Walking aid

Abstract

To provide a walker which allows left and right handles to be adjusted to positions appropriate to a physical frame of a user.SOLUTION: A walker 1 includes: wheels 7, 8 which may travel on a ground plane G; a pair of left and right handles 15, 15 which are pressed by hands of a user to be operated; and a pair of left and right holding pillars 10, 10 which hold the left and right handles so that heights can be adjusted in a manner that a dimension W between the left and right handles become larger in an upward direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a walking aid.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a walking aid that is manually operated by a user such as an elderly person and assists the user's walking is known. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a walking aid including a pair of leg portions provided apart in the left - right direction and having front wheels and rear wheels attached to the lower ends thereof, and a handle attached to the upper ends of the leg portions. This walking aid has a configuration in which a support frame with a handle attached to the upper end is inserted into a cylindrical rear leg frame of each leg portion so that the vertical position can be adjusted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above - described walking aid, although the height of the handle can be adjusted, it is desired to adjust it to a more appropriate position according to the user's physique.

[0005] This disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a walking aid capable of adjusting the left and right handles to positions according to the user's physique.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the walking aid according to this disclosure comprises wheels capable of traveling on a ground surface, a pair of left and right handles operated by a user, and a pair of left and right support columns that hold each of these left and right handles in a height-adjustable manner such that the distance between the left and right handles increases as the device moves upward. Furthermore, the distance between the left and right handles at their lowest height, when they are at their smallest, is 340mm to 400mm, and the distance between the left and right handles at their highest height, when they are at their largest, is 440mm to 500mm. It is characterized by the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The walking aid described in this disclosure has the above-described configuration, which allows the left and right handles to be adjusted to a position that suits the user's physique. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] (a) and (b) are schematic perspective views illustrating an example of a walking vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] (a) and (b) are schematic plan views of the pedestrian walker. [Figure 3] (a) is a schematic longitudinal section corresponding to the view along the line X1-X1 in Figure 2(a), and (b) is a schematic longitudinal section corresponding to the view along the line X2-X2 in Figure 2(b). [Figure 4] (a) and (b) are schematic front views of the pedestrian walker. [Figure 5] (a) and (b) are schematic perspective views illustrating an example of a walking vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] (a) and (b) are schematic plan views of the pedestrian walker. [Figure 7] (a) is a schematic longitudinal section corresponding to the view along the line X3-X3 in Figure 6(a), and (b) is a schematic longitudinal section corresponding to the view along the line X4-X4 in Figure 6(b). [Figure 8] (a) and (b) are schematic front views of the pedestrian walker. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In some of the figures, some of the detailed symbols used in other figures have been omitted. In the following embodiments, an example of a walker according to each embodiment will be described with the user walking while pushing it by hand in a standing position as the reference point, with the forward side in the direction of walking being referred to as the front side and the opposite side as the rear side. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the front-back and up-down directions will be described as the left-right direction.

[0010] Figures 1 to 4 schematically show an example of a walking vehicle according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1(a), the walker 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with wheels 7 and 8 that can travel on a contact surface G such as a floor or ground, and a pair of left and right handles 15 and 15 that are operated by the user pushing them. With this configuration, the load on the legs can be reduced by gripping the left and right handles 15 and 15 and shifting part of the user's weight onto the walker 1. This walking aid 1 may be used when walking indoors in residences, various commercial facilities, welfare facilities, etc., or when walking outdoors on sidewalks, etc.

[0011] As shown in Figures 2(a) and 4, the walker 1 is equipped with a pair of left and right support columns 10, 10 that hold each of the left and right handles 15, 15 in a height-adjustable manner such that the distance W between the left and right handles 15, 15 increases as it moves upward. With this configuration, the left and right handles 15, 15 can be adjusted to a height and position that is easy for the user to operate. In other words, the handle width W increases as the height of the left and right handles 15, 15 increases. This allows the left and right handles 15, 15 to be adjusted to a position that corresponds to the user's height and shoulder width, which tends to widen as height increases. In other words, when used by a short user, setting the height of the left and right handles 15, 15 to a low position will result in a relatively small handle width W. On the other hand, when used by a tall user, setting the height of the left and right handles 15, 15 to a high position will result in a relatively large handle width W. As shown in Figures 1(a) and 3(a), the walker 1 is equipped with a seat 30 on which the user can sit. With this configuration, the user can sit on the seat 30 and rest in the middle of walking.

[0012] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the walker 1 is equipped with a luggage rack 20 on which luggage (in the example, a shopping basket) B can be placed, positioned between the left and right handles 15, 15. With this configuration, luggage such as a shopping basket B can be placed between the left and right handles 15, 15. This makes it easier to place and remove luggage from the rear side (user side) compared to a configuration where the handlebars are located on the rear side (user side) of the luggage. In addition, the left and right handles 15, 15 can prevent luggage placed on the luggage rack 20 from falling to the left or right. Furthermore, as the height of the left and right handles 15, 15 increases, the handle width W increases, so even if the luggage is a shopping basket B or the like which has an expanding shape towards the top as shown in the example, the fingers operating the handles 15, 15 are less likely to interfere with the shopping basket B. The luggage rest 20 is positioned above the seat 30 when seated, and is displaceable between the left and right handles 15, 15, allowing for luggage to be placed in a usable position and for the user to sit on the seat 30 in a non-usable position. With this configuration, the luggage rest 20 in the usable position is relatively high, reducing the need to bend over and thus reducing the physical strain when loading and unloading luggage. Furthermore, since the luggage rest 20 can be in the non-usable position, it is less likely to get in the way when sitting on the seat 30 and can be made more compact compared to a configuration where the luggage rest is permanently installed.

[0013] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the walker 1 is equipped with front wheels 7 and rear wheels 8 that constitute the wheels. This walker 1 is equipped with a pair of left and right front wheels 7,7 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 8,8. The left and right front wheels 7, 7 are provided at the lower ends of front wheel frames 3, 3 that form frames 2, 2 provided symmetrically so as to be located on both left and right outer sides of a seat portion 30 in a seatable state to be described later. The front wheel frames 3, 3 are provided so as to extend obliquely such that the front side is on the frontward side as going from the upper end portion to the lower end side. These front wheel frames 3, 3 are connected by a cross frame 4 provided so as to be spanned thereover. In the illustrated example, the cross frame 4 is connected to the lower end portions of the front wheel frames 3, 3. The front wheels 7, 7 are rotatable about an axis along a substantially horizontal direction. These front wheels 7, 7 are in the form of swivel casters capable of following the change in direction of the walking vehicle 1. At the lower end portions of the front wheel frames 3, 3, there are provided holding portions that rotatably hold support portions for rotatably supporting the front wheels 7, 7 about an axis along a substantially vertical direction (vertical direction). These front wheels 7, 7 are provided so as to be located on the frontward side of holding columns 10, 10 that hold handlebars 15, 15 to be described later.

[0014] The left and right rear wheels 8, 8 are provided at the lower ends of rear wheel frames 5, 5 that form frames 2, 2. The rear wheel frames 5, 5 are provided so as to extend obliquely such that the rear side is on the rearward side as going from the upper end portion to the lower end side. These rear wheel frames 5, 5 are connected by a cross frame 6 provided so as to be spanned thereover. In the illustrated example, the cross frame 6 is connected to the upper end portions of the rear wheel frames 5, 5. The rear wheels 8, 8 are rotatable about an axis along the left - right direction. These rear wheels 8, 8 are provided so as to be located on the rearward side of holding columns 10, 10 that hold handlebars 15, 15 to be described later. These rear wheels 8, 8 are provided spaced apart left and right so as to form a walking space for the user therebetween. As shown in FIG. 4, the above - described front wheels 7, 7 are provided so as to be located slightly on the inner side in the left - right direction (the center side in the left - right direction of the walking vehicle 1, hereinafter the same) than the rear wheels 8, 8 on both left and right sides in the left - right direction. The outer diameters of these front wheels 7, 7 and rear wheels 8, 8 may be set to appropriate diameters so as to smoothly overcome predetermined grooves, steps, unevenness, etc. formed on the ground contact surface G. In the illustrated example, an example where the outer diameter of the front wheels 7, 7 is larger than the outer diameter of the rear wheels 8, 8 is shown, but it is not limited to such an example.

[0015] The walking vehicle 1 is provided with locking portions 9, 9 that disable the rotation of the rear wheels 8, 8. These locking portions 9, 9 may be provided so as to be located on the sides of the rear wheels 8, 8 and configured to disable the rotation of the rear wheels 8, 8 when operated by stepping. The walking vehicle 1 is provided with a braking mechanism for braking the rotation of these rear wheels 8, 8. As the braking mechanism, a configuration may be adopted that includes an operating portion that is operated by a wire connected to brake levers 16, 16 provided on handlebars 15, 15 described later to brake the rotation of the rear wheels 8, 8. The wheels 7, 8 provided on the walking vehicle 1 are not limited to the four wheels as described above. For example, a three-wheel configuration with one front wheel 7 or a configuration with five or more wheels may also be used.

[0016] The left and right holding columns 10, 10 are configured to hold the handlebars 15, 15 so that the height from the ground contact surface G is within the range of 650 mm to 950 mm, and the height of the handlebars can be adjusted. With such a configuration, the handle height H1 (see Fig. 3(a)) of the left and right handlebars 15, 15 can be adjusted to a height that is easy to operate according to the height of a user within a standard height range, improving versatility. In the illustrated example, this handle height H1 is the height from the ground contact surface G to the upper end of the handlebar 15. The lower limit height (the handle height H1 when set to the lowest) of the handlebars 15, 15 that are height-adjusted as described later may be 650 mm to 700 mm, and the upper limit height (the handle height H1 when set to the highest) may be 900 mm to 950 mm. The lower limit height of the handlebars 15, 15 may be set to an appropriate height so that, for example, an elderly woman with a relatively short stature can easily grip them. The upper limit height of the handlebars 15, 15 may be set to an appropriate height so that, for example, an elderly man with a relatively tall stature can easily grip them.

[0017] The left and right support columns 10, 10 are configured to hold the handles 15, 15 such that the handle width W (see Figure 2(a)) is within the range of 340 mm to 500 mm. With this configuration, the handle width W can be adjusted to a dimension that matches the shoulder width of a user within a standard height range, thereby improving versatility. In the example shown, this handle width W is the dimension from the outward-facing surface of one handle 15 to the outward-facing surface of the other handle 15. The smallest handle width W when the handles 15, 15 are at their lower height may be 340 mm to 400 mm, and the largest handle width W when the handles 15, 15 are at their upper height may be 440 mm to 500 mm. The minimum handle width W may be, for example, a dimension corresponding to the shoulder width of an elderly woman with relatively narrow shoulders. The maximum handle width W may be, for example, a dimension corresponding to the shoulder width of an elderly man with relatively wide shoulders.

[0018] Specifically, these support columns 10,10 are provided so as to extend generally vertically on both the left and right outer sides of the seat portion 30 in the seating position described later. These support columns 10,10 are provided so as to be located approximately in the center between the front wheels 7,7 and the rear wheels 8,8 in the front-rear direction. These support columns 10,10 are fixed to the upper ends of the left and right frames 2,2, which are provided to connect the upper ends of the front wheel frames 3,3 and the rear wheel frames 5,5. In the illustrated example, these support columns 10,10 are provided so as to be located on the left and right inner sides of the left and right frames 2,2. As shown in Figure 3, these support columns 10, 10 are positioned perpendicular to the ground surface G in a side view (viewed in the left-right direction). As shown in Figure 4, these support columns 10, 10 are positioned in a spreading manner, spreading apart from each other in the left-right direction as they move upwards in a front view (viewed in the front-back direction). In other words, in a front view, these support columns 10, 10 are positioned diagonally so as they move outwards in the left-right direction as they move upwards. The angle of inclination of these support columns 10, 10 with respect to the vertical in a front view may be set to an appropriate angle depending on the height adjustment range of the handles 15, 15 and the adjustment range of the handle width W. For example, the angle of inclination of these support columns 10, 10 with respect to the vertical in a front view may be around 2 to 10 degrees, or around 2 to 5 degrees, and the example shown in the figure is around 3 degrees.

[0019] These support columns 10, 10 comprise frame-side columns 11, 11 fixed to frames 2, 2, and handle-side columns 13, 13 that are extendable and retractable relative to the frame-side columns 11, 11 and have handles 15, 15 at their upper ends. The frame-side support columns 11,11 are cylindrical in shape into which the handle-side support columns 13,13 are inserted. The frame-side support columns 11,11 are provided with fasteners 12 for securing the handle-side support columns 13,13, which are extended or retracted relative to the frame-side support columns 11,11. In the illustrated example, a knob bolt with a manually operated head is shown as the fastener 12, but the design is not limited to this example. The handle-side support posts 13, 13 are provided with multiple insertion holes 14, 14 spaced apart along their longitudinal direction into which the shafts (male threaded portions) of the fasteners 12, 12 are inserted. The handle-side support posts 13, 13 can be fixed to the frame-side support posts 11, 11 by inserting the shafts of the fasteners 12, 12 into any of the insertion holes 14, 14 of each handle-side support post 13, 13 and tightening them. In terms of how the fasteners 12, 12 are fastened, the insertion holes 14, 14 may be female threaded holes, or female threaded members may be provided into which the male threaded portions of the fasteners 12, 12, which protrude inward in the left-right direction from the insertion holes 14, 14 that penetrate in the left-right direction, are screwed.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4(a), the handle height H1 when the handle side supports 13,13 are shortened to their shortest length relative to the frame side supports 11,11 is the lower limit height of the handles 15,15 as described above. As shown in Figure 4(b), the handle height H1 when the handle side supports 13,13 are fully extended relative to the frame side supports 11,11 becomes the upper limit height of the handle 15,15 as described above. The number and pitch of the insertion holes 14 provided in each handle-side support column 13, 13 may be any number and pitch as appropriate. For example, there may be 5 to 15 insertion holes 14, and they may be spaced at a pitch of 10 mm to 50 mm. Instead of the frame-side support columns 11, 11 being able to extend and retract in multiple stages relative to the handle-side support columns 13, 13, they may be able to extend and retract in a stepless manner. The holding support columns 10, 10 that hold the left and right handles 15, 15 in a height-adjustable manner are not limited to the above configuration, and various other modifications are possible.

[0021] The handles 15, 15 are provided so as to extend from the upper ends of the handle-side support columns 13, 13 toward the rear. These handles 15, 15 may have a suitable diameter and shape to make them easy to grip. The brake levers 16, 16 are positioned below the handlebars 15, 15. The front ends of these brake levers 16, 16 are rotatable around an axis that runs in the left-right direction. The brake levers 16, 16 may be operated in such a way that their rear ends are displaced upward, thereby activating a mechanism that brakes the rotation of the rear wheels 8, 8. The illustrated example shows brake levers 16, 16 with insertion holes for fingers, but the design is not limited to this example.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2(b) and 4, the luggage loading section 20 is positioned between the left and right support columns 10, 10 in the usage position. The walker 1 is designed so that luggage can be loaded and unloaded from the luggage loading section 20 to the front and rear sides in the usage position. In other words, there are no handlebars or the like on the front and rear sides of the luggage loading section 20, and the front and rear sides of the luggage loading section 20 are open. As shown in Figure 3(b), the luggage resting section 20 is configured to slope downwards toward the rear in the direction of walking when in use. This configuration prevents luggage from falling forward in the direction of walking when walking while pushing the walker 1 with luggage placed on the luggage resting section 20. The inclination angle of the resting surface 23 of the luggage resting section 20 with respect to the horizontal plane may be, for example, about 1 to 10 degrees. At the front and rear ends of the luggage resting section 20 in the direction of walking, stopper sections 24 and 29 are provided that protrude upward from the resting surface 23 of the luggage resting section 20. With this configuration, when walking while pushing the walker 1 with luggage placed on the luggage resting section 20, it is possible to prevent luggage from falling forward and backward in the direction of walking. The protrusion dimensions of these stopper sections 24 and 29 from the resting surface 23 may be set to an appropriate dimension from the viewpoint of preventing luggage placed on the resting surface 23 from falling, and from the viewpoint of reducing snagging when loading and unloading luggage, for example, they may be about 5 mm to 30 mm.

[0023] The loading surface 23 of the loading section 20 at the point of use is set at a height that facilitates loading and unloading of luggage. The mounting surface 23 of the luggage rest 20 in this position may be at a height close to the user's grip axis height. With this configuration, the height of the mounting surface 23 will be close to the user's fist height, making it easier to load and unload luggage, and reducing the physical strain when loading and unloading luggage. Grip axis height is the vertical distance from the floor (ground surface G) to the center point of the grip axis of the fist in a standing position. The grip axis height of relatively short elderly women is about 550 mm, and the grip axis height of relatively tall elderly men is about 800 mm. In other words, the height H2 from the ground surface G to the mounting surface 23 of the luggage rest 20 in the position of use may be between 550 mm and 800 mm.

[0024] The height H2 from the ground surface G to the loading surface 23 of the loading section 20 at the point of use is preferably 600 mm to 750 mm. With this configuration, the height H2 of the loading surface 23 will be roughly the same as that of a typical cash register counter or packing table (workstation), which can more effectively reduce the physical strain when loading and unloading goods at a cash register counter or packing table. If the loading surface 23 at the point of use is tilted backward as described above, the height H2 from the ground surface G to the loading surface 23 of the loading section 20 at the point of use may be the height of the front end of the loading surface 23 at its highest point.

[0025] This luggage resting section 20 is made of sheet material. With this configuration, weight reduction can be achieved compared to a configuration in which a plate-shaped luggage resting section 20 is provided. This luggage resting section 20 may be made of various sheet materials or fabric materials that are flexible and foldable, or it may be made of mesh or net-like material. As shown in Figures 2(b) and 3(b), the luggage resting section 20 has a first end portion 21, which is the front end in the walking direction when in use, fixed to the front frame portion 19 of the frame-like body 17. The frame-like body 17 has left and right side frame portions 18, 18 that extend forward in the walking direction from the left and right support columns 10, 10, and a front frame portion 19 that is provided to connect the front ends of these left and right side frame portions 18, 18 in the walking direction. With this configuration, the luggage resting section 20 in use can be surrounded by the front frame portion 19 and the left and right side frame portions 18, 18, and luggage placed on the luggage resting section 20 can be stably placed even if the sheet-like luggage resting section 20 flexes.

[0026] The luggage loading section 20 has a second end 22, which is the rear end in the walking direction when in use, fixed to a rotating body that rotates around an axis (pivot shaft) 35 along the left-right direction when displacing the luggage loading section 20 between the use position and the non-use position. With this configuration, the luggage loading section 20 can be easily displaced between the use position and the non-use position by rotating the rotating body. This rotating body is a seat 30 in which the rear end portion in the walking direction when seated is held to rotate freely around a pivot axis 35 that runs along the left-right direction, and the second end 22 of the luggage rest 20 is fixed to the front end portion in the walking direction when seated. With this configuration, the luggage rest 20 can be put into use position by rotating the seat 30 around the pivot axis 35 so that its front end is flipped up diagonally upward toward the rear. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which a rotating body is provided separately from the seat 30, the structure can be simplified and the weight reduced.

[0027] Specifically, as shown in Figures 2(a), 3(a), and 4(a), the frame-like body 17 is provided so as to surround the front and left-right outer sides of the seat portion 30 in a seatable state in a plan view, and is located above the seat portion 30 in a seatable state. In addition to holding the first end 21 of the luggage resting section 20, this frame-like body 17 also functions to connect the left and right frame-side support columns 11, 11 and as a backrest for the user seated on the seat 30. The base ends of the left and right side frame portions 18, 18 of this frame-like body 17, which are on the rear end side in the direction of walking, are fixed to the upper ends of the left and right frame-side support columns 11, 11. These side frame portions 18, 18 are provided so as to extend substantially horizontally toward the front at the same height relative to each other. The front frame portion 19 of the frame-like body 17 is provided to extend in the left-right direction. This frame-like body 17 is provided at an appropriate height position so that the loading surface 23 of the luggage loading section 20 at the point of use has the height H2 described above.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1(a), 2(a), and 3(a), the luggage resting section 20 is in an unused position when the seat 30 is in a seating position. In this state, the luggage resting section 20 is bent at the lower end of the part that hangs down from the front frame 19, and the rear end (second end 22) of the bent part that extends to the rear is positioned so as to tuck into the underside of the seat 30 when it is seating. As shown in Figures 1(b), 2(b), and 3(b), the luggage resting section 20 becomes usable when the seat portion 30 is rotated around the support axis 35 from a seatable position to a non-seatable position. In this state, the luggage resting section 20 is positioned so as to extend generally horizontally from the front frame portion 19 toward the rear and so as to span between the front frame portion 19 and the upper end of the non-seatable seat portion 30. In this state, the luggage resting section 20 is positioned so that its front-to-rear center is approximately at the position of the support columns 10, 10 in the front-to-rear direction. The luggage resting section 20, when in use, is approximately rectangular in shape with the front-to-back direction as its longer side in a plan view. The dimensions of the luggage resting section 20 along the front-to-back direction in the position of use may correspond to the dimensions of the longer side of the bottom of a typical shopping basket B, for example, 300mm to 600mm. The dimensions of the luggage resting section 20 along the left-to-right direction in the position of use may correspond to the dimensions of the shorter side of the bottom of a typical shopping basket B, for example, 200mm to 400mm.

[0029] The first end 21 of the cargo loading section 20 is fixed so as to be wrapped around the front frame section 19. This first end 21 may also be rotatably wrapped around the front frame section 19. As shown in Figure 3(b), the stopper portion 24 at the front end of the luggage loading section 20 is composed of the upper half of the front frame portion 19 and the first end portion 21 wrapped around it. The second end 22 of the luggage resting section 20 is fixed so as to wrap around a rod-shaped body 32 that extends in the left-right direction on the underside of the front end of the seat portion 30 when it is seated. This second end 22 may be rotatably wrapped around the rod-shaped body 32. The longitudinal ends of the rod-shaped body 32 may be fixed to the underside of the seat portion 30 by appropriate fasteners. As shown in Figure 3(b), the stopper portion 29 at the rear end of the luggage resting section 20 is composed of the upper half of a rod-shaped body 32 and a second end portion 22 wrapped around it. The upper end portion (front end portion in the seating position) of the seat portion 30 that protrudes above the resting surface 23 when the luggage resting section 20 is in use may also be used as the stopper portion at the rear end.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1(a) and 2(a), the seat portion 30 is positioned between the left and right support columns 10, 10 when seated. It is also possible to place luggage on the seat portion 30 when seated. The seat portion 30 is approximately rectangular in shape when viewed from above in the seated position. In the illustrated example, the seat portion 30 is shown as approximately rectangular in shape with the left-right direction as the longer side when viewed from above in the seated position, but it may also be approximately square. The dimension of the seat portion 30 along the front-rear direction when seated is smaller than the dimension of the luggage rest portion 20 along the front-rear direction in the position of use. The dimension of the seat portion 30 along the left-right direction when seated is slightly larger than the dimension of the luggage rest portion 20 along the left-right direction in the position of use. The height from the ground surface G to the seat surface (top surface) of the seat portion 30 in the seated position may be an appropriate height so that the entire soles of the seated user's feet can be stably placed on the ground, for example, it may be around 300mm to 500mm.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3(a), the seat portion 30 is supported by a plurality of horizontal frames 34, 35 that are arranged to span across the left and right frames 2, 2 and spaced apart in the front-to-back direction when seated. The illustrated example shows a horizontal frame 34 located on the underside of the front end portion of the seat portion 30 when seated, and a support shaft 35 that is rotatably connected to the underside of the rear end portion of the seat portion 30 when seated and constitutes a horizontal frame. These horizontal frames 34 and support shaft 35 are arranged to extend in the left-to-right direction and to be located at the same height. A bearing portion 31 is provided on the underside of the rear end portion of the seat portion 30 in the seating position, which rotatably holds the support shaft 35. The seat portion 30 is rotatable around the support shaft 35 and can be displaced between a seating position and a non-seating position where the luggage rest portion 20 is in use. In the seating position, the seat portion 30 is positioned approximately horizontally, and in the non-seating position, it is positioned diagonally so that it is located towards the rear as it moves upward from the portion to which the support shaft 35 is connected.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the walker 1 is provided with a stopper portion 36 that prevents the seat portion 30 from rotating further backward when it is unable to be used for seating. This stopper portion 36 is positioned to contact the lower end of the seat portion 30 when it is unable to be used for seating. In the illustrated example, the stopper portion 36 is a rod-shaped body that spans between the left and right frames 2, 2. A fitting recess 33 into which the stopper portion 36 is fitted is provided on the underside of the seat portion 30. This fitting recess 33 may be configured to provide a sense of detergence when the stopper portion 36 is fitted into place. The seat portion 30 may be composed of appropriate base plates, cushioning materials, covers, etc. The seat portion 30 is not limited to the above-described configuration and may have various other configurations.

[0033] The walker 1 is provided with a storage compartment 38. This storage compartment 38 is box-shaped and positioned below the front end of the seat 30 when it is seated. In the illustrated example, the storage compartment 38 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped that is elongated in the left-right direction. The walker 1 is provided with a holding part 37 that holds this storage compartment 38. In the illustrated example, the holding part 37 is shown as a sheet-like member with both ends fixed to the horizontal frame 4 that connects the front wheel frames 3,3 and the horizontal frame 34 that supports the front end of the seat 30 when it is seated, but it is not limited to this example. This storage compartment 38 is provided with a lid 39 that can be opened and closed to allow the front side to be opened. The storage compartment 38 may be detachable from the walker 1 and may be configured to allow for changes in design, such as patterns or designs. With such a configuration, it would be possible to attach storage compartments 38 with different designs to the walker 1, so to speak, like changing clothes, depending on the season or preference. For example, the surface of the lid 39 may be decorated with various patterns or designs, and its design may be changed.

[0034] Next, other embodiments will be described. In the following embodiments, the differences from the embodiments described earlier will be mainly explained. Similar components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted or simplified. In the following embodiments, the effects and advantages achieved in the same manner as in the embodiments described earlier will also be omitted or simplified.

[0035] Figures 5 to 8 schematically show an example of a walking vehicle according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment as well, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the walker 1A is equipped with left and right support columns 10, 10 that hold the left and right handles 15, 15 in a height-adjustable manner such that the handle width W (see Figure 6(a)) increases as it moves upward. In the illustrated example, the handles 15, 15 are arranged so as they move further apart from each other in the left-right direction as they move towards the rear in a plan view. In this case, the handle width W may be the dimension from the left-right outward-facing surface of the rear end of one handle 15 to the left-right outward-facing surface of the rear end of the other handle 15.

[0036] In this embodiment, the configuration of the rotating body of the walking vehicle 1A differs mainly from that of the first embodiment. As shown in Figures 5(b) and 6(b), the rotating body is a movable frame-like body 25 having left and right side frame portions 27, 27 that extend toward the rear from the left and right support columns 10, 10 when the luggage loading section 20A is in use. This movable frame-like body 25 has a rear frame portion 28 that is provided to connect the ends of these left and right side frame portions 27, 27 and to which the second end portion 22 of the luggage loading section 20A is fixed. With this configuration, when the luggage loading section 20A is in use, the left and right side frame portions 18, 18 and front frame portion 19 of the frame-like body 17 and the left and right side frame portions 27, 27 and rear frame portion 28 of the movable frame-like body 25 can surround the four sides of the luggage loading section 20A. As a result, even if the sheet-like luggage loading section 20A flexes, the luggage placed on the luggage loading section 20A can be placed more stably.

[0037] As shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the left and right side frame portions 27, 27 of this movable frame-like body 25 are rotatably held at their base ends, which are on the side of the left and right support columns 10, 10, around an axis (support shaft) 26, 26 that runs in the left-right direction. With this configuration, the movable frame-like body 25 can be rotated so that the rear frame portion 28 is separated from the front frame portion 19 of the frame-like body 17, thereby putting the luggage loading portion 20A into the usable position. Furthermore, since the movable frame-like body 25, which is separate from the seat portion 30A, is a rotating body, even when the luggage loading portion 20A is in the usable position, luggage can still be placed on the seat portion 30A below it. As shown in Figures 5(a) and 6(a), the left and right side frame sections 27, 27 are arranged to extend forward from the support columns 10, 10 when the luggage loading section 20A is not in use. These side frame sections 27, 27 are rotatably connected to the upper ends of the frame side columns 11, 11 by support shafts 26, 26.

[0038] In the illustrated example, these side frame portions 27, 27 are positioned to be located on the left and right inner sides of the left and right side frame portions 18, 18 of the frame-like body 17. When the luggage loading section 20A is not in use, these side frame portions 27, 27 are arranged to be along the left and right inner sides of the left and right side frame portions 18, 18 of the frame-like body 17. When the luggage loading section 20A is not in use, the rear frame portion 28 is arranged to be along the rear side of the front frame portion 19 of the frame-like body 17. In other words, when the luggage loading section 20A is not in use, the movable frame-like body 25 is arranged to be along the inner circumference of the frame-like body 17. Alternatively, when the luggage loading section 20A is not in use, the movable frame-like body 25 may be arranged to be along the outer circumference, upper side, lower side, etc. of the frame-like body 17.

[0039] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the walker 1A is provided with stopper portions 36A that prevent further downward rotation of the movable frame-like body 25 in the position of use. In the illustrated example, the stopper portions 36A, 36A are provided at the upper ends of the left and right frame-side support columns 11, 11, into which the base ends of the left and right side frame portions 27, 27 in the position of use are fitted. These stopper portions 36A, 36A may be configured to provide a sense of detergence when the left and right side frame portions 27, 27 are fitted into place. The rear frame portion 28 of this movable frame-like body 25 is configured such that, when the luggage loading portion 20A is in use, it is tilted backward, as described above, with its axis positioned slightly below the axis of the front frame portion 19 of the frame-like body 17.

[0040] As shown in Figures 6(b) and 7(b), the luggage loading section 20A, in the position of use, is positioned to extend generally horizontally from the front frame section 19 toward the rear, and to span between the front frame section 19 and the rear frame section 28, similar to the above. As shown in Figures 5(a) and 7(a), the luggage loading section 20A is positioned to be folded and hang down when not in use. The first end 21 of the luggage loading section 20A is wrapped around the front frame section 19 of the frame-shaped body 17, as shown in Figure 6(b), in general the same manner as described above. The front frame section 19 is provided with a stopper section 24A that protrudes upward from the first end 21 wrapped around the front frame section 19. This stopper section 24A is fixedly provided in the left-right center of the front frame section 19. The first end 21 of the luggage loading section 20A is wrapped around both left-right sides of the front frame section 19 so as to avoid the area where the stopper section 24A is provided.

[0041] The second end 22 of the luggage loading section 20A is wrapped around the rear frame section 28 of the movable frame-like body 25. The rear frame section 28 is provided with a stopper section 29A that, in the use position, protrudes upward from the second end 22 wrapped around the rear frame section 28. This stopper section 29A is fixedly provided in the left-right center of the rear frame section 28. The second end 22 of the luggage loading section 20A is wrapped around both left-right sides of the rear frame section 28 so as to avoid the area where the stopper section 29A is provided. The rear frame section 28 is provided with a gripping section that is connected to the stopper section 29A, protrudes upward in the non-use position, and grips the movable frame-like body 25 when it is displaced to the use position. In this embodiment, the seat portion 30A is fixedly attached to the horizontal frames 34 and 35A in a manner that prevents displacement. In this embodiment, in addition to what is described above, the support configuration of the front wheels 7,7, the shape of the front wheel frames 3,3, the holding configuration of the storage section 38, etc., differ from those of the first embodiment described above, but various modifications are possible for these.

[0042] The different configurations described in each of the above embodiments may be modified, rearranged, or combined as appropriate and necessary. In the embodiments described above, examples are shown in which the sheet-like luggage resting sections 20, 20A are arranged in a bent or folded shape when not in use, but the invention is not limited to such examples. For example, the luggage resting sections 20, 20A may be formed from a non-deformable plate-like member. In the embodiments described above, the luggage loading sections 20, 20A are shown with their first end 21 fixed to the frame-like body 17 and their second end 22 fixed to the rotating body (30, 25), but the configuration is not limited to this. One end of the luggage loading sections 20, 20A may be rotatably connected to an appropriate holding part, and an appropriate holding part may be provided to hold the other end in the usage position. Furthermore, the luggage loading sections 20, 20A may be removed and placed in a non-usage position.

[0043] In the embodiments described above, examples are shown in which stopper portions 24, 24A, 29, and 29A are provided at the front and rear ends of the luggage placement portions 20 and 20A at the usage position. However, configurations without such stopper portions 24, 24A, 29, and 29A are also possible. In the embodiments described above, examples are shown in which the luggage loading sections 20 and 20A are inclined downwards toward the rear when in use, but they may also be arranged horizontally when in use. In the embodiments described above, the luggage resting areas 20 and 20A in the usable position are positioned above the seating areas 30 and 30A, but the configuration is not limited to this. The luggage resting areas 20 and 20A in the usable position may be positioned below the seating areas 30 and 30A. Alternatively, instead of providing the luggage resting areas 20 and 20A separately from the seating areas 30 and 30A, the seating areas 30 and 30A may be used as luggage resting areas. In the embodiments described above, examples are shown in which seats 30 and 30A are provided on the walker 1 and 1A, but configurations without such seats 30 and 30A are also possible. The frames 2,2 of the walking aids 1,1A according to each of the above embodiments may be foldable so as to bring the front wheels 7,7 and the rear wheels 8,8 into contact with and separate from each other. The configurations of the members and parts of the walking vehicles 1 and 1A according to the above embodiments are merely examples, and various other modifications are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1,1A Walker 7. Front wheels 8 Rear wheel (wheel) 10 Retaining post 15 Handle 20,20A Luggage Loading Section B Shopping basket (luggage) G ground plane H1 Handle height (height from the ground) W Handle width (distance between handles)

Claims

1. It comprises wheels capable of traveling on a ground surface, a pair of handles operated by the user, and a pair of support columns that hold each of these handles in a height-adjustable manner such that the distance between the left and right handles increases as one approaches the top. A walking aid characterized in that the distance between the left and right handles at their lowest height is 340 mm to 400 mm, and the distance between the left and right handles at their highest height is 440 mm to 500 mm.

2. In the walking vehicle according to claim 1, The walking aid is characterized in that the support column is configured to hold the handle in a height-adjustable manner so that the height from the ground surface is within the range of 650 mm to 950 mm.

3. In the walking vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, A walking aid characterized by having a luggage rack on which luggage can be placed, positioned between the left and right handles.

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