Auxiliary chopsticks and assisting device

Abstract

To provide auxiliary chopsticks and an assisting device that can be used with small finger movements.SOLUTION: Auxiliary chopsticks 1 have a first chopstick member 2 on the index-finger side, a second chopstick member 3 on the thumb side, and an assisting mechanism 4 that rotatably connects the first and second chopstick members. The assisting mechanism 4 includes an arm 41 that connects the first chopstick member 2 and the second chopstick member 3. The arm 41 is rotatably supported on the second chopstick member 3 by a shaft support portion 43 that intersects the extending direction of the second chopstick member 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to auxiliary chopsticks and auxiliary tools, and more particularly to auxiliary chopsticks and auxiliary tools applicable to users who cannot freely move their fingers. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, auxiliary chopsticks have been known to correct the way chopsticks are held and moved by users such as young children and foreigners who are not yet proficient at using chopsticks.

[0003] For example, the auxiliary chopsticks described in Patent Document 1 have a shaft part on the first chopstick supported by the user's middle finger, index finger, and thumb, which is loosely fitted into a C-shaped bearing part protruding from the tip of the second chopstick supported by the base of the user's ring finger and thumb.By simply rotating the first chopstick around the shaft part as a fulcrum, the tips of the first and second chopsticks can be opened and closed accurately, allowing the user to naturally learn how to hold and move chopsticks correctly.Such auxiliary chopsticks have also been used in fields such as nursing care in recent years. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3186873 (pages 11-12, Figure 28) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The auxiliary chopsticks in Patent Document 1 forcibly guide the first chopstick member to rotate around the shaft as a fulcrum, so they are useful for users who can bend and straighten their fingers to apply force in the rotation direction to the second chopstick member, but are difficult to use for users with functional disabilities in their fingers who can only move their fingers or the bases of their fingers slightly.

[0006] The present invention has been made in response to these problems, and aims to provide auxiliary chopsticks and an auxiliary tool that can be used with small finger movements. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the auxiliary chopsticks of the present invention are: An auxiliary chopstick with an auxiliary mechanism that rotatably connects the first chopstick member on the index finger side and the second chopstick member on the thumb side, The assist mechanism includes an arm that connects the first chopstick and the second chopstick, The arm is rotatably supported on the second chopstick by a pivot portion that intersects with the extending direction of the second chopstick. According to this feature, the force applied to the first chopstick is converted by the arm into a movement in the rotation direction around the pivot part on the second chopstick side, so that with a small movement of the finger, the tip of the first chopstick can be moved greatly in the direction toward or away from the tip of the second chopstick.

[0008] The arm is rotatably supported on the first chopstick by a pivot portion that intersects with the extending direction of the first chopstick. According to this feature, the first chopstick can rotate relative to the arm around the pivot point, so that the tip of the first chopstick can be brought closer to the tip of the second chopstick while maintaining the first chopstick approximately parallel to the second chopstick.

[0009] The first chopstick is characterized by having a pressing part that can come into contact with the tip of at least one of the index finger and the middle finger. According to this feature, by pressing the pressing part with the index finger or middle finger, the force can be efficiently transmitted to the first stick.

[0010] The present invention is characterized by the provision of a restricting means for restricting the connecting portion between the first chopstick and the arm from rotating further toward the rear end of the second chopstick than the pivot portion between the second chopstick and the arm. According to this feature, the rotation range of the arm around the pivot part is restricted by the restricting means to the chopstick tip side, making it easier to rotate the tip of the first chopstick in the direction approaching the tip of the second chopstick. Also, it is possible to prevent the tip of the first chopstick from being moved back too far when moving it away from the tip of the second chopstick.

[0011] In the base position where the first and second chopsticks are open and parallel to each other, the tip of the first chopstick is located further back than the tip of the second chopstick. According to this feature, when the tip of the first chopstick is moved from the base position to the clamping position where the tip of the first chopstick is brought closer to the tip of the second chopstick, the position of the tip of the first chopstick can be aligned with the position of the tip of the second chopstick.

[0012] The tip of the first chopstick and the tip of the second chopstick are provided with a pair of bulging parts that extend perpendicular to the movement direction of the first chopstick and are arranged opposite each other. According to this feature, when the tip of the first chopstick approaches the tip of the second chopstick, the food can be sandwiched between the pair of bulging parts with a large area, making it easy to hold the food.

[0013] In order to solve the above problem, the assisting device of the present invention comprises: An assisting tool that rotatably connects a first chopstick on the index finger side and a second chopstick on the thumb side, a first base body attached to the first chopstick, a second base body attached to the second chopstick, and an arm connecting the first base body and the second base body; The arm is rotatably supported on the second base body by a pivotal support portion that intersects with the extending direction of the second chopstick. According to this feature, the force applied to the first chopstick is converted by the arm into a movement in the rotation direction around the pivot part on the second chopstick side, so that with a small movement of the finger, the tip of the first chopstick can be moved greatly in the direction toward or away from the tip of the second chopstick. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] (a) is a side view showing the auxiliary chopstick in Example 1 of the present invention, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in (a), (c) is a view taken along arrow B in (a), and (d) is a view taken along arrow C in (a). [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the base position of the auxiliary chopsticks. [Figure 3] 10 is a schematic diagram showing the auxiliary chopsticks in the middle of moving from the base position to the gripping position. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a schematic diagram showing the holding position of the auxiliary chopsticks. FIG. [Figure 5] (a) is a schematic diagram of the state in which food is being held, seen from above, and (b) is a schematic diagram of the same, seen from the side. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the base position of the auxiliary chopsticks in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic diagram showing the holding positions of auxiliary chopsticks in Example 2. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10(a) is a schematic diagram showing the base position of the auxiliary chopsticks in the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10(b) is a schematic diagram showing the gripping position of the auxiliary chopsticks. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing an assisting device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following describes the embodiments of the auxiliary chopsticks and auxiliary tools according to the present invention. [Example]

[0016] The auxiliary chopstick according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the following description, the left side of Figure 1(a) will be the front side (front face) of the auxiliary chopstick, the right side of the paper will be the rear side (back face) of the auxiliary chopstick, the front side of the paper will be the right side of the auxiliary chopstick, and the back side of the paper will be the left side of the auxiliary chopstick.

[0017] The auxiliary chopsticks 1 according to the present embodiment 1 are intended to assist users with functional impairments in their fingers in operating chopsticks, enabling them to grasp food with small finger movements.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1(a), the auxiliary chopstick 1 mainly comprises a first chopstick member 2 on the index finger side, a second chopstick member 3 on the thumb side, and an auxiliary mechanism 4 that rotatably connects the first chopstick member 2 and the second chopstick member 3. Figure 1 shows the base position of the auxiliary chopstick 1, in which the first chopstick member 2 and the second chopstick member 3 are open and roughly parallel to each other.

[0019] First, we will explain the first chopstick member 2. As shown in Figures 1(a) to 1(d), the first chopstick member 2 comprises a rod-shaped main body 21, a pair of left and right base parts 22, 23 protruding from the main body 21 toward the second chopstick member 3, and a bulging part 24 bulging out from the tip of the main body 21 to the right.

[0020] The base part 22 is flat and protrudes from the right edge of the main body part 21 at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction toward the second chopstick part 3. The base part 23 is flat and protrudes from the left edge of the main body part 21 at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction toward the second chopstick part 3. The base parts 22, 23 extend parallel to each other and are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The tip surfaces of the base parts 22, 23 on the second chopstick part 3 side are curved and protrude toward the second chopstick part 3. The base parts 22, 23 have stepped through holes 22a, 23a that penetrate in the left-right direction. The right side of the through hole 22a has a larger diameter than the left side, and the left side of the through hole 23a has a larger diameter than the right side.

[0021] The bulging portion 24 has a generally triangular shape tapering toward the tip side when viewed from above (see FIG. 1(d) in particular). The bulging portion 24 has a thickness generally the same as that of the main body portion 21.

[0022] Next, we will explain the second chopstick member 3. The second chopstick member 3 comprises a rod-shaped main body 31, a pair of left and right base parts 32, 33 protruding from the main body 31 toward the first chopstick member 2, a bulging part 34 bulging out to the right from the tip of the main body 31, and a restricting part 35 as restricting means.

[0023] The base part 32 is flat and protrudes toward the first chopstick 2 from the right edge of the main body part 31, which is closer to the rear end than the longitudinal center. The base part 33 is flat and protrudes toward the first chopstick 2 from the left edge of the main body part 31, which is closer to the rear end than the longitudinal center. The base parts 32 and 33 extend parallel to each other and are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The tip surfaces of the base parts 32 and 33 on the first chopstick 2 side are curved and protrude toward the first chopstick 2. The base parts 32 and 33 have stepped through holes 32a and 33a that penetrate in the left-right direction. The right side of the through hole 32a has a larger diameter than the left side, and the left side of the through hole 33a has a larger diameter than the right side.

[0024] The bulging portion 34 has a generally triangular shape tapering toward the tip side when viewed from above (see FIG. 1(d) in particular). The bulging portion 34 has a thickness generally the same as that of the main body portion 31.

[0025] The restricting portion 35 is formed in a flat plate shape and connects the rear ends of the base portions 32 and 33 to each other laterally (see FIG. 1(c) in particular).

[0026] Next, we will explain the auxiliary mechanism 4. The auxiliary mechanism 4 is equipped with an arm 41, a first support shaft 42 as a pivotal support part connecting the arm 41 and the first chopstick component 2, and a second support shaft 43 as a pivotal support part connecting the arm 41 and the second chopstick component 3.

[0027] The arm 41 is a flat member made of synthetic resin, and has a roughly oval shape in a side view with its longitudinal direction in the direction of separation between the first chopstick member 2 and the second chopstick member 3. The arm 41 has a through-hole 41a at the end on the first chopstick member 2 side and a through-hole 41b at the end on the second chopstick member 3 side. Both ends of the arm 41 are located between the bases 22, 23 and 32, 33.

[0028] The first support shaft 42 has a shaft portion and a head portion having a larger diameter than the shaft portion. The first support shaft 42 is inserted into the through-holes 22a, 41a, and 23a from the left side, with the end of the arm 41 disposed between the base portions 22 and 23. The head of the first support shaft 42 is press-fitted into the through-hole 23a. A cap 45 for preventing the shaft portion of the first support shaft 42 from coming off is fitted onto the tip of the shaft portion, and the cap 45 is press-fitted into the through-hole 22a. The shaft portion of the first support shaft 42 is loosely inserted into the through-hole 41a of the arm 41, allowing the arm 41 to rotate relatively around the first support shaft 42.

[0029] The first support shaft 42 may be press-fitted into the through holes 22a, 23a from the right side. The first support shaft 42 may also be press-fitted into the through hole 41a of the arm 41 and be rotatable relative to the through holes 22a, 23a of the base portions 22, 23.

[0030] The second support shaft 43 has a shaft portion and a head portion having a larger diameter than the shaft portion. The second support shaft 43 is inserted into the through holes 32a, 41b, and 33a from the left side with the end of the arm 41 disposed between the base portions 32 and 33. The head portion of the second support shaft 43 is press-fitted into the through hole 33a. A cap 45 for preventing the shaft portion of the second support shaft 43 from coming off is fitted onto the tip of the shaft portion, and the cap 45 is press-fitted into the through hole 32a. The shaft portion of the second support shaft 43 is loosely inserted into the through hole 41b of the arm 41, allowing the arm 41 to rotate relatively around the second support shaft 43.

[0031] The second support shaft 43 may be press-fitted into the through holes 32a and 33a from the right side. Alternatively, the second support shaft 43 may be press-fitted into the through hole 41b of the arm 41 and be rotatable relative to the through holes 32a and 33a of the base portions 32 and 33.

[0032] Next, the operation of the auxiliary chopsticks 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0033] Figure 2 shows the base position of the auxiliary chopstick 1. In the base position, the first chopstick member 2 and the second chopstick member 3 are open and approximately parallel, and the tip of the first chopstick member 2 is located further rearward than the tip of the second chopstick member 3. In addition, in this base position, the arm 41 abuts against the restricting portion 35, and the rotation of the arm 41 is restricted so that the first support shaft 42 does not move further rearward than the second support shaft 43.

[0034] The second support shaft 43 on the second chopstick member 3 side is located slightly in front of the base of the thumb, and the rear end of the second chopstick member 3 behind the second support shaft 43 is located between the thumb and index finger on the back side of the hand. The rear end of the second chopstick member 3 can be pinched between the bases of the thumb and index finger, making the second chopstick member 3 difficult to move.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, when a user holds the first chopstick member 2 between the tips of the index finger, thumb, and middle finger and bends the distal interphalangeal joint and proximal interphalangeal joint of the index finger, a force is applied in a direction that moves the first chopstick member 2 closer to the second chopstick member 3, and the arm 41 rotates counterclockwise relative to the second chopstick member 3 around the second support shaft 43 (see the black arrow in Figure 3). Accordingly, the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger bends, the distal interphalangeal joint and the proximal interphalangeal joint extend, and the thumb rotates forward around the radius side as a fulcrum. In this way, the force applied to the first chopstick member 2 is converted by the arm 41 into a movement in the rotation direction around the second support shaft 43, so that the first chopstick member 2 can be moved by a larger radius than the rotation radius of the arm 41.

[0036] At this time, the first chopstick 2 rotates clockwise relative to the arm 41 around the first support shaft 42 (see the white arrow in Figure 3). In this way, the first chopstick 2 rotates relative to the arm 41 around the first support shaft 42, so the relative angle between the first chopstick 2 and the second chopstick 3 does not increase suddenly, and the tip of the first chopstick 2 and the tip of the second chopstick 3 can be brought closer to each other while maintaining a roughly parallel state. Furthermore, rather than simply opening and closing the first chopstick 2 and the second chopstick 3, the movement of the first chopstick 2 and the second chopstick 3 can be made to resemble the movement (trajectory) of actual chopsticks, allowing for a comfortable use.

[0037] In addition, the arm 41 abuts against the restricting portion 35, preventing the first support shaft 42 from moving rearward beyond the second support shaft 43, and the arm 41 does not exceed the top dead center. Therefore, when the user applies force to the first chopstick member 2, the first chopstick member 2 can be reliably moved in a direction that brings it closer to the second chopstick member 3.

[0038] In addition, the second support shaft 43 on the second chopstick 3 side is located slightly forward of the base of the thumb, i.e., forward of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger, so that it is easy to apply force in the direction of rotating the arm 41 forward, and the first chopstick 2 can be smoothly moved in the direction of approaching the second chopstick 3.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, when the user applies more force to the first chopstick 2, the auxiliary chopstick 1 moves to the gripping position, where the tip of the first chopstick 2 comes into contact with the tip of the second chopstick 3. In the base position of the auxiliary chopstick 1, the tip of the first chopstick 2 is located further back than the tip of the second chopstick 3. Therefore, in the gripping position of the auxiliary chopstick 1, the position of the tip of the first chopstick 2, which rotates while moving forward, can be aligned with the position of the tip of the second chopstick 3.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, when the auxiliary chopsticks 1 are in the gripping position, the tip of the first chopstick member 2 and the tip of the second chopstick member 3 have bulging portions 24, 34, so that the food F can be held by the bulging portions 24, 34 with a large area, and the food F can be held stably.

[0041] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the tip of the first chopstick 2 and the tip of the second chopstick 3 can be brought closer to each other while maintaining the first chopstick 2 and the second chopstick 3 in a roughly parallel state, so that the food F can be held more stably.

[0042] 2 from the grip position in Fig. 4, a force is applied in the direction of moving the first chopstick 2 away from the second chopstick 3. This causes the arm 41 to rotate clockwise relative to the second chopstick 3 around the second support shaft 43, and the first chopstick 2 to rotate counterclockwise relative to the arm 41 around the first support shaft 42. The arm 41 comes into contact with the restricting portion 35, restricting the first support shaft 42 from moving rearward beyond the second support shaft 43, and the auxiliary chopstick 1 is placed in the base position.

[0043] The arm 41 abuts against the restricting part 35 so that the first support shaft 42 does not move rearward beyond the second support shaft 43, and the arm 41 does not exceed the top dead center, so that the first chopstick member 2 can be prevented from being returned too far.

[0044] As explained above, the first chopstick 2 can be rotated largely relative to the second chopstick 3 around the second support shaft 43 by the arm 41, so that even a user who has a functional disability in his / her fingers and can only move his / her fingers slightly can move the first chopstick 2 largely to open and close the first chopstick 2 and the second chopstick 3.

[0045] Furthermore, even for users who cannot smoothly rotate the first chopstick member 2 relative to the second chopstick member 3 due to functional impairment of their fingers (for example, users who cannot bend and straighten the distal interphalangeal joint and proximal interphalangeal joint of the index finger due to functional impairment of their fingers, but can bend and straighten only the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger, making it easier to apply force in the longitudinal direction of the first chopstick member 2), the opening and closing operation is guided by the auxiliary mechanism 4, so the chopstick can still be used.

[0046] In addition, the auxiliary mechanism 4 restricts the twisting movement of the first chopstick 2 relative to the second chopstick 3, preventing the tip of the first chopstick 2 and the tip of the second chopstick 3 from shifting.

[0047] In this embodiment, the example shows a configuration in which the rearward rotation of the arm 41 is restricted by the restricting portion 35 when the arm 41 is at the top dead center position, but for example, the arm may be restricted by the restricting portion before it reaches the top dead center position, i.e., before the top dead center.

[0048] In addition, in this embodiment, the tip of the first chopstick component 2 is positioned further rearward than the tip of the second chopstick component 3 in the base position of the auxiliary chopstick 1, but this is not limited to this, and the tip of the first chopstick component 2 and the tip of the second chopstick component 3 may be positioned in the same position.

[0049] In addition, in this embodiment, the shape of the bulging portions 24, 34 is exemplified as being approximately triangular and tapered toward the tip when viewed from above, but this is not limited to this and may be freely changed to, for example, a rectangular, circular, semicircular, or other shape. Furthermore, the opposing surfaces of the pair of bulging portions are not limited to being flat and may be provided with, for example, an anti-slip mechanism such as a plurality of uneven portions or ridges. Furthermore, while the bulging portions 24, 34 are exemplified as bulging to the right from the tip of the main body portion 21, 31, this is not limited to this and may be changed to, for example, a shape bulging to the left from the tip of the main body portion 21, 31. [Example]

[0050] Next, auxiliary chopsticks according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Note that the description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0051] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the auxiliary chopstick 100 of this Example 2 differs from Example 1 in that the arm 141 is fixed to the first chopstick member 102, but the other configurations are the same as those of Example 1.

[0052] When the auxiliary chopstick 100 is in the base position, the first chopstick member 102 and the second chopstick member 103 are approximately parallel to each other (see FIG. 6).

[0053] From this state, when the user applies force in a direction that moves the first chopstick 102 closer to the second chopstick 103, the arm 141 rotates counterclockwise relative to the second chopstick 103 around the pivot 143, and the tip of the first chopstick 102 and the tip of the second chopstick 103 move closer to each other and come into contact (see Figure 7).

[0054] In this way, the arm 141 that rotates around the pivot 143 allows the first chopstick 102 to move widely even with a small movement of the finger. [Example]

[0055] Next, an assisting tool according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Note that a description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 8, the auxiliary chopstick 200 of this third embodiment has a first chopstick member 202 provided with an index finger guide portion 205 and a middle finger guide portion 206 .

[0057] The index finger guide part 205 is annular and is provided on the upper part of the first chopstick part 202. The middle finger guide part 206 has a downward-facing, roughly C-shaped convex shape and is provided on the lower part of the first chopstick part 202 and in front of the index finger guide part 205.

[0058] When moving the auxiliary chopstick 200 from the base position to the gripping position, the front part 205a (pressing part) of the index finger guide part 205 can be pressed with the index finger, and the front part 206a (pressing part) of the middle finger guide part 206 can be pressed with the middle finger, so that force can be easily transmitted to the first chopstick member 202, and the auxiliary chopstick 200 can be easily moved from the base position to the gripping position.

[0059] Furthermore, when moving the auxiliary chopstick 200 from the grip position to the base position, the rear part 205b of the index finger guide part 205 can be hooked with the index finger, and the rear part 206b of the middle finger guide part 206 can be hooked with the middle finger, so that force can be easily transmitted to the first chopstick member 202, and the auxiliary chopstick 200 can be easily moved from the grip position to the base position.

[0060] In this embodiment, the example in which the index finger guide portion 205 and the middle finger guide portion 206 are provided has been shown, but it is sufficient if at least one of them is provided.

[0061] The second chopstick 204 may also be provided with a guide portion for guiding the placement of the thumb and ring finger. [Example]

[0062] Next, an assisting tool according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Note that a description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0063] The assisting tool 300 of the first embodiment is an assisting mechanism that is separate from the first chopstick 302 and the second chopstick 303.

[0064] The assisting device 300 is composed of a cylindrical first holder 305 that holds the first chopstick member 302, a cylindrical second holder 306 that holds the second chopstick member 303, a pair of base portions 322, 323 extending from the first holder 305 toward the second chopstick member 303, a pair of base portions 332, 333 extending from the second holder 306 toward the first chopstick member 302, an arm 341, a first support shaft 342, and a second support shaft 343.

[0065] The first holding body 305 and the second holding body 306 are provided with through-holes 305a, 306a that narrow from the rear end to the front end. The first and second chopstick members 302, 303 can be attached by inserting and pressing them into the through-holes 305a, 306a from the rear, and can also be removed from the rear.

[0066] The through-hole 305a of the first holder 305 is slightly narrower than the through-hole 306a of the second holder 306, and the insertion depth of the first chopstick 302 into the first holder 305 is shallower than the insertion depth of the second chopstick 303 into the second holder 306. In other words, when the assisting tool 300 is in the base position, the tip of the first chopstick 302 can be positioned further back than the tip of the second chopstick 303.

[0067] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0068] For example, in the first to fourth embodiments, the first and second chopsticks have a substantially rectangular cross section, but this is not limiting and the cross section may be a circular, elliptical, or other polygonal shape.

[0069] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments, the restricting means is a flat wall portion, but it can be freely changed to a convex or pin shape as long as it has a shape that can restrict the rotation of the arm.

[0070] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments, the arm material is described as synthetic resin, but it may be made of wood, metal, etc. The material of the first and second stick members can also be freely changed.

[0071] In addition, in the above-mentioned Examples 1 to 4, the pivot support part is illustrated as extending in the left-right direction, i.e., perpendicular to the second chopstick member, but it does not have to be perpendicular to the extension direction of the second chopstick member as long as it extends in a direction that intersects with the extension direction of the second chopstick member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1 auxiliary chopsticks 2. First chopstick member 3 Second chopstick member 4 Auxiliary mechanism 22, 23 Base part (first base body) 24 Bulge 32, 33 Base part (second base body) 34 Bulge 35 Regulatory Department 41 Arm 42 1st support shaft (shaft support) 43 2nd support shaft (shaft support) 205 Index finger guide 205a Front (pressure part) 205b rear 206 Middle finger guide 206a Front (pressure part) 206b rear 300 Assistive Devices

Claims

1. An auxiliary chopstick having an auxiliary mechanism that rotatably connects a first chopstick member on the index finger side and a second chopstick member on the thumb side, The assisting mechanism includes an arm that connects the first chopstick and the second chopstick, The auxiliary chopsticks are characterized in that the arm is pivotally supported on the second chopstick by a pivot portion that intersects with the extending direction of the second chopstick.

2. The auxiliary chopstick according to claim 1, wherein the arm is pivotally supported on the first chopstick by a pivot portion that intersects with the extending direction of the first chopstick.

3. The auxiliary chopstick according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first chopstick is provided with a pressing part that can be brought into contact with the tip of at least one of the index finger and the middle finger.

4. The auxiliary chopsticks according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting portion between the first chopstick member and the arm has a restricting means for restricting the second chopstick member from rotating toward the rear end side of the second chopstick member beyond the pivot portion between the second chopstick member and the arm.

5. The auxiliary chopstick according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in a base position where the first chopstick and the second chopstick are open and parallel to each other, the tip of the first chopstick is located further rearward than the tip of the second chopstick.

6. The auxiliary chopsticks according to claim 5, characterized in that the tip of the first chopstick and the tip of the second chopstick are provided with a pair of bulging parts that extend in a direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the first chopstick and are arranged opposite each other.

7. An assisting tool that rotatably connects a first chopstick member on the index finger side and a second chopstick member on the thumb side, a first base body attached to the first chopstick, a second base body attached to the second chopstick, and an arm connecting the first base body and the second base body; The arm is rotatably supported on the second base body by a pivotal support portion that intersects with the extending direction of the second chopstick.

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