Wearing type assist device

Abstract

To provide a wearing type assist device that can assist a joint of a worn object with large force and can suppress limitation of the movable range of the joint and increase in weight.SOLUTION: A wearing type assist device includes an expanding / contracting part forming an inside space and covering a joint of a worn object while striding across the joint. The expanding / contracting part expands with the pressure of a fluid supplied into the inside space and contracts with the discharge of the fluid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wearable assist device. [Background technology]

[0002] A wearable assist device having an expansion and contraction part that straddles a joint of a target body is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-78507 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is desirable for the wearable assist device described above to be able to assist the joints of the person wearing it with a large force, while suppressing restrictions on the range of motion of the joints and increasing the weight.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a wearable assist device that can assist the joints of a subject with a large force, while minimizing restrictions on the range of motion of the joints and increasing their weight. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is as follows.

[0007] [1] A wearable assist device, The device has an expansion and contraction section that forms an inner space and covers the joint of the wearer, The wearable assisting device, wherein the expansion / contraction section expands due to the pressure of fluid supplied to the internal space and contracts due to the discharge of the fluid.

[0008] [2] The wearable assist device described in [1] has a regulating portion arranged on the expansion / contraction portion so as to regulate the expansion of the expansion / contraction portion by tensing when the expansion / contraction portion is expanded.

[0009] [3] The wearable assist device described in [2], wherein the regulating portion has a long portion.

[0010] [4] the expansion / contraction unit has one side portion and another side portion straddling the joint of the attachment target, The wearable assist device described in [3], wherein the elongated portion extends in an elongated shape in a direction from the one side portion toward the other side portion.

[0011] [5] The wearable assist device according to [3] or [4], wherein the elongated portion is positioned across the joint of the subject to be worn.

[0012] [6] The wearable assisting device according to any one of [3] to [5], wherein the long portion has a larger Young's modulus than the expansion and contraction portion.

[0013] [7] The wearable assist device according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the joint of the target is placed in the inner space.

[0014] [8] The wearable assist device according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the joint of the target is arranged adjacent to the inner space.

[0015] [9] The wearable assist device described in [8], wherein the expansion / contraction portion covers the entire outer circumference of the joint of the subject to be worn.

[0016]

[10] The wearable assist device described in [8], wherein the expansion / contraction portion covers only a portion of the outer circumference of the joint of the subject to be worn. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wearable assist device that can assist the joint of the person to which it is attached with a large force, while suppressing restrictions on the range of motion of the joint and increases in weight. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view showing a contracted state of the wearable assisting device of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is an external view showing a state in which the wearable assisting device is inflated from the state shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an expansion / contraction portion in cross section BB of FIG. 2 superimposed by a two-dot chain line on the cross section AA of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an external view showing a contracted state of the wearable assisting device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 5 is an external view showing a state when the wearable assisting device is inflated from the state shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an expansion / contraction portion in cross section DD of FIG. 5 superimposed by a two-dot chain line on the cross-section CC of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 7] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an expansion / contraction portion in a cross-section FF of FIG. 5 superimposed by a two-dot chain line on the cross-section EE of FIG. 4. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the wearable assist device 1 has an expansion / contraction section 3 that forms an inner space S1 and covers a joint 2a (e.g., a shoulder joint as shown) of a subject 2 (e.g., a person as shown in the figure), and the expansion / contraction section 3 expands (see Figure 2) due to the pressure of a fluid (e.g., air as shown in the figure) supplied to the inner space S1 and contracts (see Figure 1) due to the discharge of the fluid.

[0021] Generally, there are two types of wearable assist devices 1: endoskeleton type and exoskeleton type. An endoskeleton type does not have a skeleton in the device, and uses the skeleton of the subject 2 to transmit the force generated by the device. An exoskeleton type has an exoskeleton structure that fits along the skeleton of the subject 2 to transmit the force generated by the device. In an endoskeleton type, the assist force is borne entirely by the skeleton of the subject 2, so the size is limited. In an exoskeleton type, the range of motion of the joint 2a of the subject 2 is limited due to factors such as a misalignment between the center of rotation of the joint 2a of the subject 2 and the center of rotation of the exoskeleton joint. In addition, the weight increases due to the presence of an exoskeleton structure.

[0022] In contrast, according to the above-mentioned configuration of the present embodiment, the expansion / contraction unit 3 that straddles and covers the joint 2a of the wearer 2 can function as an aerodynamic skeleton that can be used not only to generate force but also to transmit force, so that a larger assisting force can be exerted than in the conventional internal skeleton type. In addition, the flexible and lightweight structure without an exoskeleton joint can avoid the problems of the above-mentioned limited range of motion of the joint 2a and increased weight. Therefore, a wearable assisting device 1 can be realized that can assist the joint 2a of the wearer 2 with a large force and suppress the limited range of motion of the joint 2a and the increased weight. In addition, when the expansion / contraction unit 3 is made of cloth, a resin sheet, or the like, a low cost can be achieved. The expansion / contraction unit 3 may be configured to have elasticity or may not have elasticity. The expansion / contraction unit 3 may be configured to have a folding unit that is folded when contracted to form a pleat shape.

[0023] The wearable assist device 1 has a restricting portion 4 that is disposed on the expansion / contraction portion 3 so as to restrict the expansion of the expansion / contraction portion 3 by tensioning the expansion / contraction portion 3 when the expansion / contraction portion 3 is inflated. According to the above configuration, the restricting portion 4 can easily realize a manner of expansion of the expansion / contraction portion 3 that enables an assist force in a desired direction and force.

[0024] The restricting portion 4 has a long portion 4a. According to the above configuration, when the expansion / contraction portion 3 expands, the long portion 4a becomes tensed, thereby restricting the extension (expansion) of the expansion / contraction portion 3 in the longitudinal direction of the long portion 4a.

[0025] The expansion / contraction unit 3 has one side and the other side that straddle the joint 2a of the attachment target 2, and the long portion 4a extends long in the direction from the one side to the other side. According to the above configuration, it is possible to impart anisotropy to the uniform expansion of the expansion / contraction unit 3 over the entire circumference surrounding the inner space S1 by restricting it from the long portion 4a.

[0026] The long portion 4a is disposed across the joint 2a of the attachment target 2. According to the above configuration, it is possible to realize anisotropic expansion that can efficiently assist the joint 2a.

[0027] The axial rigidity of the long portion 4a in the longitudinal direction is not particularly limited, but is preferably greater than the axial rigidity of the expansion / contraction portion 3. From the viewpoint of making the long portion 4a compact, the long portion 4a may be made of a material having a greater Young's modulus than the material of the expansion / contraction portion 3. The restricting portion 4 may be configured to have an elastic portion such as rubber that connects a first portion of the long portion 4a to a second portion shifted from the first portion in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the long portion 4a can be stretched in the longitudinal direction by the elongation of the elastic portion until it becomes tensed in the portion between the first portion and the second portion, thereby allowing the expansion of the expansion / contraction portion 3, and can restrict the expansion of the expansion / contraction portion 3 after it becomes tensed in the above portion. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the above elastic portion appropriately depending on the application.

[0028] The joint 2a of the attachment target 2 is disposed in the inner space S1 (see FIG. 3). According to the above configuration, the entire outer periphery of the joint 2a is covered by the expansion / contraction unit 3, which serves as an aerodynamic skeleton responsible for generating and transmitting the assist force, so that reliable assistance can be achieved for the joint 2a. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the expansion of the expansion / contraction unit 3 turns the bag structure around the arm into a skeleton structure, so that an upward supporting force can be obtained as shown by the thick upward arrow in FIG. 2, and the tension of the restriction unit 4 (long portion 4a) can generate an upward torque centered on the shoulder in the arm portion as shown by the diagonally downward thick arrow in FIG. 2.

[0029] The wearable assisting device 1 has a fluid supplying device 5 such as a fan or a compressor that supplies fluid to the inner space S1. According to the above configuration, the expansion / contraction unit 3 can be expanded by the fluid supplying device 5. For example, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a fan as the fluid supplying device 5 may be provided in the expansion / contraction unit 3.

[0030] The wearable assist device 1 may be configured to include a fluid discharge device such as a fan or a vacuum pump that discharges fluid from the inner space S1, or may be configured to include a natural exhaust port that discharges fluid in the expansion / contraction section 3. The fluid supply device and the fluid discharge device can be driven by, for example, a battery or an external power source.

[0031] As in the second embodiment shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 7, the joint 2a of the mounting target 2 may be configured to be arranged next to the inner space S1. According to the above configuration, the joint 2a can be efficiently assisted by the expansion / contraction unit 3 located next to the joint 2a. In the second embodiment, the first joint 2a1 (lumbar intervertebral joint in the illustrated example) of the mounting target 2 is arranged next to the inner space S1, and the second joint 2a2 (thoracic intervertebral joint in the illustrated example) of the mounting target 2 is arranged next to the inner space S1.

[0032] In the second embodiment, the expansion / contraction unit 3 covers the entire outer periphery of the first joint 2a1 of the wearing target 2 (see FIG. 6). More specifically, the expansion / contraction unit 3 has a full surrounding portion 3c that covers the entire outer periphery of the first joint 2a1 of the wearing target 2, and the full surrounding portion 3c has an outer layer portion 3c1 and an inner layer portion 3c2, and the outer layer portion 3c1, the inner space S1, the inner layer portion 3c2, and the first joint 2a1 are arranged in this order. According to the above configuration, the entire outer periphery of the first joint 2a1 is covered by the expansion / contraction unit 3 as an aerodynamic skeleton that generates and transmits the assist force, so that reliable assistance to the first joint 2a1 can be realized. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the expansion of the full surrounding portion 3c in the abdomen can provide a lumbar assist effect by compressing the abdomen. In addition, the long portion 4a is arranged in the full surrounding portion 3c of the expansion / contraction unit 3 as in the first embodiment.

[0033] In the second embodiment, the expansion / contraction unit 3 covers only a part of the outer periphery of the second joint 2a2 of the mounting target 2 (see FIG. 7). More specifically, the expansion / contraction unit 3 has a partial surrounding portion 3d that covers only a part of the outer periphery of the second joint 2a2 of the mounting target 2, and the partial surrounding portion 3d separates the inner space S1 from the outer space S2, and the second joint 2a2 is disposed in the outer space S2. According to the above configuration, the partial surrounding portion 3d located next to the second joint 2a2 can efficiently assist the second joint 2a2. In addition, the tension of the restricting portion 4 (long portion 4a) can also provide an assist force that bends the thoracic intervertebral joint (second joint 2a2) and the lumbar intervertebral joint (first joint 2a1) toward the correct posture. Note that the partial surrounding portion 3d of the expansion / contraction unit 3 is disposed with the long portion 4a in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0034] In the first embodiment as well, like the full enclosing portion 3c in the second embodiment, the joint 2a of the wearing target 2 may be arranged next to the inner space S1, and the expansion / contraction portion 3 may cover the entire outer periphery of the joint 2a of the wearing target 2. Also, in the first embodiment as well, like the partial enclosing portion 3d in the second embodiment, the joint 2a of the wearing target 2 may be arranged next to the inner space S1, and the expansion / contraction portion 3 may cover only a part of the outer periphery of the joint 2a of the wearing target 2.

[0035] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1. Wearable assist device 2. Target for installation 2a Joint 2a1 First joint 2a2 2nd joint 3. Expansion / contraction section 3a One side part 3b Other side part 3c Full Enclosure 3c1 Outer layer 3c2 Inner layer 3d Partial Enclosure 4. Regulatory Department 4a Long part 5 Fluid supply device S1 Inner space S2 Outer space

Claims

1. A wearable assist device, The device has an expansion and contraction section that forms an inner space and covers the joint of the wearer, The wearable assisting device, wherein the expansion / contraction section expands due to the pressure of fluid supplied to the internal space and contracts due to the discharge of the fluid.

2. The wearable assist device according to claim 1 , further comprising a regulating portion arranged on the expansion / contraction portion so as to regulate the expansion of the expansion / contraction portion by tensioning the expansion / contraction portion when it is inflated.

3. The wearable assist device according to claim 2 , wherein the restricting portion has an elongated portion.

4. the expansion / contraction unit has one side portion and another side portion straddling the joint of the attachment target, The wearable assist device according to claim 3 , wherein the elongated portion extends in an elongated shape in a direction from the one side portion to the other side portion.

5. The wearable assist device according to claim 3 , wherein the elongated portion is disposed across the joint of the subject to be worn.

6. The wearable assist device according to claim 3 , wherein the long portion has a greater Young's modulus than the expansion / contraction portion.

7. The wearable assist device according to claim 1 , wherein the joint of the target is disposed in the inner space.

8. The wearable assist device according to claim 1 , wherein the joint of the subject to be worn is arranged adjacent to the inner space.

9. The wearable assist device according to claim 8 , wherein the expansion / contraction portion covers the entire outer periphery of the joint of the subject to which the device is attached.

10. The wearable assist device according to claim 8 , wherein the expansion / contraction portion covers only a portion of an outer periphery of the joint of the subject to which the device is attached.

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