JP7704561B2 - Wearable training device, control method for wearable training device, and program therefor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wearable training device, a control method for the wearable training device, and a program therefor.

In modern times, chronic lack of exercise and walking has led to a decline in muscle strength and various associated problems. In order to maintain muscle strength, it is necessary to apply an appropriate load to the muscles on a daily basis, but in modern life, the muscles involved in walking are often not loaded sufficiently, which results in a decline in lower limb muscle strength with age, leading to a decline in walking function and the onset of various diseases.

For example, among the lower limb muscles, weakness is particularly problematic for the iliopsoas and adductor muscles. Both are large muscles involved in hip joint movement, with the iliopsoas contributing greatly to hip joint flexion and the adductor muscles contributing greatly to hip joint adduction. They are antagonistic to the gluteal muscles, but compared to the gluteal muscles, which are used more frequently in daily life, they tend to be weaker more easily. Of these, weakness in the iliopsoas leads to a reduced stride length and is the main cause of impaired walking function, while weakness in the adductor muscles can induce external rotation of the hip joint while walking (the so-called "bow-legged" posture).

Conventionally, there are known training devices that can effectively apply a load to the iliopsoas muscle and can effectively train the iliopsoas muscle in people of all ages, from children to the elderly, and even athletes. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a training device that includes a first attachment part that is attached at least above the greater trochanter, a second attachment part that is fixed to the thigh, and a load generating means that is placed between the first attachment part and the second attachment part, and that is characterized in that the load generating means applies a load when the leg is lowered forward.

JP 2020-81305 A

However, while the training device described in Patent Document 1 can effectively train the iliopsoas muscle if the wearer wears it in the correct position, there are problems in that the wearer may not be able to wear it in the appropriate position, or the training device may move from the appropriate position during use, resulting in insufficient effectiveness.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and has as its main objective the provision of a wearable training device that makes it possible to confirm that it is being worn in the appropriate position. It also aims to provide a control method and program for a wearable training device that makes it possible to confirm that it is being worn in the appropriate position.

The present invention employs the following means to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned objectives.

The wearable training device of the present invention comprises:
A wearable training device that is worn and used by a wearer,
A waist attachment part that is attached to the waist of the wearer;
A leg attachment part to be attached to the leg of the wearer;
an arm portion that rotatably connects the waist attachment portion and the leg attachment portion;
a load generating unit that generates a load on the wearer's leg when the arm unit rotates;
A waist attachment part angle measuring sensor that measures a mounting angle of the waist attachment part and outputs waist attachment part angle information including the mounting angle;
The present invention is characterized in that it comprises
It is something.

This wearable training device is equipped with a waist attachment section that is attached to the waist of the wearer and a leg attachment section that is attached to the legs of the wearer. The waist attachment section and the leg attachment section are rotatably connected by an arm section, so that the arm section rotates when the wearer walks or runs. At this time, a load generating section is provided that generates a load on the wearer's legs as the arm section rotates, so that a load is generated on the wearer's legs as the arm section rotates. In this way, a load can be selectively applied to the adductor muscle group, allowing the adductor muscle group to be selectively trained.

In addition, since this wearable training device is equipped with a waist attachment part angle measurement sensor that measures the attachment angle of the waist attachment part and outputs waist attachment part angle information including the attachment angle, the attachment angle of the waist attachment part can be measured by measuring the attachment angle of the waist attachment part. At this time, since it is known that the most efficient training is possible when the waist attachment part is attached parallel to the sacrum, by measuring the attachment angle of the waist attachment part, it is possible to check whether the wearable training device is attached properly.

This control method for wearable training equipment includes a normal angle information storage means for storing information including normal angle information, which is the normal wearing angle range when the waist attachment part is attached properly, and a wearing angle determination means for determining whether the wearing angle is within the normal wearing angle range. Therefore, by comparing the wearing angle with the normal wearing angle range stored in advance, it is possible to determine whether the waist attachment part is attached in an appropriate position.

In the wearable training device of the present invention employing this aspect, the wearing angle determination means may be characterized in that, when the wearer is in a stationary state, it determines whether or not the wearing angle measured by the wearing part measurement sensor is within the normal wearing angle range. By doing so, it is possible to determine whether or not the position of the waist attachment part can be moved from the initial position when the wearer is not walking, etc., and, if the waist attachment part has moved, it is possible to prompt the wearer to move the waist attachment part to an appropriate position in a safe state where the wearer is not walking, etc.

The wearable training device of the present invention may be characterized by comprising an arm angle measuring sensor that measures the rotation angle of the arm and outputs arm angle information including the rotation angle, and a maximum load angle calculation means that calculates the rotation angle at which the load is maximum based on the arm angle information. It is known that applying a load when the leg is at a predetermined hip joint angle is effective for efficiently training muscles, so the hip joint angle at which the load is maximum can be calculated by calculating the rotation angle at which the load is maximum. In this case, the load is maximized when the hip joint angle corresponds to the state in which the hip joint is fully extended, so that the muscle can be efficiently trained. Note that the hip joint angle here means the angle that the tip of the leg makes with the vertical direction from the base of the leg.

The wearable training device of the present invention may be characterized in that it includes a load generating unit angle measuring sensor that measures the angle of the load generating unit and outputs load generating unit angle information including the angle of the load generating unit, and the maximum load amount angle calculation means calculates the rotation angle at which the load amount is maximum based on the load generating unit angle information and the arm unit angle information. In this way, even if the mounting position changes for some reason, the change in the mounting position can be measured by measuring the angle of the load generating unit, so that even if the mounting position changes, the load amount can be maximized at the hip joint angle corresponding to the state in which the hip joint is fully extended, thereby allowing muscles to be trained efficiently.

The method for controlling a wearable training tool of the present invention includes the steps of:
A control method for a wearable training tool including a waist attachment part attached to the waist of a wearer, a leg attachment part attached to the legs of the wearer, an arm part rotatably connecting the waist attachment part and the leg attachment part, a load generating part generating a load on the legs of the wearer when the arm part rotates, and a waist attachment part angle measuring sensor measuring an attachment angle of the waist attachment part and outputting waist attachment part angle information including the attachment angle,
a mounting angle determination step of determining whether the mounting angle is within the normal mounting angle range;
Characterized in that it comprises
It is something.

The program of the present invention is a program for causing one or more computers to execute each step of the control method for a wearable training device. This program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a hard disk, ROM, CD, DVD, flash memory, etc.), or may be transmitted from one computer to another via a transmission medium (a communication network such as the Internet or a wired/wireless LAN), or may be transmitted in any other form. In addition, even if the program is executed by a device that executes each step of the control method, the device on which the program is executed may be different from the device on which the processing is performed. In either case, by executing this program on one computer or by having multiple computers share and execute each step, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the control method described above.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outline of the configuration of a wearable training device 20. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical connections of the wearable training device 20. FIG. 3 is a side view showing an outline of the internal structure of the load generating unit 30. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing an outline of the internal structure of the load generating unit 30. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the hip joint angle. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a mounting status determination process routine. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the change in hip joint angle and the change in load in the forward direction. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between changes in hip joint angle and changes in lateral load. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing another example of the mounting status determination process routine.

Next, a wearable training device 20 will be described in detail as an example of an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiments and drawings described below are intended to illustrate some of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to be used to limit the present invention to these configurations. Appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In each drawing, corresponding components are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wearable training device 20, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, includes a waist attachment section 22 that is attached to the waist of a wearer and has a waist attachment section angle measurement sensor 23 (see FIG. 2) that measures the attachment angle when attached to the waist of the wearer, a right leg attachment section 24a that is attached to the right leg of the wearer and a left leg attachment section 24b that is attached to the left leg of the wearer (hereinafter also referred to as "leg attachment section 24"); a right arm section 26a that rotatably connects the waist attachment section 22 and the right leg attachment section 24a and a left arm section 26b that rotatably connects the waist attachment section 22 and the left leg attachment section 24b (hereinafter also referred to as "arm section 26"); and a right arm section 26b that rotatably connects the waist attachment section 22 and the left leg attachment section 24b. The wearable training device 20 is equipped with a load generating unit 30 having a left arm angle measuring sensor 27b (see FIG. 2, hereinafter also referred to as "arm angle measuring sensor 27") that measures the angles of the left arm angle measuring sensor 27a and the left arm 26b, and a load generating unit angle measuring sensor 34 (see FIG. 2) that measures the angle with respect to the vertical direction (load generating unit angle), a control unit 50 (see FIG. 2) that receives information from various sensors such as the waist attachment angle measuring sensor 23, the arm angle measuring sensor 27, and the load generating unit angle measuring sensor 34 and outputs various control signals, and a speaker 60 (see FIG. 2) that emits a predetermined sound based on the control signal output from the control unit 50. This wearable training device 20 is used by attaching the waist attachment part 22 to the waist of the wearer and the leg attachment part 24 to the legs of the wearer. At this time, the device is equipped with a waist attachment angle measurement sensor 23 that measures the attachment angle of the waist attachment part 22, so when the wearable training device 20 is worn by the wearer, the attachment angle of the waist attachment part 22 is measured, making it possible to determine whether the waist attachment part 22 is attached in the appropriate position.

The waist attachment part 22 is a member for attaching the wearable training device 20 to the waist of the wearer. When the waist attachment part 22 is attached to the waist of the wearer, the waist attachment part 22 is positioned parallel to the wearer's sacrum, so that the waist attachment part 22 is positioned appropriately for the wearer and can efficiently apply a load to the iliopsoas and adductor muscles. The waist attachment part 22 may be, for example, in the shape of a belt, in the shape of clothing such as spats, or in the shape of a fixture fixed to clothing. There are no particular limitations on the shape as long as it can be attached to the waist of the wearer, regardless of the shape.

As shown in FIG. 2, a waist attachment part angle measuring sensor 23 is attached to the waist attachment part 22 to measure the angle of the waist attachment part 22. This waist attachment part angle measuring sensor 23 is a known sensor that includes an acceleration sensor, and outputs waist attachment part angle information including the angle to the control unit 50. Since this waist attachment part angle measuring sensor 23 is attached in a position parallel to the waist attachment part 22, the angle of the waist attachment part 22 can be measured by calculating the angle of the waist attachment part angle measuring sensor 23 from the detected gravitational acceleration.

As shown in FIG. 1, the leg attachment part 24 is a member for attaching the wearable training device 20 to the wearer's legs, and is rotatably connected to the waist attachment part 22 and the arm part 26. The leg attachment part 24 is, for example, a belt-shaped member that can be wrapped around the leg fixed to one end of the arm part 26. It is more preferable that the leg attachment part 24 is attached to the wearer's leg, below the thigh and above the knee. This makes it possible to efficiently apply a load to the iliopsoas muscle and adductor muscles.

The arm section 26 is a member that rotatably connects the waist attachment section 22 and the leg attachment section 24, and when worn by the wearer, it rotatably connects the waist attachment section 22 and the leg attachment section 24. Therefore, when the wearer's legs move due to the wearer's walking, etc., the leg attachment section 24 moves with the movement of the wearer's legs, and the arm section 26 rotates with the movement of the leg attachment section 24. The arm section 26 is a band-shaped member made of an elastic material such as a flat metal or resin. By doing so, when the wearable training device 20 is worn inside clothing such as trousers, the arm section 26 is difficult to see from the outside of the clothing, etc., and it is difficult for people around to see that the wearable training device 20 is being worn. In addition, because the arm portion 26 is a band-shaped member made of an elastic material, even if a strong force is applied to the arm portion 26 due to the wearer losing balance, or if the load of the load generating portion is too strong, the elasticity of the arm portion 26 will absorb some of the force, thereby reducing the possibility of damage to the wearable training device 20. In this case, by making the surface parallel to the wearer into a flat plate shape with a larger area than the surface approximately perpendicular to the wearer, the side toward the side of the wearer has greater rigidity than the side in the direction of the wearer's forward movement, and the adductor muscles can be efficiently loaded.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, when the arm section 26 is worn by the wearer, a rotating body 28 that rotates with the rotation of the arm section 26 is provided on the wearer's side at a position facing a protrusion 40a (described later) provided on the guide section 40, in a state of abutment against the surface of the guide section 40. Therefore, when the arm section 26 rotates, the rotating body 28 smoothly guides it along the surface of the guide section 40, and the arm section 26 moves in the protruding direction (the direction away from the wearer when worn by the wearer) as the protrusion 40a protrudes. This allows a load to be applied in the direction away from the wearer, and the adductor muscles can be selectively trained.

2, the right arm 26a is provided with a right arm angle measurement sensor 27a for measuring the angle of the right arm 26a, and the left arm 26b is provided with a left arm angle measurement sensor 27b for measuring the angle of the left arm 26b. The arm angle measurement sensor 27 is a known sensor including an acceleration sensor, and outputs arm angle information including the angle of the arm 26 to the control unit 50. The arm angle measurement sensor 27 can be any of a variety of sensors capable of measuring the angle of the arm 26, and may be, for example, an acceleration sensor attached to the arm 26, or a motion sensor attached to the waist attachment 22 for detecting the movement of the arm 26.

As shown in FIG. 1, the load generating unit 30 is located on the side of the waist attachment unit 22, and is a member that applies a load to the arm unit 26 as the arm unit 26 rotates when the leg attachment unit 24 attached to the wearer's leg moves due to the wearer walking, etc. At this time, the load generating unit 30 applies a load in each of the directions of the leg's forward movement, the opposite direction to the forward movement, and the lateral direction of the leg. In this way, a load can be applied to the leg according to the wearer's walking state, etc., and the iliopsoas muscle and adductor muscles can be trained.

3 and 4, the load generating unit 30 includes a cam 32 that rotates with the rotation of the arm 26, a load generating unit angle measuring sensor 34 that measures the angle of the load generating unit 30 (see FIG. 2), and a guide unit 40 having a protruding portion 40a that protrudes to the side when worn by the wearer. When the wearer walks or the like, the load generating unit 30 rotates the arm 26 with the movement of the leg attachment unit 24 when the hip joint angle changes with walking, etc., and the cam 32 rotates with the rotation of the arm 26. The cam 32 is a plate cam with an outer peripheral surface consisting of an arc having a peripheral surface whose distance from the cam rotation axis 32a varies depending on the position of the peripheral surface, and is pressed by the elastic body 34, so that a load according to the hip joint angle of the wearer can be applied to the direction of travel and the opposite direction of travel, and the iliopsoas muscle can be efficiently trained. Note that here, "hip joint angle" refers to the angle of leg B (α in FIG. 5) with respect to vertical direction A, as shown in FIG. 5, and is an angle calculated by adding the load generating part angle measured by load generating part angle measuring sensor 34 to the angle of arm 26 measured by arm angle measuring sensor 27. This hip joint angle is positive when leg B is positioned in the direction of travel (front side), and negative when it is positioned in the opposite direction to the direction of travel (back side).

Here, the load generating unit angle measuring sensor 34 is a known sensor including an acceleration sensor, and outputs load generating unit angle information including the angle of the load generating unit 30 to the control unit 50. This load generating unit angle measuring sensor 34 is attached approximately vertically to the underside of the load generating unit 30, and the angle of the load generating unit 30 relative to the vertical direction can be calculated by calculating the angle of the load generating unit angle measuring sensor 34 (angle relative to the vertical direction) based on the gravitational acceleration included in the load generating unit angle information. At this time, the load generating unit angle measuring sensor 34 can use various sensors that can measure the angle of the load generating unit 30 (load generating unit angle), and for example, an acceleration sensor can be used.

Here, the shape of the cam 32 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the cam 32 is a plate cam with an outer circumferential surface formed of a circular arc with a circumferential surface whose distance from the cam rotation axis 32a varies depending on the position on the circumferential surface. By doing so, when the cam 32 rotates, the load increases at a position where the rate of change (mm/°) at which the distance from the center to the outer circumferential surface increases for a certain angle, and decreases at a position where the rate of change (mm/°) at which the distance from the center to the outer circumferential surface decreases for a certain angle change. Therefore, when the cam 32 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the arm portion 26, the load on the legs (load in the forward direction and in the opposite direction to the forward direction when worn by the wearer) can be adjusted according to the hip joint angle depending on the rotation angle of the cam 32.

As shown in FIG. 7, the load in the direction opposite to the wearer's direction of travel is preferably applied when the wearer's hip joint angle is between 0° and -30°, and more preferably between -10° and -20°. In other words, it is preferable to apply the largest load in the direction of travel when the leg is positioned behind the body. This makes it possible to train the psoas muscle efficiently. When the hip joint angle is positive, the load is applied in the direction of hip joint flexion, so that the wearer's walking is subjected to a negative load, that is, a force in the direction that assists walking. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between load and hip joint angle, where the vertical axis shows the load (N) in the front-back direction with the hip joint flexion direction being positive, and the horizontal axis shows the hip joint angle (°).

Here, a method for measuring the amount of load generated in the load generating unit 30 in the direction opposite to the direction of travel will be described. The load generated in the load generating unit 30 in the direction opposite to the direction of travel is generated by the cam 32 having an outer peripheral surface made of edges with a peripheral surface whose distance from the cam rotation axis 32a varies depending on the position on the peripheral surface, rotating as the arm unit 26 rotates. Therefore, the rotation angle of the arm unit 26 and the amount of load generated in the load generating unit 30 in the direction opposite to the direction of travel are uniquely determined by the rotation angle of the arm unit 26. Therefore, by storing the relationship between the rotation angle of the arm unit 26 and the amount of load in the load generating unit 30 in advance in the ROM 52, the amount of load generated in the load generating unit 30 in the direction opposite to the direction of travel can be calculated by measuring the rotation angle of the arm unit 26 with the arm unit angle measurement sensor 27.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the guide unit 40 is a plate-like member having a protruding portion 40a that curves and protrudes toward the arm unit 26 at a position that is rearward of the wearer when worn by the wearer (a position that is rearward of the center of the guide unit 40 when worn by the wearer). A rotating body 28 provided on the inner surface (the surface facing the wearer) of the arm unit 26 is located at a position opposite to this protruding portion 40a. In this way, when the wearer's leg is positioned rearward, it moves along the side of the guide unit 40 as the arm unit 26 rotates, and is guided in a direction away from the wearer along the curve of the protruding portion 40a, so that an outward load can be applied to the leg, and the adductor muscles can be trained efficiently.

As shown in FIG. 8, the load applied to the wearer in the lateral direction is preferably the largest when the wearer's hip joint angle is between -10° and -20°, i.e., when the legs are positioned behind the body, in the direction away from the wearer. This makes it possible to train the adductor muscles efficiently. Note that FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between load and hip joint angle, with the vertical axis showing the load (N) in the front-to-back direction with the hip joint flexion direction being positive, and the horizontal axis showing the hip joint angle (°).

Here, a method for measuring the amount of load in the lateral direction generated by the load generating unit 30 will be described. The load generated in the lateral direction (away from the wearer) by the load generating unit 30 occurs when the arm unit 26 moves in the lateral direction as the protrusion 40a protrudes when the arm unit 26 rotates, and therefore the rotation angle of the arm unit 26 and the amount of load in the lateral direction generated by the load generating unit 30 are uniquely determined by the rotation angle of the arm unit 26. Therefore, by storing the relationship between the rotation angle of the arm unit 26 and the load amount in the lateral direction in the ROM 52 in advance, the amount of load in the lateral direction generated by the load generating unit 30 can be calculated by measuring the rotation angle of the arm unit 26 with the arm unit angle measurement sensor 27.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 50 (corresponding to the mounting angle determination means and maximum load angle calculation means of the present invention) is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU 51, and includes a mounting status determination program that determines the mounting status of the wearable training device 20 based on the waist mounting part angle information output from the waist mounting part angle measurement sensor 23, the arm part angle information output from the arm part angle measurement sensor 27, the load generating part angle information output from the load generating part angle measurement sensor 34, etc., a ROM 52 (corresponding to the normal mounting angle information storage means of the present invention) in which various information is stored, a RAM 53 that temporarily stores the waist mounting part angle information, arm part angle information, load generating part angle information, etc., and an interface 54 (hereinafter referred to as "I/F 54") that transmits and receives various signals between the waist mounting part angle measurement sensor 23, the arm part angle measurement sensor 27, the load generating part angle measurement sensor 34, the speaker 60, etc., which are electrically connected via a bus 55. This control unit 50 determines the wearing state based on waist attachment angle information, arm angle information, etc., and notifies the wearer of information regarding the wearing state of the wearable training device 20. In this way, the wearer can understand the wearing state of the wearable training device 20, and therefore the training efficiency of the wearable training device 20 can be maintained high.

Here, the operation for determining the wearing status of the wearable training device 20 will be described using an example of a wearing status determination processing routine executed by the control unit 50. As shown in FIG. 6, when a power button (not shown) is pressed and power is supplied to the wearable training device 20 and the wearer starts walking, the CPU 51 reads out the wearing status determination processing routine stored in the ROM 52 and repeatedly executes this wearing status determination processing routine. Here, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the wearing status determination processing routine. When a power button (not shown) is pressed and power is supplied to the wearable training device 20, power is supplied to the waist attachment angle measurement sensor 23 and the arm angle measurement sensor 27, and waist attachment angle information, arm angle information, and load generation section angle information are sequentially output to the control unit 50.

When the wearing status determination process routine is executed, the CPU 51 calculates the wearing angle of the waist attachment part 22 based on the waist attachment part angle information (step S110). The waist attachment part angle measurement sensor 23, which outputs the waist attachment part angle information, is attached at a position parallel to the wearing surface of the waist attachment part 22, so that the wearing angle of the waist attachment part 22 can be calculated by calculating the angle of the waist attachment part angle measurement sensor 23 based on the gravitational acceleration included in the waist attachment part angle information. At this time, since the wearing surface of the waist attachment part is a surface that is approximately parallel to the pelvis (sacrum), the angle of the pelvis (sacrum) can be measured by the waist attachment part angle measurement sensor 23.

Next, the CPU 51 reads out normal mounting angle information including the mounting angle when the waist mounting unit 22 is correctly mounted from the ROM 52, compares the mounting angle when correctly mounted included in the normal mounting angle information with the mounting angle of the waist mounting unit 22 calculated in step S110 (step S120), and if it is determined that the angle is not within the same angle range, outputs an incompatible signal to the speaker 60 (step S130), notifies the wearer that the waist mounting unit 22 is not correctly mounted, and ends this routine. In this way, the wearer can recognize that the waist mounting unit 22 is not correctly mounted, and can be prompted to mount the waist mounting unit 22 in the correct mounting position. Note that "within the same angle range" here means that the mounting angle of the waist mounting unit 22 calculated in step S110 is the same as the mounting angle when correctly mounted included in the initial posture information or is within a predetermined range (for example, the difference from the mounting angle when correctly mounted is within 5°).

On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines in step S120 that the angle is within the same angle range, it calculates the maximum torque angle (step S140). Specifically, for example, the load amount in the lateral direction and the direction opposite to the traveling direction corresponding to the angle of the arm unit 26 is read from the load amount table stored in the ROM 52 for each angle of the arm unit 26 included in the arm unit angle information output from the arm unit angle measurement sensor 27, and temporarily stored in the RAM 53 as the load amount. Next, the angle obtained by adding the angle of the load generating unit 30 measured by the load generating unit angle measurement sensor 34 to the angle of the arm unit 26 at which the load amount value is maximum is temporarily stored in the RAM 53 as the maximum torque angle, thereby calculating the maximum torque angle. In this way, the angle of the arm unit 26 when the load amount is maximum can be calculated as the maximum torque angle.

Then, the CPU 51 determines whether the maximum torque angle calculated in step S140 is the angle at which the hip joint is fully extended (step S150), and if it determines that the angle is not the angle at which the hip joint is fully extended, it outputs an inappropriate signal to the speaker 60 (step S130), notifies the wearer that the load state is not optimal, and ends this routine. In this way, the wearer can recognize that the training efficiency is not appropriate for some reason, and can have an opportunity to correct it. At this time, by using the angle obtained by adding the angle measured by the load generating part angle measuring sensor 34 to the angle of the arm part 26, the hip joint angle can always be measured even if, for example, the position of the wearable training device 20 is shifted during use. In other words, the angle at which the hip joint is fully extended can be calculated even if the position of the wearable training device 20 is shifted.

On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines in step S150 that the maximum torque angle is the angle at which the hip joint is fully extended, it calculates the mounting angle of the waist mounting part 22 based on the waist mounting part angle information (step S160), reads out pre-stored normal posture range information from the ROM 52, and determines whether the mounting angle calculated in step S160 is within the normal posture range (step S170). Specifically, it determines whether the mounting angle calculated in step S160 is 9° or more and 15° or less. Since the waist mounting part 22 is mounted in a position parallel to the sacrum, this mounting angle corresponds to the angle between the plane on the back side of the sacrum and a plane perpendicular to the sacrum. If this angle is less than 9°, this is undesirable because it results in a backward tilting posture, and if this angle is greater than 15°, this is undesirable because it results in a forward tilting posture.

Next, if the CPU 51 determines in step S170 that the wearing angle is not within the normal posture range, it outputs an incompatible signal to the speaker 60 (step S130), notifies the wearer that the posture is leaning forward or backward, and ends this routine. This allows the wearer to recognize that their walking posture is not correct, and encourages them to improve their walking posture.

On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines in step S170 that the wearing angle is within the normal posture range, it determines whether the wearer is standing still (step S180), and if it determines that the wearer is not standing still, it executes step S150 again. In this way, steps S150 to S170 are repeatedly executed until the maximum torque is no longer obtained when the hip joint is fully extended.

Here, the determination step (step S180) for determining whether the wearer is standing still will be specifically described. As a method for determining whether the wearer is standing still, for example, the wearer may be determined to be standing still when the angle of the arm unit 26 included in the arm unit angle information is 0° or within a predetermined range from 0° (e.g., between -5° and 5°), or the wearer may be determined to be standing still when the arm unit angle included in the angle information of the arm unit 26 or the waist angle included in the waist mounting unit angle information does not change for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 second). Either method can determine that the wearer is standing still.

On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines in step S180 that the wearer is standing still, this routine ends. In such a case, the waist-mounted section 22 does not shift position from the time the wearer starts walking until the wearer stops, and the torque is at its maximum when the hip joint is fully extended, providing an optimal training effect. This means that the wearer is using the wearable training device 20 appropriately, and there is no need to notify the wearer of any information.

Next, another example of the wearing status determination process routine executed by the control unit 50 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, when the power button (not shown) is pressed and the wearer starts walking with power being supplied to the wearable training device 20, the CPU 51 reads out the wearing status determination process routine stored in the ROM 52 and repeatedly executes the wearing status determination process routine of this other embodiment. Note that here, FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing another example of the wearing status determination process routine. Note that when the power button (not shown) is pressed and power is supplied to the wearable training device 20, power is supplied to the waist attachment angle measurement sensor 23 and the arm angle measurement sensor 27, and waist attachment angle information and arm angle information are sequentially output to the control unit 50, respectively.

When the wearing status determination process routine is executed, the CPU 51 calculates the wearing angle of the waist attachment part 22 based on the waist attachment part angle information (step S210). The waist attachment part angle measurement sensor 23, which outputs the waist attachment part angle information, is attached at a position that is parallel to the wearing surface of the waist attachment part 22. Therefore, the wearing angle of the waist attachment part 22 can be calculated by calculating the angle of the waist attachment part angle measurement sensor 23 based on the gravitational acceleration included in the waist attachment part angle information.

Next, the CPU 51 reads out normal mounting angle information including the mounting angle when the waist mounting unit 22 is correctly mounted from the ROM 52, compares the mounting angle when correctly mounted included in the normal mounting angle information with the mounting angle of the waist mounting unit 22 calculated in step S210 (step S220), and if it is determined that the angle is not within the same angle range, outputs an incompatible signal to the speaker 60 (step S230), notifies the wearer that the waist mounting unit 22 is not correctly mounted, and ends this routine. By doing so, the wearer can perceive that the waist mounting unit 22 is not correctly mounted, and can be prompted to mount the waist mounting unit 22 in the correct mounting position. Here, "within the same angle range" means that the mounting angle of the waist mounting unit 22 calculated in step S210 is the same as the mounting angle when correctly mounted included in the initial posture information or is within a predetermined range (for example, the difference from the mounting angle when correctly mounted is within 5°). In addition, the waist attachment section 22 is preferably fixed in a position parallel to the sacrum, and is preferably in a position where the angle between the plane on the back side of the sacrum and a plane perpendicular to the sacrum is 9° to 15°. Therefore, when attached correctly, the attachment angle is preferably 9° to 15°.

On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines in step S220 that the angle is within the same angle range, it calculates the maximum torque angle (step S240). Specifically, for example, the load amount in the lateral direction and the direction opposite to the traveling direction corresponding to the angle of the arm unit 26 is read from a load amount table stored in the ROM 52 for each angle of the arm unit 26 included in the arm unit angle information output from the arm unit angle measurement sensor 27, and temporarily stored as the load amount in the RAM 53. Next, the angle of the arm unit 26 at which this load amount value is maximum is temporarily stored in the RAM 53 as the maximum torque angle, thereby calculating the maximum torque angle. In this way, the angle of the arm unit when the load amount is maximum can be calculated as the maximum torque angle.

The CPU 51 then determines whether the maximum torque angle calculated in step S240 is the angle at which the hip joint is fully extended (step S250), and if it determines that it is not the angle at which the hip joint is fully extended, it outputs an inappropriate signal to the speaker 60 (step S230), notifying the wearer that the load condition is not optimal, and ends this routine. This allows the wearer to recognize that the training efficiency is not appropriate for some reason, and provides an opportunity to correct it. Since the angle of the arm portion corresponds to the hip joint angle, when the angle of the arm portion is at its smallest value, the hip joint is in a fully extended state. Therefore, the angle at which the hip joint is fully extended can be derived from the angle of the arm portion.

On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines in step S240 that the maximum torque angle is the angle at which the hip joint is fully extended, it determines whether the wearer is standing still (step S260), and if it determines that the wearer is not standing still, it executes step S240 again. In this way, step S240 is repeatedly executed until the maximum torque is no longer obtained at the time of full hip joint extension.

Here, the determination step (step S260) for determining whether the wearer is standing still will be specifically described. As a method for determining whether the wearer is standing still, for example, the wearer may be determined to be standing still when the angle of the arm unit 26 included in the arm unit angle information is 0° or is within a predetermined range from 0° (e.g., between -5° and 5°), or the wearer may be determined to be standing still when the angle of the arm unit 26 included in the arm unit angle information or the waist angle included in the waist mounting unit angle information does not change for a predetermined time period (e.g., 1 second). Either method can determine that the wearer is standing still.

On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines in step S260 that the wearer is standing still, the CPU 51 calculates the mounting angle of the waist attachment part 22 based on the waist attachment part angle information (step S270), compares the mounting angle of the waist attachment part 22 calculated in step S210 with the mounting angle when correctly attached, which is included in the normal mounting angle information (step S280), and if it determines that they are not within the same angle range, outputs an incompatible signal to the speaker 60 (step S230) and ends this routine. In this way, it is possible to notify the wearer of a positional deviation of the waist attachment part 22 when the wearer is standing still, and to notify the wearer of a positional deviation when the wearer is standing still and in a safe state. In other words, by notifying the wearer of a positional deviation while the wearer is walking, it is possible to reduce the possibility of disturbing the wearer's walking rhythm in advance.

On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines in step S280 that the angles are within the same range, this routine ends. In such a case, the waist-mounted section 22 does not shift position from the start of walking to the end of walking, and the torque is at its maximum when the hip joint is fully extended, providing an optimal training effect. This means that the wearer is using the wearable training device 20 appropriately, and there is no need to notify the wearer of any information.

According to the embodiment of the wearable training device 20 described above in detail, when the wearer wears the waist attachment part 22 on the waist and the leg attachment part 24 on the leg, and walks or the like, the leg attachment part 24 moves away from the wearer as the arm part 26 rotates with walking or the cams 32, which have different distances from the cam rotation shaft 32a to the periphery, rotate, and apply a load in the outward direction to the wearer's leg. At this time, since the waist attachment part angle measurement sensor 23 that measures the attachment angle of the waist attachment part 22 is provided, the attachment angle of the waist attachment part 22 can be measured by measuring the attachment angle of the waist attachment part 22. Since it is known that the most efficient training is possible when the waist attachment part 22 is attached parallel to the sacrum, it is possible to check whether the wearable training device is attached properly by measuring the attachment angle of the waist attachment part 22.

In addition, in step S120 or step S220, by comparing the attachment angle when correctly attached, which is included in the normal attachment angle information stored in advance, with the attachment angle of the waist attachment unit 22 calculated in step S110 or step S210, it is possible to determine whether the waist attachment unit 22 is attached in an appropriate position.

Furthermore, since step S280 is executed when it is determined in step S260 that the wearer is standing still, by determining whether the position of the waist-mounted part can be moved from the initial position when the wearer is not walking, etc., if the waist-mounted part has moved, the wearer can be prompted to move the waist-mounted part to an appropriate position in a safe state where the wearer is not walking, etc.

Furthermore, in step S240, the maximum torque angle is calculated based on the arm attachment angle information output from the arm angle measurement sensor 27, and in step S250, it is determined whether the maximum torque angle is at the maximum hip joint extension, thereby providing maximum load at the optimal position for training and enabling efficient muscle training.

Then, in step S150, the maximum torque angle is calculated based on the angle obtained by adding the angle measured by the load generating part angle measuring sensor 34 to the angle of the arm part 26 at which the load value is maximum. By measuring the angle of the load generating part, the change in the position of the device can be measured. Therefore, the angle at which the load is maximum when the hip joint angle corresponds to the state in which the hip joint is fully extended can be measured without being affected by position changes, and muscles can be trained efficiently.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the guide unit 40 is a plate-shaped member having a protruding portion 40a that curves and protrudes toward the arm unit 26 at a position behind the wearer, and the arm unit 26 moves along the curve of the side of the guide unit 40 as the rotating body 28 provided on the arm unit 26 rotates. However, the shape of the guide unit 40 is not limited to this as long as it has a structure that can guide the arm unit 26 in the outward direction. For example, the curved side of the guide unit 40 may have a guide structure such as a groove or rail, the guide unit 40 may be provided with a rotating body and the arm unit 26 may have a guide structure, or the rotating body 28 may be a cam having an outer peripheral surface consisting of an arc with a peripheral surface whose distance from the cam rotation axis varies depending on the position on the peripheral surface. In any case, the same effect as the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

In the embodiment described above, in step S130, the inappropriate signal is output to the speaker 60, but the output destination of the inappropriate signal is not limited to the speaker 60 as long as it is an alarm means. For example, the inappropriate signal may be output to a display or the like to alarm, or the inappropriate signal may be output to a mobile communication terminal to alarm the mobile communication terminal. In either case, the same effect as in the embodiment described above can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, the waist attachment part 22 is attached in a position that is approximately parallel to the sacrum, but a biasing member such as a spring may be provided to bias the waist attachment part 22 against the sacrum. In this way, the waist attachment part 22 is positioned in line with the sacrum, making it easier to position it in a more appropriate position.

In the above-described embodiment, the load amount is calculated by reading the load amount in the lateral direction and the direction opposite to the traveling direction corresponding to the angle of the arm unit 26 from the load amount table stored in the ROM 52 for each angle of the arm unit 26 included in the arm unit angle information output from the arm unit angle measurement sensor 27, but it is also possible to read only the load amount in either the lateral direction or the direction opposite to the traveling direction. In this case, the same effect as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, the load amount is calculated by reading out the load amount in the lateral direction and the direction opposite to the traveling direction corresponding to the angle of the arm unit 26 from a load amount table stored in ROM 52 for each angle of the arm unit 26 included in the arm unit angle information output from the arm unit angle measurement sensor 27. However, it is also possible to store in advance in ROM 52 a relational expression between the angle of the arm unit 26 and the load amount, and to calculate the load amount based on this relational expression and the angle of the arm unit 26, or to provide a separate load amount measurement sensor that measures the load amount. In either case, the same effect as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

As shown in the above-mentioned embodiment, it can be used in the training field, particularly as a training tool for the iliopsoas and adductor muscles.

20...wearable training device, 22...waist attachment section, 23...waist attachment section angle measurement sensor, 24...leg attachment section, 24a...right leg attachment section, 24b...left leg attachment section, 26...arm section, 26a...right arm section, 26b...left arm section, 27...arm section angle measurement sensor, 27a...right arm section angle measurement sensor, 27b...left arm section angle measurement sensor, 28...rotating body, 30...load generating section, 32...cam, 32a...cam rotating shaft, 34...load generating section angle measurement sensor, 40...guiding section, 40a...projection section, 50...control unit, 51...CPU, 52...ROM, 53...RAM, 54...interface, 55...bus, 60...speaker.

Claims (6)

A wearable training device that is worn and used by a wearer,
A waist attachment part that is attached to the waist of the wearer;
A leg attachment part to be attached to the leg of the wearer;
An arm portion that rotatably connects the leg attachment portion and the waist attachment portion;
a load generating unit that generates a load on the wearer's leg when the arm unit rotates;
A waist attachment part angle measuring sensor that measures a mounting angle of the waist attachment part and outputs waist attachment part angle information including the mounting angle;
A normal wearing angle information storage means for storing information including normal wearing angle information, which is a normal wearing angle range when the waist attachment unit is normally attached to the wearer;
a mounting angle determination means for determining whether or not the mounting angle measured by the waist mounting part angle measurement sensor is within the normal mounting angle range;
The present invention is characterized in that it comprises
Wearable training device. The mounting angle determination means is characterized in that, when the wearer is in a stationary state, the mounting angle measured by the waist mounting part angle measurement sensor is determined to be within the normal mounting angle range.
The wearable training device of claim 1 . The wearable training device according to claim 1 or 2,
The load generating unit applies a force to the legs when the legs of the wearer are positioned behind the body.
Wearable training device. The wearable training device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
the load generating portion includes a cam having an outer peripheral surface formed of a circular arc having a peripheral surface whose distance from a cam rotation axis varies depending on a position on the peripheral surface, and which rotates in association with the rotation of the arm portion .
Wearable training device. a waist attachment section that is attached to the waist of a wearer; a leg attachment section that is attached to the legs of the wearer; an arm section that rotatably connects the waist attachment section and the leg attachment section; a load generating section that generates a load on the legs of the wearer when the arm section rotates; a waist attachment section angle measuring sensor that measures the attachment angle of the waist attachment section and outputs waist attachment section angle information including the attachment angle; normal attachment angle information storage means that stores information including normal attachment angle information that is a normal attachment angle range when the waist attachment section is normally attached to the wearer; and attachment angle determination means that determines whether the attachment angle measured by the waist attachment section angle measuring sensor is within the normal attachment angle range ,
and an angle determination step of comparing the wearing angle measured by the waist mounting part angle measurement sensor with the normal wearing angle information and determining whether the wearing angle is within the normal wearing angle range.
A method for controlling a wearable training device. A program for executing the control method for the wearable training device according to claim 5 on one or more computers.

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