Walking support device and walking support clothing

Abstract

To provide a walking support device capable of supporting walking while reducing unpleasantness of a wearer by fixing the legs of the wearer without tightening too much.SOLUTION: A belt-like walking support device is fixed to a rear side of trousers 22, and a wearer wears the trousers 22 so as to wear walking support clothes 20. The walking support device is composed of a waist attachment member 32 to be attached to the waist of the wearer, and a walking support member for supporting walking of the wearer, and they are connected by a connection member 50. With this, an assist force generation part 46 of the walking support member is constricted and assist force is generated, and the walking support member is stretched in a direction of the waist attachment member 32 via the connection member 50 so as to move a thigh attachment part 44 of the walking support member upward in a direction of travel, and walking is assisted when the wearer starts to step the legs forward and walking of the wearer is supported.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a walking assistance device and walking assistance clothing.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a walking assistance device for assisting walking has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a walking assistance device that is worn by a user and assists the user's walking. The device includes a long elastic body that is disposed along the rectus femoris muscle of the user's thigh on the front side of the thigh when worn, a first fixing tool that fixes the upper end of the elastic body to the user above the hip joint of the user, and a second fixing tool that fixes the lower end of the elastic body to the user below the hip joint and above the knee joint of the user. This walking assistance device has a simple configuration and can provide a low-cost walking assistance device compared to the prior art.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the walking assistance device described in Patent Document 1, since the second fixing tool fixed to the wearer's leg has a configuration in which it is pulled upward by the elastic body, the second fixing tool needs to be firmly fixed to prevent displacement from the fixed position of the wearer. This strong fixing may cause the fixing portion to be tightened, leading to discomfort for the wearer.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the main object thereof is to provide a walking assistance device that can assist walking while reducing the discomfort of the wearer by fixing the wearer's leg without overly tightening it.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention has adopted the following means in order to achieve at least one of the above-described objects.

[0007] The walking assist device of the present invention a waist mounting member to be mounted on the waist of the wearer; a walking assist member having one end side and the other end side connected to the waist mounting member; and comprises The walking assist member includes a thigh mounting part mounted on the thigh of the wearer, an assist force generating part connected to both ends of the thigh mounting part and generating an elastic force in the contracting direction by expanding and contracting, and a connecting part connected to the assist force generating part and connected to the waist mounting part at an end opposite to the end connected to the assist force generating part. The connecting part and the thigh mounting part are non-elastic bodies, and the assist force generating part is characterized in that it is an elastic body. It is such a thing.

[0008] This walking assistance device includes a waist-mounted member that is mounted on the wearer's waist, and a walking assistance member whose one end side and the other end side are connected to the waist-mounted portion. The waist-mounted member is mounted on the wearer's waist, and the thigh-mounted portion of the walking assistance member is mounted on the wearer's thigh. This walking assistance member includes a thigh-mounted portion that is mounted on the wearer's thigh, an assist force generating portion that is connected to both ends of the thigh-mounted portion and generates an elastic force in the contracting direction by expanding and contracting, and a connecting portion that is connected to the assist force generating portion and is connected to the waist-mounted portion at an end opposite to the end connected to the assist force generating portion. The connecting portion and the thigh-mounted portion are non-elastic bodies, and the assist force generating portion is an elastic body. Therefore, as the wearer walks, the assist force generating portion, which is an elastic body, expands and contracts to assist the wearer's walking. At the same time, the wearer's thigh is moderately tightened by the thigh-mounted portion, and the walking assistance device is fixed in an appropriate position. In particular, by making the connecting portion and the thigh-mounted portion non-elastic bodies and the assist force generating portion an elastic body, the thigh-mounted portion can appropriately tighten the wearer's thigh compared to the case where the whole is an elastic body. Specifically, when the wearer's leg is located on the rear side, the assist force generating portion, which is an elastic body, is stretched by the thigh-mounted portion and the waist-mounted member to store force. Subsequently, when the wearer swings the leg forward, this stored force becomes a force that pulls the wearer's leg in the forward direction, assisting the forward swing to support walking. Also, due to the elastic force of the assist force generating portion, a force is generated in a direction in which both end sides of the thigh-mounted portion move away from each other. Therefore, the thigh-mounted portion, which is a non-elastic body, tightens the wearer's thigh and is fixed in an appropriate position. By doing so, it is possible to support walking while reducing the wearer's discomfort without overly tightening the wearer's thigh.

[0009] In the walking assist device of the present invention, the thigh attachment part may be characterized in that when attached to the wearer, it wraps around the surface of the wearer's leg and crosses at the rear side. By doing so, the thigh attachment part can be fixed by the elastic force generated by the assist force generation part without squeezing the wearer's leg too much, and it is possible to assist walking while reducing the discomfort of the wearer. Also, since it crosses at the rear side, when the thigh attachment part is pulled in the direction of the assist force generation part, the assist force can be transmitted naturally in the forward direction.

[0010] In the walking assist device of the present invention, the walking assist member may be characterized in that when attached to the wearer, one end side and the other end side are connected to the front side of the waist attachment member. By doing so, the assist force generated by the elastic force of the assist force generation part can naturally assist the start of the wearer's leg swing, and can fix the wearer's leg without squeezing it too much, and it is possible to assist walking while reducing the discomfort of the wearer.

[0011] The walking assist device of the present invention may be characterized in that when the walking assist member is attached to the wearer, a connecting member that connects the walking assist member and the waist attachment member at positions corresponding to both the left and right sides of the wearer's leg is provided between the connecting part on one end side and the connecting part on the other end side. By doing so, the assist force generated by the elastic force of the assist force generation part can naturally assist the start of the wearer's leg swing, and can fix the wearer's leg without squeezing it too much, and it is possible to assist walking while reducing the discomfort of the wearer.

[0012] In the walking assist device of the present invention adopting this aspect, the connecting member may be characterized in that the distance between the waist mounting member and the walking assist member is adjustable. By doing so, by widening or narrowing the distance between the waist mounting member and the walking assist member, the assist force generated by the assist force generating unit can be weakened or strengthened, so that the discomfort of the wearer can be reduced. For example, by widening the distance between the waist mounting member and the walking assist member and weakening the assist force when stopped (when walking is interrupted), the force applied to the legs when standing still can be reduced, and it is possible to stand still comfortably.

[0013] The walking assist clothing of the present invention is clothing in which any of the above-described walking assist devices is fixed to the back side. Since any of the above-described walking assist devices is fixed to the back side of the clothing, the same effects as those of the above-described walking assist device can be obtained, for example, by fixing the wearer's legs without squeezing them too tightly, the discomfort of the wearer can be reduced while supporting walking.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0015] Next, as an example of an embodiment of the present invention, the walking support clothing 20 will be described in detail. The embodiments and drawings described below illustrate a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not used for the purpose of limiting to these configurations, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. In each figure, corresponding components are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. In addition, by showing an example of the usage method of the walking support clothing 20, an example of the usage method of the walking support device and the walking support clothing of the present invention is also clarified.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the walking support clothing 20, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, has a belt-shaped walking support device 30 fixed to the back side of the trousers 22. By wearing the trousers 22, the wearer can wear the walking support clothing 20. This walking support device 30 includes a waist mounting member 32 mounted on the waist of the wearer, and walking support members 40a and 40b (hereinafter also referred to as "walking support member 40") that support the walking of the wearer, and are connected to each other by connecting members 50a and 50b (hereinafter also referred to as "connecting member 50"). By doing so, when the assist force generation part 46 of the walking support member 40 contracts and an assist force is generated, the walking support member 40 is pulled in the direction of the waist mounting member 32 via the connecting member 50, so that the thigh mounting part 44 of the walking support member 40 moves upward in the traveling direction, and when the wearer extends the leg forward, the walking is assisted, thereby assisting the walking of the wearer.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the trousers 22 are made of a material that can expand and contract in the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal directions, and are trousers of a known shape that can cover the thigh portion when worn by the wearer. Since the walking support device 30 is fixed to the back side of the trousers 22, the wearer can more easily attach and detach the walking support device 30 by attaching and detaching the trousers 22. The shape of the trousers 22 is not particularly limited as long as it can cover the thigh portion, and various shapes of trousers, such as half-trousers or long-trousers, can be used.

[0018] The waist-wearing member 32 is a belt-shaped member that can be wound around the waist of the wearer and is used by winding it around the waist of the wearer. When this waist-wearing member 32 is worn by the wearer, a connecting member 50 is connected to a position that is approximately the center of the right or left foot (a position equidistant from the right and left sides of the foot). By doing so, when the assist force generating part 46 contracts and an elastic force is generated, the thigh-wearing part 44 is pulled in the direction of the position that is approximately the center of the right or left foot on the front side of the thigh-wearing part 44 (the direction of the forward swing of the foot). Therefore, when the foot is swung forward, an assist force can be generated in an appropriate direction.

[0019] The walking assist member 40 includes a connecting part 42a and a connecting part 42b (hereinafter also referred to as the connecting part 42) that are connected to the waist-wearing member 32 via the connecting member 50, a thigh-wearing part 44a and a thigh-wearing part 44b (hereinafter also referred to as the "thigh-wearing part 44") that are worn on the thigh of the wearer, and an assist force generating part 46a and an assist force generating part 46b (hereinafter also referred to as the "assist force generating part 46") that are located between the connecting part 42 and the thigh-wearing part 44. It is a belt-shaped member. The connecting part 42 and the thigh-wearing part 44 are formed of non-elastic bodies, and the assist force generating part 46 is formed of an elastic body. Therefore, when the wearer walks, the assist force generating part 46 extends when the wearer's foot is located behind, and the assist force generating part 46 contracts when swinging forward. By doing so, when the wearer swings the foot forward, a force is generated in the direction in which the connecting part 42 and the thigh-wearing part 44 approach each other, assisting the movement when swinging the foot forward and supporting the wearer's walking.

[0020] In addition, for this walking assistance member 40, the waist attachment member 32 is fixed to the upper end of the trousers 22 (the position where a band or belt etc. is provided), and the thigh attachment part 44 is fixed below the trousers 22. Specifically, for example, the thigh attachment part 44 is fixed to the trousers 22 by a sewing method with little stretch along a seam such as a main seam. By doing so, the walking assistance member 40 can be positioned at an appropriate position, and when the wearer wears it, it can be easily worn by putting on the trousers 22. Also, the left and right sides of the assist force generation part 46 are fixed to the trousers 22 along the left and right sides. Specifically, for example, the assist force generation part 46 is fixed to the trousers 22 by a sewing method with stretch along a seam such as a circumferential seam. By doing so, as the assist force generation part 46 expands and contracts, the trousers 22 and the seam expand and contract, and the trousers 22 does not hinder the expansion and contraction of the assist force generation part 46, so it can assist the movement when swinging the leg forward and support the walking of the wearer.

[0021] The connecting part 42 is, for example, in a strip shape made of a non-elastic body (for example, a band etc.), and is located at one end side and the other end side of the walking assistance member 40. This connecting part 42 connects the waist attachment member 32 and the walking assistance member 40 via a connecting member 50. By doing so, due to the elastic force generated by the assist force generation part 46, when the wearer swings the leg forward, a force is transmitted in the direction in which the thigh attachment part 44 approaches the waist attachment member 32, and by assisting the movement when swinging the leg forward, the walking of the wearer is supported.

[0022] The thigh mounting portion 44 has a belt-like shape made of a non-elastic body (e.g., a band, etc.), and both ends thereof are respectively connected to the assist force generating portion 46. As shown in FIG. 2, when worn by the wearer, this thigh mounting portion 44 is fixed at a position where it wraps around the surface of the wearer's leg in a state of crossing at the rear side of the wearer. Therefore, it is pulled in the direction of the assist force generating portion 46 by the elastic force of the assist force generating portion 46. For this reason, when worn by the wearer, the thigh portion of the wearer is tightened, and the thigh mounting portion 44 is positioned on the thigh portion of the wearer. At this time, since the crossing position is at the rear side of the wearer, when the thigh mounting portion is pulled in the direction of the assist force generating portion, the assist force can be naturally transmitted in the forward direction.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the assist force generating portion 46 has a belt-like shape made of an elastic body (e.g., rubber, etc.). One end thereof is connected to the connecting portion 42, and the other end is connected to the thigh mounting portion 44. When the wearer walks, this assist force generating portion 46 extends as the wearer's leg moves backward from the position of the leg when it stops, and contracts as it moves forward. For this reason, when the wearer swings the leg forward, a force is generated in the direction in which the connecting portion 42 and the thigh mounting portion 44 approach each other, and by assisting the movement when swinging the leg forward, the walking of the wearer can be supported.

[0024] The connecting member 50 is a member that connects the waist - wearing member 32 and the connecting portion 42 of the walking - assist member 40 in a manner that allows adjustment of the distance therebetween. For example, a known ruck - can or the like can be used. This connecting member 50 is provided on the front side of the trousers 22 and at the center of the right and left feet (at a position at a certain distance from the left and right side surfaces of the legs). The connecting member 50 and the connecting portion 42 are positioned at a position where they form a substantially Y - shaped symmetrical shape with respect to the connecting member 50, the connecting portion 42 on one end side, and the connecting portion 42 on the other end side. By doing so, when the assist - force generating portion 46 contracts to generate an assist force and the force is transmitted through the connecting portion 42 on one end side and the connecting portion 42 on the other end side, the forces in the left - right direction cancel each other out. Therefore, the force in the front - ward direction is transmitted to the leg, and when the leg swings forward, a force can be transmitted in the forward direction, thus assisting the wearer's walking. At this time, since the connecting member 50 is provided at the center of the right and left feet, compared with the case where it is provided on either the left or right side, a force can be transmitted in the forward direction, and the wearer's walking can be assisted.

[0025] According to the walking - assist device 30 of the embodiment described in detail above, as the wearer walks, the assist - force generating portion 46, which is an elastic body, contracts, and by assisting the movement when the wearer swings the leg, it is possible to assist the walking of the wearer while reducing the discomfort of the wearer.

[0026] Also, when the thigh - wearing portion 44 is worn by the wearer, it crosses at the rear side of the wearer, and is positioned by clamping the wearer's thigh portion by the elastic force of the assist - force generating portion 46. Therefore, it is fixed without clamping the wearer's leg too tightly, and it is possible to assist the walking of the wearer while reducing the discomfort of the wearer.

[0027] Furthermore, when the walking - assist device 30 is worn by the wearer, the connecting member 50 is located on the front side of the waist - wearing member 32. Therefore, the force generated by the assist - force generating portion 46 can appropriately assist the forward swing of the wearer's leg.

[0028] Furthermore, since the connecting member 50 and the connecting portions 42 are positioned such that the connecting member 50 and the connecting portion 42 on one end side and the connecting portion 42 on the other end side form a substantially Y-shaped symmetric position, when the assist force generating portion 46 contracts to generate an elastic force, the force is transmitted through the connecting portion 42 on one end side and the connecting portion 42 on the other end side, the forces in the left and right directions cancel each other out, and the force on the front side is transmitted to the leg, so that the force assisting the movement of the leg swinging forward can be efficiently transmitted, and the walking of the wearer can be assisted.

[0029] And, since the connecting member 50 connects the waist mounting member 32 and the connecting portion 42 of the walking assist member 40 in such a manner that the interval can be adjusted, by widening or narrowing the interval, the assist force generated by the assist force generating portion 46 can be weakened or strengthened, and the discomfort of the wearer can be reduced.

[0030] Also, since the walking assist device 30 is fixed to the back side of the trousers 22, the walking assist device 30 can be easily worn by putting on the trousers 22.

[0031] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments at all, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various modes as long as it belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0032] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the waist mounting member 32 is fixed to the back side of the trousers 22, but the trousers 22 may not be provided. By directly mounting the waist mounting member 32 and the walking assist member 40 on the wearer, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0033] In the above-described embodiment, the waist mounting member 32 is fixed to the back side of the trousers 22. However, for example, it may also serve as a member for fixing to the waist, such as a band or a belt provided on the trousers 22. By doing so, it is not necessary to newly provide the waist mounting member 32, and it can be made lightweight and compact.

[0034] In the above-described embodiment, the walking support member 40 and the waist mounting member 32 are connected via a connecting member 50 that enables adjustment of the distance between the waist mounting member 32 and the connecting portion 42 of the walking support member 40. However, the connecting member 50 may be one that does not enable adjustment of the distance between the waist mounting member 32 and the connecting portion 42 of the walking support member 40. Even in this case, it is possible to assist the wearer's walking.

[0035] In the above-described embodiment, the walking support member 40 and the waist mounting member 32 are connected via a connecting member 50 that enables adjustment of the distance between the waist mounting member 32 and the connecting portion 42 of the walking support member 40. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the connecting member 50 may not be provided. In this case, by directly fixing the connecting portion 42 to the waist mounting member 32, it is possible to assist the wearer's walking.

Industrial Applicability

[0036] As shown in the above-described embodiment, it can be used in the field of walking support, particularly as a walking support device.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0037] 20... Walking support clothing, 22... Trousers, 30... Walking support device, 32... Waist mounting member, 40... Walking support member, 40a... Walking support member, 40b... Walking support member, 42... Connecting portion, 44... Thigh mounting portion, 44a... Thigh mounting portion, 44b... Thigh mounting portion, 46... Assist force generating portion, 46a... Assist force generating portion, 46b... Assist force generating portion, 50... Connecting member, 50a... Connecting member, 50b... Connecting member.

Claims

1. a waist mounting member mounted on the waist of the wearer; a walking assistance member which is a non-elastic body and is a thigh mounting part mounted on the thigh of the wearer, an elastic body having two assist force generating parts that generate elastic force in the contracting direction by expanding and contracting, and two connecting parts that are non-elastic bodies; a connecting member that connects the two connecting parts to the front side of the waist mounting member; comprising; the thigh mounting part is provided between the two assist force generating parts; the two assist force generating parts are respectively provided between the thigh mounting part and the two connecting parts, characterized in that; a walking assistance device.

2. the thigh mounting part, when mounted on the wearer, wraps around the surface of the wearer's leg and crosses at the rear side, characterized in that; the walking assistance device according to Claim 1.

3. The connecting member connects the walking assistance member and the waist mounting member at a position where the two connecting parts are symmetric with respect to the left and right sides of the wearer's leg when the walking assistance member is mounted on the wearer, characterized in that; the walking assistance device according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. The connecting member is characterized in that the distance between the waist mounting member and the walking assistance member is adjustable; the walking assistance device according to Claim 3.

5. The walking assistance device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 is fixed to the back side of a garment made of a stretchable material, characterized in that; a walking assistance garment.

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