Walker

Abstract

To provide a walker whose width can be adjusted and which can be folded. [Solution] The device comprises a pair of side frames 20, a first connecting portion 40 and a second connecting portion 60, the side frames 20 comprising front legs 21, rear legs 22 and front-rear connecting portions 23, the front-rear connecting portions 23 having handles 25, the first connecting portion 40 connecting a pair of front legs 21 aligned in the left-right direction and being extendable in the left-right direction, the second connecting portion 60 connecting a pair of front-rear connecting portions 23 aligned in the left-right direction and being extendable in the left-right direction, the side frames 20 are rotatably attached to the first connecting portion 40, the second connecting portion 60 being extendable in the left-right direction in conjunction with the rotation of the side frames 20 relative to the first connecting portion 40, and the second connecting portion 60 having a button for fixing the extension and contraction of the second connecting portion 60 in the left-right direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a walker. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional walker for assisting a user in walking is described in Patent Document 1 below. The walker described in Patent Document 1 has four legs and a pair of left and right grips. By gripping the pair of grips, the user can walk while supporting their own body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 3075015 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The width (length in the left-right direction) of the above-mentioned walkers is fixed. Therefore, there is a demand for a walker whose width can be adjusted according to the user's physique. There is also a demand for a walker that can be folded when not in use to save space.

[0005] The technology disclosed in this specification was developed based on the above circumstances, and aims to provide a walker that can be adjusted in width and folded. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a means for solving the above problems, the present specification discloses a walker comprising a pair of side frames aligned in the left-right direction, a first connecting part connecting the pair of side frames to each other, and a second connecting part connecting the pair of side frames to each other, wherein the side frames comprise front legs that are elongated and extend in the up-down direction, rear legs that are elongated and extend in the up-down direction and are disposed behind the front legs, and a front-rear connecting part connecting the front legs to the rear legs, wherein the front-rear connecting part is provided with a grip part, and the first connecting part is a pair of side frames aligned in the left-right direction. The first connecting portion connects a pair of the front legs together and is configured to be expandable and contractable in the left-right direction, the second connecting portion connects a pair of the front and rear connecting portions that are aligned in the left-right direction and is configured to be expandable and contractable in the left-right direction, the side frame is attached to the first connecting portion so that it can rotate relative to the front legs as a rotation axis, the second connecting portion is configured to expand and contract in the left-right direction in conjunction with the rotation of the side frame relative to the first connecting portion, and the second connecting portion is provided with a fixing portion that fixes the expansion and contraction in the left-right direction of the second connecting portion.

[0007] The length between the pair of side frames (the width of the walker) can be changed by extending and retracting the first and second connecting portions in the left-right direction. The side frames can also be rotated around the front legs. Therefore, by rotating the side frames inward in the left-right direction, the side frames can be transformed from a use state in which they extend along the front-to-rear direction to a storage state in which they extend along the left-to-right direction. This allows the walker to be folded to reduce its length in the front-to-rear direction when not in use. The second connecting portion also extends and retracts in the left-to-right direction in conjunction with the rotation of the side frames relative to the first connecting portion. Therefore, by fixing the extension and retraction of the second connecting portion with the fixing portion, the rotation of the side frames can be restricted. In other words, rotation of the side frames can be prevented when the walker is in use.

[0008] The second connecting portion includes a pair of pipes extending in the left-right direction, and a first opening is formed at one end of one of the pair of pipes through which a portion of the other pipe is inserted into the inside of the one pipe. When the other pipe is displaced relative to the first pipe, the second connecting portion expands and contracts in the left-right direction. A second opening is formed at the end of the one pipe opposite the other pipe, and the second opening can be closed by a cover member.

[0009] By combining a pair of pipes, the second connecting section can be configured to be extendable and retractable. Furthermore, by covering the second opening with a cover member, it is possible to prevent foreign objects from entering the pipes through the second opening. Furthermore, when the cover member is removed from the second opening, a tool can be inserted through the second opening. Thus, during the manufacturing process of the second connecting section, the inner surface of one pipe can be polished by inserting a tool through the second opening. This reduces friction between the inner surface of one pipe and the other pipe, allowing the other pipe to be reliably displaced relative to the first pipe, thereby reliably extending and retracting the second connecting section. Because the second opening is formed at the end of one pipe opposite the other pipe, inserting a tool (such as a reamer) through the second opening allows the inner surface around this end to be reliably polished. This reliably prevents the other pipe from getting caught on the inner surface around this end, allowing the second connecting section to be shorter. In the above configuration, when the side frame is rotated inward in the left-right direction, the second connecting portion shortens in conjunction with the rotation of the side frame. With the above configuration, the second connecting portion can be made shorter, allowing the side frame to rotate a greater amount, enabling it to be folded more reliably. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a walker that can be adjusted in width and folded can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a walker according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front; [Figure 2] Enlarged view of the left-hand side connection area in Figure 1 [Figure 3] A perspective view of the walker from the rear [Figure 4] A perspective view of the walker with the left side frame folded down. [Figure 5] A perspective view showing the walker with both side frames folded (stored state) [Figure 6] Front view of the walker [Figure 7] Plan view of the walker from above (storage state) [Figure 8] Plan view of the walker with the left side frame folded down [Figure 9] A plan view showing the walker with both side frames folded (stored state) [Figure 10] A cross-sectional view showing the left end of the second connecting portion (corresponding to the view cut along line XX in Figure 6). [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the first connecting part (corresponding to the view cut along line XI-XI in Figure 3) [Figure 12] Cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the second connecting part (corresponding to the view cut along line XII-XII in Figure 3) [Figure 13] A cross-sectional view showing a configuration in which the connecting portion between the pipe and the extension portion is R-shaped. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. As shown in FIG. 1, a walker 10 according to this embodiment includes a pair of side frames 20, 20 aligned laterally, a first connector 40 connecting the pair of side frames 20, 20, and a second connector 60 connecting the pair of side frames 20, 20. In the following description, the direction of travel of a user 11 (see FIG. 6) walking using the walker 10 is referred to as the front, and the opposite side of the direction of travel is referred to as the rear. In the following description, the right side refers to the right side relative to the user's direction of travel, and the left side refers to the left side relative to the user's direction of travel. In some of the drawings, the symbols F, B, L, R, U, and D are used to indicate directions, representing the front, rear, left side, right side, upper side, and lower side, respectively. Each component of the walker 10 is primarily made of, for example, metal pipes.

[0013] The side frames 20 are components (side components) that constitute the sides of the walker 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the side frames 20 include longitudinal front legs 21 extending vertically, longitudinal rear legs 22 extending vertically and disposed behind the front legs 21, a front-rear connector 23 that connects the front legs 21 and the rear legs 22, and a lower connector 24 that connects the front legs 21 and the rear legs 22. A grip 25 that can be held by the user 11 is provided at a longitudinal intermediate portion of the front-rear connector 23. The grip 25 is made of, for example, a soft material (such as foamed resin or synthetic rubber). As shown in FIG. 6, the user 11 can walk while supporting his or her body by gripping the pair of left and right grips 25.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1 , the front-rear connecting portion 23 is configured to connect the upper end of the front leg 21 with the upper end of the rear leg 22. As a result, the front leg 21, the rear leg 22, and the front-rear connecting portion 23 form a U-shape that opens downward. The upper part of the front leg 21, the upper part of the rear leg 22, and the front-rear connecting portion 23 are formed by bending a single pipe. As a result, the connection portion between the front-rear connecting portion 23 and the front leg 21 and the connection portion between the front-rear connecting portion 23 and the rear leg 22 each form an R-shape.

[0015] The lower ends 21A, 22A of the front legs 21 and the rear legs 22 contact the ground. The lower ends 21A of the front legs 21 are made of a pipe separate from the upper ends of the front legs 21. By pressing a button 21B (see FIG. 3) provided on the lower ends 21A, the user can displace the lower ends 21A relative to the upper ends of the front legs 21, thereby changing the length of the front legs 21 in multiple steps. The lower ends 22A of the rear legs 22 are made of a pipe separate from the upper ends of the rear legs 22. By pressing a button 22B (see FIG. 1) provided on the lower ends 22A, the user can displace the lower ends 22A relative to the upper ends of the rear legs 22, thereby changing the length of the rear legs 22 in multiple steps. This allows the height of the walker 10 to be adjusted by adjusting the lengths of the front legs 21 and the rear legs 22.

[0016] 1, the lower connecting portion 24 is disposed below the front-rear connecting portion 23. The lower connecting portion 24 is configured to connect the intermediate portions in the longitudinal direction of the front leg portion 21 and the rear leg portion 22. Similar to the front-rear connecting portion 23, the lower connecting portion 24 is provided with a grip portion 25.

[0017] The first connecting portion 40 connects a pair of front legs 21, 21 aligned in the left-right direction and is configured to be extendable and contractible in the left-right direction. As shown in Fig. 1, the first connecting portion 40 includes an upper connecting portion 41 extending in the left-right direction, a lower connecting portion 42 extending in the left-right direction and disposed below the upper connecting portion 41, a pair of side end portions 43, 43 aligned in the left-right direction, and two upper and lower connecting portions 45, 45 connecting the upper connecting portion 41 and the lower connecting portion 42.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the upper connecting part 41 includes a pair of pipes 41R, 41L extending in the left-right direction. The right end of the pipe 41R is connected to the right side end part 43. The left end of the pipe 41L is connected to the left side end part 43. As shown in FIG. 11, an opening 41A that opens to the right is formed at the right end of the pipe 41L. The left part of the pipe 41R is inserted into the pipe 41L through the opening 41A of the pipe 41L. As a result, the upper connecting part 41 can expand and contract in the left-right direction by displacing the pipe 41R relative to the pipe 41L.

[0019] A plurality of through-holes 47L (four in this embodiment) are formed in the rear wall of the pipe 41L and aligned in the left-right direction. A single through-hole 47R is formed in the rear wall of the pipe 41R. A torsion coil spring 48 is disposed inside the pipe 41R. A button 46 is attached to one end of the torsion coil spring 48 to be pressed by the user. The other end of the torsion coil spring 48 abuts against the inner surface of the pipe 41R.

[0020] Button 46 is configured to protrude to the outside of pipe 41R through through-hole 47R. Thus, by inserting button 46 into one of the four through-holes 47L, displacement of pipe 41R relative to pipe 41L is restricted, and extension and contraction of upper connecting portion 41 is fixed. In other words, by inserting button 46 into one of the four through-holes 47L, the length of upper connecting portion 41 (and therefore first connecting portion 40) can be adjusted in four stages.

[0021] When the button 46 is inserted through both the through-holes 47R and 47L, its protruding end is exposed to the outside of the pipe 41L. When a user presses the button 46, the button 46 enters the inside of the pipe 41L and comes out of the through-hole 47L. This releases the extension / retraction lock provided by the button 46, allowing the upper connecting part 41 to extend or retract. The button 46 is also biased outward from the pipe 41R by the torsion coil spring 48. As a result, when the button 46, which is disposed inside the pipe 41L, moves to the position of the through-hole 47L, the button 46 is displaced outward and inserted into the through-hole 47L. The protruding end surface of the button 46 is also curved.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the lower connecting part 42 includes a pair of pipes 42R, 42L extending in the left-right direction. The right end of the pipe 42R is connected to the right side end part 43. The left end of the pipe 42L is connected to the left side end part 43. Like the pipe 41L, the pipe 42L has an opening on the right side, and the left portion of the pipe 42R is inserted into the pipe 42L through that opening. As a result, the lower connecting part 42 can expand and contract in the left-right direction by displacing the pipe 42R relative to the pipe 42L.

[0023] The right-side vertical connecting part 45 is a pipe that connects the pipes 41R and 42R, and the left-side vertical connecting part 45 is a pipe that connects the pipes 41L and 42L. The first connecting part 40 can be extended and retracted in the left-right direction by extending and retracting both the upper connecting part 41 and the lower connecting part 42.

[0024] The side end portion 43 is a pipe that opens on both the top and bottom sides, and the front leg portion 21 is inserted into the side end portion 43. As a result, the side frame 20 is attached to the first connecting portion 40 so that it can rotate around the front leg portion 21 as a rotation axis. The upper connecting portion 41 and the lower connecting portion 42 have a shape that bulges out toward the front. This makes it possible to prevent interference with the side frame 20 when the side frame 20 is rotated inward in the left-right direction, and allows the side frame 20 to rotate by a larger amount.

[0025] 1, the second connecting portion 60 connects a pair of front and rear connecting portions 23, 23 that are aligned in the left-right direction and is configured to be expandable and contractible in the left-right direction. The second connecting portion 60 includes a main body portion 61 that extends in the left-right direction and a pair of connecting portions 62, 62 that are provided at both ends of the main body portion 61 and connect the main body portion 61 to the front and rear connecting portions 23.

[0026] The main body 61 includes a pair of pipes 61R, 61L extending in the left-right direction. The right end of the pipe 61R is connected to the right connector 62. The left end of the pipe 61L is connected to the left connector 62. As shown in FIG. 12, a first opening 61A opening to the right is formed at the right end (one end) of the pipe 61L (one of the pair of pipes). A left portion of the pipe 61R (a part of the other pipe) is inserted into the pipe 61L through the first opening 61A. As the pipe 61R moves relative to the pipe 61L, the main body 61, and therefore the second connecting portion 60, expands and contracts in the left-right direction (extension direction). As shown in FIG. 10, a second opening 61B opening to the left is formed at the end (left end) of the pipe 61L opposite the pipe 61R. A cover member 63 is inserted into the second opening 61B. As a result, the second opening 61B is closed by the cover member 63.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the connection portion 62 includes an extension portion 62A extending rearward from the main body portion 61, and an extension portion 62B attached perpendicular to the extension portion 62A and extending in the up-down direction. The extension portion 62A is joined to the main body portion 61 (more specifically, the pipe 61L or 61R) by welding. The extension portion 62B is rotatably attached to the front-rear connecting portion 23 via a hinge pin 65 provided on the front-rear connecting portion 23. This allows the second connecting portion 60 to rotate at its longitudinal end (connection portion 62) relative to the front-rear connecting portion 23 around the hinge pin 65 as a rotation axis. Therefore, the second connecting portion 60 is configured to expand and contract in the left-right direction (extension direction) in conjunction with the rotation of the side frame 20 relative to the first connecting portion 40. In addition, a tubular member 69 protruding downward from the front-rear connecting portion 23 is interposed between the extension portion 62B and the front-rear connecting portion 23, and the hinge pin 65 is arranged to penetrate the front-rear connecting portion 23, the tubular member 69, the extension portion 62B, and the extension portion 62A in the vertical direction.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 12, the second connecting portion 60 is provided with a button 66 (fixing portion) that fixes the extension and contraction of the second connecting portion 60 (more specifically, the main body portion 61) in the left-right direction (extension direction). A plurality of (four in the figure) through-holes 67L aligned in the left-right direction are formed through the rear wall portion of the pipe 61L. A single through-hole 67R is formed through the rear wall portion of the pipe 61R. A torsion coil spring 68 is disposed inside the pipe 61R. The button 66 is attached to one end of the torsion coil spring 68. The other end of the torsion coil spring 68 abuts against the inner surface of the pipe 61R.

[0029] The button 66 is configured to protrude to the outside of the pipe 61R through the through-hole 67R. Thus, by inserting the button 66 into one of the four through-holes 67L, the displacement of the pipe 61R relative to the pipe 61L is restricted, and the extension and contraction of the second connecting part 60 is restricted. In other words, by inserting the button 66 into one of the four through-holes 67L, the length of the second connecting part 60 can be adjusted in four stages.

[0030] When the button 66 is inserted through both the through-holes 67R and 67L, its protruding end is exposed to the outside of the pipe 61L. When a user presses the button 66, the button 66 enters the inside of the pipe 61L and comes out of the through-hole 67L. This releases the extension / retraction lock provided by the button 66, allowing the second connecting part 60 to extend or retract. The button 66 is also biased outward from the pipe 61R by the torsion coil spring 68. As a result, when the button 66, which is disposed inside the pipe 61L, moves to the position of the through-hole 67L, the button 66 is displaced outward and inserted into the through-hole 67L. The protruding end surface of the button 66 is also curved.

[0031] As described above, the second connecting portion 60 is configured to expand and contract in the left-right direction in conjunction with the rotation of the side frame 20 relative to the first connecting portion 40. Therefore, when the expansion and contraction of the second connecting portion 60 is restricted by the button 66 (when the button 66 is inserted into both of the through-holes 67R, 67L), the rotation of the side frame 20 about the front leg 21 as the rotation axis is restricted.

[0032] In the walker 10, the length between the pair of side frames 20, 20 (the width of the walker 10) can be changed by extending and contracting the first connecting portion 40 and the second connecting portion 60 in the left-right direction. As described above, in this embodiment, the lengths of the first connecting portion 40 and the second connecting portion 60 can be adjusted in four stages. Therefore, the width of the walker 10 can be adjusted in four stages.

[0033] The walker 10 can be folded by rotating the pair of side frames 20, 20. This allows the walker 10 to be transformed from the use state (see FIGS. 1 and 7) to the storage state (see FIGS. 5 and 9). To fold the pair of side frames 20, 20, the user presses a button 66 provided on the second connecting portion 60 to release the extension / retraction lock of the second connecting portion 60 by the button 66. In this state, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, one side frame 20 (the left side in the figures) is rotated inward in the left-right direction around the left front leg 21 as the rotation axis. In other words, the side frame 20 is rotated so as to approach the first connecting portion 40. The front / rear connecting portion 23 is connected to the second connecting portion 60 via a hinge pin 65. Therefore, as the hinge pin 65 is displaced inward in the left-right direction in conjunction with the rotation of the side frame 20, the length of the second connecting portion 60 is shortened as shown in FIG. 8. 5 and 9, the other (right) side frame 20 is rotated inward in the left-right direction around the right front leg 21 as a rotation axis. In conjunction with this rotation, the length of the second connecting part 60 is further shortened. In this way, as shown in FIG. 5, the pair of side frames 20, 20 can be placed in a position extending in the left-right direction, and the length of the walker 10 in the front-to-rear direction can be reduced.

[0034] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. The walker 10 of this embodiment comprises a pair of side frames 20, 20 arranged side by side in the left-right direction, a first connecting part 40 connecting the pair of side frames 20, 20 together, and a second connecting part 60 connecting the pair of side frames 20, 20 together. The side frames 20 comprise front legs 21 that are elongated and extend in the vertical direction, rear legs 22 that are elongated and extend in the vertical direction and are arranged behind the front legs 21, and a front-rear connecting part 23 that connects the front legs 21 and the rear legs 22. The front-rear connecting part 23 is provided with a grip part 25. The first connecting part 40 is a pair of side frames 20, 20 arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The first connecting part 40 connects a pair of front legs 21, 21 together and is extendable and contractable in the left-right direction, and the second connecting part 60 connects a pair of front and rear connecting parts 23, 23 that are lined up in the left-right direction and is extendable and contractable in the left-right direction. The side frame 20 is attached to the first connecting part 40 so that it can rotate around the front leg 21 as the rotation axis, and the second connecting part 60 expands and contracts in the left-right direction in conjunction with the rotation of the side frame 20 relative to the first connecting part 40, and the second connecting part 60 is provided with a button 66 (fixing part) that fixes the extension and contraction of the second connecting part 60 in the left-right direction.

[0035] The length between the pair of side frames 20, 20 (the width of the walker 10) can be changed by extending and retracting the first connecting portion 40 and the second connecting portion 60 in the left-right direction. The side frame 20 can also be rotated around the front leg 21. Therefore, by rotating the side frame 20 inward in the left-right direction, the side frame 20 can be transformed from a use state (see FIG. 7 ) in which it extends along the front-rear direction to a storage state (see FIG. 9 ) in which it extends along the left-rear direction. This allows the walker 10 to be folded to reduce its length in the front-rear direction when not in use. The second connecting portion 60 also extends and retracts in the left-right direction in conjunction with the rotation of the side frame 20 relative to the first connecting portion 40. Therefore, by fixing the extension and retraction of the second connecting portion 60 with the button 66, the rotation of the side frame 20 can be restricted. In other words, rotation of the side frame 20 can be prevented when the walker 10 is in use.

[0036] The second connecting portion 60 also has a pair of pipes 61R, 61L extending in the left-right direction, and a part of the pipe 61R (the other pipe) is inserted into the inside of the pipe 61L (one of the pair of pipes) through a first opening 61A formed at one end of the pipe 61L (one of the pair of pipes). When the pipe 61R is displaced relative to the pipe 61L, the second connecting portion 60 expands and contracts in the left-right direction. A second opening 61B is formed at the end of the pipe 61L opposite the pipe 61R, and the second opening 61B is closed by a cover member 63.

[0037] By combining the pair of pipes 61R, 61L, the second connecting part 60 can be configured to be extendable and retractable. Furthermore, by closing the second opening 61B with the cover member 63, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the pipe 61L through the second opening 61B. Furthermore, when the cover member 63 is removed from the second opening 61B, a tool can be inserted through the second opening 61B. As a result, during the manufacturing process of the second connecting part 60, the inner surface of the pipe 61L can be polished by inserting a tool through the second opening 61B. This reduces friction generated between the inner surface of the pipe 61L and the pipe 61R, allowing the pipe 61R to be reliably displaced relative to the pipe 61L, thereby allowing the second connecting part 60 to be reliably extendable and retractable.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 10 , the second opening 61B is formed at the end 64L of the pipe 61L opposite the pipe 61R. Therefore, by inserting a tool (e.g., a reamer) through the second opening 61B, the inner surface 64A of the pipe 61L around the end 64L can be reliably polished. This reliably prevents the pipe 61R from getting caught on the inner surface 64A around the end 64L, allowing the second connecting portion 60 to be shortened. With the above configuration, when the side frame 20 is rotated inward in the left-right direction, the second connecting portion 60 shortens in conjunction with the rotation of the side frame 20. With the above configuration, the second connecting portion 60 can be shortened, allowing the side frame 20 to rotate a greater amount and fold more reliably. In particular, in this embodiment, the extension portion 62A of the connection portion 62 is welded to the pipe 61L, and therefore, a protrusion may be formed on the inner surface 64A of the pipe 61L due to the welding. By inserting a tool through the second opening 61B, such a protrusion can be easily removed.

[0039] 10, in the second connecting portion 60, the pipe 61L and the extension portion 62 constituting the main body 61 are separate members, and the two members are arranged perpendicular to each other. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13, the pipe 161L and the extension portion 162A constituting the second connecting portion 160 may be formed by bending a single pipe. However, when the pipe 161L and the extension portion 162A are formed by bending a single pipe, the connection portion 169 between the pipe 161L and the extension portion 162A has an R-shape. In this case, the pipe 61R inserted into the pipe 161L interferes with the inner surface of the R-shaped connection portion 169, as shown in FIG. 13, and therefore cannot enter the connection portion 169 any further. Therefore, the pipe 61R cannot be inserted any further (displaced to the left). In contrast, in this embodiment, by forming the pipe 61L and the extension portion 62 as separate members, the pipe 61R can be inserted deeper since it does not have an R-shaped connecting portion. In FIG. 13, in a configuration in which the pipe 61L and the extension portion 62 are separate members, the pipe 61R is shown by a two-dot chain line (symbol 61D) in a state in which it is inserted most deeply into the pipe 61L. In other words, by forming the pipe 61L and the extension portion 62 as separate members, the pipe 61R can be inserted deeper by X1 in FIG. 13 compared to a configuration in which the pipe 61L has an R-shaped connecting portion 169. This allows the second connecting portion 60 to be shortened, allowing the side frame 20 to rotate a greater amount, thereby enabling more reliable folding.

[0040] As described above, the width of the walker 10 can be adjusted in four stages. In the walker 10, the pair of side frames 20, 20 can be folded in the state where the width is set to the smallest (the state shown in Figures 6 to 8). When the minimum length between the pair of connecting portions 62, 62 of the second connecting portion 60 when removed from the walker 10 is L1, and the length in the left-right direction between the pair of hinge pins 65, 65 when both side frames 20, 20 are folded (see Figure 9), L2 is set so that length L1 is shorter than length L2. This allows the second connecting portion 60 to be sufficiently contracted during the process of folding the side frames 20, 20, so that the side frames 20, 20 can be folded reliably.

[0041] <Other embodiments> The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included in the technical scope. (1) In the above embodiment, the first connecting portion includes the upper connecting portion 41 and the lower connecting portion 42, but the first connecting portion may not include the lower connecting portion 42. (2) In the above embodiment, the length of each of the first and second connecting parts 40 and 60 (and thus the width of the walker 10) can be adjusted in four stages, but the number of stages is not limited to this. The length of each of the first and second connecting parts 40 and 60 may be configured to be adjustable in stages other than four (for example, three stages or five stages). In other words, the number of through holes 47L and through holes 67L formed is not limited to four and can be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10...walker, 20...side frame, 21...front leg portion, 22...rear leg portion, 23...front / rear connecting portion, 25...gripping portion, 40...first connecting portion, 60...second connecting portion, 61A...first opening, 61B...second opening, 61L...pipe (one of a pair of pipes), 61R...pipe (the other pipe), 63...lid member, 66...button (fixing portion)

Claims

1. A pair of side frames aligned in the left and right direction, a first connecting portion that connects the pair of side frames to each other; a second connecting portion that connects the pair of side frames to each other, The side frame is a longitudinal front leg extending in the vertical direction; a rear leg portion having a longitudinal shape extending in the vertical direction and disposed behind the front leg portion; a front-rear connecting portion that connects the front leg portion and the rear leg portion, The front and rear connecting portions are provided with grip portions, the first connecting portion connects the pair of front leg portions aligned in the left-right direction and is extendable and contractible in the left-right direction; the second connecting portion is configured to connect the pair of front and rear connecting portions arranged in the left-right direction to each other and to be expandable and contractible in the left-right direction, the side frame is attached to the first connecting portion so as to be rotatable with the front leg portion as a rotation axis, The second connecting portion is configured to expand and contract in the left-right direction in conjunction with the rotation of the side frame relative to the first connecting portion, A walker, wherein the second connecting portion is provided with a fixing portion that fixes the expansion and contraction of the second connecting portion in the left-right direction.

2. the second connecting portion includes a pair of pipes extending along the left-right direction, a first opening formed at one end of one of the pair of pipes, through which a portion of the other pipe is inserted into the one pipe; When the other pipe is displaced relative to the one pipe, the second connecting portion expands and contracts in the left-right direction, a second opening is formed in the end of the one pipe opposite to the other pipe, The walker according to claim 1 , wherein the second opening is closed by a cover member.

Images