Muscle strength measurement belt

Abstract

To provide a belt for muscular strength measurement which has a simple structure and is provided with enough strength to resist a tensile force of the belt.SOLUTION: A belt for muscular strength measurement includes: a sensor installation part 3; and connection means for removably connecting a first end and a second end. The connection means is provided with: a first plate 4 provided in the first end; a second plate 6 provided in the second end; a locking projection 5 formed on a planer part of the first plate; a locking hole 7 formed on a planer part of the second plate; and a belt 9 for fixation as locking state hold means that holds a locked state of the locking projection 5 and the locking hole 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a muscle strength measurement belt, and more particularly to a muscle strength measurement belt used as a component of a muscle strength measurement device. [Background technology]

[0002] In muscle strength measurements, for example, isometric muscle strength measurements, a muscle strength measurement method using an isometric muscle strength measurement belt is known. Measurement of knee extension muscle strength using a μTas muscle strength meter ("μTas" is a registered trademark of Anima Co., Ltd.) is disclosed, for example, in Non-Patent Document 1 (a video provided by the present applicant). It is also known that muscle strength measurement methods using an isometric muscle strength measurement belt guarantee intra-examiner reproducibility and inter-examiner reproducibility (Non-Patent Document 2).

[0003] Specific configuration examples of muscle strength measuring devices using muscle strength measuring belts are described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. Patent Document 1 describes a "muscle strength measuring device comprising: a sensor unit (having a plurality of pressure detection elements arranged two-dimensionally and formed in a flat plate shape overall) for detecting pressing force; a belt that can be connected to the sensor unit and formed into a loop; an elastic pad that can cover the sensor unit; and a display that is electrically connected to the sensor unit and displays a muscle strength measurement value in response to a detection signal from the sensor unit." Patent Document 2 describes a "muscle strength measuring device comprising: a sensor unit for detecting pressing force or pulling force; an arithmetic circuit that is electrically connected to the sensor unit and calculates a muscle strength measurement value in response to a detection signal from the sensor unit; and a display that displays the measurement value calculated by the arithmetic circuit, wherein the arithmetic circuit includes a data processing circuit that generates data to be displayed on the display unit and a memory that stores the data, and wherein the memory stores statistical data or standard values ​​of muscle strength of a predetermined body part (e.g., knee extension muscle strength)."

[0004] The muscle strength measuring devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are used, for example, when measuring the isometric knee extension muscle strength of a subject. As shown in FIG. 12, a measurement belt 1 is hung horizontally between the shin of the lower leg L of a subject seated on a chair or bed and the leg or pillar P of the chair or bed, and the ends are connected to form a loop. A sensor unit S is brought into contact with the shin of the subject's lower leg L to make it measurable. In this state, when the subject applies force to extend the lower leg, the force presses the pressure detection element of the sensor unit S, and the data from the sensor unit S is sent to a calculation unit to measure the isometric knee extension muscle strength. The measurement result is then displayed on a display unit.

[0005] As shown in Figure 13, the connecting means between the first and second ends of a conventional belt body consists of a pair of claw-shaped mating pieces provided at the first end and a mating receiving portion (movable between a mated position and a non-mated position) provided at the second end, and the mating receiving portion is biased in the mating direction by a built-in spring to maintain the mated position.By inserting the mating piece into the mating receiving portion against the biasing force, the mating piece at the first end and the mating receiving portion at the second end are mated and connected with a single touch.On the other hand, the mated state can be released by pressing both sides with fingers to place the mating receiving portion in a non-mated position.

[0006] With such conventional connecting means, the first and second ends of the belt are easy to attach and detach, but repeated use of the muscle strength measurement belt can reduce the strength that resists the tensile force of the belt (the mating force between the mating piece and the mating receiving part), and there is also the issue that it is difficult to make the mating part sturdy because of the need to make the connecting part lightweight (it is necessary to prevent the connecting part from sagging under its own weight during measurement).Furthermore, if the measurement is performed while the mating part is unintentionally in contact with the support during muscle strength measurement, force may be applied to the mating part, causing it to come loose. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4875916 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4875917 [Non-patent literature]

[0008] [Non-Patent Document 1] https: / / anima.jp / products / f1video / [Non-patent document 2] Examination of a method for measuring isometric knee extension muscle strength using a fixation belt, Yuji Yamazaki et al., Journal of Kochi Rehabilitation College, Vol. 11, 2011 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a muscle strength measurement belt that has a simple configuration that does not substantially increase the weight of the connecting means, yet has sufficient strength to withstand the tensile force of the belt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The technical means adopted by the present invention are: a first end; A second end portion; a sensor mounting portion; a connecting means for detachably connecting the first end and the second end; A muscle strength measurement belt comprising: The connecting means is a first plate provided at the first end; a second plate provided at the second end; a fixed locking portion formed on a surface portion of the first plate; a fixed engaging portion formed on a surface portion of the second plate; a locking state maintaining means for maintaining an locked state between the locking portion and the locked portion; Equipped with It is a belt for measuring muscle strength. The immovable locking portion means that it is formed integrally with or fixed to the surface portion of the first plate and is immovable relative to the surface portion. The immovable locked portion means that it is formed integrally with or fixed to the surface portion of the second plate and is immovable relative to the surface portion.

[0011] In one embodiment, the locking portion is a locking protrusion protruding from a surface portion of the first plate, The locked portion is a locking hole formed in a surface portion of the second plate. The locked portion may be a locking groove formed on the surface of the second plate. Furthermore, the locking portion and the locked portion may both be locking protrusions, and the shape of the locking protrusion may be a rising piece that rises vertically from the surface portion, or a protruding piece that is L-shaped when viewed from the side and rises from the surface portion.

[0012] In one embodiment, the locking projection includes a shaft portion and a head portion at the upper end of the shaft portion, the locking hole is integrally formed with a large diameter portion larger than the diameter of the head portion and a small diameter portion smaller than the diameter of the head portion and larger than the diameter of the shaft portion, In the locking hole, the small diameter portion is located closer to the tip end of the second plate than the large diameter portion, In the locked state, the first plate and the second plate are in contact or close proximity to each other so as to overlap, and the shaft portion of the locking projection is positioned in the small diameter portion of the locking hole. In one embodiment, a base having a larger diameter than the shaft portion and the small diameter portion is formed on the lower end of the shaft portion of the locking projection.

[0013] In one embodiment, the locking state maintaining means comprises a fixing belt, In the locked state, the first plate and the second plate are in contact with or close to each other so that a surface portion of the first plate and a surface portion of the second plate overlap, and the locking portion is in a locked position locked to the locked portion, The fixing belt is provided so as to embrace the first plate and the second plate in the locked position, thereby maintaining the locked position of the first plate and the second plate.

[0014] In one embodiment, the fixing belt has a first surface and a second surface, the fixing belt comprises a first portion on one end side, a second portion on the other end side, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion, An insertion hole is formed in the first portion, a first element of a hook-and-loop fastener is provided on a second surface of the first portion, and a second element of a hook-and-loop fastener is provided on a first surface of the second portion; The fixing belt is configured such that the first surface of the third portion is positioned on the back side of the first plate in the locking position, the first portion is folded back so that the locking protrusion that protrudes from the locking hole of the second plate protrudes from the insertion hole, and the second portion is folded back so that the second element is attached to the first element of the hook-and-loop fastener, and the upper end portion of the locking protrusion is sandwiched between the first element and the second element of the hook-and-loop fastener.

[0015] The present invention can also be provided as a muscle strength measuring device comprising the above-mentioned muscle strength measuring belt, a sensor unit attached to the sensor attachment portion of the muscle strength measuring belt, and a calculation unit that calculates muscle strength based on data measured by the sensor unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The present invention comprises a connecting means between the first end and the second end, which comprises a fixed locking portion formed on the surface of the first plate, a fixed locked portion formed on the surface of the second plate, and a locking state maintaining means for maintaining the locked state between the locking portion and the locked portion, thereby making it possible to provide a muscle strength measuring belt with sufficient strength to withstand the tensile force of the belt, while having a simple configuration that does not substantially increase the weight of the connecting means. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view of a muscle strength measurement belt according to the present embodiment, showing a state in which a first end and a second end of a belt main body are connected to form a loop. [Figure 2]1 is an overall view of a muscle strength measurement belt according to the present embodiment, showing a first end of the belt body (with the components deployed) and a state in which the second end is detached. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing a first end (lower diagram) and a second end (upper diagram) of a belt main body of a muscle strength measurement belt according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram showing in detail a first end portion of the belt main body of the muscle strength measurement belt according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a rear view of a first end portion of a belt body of a muscle strength measurement belt according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a first end and a second end of a belt main body of the muscle strength measurement belt according to the present embodiment are locked together. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a locking protrusion at a first end of a belt body and a locking hole at a second end of the belt body of the muscle strength measurement belt according to the present embodiment are locked together. [Figure 8] 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the first portion of the fixing belt is folded back from the state in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the second portion of the fixing belt is folded back from the state shown in FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first plate and the second plate in a locked position are held by a fixing belt. FIG. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a connecting means for connecting a first end portion and a second end portion of a belt body according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] 1 is a diagram illustrating muscle strength measurement using a muscle strength measurement belt according to this embodiment (sensor mounting section, belt length adjustment section, and connecting means are omitted). FIG. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a conventional example of a means for connecting a first end and a second end of a belt body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The muscle strength measuring belt 1 according to this embodiment comprises a sensor unit S attached to the belt 1, and a calculation unit and a display unit electrically connected (either wired or wirelessly) to the sensor unit S, constituting a muscle strength measuring device (see FIG. 12), and typically provides an isometric muscle strength meter.

[0019] The muscle strength measurement belt 1 includes a belt body 1' made of a predetermined length of elongated material. The belt body 1' has a first end at one end in the longitudinal direction and a second end at the other end in the longitudinal direction. The first end and the second end are detachably connectable, and by connecting the first end and the second end, a loop-shaped belt 1 is obtained. The belt body 1' in this embodiment is a flat belt made of nylon, but the material forming the belt body 1' is not limited to nylon as long as it is a lightweight, non-stretchable material with a predetermined strength. The belt body 1' may also be formed by connecting multiple elongated elements. For example, the sensor unit S may be attached at a connection between the multiple elongated elements.

[0020] The belt main body 1' is provided with a belt length adjustment unit 2, and the belt length can be shortened, for example, by pulling the excess belt length 2' of the belt length adjustment unit 2. The belt length adjustment unit 2 is preferably provided in a location close to the first end or the second end so that the length of the looped belt can be easily adjusted when the first end and the second end are connected to form a looped belt during muscle strength measurement, and in this embodiment, the belt length adjustment unit 2 is provided near the first end. The configuration of the belt length adjustment unit 2 itself is well known, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0021] The belt main body 1' includes a sensor attachment section 3. The sensor attachment section 3 according to this embodiment includes a hook-and-loop fastener, and a sensor section S for measuring muscle strength is detachably attached to the sensor attachment section 3. The sensor section S includes a load sensor and a pad, and a signal line extends from the side of the pad. Data acquired by the load sensor is transmitted to a calculation section, and muscle strength calculated by the calculation section is displayed on a display section. In one embodiment, the calculation section and the display section are mounted on a belt that can be worn on the arm of the subject. In one embodiment, the sensor section S is configured as a pressure sensor including a pair of flat plates and pressure detection elements disposed at the four corners between the plates. For more specific configurations of the sensor attachment section 3, the sensor section S, the calculation section, and the display section, reference can be made to Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0022] The connecting means for connecting the first end and the second end of the belt body 1' will now be described. The connecting means for connecting the first end and the second end is composed of a fixed locking portion formed on the surface of the first plate 4, a fixed locked portion formed on the surface of the second plate 6, and a locking state maintaining means for maintaining the locked state of the locking portion and the locked portion. In this embodiment, the locking portion is a locking protrusion 5 provided on the first plate 4, and the locked portion is a locking hole 7 provided on the second plate 6. Note that the combination of the locking protrusion 5 and the locking hole 7 is one preferred embodiment and does not limit the connecting means according to the present invention. For example, both the locking portion and the locked portion may be locking protrusions, and the shape of the locking protrusion may be a rising piece rising vertically from the surface, or a protruding piece rising from the surface that is L-shaped or inverted T-shaped in side view.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a first plate 4 made of a thin metal plate is provided at a first end of the belt body 1'. The first plate 4 has a first surface 40 and a second surface 41, and a locking projection 5 is formed on the first surface 40 of the first plate 4. The locking projection 5 is composed of a disk-shaped base 50 that projects from the first surface 40 of the first plate 4, a shaft portion 51 that rises from the base 50, and a disk-shaped head portion 52 that is integrally formed on the upper end of the shaft portion 50. In this embodiment, the first plate 4 is made of duralumin and the locking projection 5 is made of brass, but the materials are not limited as long as they are as lightweight as possible and have a predetermined strength. The first plate 4 may be made of stainless steel or a steel plate, for example, and the locking projection 5 may be made of stainless steel or iron.

[0024] A thin metal second plate 6 is provided at the second end of the belt body 1'. The second plate 6 has a first surface 60 and a second surface 61, and a locking hole 7 is formed in the surface of the second plate 6. The locking hole 7 is a so-called potbellied hole, integrally formed with a large-diameter portion 70 larger than the diameter of the head 52 of the locking projection 5 and a small-diameter portion 71 smaller than the diameter of the head 52 and the diameter of the base 50, but larger than the diameter of the shaft 50 of the locking projection 5. In the locking hole 7, the small-diameter portion 71 is located closer to the belt end than the large-diameter portion 70. In this embodiment, the second plate 6 is made of duralumin. However, the material is not limited as long as it is as lightweight as possible and has a predetermined strength. The second plate 6 may be made of, for example, stainless steel or steel plate. Note that the locked portion may be formed of a locking groove instead of the locking hole 7.

[0025] The heads 51 of the locking projections 5 of the first plate 4 are inserted through the large diameter portions 70 of the locking holes 7 of the second plate 6 so that the first surface 40 of the first plate 4 and the second surface 61 of the second plate 6 face each other, and the second plate 6 is slid toward the tip of the first plate 4, thereby locking the shafts 50 of the locking projections 5 with the small diameter portions 71 of the locking holes 7 (see the lower diagram of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7). That is, in the locked state, the first surface 40 of the first plate 4 and the second surface 61 of the second plate 6 are closely overlapped (in this embodiment, they are spaced apart and face each other), and the shafts 50 of the locking projections 5 are positioned in the small diameter portions 71 of the locking holes 7. The area near the small diameter portion 71 of the first surface 60 of the second plate 6 is closely opposed to or in contact with the head 52 of the locking projection 5, and the area near the small diameter portion 71 of the second surface 61 of the second plate 6 is closely opposed to or in contact with the base 50 of the locking projection 5.

[0026] The muscle strength measurement belt 1 is equipped with an engagement state maintaining means for maintaining the engagement state between the engagement protrusion 5 and the engagement hole 7. A belt extension 8 is provided at the first end of the belt main body 1', located on the second surface side of the first plate 4. The belt extension 8 is bag-shaped by folding back a long element to form a first portion 80 on the front side and a second portion 81 on the back side, and a base end 82 is fixed to the back surface of the part to which the first plate 4 is connected. The second surface 41 of the first plate 4 and the first portion 80 of the belt extension 8 are configured to abut but are not fixed. The first plate 4 is rotatable relative to the first end of the belt main body 1' via the base end side.

[0027] A fixing belt 9 made of a short, flexible, strip-shaped member extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt main body 1′ is inserted between the first portion 80 and the second portion 81 of the belt extension portion 8 (see FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 7). The fixing belt 9 has a first surface and a second surface, and is composed of the first portion 90 on one side in the longitudinal direction, the second portion 91 on the other side, and a third portion 91 located midway between the first portion 90 and the second portion 91. The third portion 91 is attached to the first end of the belt main body 1′ in a state where it is sandwiched between the first portion 80 and the second portion 81 of the belt extension portion 8. The belt extension portion 8 and the third portion 92 of the fixing belt 9 inserted into the belt extension portion 8 are located on the back surface (second surface 41 side) of the first plate 4.

[0028] A hole 900 capable of receiving the head 51 of the locking projection 5 in the locked state is formed in the first portion 90 of the fixing belt 9 (see FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 7), and the first portion 90 is folded back so that the first surface overlaps the locking projection 5 and the first surface of the second plate 6, causing the head 71 of the locking projection 7 to protrude from the hole 900 (see FIG. 8). A first element 901 of a hook-and-loop fastener is provided on the second surface (located on the front side) of the folded back first portion 90.

[0029] A second element 910 of the hook-and-loop fastener is provided on a first surface of the second portion 91 of the fixing belt 9 (see FIGS. 4, 7, and 8), and the first surface of the second portion 91 is folded back so as to overlap the second surface of the first portion 90, and the head 71 of the locking projection 7 is sandwiched between the second element 910 of the hook-and-loop fastener and the first element 901 (see FIGS. 9 and 10). The fixing belt 9 is provided to embrace the first plate 4 and the second plate 6 in the locking position, and restricts movement of the first plate 4 and the second plate 6 in the direction away from each other and sliding movement (movement of the shaft 51 of the locking projection 5 from the large diameter portion 71 to the small diameter portion 70 of the locking hole 7) in the direction opposite to the direction in which a tensile force acts on the connecting portion of the loop-shaped belt main body 1'.

[0030] The muscle strength measuring belt 1 according to this embodiment is used as a component of a muscle strength measuring device. The sensor unit S is attached to the sensor attachment section 3 of the belt main body 1' of the muscle strength measuring belt 1, and the belt main body 1' of the muscle strength measuring belt 1 is hung horizontally between the shin of the lower leg L of a subject seated on a chair or bed and the leg or support P of the chair or bed. The first and second ends are connected to each other by the connecting means to form a loop. With the sensor unit S in contact with the shin of the subject's lower leg L, the belt length is appropriately adjusted by the belt length adjustment section 2 to enable measurement. In this state, when the subject applies force to extend the lower leg, the force presses the pressure detection element of the sensor unit S, and data from the sensor unit S is transmitted to the calculation section, whereby the isometric knee extension muscle strength is measured and displayed on the display section.

[0031] FIG. 11 shows a connecting means for connecting the first and second ends of a belt body according to another embodiment. A first plate 4' made of a thin metal plate is provided at the first end of the belt body 1', and a locking projection 5' is formed on the surface of the first plate 4'. In the illustrated embodiment, a base 50' is provided on the surface of the first plate 4' at the base end of the locking projection 5'. A second plate 6' made of a thin metal plate is provided at the second end of the belt body 1', and a locking projection 7' ​​is formed on the surface of the second plate 6', and an open groove 70' is formed on the surface at the base end of the locking projection 7'. In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the locking portion is the locking projection 7' ​​provided on the first plate 4', and the locked portion is the locking projection 7' ​​and the open groove 70' provided on the second plate 6'. The locking protrusions 5' of the first plate 4' are inserted through the opening grooves 70' of the second plate 6' so that the surface of the first plate 4' and the surface of the second plate 6' face each other and overlap, and the locking protrusions 5' of the first plate 4' and the locking protrusions 7' of the second plate 6' come into contact with each other, thereby achieving a locked state.

[0032] The muscle strength measuring belt 1 is provided with an engagement state maintaining means for maintaining the engagement state between the engagement protrusions 5' and 7'. A fixing belt (not shown in FIG. 11) can be used as the engagement state maintaining means. Regarding the explanation of the fixing belt, the above description can be used by changing "a first portion 90 of the fixing belt 9 is formed with a hole 900 capable of receiving the head portion 51 of the engagement protrusion 5" to "a first portion of the fixing belt is formed with a hole capable of receiving the engagement protrusions 5' and 7'." [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1. Muscle strength measurement belt 1´ Belt body 2 Belt length adjustment section 3 Sensor attachment part 4. Plate 1 5 Locking protrusion 50 base 51 Shaft 52 Head 6 Second Plate 7 Locking hole 70 Large diameter section 71 Small diameter section 8 Belt extension 9 Fixing belt

Claims

1. A first end portion; A second end; a sensor mounting portion; a connecting means for detachably connecting the first end and the second end; A muscle strength measurement belt comprising: The connecting means is a first plate provided at the first end; a second plate provided at the second end; a fixed locking projection formed on a surface of the first plate; a locking hole formed in a surface portion of the second plate; a locking state holding means for holding the locking protrusion and the locking hole in an engaged state; Equipped with In the locked state, the first plate and the second plate are in contact with or close to each other so that a surface portion of the first plate and a surface portion of the second plate overlap, the locking projections are inserted into the locking holes, and the upper ends of the locking projections are in a position protruding from the locking holes, The locking state maintaining means includes a fixing belt, The fixing belt has a first surface and a second surface, the fixing belt comprises a first portion on one end side, a second portion on the other end side, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion, and an insertion hole is formed in the first portion; a first element of a hook-and-loop fastener is provided on a second surface of the first portion, a second element of a hook-and-loop fastener is provided on a first surface of the second portion, and the second surface of the first portion and the first surface of the second portion are detachable by the hook-and-loop fastener; The fixing belt is formed by positioning the first surface of the third portion on the back side of the first plate in the locking position, folding back the first portion to make the locking projection protrude from the insertion hole, and folding back the second portion to attach the second element to the first element of the hook-and-loop fastener, and by fixing the upper end portion of the locking projection so as to be sandwiched between the first element and the second element of the hook-and-loop fastener to form an enveloping state, the locking projection is restricted from moving in the direction opposite to the direction in which a tensile force acts on the muscle strength measurement belt, thereby maintaining the locked state of the first plate and the second plate. Belt for measuring muscle strength.

2. The locking protrusion has a shaft portion and a head portion at an upper end of the shaft portion, and the upper end portion includes the head portion; the locking hole is integrally formed with a large diameter portion larger than the diameter of the head portion and a small diameter portion smaller than the diameter of the head portion and larger than the diameter of the shaft portion, In the locking hole, the small diameter portion is located closer to a tip end of the second plate than the large diameter portion, In the locked state, the first plate and the second plate are in contact with or close to each other so as to overlap, and the shaft portion of the locking projection is positioned in the small diameter portion of the locking hole. The muscle strength measurement belt according to claim 1.

3. a base having a diameter larger than that of the shaft portion and the small diameter portion is protruded from a lower end of the shaft portion of the locking projection; The muscle strength measurement belt according to claim 2.

4. A muscle strength measuring device comprising: a muscle strength measuring belt according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a sensor unit attached to the sensor attachment part of the muscle strength measuring belt; and a calculation unit that calculates muscle strength based on data measured by the sensor unit.

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