Arm part support tool

Abstract

To provide an arm part support tool capable of supporting an arm part of a user while allowing a motion in a front and rear direction and an up and down direction.SOLUTION: An arm part support tool includes: a placement part on which an arm part of a user is placed; a holding part held in a waist part of the user; and a transmission part that allows the placement part to continue to the holding part and supports by transmitting a downward load received by the placement part from the arm part to the holding part. The transmission part includes: an extension part that holds the placement part and extends to the holding part; and an energization part that elastically deforms according to downward displacement of the extension part with respect to the holding part to generate an energization force energizing the extension part upward. The holding part includes a guide part that guides the extension part downward while allowing rotation of the extension part in the front and rear direction by the load applied against the energization force, and guides the extension part upward while allowing the rotation of the extension part in the front and rear direction by reduction of the load.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an arm support. [Background technology]

[0002] An arm support device is known that has a support portion on which the user's arm is placed, a support portion that is held on the user's waist, and a transmission portion that connects the support portion to the support portion and supports the arm by transmitting the downward load that the support portion receives from the arm to the support portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2007-519428 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an arm support that can support a user's arm while allowing it to move forward and backward and up and down. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is as follows.

[0006] [1] a resting portion on which the user's arm is placed; a holding part that is held on the user's waist; a transmission section that connects the placement section to the holding section and transmits the downward load that the placement section receives from the arm section to the holding section, thereby supporting the placement section; the transmission section has an extending section that holds the placement section and extends to the holding section, and a biasing section that generates a biasing force that biases the extending section upward by elastically deforming in response to downward displacement of the extending section relative to the holding section, The holding portion guides the extension portion downward while allowing the extension portion to rotate in the forward and backward directions due to the load applied against the biasing force, and has a guide portion that guides the extension portion upward while allowing the extension portion to rotate in the forward and backward directions due to a decrease in the load.

[0007] [2] The extension portion has an elastic portion that elastically deforms to bend and deform the extension portion in the left-right direction, The arm support device according to [1], wherein the guide portion guides the extension portion downward and upward while allowing the extension portion to bend and deform in the left-right direction.

[0008] [3] the guide portion has a first wall portion and a second wall portion opposed to each other with a gap in the left-right direction, the extending portion has a plate-shaped portion extending from the placing portion to the holding portion, the first wall portion, the plate-like portion, and the second wall portion are arranged in this order with their thickness directions aligned, The arm support device described in [1] or [2], wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion guide the plate-shaped portion downward and upward while allowing the plate-shaped portion to rotate in the forward and backward directions.

[0009] [4] The arm support according to [3], wherein the biasing portion is provided between the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

[0010] [5] the transmission portion includes a front support portion and a rear support portion, each of which is held by the holding portion and supports the biasing portion; the biasing portion has a receiving portion that extends elongately from the front support portion to the rear support portion and receives the extending portion from below, The arm support device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the receiving portion generates the biasing force by elastically deforming and extending in the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion in response to the downward displacement of the extension portion relative to the holding portion.

[0011] [6] the transmission portion has an adjustment portion that adjusts the biasing force of the receiving portion, the adjustment portion has an adjustment support portion that supports the biasing portion, the adjustment support is the front support, the rear support, or a further support; The arm support device described in [5], wherein the adjustment section is capable of changing the support state of the biasing section by the adjustment support section between a first state in which the adjustment support section is held in a predetermined position by the holding section and supports the biasing section, and a second state in which the biasing force is different from that in the first state.

[0012] [7] The arm support device described in [6], wherein in the second state, the adjustment support part is held by the holding part in a position different from that in the first state to support the biasing part.

[0013] [8] The holding portion has a first hook portion on which the adjustment support portion is hooked and held to attain the first state, and a second hook portion on which the adjustment support portion is hooked and held to attain the second state. [7] The arm support device described in.

[0014] [9] the guide portion has a first wall portion and a second wall portion opposed to each other with a gap in the left-right direction, the extending portion has a plate-like portion extending from the placing portion and a rotation shaft extending from the plate-like portion in the left-right direction while passing through the first wall portion, the first wall portion and the second wall portion guide the plate-shaped portion downward and upward between the first wall portion and the second wall portion while allowing the plate-shaped portion to rotate in the front-rear direction about the rotation axis; The arm support device described in any one of [5] to [8], wherein the receiving portion is provided on the opposite side of the plate-shaped portion as seen from the first wall portion in the left-right direction, and receives the rotation axis from below.

[0015]

[10] The arm support device according to any one of [1] to [9], wherein the load corresponds to the weight of the arm plus the weight of an operating part of an endoscope held by the arm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an arm support that can support a user's arm while allowing movement of the arm in the front-back and up-down directions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an arm support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a worn state. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the arm support shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a side view showing the arm support in the state shown in FIG. 1 with the first wall portion omitted. [Figure 4] 1 is a graph showing the evaluation results in Examples. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view showing an arm support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention in a worn state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the arm support shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view showing the arm support in the state shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 8 is a side view showing the arm support tool when the position of the adjustment support part is changed from the first state shown in FIG. 7 to a second state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] First, an arm support 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described, as shown in Figures 1 to 3. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the arm support 1 includes a base 3 on which the arm 2a of a user 2 is placed, a holder 4 that is held by the waist 2b of the user 2, and a transmission unit 5 that connects the base 3 to the holder 4 and supports the base 3 by transmitting the downward load that the arm 2a receives from the holder 4 to the holder 4. The transmission unit 5 includes an extension 5a that holds the base 3 and extends to the holder 4, and a biasing unit 5b that elastically deforms in response to downward displacement of the extension 5a relative to the holder 4, thereby generating a biasing force that biases the extension 5a upward. The holder 4 includes a guide unit 4a that guides the extension 5a downward while allowing it to rotate in the front-rear direction when a load is applied against the biasing force, and that guides the extension 5a upward while allowing it to rotate in the front-rear direction when the load is reduced.

[0020] The extending portion 5a has an elastic portion 5a1 that elastically deforms to bend the extending portion 5a in the left-right direction. The guide portion 4a guides the extending portion 5a upward and downward while allowing the extending portion 5a to bend in the left-right direction.

[0021] The guide portion 4a has a first wall portion 4a1 and a second wall portion 4a2 that face each other with a gap between them in the left-right direction. The extension portion 5a has a plate-shaped portion 5a2 that extends from the placement portion 3 to the holding portion 4. The first wall portion 4a1, the plate-shaped portion 5a2, and the second wall portion 4a2 are arranged in this order with their thicknesses aligned. The first wall portion 4a1 and the second wall portion 4a2 guide the plate-shaped portion 5a2 upward and downward while allowing it to rotate in the front-rear direction.

[0022] The plate-shaped portion 5a2 is restricted from moving to one side in the left-right direction (leftward in this embodiment) by abutting against the first wall portion 4a1, and is restricted from moving to the other side in the left-right direction (rightward in this embodiment) by abutting against the second wall portion 4a2.

[0023] The holding portion 4 has a holding wall portion 4b that is arranged opposite the second wall portion 4a2 in the left-right direction and holds the first wall portion 4a1 and the second wall portion 4a2, and a wrapping portion 4c that holds the holding wall portion 4b and is wrapped around the waist 2b of the user 2.

[0024] The guide portion 4a has a front connecting portion 4a3 and a rear connecting portion 4a4 that connect the first wall portion 4a1 and the second wall portion 4a2, respectively. The plate-like portion 5a2 is located between the front connecting portion 4a3 and the rear connecting portion 4a4 in the front-to-rear direction, and its forward rotation is restricted by contact with the front connecting portion 4a3, and its rearward rotation is restricted by contact with the rear connecting portion 4a4.

[0025] The extending portion 5a has a rotation shaft 5c that extends in the left-right direction from the plate-shaped portion 5a2 and passes through the first wall portion 4a1. The first wall portion 4a1 and the second wall portion 4a2 guide the plate-shaped portion 5a2 upward and downward between the first wall portion 4a1 and the second wall portion 4a2 while allowing the plate-shaped portion 5a2 to rotate in the front-rear direction about the central axis O of the rotation shaft 5c.

[0026] The guide portion 4a has an upper stopper portion 4a5 that restricts upward movement of the extending portion 5a and a lower stopper portion 4a6 that restricts downward movement of the extending portion 5a. The first wall portion 4a1 has a long hole 4a7 that is elongated in the vertical direction and allows the rotation shaft 5c to pass through. The upper stopper portion 4a5 is formed by the upper edge of the long hole 4a7 of the first wall portion 4a1, and the lower stopper portion 4a6 is formed by the lower edge of the long hole 4a7 of the first wall portion 4a1.

[0027] The biasing portion 5b is provided between the first wall portion 4a1 and the second wall portion 4a2. The biasing portion 5b is composed of one or more (two in this embodiment) compression springs 5b1 that expand and contract in the vertical direction. The biasing portion 5b generates a biasing force that returns the extension portion 5a to the neutral position when the extension portion 5a rotates forward or rearward from the neutral position. Therefore, the biasing portion 5b is composed of a front compression spring 5b2 that biases upward the front protrusion 5a3 that protrudes forward from the lower end of the plate-shaped portion 5a2, and a rear compression spring 5b3 that biases upward the rear protrusion 5a4 that protrudes rearward from the lower end of the plate-shaped portion 5a2. Note that the configuration by which the biasing portion 5b generates a biasing force that returns the extension portion 5a to the neutral position is not limited to this. For example, the biasing portion 5b may be constituted by a tension spring that biases the front protrusion 5a3 upward and a tension spring that biases the rear protrusion 5a4 upward. Alternatively, one of the front protrusion 5a3 and the rear protrusion 5a4 may be omitted, and the biasing portion 5b may be constituted by a spring that biases the other of the front protrusion 5a3 and the rear protrusion 5a4 upward and a spring that biases the other downward. The biasing portion 5b may be constituted by a single compression spring whose upper end is fixed to the bottom surface of the lower end of the extension portion 5a and whose lower end is fixed to the holding portion 4.

[0028] The transmission unit 5 may be configured to include an adjustment unit (not shown) that adjusts the biasing force of the biasing unit 5b. The adjustment unit may be configured, for example, by a mechanism that adjusts the vertical positions of the front base 4a8 that receives the lower end of the front compression spring 5b2 and the rear base 4a9 that receives the lower end of the rear protrusion 5a4. The adjustment unit may be configured by a mechanism that adjusts the vertical positions of the front connecting unit 4a3 and the rear connecting unit 4a4 that receive the front protrusion 5a3 and the rear protrusion 5a4 from above, relative to the first wall 4a1 and the second wall 4a2.

[0029] The plate-shaped portion 5a2 may be configured to have a length adjustment portion (not shown) that adjusts the vertical length of the plate-shaped portion 5a2 by expanding and contracting to fit the physique of the user 2. In this embodiment, the plate-shaped portion 5a2 is flat, but is not limited to this and may be configured to be a curved plate that is curved in the thickness direction.

[0030] Any part of the arm 2a from the elbow 2a1 to the fingertips is placed on the support part 3. The arm 2a refers to the part from the shoulder to the fingertips. The support part 3 has a U-shaped cross section perpendicular to the front-rear direction so that it fits the underside of the arm 2a.

[0031] The load corresponds to the weight of the arm 2a plus the weight of the control unit 6 of the endoscope held by the arm 2a. That is, in this embodiment, the arm support 1 is used to perform endoscopic examination or surgery. The user 2 holds and operates the control unit 6 of the endoscope with one hand (the left hand 2a2 in this embodiment) while operating the insertion portion of the endoscope, which extends long from the control unit 6 to the tip, with the other hand (the right hand in this embodiment) to perform the examination or surgery. The control unit 6 weighs approximately 1 kg, and an endoscopist performs endoscopic surgery in a standing position for, for example, about 9 hours a day. Fluoroscopic endoscopic surgery, which is performed while observing the position of the tip of the endoscope inside the patient using X-rays, is performed while wearing heavy lead protective clothing to prevent radiation exposure. Fatigue caused by continuously operating and holding the heavy control unit 6 for long periods of time may lead to reduced work efficiency and the development of occupational diseases.

[0032] 1, the arm 2a can be supported by transmitting a downward load acting on the arm 2a to the support portion 3, the transmission portion 5, and the holding portion 4 in this order, and then transferring the load to the waist 2b, thereby reducing fatigue in the arm 2a and the upper body. Furthermore, the arm 2a can be supported while allowing the arm 2a to move in the front-to-back and up-and-down directions by the biasing portion 5b and the guide portion 4a, and while allowing the arm 2a to move in the left-to-right direction by the elastic portion 5a1 of the extension portion 5a. This reduces fatigue due to appropriate changes in posture (avoidance behavior) of the arm 2a, and reduces interference with operation of the operation portion 6 of the endoscope and other tasks. Furthermore, since the first wall portion 4a1, the plate-like portion 5a2, and the second wall portion 4a2 are configured to be aligned in this order with their thicknesses aligned in the left-to-right direction, the transmission portion 5 of the arm support device 1 can be positioned comfortably under the elbow 2a1 (due to its reduced thickness in the left-to-right direction), thereby reducing interference with tasks.

[0033] The transmission section 5 may be configured as in a second embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 8. The second embodiment will be described below.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 , the transmission unit 5 has a front support portion 5d and a rear support portion 5e, each of which is held by the holding unit 4 and supports the biasing unit 5b. The biasing unit 5b has a receiving portion 5b4 that extends elongately from the front support portion 5d to the rear support portion 5e and receives the extending unit 5a from below. The receiving portion 5b4 generates a biasing force by elastically deforming and expanding in the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion 5b4 in response to downward displacement of the extending unit 5a relative to the holding unit 4. The receiving portion 5b4 generates a biasing force that returns the extending unit 5a to the neutral position both when the extending unit 5a rotates forward or backward from the neutral position. In this embodiment, the biasing force that returns the extending unit 5a to the neutral position is transmitted to the rotating shaft 5c via friction between the receiving portion 5b4 and the rotating shaft 5c. Alternatively or additionally, a fitting structure that suppresses circumferential displacement may be provided between the receiving portion 5b4 and the rotating shaft 5c, and the biasing force that returns the shaft 5c to the neutral position may be transmitted to the rotating shaft 5c via the fitting structure. The receiving portion 5b4 is provided on the opposite side of the plate-shaped portion 5a2 from the first wall portion 4a1 in the left-right direction, and receives the rotating shaft 5c from below.

[0035] The transmission unit 5 has an adjustment unit 5f that adjusts the biasing force of the receiving unit 5b4, and the adjustment unit 5f has an adjustment support unit 5f1 that supports the biasing unit 5b, and the adjustment support unit 5f1 is an additional support unit 5g different from the front support unit 5d and the rear support unit 5e. The adjustment unit 5f can change the support state of the biasing unit 5b by the adjustment support unit 5f1 between a first state (state shown in FIG. 7) in which the adjustment support unit 5f1 is held in a predetermined position by the holding unit 4 and supports the biasing unit 5b, and a second state (state shown in FIG. 8) in which the biasing force is different from that in the first state. The adjustment support unit 5f1 may be the front support unit 5d or the rear support unit 5e rather than the additional support unit 5g.

[0036] In the second state, the adjustment support portion 5f1 is held by the holding portion 4 at a position different from that in the first state to support the biasing portion 5b. The holding portion 4 has a first hook portion 4d on which the adjustment support portion 5f1 is hooked and held to set the adjustment support portion 5f1 to the first state, and a second hook portion 4e on which the adjustment support portion 5f1 is hooked and held to set the adjustment support portion 5f1 to the second state. The holding portion 4 has a third hook portion 4f on which the adjustment support portion 5f1 is hooked and held to set the adjustment support portion 5f1 to a third state (not shown) in which the biasing force is different from that in the first state and the second state. The first hook portion 4d, the second hook portion 4e, and the third hook portion 4f are formed by a notch 4g in the first wall portion 4a1, and the adjustment support portion 5f1 can move from any one of the first hook portion 4d, the second hook portion 4e, and the third hook portion 4f to any other one within the notch 4g of the first wall portion 4a1.

[0037] The adjustment support portion 5f1 holds a predetermined portion of the urging portion 5b. The urging portion 5b is held by the front support portion 5d, hung on the rear support portion 5e, extends from the front support portion 5d to the adjustment support portion 5f1, and is held by the adjustment support portion 5f1.

[0038] According to this embodiment, the biasing force can be adjusted to an appropriate magnitude by the adjustment section 5f depending on the build of the user 2, the type of endoscope, etc., so that the arm 2a can be supported more appropriately.

[0039] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the above-described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0040] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the arm support device 1 is used for performing endoscopic examination or surgery, but it is not limited to this and may also be used for performing work in factories, farms, etc. [Example]

[0041] An arm support device with a structure similar to that of the first embodiment was manufactured, and an evaluation was conducted in which six subjects wore the device and held a simulated endoscope control unit weighing approximately 1 kg for 10 minutes while maintaining a procedural posture, and were asked to report on the shoulder strain they felt. The results are shown in Figure 4, along with the results of a similar evaluation conducted without the device being worn. The results shown in Figure 4 demonstrate the excellent fatigue-reducing effect of the arm support device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 Arm support 2 User 2a arm 2a1 elbow 2a2 left hand 2b Lower back 3. Placement section 4 Holding part 4a Information section 4a1 First wall 4a2 2nd wall part 4a3 Front connection part 4a4 Rear connection part 4a5 Upper stopper 4a6 Lower stopper 4a7 long hole 4a8 Front pedestal 4a9 Rear base 4b Retaining wall 4c Winding part 4d First hook 4e Second hook 4F 3rd hook 4g notch 5 Transmission section 5a Extension 5a1 Elastic part 5a2 Plate-shaped part 5a3 Front protrusion 5a4 Rear protrusion 5b Biasing part 5b1 compression spring 5b2 Front compression spring 5b3 Rear compression spring 5b4 receiving part 5c Rotating shaft 5d Front support 5e Rear Support 5f Adjustment Section 5f1 Adjustment Support Unit 5G Support Department 6. Operations Section O Central axis

Claims

1. a resting portion on which the user's arm is placed; a holding part that is held on the waist of the user; a transmission section that connects the placement section to the holding section and transmits the downward load that the placement section receives from the arm section to the holding section, thereby supporting the placement section; the transmission section has an extending section that holds the placement section and extends to the holding section, and a biasing section that generates a biasing force that biases the extending section upward by elastically deforming in response to downward displacement of the extending section relative to the holding section, The holding portion guides the extension portion downward while allowing the extension portion to rotate in the forward and backward directions due to the load applied against the biasing force, and has a guide portion that guides the extension portion upward while allowing the extension portion to rotate in the forward and backward directions due to a decrease in the load.

2. The extension portion has an elastic portion that elastically deforms to bend and deform the extension portion in the left-right direction, The arm support according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion guides the extension portion downward and upward while allowing the extension portion to bend and deform in the left-right direction.

3. The guide portion has a first wall portion and a second wall portion opposed to each other with a gap therebetween in the left-right direction, the extending portion has a plate-shaped portion extending from the placing portion to the holding portion, the first wall portion, the plate-like portion, and the second wall portion are arranged in this order with their thickness directions aligned, The arm support according to claim 1 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion guide the plate-shaped portion downward and upward while allowing the plate-shaped portion to rotate in the front-rear direction.

4. The arm support according to claim 3 , wherein the biasing portion is provided between the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

5. the transmission portion includes a front support portion and a rear support portion, each of which is held by the holding portion and supports the biasing portion; the biasing portion has a receiving portion that extends elongately from the front support portion to the rear support portion and receives the extending portion from below, The arm support according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion generates the biasing force by elastically deforming and stretching in a longitudinal direction of the receiving portion in response to the downward displacement of the extending portion relative to the holding portion.

6. the transmission portion has an adjustment portion that adjusts the biasing force of the receiving portion, the adjustment portion has an adjustment support portion that supports the biasing portion, the adjustment support is the front support, the rear support, or a further support; 6. The arm support device according to claim 5, wherein the adjustment section is capable of changing the support state of the biasing section by the adjustment support section between a first state in which the adjustment support section is held in a predetermined position by the holding section and supports the biasing section, and a second state in which the biasing force is different from that in the first state.

7. The arm support according to claim 6 , wherein the adjustment support part is held by the holding part in a position different from that in the first state to support the biasing part in the second state.

8. 8. The arm support device according to claim 7, wherein the holding portion has a first hook portion to which the adjustment support portion is hooked and held to set the arm in the first state, and a second hook portion to which the adjustment support portion is hooked and held to set the arm in the second state.

9. The guide portion has a first wall portion and a second wall portion opposed to each other with a gap therebetween in the left-right direction, the extending portion has a plate-like portion extending from the placing portion and a rotation shaft extending from the plate-like portion in the left-right direction while passing through the first wall portion, the first wall portion and the second wall portion guide the plate-shaped portion downward and upward between the first wall portion and the second wall portion while allowing the plate-shaped portion to rotate in the front-rear direction about the rotation axis; The arm support according to claim 5 , wherein the receiving portion is provided on an opposite side of the plate-shaped portion from the first wall portion in the left-right direction, and receives the rotation shaft from below.

10. The arm support tool according to claim 1 , wherein the load corresponds to a weight of the arm plus a weight of an operation section of an endoscope held by the arm.

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