Animal walking assist tool

Abstract

To provide an animal walking assist tool which can assist walking of an animal by appropriately adjusting a suspension state of a singlet according to a type and individual state of the animal.SOLUTION: An animal walking assist tool 10 includes: a suspension body 11 for suspending a singlet; leg parts 12, 13 supporting the suspension body 11; and a wheel 14 provided at a lower end part of the leg parts 12, 13. A pair of adjustment belts 61 for suspending the singlet is provided at a front side and rear side of the suspension body 11 respectively such that the belt suspends down on both right-left sides of the animal. A metal tool 62 for attaching the singlet is provided at a lower end of the belt. A height position of the suspension body 11 is adjusted by a first height adjustment mechanism 31. Also, a height position of the metal tool 62 of the adjustment belt 61 is adjusted individually on the front side and rear side of the suspension body 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a walking aid for animals. [Background technology]

[0002] Like humans, animals, including pets such as dogs and cats, and animals kept in zoos, etc., become difficult to walk when they grow old or suffer from leg injuries due to accidents, illness, etc. For this reason, various walking aids have been proposed to help animals who have difficulty walking on all fours. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a cart in which a belt-shaped supporter is attached to the vest and the supporter is suspended from the frame of the cart. When this cart is used, the animal is pulled up by the entire vest, dispersing the force pulling up the animal's torso and reducing the burden on the animal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-29302 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the cart disclosed in Patent Document 1, the suspension position of the vest by the supporter is fixed, so the suspension position of the vest cannot be changed according to the size of the animal, and there is a problem that it lacks versatility. Also, just as there are different breeds of dogs, even animals of the same species have different physiques and different types and degrees of leg disorders. In that case, even if the size of the cart or the suspension position of the vest is changed according to the species of the animal, there is also a problem that it is not possible to adjust according to the individual.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an animal walking aid that can assist the animal's walking by appropriately adjusting the hanging state of the vest depending on the species and condition of the individual animal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the walking aid for animals of the present invention comprises: A hanging body that hangs a vest worn on the animal's torso above the animal; A leg portion supporting the hanging body; A wheel provided at the lower end of the leg; An animal walking aid comprising: A pair of vest hanging parts are provided on the front and rear sides of the hanging body so as to hang down on the left and right sides of the animal and hang the vest, Each of the bodysuit hanging parts has a bodysuit attachment part to which the bodysuit is attached, A first adjustment unit that adjusts the height position of the hanging body; A second adjustment unit that adjusts the height position of the body garment attachment unit separately on the front side and the rear side; It is equipped with: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the animal walking aid of the present invention, after adjusting the height position of the hanging body with the first adjustment unit, the height positions of the vest attachment parts on the front and rear sides can be adjusted separately with the second adjustment unit. Therefore, the height position of the hanging body is set to the height position of the base, and the height position of the vest attachment part only on the rear side can be made higher, for example, and the front and rear height positions of the vest can be appropriately adjusted according to the species of animal and the condition of the individual animal to assist the animal in walking. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] Top view of an animal walking aid. [Diagram 3] 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views taken along the line XX in FIG. 2, in which (a) shows the reference state and (b) shows a state in which the height position has been changed. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 2, where (a) shows the reference state and (b) shows a state where the height position has been changed. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] ZZ cross section in Figure 2. [Figure 7] A top view showing how the chin suspension frame is attached. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the animal walking aid in use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the walking aid for animals of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] As shown in Fig. 1, the animal walking aid 10 of this embodiment has a hanging body 11 that suspends a vest 91 (see Fig. 8) worn around the torso B of an animal A, and four legs 12, 13 attached to the hanging body 11. The hanging body 11 and the four legs 12, 13 form an overall frame. Wheels 14 are attached to the lower end of each of the legs 12, 13. The hanging body 11 is arranged so as to be horizontal with respect to the contact surface G of the wheels 14, and this state is maintained by the legs 12, 13 and the wheels 14.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, the hanging body 11 has two body parts 21 and 22. The two body parts 21 and 22 are provided at the same height and are connected and integrated by a first pipe 23. The "height position" here refers to the height position from the ground surface G of the wheel 14, and in this embodiment, the "height position" also refers to the height position from the ground surface G. A pair of first pipes 23 are provided, and both extend horizontally and parallel to each other at the same height. The extension direction of the first pipe 23 is the front-rear direction. In the following, the body part 21 provided on the front side of the first pipe 23 is referred to as the front body part 21, and the body part 22 provided on the rear side of the first pipe 23 is referred to as the rear body part 22.

[0012] The front body portion 21 is provided with a second pipe 24 so as to be perpendicular to the first pipe 23. A pair of second pipes 24 are provided, and both of them extend horizontally and in parallel at the same height. The second pipe 24 penetrates the front body portion 21 and protrudes in the left-right direction from the left and right of the front body portion 21. Similarly, the rear body portion 22 is provided with a third pipe 25 so as to be perpendicular to the first pipe 23. A pair of third pipes 25 are provided, and both of them extend horizontally and in parallel at the same height. The third pipe 25 penetrates the rear body portion 22 and protrudes in the left-right direction from the left and right of the rear body portion 22. The height positions of the first pipe 23, the second pipe 24, and the third pipe 25 are shifted so as not to interfere with each other.

[0013] The first pipe 23 protrudes forward from the front body portion 21. The front-to-rear position of the first pipe 23 with respect to the front body portion 21 is changed as described below. On the other hand, the first pipe 23 does not protrude rearward from the rear body portion 22 and is fixed to the rear body portion 22. The front body portion 21 is provided at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction of the second pipe 24 and is fixed to the front body portion 21. The rear body portion 22 is provided at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction of the third pipe 25 and is fixed to the rear body portion 22.

[0014] The second pipe 24 is provided with front leg attachment parts 26 at the portions protruding from the left and right sides of the front main body part 21. The front leg parts 12 of the four legs 12, 13 are inserted into the respective front leg attachment parts 26. The third pipe 25 is provided with rear leg attachment parts 27 at the portions protruding from the left and right sides of the rear main body part 22. The rear leg parts 13 of the four legs 12, 13 are inserted into the respective rear leg attachment parts 27. As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of front legs 12 are spaced apart from each other toward the lower side in a front view, forming a V-shape. Similarly, the pair of rear legs 13 are spaced apart from each other toward the lower side in a front view, forming a V-shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the front legs 12 and the rear legs 13 are spaced apart from each other toward the lower side in a side view, forming a V-shape.

[0015] 1, the front legs 12 and the front leg attachment parts 26 are provided with a mechanism that allows the height position of the front leg attachment parts 26 to be changed relative to the front legs 12. The rear legs 13 and the rear leg attachment parts 27 are also provided with a mechanism that allows the height position of the rear leg attachment parts 27 to be changed relative to the rear legs 13. Both mechanisms have the same structure, so they will both be described as a first height adjustment mechanism 31.

[0016] As the first height adjustment mechanism 31, the front legs 12 and the rear legs 13 are provided with a plurality or a large number of positioning holes 32 at predetermined intervals along the respective longitudinal directions. Meanwhile, the front leg attachment parts 26 and the rear leg attachment parts 27 are each provided with a positioning knob 33. The positioning knob 33 is provided with a pin portion 34 that can be inserted into the positioning hole 32. The pin portion 34 is inserted into any of the positioning holes 32, and the inserted state is maintained by the biasing force of a spring or the like.

[0017] The positioning knob 33 is pulled to remove the pin portion 34 from the positioning hole 32 against the biasing force, and then the pin portion 34 is reinserted into a positioning hole 32 different from the positioning hole 32 from which the pin portion 34 was removed, thereby changing the insertion position of the pin portion 34. This makes it possible to change the height position of the front leg attachment portion 26 relative to the front legs 12 and the height position of the rear leg attachment portion 27 relative to the rear legs 13. By changing the height position of the front leg attachment portion 26, the height position of the front main body portion 21 integrated with the front leg attachment portion 26 by the second pipe 24 is also changed. Similarly, by changing the height position of the rear leg attachment portion 27, the height position of the rear main body portion 22 integrated with the rear leg attachment portion 27 by the third pipe 25 is also changed.

[0018] In this way, the hanging body 11, in which the front body portion 21 and the rear body portion 22 are provided at the same height, is adjusted in height in stages at predetermined intervals provided with the positioning holes 32 while maintaining a state of being parallel to the ground surface G, by using the first height adjustment mechanism 31. This first height adjustment mechanism 31 corresponds to the first adjustment unit.

[0019] Next, the configurations of the front body part 21 and the rear body part 22 will be described. The front body part 21 is provided to form a box shape, and as shown in FIG. 3(a), a lower member 41 and an upper member 42 are combined. The cross sections in the left-right direction of the lower member 41 and the upper member 42 are both U-shaped. The lower member 41 has a side portion 41a that opens upward, and the upper member 42 covers the lower member 41 so that the side portion 42a of the upper member 42 overlaps with the outer side of the lower member 41. By covering the lower member 41 with the upper member 42, a space 43 is formed inside the front body part 21. Above the space 43, a first pipe 23 is provided that penetrates the front body part 21 in the front-rear direction. The front body part 21 is provided with a second height adjustment mechanism 51. The second height adjustment mechanism 51 makes it possible to change the relative height position of the upper member 42 with respect to the lower member 41.

[0020] As the second height adjustment mechanism 51, a columnar portion 52 rising upward within the space 43 of the front main body portion 21 is provided on the bottom 41b of the lower member 41. A female screw portion 53 is provided along the up-down direction on the columnar portion 52. Meanwhile, also within the space 43, a height adjustment bolt 54 is provided on the upper member 42 so as to extend vertically downward. The height adjustment bolt 54 is screwed into the female screw portion 53 of the columnar portion 52. The height adjustment bolt 54 is provided rotatably about its axis, and a height adjustment knob 55 for rotating the height adjustment bolt 54 is provided on the outer side of the upper surface of the upper member 42.

[0021] When the height adjustment knob 55 is operated to rotate the height adjustment bolt 54 in a direction to remove it from the female screw portion 53, the upper member 42 moves upward relative to the lower member 41 as shown in FIG. 3(b). Conversely, when the upper member 42 is in a position where it has moved upward, when the height adjustment knob 55 is operated to rotate the height adjustment bolt 54 in a direction to screw it into the female screw portion 53, the upper member 42 moves downward. In this manner, the height position of the upper member 42 can be adjusted by operating the height adjustment knob 55. The height adjustment here is different from the height adjustment by the first height adjustment mechanism 31 described above, and allows for stepless adjustment. In addition, the range of height adjustment by the second height adjustment mechanism 51 is configured to be equal to or greater than the height range of the interval between the positioning holes 32 in the first height adjustment mechanism 31.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a pair of adjustment belts 61 are provided on the front main body portion 21. The adjustment belts 61 are for suspending the vest 91, and correspond to the vest suspending portion and the belt member. The adjustment belts 61 are formed in a belt or string shape using flexible materials such as woven or knitted fabrics made of natural fibers, chemical fibers, etc., nonwoven fabrics, leather, rubber, etc. In this embodiment, a belt-shaped belt is used. The adjustment belt 61 has sufficient strength to support the weight of the animal A. A metal fitting 62 for attaching and detaching the vest 91 is provided at the lower end of the adjustment belt 61. As the metal fitting 62, for example, a known one such as a snap hook or a carabiner is used. The metal fitting 62 corresponds to the vest attachment portion.

[0023] 2 and 3(a), a pair of adjustment belts 61 are provided on the left and right sides of the front main body portion 21. The upper end of each of the left and right adjustment belts 61 is attached to the upper surface of the upper member 42, and hangs down from there along the side surface of the upper member 42. As described above, when the height adjustment knob 55 is operated to move the upper member 42 up and down, the adjustment belts 61 also move accordingly. Therefore, when the height position of the upper member 42 is adjusted, the height position of the metal fittings 62 provided at the lower ends of the adjustment belts 61 is also changed.

[0024] Next, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the rear main body part 22 is also provided to form a box shape by combining a lower member 71 and an upper member 72, similar to the front main body part 21. The rear main body part 22 also has a second height adjustment mechanism 51. The cross-sectional configuration in the left-right direction of the rear main body part 22 and the second height adjustment mechanism 51 of the rear main body part 22 are the same as those of the front main body part 21, and the description is omitted. Since the rear main body part 22 also has the second height adjustment mechanism 51, the height position of the upper member 72 can be adjusted by operating the height adjustment knob 55, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and (b). When the height position of the upper member 72 is adjusted, the adjustment belts 61 provided on the left and right sides of the rear main body part 22 also move, and the height position of the metal fittings 62 provided at the lower ends of the belts 61 are changed.

[0025] The second height adjustment mechanism 51 provided on the front main body portion 21 and the second height adjustment mechanism 51 provided on the rear main body portion 22 collectively correspond to a second adjustment unit. The adjustment belts 61 provided on the left and right sides of the front main body portion 21 and the adjustment belts 61 provided on the rear main body portion 22 collectively correspond to a third adjustment unit.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4(a), in a cross section of the rear main body portion 22 in the front-rear direction, the lower end of the side surface portion 72a of the upper member 72 extends to the bottom portion 71b of the lower member 71. A position fixing screw 74 is provided on the lower end side of the portion of the side surface portion 72a of the upper member 72 where the side surface portion 72a overlaps with the side surface portion 71a of the lower member 71. By tightening the position fixing screw 74, the position fixing screw 74 presses the side surface portion 71a of the lower member 71, thereby fixing the height position of the upper member 72 relative to the lower member 71. When changing the height position of the upper member 72, the position fixing screw 74 is loosened, and after changing the height position of the upper member 72, the position fixing screw 74 is tightened again to fix the height position of the upper member 72 again.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1, a similar position fixing screw 75 is also provided in the front body part 21. Fig. 3, which shows a cross section of the front body part 21, and Fig. 4, which shows a cross section of the rear body part 22, are taken from different directions, so the position fixing screw 75 is not shown in Fig. 3. Also, due to the difference in the direction of the cross section, Fig. 4 does not show the first pipe 23 extending in the front-rear direction, but shows the third pipe 25 extending in the left-right direction, which exists in the lower part of the space 73. In Fig. 3, conversely, the first pipe 23 extending in the front-rear direction exists in the upper part of the space 43, which shows its cross section, while the second pipe 24 extending in the left-right direction is not shown.

[0028] 5, the adjustment belts 61 provided on the front body portion 21 and the rear body portion 22 are each provided with a feed can 63. In FIG. 5, the front legs 12 and the front leg attachment portion 26, and the rear legs 13 and the rear leg attachment portion 27 are omitted from illustration in order to show the feed can 63. The feed can 63 allows the length of each adjustment belt 61 to be adjusted. The range of adjustment is set to be equal to or greater than the height range of the interval between the positioning holes 32 in the first height adjustment mechanism 31. The feed can 63 corresponds to the third adjustment portion.

[0029] Therefore, in the front main body portion 21, by individually adjusting the length of each of the left and right adjustment belts 61, the height positions of the metal fittings 62 provided at the lower ends of the adjustment belts 61 can be made different on the left and right. Similarly, in the rear main body portion 22, by individually adjusting the length of each of the left and right adjustment belts 61, the height positions of the metal fittings 62 provided at the lower ends of the adjustment belts 61 can be made different on the left and right.

[0030] In addition to the above configuration, the front body part 21 is capable of adjusting its position in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper member 42 of the front body part 21 is provided with an extension part 44 that extends rearward from the position where the upper member 42 is assembled with the lower member 41. As shown in FIG. 6, a front-rear position adjustment bolt 45 extending vertically is provided on an upper surface part 44a of the extension part 44. An upper end part of the front-rear position adjustment bolt 45 protrudes above the upper surface part 44a, and a front-rear position adjustment knob 46 is provided. The front-rear position adjustment bolt 45 can be rotated around its axial direction by using the front-rear position adjustment knob 46. A fixing metal fitting 47 extending in the left-right direction is provided on the inner side of the extension part 44, and abuts against the pair of first pipes 23 from below. The abutment part 47a with the first pipe 23 is formed to be in an arc shape, and approximately the lower half of the first pipe 23 abuts against the abutment part 47a. A front-rear position adjustment bolt 45 is screwed into the fixing bracket 47 .

[0031] When the front-rear position adjustment bolt 45 is rotated to move the fixing bracket 47 upward toward the upper surface portion 44a, the pair of first pipes 23 are pressed from below by the fixing bracket 47. This makes it difficult for the front body portion 21 to move in the front-rear direction, and the front-rear position is fixed. When the front-rear position adjustment bolt 45 is rotated in the opposite direction to move the fixing bracket 47 downward away from the upper surface portion 44a, the pressing force of the fixing bracket 47 on the pair of first pipes 23 is relaxed. This allows the front body portion 21 to move in the front-rear direction, and the front body portion 21 can be positioned at any position within the range in which the first pipes 23 are present. After that, when the front-rear position adjustment bolt 45 is rotated to move the fixing bracket 47 upward again toward the upper surface portion 44a, the front-rear position of the front body portion 21 is fixed.

[0032] Incidentally, among animals A that require walking assistance, there are some individuals that have difficulty not only walking on all fours due to old age or disability, but also lifting their heads D while standing. By assisting such animals A in lifting their chins C, the heads D can be kept lifted, making it easier for them to walk. In this embodiment of the animal walking assistance device 10, as shown in FIG. 7, a support frame 81 that suspends and supports a chin holding belt 86 (see FIG. 8) can be attached and detached to the front end of the first pipe 23 that protrudes forward from the front main body portion 21. The chin holding belt 86 corresponds to the chin holding portion, and the support frame 81 corresponds to the suspension support portion.

[0033] The support frame 81 is formed in a U-shape and has a pair of linear portions 82. The linear portions 82 are parallel to each other with a predetermined interval between them. A pipe insertion portion 83 is provided at the open end of each linear portion 82. The support frame 81 is provided on the front end of the first pipe 23 by inserting the front end of the pair of first pipes 23 into the pipe insertion portion 83 and fixing the pipes with fixing screws 84. The support frame 81 can also be removed from the first pipe 23 by loosening the fixing screws 84. When the support frame 81 is provided on the first pipe 23, each linear portion 82 is provided on the extension of each of the pair of first pipes 23 and extends horizontally in the front-rear direction. The linear portion 82 corresponds to a frame portion.

[0034] In each of the left and right straight portions 82, a hanging portion 85 for attaching the chin support belt 86 in a suspended state is provided in front of the pipe insertion portion 83. The hanging portion 85 corresponds to the attachment portion of the chin support portion. As shown in FIG. 8, each of the left and right hanging portions 85 has a circular belt 85a inserted into the straight portion 82 and a metal fitting 85b hanging down from the circular belt 85a. The circular belt 85a is inserted into the straight portion 82 and is movable along the direction in which the straight portion 82 extends. Therefore, the hanging portion 85 including the metal fitting 85b is movable along the front-rear direction in which the straight portion 82 extends. As the metal fitting 85b, for example, a known one such as a snap hook or a carabiner is used.

[0035] A chin holding belt 86 is connected to the metal fittings 85b. The chin holding belt 86 is made of woven or knitted fabric made of natural fibers, chemical fibers, etc., nonwoven fabric, leather, rubber, etc., and is formed in a belt or string shape. As shown in FIG. 8, metal fittings 86b such as D-rings are provided at both ends of the chin holding belt 86. Each metal fitting 86b is connected to a metal fitting 85b of a hanging part 85 provided on each linear part 82 of the support frame 81. Therefore, when the chin holding belt 86 is viewed from the front, it is provided so as to form a U-shape. The chin C of the animal A is placed on the chin holding belt 86 formed in a U-shape in this way.

[0036] The walking aid 10 for animals configured as described above is attached to an animal A wearing a vest 91, as shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, the animal A is assumed to be a dog. First, the vest 91 attached to the walking aid 10 for animals has a vest 92 that entirely envelops the torso B of the animal A. The vest 92 is provided with a head opening 93 for allowing the head D to pass out, and four leg openings 94 for allowing the four legs E1, E2 to pass out. On both the left and right sides of the front and back of the vest 92, harnesses 95 for suspending the vest 91 are provided. A connecting metal fitting 96 such as a D-ring is provided at the upper end of each harness 95.

[0037] The vest 91 is put on the animal A in need of walking assistance with the head D protruding from the head opening 93 and the four legs E1, E2 protruding from the leg opening 94. As a result, the harness 95 and the connecting metal fittings 96 are provided on the left and right sides of the animal A in front of the animal A, and the harness 95 and the connecting metal fittings 96 are also provided on the left and right sides of the rear. The left and right connecting metal fittings 96 on the front side are attached to the metal fittings 62 of the left and right adjustable belts 61 hanging down on the left and right sides of the front main body part 21, and the two are connected to each other. At the same time, the left and right connecting metal fittings 96 on the rear side are attached to the metal fittings 62 of the left and right adjustable belts 61 hanging down on the left and right sides of the rear main body part 22, and the two are connected to each other. As a result, the animal walking aid 10 is worn on the animal A in need of walking assistance.

[0038] At this time, the height position of the hanging body 11 and the front-rear position of the front body part 21 are adjusted according to the size of the animal A. That is, by utilizing the first height adjustment mechanism 31 having the positioning holes 32 and the positioning knob 33, the height position of the front body part 21 relative to the front legs 12 and the height position of the rear body part 22 relative to the rear legs 13 are adjusted at predetermined intervals where the positioning holes 32 are provided, while maintaining the horizontal state of the hanging body 11. This allows the height position of the hanging body 11 to be roughly adjusted according to the body height of the animal A. Also, the front-rear position adjustment knob 46 of the front body part 21 is loosened, and the front-rear position of the front body part 21 is adjusted according to the body length of the animal A. After adjusting the front-rear position of the front body part 21, the front-rear position adjustment knob 46 is tightened to fix the front-rear position of the front body part 21 on the first pipe 23.

[0039] Next, in each of the front body part 21 and the rear body part 22, the second height adjustment mechanism 51 is used to adjust the height position of the upper members 42, 72 by operating the height adjustment knob 55. This adjusts the height positions of the front and rear sides of the animal A individually so that the animal A can be supported at the optimum hanging position of the body suit 91 on the front and rear sides according to the individual differences of the animal A. For example, if the front legs E1 are normal but the rear legs E2 are impaired, the front body part 21 adjusts the height so that the front legs E1 touch the ground surface G, and the rear body part 22 adjusts the height so that the rear legs E2 are raised above the ground surface G. This allows the animal A to be supported with the rear legs E2 raised, and to walk by moving the front legs E1 using the wheels 14 on the rear side.

[0040] Furthermore, the length of the adjustment belts 61 provided on the left and right sides of the front main body part 21 is adjusted separately. As a result, the left and right height positions of the front and rear sides of the animal A are adjusted so that the animal A can be supported at the optimal hanging position of the body suit 91 on the left and right sides according to the individual differences of the animal A. For example, if the left front leg E1 of the front legs E1 has an impairment, the length of the right adjustment belt 61 is adjusted so that the right front leg E1 touches the ground surface G, and the length of the left adjustment belt 61 is adjusted so that the left front leg E1 is lifted off the ground surface G. As a result, the animal A is supported with the left front leg E1 lifted off the ground, and the left front leg E1 can walk by using the wheel 14 to move the other legs E.

[0041] Furthermore, in the case of animal A for which it is difficult to lift head D, support frame 81 is connected to first pipe 23. At the same time, metal fittings 86b of chin holding belt 86 are connected to metal fittings 85b of hanging portion 85 of each straight portion 82. This causes chin holding belt 86 to hang down in a U-shape from support frame 81. Then, the front-to-rear position of hanging portion 85 on support frame 81 is adjusted according to the individual animal A so that chin C of animal A is positioned to be placed on chin holding belt 86. By placing chin C of animal A on chin holding belt 86, the head D can be maintained in a lifted state.

[0042] At this time, the hanging parts 85 to which the pair of upper ends of the chin holding belt 86 are respectively connected are provided on each of the straight parts 82 provided on the left and right at a predetermined interval. Therefore, the chin holding belt 86 hangs down from the support frame 81 to form a U-shape when viewed from the front, and hangs down vertically on the left and right of the head D of the animal A. This allows the chin C to be held without the head D of the animal A being squeezed from the left and right by the chin holding belt 86.

[0043] The walking aid 10 for animals of this embodiment is as described above, and provides the following effects.

[0044] (1) After adjusting the height position of the hanging body 11 by the first height adjustment mechanism 31, the height positions of the metal fittings 62 of the adjustment belt 61 can be adjusted separately for the front body part 21 and the rear body part 22 by the second height adjustment mechanism 51. Therefore, the height position of the hanging body 11 is set as the base height position, and the height position of only the metal fittings 62 of the adjustment belt 61 provided on the rear body part 22 can be made higher, for example, and the walking of the animal A can be assisted by appropriately adjusting the front and rear height positions of the suspended body suit 91 according to the species and individual condition of the animal A.

[0045] (2) The adjustment of the height position by the first height adjustment mechanism 31 is performed stepwise for each interval between the positioning holes 32, while the adjustment of the height position by the second height adjustment mechanism 51 is performed steplessly depending on the amount of screwing in of the height adjustment bolt 54. Therefore, after roughly adjusting the height position of the hanging body 11 by the first height adjustment mechanism 31, the height positions of the metal fittings 62 of the adjustment belt 61 on the front and rear sides of the animal A can be fine-tuned using the second height adjustment mechanism 51 to suit the species or individual of the animal A.

[0046] (3) The adjustment range of the height position of the upper members 42, 72 by the second height adjustment mechanism 51 is set to be equal to or greater than the height range of the spacing between the positioning holes 32 in the first height adjustment mechanism 31. Therefore, the metal fittings 62 of the adjustment belt 61 can be placed at any height position within the height range of the spacing between the positioning holes 32. This makes it possible to eliminate any height position within the height range of the spacing between the positioning holes 32 at which the metal fittings 62 cannot be placed, thereby optimizing the adjustment range.

[0047] (4) The adjustable belts 61 provided on the left and right sides of the front main body portion 21 and the rear main body portion 22 are provided with feed cans 63, which allow the length of the adjustable belts 61 to be adjusted to individually adjust the height positions of the metal fittings 62. Therefore, in addition to the height adjustment using the first height adjustment mechanism 31 and the second height adjustment mechanism 51, the height positions of the metal fittings 62 of the adjustable belts 61 can be adjusted individually on the left and right sides at the front and rear sides of the animal A. This allows the left and right height positions of the vest 91 to be appropriately adjusted according to the state of the left and right legs E1, E2 of the animal A, thereby assisting the animal A in walking.

[0048] (5) The length of the adjustable belt 61 is adjusted by the feed can 63, and can be adjusted steplessly. Therefore, the height position of the metal fitting 62 of the adjustable belt 61 can be finely adjusted on the left and right sides to suit the individual animal A. In addition, the range of length adjustment of the adjustable belt 61 is set to be equal to or greater than the height range of the interval between the positioning holes 32 in the first height adjustment mechanism 31. This ensures a sufficient range of fine adjustment when finely adjusting the height position of the metal fitting 62 of the adjustable belt 61 on the left and right sides, and therefore the adjustment range on the left and right sides can be optimized.

[0049] (6) The pair of front legs 12 and the pair of rear legs 13 are arranged to form a V-shape when viewed from the front, and the front legs 12 and the rear legs 13 are also arranged to form a V-shape when viewed from the side. Since the legs 12 and 13 are arranged in a V-shape when viewed from the front and the side, the stability can be improved compared to when the legs 12 and 13 are arranged vertically. In addition, since the lower end is widened to the left and right, the wheels 14 are unlikely to interfere with the walking of the animal A to which it is attached, regardless of the size of the animal A to which it is attached. Furthermore, if the height position of the hanging body 11 is lowered to attach it to a small animal, the lower end of each leg 12 and 13 narrows in the front, back, left and right directions, so that the entire animal walking aid 10 can be made compact.

[0050] (7) A support frame 81 that suspends and supports a chin holding belt 86 that holds the chin C of animal A is detachably provided in front of the hanging body 11. This makes it possible to maintain the head D of an animal A in a lifted state by placing the chin C of the animal A, whose head D is difficult to lift, on the chin holding belt 86. In addition, the front-to-rear position of the hanging part 85 provided on the support frame 81 is adjustable, so that the front-to-rear position of the hanging part 85 on the support frame 81 can be adjusted to suit the species or individual animal A, and the chin C of the animal A can be held by the chin holding belt 86 in an appropriate position.

[0051] (8) The support frame 81 has a pair of linear portions 82 spaced apart from each other on the left and right, and each linear portion 82 is provided with a hanging portion 85 from which the chin holding belt 86 is suspended. Therefore, the chin holding belt 86 hangs down from the support frame 81 so as to form a U-shape when viewed from the front. In other words, the chin holding belt 86 hangs down vertically on the left and right of the head D of the animal A. This makes it possible to prevent the head D of the animal A from being squeezed from the left and right by the chin holding belt 86.

[0052] The walking aid 10 for animals of this embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and may be modified, for example, as follows.

[0053] (a) In the hanging body 11, the front body portion 21 and the rear body portion 22 may be provided at different height positions.

[0054] (b) The configuration of the legs 12, 13 may be changed taking into consideration the size of the animal A, its strength as a walking aid, ease of use when adjusting the height, etc. For example, the legs 12, 13 may be arranged so as to form an inverted V shape in which the distance between the front legs 12 and the rear legs 13 increases toward the top, or one or both of the legs 12, 13 may be configured to stand vertically.

[0055] (c) As the first height adjustment mechanism 31, a mechanism that allows the height to be adjusted steplessly by pressing the legs 12, 13 with an adjustment screw, or a mechanism in which a pin portion 34 is provided on a screw screwed into each of the front leg attachment portion 26 and the rear leg attachment portion 27 may be adopted. As the second height adjustment mechanism 51, a mechanism that inserts a pin portion into a positioning hole and performs stepwise adjustment, as in the first height adjustment mechanism 31, may be adopted. Furthermore, instead of the flexible adjustment belt 61, a hanging member made of a metal material or the like may be provided on the front main body portion 21 and the rear main body portion 22. In this case, the height position of the body wear attachment portion provided on the hanging member may be a mechanism that allows the height to be adjusted steplessly by pressing the hanging member with an adjustment screw, or a mechanism like the first height adjustment mechanism 31 may be provided to adjust the height position of the body wear attachment portion relative to the hanging member stepwise.

[0056] (d) The bodice 91 to be attached can have any configuration as long as it has connecting metal fittings 96 on the left and right sides of the front and back sides, which are connected to the metal fittings 62 of the adjustment belt 61. For example, it may be divided into two parts, a front part and a back part.

[0057] (e) The circular belt 85a of the hanging part 85 may be detachable from the support frame 81. Also, the hanging part 85 may be configured by a single member such as an S-shaped hook, instead of being configured by the circular belt 85a and the metal fitting 85b, and the configuration of the hanging part 85 is arbitrary as long as the end of the chin support belt 86 can be attached to it. Furthermore, the hanging part 85 may be omitted. Even in this case, the chin support belt 86 can be attached to the support frame 81 by directly tying the end of the chin support belt 86 to the support frame 81, or by using a hook-and-loop fastener (a tape having both hook and loop functions) as the chin support belt 86 and attaching both ends to the support frame 81. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 10...animal walking aid, 11...suspension body, 12...front legs, 13...hind legs, 14...wheels, 31...first height adjustment mechanism (first adjustment part), 51...second height adjustment mechanism (second adjustment part), 61...adjustment belt (chest garment suspension part, belt member), 62...metal fittings (chest garment attachment part), 63...feed can 63 (third adjustment part), 81...support frame (suspension support part), 82...straight part (frame part), 85...suspension part (attachment part for chin holder), 86...chin holder belt (chin holder part), 91...chest garment, A...animal, B...torso part, C...chin.

Claims

1. A hanging body that hangs a vest worn on the animal's torso above the animal; A leg portion supporting the hanging body; A wheel provided at the lower end of the leg; An animal walking aid comprising: A pair of vest hanging parts are provided on the front and rear sides of the hanging body so as to hang down on the left and right sides of the animal and hang the vest, Each of the bodysuit hanging parts has a bodysuit attachment part to which the bodysuit is attached, A first adjustment unit that adjusts the height position of the hanging body; A second adjustment unit that adjusts the height position of the torso attachment unit separately on the front side and the rear side; A walking aid for animals.

2. The adjustment of the height position by the first adjustment unit is performed stepwise at predetermined intervals, The walking aid for animals according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment of the height position by the second adjustment portion is performed steplessly.

3. 3. The animal walking aid according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment range of the height position by the second adjustment unit has a range equal to or greater than the height of the predetermined interval, which is the range of step adjustment by the first adjustment unit.

4. The animal walking aid according to claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment section adjusts a height position of the hanging body relative to the leg section.

5. The leg portion has a pair of front legs provided on a front side and a pair of rear legs provided on a rear side, The pair of front legs and the pair of rear legs are formed in a V-shape with a wider gap between them as viewed from the front, 2. The animal walking aid according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed from the side, the front legs and the rear legs are formed in a V-shape with the distance between them increasing downward.

6. The hanging body has a front body portion provided on its front side and a rear body portion provided on its rear side, The body garment hanging portion is provided so as to hang down from each of the front body portion and the rear body portion, The animal walking aid described in claim 1, wherein the second adjustment section adjusts the height positions of the attachment points of the vest hanging section provided on the front main body section and the rear main body section, respectively, while maintaining the height positions of the front main body section and the rear main body section relative to the leg sections.

7. 2. The animal walking aid according to claim 1, further comprising a third adjustment section for individually adjusting the height positions of the vest attachment sections provided on the left and right sides of the front and rear of the hanging body.

8. The body garment hanging portion is a belt member, The animal walking aid according to claim 7 , wherein the third adjustment portion is a mechanism that makes it possible to adjust the length of the belt member.

9. The adjustment of the height position by the first adjustment unit is performed stepwise at predetermined intervals, The animal walking aid according to claim 8 , wherein adjustment of the height position by the second adjustment unit and the third adjustment unit is performed steplessly.

10. The animal walking aid described in claim 9, wherein the adjustment range of the height position by the second adjustment unit and the third adjustment unit has a range equal to or greater than the height of the specified interval, which is the adjustment range by the first adjustment unit.

11. 2. The animal walking aid according to claim 1, wherein the hanging body is provided with a hanging support part for suspending and supporting a chin holder for holding the chin of the animal.

12. The animal walking aid according to claim 11 , wherein the hanging support part is provided detachably with respect to the hanging body.

13. 12. The walking aid for animals according to claim 11, wherein the attachment portion of the chin holder is provided on the hanging support portion so that its position can be adjusted in the front-rear direction.

14. The hanging support portion has a pair of frame portions spaced apart from each other on the left and right, The chin holder has a pair of upper ends, The animal walking aid described in claim 11, wherein one of the pair of upper ends is attached to one of the pair of frame portions, and the other of the pair of upper ends is attached to the other of the pair of frame portions.

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