Body support device

Abstract

To improve productivity and isotropy, while securing durability and appropriate flexibility despite of being lightweight by forming a support member of a body support device from a carbon material.SOLUTION: A body support device 100 includes a first frame 10 along a right thigh 91, a second frame 20 along a right crus 92, a grounding part 30 corresponding to a right foot 93, a first rotational part 40 for rotationally connecting the first frame 10 and the second frame 20, a second rotational part 50 for rotationally connecting the second frame 20 and the grounding part 30, and leg support members 1 attached to the first and second frames 10 and 20 and having curved parts 62 and 72 along the circumference of a right leg 90. The leg support members 2 are moldings including laminated bodies formed by randomly laminating chopped strand prepregs formed by impregnating carbon fiber strands in which carbon fibers are arranged in one direction, with thermoplastic resin and cutting them into small pieces, and have high rigidity parts 65 and 75 having the thickness more than twice as thick as the normal wall thickness.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a body support apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a body support device having a first support part attached to the back of the wearer's thigh, a second support part attached to the wearer's shin, a ground contact part located near the wearer's foot, a first rotation part rotatably connecting the first support part and the second support part, and a second rotation part rotatably connecting the second support part and the ground contact part. The first support part and the second support part are made of a carbon material, and it is intended that the first support part and the second support part are configured to be lightweight yet strong and flexible. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] WO2017 / 110929 publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As the carbon material (carbon fiber composite material), it is generally considered to use a carbon fiber fabric made of continuous carbon fibers. The carbon fiber fabric has excellent strength in the extension direction of the fibers, but has poor strength in other directions and is not isotropic. In addition, the carbon fiber fabric has poor formability, cannot be formed into complex shapes, and has a slow forming speed, which causes productivity problems. Therefore, there is room for further improvement of the body support device of Patent Document 1 from the viewpoint of improving isotropy and productivity while forming the first support part and the second support part using a carbon material.

[0005] The present invention aims to form the support members of a body support device from a carbon material, thereby ensuring lightweight durability and appropriate flexibility, while also improving productivity and isotropy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to A first frame extending along a thigh of a wearer; A second frame extending along the lower leg of the wearer; A ground contact portion located corresponding to the wearer's foot; a first rotation portion that rotatably connects the first frame and the second frame; a second pivot portion that pivotally connects the second frame and the grounding portion; a leg support member attached to the first frame or the second frame and having a curved portion extending along a circumference of the wearer's leg; Equipped with The leg support member is A molded article including a laminate in which chopped strand prepregs are randomly laminated, the chopped strand prepregs being formed by impregnating a carbon fiber strand having carbon fibers aligned in one direction with a thermoplastic resin and cutting the strand into small pieces, It has a high rigidity section that is more than twice as thick as the general thickness. And, The leg support member is A mounting portion that is continuous with an end of the curved portion and is attached to the first frame or the second frame; A protruding portion protruding from the curved portion toward the upper body side of the wearer; and When a virtual line connecting a load input portion of the leg support member that receives the highest load from the wearer among the edge portion of the protruding portion on the upper body side and a foot side end portion of the curved portion that is located on the foot side of the wearer at the boundary with the attached portion is taken as an upper body side portion of the curved portion and the protruding portion that is located on the upper body side, The high rigidity portion is configured over substantially the entire upper body portion. The present invention provides a body support device.

[0007] According to the present invention, the leg support member is composed of a molded body including a laminate in which chopped strand prepregs are randomly laminated, the chopped strand prepregs being made by impregnating carbon fiber strands in which carbon fibers are aligned in one direction with a thermoplastic resin and cutting the strands into small pieces. In other words, the leg support member has discontinuous carbon fibers randomly arranged, so that it is easy to increase isotropy and stabilize physical properties while using carbon fibers.

[0008] Here, a laminate containing discontinuous carbon fibers generally has inferior strength and tends to bend more than a carbon fiber fabric containing continuous carbon fibers. However, the laminate has superior moldability compared to a carbon fiber fabric, so that the laminate can be integrally molded by, for example, press molding using carbon fibers to form a general thick portion and a high rigidity portion. Therefore, the rigidity of the leg support member is increased by the high rigidity portion, so that durability and appropriate flexibility can be ensured.

[0009] It is also possible to form the leg support member by injection molding a material containing discontinuous carbon fibers. However, in this case, the discontinuous carbon fibers obtained by press molding a randomly laminated sheet-like member as in the present invention cannot be maintained in a state of being randomly arranged on a two-dimensional plane, and isotropy is reduced.

[0010] Therefore, by molding the leg support member to have a high rigidity portion from a laminate containing discontinuous carbon fibers, it is possible to ensure durability and moderate flexibility while maintaining a lightweight structure, while further improving productivity and isotropy. In addition, the leg support member deforms with the load input portion of the protruding portion as the force point and the attached portion side as the fulcrum, but since the protruding portion is located closer to the upper body than the attached portion, deformation is likely to be particularly large in the upper body portion. By making the upper body side portion of the leg support member, which is more likely to deform, thicker than the foot side portion as in this configuration, the rigidity of the leg support member can be efficiently increased to resist the load applied by the wearer. Therefore, compared to when the overall thickness of the leg support member is increased, the rigidity can be efficiently improved while suppressing increases in weight and cost.

[0011] The high rigidity portion may be formed such that, when a displacement X (cm) relative to a load F (N) applied by a wearer is expressed by the formula F=kX using an elastic coefficient k (N / cm) for the leg support member, the elastic coefficient k is 1000 (N / cm) or more and 2000 (N / cm) or less.

[0012] According to this configuration, the leg support member has flexibility such that the elastic coefficient k is 1000 N / cm or more and 2000 N / cm or less, so that it can be moderately flexed while preventing excessive distortion in response to the load applied by the wearer, providing a good fit to the wearer's legs.

[0013] If the elastic modulus k is less than 1000 N / cm, the leg support member is likely to be excessively distorted and broken. If the elastic modulus k exceeds 2000 N / cm, the leg support member will not be flexible enough, and will not easily deform to follow the movement of the wearer's legs and will not fit well. Therefore, by forming the high rigidity portion so that the leg support member has an appropriate elastic modulus k, it is possible to ensure good fit and durability of the leg support member.

[0017] Also, this Another aspect of the invention is A first frame extending along a thigh of a wearer; A second frame extending along the lower leg of the wearer; A ground contact portion located corresponding to the wearer's foot; a first rotation portion that rotatably connects the first frame and the second frame; a second pivot portion that pivotally connects the second frame and the grounding portion; a leg support member attached to the first frame or the second frame and having a curved portion extending along a circumference of the wearer's leg; Equipped with The leg support member is A molded article including a laminate in which chopped strand prepregs are randomly laminated, the chopped strand prepregs being formed by impregnating a carbon fiber strand having carbon fibers aligned in one direction with a thermoplastic resin and cutting the strand into small pieces, It has a highly rigid part that is more than twice as thick as the general thickness. A mounting portion that is continuous with an end of the curved portion and is attached to the first frame or the second frame; A protruding portion protruding from the curved portion toward the upper body side of the wearer; and the high rigidity portion is provided in a rib shape protruding on an outer surface of the curved portion and the protruding portion in a direction opposite to the leg of the wearer, The high rigidity portion may connect a load input portion of the upper body side edge of the protrusion that receives the highest load from the wearer, and an upper body side end portion of the curved portion that is located on the upper body side of the wearer on the boundary with the attachment portion.

[0018] The leg support member is located on the protruding side of the upper body part on the boundary with the attached part, and therefore is particularly prone to large distortion around the upper body side end part, which is the boundary between the protruding part, which deforms greatly, and the fixed attached part.

[0019] Therefore, by providing the high-rigidity portion as a rib connecting the load input portion and the upper body side end portion along the curved portion and the protruding portion as in this configuration, the rigidity of the leg support member can be increased more efficiently so as to resist the load applied by the wearer, thereby improving the rigidity of the leg support member while further suppressing increases in weight and cost.

[0020] Also, Yet another aspect of the invention is a method for producing a composition comprising the steps of: A first frame extending along a thigh of a wearer; A second frame extending along the lower leg of the wearer; A ground contact portion located corresponding to the wearer's foot; a first rotation portion that rotatably connects the first frame and the second frame; a second pivot portion that pivotally connects the second frame and the grounding portion; a leg support member attached to the first frame or the second frame and having a curved portion extending along a circumference of the wearer's leg; Equipped with The leg support member is A molded article including a laminate in which chopped strand prepregs are randomly laminated, the chopped strand prepregs being formed by impregnating a carbon fiber strand having carbon fibers aligned in one direction with a thermoplastic resin and cutting the strand into small pieces, It has a highly rigid part that is more than twice as thick as the general thickness. The high rigidity portion may be provided so as to protrude with a honeycomb cross section from an inner surface of the curved portion toward the leg of the wearer.

[0021] According to this configuration, the honeycomb-shaped protrusions allow the leg support member to have an increased thickness while preventing an excessive increase in weight. This allows the leg support member to have improved rigidity while maintaining appropriate flexibility. In addition, the top surfaces of the honeycomb-shaped protrusions come into contact with the wearer's legs, preventing the honeycomb-shaped protrusions from impairing the fit. Furthermore, the honeycomb-shaped protrusions can improve the aesthetics of the leg support member. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, by forming the support member of the body support device from a carbon fiber composite material, it is possible to ensure durability and appropriate flexibility while being lightweight, while further improving productivity and isotropy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a body support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the second support member taken along line VV in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second support member taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a first support member according to a modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second support member according to a modified example. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the first support member taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the second support member taken along line XX in FIG. 8 . [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a first support member according to a further modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second support member according to a further modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] A body support device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description is essentially merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses. The drawings are schematic, and the ratios of dimensions, etc., are different from the actual ones.

[0025] Fig. 1 is a left side view of a body support device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a front view of the body support device 100. Of the pair of left and right body support devices, Figs. 1 and 2 show the body support device 100 for the right leg. Although not shown, the body support device for the left leg is configured symmetrically with respect to the body support device 100 for the right leg. The body support device 100 for the right leg will be described below. In Figs. 1 and 2, the right leg 90 of the wearer is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0026] In the following description, the directions of the body support apparatus 100 and each of the members are described as directions seen by a wearer wearing the body support apparatus 100 in an upright position.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the body support device 100 comprises a first frame 10 extending vertically along the inside of the wearer's right thigh 91, a second frame 20 extending vertically along the inside of the wearer's right lower leg 92, a ground contact portion 30 positioned corresponding to the wearer's right foot 93, a first rotating portion 40 rotatably connecting the first frame 10 and the second frame 20, a second rotating portion 50 rotatably connecting the second frame 20 and the ground contact portion 30, and a leg support member 1 supporting the wearer's right leg 90.

[0028] The leg support member 1 includes a first support member 60 attached to the first frame 10 and supporting the wearer's right thigh 91 from behind, and a second support member 70 attached to the second frame 20 and supporting the wearer's right shin 94 from the front.

[0029] The first frame 10 is adjacent to the inside (left side) of the wearer's right thigh 91, and extends upward from a lower end 11 located near the right knee 95 to an upper end 12 located approximately in the vertical center of the right thigh 91. The first frame 10 has a first attachment portion 14 to which a first support member 60 is inserted forward and attached to a rear end surface 13. In addition, a first locking member 16 to which a first support 19 (described later) is locked is attached to an upper portion of a front end surface 15 of the first frame 10.

[0030] The second frame 20 is adjacent to the inside (left side) of the wearer's right lower leg 92, and extends upward from a lower end 21 located near the right ankle 96 to an upper end 22 located near the right knee 95. The second frame 20 is provided with a second mounting portion 24 to which a second support member 70 is attached by being inserted rearward into a front end face 23. In addition, a second locking member 26 to which a second support 29 (described later) is locked is attached to a position above a rear end face 25 of the second frame 20.

[0031] The ground contact portion 30 is located near the wearer's right foot 93. The ground contact portion 30 extends downward from an upper end 31 located near the wearer's right ankle 96. The ground contact portion 30 has a lower end 32 that extends in the front-rear direction between a rear end 33 located near the heel portion 93a of the wearer's right foot 93 and a front end 34 located near the toe portion 93b. The ground contact portion 30 also has a third support 39 that engages with an instep portion 93c of the wearer's right foot 93.

[0032] The first rotation part 40 connects the lower end 11 of the first frame 10 and the upper end 22 of the second frame 20 to be rotatable around a first rotation axis O1 extending in the left-right direction. The first rotation part 40 restricts the rotation between the first frame 10 and the second frame 20 within a predetermined angle range. Specifically, the first rotation part 40 restricts the rotation of the first frame 10 and the second frame 20 in a direction in which they approach each other at the rear, to a predetermined angle when the wearer bends the right knee 95 to some extent.

[0033] The second rotation part 50 connects the lower end 21 of the second frame 20 and the upper end 31 of the ground contact part 30 to be rotatable about a second rotation axis O2 extending in the left-right direction. Unlike the first rotation part 40, the second rotation part 50 connects the second frame 20 and the ground contact part 30 to be rotatable with respect to each other without restricting the rotation between them to a predetermined angle range.

[0034] The first rotating part 40 is located near the wearer's right knee 95, and the second rotating part 50 is located near the wearer's right ankle 96. In the first rotating part 40, the angle between the first frame 10 and the second frame 20 in the direction toward each other is restricted to a predetermined angle, so that when the right knee 95 is bent, the joint is fixed at a predetermined angle, making it easier for the wearer to stably maintain a desired posture.

[0035] The first support 19 is a band-like member having a predetermined width in the vertical direction, and has elasticity or stretchability. Referring also to Fig. 3, the first support 19 goes around the right thigh 91 from the rear to the outside and forward from one end 19a that is engaged with the slit 62a of the first support member 60, and the other end 19b is engaged with the first engaging member 16. Although not shown, a one-touch buckle that allows the first support 19 to be attached and detached in one touch may be attached to the first support member 60 instead of the slit 62a, and the one end 19a of the first support 19 may be engaged with the one-touch buckle.

[0036] The second support 29 is a band-like member having a predetermined width in the vertical direction, and has elasticity or stretchability. Referring also to Fig. 4, the second support 29 goes around the right lower leg 92 from the front to the outside and backward from one end 29a, which is engaged with the third engaging member 27 attached to the second support member 70, and is engaged with the second engaging member 26 at the other end 29b. Although not shown, a one-touch buckle that allows the second support 29 to be attached and detached in one touch may be attached to the second support member 70 instead of the third engaging member 27, and one end 29a of the second support 29 may be engaged with the one-touch buckle.

[0037] Next, a detailed description will be given of the first support member 60 and the second support member 70. The first support member 60 and the second support member 70 are molded bodies formed by press molding a carbon material (carbon fiber composite material) in which chopped strand prepregs are randomly laminated, the chopped strand prepregs being made by impregnating carbon fiber strands, in which carbon fibers are aligned in one direction, with thermoplastic resin and cutting them into small pieces.

[0038] The carbon material is formed into a sheet by spreading (opening) carbon fiber raw yarn extremely thin (for example, 30 μm thick) and impregnating it with a thermoplastic resin to form a voidless extremely thin UD tape (for example, 35 μm thick) with a predetermined fiber content (for example, 40%), cutting this to a predetermined length (for example, 100 mm or less), and stacking them so that the orientation of each carbon fiber extends randomly and uniformly (for example, coefficient of variation CV is 5% or less) to have isotropy.

[0039] For example, the carbon material may be Flexcarbon (registered trademark) manufactured by Suncorona Oda Co., Ltd., with a grade of Flexcarbon26L40VF (fiber length 26 mm) or a grade of Flexcarbon13L40VF (fiber length 13 mm).

[0040] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the first support member 60 as seen from the rear inside (left side). As shown in Fig. 3, the first support member 60 is formed by press molding the carbon material, so that the first mounted portion 61, the first curved portion 62, and the first protruding portion 63 are integrally formed.

[0041] The first mounting portion 61 is a plate-shaped portion extending in the front-rear direction within a plane parallel to the front-rear and up-down directions with a predetermined vertical width, and is inserted from the rear into the first mounting portion 14 (see Figure 1) of the first frame 10 and attached, for example, by a fastening means not shown.

[0042] The first curved portion 62 curves outward (to the right) rearward from the rear end of the first attached portion 61, and extends behind the wearer's right thigh 91. A slit 62a extending in the vertical direction is formed in the right end of the first curved portion 62. One end 19a of the first support 19 is engaged with the slit 62a.

[0043] The first protruding portion 63 is continuous with an upper portion of the first curved portion 62 and extends upward behind the wearer's right thigh 91. The first protruding portion 63 has a first flange portion 64 curved backward at its upper edge.

[0044] Here, in body support device 100, the rotation of first frame 10 and second frame 20 in the direction approaching each other is regulated at a predetermined angle by first rotation section 40, and at this time, first support member 60 abuts most strongly against the back of the wearer's right thigh 91 at first flange 64. More specifically, rear end 64a, which is located furthest to the rear, of first flange 64 abuts most strongly against the wearer's right thigh 91 and receives the most load, and rear end 64a constitutes the load input portion according to the present invention.

[0045] The first support member 60 is attached to the first frame 10 at the first attached portion 61 while a load is applied from the wearer's right thigh 91 at the rear end 64a of the first flange 64. Therefore, the rear end 64a of the first support member 60 acts as a force point, and the first support member 60 is likely to deform from the first boundary portion 68 between the first attached portion 61 and the first curved portion 62 as a starting point. In other words, when a load is applied from the wearer's right thigh 91, the first support member 60 is likely to deform significantly at the first upper portion 60a (upper body side portion) located above the first lower virtual line X1 connecting the rear end 64a of the first flange 64 and the lower end 68a (foot side end) located on the foot side of the first boundary portion 68.

[0046] Therefore, in order to suppress deformation of the first upper portion 60a, a first high rigidity portion 65 protruding in a rib shape on the side opposite to the wearer's right thigh 91 is integrally formed in the first support member 60. The first high rigidity portion 65 includes a main first rib 66 and a plurality of sub first ribs 67.

[0047] The first main rib 66 is located at approximately the center of the first upper portion 60a in the up-down direction, and extends in an arc shape from the first flange 64 toward the first attached portion 61 along the outer surfaces of the first protruding portion 63 and the first curved portion 62. Specifically, the first main rib 66 extends downward from one end 66a located at the rear end 64a of the first flange 64 while curving inward (left side) toward the first attached portion 61, and the other end 66b extends along the first upper virtual line X2 to an upper end 68b (upper body side end) on the first boundary portion 68.

[0048] The multiple sub first ribs 67 are arranged vertically in parallel at predetermined intervals below the main first rib 66. The multiple sub first ribs 67 are smaller than the main first rib 66 in rib length, rib width, and rib height.

[0049] The sub-first rib 67 terminates at the other end 67b, which curves a predetermined length outward (leftward) from one end 67a on the first boundary portion 68 toward the rear. The sub-first rib 67 becomes lower in height and narrower in width as it moves rearward from the first attached portion 61.

[0050] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the second support member 70 as seen from the front inside (left side). As shown in Fig. 4, the second support member 70 is formed by press molding the carbon material, so that the second mounted portion 71, the second curved portion 72, and the second protruding portion 73 are integrally formed.

[0051] The second mounting portion 71 is a plate-shaped portion extending in the front-to-rear and up-down parallel planes with a predetermined vertical width, and is inserted from the front into the second mounting portion 24 (see Figure 2) of the second frame 20 and attached, for example, by a fastening means not shown.

[0052] The second curved portion 72 curves outward (to the right) forward from the front end of the second attached portion 71 and extends in front of the wearer's right shin 94. A through hole 72a is formed in the right end of the second curved portion 72. As shown in FIG. 2, a third locking member 27 is attached to the through hole 72a. One end 29a of a second support 29 is locked to the third locking member 27.

[0053] 4, the second protruding portion 73 is continuous with an upper portion of the second curved portion 72 and extends upward in front of the wearer's right shin 94. The second protruding portion 73 has a second flange portion 74 curved forward at its upper edge.

[0054] Here, in body support device 100, when first frame 10 and second frame 20 rotate toward each other by first rotation part 40 and second frame 20 and ground contact part 30 rotate in a direction toward each other by second rotation part 50, second support member 70 abuts most strongly against right shin 94 at second flange 74. More specifically, front end 74a, which is located most forward of second flange 74, abuts most strongly against right shin 94 and receives the most load, and front end 74a constitutes the load input part according to the present invention.

[0055] The second support member 70 is attached to the second frame 20 at the second attached portion 71 while a load is applied from the wearer's right shin 94 at the front end 74a of the second flange 74. Therefore, the front end 74a of the second support member 70 acts as a force point, and the second support member 70 is likely to deform from the second boundary portion 78 between the second attached portion 71 and the second curved portion 72 as a starting point. In other words, when a load is applied from the wearer's right shin 94, the second support member 70 is likely to deform significantly at the second upper portion 70a (upper body side portion) located above the second lower virtual line Y1 connecting the front end 74a of the second flange 74 and the lower end 78a (foot side end) located on the foot side of the second boundary portion 78.

[0056] Therefore, in order to suppress deformation of the second upper portion 70a, a second high rigidity portion 75 protruding like a rib on the side opposite to the wearer's right shin 94 is integrally molded in the second upper portion 70a of the second support member 70. The second high rigidity portion 75 includes a main second rib 76 and a plurality of sub second ribs 77.

[0057] The main second rib 76 is located at approximately the center of the second upper portion 70a in the up-down direction, and extends in an arc shape from the second flange 74 toward the second attached portion 71 along the outer surfaces of the second protruding portion 73 and the second curved portion 72. Specifically, the main second rib 76 extends from one end 76a located at the front end 74a of the second flange 74 while curving downward and inward (left side) toward the second attached portion 71, and the other end 76b extends along the second upper virtual line Y2 to the upper end 78b (upper body side end) of the second boundary portion 78.

[0058] The multiple sub-second ribs 77 are arranged vertically in parallel at predetermined intervals below the main second rib 76. The multiple sub-second ribs 77 are smaller than the main second rib 76 in rib length, rib width, and rib height.

[0059] The sub-second rib 77 terminates at the other end 77b, which curves a predetermined length outward (leftward) from one end 77a on the second boundary portion 78 toward the front. The sub-second rib 77 becomes lower in height and narrower in width as it extends forward from the second attached portion 71.

[0060] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Fig. 4 and perpendicular to the extension direction at a portion close to one end 76a of the main second rib 76. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 4 and perpendicular to the extension direction at a portion close to the other end 76b of the main second rib 76. Figs. 5 and 6 are drawn to the same scale.

[0061] The second support member 70 has a generally constant thickness t0 at the second mounted portion 71, the second curved portion 72, and the second protruding portion 73, except for the portion where the second high rigidity portion 75 is formed. For example, in this embodiment, the second support member 70 has a generally constant thickness t0 of 3.0 mm. On the other hand, the main second rib 76 is formed solid, and the second support member 70 has a thickness t1 at the portion where the main second rib 76 is formed that is at least twice the generally constant thickness t0.

[0062] The main second rib 76 has a rib height H1 at one end 76a which is smaller than a rib height H2 at the other end 76b. Specifically, the main second rib 76 is formed such that the rib height increases from the one end 76a to the other end 76b. For example, the main second rib 76 is formed such that the rib height at the other end 76b is 14.55 mm. Therefore, the main second rib 76 is configured such that the rigidity increases from the one end 76a to the other end 76b.

[0063] That is, the second support member 70 has effectively increased rigidity on the second upper portion 70a at the second boundary 78 side, which is the deformation starting point, due to the main second rib 76 and the multiple sub-second ribs 77, which have increasing rigidity toward the second boundary 78. As a result, when the front end 74a of the second support member 70 is subjected to a load from the wearer, deformation on the starting point side is suppressed, and overall shape change is suppressed. Therefore, the stress that may occur in the second support member 70 is suppressed.

[0064] Further, the main second rib 76 and the sub second rib 77 are configured so as to widen in a circular arc shape toward the base end portion in cross section.

[0065] Although not shown in the drawings, the first support member 60 is similarly configured with respect to the thickness and the cross-sectional shape of the main first rib 66. For example, in this embodiment, the first support member 60 has a general thickness of 2.5 mm, and the main first rib 66 is formed so that the rib height at the other end 66b is a maximum of 12 mm.

[0066] More specifically, the first high rigidity portion 65 and the second high rigidity portion 75 are set so that when the displacement X (cm) relative to the load F (N) applied by the wearer is expressed by the formula F=kX using the elastic coefficient k (N / cm) for each of the first support member 60 and the second support member 70, the elastic coefficient k is in the range of 1000 N / cm or more and 2000 N / cm or less. As a result, the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 are configured to have appropriate flexibility while improving the rigidity.

[0067] The body support device 100 according to the above embodiment has the following advantages.

[0068] (1) The first support member 60 and the second support member 70 are formed of a molded body including a laminate in which chopped strand prepregs are randomly laminated, the chopped strand prepregs being made by impregnating carbon fiber strands in which carbon fibers are aligned in one direction with a thermoplastic resin and cutting the strands into small pieces. That is, the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 have discontinuous carbon fibers randomly arranged, so that it is easy to increase isotropy and stabilize physical properties while using carbon fibers.

[0069] Here, a laminate containing discontinuous carbon fibers generally has inferior strength and is prone to greater bending compared to a carbon fiber fabric containing continuous carbon fibers. However, the laminate has superior moldability compared to a carbon fiber fabric, so that the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 can be integrally molded with the attached portions 61, 71, the curved portions 62, 72, and the protruding portions 63, 73, as well as the high rigidity portions 65, 75, by, for example, press-molding the laminate using carbon fibers. Therefore, the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 can be enhanced in rigidity by the high rigidity portions 65, 75, and therefore durability and appropriate flexibility can be ensured.

[0070] It is also possible to form the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 by injection molding using a material containing discontinuous carbon fibers. In this case, however, it is not possible to maintain the state in which the discontinuous carbon fibers are randomly arranged in a two-dimensional plane, as is obtained when press molding is performed from a randomly laminated sheet-like member as in the present invention, and isotropy is reduced.

[0071] Therefore, by molding the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 to have high rigidity portions 65, 75 from a laminate containing discontinuous carbon fibers, it is possible to ensure durability and moderate flexibility while being lightweight, while further improving productivity and isotropy.

[0072] (2) The first support member 60 and the second support member 70 have flexibility such that the elastic coefficient k is 1000 N / cm or more and 2000 N / cm or less. Therefore, the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 can be moderately flexed while preventing excessive distortion due to the load applied by the wearer, thereby providing a good fit to the wearer's legs.

[0073] That is, when the wearer applies a load to the body support device 100, the wearer's legs can be given a good fit. Although the first frame 10 and the second frame 20 are made of metal (mainly iron) and therefore slightly bend, in terms of springiness, their contribution to the entire body support device 100 is small, and the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 account for most of the bending. In addition, the load acting on the body support device 100 during work varies depending on the wearer's work environment and work content. For this reason, by having a certain degree of flexibility, flexibility like reclining can be realized, and further, comfort can be provided when worn by various wearers such as those with bow legs or X-legs. The body support device 100 can significantly reduce physical fatigue caused by long hours of work by supporting the body of the wearer in a standing position. Furthermore, the weight can be distributed and supported by the shins and thighs, so that the trunk is stable and the wearer can achieve high performance.

[0074] If the elastic coefficient k is less than 1000 N / cm, the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 are likely to be excessively distorted and damaged. If the elastic coefficient k exceeds 2000 N / cm, the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 will not have enough flexibility, and will not easily deform to follow the movement of the wearer's legs and will not fit well. Therefore, by forming the high rigidity portions 65, 75 so that the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 have an appropriate elastic coefficient k, it is possible to ensure good fit and durability of the first support member 60 and the second support member 70.

[0075] (3) The first support member 60 and the second support member 70 are particularly prone to large distortion around the upper end portions 68b, 78b on the first boundary portion 68 and the second boundary portion 78 adjacent to the mounting portions 61, 71 of the curved portions 62, 72, within the first upper portion 60a and the second upper portion 70a.

[0076] Therefore, by providing the main first rib 66 and the main second rib 76 in a rib shape along the first upper virtual line X2 and the second upper virtual line Y2, the rigidity of the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 can be more efficiently increased so as to resist the load applied by the wearer. Therefore, the rigidity of the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 can be improved while further suppressing increases in weight and cost.

[0077] (4) The first main rib 66 and the second main rib 76 extend along the curved first upper virtual line X2 and the second upper virtual line Y2, and therefore, compared to a configuration in which bent straight portions are connected, stress is not concentrated at the connection portions of the straight portions, and possible stress can be dispersed to the first curved portion 62 and the first protruding portion 63, and the second curved portion 72 and the second protruding portion 73, respectively. This improves the durability of the first support member 60 and the second support member 70.

[0078] (5) The main first rib 66 and the main second rib 76 are configured so that their cross-sectional shapes expand in an arc shape toward their base ends, thereby ensuring the fluidity of the carbon material during press molding. Furthermore, combined with the fact that the maximum height of the ribs is limited, the filling ability of the carbon material is ensured, and short circuits (chipping) are prevented from occurring at the tips of the ribs after molding, thereby preventing a decrease in yield due to such short circuits. EXAMPLES

[0079] The displacement (cm), stress (MPa) and elastic modulus (N / cm) under predetermined conditions were evaluated by CAE analysis for Example 1 and Example 2, which were formed by press molding using Flexcarbon26L40VF grade of Flexcarbon (registered trademark) manufactured by Suncorona Oda Co., Ltd. as the carbon material, and Example 3 and Example 4, which were formed by press molding using Flexcarbon13L40Vf grade of the same carbon material. Note that in Example 1 and Example 3, the first high-rigidity portion 65 is formed based on the first support member 60 so that the elastic modulus falls within the above-mentioned target range, and the second high-rigidity portion 75 is formed based on the second support member 70 so that the elastic modulus falls within the above-mentioned target range.

[0080] In the CAE analysis of the first support member 60 according to Example 1 and Example 3, the displacement amount of the rear end portion 64a, the maximum stress, and the elastic modulus in the first support member 60 when a downward load of 1274.86 N was applied to the rear end portion 64a of the first flange portion 64 were evaluated. Similarly, in the CAE analysis of the second support member 70 according to Example 2 and Example 4, the displacement amount of the front end portion 74a, the maximum stress, and the elastic modulus in the second support member 70 when a downward load of 1274.86 N was applied to the front end portion 74a of the second flange portion 74 were evaluated.

[0081] The downward load of 1274.86N was set as the load that could be applied suddenly if the wearer stumbled or lost their posture. In addition, the fit was evaluated by the wearer's senses in accordance with the CAE results. The CAE analysis results and the sensory evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

[0082] [Table 1]

[0083] As shown in Table 1, the maximum stress in Example 1 is 124.9 MPa, the maximum stress in Example 2 is 299.7 MPa, the maximum stress in Example 3 is 116.6 MPa, and the maximum stress in Example 4 is 279.7 MPa, all of which are sufficiently larger than the bending strength of the carbon material, 509 MPa. Moreover, Examples 1 and 3, which have a high elastic modulus, are less likely to deform than Examples 2 and 4, resulting in a lower maximum stress.

[0084] Regarding fit, Example 1 had an elastic modulus of 1917 N / cm, Example 2 had an elastic modulus of 1122 N / cm, Example 3 had an elastic modulus of 1789 N / cm, and Example 4 had an elastic modulus of 1047 N / cm, all of which were set within the above target range (1000 N / cm or more and 2000 N / cm or less), resulting in a good fit.

[0085] Furthermore, Example 1 and Example 2 molded from Flexcarbon26L40VF (fiber length 26 mm) had lower displacement and maximum stress and higher elastic modulus than Example 3 and Example 4 molded from Flexcarbon13L40Vf (fiber length 13 mm). That is, Example 1 and Example 2, in which the fiber length of the carbon material is relatively long at 26 mm, have higher rigidity than Example 3 and Example 4, in which the fiber length is relatively short at 13 mm.

[0086] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the high rigidity portion is configured by the first high rigidity portion 65 and the second high rigidity portion 75 that protrude in a rib shape, but this is not limited to this. Figs. 7 and 8 show a first support member 160 and a second support member 170 according to a modified example. The first support member 160 and the second support member 170 will be described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. Note that the same reference numerals are used for parts corresponding to the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 according to the above embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 7, the first support member 160 has, across the first curved portion 62 and the first protruding portion 63, a first upper portion 161 located above the first lower virtual line X1, a first lower portion 162 located below the first lower virtual line X1, and a first transition portion 163 located between the first upper portion 161 and the first lower portion 162 and along the first lower virtual line X1.

[0089] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the first support member 160 taken along line IX-IX in Fig. 7 and perpendicular to the first lower imaginary line X1. As shown in Fig. 9, the first support member 160 is formed such that the first upper portion 161 is thick, while the first lower portion 162 is formed to a general thickness t0, and the thickness of the first transition portion 163 gradually increases from the first lower portion 162 to the first upper portion 161.

[0090] The thickness t11 of the first upper portion 161 is formed to be twice or more the thickness (general thickness) t0 of the first lower portion 162. In this embodiment, the thickness t0 of the first lower portion 162 is 2.5 mm, and the thickness t11 of the first upper portion 161 is 4.5 mm to 5 mm, which is twice the general thickness t0. That is, the first support member 160 has the first upper portion 161 configured as the first high rigidity portion 65 according to the present invention, which is configured over substantially the entire first upper portion 60a.

[0091] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 8, the second support member 170 has, across the second curved portion 72 and the second protruding portion 73, a second upper portion 171 located above the second lower virtual line Y1, a second lower portion 172 located below the second lower virtual line Y1, and a second transition portion 173 located between the second upper portion 171 and the second lower portion 172 and along the second lower virtual line Y1.

[0092] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the second support member 170 perpendicular to the second lower imaginary line Y1 along the line XX in Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 10, the second support member 170 is formed such that the second upper portion 171 is formed to be thick, while the second lower portion 172 is formed to be a general thickness t0, and the thickness gradually increases from the second lower portion 172 to the second upper portion 171 at the second transition portion 173.

[0093] The thickness t21 of the second upper portion 171 is formed to be twice or more the thickness (general thickness) t0 of the second lower portion 172. In this embodiment, the thickness t0 of the second lower portion 172 is 3 mm, and the thickness t21 of the second upper portion 171 is 6 mm to 6.5 mm, which is twice the general thickness t0. That is, in the second support member 170, the second upper portion 171 is configured as the second high rigidity portion 75 according to the present invention, and is configured over substantially the entire second upper portion 70a.

[0094] The thicknesses t11, t21 and the formation range of the first upper portion 161 and the second upper portion 171 are appropriately set so that the elastic coefficient k of the first support member 160 and the second support member 270 is not less than 1000 N / cm and not more than 2000 N / cm.

[0095] According to the first support member 160 and the second support member 170 of the modified example, the first upper portion 161 and the second upper portion 171, which are easily deformed, are made thicker than the first lower portion 162 and the second lower portion 172 located below them, thereby efficiently increasing the rigidity of the first support member 160 and the second support member 170 so as to resist the load applied by the wearer. Therefore, compared to the case where the overall thickness of the first support member 160 and the second support member 170 is increased, the rigidity can be efficiently improved while suppressing increases in weight and cost.

[0096] 11 and 12 show a first support member 260 and a second support member 270 according to a further modified example. The first support member 260 and the second support member 270 will be described with reference to Fig. 11 and 12. Note that the same reference numerals are used for parts corresponding to the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 according to the above embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0097] 11 and 12, the first support member 260 and the second support member 270 have honeycomb-shaped protrusions 261, 271 that protrude with a honeycomb cross section toward the legs of the wearer integrally formed on the inner surface facing the legs. The protruding height, area, honeycomb size, and number of honeycombs of the honeycomb-shaped protrusions 261, 271 are appropriately set so that the elastic coefficient k of the first support member 260 and the second support member 270 is 1000 N / cm or more and 2000 N / cm or less.

[0098] In this embodiment, the honeycomb-shaped protrusions 261, 271 protrude upward relative to the mounting portions 61, 71 of the first support member 260 and the second support member 270, and are provided in correspondence with the protrusions 63, 73 which are more likely to deform due to the load of the wearer.

[0099] According to the first support member 260 and the second support member 270 of the further modified example, the honeycomb-shaped protrusions 261, 271 can increase the thickness while suppressing an increase in weight. This can improve the rigidity of the first support member 260 and the second support member 270 while ensuring appropriate flexibility. In addition, the top surfaces of the honeycomb-shaped protrusions 261, 271 come into contact with the legs of the wearer, so that the honeycomb-shaped protrusions 261, 271 prevent the fit from being deteriorated. Furthermore, the honeycomb-shaped protrusions 261, 271 can improve the aesthetics of the first support member 260 and the second support member 270.

[0100] The first support member 60 and the second support member 70 according to the above embodiment and the first support members 160, 260 and the second support members 170, 270 according to the modified examples may be combined with each other.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the elastic coefficient k of the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 is set to 1000 N / cm or more and 2000 N / cm, but the first elastic coefficient k1 of the first support member 60 and the second elastic coefficient k2 of the second support member 70 may be set to different ranges. Specifically, the setting range of the second elastic coefficient k2 may be set higher than the setting range of the first elastic coefficient k1.

[0102] That is, the inventors of the present application investigated the load acting on the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 when a wearer wearing the body support device 100 works, and found that a higher load acts on the second support member 70 than on the first support member 60. For example, when the total weight of the wearer including the body support device 100 is 130 kg, and the wearer bends the right knee 95 and the first rotation part 40 is restricted to a predetermined angle (the angle between the first frame 10 and the second frame 20 is 158° when the angle between them is 180° when the first frame 10 and the second frame 20 are aligned in a straight line), a load of 32.7 kgf acts on the rear end 64a of the first support member 60, while a load of 39.2 kgf acts on the front end 74a of the second support member 70.

[0103] Therefore, it is preferable to set the second support member 70, which is subjected to a higher load, to have a higher rigidity than the first support member 60. This allows the deformation amount of each of the first support member 60 and the second support member 70 to be kept within an appropriate range, thereby improving the fit while suppressing damage due to excessive deformation. For example, it is preferable to configure the first high rigidity portion 65 so that the first elastic coefficient k1 is 1000 N / cm or more and 1500 N / cm or less, and to configure the second high rigidity portion 75 so that the second elastic coefficient k2 is 1500 N / cm or more and 2000 N / cm or less. [Industrial Applicability]

[0104] As described above, according to the present invention, by forming the support members of the body support device from a carbon material, it is possible to ensure lightweight durability and moderate flexibility while also improving productivity and isotropy, and therefore the device can be ideally used as an assist suit (standing position assistance device) that reduces the burden on the legs and back of workers when working standing in any work field, enabling them to work standing for long periods of time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1 Leg support member 10 1st Frame 20 2nd Frame 30 Grounding part 40 First rotating part 50 Second rotating part 60 First support member 60a 1st upper part 61 First mounting part 62 First curved section 63 1st protrusion 64 First flange 64a Rear end 65 1st high rigidity part 66 Main 1st rib 67 Sub 1st Rib 68 First Boundary 70 Second support member 70a 2nd upper part 71 Second mounting part 72 Second curved section 73 Second protrusion 74 Second flange 74a Front end 75 2nd high rigidity part 76 Main 2nd rib 77 Sub 2nd Rib 78 Boundary 100 Body support device 160 First support member 161 1st upper part 162 1st lower part 163 1st transition part 170 Second support member 171 2nd upper part 172 2nd lower part 173 Second transition part 260 First support member 261 Honeycomb-shaped protrusion 270 Second support member 271 Honeycomb protrusion X1 First lower virtual line X2 First upper virtual line Y1 Second lower virtual line Y2 Second upper virtual line

Claims

1. A first frame extending along a thigh of a wearer; A second frame extending along the lower leg of the wearer; A ground contact portion located corresponding to the wearer's foot; a first rotation portion that rotatably connects the first frame and the second frame; a second pivot portion that pivotally connects the second frame and the grounding portion; a leg support member attached to the first frame or the second frame and having a curved portion extending along a circumference of the wearer's leg; Equipped with The leg support member is A molded article including a laminate in which chopped strand prepregs are randomly laminated, the chopped strand prepregs being formed by impregnating a carbon fiber strand having carbon fibers aligned in one direction with a thermoplastic resin and cutting the strand into small pieces, It has a high rigidity section that is more than twice as thick as the general thickness. The leg support member is A mounting portion that is continuous with an end of the curved portion and is attached to the first frame or the second frame; A protruding portion protruding from the curved portion toward the upper body side of the wearer; and When a virtual line connecting a load input portion of the leg support member that receives the highest load from the wearer among the edge portion of the protruding portion on the upper body side and a foot side end portion of the curved portion that is located on the foot side of the wearer at the boundary with the attached portion is taken as an upper body side portion of the curved portion and the protruding portion that is located on the upper body side, A body support device, wherein the high rigidity portion is configured over substantially the entire upper body side portion.

2. A first frame extending along the wearer's thigh; A second frame extending along the lower leg of the wearer; A ground contact portion located corresponding to the wearer's foot; a first rotation portion that rotatably connects the first frame and the second frame; a second pivot portion that pivotally connects the second frame and the grounding portion; a leg support member attached to the first frame or the second frame and having a curved portion extending along a circumference of the wearer's leg; Equipped with The leg support member is A molded article including a laminate in which chopped strand prepregs are randomly laminated, the chopped strand prepregs being formed by impregnating a carbon fiber strand having carbon fibers aligned in one direction with a thermoplastic resin and cutting the strand into small pieces, It has a high rigidity section that is more than twice as thick as the general thickness. A mounting portion that is continuous with an end of the curved portion and is attached to the first frame or the second frame; A protruding portion protruding from the curved portion toward the upper body side of the wearer; and the high rigidity portion is provided in a rib shape protruding on an opposite side to the leg of the wearer across outer surfaces of the curved portion and the protruding portion, A body support device, wherein the high rigidity portion connects a load input portion of the upper body side edge of the protrusion that receives the highest load from the wearer, and an upper body side end portion of the curved portion that is located on the upper body side of the wearer on the boundary with the attachment portion.

3. A first frame extending along the wearer's thigh; A second frame extending along the lower leg of the wearer; A ground contact portion located corresponding to the wearer's foot; a first rotation portion that rotatably connects the first frame and the second frame; a second pivot portion that pivotally connects the second frame and the grounding portion; a leg support member attached to the first frame or the second frame and having a curved portion extending along a circumference of the wearer's leg; Equipped with The leg support member is A molded article including a laminate in which chopped strand prepregs are randomly laminated, the chopped strand prepregs being formed by impregnating a carbon fiber strand having carbon fibers aligned in one direction with a thermoplastic resin and cutting the strand into small pieces, It has a high rigidity section that is more than twice as thick as the general thickness. A body support device, wherein the high rigidity portion is provided so as to protrude with a honeycomb-shaped cross section from an inner surface of the curved portion toward the legs of the wearer.

4. The high rigidity portion is formed such that, when a displacement X (cm) relative to a load F (N) applied by a wearer is expressed by a mathematical formula F=kX using an elastic coefficient k (N / cm) of the leg support member, the elastic coefficient k is 1000 (N / cm) or more and 2000 (N / cm) or less. The body support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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