Chair type walker having upper half body support function in front of user's body

Abstract

To provide a chair-type walker having an upper half body support function in front of a user's body, which includes, in front of a user, a support part for supporting the user's upper half body enabling the user seated on a seat part to safely walk with his / her own feet and to safely and easily transfer among a chair, a bed, and a toilet and move there.SOLUTION: A chair-type walker includes: a seat part for supporting hips of a user; and a support part for supporting the user's upper half body in front of the body of the user seated on the seat part. Thus, an area is secured to enable the user to move with his / her own feet without preventing the movement of the feet while the user is seated on the seat part. A height of the seat part is adjusted to be the height for enabling the user to easily perform a transfer to furniture necessary for a life such as a bed, a chair, and a toilet. A backrest like a normal wheelchair is not arranged, thereby to facilitate a transfer by himself / herself.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field] The present invention relates to a chair-type walking aid that can improve safety and reduce physical strain during work or movement for not only the elderly and physically disabled but also able-bodied people.

[0001] Supporting the elderly and physically disabled to walk safely and easily with as little trouble as possible for caregivers is an important issue for both the elderly and the society in which the population is aging. In particular, when many elderly people get up from bed to eat, work, go to the toilet, etc., and use handrails or a cane to move around by themselves, they often stumble and fall, resulting in fractures and bruises and becoming bedridden. Therefore, when they become anxious about walking, they switch to care using a wheelchair.

[0002] When it comes to chairs for the elderly, wheelchairs are often used, but wheelchairs are designed to reduce the burden on the caregiver, and there are few measures to maintain and improve the functions and muscle strength that the care recipient can still use. Many elderly people still have the muscle strength to walk, even if they sometimes stagger, and would like to do activities and tasks necessary for daily life such as moving around and going to the toilet by themselves, but the reality is that they are deprived of these opportunities by being forced into a wheelchair. Also, if the back of a wheelchair is continuously supported by the backrest, the pelvis tends to tilt too far back, causing back pain and back pain unless the posture is constantly corrected to keep it in the correct position. Similarly, even healthy people can experience back pain and back pain if they continue to sit in a chair and work. [Prior art documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 (JP-A-4-101660) discloses a walker that allows severely disabled children to move around by themselves, but the body is fixed with a back belt or wrist belt, and the technology is not designed to allow elderly people, physically disabled people, or able-bodied people to move around or work easily. Therefore, the purpose and technical content of this document are completely different from that of the present invention.

[0004] [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-73413A discloses a wheelchair for rehabilitation that has no backrest and supports the chest and abdomen to encourage standing. It is suggested that the healthy foot be used to move the wheelchair by placing the soles of the feet on a step, but the wheelchair is basically moved by manually driving large wheels, and the purpose of aiming for standing and the technology are completely different from those of the present invention.

[0005] [Patent Document 3] JP 2023-17137 Patent Document 3 (JP 2023-17137) discloses a chair for promoting forward-leaning standing. A forward-leaning standing chair that promotes walking in a forward-leaning position is disclosed for the purpose of rehabilitation of people who have difficulty walking because their center of gravity is located backward. It is not intended for safe and easy movement or work, but rather for rehabilitation for forward-leaning standing, and its purpose and technology are completely different from those of the present invention. In Patent Document 3, in order to promote forward-leaning standing, the hip joint is devised to make the femur closer to upright, and tension is promoted from the waist to the upper body so that the pelvis is also tilted forward to promote forward-leaning standing. On the other hand, in the sitting position of the present invention, the femur is stably stored from the hip joint in a more forward direction rather than upright, so that the pelvis does not tilt too far back and can be tilted slightly backward while relaxing due to the member that supports the upper body, allowing for smooth walking and activities such as work. Patent Document 3 also describes that in order to limit the heel load when in a standing position, the kicking range of the floor is restricted, thereby restricting the area in which the feet can step out. However, this is completely opposite to the idea of ​​the present invention, which is to promote foot movement and enable easy movement.

[0006] [Patent Document 4] The above-mentioned Patent Document 4 (JP Patent Publication 8-154761) discloses a relaxing desk with a chair that allows the user to do manual work or type on a keyboard in a relaxed manner without straining the lower back and without stiffening the shoulders or neck. This desk is merely intended to achieve a relaxed state, and is not intended to facilitate safe movement for the elderly or disabled, or to facilitate transfer between furniture and toilets, and does not provide opportunities or places for various activities in daily life. For example, it is completely unusable for work such as cooking while moving around the kitchen. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a chair-type walker with an upper body support function at the front of the body, which has a support part that supports the upper body at the front of the user's body, allows the user to walk safely on his / her own feet while sitting on the seat, and allows safe and easy transfer to / from a bed, chair, toilet, etc. More preferably, it is to provide a chair that allows the elderly, physically disabled, and able-bodied people to walk safely in living spaces such as homes, workplaces, and facilities, and that allows them to easily move forward, backward, turn, and diagonally even in narrow spaces, allowing them to comfortably perform not only desk work but also various daily tasks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the invention described in claim 1 is a chair-type walker which has a support part in the front of the user's body that supports the upper body, has an area that allows the user to move their feet while sitting on the seat so as not to interfere with the movement of their feet when walking, and is characterized by not having a backrest.

[0009] According to the invention of claim 1, a user sits astride the seat of a chair-type walker without a backrest, supports the upper body with a support part at the front of the body, and walks and moves by kicking the floor with his / her feet. The support part that supports the upper body at the front of the user's body can be a support part consisting of a member that supports the abdomen and chest and / or a member that supports the arms and / or a member that can be held between the inner thighs of both legs. The chair-type walker is stabilized by applying weight with the buttocks, and the upper body is supported by the front member, stabilizing the body and allowing easy and safe movement and work. The member that supports the abdomen and chest may preferably be padded to reduce impact when contacted. The arm part may be supported by holding the member with the palm of the hand, or may be a member that supports the forearm, elbow, upper arm, etc. It is preferable to use a pad for these as well as necessary. The member that can be held between the inner thighs of both legs contributes to a sense of unity between the chair-type walker and the whole body, and is also effective in strengthening the adductor muscles and the deep muscles of the trunk that maintain posture. The height of the seat is preferably adjusted to the height of the bed, chair, or western-style toilet seat that is actually used in daily life. When transferring from a bed to the chair-type walker of the present invention, the rear part of the seat of the chair-type walker is placed in contact with the edge of the bed, and the buttocks are moved directly to the seat of the chair-type walker from the state of sitting on the edge of the bed, allowing a safe transfer. With a normal wheelchair, one must first stand up from the bed and turn one's body before sitting in the wheelchair, which may require assistance, but with the chair walker of the present invention, transfer is much easier. Even with the toilet, which wheelchair users have difficulty using, wheelchair users can simply approach the western-style toilet from behind, lift their hips, and slide them onto the toilet seat to sit on the toilet. Furthermore, even able-bodied people can reduce pain and fatigue caused by tension in the lower back and back when working while sitting for a long time.

[0010] According to the invention of claim 2, swivel casters can be used on some or all of the legs of the chair-type walker. By using swivel casters that can rotate freely 360 degrees on the legs of the walker, and in particular by using swivel casters on all legs that come into contact with the ground, the chair-type walker can be freely operated even in tight spaces, with operations such as turning on the spot, moving parallel, and moving diagonally, in addition to moving forward and backward by kicking the feet.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that the distance between the walking areas of the left and right feet is within 40 cm, and the rear side of the area for both the left and right feet is at least behind the load center of the seat. If the distance between the walking areas of the left and right feet becomes wider and the user walks with their legs spread apart, it will hinder light walking and cause fatigue quickly, so it is preferable that the distance does not exceed 40 cm. It is even more preferable that the distance does not exceed 30 cm. When not walking, a step or the like for placing feet can be provided in the area, but it is preferable that the step can be easily stored when walking to ensure an area for moving the feet. As for the area for moving the feet forward and backward, it is preferable that the rear side (heel side) of the area is at least behind the load center of the seat. The load center of the seat is the load center applied to the seat by the buttocks. More specifically, the load center can be considered to be near the position of the user's buttocks that corresponds to the anus. In order to ensure a light and nimble kick, it is preferable that the front side (toe side) of the movable area of ​​the foot when walking is at least 50 cm forward from the rear side of the movable area of ​​the foot when walking so that the kicking off below the knee can be performed sufficiently. It is more preferable that it is 70 cm forward.

[0012] The leg layout design of the chair-type walker of the present invention is important from the above points. It should be designed with sufficient consideration given to safety and ease of use so as to satisfy the above conditions and avoid the risk of falling. In order not to impede the movement of the feet, it is not preferable to use rotating legs such as those often seen on office chairs, and it is preferable to use fixed legs. In addition, in order to achieve a stable layout that is less likely to fall over, it is a preferable example to arrange the front two legs relatively narrow and the rear two legs relatively wide. The spacing between the front and rear legs should be such that it can support the overall load and ensure stability, but if it is too wide, a large space will be required when rotating, so it is preferable to design it according to the purpose.

[0013] In the present invention, the height of the support part and / or the seat part that supports the upper half of the front part of the user's body can be adjusted. The height of the support part that supports the upper half of the front part of the user's body can be adjusted and changed according to the preference and necessity of the posture of the upper half of the body when walking or working. In one preferred example, the support part is made of a material that supports the elbows and forearms so that the user can take a comfortable posture. う The seat height can be adjusted to suit the height of the desk used for work. For work performed at a height close to the floor, the support height can be set low. The seat height can be adjusted to suit walking posture, working posture, etc., and can also be adjusted to suit the height of a bed, chair, Western-style toilet, etc.

[0014] In the present invention, the angle of the support part and / or the seat part that supports the front upper body of the user is adjustable, so that it can be adjusted to a comfortable and safe angle according to the characteristics of the user's body. Effect of the Invention

[0015] The chair-type walker of the present invention enables elderly people, physically disabled people, and able-bodied people to walk and work in a seated position safely and easily, and also enables them to transfer safely and easily to beds, chairs, Western-style toilets, etc., thereby reducing the need for nursing care and increasing the possibility of living independently. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a user straddling the chair-type walker of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 shows an overall view of a chair-type walker according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a movable area of ​​the foot when walking according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 shows an overall view of a chair-type walker according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 shows an overall view of the chair-type walker of the third embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 shows an overall view of the chair-type walker of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 shows an overall view of the chair-type walker of the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific examples.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a chair-type walker according to the first embodiment of the present invention being used astride the chair-type walker. The user can sit naturally on the seat 30 of the chair-type walker, and the upper body is safely supported by the support parts 20 (21, 22, 23) provided in front of the user, so that the user can safely use his / her own legs to move, work, live, and perform other activities. A movable area 50 for the legs when walking is secured as the movable area for the legs when walking.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the entire chair-type walker of the first embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the main body frame is made of wood. A seat 30 is provided at the rear of the main body frame 10, and since there is no backrest, the user can sit astride the walker smoothly. At the front of the main body, an upper body support 20 is provided at the position in front of the user, and is composed of a support 21 that supports the abdomen and chest, a support 22 that supports the arms, and a support 23 that can be held between the insides of both thighs. The legs of the walker are provided at the bottom of the main body frame 10, and front legs 41, rear legs 42, and casters 43 are provided, allowing the chair-type walker body to move and turn smoothly.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows the range of motion of the feet when walking using the chair-type walker of the present invention. The area 50 in which the feet can be moved so as not to interfere with the movement of the feet when walking is preferably within 40 cm, more preferably within 30 cm, between the walking areas of the left and right feet. In addition, it is preferable that the rear side of the area 50 for both the left and right feet is at least behind the load center of the seat. As for the area in which the feet can be moved forward and backward, it is preferable that the rear side (heel side) of the area is at least behind the load center of the seat, and in order to ensure light and smooth kicking, it is preferable that the front side (toe side) of the area in which the feet can be moved when walking is at least 50 cm or more forward from the rear side of the area in which the feet can be moved, more preferably 70 cm or more, so that the kicking out below the knee can be performed sufficiently.

[0021] 4 is a schematic diagram of the entire chair-type walker of Example 2 of the present invention. In Example 2, the main body frame 10 of the walker, the skeleton of the upper body support part 20, and legs 41, 42 of the legs 40 are made of metal materials. As metals, iron, particularly chrome molybdenum steel and aluminum alloys, which are lightweight and strong, are preferably used. In the walker of Example 2, the height of the upper body support part can be freely adjusted and fixed by the height adjustment lever 24. Also, the height of the seat part can be freely adjusted and fixed by the height adjustment lever 31.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the entire chair-type walker of the third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the main body frame 10 of the walker, the skeleton of the upper body support part 20 integrated therewith, and the legs 41 and 42 are made of carbon fiber material. Frames made by a 3D printer using resin or ceramic can also be preferably used. Since weight reduction is an important factor for the purpose of the present invention, such measures are important. A workbench 60 is provided at the front of the walker of the third embodiment, and it can be used as a space for various tasks such as computer work, reading, and eating. In this embodiment, a handle is provided connected to the upper body support part to support standing up and moving to another piece of furniture or a toilet.

[0023] 6 is a schematic diagram of the entire chair-type walker of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. A platform for placing luggage is provided at the front of the walker of the fourth embodiment, and a shopping basket 70 or the like can be placed on the platform to carry items or to shop at a supermarket or the like while moving around comfortably and safely.

[0024] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the entire chair-type walker of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The upper body support section 20 and the seat section 30 of the walker of the fifth embodiment are connected, and the whole is connected to the main frame by a hinge, and the inclination angle can be adjusted and fixed by operating the adjustment lever 80. In addition, the chair-type walker can be stopped safely by a brake lever with a stopper. These allow the user to work, walk, and live more comfortably. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 10 Chair-type walker frame 20 Upper body support part 21 Supporting part that supports the abdomen and thorax 22 Support for the arms 23 Support that can be held between the inner thighs 24 Height adjustment lever for upper body support 30 Seat area 31 Seat height adjustment lever 40 Walker legs 41 Front legs of walker 42 Rear legs of walker 43 Swivel Caster 50 Range of motion of the foot when walking 60 Work table (PC) 70 Luggage basket (shopping basket) 80 Upper body support / seat angle adjustment lever 90 Brake lever 100 Load center of seat

Claims

1. This chair-type walker has a support part in the front of the user's body that supports the upper body, the support part being made of a member that supports the abdomen and chest and / or a member that supports the arms and / or a member that can be held between the inner thighs of both legs, and has a movable area that allows the user to move while sitting on the seat so as not to interfere with the movement of their feet when walking, and is characterized by not having a backrest.

2. 2. The chair-type walker of claim 1, wherein swivel casters are used on some or all of the legs that come into contact with the ground.

Images