JP7526997B2 - Walking aids - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a walking aid that helps users, such as sick people, physically disabled people, and people with walking difficulties, by supporting their movement.

One such walking aid is one that is surrounded by a frame on both the left and right sides and in front of the body. One such walking aid is disclosed in the following Patent Document 1.

The walking aid in Patent Document 1 comprises a pair of side frames spaced apart from each other on the left and right, a front frame that rotatably connects the front parts of these, and a connecting rod that bridges diagonally between the side frames and the front frame, making it foldable. The length of the legs of the side frames is adjustable, and the length of the front frame, i.e., the width of the walking aid, can also be changed. In this way, the walking aid is configured to change its shape depending on the physique of the user.

The connecting rod has both ends pivotally supported so as to be rotatable relative to the side frame and the front frame, and one end of the connecting rod that is connected to the side frame is slidably held via a slider. The slider is also provided with a locking means that fixes the relative position of the connecting rod when the side frame is open.

This configuration allows the pivoting position of the connecting rod relative to the side frame to be moved away from the front end of the side frame to the rear side, distributing the load and improving stability. As a result, even if the walking aid is made taller, it can be used stably without rattling, making the function of being able to change the shape to suit the user's physique particularly useful for tall users.

JP 2020-92881 A

However, the connecting rod is made of a single rod member and has a fixed length. In addition, the locking means fixes the rod in one position. As a result, the opening angle of the side frame cannot be changed.

Therefore, the main objective of this invention is to further improve the shape change function so that the optimal usage form can be obtained according to the physical condition as well as the physique of the user.

The means for achieving this is a walking aid that has a pair of side frames spaced apart from each other on the left and right, a front frame that rotatably connects the front parts of the side frames to enable the side frames to be opened and closed, and a connecting rod that spans diagonally between the side frames and the front frame, and the connecting rod has a length adjustment mechanism.

In this configuration, the length of the connecting rod that spans diagonally between the side frame and the front frame can be changed by the length adjustment means, allowing the opening angle of the side frame to be adjusted to suit the user's physique, etc.

This invention is equipped with a length adjustment mechanism that adjusts the length of the connecting rod to change the opening of the side frames, further improving the shape change function according to the body size, etc.

In addition, because the length of the connecting rod itself is changed, the state of the connecting rod and its ends before and after deformation is not changed. This means that there is no inconvenience, such as the end of the connecting rod sticking out and getting in the way, and it can be used well regardless of differences in body size, etc.

FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing both end portions of the connecting rod and their attachment portions. FIG. 5A-5A cross-sectional view. 13 is a rear view showing the portion of the horizontal rod that is provided with the bracing means as viewed from the back side. FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the portion of the horizontal rod that is provided with the bracing means as viewed from the back side. 1A and 1B are a front view and a cross-sectional view of the tensioning means when not being adjusted; 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the cross rod and the tensioning means. 13A and 13B are a front view and a cross-sectional view showing the tension means being corrected;

One embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a walking aid 11. This walking aid 11 is designed to surround the left and right sides and front of the user, and is used by the user holding the upper ends of the aid with their hands to support their body.

First, we will explain the general structure of the walking aid 11.

The walking aid 11 comprises a pair of side frames 13 spaced apart on the left and right, and a front frame 15 that connects the front parts of the side frames 13. The front frame 15 is provided in the middle part of the side frames 13 in the up-down direction. The side frames 13 and the front frame 15 are basically made of lightweight metal pipes such as aluminum.

The side frame 13 has two extendable legs 31, 32 that are arranged in front and behind each other when in use, and the upper ends of the legs 31, 32 are connected by a handle bar 33. The pair of legs 31, 32 are slightly inclined so that they open downward. A spacing retaining portion 34 is provided in the middle of the pair of legs 31, 32 in the longitudinal direction, which connects the legs 31, 32 to each other and maintains the spacing between the legs 31, 32.

The upper ends of the legs 31, 32, which have the handle rod 33, are slightly inclined in the direction in which the pair of side frames 13 face each other. The handle rod 33 is integrally formed with a grip 35 that combines elasticity, flexibility, and anti-slip properties to soften the contact with the hand.

The front frame 15 has multiple horizontal bars, specifically two horizontal bars 51, 52, spaced apart in the vertical direction, and these horizontal bars 51, 52 can extend and retract in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the front frame 15 is made up of a pair of left front frames 15a and right front frames 15b, and the horizontal bars 51, 52 are made up of a telescopic mechanism.

The frame located on the left side of the user is called the left front frame 15a, and the frame located on the right side is called the right front frame 15b. The horizontal rods 51, 52 of the left front frame 15a are the large diameter parts 51a, 52a that make up the telescopic mechanism, and the horizontal rods 51, 52 of the right front frame 15b are the small diameter parts 51b, 52b that make up the telescopic mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 2, the plan view shape of the front frame 15 is such that the middle part in the longitudinal direction protrudes forward, and the middle part has straight line parts 51c, 52c that are linear, and on both sides, inclined parts 51d, 52d that are inclined at an angle to the straight line parts 51c, 52c.

Note that Figure 2 is a plan view of the walking aid 11, but it does not show the walking aid 11 placed on a flat surface as seen from straight above, but rather as seen at an angle where the two horizontal rods 51, 52 overlap.

Of the two horizontal rods 51, 52, the one located on the upper side, 51, has a circular cross section, while the other horizontal rod located on the lower side, 52, has an oval cross section that is longer in the vertical direction.

At both longitudinal ends of the front frame 15, i.e., at the ends of the inclined portions 51d, 52d of the left front frame 15a and right front frame 15b, a retaining tube portion 53 is formed that rotatably holds the front leg portion 31 of the side frame 13. The retaining tube portion 53 extends in a vertical direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction of the straight portions 51c, 52c. As described above, the legs 31, 32 of the side frame 13 are inclined in the front-to-rear direction, and the pair of side frames 13 are inclined so that their lower portions open slightly, so that the retaining tube portion 53 is appropriately inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the straight portions 51c, 52c.

The large diameter portions 51a, 52a of the two horizontal rods 51, 52, i.e., the horizontal rods 51, 52 of the left front frame 15a, are joined together by a vertical rod 54 made of a metal pipe that extends in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal rods 51, 52. In addition to this vertical rod 54, the front frame 15 is equipped with a tensioning means 55 that holds the horizontal rods 51, 52 and selectively tensions them between each other to correct the gap between them.

The walking aid 11, the general structure of which is as described above, can adjust its height by changing the length of the legs 31, 32 of the side frames 13, and its left-right width by changing the length of the front frame 15. In addition to these adjustment mechanisms, by holding the side frames 13 with the holding tube portions 53 of the front frame 15, the left and right side frames 13 can be folded so that they overlap the front frame 15, and the opening angle of the side frames 13 during use can also be adjusted, as shown by the phantom lines in Figure 2.

Next, we'll explain each part in detail.

The extendable legs 31, 32 of the side frame 13 are composed of a telescopic mechanism consisting of an inner cylinder 36 and an outer cylinder 37. The structure that fixes the length of the legs 31, 32 is composed of a leaf spring (not shown) built into the inner cylinder 36, a protrusion (not shown) provided at the end of the leaf spring and biased toward the outer cylinder 37, and a position adjustment hole 37a formed in the outer cylinder 37. A number of position adjustment holes 37a are formed along the longitudinal direction on the inner surface of the periphery of the outer cylinder 37, that is, on the opposing surfaces of the pair of legs 31, 32.

A handle lower frame 38 is provided at the upper end of the side frame 13 and is located below the grip 35. The handle lower frame 38 is made of a metal pipe and has a horizontal bar 38a that extends horizontally and a vertical bar 38b that extends upward from the tip of the horizontal bar 38a. The base end of the horizontal bar 38a is joined and integrated with the leg 32 located at the rear, and the upper end of the vertical bar 38b is joined and integrated from below to the front of the grip 35 of the handle bar 33.

The front frame 15 is composed of the left front frame 15a and right front frame 15b as shown in FIG. 3. The two horizontal rods 51, 52 that make up the telescopic mechanism are the large diameter parts 51a, 52a of the left front frame 15a, and the small diameter parts 51b, 52b of the right front frame 15b are inserted into them.

A pair of side frames 13 rotatably held by the holding tube portion 53 of the front frame 15 are provided with a connecting rod 71 that bridges diagonally between the side frames 13 and the front frame 15 to allow folding while maintaining the shape when in use in which they open at approximately right angles to the front frame 15 and face each other.

Both ends of the connecting rod 71 are pivotally supported so as to be rotatable relative to the side frame 13 and the front frame 15. At least one end of the connecting rod 71 is slidably held relative to the side frame 13 or the front frame 15 via a slider 72, and the slider 72 is provided with a locking means 73 that fixes the relative position of the connecting rod 71 when the side frame 13 is open.

In the illustrated example, one end of the connecting rod 71 is pivotally supported on a slider 72 provided on the side frame 13, and the other end is pivotally supported on a fixed part 74 provided on the front frame 15.

The connecting rod 71 is also equipped with a length adjustment mechanism 71a.

Figure 4 shows the structure of the connecting rod 71, slider 72, locking means 73 and fixing part 74, and Figure 5 shows the structure of the length adjustment mechanism 71a.

The connecting rod 71 is a basically straight rod as shown in FIG. 4, and at one end in the longitudinal direction, a slider side pivot part 71b that is pivotally supported to the slider 72 is bent at an appropriate angle. At the other end of the connecting rod 71, a fixed part side pivot part 71c that is pivotally supported to the fixed part 74 is bent at an appropriate angle. The slider side pivot part 71b and the fixed part side pivot part 71c extend in roughly opposite directions.

The slider 72 is slidably mounted on the horizontal bar portion 38a of the handle lower frame 38, and the fixed portion 74 is mounted on the inclined portion 51d of one of the horizontal bars 51 located at the top of the front frame 15, specifically the left front frame 15a and the right front frame 15b.

The slider 72 provided on the horizontal bar portion 38a can slide along the longitudinal direction of the horizontal bar portion 38a. That is, it has an inverted U-shaped slide holding member 75 that covers the horizontal bar portion 38a, and a lever member 76 that is pivotally attached to the hanging piece portion 75a that is located at the lower end of the slide holding member 75 and below the horizontal bar portion 38a.

The slide retaining member 75 has an inwardly extending guide protrusion (not shown) at a portion of the inner surface that corresponds to the lower portion of the cross bar portion 38a, allowing stable movement on the surface of the cross bar portion 38a. A pivot hole is formed in the pair of hanging pieces 75a, and the aforementioned lever member 76 is pivotally attached between the hanging pieces 75a through the pivot hole by passing the shaft member 77 through this pivot hole.

The lever member 76 has a fulcrum acting portion 76a through which the shaft member 77 is inserted, and a force point portion 76b extending rearward from the fulcrum acting portion 76a. The fulcrum acting portion 76a has a pair of left and right standing walls 78, through which the shaft member 77 is inserted. The lower ends of the standing walls 78 are connected to each other by a base portion 79.

A long hole 80 is formed in the base plate portion 79 of the fulcrum action portion 76a forward of the position of the shaft member 77, through which the slider side pivot portion 71b of the connecting rod 71 is inserted.

A metallic reinforcing member 81 is built into the inside of the lever member 76. The reinforcing member 81 has a shape similar to that of the lever member 76, and like the lever member 76, has a fulcrum acting portion and a force point portion. The reinforcing member 81 is fitted inside the lever member 76 and is integrated with the lever member 76 by pivoting it with the shaft member 77.

A through operation hole 83 is formed in the base plate portion 82 of the fulcrum action portion of the reinforcing member 81 at a portion corresponding to the elongated hole 80 of the lever member 76. The operation hole 83 has a wide portion 83a that is circular and has the same width as the elongated hole 80 of the lever member 76, and a narrow portion 83b that is narrower than the wide portion 83a, which are connected in order from the front.

The width of the wide portion 83a is a size that allows the cross-sectional shape of the slider side pivot portion 71b of the connecting rod 71, which has a circular cross-section, to fit into it. The narrow portion 83b is a size that allows the small diameter portion 84 formed on the slider side pivot portion 71b of the connecting rod 71 to fit into it. The small diameter portion 84 is a portion that is formed in the middle of the longitudinal direction of the slider side pivot portion 71b, and is thinner than other portions over an appropriate length that is thicker than the thickness of the base plate portion 82 of the reinforcing member 81. Because it has the small diameter portion 84, steps are formed at the upper and lower ends of the small diameter portion 84.

A fitting hole 85 is formed on the underside of the horizontal bar portion 38a of the handle lower frame 38, into which the slider side pivot portion 71b, which is the end of the connecting rod 71 on the side frame 13 side, is inserted from below. The fitting hole 85 is sized to fit into the cross-sectional shape of the connecting rod 71. The position of the fitting hole 85 corresponds to the slider side pivot portion 71b held by the slider 72 when the left and right side frames 13 are opened at a right angle to face each other with the length adjustment mechanism 71a of the connecting rod 71 shortened and the axis of the slider side pivot portion 71b is positioned at the center of the wide portion 83a.

A spring member 86 is held around the shaft member 77 that pivots the lever member 76. The spring member 86 biases the reinforcing member 81 and the lever member 76 in a direction that moves the front upward. The spring member 86 inside the lever member 76 is not in contact with the cross bar portion 38a of the handle lower frame 38, and is held in place so as not to interfere with the sliding movement of the slider 72.

The fixed part 74, on which the fixed part side pivot part 71c of the connecting rod 71 is pivoted, has a main part 74a with a C-shaped cross section that fits into the inclined part 51d of the horizontal rod 51, which has a circular cross section, and protrusions 74b formed on both ends of the main part 74a. The pair of protrusions 74b are triangular in plan view, and a spacer 74c is held between the protrusions 74b to ensure strong fixation with no play and no relative rotation to the horizontal rod 51. A through hole 74d is formed in the protrusions 74b and the spacer 74c, and an intermediate member 87 made of a metal pipe that rotatably inserts and holds the fixed part side pivot part 71c of the connecting rod 71 is built into the through hole 74d. The length of the intermediate member 87 is set to be slightly longer than the length of the through hole 74d.

A male screw 88 is formed on the fixed part side pivot part 71c of the connecting rod 71, and a nut 89 is screwed onto the male screw 88 so as to sandwich the intermediate member 87, thereby rotatably fixing the fixed part side pivot part 71c to the fixed part 74.

The connecting rod 71 has the aforementioned length adjustment mechanism 71a between the slider side pivot part 71b and the fixed part side pivot part 71c, and it is preferable that this length adjustment mechanism 71a is a mechanism that can be fixed at a desired length. Here, "fixed at a fixed length" does not mean that the positional relationship between the combined parts that can slide relative to each other is fixed by the tightening force of a screw or the like, but that the members are fixed by a locking or fitting that does not cause unexpected positional deviation even when the user applies their weight. The length may be adjusted continuously or in stages. Examples of such length adjustment mechanisms 71a include those that use a screw feed, and those that use the aforementioned telescopic mechanism and protrusion to engage and disengage.

In the illustrated walking aid 11, the length adjustment mechanism 71a of the connecting rod 71 is configured with a turnbuckle 91. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the length adjustment mechanism 71a has a turnbuckle body 92 and two turnbuckle bolts 93, 94.

The turnbuckle body 92 has female-threaded threads 92a, 92b at both longitudinal ends, one of which, 92a, is a right-handed thread and the other, 92b, a left-handed thread. The slider-side pivot 71b described above is formed on the side opposite the male threads 93a of one of the two turnbuckle bolts 93, 94. The fixed-part-side pivot 71c described above is formed on the side opposite the male threads 94a of the other turnbuckle bolt 94.

The turnbuckle body 92 has a hollow portion 92c that penetrates in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction between the threaded portions 92a, 92b at both ends of the longitudinal direction, and this hollow portion 92c is provided with a rod-shaped auxiliary member 95 that is large enough to fit into the hollow portion 92c. The auxiliary member 95 is cylindrical, and has a through hole 95a in the center into which the turnbuckle bolts 93, 94 fit loosely.

The auxiliary member 95 is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 6, which is the A-A cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, its cross-sectional shape is a generally ellipse that is longer in the direction protruding from the opening of the hollow portion 92c. Moreover, both sides of the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary member 95 that correspond to the major axis of the generally ellipse cross-section protrude from the hollow portion 92c of the turnbuckle body 92. In other words, a protruding surface 95b is formed in the portion of the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary member 95 that corresponds to the opening of the hollow portion 92c.

This auxiliary member 95 hides the male threads 93a, 94a of the turnbuckle bolts 93, 94, and also softens the contact with the hand when rotating the turnbuckle body 92 to adjust the length. For this reason, a concave groove (not shown) extending in the longitudinal direction of the auxiliary member 95 may be formed on the protruding surface 95b of the auxiliary member 95 to provide an anti-slip function.

Furthermore, stop members 96 are held at positions on the male threads 93a, 94a of the turnbuckle bolts 93, 94 outside the turnbuckle body 92. The stop members 96 are made of nuts, and come into contact with both ends of the turnbuckle body 92 to prevent the turnbuckle body 92 from rotating in the length adjustment mechanism 71a that rotates the turnbuckle body 92 to the desired length.

The structure for changing the length of the front frame 15 is a telescopic mechanism as described above, with the two horizontal bars 51, 52 consisting of the large diameter portions 51a, 52a of the left front frame 15a and the small diameter portions 51b, 52b of the right front frame 15b. The length can be adjusted in stages, and as shown in Figure 7, which shows the back side, that is, the view from the direction the user faces, a locking protrusion 57 biased by a built-in leaf spring 56 is held on the back side of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 51b of one of the horizontal bars 51 located on the upper side. The position of the locking protrusion 57 in the longitudinal direction of the small diameter portion 51b is set appropriately.

The large diameter portion 51a into which the small diameter portion 51b fits has multiple position adjustment holes 58 arranged along the longitudinal direction of the large diameter portion 51a, into which the locking protrusions 57 lock.

The ends of the large diameter portions 51a, 52a of one horizontal rod 51 and the other horizontal rod 52 are provided with the aforementioned tensioning means 55, as shown by phantom lines in Figure 7.

The large diameter portion 51a of one horizontal rod 51 and the large diameter portion 52a of the other horizontal rod 52, which are arranged above and below to which the tensioning means 55 is fixed, are not cut at their respective ends, but are irregularly shaped as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, which shows the front side. That is, a notch 59 is formed at the end of the large diameter portions 51a, 52a on the opposing surfaces of the horizontal rods 51, 52 that are tensioned by the tensioning means 55, exposing the small diameter portions 51b, 52b that fit inside the large diameter portions 51a, 52a and are pressed by the tensioning means 55.

The notch 59 is formed on the lower side of the large diameter portion 51a of one of the horizontal rods 51 located on the upper side, and is formed on the upper side of the large diameter portion 52a of the other horizontal rod 52 located on the lower side. The notch 59 may be formed in a portion having a semicircular cross section, and its length is set taking into consideration the size of the member to be pressed. By having the notch 59, a protrusion 60 is formed above or below the notch 59.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), the tensioning means 55 has a short cylindrical upper fitting portion 61 that fits into the large diameter portion 51a located on the upper side, a short cylindrical lower fitting portion 62 that fits into the large diameter portion 52a located on the lower side, and a connecting portion 63 that connects these.

As shown in FIG. 10, between the lower fitting portion 62 of the tensioning means 55 and the other horizontal rod 52 into which it fits, a structure is formed to prevent the small diameter portion 52b of the horizontal rod 52 from slipping out of the large diameter portion 52a. That is, a screw member 64 for preventing slipping out is screwed into the horizontal rod 52 from the back surface of the lower fitting portion 62. The length of the screw member 64 is such that it extends beyond the large diameter portion 52a to the small diameter portion 52b when the head of the screw member 64 is flush with the surface of the lower fitting portion 62.

A tapping screw is used for the screw member 64, and the screw member 64 is screwed into the large diameter portion 52a. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, a recessed groove 65 is formed in the small diameter portion 52b along the longitudinal direction thereof to prevent interference with the tip of the screw member 64.

The width of the groove 65 is wider than the screw member 64, and the screw member 64 is positioned below the groove 65 in the width direction when not being adjusted. This is to allow the tensioning means 55 to function as a tensioning means between the horizontal rods 51, 52.

That is, the upper fitting portion 61 and the lower fitting portion 62 of the tensioning means 55 have a tip side portion 66 and a base side portion 67, as shown in FIG. 9. The tip side portion 66 has inner tube fitting surfaces 61a, 62a located at the tip of the large diameter portions 51a, 52a, specifically at the tip of the protruding portion 60, into which the small diameter portions 51b, 52b fit. The base side portion 67 is formed with a gap between it and the tip side portion 66, and has oblong hole surfaces 61b, 62b into which the base side portions fit through the notches 59 of the large diameter portions 51a, 52a, and which allow the large diameter portions 51a, 52a to move slightly in the opposite directions of the pair of horizontal rods 51, 52.

A rotatable lever 68 is provided between the tip end side portion 66 and the base end side portion 67 of the upper fitting portion 61. The lever 68 has a rotating shaft tube 68a that is inserted into one of the horizontal bars 51, two parallel lever pieces 68b that extend from the peripheral surface of the rotating shaft tube 68a in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft tube 68a, and a cover portion 68c that connects the lever pieces 68b together.

Between the tip end side 66 and the base end side 67 of the lower fitting portion 62, an action member 69 is provided. The action member 69 has a retaining tube 69a that is inserted into the other horizontal rod 52, and two protruding pieces 69b that protrude from the peripheral surface of the retaining tube 69a toward the upper fitting portion 61 and are aligned on the same plane as the two lever pieces 68b of the lever 68 described above. The size of the retaining tube 69a is such that it can fit into the large diameter portion 52a.

Between the lever pieces 68b and the protruding pieces 69b, a link member 70 is pivotally supported so as to be capable of relative rotation. The length of the link member 70 and the pivoting positions at both ends thereof are set so that when the non-corrected state shown in Figs. 9(a) and (b) is changed to the corrected state shown in Figs. 11(a) and (b), the pair of horizontal bars 51 and 52 can be biased in opposite directions to be slightly pushed apart. The non-corrected state is a state in which the lever 68 is raised to match the center line positions of the horizontal bars 51 and 52 with the center line positions of the parts having the inner tube fitting surfaces 61a and 62a. The corrected state is a state in which the lever 68 is tilted to close the space between the tip side portion 66 and the base side portion 67 with the cover portion 68c. By transitioning from the non-corrected state to the corrected state, the tensioning means 55 presses its elongated hole surface 61b against the horizontal rod 51 and its elongated hole surface 62b against the horizontal rod 52, tensioning the pair of horizontal rods 51, 52. This tensioning provides tension to the front frame 15, preventing rattling.

Note that (a) in Figures 9 and 11 is a front view, and (b) is a side view.

The walking aid 11 configured as described above is used as follows:

To change the walking aid 11 from a folded state to a usage state in which the side frames 13 are open, the side frames 13 are rotated in a direction away from the front frame 15. As the side frames 13 rotate, the connecting rod 71 rotates relative to the fixed portion 74 and the slider 72, and the slider 72 moves forward along the horizontal bar portion 38a of the handle lower frame 38. When the slider side pivot portion 71b of the connecting rod 71 moves to a position corresponding to the fitting hole 85 of the horizontal bar portion 38a, the slider side pivot portion 71b fits into the fitting hole 85 by the biasing force of the spring member 86 of the locking means 73, and is fixed in position.

The opening angle of the side frame 13 at this time is determined by the length of the connecting rod 71. In other words, if the length of the connecting rod 71 is increased by the length adjustment mechanism 71a, the opening angle of the side frame 13 becomes larger.

The angle of the side frame 13 can be adjusted with the side frame 13 open. Specifically, the stop member 96 is removed from the turnbuckle body 92 and the turnbuckle body 92 is rotated. After the desired length is reached, the stop member 96 is pressed against the end face of the turnbuckle body 92.

The use of turnbuckles 91 allows for stepless, continuous length adjustment and is easy to operate.

When rotating the turnbuckle body 92, the auxiliary member 95 covers the turnbuckle bolts 93 and 94, making it easy to operate, and the protruding surface 95b, which is part of the outer periphery of the auxiliary member 95, protrudes from the turnbuckle body 92, making it easy to operate.

In addition, the length of the connecting rods 71 can be adjusted separately for the left and right connecting rods 71, allowing for free deformation according to the desired shape.

To fold the slider from the use state, the force point 76b of the lever member 76 of the locking means 73 is pulled up, releasing the positional fixation by the locking means 73. In other words, by pulling up the force point 76b of the lever member 76 against the biasing force of the spring member 86, the slider side pivot part 71b is removed from the fitting hole 85. The slider 72, which can now move freely on the horizontal bar part 38a, moves toward the rear in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal bar part 38a as the side frame 13 is rotated to close, and the slider 72 enters the folded state. Since the slider 72 slides to enter the folded state, the folding transformation can be performed regardless of the length of the connecting rod 71.

When in use, the left and right side frames 13 are fixed in an open state by a connecting rod 71 that bridges diagonally across the front frame 15. Therefore, the pivoting position of the connecting rod 71 relative to the side frames 13 can be separated to the rear side rather than at the front end of the side frames 13. As a result, the load can be distributed to different areas, resulting in a structure that can support the load well, improving stability and enabling stable use without rattling. In other words, high stability can be obtained even when the legs 31, 32 are lengthened to make it easier for tall users to use.

In addition, as mentioned above, by appropriately changing the length of the connecting rod 71, it can be transformed into a shape that suits the user's body shape and physical condition, making it easy to use. Furthermore, the opening angle of the left and right side frames 13 can be changed separately, so it can be used in a shape that is more suitable for the body.

The length of the front frame 15 is also adjustable, so it can be used in a shape that is optimal for the user's body. Moreover, the two horizontal bars 51, 52, which are the parts for adjusting the length of the front frame 15, are equipped with a tensioning means 55 that tensions them and corrects them in a direction that widens the gap between them, actively preventing the walking aid 11 from bending when a load is applied. This provides shape stability during use, which, together with the effect of preventing rattling, greatly contributes to stable use.

Moreover, the areas where the tensioning means 55 acts are the small diameter portions 51b and 52b because notches 59 are formed at the tips of the large diameter portions 51a and 52a of the horizontal rods 51 and 52. In other words, the pressing force exerted by the tensioning means 55 when tensioning acts directly on the small diameter portions 51b and 52b. This allows for better tensioning and improved stability.

Since protrusions 60 are formed adjacent to the notches 59, when the small diameter parts 51b, 52b are inserted into the large diameter parts 51a, 52a during assembly of the front frame 15, the pair of protrusions 60 function as guides for the insertion. This makes the insertion easier than when there are no notches 59 and the parts are cut at right angles.

Reference Signs List 11: Walking aid 13: Side frame 15: Front frame 51, 52: Horizontal rods 51a, 52a: Large diameter portion 51b, 52b: Small diameter portion 55: Bracing means 59: Notch portion 71: Connecting rod 71a: Length adjustment mechanism 91: Turnbuckle 92: Turnbuckle body 92a, 92b: Screw portion 92c: Hollow portion 93, 94: Turnbuckle bolt 95: Auxiliary member 95a: Through hole 95b: Protruding surface

Claims (5)

The apparatus includes a pair of side frames spaced apart from each other on the left and right sides, and a front frame that rotatably connects front portions of the side frames to enable the side frames to be opened and closed;
A walking aid including a connecting rod that is diagonally bridged between the side frame and the front frame,
Both ends of the connecting rod are pivotally supported relative to the side frames and the front frame, respectively, and at least one end of the connecting rod is slidably held relative to the side frames or the front frame via a slider that can be positioned when the side frames are open,
The connecting rod is provided with a length adjustment mechanism for adjusting the length of the connecting rod itself to change the opening angle of the side frames .
2. The walking aid of claim 1, wherein the length adjustment mechanism comprises a turnbuckle having a turnbuckle body. A walking aid as described in claim 2, further comprising a hollow portion extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction between the threaded portions at both longitudinal ends of the turnbuckle body, the hollow portion having a through hole into which a turnbuckle bolt that screws into the threaded portion of the turnbuckle body fits loosely. The walking aid according to claim 3 , wherein a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary member protrudes from the hollow portion of the turnbuckle body. The front frame is composed of a pair of left and right front frames, and has a plurality of horizontal rods formed of a telescopic mechanism spaced apart in the vertical direction,
A tensioning means is provided at an end of a large diameter portion of the horizontal rod constituting the telescopic mechanism, the tensioning means selectively tensioning the horizontal rods between the horizontal rods,
A walking aid as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a notch is formed at the end of the large diameter portion on the opposing surface of the horizontal rod that is braced by the bracing means, exposing a small diameter portion that fits inside the large diameter portion and is pressed by the bracing means.

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