Foot orthosis and walking training device

Abstract

To provide a technique that makes it easier for a user to walk and can ensure strength of the sole.SOLUTION: A foot orthosis is provided in a walking assist orthosis that is attached along a user's leg to assist the user's walking, and is attached to the user's foot such that the sole rests thereon. The foot orthosis includes: a heel-side plate portion having a guide portion having a front surface on which a heel portion of the user's foot rests and a rear surface which formed with a pair of grooves extending in parallel with each other in the longitudinal direction of the foot; and a toe-side plate portion having a front surface on which a toe portion of the user's foot rests, and having a notch portion formed to sandwich the guide portion of the heel-side plate portion. A pair of inner edges of the notch portion of the toe-side plate portion are respectively fitted into the pair of grooves of the guide portion of the heel-side plate portion. The toe-side plate portion can expand and contract relative to the heel-side plate portion by sliding in the longitudinal direction of the user's foot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to foot orthoses and gait training devices. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a foot orthosis that is attached to a walking assistance device that is worn along a user's leg to assist the user in walking, and on which the sole of the user's foot rests (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The foot orthosis is provided with a load sensor that detects the load on the user's foot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-110176 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, it is conceivable that an adjustment sole may be placed on top of the load sensor to match the length of the user's foot. In this case, the sole of the foot orthosis becomes thicker than necessary, making it difficult for the user to walk. On the other hand, simply sliding the load sensor on the sole in the longitudinal direction of the foot poses issues regarding the handling of excess wiring and ensuring strength.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of these problems, and its main object is to provide a foot orthosis and a walking training device that allows the user to walk easily and ensures the strength of the sole of the foot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present disclosure is to A foot orthosis provided on a walking assistance device that is worn along a user's leg and assists the user in walking, the foot orthosis being worn on the user's foot and on which the sole rests, a heel-side plate portion having a front surface on which the heel of the user's foot rests and a guide portion on a rear surface of which a pair of grooves extending parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the foot are formed; a toe-side plate portion having a surface on which the toe of the user's foot rests and a notch formed to sandwich the guide portion of the heel-side plate portion; a pair of inner edges of the notch portion of the toe side plate portion are fitted into a pair of grooves of the guide portion of the heel side plate portion, respectively, and the toe side plate portion can be extended and contracted by sliding in the longitudinal direction of the user's foot relative to the heel side plate portion; Foot orthosis is. In this aspect, The guide portion of the heel-side plate portion may be provided with a locking mechanism that restricts sliding of the toe-side plate portion. In this aspect, The back surface of the heel-side plate portion may be provided with a storage portion that opens toward the toe side and stores the rear end portion of the toe-side plate portion. In this aspect, A scale is marked along the notch on the front or back surface of the toe-side plate portion, When the toe side plate portion is slid relative to the heel side plate portion, the scale on the toe side plate portion may be hidden by the heel side plate portion. In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present disclosure is to the walking assistance device having the foot orthosis; a treadmill on which the user walks while wearing the walking assistance device; Equipped with the treadmill is provided with a load sensor that detects a load applied to the user's feet when the user walks; the walking assistance device drives a joint by an actuator based on the load on the foot detected by the load sensor, thereby assisting the user in walking; Walking training device is. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a foot orthosis and a walking training device that allows the user to walk easily and ensures the strength of the sole of the foot. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a walking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the configuration of a foot orthosis according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a view of the heel side plate portion and the toe side plate portion viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a locking mechanism. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a method for adjusting the length of the bottom plate. [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of a walking training system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Embodiment 1 The present embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a walking assistance device according to the present embodiment.

[0010] A walking assistance device 1 according to this embodiment is an orthosis that is worn along the user's leg to assist the user in walking. A foot orthosis 2 according to this embodiment is provided on the walking assistance device 1 and is worn on the user's foot so that the sole of the foot rests on it.

[0011] The walking assistance device 1 is mainly composed of a thigh frame 11 located on the thigh bone side and supporting the thigh, a lower leg frame 12 located on the lower leg bone side and supporting the lower leg, a knee joint section 13 provided between the thigh frame 11 and the lower leg frame 12, a foot orthosis 2 located on the talus side and supporting the foot from the ankle down, and an ankle joint section 14 provided between the lower leg frame 12 and the foot orthosis 2.

[0012] The thigh frame 11 is fixed to the thigh by a thigh belt 15. The lower leg frame 12 is fixed to the lower leg by a lower leg belt 16.

[0013] The knee joint unit 13 supports the thigh frame 11 and the lower leg frame 12 so that they can rotate relative to each other around the knee joint axis. The ankle joint unit 14 supports the lower leg frame 12 and the foot orthosis 2 so that they can rotate relative to each other around the ankle joint axis.

[0014] An actuator such as a servo motor is provided in the knee joint 13. The actuator rotates the knee joint 13 in response to a control signal transmitted from a control device or the like. This rotation of the knee joint 13 can assist the user in walking.

[0015] Figure 2 shows the configuration of a foot orthosis according to this embodiment. Figure 2(a) is a top view of the foot orthosis 2. Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of the foot orthosis 2 shown in Figure 2(a) taken along line BB. Figure 2(c) is a cross-sectional view of the foot orthosis 2 shown in Figure 2(b) taken along line CC.

[0016] The foot orthosis 2 has a bottom plate 21 with a support surface on which the sole of the foot is placed, side plates 22 erected on the sides of the bottom plate 21, and ankle belts 23 and toe belts 24 that secure the foot. The ankle joint 14 is connected to the side plates 22. The ankle joint 14 swingably connects the lower end of the lower leg frame 12 to the side plates 22 of the foot orthosis 2. The foot orthosis 2 is secured to the foot by the ankle belt and toe belt.

[0017] The bottom plate 21 has a heel-side plate portion 211 on which the heel of the user's foot rests, and a toe-side plate portion 212 on which the toe of the user's foot rests. For example, the heel-side plate portion 211 is made of a single piece of hardened steel plate. The toe-side plate portion 212 is made of a single piece of hardened steel plate.

[0018] 3 is a view of the heel side plate portion and the toe side plate portion viewed from diagonally below. Note that in FIG. 3, in order to make the configuration of the heel side plate portion 211 and the toe side plate portion 212 easier to understand, some components have been omitted and the illustration has been simplified.

[0019] A guide portion 213 that protrudes downward in a generally rectangular shape is formed on the back surface of heel-side plate portion 211. A pair of grooves 214 that extend parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the foot are formed in guide portion 213.

[0020] The toe-side plate portion 212 has a notch 215 cut out in a substantially rectangular shape in the longitudinal direction of the foot. The notch 215 is formed so as to sandwich the guide portion 213 of the heel-side plate portion 211.

[0021] A pair of inner edges of notch 215 of toe side plate portion 212 fit into a pair of grooves 214 of guide portion 213 of heel side plate portion 211. Toe side plate portion 212 can extend and retract by sliding in the longitudinal direction of the user's foot relative to heel side plate portion 211. In this way, heel side plate portion 211 and toe side plate portion 212 are supported by an H-shaped guide structure.

[0022] Conventionally, an adjustment sole has been placed on top of the load sensor to match the length of the user's foot. In this case, the sole of the foot orthosis 2 becomes thicker than necessary, making it difficult for the user to walk. On the other hand, simply sliding the load sensor on the sole in the longitudinal direction of the foot poses issues regarding how to handle excess wiring and ensuring strength.

[0023] In contrast, the foot orthosis 2 according to this embodiment does not have a load sensor disposed on the bottom plate 21, and instead, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of inner edges of the notch 215 of the toe-side plate 212 are slidably fitted into a pair of grooves 214 of the guide portion 213 of the heel-side plate 211.

[0024] This allows the length of the bottom plate 21 to be easily adjusted to match the length of the user's foot, and the sole of the foot orthosis 2 can be made thinner, making it easier for the user to walk.

[0025] Furthermore, for example, when a dorsiflexion moment is applied to the bottom plate 21 in the later stage of stance, the toe-side plate portion 212 can reliably receive the load at two points a and b, as shown in Fig. 2(b), due to the H-shaped guide structure. This ensures sufficient strength of the bottom plate 21 even if no load sensor is provided on the bottom plate 21. In other words, the user can walk easily and the strength of the sole can be ensured.

[0026] A storage section 216 that opens toward the toe side and stores the rear end of toe side plate section 212 may be provided on the back surface of heel side plate section 211. Storage section 216 stores the rear end of toe side plate section 212 when toe side plate section 212 is retracted relative to heel side plate section 211. This prevents the rear end from interfering with heel side plate section 211 when toe side plate section 212 is retracted.

[0027] A locking mechanism 217 that restricts the sliding of the toe side plate portion 212 is provided on the guide portion 213 of the heel side plate portion 211. The length of the bottom plate 21 can be adjusted to fit the length of the user's foot by setting this locking mechanism 217 to an unlocked state and sliding the toe side plate portion 212. Then, at the adjusted position, the locking mechanism 217 can be set to a locked state to fix the sliding of the toe side plate portion 212.

[0028] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the locking mechanism. A pair of inner edges of the notched portion 215 of the toe-side plate portion 212 are formed with continuous ridges and valleys along the longitudinal direction of the foot. The ridges and valleys are formed at equal intervals of, for example, approximately 0.5 cm.

[0029] Meanwhile, the guide portion 213 is provided with a locking portion 218 that is slidable toward and away from the peaks and valleys of the notched portion 215 of the toe-side plate portion 212. The tip of the locking portion 218 is biased toward the peaks and valleys of the notched portion 215 by a spring member 219 or the like.

[0030] The tip of locking portion 218 also has peaks and valleys that correspond to the peaks and valleys of notched portion 215. In a locked state where the peaks and valleys of locking portion 218 abut and fit into the peaks and valleys of notched portion 215 of toe side plate portion 212, sliding of toe side plate portion 212 relative to heel side plate portion 211 is fixed.

[0031] On the other hand, in an unlocked state in which the peaks and valleys of locking portion 218 are separated from the peaks and valleys of notched portion 215 of toe side plate portion 212, toe side plate portion 212 can be freely slid relative to heel side plate portion 211. Therefore, in this state, the user can adjust the length of bottom plate 21 to match the length of their own foot by sliding toe side plate portion 212 relative to heel side plate portion 211.

[0032] 5 is a diagram showing a method for adjusting the length of the bottom plate. In this embodiment, the length of the bottom plate 21 is adjusted within a range of 22 to 29 cm. Two types of toe side plate portions 212, one for small toes (22 to 25 cm) and one for large toes (26 to 29 cm), may be used.

[0033] A scale may be marked along the cutout portion 215 on the front or back surface of the toe side plate portion 212. When the toe side plate portion 212 is slid relative to the heel side plate portion 211, the scale on the toe side plate portion 212 is hidden by the heel side plate portion 211.

[0034] For example, scales from 22 to 29 cm are indicated. To adjust the length of bottom plate 21 to 22 cm, toe-side plate portion 212 can be locked and fixed at a position where the 22 cm scale on toe-side plate portion 212 is hidden by heel-side plate portion 211. Similarly, to adjust the length of bottom plate 21 to 25 cm, toe-side plate portion 212 can be locked and fixed at a position where the 25 cm scale on toe-side plate portion 212 is hidden by heel-side plate portion 211. In this way, the user can easily adjust the length of bottom plate 21 to match the length of their own foot by simply referring to the scale on toe-side plate portion 212.

[0035] Embodiment 2 In this embodiment, a user may wear the walking assistance orthosis 1 and perform walking training by walking on a treadmill. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of a walking training system according to this embodiment. A walking training system 30 according to this embodiment includes the walking assistance orthosis 1 having the foot orthosis 2 described above, and a treadmill 31 on which the user wears the walking assistance orthosis 1 and walks.

[0036] The treadmill 31 is provided with a load sensor 32 that detects the load received from the soles of the user's feet when the user walks. A control device 33 of the walking assistance device 1 drives the knee joint 13 with an actuator 34 based on the load on the foot detected by the load sensor 32, thereby assisting the user in walking.

[0037] An actuator may also be provided in the ankle joint 14. In this case, the control device 33 of the walking assistance device 1 may assist the user's walking by driving the ankle joint 14 with an actuator while driving the knee joint 13 with an actuator 34 based on the load on the foot detected by the load sensor 32. The control device 33 may also be provided in the walking assistance device 1.

[0038] The treadmill 31 rotates a belt, for example, and the user wears the walking assistance device 1 and walks on the belt. A step board is placed under the belt, and a sheet-like load sensor 32 may be provided on the step board.

[0039] The control device 33 has a hardware configuration of a typical computer, including, for example, a processor 331 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an internal memory 332 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), a storage device 333 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), an input / output I / F 334 for connecting peripheral devices such as a display, and a communication I / F 335 for communicating with devices outside the device.

[0040] Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Walking aid orthosis, 2 Foot orthosis, 11 Thigh frame, 12 Lower leg frame, 13 Knee joint portion, 14 Ankle joint portion, 15 Thigh belt, 16 Lower leg belt, 21 Bottom plate, 22 Side plate, 23 Ankle belt, 24 Toe belt, 30 Walking training system, 31 Treadmill, 32 Load sensor, 33 Control device, 34 Actuator, 211 Heel side plate portion, 212 Toe side plate portion, 213 Guide portion, 214 Groove portion, 215 Notch portion, 216 Storage portion, 217 Locking mechanism, 218 Lock portion, 219 Spring member

Claims

1. A foot orthosis provided on a walking assistance device that is worn along a user's leg and assists the user in walking, the foot orthosis being worn on the user's foot and on which the sole rests, a heel-side plate portion having a front surface on which the heel of the user's foot rests and a guide portion on a rear surface of which a pair of grooves extending parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the foot are formed; a toe-side plate portion having a surface on which the toe of the user's foot rests and a notch formed to sandwich the guide portion of the heel-side plate portion; a pair of inner edges of the notch portion of the toe side plate portion are fitted into a pair of grooves of the guide portion of the heel side plate portion, respectively, and the toe side plate portion can be extended and contracted by sliding in the longitudinal direction of the user's foot relative to the heel side plate portion; Foot orthosis.

2. 2. The foot orthosis of claim 1, The guide portion of the heel side plate portion is provided with a locking mechanism that restricts sliding of the toe side plate portion. Foot orthosis.

3. 2. The foot orthosis of claim 1, A storage section is provided on the back surface of the heel side plate section, the storage section opening toward the toe side and configured to store the rear end of the toe side plate section. Foot orthosis.

4. 2. The foot orthosis of claim 1, A scale is marked along the notch on the front or back surface of the toe-side plate portion, When the toe side plate portion is slid relative to the heel side plate portion, the scale on the toe side plate portion is hidden by the heel side plate portion. Foot orthosis.

5. a walking assistance device having the foot orthosis according to claim 1; a treadmill on which the user walks while wearing the walking assistance device; Equipped with the treadmill is provided with a load sensor that detects a load applied to the user's feet when the user walks; the walking assistance device drives a joint by an actuator based on the load on the foot detected by the load sensor, thereby assisting the user in walking; Gait training device.

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