Walking aid device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a walking assistance device. The walking assistance device includes a waist attachment portion attached to a waist, a left knee attachment portion attached to a left knee, and a left leg line capable of being stretched and contracted, which connects the waist attachment portion and the left knee attachment portion and extends along a front surface of a thigh. An action of the thigh to swing forward is assisted by an elastic restoring force of the left leg line. The waist attachment portion includes a line guide extending along an outer circumference of the waist. The left leg line extends from the left knee attachment portion toward the waist attachment portion, is guided and extends along the line guide, and is selectively anchored to two or more anchor portions separated from each other in a longitudinal direction of the line guide.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a walking assistance device. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent No. 6889187 (JP 6889187B) discloses a technique that uses a flexible belt to connect a waist belt and a thigh support to assist in the forward swinging motion of the thigh. Summary of the Invention

[0003] However, with the construction of JP 6889187B, it is difficult to adjust the assist force for the forward swinging motion of the thigh.

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a technique for adjusting the assisting force in the forward swinging motion of the thigh using a simple construction.

[0005] According to the present disclosure, a walking assistance device is provided, comprising: a lumbar attachment attached to the lumbar region; a knee attachment attached to the knee region; and a retractable wire connecting the lumbar attachment and the knee attachment, extending along the front surface of the thigh, wherein the walking assistance device assists the forward swinging motion of the thigh by the elastic restoring force of the wire, wherein the lumbar attachment includes a wire guide extending along the outer periphery of the lumbar region, and wherein the wire extends from the knee attachment toward the lumbar attachment, is guided by the wire guide, extends along the wire guide, and is selectively anchored to two or more anchoring portions separated from each other in the longitudinal direction of the wire guide.

[0006] Based on the above structure, the assist force for the forward swinging motion of the thigh can be adjusted using a simple design.

[0007] The two or more anchoring portions can be arranged on the front surface side of the waist. According to the above configuration, the line can be anchored to any one of the two or more anchoring portions.

[0008] The line guide may include a rear surface portion disposed on the rear surface side of the waist portion, and the line may extend through the rear surface portion to reach the two or more anchor portions. According to the above configuration, the total length of the line can be obtained.

[0009] An anchoring element thicker than the line can be attached to the line, and the line can be anchored to one of the two or more anchoring portions via the anchoring element. According to the above configuration, the anchoring operation of the line becomes easy.

[0010] A groove extending along the longitudinal direction of the line guide is formed in the line guide, and at least a portion of the anchor can be accommodated in the groove when the anchor is anchored to one of the two or more anchor portions. According to the above configuration, the walking aid is made inconspicuous due to its thinner profile.

[0011] The line guide includes a rear guide surface and a pair of front guide surfaces. The rear guide surface is disposed on the rear surface side of the waist section, and the pair of front guide surfaces are disposed on the front surface side of the waist section and are adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction of the waist section attachment. The pair of front guide surfaces can be oscillatingly attached to the rear guide surface and can be detached from each other. According to the above configuration, the line guide can be easily attached to the waist section by temporarily releasing the interconnection between the pair of front guide surfaces.

[0012] According to this disclosure, it is possible to adjust the assist force for the forward swinging motion of the thigh using a simple construction. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

[0014] Figure 1 This is a front view of a walking aid device;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a plan view of the waist attachment.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a plan view of the waist attachment.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a front view of the waist attachment; and

[0018] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the operating principle of a walking assistance device. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Now refer to Figures 1 to 5 Preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described.

[0020] Figure 1 A walking aid 1 is shown. The walking aid 1 is typically a device that assists in the forward swing of the thigh during walking. Furthermore, the walking aid 1 can assist in the forward swing of the thigh during running.

[0021] like Figure 1As shown, the walking assistance device 1 includes a waist attachment 2, a right knee attachment 3, a left knee attachment 4, a right leg line 5, and a left leg line 6. The right knee attachment 3 and the left knee attachment 4 are specific examples of knee attachments. The right leg line 5 and the left leg line 6 are specific examples of lines. When assisting only the left leg, the right knee attachment 3 and the right leg line 5 can be omitted, or when assisting only the right leg, the left knee attachment 4 and the left leg line 6 can be omitted.

[0022] The waist attachment 2 is configured to be worn on the waist W of the user U.

[0023] The right knee attachment 3 is configured to attach to the right knee KR of user U. The right leg line 5 is a retractable line connecting the waist attachment 2 and the right knee attachment 3, and extends along the front surface TR1 of the thigh TR of user U's right leg LR. The elastic restoring force of the right leg line 5 assists the forward swinging motion of the thigh TR of user U's right leg LR.

[0024] Similarly, the left knee attachment 4 is configured to attach to the left knee KL of the user U. The left leg line 6 is a retractable line connecting the waist attachment 2 and the left knee attachment 4, and extends along the front surface TL1 of the thigh TL of the user U's left leg LL. The elastic restoring force of the left leg line 6 assists the user U's left leg LL thigh TL in a forward swinging motion.

[0025] The following sections will describe in detail the lumbar attachment 2, the right knee attachment 3, the left knee attachment 4, the right leg line 5, and the left leg line 6.

[0026] Both the right leg line 5 and the left leg line 6 are made of a stretchable material. Stretchable materials are typically rubber ropes.

[0027] The right knee attachment 3 can be attached to and detached from the right knee KR without interfering with the flexion and extension movements of the right knee KR. The right knee attachment 3 is typically made of fabric. The right knee attachment 3 is equipped with, for example, hook and loop fasteners, allowing it to be easily attached to and detached from the right knee KR.

[0028] Similarly, the left knee attachment 4 can be attached to and detached from the left knee KL without interfering with the flexion and extension movements of the left knee KL. The left knee attachment 4 is typically made of fabric. By using, for example, hook-and-loop fasteners, the left knee attachment 4 can be easily attached to and detached from the left knee KL.

[0029] The waist attachment 2 includes a wrapping part 10 that wraps around the waist W, a line guide 11 that extends along the waist W, a right-bending guide 12, and a left-bending guide 13.

[0030] The wrapping part 10 is typically made of cloth. For example, by providing hook and loop fasteners, the wrapping part 10 can be easily attached to and removed from the waist W.

[0031] The wire guide 11 is supported by the winding portion 10 and has a ring shape in the plan view. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the line guide 11 includes a guide front surface portion 15 disposed on the front surface side of the waist W and a guide rear surface portion 16 disposed on the rear surface side of the waist W. The guide front surface portion 15 includes a right guide front surface portion 15R on the right leg side and a left guide front surface portion 15L on the left leg side. Figure 3 As shown, the front surface portion 15R of the right guide and the front surface portion 15L of the left guide can be detached and attached to each other via a connector 17 fixed to the front surface portion 15R of the right guide. The front surface portion 15R of the right guide is connected to the rear surface portion 16 of the guide to allow for swinging. The front surface portion 15L of the left guide is connected to the rear surface portion 16 of the guide to allow for swinging. The wire guide 11 is typically made of stainless steel or aluminum alloy.

[0032] Return to Figure 2 The rear surface portion 16 of the guide includes a guide hole 18 through which the right leg line 5 and the left leg line 6 pass. The guide hole 18 is formed to extend along the longitudinal direction of the rear surface portion 16 of the guide.

[0033] A guide groove 19 is formed on the front surface portion 15 of the guide. The guide groove 19 has a V-shaped cross-section and opens in a direction away from the waist W. The guide groove 19 has an outwardly opening V-shaped cross-section. Figure 4 As shown, a plurality of anchoring portions 20 are formed in the guide groove 19. The plurality of anchoring portions 20 is an example of two or more anchoring portions. Three anchoring portions 20R are formed on the front surface portion 15R of the right guide. Similarly, three anchoring portions 20L are formed on the front surface portion 15L of the left guide. The three anchoring portions 20R on the front surface portion 15R of the right guide are arranged separately from each other in the longitudinal direction of the line guide 11. Similarly, the three anchoring portions 20L on the front surface portion 15L of the left guide are arranged separately from each other in the longitudinal direction of the line guide 11. Figure 2 As shown, each anchoring part 20 is formed at the deepest part of the guide groove 19.

[0034] Return to Figure 1 The right bending guide 12 and the left bending guide 13 guide the right leg line 5 and the left leg line 6 to the line guide 11, respectively. The right bending guide 12 and the left bending guide 13 are arranged on the front surface side of the waist W.

[0035] In this embodiment, the right-bending guide 12 is a metal tube, typically an arc-shaped aluminum alloy tube, and is supported by the line guide 11. The right leg line 5, extending along the front surface TR1 of the thigh TR of the right leg LR, bends smoothly through the right-bending guide 12 and is guided to the guide groove 19 of the right guide front surface portion 15R of the line guide 11.

[0036] Similarly, the left-bending guide 13 is a metal tube, typically an aluminum alloy tube, which is curved and supported by the line guide 11. The left leg line 6, extending along the front surface TL1 of the thigh TL of the left leg LL, bends smoothly through the left-bending guide 13 and is guided to the guide groove 19 of the left guide front surface portion 15L of the line guide 11.

[0037] The right-bending guide 12 and the left-bending guide 13 can be, for example, pulleys, rather than tubes that are curved in an arc.

[0038] Using the above construction, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the right leg line 5 starts from the right knee attachment 3, extends along the front surface TR1 of the thigh TR of the right leg LR, and passes through the right curved guide 12 to be guided to the right guide front surface 15R of the line guide 11. The right leg line 5 passes sequentially through the guide groove 19 of the right guide front surface 15R and the guide hole 18 of the guide rear surface 16, and reaches the guide groove 19 of the left guide front surface 15L. Anchoring members 21R, capable of anchoring to each anchoring part 20, are attached to the end of the right leg line 5. The anchoring members 21R are thicker than the right leg line 5. Figure 4 As shown, the right leg line 5 connects the waist attachment 2 and the right knee attachment 3 to each other by anchoring the anchor 21R to one of the plurality of anchoring portions 20L arranged on the front surface portion 15L of the left guide. The initial tension of the right leg line 5 can be adjusted by selectively anchoring the anchor 21R to any one of the plurality of anchoring portions 20L. For example, when the anchor 21R is anchored to... Figure 4 When the anchor 20L closest to the connector 17 among the multiple anchoring portions 20L shown, the initial tension of the right leg line 5 increases. Conversely, when the anchor 21R is anchored to the anchor 20L furthest from the connector 17 among the multiple anchoring portions 20L, the initial tension of the right leg line 5 decreases.

[0039] Similarly, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the left leg line 6 starts from the left knee attachment 4, extends along the front surface TL1 of the thigh TL of the left leg LL, passes through the left curved guide 13, and is guided to the left guide front surface portion 15L of the line guide 11. The left leg line 6 passes sequentially through the guide groove 19 of the left guide front surface portion 15L and the guide hole 18 of the guide rear surface portion 16, and reaches the guide groove 19 of the right guide front surface portion 15R. Anchoring members 21L, capable of anchoring to each anchoring portion 20, are attached to the end of the left leg line 6. The anchoring members 21L are thicker than the left leg line 6. Figure 4 As shown, the left leg line 6 connects the waist attachment 2 and the left knee attachment 4 to each other by anchoring the anchor 21L to one of the plurality of anchoring portions 20R arranged on the front surface portion 15R of the right guide. The initial tension of the left leg line 6 can be adjusted by selectively anchoring the anchor 21L to any one of the plurality of anchoring portions 20R. For example, when the anchor 21L is anchored to... Figure 4 When the anchor portion 20R closest to the connector 17 among the multiple anchor portions 20R shown, the initial tension of the left leg line 6 increases. Conversely, when the anchor 21L is anchored to the anchor portion 20R furthest from the connector 17 among the multiple anchor portions 20R, the initial tension of the left leg line 6 decreases.

[0040] Figure 5 This illustrates how the elastic restoring force of the left leg line 6 assists the forward swinging motion of the left thigh TL along the left leg LL. (Example) Figure 5 As shown, when the left leg LL kicks backward during the standing phase of the left leg LL, the left leg line 6 is stretched and produces... Figure 5 The elastic restoring force F of the left leg line 6 is shown. This elastic restoring force F consists of a component force F1 pointing from the end 6a of the left leg line 6 on the left knee attachment 4 side towards the left hip joint and a component force F2 pointing forward from the end 6a (in the direction of the free leg swing). This component force F2 assists the forward swing of the thigh TL of the left leg LL during the swing phase. As described above, the walking assistance device 1 of this embodiment is configured to allow adjustment of the initial tension of the left leg line 6, and therefore to adjust the component force F2 (assistance force) that assists the forward swing of the thigh TL of the left leg LL.

[0041] For the same reason, the elastic restoring force of the right leg line 5 assists the forward swing of the thigh TR of the right leg LR. Since the walking assistance device 1 of this embodiment is configured such that the initial tension of the right leg line 5 can be adjusted, the component force F2 (assistance force) that assists the forward swing of the thigh TR of the right leg LR can be adjusted.

[0042] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These embodiments have the following features.

[0043] In other words, such as Figures 1 to 5As shown, the walking aid 1 includes a waist attachment 2 attached to the waist W, a left knee attachment 4 (knee attachment) attached to the left knee KL, and a retractable left leg line 6 (line) connecting the waist attachment 2 and the left knee attachment 4 and extending along the front surface TL1 of the thigh TL. The elastic restoring force F of the left leg line 6 assists the forward swinging motion of the thigh TL. The waist attachment 2 includes a line guide 11 extending along the outer periphery of the waist W. The left leg line 6 extends from the left knee attachment 4 toward the waist attachment 2, is guided by the line guide 11, extends along the line guide 11, and is selectively anchored to two or more anchoring portions 20R separated from each other in the longitudinal direction of the line guide 11. According to the above configuration, the component force F2 (assistance force) that assists the forward swinging motion of the thigh TL can be adjusted using a simple configuration.

[0044] The walking aid 1 further includes a right knee attachment 3 and a right leg line 5. For the same reasons as described above, the component force F2 (assistance force) of the forward swinging motion of the assisting thigh TR can be adjusted using a simple construction.

[0045] Two or more anchoring portions 20 are arranged on the front surface side of the waist section W. In this embodiment, the anchoring portions 20 are arranged on the front surface portion 15 of the guide. According to the above configuration, the left leg line 6 can be easily anchored to one of the two or more anchoring portions 20. This is because the anchoring operation can be visually observed.

[0046] The line guide 11 also includes a guide rear surface portion 16 disposed on the rear surface side of the waist W. The left leg line 6 extends through the guide rear surface portion 16 to reach two or more anchor portions 20. According to the above configuration, since the entire length of the left leg line 6 can be obtained, the durability of the left leg line 6 can be improved.

[0047] An anchoring element 21L, thicker than the left leg line 6, is attached to the left leg line 6. The left leg line 6 is anchored to one of two or more anchoring parts 20 via the anchoring element 21L. With the above configuration, the anchoring operation of the left leg line 6 becomes easier.

[0048] Furthermore, the anchoring structure of the anchoring member 21L and the anchoring part 20 is arbitrary. The anchoring structure can be, for example, a structure in which the anchoring member 21L and each anchoring part 20 are snap-fitted together, or a structure in which the anchoring member 21L and each anchoring part 20 are detachably / attachedly connected by hook and loop fasteners.

[0049] Furthermore, the line guide 11 has a guide groove 19 (groove) extending along the longitudinal direction of the line guide 11. For example... Figure 2As shown, when the anchor 21L is anchored to one of two or more anchoring portions 20, at least a portion of the anchor 21L is accommodated in the guide groove 19. According to the above configuration, the total thickness 1D of the line guide 11 and the anchor 21L is reduced. That is, because the walking aid 1 is thinner, it can be made less conspicuous.

[0050] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown, the line guide 11 includes a guide rear surface portion 16 disposed on the rear surface side of the waist portion W and a pair of guide front surface portions 15 disposed on the front surface side of the waist portion W and adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction of the waist attachment portion 2. The pair of guide front surface portions 15 are attached to the guide rear surface portion 16 so as to be oscillating. The pair of guide front surface portions 15 are detachable / attachable to each other. According to the above configuration, by temporarily releasing the interconnection between the pair of guide front surface portions 15, the line guide 11 can be easily attached to the waist portion W.

[0051] The right leg line 5 can slide relative to the right-bending guide 12. The right leg line 5 can slide relative to the guide groove 19 of the front surface portion 15 of the guide. The right leg line 5 can slide in the guide hole 18 of the rear surface portion 16 of the guide. Similarly, the left leg line 6 can slide relative to the left-bending guide 13. The left leg line 6 can slide in the guide groove 19 of the front surface portion 15 of the guide. The left leg line 6 can slide relative to the guide hole 18 of the rear surface portion 16 of the guide.

Claims

1. A walking assistance device, comprising: The lumbar attachment part is attached to the waist. The knee attachment point, which is attached to the knee; as well as A retractable line connects the waist attachment and the knee attachment, and extends along the front surface of the thigh. The walking assistance device uses the elastic restoring force of the thread to assist the forward swinging motion of the thigh. The waist attachment includes a wire guide that extends along the outer periphery of the waist. The line extends from the knee attachment toward the waist attachment, is guided by the line guide, extends along the line guide, and is selectively anchored to two or more anchoring portions that are separated from each other in the longitudinal direction of the line guide. The two or more anchoring portions are arranged on the front surface side of the waist. An anchor, thicker than the line, is attached to the line, and The line is selectively anchored to one of the two or more anchoring parts via the anchoring member to adjust the assisting force that aids the forward swinging motion of the thigh. Wherein, a groove extending along the longitudinal direction of the line guide is formed in the line guide, and Wherein, when the anchoring member is anchored to one of the two or more anchoring portions, at least a portion of the anchoring member is accommodated in the groove.

2. The walking assistance device according to claim 1, in, The line guide includes a rear surface portion, which is disposed on the rear surface side of the waist portion, and The line extends through the rear surface of the guide to reach the two or more anchoring portions.

3. The walking assistance device according to claim 1, in, The line guide includes a rear surface portion and a pair of front surface portions. The rear surface portion is disposed on the rear surface side of the waist portion, and the pair of front surface portions are disposed on the front surface side of the waist portion and are adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction of the waist attachment portion. The front surface portion of the pair of guides is oscillatingly attached to the rear surface portion of the guides, and The front surfaces of the pair of guides are detachable from each other.

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