Assist mechanism for foot-operated work devices

Abstract

This allows for easy footwork while maintaining a standing posture, reducing physical strain and improving work efficiency. [Solution] An assist mechanism 1 for assisting the operation of a rebar tying machine 10 for performing work at the feet is provided, comprising: a base member 20 held by the body; front and rear arm members 30 extending in the front-rear direction X1 and supported so as to be tiltable relative to the base member 20 about a first rotation axis O1; a ball joint 40 provided at the front end 30a of the front and rear arm members 30 and rotatable about a second rotation axis O2 parallel to the first rotation axis O1; and upper and lower arm members 50 rotatably suspended and supported from the ball joint 40, with the rebar tying machine 10 attached to the lower part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an assist mechanism for a footwork device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the floor of a building made of reinforced concrete, a large number of reinforcing bars combined in a lattice pattern are embedded inside the concrete. When constructing the reinforcing bars, it is necessary to perform a binding operation of binding the intersections of the reinforcing bars with binding wires so that the arrangement of the reinforcing bars does not shift.

[0003] In such a binding operation of reinforcing bars during floor construction, a manual binding machine called a hocker and a binding wire are held in both hands, or a reinforcing bar automatic binding machine is held in the hand, and the binding operation is performed at the feet. Therefore, the worker has to work with a large bend in the waist, and the burden on the waist becomes very large. Also, even when working in a sitting state, since it is a wide-range operation, standing and sitting are repeated, so it takes time for the operation. Therefore, a reinforcing bar binding machine for binding the reinforcing bars under the feet in a standing posture of the worker is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Patent Document 1 includes a binding wire feeding mechanism that feeds out the binding wire while bending it into a loop and wraps it around the reinforcing bar, a binding wire cutting mechanism that cuts the binding wire while it is wound around the reinforcing bar, and a binding wire twisting mechanism that twists and binds the cut binding wire, and performs a binding operation of one cycle by continuously executing the binding wire feeding operation, the binding wire cutting operation, and the binding wire twisting operation, and describes a reinforcing bar binding machine having a configuration in which the worker can bind the reinforcing bar while remaining in a standing posture.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, with conventional rebar tying machines like the one shown in Patent Document 1, although workers can perform rebar tying work in a standing position, they need to raise and lower the machine each time they move it to a tying location. For work involving heavy equipment such as rebar tying machines, even though the work can be done in a standing position, it is still necessary to bend the waist and knees to some extent, so this has not been a complete solution, and there was room for improvement in this respect.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an assist mechanism for a foot-level work device that allows for easy foot-level work while maintaining a standing posture, reduces physical strain, and improves work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) Embodiment 1 of the assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device according to the present invention is an assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device for performing foot-operated work, which is attached to the foot-operated work device and assists the work operation of the foot-operated work device, and is characterized by comprising: a first member held by the body; a second member extending in the front-rear direction and supported so as to be tiltable with respect to the first member about a first horizontal axis; a joint provided at the front end of the second member and rotatable about a second horizontal axis parallel to the first horizontal axis; and a third member rotatably suspended and supported from the joint, to which the foot-operated work device is attached at the lower part.

[0009] According to the assist mechanism for the foot-operated work device of the present invention, the first member is held by the worker's body, so the entire assist mechanism with the foot-operated work device attached can be held by the body. Furthermore, in the present invention, since the second member is rotatable and tiltable around a first horizontal axis relative to the first member, the third member and the foot-operated work device, which are supported by the second member via a joint, can be tilted vertically together with the second member. Furthermore, in this invention, the third member is rotatably connected to the second member via a joint around a second horizontal axis, and the third member equipped with the foot work device is supported in a state where it is rotatably suspended from the joint. Therefore, even if the second member tilts in the vertical direction, the foot work device can be moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the work surface. In other words, because the third member and the foot work device are connected by a joint, the foot work device can be lowered vertically toward the work surface, and furthermore, the orientation and position of the foot work device can be freely changed without changing the worker's standing posture toward the work surface.

[0010] Thus, in this invention, workers can perform footwork by simply moving their arms while standing, without bending their waist or knees. Therefore, physical strain is reduced, and it becomes possible to perform footwork for extended periods, thereby improving work efficiency and reducing the number of workers required. Furthermore, in the assist mechanism for the foot-operated work device according to the present invention, the foot-operated work device is attached to the lower part of the third member, and the worker can move the foot-operated work device to the desired position and orientation with a simple operation such as moving at least one of the second member and the third member. As a result, it becomes possible to perform work with a certain level of efficiency, regardless of the skill level of the worker or differences in the worker's abilities.

[0011] (2) Aspect 2 of the present invention is an assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device according to aspect 1, wherein the first member and the second member are connected by a biasing member, and the biasing member preferably biases the front end of the second member upward.

[0012] In this case, since the first member and the second member are connected by a biasing member that biases the front end of the second member upward, the downward load acting on the third member and the foot work device, which are connected via a joint at the front of the second member, can reduce the load on the worker's body. In particular, it can reduce the strain on the worker's arms.

[0013] (3) A third aspect of the present invention is an assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device according to aspect 1 or aspect 2, wherein the first member preferably comprises a waist belt that is held at the waist of the body.

[0014] In this case, the entire load of the assist mechanism equipped with foot-operated devices can be supported by the waist, which is held by a waist belt attached to the first member. This distributes the load across the entire body, reducing localized stress on the body.

[0015] (4) A fourth aspect of the present invention is an assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device, which is one of the three aspects of the present invention, wherein the first member preferably comprises a shoulder belt that is held on the shoulder of the body.

[0016] In this case, the entire load of the assist mechanism equipped with foot-operated devices can be supported by the shoulder held by the shoulder belt attached to the first member, thus distributing the load across the entire body and reducing localized stress on the body.

[0017] (5) Aspect 5 of the present invention is an assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device, any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the third member preferably comprises a handle that can be grasped by hand.

[0018] In this case, the operator can easily move the foot-operated work device to the desired position by gripping and operating the handle.

[0019] (6) Aspect 6 of the present invention is an assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device according to aspect 5, wherein the handle has a handle shaft extending in one direction, the foot-operated work device has a work motion axis in the direction of work motion in the horizontal plane, and it is preferable that the yawing angle of the work motion axis around the vertical axis with respect to the handle shaft is oblique.

[0020] In this case, with the operator holding the handle with the handle shaft in the left - right direction in front of the body, the working operation axis of the foot - work device is arranged obliquely according to the work at the feet. Therefore, without the operator changing the orientation of the assist mechanism, the foot - work device can be arranged at an optimal position with the working operation axis being oblique, and the work at the feet can be efficiently performed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the assist mechanism of the foot - work device of the present invention, the work at the feet can be easily performed while maintaining a standing posture, the burden on the body can be reduced, and the work efficiency can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an assist mechanism of a foot - work device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state of a reinforcing bar bundling work using the assist mechanism of the foot - work device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view for explaining the operation of the assist mechanism of the foot - work device, where (a) is a view of the neutral position and (b) is a view of the depressed position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of a torsion spring of an assist mechanism according to a first modification example. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part of an assist mechanism according to a second modification example as viewed from above.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, the assist mechanism of the foot - work device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the assist mechanism 1 of the present embodiment is used when the operator M operates and uses it while maintaining a standing posture when attaching a reinforcing bar bundling machine 10 (foot - work device) during the construction of a floor slab of a reinforced concrete structure of a building and bundling the reinforcing bars R with a binding wire (not shown).

[0025] In the following explanation, in the assist mechanism 1, the direction connecting the front and back sides of worker M while M is holding the device is defined as the front-to-back direction X1, with the front side being the front and the back side being the rear. Also, the horizontal direction when viewed from the front-to-back direction X1 of worker M is defined as the left-to-right direction X2, and the vertical direction is defined as the up-and-down direction X3.

[0026] The assist mechanism 1 assists the operation of the rebar tying machine 10, which automatically ties the binding wire to the rebar R by pressing it against the rebar R. In other words, the orientation and position of the rebar tying machine 10 can be arbitrarily changed by operating the assist mechanism 1.

[0027] The rebar tying machine 10 constitutes a rebar tying unit capable of automatically tying rebars R. The rebar tying machine 10 can utilize, for example, a known handheld rebar tying machine, and automatically performs tying by pulling a trigger when pressed against the rebar R from above. The rebar tying machine 10 ties the intersections (rebar tying sections Ra) of numerous rebars R arranged in a grid pattern with tying wire.

[0028] The rebar tying machine 10 is equipped with a tying wire twisting mechanism and a tying wire feeding mechanism (not shown) inside the housing 11. A tying wire reel (not shown) is loaded inside the housing 11. The rebar tying machine 10 is driven by the operator M operating an operating member (not shown).

[0029] The binding wire feeding mechanism is configured to grip and feed the binding wire with a clamping part (not shown). When the binding wire wound on the binding wire reel is positioned directly above the rebar tying section Ra, such as the intersection of the reinforcing bars R to be tied, the binding wire feeding mechanism feeds the binding wire to the upper side of the rebar tying section Ra. The fed binding wire then travels around the rebar tying section Ra, and the end of the binding wire is fed into the binding wire twisting mechanism.

[0030] The binding wire twisting mechanism works by twisting the end of the binding wire while it is clamped, thereby twisting the ends of the binding wire together to tie the reinforcing bars. The configuration of the rebar tying machine 10 described above is just one example used in the assist mechanism 1 according to this embodiment, and it is also possible to use a rebar tying machine with a different configuration.

[0031] Next, we will explain the detailed configuration of the assist mechanism 1. Note that the explanation of the assist mechanism 1 will be given assuming it is being held by the worker M. The assist mechanism 1 comprises a base member 20 (first member), front and rear arm members 30 (second member), a ball joint 40 (connector), and upper and lower arm members 50 (third member).

[0032] The base member 20 is held by the body of the worker M. As shown in Figure 3(a), the base member 20 is a plate member with a substantially L-shape. The base member 20 has a first piece 21 and a second piece 22. The first piece 21 of the base member 20 is positioned with its longitudinal direction oriented in the vertical direction X3, and the second piece 22 is positioned with its longitudinal direction oriented in the front-rear direction X1. The rear end of the second piece 22 is integrally connected to the upper end of the first piece 21. A first rotation axis O1 (first horizontal axis) parallel to the left-right direction X2 is provided on the upper part of the first piece 21. The front and rear arm members 30 are supported on the first rotation axis O1 so as to be rotatable around the first rotation axis O1.

[0033] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the base member 20 includes a waist belt 25 that is held at the waist Ma of the body and a shoulder belt 26 that is held at the shoulder Mb of the body.

[0034] The waist belt 25 is fixed to the first piece 21 of the base member 20. The waist belt 25 is belt-shaped and is attached by wrapping it around the worker M's waist Ma. By attaching the waist belt 25 to the waist Ma, the base member 20 is held near the worker M's waist Ma. In other words, the position of the base member 20 is determined by the position of the waist belt 25 attached to the waist Ma.

[0035] The shoulder strap 26 is fixed to the first piece 21 of the base member 20. The shoulder strap 26 is a band and is attached by wrapping it diagonally around the worker M's shoulder Mb like a sash. By attaching the shoulder strap 26 to the shoulder Mb, the base member 20 is held near the worker M's waist Ma. By attaching the shoulder strap 26, the weight of the entire assist mechanism 1 with the rebar tying machine 10 attached is distributed across the entire body, reducing the load. Furthermore, the shoulder belt 26, being held by the worker M's body, also has the effect of preventing the base member 20 from rotating together with the spring member 27 when the spring member 27 (see Figure 3(b)), described later, extends upward due to the downward pressure on the front end 30a of the front and rear arm members 30.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the front and rear arm members 30 are rod-shaped members extending in the front-rear direction X1. The front and rear arm members 30 are supported on the base member 20 so as to be tiltable around a first rotation axis O1. The front and rear arm members 30 are provided with a rotating plate 31 near the rear end 30b, which is supported on the base member 20 so as to be rotatable around the first rotation axis O1. The rear end 30b of the front and rear arm members 30 protrudes rearward from the first rotation axis O1. The length of the front and rear arm members 30 is set so that the front end 30a is in front of the abdomen of the worker M.

[0037] A knuckle joint 32 is provided at the front end 30a of the front and rear arm members 30, coaxially with the second rotation axis O2 (second horizontal axis), which is parallel to the first rotation axis O1. The knuckle joint 32 connects the front and rear arm members 30 to the ball joint 40. The knuckle joint 32 rotates around the second rotation axis O2. The ball joint 40 is supported so as to be rotatable around the knuckle joint 32 (second rotation axis O2).

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 3(a) and (b), the base member 20 and the front and rear arm members 30 are connected by a spring member 27 (biasing member). The spring member 27 biases the front end of the front and rear arm members 30 upward. The spring member 27 is made of a tension spring or the like, with one end 27a fixed to the lower end 21a of the first piece 21 of the base member 20 and the other end 27b fixed to the rear end 30b of the front and rear arm members 30. The spring member 27 is located on the side opposite the front end 30a of the front and rear arm members 30, with the first rotation axis O1 in between.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3(a), the front and rear arm members 30 are held approximately horizontally in a neutral state (neutral position P1) where the spring member 27 is not biased. As shown in Figure 3(b), when the worker M pushes down the front end 30a of the front and rear arm members 30 to the pushed-down position P2, the rear end 30b of the front and rear arm members 30 moves upward against the biasing force of the spring member 27. Then, when the worker M returns the front and rear arm members 30 from the pushed-down position P2 to the neutral position P1, the biasing force of the spring member 27 assists in returning to the original neutral position P1, thereby reducing the pulling force (effort) required by the worker M.

[0040] The mounting position of the spring member 27 is not limited to the space between the rear end 30b of the front and rear arm members 30 and the lower end 21a of the base member 20. For example, it may be located between the front and rear arm members 30 in front of the knuckle joint 32 and the lower end 21a of the base member 20.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the ball joint 40 is fixed to the lower end 41a of the connecting member 41. The rear surface 41b of the connecting member 41 is rotatably supported by the knuckle joint 32. The connecting member 41 is rotatable around the second rotation axis O2 relative to the front end 30a of the front and rear arm members 30. In other words, the ball joint 40 fixed to the connecting member 41 can swing back and forth around the second rotation axis O2.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper and lower arm members 50 are rod-shaped members extending in the vertical direction X3. The upper and lower arm members 50 are rotatably connected at approximately the middle portion 50a in the longitudinal direction to a ball joint 40 provided at the lower end 41a of the connecting member 41. The upper and lower arm members 50, supported by the ball joint 40, are positioned with their longitudinal direction facing the vertical direction X3. The rebar tying machine 10 is detachably attached to the lower end 50b of the upper and lower arm members 50 via a fixing jig 51.

[0043] The upper part of the upper and lower arm members 50 is equipped with a rod-shaped handle 60 that extends in the left-right direction X2 and can be grasped by hand. The center of the handle 60 is fixed to the upper end of the upper and lower arm members 50. The handle 60 is positioned so that it can be easily operated by hand when a worker M wearing a waist belt 25 is in a natural standing position. In other words, the handle 60 allows the upper and lower arm members 50 to be operated to any desired position, and is intended to allow the worker M to move the position of the rebar tying machine 10 on the rebar R while remaining in a standing position. The worker M can adjust the position of the rebar tying machine 10 on the rebar R by holding the handle 60 while remaining in a standing position.

[0044] In this way, the assist mechanism 1 allows the upper and lower arm members 50 and the rebar tying machine 10 to be moved up and down, left and right, and forward and backward within a range where each member does not interfere with the other, relative to the base member 20 held by the worker M.

[0045] Next, a method for tying reinforcing bars R using the assist mechanism 1 of the foot-operated work device of this embodiment will be described. First, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, worker M attaches the waist belt 25 to his waist Ma and the shoulder belt 26 to his shoulder Mb, thereby holding the assist mechanism 1, to which the rebar tying machine 10 is pre-installed, to his body. At this time, the base member 20 is positioned at the worker M's waist Ma.

[0046] Worker M operates the handle 60 on the reinforcing bar R to align the reinforcing bar tying machine 10 with the reinforcing bar tying section Ra of the reinforcing bar R, and then operates the reinforcing bar tying machine 10 while standing using an operating member (not shown). This completes the tying of one reinforcing bar R at the reinforcing bar tying section Ra. By repeating this process, reinforcing bars R can be tied one after another.

[0047] Operator M grasps the handle 60 with his hand and, starting from a position where the rebar tying machine 10 is pressed against the rebar R from above, moves the upper and lower arm members 50 upward together with the handle 60 to hold the rebar tying machine 10 in a position where it is lifted away from the rebar R. At this time, the front and rear arm members 30 rotate upward around the first and second rotation axes O1 and O2, from a position where the front end 30a is below the second rotation axis O2 and angled downward toward the front. As shown in Figure 3(b), the front and rear arm members 30 are in a position where they are resisting the biasing force of the spring member 27 in the angled downward position (pressed down position P2). When the front and rear arm members 30 rotate upward from the pressed down position P2, they are assisted upward by the biasing force of the spring member 27 until they reach the neutral position P1. In other words, operator M can lift the rebar tying machine 10 to a position where it is lifted away from the rebar R without using much effort.

[0048] Next, the operation of the assist mechanism 1 of the rebar tying machine 10 described above will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The assist mechanism 1 for the rebar tying machine 10 according to this embodiment is designed to assist the operation of the rebar tying machine 10, which is used for working at the feet. The assist mechanism 1 comprises a base member 20 held by the body, front and rear arm members 30 extending in the front-rear direction X1 and supported so as to be tiltable relative to the base member 20 around a first rotation axis O1, a ball joint 40 provided at the front end 30a of the front and rear arm members 30 and rotatable around a second rotation axis O2 parallel to the first rotation axis O1, and upper and lower arm members 50 rotatably suspended and supported from the ball joint 40, with the rebar tying machine 10 attached to its lower part.

[0049] In the assist mechanism 1 of the rebar tying machine 10 according to this embodiment, the base member 20 is held by the body of the worker M, so the entire assist mechanism 1 with the rebar tying machine 10 attached can be held by the body. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front and rear arm members 30 can rotate and tilt around the first rotation axis O1 relative to the base member 20, so the upper and lower arm members 50 and the rebar tying machine 10, which are supported by the front and rear arm members 30 via ball joints 40, can be tilted together with the front and rear arm members 30 in the vertical direction X3.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper and lower arm members 50 are rotatably connected to the front and rear arm members 30 via ball joints 40 around a second rotation axis O2, and the upper and lower arm members 50 equipped with the rebar tying machine 10 are supported in a state where they are rotatably suspended from the ball joints 40. Therefore, even if the front and rear arm members 30 tilt in the vertical direction X3, the rebar tying machine 10 can be moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the work surface. That is, because the upper and lower arm members 50 and the rebar tying machine 10 are connected by ball joints 40, the rebar tying machine 10 can be lowered vertically toward the work surface, and furthermore, the orientation and position of the rebar tying machine 10 can be freely changed without changing the worker's standing posture toward the work surface.

[0051] In this embodiment, worker M can perform footwork by simply moving their arms while standing, without bending their waist or knees. This reduces physical strain and allows for prolonged footwork, thereby improving work efficiency and reducing the number of workers required.

[0052] Furthermore, in the assist mechanism 1 of the rebar tying machine 10 according to this embodiment, the rebar tying machine 10 is mounted on the lower part of the upper and lower arm members 50, and the worker M can move the rebar tying machine 10 to the desired position and orientation with a simple operation such as moving at least one of the front and rear arm members 30 and the upper and lower arm members 50. As a result, it becomes possible to perform the work with a certain level of efficiency, regardless of the skill level of the worker or differences in the worker's ability.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base member 20 and the front and rear arm members 30 are connected by a spring member 27. The spring member 27 biases the front end of the front and rear arm members 30 upward. With this configuration, the base member 20 and the front and rear arm members 30 are connected by a spring member 27 that biases the front end of the front and rear arm members 30 upward. As a result, the downward load acting on the upper and lower arm members 50 and the rebar tying machine 10, which are connected via a ball joint 40 at the front of the front and rear arm members 30, can be reduced on the worker M's body. In particular, the burden on the worker M's arms can be reduced.

[0054] In this embodiment, the base member 20 is equipped with a waist belt 25 that is held at the waist Ma of the body. By configuring it in this way, the entire load of the assist mechanism 1 equipped with the rebar tying machine 10 can be supported by the waist Ma, which is held by the waist belt 25 attached to the base member 20. This distributes the load across the entire body, reducing localized stress on the body.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base member 20 includes a shoulder belt 26 that is held by the shoulder Mb of the body. By configuring it in this way, the entire load of the assist mechanism 1 equipped with the rebar tying machine 10 can be supported by the shoulder Mb held by the shoulder belt 26 attached to the base member 20. This distributes the load across the entire body, reducing localized stress on the body.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper and lower arm members 50 are equipped with handles 60 that can be grasped by hand. With this configuration, the worker M can easily move the rebar tying machine 10 to the desired position by gripping and operating the handle 60.

[0057] As described above, the assist mechanism 1 of the rebar tying machine 10 according to this embodiment allows for easy work at the feet while maintaining a standing posture, reducing physical strain and improving work efficiency.

[0058] Although embodiments of the assist mechanism for the foot work device according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0059] For example, in this embodiment, a rebar tying machine 10 for tying reinforcing bars R at foot level is used as an example of a foot-level work device, but it is not limited to a rebar tying machine 10, and other equipment or tools may be attached to the assist mechanism 1. For example, other foot-level work devices that can be applied include a screw gun used for screwing wooden flooring materials, or a handheld stud welder used for welding stud bolts to steel materials. In short, the assist mechanism 1 can be a foot-level work device that can be used to assist the weight of heavy handheld tools or to assist tools for foot-level work in a standing position.

[0060] Furthermore, while the assist mechanism 1 of the foot-operated work device in the above embodiment employs a spring member 27 as a biasing member provided to reduce the weight of the rebar tying machine 10, etc., it is not limited to such a spring member 27. For example, a damper can be used instead of the spring member 27. The damper type may be gas type or spring type. Also, a mechanism to counteract the moment of the second member (front and rear arm members 30) may be built into the second member. Furthermore, the provision of a biasing member connecting the first and second members is not limited to this; the biasing member may be omitted.

[0061] Figure 4 shows the first modified example in which a torsion spring 28 is used as the biasing member. The torsion spring 28 is mounted coaxially to the first rotation axis O1 (first horizontal axis), with one end 28a supported by the first piece 21 of the base member 20 and the other end 28b supported by the front and rear arm members 30. The torsion spring 28 biases the front and rear arm members 30 so that they are in the neutral position P1. When the front and rear arm members 30 are moved to the down position P2, they are pushed down against the biasing force of the torsion spring 28.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base member 20 is configured to include a waist belt 25 and shoulder belts 26, but it may also be configured to include only one of them, or both the waist belt 25 and shoulder belts 26 may be omitted.

[0063] Furthermore, the shape, length, material, and other configurations of the base member 20, front and rear arm members 30, and upper and lower arm members 50 can be appropriately changed to match the weight, size, and other configurations of the rebar tying machine 10 used.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a connecting member 41 equipped with a ball joint 40 is connected to the front end 30a of the front and rear arm members 30 via a knuckle joint 32. However, the ball joint 40 may be directly connected to the knuckle joint 32.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper and lower arm members 50 are equipped with handles 60, but the shape and position of the handles 60 can be set as appropriate.

[0066] Figure 5 is a plan view of the main part of the assist mechanism 1A according to the second modification, viewed from above. The assist mechanism 1A according to the second modification is configured in which a rebar tying machine 10 (foot-operated work device) is attached to the handle 60 via upper and lower arm members 50 (third member) in a changed orientation. Here, the rod-shaped handle 60 extending in one direction has a handle shaft C1 extending in one direction. When the assist mechanism 1A is in use, the handle shaft C1 is horizontal to the worker's body and parallel to the left-right direction X2. The rebar tying machine 10 has a work motion axis C2 in the direction of work motion in the horizontal plane. That is, the work motion axis C2 coincides with the tying direction of the tying wire in the rebar tying machine 10.

[0067] In the assist mechanism 1A, the working axis C2 of the rebar tying machine 10 is set to have a yawing angle θ of 45° around the vertical axis (up and down direction X3) with respect to the handle axis C1. The worker grasps the handle 60 of the assist mechanism 1A in front of their body and performs the rebar tying work while moving along the direction of extension of the reinforcing bars R arranged in a vertical and horizontal grid. At this time, with the worker grasping the handle 60 with the handle axis C1 facing left and right in front of their body, the working axis C2 of the rebar tying machine 10 is positioned at a 45° angle to the intersections where the reinforcing bars intersect in a cross shape (rebar tying section Ra). Therefore, without changing the orientation of the assist mechanism 1A, the worker can efficiently tie the tying wires by pressing the rebar tying machine 10 against the rebar tying section Ra from above with the working axis C2 at a 45° angle. Furthermore, the yawing angle θ of the working axis C2 is not limited to 45°. In the second modified example, 45° is effective when the reinforcing bars R are formed in a grid pattern, but the yawing angle θ of the working axis C2 can be appropriately changed depending on the arrangement of the reinforcing bars.

[0068] Furthermore, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1. 1A Assist Mechanism 10. Rebar tying machine (foot-operated device) 20 Base member (first member) 25 Waist belt 26 Shoulder straps 27. Spring member (biasing member) 30 Front and rear arm members (second member) 32 Knuckle joint 40 Ball joints (connectors) 50 Upper and lower arm members (third member) 60 Handle M worker Ma waist Mb shoulder O1 First axis of rotation (first horizontal axis) O2 Second rotation axis (second horizontal axis) R-shaped rebar Ra Rebar Tying Section X1 Anteroposterior direction X2 Left / right direction X3 Vertical direction

Claims

1. A foot-operated work device for performing foot-operated work, and an assist mechanism for the foot-operated work device for assisting the work operation of the foot-operated work device, A first component held by the body, A second member extending in the front-rear direction and supported so as to be tiltable with respect to the first member about a first horizontal axis, A joint provided at the front end of the second member, which is rotatable around a second horizontal axis parallel to the first horizontal axis, A third member is rotatably suspended and supported from the aforementioned joint, and the foot-operated work device is attached to its lower part, An assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device, characterized by comprising the above.

2. The first member and the second member are connected by a biasing member. The assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member biases the front end of the second member upward.

3. The assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first member comprises a waist belt that is held at the waist of the body.

4. The assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device according to claim 3, wherein the first member comprises a shoulder belt that is held on the shoulder of the body.

5. The assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device according to claim 1, wherein the third member is provided with a handle that can be gripped by hand.

6. The handle has a handle shaft that extends in one direction, The foot-operated work device has a work motion axis in the direction of work motion within the horizontal plane, The assist mechanism for a foot-operated work device according to claim 5, wherein the working motion axis has an oblique yawing angle around the vertical axis with respect to the handle axis.

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