate center of the connecting bar 40. Thereby, the output of the electric cylinder 30 is simultaneously transmitted to the left and right first links 21, and the left and right link mechanisms 20 operate in synchronization.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the second link 22 has one end 22 a connected to the connecting bar 40. The other end 22 b of the second link 22 is inclined toward the seating portion 10. The second link 22 is formed shorter than the first link 21.

  The third link 23 is formed longer than the second link 22 and shorter than the first link 21. The third link 23 is nearly horizontal when the rod 31 of the electric cylinder 30 is the shortest, and is inclined so that the other end 23b rises and approaches the vertical as the rod 31 becomes longer.

  The third link 23 is supported by the other end 24 b of the fourth link 24 at a support portion 23 c located in the middle of the third link 23. The support portion 23 c is located at a position where the distance between the one end 23 a connected to the second link 22 is smaller than the distance between the other end 23 b connected to the seating portion 10.

  In addition, the support portion 23c of the third link 23 supported by the fourth link 24 is connected to the seating portion 10 at a distance from the other end 21b of the first link 21 pressed by the electric cylinder 30. It is provided at a position longer than the distance from the other end 23b of 23. Thereby, the electric cylinder 30 can raise / lower the seating part 10 using the principle of a lever so that it may mention later.

  The fourth link 24 is formed to be the shortest compared to the first link 21, the second link 22, and the third link 23. The fourth link 24 is inclined toward the front of the base portion 1 when the rod 31 of the electric cylinder 30 is the shortest, and is inclined so as to approach the vertical as the rod 31 becomes longer.

  The guide portion 25 is a slider mechanism that supports the support portion 14 of the seating portion 10 so as to be movable only in the vertical direction. The guide portions 25 are respectively provided on the standing portions 2 b at both ends of the U-shaped frame 2.

  By providing the guide portion 25, the other end 23b of the third link 23 can move only in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the electric cylinder 30 is activated, one end 23a of the third link 23 moves downward, and the other end 23b moves upward.

  At this time, the distance between the support 23c of the third link 23 and the one end 23a connected to the second link 22 is smaller than the distance between the other end 23b connected to the seating part 10. Therefore, when the one end 23a moves downward, the other end 23b moves higher than the displacement of the one end 23a due to the lever ratio.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the walking assistance device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3, a user on the wheelchair 50 approaches the walking assist device 100 from behind. At this time, the walking assist device 100 is fixed by a parking brake (not shown) provided in the base portion 1 so that it cannot travel.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the user changes from the wheelchair 50 to the walking assist device 100. The user sits on the saddle 11 from behind. At this time, the electric cylinder 30 is adjusted so that the length of the rod 31 is the shortest and the height of the seating portion 10 is the lowest. Thereby, the user can easily straddle the saddle 11 from behind. When the user is seated on the saddle 11, the height of the saddle 11 is lower than the height of the user, so that the knee of the user is bent.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the electric cylinder 30 is operated to rotate the first link 21, and the seat portion 10 is raised via the second link 22 and the third link 23. Since the seating part 10 is guided by the guide part 25 so as to be vertically movable, the seating part 10 on which the user is seated can be raised vertically. Therefore, since the user does not move back and forth or left and right while the seating portion 10 is lifted and lowered, the user does not feel uncomfortable while the seating portion 10 is lifted and lowered.

  Thus, the user can take a standing posture while straddling the saddle 11 by adjusting the height of the seating portion 10 according to the height of the user. Thereby, walking training can be performed while reducing the burden on the user's lower limbs while the seating unit 10 supports the weight of the user.

  At this time, since the link mechanism 20 raises the seating portion 10 according to the lever principle, the electric cylinder 30 having a small capacity can be used. Specifically, the support portion 23c of the third link 23 supported by the fourth link 24 is a fulcrum, and one end 22a of the second link 22 pressed from the electric cylinder 30 via the connecting bar 40 is a power point. The other end 23b where the third link 23 presses the seating portion 10 is the point of action.

  The distance between the one end 22 a of the second link 22 pressed by the electric cylinder 30 and the support portion 23 c of the third link 23 is such that the other end 23 b of the third link 23 connected to the seating portion 10 and the third link 23. It is long compared with the distance between the support part 23c. Therefore, even if the output of the electric cylinder 30 is small, the seating part 10 can be raised by the lever principle.

  When the walking training is finished, the height of the seating portion 10 can be lowered by operating the electric cylinder 30 in the direction in which the rod 31 is shortened. Thereby, it becomes easy for the user to get up from the saddle 11 and change to the wheelchair 50 standing behind.

  According to the above embodiment, the following effects are obtained.

  The rotation of the first link 21 by the electric cylinder 30 is transmitted through the second link 22 and the third link 23 to raise and lower the seating portion 10. The seat portion 10 is guided by the guide portion 25 so as to be vertically movable. Therefore, the seating part 10 on which the user is seated can be moved up and down vertically.

  The distance between the one end 22a of the second link 22 pressed by the electric cylinder 30 and the support portion 23c of the third link 23 is the same as the other end 23b of the third link 23 connected to the seating portion 10 and the third portion. Since the distance between the link 23 and the support portion 23c is long, the seat portion 10 can be raised by the lever principle even if the output of the electric cylinder 30 is small.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is obvious that various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea.

  The walking assist device according to the present invention can be used for walking training for persons with lower limb disabilities and lower limb injuries.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Walking assistance apparatus 1 Base part 2 Frame 3 Front wheel 4 Rear wheel 10 Seating part 11 Saddle 12 Handrail 20 Link mechanism 21 First link 22 Second link 23 Third link 24 Fourth link 25 Guide part 30 Electric cylinder (actuator)
40 connecting bar

Claims (4)

A base that can travel on the road surface;
A seating portion attached to the base portion so as to be movable up and down and seated by a user;
An actuator for moving the seat up and down;
A link mechanism that transmits the output of the actuator to the seating portion,
The link mechanism is
A first link supported at one end by the base portion so as to be rotatable toward the seating portion, and rotated by an output of the actuator;
A second link having one end connected to the other end of the first link;
A third link having one end connected to the other end of the second link and the other end connected to the seat;
A fourth link that is supported at one end by the base portion and rotatably provided in the same direction as the first link, and the other end rotatably supports the third link;
And a guide part that guides the seat part so as to be vertically movable. The actuator is an electric cylinder having one end supported by the base portion so as to be rotatable about the one end toward the seating portion, and the other end connected to the other end of the first link. The walking assist device according to claim 1.   The support portion of the third link supported by the fourth link has a distance from the other end of the first link pressed by the actuator, and the other end of the third link connected to the seating portion. The walking assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the walking assistance device is provided at a position that is longer than a distance between the walking distance and the distance. A pair of the link mechanisms are provided in parallel,
4. The walking assist according to claim 1, wherein one actuator is provided between the pair of link mechanisms and rotates the pair of first links synchronously. 5. apparatus.

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