Assistive devices

Abstract

This assistance device comprises: a base; a support member for supporting the upper half of the body of a person to be assisted, the support member being provided so as to be capable of moving in the vertical direction with respect to the base; a knee support part for supporting, from the front, a knee of a lower leg part of the person to be assisted who is supported by the support member, and restricting lateral movement of the knee; and a shin support part for supporting, from the front, the shin of the lower leg part, the shin support part having a smaller lateral-direction width than the knee support part.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an assistance device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an assistance device that assists a person being assisted in standing up. The assistance device is positioned relative to the person being assisted, who is seated on a bed or a wheelchair, and moves the person being assisted from a sitting position to a standing position by raising a support member that supports the upper body of the person being assisted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 116472 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a demand for improved practicality of the assistance device by making it less likely to interfere with seat equipment having a seat surface, such as a wheelchair, etc. There is also a demand for improved stability of the assistance device, such as preventing it from falling over.

[0005] The present specification aims to provide an assistance device that can improve stability by suppressing the shift in the center of gravity of a person being assisted while suppressing interference with seat equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This specification discloses an assistance device comprising a base, a support member that is movable in an up and down direction relative to the base and supports the upper body of the person being assisted, a knee support section that supports the knee of the person being assisted's lower leg supported by the support member from the front and restricts left and right movement of the knee, and a shin support section that supports the shin of the lower leg from the front and has a left and right width smaller than that of the knee support section. Effect of the Invention

[0007] With this configuration, the left-right movement of the knees of the person being assisted is restricted, and the movement of the center of gravity of the person being assisted can be suppressed. In particular, the left-right position of the knees of the person being assisted in the standing position is fixed, thereby improving balance and stability. In addition, the left-right width of the shin support part is set smaller than the left-right width of the knee support part. This makes the shin support part located below the knee support part compact, and prevents interference with, for example, seat equipment. As a result, it becomes possible to get closer to the seat equipment, which improves the freedom of positioning with respect to the person being assisted, and improves the practicality of the assistance device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the care device according to the first embodiment, seen obliquely from below and behind. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the assistance device in a state in which it supports a person being assisted in a sitting position. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the assistance device in a state in which it supports a person being assisted in a standing position. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of the lower leg support pad seen diagonally from the front. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a lower leg support pad. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wheelchair with the assistance device approaching the wheelchair, seen from diagonally behind, with part of the wheelchair omitted. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the lower leg support pad. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the lower leg support pad. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of the lower leg support pad. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a fifth embodiment of the lower leg support pad. [Figure 11]11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the left pad portion and the right pad portion are shifted in the front-rear direction. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the care device according to the second embodiment, seen obliquely from behind. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12, in which other members are omitted except for the cover member and the lower leg support pad. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device and a controller of the assistance device. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a controller. [Figure 16] 4 is a flowchart showing a standby process after power is turned on. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] 1. First embodiment 1-1. Configuration of the assistance device 1 The configuration of the assistance device 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. The assistance device 1 assists a person being assisted M (see Fig. 2, etc.) seated on a seat device having a seat surface (e.g., a wheelchair 90) in standing up from a sitting position and in sitting down from a standing position to a sitting position. The seat device may include, in addition to the wheelchair 90, a general-purpose chair without wheels, a toilet, and a bed used for assistance.

[0010] 3, the assistance device 1 supports the upper body of the person being assisted M in a standing position, thereby assisting the transfer motion between a wheelchair 90 and a bed (not shown), for example. Furthermore, the assistance device 1 is used to assist the person being assisted M to move to a destination (for example, a wheelchair 90, a bed, or a toilet) by one assistant pulling the assistance device 1.

[0011] Incidentally, the "standing posture" refers to a posture in which the lower half of the assisted person M is standing. Thus, in this specification, the standing posture includes a posture of the assisted person M in which the buttocks are raised from a sitting posture to stand the lower half of the body and the upper half of the body leans forward, as shown in Fig. 3. In other words, assistance with the standing up motion is assistance with the motion of raising the buttocks of the assisted person M and leaning the upper half of the body forward to place the mass of the upper half of the body on the assistance device 1. Additionally, assistance with the sitting down motion is assistance with the motion of lowering the position of the buttocks of the assisted person M.

[0012] 1-1-1. Base 10 The assistance device 1 includes a base 10, as shown in Fig. 1. More specifically, the base 10 has a main body frame 11 that forms the main body. The main body frame 11 is mainly composed of a metal pipe member formed in a U-shape when viewed from above, and a plurality of auxiliary pipes that connect portions of the pipe member that extend in the front-rear direction on both the left and right sides. The base 10 has a support bracket 12 fixed to the main body frame 11. The support bracket 12 supports casters 15-17, which will be described later, and a drive unit 20.

[0013] The base 10 has a foot plate 13. The foot plate 13 is attached to the main frame 11 so that the upper surface is horizontal. Both feet of the person being assisted M are placed on the foot plate 13. The base 10 has front casters 15, middle casters 16, and rear casters 17, which are provided in pairs in the left and right directions at three different positions in the front-rear direction of the main frame 11.

[0014] The pair of front casters 15, the pair of middle casters 16, and the pair of rear casters 17 are each fixed to the main body frame 11 via the support brackets 12. In this embodiment, each of the casters 15-17 has a steering function for changing the direction of movement. This allows the care assistance device 1 to move not only forward and backward and change direction, but also sideways (moving straight to the side) and pivot (turning on the spot).

[0015] 1-1-2. Drive unit 20 and cover member 25 As shown in Fig. 2, the care assistance device 1 includes a driving device 20 that drives the support member 30. The driving device 20 has an arm 21 that connects the base 10 and the support member 30. The driving device 20 drives the arm 21 with an actuator 22 to move the support member 30 in the up-down and back-and-forth directions while tilting it. The driving device 20 drives the actuator 22 based on a command from a control device 71, which will be described later.

[0016] The care assistance device 1 includes a cover member 25 that covers at least the rear part of the arm 21 of the driving device 20. In this embodiment, the cover member 25 covers the rear part, the side part, and part of the front part of the arm 21. The cover member 25 is manufactured by resin molding or the like.

[0017] 1-1-3. Support member 30 and handle 35 As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the assistance apparatus 1 includes a support member 30. The support member 30 supports the upper body of the person being assisted M. The support member 30 is supported rotatably about a horizontal rotation axis relative to the arm 21 of the driving device 20. With the above-described configuration, the support member 30 is provided so as to be movable in the up-down direction relative to the base 10, and in this embodiment, is provided so as to be movable in the front-rear direction.

[0018] The support member 30 includes a torso support part 31 and a pair of armpit support parts 32. The torso support part 31 is formed in a planar shape similar to the torso shape of the person being assisted M. The torso support part 31 is formed of a material that is flexible and deformable. The support surface of the torso support part 31 comes into surface contact with the front of the torso of the upper half of the person being assisted M to support the torso from the front. More specifically, the support surface of the torso support part 31 supports the area of ​​the person being assisted M from the chest Mb to the abdomen.

[0019] The pair of side support parts 32 are supported by the torso support part 31 and support the sides of the person being assisted M. In detail, the pair of side support parts 32 are provided on the left and right sides of the torso support part 31. The side support parts 32 are supported by the torso support part 31 so as to be able to swing. The side support parts 32 are formed into an L shape by a rod-shaped member. The surface of the side support parts 32 is covered with a flexibly deformable material.

[0020] The care assistance device 1 includes a handle 35. The handle 35 is formed in a generally rectangular frame shape. The handle 35 is formed so as to extend in an upward and forward direction from the rear end of the driving device 20 arm. Side portions of the handle 35 are held by both hands of the person being assisted M. Furthermore, the side portions and the front portion of the handle 35 are held by the caregiver to move the care assistance device 1.

[0021] 1-1-4. Lower leg support device 40 The assistance device 1 includes a lower leg support device 40, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower leg support device 40 is provided on the base 10 and is a member against which the knees Mk and shins Mh of the person being assisted M, whose standing up motion is assisted, come into contact. The lower leg support device 40 is provided to stabilize the standing up motion and sitting down motion of the person being assisted M by determining the positions of the knees Mk and shins Mh of the person being assisted M. The lower leg support device 40 includes a support rod 41, a position adjustment unit 42, and a lower leg support pad 43, as shown in Fig. 4.

[0022] The support rod 41 is composed of a metal pipe member 411 formed in an L-shape when viewed from the side, and a plate 412 fixed to the tip of the part extending upward. A lower leg support pad 43 is provided on the plate 412. A plurality of pin holes 421 are formed in the part of the pipe member 411 extending forward at equal intervals in the front-rear direction and penetrating in the up-down direction.

[0023] The position adjustment unit 42 is capable of adjusting the position of the lower leg support pad 43 in the front-rear direction relative to the base 10. In this embodiment, the position adjustment unit 42 is composed of a plurality of pin holes 421 formed in the pipe member 411, a support pipe 422 provided on the base 10, and a fixing pin 423. The support pipe 422 is formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipe member 411. The support pipe 422 supports the pipe member 411 so that it can slide in the front-rear direction. In addition, the support pipe 422 is formed with a pin hole 422A that penetrates in the up-down direction.

[0024] The fixing pin 423 is inserted through the pin hole 422A of the support pipe 422 and the pin hole 421 of the support rod 41 to restrict the relative movement of the support rod 41 in the front-rear direction with respect to the support pipe 422. With this configuration, the position adjustment unit 42 can adjust the front-rear position of the lower leg support pad 43 provided on the support rod 41 in several stages by removing the fixing pin 423. Also, the position adjustment unit 42 positions the lower leg support pad 43 in the front-rear direction by setting the fixing pin 423.

[0025] The lower leg support pad 43 is a cushioning material extending in the left-right direction. The lower leg support pad 43 is covered with a protective cover made of, for example, cloth or leather. The lower leg support pad 43 supports at least one of the knee Mk and the shin Mh of the lower leg Mg of the person being assisted M supported by the support member 30. In this embodiment, the lower leg support pad 43 is attached to the base 10 in a replaceable manner. Specifically, one selected from a plurality of types of lower leg support pads 43 having different shapes corresponding to at least one of the physique and the level of assistance required of the person being assisted M is attached to the base 10. Details of replacement of the lower leg support pad 43 will be described later.

[0026] 1 to 5 as an example, the lower leg support pad 43 supports both the knee Mk and shin Mh of the lower leg Mg. This lower leg support pad 43 is composed of a knee support section 50 and a shin support section 60. The knee support section 50 supports, from the front, the knee Mk of the lower leg Mg of the person being assisted M supported by the support member 30. Here, the assistance device 1 used to assist the standing up movement is particularly required to have improved stability because the overall center of gravity becomes high when the person being assisted M is in a standing position.

[0027] Therefore, the assistance device 1 of this embodiment employs a knee support part 50 that restricts left-right movement of the knee Mk of the lower leg Mg of the person being assisted M supported by the support member 30 as in the standing position. With this configuration, left-right movement of the knee Mk of the person being assisted M riding on the assistance device 1 is restricted, and movement of the center of gravity of the person being assisted M can be suppressed. In particular, by determining the left-right position of the knee Mk of the person being assisted M in the standing position, the center of gravity of the entire device is maintained near the center of the assistance device 1 in the left-right direction. As a result, the overall balance is improved and stability can be improved.

[0028] Specifically, the knee support section 50 has a main body member 51 and a restricting member 52. The main body member 51 is formed in a flat shape and is fixed to the plate 412 of the support rod 41. The restricting member 52 is formed as a convex strip that protrudes in the normal direction from the support surface of the main body member 51 that contacts the knee Mk of the person being assisted M at both left and right ends of the main body member 51 and extends in the up and down direction. When the knee Mk of the person being assisted M that is in contact with or separated from the support surface of the main body member 51 moves outward in the left and right direction, the restricting member 52 comes into contact with it and restricts the movement of the knee Mk.

[0029] The shin support portion 60 supports the shin Mh of the lower leg Mg of the assisted person M supported by the support member 30 from the front. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the shin support portion 60 is integrally formed with the main body member 51 of the knee support portion 50 and has a support surface that extends downward from the support surface of the main body member 51. Thus, when the assisted person M is assisted in standing up or sitting down, and when maintaining a standing posture, in addition to the support member 30, the knee Mk and the shin Mh are supported by the lower leg support pad 43, so that the load is dispersed and the load on each part can be reduced. Further, the posture of the part below the knee Mk can be guided by the shin support portion 60, and a stable posture in the standing-up motion can be induced.

[0030] On the other hand, since the shin support portion 60 is located below the knee support portion 50, there is a concern about interference with a seat device such as a wheelchair 90. That is, if the support surface that contacts the shin Mh of the assisted person M in the shin support portion 60 is increased in the left-right direction, while the degree of freedom of the position where the shin Mh is applied increases, it becomes easier to interfere with other members such as the seat device. Then, there is a possibility that the assistance device 1 cannot be sufficiently close to the seat device or that the approach becomes difficult.

[0031] Therefore, the width of the shin support portion 60 of the assistance device 1 in this embodiment is formed to be smaller in the left-right direction than the knee support portion 50. Specifically, the width Wh in the left-right direction of the shin support portion 60 is smaller than the width Wk in the left-right direction of the knee support portion 50 (Wh < Wk). Further, in this embodiment, the outer edges in the left-right direction of the shin support portion 60 are located closer to the center than the regulating members 52 of the knee support portion 50. That is, on the premise that the movement of the knee Mk in the outer side in the left-right direction is regulated by the regulating member 52, the above-described configuration is adopted to support the shin Mh inside the regulating member 52.

[0032] The knee support section 50 and the shin support section 60 constituting the lower leg support pad 43 are each formed so as to be within a range that does not interfere with the seat equipment when the assistance device 1 is positioned for the person being assisted M seated on the seat equipment during assistance of a standing up motion. Here, the wheelchair 90, which is a type of seat equipment, has a pair of footrests 92 on which both legs of the person being assisted M can be placed. Each of the pair of footrests 92 is provided rotatably around an axis extending in the front-rear direction, and is folded up when not in use (see FIG. 6).

[0033] When the seat device is a wheelchair 90, the knee support portion 50 is positioned higher than the upper ends of the pair of footrests 92 in the folded state. Furthermore, the left-right width Wh of the shin support portion 60 is smaller than the left-right width of the pair of footrests 92 in the folded state. This allows the assistance device 1 to prevent interference between the shin support portion 60 and the footrests 92. As a result, as shown in Figure 2, the assistance device 1 can get close enough to the person being assisted M seated in the wheelchair 90, making it easier for the person to get on and off the assistance device 1 and improving the stability of the movement assistance.

[0034] Incidentally, in the assistance device 1 that assists the standing up movement by supporting the upper body with the support member 30, it is preferable from the viewpoint of increasing leg strength through rehabilitation that the person being assisted M maintains his / her posture to some extent by his / her own leg strength. When the lower leg Mg is supported by the lower leg support pad 43 in a standing posture, the posture of the part below the knee Mk is guided, so the appropriate positional relationship of the sole of the foot to the knee Mk affects the stability of maintaining the posture. Also, the range of motion of the ankle of the person being assisted M may be narrower than usual due to physical limitations, and it is therefore desirable to support the lower leg Mg in consideration of reducing the burden on the person being assisted M.

[0035] Therefore, the angle θg of the part of the lower leg support pad 43 that supports at least one of the knee Mk and the shin Mh of the lower leg Mg from the front over a predetermined vertical range with respect to the horizontal plane is set to a range of 65 degrees to 75 degrees. In this embodiment, the angle θg of the part of the lower leg support pad 43 that supports both the knee Mk and the shin Mh is set to about 70 degrees as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. For example, if the lower leg support pad 43 is larger than 75 degrees, there is a concern that the distance in the front-rear direction from the sole that supports the user's mass to the center of gravity of the body (around the waist) will be long. Also, if the lower leg support pad 43 is smaller than 65 degrees, there is a concern that the load applied by the upper body to the support member 30 will be large and that the ankle will need to be bent significantly.

[0036] In response to this, by setting the lower leg support pad 43 in the range of 65 degrees to 75 degrees, it is possible to stabilize the posture when transitioning from a sitting position to a standing position. Also, since the range of ankle bending during such a posture transition can be kept within the movable range, it is possible to reduce the burden on the person being assisted M. As a result, it is possible to increase leg strength through rehabilitation.

[0037] 1-1-5. Control device 71 and controller 80 The care assistance device 1 includes a control device 71 as shown in Fig. 14. The control device 71 controls the operation of the drive device 20. When the power is turned on by operating the power switch 72, the control device 71 executes a standby process to enable the drive device 20 to operate. When the standby process is executed, the care assistance device 1 becomes in a state in which it can accept operations to the controller 80.

[0038] The controller 80 described above accepts operations by the person being assisted M or the caregiver. As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the controller 80 is composed of, for example, a stand up button 81, a sit down button 82, and a battery level gauge 83. The stand up button 81 is a button that accepts a request for assistance in moving the support member 30 upward, i.e., in the standing up motion. The sit down button 82 is a button that accepts a request for assistance in moving the support member 30 downward, i.e., in the sitting down motion. The control device 71 controls the operation of the drive device 20 in response to operations on the controller 80.

[0039] The battery remaining capacity meter 83 is a display device that displays the remaining capacity of the battery, which is the power source that supplies power to the actuator 22 of the drive device 20. The control device 71 periodically detects the remaining capacity of the battery while the power is on. The battery remaining capacity meter 83 displays the detected remaining capacity of the battery, for example, in a plurality of stages. As an example, the battery remaining capacity meter 83 indicates the remaining capacity of the battery in four stages as shown in FIG. 15. The battery remaining capacity meter 83 may indicate the state of the battery by the display color or lighting pattern, or may indicate a specific numerical value (for example, "80%").

[0040] 1-2. Assistance with movement by the assistance device 1 2 and 3, the assistance of the standing up and sitting down movements by the assistance device 1 will be described. First, the assistance device 1 is moved backwards to approach the person being assisted M seated in the wheelchair 90, with the torso support part 31 of the support member 30 angled to face the chest Mb of the person being assisted M. At this time, the footrest 92 of the wheelchair 90 is in a pre-flip-up state. At this time, the knee support part 50 is positioned above the upper ends of the pair of footrests 92 in the folded state, and interference with the pair of footrests 92 is avoided (see FIG. 6).

[0041] Here, the width of the foot plate 13 in the left-right direction is set shorter than the left-right separation distance between a pair of front wheels 91 of the wheelchair 90. This allows the rear end of the foot plate 13 to move rearward through the inside of the pair of front wheels 91 of the wheelchair 90. The base 10 is positioned so that the rear end of the base 10 is located rearward of the front wheels 91 of the wheelchair 90, as shown in FIG. 2. Next, the person being assisted M places both feet on the foot plate 13 and brings the lower legs Mg into contact with the lower leg support pad 43.

[0042] More specifically, the knees Mk are in contact with the support surface of the main body member 51 of the knee support section 50, and are positioned inside the pair of restricting members 52. The shins Mh are in contact with the support surfaces of the shin supports 60. Furthermore, the person being assisted M leans his / her upper body forward so as to press the chest Mb against the torso support section 31. The person being assisted M also stretches both arms towards the handlebars 35, with both sides supported by the pair of armpit supports 32. This allows the person being assisted M to get on the assistance device 1 while remaining in a seated position.

[0043] Next, the drive device 20 is driven, and the support member 30 is moved upward and forward while tilting. This causes the person being assisted M to move from the sitting position shown in Fig. 2 to the standing position with both legs stretched as shown in Fig. 3. The assistance device 1 moves and turns while supporting the person being assisted M in the standing position, and assists the sitting motion at a position and angle according to the purpose. The assistance of the sitting motion is performed in the reverse order of the assistance of the standing motion described above, and therefore a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0044] In such a series of movements, the lower leg support pad 43 has the restricting member 52, which prevents the knee Mk of the person being assisted M from moving outward in the left-right direction of the lower leg support pad 43. This makes it possible to suppress fluctuations in the center of gravity position during each posture and during transitions between postures, thereby improving the stability of the movements.

[0045] Furthermore, since the lower leg support pad 43 has the shin support portion 60, the posture of the part of the person being assisted M below the knees Mk is guided by the shin support portion 60, and the person being assisted M can be guided to a stable posture when standing up and sitting down. Furthermore, the width Wh of the shin support portion 60 in the left-right direction is smaller than the width of the pair of footrests 92 in the folded state in the left-right direction. This allows the assistance device 1 to be sufficiently close to the wheelchair 90, making it easier to get on and off the assistance device 1 and improving the stability of the assistance.

[0046] Furthermore, by setting the angle of the support surface of the lower leg support pad 43 to the horizontal plane at about 70 degrees, the standing up and sitting down movements can be stabilized. Also, the range of ankle bending during the transition of the person being assisted M's posture during such movements can be kept within the movable range, so the burden on the person being assisted M can be reduced. As a result, leg strength can be increased through rehabilitation.

[0047] 1-3. Replacement structure of the lower leg support pad 43 As described above, the optimum angle and shape of the support surface of the lower leg support pad 43 of the lower leg support device 40 may differ depending on the physical limitations of the person being assisted M. In particular, in a care facility where people have different physiques and levels of assistance required, if the care device 1 is used by multiple people being assisted M, it is desirable to apply an appropriate lower leg support pad 43.

[0048] Therefore, in this embodiment, the assistance device 1 has one selected from a plurality of types of lower leg support pads 43 having different shapes corresponding to at least one of the physique and the level of assistance required of the person being assisted M attached to the base 10. The level of assistance required of the person being assisted M is determined based on the leg strength of the person being assisted M, the range of motion of joints such as the ankles and knees Mk, and the like.

[0049] In this embodiment, the lower leg support device 40 employs an exchange structure that utilizes the structure of the position adjustment unit 42, with the support rod 41 and the lower leg support pad 43 as a unit. In other words, the exchange structure allows the support rod 41 to be removed from the support pipe 422 with the fixing pin 423 of the position adjustment unit 42 removed. Below, the form of the lower leg support pad 43 that can be attached to the care apparatus 1 will be described.

[0050] The first embodiment of the lower leg support pad 43A has a knee support portion 50A and a shin support portion 60A, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The knee support portion 50A is composed of a main body member 51A and a pair of restricting members 52A. The shin support portion 60A is formed integrally with the main body member 51A and has the same support surface as the main body member 51. Details of this lower leg support pad 43A have already been explained, so they will not be repeated here.

[0051] 7, the second embodiment of the lower leg support pad 43B has a knee support portion 50B but does not have a shin support portion 60. The second embodiment of the lower leg support pad 43B is suitable for a person being assisted M who has a certain degree of leg strength and can maintain a standing posture without support of the shin Mh. Note that a space can be secured below the knee support portion 50B.

[0052] Here, depending on the level of assistance required by the person being assisted M, there may be differences in the leg strength of the left and right legs and the range of motion of the joints. Therefore, the lower leg support pad 43 may be required to have an asymmetric shape to deal with the above-mentioned circumstances. Therefore, the lower leg support pad 43C of the third embodiment and the lower leg support pad 43D of the fourth embodiment are arranged in pairs in the left and right directions of the base 10, and have a left pad part 45 and a right pad part 46 that can be independently adjusted in the front-rear direction positions relative to the base 10.

[0053] The left pad section 45C of the third embodiment of the lower leg support pad 43C is composed of one main body member 51C divided at the center in the left-right direction and one restricting member 52C as shown in Fig. 8. The right pad section 46C is composed of the other main body member 51C divided at the center in the left-right direction and the other restricting member 52C. The left pad section 45C and the right pad section 46C are adjusted to different positions in the front-rear direction by having their respective support rods 41 supported by support pipes 422 and positioned by fixing pins 423 (see Fig. 11).

[0054] As shown in Fig. 9, the left pad part 45D and the right pad part 46D of the lower leg support pad 43D of the fourth embodiment each have a knee support part 50D, but do not have a shin support part 60. As with the second embodiment, the lower leg support pad 43D of the fourth embodiment is suitable for a person being assisted M who has a certain degree of leg strength and can maintain a standing posture without support of the shins Mh. Note that a space can be secured below the knee support parts 50D.

[0055] The left pad portion 45 and the right pad portion 46 illustrated in the third and fourth embodiments are configured to be completely separated and have their opposing surfaces in contact with each other. In contrast, the left pad portion 45 and the right pad portion 46 may be configured to have sliders provided on their opposing surfaces that restrict their relative movement in the up-down direction and allow their relative movement in the front-rear direction.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 10, the fifth embodiment of the lower leg support pad 43E has a knee support part 50E in which two grooves extending in the vertical direction and parallel to each other are formed. Specifically, the two grooves are formed by two restricting members 52E each forming a groove bottom part 521 and a pair of groove side parts 522. By bringing the knee Mk of the assisted person M into contact with the groove bottom part 521, the left-right movement of the knee Mk is restricted, and the posture of the lower leg Mg is maintained.

[0057] As described above, the lower leg support device 40 allows the support rod 41 and the lower leg support pad 43 to be replaced as a unit. Alternatively, the lower leg support device 40 may have a configuration in which the support rod 41 and the position adjustment unit 42 are common members, and the lower leg support pad 43 is removable and replaceable from the plate 412 of the support rod 41.

[0058] 2. Second embodiment 2-1. Configuration of the second embodiment of the care assistance device 101 The configuration of the care device 101 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. The care device 101 of the second embodiment differs from the care device 1 of the first embodiment mainly in the configuration of the arm 21 and the actuator 22 of the drive device 120 in order to provide multiple functions. Accordingly, the care device 101 differs in the shape of the cover member 125 as shown in Fig. 12.

[0059] The cover member 125 is enlarged rearward compared to the cover member 25 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the lower leg support device 140 may have a restricted movable range that can be adjusted in the front-rear direction to prevent interference with the cover member 125. In contrast, the care device 101 of this embodiment employs a configuration that can sufficiently secure an adjustable movable range in the front-rear direction of the lower leg support pad 143 while preventing interference with the cover member 125. In addition, other configurations of the care device 101 are substantially similar to those of the care device 1 of the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description will be omitted.

[0060] The crus support pad 143 (crus support pad 43F of the fifth embodiment) has at least a knee support portion 150. The knee support portion 150 has a pair of restricting members 152 and a connecting member 153. As shown in FIG. 13, each of the pair of restricting members 152 is formed in a groove shape that opens rearward when viewed from above, and restricts the left-right movement of the knee Mk at the groove side portion 522. The connecting member 153 is disposed on the rear side of the cover member 125. The connecting member 153 connects the pair of restricting members 152 in a state in which the groove bottom portions 521 of the pair of restricting members 152 are disposed in front of the rear end 251 of the cover member 125.

[0061] With this configuration, the cover member 125 and the crus support pad 143 can be placed in a positional relationship where they overlap in the front-rear direction. This allows the front-rear position of the crus support pad 143 to be adjusted so as to move it further forward, ensuring a sufficient adjustable range of movement. In addition, the crus support pad 143 restricts the left-right movement of the knee Mk of the person being assisted M, suppressing the movement of the center of gravity of the person being assisted M. This determines the left-right position of the knee Mk of the person being assisted M, improving the overall stability.

[0062] 2-2. Regarding the lower leg support device 140 In this embodiment, the lower leg support device 140 has been described by way of example as having only the knee support part 150. In contrast, the lower leg support device 140 may be configured to further include a shin support part 60 that supports the shin Mh of the lower leg part Mg from the front, as in the first embodiment.

[0063] In this configuration, it is preferable that the left-right width Wk of the shin support part 60 is set smaller than the left-right width Wk of the knee support part 50. Furthermore, it is preferable that the left-right outer edge of the shin support part 60 is located closer to the left-right center of the base 10 than the inner surfaces of the two groove side parts 522 located on the left-right outer sides of the knee support part 150. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the size of the lower leg support device 140 and prevent interference with other equipment such as seat equipment.

[0064] 3. Third embodiment 3-1. Overview of the assistance device 1 The care assistance device 1 has a function of notifying the user that the power is ON when the power is turned on by operating the power switch 72. Specifically, the care assistance device 1 notifies the user that the power is ON by turning on a lamp built into the power switch 72. In addition, the care assistance device 1 notifies the user that the power is ON by, for example, displaying the remaining battery power on the battery remaining power gauge 83 of the controller 80.

[0065] When the power switch 72 is operated to turn on the care assistance device 1, the care assistance device 1 executes a standby process to make the drive device 20 operable. In this standby process, for example, detection of the remaining battery level, the operating state of the actuator 22, and loading of an operating program are executed, and it may take a certain time from the power-on. From the viewpoint of ensuring safety, the care assistance device 1 controls the controller 80 so that it does not perform a corresponding operation even if the controller 80 is operated before the standby process ends.

[0066] On the other hand, when a user operates the power switch 72 to turn on the power, the lamp of the power switch 72 lights up, and the remaining battery power is displayed on the battery level gauge 83 during the execution of the standby process, it is expected that the user will recognize that the controller 80 is available and perform an operation on the controller 80. However, in reality, the standby process is being executed, and the operation corresponding to the above operation will not be executed.

[0067] In this case, the user may mistakenly believe that some abnormality has occurred in the care device 1 because the support member 30 does not operate even though the button on the controller 80 is pressed. It is desirable for the care device 1 to display to the user after power is turned on that the standby process has ended and the device has entered a state in which it can accept operations on the controller 80, and to make the user aware that preparations are in progress before the display. Therefore, the care device 1 of this embodiment employs a configuration for displaying the transition to the standby state as follows.

[0068] 3-2. Configuration of the assistance device 1 As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 14, the care assistance device 1 includes a base 10, a driving device 20, a support member 30, and a display device. After the driving device 20 is powered on, the display device displays that the driving device 20 has transitioned to a standby state in which the driving device 20 can drive the support member 30. In this embodiment, the display device is a battery remaining amount gauge 83 of the controller 80, as shown in Fig. 15. The battery remaining amount gauge 83 as a display device can display the standby state in various ways.

[0069] In this embodiment, the battery remaining amount gauge 83 displays the remaining amount of the battery after the standby process ends and the drive device 20 transitions to a state in which it can accept operations on the controller 80 (i.e., the drive device 20 is in a standby state). At this time, the battery remaining amount gauge 83 may indicate that it is not in a standby state by turning off or blinking while the standby process is being performed, or by displaying a color different from the normal display.

[0070] 3-3. Standby processing after power-on The standby process after the power is turned on by the care assistance device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 16. The standby process is executed by the control device 71 when the power is turned on by operating the power switch 72. First, the power switch 72 lights up a built-in lamp to notify the user that the power has been turned on by the operation (S11).

[0071] Next, the control device 71 executes an initialization process (S12). Specifically, as the initialization process, the control device 71 appropriately detects the remaining battery power, checks the operating state of the actuator 22, reads the operating program, initializes the memory, and so on. At this time, even if the control device 71 detects the remaining battery power, it does not display it on the battery power gauge 83 of the controller 80. The battery power gauge 83 remains in an off state.

[0072] The control device 71 judges whether the initialization process is completed and the drive device 20 has transitioned to a standby state (S13). If the drive device 20 has not transitioned to a standby state (S13: No), the control device 71 continues to repeat the above judgment. Note that in this standby state, even if the stand-up button 81 of the controller 80 is pressed, the control device 71 does not accept a request for assistance with the stand-up action.

[0073] When the drive device 20 transitions to the standby state (S13: Yes), the control device 71 causes the battery remaining amount gauge 83 of the controller 80 to display the detected remaining amount of the battery (S14). As a result, the battery remaining amount gauge 83 displays an amount according to the remaining amount, and at the same time notifies the user that the device is in a state where it is possible to accept operations from the controller 80. The control device 71 ends the standby process.

[0074] According to the above-mentioned configuration, when the user first turns on the power switch 72, the built-in lamp lights up, so that the user can recognize that the power is on. Furthermore, since the battery remaining amount meter 83 remains off until the standby process is completed, the user can recognize that the drive device 20 will not operate even if the controller 80 is operated. Furthermore, since the battery remaining amount meter 83 lights up after the standby process is completed, the user can recognize that the operation on the controller 80 has caused the drive device 20 to enter a standby state in which it operates.

[0075] 3-4. Various aspects of the display device In this embodiment, the display device is configured as a battery remaining gauge 83. In contrast, the care assistance device 1 may be configured to include a dedicated display device for displaying whether or not the care assistance device 1 is in a standby state. This display device may be provided in the controller 80, or in a portion of the body of the care assistance device 1 that is visible to the user. Furthermore, the display device may be, for example, a lamp built into the power switch 72, which flashes when the power is turned on and the device is not in a standby state, lights up when the power is turned on and the device has transitioned to a standby state, and goes out when the power is turned off. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1,101: Assist device, 10: Base, 20,120: Drive device, 21: Arm, 22: Actuator, 25,125: Cover member, 251: Rear end (of cover member), 30: Support member, 40,140: Lower leg support device, 42: Position adjustment unit, 43,43A-43F,143: Lower leg support pad, 45,45C,45D: Left pad portion, 46,46C,46D: Right pad portion, 50,50A-50E,150: Knee support portion, 51,51A-51E: Main body member, 52,52A-52E,152: Restriction member, 521: Groove bottom portion, 522: Groove side portion, 153: Connecting member, 60,60A,60C: Shin support portion, 61: Outer edge, 71: Control device, 72: Power switch, 80: Controller, 83: Battery level gauge (display device), 90: Wheelchair (seat device), 91: (Pair of) front wheels, 92: Footrest, M: Person being assisted, Mb: Chest, Mg: Lower leg, Mk: Knee, Mh: Shin, Wk: Width (of knee support part), Wh: Width (of shin support part), θg: Angle (of supporting part)

Claims

1. The base and A support member that is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the base and supports the upper body of the person being assisted; a main body member having a support surface that supports the knee of the lower leg of the person being assisted from the front, the lower leg being supported by the support member, and a knee support portion having a restricting member that protrudes in a normal direction from the support surface of the main body member at both left and right ends of the main body member to restrict left and right movement of the knee; a shin support portion that supports the shin of the lower leg portion from the front with a planar support surface and has a left-right outer edge located closer to the center than the restricting member, so that the left-right width is smaller than that of the knee support portion; An assistance device comprising:

2. 2. The care device according to claim 1, wherein the knee support portion is formed in a groove shape that opens rearward when viewed from above, and includes a pair of restricting members at sides of the groove that restrict left-right movement of the knee.

3. The assistance device includes: an arm connecting the base and the support member; A cover member for covering at least a rear portion of the arm, 3. The assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the knee support portion is disposed on the rear side of the cover member and has a connecting member that connects the pair of regulating members, the pair of regulating members being disposed so that their groove bottoms are forward of the rear end of the cover member.

4. The base and A support member that is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the base and supports the upper body of the person being assisted; an arm connecting the base and the support member; a cover member for covering at least a rear portion of the arm; a knee support portion that supports the knee of the lower leg of the person being assisted supported by the support member from the front and restricts the left-right movement of the knee, The knee support portion includes: A pair of restricting members each having a groove shape that opens rearward when viewed from above and restricting left-right movement of the knee at a side of the groove; a connecting member that connects the pair of regulating members, the connecting member being disposed on the rear side of the cover member such that the groove bottoms of the pair of regulating members are disposed forward of the rear end of the cover member, The connecting member is an assistance device in which a front end of the connecting member is positioned rearward of front ends of the pair of regulating members.

5. The care device according to claim 4, further comprising a shin support portion that supports the shin of the lower leg from the front and has a width in the left-right direction smaller than that of the knee support portion.

6. The care device according to any one of claims 2 to 3 and 5, wherein the outer edge in the left-right direction of the shin support portion is located closer to the center in the left-right direction of the base than the inner surface of the groove side portion of the knee support portion.

7. The assistance device is used to assist a standing-up movement of the person being assisted who is seated on a seat device having a seat surface, The assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 5 and 6, wherein the knee support portion and the shin support portion are each formed so as to fall within a range that does not interfere with the seat equipment when the assistance device is positioned relative to the person being assisted seated on the seat equipment during assistance of the standing up movement.

8. The assistance device is used to assist the person being assisted who is seated in a wheelchair in standing up, the wheelchair has a pair of footrests on which the legs of the person being assisted can be placed, Each of the pair of footrests is rotatably provided around an axis extending in a front-rear direction, and is in a folded state in which it is lifted up when not in use; the knee support portion is located above the upper ends of the pair of footrests in the folded state, The care assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 7, wherein a width in the left-right direction of the shin support portion is smaller than a width in the left-right direction of the pair of footrests in the folded state.

9. The knee support portion and the shin support portion constitute a lower leg support pad, The lower leg support pad is replaceably attached to the base, The assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 5 to 8, wherein one selected from a plurality of types of lower leg support pads having different shapes corresponding to at least one of the physique and level of assistance required of the person being assisted is attached to the base.

10. The base and A support member that is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the base and supports the upper body of the person being assisted; a leg support pad for supporting at least one of the knee and the shin of the lower leg of the person being assisted supported by the support member; One of the plurality of types of lower leg support pads having different shapes corresponding to at least one of the physique and the level of assistance required of the person being assisted is attached to the base, The plurality of types of lower leg support pads include lower leg support pads formed integrally on the left and right sides and lower leg support pads formed separately on the left and right sides.

11. The care device according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising a position adjustment unit that enables adjustment of a position of the lower leg support pad relative to the base in a front-rear direction.

12. The assistance device described in Claim 11, wherein the lower leg support pads, which are formed separately on the left and right, are arranged in a pair on the left and right sides of the base, and have a left pad portion and a right pad portion whose positions in the fore-aft direction relative to the base can be independently adjusted.

13. The care device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the angle of the portion of the lower leg support pad that supports the shin from the front over a predetermined vertical range with respect to the horizontal plane is set in the range of 65 degrees to 75 degrees.

Images