Posture auxiliary tool

Abstract

To enable long-time work even by a person whose body is stiff, and eliminate necessity of carrying by hand when a person stands up and moves.SOLUTION: Provided is a posture auxiliary tool used in a squat posture with a knee of one or both legs bent up. The posture auxiliary tool includes: an intervening body sandwiched between the leg with a knee bent up and a torso; and an attachment mechanism for attaching the intervening body to clothing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a posture aid. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, when weeding, a person with a stiff body will work with both knees on the ground. This is because when squatting with one or both knees raised (hereinafter referred to as the squatting position), the posture is unstable unless the torso is pressed tightly against the leg with the knee raised and the weight is placed on it. However, a person with a stiff body cannot do this and cannot maintain the squatting position.

[0003] This position with both knees on the ground requires the torso to be supported only by the hips, which means that fatigue builds up in the hips more easily than in a squatting position, making it difficult to continue working for long periods of time.

[0004] The applicant has developed a posture support device that includes a chest pad, a support shaft that extends from the chest pad to the ground, and knee pads attached to the tip of the support shaft so that workers can continue working for long periods of time even with both knees on the ground, and has obtained a patent for this device (Patent Document 1). By using this posture support device, workers can rest their torso on the support shaft, allowing them to continue working for long periods of time.

[0005] However, when the user frequently needs to stand up and move around, the posture aid must be carried by hand, which can be cumbersome. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6912047 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to make it easy for even people with inflexible bodies to work in a squatting position and to eliminate the need to carry the device in their hands when standing up and moving around. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The posture support device of the present invention is a posture support device used in a squatting position with one or both knees raised, and is characterized in that it comprises an interposition body that is sandwiched between the leg with the knees raised and the torso, and an attachment mechanism for attaching the interposition body to clothing.

[0009] According to the present invention, since the torso can be supported by the legs with the knees bent via the interposition body, even people with stiff bodies can easily work in a squatting position. As a result, the burden on the lower back is reduced, and it is possible to continue working for long periods of time. In addition, since the interposition body can be attached to clothing by the attachment mechanism, there is no need to carry it in one's hands when standing up. As a result, both hands are freed, improving work efficiency.

[0010] The attachment mechanism may also be configured to maintain the intermediate body attached to the clothing when the user stands up from the crouching position.

[0011] With this configuration, even when the user stands up from a crouched position, the intermediate body remains attached to the clothing, eliminating the need to bother to reattach the intermediate body to the clothing, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0012] A specific embodiment of the posture support device is one in which the interposition body has a lower surface that contacts the leg with the knee raised, an upper surface that contacts the torso, and a side surface sandwiched between the lower surface and the upper surface, and the attachment mechanism is provided on the side surface.

[0013] With this configuration, the mounting mechanism is less likely to interfere with the legs or torso and is less likely to get in the way.

[0014] For example, the attachment mechanism may include a hook that can be hooked onto a belt worn by a user, the hook extending downward from the upper part of the side surface with a gap between the hook and the side surface, or the attachment mechanism may include a loop through which a belt worn by a user can be passed, the loop having a through hole that passes along the side surface in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0015] With this configuration, for example, the intervening body can be easily attached and detached. Also, by attaching the intervening body to the belt so that it is positioned in front of the user, when the user assumes a crouching position, the intervening body is naturally sandwiched between the knee and the torso. Also, when the user W stands up from the crouching position, the attachment state of the intervening body to the clothing is maintained by the attachment mechanism. This eliminates the need to adjust the position of the intervening body during work, improving work efficiency. Furthermore, since the hook can be easily removed without removing the belt, it can be used as a knee rest, for example, when working with one knee on the ground.

[0016] In this case, by making the cross-sectional shape of at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface cut in a direction parallel to the side surface into a curved concave shape, the intermediate body can be made to fit easily to the legs and the torso.

[0017] If the intermediate body is disposed on the front side of the user, it may get in the way when the user stands up. Therefore, the attachment mechanism may be a strap extending from the side.

[0018] With this configuration, for example, if the strap is connected to a belt loop on the side or back of the user, when the user stands up from a crouched position, the intermediate body hangs from the belt loop via the strap and moves to the side of the user on its own while remaining attached, so it does not get in the way.

[0019] In this case, by making the cross-sectional shape of at least one of the upper and lower surfaces, cut parallel or perpendicular to the side surface, curved and concave, the intermediate body can easily fit to the leg and torso of the kneeled position. Effect of the Invention

[0020] In this way, with the posture support device of the present invention, even people with stiff bodies can work in a crouching position, and there is no need to carry it in their hands when standing up and moving around. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a posture aid according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a typical posture aid according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 3A and 3B are front and side views showing a state in which a user wearing the posture aid of the embodiment is in a standing posture. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which a user wearing the posture aid of the embodiment is in a crouching posture. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a schematic view of a posture aid according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state in which a user wearing a posture aid according to another embodiment is standing up. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a state in which a user wearing a posture aid according to another embodiment is standing up. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] A posture support device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7.

[0023] <Embodiment> The posture support device 100 of this embodiment is used in work that requires repeated crouching and standing postures, such as farm work or gardening, and includes an interposition body 10 and an attachment mechanism 20, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0024] The interposition body 10 is sandwiched between the thigh of the knee of the user W who is in a squatting position and the torso. As described above, when a person with a stiff body squats, the torso cannot be pressed tightly against the knee, creating a gap. The interposition body 10 is sandwiched in this gap. Note that in this embodiment, the interposition body 10 is made of a hard material such as resin or wood, but is not limited to this and may be made of, for example, a soft material, or the surface of a core material made of a hard material may be covered with a soft material.

[0025] The intermediate body 10 of this embodiment is block-shaped, more specifically, approximately cubic. This intermediate body 10 is used in a squatting position with only one knee raised, and its width is approximately the same as or slightly narrower than the width of the thigh. Note that the intermediate body 10 is not limited to a cubic shape, and may be, for example, a spherical or elliptical spherical shape.

[0026] More specifically, the intermediate body 10 has a lower surface 11 that contacts the leg with the knee raised, an upper surface 12 that contacts the torso, and a side surface 13 sandwiched between the lower surface 11 and the upper surface 12, and the side surface 13 is provided with the mounting mechanism 20. The lower surface 11 and the upper surface 12 face in opposite directions, and both have a cross-sectional shape cut parallel to the side surface 13, that is, a cross-sectional shape cut in the left-right direction, which is a curved concave shape. The lower surface 11 extends further from the side surface 13 than the upper surface 12, and has a larger area. A hollowed-out portion 15 that is cut in the left-right direction is formed on the surface 14 opposite the side surface 13. The gap between the lower surface 11 and the upper surface 12 must be large enough to fill the gap between the leg and the torso that occurs when a person with a stiff body assumes a squatting posture, and it is preferable that the gap is, for example, 4 cm to 9 cm.

[0027] The attachment mechanism 20 is for attaching the intermediate body 10 to the clothing of the user W, and in this embodiment, includes a hook 21 for hooking the intermediate body 10 onto the belt B of the user W.

[0028] Specifically, the mounting mechanism 20 includes a hook 21 and a fixing plate 22 for fixing the hook 21 to the side surface 13 of the intermediate body 10. The hook 21 extends downward from an upper portion of the side surface 13 with a gap between the hook 21 and the side surface 13, and the belt B is sandwiched in the gap. The mounting mechanism 20 is sized so as not to protrude beyond the side surface 13, and is rotatably fixed to the side surface 13 by a shaft. The rotation shaft extends in a direction intersecting the side surface 13 (more specifically, in a vertical direction).

[0029] Next, a method of using the posture support device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0030] First, as shown in Fig. 3(a), the hook 21 is inserted between the belt B and the torso of the user W in a standing position, and the interposition body 10 is hooked onto the belt B. At this time, the interposition body 10 is positioned in front of the user W, above the leg l whose knee is raised when the user is in a squatting position, as shown in Fig. 3(b). In this state, when the user W squats, as shown in Fig. 4, the interposition body 10 is naturally sandwiched between the thigh of the leg l whose knee is raised and the torso. Also, when the user W stands up, the interposition body 10 is naturally positioned in front of the user W, above the leg l whose knee is raised when the user is in a squatting position.

[0031] According to the posture aid 100 of this embodiment, even a person with a stiff body can rest his / her torso on the leg l with the knee raised via the interposition body 10, making it easier to work in a crouching position. As a result, the burden on the lower back is reduced compared to working in a position with both knees on the ground, and the user can continue working for a long time. In addition, the attachment mechanism 20 maintains the interposition body 10 attached to the clothing not only when the user W assumes a crouching position, but also when the user stands up from the crouching position, so there is no need to reattach the interposition body 10 to the clothing. As a result, work efficiency is improved.

[0032] Furthermore, since the intermediate body 10 is structured to be hooked onto the belt B, for example, by wearing the intermediate body 10 on the front side of the user W, when the user assumes a crouching position, the intermediate body 10 is naturally sandwiched between the knee-up leg l and the torso. This eliminates the need to adjust the position of the intermediate body 10 during work, improving work efficiency.

[0033] Furthermore, the cross-section of the lower surface 11 and the upper surface 12 of the intermediate body 10 taken parallel to the side surface 13 has a curved concave shape, so that the intermediate body 10 easily fits to the legs and torso. Also, since the attachment mechanism 20 is axially fixed to the side surface 13 of the intermediate body 10 so as to be rotatable, when the intermediate body 10 is attached to the belt B, the intermediate body 10 rotates left and right, making it easier to fit the legs and torso.

[0034] In this embodiment, the hollowed-out portion 15 is formed on the surface 14 opposite the side 13, so that the weight can be reduced while maintaining the necessary strength. To be more specific, in the posture aid 100 according to this embodiment, the weight of the user W is likely to be placed on the side closer to the attachment mechanism 20 of the interposition body 10, that is, on the side closer to the side 13. On the other hand, the weight is not so much placed on the side closer to the opposite surface 14. For this reason, by forming the hollowed-out portion 15 on the surface 14 opposite the side 13, the strength of the side 13 where the weight is placed can be maintained while reducing the weight.

[0035] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. In the posture support device according to the above-described embodiment, a hook that can be hooked onto a belt is used as the attachment mechanism, but a loop through which a belt can be passed may also be used. In this case, the loop may have a through hole that passes through in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction along the side surface.

[0036] Depending on the type of work, placing the interposer on the front side of the user may be a hindrance. Therefore, the attachment mechanism 20 may be a strap 20 as shown in FIG. 5. If the strap 20 is used, for example, the tip of the strap 20 is connected to a belt or belt loop on the side or back side of the user W's body, and when the user W stands up, the interposer 10 will naturally hang down on the side or back side of the user as shown in FIG. 6, and will not be a hindrance. Specifically, the strap has connecting members 26, 27 on both ends, one connecting member 26 is connected to the interposer 10, and the other connecting member 27 is connected to clothing. Here, the other connecting member 27 may be a hook-shaped or loop-shaped member, and may be detachably connected to, for example, a tool hanger attached to a belt used by a gardener. In addition, one connecting member 26 in this embodiment is fixed to a rotating body rotatably attached to the side surface 13 of the interposer 10. Therefore, the strap 20 is connected to the intermediate body 10 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in a direction intersecting with the side surface 13. The length of the strap 20 is preferably such that the intermediate body 10 can be held between the torso and the leg with the knee raised when the user is in a squatting position with the other connecting member 27 connected to a belt, belt loop, or tool hanger on the side or back side (other than the front side) of the user. The strap 20 can also be used in combination with the hook of the above embodiment.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the intermediate body has a curved concave cross section when cut parallel to the upper or lower side surface, but only one of the sides may be curved concave. In addition, when the attachment mechanism is a strap, the intermediate body may be formed so that the cross section when cut parallel or perpendicular to at least one of the upper or lower side surfaces is curved concave. Note that the upper and lower surfaces do not necessarily have to be curved concave in cross section.

[0038] Also, a support bar may be attached to the intermediate body, which is placed between the intermediate body and the ground. With this configuration, the torso is supported not only by the legs with the knees bent, but also by the support bar, further reducing the burden on the lower back.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the intermediate body is in the shape of a block, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the intermediate body may be formed by bending a metal plate such as stainless steel.

[0040] For a squatting posture with both knees raised, for example, two posture support devices according to the above embodiment may be worn. In this case, as shown in Fig. 7, the width of the intermediate body 10 in the left-right direction may be approximately the same as that of the torso or slightly narrower than that of the torso, and one of these may be worn.

[0041] The attachment mechanism may be a ring directly attached to the intermediate body, which can be hooked onto a tool hook on a belt when, for example, the user stands up from a crouched position.

[0042] In addition, parts of the various embodiments may be combined or modified as long as it does not go against the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 100: Posture aid 10: Intervening body 11: Bottom surface 12:Top surface 13: Side 20: Mounting mechanism 21: Hook

Claims

1. A posture aid used in a squatting position with one or both knees bent, an interposition body sandwiched between the leg with the knee raised and the torso; A posture support device characterized by comprising an attachment mechanism for attaching the interposition body to the user's clothing.

2. 2. The posture assist device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism maintains the intermediate body attached to the clothing when the user stands up from the crouching position.

3. the interposition body has a lower surface that contacts the leg with the knee raised, an upper surface that contacts the trunk, and a side surface that is sandwiched between the lower surface and the upper surface, 2. The posture aid according to claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism is provided on the side surface.

4. the attachment mechanism includes a hook that can be hooked onto a belt worn by a user; 4. The posture aid according to claim 3, wherein the hook extends downward from the upper portion of the side surface with a gap between the hook and the side surface.

5. the attachment mechanism includes a loop through which a belt worn by a user can be passed; 4. The posture support device according to claim 3, wherein the loop has a through-hole that penetrates along the side surface in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction.

6. 6. The posture support device according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface has a curved concave cross section cut parallel to the side surface.

7. 3. The posture aid according to claim 2, wherein the attachment mechanism is a strap extending from the side.

8. 8. The posture support device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface has a curved concave cross section cut parallel to or perpendicular to the side surface.

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