Upper limb assist device shouldering tool and upper limb assist device unit

Abstract

To provide an upper limb assist device shouldering tool and an upper limb assist device unit that can reduce the biting feeling of a wire into the shoulder felt by a user when tensile force is applied to the wire from the upper limb assist device.SOLUTION: An upper limb assist device shouldering tool 2 includes: a body part 5 which holds an upper limb assist device 3 on the back of a user U; shoulder belts 6 which are provided by being connected to the body part 5; and wire support members 7 which are attached to the shoulder belts 6 and support a wire 4. The wire support member 7 is formed in an upwardly convex curved shape in a side view, and has both ends in the longitudinal direction that are directly or indirectly fixed to a lower side exterior fabric 11 in a state where an intermediate part in the longitudinal direction is apart from the lower side exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an upper limb assist device carrier for carrying an upper limb assist device on one's back, and an upper limb assist device unit including the carrier. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, upper limb assist devices that assist users in lifting loads have been widely developed. A wire is connected to the upper limb assist device, and a member called an end effector at the tip of the wire is attached to the user's arm. As a result, the driving force of a motor or the like generated in the upper limb assist device is transmitted as a pulling force to the user's arm via the wire and the end effector. Here, since the upper limb assist device is often carried on the user's back, the wire connected to the upper limb assist device is routed from the user's back across the shoulders to the front side.

[0003] Here, a conventional method for carrying the upper limb assist device on one's back is to use a backpack carrying device. This backpack carrying device includes a main body that holds the upper limb assist device on the user's back, and a pair of left and right shoulder belts that are connected to the main body and hung on the user's shoulders. This backpack carrying device also includes a wire support member on the shoulder belts for supporting the wires routed as described above (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-094650 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional upper assist device carrier has a problem that when a tensile force is applied to the wire from the upper limb assist device, the user is likely to feel the wire digging into his shoulder. More specifically, the wire support member that supports the wire is attached to the shoulder belt via a relatively narrow area directly above the shoulder. Therefore, when a tensile force is applied to the wire, the vertical component of the tensile force acts as a concentrated downward force on the narrow area of ​​the user's shoulder. Therefore, a user who receives this downward force is likely to feel the wire digging into his shoulder.

[0006] The present invention was devised in consideration of these circumstances, and its object is to provide an upper limb assist device carrier and an upper limb assist device unit that can reduce the feeling of the wire digging into the user's shoulders when a tensile force is applied to the wire from the upper limb assist device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention relates to a backpack carrying device for carrying an upper limb assist device that applies a tensile force to a wire, and comprises a main body that holds the upper limb assist device on the user's back, a shoulder belt that is connected to the main body and placed around the user's shoulder, and a wire support member that is attached to the shoulder belt and supports the wire, wherein the wire support member is formed in an upwardly convex curved shape in a side view, and each of its longitudinal ends is fixed directly or indirectly to the lower outer fabric of the shoulder belt with its longitudinal middle portion spaced apart from the lower outer fabric of the shoulder belt.

[0008] In the backpack for carrying an upper limb assist device according to one aspect of the present invention, the wire support member may have a groove formed along the longitudinal direction thereof, capable of accommodating the wire.

[0009] In addition, in one aspect of the upper limb assist device carrying device of the present invention, the wire support member may be formed in an inwardly convex curved shape when viewed from the top, and may be elastically deformable in the vertical direction when viewed from the side.

[0010] In addition, in one aspect of the upper limb assist device carrying device of the present invention, a pair of shoulder belts are provided on the left and right sides, and the device may further include an anti-rotation belt that extends in the left-right direction and connects the pair of shoulder belts to each other, preventing the pair of shoulder belts from rotating around the user's shoulders.

[0011] In addition, in one aspect of the upper limb assist device carrying device of the present invention, the anti-rotation belt may be arranged at the same height as the lowest position at which the back of a user wearing the pair of shoulder belts comes into contact with the main body.

[0012] In addition, an upper limb assist device unit according to one aspect of the present invention may include an upper limb assist device carrier, the upper limb assist device held by the main body, and the wire having one end connected to the upper limb assist device and supported by the wire support member. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to one aspect of the upper limb assist device carrying device and upper limb assist device unit of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the feeling of the wire digging into the user's shoulder when a tensile force is applied to the wire from the upper limb assist device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an upper limb assist device unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front side. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic rear view of an upper limb assist device unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an upper limb assist device unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross section along line AA in FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a wire supporting member 7. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a wire supporting member 7. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of a wire supporting member 7. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of a wire supporting member 7 in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the arrangement direction of a wire supporting member 7 in a plan view. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a backpack for carrying an upper limb assist device and an upper limb assist device unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] (Configuration of upper limb assist device unit) First, the configuration of an upper limb assist device unit equipped with a backpack for carrying an upper limb assist device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figures 1 to 3 are diagrams showing the configuration of an upper limb assist device unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 1 being a schematic perspective view seen from the front side, Figure 2 being a schematic rear view, and Figure 3 being a schematic cross-sectional view seen from the side. The upper limb assist device unit 1 includes a backpack for carrying an upper limb assist device 2, an upper limb assist device 3, and a pair of left and right wires 4.

[0017] (Upper limb assist device carrying device) The upper limb assist device carrying device 2 is used by a user U to carry the upper limb assist device 3 on his / her back. This upper limb assist device carrying device 2 is a backpack-type bag called a rucksack or a pack. Here, FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the upper limb assist device carrying device 2 has a main body 5, a pair of left and right shoulder belts 6, a pair of left and right length adjustment mechanisms 32, a wire support member 7, and an anti-rotation belt 8.

[0018] The main body 5 plays a role in holding the upper limb assist device 3 on the back of the user U. As shown in Fig. 3, the main body 5 is made of an exterior fabric 9 made of synthetic fiber or the like formed into a bag shape, and the inside can be exposed or closed by opening and closing a zipper or the like (not shown).

[0019] The shoulder belt 6 is used to hang the upper limb assist device carrying device 2 on the shoulder of the user U. This shoulder belt 6 is a hollow belt-shaped fabric made of synthetic fibers or the like, and has an upper exterior fabric 10 that forms the upper part and a lower exterior fabric 11 that forms the lower part, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The upper exterior fabric 10 and the lower exterior fabric 11 are each formed integrally with the exterior fabric 9 of the main body 5. The upper exterior fabric 10 and the lower exterior fabric 11 are integrated by sewing or the like at both ends in the width direction, and a cavity 12 is formed in the middle part in the width direction. The pair of shoulder belts 6 thus configured has one end in the longitudinal direction connected to the upper part of the main body 5 and the other end in the longitudinal direction connected to the lower part of the main body 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. As a result, arm holes 13 through which the user U passes his left and right arms are formed by the middle parts in the longitudinal direction of the pair of shoulder belts 6.

[0020] The length adjustment mechanisms 32 are used to adjust the length of the shoulder belts 6 to make the arm holes 13 a size that suits the physique of the user U. The length adjustment mechanisms 32 are so-called buckles made of resin, and are provided at the middle portions of the length direction of the left and right shoulder belts 6. By operating the length adjustment mechanisms 32 to adjust the lengths of the left and right shoulder belts 6, the user U can press the shoulder belts 6 and the anti-rotation belts 8, which will be described later, against the body of the user U and fix them so that they cannot move.

[0021] The wire support member 7 supports the wire 4 from below and also serves to reduce the feeling of the wire 4 biting into the shoulder of the user U. Figs. 5 to 7 show the configuration of the wire support member 7, with Fig. 5 being a schematic perspective view, Fig. 6 being a schematic side view, and Fig. 7 being a schematic plan view. The wire support member 7 is a member formed by molding a resin or the like, and has an elastic deformation plate 14, a groove portion 15, a holding claw 16, a wire protection tube 30, a base end fixed piece 17, and a tip end fixed piece 18. For ease of explanation, the wire protection tube 30 is shown by a two-dot chain line in Figs. 5 and 7.

[0022] The elastic deformation plate 14 serves to stretch the shoulder belt 6 in the front-rear direction of the user U. The elastic deformation plate 14 is a member formed by molding a resin such as polypropylene into a flat plate shape. As shown in Fig. 6, the elastic deformation plate 14 is formed in a curved shape that is convex to one side in the up-down direction in side view, and as shown in Fig. 7, the elastic deformation plate 14 is formed in a curved shape that is convex to one side in the left-right direction in plan view. The elastic deformation plate 14 is not elastically deformable in the left-right direction in plan view, but has the property of being slightly elastically deformable in the up-down direction in side view.

[0023] The groove 15 serves to accommodate the wire 4 therein. As shown in Fig. 4, the groove 15 has an arc shape that is slightly larger than the outer shape of the wire 4 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the groove 15 is formed to extend along the longitudinal direction of the elastic deformation plate 14, that is, to have a curved shape that is convex in the same direction as the elastic deformation plate 14 in a plan view. The groove 15 forms a wire inlet 19 by reaching the base end of the elastic deformation plate 14, and a wire outlet 20 by reaching the tip end.

[0024] The retaining claws 16 serve to prevent the wire 4 from falling out of the groove 15. The retaining claws 16 are elastic members molded integrally with the elastic deformation plate 14, and as shown in Fig. 4, a pair of retaining claws 16 are provided facing each other and rising obliquely upward from the bottom surface of the groove 15. The retaining claws 16 thus configured are provided at multiple locations along the longitudinal direction of the groove 15, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. The number of retaining claws 16 and their installation positions in the groove 15 are not limited to this embodiment and can be modified in design as appropriate.

[0025] The wire protection tube 30 plays a role in enhancing the wear resistance of the wire 4. The wire protection tube 30 is a cylindrical member made of resin such as Teflon (registered trademark). Here, the outer diameter of the wire protection tube 30 is set to be slightly larger than the distance between the upper ends of the pair of holding claws 16 shown in FIG. 4. The inner diameter of the wire protection tube 30 is set to be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the wire 4. The wire protection tube 30 configured as described above is housed in the groove portion 15 and is sandwiched between the pair of holding claws 16 located on both the left and right sides, thereby preventing it from falling off the groove portion 15. When the wire protection tube 30 is housed in the groove portion 15, the wire protection tube 30 is pushed into the groove portion 15 from above while elastically deforming the pair of holding claws 16 so as to spread them outward to the left and right. Then, the wire protection tube 30 is sandwiched between the pair of holding claws 16 due to the force of the pair of holding claws 16 trying to return to their original shape.

[0026] The base end fixing piece 17 serves to fix the base end of the wire support member 7 to the upper limb assist device 3. As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, a pair of left and right base end fixing pieces 17 are provided so as to protrude from the base end of the elastic deformation plate 14 to both left and right sides. A base end screw hole 21 is provided through each of the left and right base end fixing pieces 17 in the thickness direction. On the other hand, the tip end fixing piece 18 serves to fix the tip of the wire support member 7 to the shoulder belt 6. As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, a pair of left and right tip end fixing pieces 18 are provided so as to protrude from the tip of the elastic deformation plate 14 to both left and right sides. A tip end screw hole 22 is provided through each of the left and right tip end fixing pieces 18 in the thickness direction.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the arrangement direction of the wire support member 7 in a plan view. The wire support member 7 configured in this manner is inserted into the cavity 12 of the shoulder belt 6 with its elastic deformation plate 14 facing upwardly convex in a side view and inwardly convex in a plan view, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 9(a). Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the distal end fixing piece 18 of the wire support member 7 is screwed to the distal end fixing member 23 fixed to the lower exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6 using the distal end screw hole 22. On the other hand, the proximal end fixing piece 17 of the wire support member 7 is screwed to the proximal end fixing member 24 attached to the housing of the upper limb assist device 3 described later through the proximal end screw hole 21. As a result, the wire support member 7 is fixed and arranged inside the cavity 12 of the shoulder belt 6 with its longitudinal intermediate portion spaced upward from the lower exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6. At this time, the wire supporting member 7 is slightly elastically deformed in the vertical direction when viewed from the side, so that the wire supporting member 7 appears to be linear when viewed from above, as shown in FIG. 9(a).

[0028] The rotation prevention belt 8 serves to prevent the pair of shoulder belts 6 from rotating around the shoulders of the user U. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotation prevention belt 8 has a belt body 25 and a belt connector 26. The belt body 25 connects the pair of shoulder belts 6 to each other. The belt body 25 is a strip-shaped member made of synthetic fibers or the like, and is divided into a first belt body 33 connected to one shoulder belt 6 and extending in the left-right direction, and a second belt body 34 connected to the other shoulder belt 6 and extending in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the belt body 25 is provided so as to be at the same height as the lowest position PL where the back of the user U contacts the main body 5. On the other hand, the belt connector 26 is used to connect the first belt body 33 and the second belt body 34 to each other. Although not shown in detail in the figure, the belt connector 26 has an engaging claw portion provided on either the first belt body 33 or the second belt body 34, and an engaged portion provided on the other of the first belt body 33 and the second belt body 34 and capable of engaging with the engaging claw portion. As the belt connector 26, instead of this embodiment, a conventionally known configuration can be appropriately adopted as long as it is capable of connecting the first belt body 33 and the second belt body 34.

[0029] (Upper limb assist device) The upper limb assist device 3 generates a tensile force to be transmitted to the arm of the user U. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper limb assist device 3 has a pair of left and right motors 27 (shown by dashed lines), a pair of left and right pulleys 28 (shown by dashed lines), and a housing 29. The pair of left and right motors 27 are each driven and controlled to rotate in a direction that applies a tensile force to the wire 4 by detecting the state of the lifting operation of the load by the user U. The pair of left and right pulleys 28 are each provided so as to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the pair of motors 27. The housing 29 is a hollow case made of resin or the like, and houses the pair of motors 27 and the pair of pulleys 28 therein. The upper limb assist device 3 thus configured is housed inside the main body 5 constituting the upper limb assist device carrying device 2, as shown in FIG. 3, and the lower end of the housing 29 is fixed to the lower end of the exterior fabric 9 forming the main body 5. The number and installation positions of the motors 27 and pulleys 28, as well as the shape of the housing 29 corresponding thereto, are not limited to this embodiment and can be appropriately modified in design.

[0030] (Wire) The wire 4 transmits the tensile force generated by the upper limb assist device 3 to the left and right arms of the user U. The wire 4 is a string-like member made of chemical fiber or the like, and its outer diameter is set to be approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the wire protection tube 30 shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 3, one end of the pair of wires 4 configured in this manner is wound around the periphery of the left and right pulleys 28 of the upper limb assist device 3. The pair of wires 4 are each drawn out to the outside of the housing 29 of the upper limb assist device 3, pass through the inside of the main body 5 of the upper limb assist device carrier 2, and pass through the cavities 12 of the left and right shoulder belts 6. Inside the cavity 12, the wire 4 is inserted into the wire protection tube 30 housed in the groove 15 of the wire support member 7, and is supported from below by the wire support member 7. Then, after each of the pair of wires 4 is pulled out to the outside of the shoulder belt 6, the other end of each of the wires 4 is connected to a pair of end effectors (not shown) that are attached to the left and right arms of the user U, respectively.

[0031] (Effects of the upper limb assist device carrying device) Next, the effect of the upper limb assist device carrier 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 8 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the wire support member 7 in Fig. 3. As described above, the wire support member 7 is disposed inside the cavity 12 of the shoulder belt 6 in a state in which it has an upwardly convex curved shape in side view. Therefore, when no tensile force is applied to the wire 4 from the upper limb assist device 3, the longitudinal middle part of the wire support member 7 is separated from the lower exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6.

[0032] On the other hand, when a tensile force is applied to the wire 4 from the upper limb assist device 3, a vertical component of the tensile force T of the wire 4 acts on the wire support member 7. However, as described above, the elastic deformation plate 14 constituting the wire support member 7 is only slightly elastically deformable in the vertical direction when viewed from the side. Therefore, even when a tensile force is applied to the wire 4, the wire support member 7 maintains a state in which its longitudinal middle portion is separated from the lower exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6. In this way, since the wire 4 does not directly contact the lower exterior fabric 11, there is an advantage that the user U is less likely to feel a sensation of the wire 4 digging into his shoulder S.

[0033] Furthermore, as described above, the distal end of the wire support member 7 is fixed to the lower exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6 via the distal fixed member 23. Meanwhile, the proximal end of the wire support member 7 is fixed to the housing 29 of the upper limb assist device 3 via the proximal fixed member 24, and the lower end of this housing 29 is fixed to the exterior fabric 9 of the main body 5 constituting the upper limb assist device carrying device 2, as shown in Fig. 3. The exterior fabric 9 of the main body 5 is formed integrally with the lower exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6. Therefore, the proximal end of the wire support member 7 is also indirectly fixed to the lower exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6.

[0034] Therefore, when the vertical component of the tensile force T of the wire 4 acts on the wire support member 7, the lower exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6 is stretched in the front-to-rear direction of the user U. This stretched area of ​​the lower exterior fabric 11 presses downward against the shoulder S of the user U, causing the vertical component of the tensile force T of the wire 4 to act on the shoulder S of the user U. In this way, the vertical component of the tensile force T of the wire 4 acts in a dispersed manner over a relatively wide area of ​​the shoulder S of the user U that is in contact with the stretched area of ​​the lower exterior fabric 11. This has the advantage that the user U is less likely to feel the wire 4 digging into his shoulder S, compared to when the force is concentrated in a narrow area of ​​the shoulder S of the user U.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 9(a), the wire support member 7 is arranged on the shoulder S of the user U in a state where it appears linear in a plan view. This has the advantage that the tensile force T of the upper limb assist device 3 can be efficiently transmitted to the arm of the user U. More specifically, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 9(b), if the wire support member 7 were formed linear in a plan view, the wire support member 7 arranged inside the shoulder belt 6 would be slightly elastically deformed in the vertical direction in a side view, and would appear to be curved outwardly convex in a plan view, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 9(b). In this case, the wire outlet 20 formed at the tip of the wire support member 7 is likely to face the inside of the body of the user U, i.e., the center line side. In this case, when the wire 4 drawn out from the wire outlet 20 is connected to an end effector (not shown) attached to the arm of the user U, the wire 4 is likely to get caught on the edge of the wire outlet 20, causing a loss in the transmission of the tensile force T. In this regard, if the wire support member 7 has an inwardly convex curved shape in plan view as in this embodiment and is arranged inside the shoulder belt 6 in a state where it appears to be linear in plan view, the wire outlet 20 tends to face straight forward, as shown in Fig. 9(a). Therefore, the wire 4 pulled out from the wire outlet 20 is less likely to get caught on the edge of the wire outlet 20, reducing loss that occurs when the tensile force T is transmitted, and enabling efficient transmission of the tensile force T.

[0036] As described above, since the upper limb assist device carrying device 2 is provided with the anti-rotation belt 8, when the tensile force T is applied from the upper limb assist device 3 to the wire 4, the pair of shoulder belts 6 can be prevented from slipping downward and rotating around the shoulders S of the user U. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, when the tensile force T is applied from the upper limb assist device 3 to the wire 4, a reaction force H of approximately the same magnitude as the tensile force T acts on the shoulder belts 6 via the wire support member 7. Due to this reaction force H, a moment that rotates the upper limb assist device carrying device 2 forward around the shoulders S of the user U acts on the upper limb assist device carrying device 2. On the other hand, when the user U operates the length adjustment mechanism 32 to shorten the length of the shoulder belts 6, a tightening force C that presses the pair of shoulder belts 6 and the anti-rotation belt 8 against the body of the user U acts on the pair of shoulder belts 6 and the anti-rotation belt 8, as shown in FIG. 3. Due to this tightening force C, a moment that rotates the upper limb assist device carrying device 2 backward around the shoulders S of the user U acts on the upper limb assist device carrying device 2. Therefore, by balancing this forward rotation moment and backward rotation moment, it is possible to prevent the upper limb assist device carrier 2 from slipping down, i.e., from rotating forward around the shoulders S of the user U.

[0037] Furthermore, as described above, since the anti-rotation belts 8 are provided at the same height as the lowest position PL where the back of the user U comes into contact with the main body 5, rotation of the upper limb assist device carrier 2 can be reliably prevented by simply applying a relatively weak fastening force C to the pair of shoulder belts 6. More specifically, the forward rotation moment acting on the upper limb assist device carrier 2 due to the tensile force T of the upper limb assist device 3 is equal to the product of the distance from the lowest position PL to the center of the shoulder S (corresponding to the fulcrum) and a predetermined component of the tensile force T at the lowest position PL. On the other hand, the backward rotation moment acting on the upper limb assist device carrier 2 due to the fastening force C of the anti-rotation belts 8 is equal to the product of the distance from the position of the anti-rotation belts 8 to the center Sc of the shoulder S (corresponding to the fulcrum) and a predetermined component of the fastening force C at the position of the anti-rotation belts 8. Here, since the anti-rotation belt 8 is provided at the same height as the lowest position PL, the distance from the position of the anti-rotation belt 8 to the center Sc of the shoulder S is approximately the same as the distance from the lowest position PL to the center Sc of the shoulder S. Therefore, compared to a case where the anti-rotation belt 8 is located above the lowest position PL and the distance to the center Sc of the shoulder S is short, the anti-rotation belt 8 only applies a relatively weak fastening force C to the shoulder belt 6, balancing the backward rotation moment with the forward rotation moment, and preventing the forward rotation of the upper limb assist device carrying device 2. This makes it possible to reliably prevent the forward rotation of the upper limb assist device carrying device 2 without causing discomfort to the user U due to the strong fastening force C.

[0038] (Modification) The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined by the claims. For example, the following modifications are possible as embodiments of the present invention.

[0039] 6 and 7, in this embodiment, the wire support member 7 is formed in a curved shape that is convex to one side in the up-down direction in side view, and is also formed in a curved shape that is convex to one side in the left-right direction in plan view. However, a curved shape that is convex to one side in the left-right direction in plan view is not an essential configuration for the wire support member 7, and it is sufficient for the wire support member 7 to have at least a curved shape that is convex to one side in the up-down direction in side view.

[0040] 3, in this embodiment, the main body 5 of the upper limb assist device carrier 2 is formed in a bag shape, and the upper limb assist device 3 is housed inside, thereby holding the upper limb assist device 3 in the main body 5. However, the manner in which the upper limb assist device 3 is held in the main body 5 is not limited to this embodiment, and for example, the main body 5 may be formed of a frame body made of resin or the like, and the upper limb assist device 3 may be fixed to the frame body.

[0041] 4 and 5, in this embodiment, a groove 15 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the wire supporting member 7, and the wire 4 is inserted into a wire protection tube 30 housed therein, thereby supporting the wire 4 from below by the wire supporting member 7. However, the manner in which the wire 4 is supported by the wire supporting member 7 is not limited to this embodiment, and the wire 4 may be supported by the wire supporting member 7 from the side or above.

[0042] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the base end of the wire support member 7 is indirectly fixed to the lower exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6 via the base end side fixed member 24, the housing 29 of the upper limb assist device 3, and the exterior fabric 9 of the main body 5. However, the manner in which the lower exterior fabric 11 is stretched in the front-rear direction of the user U by the vertical component of the tensile force T of the wire 4 acting on the wire support member 7 is not limited to this embodiment. For example, in this embodiment, the lower end of the housing 29 of the upper limb assist device 3 is fixed to the lower end of the exterior fabric 9 of the main body 5, but this fixing position can be changed as desired. Also, the base end of the wire support member 7 may be directly fixed to the lower exterior fabric 11 of the shoulder belt 6 in the same manner as the tip end. [Industrial Applicability]

[0043] The mechanism of the present invention for distributing and applying the tensile force of the wire can be applied to other parts of the body other than the shoulders where the user is likely to feel the wire digging in, for example, to parts where the wire connected to a lower limb assist device comes into contact with the user's body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1. Upper limb assist device unit 2. Upper limb assist device carrying device 3. Upper limb assist device 4 Wire 5 Main body 6 Shoulder strap 7 Wire support member 8 Anti-rotation belt 9 Exterior Fabric 10 Upper exterior fabric 11 Lower exterior fabric 12 Cavity 13 Armhole 14 Elastically deformable plate 15 Groove 16 retaining claw 17 Proximal fixation piece 18 Tip side fixing piece 19 Wire inlet 20 Wire outlet 21 Base end screw hole 22 Tip screw hole 23 Tip side fixed member 24 Proximal fixed member 25 Belt body 26 Belt connector 27 Motor 28 Pulley 29 Case 30 Wire protection tube 32 Length adjustment mechanism 33 First belt body 34 Second belt body C Tightening force H Reaction force PL bottom position S Shoulder Sc Center of shoulder T tensile force U user

Claims

1. An upper limb assist device carrying device that applies a tensile force to a wire, the upper limb assist device being carried on a user's back, A main body portion that holds the upper limb assist device on the back of a user; a shoulder belt connected to the main body and placed on a user's shoulder; a wire support member attached to the shoulder belt and supporting the wire; The wire support member is formed in an upwardly convex curved shape when viewed from the side, and each of its longitudinal ends is fixed directly or indirectly to the lower outer fabric of the shoulder belt with its longitudinal middle portion spaced apart from the lower outer fabric of the shoulder belt.

2. 2. The upper limb assist device carrying device according to claim 1, wherein the wire support member has a groove formed along a longitudinal direction thereof, the groove being capable of accommodating the wire.

3. 3. The carrying device for an upper limb assist device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the wire support member is formed in an inwardly convex curved shape in a plan view and is elastically deformable in the vertical direction in a side view.

4. The upper limb assist device carrying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a pair of shoulder belts are provided on the left and right sides, and further comprising an anti-rotation belt extending in the left-right direction to connect the pair of shoulder belts to each other and prevent the pair of shoulder belts from rotating around the shoulders of the user.

5. 5. The upper limb assist device carrying device according to claim 4, wherein the anti-rotation belt is arranged at the same height as the lowest position where the back of a user wearing the pair of shoulder belts comes into contact with the main body.

6. The upper limb assist device carrying device according to claim 1 or 2, The upper limb assist device held by the main body portion; The wire has one end connected to the upper limb assist device and supported by the wire support member; An upper limb assist device unit comprising:

Images