Load measuring device

Abstract

To reduce an error on a person to be measured at the time of load measurement, to property evaluate a walking load in a relief training, and to allow the person to be measured to perform walking training with a stable leg swing and walking at the time of load measurement.SOLUTION: In a load measuring device, a pressure sensor installed on a sole includes an actuator part that is displaced according to a ground load received from a person to be measured when a footwear body is grounded at the time of load measurement. The ground load is detected based on the displacement of the actuator part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a load measuring device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a foot-mounted load measuring device used for gait training during rehabilitation and the like. [Background Art]

[0002] Partial weight bearing training is one type of physical therapy for postoperative patients suffering from lower limb fractures, osteoarticular diseases and the like. In partial weight bearing training, gait training or the like is performed by applying a load to the patient while limiting the load to be lighter than the patient's total body weight. Appropriate load control is required to perform effective training without applying excessive load to the patient.

[0003] To perform appropriate load control during training, it is necessary to measure the load acting on the patient's lower limb during partial weight bearing training and the like. Patent Document 1 discloses rehabilitation footwear for gait training (partial weight bearing walking feedback training device) that allows a patient to know, as numerical values in real time, the actual weight applied to the foot during gait training, and describes that the footwear can be used for partial weight bearing training. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-193419 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] Generally, the mechanism of walking involves making contact with the ground with the heel and pushing off with the toes, and in the aforementioned weight-bearing training, at least two load sensors are required, particularly at the heel and toe. In the rehabilitation footwear disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, load sensors consisting of strain gauges are placed at three points, including the heel. An insole made of two thin, rigid plates with the three load sensors sandwiched between them is placed in the footwear, and the load of the person being measured is measured. However, due to the above configuration, the part of the load sensor that contacts the ground is flat, and the measurement range of each load is wide, resulting in large measurement errors due to external factors, etc. Consequently, the sum of the output data of the three load sensors by an adder as a result of the measurement will have an even larger measurement error.

[0006] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to enable accurate evaluation of walking load by reducing the error in measuring the load of the person being measured during the aforementioned load-bearing training, and to allow walking training to be conducted with the person being measured in a stable state of leg swing and walking during load measurement. Furthermore, the present invention may be used in walking training for purposes other than load-bearing training, such as training the person being measured to stand up. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the invention described in claim 1 provides a load measuring device comprising: a sole as the bottom of the footwear; a footwear body comprising an upper that holds at least the instep of the foot; a pressure sensor disposed on the sole; and a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits a signal from the pressure sensor, wherein the pressure sensor has an actuator that displaces in accordance with the ground load received from the person being measured when the footwear body touches the ground during load measurement, and the ground load is detected based on the displacement of the actuator. Furthermore, the lower ends of multiple actuator sections are integrally fixed onto a common pressure plate. It is characterized by being configured in such a way.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the load measuring device described in claim 1, the actuator portion protrudes from the bottom of the sole, and is arranged such that when the footwear body makes contact with the ground, the contact occurs at the lower end of the actuator portion.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in the load measuring device described in claim 2, the pressure sensors are arranged at least at two locations on the sole opposite the instep and two locations opposite the heel.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the load measuring device described in claim 1 or claim 2, the pressure sensor comprises at least a sensor body composed of strain gauges, a mounting plate as a strain generating body to which the sensor body is attached, and an actuator unit as a load transmission unit that transmits the ground load received from the person being measured to the sensor body, all of which are housed in a common single package within the sensor outer frame.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is ,load In a heavy measuring device, A load measuring device comprising a sole as the bottom of the footwear, a footwear body consisting of at least an upper that holds the instep of the foot, a pressure sensor disposed on the sole, and a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits a signal from the pressure sensor, wherein the pressure sensor has an actuator that displaces in accordance with the ground load received from the person being measured when the footwear body touches the ground during load measurement, and is configured to detect the ground load based on the displacement of the actuator, the actuator protrudes from the bottom of the sole, and is positioned so that when the footwear body touches the ground, the ground contact occurs at the lower end of the actuator, and the pressure sensor is disposed at least at two locations on the sole opposite the instep and two locations opposite the heel, The actuator portion of the pressure sensor is characterized in that its lower end is integrally fixed onto a common pressure-receiving plate.

[0012] The invention described in claim 6 is characterized in that, in the load measuring device described in claim 5, the pressure receiving plate is configured to be replaceable with any pressure receiving plate selected from a plurality of types of pressure receiving plates that have different surface conditions on the contact surface side.

[0013] The invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that, in the load measuring device described in claim 5, the pressure receiving plate has inclined portions at both the front and rear ends that are bent outward and diagonally upward.

[0014] The invention described in claim 8 is a load measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sole has a shank attached to at least a portion corresponding to the arch of the foot on the contact surface side.

[0015] The invention described in claim 9 relates to the load measuring device described in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the Recording pressure It has multiple openings at positions corresponding to the force sensor. Equipped with a shank The opening is characterized in that the lower end of the actuator portion is positioned to protrude downward through the opening.

[0016] The invention described in claim 10 is a load measuring device according to claim 9, characterized in that an assembly hole is formed in the sole for fitting a sensor outer frame and embedding a pressure sensor, and the opening of the shank is formed to be smaller than the sensor outer frame, and the assembly hole is covered with the opening of the shank when mounted, thereby preventing the pressure sensor from coming out downward.

[0017] The invention described in claim 11 is characterized in that, in the load measuring device described in claim 10, an insole is provided on the upper part of the sole, which is detachably attached to the sole by a hook-and-loop fastener, in order to prevent the pressure sensor from coming off upward. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the invention described in claim 1 ,load During heavy measurement, when the footwear body touches the ground, it displaces in accordance with the ground load received from the person being measured. The actuators of multiple pressure sensors are configured so that their lower ends are fixed to a common pressure-receiving plate. Therefore, when measuring load, the person being measured can walk more stably than if they were walking on the floor with the actuators of each pressure sensor protruding without the pressure-receiving plate attached. This is particularly effective when the surface of the floor being walked on is rough or when carpets or other materials are laid on the floor, causing the actuators to catch on things while walking.

[0019] According to the invention described in claim 2, the actuator portion protrudes from the bottom of the sole, and is arranged such that grounding is performed at the lower end of the actuator portion when the footwear main body comes into contact with the ground. Therefore, structurally, the portion where the load sensor contacts the ground is a point, and the measurement range of each load is limited, so that measurement errors caused by external factors or the like are small.

[0020] According to the invention described in claim 3, the pressure sensors are arranged at at least two positions facing the instep of the foot on the sole and two positions facing the heel portion. Therefore, during load measurement, the left and right sense of balance of the subject is stabilized, and gait training can be performed in a state where the stepping out and walking of the legs of the subject are stabilized.

[0021] According to the invention described in claim 4, the pressure sensor includes at least a sensor main body configured by a strain gauge, a mounting plate as a strain-generating body to which the sensor main body is attached, and an actuator portion as a load transmitting portion that transmits the ground contact load received from the subject to the sensor main body, which are all housed in a sensor outer frame as a common single package. Therefore, no additional parts are required for the pressure sensor, the pressure sensor is excellent in maintainability, and has advantages in terms of cost and space.

[0022] According to the invention described in claim 5, the actuator portions of the pressure sensor are configured such that their lower end portions are each integrally fixed onto a common pressure receiving plate. Therefore, during load measurement, the subject can walk more stably without attaching a pressure receiving plate, compared to walking on the floor with the actuator portions of each pressure sensor protruding. This is particularly effective in cases where catching on the actuator portions during walking becomes a problem due to, for example, the rough surface of the walking floor or a carpet or the like laid on the floor.

[0023] According to the invention described in claim 6, the pressure receiving plate is configured to be replaceable with any pressure receiving plate selected from a plurality of types of pressure receiving plates having different surface conditions on the ground contact side. Therefore, the surface condition of the pressure receiving plate on the ground contact side can be changed according to the surface condition of the walking floor, and the subject can walk more stably.

[0024] According to the invention described in claim 7, the pressure receiving plate has inclined portions at both the front and rear ends that are bent outward and diagonally upward, so that when the person being measured walks on the floor during load measurement, the front and rear ends of the shank do not catch on the floor.

[0025] According to the invention described in claim 8, the sole has a shank attached to at least the part corresponding to the arch of the foot on the contact surface side, so the sole can be reinforced by the shank.

[0026] According to the invention described in claim 9, the shank has a plurality of openings at positions corresponding to the pressure sensor, and the openings are arranged so that the lower end of the actuator part protrudes downward through the openings, so that the shank can be attached to the sole without hindering the displacement of the actuator part.

[0027] According to the invention described in claim 10, the sole has an assembly hole formed for fitting the sensor outer frame and embedding the pressure sensor, and the opening of the shank is formed to be smaller than the sensor outer frame, and the assembly hole is covered with the opening of the shank when attached, thereby preventing the pressure sensor from coming out downwards. Thus, the shank can be used to reinforce the sole and also to prevent the sensor from coming out downwards.

[0028] According to the invention described in claim 11, an insole is provided on the upper part of the sole, which is detachably attached to the sole by a hook-and-loop fastener, in order to prevent the pressure sensor from coming out upwards. This allows for easy maintenance of the pressure sensor from the upper part of the sole and also serves to prevent the sensor from coming out upwards. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0029] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the overall system of a load measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing the footwear body in use and before wearing in the embodiment. [Figure 3]This is a side view showing the footwear body in the embodiment while the shoes are being worn, illustrating the state with and without the pressure plate attached. [Figure 4] These are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of the sole with the insole removed, according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged view of the main part of the cross-sectional view in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of the pressure sensor in this embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing the overall system of the load measuring device in the embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a plan view showing the settings screen of a smartphone in the embodiment described above. [Figure 9] This is a plan view showing the measurement screen of the smartphone in the embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart illustrating the setup process in the embodiment described above. [Figure 11] This is a flow chart of the measurement process in the embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a plan view showing the state in which the shank is attached to the sole in the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] [Overall Outline] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Herein, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the overall system of the load measuring device 1 of an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the footwear body 10 of the same embodiment in use and before attachment, Figure 3 is a plan view showing the footwear body 10 attached to the shoe 21 while the shoe is being worn, Figure 4 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing the insole 14 removed from the sole 11 of the same embodiment, Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the main part of the cross-sectional view of Figure 4 of the same embodiment, and Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the pressure sensor 61 of the same embodiment.

[0031] This embodiment describes a case in which the subject's foot is held in place by footwear, a load sensor is incorporated into the sole 11 of the footwear body 10, and the lower limb is the training area for performing weight-bearing training during walking. As shown in Figure 1, this embodiment comprises, as an overall system, a footwear body 10 worn on the foot of the subject undergoing weight-bearing training, a dummy footwear 20 worn on the other foot, a pressure sensor (not shown) installed on the sole 11 as the bottom of the footwear, and a transmitter 30 that wirelessly transmits signals from the pressure sensor to a receiver 40 such as a smartphone. A hook-and-loop fastener (not shown) is attached to the lower part of the transmitter 30 and is connected to a hook-and-loop fastener 51 attached to the upper surface of the upper part of the footwear body 10, allowing it to be attached to and detached from the upper part. The transmitter 30 is also connected to the pressure sensor inside the sole 11 via a lead wire 31.

[0032] Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are plan views of the footwear body 10 in use and before wearing, respectively, in a load measuring device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Note that the transmitting unit 30 is omitted in Figure 2(a). Also, Figure 2(b) shows the insole 14 removed, with the pressure sensor 61 exposed. Note that a hook-and-loop fastener (not shown) is attached to the underside of the insole 14 and is connected to a hook-and-loop fastener 53 on the sole 11 side, and is configured to be detachable from the sole by the hook-and-loop fastener to prevent the pressure sensor 61 from coming off upwards.

[0033] In this embodiment, as is clear from the above-mentioned figure, the footwear body 10 is exemplified as a sandal that can be easily put on and taken off by the person being measured (patient). However, the footwear body 10 of the present invention is not limited to a sandal form, and can be applied to other forms of footwear. That is, it is sufficient to have at least a sole 11 as the bottom of the footwear on which the foot rests and an upper 15 that covers the instep of the foot. The upper 15 can be detachably attached to the footwear body 10 at the instep.

[0034] The footwear body 10 is a sandal in which the bases of the upper-attachment fastening pieces 12 (12a, 12b) are fixed to the left and right sides of the sole 11, and the other ends of the upper-attachment fastening pieces 12a, 12b are overlapped and joined together with fastening members attached to the upper-attachment fastening pieces 12a, 12b to be worn. The fastening members consist of hook-and-loop fasteners 51a, 51b, and the overlapping length of the upper-attachment fastening pieces 12a, 12b can be adjusted by changing the fastening position. Note that hook-and-loop fasteners are commonly referred to as Velcro (registered trademark). Furthermore, as locking members for the two upper part locking pieces 12a and 12b, a male hook fastener 51a is attached to the outer surface of one upper part locking piece 12a, and a female hook fastener 51a' is attached to the inner surface of the same upper part locking piece 12a, while a male hook fastener 51b is attached to the outer surface of the other upper part locking piece 12b, and a female hook fastener 51b' is attached to the inner surface of the other upper part locking piece 12b.

[0035] According to this design, when the ends of the upper-foot locking pieces 12a and 12b are overlapped and fastened with hook-and-loop fasteners, the fasteners can be attached regardless of whether the left or right end of the upper-foot locking pieces is on top. This allows the subject to be right-handed or left-handed, and the subject's shoe (foot) can be easily attached to the footwear using the hook-and-loop fasteners. Furthermore, since female hook-and-loop fasteners 51a' and 51b' are attached to the inner surfaces of the two upper-foot locking pieces 12a and 12b, it is possible to prevent the hook-and-loop fasteners from directly sticking to the subject's (patient's) shoe or sock. In other words, the tips of the male hook-and-loop fasteners 51a and 51b are hook-shaped and tend to stick to (get tangled in) other things. In contrast, the tips of the female hook-and-loop fasteners 51a' and 51b' are loop-shaped and therefore do not stick to (get tangled in) other things.

[0036] As described above, the footwear body 10 can be put on by simply opening the upper locking pieces 12a and 12b on both sides, placing the foot to be trained on the sole portion 11 while wearing the foot to be trained's familiar shoes, and then overlapping and fastening the respective hook-and-loop fasteners 51a and 51b of the upper locking pieces 12a and 12b on both sides, as shown in Figure 2(a). This makes it extremely easy for the patient or their caregiver to put on.

[0037] Furthermore, the upper 15 may be configured to include, in addition to the instep locking pieces 12a and 12b, two heel locking pieces 13 (13a and 13b) on the left and right sides that can detachably lock the heel of the foot to the footwear body 10.

[0038] This allows the subject's shoe (foot) to be attached to the footwear more securely.

[0039] Figure 3 is a side view showing the footwear body 10 with the subject wearing the shoe 21, and shows the state with and without the pressure plate 62, which will be described later. Figure 3(a) shows the state without the pressure plate 62 attached to the contact surface of the footwear body 10, and Figure 3(b) shows the state with the pressure plate 62 attached to the contact surface of the footwear body 10. The load measuring device 1 is used in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, etc. to measure the load on the lower limbs of patients undergoing rehabilitation (such as weight-bearing restriction training).

[0040] In rehabilitation gait training, the person being measured (patient) wears the footwear body 10 on one foot that is undergoing rehabilitation (weight measurement) and a dummy footwear 20 on the other foot. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the person being measured (patient) wears the footwear body 10 while wearing a shoe 21, and the dummy footwear 20 on the other foot. Here, the footwear body 10 is constructed to be identical in shape for both left and right feet, and the pressure sensors 61 are arranged symmetrically in the width direction of the sole 11.

[0041] The dummy footwear 20 is configured without the pressure sensor 61 and the transmitting unit 30. Furthermore, while the footwear body 10 in the load measuring device 1 is equipped with an actuator unit 616 that transmits the load to be measured to the pressure sensor 61, the dummy footwear 20 only has the actuator unit 616 of the pressure sensor 61. In other words, the dummy footwear 20 uses a sensor outer frame 611 that is fixed with only the actuator unit 616 protruding from it.

[0042] Based on the above, the person being measured can easily attach (and detach) the footwear body, which serves as the load measuring device, while wearing their own familiar walking shoes. Furthermore, during load measurement, the person being measured can perform walking training in a stable state without discomfort. At the request of the person being measured, it is also possible to easily attach (and detach) the footwear body without wearing their shoes. In addition, there is no distinction between left and right in the footwear body 10, so the person being measured's shoes (feet) can be easily attached to the footwear body 10. Moreover, if the footwear body 10 is purchased as a pair including dummy footwear 20, the left-right balance of the person being measured will be stabilized during load measurement. Furthermore, regardless of which foot is being measured, since there is no distinction between left and right in the footwear body 10, it is only necessary to swap the left and right footwear, resulting in lower costs.

[0043] [Configuration of the weight detection unit] Next, the configuration of the weight detection unit using the pressure sensor 61 will be explained with reference to Figures 3 to 6. Figure 3 is a side view showing the unit attached to the footwear body while the shoe is being worn, Figure 4(a) is a top view showing the insole 14 removed from the sole 11, and Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view (AA cross-section) thereof. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the main part of the cross-sectional view in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of the pressure sensor 61.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4(a), in this embodiment, the pressure sensors 61 (61a, 61b, 61c, 61d) are arranged symmetrically in the width direction of the sole 11, with two sensors on the instep side and two sensors on the heel side of the sole 11. The number and arrangement of the pressure sensors 61 on the sole 11 are not limited to this and may be changed as appropriate.

[0045] According to this, during load measurement, the subject's sense of balance is stable, and gait training can be conducted with the subject's leg swing and walking in a stable state.

[0046] As shown in Figures 4(b) and 5, the pressure sensor 61 consists of a sensor body 613 made of strain gauges, which is housed within a rectangular sensor outer frame 611 and mounted on the sole 11. Also, as shown in Figure 4(b), after inserting the pressure sensors 61a and 61c into the sole 11, the shank (reinforcement plate) 63 is bonded to the sole 11, and then the shank 63 and the pressure sensors 61a and 61c are screwed together at the location indicated by reference numeral 6111. The pressure sensors 61b and 61d have a similar configuration, so their explanation is omitted here. Note that in Figure 5, hatching that should be applied to the cross-sections of the sensor body 613, mounting plate 612, actuator 615, plate material 614, actuator 616, nut 618, and screw 619 has been omitted for clarity. Also, the reference numeral 617 (3 locations) indicates empty space.

[0047] The shank 63 is attached to the contact surface of the sole, at least in a location corresponding to the arch of the foot. As shown in Figure 12, the shank 63 has a plurality of openings 631 at positions corresponding to the pressure sensor 61, and the openings 631 are arranged so that the lower end of the actuator part 616 protrudes downward through the openings 631. Note that Figure 12 omits the pressure receiving plate 62 and screws 619, which will be described later. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the sole 11 has an assembly hole 6112 into which the sensor outer frame 611 is fitted and the pressure sensor 61 is embedded, and the opening 631 of the shank 63 is made smaller than the sensor outer frame 611, and the opening 631 of the shank 63 covers the assembly hole 6112 when attached, thus preventing the pressure sensor 61 from coming out downward.

[0048] According to this design, the shank 63 can reinforce the sole 11 and also serve to prevent the downward pressure sensor 61 from coming loose. Furthermore, the shank 63 can be attached to the sole 11 without hindering the displacement of the actuator 616.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3(b) and 4(b), the lower ends of the actuator portion 616 of each pressure sensor 61 are integrally fixed to a common pressure receiving plate 62 with screws 619. Alternatively, instead of fixing the lower ends of the actuator portion 616 to the common pressure receiving plate 62, the system may be configured such that, for example, two pressure sensors 61 are fixed to each of two separate pressure receiving plates 62. Here, the sole 11 and the pressure receiving plate 62 are made of synthetic resin and have elasticity, deforming elastically when subjected to pressure. The shank 63 is made of a rigid synthetic resin or metal.

[0050] According to this, when measuring load, the person being measured can walk more stably than walking on the floor with the actuator parts 616 of each pressure sensor 61 protruding, without the pressure receiving plate 62 attached. This is particularly effective when the surface of the floor being walked on is rough, or when there is a carpet or the like on the floor, causing the actuator parts 616 to catch on the floor while walking.

[0051] Furthermore, the pressure receiving plate 62 is configured to be replaceable by removing screws 619, with any of the pressure receiving plates 62 selected from a plurality of types of pressure receiving plates 62 that differ in surface condition on the contact surface side from one another. The surface condition refers to the state of the material (EVA, rubber, etc.), surface roughness, hardness including the thickness of the material, etc.

[0052] According to this, the surface condition of the contact surface side of the pressure receiving plate 62 can be changed according to the surface condition of the floor on which the person being measured walks during load measurement, allowing the person being measured to walk more stably.

[0053] Furthermore, the pressure receiving plate 62 has inclined portions 62a and 62b at both the front and rear ends, which are bent outward and diagonally upward, respectively.

[0054] According to this, when the person being measured walks on the floor during load measurement, it is possible to prevent the front and rear ends of the shank 63 from catching on the floor.

[0055] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of the pressure sensor 61. The sensor outer frame 611 has a convexly protruding actuator part 616 in the center for transmitting external loads from feet to the sensor body 613 inside the sensor outer frame 611. The load signal detected by the pressure sensor 61 is output to the transmission unit 30 via lead wires 32.

[0056] Specifically, in this embodiment, the pressure sensor 61 uses a strain gauge type load cell, which is commonly used. As shown in Figure 5, the basic structure includes a sensor body 613 made of strain gauges, a mounting plate (strain generating body) 612 to which the sensor body 613 is attached, an actuator section 615, an actuator section 616, a plate material 614 that closes the space of the actuator section 616, and a sensor outer frame 611 that houses the aforementioned parts.

[0057] The pressure sensor 61, equipped with the basic structure described above, has an actuator 616 as the load transmission unit, which displaces in accordance with the ground load received from the person being measured when the footwear body 10 makes contact with the ground during load measurement, and is configured to detect the ground load based on the displacement of the actuator 616. As shown in Figure 3(a), the actuator 616 protrudes from the bottom of the sole 11, and is positioned so that when the footwear body 10 makes contact with the ground surface 65, the contact occurs at the lower end of the actuator 616.

[0058] According to this, due to its configuration, the part of the load sensor that touches the ground is a single point, and the measurement range for each load is limited, resulting in small measurement errors due to external factors.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the pressure sensor 61 comprises at least a sensor body 613 composed of strain gauges, a mounting plate 612 as a strain generating body to which the sensor body 613 is attached, and an actuator unit 616 as a load transmission unit that transmits the ground load received from the person being measured to the sensor body 613, all housed in a single common package within the sensor outer frame 611.

[0060] According to this, it does not require additional parts as a pressure sensor, offers excellent maintainability, and has cost and space advantages.

[0061] In the weight detection unit using the pressure sensor 61, the mounting plate (strain-generating body) 612 deforms via the load transmission unit according to the actual weight applied by the feet of the person being measured (patient). The electrical resistance value of the strain gauge (sensor body 613) changes according to the degree of deformation of the mounting plate (strain-generating body) 612, and a load signal corresponding to the received external load is output to the transmission unit 30.

[0062] The transmitting unit 30 transmits the load signals from pressure sensors 61a, 61b, 61c, and 61d, respectively. The CPU 701, acting as the calculation unit, calculates four loads based on each of the load signals, calculates a total load by summing the four calculated loads, and transmits it to the receiver 40. The load calculation unit may use either the CPU 701 on the transmitting unit 30 side or the CPU 711 on the receiver 40 side. In this embodiment, the receiver 40 is a portable device such as a tablet or smartphone that can be attached to the body.

[0063] [Control System] In Figure 7, the control unit 70 on the transmitting unit 30 side has a CPU 701, memory 702, etc., and the control unit 70 is connected to pressure sensors 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d, transmitting unit 707, and notification unit 703. Furthermore, a switch 706 and a battery 705 are connected to the control unit 70 via a power control unit 704. On the receiving unit 40 side, the control unit 71 has a CPU 711, memory 712, etc., and the control unit 711 is connected to a receiving unit 716, display unit 714, operation unit 715, and notification unit 713.

[0064] As shown in Figure 7, the transmitter 30 is connected to the pressure sensors 61a, 61b, 61c, and 61d via the control unit 70. When the switch 706 is turned on, power from the battery 705 is supplied to the pressure sensors 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d, and the transmitter 30. As a result, the transmitter 30 wirelessly transmits the signals from the pressure sensors 61a, 61b, 61c, and 61d. More specifically, the transmitter 30 converts the analog signals from the pressure sensors 61a, 61b, 61c, and 61d into digital signals. The transmitter 30 then samples the digital signals at regular intervals and transmits them to the receiver 40 using the Bluetooth® communication standard.

[0065] [Load measurement operation] Next, the load measurement operation using the load measuring device 1 in the present invention will be explained using the flowcharts in Figures 10 and 11.

[0066] First, the switch 706 on the transmitter 30 of the load measuring device 1 is turned on, and the switch (not shown) on the receiver 40 is turned on. This initiates a Bluetooth® pairing connection, and once the connection is complete, the word "connect" is displayed on the screen of the receiver 40. Next, the dedicated software (for load measurement) is launched on the smartphone, and the load measuring device is registered using the dedicated software. The unique ID of the load measuring device is recorded during registration. Also, at startup, the system searches for the load measuring device with the unique ID, connects to it, and communicates with it.

[0067] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the initial setup. Figure 8 shows the display screen 80a of the dedicated software (for load measurement) on the smartphone acting as the receiving unit 40 at that time.

[0068] First, on the display screen 80a shown in Figure 8, the total weight of the person being measured (patient) is input based on the user's operation (S1).

[0069] Next, the upper limit percentage of total body weight is entered as the target load (S2). Furthermore, the upper limit value is automatically calculated and displayed based on the entered upper limit percentage of total body weight (S3). Alternatively, the system may be configured to allow the input of the upper limit value of total body weight as the target load, and then automatically calculate and display the upper limit percentage based on the entered upper limit value of total body weight.

[0070] Next, the user inputs the lower limit percentage of the total body weight as the target load (S4). The system then automatically calculates and displays the lower limit value based on the inputted lower limit percentage of the total body weight (S5). Alternatively, the system may be configured to allow the user to input the lower limit value relative to the total body weight as the target load, and then automatically calculate and display the lower limit percentage based on the inputted lower limit value. Furthermore, the system may be configured to allow the user to turn the lower limit input ON or OFF, enabling initial setup using only the upper limit input.

[0071] Next, on the display screen 80a shown in Figure 8, it is checked whether the start button 81a has been turned on (touched) by the user (S6). For example, the user turns on the start button 81a on the display screen when they start rehabilitation walking training.

[0072] If the start button 81a is not pressed (S6;N), the process returns to S1. If the start button 81a is pressed (S6;Y), the initial setup process is terminated.

[0073] Figure 11 is a flowchart of the load measurement process. Figure 9 shows the load measurement screen in the dedicated software (for load measurement) of the smartphone acting as the receiving unit 40.

[0074] First, the system checks whether the start button 81a is turned on (touched) by the user (S10). If the start button 81a is not turned on (S10;N), the system waits until the start button 81a is turned on. If the start button 81a is turned on (S10;Y), the system switches the display screen 80b shown in Figure 9 to the load measurement screen (S11). The system also switches the start button 81a to the stop button 81b.

[0075] Next, it is checked whether the reset button 82 has been turned on (touched) by the user (S12). If the reset button 82 is turned on (S12; Y), the current measurement value is reset to 0 (S13). If the reset button 82 is not turned on (S12; N), the total weight 83, load indicator 84, and waveform (tw) 85 shown on the display screen 80b in Figure 9 are displayed in real time (S14).

[0076] Next, it is checked whether the waveform in the real-time display is within the safe area 852 shown in the display screen 80b in Figure 9 (S15). If the data is not contained within the safe area 852 (S15;N), processing is transferred to a subroutine (S16). In this subroutine, the user is notified by changing the warning sound depending on whether the waveform in the real-time display exceeds the upper limit 851 or falls below the lower limit 853, as shown in the display screen 80b in Figure 9.

[0077] If the load is within the safety area 852 (S15;Y), check if the stop button 81b is turned on (touched) (S17). If the stop button 81b is not turned on (S17;N), return to process S12. If the stop button 81b is turned on (S17;Y), switch the display screen 80a to the settings screen (S18) and end the load measurement process.

[0078] Based on the above, in weight-bearing training, the error in measuring the subject's load is small, allowing for accurate evaluation of walking load, and enabling walking training while the subject's leg swing and gait remain stable during load measurement.

[0079] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, this embodiment can be modified as appropriate in ways other than those suggested here. Furthermore, the number, position, shape, etc. of the constituent members are not limited to this embodiment, and can be set to a number, position, shape, etc. that is suitable for carrying out the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 1. Load measuring device 2 legs 10 Footwear 11 soles 12 Instep locking piece 13 Heel locking piece 14 Insoles 15 Upper 20 Dummy footwear 21. The subject's shoes 30 Transmitter 31 Lead wires 32 Lead wires 40 Receiver 51. Folding fastener (upper part) 52-way fastener (heel area) 53. Folding fastener (sole) 61 Pressure Sensor 62 Pressure plate 63 Shank (reinforcement plate) 70 Control Unit 71 Control Unit

Claims

1. The footwear consists of a sole as the bottom of the footwear and an upper that holds at least the instep of the foot, A pressure sensor disposed on the sole, A transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits a signal from the pressure sensor, Equipped with, In a load measuring device, The pressure sensor has an actuator that displaces in accordance with the ground load received from the person being measured when the footwear body touches the ground during load measurement, and detects the ground load based on the displacement of the actuator. The lower ends of multiple actuator units are each integrally fixed onto a common pressure plate. A load measuring device characterized by being configured in such a way.

2. The actuator section is It protrudes from the bottom of the sole, When the footwear body touches the ground, The grounding is performed at the lower end of the actuator section. The load measuring device according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned pressure sensor is at least, Two points on the instep and two points on the heel of the sole are provided. The load measuring device according to feature 2.

4. The aforementioned pressure sensor is at least, The sensor body consists of strain gauges, A mounting plate, which serves as a strain-generating body, to which the sensor body is attached, The actuator unit acts as a load transmission unit that transmits the ground load received from the person being measured to the sensor body. but, It is housed within the sensor's outer frame as a single common package. Characteristic 1 or The load measuring device according to claim 2.

5. A load measuring device comprising a sole as the bottom of the footwear, a footwear body comprising an upper that holds at least the instep of the foot, a pressure sensor disposed on the sole, and a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits a signal from the pressure sensor, The pressure sensor has an actuator that displaces in accordance with the ground load received from the person being measured when the footwear body touches the ground during load measurement, and is configured to detect the ground load based on the displacement of the actuator. The actuator portion protrudes from the bottom of the sole, and is positioned so that when the footwear body makes contact with the ground, the contact occurs at the lower end of the actuator portion. The pressure sensors are arranged at least at two locations on the sole opposite the instep and two locations opposite the heel. The actuator section of the aforementioned pressure sensor is The lower ends of each are configured to be integrally fixed onto a common pressure plate. A load measuring device characterized by the following features.

6. The pressure receiving plate is It is configured to allow replacement of any pressure-receiving plate selected from multiple types of pressure-receiving plates, each with a different surface condition on the contact surface side. The load measuring device according to feature 5.

7. The pressure receiving plate is It has inclined sections at both the front and rear ends that are bent outward and diagonally upward. The load measuring device according to feature 5.

8. On the contact surface side of the sole, at least, It has a shank that is attached to the part corresponding to the arch of the foot. A load measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. The shank has multiple openings at positions corresponding to the pressure sensor, The aforementioned opening The lower end of the actuator is positioned to protrude downward through the opening. A load measuring device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by the feature described above.

10. The sole, The sensor outer frame is fitted to form an assembly hole for embedding the pressure sensor, The opening of the shank is formed to be smaller than the outer frame of the sensor. By covering the assembly hole with the opening of the shank and mounting it, This is configured to prevent the pressure sensor from coming loose downwards. The load measuring device according to feature 9.

11. The upper part of the sole is As a means of preventing the pressure sensor from coming loose upwards, An insole is positioned which is detachably attached to the sole by a hook-and-loop fastener. The load measuring device according to feature 10.

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