Walking aids

Abstract

To provide a walking auxiliary device that enables an assisted person to move safely and quickly when moving in a predetermined route in a facility.SOLUTION: A walking auxiliary device includes: a trolley including a seat surface and wheels; a line trace device installed in the trolley and including a motor for moving the wheels, a sensor for reading a line drawn on a floor, and a control unit that controls drive of the motor according to the read line; at least one pole fixed to the trolley; and at least one handle installed in each of the at least one pole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a walking assistance device, and more particularly to a walking assistance device used when a person requiring assistance in walking moves along a predetermined route. [Background technology]

[0002] In facilities such as hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and elderly care facilities (hereinafter referred to as facilities), when a person requiring assistance in walking (hereinafter referred to as the person receiving assistance) moves around the facility, they can choose from a number of methods, such as receiving walking assistance from an assistant, using a walking aid, or moving while supporting their body with a cane, handrail, etc., depending on their physical condition and walking level (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a walking aid device that has a handle and can move on its own on a walking surface. Patent Document 2 discloses a self-propelled electric walking aid that has a handle and a seat that can be sat on. Patent Document 3 discloses a walking aid that has a handle and wheels but cannot move on its own. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-024061 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-108966 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-080157 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a facility, when the walking level of a person receiving assistance is such that they can walk with the support of a cane, handrail, etc., if the caregiver does not have enough manpower or time, problems arise for the person receiving assistance, such as wanting to go to the toilet but feeling uncomfortable about asking an assistant for assistance just for that, wanting to walk while also undergoing rehabilitation, wanting to move around on their own but being worried about falling, etc. On the other hand, problems arise for the caregiver, such as the difficulty of constantly watching over the person and being unable to rush to their aid, even though it is dangerous for the person to move around on their own due to a lack of manpower or time.

[0006] Using the walking aids disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, it is possible to walk without an assistant, but there are dangerous places such as stairs and pillars within the facility, and there is a risk that the person will move to such places when there is no assistant.

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a walking assistance device that enables an assisted person to move safely and quickly along a predetermined route within a facility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The first aspect of the present invention is a line tracing device comprising a cart having a seat and wheels, a motor installed on the cart for moving the wheels, a sensor for reading a line drawn on the floor, and a control unit for controlling the driving of the motor in accordance with the read line, at least one support pole fixed to the cart, and at least one handle installed on each of the at least one support pole.

[0009] The first aspect of the present invention may further include an emergency stop device.

[0010] The first aspect of the present invention may further include an alarm device connected to the emergency stop device.

[0011] In the first aspect of the present invention, the alarm device may be activated by an operation by the person being assisted or by an abnormal operation of the walking assist device.

[0012] In a first aspect of the present invention, the cart may be configured as a chair having a seat.

[0013] In a first aspect of the present invention, the line tracing device comprises a light source, a light detection unit, a calculation unit, and a motor control unit, wherein the light detection unit detects the intensity of light reflected from the floor when light emitted from the light source is reflected, the calculation unit determines the shape of the line and the position of the trolley relative to the line from the intensity of the detected reflected light, and calculates the rotational speed of the wheels, and the motor control unit controls the rotation speed of the motor based on the calculated rotational speed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, a walking assistance device can be provided that allows an assisted person to move safely and quickly along a predetermined route within a facility by comprising a cart with a seat and wheels, a line tracing device that is installed on the cart and includes a motor for moving the wheels, a sensor for reading lines drawn on the floor, and a control unit that controls the operation of the motor in accordance with the read line, at least one support pole fixed to the cart, and at least one handle installed on each of the at least one support pole. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a walking assistance device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic view of a carriage portion of a walking assistance device according to a first embodiment, viewed from behind. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a line tracing device of a walking assistance device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a handle attached to a support pole of a walking assist device according to a first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings relating to the embodiment, the same or similar parts are designated by the same or similar reference numerals. Of course, there are also parts whose relationships differ between the drawings.

[0017] Furthermore, the embodiments are merely examples of devices and methods for embodying the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention does not limit the configuration of each component to those described below. The technical idea of ​​the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope defined by the claims.

[0018] (First embodiment) A walking assist device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, walking assist device 10 according to this embodiment is composed of a cart 11, a line tracing device 12 with a line tracing function that is installed on cart 11, and a support 13 fixed to cart 11. Cart 11 is equipped with a wheel 14 on the right side in the direction of travel and a wheel 19 on the left side in the direction of travel. A seat 15 on which the person being assisted can sit is placed on cart 11. A handle 16 that the person being assisted can hold is attached to support 13.

[0019] The line tracing device 12 irradiates light from a light source onto the floor and reads a line 17 drawn on the floor 18, thereby controlling the motors connected to the wheels 14, 19 to move the cart 11 along the line 17. FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the line tracing device 12 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the line tracing device 12 is composed of a light source 31, a light detection unit 32, a calculation unit 33, a motor control unit 34, a first motor 35, a second motor 36, and a power supply 37.

[0020] Typically, the light emitted from the light source 31 is infrared, the color of the line 17 is black, and the color of the floor 18 around the line 17 is white, but the type of light and the colors of the line 17 and floor 18 may be any as long as the position and direction of the line 17 can be determined. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the light emitted from the light source 31 is infrared, the color of the line 17 is black, and the color of the floor 18 is white.

[0021] The first motor 35 is connected to the right wheel 14, and the second motor 36 is connected to the left wheel 19 to rotate these wheels. The wheels 14 and 19 are considered to be drive wheels, and the front wheel 113 is considered to be a driven wheel. The power supply 37 is connected to the light source 31, the light detection unit 32, the calculation unit 33, the motor control unit 34, the first motor 35, and the second motor 36, and supplies power to each element. The calculation unit 33 and the motor control unit 34 are computers such as microcomputers.

[0022] In this embodiment, light is emitted from the light source 31 onto the floor directly below the cart 11. When light is emitted from the light source 31 onto the floor, the light detection unit 32 detects the intensity of the light reflected by the floor 18 or the line 17. The intensity of the reflected light detected by the light detection unit 32 is sent to the calculation unit 33. The calculation unit 33 determines, from the intensity of the received reflected light, whether the light emitted from the light source 31 was emitted onto the floor 18 or the line 17.

[0023] The cart 11 is placed on the line 17 so that the direction of travel of the cart 11 coincides with the direction of the line 17, the power supply 37 is turned on, and the wheels 14, 19 are rotated by the first motor 25 and the second motor 36 to move the cart 11. At predetermined intervals, light is emitted from the light source 21, the light detection unit 32 detects the reflected light, and the calculation unit 33 determines whether the light from the light source 31 is irradiated onto the floor 18 or the line 17.

[0024] From the change over time in the determination result, the calculation unit 33 determines the shape of the line 17, i.e., whether the line 17 extends straight or to what extent it curves left or right, and further, the position of the bogie 11 relative to the line 17, such as whether the bogie 11 is to the right or left of the line 17. From the determination result, the calculation unit 33 calculates the rotational speeds of the right wheel 14 and the left wheel 19. That is, for example, if the calculation unit 33 determines that the bogie 11 is to the right of the line 17, the calculation unit 33 calculates the rotational speeds of the wheels 14 and 19 so that the bogie 11 does not deviate from the line 17, changes direction in accordance with the direction of the line 17, and moves on the line 17. The calculation unit 33 transmits these calculation results to the motor control unit 34.

[0025] The motor control unit 34 controls the rotation speeds of the first motor 35 and the second motor 36 based on the calculation results received from the calculation unit 33. Therefore, the walking assist device 10 can move along the line 17.

[0026] In this embodiment, the line tracing device 12 controls the movement direction of the walking assist device 10 by determining the color of the floor using an optical sensor, but in other embodiments, for example, the line tracing device 10 may be equipped with a magnetic sensor instead of an optical sensor, and lines may be drawn on the floor using magnetic paint made by mixing magnet powder, iron powder, etc. with paint of the same color as the floor, and the magnetic sensor may detect these lines to control the movement direction of the walking assist device 10. By making the magnetic paint the same color as the floor, the lines can be made less noticeable, which can be an option from the perspective of the aesthetics of the facility.

[0027] Although only one support pole 13 is shown in Fig. 1, this is not limiting and multiple support poles may be used. Fig. 4 shows a handle 16. The handle shown in Fig. 4 is a ring-shaped handle 16 attached to the support pole 13, but it may also be, for example, a grip-like shape attached to the support pole 13. The handle 16 shown in Fig. 4 can be fixed at any position on the support pole 13, and the height of the handle 16 from the floor can be adjusted to suit the height of the person being assisted, etc.

[0028] 1 and 2, the walking assist device 10 may include a switch 110 as an emergency stop device. Pressing the switch 110 stops the supply of power from the power source 37 to each element of the line tracing device 12. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the switch 110 is installed on the foot 111 of the cart 11, but the installation location is not limited thereto and may be, for example, near the handle 16.

[0029] The walking assist device 10 may further include an automatic emergency stop device (not shown) as an emergency stop device that stops the operation of the walking assist device 10 when an abnormality occurs in the walking assist device 10 itself. Examples of automatic emergency stop devices include an acceleration sensor that detects an abnormality when an impact is applied to the walking assist device 10, or a speedometer that detects when the speed of the walking assist device 10 does not match the speed corresponding to the rotational speeds of the wheels 14 and 19 due to the walking assist device 10 itself tipping over or an obstacle, etc. When the automatic emergency stop device detects such an abnormality, it stops the supply of power from the power source 37 to each element of the line tracing device 12, just as when the switch 110 is pressed.

[0030] Furthermore, a pressure sensor or the like may be installed on the handle 16 as an automatic emergency stop device, and if the handle 16 is not gripped for a certain period of time due to the assisted person falling, etc., or if a pressure sensor is installed on the seat 15 and the non-assisted person sits on the seat 15 to rest, the walking assistance device 10 may be stopped by stopping the supply of power from the power source 37 to the first motor 35 and the second motor 36.

[0031] 1 and 2, the walking assist device 10 may be provided with a warning lamp 112 as a warning device. The warning lamp 112 is connected to a switch 110, and when the switch 110 is pressed, the warning lamp 112 lights up. Although the warning lamp 112 is shown as a warning device in FIGS. 1 and 2, the warning device is not limited to this, and for example, an alarm or a transmitter that transmits a signal via wireless communication or the like to an assistant or the like to notify that the switch 110 has been pressed may also be connected.

[0032] The walking assistance device 10 may further include, although not shown, a power switch for starting the supply of power from the power source 37 to each element of the line tracing device 12, a speed adjustment function for adjusting the average movement speed of the trolley 11, a movement start switch for starting the movement of the trolley 11, a pause switch for pausing the trolley 11, etc.

[0033] The line 17 is installed on a predetermined route, for example, on the floor from a room to a toilet within a facility. By using the walking aid device 10, the person being assisted can safely move to their destination within the facility. The walking aid device 10 has a seat 15 on which the person being assisted can sit when they feel tired while moving. An emergency stop device can stop the operation of the walking aid device 10 if the person being assisted becomes unsteady or falls, or is about to bump into something. Because the walking aid device 10 moves along a predetermined route, it can avoid dangerous places such as stairs.

[0034] As mentioned above, the present invention naturally includes various embodiments not described herein. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is defined only by the invention-specifying matters according to the scope of the claims that are appropriate from the above description. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 10. Walking aids 11 Cart 12 Line tracing device 13 Posts 14 Right front and rear wheels 19 Left front and rear wheels 15 seat 16 Handle 17 lines 18 beds 110 Switch 111 Foot 112 Warning lamp 31 Light source 32 Light detection unit 33 Calculation section 34 Motor control unit 35 First motor 36 Second motor 37 Power supply

Claims

1. a bogie having a seat and right and left wheels relative to the direction of travel; a line tracing device that is installed on the carriage and includes a first motor for moving the right wheel and a second motor for moving the left wheel, a sensor for reading a line drawn on a floor, and a control unit that controls the driving of the first motor and the second motor in accordance with the read line; at least one support column fixed to the carriage; at least one handle attached to each of the at least one support; A walking assistance device comprising:

2. The walking assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising an emergency stop device.

3. The walking assist device according to claim 2 , further comprising an alarm device connected to the emergency stop device.

4. The walking assist device according to claim 3, wherein the alarm device is activated by an operation by the person being assisted or by an abnormality in the operation of the walking assist device.

5. The walking assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the cart is configured as a chair having the seat.

6. the line tracing device includes a light source, a light detection unit, a calculation unit, and a motor control unit; The light detection unit detects the intensity of light reflected from a floor after irradiating the light source, the calculation unit determines a shape of the line and a position of the carriage relative to the line from the intensity of the detected reflected light, and calculates the rotational speeds of the right wheel and the left wheel, The walking assist device according to claim 1 , wherein the motor control unit controls the rotational speed of each of the first motor and the second motor based on the calculated rotational speed.

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