Walking stick

Abstract

To provide a walking stick to be easily handled with a new idea.SOLUTION: A walking stick includes: a handle 2 of the walking stick; and a base 3 arranged at one end of the handle 2 of the walking stick. The walking stick is used by placing a hand on the base 3. The base 3 includes: a palm placement part 4 on which a palm is placed; and a finger hook part 5 positioned on a lower side of the palm placement part 4 so as to enable a finger cushion in a distal joint part of a finger of the hand whose palm is placed on the palm placement part 4 can be hooked from below.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cane used for assisting walking and the like.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional cane of this type, for example, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. This cane includes a rod-shaped cane body and a handrest fixed to one end of the cane body, and is configured to hold the hand placed on the handrest with a band. It is described that even a person with weak grip strength, such as an elderly person or a patient, can hold the cane without gripping it and can rest with the hand placed on the handrest when taking a break.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the above-described conventional cane supports the weight of the cane on the back of the hand in contact with the band, which poses a problem of being difficult to handle for the user.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a cane that can be easily handled with a new idea.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cane including a grip of the cane and a handle, wherein the handle includes a palm placement portion on which the palm can be placed, It is characterized by including a finger - hanging part that is located below the palm - placing part and can hang the distal phalanx of the finger of the flexed hand from below. When walking and lifting the cane and moving it forward, the weight of the cane is supported with the finger hung on the finger - hanging part as a fulcrum. On the other hand, when moving the body forward with the lower end of the cane handle touching the ground, the reaction force from the ground of the cane is received by the palm placed on the palm - placing part. When walking and lifting the cane and moving it forward, in the present invention, since the fulcrum of the distal phalanx of the finger is at a position shifted forward from the center of gravity, a moment in the direction of moving the lower end of the cane handle forward around the fulcrum acts, and the cane naturally swings forward. That is, the pendulum action of swinging forward by utilizing gravity works, and the cane swings forward. Conventionally, the cane was swung forward with the wrist, and unconsciously, the wrist got tired. The present invention swings forward by the pendulum action using gravity, so there is an effect of reducing fatigue. On the other hand, since the reaction force from the ground of the cane is supported by the entire surface of the palm placed on the palm - placing part, not only is the force alleviated, but also the ball of the thumb and the ball of the little finger receive the force in a well - balanced manner left and right, so the left - right wobbling of the cane can be reduced, and a stable carrying of the cane can be realized. The central axis of the cane handle passes through the palm - placing part and is close to the arm through the dorsiflexed wrist, so the reaction force from the ground acts almost straight on the arm and no moment acts on the cane, and a stable feeling of use can be obtained. Also, when holding the cane, in the state where the palm is placed on the palm - supporting part, since the wrist joint dorsiflexes, the finger naturally flexes due to the tenodesis action (tendon - muscle action), so the distal phalanx of the finger can be naturally hung on the finger - hanging part. Thereby, the holding part can be supported by sandwiching it vertically between the palm placed on the palm - placing part and the distal phalanx of the finger hanging on the finger - hanging part. This action is independent of the swinging - out motion during walking. During the swinging - out motion during walking, it is preferable that the wrist is in a relaxed state and the palm is separated from the palm - placing part 4.

[0007] The palm placement part has two thenar support parts that support the thenar eminence and hypothenar eminence of the palm, and an MP joint region support part that supports the swelling of the palm near the MP joint. Furthermore, it preferably has a wrist support part that supports the swelling near the carpal bone where the thenar eminence and hypothenar eminence are connected. Assuming two axes perpendicular to each other with respect to the central axis of the handle as the first axis and the second axis, and with the intersection point as the center point, the palm placement part has a two-dimensional spread along the direction parallel to the first axis and the direction parallel to the second axis that are perpendicular to each other. If the first axis is the axis in the front-back direction and the second axis is the axis in the left-right direction, the two thenar support parts are located on the left and right with respect to one first axis and extend over the front-back region beyond the second axis. The position of the center point, which is the intersection of the first axis and the second axis, will move back and forth depending on the attachment position of the handle. The MP joint region support part is located in front of the second axis and at the front end of the palm placement part. The wrist support part is behind the second axis and at the rear end of the palm placement part. Below the MP joint region support part, a finger hook part is located, and this MP joint region support needs to support the MP joint so that it can freely flex towards the palm. In this way, the distal phalanx of the finger can surely reach the finger hook part and the finger can be hooked.

[0008] Also, the finger hook part can be partially provided in the circumferential direction of the handle, and the structure can be such that the direction in which the palm is placed on the palm placement part is restricted. Furthermore, the finger hook part can be provided entirely in the circumferential direction of the base, and the structure can be such that the direction in which the palm is placed during palm placement is not restricted. In this way, there is no need to confirm the direction, and the convenience is improved.

[0009] On the palm placement part, means for preventing the placed palm from sliding in the direction of the fingers can be provided. In this way, the palm can be stably supported without slipping.

[0010] Also, on the finger hook part, means for preventing the hooked finger from sliding in the direction of coming off the finger hook part may be provided. By doing so, the stability is improved without the finger slipping.

[0011] In addition, the handle and the base of the cane are preferably made of a lightweight wood material or resin material with a specific gravity of 0.3 or less. By using such a lightweight material, the weight can be reduced compared to the current cane, and the usability is improved. One of the reasons why the elderly avoid using a cane is its weight. By reducing the weight, the use will be more widespread, leading to improved health through independent walking.

Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, a cane that is easy for the user to use can be realized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

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Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the illustrated conceptual diagrams. Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a cane according to the present invention. Figure 1(A) shows the state where the cane is extended forward, and Figure 1(B) shows the state of receiving the reaction force from the ground. In Figure 1, 1 indicates the entire cane. This cane 1 includes a handle 2 and a handgrip 3. The handgrip 3 includes a palm placement portion 4 on which the palm (the flat of the hand) can be placed, and a finger hook portion 5 that is located below the palm placement portion 4 and can hook the distal phalanx of the finger with the palm flexed from below. When referring to up and down, it is described in the state where the handle 2 of the cane is standing vertically.

[0015] When walking and lifting the cane 1 and moving it forward, as shown in Figure 1(A), the cane 1 is lifted by the finger hooked on the finger hook portion 5 to support the weight. At this time, the palm is separated from the palm placement portion 4. Since the fulcrum of the distal phalanx of the finger is at a position shifted forward from the center of gravity, a moment in the direction in which the lower end of the handle 2 of the cane moves forward around the fulcrum, a clockwise moment shown by the arrow in the figure, acts, and the cane is naturally swung forward. That is, the pendulum action of swinging forward by using gravity works, and the cane is swung forward. Conventionally, the cane was swung forward with the wrist, and without realizing it, the wrist became tired. The present invention swings forward by using the pendulum action utilizing gravity, so there is an effect of reducing fatigue. When moving the body forward by grounding the stone projection 6 of the cane 1, as shown in Fig. 1(B), the reaction force from the ground of the cane 1 is received by the palm placed on the palm placement part 4. At this time, since the reaction force from the ground is supported by the entire palm surface placed on the palm placement part 4, not only is the force relaxed, but also the force is received well-balanced left and right by the thenar eminence and the hypothenar eminence, so that the left and right wobbling of the cane can be reduced and a stable handling of the cane can be achieved.

[0016] In the present invention, when holding the cane, the natural palmar flexion of the fingers due to the tenodesis action (tendon fixation action) is utilized. Fig. 2 illustrates the tenodesis action. Fig. 2(A) shows a state where the wrist is extended, Fig. 2(B) shows a state where the wrist is dorsiflexed, and Fig. 2(C) shows a state where the palm is placed on the handle 3 and the fingers are placed on the finger hook part.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2(A), in the tenodesis action, when the wrist is extended or in a palmar flexed state, although the fingers are gently palmar flexed, they are in an extended state. When the wrist is dorsiflexed, as shown in Fig. 2(B), the four fingers F (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger) other than the thumb F1 are palmar flexed, and the action is such that the abdomen of the distal phalanx of the finger is bent to face the palm. Regarding the reference numerals of the fingers, as shown in Fig. 2(B), the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger are collectively referred to as F for the four fingers. In the following description, when it is necessary to distinguish each finger, they are referred to as index finger F2, middle finger F3, ring finger F4, and little finger F5. Also, the distal phalanx of the finger is denoted as fb, the middle phalanx as fm, and the proximal phalanx as fp.

[0018] Fig. 2(C) shows in more detail the state of holding the handle with the hand. In the figure, as a typical example of the handle 3, an example composed of a single plate is illustrated. The palm placement part 4 is constituted by the upper surface of the plate, and the finger hook part 5 is constituted by the lower surface of the plate. When placing the palm on the palm placement part 4, as shown in the figure, the wrist is in a dorsiflexed state, and due to the tenodesis action, the four fingers F (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger) other than the thumb F1 are palmar flexed, and the abdomen of the distal phalanx fb of the finger is bent to face the palm P.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2(C), in the palm flexed state of the finger F, the three joints of the MP joint J1 of the palm P, the PIP joint J2 of the finger F, and the DIP joint J3 are flexed, the distal phalanx fb of the finger F is inverted so as to face the palm P, and with the belly of the distal phalanx fb facing upward, it is located near the finger hook portion 5, and the distal phalanx fb of the finger can be easily hooked from below with respect to the finger hook portion 5. Then, the palm P placed on the palm placement portion 4 and the distal phalanx f3 of the finger hanging on the finger hook portion 5 sandwich and support the handle 3 vertically.

[0020] The flexion angle of the MP joint J1 is about 60°, the PIP joint J2 is about 90°, and the DIP joint J3 is about 20°, with a total of 180°. The distal phalanx fb of the finger is in a state of being inverted 180° with the belly of the finger facing upward. If the vertical distance between the palm placement portion 4 and the finger hook portion 5 is about 20 to 30 mm, depending on the flexion angle of each joint of the finger F, the belly of the distal phalanx fb of the finger will naturally invert so as to face the palm P and can be naturally hooked on the finger hook surface 105. In this embodiment, it is set to 25 mm. Since the movable range of the PIP joint J2 of the finger is large, the difference in finger length is mainly naturally adjusted by the degree of flexion of the PIP joint J2.

[0021] By arranging the finger hook portion 5 near the distal phalanx fb flexed in this way, the distal phalanx fb of the finger can be naturally hooked on the finger hook portion 5 without applying excessive force. And by hanging the distal phalanx fb of the finger on the finger hook portion 5, the palm P placed on the palm placement portion 4 and the distal phalanx f3 of the finger can sandwich and support the handle 3 vertically.

[0022] Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the planar configuration of the palm placement portion 3 will be described. FIG. 3(A) is a plan view showing a configuration example of the palm placement portion, FIG. 3(B) is a front view of the handle, and FIG. 3(C) is an explanatory view of the palm. First, the palm will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 3(C). The palm has a bulging and raised portion and a lowered and concave portion, and the bulging portion contacts the palm placement portion. The bulging portions are four locations: the thenar eminence B1, the hypothenar eminence B2, the area near the carpal bone close to the wrist (hereinafter referred to as the carpal region B0), and the area near the base of the finger on the palm near the MP joint J1 (hereinafter referred to as the finger base region B3). The central part of the palm P is a concave portion B4 that is relatively sunken with respect to the surroundings. The finger base region B3 is the region from the MP joint J1 to the palmar digital crease C3 of the finger, and it bulges when the MP joint J1 is in a flexed state.

[0023] On the surface of the palm P, the position of the MP joint J1 corresponds to the line C0 that connects the radial end a of the proximal palmar crease C1 and the ulnar end b of the distal palmar crease C2. The palm placement portion 4 formed on the upper surface of the base 3 supports the carpal region B0 of the palm, the thenar eminence B1, and the region from the hypothenar eminence B2 to the MP joint J1 in a planar manner. By supporting the thenar eminence B1 in a planar manner, the trapezium that constitutes the CM joint of the thumb is supported. On the other hand, when the region from the MP joint J1 to the palmar digital crease C3 of the finger is defined as the finger base region B3, the finger base region B3 bulges when the MP joint J1 is in a flexed state, and this bulging finger base region B3 is supported near the front end portion of the palm placement portion B3. In the following description, a line drawn parallel to the center line of the middle finger extending through the wrist-side end of the thumb crease of the palm P is defined as the palm center line N.

[0024] Next, with reference to Fig. 3(A), the planar configuration of the palm placement portion will be described. The palm placement portion 4 is a simple plane, but it has two thenar support regions 4a, 4b that support the thenar eminence B1 and the hypothenar eminence B2 of the palm, a finger base support region 4c that supports the bulge of the palm near the MP joint, and a carpal support region 4d that supports the bulge near the carpal bone where the thenar eminence and the hypothenar eminence are connected.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3(B), assuming the central axis Z of the pattern 2, on the plane of the palm placement portion 4 with respect to the extension line of this central axis Z, two axes orthogonal to each other are defined as the first axis X and the second axis Y, and with the intersection point thereof as the center point O, the palm placement portion 4 has a two-dimensional spread along the parallel directions of the orthogonal first axis X and second axis Y. In this example, it has a square planar shape. If the four sides are designated as n1, n2, n3, n4 in clockwise order, the first side n1 and the third side n3 facing each other are parallel to the second axis Y and orthogonal to the first axis X, and the second side n2 and the fourth side n4 are parallel to the first axis X and orthogonal to the second axis Y.

[0026] Assuming the first axis X as the front-rear direction axis and the second axis Y as the left-right direction axis, the two thenar support regions 4a, 4b are the left and right regions with respect to the first axis X, and the thumb ball B1 and the little finger ball B2 can be placed over the front and rear regions beyond the second axis Y. In the illustrated example, they are two rectangular left and right regions divided by the first axis X from a square. The side edges of the thumb ball B1 and the little finger ball B2 may protrude outward. Also, instead of the planar configuration as in the illustrated example, it may be configured by linear members and have a skeleton configuration. In short, in the thenar support regions 4a, 4b, it is sufficient that there is ensured a width capable of supporting at least partially the thumb ball B1 and the little finger ball B2.

[0027] On the other hand, the base-of-finger support region 4c is located forward with respect to the second axis Y and at the front edge portion of the palm placement portion 4. The wrist support region 4d is located rearward with respect to the second axis Y and at the rear end portion of the palm placement portion 4. Below the base support region 4c of the base of the finger, a finger hook portion 5 is located on the lower surface of the base forming the handle 3. Support in this base support region 4c of the base of the finger requires that the MP joint be supported so as to be freely palm-flexible. In order to enable palm flexion, the portion supported by the base support region 4d of the base of the finger is preferably up to the palmar metacarpophalangeal crease C3 at most. The position of the center point O, which is the intersection of the first axis X and the second axis Y, is located at the center of the square in the illustrated example, but moves depending on the attachment position of the handle 2. Basically, the thumb ball support regions 4a and 4b are axisymmetric with respect to the first axis X, and the position of the center point O changes in phase on the first axis X. FIG. 3(B) shows the finger hook portion 5, which is provided corresponding to the base support region 4c of the base of the finger.

[0028] When placing the palm B on the palm placement portion 4, if the fingers are directed toward the first side n1 in front of the palm placement portion 4 and the palm center line N is aligned so as to be parallel to the first axis X, the thumb ball B1, the little finger ball B2, the base of the hand B0, and the base of the finger B3 are respectively supported by the thumb ball support region 4a, the little finger ball support region 4b, the base support region 4 of the base of the finger, and the base support region 4d of the base of the hand. Since this palm placement portion 4 is a square, it is point-symmetric with respect to the center point O at an angle of 90°. When the palm placement portion 4 is rotated 90 degrees, even if the second side n2 is arranged at the front end, the positional relationship between the first axis X, the second axis Y, the thumb ball support region 4a, the thumb ball support region 4b, the base support region 4 of the base of the finger, the base support region 4d of the base of the hand, and further the finger hook portion 5 is exactly the same as the positional relationship in the state where the first side n1 is arranged at the front end, and it functions as the handle 3. Therefore, it can be used in four directions separated by 90° in the circumferential direction, and has a structure that is easy to use.

[0029] Next, the directionality of placing the palm on the palm placement portion 4 will be described. FIGS. 4 and 5 show various forms of the planar shape of the palm placement portion 4. FIG. 4 shows variations of the handle 3 having a rectangular shape. FIG. 4(A) is a plan view of a quadrilateral, (B) is a rear view of (A), (C) is a plan view of a pentagon, (D) is a rear view of (C), (E) is a plan view of a hexagon, (F) is a rear view of (E), (G) is a plan view of an octagon, (H) is a rear view of (G), (I) is a plan view of a large-sized octagon, and (J) is a rear view. Basically, from the quadrilateral in FIG. 4(A) to around the pentagon in FIG. 4(C) and the hexagon in FIG. 4(E), about three fingers are placed on each side. Also, when the fingers straddle both sides across a corner, there is a sense of discomfort due to the difference in angles, and when exploring with the hand, a directionality can be recognized. However, when it comes to octagons or more, only about two fingers are placed on each side, and even if the fingers straddle the adjacent side across a corner, there is no sense of discomfort due to the difference in angles, and the directionality is not perceived. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(I), even when the palm placement part is considerably larger than the size of the palm, if the position of the handle is offset and the part near the handle is pinched, it can be used, but the pendulum effect forward due to gravity at the start will not work.

[0030] FIG. 5(A) is a plan view of a round shape, (B) is a rear view of (A), (C) is a plan view of a track shape, (D) is a rear view of (C), (E) is a plan view of an elliptical shape, (F) is a rear view of (E), (G) is a plan view of a deformed pentagonal shape, (H) is a rear view of (G), (I) is a plan view of a combined shape with a square front and an arc-shaped rear, and (J) is a rear view of (I).

[0031] When the palm placement part 4 in FIG. 5(A) is circular, the outer peripheral edge of the handle 3 where the base of the fingers of the palm touches is an arc with the same curvature at any position in the circumferential direction, and there is no directionality. Therefore, no matter from which position in the circumferential direction the palm is placed, it does not inhibit the flexion of the MP joint, and the finger hook part 5 can be positioned below it. However, even in the case of a circle, if the finger hook part 5 is only at one position in the circumferential direction, the directionality will be determined by the position of the finger hook part 5. Therefore, the directionality is determined by the combination of the planar shape of the palm placement part 4 and the finger hook part 5.

[0032] In the case of the track shapes of FIGS. 5(C) and (D), the base of the finger placement has two points on the arc side and two points on the straight side. By providing the corresponding finger hooks 5, there are four directions similar to a square. In the case of the elliptical shapes of FIGS. 5(E) and (F), when the ratio of the major axis to the minor axis is small, no directionality appears. However, when the ratio increases, it becomes difficult to hold the small arc side, and directionality appears.

[0033] FIG. 6 shows the basic conceptual configuration of the handle of the present invention. FIG. 6(A) is a basic side view of the handle, (B) is a perspective view of (A), (C) is a side view of a modified example of the finger hook portion of (A), (D) is a side view of a further modified example of the finger hook portion of (A), (E) is a side view of an integrated configuration example of the palm placement portion and the finger hook portion, (F) is a side view of a modified example of (E), (G) is a side view of a further modified example of (E), and (H) is a side view showing a separate configuration example of the palm placement portion and the finger hook portion. The handle 3 basically only needs to have a palm placement portion and a finger hook portion, and does not need to be composed of a base plate. The handle 3 in FIGS. 6(A) and (B) is composed of a first member 31 constituting the palm placement portion 4, a second member 32 located below the palm placement portion 4 and constituting the finger hook portion 5, and a connecting member 33 connecting the first member 41 and the second member 32. Although the first member 31 and the second member 32 are shown as plate-shaped in the figure, they do not need to be plate-shaped. For the first member 31, it is sufficient that the palm placement portion 4 is provided on the upper surface, and it may be a block body, a framework structure, a shell structure, etc. described later. The position of the finger hook portion 5 does not need to be directly below the palm placement portion 4, and may be in front of the front end of the palm placement portion 4 as shown in FIG. 6(C), or may be retracted toward the handle 2 side from the front end of the palm placement portion 4 as shown in FIG. 6(D). The example shown in FIG. 6(E) is an example in which the handle 3 is composed of a single plate. The upper surface portion 33a is the palm placement portion 4, the lower surface portion 33b is the connecting portion finger hook portion 5, and it is an integrated structure in which the upper surface portion 33a and the lower surface portion 33b are connected by the connecting portion 33c, and the handle 2 is fixed to the upper surface portion 33a. The example shown in FIG. 6(F) is the same as FIG. 6(E), but the handle 2 is fixed to the lower surface portion 33b. The example shown in Fig. 6(G) is an example in which the upper surface portion 33a and the lower surface portion 33b have the same length, and the finger hook portion 5 is provided on the free end side rather than the bent side. Fig. 6(H) is an example in which the first member 31 constituting the palm placement portion 4 and the second member 32 constituting the finger hook portion 5 are each independently fixed to the handle 2.

[0034] Fig. 7 shows the configuration of a handle having a plurality of the basic configurations of Fig. 6. Fig. 7(A) is a basic side view of the handle, (B) is a perspective view of (A), (C) is a side view of an integral configuration example of the palm placement portion and the finger hook portion, (D) is a side view of a modified example of (C), (E) is a side view of a modified example of (C), and (F) is a side view showing a separate configuration example of the palm placement portion and the finger hook portion. Figs. 7(A) and (B) are examples in which the second member 32 of Figs. 6(A) and (B) is provided at two locations. Depending on the shape of the palm placement portion 4 of the first member 31, a plurality of the second members 32 can be arranged at a plurality of locations and even all around. Fig. 7(C) is an example in which the lower surface portion 33b of Fig. 6(E) is provided at two locations. Also in this case, depending on the shape of the upper surface portion 33a, a plurality of the second members 32 can be arranged at a plurality of locations and even all around. Fig. 7(D) is provided with a first upper surface portion 33a1 and a second upper surface portion 33a2 that are bent at right angles from both sides via a connecting portion 33c that rises from both ends of the lower surface portion 33b and fixes the upper end of the handle 2 to the lower surface portion 33b. Fig. 7(E) has a configuration in which the upper surface portion 33a is connected with respect to Fig. 7(D). Fig. 7(F) has the upper surface portion 33a and the lower surface portion 33B that are each fixed to the handle 2 and have the same length, and finger hook portions 5, 5 are provided on the left and right.

[0035] Fig. 8 shows an example in which the handle has a block shape. Fig. 8(A) is a side view of a handle in the shape of an inverted frustum of a pyramid, (B) is a plan view of (A), (C) is a rear view of (A), (D) is a side view of a handle in the shape of an inverted frustum of a cone of (C), (E) is a plan view of (D), (F) is a rear view of (D), (G) is a side view of a handle in the shape of a drum, (H) is a plan view of (G), and (I) is a rear view of (G). Figs. 8(A) to (C) show an example in which the handle 3 has an inverted frustum shape, with a palm placement portion 4 provided on the upper surface, and a finger hook portion 5 can be formed on the side surface by providing a step. Figs. 8(D) to (F) show the handle 3 having an inverted circular frustum shape. Also in this case, a palm placement portion 4 is provided on the upper surface, and a finger hook portion 5 is formed by providing a step on the side surface. Figs. 8(G) to (I) show the handle having a drum shape, with a palm placement portion 4 provided on the upper surface and a finger hook portion 5 formed by providing a step on the side surface. These are examples. As long as a flat palm placement portion 4 is provided on the upper surface and a finger hook portion 5 is provided below it, any shape can be selected for the shape. Regarding the finger hook portion 5, not limited to a step, holes may be opened, or a rod-shaped object such as a finger hook bar may be attached. In short, it is only necessary to make it easy to hang the distal phalanx of the finger flexed by tenodesis.

[0036] The palm placement portion 4 is provided along a plane extending in a direction orthogonal to the central axis of the handle 2. The palm placement portion 4 may be composed of a planar support portion that supports the palm on a plane, or may also be composed of linearly arranged support portions arranged two-dimensionally. Fig. 9 shows examples of the handle having a skeleton structure and a shell structure. Figs. 9(A) to (C) are perspective views showing various examples of the skeleton shape, (D) is a plan view of (C), (E) is a side view of (C), (F) is a plan view showing a modified example of the handle with a skeleton structure, (G) is a perspective view of (F), and (H) and (I) are perspective views showing various examples of the handle with a shell structure.

[0037] In Fig. 9(A), an annular ring 3e is supported by a plurality of columns 3g on a substrate 3f fixed to the upper end of the handle. The ring 3e constitutes the palm placement portion 4, and the back surface of the substrate 3f serves as the finger hook portion 5. In Fig. 9(B), the top surface of the substrate 3f fixed to the upper end of the handle 2 is the palm placement portion 4, and an annular ring 3e suspended by columns 3g on the substrate 3f is the finger hook portion 5. Fig. 9(C) shows a configuration in which two annular rings 3e and 3h of the same diameter are arranged vertically at intervals and connected by a support column 3g, and are fixed to a lower ring 3h via a spoke 3i on a substrate 3f fixed to the upper end of the handle 2. The upper ring 3e constitutes the palm placement part 4, and the lower ring 3h is the finger hook part 5. When holding it by hand, as shown in Figs. 9(D) and 9(E), place the palm on the upper ring 3e, place the base area of the fingers on the ring, hang the distal phalanx of the fingers on the lower ring 3h, and sandwich and support the upper ring 3e and the lower ring 3h vertically. Figs. 9(F) and 9(G) show a configuration in which a pipe 3j is bent into a zigzag waveform to integrally form the palm placement part 4 and the finger hook part 5 in one stroke. Although it does not come into contact with the entire palm surface, it can be supported by a two-dimensionally formed pipe 3i. The handle 3 shown in Fig. 9(H) is composed of a bottomed cylinder having a substrate 3k fixed to the upper end of the handle 2 and a peripheral wall 3m rising cylindrically from the periphery of the substrate 3k. The upper end of the cylindrical peripheral wall 3m constitutes the palm placement part 4, and the back surface (lower surface) of the bottom plate 3k is the finger hook part 5. The handle 3 in Fig. 9(I) is composed of a substrate 3n fixed to the upper end of the handle 2 and a cylindrical peripheral wall 3o hanging downward from the periphery of the substrate 3n. The upper surface of the substrate 3n constitutes a planar palm placement part 4, and the lower end of the peripheral wall 3o constitutes the finger hook part 5.

[0038] Fig. 10 shows various configuration examples of the finger hook part. The finger hook part 5 shown in Fig. 10(A) has an inclined surface 5a whose lower surface gradually inclines upward toward the handle 2. In this way, the distal phalanx of the finger hanging on the finger hook part 5 has resistance from the inclined surface in the direction away from the handle, making it difficult for the finger to come off. The finger hook part 5 shown in Fig. 10(B) is provided with a convex part 5b protruding downward on the lower surface. In this way, the distal phalanx of the finger hanging on the finger hook part 5 is restricted from moving in the direction away from the handle by the convex part, making it difficult for the finger to come off. The finger hook portion 5 described in FIG. 10(C) is configured as a round bar. Also in this case, similar to the inclined surface, the lower surface is configured to gradually incline upward in an arc shape toward the direction of the handle 2. The distal phalanx of the finger placed on the finger hook portion 5 is restricted from moving in the direction away from the handle, making it difficult for the finger to come off. The finger hook portion 5 described in FIG. 10(D) has a square bar shape, the distal phalanx of the finger bites into the corner, and the movement in the direction away from the handle 2 is restricted, making it difficult for the finger to come off.

[0039] Next, means for preventing the palm placed on the palm placement portion from slipping will be described. Since the present invention is configured to hang the distal phalanx of the flexed finger from below on the finger hook portion, the movement of the palm in the direction of pulling it toward the wrist side is restricted by the finger catching on the front end portion of the palm placement portion or the front end portion of the finger hook portion, and the slip of the palm on the contact surface with the palm placement portion is restricted. However, the movement in the direction of moving the palm toward the finger side is only restricted to the extent of the frictional force of the contact surface. If the palm slips toward the finger side, there is a risk that the distal phalanx of the finger will come off the finger hook portion. Therefore, it is preferable to provide means for restricting the movement of the palm toward the finger side or means for increasing the resistance to movement. FIG. 11 shows various configuration examples of the restricting means for restricting the slip on the contact surface of the palm placement portion with the palm. FIG. 11(A) shows an example in which a convex portion 4e that fits into the central depression of the palm is provided at the central portion of the palm placement portion 4. By providing the convex portion 4e in this way, the root of the palm catches on the convex portion 4e, and it is possible to prevent the palm from sliding in the direction of the front edge of the palm placement portion 4 toward the finger direction and the root region of the finger from coming off the front edge portion of the palm placement portion, and it is possible to prevent the distal phalanx of the finger from coming off the finger hook portion 5. FIG. 11(B) shows an example in which a convex portion 4f is provided at the front end portion of the palm placement portion 4. This convex portion 4f catches the distal end of the palm side of the base of the finger B3 of the palm, and it is possible to prevent the root region of the finger from coming off the front edge portion of the palm placement portion, and it is possible to prevent the distal phalanx of the finger from coming off the finger hook portion 5. FIG. 11(C) shows an example in which a concave portion 4g is provided in the wrist side region of the palm placement portion 4. This concave portion 4g fits the thenar eminence B1 of the palm, the area on the wrist side of the hypothenar eminence B1, and the base of the palm B3. When the palm tries to slide forward (in the direction of the fingers), the middle parts of the thenar eminence B1, the hypothenar eminence B2, and the base of the palm B0 are caught by the step on the distal side of the concave portion 4g, which can prevent the sliding of the contact surface with the palm placement part and prevent the distal phalanx fb of the finger from coming off the finger hook part 5.

[0040] FIG. 12 shows an example using a band 4h as a regulating means for preventing the palm from sliding. FIG. 12(A) shows the case where the proximal phalanx fp is held by the band 4h, FIG. 12(B) shows the case where the DIP joint is held by the band 4h, and FIG. 12(C) shows the case where the middle phalanx fm of the finger is held by the band 4h. Both ends of this band 4h are fixed to the handles, and fingers can enter the gap between the handle 3 and the band 4h. As the band 4h, a material having non-stretchable flexibility may be used, or a configuration having rubber-like elasticity and elastically stretching may be used. A hard structure with an unchanging shape may be used, but if a flexible material is used, it will be easier to insert and remove fingers.

[0041] Next, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. [Embodiment 1] Embodiment of a circular base FIG. 13 shows a cane according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, where (A) is a front view and (B) is a perspective view. In FIG. 13, 101 indicates the entire cane. This cane 101 includes a straight cane handle 102 and a circular base 103 as a handle fixed to one end of the cane handle 102, and is used by placing a hand on this base 103. The base 103 includes a palm placement surface 104 as a palm placement part of a size where the palm can be placed, and a finger hook surface 105 as a finger hook part that can hang the abdomen of the distal phalanx of the finger of the hand with the palm placed on the palm placement surface 104 from below. Also, a soft elastic body 106 such as cork is attached to the lower end of the handle 102 that constitutes the tip of the cane. When lifting the cane 101 and moving it forward, the weight of the cane 101 is supported by the fingers hooked on the finger-hooking surface 105. When grounding the soft elastic body 106 at the lower end of the cane 101 and moving the body forward, the reaction force of the cane 101 from the ground is received by the palm placed on the palm placement surface 104. When moving the cane 101 forward, the palm is separated from the palm placement part 104. Since the fulcrum of the distal phalanx of the finger is at a position offset forward from the center of gravity, a moment in the direction of moving the lower end of the handle 102 of the cane forward acts around the fulcrum, and the cane naturally swings forward. That is, the pendulum action of swinging forward by using gravity works, and the cane swings forward. Conventionally, the cane has been swung out with the wrist, and without realizing it, fatigue of the wrist occurs. In the present invention, since it swings forward by the pendulum action using gravity, there is an effect of reducing fatigue. When the reaction force of the cane 1 from the ground is received by the palm placed on the palm placement part 4, since the reaction force from the ground is supported by the entire surface of the palm placed on the palm placement surface 104, not only is the force relaxed, but the ball of the thumb and the ball of the little finger receive the force in a well-balanced manner left and right, so that the lateral wobbling of the cane can be reduced and a stable carrying of the cane can be realized.

[0042] Hereinafter, the base 103 will be described. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the base of the cane, (A) is a front view, and (B) is a plan view. The base 103 has a thick disc shape, and the flat upper surface serves as the palm placement surface 104 as the palm placement part, and the flat annular surface from the boundary with the handle 102 on the lower surface to which the handle 102 is fixed to the outer peripheral edge serves as the finger-hooking surface 105 as the finger-hooking part. Therefore, the finger can be hooked on the finger-hooking surface 105 from any direction of 360°, and when placing the palm on the palm placement surface 104, it can be placed in any direction, and it is characterized by having no directionality. The palm placement surface 104 and the finger-hooking surface 105 are parallel planes perpendicular to the central axis Z of the handle 102. The outer peripheral surface 109 is a cylindrical surface extending linearly parallel to the central axis Z of the handle 102. The upper end of the round bar-shaped handle 102 of the cane is fitted into the round hole 107a provided at the center of the lower surface of the base 103 and adhered with an adhesive. At the corners of the palm placement surface 104 and the outer peripheral surface 109 on the upper surface of the base 103, and at the corners of the outer peripheral surface 109 and the finger - hanging surface 110 on the lower surface side, rounded portions 111 and 112 are provided. The rounded portion 111 on the upper surface side is larger than the rounded portion 112 on the lower surface side. Also, since the annular region on the lower surface of the base 103 serves as the finger - hanging surface 105, fingers can be hooked from any 360° direction. When placing the palm on the palm placement surface 104, it can be placed in any direction without directionality.

[0043] Next, the state of holding the base 103 by hand will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the state of holding the base 103 by hand. FIG. 15(A) is a side view, and FIG. 15(B) is a view seen from below. As shown in FIG. 15(A), when holding the base by hand, the bent state of the finger F is such that three joints, namely the MP joint J1 of the palm, the PIP joint J2 of the finger F, and the DIP joint J3, are bent. The distal phalanx fb of the finger is inverted so as to face the palm, and with the belly of the distal phalanx fb facing upward, it is hooked from below onto the finger - hanging portion on the lower surface of the base 103. Then, the base 103 is supported by being clamped vertically between the palm PA placed on the palm placement surface 104 and the distal phalanx fb of the finger F hanging on the finger - hanging surface 105.

[0044] FIG. 15(B) is a view seen from the lower surface side of the base 103 with the distal phalanx fb of the finger hanging on the finger - hanging surface 105. The distal phalanx fb of the finger extends from the outer end of the finger - hanging surface 105 toward the handle 102.

[0045] Next, the planar configuration of the palm placement portion 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 16. FIG. 16(A) is a plan view showing the configuration of the placement area of the palm placement portion, and FIG. 16(B) is an explanatory diagram of the palm. First, since the palm is the same as that in FIG. 3(D), the description is omitted.

[0046] Next, the planar configuration of the palm placement portion will be described with reference to FIG. 16(A). The basic configuration is the same as the conceptual diagram of Fig. 3(A). For the same components, the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof is omitted. The palm placement surface 104 has two ball support regions 104a and 104b that support the thenar eminence and the hypothenar eminence, a base of finger support region 104c that supports the swelling of the palm near the MP joint, and a wrist support region 104d that supports the swelling near the wrist where the thenar eminence and the hypothenar eminence are connected.

[0047] The two ball support regions 304a and 304b are left and right semi-circular regions with respect to the first axis X, and the thenar eminence B1 and the hypothenar eminence B2 can be placed over the front and rear regions beyond the second axis Y. In the illustrated example, they are two rectangular regions obtained by dividing a square by the first axis X. The side edges of the thenar eminence B1 and the hypothenar eminence B2 may protrude outward.

[0048] On the other hand, the base of finger support region 104c is located in front with respect to the second axis Y and at the front edge of the palm placement portion 104. The wrist support portion 104d is located behind with respect to the second axis Y and at the rear end of the palm placement surface 104. Below the base of finger support region 104c, a finger hook portion 105 is located on the lower surface of the handle base 103. Support by the base of finger support region 104c, which is this MP joint region, requires that the MP joint be supported so as to be freely palm-flexible.

[0049] Next, the materials and dimensions of the cane 102 and the base 103 will be described. Both the handle 102 of the cane and the base 103 are made of lightweight balsa wood. By using balsa wood, the cane 101 becomes very lightweight, and even in a support form in which the base 103 is sandwiched vertically between the palm P placed on the palm placement surface 104 and the distal phalanx fb of the finger F hanging on the finger hook surface 105, it can be surely held, and a cane that is easy to handle can be realized even for rehabilitation patients or elderly people who cannot exert force. Here, the advantages of using balsa wood for the cane will be described. Since it is a very light and soft material, it is gentle on the hand. It is difficult to feel pain. Also, because it is light, it is not easy to get tired even when used for a long time. Furthermore, it has elasticity and absorbs the impact when the cane is thrusted, which is gentle on the hand. Also, it has a good texture and fits well in the hand. It has cushioning properties, absorbs sweat by the vascular bundles, and has the advantages that it does not get cold in winter and does not get hot in summer.

[0050] Figure 25 illustrates the relationship between the fiber direction of the wood and the woodworking of the base. (A) is a schematic diagram of the fiber direction of the lumber, (B) is a view where the upper surface of the base is parallel to the fiber, (C) is a view where the upper surface of the base is perpendicular to the fiber, and (D) is a view where the lower surface of the base is perpendicular to the fiber. As shown in Fig. 25(A), for balsa wood, when the grain direction (fiber direction) is g, generally, the palm placement surface 104 on the upper surface of the base 103 and the finger-hooking surface 105 on the lower surface are made of plank grain and square grain as shown in Fig. 25(B), that is, they are manufactured in the direction parallel to the grain (fiber). However, as shown in Figs. 25(C) and (D), it is effective to configure the palm placement surface 104 and the finger-hooking surface 105 with end grain. The end grain corresponds to the cut end of the balsa wood perpendicular to the fiber direction and becomes a rough surface. If it is configured with end grain, the finger is less likely to slip and can be stably supported. Also, since sweat and the like are absorbed between the fibers, the contact surface is maintained in a dry state and a comfortable feeling of use can be obtained. For the handle 102 of the cane, both ends have end grain, and on the outer peripheral surface, the wood grain fibers extend parallel to the central axis direction of the handle 102.

[0051] In terms of dimensions, in this example, the handle 102 is composed of a round bar with a diameter of about 30 mm, but it may be about 20 mm to 35 mm. If it is too thin, the bending strength will decrease, but for example, if the outer periphery is covered with a shrink film or tape, it is possible to reinforce the bending strength. Also, by performing surface treatment, the surface density may be compressed more than the inside to increase the hardness. The diameter of the base 103 is not limited, but it is preferably about 55 mm to 100 mm, more preferably about 65 mm to 90 mm. A larger size can support the entire palm, providing high stability when the cane touches the ground. When it is about 65 - 75 mm, in the case of a standard hand size, the periphery of the palm may slightly deviate, but there is an advantage in being easier to handle due to its smaller size. If it is smaller than 45 mm in diameter, it becomes difficult to sandwich the base vertically between the palm placed on the palm placement part and the distal phalanx f3 of the finger placed on the finger - hanging surface 105.

[0052] Regarding the thickness of the base 103, in the embodiment, it is set to about 25 mm, but a range of about 20 - 30 mm is preferred. When it reaches 30 mm, the thumb cannot be hooked, but when it is about 25 mm, in addition to the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger, the distal phalanx of the thumb can also be hooked, improving stability. Regarding the dimensions of the finger - hanging surface 105, if the diameter is 88 mm and the diameter of the handle is 30 mm, the width in the radial direction is about 29 mm, and the entire distal phalanx of the finger can be hooked.

[0053] Regarding the tip of the cane, a soft elastic body 106 such as cork is attached to the lower end of the handle 102 for protection and anti - slip. However, a rubber cap may also be used, and various types of cane tips can be adopted.

[0054] Figure 17 shows an embodiment of the cane tip. (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a longitudinal sectional view, and (C) is a modified example. In this example, as the cane tip 206, a combination of a soft elastic body 261 such as cork and a hard elastic body 262 is used. The soft elastic body 261 is attached to the end face of the lower end of the handle 102, and a cylindrical hard elastic body 262 is mounted so as to surround the soft elastic body 261. The lower end 102a of the handle 102 has a smaller diameter than the upper part. The upper end of the hard elastic body 262 abuts against the step part 102b above the lower end, and the lower end is almost flush with the lower surface of the soft elastic body 261, or the lower surface of the soft elastic body 261 slightly protrudes below the lower surface of the hard elastic body. By doing so, since the outer periphery of the soft elastic body 261 is covered by the hard elastic body 262, the soft elastic body 261 can be prevented from being curled. Also, since the soft elastic body 261 is exposed, the friction with the road surface can be effective to prevent slipping. Furthermore, the hard elastic body 262 can mitigate a strong impact and reduce the damage acting on the soft elastic body 261, and the durability can be improved. FIG. 17(C) shows an example in which the soft elastic body is omitted. The end of the hard elastic body is formed flush with the lower end of the handle 102. This hard elastic body may be configured to protrude slightly more than the lower end.

[0055] Next, a modified example of the base 102 described in the above Embodiment 1 will be described. (Modified Example 1 of the Base in Embodiment 1) FIG. 18 shows a modified example 1 of the base 102 of Embodiment 1, FIG. 18(A) is a plan view, and FIG. 18(B) is a longitudinal sectional view. For the same components as in Embodiment 1, the same reference numerals will be given and the description will be omitted. In this example, a convex portion 103a is provided at the center of the upper surface of the base 103. In this example, the upper end of the handle penetrates the base 103, and the convex portion 103a is formed by the upper end portion of the handle 102. Since the outer diameter of the convex portion 103a is circular, its diameter is the same as that of the handle 102, which is 30 mm, and the protruding height is about 5 mm. By doing so, similar to the description in FIG. 11(A), the convex portion 103a enters the depression in the center of the palm, and when the palm tries to move forward (in the direction of the fingers), the front edge of the root of the palm is caught by the convex portion 103a, and the forward slip can be prevented. Regarding this convex portion 103a, the convex portion 103a may be integrally cut out and formed on the upper surface of the base 103, or a member separate from the base 103 may be used as the convex portion 103a.

[0056] (Modified Example 2 of the Base in Embodiment 1) FIG. 19 shows a modified example 2 of the base 102 of Embodiment 1, FIG. 19(A) is a central longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 19(B) is a top view. This modification example 2 is an example in which an upper surface annular recess 104g is provided on the palm placement surface 104 of the base 103 in FIG. 14, and a lower surface annular recess 105g is provided on the finger-hooking surface 105 on the lower surface of the base. The palm placement surface 104 is composed of a central upper surface portion 104f inside the upper surface annular recess 104ga and an outer ring portion 104i surrounding the outside of the upper surface annular recess 108a. The upper surface annular recess 108 is arcuately inclined so as to gradually deepen radially outward from the outer diameter end of the central upper surface portion 104f, and has a gently frustoconical shape in which the generatrix of the cone is convexly curved. A step portion 104h is provided at the boundary between the outer end portion of the upper surface annular recess 108a and the outer ring portion 104i. The diameter of the central upper surface portion 104f is about 30 mm, and the depth of the step portion 104h is about 5 mm. The position of the step portion 104h is a position approaching the center by about 7 mm from the outer peripheral surface 109.

[0057] The finger-hooking surface 105 is composed of a boss portion 105f inside the lower surface annular recess 105g, the lower surface annular recess 105g, and an outer ring portion 105i surrounding the outside of the lower surface annular recess 105g. The lower surface annular recess 105g is inclined in an inverted frustoconical shape so as to convexly curve and gradually deepen radially outward from the boss portion 105f located at the base of the central handle 102, and a step portion 105h is provided at the boundary between the outer end portion and the outer ring portion 105i. The diameter of the boss portion 105f is about 40 mm, and the depth of the step portion 105h at the outer end portion is about 5 mm. The position of the step portion 105h is a position approaching the center side by about 10 mm from the outer peripheral surface 109.

[0058] In this way, when the palm is placed, the central upper surface portion 108b fits into the depression in the center of the palm, and the base of the finger catches on the step portion 104h, positioning the position of the palm. Also, regarding the finger-hooking surface 105, the distal phalanx fb of the finger can be fitted into the lower surface annular recess 105g, caught on the step portion 105h, and prevented from slipping outward and coming off the finger-hooking surface 105.

[0059] Next, various modification examples using an auxiliary ring for the cane of Example 1 will be described. The auxiliary ring can be used in the following three ways. Use 1: It is provided in the middle of the handle 102 and used for carrying the walking stick. Use 2: It is used to bundle multiple walking sticks 102. Use 3: It is provided at the lower end of the handle 102 and used as a stand for the walking stick. In the following description, the parts different from the above-mentioned Embodiment 1 will be described, and for the same constituent parts, the same reference numerals will be given and the description will be omitted.

[0060] (Modification 1) First, Modification 1 will be described. FIG. 19 shows a walking stick according to Modification 1, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a front view of a state where two are combined, (C) is a front view of a combined state of a walking stick with an auxiliary ring and a walking stick without an auxiliary ring, and (D) is a bottom view of a state where a plurality of walking sticks are bundled. The walking stick 101A according to this Modification 1 is an example where the auxiliary ring 120 is applied to Uses 1 and 2. The auxiliary ring 120 is a disc-shaped member with an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the base 3, and has a through hole 120a with the same diameter as the diameter of the handle 2 at the center. The handle 2 is passed through the through hole 120a and fixed at a predetermined position. In this example, the fixing method is to fix the inner circumference of the through hole 120a and the outer circumference of the handle 2 with an adhesive. The interval between this auxiliary ring 120 and the base 103 (the interval in the direction parallel to the central axis of the handle between the lower surface of the base 103 and the upper surface of the auxiliary ring 120) is set to the dimension of the vertical thickness of the base 103. Hereinafter, the interval in the direction parallel to the central axis of the handle between the lower surface of the base 103 and the upper surface of the auxiliary ring 120 will be simply referred to as the vertical interval between the base 103 and the auxiliary ring 120. The vertical thickness of the auxiliary ring 120 may be smaller than the vertical thickness of the base.

[0061] With such a configuration, when carrying the walking stick 101A, by grasping below the auxiliary ring 120 of the handle 102, the lower end of the walking stick 101 can be carried by hand without touching the ground, which is convenient. Also, as shown in FIG. 20(B), a plurality of walking sticks 101A can be integrally assembled using the base 103 and the auxiliary ring 120, which improves the convenience when carrying a plurality of them.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 20(C), the assembling can be done by gathering up to four rods 101A at a time around one rod, and furthermore, a plurality of rods can be similarly assembled around it. Also, as shown in Fig. 20(D), it is possible to assemble both the rod 101A with an auxiliary ring and the rod 101 without an auxiliary ring.

[0063] (Modification 2) Next, Modification 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 21. This Modification 2 is also an example in which the auxiliary ring 120 is applied to Uses 1 and 2, but the position of the auxiliary ring 120 is different from that in Example 1. Fig. 21 shows the rods according to Example 3. Fig. 21(A) is a front view of the first type of rod, Fig. 21(B) is a front view of the second type of rod, and Fig. 21(C) is a front view showing the combined state of the first type of rod and the second type of rod. This Example 3 is also an example in which the auxiliary ring 120 is provided in the middle of the handle 102. Although the vertical interval between the base 103 and the auxiliary ring 120 is large, the position of the auxiliary ring 120 is above the center of gravity. When used as Use 2, a combination of two types of rods with different vertical intervals between the base 103 and the auxiliary ring 120 is used.

[0064] For the first type of rod 101B, the interval (L1) between the base 103 and the auxiliary ring 120 is large. For the second type of rod 101C, with respect to the rod of the first type 101B, the interval (L2) between the base 102 and the auxiliary ring 120 is set to be shorter by the sum (ta + tb) of the thickness (ta) of the base in the vertical direction and the thickness (tb) of the auxiliary ring 120. Based on the second type of rod 101C, for the first type of rod 101, the interval between the base 103 and the auxiliary ring 120 is set to be longer by the sum (ta + tb) of the thickness (ta) of the base 103 in the vertical direction and the thickness (tb) of the auxiliary ring 120.

[0065] By doing so, when holding the cane in line with the auxiliary ring 120, the lower end of the cane is greatly separated from the ground and is positioned near the center of gravity. Therefore, when holding the cane horizontally, handling becomes easier.

[0066] (Modification Example 3) Next, Modification Example 3 will be described. This Modification Example 3 is an embodiment in which the second auxiliary ring is applied to Use 3. FIG. 22 shows a cane according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 22(A) is a front view, and FIG. 22(B) is a front view showing the combined state. The example shown in FIG. 22 is an example in which the second auxiliary ring 122 is used as a pedestal-cum-stone pier for Use 3. This second auxiliary ring 122 has a soft elastic body 106d adhered to its lower surface. The soft elastic body 106d is provided near the outer periphery of the lower surface of the second auxiliary ring 122.

[0067] Since it is grounded through this soft elastic body 106d, the grounding width becomes the maximum diameter of the second auxiliary ring 122, and stable support can be achieved. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the second auxiliary ring 122 is the same as the outer diameter of the pedestal. However, similar to the embodiment, it may be slightly smaller than the pedestal 103.

[0068] When the second auxiliary ring 122 is attached to the lower end, as a stone pier, after the cane protruding forward touches the ground from the rear end of the second auxiliary ring 122, with the grounding part as the fulcrum, the upper pedestal 103 moves forward. Thus, the fulcrum with the ground shifts from the rear end of the second auxiliary ring 122 to full surface grounding, and further, when the rear end is lifted and shifts to the front end, it becomes a seesaw-like movement.

[0069] In this embodiment, when the diameter of the second auxiliary ring 122 is about 88 mm, which is the same as the outer diameter of the pedestal 103, the seesaw-like movement is small and at a level that does not impede practical use. As a preferable range, about 70 mm to 90 mm in diameter is preferable. Note that, as shown in FIGS. 22(B) to (D), by combining with the auxiliary rings 120 of Modification 1 and Modification 2, it is also possible to obtain a cane that satisfies all of Applications 1 to 3. Further, FIG. 23(A) shows an example in which two canes 101AD with auxiliary rings of FIG. 22(B) are combined. Even in the combined state of two, if the center of gravity position is within the range of the diameter of the auxiliary ring as a base, it can stand on its own. With such a configuration, it is also possible to obtain a cane that satisfies all of Applications 1 to 3. Similarly, FIG. 23(B) is an example in which two canes 101BD and 101CD with auxiliary rings of FIGS. 22(C) and 22(D) are combined. Also in this case, if the center of gravity G position is within the range of the diameter of the auxiliary ring as a base, it can stand on its own.

[0070] FIG. 24 shows an example in which a large number of parallel grooves are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of this circular base. Two types are described: a type in which the grooves on the upper and lower surfaces are parallel and a type in which they are orthogonal. FIG. 24(A) is a common plan view, (B) is a longitudinal sectional view of the parallel type, (C) is a bottom view of (B), (D) is a longitudinal sectional view of the orthogonal type, and (E) is a bottom view of the orthogonal type. If parallel grooves 108 are provided on the palm placement surface 104 or the finger hook surface 105, the grip of the palm and fingers will be improved, and an anti-slip effect can be obtained. Regarding the directionality, the direction orthogonal to the parallel grooves 108 is the most difficult for the fingers to slip, but even in the direction parallel to the parallel grooves 108, there are irregularities, so they bite into the soft parts of the palm and fingers, increasing the contact area. It is less slippery than a simple planar configuration and has a certain anti-slip effect. It does not have to be orthogonal, and it can be oblique. The directionality of the parallel grooves does not matter.

[0071] (Example 2) Quadrilateral base Next, Example 2 will be described. FIG. 26 shows a cane according to Example 2 of the present invention. FIG. 26(A) is a front view, FIG. 26(B) is a side view, and FIG. 26(C) is a view in the self-standing state. In FIG. 26, reference numeral 301 indicates the entire cane. This cane 301 includes a straight, elongated cane handle 302, a base 303 fixed to one end of the cane handle 302, and a stone projection 306 provided at the lower end of the handle 302. The base 303 includes a palm placement portion 304 sized to accommodate a palm, and a finger hook portion 305 that can hook the belly of the distal phalanx of the finger of the hand with the palm placed on the palm placement portion 304 from below. Regarding the usage method, when lifting and moving the cane 301 forward, the weight of the cane 301 is supported by the finger hooked on the finger hook portion 305. When grounding the stone projection 306 at the lower end of the cane 301 and moving the body forward, the reaction force of the cane 301 from the ground is received by the palm placed on the palm placement portion 304. When walking and lifting and moving the cane 301 forward, in the present invention, since the fulcrum of the distal phalanx of the finger is offset forward from the center of gravity, a moment in the direction of moving the lower end of the cane handle forward acts about the fulcrum, and the cane naturally swings forward. That is, the pendulum action of swinging forward by utilizing gravity works, and the cane swings forward. Conventionally, the cane was swung forward with the wrist, and without realizing it, fatigue of the wrist occurred. The present invention swings forward by the pendulum action utilizing gravity, so there is an effect of reducing fatigue. On the other hand, since the reaction force of the cane from the ground is supported by the entire surface of the palm placed on the palm placement portion, not only is the force alleviated, but also the force is received in a well-balanced manner left and right by the thenar eminence and the hypothenar eminence, so the lateral wobbling of the cane can be reduced, and a stable carrying of the cane can be realized. The central axis of the cane handle passes through the palm placement portion and is close to the arm via the dorsiflexed wrist, so the reaction force from the ground acts almost straight on the arm, and no moment acts on the cane, and a stable feeling of use can be obtained. Also, when holding the cane, with the palm placed on the palm support part, since the wrist joint dorsiflexes, the fingers naturally flex at the palm due to tenodesis action (tendon fixation action), so that the distal phalanx of the finger can naturally rest on the finger hook part. Thereby, the palm placed on the palm placement part and the distal phalanx of the finger hanging on the finger hook part can sandwich and support the handle vertically. This action is independent of the swinging motion during walking. During the swinging motion while walking, it is preferable that the wrist is in a relaxed state and the palm is separated from the palm placement part 4.

[0072] Hereinafter, the handle 302 and the base 303 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 27 and 28. FIGS. 27 and 28 show the vicinity of the base of the cane. FIG. 27(A) is an enlarged perspective view, FIG. 27(B) is an enlarged central cross-sectional view, FIG. 28(A) is an enlarged side view, and FIG. 28(B) is an enlarged plan view. The base 303 has a square shape with rounded rear corners. The upper and lower surfaces of the base 303 are parallel planes orthogonal to the central axis of the handle 302. The upper surface is the palm placement part 304, and the lower surface is the finger hook part 305. The basic shape of the outer surface 309 is a square tube shape extending linearly parallel to the central axis of the handle 102. However, as shown in FIGS. 27(A) and 28(A), from the rear half of the left and right side surfaces 309c to the rear surface 309d, appropriate cutout parts 309d are provided for weight reduction. Regarding the front surface 309a, it is square and has no cutout part. A square through-hole 307a is provided at a position offset rearward by a predetermined dimension with respect to the center of the lower surface of the base 303. The upper end of the handle 302 of the cane, which is made of a square-section bar, is fitted and adhered with an adhesive.

[0073] The palm placement part 304 has a two-stage structure including a front flat part 308a and a rear flat part 308b that is one level lower than the front flat part 308a, and a step part 308c is formed at the boundary therebetween. The rear flat part 308b is adapted to the placement regions of the thenar and the hypothenar, and the right side of the step part 308c protrudes forward while the left side is located rearward. In the illustrated example, the upper end of the penetrated handle 102 is flush with the front flat part 308a and the rear flat part 308b, and the step part 308c also extends to the upper end part of the handle 102. The palm placement part 304 is constituted by the front flat part 308a and the rear flat part 308b of this base 303. Also, the region from the base of the handle 302 to the front end on the lower surface of the base 303 serves as the finger hook part 305, and a convex part 311 protruding downward is provided at the front edge of the lower surface. This convex part 311 extends linearly along the front edge of the base body 307, and its height is set to about 5 mm.

[0074] Next, the state of holding the base 303 by hand will be described with reference to FIGS. 29 and 30. FIG. 29 is a schematic view showing an example of the state of holding the base 303 by hand, FIG. 29(A) is a side view, and FIG. 29(B) is a view seen from below. As shown in FIG. 29(A), in the bent state of the finger F, the three joints of the MP joint J1 of the palm, the PIP joint J2 of the finger F, and the DIP joint J3 are bent, the distal phalanx fb of the finger is inverted so as to face the palm, and with the belly of the distal phalanx fb facing upward, it is hung from below on the finger hook part 305 on the lower surface of the base body 303. Then, the palm PA placed on the palm placement part 304 and the distal phalanx fb of the finger F hanging on the finger hook part 305 sandwich and support the base 303 vertically.

[0075] FIG. 29(B) is a view seen from the lower surface side of the base 303 with the distal phalanx fb of the finger hanging on the finger hook part 305, and the distal phalanx f3 of the finger extends from the outer end of the finger hook part 305 toward the handle 302.

[0076] Next, the planar configuration of the palm placement part 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 30. FIG. 30(A) is a plan view showing the configuration of the placement area of the palm placement part, and FIG. 30(B) is an explanatory view of the palm. Since the palm is the same as that in FIG. 3(D), the same reference numerals are assigned to the same constituent parts and the description thereof is omitted.

[0077] First, with reference to FIG. 30(A), the planar configuration of the palm placement part will be described. The basic configuration is the same as the conceptual diagram in FIG. 3(A). For the same constituent parts, the same reference numerals are assigned and the description thereof is omitted. The palm placement part 304 has two ball support areas 304a and 304b that support the thenar eminence and the hypothenar eminence, a base of finger support area 304c that supports the swelling of the palm near the MP joint, and a wrist support area 304d that supports the swelling near the carpal bone where the thenar eminence and the hypothenar eminence are connected.

[0078] The palm placement part 304 has a two-dimensional spread along the parallel directions of the first axis X and the second axis Y that are perpendicular to each other. In this example, the corner of the rear third side 343, the left and right second sides 342, and the fourth side 344 is formed by a large arc, and the third side 344 is substantially arc-shaped. The left and right second sides 342 and the fourth side 344 are parallel to the first axis X, the front first side 341 is parallel to the second axis Y, and is perpendicular to the first axis X.

[0079] The two ball support areas 304a and 304b are the left and right areas with respect to the first axis X, and the thenar eminence B1 and the hypothenar eminence B2 can be placed over the front and rear areas beyond the second axis Y. In the illustrated example, they are two rectangular areas obtained by dividing a square by the first axis X. The side edges of the thenar eminence B1 and the hypothenar eminence B2 may protrude outward.

[0080] On the other hand, the base of finger support area 304c is located in front with respect to the second axis Y and at the front edge of the palm placement part 304. The wrist support part 304d is located behind with respect to the second axis Y and at the rear end of the palm placement part 4. Below the base of finger support area 304c, a finger hook part 305 is located on the lower surface of the base 303 that constitutes the handle. It is necessary to support the MP joint area so that the MP joint can be freely flexed in the palm. The position of the center point O, which is the intersection of the first axis X and the second axis Y, is offset toward the rear side 344 in the illustrated example, and moves according to the attachment position of the handle 2 in the palm support area 304d. Basically, the ball support areas 4a and 4b are included.

[0081] When placing the palm on the palm placement part 304, if the fingers are directed toward the front side 341 in front of the palm placement part 304 and placed so that the palm center line N is parallel to the first axis X, the thumb ball B1, the little finger ball B2, the palm root B0, and the base of the finger B3 are supported by the thumb ball support area 304a, the little finger ball support area 304b, the base of the finger support area 304, and the palm root support area 304d, respectively. In this embodiment, since the center point О located on the central axis of the handle 302 is offset toward the rear side, on the back surface of the base 303, there is one place on the front side, and the direction of the handle is limited to one place. Also, since there is a step 308c on the palm placement surface 304, the holding direction is clear, and the user can use it without getting lost, resulting in a structure that is easy to use.

[0082] This cane 302 and the base 303 are both made of lightweight balsa wood, similar to the circular base 203 described above. By using balsa wood, the cane 301 becomes very lightweight, and even in a support form where the base 303 is sandwiched vertically between the palm PA placed on the palm placement part 304 and the distal phalanx fb of the finger F hanging on the finger hook part 305, it can be securely held, enabling the realization of a cane that is easy to handle even for rehabilitation patients or the elderly who have no strength. Regarding the relationship of the fiber direction of the balsa wood, it is the same as that described for the circular base, and the description is omitted.

[0083] In terms of dimensions, in this example, the handle 302 is constituted by a square bar with a diameter of about 30 mm, but it may be about 20 mm to 35 mm. If it is too thin, the bending strength will decrease, but for example, if the outer periphery is covered with a shrink film or tape, it is possible to reinforce the bending strength. The vertical and horizontal dimensions of the base body 307 are not limited, but are preferably about 55 mm to 100 mm, more preferably about 65 mm to 90 mm. The larger size can support the entire palm, and the stability when the cane touches the ground is high. When it is about 65 - 75 mm, in the case of a standard hand size, the periphery of the palm may slightly deviate, but there is an advantage that it is easier to handle due to its smaller size. If it is smaller than 45 mm in diameter, it becomes difficult to sandwich the base vertically between the palm placed on the palm placement part and the distal phalanx of the finger hooked on the finger hooking part.

[0084] (Configuration of the tip) Next, the tip 306 will be described with reference to FIGS. 31 and 32. FIG. 31 shows the tip. (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view, (C) is a top view, (D) is a bottom view, and FIG. 32 is a side view of the cane in the standing state. The tip 306 includes projecting portions 361, 361 that project symmetrically to the left and right with respect to the central axis of the cane handle 302, and a stopper portion 363 disposed in the front. The lower surfaces of the projecting portions 361, 361 protrude below the lower end surface of the cane handle 302, and the lower surfaces of the projecting portions 361 are covered with a soft elastic body 363 such as a cork material. The grounding surface of the soft elastic body 363 is an arcuate surface that forms a part of a virtual cylindrical surface with a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0085] In this example, the thickness of the soft elastic body 364 is constant, and the lower surface 362 of the projecting portion 361 itself has an arcuate cross section. Therefore, the handle 302 does not touch the ground at the lower end surface of the handle 302, but the lower surfaces of the left and right projecting portions 361 touch the road surface via the soft elastic body 363. And the grounding portion is in line contact with the road surface, and can swing back and forth with the contact portion as a fulcrum. By providing the projecting portions 361, 361 on the left and right in this way, the lateral sway of the cane is suppressed, and a stable feeling of use can be obtained. Also, although the projecting portions 361, 361 have a certain width in the front - rear direction, since the grounding portion has an arcuate cross section, there is an advantage that even when moving back and forth with the grounding portion as a fulcrum, line contact is maintained and smooth movement is possible.

[0086] The stopper portion 362 is fixed to the front surface of the handle 302, and its left and right widths are larger than the left and right widths of the handle. The left and right widths are approximately the same as the overhanging width of the overhanging portion 361, but the bottom surface of the stopper portion 362 is above the lowest position of the ground contact protection material and is allowed to incline forward.

[0087] In this example, the base 303 provided at the upper end of the handle protrudes forward more than backward with respect to the central axis of the handle 302, and the center of gravity of the base 303 is located in front of the central axis of the handle 302. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 32, a moment acts on the walking stick 301 in the direction of tilting the base 303 forward, and the handle tilts forward along the arc surface of the ground contact surface of the protection material, and the stopper portion 362 contacts the road surface, so that the tilt is restricted, and at this tilted position, the walking stick 301 maintains an upright state.

[0088] (Modification example 1 of the tip) Next, a modification example of the tip 306 will be described with reference to FIGS. 33 and 34. FIG. 33 shows the tip. FIG. 33(A) is a side view of the tip provided with the first connector, (B) is a front view, FIG. 33(C) is a side view of the tip provided with the second connector, and (D) is a front view. FIG. 34 shows the combined state of two walking sticks. FIGS. 34(A) and (B) are side views of the state before combination, and (C) is a side view of the combined state.

[0089] This example is an example in which a connector for combining two walking sticks to which the tip described in FIG. 31 is attached is provided at the tip portion. Two types of connectors are provided: a first connector 365 having a connecting pin 365a and a second connector 366 having a connecting hole 366a into which the connecting pin 365a is inserted. Attach the first connector 365 to the tip 360 of one walking stick, and attach the second connector 366 to the tip 360 of the other walking stick.

[0090] The first connector 365 is composed of a first connecting plate 365b with a predetermined thickness adhered to the side surface of the handle 362, and a connecting pin 365a fixed at a right angle to the connecting plate 365b. On the other hand, the second connector 366 has a second connecting plate 366b with the same thickness as the first connecting plate 365b, and a connecting hole 366a into which the connecting pin 365a can be inserted is provided opposite to the second connecting plate 366b. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 34(A), the rear end of the base 303 of the first rod 301A to which the first connector 365 is attached faces the rear end of the base 303 of the second rod 301B to which the second connector 366 is attached as shown in FIG. 34(B). Therefore, by providing a connecting pin 303m on one side and a connecting hole 303n on the other side, the rear ends of the bases 303 can be butted against each other and connected.

[0091] And when assembling, as shown in FIG. 34(C), the upper ends of the first rod and the second rod butt the rear ends of their respective bases, and the connecting pin fixed to one side is inserted into the connecting hole of the other side for connection. On the other hand, the lower ends of the first rod and the second rod connect by inserting the connecting pin 365a of the first connector 365 into the connecting hole of the second connector 366. In this way, since the first rod and the second rod are connected at two locations at the upper and lower ends, they can be assembled securely.

[0092] (Modified Example 3 of the Stone Protrusion) Next, a modified example 3 of the stone protrusion 306 will be described with reference to FIGS. 35 and 36. FIG. 35 shows the stone protrusion, where FIG. 35(A) is a front view, FIG. 35(B) is a side view, FIG. 35(C) is a top view, and FIG. 35(D) is a bottom view. This modified example is an example of the basic configuration obtained by removing the stopper portion from the stone protrusion in the example of FIG. 31. That is, the lower surface of the protruding portion 361 is in an arc-shaped cross-section and contacts the road surface via a soft elastic body 363 such as cork. And the grounding portion is in line contact with the road surface and can swing back and forth with the contact portion as a fulcrum.

[0093] By providing the overhanging portions 361, 361 on the left and right in this way, the left and right wobbling of the cane is suppressed, and a stable feeling of use can be obtained. Further, although the overhanging portions 361, 361 have a width in the front-rear direction, since the grounding portion has a circular arc-shaped cross section, even when moving back and forth with the grounding portion as a fulcrum, line contact is maintained and it has the basic advantage that it can move smoothly. In addition, the connecting tool of the above-described modification 1 can also be applied to this modification 2. One cane cannot stand on its own, but if two are combined, they can stand on their own with four-point contact. Other configurations are the same as those in FIG. 31, and for the same components, the same reference numerals are given and the description is omitted.

[0094] Next, a modification of the base of Example 2 will be described. In the following description, only the parts different from the above-described Example 2 will be described, and for the same components, the same reference numerals are given and the description is omitted. (Modification 1 of the base of Example 2) FIG. 37 shows a modification 1 of the base 303 of Example 2, where (A) is a plan view of the base, (B) is a longitudinal sectional view, and (C) is a schematic view of the state with the base. This modification 1 is an example in which an inclined surface 304a is provided in the front part from the handle of the palm placement surface 304 so as to gradually become lower toward the front. In this way, at the front edge of the palm placement surface 304, the base of the finger hardly comes into contact.

[0095] (Modification 2 of the base of Example 2) FIG. 38 shows a modification 2 of the base 303 of Example 2. FIG. 38(A) is a plan view of the base, (B) is a longitudinal sectional view, and (C) is a schematic view of the state with the base. In this modification 2, the front concave portion 310a is provided with an inclined surface that gradually becomes lower from the central portion toward the front, and a step portion 310c having the same height as the rear flat portion of the palm placement portion is provided at the front edge portion. The depth of the step portion 310c at the front edge portion is about 5 mm. The position of the step portion 310c is about 10 mm in front of the front side surface 109.

[0096] In this way, when the palm is placed, the base of the finger region B3 catches on the step portion 310c, and the position of the palm is positioned. Also, regarding the finger hook portion 305, the belly of the distal phalanx of the finger can be caught on the lower surface convex portion 311, and it can be prevented from slipping forward and coming off the finger hook portion 305.

[0097] (Another embodiment of the square base) FIG. 39 shows an example in which a large number of parallel grooves are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of this square base. Similar to the circular base shown in FIG. 24, there are two types: a type in which the grooves on the upper and lower surfaces are parallel and a type in which they are orthogonal, but only the parallel type is described. FIG. 39(A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. If parallel grooves 308 are provided on the palm placement surface 304, the finger hook surface 305, and further on the side surfaces 309a, 309b, 309c, the catching of the palm and fingers is improved, and an anti-slip effect is obtained. Regarding the directionality, the direction orthogonal to the parallel grooves 308 is the most difficult for the fingers to slip, but even in the direction parallel to the parallel grooves 308, due to the unevenness, it bites into the soft parts of the palm and fingers, so the contact area increases, making it less slippery than a simple planar configuration and having a certain anti-slip effect. It does not have to be orthogonal, and it can be oblique, and the directionality of the parallel grooves does not matter.

[0098] Next, a further modification of the stone protrusion of Example 1 will be described. (Modification of the stone protrusion of Example 1) FIGS. 40(A) and (B) show a stone protrusion according to a modification of the stone protrusion of Example 1. (A) is a front view in a state where the handle is straight, (B) is a top view, (C) is a bottom view, (D) is a longitudinal sectional view, and (E) is a sectional view showing a state where the handle is inclined.

[0099] This stone protrusion 200 is provided with abutting portions that abut against each other in a direction parallel to the central axis of the handle 102 between the stone protrusion main body 201 and the handle 102, and the stone protrusion main body 201 and the end of the handle 102 are connected via an elastic member 202.

[0100] The stone protrusion body 201 has a frustum of a cone shape, and its central axis is located on the same line as the central axis of the handle. An upper hole 203 with a predetermined depth is provided on the upper surface side, and a frustum of a cone-shaped lower hole 204 that slopes gradually to a smaller diameter is provided from the lower surface side. The upper opening 204a of the lower hole 204 is formed to penetrate the bottom surface 203a of the upper hole 203. The central axes of the upper hole 203 and the lower hole 204 are also located on the same straight line as the central axis of the handle.

[0101] The hole diameter of the upper hole 203 is the diameter of its lower end, which is larger than the diameter of the lower end of the handle 102. The inner peripheral surface is an inclined surface that slopes in a direction of gradually increasing diameter upward, and an annular gap is formed between the outer periphery of the lower end portion 102b of the handle 102. This gap allows for the inclination of the handle with respect to the stone protrusion body 201.

[0102] The elastic member 202 is a rubber-like elastic body such as silicone rubber, and includes a frustum-shaped lower fitting portion 202a that fits into the inner periphery of the frustum-shaped lower hole 204, and an upper fixing portion 202b that is fixed to the end of the handle 102. The lower fitting portion 202a has a frustum of a cone shape following the upper shape of the lower hole 204, and its upper end is located slightly below the upper end of the lower hole 204. On the other hand, the upper fixing portion 202b of the elastic member 202 has a cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the upper end of the lower fixing portion 202a, and is fitted into a cylindrical fixing hole 102c provided on the end surface of the handle, and the fitting surface is adhesively fixed with an adhesive.

[0103] In this example, the lower end surface of the handle abuts against the bottom surface of the upper hole 203 of the stone protrusion body 201, and the lower end surface 102b of the handle 102 and the bottom surface 203a of the upper hole 203 constitute abutting surfaces that abut against each other in a direction parallel to the central axis of the handle.

[0104] Figure 40(E) shows a state where the handle is inclined. For example, when a force is applied to the upper end of the handle in a state where the stone protrusion 206 is grounded and the handle is moved backward (rightward in the figure), the lower end surface 102b of the handle 102 that abuts against the bottom surface 203a of the upper hole 203 of the stone protrusion main body 201 uses its rear end as a fulcrum, and the front end located on the opposite side with respect to the elastic member 202 moves apart. The upper fixing portion of the elastic member 202 is pulled obliquely upward by 203, and the vicinity of the base with the lower fixing portion 202a elastically extends, causing the handle to tilt forward.

[0105] When the force applied to the handle is removed from this state, the extended elastic member 202 returns to its original shape by its elastic restoring force, the front end of the lower end surface of the handle abuts against the bottom surface 203a of the upper hole 203 of the stone protrusion main body 201, and the handle automatically returns to a straight state.

[0106] (Another modification example of the stone protrusion in Example 1) FIG. 41 shows another modification example of the stone protrusion. (A) is a front view of the handle in a straight state, (B) is a top view, (C) is a bottom view, (D) is a longitudinal sectional view, and (E) is a sectional view showing the state where the handle is tilted. The difference from the stone protrusion of the above modification example 1 is that a preload is applied to the elastic member to increase the restoring force. In the following description, mainly the differences from the stone protrusions in FIGS. 40(A) and (B) will be described, and the same reference numerals will be given to the same components and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0107] In this example, a contact ring 207 is provided on the outer periphery of the lower end portion of the handle. With the elastic member 202 extended and the lower end surface 102b of the handle 102 and the bottom surface 203a of the upper hole 203 separated, the lower surface of the contact ring 207 is abutted against the upper surface 201a of the stone protrusion main body 201 to apply a preload to the elastic member 202. By applying the preload in this way, the handle will not tilt and will maintain a straight state unless a force above a certain level is applied, and also the restoring force will increase, so the stability is high. In this example, a rubber-like elastic body is used as the elastic member 202, but a metal spring may also be used. In short, it is sufficient if it allows tilting and has the function of returning to a straight state by the elastic restoring force.

[0108] The connection structure of the stone projection that allows for the relative inclination shown in FIGS. 40 and 41 can also be used as the connection structure between the upper end of the handle 102 and the base 103. FIG. 42 is a schematic view of a cane with the base end of the stone projection body fixed to the base with the stone projection body turned upside down. Thus, if the structure of the stone projection that allows for the relative inclination is applied to the lower end and the upper end of the handle 102, as shown in the figure, it becomes possible to assist the force in the direction of automatically swinging forward with the restoring force when elastically returning.

[0109] 5. Other Embodiments (Embodiment 6) · A highly decorative block-shaped base imitating diamond cutting FIG. 43 shows a block-shaped base according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a top view, (C) is a longitudinal sectional view at the position of the finger hook portion, and (D) is a partial sectional view of the finger hook portion. In this embodiment, the base 403 fixed to the handle 402 is an inverted truncated octagonal pyramid-shaped block body, having cutouts 410 on each side surface, and finger hook portions 405 are provided in the cutouts 410. A frustum-shaped annular recess 404g is provided in the palm placement portion 404, and the outer ring portion 404h and the central portion 404g are at the same height. The annular recess 404g has the inner end at the same height as the central portion 404f, and the boundary between the outer end and the outer ring 404h is a step.

[0110] · Example of a skeleton configuration FIG. 44(A) is a perspective view of a cane having a handle composed of a transparent panel with a built-in light source. This handle 503 is a hollow housing composed of an inverted octagonal pyramid-shaped transparent panel, and includes a top panel 514, an upper side panel 515, a lower side panel 516, and a base 517 to which the handle 502 is fixed. The upper side panel 515 is a truncated octagonal pyramid-shaped panel that slopes in a direction of gradually increasing diameter downward from the connection portion with the top panel 514. The lower side panel 516 is an inverted truncated octagonal pyramid-shaped panel that slopes in a direction of gradually decreasing diameter downward from the connection portion with the upper side panel 515, and the lower end is connected to the base 517. Inside the housing, a light source L such as an LED is disposed on the base 517. The palm placement portion 504 is formed by the upper surface of the top panel 514. On the other hand, the lower side panel 516 is provided with a concave portion 518, and the finger hook portion 505 is formed by the ceiling portion of the concave portion 518.

[0111] Figure 44(B) is a front view of a cane provided with an auxiliary ring with an illumination light source. The auxiliary ring 120 corresponds to the auxiliary ring described in FIG. 20, and a plurality of light sources L such as LEDs are attached to the outer periphery of the auxiliary ring 120 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0112] · Example of providing a transparent portion on the handle of the cane Figure 45 shows a cane with a transparent portion provided on the handle, (A) is a front view of the cane, and (B) is a front view shown disassembled. That is, the handle 102 of the cane is divided into three parts: an upper body 121, an intermediate transparent body 122, and a lower body 123. The transparent body 122 is a hollow cylindrical shape, the upper body 121 and the lower body 123 are solid rod bodies, and convex portions that are inserted and fixed into the openings at the upper and lower ends of the transparent body 122 are provided at the connection ends of the upper body 121 and the lower body 123 with the transparent body 122.

[0113] · Example of a stacked structure for the base Figure 46 shows a reinforcing structure for reinforcing the base 603 of the handle, (A) is a perspective view, (B) is an exploded perspective view of the base, (C) is a perspective view showing a state where the base is adhered and the handle is fitted, (D) is an exploded cross-sectional view showing an example in which an uneven fitting portion is provided between the upper plate and the lower plate, and (E) is a cross-sectional view showing a state after the uneven fitting. This reinforcing structure is formed by laminating two plate materials 603A and 603B with their grain directions orthogonal to each other. This can enhance and reinforce the strength against cracks in the direction orthogonal to the grain. It is bonded with an adhesive.

[0114] Figures 46(D) and (E) are configured such that the convex portion 604 and the concave portion 605 are in an inlay fit so that the joint surfaces of a pair of plate materials are in a concavo-convex fit. By making such a concavo-convex fit, it is also possible to form a laminated structure. Of course, it can also be combined with an adhesive. By reinforcing in this way, the end of the handle can be press-fitted and fixed in a configuration of being snugly fitted into the hole. Also, wobbling can be prevented.

[0115] · Example in which a holder for supporting on the arm is provided on the handle Figure 47(A) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the cane is held on the arm by the holder, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the cane is held on the side opposite to the body of the arm. In this embodiment, a long holder is provided at an appropriate height position of the handle 102, above the center of gravity and below the base, for holding the cane 1 with respect to the arm. The holder has a support band 21 that linearly extends vertically along the axial direction, and at the upper and lower ends of the support band 21, fixing portions 21a, 21b such as tapes for fixing an indicator body are provided so as to hold the support body in a loose state.

[0116] Figure 48 is a diagram for explaining the holder in more detail, (A) is a side view of the cane with the holder, (B) is a front view, (C) is a front view of the main part showing a state where the hand passes through, (D) is a side view of (C), (E) is a front view showing a state where the band is laid on the handle so as not to protrude from the cane, and (F) is a side view of (E). The support band 21 is a band that is elastically stretchable and contractible in the longitudinal direction, and a rubber-like elastic body is woven in. Therefore, in the free state, as shown in Figure 48(E), it has a trapezoidally curved shape such that the interval between the handles 102 becomes larger at the central portion. When in use, by passing the hand through the gap between this handle and the support band 21 up to the forearm portion, the support band elastically stretches, and due to its elastic restoring force, the cane 102 is held on the forearm. When not in use, as shown in FIGS. 48(E) and (F), by twisting and inverting the central portion, the twisted central portion hits the handle, and is pressed against the handle 102 by the elastic restoring force to maintain the shape. Therefore, it is held in a state of being in close contact with the handle 102 of the cane, and the portion protruding from the cane can be made smaller.

[0117] · Other embodiments of the holder FIG. 49 shows a configuration example of another holder, where (A) is a schematic view of the held state and (B) is a schematic view of the free state. This holder 25 has a pair of arms 25a, 25a having elasticity to embrace as if clamping an arm, and a fixing portion 25b that supports the arm 25a and is fixed to the handle 102 of the cane. The arms 25a, 25a and the fixing portion 25b can be constituted by air cushions.

[0118] · Example where the base has a symbolic shape of a UFO In this embodiment, the base of the handle is shaped like a disc-shaped UFO. FIG. 50(A) is a front view of the cane, (B) is a perspective view of the handle seen obliquely from above, (C) is a perspective view seen from below, FIG. 51(A) is a front view of the handle, (B) is a plan view, and (C) is a longitudinal sectional view. The lower surface is the finger-hooking portion and the upper surface is the palm-placement portion. This cane 701 has a handle 702 and a base 703 fixed to one end of the handle 702. The base has a disc shape, the upper surface constitutes a palm-placement surface 704, and the lower surface is a finger-hooking surface 805. On the palm-placement surface 704, a convex portion 703a protruding in a hemispherical shape is provided, and parallel grooves 708 are provided on the finger-hooking portion 705 on the lower surface of the base 703. And the outer peripheral surface is separated vertically by an annular ridge line 707c, the upper side is an upper arc portion 703a with an arcuate cross section, and the lower side is a lower straight inclined surface 703b that is linearly cut.

[0119] FIG. 52 shows the state of holding the handle, where (A) shows the first way of holding and (B) shows the second way of holding. According to the first holding method, by making the convex portion 703a at the center of the palm placement surface 704 spherical-crown-shaped, the contact with the palm becomes softer. This convex portion 703a has the effect of releasing and relaxing the tension of the palmar aponeurosis. Also, there is an acupoint called the solar plexus in the central part of the palm, and this solar plexus is regarded as a reflex area that controls the autonomic nerves, and it also has the effect of acupressure for adjusting the autonomic balance. Also, according to the second holding method, since the second joint j2 of the finger is supported by the protruding lower corner, there is an advantage that the finger position is positioned. Also, in this example, since a large number of parallel grooves such as waveforms are provided in the finger hook portion, the finger hook is improved. Even if this parallel fine convex portion is provided, the directionality is such that the finger is least likely to slip in the direction orthogonal to the parallel convex portion. However, even in the direction parallel to the parallel convex portion, since there are irregularities, the finger belly bites in following the shape of the convex portion, so the contact area increases, it is less likely to slip compared to a simple planar configuration, and it has a certain anti-slip effect. It may be oblique or not orthogonal, and the directionality of the parallel grooves does not matter.

[0120] Next, an example in which a lift generation unit for generating lift is incorporated in the base 703 will be described. FIG. 53 shows an example in which a lift generation unit 810 is incorporated in the base 703, where (A) is a plan view and (B) is a longitudinal sectional view. The lift generation unit 810 is incorporated in a through hole formed in the base 703. The illustrated example shows an example in which eight lift generation units 810 are arranged circumferentially at eight locations. It has a lift propeller 811 and a motor 812 for rotationally driving the propeller 811, and generates a downward airflow by rotating the propeller 811. A lift is generated by this airflow to lift the cane 701 upward. The motor 812 is assembled to a housing 813, for example. The housing 813 has, for example, a sleeve 813a fixed to the through hole, spokes 813b between the sleeve 813a and the motor 812, and the like. In this way, when there is no place to put the cane, if it is made to hover, the hands will be free and work can be carried out. Also, when it is hot, if the propeller is rotated in the reverse direction, it can be used as a fan. It can also be used as an air duster to blow away dust and dirt.

[0121] FIG. 54 shows the cane of FIG. 52 with an auxiliary ring 720 incorporating a lift generating unit attached thereto, where (A) is a front view of the entire cane and (B) is a longitudinal sectional view. When the auxiliary ring 720 with a thrust generating unit is assembled, for example, the thrust increases. Also, for example, when lost on the road at an intersection, if the destination is input, the cane can be configured to be inclined obliquely and indicate the direction, and it can be used for route guidance. This auxiliary ring 720 is disposed above the center of gravity of the cane.

[0122] FIG. 55 shows another embodiment of the cane of the present invention, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a right side view, and (C) is a top view. In this embodiment, a support rod 710 that functions as a hand positioning for the base 703 is vertically erected on a part of the peripheral edge of the disk-shaped base 703 of FIG. 51. The position of this support rod 710 not only protrudes upward with respect to the palm placement surface 704 of the base 703, but also protrudes radially outward beyond the ridge line 707c which is the maximum diameter part of the circle. In this example, the support rod 710 is a round bar with a circular cross section, a semi-cylindrical concave groove is formed at one place on the periphery of the base 703, and the base end portion of the support rod 710 is fitted into the concave groove and adhesively fixed with an adhesive. In the illustrated example, the concave groove is provided in the upper rounded portion 707a and the lower rounded portion 707b of the outer periphery of the base 703, the outer periphery of the support rod 710 is in contact with the outer peripheral edge of the palm placement surface 704, the upper end 710a of the support rod 710 protrudes a predetermined height from the palm placement surface 704, and the lower end 710b is substantially flush with the finger hook portion 705. The prototype is composed of all balsa wood for the base 703, the support rod 710, and the handle 702. The diameter of the support rod 710 is set to about 20 mm, and the height from the palm placement surface 704 is set to about 30 to 40 mm. Other materials may be used for the material, and the dimensions are also arbitrary. In addition, this support rod 710 is not limited to a UFO-type base and can be applied to simple disc-shaped bases or other various-shaped bases. FIG. 56 is an explanatory diagram of how to hold the handle part of FIG. 55. As shown in the figure, place the webbing part at the base of the thumb and index finger against the rod, sandwich the support rod 710 between the thumb and index finger, and place the palm on the palm placement surface 704 on the upper surface of the base 703. In this way, for the base 703 without circumferential directionality, circumferential positioning can be achieved. Also, since the support rod is sandwiched between the thumb and index finger, positioning can be achieved not only in the circumferential direction but also in the front-back, left-right, and radial directions. Further, relying on the support rod 710, the entire base 703 can be grasped so as to enclose it, and the base 703 can be stably held. Also, not only the finger-hooking part 705 but also the lower end 710b of the support rod 710 can be supported by the bellies of the thumb and index finger, and it can be stably held even when swinging the cane in the air or the like.

[0123] FIG. 57 shows still another embodiment of the cane of the present invention, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view, and (C) is a top view. In this example, a flexible holding belt 711 is provided at the upper end 710a of the support rod 710 of the cane in FIG. 55. In the illustrated example, one end of the holding belt 711 is fixed to the upper end of the support rod 710, and the other end is wound from the edge of the base on the side opposite to the support rod to the lower surface side and is fastened and fixed by a tightening belt 712 wound around the neck portion that holds the base 703. In particular, although the holding belt 711 does not have a length adjustment function, the length of the holding belt 711 can be adjusted by loosening the tightening band 712.

[0124] FIG. 58 shows still another embodiment of the cane of the present invention, where (A) is a front view showing the suspension device removed, (B) is an explanatory view of the reel of the suspension device, and (C) is an explanatory view showing the state of use. In this example, a suspension cord 714 is attached to the cane so that it can be suspended from the neck or shoulder. In particular, in this example, the suspension cord 714 is fixed to the holding belt 711 of FIG. 57 via a winding reel 713. The winding reel 713 is a known general automatic winding reel, and is configured such that the elastic force of a spring such as a torsion spring always acts in the winding direction of the wire, and the wire pulled out by applying a predetermined force is automatically wound and stored in the reel when the hand is released. The length of the suspension cord 714 is adjusted in advance so that the cane can be held in a state where it floats above the ground without touching the ground when placed around the neck. At this time, the weight of the cane acts on the winding reel, but the wire 713a of the winding reel 713 is set to a force that will not be pulled out by the weight of the cane. In this state, when the cane is pulled, the wire 713a of the winding reel 713 is pulled out, and the cane can be grounded. When the cane is not in use, it is suspended from the body by the suspension cord 714, so there is no need to find a place to put it, and both hands can be used freely. And when using the cane, it can be pushed down by hand for use. Further, the winding reel 713 is attached to the holding belt 711 via a known one-touch detachable fastener 715, and by removing the fastener 715, the winding reel 713 and the suspension cord 714 can be easily removed for use.

[0125] FIG. 59 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. By making the height of the support rod 710 flush with the root of the webbed part between the index finger and thumb that sandwich the support rod 710, it is possible to place the other hand on it without interfering with the support rod 710, and it is possible to support the weight by pressing the base 703 with both hands. In order to avoid interference, the upper end of the support rod 710 is a tapered surface 710a1. On the side surface of the support rod 710, a concave portion 710c is provided into which a part of the side surfaces of the index finger and the thumb can fit. When the index finger and the thumb naturally fit into this concave portion 710c, the cane can be supported via the support rod 710.

[0126] FIG. 60 shows various modified examples of the support rod. FIG. 60(A) is a side view showing Modified Example 1, (B) is a top view of (A), (C) is a front view showing Modified Example 2, (D) is a side view, and (E) is a front view showing Modified Example 3. The support rod 7101 according to Modified Example 1 in FIGS. 60(A) and (B) has the same height as the palm placement surface 704. In this way, even if the support rod 7101 does not protrude from the palm placement surface 704, the support rod 7101 can be pinched between the thumb and the index finger. The support rod 7102 in FIGS. 60(C) and (D) has a structure that protrudes in the horizontal direction with respect to the base 703. Even in this case, the support rod 7102 can be pinched between the thumb and the index finger. The support rod 7103 in FIG. 60(E) is an example in which it protrudes downward with respect to the base 703. Even in this case, the support rod 7103 can be pinched between the thumb and the index finger.

[0127] FIG. 61 shows an embodiment of a cane having a length adjustment mechanism, where (A) is a front view and (B) is a side view. As shown in FIG. 61, the length adjustment mechanism 810 includes a telescopic rod 812 that is inserted into and out of the lower end of the handle body 702A in a retractable manner, and a fixing plate 811 having a hole through which the telescopic rod 812 is inserted. FIG. 62 shows an enlarged view of the length adjustment mechanism disassembled, where (A) is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing the handle body and the telescopic rod, (B) is a plan view of the fixing plate, and (C) is a cross-sectional view of the fixing plate. The lower end surface 702A1 of the handle body 702A is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to an orthogonal plane that intersects the central axis of the handle body 702A at a right angle. By inclining the fixing plate 811 and causing both ends of the inner periphery of the hole 811a to bite into the telescopic rod 812, and maintaining the biting state with the lower end surface 702A1 of the tapered handle body, the telescopic rod 812 is fixed. This fixing mechanism will be described below. Figures 63(A) to (C) are explanatory diagrams of the fixing mechanism by the fixing plate, and (D) is a diagram showing an example in which a plurality of concave grooves are provided in the telescopic member. Figure 63(A) shows a state where the telescopic rod 812 is inserted into the hole 811a of the fixing plate 811. From this state, when the fixing plate 811 is applied to the lower end surface 702A1 of the handle body, two diagonal points, point a and point b, of the hole 811a of the fixing plate 811 come into contact (see Figure 63(B)). The angle in the state where point a and point b are in contact is smaller than the angle of the lower end surface 702A1 of the handle body. In this state, when the telescopic rod 812 is pushed into the inside of the handle body 702A, point a and point b bite into the telescopic rod 812 and come into contact with the entire surface of the lower end surface 702A1 of the handle body (see Figure 63(C)), and the telescopic rod 812 is fixed and does not advance further inside. To remove it, if the telescopic rod 812 is pulled out from the handle body 702A, the fixing plate 811 rotates in the opposite direction, the bites of point a and point b are disengaged, and the telescopic rod can be removed. In addition, if a plurality of grooves 812a are provided in the telescopic rod 812 at intervals in the axial direction, it can be fixed with the grooves 812a.

[0128] Figure 64 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing another embodiment of the length adjustment mechanism. In this embodiment, the configuration of Figure 62 is reversed, and the handle body 702A is inserted into the hole 812A1 provided in the telescopic rod 812A so as to be slidable in the axial direction. The end surface 812A2 of the opening edge of the telescopic rod 812A is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the orthogonal plane perpendicular to the central axis.

[0129] Figure 65 shows still another embodiment of the cane of the present invention, which is provided with a lofted arm 720 for holding the elbow and can hold the elbow. One end of the lofted arm 720 is fixed at a predetermined distance below the base 703 of the cane. The arm plate body 721 extends obliquely upward with respect to the vertical line. The upper end portion of the arm plate body 721 is higher than the base 703 of the cane and is at a height for holding the elbow. Support plates 722 for supporting the elbow portion of the arm are provided on both sides.

[0130] Three legs FIG. 66 shows a cane of another embodiment, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a cross-sectional view of the upper part of the handle, and (C) is a cross-sectional view of the central part of the handle. As the cane, it is applied to the UFO-shaped cane provided with the disk-shaped base 703 shown in FIG. 50. For the same components, the same reference numerals are given, and only the differences will be described. In this example, the handle 702 is composed of three bars 72a, 72a, and 72a. Each bar 72a, 72a, 72a is arranged around the central axis N7 of the handle, and the distance in the direction perpendicular to the axis from the central axis N7 is curved so as to be larger at the central part than at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The three bars 72a, 72a, 72a are tightly bundled at both ends, and in this state, the three bundled ends are inserted and fixed into a through hole (not shown) of the base 703, and the lower end part bundled by the binder 72c at the lower position is fixed to the stone projection 706. And at the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the three bars, spacers are fixed at three positions so as to push the distance between them wider. The spacer 72b1 is fitted at the position where the distance near the central part in the longitudinal direction is the largest. Between the first spacer and the bundling parts at the upper and lower ends, a second spacer 72b2 having a smaller diameter than the first spacer 72b1 is fitted. The first spacer 72b1 and the second spacer 72b2 are elastically bent in a direction away from the central axis in the direction perpendicular to the axis of each bar, and are fixed in a state where bending stress is applied as a preload. In this way, even with bars having a small diameter and low strength, the bending strength can be increased by combining three of them. Also, if the bars are configured to be bent, bars that are not straight but slightly warped can be used, and the range of material selection is widened. In this example, the curved bars are bundled to form the structure, but a structure in which straight bars with high straightness are bundled can also be used.

[0131] Anchor FIG. 67 schematically shows the anchor part with an adhesive for the bonding parts of the respective members described in this specification. The joint 102 is adhesively fixed by the adhesive 100. As the adhesive 100, a hot-melt adhesive is used. On the adhesive surface, as shown in Fig. 67, fine grooves and holes 100a through which the adhesive 100 can easily penetrate are provided. When the penetrated adhesive 100 hardens, it bites into the member as an anchor 101, and a strong bonding strength can be obtained even in the shear direction. As the adhesive 100, various adhesives other than the hot-melt adhesive can be applied. For example, a cellulose-based adhesive or the like can also be used.

[0132] Curvature Fig. 68 shows still another embodiment of the cane of the present invention. (A) is a front view, (B) is an exploded perspective view of the handle, (C) is a cross-sectional view of the solid part, (D) is an exploded view of (C), (E) is a cross-sectional view of the hollow part, and (F) is an exploded view of (E). In this example, the handle 702 composed of a single rod is curved. The base 703 fixed to the upper end of the handle 702 has its palm placement surface 704 fixed at a right angle to the handle 702. That is, it is fixed in a direction orthogonal to the tangent of the arc drawn by the central axis of the curved handle 702. The convex side of the curvature is the traveling direction F. By doing so, the palm placement surface 704 of the base 703 is inclined backward so that the rear end side is lower than the front end side in the traveling direction, which has the effect of facilitating the occurrence of tenodesis action. In order to achieve such a curved configuration, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 65(B), the handle 702 is vertically divided into a front side part 702V1 and a rear side part 702V2, and the divided front side part 702V1 and rear side part 702V2 are curved and adhesively fixed. In this way, the difference in the amount of strain between the front and rear surfaces of the curved material is reduced, and bending processing becomes easier. Also, in this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 68(E) and (F), by providing recesses 702w on the opposing divided surfaces, the handle 702 has a partially hollow structure, achieving further weight reduction and making it easier to curve. The hollow part is formed intermittently in the length direction. As shown in Figs. 68(C) and (D), a solid part is left in the central region to prevent a decrease in buckling strength.

[0133] Monocoque Figure 69 shows yet another embodiment of the cane of the present invention, where (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the handle portion taken perpendicular to the axis. This cane 1501 has a monocoque structure that is integrally hollow from the handle 1502 to the handgrip 1503. In the illustrated example, it has an inverted square pyramid shape. As shown in Fig. 69(B), the four side surfaces are formed by plate members 1502a, and the opposing side edges are bonded together with an adhesive. A stone tip 1506 is provided at the lower end. It is not limited to an inverted square pyramid shape, and can have various configurations such as an inverted triangular pyramid or other inverted polygonal pyramid shapes, or an inverted cone shape.

[0134] Pinecone cane Figure 70 shows yet another example of the present invention, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view, (C) is a top view, (D) is a top view of the handgrip portion, and (E) is a top view of another aspect of the handgrip portion. This pinecone cane 802 is configured such that an axilla support portion 610 is supported by two armrests via the handle 702 of the cane body as a basic configuration. One end of the armrest 611 is fixed at a position about one-third from the lower end of the length of the handle 702, below a predetermined distance from the base 703V of the cane body. The upper end of the armrest 611 extends above the base 703V, and the axilla support portion 610 is fixed to the upper end portion of the armrest 611. The base 703V is fixed to a reinforcing bar 612 that spans the two armrests 611, 611, and the reinforcing bar 612 also functions as a part of the base 703V. A support bar 710 is arranged at the end of the reinforcing sheet 612. The base 703V has a semi-circular shape, with a straight portion corresponding to its chord fixed to the side surface of the reinforcing bar 612 and an arc portion protruding laterally from the reinforcing bar 612. The axilla support portion 610 is provided with an arm support 613 that protrudes in a direction opposite to the body side (away from the body laterally). This arm support 613 is configured to support the arm from the front and rear by two protruding portions.

[0135] Figure 71 shows the usage state of the pinecone cane, where (A) is a side view of the usage state and (B) is a diagram showing the relationship between the axilla support portion and the arm. Since applying the axilla support portion 610 directly to the axilla will place a burden on the axilla and cause problems when bearing weight, it is recommended to support it by sandwiching it between the arm and the body side without applying it to the axilla. When there is an arm support 613 as in this embodiment, the arm can be supported from the front and rear, preventing the axilla support portion 610 from coming off from the front and rear.

[0136] Figure 72 shows another embodiment of the walking stick, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view, and (C) is a rear view. Figure 73 shows the folded state of the walking stick in Figure 72, where (A) is a side view at the start of folding, (B) is a side view in the folded state, and (C) is a top view of (B). In this example, the armrest 611 is divided into an upper part 611U and a lower part 611L with respect to the reinforcing rod 612 to make it foldable. That is, the surface side (the side opposite to the body when using the walking stick) of the armrest 611 is connected via a hinge 614 so as to be rotatable 180 degrees in the vertical direction, and the back side (the body side when using the walking stick) can be locked with a fastener 615 such as a so-called snap lock. Also, in this example, an electric drive roller device 650 is provided at the lower end of the handle 702 to enable roller driving. The roller 651 is electric, and a motor 652 for driving the roller, a battery 653, and a switch 654 are attached. In the illustrated example, the driving force of the motor 652 is transmitted to the roller 651 via a worm and a worm wheel, and low speed and high torque are transmitted. Although the drive roller device is not shown in Figure 73, it is a diagram for explaining the folded state. The folding mechanism can be provided regardless of the presence or absence of the drive roller device 650.

[0137] Intermittent stroke Figure 74 shows the driving state of the drive roller device in Figure 72, where (A) is a timing chart and (B) is a diagram showing the driving stroke. When the switch 654 is turned on, this drive roller device starts the motor 652 rotating, but it rotates only for a certain period of time and automatically cuts off the power, causing the motor 652 to stop. In the state where the motor 652 has stopped, in this example, since the worm and the worm wheel are engaged, the stopped state is maintained even without a brake, and the cane is locked, so it is safe. However, not limited to the worm and the worm wheel, a brake, a clutch, etc. may be used, or a motor that locks the motor itself at the time of stopping may be used. In this way, the user of the walking stick 601 can move the walking stick automatically by a certain distance with the drive roller device 650 by pressing the switch 654 without manually moving the walking stick, which makes the movement easier. Also, in the stopped state, in this example, the worm and the worm wheel are engaged, and the worm cannot be rotated by the rotation of the worm wheel, so the rotation of the drive roller is blocked. Note that the drive roller device is not limited to walking sticks and can be widely used for canes in general.

[0138] FIG. 75 shows a stop and rolling switching mechanism using a free roller for a cane. (A) to (C) are diagrams showing an example, and (D) to (F) are diagrams showing another example. FIG. 75(A) shows a state where the free roller is separated downward from the lower end of the handle of the cane due to its own weight when the cane is not in contact with the ground. The term "free roller" is used to mean a roller in which the roller body is rotatable with respect to the roller shaft. Even if the roller shaft is rotatable, the roller shaft and the roller body may be an integral roller. The free roller 501 is arranged below the lower end surface of the handle so as to face the lower end surface, and the roller shaft 502 is fixed to the lower end portion 2a of the handle 2 via a pair of support plates 503. The support plate 503 is provided with a long hole 504 extending vertically, and the roller shaft 502 can move in the vertical direction, that is, in the direction of approaching and separating from the lower end portion of the handle, in the long hole 504. And a spring 505 is provided on the support plate 503 to constantly bias the roller shaft 502 downward, that is, in a direction away from the lower end 2a of the handle 2. Due to the elastic restoring force of this spring 505, in the free state, the roller shaft 502 is located at the lower end of the long hole 504. The type, shape, etc. of the spring 505 are arbitrary, but in the illustrated example, an elastic wire rod bent in an L shape is exemplified. This spring 505 has a rounded central portion and is bent, with one side 505b fixed to the support plate 503 across the bent portion 505a, and the other side 505c that is folded back abuts on the upper side of the roller shaft 502. Adjusting arms 506 and 507 are arranged in front of and behind the free roller 501. One end of each of the adjusting arms 506 and 507 is fixed to the front side surface of the handle 2, the other end extends downward in an L shape, and a friction material 508 is provided at the lower end portion. When the free roller 501 abuts on the lower end surface 2a of the handle 2, there is a gap between it and the ground. When the handle 2 tilts forward and backward, the lower ends of the adjusting arms 506 and 507 also come into contact with the ground, preventing unexpected movement of the handle 2. FIG. 75(B) shows a state where the user lightly touches the ground without applying weight to the cane and rolls the free roller 501 to move. Even when the free roller 501 touches the ground, at a light load, the spring 505 bends slightly and the free roller 501 approaches but remains separated from the lower end surface 2a of the handle, and the free roller 501 can rotate. In this state, the user can move while rolling the free roller 501 without lifting the cane. FIG. 75(C) shows a state where the free roller 501 is locked. When a large load such as body weight is applied, the spring 505 undergoes large elastic deformation, abuts on the lower end surface 2a of the handle, the contact friction increases, and the free roller 501 is locked. Note that the adjusting arms 506 and 507 arranged in front of and behind the free roller 501 have a gap between them and the ground when the free roller 501 abuts on the lower end surface 2a of the handle. When the handle 2 tilts forward and backward, the lower end of either of the adjusting arms 506 and 507 also comes into contact with the ground, preventing unexpected movement of the handle. Although these adjusting arms 506 and 507 are arranged in front of and behind, only one of them may be used. Also, the adjusting arms may not be provided. Figures 75(D) to (F) show another example of the rolling mechanism. Figure 75(D) shows a state where the cane is not in contact with the ground and the free roller is separated downward from the lower end of the handle of the cane due to its own weight. The free roller 511 is supported at the lower end of the handle via a pair of levers 512 for swinging movement itself. The lever 512 is a plate in the shape of a right triangle with rounded corners, oriented vertically. The free roller 511 is supported at the first corner 512a located below, and the second corner 512b located above is rotatably supported via a support shaft 516 at an attachment portion provided at the lower end portion 2a of the handle. A heel portion 514 protrudes from the third corner 512c corresponding to the right angle corner. Therefore, the lever 512 can move in a direction where the free roller 511 comes into contact with and separates from the lower end portion 2a of the handle by swinging via the support shaft 516 of the second corner 512b. In the figure, the clockwise direction is the direction of approaching and contacting, and the counterclockwise direction is the direction of moving away and separating. And a spring 515 is provided to urge the lever 512 in a direction to separate the free roller 511 from the lower end portion 2a of the handle. The type, shape, etc. of the spring 515 are arbitrary. In the illustrated example, it is a torsion coil spring. The coil portion is supported by the support shaft 516. The first side portion 515a extending linearly extends in the direction of the handle and is fixed to the handle 2. The second side portion 515b at the other end is fixed to the lever 512. The elastic force in the opening direction between the first side portion 515a and the second side portion 515b urges the lever 512 in a direction to separate the free roller 511 from the lower end portion 2a of the handle. Figure 75(E) shows a state where the user lightly touches the ground without applying weight to the cane and rolls the free roller to move. Even when the free roller 511 touches the ground, with a light load, the spring 515 bends slightly, the lever 512 moves, and the free roller 511 approaches but remains separated from the lower end surface of the handle, and the free roller can rotate. In this state, the user can move while rolling the free roller 511 without lifting the cane. Figure 75(F) shows a state where the user applies weight to the cane and the free roller is locked. When a large load such as weight is applied, the spring 515 is greatly elastically deformed, the lever 512 moves greatly, and the free roller 511 abuts against the lower end surface 2a of the handle, increasing the contact friction and locking the free roller 511. In addition, the heel portion 514 provided at the third corner portion 512c of the lever 512 has a gap between the ground when the free roller 511 abuts against the lower end surface 2a of the handle. When the handle 2 further tilts backward, the lower end of the heel portion 514 also contacts the ground, preventing unexpected movement of the handle. Note that this heel portion may be omitted. Moreover, regarding the stop and roll switching mechanism using such a free roller 511, the structure of the grip (handle) is not limited to the palm placement table described in the present application, and it can also be applied to other forms of handled canes such as existing T-shaped canes.

[0139] FIG. 76 shows an example of a cane equipped with a retractable leg 811. (A) is a front view showing the state where the leg is retracted, (B) is a front view showing the state where the leg is extended, and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of (B). The cane will be described by taking the cane with a support rod described with reference to FIGS. 55 and 59 as an example. Since the basic structure of the cane is the same, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. This example is provided with a retractable leg 811 for holding the cane 701 in a standing posture. Basically, it is provided with a motion conversion mechanism that converts the motion of the operation unit 812 into the motion in the retracting and extending direction of the retractable leg 811. As the operation unit 812, an auxiliary ring 720 is used. By moving the auxiliary ring 720 up and down, the retractable 811 can be inserted into and removed from the inclined hole 812. FIG. 77 is a principle explanatory diagram of the motion conversion mechanism of the retractable leg in FIG. 76. In this example, a flexible wire is used as the retractable leg 811 and is housed inside the hollow handle 702. The inclined hole 812 provided in the handle 702 is inclined downward from the inside to the outside, and the retractable leg 811 composed of a wire protrudes and retracts along this inclination. The operation part is the auxiliary ring 720 provided near the mounting table. By sliding downward in the central axis direction of the handle, the wire is extended outside through the inclined hole 812, and by sliding upward, it is in a retracted configuration.

[0140] Movable pressing part FIG. 78 shows an embodiment in which the convex part of the palm mounting table is movable. (A) is a front view, (B) is a longitudinal sectional view of the state where the convex part is in contact with the upper surface of the mounting table, and (C) is a longitudinal sectional view of the state where the convex part is separated upward from the upper surface of the mounting table. This example will also be described by taking the cane with a support rod described with reference to FIGS. 55 and 59 as an example. Since the basic structure of the cane is the same, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted. This example is one in which the convex part 703a of the base 703 in FIGS. 55 and 59 is made movable, and here it is called the movable pressing part 703m. The pressing part 703m can move a predetermined distance in two directions, namely, the direction parallel to and the direction orthogonal to the central axis of the handle 702. In this example, the movable pressing part 703a is connected to one end of a support shaft 703n that extends linearly. The support shaft 703n is inserted vertically movably into a through vertical hole 703о formed in the handle 702 with the movable pressing part 703m facing upward. The diameter of the movable pressing part 703m is larger than the hole diameter of the through vertical hole 703n, and the bottom surface of the movable pressing part 703m is caught by the peripheral edge of the upper end opening of the through vertical hole 703о and does not enter the through vertical hole 703о. The length of the support shaft 703n is longer than the length of the through vertical hole 703о by a predetermined dimension. In a state where the bottom surface of the movable pressing part 703m abuts against the peripheral edge of the upper end opening of the through vertical hole 703о, the lower end of the support shaft 703n protrudes downward from the lower end opening of the through vertical hole 703о. Therefore, when the pattern 702 is lifted from the ground surface, the lower end of the support shaft 703n protrudes below the ground surface of the lower end of the stone protrusion of the pattern, and when it is grounded on the ground, it retracts, and the movable pressing part 703m connected to the upper end protrudes upward and away from the upper surface of the base 703 by the amount of retraction. Also, there is a play in the direction perpendicular to the axis between the inner circumference of the through vertical hole 703о and the outer circumference of the support shaft 703n. The support shaft 703n can move in the direction perpendicular to the axis by the amount of play, allowing the movable pressing part 703a to move in the direction perpendicular to the axis. In the illustrated example, the cross-sectional shape of the through vertical hole 703о and the cross-sectional shape of the support shaft 703n are circular, and the support shaft 703n can move in any direction of 360 degrees in the direction perpendicular to the axis. However, the cross-sectional shapes of the through vertical hole 703о and the support shaft 703n are not limited to circular, and may be polygonal shapes such as quadrilaterals, or may be irregular cross-sectional shapes, and may be movable only in the direction of a predetermined phase angle in the direction perpendicular to the axis. In this way, every time the cane is thrusted, the acupoint (solar plexus) of the palm is stimulated by the movable pressing part 703m that protrudes upward, and the acupoint stimulation can be further activated.

[0141] Figs. 79(A)-(C) show an embodiment in which the pattern is of a monocoque structure, (A) is a front view, (B) is a top view, (C) is a bottom view, and (D)-(F) show an embodiment in which the pattern is of a T-shaped cross-section structure, (D) is a front view, (E) is a top view, and (F) is a bottom view. Figs. 79(A)-(C) show the pattern 1512 configured in a triangular pyramid shape, which is formed by combining and adhering three triangular plates that form each face. The base 1513 is front-rear circular, and a convex portion 11513a with an arc-shaped cross-section is provided on the flat palm placement surface 1514, and the lower surface of the front edge is the finger rest portion 1515. Also, a stone protrusion 1516 is provided at the lower end of the pattern 1512. Figs. 79(D)-(F) show a structure in which two triangular long plates are combined and adhered in a T shape. The base 1523 is front-rear circular, and a convex portion 1523a with an arc-shaped cross-section is provided on the flat palm placement surface 1524, and the lower surface of the front edge is the finger rest portion 1525. Also, a stone protrusion 1526 is provided at the lower end of the pattern 1522.

[0142] FIG. 80 shows an embodiment in which the curved handle described in FIG. 68 is reinforced. (A) is a side view, (B) is a front view, (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C, and (D) is a cross-sectional view similar to (C) when the handle is hollow. FIG. 81(A) is a perspective view of the handle of FIG. 80, and (B) is an exploded perspective view. In the following description, only the points different from FIG. 68 will be mainly described, and the same reference numerals will be given to the same components and the description thereof will be omitted. The handle 702 is configured to be convexly curved forward in the traveling direction. In this embodiment, it has an octagonal cross-section. Among the three side surfaces of the front side portion 702V1, the front central side surface V11 and the rear central side surface among the side surfaces of the rear side portion V21 are parallel, and a reinforcing member 702W1 is adhesively attached and fixed to the front central side surface V11 of the convexly curved front side portion 702V1 with an adhesive. It is not necessary to be octagonal, but it is preferable that the front central side surface V11 of the front side portion 702V1 to which the reinforcing member 702W1 is attached is flat, and a cross-sectional polygonal shape such as a quadrilateral or a hexagon is preferable. Of course, an arcuate surface such as a round bar also has a reinforcing effect. When a load is applied to the curved cane and the curvature increases, the tensile stress acting on the convex front side portion 702V1 increases. When the breaking strength is exceeded, it breaks from the front side portion 702V1 side. The tensile stress is the maximum at the surface layer. By reinforcing the front central side surface V11 of the front side portion 702V1 with a reinforcing member 702W having a tensile strength stronger than the tensile strength of the base wood, a handle 702 that is strong against tension and bending can be realized. It is possible to provide sufficient strength not only for the solid structure inside as shown in FIG. 80(C) but also for the hollow structure as shown in FIG. 80(D). As the reinforcing member 702W, in the illustrated example, a water-resistant plate material such as aircraft veneer can be used. Although a hot melt adhesive is used as the adhesive, various other adhesives such as cellulose-based adhesives can be applied. As the reinforcing material 702W, natural materials such as bamboo, palm fiber, hemp, jute, etc. for fabrics, leather for belts, etc. can be applied. In particular, for fiber-based materials, the adhesive penetrates and is strongly fixed to the wood by the anchor effect. Also, metal materials such as iron bands, aluminum sheets, brass, SUS, stainless steel, etc. can be applied. As for the shape, not only metal bands but also forms such as chains and wire rods are possible, and the shape does not matter. As chemical materials, materials with softness and high strength such as PET, polyester, DFRP, epoxy resin, PP, PA, nylon, carbon, PC (polycarbonate), etc. can be used.

[0143] Figure 82 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of another reinforcing method for the curved handle. In the above embodiment, the reinforcing material 702W is attached to the surface layer of the front side of the handle 702 that curves convexly. However, it is only necessary that the surface that curves convexly is reinforced. As shown in Figure 82, by using a material that is denser and has higher strength for the strength of the front convex part 702V1 than the strength of the rear concave part 702V2 on the concave side, the overall strength can also be increased. In the figure, the high-strength point of the front part 702V1 is shown by applying grid-like hatching. However, as in the embodiment of Figure 80, it is most effective to reinforce at least the surface layer of the front surface with the reinforcing material 702W. If tension is applied by pulling when attaching the reinforcing material 702W, pre-tension is applied to the reinforcing material, and the reinforcing effect can be further enhanced. Also, by attaching a high-tension reinforcing material to the front surface by pulling and at the same time attaching a compression-resistant reinforcing material to the rear surface side of the back surface, the bending strength can be further increased.

[0144] Figure 83 shows an embodiment of partially reinforcing the curved handle of Figure 80, where (A) is a side view and (B) is a front view. In this example, the reinforcing material 702W is attached only to a predetermined length in the curved central part of the handle 70. The bending is the largest at the central part in the length direction of the handle, and simply reinforcing the central part can prevent accidental breakage.

[0145] FIG. 84 shows another example of a reinforcing member for a curved handle, where (A) is a side view, (B) is a front view, (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C, and (D) is a cross-sectional view similar to (C) when the handle is hollow. In this example, a string material is used as the reinforcing member 702W. The string material in the illustrated example is a diamond-knitted rope, which is a high-tensile material. The rope is flattened and adhered.

[0146] FIG. 85 shows another example of a reinforcing structure for partially reinforcing a curved handle, where (A) is a side view and (B) is a front view. In order to relieve the stress concentration at both ends of the reinforcing member 702W, the reinforcing member 702W in the illustrated example is set such that the width gradually narrows toward both ends, and the thickness is thicker at the central portion and gradually becomes thinner toward both ends. Regarding the various reinforcing structures of the curved cane handle 702 described above, the structure of the grip (handle) is not limited to the trapezoidal shape having the palm placement table described in the present application, and it can be widely applied to other forms of handle canes such as existing T-shaped canes.

[0147] FIG. 86 shows another example of a cane with a retractable leg, where (A) is a front view showing the state with the leg extended, (B) is a front view showing the state with the leg retracted, (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of (B), and (D) is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the operation part. FIGS. 87 to 88 are explanatory diagrams of the principle of the retractable leg of FIG. 86, and FIG. 87 is a diagram showing the state with the leg extended.

[0148] In this example, the linear reciprocating motion of the auxiliary ring 720 serving as the operation part is converted into the rotational motion of the leg 823 by the rack 821 and the pinion 822, and the posture is changed between the stored state (the leg rotates upward and closes) and the deployed state (the leg rotates downward and opens and stands). It is not limited to the rack 821 and the pinion 822, and any motion conversion mechanism that converts the reciprocating motion into the rotational motion can be substituted. It will be described in more detail below. As shown in detail in FIGS. 87 and 88, one end of the leg 823 is fixed to the pinion 822 and rotates together with the rotation of the pinion 822. The pinion 822 is rotatably supported around a vertical hole 824 provided in the handle 702, and is configured to mesh with a rack 821 that is linearly movably supported inside the hollow of the handle 702. There are four legs 823 around the handle 702 (see FIG. 86(C)), and there are four sets of the rack 821 and the pinion 822 for each leg 823.

[0149] As shown in FIGS. 86(D), 87 and 88, the rack 821 is connected to a slider 826 fixed to an auxiliary ring 720 disposed directly below a base 703 having a palm placement surface 704 via a push-pull rod 825. The slider 826 is inserted into a vertically extending long hole 827 provided in the handle 702 as shown in FIG. 86, and moves vertically along the long hole 827. When the slider 826 is at the lower end position of the long hole, it is in a stored state (see FIG. 86(B)), and when it is at the upper end position of the long hole, it is in a deployed state (see FIG. 86(A)). In the stored state, the tip of the leg 823 faces upward and is in a vertical posture substantially along the outer periphery of the handle. In the deployed state, the tip of the leg extends obliquely downward at a predetermined angle, and the position of the tip is below the lower end of the stone projection of the handle, and the cane is supported at four points. Although not shown, it is preferable to provide a locking mechanism such as a pin or a ball plunger on the vertically moving parts such as the auxiliary ring 720 or the slider to position and fix them at the upper limit position and the lower limit position.

[0150] FIG. 89 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which the operation part of the retractable leg in FIG. 86 is made electric. That is, the push-pull rod 825 is configured to move up and down by a screw feed mechanism 830, and a screw shaft 831 is rotationally driven by a motor 832. The screw shaft 831 is screwed into a screw hole 834 provided in a slider portion 833 provided at the upper end of the push-pull rod 825. The slider portion 833 is immovable in the rotational direction and movable in the axial direction. Although not shown, for example, the slider portion 333 may have a square cross-sectional shape, and the inner wall of the hollow interior of the handle 702 may also be a guide wall having a square cross-sectional shape.

[0151] Figs. 90 to 92 are explanatory views of an embodiment using a link mechanism for the opening and closing mechanism of the leg 823 in Fig. 86. Fig. 90 is a view showing the state where the leg is extended. Fig. 91 shows the state where the leg is closed, (A) is a cross-sectional view seen from the front, and (B) is a cross-sectional view seen from above.

[0152] In this example, the leg 823 is connected by a parallel link mechanism 840, and the parallel link mechanism 840 is driven by a driving joint 841 that rotates integrally with the pinion 822. There is a driven joint 842 parallel to the driving joint 841, and the leg 823 is connected to the other ends of the driving joint 841 and the driven joint 842.

[0153] Figs. 92(A) to (B) are views of the protective convex portion for protecting the retractable leg provided with this link mechanism seen from above, and (C) is a view of the protective cylinder portion provided with a concave portion for protecting the retractable leg seen from above. It is effective to store the retractable leg completely in the concave portion 853 of the protective cylinder portion 852 as shown in Fig. 92(C). However, as shown in Figs. 92(A) to (B), the protective convex portion 851 may be configured to project crosswise between the legs in the circumferential direction. Regarding the structures of the various retractable legs described above, the structure of the grip (handle) is not limited to the palm placement table described in the present application, and other forms of handle canes such as existing T-shaped canes are also applicable. Further, the handle is not limited to wood, and a cane made of metal is also applicable.

[0154] FIG. 93 shows a further modified example of the palm placement table provided with a support rod. (A)-(B) are examples in which a support rod and a support convex portion are combined. (A) is a front view, (B) is a top view. (C)-(D) show a table 703 for placing a palm cut in a semi-circular shape in the vicinity of the support rod 710. (C) is a top view, (D) is a front view. (E) shows an example in which the support rod is curved. In FIGS. 93(A)-(B), an example is shown in which a convex portion 710M bulging outward is provided at a position a predetermined circumferential distance away from the support rod 710. In this way, various holding methods can be adopted, such as placing the thumb on the convex portion 710M and sandwiching the support rod 710 between the other four fingers, for example, between the index finger and the middle finger. The variations in the holding method can be expanded according to the shape, size, and holding situation of the hand, leading to an improvement in usability. FIGS. 93(C)-(D) show a table 703P with the table cut in a semi-circular shape in the vicinity of the support rod 710. The cut edge can be sandwiched near the thenar of the palm, and the palm can be stably held against the palm placement surface 704 of the table 703. FIG. 93(E) shows an example in which the support rod 710 is curved. That is, the upper end of the support rod 710L is curved and extends so as to cover a position above the central portion of the table 703. When the support rod 710L is sandwiched between the thumb and the index finger, the back of the hand is supported by the concave surface of the curved portion 710L1 of the support rod 710L, and the cane can be suspended and supported by the back of the hand, preventing the cane from falling. Moreover, if a fastening tool 715 with the winding reel 713 shown in FIG. 58 is provided on the upper surface of the curved portion 710L1, a suspension cord can be attached to the winding reel 713.

[0155] FIG. 94 shows a side view of another embodiment of the reinforcing structure of the curved handle. The cane itself is the same as in FIGS. 80 to 85. The handle 702 is configured to be convexly curved forward in the traveling direction, and the front side portion 702V1 and the rear side portion 702V2 are fixed with an adhesive. The front side 702V1 of the curved convex side is the front side in the traveling direction when using the cane. A reinforcing structure 910 is provided on the rear side of the concave side 702V2 which is behind the traveling direction. The reinforcing structure 910 includes an upper diagonal reinforcing member 911, a lower diagonal reinforcing member 912, and a central reinforcing member 914 provided between the joint 913 of the upper diagonal reinforcing member 911 and the lower diagonal reinforcing member 912 and the curved cane handle 702. The upper diagonal reinforcing member 911, the central reinforcing member 914, and the upper half from the center of the handle 702 form a substantially triangular truss-like framework 910A, and the lower diagonal reinforcing member 912, the central reinforcing member 914, and the lower half from the center of the handle 702 form an inverted triangular truss-like framework 910B. The upper diagonal reinforcing member 911 is a linear member with one end connected to the upper end of the handle 702 and inclined in a direction where the distance from the handle 702 gradually widens downward. On the other hand, the lower diagonal reinforcing member 912 is also a linear member with the lower end fixed to a position near the lower end of the handle 702 and inclined in a direction where the distance from the handle gradually widens upward, and its upper end is fixed to the lower end of the upper diagonal reinforcing member 911. Also, the central reinforcing member 914 is a linear member extending substantially horizontally, with one end fixed to the central part of the handle 702 and the other end rigidly connected to the joint 913 of the upper diagonal reinforcing member 911 and the lower diagonal reinforcing member 912. Therefore, the handle 702 is reinforced by the above two truss-like frameworks 910A and 910B, and sufficient load-bearing capacity can be obtained. Also, by attaching this reinforcing structure 910, the center of gravity has moved backward with respect to the traveling direction when using the cane, and there is an effect of promoting the function of accelerating the swing of the cane during walking as described in paragraphs 0006, 0042, etc. When the tip of the cane touches the ground and then swings forward to the next position, when the tip is lifted off the ground, due to the relationship between the center of gravity at the rear and the fulcrum of the hand, it will automatically swing forward, eliminating the need to extend the cane forward manually.

[0156] Figures 95(A) to (B) show other examples of the reinforcing structure of the curved handle. The reinforcing structure shown in Fig. 95(A) is composed of a curved reinforcing member 716 that curves convexly backward, contrary to the handle 702, and a horizontal central reinforcing member 914. By means of the central reinforcing member 914, it is also possible to further curve the handle 702 and the curved reinforcing member 716 and fix them in a state where a biasing pressure is applied as a preload. The reinforcing structure shown in Fig. 95(B) is an example in which a triangular reinforcing plate 915 is joined in place of the lower diagonal reinforcing member 912 of the reinforcing structure of Fig. 94. The upper side of the reinforcing plate is fixed to the lower side surface of the central reinforcing member 914, and the side surface of the reinforcing plate 915 on the handle 702 side is fixed to the side surface of the handle. The hypotenuse of the reinforcing plate 915 is not a straight line but is configured as a concave curved line toward the handle 702. That is, the width (the length in the front-rear direction of the advancing direction) of the reinforcing plate 915 that supports the handle 702 is increased as it approaches the central part that is weak in bending, thereby enhancing the reinforcing efficiency.

[0157] Fig. 96 shows an embodiment of a cane having a weight loading structure that further moves the center of gravity position of the cane of Fig. 94 backward. (A) is an overall side view, and (B) is a partial side view of an example in which a portable terminal can be held by the weight loading part. In the example shown in Fig. 96(A), an overhanging promotion rod 917 extending backward is provided near the upper end of the upper diagonal reinforcing member 911 of the reinforcing structure 910 shown in Fig. 94, and a ball-shaped weight 917W1 is provided at the tip thereof. The weight 917W1 may be fixed, or may be made detachable so that weights of different weights can be exchanged. The weight 917W1 is not limited to a ball shape, and weights of various shapes can be applied. Fig. 96(B) is configured such that the portable terminal 919 can be held by the overhanging promotion rod 917, and a groove 917a into which one side portion of the portable terminal 919 fits is provided. In the illustrated example, a groove 911a into which the other side portion orthogonal to and adjacent to one side portion of the portable terminal 919 fits is also provided on the side surface of the upper diagonal reinforcing member 911. In this way, the portable terminal 919 can be held, and it can also be used as a weight that promotes overhanging.

[0158] Figs. 97(A) to (G) show configuration examples in which a weight loading structure for promoting swinging is applied to a cane having a straight handle. Fig. 97(A) is provided with a swinging promotion rod 917, and (B) is provided with a rod-shaped weight 917W2 further loaded on the swinging promotion rod 917. The weight 917W2 may face downward or may be attached upward as shown by the two-dot chain line. Fig. 97(C) shows a configuration in which the attachment position of the swinging promotion rod 917 is arranged at a position in contact with the base 703, and Fig. 97(D) is an example in which the space between the lower surface of the base 703 and the swinging promotion rod 917 is filled by a spacer portion 917b. Fig. 97(E) is obtained by adding a ball-shaped weight 917W1 to the swinging promotion rod of Fig. 97(A), and Fig. 97(F) is obtained by further adding a weight 97W2 to the weight 97W1 of Fig. 97(B). Fig. 97(G) is an example in which a hanging tool 917f such as a hook for hanging a load is provided on the swinging promotion rod 917, and it is possible to promote swinging by the weight of the load. Further, when the load is hung, a side guide 917g as shown by the two-dot chain line may be provided so that the load does not swing left and right.

[0159] Fig. 98 shows a cane equipped with a self-standing stand, where (A) is an overall side view and (B) is a side view in the self-standing state. The basic configuration of the cane is the curved cane with a reinforcing structure in Fig. 94, and a self-standing stand 860 is provided near the stone tip thereof. The self-standing stand 860 is for making the cane stand on its own, and includes a foot portion 861 that contacts the road surface and a support leg 862 for fixing the foot portion 861 to the handle 702. For self-standing, as shown in Fig. 98(B), it is made to stand on its own while being inclined obliquely. The position of the foot portion 861 is located on the vertical line G passing through the center-of-gravity position in the obliquely inclined state, and when the foot portion 861 is in contact with the ground, the stone tip 706 is on the same plane as the bottom surface of the foot portion 861 or above it. The foot portion 861 is arranged in front of the advancing direction when using the cane. If it is arranged at the rear, the foot portion 861 will contact the ground before the stone tip 706 contacts the ground during use. It can be arranged in the lateral direction other than the rear, but the front is desirable. When using the cane, when the tip 706 touches the ground in the outstretched state, the foot part 861 is on the tip 706. When the handle of the cane moves forward from the tip 706 by using the tip 706, it is desirable that the foot part 861 does not touch the ground, but the foot part 861 may touch the ground. There is no obstacle to walking. The left - right width of the grounding part of the foot part 861 needs to be wide enough so as not to fall at least to the left and right. Also, in the front - rear direction, a grounding length that does not fall forward and backward is required. In the embodiment, when it was manufactured to be about 7 cm, it was able to stably maintain self - standing. As the pattern of the grounding part of the foot part 861, in this embodiment, it is a hemispherical foot, with an annular shape or a flat - contact configuration, but it may also be a horseshoe shape, a square shape, or any shape. It is sufficient to touch the ground at at least three points. Also, in the front - rear direction, it may be made to stand independently in cooperation with the tip 706 of the handle 702 of the cane. In that case, the foot part 861 only needs to be configured to prevent falling at least to the left and right, and two - point contact is sufficient.

[0160] FIG. 99 shows a straight - shaped cane equipped with the self - standing stand 860 of FIG. 98. (A) is an overall side view, and (B) is a side view in the self - standing state. For self - standing, as shown in FIG. 99(B), the point of tilting diagonally to stand independently, the position of the foot part is located on the vertical line G passing through the center - of - gravity position in the diagonally - tilted state, and the point that the tip 706 is on the same plane as the bottom surface of the foot part 861 or above it when the foot part 861 touches the ground is the same as that of the self - standing stand in FIG. 98. Note that this self - standing stand 860 is not limited to the cane with the handle of the present invention shown in FIGS. 98 and 99, and can also be applied to existing T - shaped canes and the like.

[0161] FIG. 100 is a side view showing two examples of a cane equipped with a posting part for advertising media and the like. Figure 100(A) shows an example in which the posting section 920 is configured using the triangular framework 910A at the upper part of the curved cane with the reinforcing structure 910 of FIG. 94. That is, an upper horizontal frame 918 and a vertical frame 919 assembled in an inverted L shape are added. One end of the upper horizontal frame 918 is fixed to the upper end of the upper diagonal reinforcing member 911, and the lower end of the vertical frame 918 is fixed to the joint portion 913 between the upper diagonal reinforcing member 911 and the lower diagonal reinforcing member 912. As a result, a rectangular frame that forms a plane is configured by the upper horizontal frame 918, the central reinforcing member 914, the upper half of the handle 702 of the cane, and the vertical frame 919, and this rectangular frame is used as the posting section 920 for the advertising medium. Figure 100(B) shows a structure in which a posting frame 921 for advertisements or the like is attached on top of the framework 910A at the upper part of the reinforcing structure 910 shown in FIG. 95(B). The posting frame 921 has a rectangular shape and includes a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames 921a, 921b and a pair of front and rear vertical frames 921c, 921d in the traveling direction. The front vertical frame 921c is located in front of the handle 702 and is configured to secure a larger space than the posting section 920 of FIG. 100(A). Since these posting sections 920 and posting frames 921 are heavy, they not only function as a posting section but also have the effect of promoting the function of projecting forward of the cane.

[0162] Figure 101 shows a cane with a monocoque structure having a posting section for an advertising medium or the like. (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view, and (C) is a side view showing a monocoque structure having a center of gravity at the rear. Regarding FIGS. 101(A) and (B), the monocoque structure includes a base 1603 having a palm placement surface 1603 on which the palm is placed and a handle 1602 extending from the base 1603. The front end portion of the base 1603 protrudes forward of the front surface of the handle 1602, and its lower surface forms a finger-hooking portion 1605. And the handle 1602 has a monocoque structure. The distance between the front surface 1602a and the rear surface 1602b of the handle 1602 in the front-rear direction of the traveling direction and the distance between the left and right side surfaces 1602c, 1602d in the direction orthogonal to the traveling direction are both gradually narrowed from the base portion connected to the base 1603 toward the stone projection 1606. Suspension tools 1602f such as hooks for suspending advertisements are provided at the upper parts of the left and right side surfaces 1602a and 1602b of the inclined structure. As shown by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 101(A), the upper parts of the left and right side surfaces where the suspension tools 1602f are provided are in an overhanging shape, and the advertisements are suspended using the space below the base 1603, enhancing space efficiency. Fig. 101(C) is an example outlined for a monocoque structure having a center of gravity at the rear, with the front surface 1602a being an orthogonal surface orthogonal to the palm placement surface 1604 of the base 1603, and the rear surface 1602b side having the center of gravity shifted rearward.

[0163] Fig. 102 shows a cane with a monocoque structure mimicking the shape of a banana, where is a side view and (B) is a view showing the cross-sectional shape of the outer periphery. The outer peripheral cross-sectional shape of the handle 1702 of the monocoque structure is a pentagon mimicking a banana. In this way, using the monocoque structure, it is possible to provide canes with shapes of vegetables, fruits, etc. in addition to bananas.

[0164] Fig. 103 is a conceptual diagram showing a cane with a simple chair, where the seat surface and the legs are interlocked. That is, the seat surface 1001 and the legs 1002 are connected to the handle 702 of the cane 701 so as to be synchronously openable and closable via an interlocking mechanism 1003. When the seat surface 1001 is opened, the legs 1002 also open, and when the seat surface 1001 is closed, the legs 1002 also close. Note that the leg 1002b functions as a leg that supports the seat surface 1001 including the stone kicking part 1706. In the illustrated example, a parallel link mechanism is used as the interlocking mechanism 1003, but not limited to the parallel link mechanism, various link mechanisms are applicable, and not limited to link mechanisms, other motion conversion mechanisms can be used.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0165] 1 Cane 2 Handle 3 Grip 4 Palm Placement Part 5 Finger Hook Part 6 Stone Kicking Part 101 cane 102 handle 103 stand (handle) 104 palm placement surface 105 finger rest surface 120 auxiliary ring 301 cane 302 handle 303 stand (handle) 304 palm placement part 305 finger rest part

Claims

1. A cane comprising a handle of the cane and a grip provided at one end of the handle of the cane, the cane being used by placing a hand on the table, wherein the table has a palm placement part on which a palm can be placed, and a finger hook part that is located below the palm placement part and can hook the belly of the distal phalanx of the finger of the hand with the palm placed on the palm placement part from below, and the cane is characterized by comprising the same.

2. The cane according to claim 1, wherein the palm placement part can place at least the heel of the palm, the thenar eminence, and the hypothenar eminence inside the palm.

3. The cane according to claim 2, wherein at the end of the palm placement part, the MP joint of the palm is supported in a bent state.

4. The cane according to claim 1, wherein the finger hook part is partially provided in the circumferential direction of the table, and the direction in which the palm is placed on the palm placement part is restricted.

5. The cane according to claim 1, wherein the finger hook part is provided all around in the circumferential direction of the table, and the direction in which the palm is placed during palm placement is not restricted.

6. The cane according to claim 1, wherein the palm placement part is provided with means for preventing the placed palm from sliding in the direction of the fingers.

7. The cane according to claim 1, wherein the finger hook part is provided with means for preventing the hooked finger from sliding in the direction of coming off the finger hook part.

8. The cane according to claim 1, wherein the handle and the table of the cane are made of a lightweight wood material or resin material having a specific gravity of 0.3 or less.

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