Walker

Abstract

Provided is a walker having an excellent effect of preventing lateral falls. The walker of the present invention comprises a lower structure (2), a support body (3) and an upper structure (4), wherein the lower structure (2) comprises a lower base and a moving unit provided on the lower base, wherein the moving unit comprises a left central fixed wheel (28) and a right central fixed wheel (29), and the upper structure (4) comprises a left underarm support (8L) and a right underarm support (8R), wherein the walker is characterized in that, when the shortest horizontal distance between the left underarm support (8L) and the right underarm support (8R) is defined as D1 and the shortest horizontal distance between the left central fixed wheel (28) and the right central fixed wheel (29) is defined as D2, a distance ratio D defined by D2 / D1 is 1.5 to 2.0.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a walker which has an excellent effect of preventing lateral falls. Background Art

[0002] A walking assistance device (walker) is known, which includes a lower structure, a support body and an upper structure, wherein the support body is arranged to extend upward from the lower structure, and the upper structure is arranged on the upper side of the support body, the lower structure has a moving unit such as wheels, and the upper structure has an elbow support member (armrest), a handle, a back abutment unit (back support member) and an underarm support unit (underarm support member) (refer to patent document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-216183 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] In the walker as described above, there is a tendency that the walker lacks stability and is easy to fall sideways, especially when the weight of the walker is light.

[0008] The present invention provides a walker which has an excellent effect of preventing lateral falls.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] The walker of the present invention comprises: a lower structure; a support body, which is arranged to extend upward from the lower structure; and an upper structure, which is arranged on the upper side of the support body, the lower structure comprises: a lower base; and a moving unit, which is arranged on the lower base, and the moving unit comprises: a left front universal wheel, which is arranged on the left front side of the lower base; a right front universal wheel, which is arranged on the right front side of the lower base; a left rear universal wheel, which is arranged on the left rear side of the lower base; a right rear universal wheel, which is arranged on the right rear side of the lower base; a left central fixed wheel, which is arranged between the left front side and the left rear side of the lower base. The walker comprises a left central side between the right front side and the right rear side of the lower base, and a right central side fixed wheel, which is arranged on the right central side between the right front side and the right rear side of the lower base, and the upper structure comprises a left underarm support and a right underarm support. The walker is characterized in that, when the horizontal shortest distance between the left underarm support and the right underarm support is defined as D1, and the horizontal shortest distance between the left central side fixed wheel and the right central side fixed wheel is defined as D2, a distance ratio D defined by D2 / D1 is 1.5 to 2.0, thereby providing a walker with excellent effect of preventing lateral falls.

[0011] In addition, a walker with excellent effect of preventing lateral falls can be provided among walkers without a driving source, wherein the walker without a driving source has a tendency to be unstable and easy to fall sideways due to its light weight.

[0012] Furthermore, by setting the shortest horizontal distance D1 to 300 mm or more and the shortest horizontal distance D2 to 700 mm or less, it is possible to provide a walker that is excellent in the effect of preventing lateral falls and has high practicality in reality.

[0013] In addition, the walker is characterized in that the upper structure includes: an armrest; the left underarm support is arranged to stand up from the left inner side of the armrest and be located under the left armpit of the user; and the right underarm support is arranged to stand up from the right inner side of the armrest and be located under the right armpit of the user, the left and right underarm supports are respectively composed of: an underarm support member and a supporting member supporting the underarm support member, the underarm support member is arranged on the upper end side of the supporting member, the armrest includes a rotating support part, and the rotating support part supports the lower end side of the supporting member so that it can rotate with a center line extending in the front-back direction as a rotation center. Therefore, when the user using the walker loses his or her body stability and is about to fall, the walker can suppress the user from falling downward, and the walker has an excellent effect of preventing the user from falling.

[0014] In addition, the walker is characterized in that a rotating support portion is provided on the lower surface of the armrest, and the supporting member is constructed to include an L-shaped plate, the L-shaped plate having upper and lower plate portions extending in the up-down direction and a transverse plate portion extending laterally from the lower ends of the upper and lower plate portions, and the transverse plate portion of the L-shaped plate is rotatably supported on the rotating support portion, so that the walker can increase the rotation radius of the underarm support member and can increase the moving distance of the underarm support member when the underarm support member rotates, so that an underarm support member with a structure that can easily clamp the user's underarm body part when the user's body posture is unstable can be realized, and the walker has an excellent effect of preventing the user from falling.

[0015] In addition, the walker is characterized in that, when the user's armpits come into contact with the armpit support members and a load from the user is applied to the armpit support members, the left and right armpit support members are supported by the rotation support portion in such a manner that the armpit support members rotate in directions in which the armpit support members approach each other. Therefore, when the user's body posture becomes unstable and the user's armpits come into contact with the left and right armpit support members and a load from the user is applied to the left and right armpit support members, the left and right armpit support members will move in such a manner as to clamp the user's armpit body part from the left and right. Therefore, the walker can suppress the user from falling downward, and the walker has an excellent effect of preventing the user from falling.

[0016] In addition, the walker is characterized in that the rotation support portion includes: a limiting unit that allows the left and right underarm supports to rotate from an initial state in a direction approaching each other and limits the left and right underarm supports to rotate more than a specified amount; and a restoring unit that restores the underarm supports to the initial state when the load on the underarm support members is removed. Therefore, when the user's posture is unstable, the left and right underarm supports will move in a manner of clamping the user's underarm body part from the left and right, so that the walker can suppress the user from falling downward, and the walker has an excellent effect of preventing the user from falling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a stereoscopic view of the walker as seen from the upper left rear side.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the walker as seen from the upper right front side.

[0019] Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view of the front side rotation support portion of the rotation shaft in the rotation linkage body.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rotation restricting portion of the rotating shaft in the rotating linkage body.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the rotating linkage body.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a side view showing the structure of the brake mechanism.

[0023] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a rotation support mechanism of an underarm support member, wherein: Figure 7 (a) is a stereogram, Figure 7 (b) is an exploded stereogram.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the underarm support.

[0025] Fig. 9 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the shortest horizontal distance D1 between the left and right underarm supports and the shortest horizontal distance D2 between the left and right center fixing wheels. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the walker 1 of the embodiment includes: a lower structure 2; a support 3 provided to extend upward from the lower structure 2; an upper structure 4 provided on the upper side of the support 3; and a brake device 5.

[0027] It should be noted that in this specification, up, down, left, right, front, and back are defined as Figure 1 , Figure 2 The directions shown are used for illustration.

[0028] The lower structure 2 includes a lower base 2A, a moving unit 2B provided on the lower base 2A, and a knee support 2C provided on the lower base 2A.

[0029] The lower base 2A is composed of a metal pipe frame such as a steel pipe formed in a concave or U-shape, and the upper open side portion of the "concave" or "U" is located behind the walker 1, and the lower closed portion of the "concave" or "U" is located in the front side of the walker 1.

[0030] In other words, the lower base 2A includes: a front portion 21 extending from the lower side of the support body 3 in the left-right direction; a left portion 22 extending from the left end side of the front portion 21 to the rear; and a right portion 23 extending from the right end side of the front portion 21 to the rear. It should be noted that the front portion 21 is composed of, for example, front and rear pipes 21a and 21b that are spaced apart and arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction.

[0031] The mobile unit 2B, for example, adopts a structure having the following components: a left front universal wheel 24, arranged on the left front side of the lower base 2A; a right front universal wheel 25, arranged on the right front side of the lower base 2A; a left rear universal wheel 26, arranged on the left rear side of the lower base 2A; a right rear universal wheel 27, arranged on the right rear side of the lower base 2A; a left center fixed wheel 28, arranged on the left center side between the left front side and the left rear side of the lower base 2A; and a right center fixed wheel 29, arranged on the right center side between the right front side and the right rear side of the lower base 2A.

[0032] It should be noted that the universal wheel is configured such that the wheel can rotate on a moving surface such as the ground with a vertical axis orthogonal to the rotation center line of the wheel as the rotation center, and is called a universal caster, for example.

[0033] In addition, a fixed wheel is configured such that the wheel cannot rotate on a moving surface such as the ground about a vertical axis orthogonal to the rotation center line of the wheel, and is called a fixed caster, for example.

[0034] The knee support 2C includes, for example, a knee support member 30 and a support portion 31 such as a bracket, which supports the knee support member 30 and is attached to the front portion 21 of the lower base 2A.

[0035] The knee supporting member 30 includes a support plate 32 formed of a metal plate such as a steel plate, and a buffer member 33 such as a shock absorbing sheet provided on the surface of the support plate 32 .

[0036] The knee support 2C protects the knee and calf of the user when the knee of the user using the walker 1 is bent, and provides an effect of preventing the user from colliding with the lower base 2A and the support body 3 and preventing the user from falling.

[0037] The support body 3 is constituted by a support column, and the lower end of the support column is connected to the left-right center position of the front part 21 of the lower base body 2A through a mounting member 3C by a connecting means such as welding or screws.

[0038] The support body 3 is configured to be able to change its height. For example, the support body 3 is configured to include a lower inner column 3A and an upper outer column 3B, and the upper outer column 3B is configured to be movable in the up-down direction and locked at a predetermined height position by a locking member (not shown).

[0039] The upper structure 4 includes an upper base 4A, armrests 4B, a handle 6 , a back support 7 , and an underarm support 8 .

[0040] The upper base 4A is formed into a concave or U-shape, for example, similarly to the lower base 2A. The upper open side portion of the "concave" or "U" is located behind the walker 1, and the lower portion of the "concave" or "U" is located in front of the walker 1.

[0041] The upper base 4A includes a front portion 41 extending from the upper side of the support body 3 in the left-right direction, a left portion 42 extending from the left end side of the front portion 41 toward the rear, and a right portion 43 extending from the right end side of the front portion 41 toward the rear.

[0042] For example, the front portions 41 , 41 of the upper base 4A are respectively connected to the left and right portions of the upper portion of the support body 3 by connecting means such as welding or screws.

[0043] In other words, the left upper base is formed by the left front portion 41 extending from the left side of the upper portion of the support body 3 toward the left and the left portion 42 extending backward from the left end side of the left front portion 41, and the right upper base is formed by the right front portion 41 extending from the right side of the upper portion of the support body 3 toward the right and the right portion 43 extending backward from the right end side of the right front portion 41.

[0044] The left upper base and the right upper base are formed of, for example, a metal pipe frame such as an L-shaped steel pipe.

[0045] The armrest 4B is constructed, for example, to include: a flat plate body 45 with a concave or U-shaped outer shape, which is connected to the upper base 4A by connecting means such as welding and screws when placed on the upper base 4A; and a buffer member 46 such as a rubber sheet, which is provided on the upper surface of the flat plate body 45.

[0046] The handle 6 includes a left handle 6L provided to be located on the left front side of the armrest 4B, and a right handle 6R provided to be located on the right front side of the armrest 4B.

[0047] For example, Figure 3 As shown, the handle 6 includes a handle body 60 formed of a metal pipe such as a steel pipe, and an anti-slip cover 61 provided to cover the peripheral surface of the handle body 60 .

[0048] The back support 7 includes a left back support 7L provided to be located on the left rear side of the armrest 4B, and a right back support 7R provided to be located on the right rear side of the armrest 4B.

[0049] The back support 7 includes, for example, a back support member 70 having a cushion pad or the like provided on a surface facing the user's back, and a support portion 71 that supports the back support member 70 .

[0050] The left handle 6L is provided at the front end side of a rotation axis 4C extending in the front-rear direction of the walker 1 along the lower surface of the left side of the handrail 4B, and the left back support 7L is provided at the rear end side of the rotation axis 4C.

[0051] The right handle 6R is provided at the front end side of a rotation axis 4C extending in the front-rear direction of the walker 1 along the lower surface of the right side of the handrail 4B, and the right back support 7R is provided at the rear end side of the rotation axis 4C.

[0052] That is, the walker 1 includes a left rotational linkage body 67L including a rotational axis 4C, a left handle 6L, and a left back support 7L, and a right rotational linkage body 67R including a rotational axis 4C, a right handle 6R, and a right back support 7R.

[0053] The rotation shaft 4C of the left rotation linkage body 67L is rotatably supported by a left rotation support portion 68L provided on the lower surface of the left side of the armrest 4B about a center line of the rotation shaft 4C extending in the front-rear direction.

[0054] Similarly, the rotation shaft 4C of the right rotation linkage body 67R is supported by a right rotation support portion 68R provided on the lower surface of the right side of the armrest 4B so as to be rotatable about the center line of the rotation shaft 4C extending in the front-rear direction.

[0055] That is, the rotating linkage body 67 includes a rotating shaft 4C extending in the front-to-back direction of the walker 1, a handle 6 arranged on the front end side of the rotating shaft 4C, and a back support member 7 arranged on the rear end side of the rotating shaft 4C. The rotating linkage body 67 is constructed so that the rotating shaft 4C, the handle 6 and the back support member 7 rotate in a linked manner with the center line of the rotating shaft 4C as the rotation center. As such a rotating linkage body 67, it includes a left-side rotating linkage body 67L and a right-side rotating linkage body 67R. As a rotating support part 68 for rotationally supporting the left-side rotating linkage body 67L and the right-side rotating linkage body 67R, it includes a left-side rotating support part 68L and a right-side rotating support part 68R.

[0056] The rotation shaft support portion 68 is a support portion that supports the rotation shaft 4C of the rotation linkage body 67 so as to be rotatable about the center line of the rotation shaft 4C, and includes a front rotation support portion 68A and a rear rotation support portion 68B.

[0057] For example, Figure 3 As shown, the front side rotation support part 68A is constructed to include: a cylindrical bearing 68a, which is composed of a metal pipe such as a steel pipe; a fixed part 68b of the bearing 68a, which is arranged on the lower surface of the armrest 4B; and a fixing unit such as screws or welding, which is used to fix the bearing 68a to the fixed part 68b.

[0058] That is, the cylindrical bearing 68a of the front rotation support portion 68A is fixed to the fixed portion 68b by the fixing means, and the front side of the rotation shaft 4C is rotatably supported by the bearing 68a.

[0059] For example, Figure 1 As shown, the rear rotation support part 68B is constructed as an annular bearing 68c composed of a metal ring body such as a steel pipe, which is fixed to the lower surface of the armrest 4B (the lower surface of the flat plate body 45) by a fixing unit such as screws or welding, and the rear side of the rotating shaft 4C is supported by the bearing 68c in a rotatable manner.

[0060] For example, Figure 3 As shown, a connection portion 62 connected to the front end side of the rotation shaft 4C is provided on the lower end side of the handle body 60.

[0061] The connecting portion 62 is composed of a cylindrical metal pipe with one end closed and the other end open. After the lower end of the handle body 60 is inserted into the insertion hole 62a formed on the peripheral surface of the one end closed side of the connecting portion 62, the handle body 60 and the connecting portion 62 are connected and fixed by fixing means such as screws n and welding.

[0062] Furthermore, for example, the rear end side of a cylindrical metal pipe or the like is bent and used as the support portion 71 of the back support 7 , and the front side of the cylindrical metal pipe or the like is used as the rotation shaft 4C.

[0063] Therefore, after the rotating shaft 4C is passed through the bearing 68c of the rear rotating support part 68B and the bearing 68a of the front rotating support part 68A from the front side of the rotating shaft 4C and the front end side of the rotating shaft 4C is inserted into the connecting part 62 from the other end opening 62b of the connecting part 62, the front end side of the rotating shaft 4C is connected and fixed to the connecting part 62 by fixing means such as screws n and welding.

[0064] In this way, the following rotating linkage body 67 is constructed: the rotating shaft 4C is rotatably supported by the bearing 68a of the front rotating support part 68A and the bearing 68c of the rear rotating support part 68B, and the rotating shaft 4C, the handle 6 arranged on the front side of the rotating shaft 4C, and the back support member 7 arranged on the rear side of the rotating shaft 4C rotate in a linked manner.

[0065] Furthermore, the front rotation support portion 68A includes a rotation restricting portion 69 .

[0066] The rotation restricting portion 69 is composed of a rotation restricting groove 69a formed at the rear end edge of the bearing 68a and an engaging protrusion 69b provided to protrude from the front peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 4C and to engage with the rotation restricting groove 69a.

[0067] For example, Figure 4 As shown, the rotation restricting groove 69a is formed by a notched groove formed by removing the lower portion of the rear end edge of the bearing 68a of the front rotation supporting portion 68A over a predetermined angular range along the circumferential direction.

[0068] The rotation restricting groove 69a is configured such that a side wall on one circumferential end side of the notch groove functions as one restricting wall 69x, and a side wall on the other circumferential end side of the notch groove functions as the other restricting wall 69y.

[0069] That is, the rotation limiting groove 69a is constructed so that when the rotating shaft 4C rotates in one direction by a specified angle so that the engaging protrusion 69b contacts one limiting wall 69x, the rotation of the rotating shaft 4C stops; and when the rotating shaft 4C rotates in the other direction by a specified angle so that the engaging protrusion 69b contacts the other limiting wall 69y, the rotation of the rotating shaft 4C stops.

[0070] For example, Figure 4 As shown in (a), when the rotation shaft 4C of the right rotation linkage body 67R rotates rightward as indicated by arrow a and the engaging protrusion 69b of the rotation shaft 4C contacts one of the limiting walls 69x, the right handle 6R and the right back support member 7 are set to the open position 67X (see Figure 5 (a)).

[0071] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown in (b), when the rotation shaft 4C of the right rotation linkage body 67R rotates counterclockwise as indicated by arrow b and the engaging protrusion 69b of the rotation shaft 4C contacts the other limiting wall 69y, the right handle 6R and the right back support 7 are set to the closed position 67Y (see Figure 5 (b)).

[0072] It should be noted that Figure 4 (a) Figure 4 (b) is related to Figure 2 The figure corresponds to the A section of the right rotation linkage body 67R shown.

[0073] That is to say, Figure 5 As shown in (a), by a person rotating the left-side rotating linkage body 67L to the left and rotating the right-side rotating linkage body 67R to the right, the back supports 7L, 7R and the handles 6L, 6R are set to the open position 67X, which is a position after the back supports 7L, 7R and the handles 6L, 6R are rotated in a direction away from each other.

[0074] Moreover, if Figure 5 As shown in (b), by a person rotating the left-side rotating linkage body 67L to the right and rotating the right-side rotating linkage body 67R to the left, the back supports 7L, 7R and the handles 6L, 6R are set to the closed position 67Y, and the closed position 67Y is a position in which the back supports 7L, 7R and the handles 6L, 6R are rotated in a direction toward each other.

[0075] Here, the closed position 67Y of the back support is configured to be closed to the walker operating position H (see Figure 2 ) and is set in a supporting position that can support the back of the user, and an open position 67X of the back support is a position that opens the rear entrance to the walker operating position H and is set in a non-supporting position that cannot support the back of the user.

[0076] Furthermore, the closed position 67Y of the handle 6 is set to the operating position when the user operates the walker 1 , and the open position 67X of the handle 6 is set to the non-operating position when the user operates the walker 1 .

[0077] That is, the structure is as follows: when a person operates the back support member 7 or the handle 6 of the rotating linkage body 67 to rotate the rotating shaft 4C, the back support member 7 is set to at least a closed position 67Y and an open position 67X, wherein the closed position 67Y is a position for closing the rear entrance to the walker operating position H, and the open position 67X is a position for opening the rear entrance to the walker operating position H.

[0078] In other words, the structure is as follows: when a person operates the back support member 7 or the handle 6 of the rotating linkage body 67 to rotate the rotating shaft 4C, the back support member 7 is set to at least a supporting position or a non-supporting position, wherein the supporting position is a position that can support the user's back, and the non-supporting position is a position that cannot support the user's back.

[0079] It should be noted that, preferably, the structure is as follows: a friction resistance member is provided between the rotating shaft 4C and the bearing (at least one of the bearings 68a, 68c) to provide resistance to the rotational movement of the rotating shaft 4C, and when the handle 6 and the back support 7 are set in the open position 67X or the closed position 67Y, the handle 6 and the back support 7 are not easy to rotate from this position.

[0080] Alternatively, it may be configured as follows: an eccentric cam and a pressure surface are provided, wherein the eccentric cam is arranged around the rotating shaft 4C, and the pressure surface is provided on the lower surface of the armrest 4B so as to be pressed by the eccentric peripheral surface of the eccentric cam. When the handle 6 and the back support 7 are set in the closed position 67Y, the handle 6 and the back support 7 are frictionally locked in the closed position 67Y by the friction between the eccentric peripheral surface of the eccentric cam and the pressure surface.

[0081] By providing the rotation linkage body 67 having the above-described structure, the following effects can be obtained.

[0082] The rear entrance to the walker operating position H can be opened and closed by operating the handle 6 or the back support 7 of the rotating linkage body 67 to rotate the rotating linkage body 67 .

[0083] For example, when the user operates the back support 7 to rotate the rotating linkage 67, the back support 7 is set to the open position 67X, and the rear entrance to the walker operating position H is opened, so that the user can move to the walker operating position H of the walker 1 from the rear entrance.

[0084] Furthermore, the user who has reached the walker operating position H holds the handle 6 at the walker operating position H to rotate the rotation linkage 67, and the back support 7 is set to the closed position 67Y, so that the back support 7 is set to the support position, and the rear entrance to the walker operating position H is closed. In this state, the user can operate the walker 1 by holding the handle 6 set to the operating position, which is the closed position 67Y.

[0085] Furthermore, when the user loses his / her balance during operation and is about to fall, the back support 7 set in the supporting position can suppress the user from falling, thereby preventing the user from falling.

[0086] The brake device 5 includes a brake mechanism 5A of the moving unit 2B and a connection member 5B connecting the brake mechanism 5A and the back support 7 .

[0087] Furthermore, the brake mechanism 5A is configured to be activated or released through the connecting member 5B by the position changing operation of the back support 7 .

[0088] That is, the structure is such that when the back support 7 is set to the open position 67X (non-support position), the brake mechanism 5A operates to apply brakes to the fixed wheels 28 and 29, and when the back support 7 is set to the closed position 67Y (support position), the brake mechanism 5A is released, so that the fixed wheels 28 and 29 can roll.

[0089] For example, the structure is as follows: any one of the back support 7, the handle 6, and the rotating shaft 4C of the rotating linkage body 67 is connected to the brake mechanism 5A of the fixed wheels 28 and 29 through the connecting member 5B. When the back support 7 or the handle 6 rotates around the rotating shaft 4C as the rotation center and the back support 7 is set to the open position 67X (non-support position), the brake mechanism 5A performs a braking action to apply a brake to the fixed wheels 28 and 29, and when the back support 7 is located in the closed position 67Y (support position), the brake mechanism 5A releases the action of applying a brake to the fixed wheels 28 and 29.

[0090] That is, the brake mechanism 5A for the fixed wheels 28 and 29 is configured to be activated and released by the rotation operation of the rotation linkage body 67 .

[0091] The brake mechanism 5A is, for example, a mechanism including a stopper 50 that comes into contact with the peripheral surface of the fixed wheel (wheel) 28 to stop the rotation of the fixed wheel 28 .

[0092] The connecting member 5B is, for example, a brake wire 55 .

[0093] For example, Figure 6 As shown, the brake mechanism 5A is composed of the following components: a stopper 50, which is configured to be rotatable with the central axis 28B of the fork 28A of the fixed caster constituting the fixed wheel 28 as the rotation center; an inner connecting portion 51, which is provided on the stopper 50; an outer tube connecting plate 52, which is assembled on the fork 28A of the fixed wheel 28; and a compression coil spring 53 as a restoring unit, which is configured to be sandwiched between the inner connecting portion 51 and the outer tube connecting plate 52.

[0094] One end of the inner cable 56 of the brake cable 55 is connected to a connecting portion 71a (see Figure 1), one end of the outer tube 57 of the brake cable 55 is connected to a stay 47 provided on the rear end side of the handrail 4B.

[0095] The other end of the inner cable 56 passes through the hollow portion of the compression coil spring 53 and is connected to the inner connection portion 51 by a screw 51 a or the like. The other end of the outer tube 57 is connected to the outer tube connection plate 52 , thereby forming the brake device 5 .

[0096] According to the braking device 5 constructed as above, when the back support member 7 is moved from Figure 5 The closed position 67Y (support position) of (b) becomes Figure 5 When the stopper 50 is rotated in the open position 67X (non-support position) of (a), the inner cable 56 is pulled and the compression coil spring 53 is shortened, whereby the stopper 50 rotates around the central axis 28B as the rotation center and contacts the peripheral surface 28a of the fixed wheel 28, thereby forming a braking action state that stops the rotation of the fixed wheel 28.

[0097] In addition, when the back support is Figure 5 The open position 67X (non-support position) of (a) becomes Figure 5 When the movable unit 2B is rotated to the closed position 67Y (support position) of (b), the compression coil spring 53 is restored, and the stopper 50 moves away from the peripheral surface 28a of the fixed wheel 28 and returns to the original position, thereby achieving a brake release state that allows the fixed wheel 28 to rotate, and the wheels of the movable unit 2B can roll and move.

[0098] As described above, since the brake device 5 that performs braking operation and brake release by the position change operation of the back support 7 is provided, the following effects can be obtained.

[0099] The braking device 5 can be activated and released by rotating the back support 7 or the handle 6 .

[0100] Furthermore, when the back support 7 is located at the open position 67X (non-support position), the brake device 5 is operated, so safety can be ensured.

[0101] Furthermore, when the back support 7 is located at the closed position 67Y (support position), the brake device 5 is in a non-operating state, so the walker 1 can be moved.

[0102] That is, when the user wants to move to the walker 1 from a state such as sitting upright on a bed, the back support 7 is operated in the sitting state to set the back support 7 to the open position 67X (non-support position), and the brake implemented by the brake device 5 works, so that the user can safely move from the sitting state to the walker operating position H.

[0103] In addition, when the user operates the back support 7 in a sitting position, for example, and sets the back support 7 to the closed position 67Y (support position), the brake implemented by the brake device 5 is released, so that the walker 1 can be moved. For example, the user can move the walker 1 to a specified setting position (for example, a bedside, etc.) while maintaining the sitting position.

[0104] Furthermore, the position setting of the back support 7 and the operation and non-operation of the brake can be simultaneously achieved through the rotation operation of the handle 6 .

[0105] For example, after the user moves from the sitting state to the walker operating position H of the walker 1, the handle 6 is rotated to set the handle 6 to the closed position 67Y (operating position), the back support 7 is also set to the closed position 67Y (support position), and the braking achieved by the braking device 5 is released, so that the user can operate the handle 6 to achieve movement through the walker 1.

[0106] Furthermore, when the user wants to get off (detach) the walker 1, the handle 6 is rotated to be set to the open position 67X (non-operating position), the back support 7 is also set to the open position 67X (non-supporting position), the brakes implemented by the brake device 5 are operated, and the rear entrance to the walker operating position H is opened, so that the user can safely get off (detach) the walker 1.

[0107] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the armpit support 8 includes a left armpit support 8L provided to stand from the left inner side of the armrest 4B, and a right armpit support 8R provided to stand from the right inner side of the armrest 4B.

[0108] The underarm support 8 includes an underarm support member 80, a support member 81 that supports the underarm support member 80, and a rotation support portion 82 that rotatably supports the support member 81 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 7 In (a)), the armpit supporting member 80 is configured to be provided on the upper end side of the supporting member 81.

[0109] The underarm supporting member 80 includes a core material such as a cylindrical tube extending in the front-rear direction of the walker 1 , and a cushioning cover provided to cover the circumferential surface of the core material.

[0110] In addition, if Figure 1As shown, the support member 81 is constructed to include: a front support member 81F that supports the front end of the underarm support member 80; a rear support member 81R that supports the rear end of the underarm support member 80; and a reinforcing member 81S that is arranged to span the front support member 81F and the rear support member 81R, the front end of the reinforcing member 81S being connected to the front support member 81F, and the rear end of the reinforcing member 81S being connected to the rear support member 81R.

[0111] Furthermore, the rotation support portion 82 includes a front rotation support portion 82F and a rear rotation support portion 82R.

[0112] Furthermore, the lower end side of the front support member 81F is rotatably mounted via the front rotation support portion 82F, and the lower end side of the rear support member 81R is rotatably mounted via the rear rotation support portion 82R.

[0113] That is to say, Figure 7 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the underarm support 8 is configured to be rotatable in the left-right direction about the center line of a rotation support portion 82 extending in the front-rear direction of the walker 1 (the center line of a rotation center axis 84 described later) as the rotation center.

[0114] For example, Figure 7 (b) Figure 8 As shown, the front support member 81F and the rear support member 81R are formed of an L-shaped plate having an upper and lower plate portion 81a extending in the vertical direction and a transverse plate portion 81b extending in the transverse direction from the lower end of the upper and lower plate portion 81a.

[0115] That is, Figure 8 As shown in (a) of FIG. 8 , the position of the center line 80a of the underarm support member 80 is offset from the position of the rotation center line 8a of the underarm support 8 by a dimension a in the left-right direction.

[0116] That is, when the horizontal separation distance between the rotation center line 8a of the left underarm support 8L and the rotation center line 8a of the right underarm support 8R is defined as b, and the horizontal separation distance between the center line 80a of the support member 80 of the left underarm support 8L and the center line 80a of the support member 80 of the right underarm support 8R is defined as c, it is set to b>c.

[0117] Since the front supporting member 81F and the rear supporting member 81R are formed of L-shaped plates, the following effects can be obtained.

[0118] (1) The horizontal plate portion 81b of the L-shaped plate can be located below the lower surface 45a of the armrest 4B, and the rotation support portion 82 can be provided on the lower surface 45a of the armrest 4B. Therefore, the length of the upper and lower plate portions 81a can be set longer. Figure 8 As shown in (b), the rotation radius r of the underarm support 8 (the linear distance between the position of the rotation center line 8a of the underarm support 8 and the position of the center line 80a of the underarm support member 80) can be increased.

[0119] Therefore, since the movement distance L1 of the armpit support member 80 when the armpit support member 80 rotates can be increased, the armpit support 8 can be configured to easily clamp the user's armpit body part when the user's posture becomes unstable, which will become a walker 1 with excellent effect of preventing the user from falling.

[0120] (2) Since the position of the center line 80a of the underarm support member 80 and the position of the rotation center line 8a of the underarm support 8 are not located on the same vertical line, the underarm support 8 is easy to rotate.

[0121] That is, when viewed from the user who is manipulating the walker 1 between the left underarm support 8L and the right underarm support 8R, the positions of the rotation center lines 8a, 8a of the left and right underarm support 8L, 8R are located outside the positions of the center lines 80a, 80a of the left and right underarm support members 80, 80. Therefore, when the user's body becomes unstable and the user's armpits come into contact with the left and right underarm support members 80, 80, and the user's load is applied to the left and right underarm support members 80, 80 from above, the left and right underarm support members 8L, 8R are likely to rotate in a direction approaching each other (i.e., the inner side (user side) of the walker 1).

[0122] Therefore, the armpit support 8 having a structure that can easily hold the user's body part under the armpit without being stuck in the rotation when the user loses his / her posture can be realized, and thus the walker 1 can be excellent in preventing the user from falling.

[0123] For example, Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, the rotation support portion 82 includes: a support member assembly portion 83, which is assembled to the lower surface 45a of the flat plate body 45 of the armrest 4B via a fixing unit; a rotation center axis 84, such as Figure 7 As shown in (b), it is composed of a two-stage diameter shaft member; a torsion coil spring 85 as a restoring unit; and a restricting unit 86.

[0124] That is, the lower surface 45a of the armrest 4B is provided with a rotation support portion 82 that supports the lower end side of the support member 81 so as to be rotatable about a center line (the center line of the rotation center axis 84) extending in the front-rear direction.

[0125] The restriction unit 86 includes, for example, a long hole 86a formed at the lower end of the upper and lower plate portions 81a and extending in the vertical direction, and an engagement shaft 86b protruding from the support member mounting portion 83 and inserted into the long hole 86a.

[0126] The small diameter shaft portion 84a of the rotation center shaft 84 passes through the through hole 84c formed on the top end side of the horizontal plate portion 81b of the support member 81 and the spiral hole of the torsion coil spring 85. In addition, the screw 84 passes through the through hole 84d formed in the support member assembly portion 83 and is fastened to the screw hole 84f formed on the top end surface side of the small diameter shaft portion 84a, thereby the rotation center shaft 84 that supports the support member 81 (the front side support member 81F or the rear side support member 81R) to be rotatable is fixed to the support member assembly portion 83. In other words, the horizontal plate portion 81b of the support member 81 and the torsion coil spring 85 are sandwiched by the support member assembly portion 83 and the large diameter shaft portion 84b of the rotation center shaft 84.

[0127] In addition, one end 85a of the torsion coil spring 85 is fixed to the support member assembly portion 83 by a fixing unit not shown in the figure, and the other end 85b of the torsion coil spring 85 is fixed to the transverse plate portion 81b by a fixing unit not shown in the figure, and the locking shaft 86b is inserted into the long hole 86a, thereby forming a limiting unit 86.

[0128] As described above, the rotation support portion 82 is constructed with the following components: a rotation center axis 84 that supports the support member 81 of the armpit support member 8 so that it can rotate; a limiting unit 86 that limits the left and right armpit support members 8L, 8R from rotating by more than a specified amount in the direction in which the left and right armpit support members 80, 80 approach each other; and a restoring unit such as a torsion coil spring 85 that restores the armpit support member 8 to its initial state when the load on the armpit support member 80 is removed.

[0129] It should be noted that, in normal use (in the initial state), such as Figure 8 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the user's armpits are used in a state where the left and right armpit supporting members 80 , 80 are not in contact with each other.

[0130] Furthermore, for example, when the user loses his / her posture and the user's armpit contacts the armpit supporting member 80, a load from the user is applied to the armpit supporting member 80. Figure 8 As shown in (b), the left and right armpit support members 80, 80 rotate in a direction approaching each other to sandwich the user's armpit body part from left and right. The left and right armpit support members 8L, 8R are restricted by the restriction unit 86 from rotating at a predetermined angle or more.

[0131] Furthermore, the armpit support member 8 is configured so that when the load on the armpit support member 80 from the user is removed, the armpit support member 8 is restored to its original position by the spring force of the torsion coil spring (restoration means) 85. Figure 8 The initial state shown in (a).

[0132] The distance d between the left and right underarm support members 80, 80 when the rotation of the left and right underarm support members 8L, 8R is restricted by the restriction unit 86 is set to a size that can hold the underarm body of a user of average build, for example.

[0133] Since the structure of the left and right armpit support members 8L, 8R as described above is adopted, when the user's body posture becomes unstable and the user's armpits come into contact with the left and right armpit support members 80, 80, and the load from the user is applied to the left and right armpit support members 8L, 8R, the left and right armpit support members 8L, 8R operate in a manner of clamping the user's armpit body part from the left and right, thereby being able to suppress the user from falling downward, and being able to achieve the effect of preventing the user from falling.

[0134] That is, the upper structure 4 of the walker 1 of the embodiment includes an upper base 4A, an armrest 4B, a rotating linkage body 67 (a left rotating linkage body 67L and a right rotating linkage body 67R), a rotating shaft support part 68 (a left rotating support part 68L and a right rotating support part 68R), and an armpit support part 8 (a left armpit support part 8L and a right armpit support part 8R).

[0135] In addition, the walker 1 of the embodiment is configured as follows: Fig. 9 As shown, the shortest horizontal distance between the center line 80a of the support member 80 of the left underarm support 8L and the center line 80a of the support member 80 of the right underarm support 8R in normal times (when no load is applied to the left underarm support 8L and the right underarm support 8R) (hereinafter referred to as "the left and right underarm support distance") is defined as D1, and the shortest horizontal distance between the center position of the wheel width of the left central side fixed wheel 28 and the center position of the wheel width of the right central side fixed wheel 29 (hereinafter referred to as "the left and right fixed wheel distance") is defined as D2, and the distance ratio D defined by D2 / D1 is 1.5 to 2.0.

[0136] That is, the walker 1 of the embodiment is a manually-operated walker that is not equipped with a driving source such as a motor or a battery. However, in the case of a manually-operated walker that is not equipped with a driving source like the walker 1 of the embodiment, the weight of the walker 1 becomes light, so there is a tendency for the walker to lack stability and easily fall to the side.

[0137] On the other hand, in the case of an electric walker equipped with a driving source such as a motor or a battery, the weight of the walker becomes heavier, so the stability is improved. Even if the above-mentioned condition that the distance ratio D defined by D2 / D1 is 1.5 to 2.0 is not met, there is a high possibility that the effect of preventing lateral falls can be obtained.

[0138] Therefore, in the manually-operated walker that is not equipped with a driving source such as a motor or a battery as the walker 1 of embodiment 1 as described above, as described later, the result of studying the conditions under which the stability rate S calculated using the "weight moment (M3+M4)" and the "fall moment M2" is greater than 1 is that it is found that by setting the distance ratio D defined by D2 / D1 to 1.5 to 2.0, the possibility of obtaining a walker 1 with a stability rate S greater than 1 and an excellent effect in preventing lateral falls increases.

[0139] The stability rate S will be described.

[0140] Fig. 9 M1 to M4 shown in (b) show moments applied to the walker 1 .

[0141] M1 is a gravity center moment when the user of the walker 1 stands on one foot with his left foot about to fall sideways.

[0142] M2 is a falling moment that acts on the left underarm support 8L when the gravity center moment M1 acts.

[0143] M3 is the weight moment of the walker 1 around the fixed wheels 28 that is intended to prevent the walker from falling.

[0144] M4 is the weight moment of the user's body weight around the fixed wheel 28 intended to prevent the user from falling.

[0145] Then, the stability rate S is calculated by the following equation (1).

[0146] Stability ratio S = (M3 + M4) / M2… (1)

[0147] That is, the stability rate S is defined as the value calculated by dividing the “weight moment (M3+M4)” by the “fall moment M2”.

[0148] In addition, the average transverse diameter of the chest of an adult male is about 277 mm.

[0149] Furthermore, according to JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards), the maximum dimensions of a wheelchair are defined as 700 mm in width, 1200 mm in length, and 1200 mm in height.

[0150] In consideration of the above values, numerical conditions are set such that the left and right underarm support distance D1 is set to be 300 mm or more and the left and right fixed wheel distance D2 is set to be 700 mm or less.

[0151] Furthermore, a walker with a weight of 25 kg, a distance between left and right armpit supports D1 = 36 cm, and a distance between left and right center wheels D2 = 68 cm was manufactured as the walker 1 of the embodiment, and the user's weight was assumed to be 53 kg to calculate the stability rate S. In this case, the distance ratio D = 1.9, the stability rate S = 1.5, and it was confirmed that the stability rate S would be 1 or more by setting the distance ratio D to 1.5 to 2.0.

[0152] That is, it was confirmed that it is possible to provide a walker 1 having an excellent effect of preventing lateral falls among manually-operated walkers that are not equipped with a driving source such as a motor or a battery.

[0153] In addition, for comparative study, verification was performed assuming the following sample walker.

[0154] In addition, in the following sample walker, verification was performed on the assumption that the weight of the walker was 25 kg and the weight of the user was 53 kg, similarly to the walker produced above.

[0155] Sample Walker 1

[0156] Assuming that the distance between the left and right armpit supports D1 = 36 cm and the distance between the left and right center wheels D2 = 60 cm, the stability rate S was calculated. In this case, the distance ratio D = 1.7, the stability rate S = 1.2, and it was successfully verified that the stability rate S would be greater than 1 by setting the distance ratio D to 1.5-2.0.

[0157] Sample Walker 2

[0158] Assuming that the distance between the left and right armpit supports D1 = 36 cm and the distance between the left and right center wheels D2 = 50 cm, the stability rate S was calculated. In this case, the distance ratio D = 1.4 and the stability rate S = 0.9. That is, it was successfully verified that since the distance ratio D deviated from the range of 1.5 to 2.0, the stability rate S would also be less than 1. That is, it was successfully verified that this does not belong to the object of the constituent conditions of the present invention.

[0159] Sample Walker 3

[0160] Assuming that the distance between the left and right armpit supports D1 = 36 cm and the distance between the left and right center wheels D2 = 75 cm, the stability rate S was calculated. In this case, the distance ratio D = 2.1 and the stability rate S = 1.7. In this case, since D2 is 700 mm or more, although the stability rate S is 1 or more, the distance ratio D deviates from the range of 1.5 to 2.0, and thus it was successfully verified that this does not fall within the object of the constituent conditions of the present invention.

[0161] That is, in this case, since the conditions that the left and right underarm support distance D1 is 300 mm or more and the left and right fixed wheel distance D2 is 700 mm or less are not satisfied, the distance ratio D is out of the range of 1.5 to 2.0 and does not fall within the scope of the constituent conditions of the present invention.

[0162] Sample Walker 4

[0163] Assuming that the distance between the left and right armpit supports D1 = 28 cm and the distance between the left and right center wheels D2 = 75 cm, the stability rate S is calculated. In this case, the distance ratio D = 2.4 and the stability rate S = 2.0. In this case, since D1 is less than 300 mm, although the stability rate S is greater than 1, the distance ratio D deviates from the range of 1.5 to 2.0, and thus it is successfully verified that this does not fall within the object of the constituent conditions of the present invention.

[0164] That is, in this case, since the conditions that the left and right underarm support distance D1 is 300 mm or more and the left and right fixed wheel distance D2 is 700 mm or less are not satisfied, the distance ratio D is out of the range of 1.5 to 2.0 and does not fall within the scope of the constituent conditions of the present invention.

[0165] According to the verification of the sample walker assumed above, it can be known that by setting the shortest horizontal distance D1 to be greater than 300 mm, the shortest horizontal distance D2 to be less than 700 mm, and the distance ratio D to be 1.5 to 2.0, a walker 1 having excellent effect in preventing lateral falls and high practicality in reality can be provided.

[0166] In this way, in the walker 1 of the first embodiment, when the shortest horizontal distance between the left underarm support 8L and the right underarm support 8R is defined as D1, and the shortest horizontal distance between the left center side fixed wheel 28 and the right center side fixed wheel 29 is defined as D2, the distance ratio D defined by D2 / D1 is set to 1.5 to 2.0, so that the walker 1 with excellent effect of preventing lateral falls can be provided.

[0167] In particular, it can be seen that in a manually-operated walker that is not equipped with a driving source such as a motor or a battery and therefore tends to be light in weight, lacks stability, and is prone to falling sideways, setting the distance ratio D to 1.5 to 2.0 as described above is a meaningful strategy as a method for improving the effect of preventing lateral falls.

[0168] That is, a walker 1 having an excellent effect of preventing lateral falls can be provided among walkers without a driving source, wherein the walker without a driving source has a tendency to be unstable and easily fall sideways due to its light weight.

[0169] Furthermore, the walker 1 according to the embodiment is a walker 1 such that the upper structure of the walker 1 includes a handrail 4B, a left underarm support 8L (8), and a right underarm support 8R (8), wherein the left underarm support 8L (8) is arranged to stand up from the left inner side of the handrail 4B and be located under the left armpit of the user, and the right underarm support 8R (8) is arranged to stand up from the right inner side of the handrail 4B and be located under the right armpit of the user, and the underarm support 8 is configured to include an underarm support member 80 and a supporting member 81 supporting the underarm supporting member 80, the underarm supporting member 80 is provided on the upper end side of the supporting member 81, and the armrest 4B has a rotating supporting portion 82, which supports the lower end side of the supporting member 81 so that it can rotate with a center line extending in the front-to-back direction as the rotation center. Therefore, when the user using the walker 1 loses his or her posture and is about to fall, the walker 1 can suppress the user from falling downward, and the walker 1 has an excellent effect of preventing the user from falling.

[0170] In addition, the walker 1 is as follows, that is, the rotation support part 82 is provided on the lower surface 45a of the armrest 4B, and the support member 81 is constructed to have an L-shaped plate, which has an upper and lower plate part 81a extended in the up and down direction and a horizontal plate part 81b extended from the lower end of the upper and lower plate part 81a to the horizontal direction. The horizontal plate part 81b of the L-shaped plate is supported on the rotation support part 82 in a rotatable manner. Therefore, the walker 1 can increase the rotation radius of the armpit support member 8 and increase the movement distance L1 of the armpit support member 80 when the armpit support member 8 rotates. Therefore, the armpit support member 8 with such a structure that it is easy to clamp the user's armpit body part when the user's body posture is unstable can be realized. The walker 1 has an excellent effect of preventing the user from falling.

[0171] In addition, the walker 1 is as follows, that is, when the user's armpits come into contact with the armpit supporting member 80 and the load from the user is applied to the armpit supporting member 80, the left and right armpit supporting members 8, 8 are supported by the rotating support part 82 in a manner such that the armpit supporting members 8, 8 rotate in a direction approaching each other. Therefore, when the user's body posture becomes unstable and the user's armpits come into contact with the left and right armpit supporting members 80, 80 and the load from the user is applied to the left and right armpit supporting members 8, 8, the left and right armpit supporting members 8, 8 will operate in a manner such as to clamp the user's armpit body part from the left and right. Therefore, the walker 1 can suppress the user from falling downward, and the walker 1 is excellent in the effect of preventing the user from falling.

[0172] In addition, the walker 1 is provided with a limiting unit 86 and a restoring unit 85, wherein the limiting unit 86 allows the left and right armpit supports 8, 8 to rotate in a direction approaching each other from an initial state and limits the left and right armpit supports 8, 8 to rotate more than a predetermined amount, and the restoring unit 85 restores the armpit supports 8, 8 to the initial state when the load on the armpit support member 80 is removed. Therefore, when the user's posture is unstable, the movable range of the left and right armpit supports 8, 8 when they move in a manner of pinching the user's armpit body part from the left and right is limited. Therefore, the walker 1 can suppress the user from falling downward in a manner that the left and right armpit supports 8, 8 do not excessively pinch the user's armpit body part, and the walker 1 has an excellent effect of preventing the user from falling.

[0173] It should be noted that, in the above description, an example is shown in which the distance ratio D is set to 1.5 to 2.0 in a manually operated walker not equipped with a drive source such as a motor or a battery, but the distance ratio D may be set to 1.5 to 2.0 in an electric walker equipped with a drive source. In this case, for example, even in an electric walker that is light in weight even if equipped with a drive source, a walker 1 having an excellent effect of preventing a side fall can be provided.

[0174] Description of Reference Numerals

[0175] 1: Walker; 2: Lower structure; 2A: Lower base; 2B: Moving unit; 3: Support; 4: Upper structure; 4B: Armrest; 8: Underarm support; 8L: Left underarm support; 8R: Right underarm support; 24: Left front universal wheel; 25: Right front universal wheel; 26: Left rear universal wheel; 27: Right rear universal wheel; 28: Left center fixed wheel; 29: Right center fixed wheel; 45a: Lower surface of armrest; 80: Underarm support member; 81: Support member; 81a: Upper and lower plates; 81b: Horizontal plate; 82: Rotation support; 85: Torsion coil spring (restoration unit); 86: Limiting unit. D: Distance ratio; D1, D2: Horizontal shortest distance.

Claims

1. A walker, comprising: Lower structure; A support body is provided to extend upward from the lower structure body; and The upper structure is provided on the upper side of the support body. The lower structure has: a lower base; and The mobile unit is arranged on the lower base. The mobile unit has: A left front universal wheel, arranged on the left front side of the lower base; A right front universal wheel, arranged on the right front side of the lower base; A left rear universal wheel, arranged on the left rear side of the lower base; A right rear universal wheel, arranged on the right rear side of the lower base; A left central fixed wheel, disposed on the left central side between the left front side and the left rear side of the lower base; and The right central fixed wheel is arranged at the right central side between the right front side and the right rear side of the lower base. The upper structure has a left underarm support and a right underarm support. The walker is characterized in that When the shortest horizontal distance between the left and right underarm supports is defined as D1 and the shortest horizontal distance between the left and right center fixing wheels is defined as D2, the distance ratio D defined by D2 / D1 is 1.5 to 2.

0.

2. The walker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The walker is not equipped with a driving source.

3. The walker according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The shortest horizontal distance D1 is greater than or equal to 300 mm, and the shortest horizontal distance D2 is less than or equal to 700 mm.

4. The walker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper structure has: armrest; The left underarm support is arranged to stand up from the left inner side of the armrest and be located under the left armpit of the user; and The right underarm support is arranged to stand up from the right inner side of the armrest and be located under the right armpit of the user. The left and right underarm support members are respectively configured to include an underarm support member and a support member for supporting the underarm support member, wherein the underarm support member is provided on the upper end side of the support member. The armrest includes a rotation support portion that supports the lower end side of the support member so as to be rotatable about a center line extending in the front-rear direction as a rotation center.

5. The walker according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rotating support part is arranged on the lower surface of the armrest. The support member is configured to include an L-shaped plate having upper and lower plate portions extending in the vertical direction and a transverse plate portion extending in the transverse direction from the lower ends of the upper and lower plate portions. The horizontal plate portion of the L-shaped plate is rotatably supported by the rotation support portion.

6. The walker according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the armpits of the user come into contact with the armpit supporting member and a load from the user is applied to the armpit supporting member, the left and right armpit supports are supported by the rotation support portion so that the armpit supports rotate in directions in which the armpit supports approach each other.

7. The walker according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: The rotary support part has: a limiting unit that allows the left and right underarm supports to rotate toward each other from an initial state and limits the left and right underarm supports to rotate more than a predetermined amount; and The restoration unit restores the underarm support member to an initial state when the load on the underarm support member is removed.

Images