Work support tools

Abstract

To provide a work support device that allows for comfortable lifting work and provides appropriate assistance during lifting operations. [Solution] The work support device 1 comprises a jacket 21 worn on the torso 4 of the worker 3, a space-forming member 23 that can be attached to the jacket 21, an attachment part 25 that can be attached to the wrist 9 of the worker 3, a belt 27 with one end attached to the attachment part 25, and a winding device 29 that connects the other end of the belt 27 and winds up the belt 27. The belt 27 crosses diagonally on the back of the jacket 21 41, rests on the shoulder 6 of the worker 3, and is attached to the attachment part 25. With this configuration, when lifting heavy objects, the belt 27 can be prevented from slipping off the shoulder 6, and work can be performed smoothly.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work support tool that assists an operator in manually lifting heavy objects. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, work support tools for assisting the work of lifting a heavy object up to around the operator's own abdomen when lifting the heavy object have been known. As such a work support tool, Patent Document 1 discloses a work support tool that is worn when an operator moves luggage or a patient or performs heavy labor such as production and processing of commodities, products and crops, for example, in a case where the operator works by raising an arm forward or keeping the arm forward in a posture such as bending forward, half-squatting or crouching, or in a posture with an extended back, or repeats the motion of standing up after bending, sitting down or twisting the waist. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-192719 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] However, the work support tool described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that an operator needs to wear an arm-back motion assisting jacket having an arm-back motion assisting tool and back-waist-knee motion assisting pants having a back-waist-knee motion assisting tool, which takes time and effort to put on. In addition, wearing the arm-back motion assisting jacket and the back-waist-knee motion assisting pants causes a problem that the operator's body gets stuffy. Furthermore, displacement or twisting of the belt may occur during lifting work, and as a result, the support force (assist force) of the work support tool may not be obtained.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a work support device that can perform lifting work comfortably and appropriately assist in lifting work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a means to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a work support device for assisting in the work of lifting heavy objects, comprising: an upper garment that can be attached to the torso of a worker; a pair of attachment parts that can be attached to the left and right wrists of the worker; a pair of belts, one end of which is connected to the pair of attachment parts; and a pair of winding devices attached to the back of the upper garment that can wind up the other ends of the pair of belts, wherein the pair of belts cross diagonally on the back of the garment, rest on the shoulders of the worker, are attached to the pair of attachment parts, and have space-forming members attached to the back of the garment facing the worker's back, forming a space between the worker's back and the back of the garment. According to the work support device described in this section, by attaching the space-forming member to the back of the back panel facing the worker's back, a space is formed between the back panel and the worker's back, improving ventilation and allowing for comfortable work. In addition, the pair of belts cross diagonally on the back panel side, rest on the worker's shoulders, and are attached to a pair of mounting points, so that the belts do not slip off the shoulders when lifting heavy objects, allowing for smooth work.

[0007] The invention described in claim 2 is the invention described in claim 1, wherein the space-forming member comprises a rectangular first attachment portion attached to the upper part of the back panel, a rectangular second attachment portion attached to the lower part of the back panel, and a space-forming portion located between the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion and integrally formed with the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion, wherein the space-forming portion is curved such that the side facing the back of the worker is concave, and has a first cross connecting the lower left part of the first attachment portion and the upper right part of the second attachment portion, and a second cross connecting the lower right part of the first attachment portion and the upper left part of the second attachment portion. According to the work support device described in this section, by attaching the rectangular first attachment part to the upper part of the back of the garment, the first attachment part is held by the back of the garment and the entire shoulder area of ​​the worker. On the other hand, by attaching the rectangular second attachment part to the lower part of the back of the garment, the second attachment part is held by the back of the garment and the waist area of ​​the worker. This allows the position of the space-forming member to be fixed, improving work stability. Furthermore, since the space-forming member is curved so that the side facing the worker's back is concave, the back of the garment does not come into contact with the worker's back, improving breathability and suppressing stuffiness.

[0008] The invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 2, wherein one of the pair of belts is arranged along the first cross and the other of the pair of belts is arranged along the second cross. According to the work support device described in this section, since the first cross and second cross of the space-forming member are formed to intersect diagonally in a cross shape, each belt pulled out from the pair of left and right winding devices is positioned along the first cross and the second cross, thereby smoothly guiding the belt 27 along the first cross and the second cross, preventing twisting and displacement of the belt 27. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present invention provides a work support device that allows for comfortable lifting work and provides appropriate support during lifting operations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a work support device according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the device attached. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a side view showing the work support device attached. [Figure 3] This is a rear view of the device shown in Figure 1, with the work support device attached. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a front view of the work support device shown. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a side view of the work support device shown. [Figure 6] Figure 4 is a rear view of the work support device shown. [Figure 7] Figure 6 shows the spatial forming member of the work support tool, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a side view. [Figure 8] These are other arrangement diagrams of the belt pulled out from the winding device, (a) the first arrangement diagram and (b) the second arrangement diagram. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The configuration of a work support device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a work support device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is for assisting and supporting a worker 3 in lifting or holding heavy objects (not shown) with their hands 8, and comprises a jacket 21 worn on the torso 4 of the worker 3, a space-forming member 23 that can be attached to the jacket 21, a mounting part 25 that can be attached to the wrist 9 of the worker 3, a belt 27 with one end attached to the mounting part 25, a winding device 29 that connects the other end of the belt 27 and winds up the belt 27, and a leg belt 31 that can be attached to the thigh 10 of the worker 3.

[0012] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the upper garment 21 is a mesh vest and comprises a back panel 41 that covers the back of the torso 4, left and right shoulder straps 43L and 43R integrally formed with the back panel 41 that rest on the shoulders of the worker 3, a waist belt 45 integrally formed with the back panel 41 that wraps around the waist 7 of the worker 3, and a connecting belt 47 that connects the shoulder straps 43L and 43R to the waist belt 45.

[0013] The back panel 41 has pocket-shaped upper and lower storage sections 49 and 51 on its inner surface (the surface facing the worker's back 5) for housing the space-forming member 23 (see Figures 3 and 6). The back panel 41 also has a case 53 on its outer surface that covers the worker's waist 7 (the surface opposite to the surface facing the worker's back 5) for housing the winding device 29. The case 53 is provided with a slit-shaped hole (not shown) through which the belt 27 pulled out from the winding device 29 can slide.

[0014] The left and right shoulder straps 43L and 43R are shoulder straps that extend from the shoulders 6 of the worker 3 to near the armpits, and have a chest strap 55 to prevent the left and right shoulder straps 43L and 43R from opening outwards from the torso 4 during lifting work. The left and right shoulder straps 43L and 43R also have attachment parts 59, 59 for attaching to an anti-slip device 57 that prevents the belt 27 from slipping off the shoulders 6. The attachment parts 59, 59 maintain the state in which the belt 27 is placed on the shoulders 6 of the worker 3 and also have the function of allowing the belt 27 to slide through. The anti-slip device 57 has a wedge shape that becomes thicker from one end to the other, and has the function of protecting the shoulders 6 from the belt 27, and the sliding surface with the belt 27 is rounded.

[0015] The waist belt 45 is a double-layered tightening belt comprising a main belt 61 for wrapping around and tightening the waist 7 of the worker 3, and an auxiliary belt 63 for further tightening the waist 7. The main belt 61 consists of a left main belt 61L integrally provided on the lower left side of the back panel 41, and a right main belt 61R integrally provided on the lower right side of the back panel 41. The left main belt 61L and the right main belt 61R are provided with hook-and-loop fasteners (not shown) for fastening to each other. The auxiliary belt 63 consists of a left waist tightening belt 63L with one end fixed to the left main belt 61L, and a right waist tightening belt 63R with one end fixed to the right main belt 61R. The other ends of the left waist tightening belt 63L and the right waist tightening belt 63R are provided with hook-and-loop fasteners (not shown) for fastening to the main belt 61.

[0016] The connection belt 47 consists of a left connection belt 47L that connects the left shoulder portion 43L and the left main body belt 61L, and a right connection belt 47R that connects the right shoulder portion 43R and the right main body belt 61R. The left connection belt 47L and the right connection belt 47R are each provided with an adjustment unit 65 capable of adjusting the belt length according to the physique of the worker 3 (only the right side is shown in Fig. 5).

[0017] As shown in Fig. 7, the space forming member 23 is formed as an integral structure by deforming a single wire into a predetermined shape, and is configured to form a space 33 (see Fig. 2) between the back 5 of the worker 3 and the jacket 21, and guide the belt 27 when the belt 27 is pulled out and retracted. The space forming member 23 includes an upper frame portion 67 (a first attachment portion), a lower frame portion 69 (a second attachment portion), and a space forming portion 71 connecting the upper frame portion 67 and the lower frame portion 69. The upper frame portion 67 has a horizontally long rectangular shape in front view, and is accommodated in the upper accommodating portion 49 when the space forming member 23 is attached to the back body 41 (see Fig. 3). The lower frame portion 69 has a horizontally long rectangular shape in front view, and is accommodated in the lower accommodating portion 51 when the space forming member 23 is attached to the back body 41 (see Fig. 3). The height dimension of the lower frame portion 69 is set to be larger than the height dimension of the upper frame portion 67. The space forming portion 71 has an X-shape in front view and is curved such that the side facing the back 5 of the worker 3 is a concave side, and includes a first cross portion 73 connecting the lower left part of the upper frame portion 67 and the upper right part of the lower frame portion 69, and a second cross portion 75 connecting the lower right part of the upper frame portion 67 and the upper left part of the lower frame portion 69.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, the attachment portion 25 is a wrist band that can be attached to the wrist 9 of the worker 3, and includes a cylindrical body portion 77 that can be fitted onto the wrist 9, and an attachment portion 79 for attaching one end of the belt 27. The attachment portion 79 is provided on the outer side surface of the cylindrical body portion 77 that is located on the thumb and index finger side (the side far from the waist 7 of the worker 3) when viewed from the center. Note that the position of the attachment portion 79 may be other positions as long as it does not interfere with the lifting of heavy objects.

[0019] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the winding device 29 is a known automatic locking belt winding device that locks one end of the belt 27 at any position when it is pulled out to a desired length, and moves only in the winding direction, preventing it from being pulled out any further. A pair of left and right winding devices 29L and 29R are installed diagonally inside the case 53 of the jacket 21, spaced apart from each other, so that the belt 27 follows the first cross 73 and second cross 75 of the space forming section 71.

[0020] The belts 27, 27 pulled out from the pair of left and right winding devices 29L, 29R, as shown in Figures 4 to 6, intersect diagonally along the outer edges of the first cross 73 and second cross 75 of the space-forming member 23 on the back of the upper garment 21 41, rest on the shoulder 6 of the worker 3, and are attached to the left and right attachment parts 25L, 25R. Specifically, the belt 27 pulled out from the left winding device 29L is guided along the second cross 75 of the space-forming member 23, rests on the shoulder 6 (right shoulder) over the slip-prevention device 57 of the right shoulder strap part 43R, turns there and extends forward and downward, connecting to the attachment part 25R attached to the right wrist 9R. Furthermore, the belt 27 pulled out from the winding device 29R on the right side is guided along the first cross 73 of the space forming member 23, and is placed over the shoulder portion 6 (left shoulder) over the anti-slip device 57 of the left shoulder portion 43L, where it turns and extends forward and downward, connecting to the attachment portion 25L attached to the left wrist 9L.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the leg belts 31 prevent the upper garment 21 from riding up during lifting work and are connected to the back of the garment 41 via a connecting belt 81.

[0022] Next, a method of using the work support tool 1 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. First, the upper frame portion 67 and lower frame portion 69 of the space-forming member 23 are placed in the upper storage portion 49 and lower storage portion 51 of the back body 41 of the jacket 21. At this time, the space-forming member 23 is attached to the back body 41 so that the concave side of the space-forming portion 71 of the space-forming member 23 faces the back 5 of the worker 3.

[0023] Then, worker 3 puts on the jacket 21 and leg belts 31, and connects the back of the jacket 21 41 to the leg belts 31 via the connecting belt 81. After that, the main belt 61 of the waist belt 45 of the jacket 21 is wrapped around worker 3's waist 7, and the chest strap 55 is attached to the chest 11. Furthermore, after wrapping the main belt 61 around the waist 7, the auxiliary belt 63 is wrapped around the waist 7 as well.

[0024] Then, the attachment parts 25L and 25R are attached to the left and right wrists 9L and 9R of the worker 3, and the left and right wrists 9L and 9R are lowered to any height in order to extend the belt 27 to the optimal extension length for gripping heavy objects. After that, the belt 27 is extended to the optimal position, and the movement of the left and right wrists 9L and 9R is stopped, at which point the extension of the belt 27 is locked by the winding device 29, and the belt 27 is held at the optimal length for gripping heavy objects. As a result, when the worker 3 is gripping a heavy object with their hands 8, the belt 27 that is resting on the shoulders 6 supports the heavy object, distributing the weight not only to the arms but also to the shoulders 6 and waist 7. Consequently, by simply raising or moving the upper body of the worker 3 while maintaining this suspended state, the work of lifting and holding heavy objects can be performed more easily.

[0025] During the lifting operation, the worker 3 can change the position of their wrists 9L and 9R by raising them to any desired height while still holding the heavy object. The left and right winding devices 29L and 29R will then automatically rewind the wrists by the amount they were raised (i.e., shortening the length of the belt 27), thus changing the position of the wrists 9. On the other hand, to extend the length of the belt 27, the lock is released by rewinding the belt 27 by a predetermined amount from the locked position, allowing the belt 27 to be pulled out again. By pulling the belt 27 to any desired position, the belt 27 can be extended.

[0026] When the lifting operation is complete, worker 3 raises both wrists 9L, 9R to the desired height, rewinds the belt 27 and adjusts its position as needed, and detaches the attachment parts 25L, 25R from both wrists 9L, 9R. Then, the belt 27 is automatically rewound by the left and right rewinding devices 29L, 29R, and the rewinding of the belt 27 stops when the attachment parts 25 connected to the belt 27 catch on the mounting parts 59, 59. Finally, the lifting operation is completed by removing the jacket 21.

[0027] Based on the above, the work support tool 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will have the following effects. With worker 3 wearing the work support device 1, the belt 27 can be appropriately pulled out from the left and right winding devices 29L and 29R and fixed in the appropriate position. This allows at least a portion of the load on worker 3's arms or hands 8 to be transferred to the torso 4 through the belt 27 and winding devices 29 when lifting or holding heavy objects with hands 8, thereby reducing the burden on worker 3 and supporting lifting work.

[0028] Furthermore, because a double-layered waist belt 45 is wrapped around the waist 7 of the worker 3, when assisting with tasks such as lifting or holding heavy objects, the reaction force applied to the winding device 29 can be widely distributed from the waist belt 45 to the waist 7 and its surroundings, thereby reducing the load on the waist 7. In addition, the waist belt 45 provides moderate compression to the abdomen, which increases intra-abdominal pressure and contributes to reducing the burden on the lumbar spine.

[0029] When the space-forming member 23 is attached to the back panel 41 of the jacket 21, the rectangular upper frame portion 67 is housed in the upper storage portion 49 of the back panel 41, so the upper frame portion 67 is held by the back panel 41 and the entire shoulder portion 6 of the worker 3. On the other hand, the rectangular lower frame portion 69 is housed in the lower storage portion 51 of the back panel 41, so the lower frame portion 69 is held by the back panel 41 and the waist portion 7 of the worker 3. As a result, the position of the space-forming member 23 is fixed, preventing the back panel 41 from sliding up during lifting work and improving stability during work.

[0030] Since the first cross 73 and second cross 75 of the space-forming member 23 are formed to intersect diagonally in a cross shape, the belt 27 pulled out from the pair of left and right winding devices 29L and 29R is positioned to follow the first cross 73 and second cross 75. As a result, the belt 27 is guided along the first cross 73 and second cross 75, preventing twisting and displacement of the belt 27, and allowing for comfortable lifting work.

[0031] Since the space-forming portion 71 of the space-forming member 23 is curved so that the side facing the worker's back 5 is concave, when the space-forming member 23 is attached to the jacket 21, a space 33 is created between the space-forming member 23 and the back 5. As a result, the jacket 21 does not stick to the back 5, ventilation is improved, the rise in the worker's body temperature can be suppressed, and the worker can work comfortably.

[0032] Since anti-slip devices 57 are attached to the left and right shoulder straps 43L and 43R of the jacket 21 to prevent the belt 27 from slipping off the shoulders, the belt 27 can be prevented from slipping off the shoulders 6 when lifting or holding heavy objects, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0033] Since the leg belts 31 are connected to the back panel 41 of the jacket 21, it is possible to prevent the jacket 21 from riding up when lifting heavy objects, and the jacket 21 can be worn properly. Furthermore, in combination with the prevention of the jacket 21 riding up by fixing the position of the space-forming member 23, the jacket 21 is prevented from riding up even more effectively, and the pair of left and right winding devices 29L and 29R can be fixed in the appropriate position. As a result, the pulling out and winding of the belt 27 becomes stable.

[0034] In addition, according to the work support tool 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, each belt 27 pulled out from the left and right winding devices 29L and 29R is guided along the outer edges of the first cross 73 and second cross 75 of the space forming member 23. However, as shown in Figure 8(a), each belt 27 may be guided along the first cross 73 and second cross 75, or as shown in Figure 8(b), it may be guided along the inner edges of the first cross 73 and second cross 75. With this configuration, smooth sliding of each belt 27 can be maintained, and the first cross 73 and second cross 75 can properly guide the belt 27, preventing twisting and misalignment of the belt 27.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the work support tool 1 of one embodiment of the present invention, the space-forming portion 71 of the space-forming member 23 consists of a first cross 73 and a second cross 75 that intersect diagonally in a cross shape when viewed from the front. Alternatively, the shape may be such that it intersects diagonally in a cross shape when viewed from the front. For example, a V-shaped bend may be provided at the lower part of the upper frame portion 67 and an inverted V-shaped bend may be provided at the upper part of the lower frame portion 69, and these bends may be joined to form a cross section that intersects diagonally. Alternatively, a pair of bends (a V-shaped and an inverted V-shaped bend) that are bent inward in a convex shape may be provided between the upper frame portion 67 and the lower frame portion 69, and these bends may be joined to form a cross section that intersects diagonally. With such a configuration, the belt 27 can be smoothly guided to be pulled out and wound up along the cross section, and twisting and displacement of the belt 27 can be prevented.

[0036] According to the work support tool 1 of one embodiment of the present invention, the space forming member 23 is formed as an integral structure by deforming a single wire into a predetermined shape. However, for example, it may be a divided structure with upper and lower sections separated at the cross portion of the cross section 71, or the space forming member 23 may be divided into left and right sections to form a divided structure with left and right sections.

[0037] According to the work support device 1 of one embodiment of the present invention, the leg belt 31 is connected to the back body 41 via a belt with a connector 81, but the connection structure may be a non-detachable structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1...Work support tool, 3...Worker, 4...Torso, 5...Back, 6...Shoulder, 9...Wrist, 21...Jacket, 23...Space-forming member, 25...Attachment part, 27...Belt, 29...Winding device, 33...Space, 41...Back of the body

Claims

1. A work support device that assists in lifting heavy objects, A jacket that can be attached to the worker's torso, A pair of attachment parts that can be attached to the left and right wrists of the worker, A pair of belts, one end of which is connected to a pair of mounting parts, The garment comprises a pair of winding devices attached to the back of the garment, capable of winding up the other ends of the pair of belts, The pair of belts cross diagonally on the back of the garment, rest on the shoulders of the worker, and are attached to the pair of mounting parts. A work support device characterized by having a space-forming member attached to the back of the back garment facing the worker's back, which forms a space between the worker's back and the back garment.

2. The space-forming member comprises a rectangular first attachment portion attached to the upper part of the back panel, a rectangular second attachment portion attached to the lower part of the back panel, and a position located between the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion. It comprises a space forming portion formed integrally with the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion, The work support device according to claim 1, characterized in that the space forming portion is curved such that the side facing the worker's back is concave, and has a first cross connecting the lower left portion of the first mounting portion and the upper right portion of the second mounting portion, and a second cross connecting the lower right portion of the first mounting portion and the upper left portion of the second mounting portion.

3. The work support device according to claim 2, characterized in that one of the pair of belts is arranged along the first cross, and the other of the pair of belts is arranged along the second cross.

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