Assistive devices

Abstract

To provide an assisting tool that can be applied to normal use and is configured to exert a muscle strength assisting function without imposing a load on a user from the time of wearing it. [Solution] An assisting device for assisting joint movement, comprising a body support part that abuts a part of the body, an other support part that abuts another part of the body different from the part of the body or a part other than the body, and a biasing member attached to at least the body support part via a retaining member, the biasing member being a wound spring or leaf spring consisting of a first biasing part that imparts a biasing force to the body support part, a second biasing part that imparts a biasing force to the other support part, and a fulcrum part located between the first and second biasing parts, and at least one of the body support part and the other support part is formed from a flexible material.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an assisting device that is applicable to normal use and is configured to exert a muscle strength assisting function without imposing a load on the user from the time of wearing it. [Background technology]

[0002] Many people suffer from joint pain, such as lower back pain or knee pain, and many goods have been proposed to relieve pain. Focusing on the fact that pain occurs when the user places more strain than necessary on the muscles around the joints when moving, various goods have been proposed to assist the user's movements. Among these goods, focusing on the fact that a joint connects two body parts (for example, the upper body and the lower body, or the thigh and the lower leg), goods have been proposed that are fixed to these two body parts and apply force to both of them as the body moves. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a standing-up aid suitable for providing muscle support when standing up without the assistance of others, with a simple structure and suitable for miniaturization and weight reduction. Specifically, the standing-up aid includes a thigh-worn member, a lower-leg-worn member, a pivot pin that rotatably connects the base ends of both members, a torque adjustment gear supported by the pivot pin, a spiral spring whose inner end is fixed to the pivot pin and whose outer end is hooked onto the torque adjustment gear plate surface, a torque adjustment gear drive mechanism that has a torque adjustment knob and rotates the torque adjustment gear by rotating it, and a non-cylindrical stopper protrusion provided at the tip of the pivot pin and a pivot pin stopper recess that can be fitted into the stopper protrusion on the lower surface of the lower-leg-worn member, and the pivot pin moves in the axial direction so that the stopper protrusion can be fitted into and removed from the pivot pin stopper recess. Patent Document 2 proposes a knee brace with a simple structure that reduces the weight applied to the knee joint during walking. Specifically, the knee brace includes an upper support, an upper stay, a first belt, a lower support, a lower stay, a second belt, an elastic body, and a shock-absorbing material. The elastic body is disposed on the side of the knee joint, has a curved portion folded back at the rear, and connects the lower end of the upper stay and the upper end of the lower stay. The shock-absorbing material is disposed toward the front of the knee joint, and is sandwiched between the ends of the elastic body with the upper stay and the lower stay aligned in a straight line. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 proposes an assistive device that is worn on the upper and lower legs to reduce pain when walking. Specifically, the device proposes an assistive device that has holes in the corset to store springs, and by using the combination of the corset, spring, and rubber tape, reduces the pressure on the inside of the knee joint when walking. Also, in Patent Document 4, a body support apron is proposed. The body support apron proposed in Patent Document 4 includes a sheet of flexible material incorporating spring elements that allow the upper and lower portions of the sheet to bend toward an angular position, while acting to return said portions to a generally straight shape. The spring elements have straight ends interconnected by elastic coil springs with hooked ends. Each spring element is covered with a padding layer and received in a sleeve. A waistband is fixed to the center of the sheet, with two sections extending from opposite edges of the sheet adjacent to the springs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5801859 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5822268 [Patent Document 3] Act No. 3138802 [Patent Document 4] WO2008 / 125802 publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the devices proposed in the above Patent Documents 1 to 3 need to be specially worn, and are not as easy to wear as commonly used work clothes or supports. This causes problems in that users find it tiresome to use them and stop using them. In terms of the assist function, a certain amount of biasing force is applied from the beginning of use, so the user is burdened as if they were doing muscle training, and this is insufficient in terms of assisting the user's muscle strength. In addition, the body support apron proposed in Patent Document 4 is made of a commonly used apron, so it is easy to wear. However, the spring element does not work sufficiently, and the assist function is insufficient. In short, there is currently a demand for the development of an assistive device that can be applied to normally worn work clothes and supports, can adequately assist the user without placing a burden on the user when worn, and is configured to provide a muscle-assisting function.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an assisting device that is applicable to normal use and is configured to exert a muscle assisting function without imposing a load on the user from the time of wearing it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present inventors have conducted intensive research to solve the above problems. As a result, the apron of Patent Document 4 has springs installed on both sides of the body, and the force of the user acting on the cloth material in contact with the body is transmitted to the springs via the cloth material, and the spring's urging force is again applied to the user via the cloth material. The present inventors have found that the reason for the insufficient support function is that the force of the user's body and the urging force of the spring are utilized via the cloth material. As a result of further research into this point, the inventors have found that the above problems can be solved by devising the position where the elastic member is provided, and have conducted intensive research based on this knowledge, leading to the completion of the present invention. The present invention has been made based on the above findings, and provides the following inventions. An assisting device for assisting a user's joint movement, A body support part that is located above or below the joint and abuts against a part of the body facing the bending direction side of the joint; An other support part that is integrally formed with the body support part and abuts against another body part different from the one part of the body; The body support section and the other support section are provided with a biasing member via a holding member provided on each of the body support section and the other support section, The biasing member includes a first biasing portion that applies a biasing force to the body support portion and a second biasing portion that applies a biasing force to the other support portion. Auxiliary tools. 2. The assisting device according to 1, wherein the biasing member is an S-spring. 3. The auxiliary tool is apron-shaped. The body support portion is a portion that contacts the user's body from the front of the chest to the front of the abdomen, and the other body support portion is a portion that contacts the user's body from the side of the waist to the side of the thigh, 3. The assisting tool according to claim 2, wherein the biasing member is provided over the entirety of the assisting tool. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The assisting device of the present invention can be applied to commonly used work clothes and supports, and is configured to exert a muscle assisting function without placing a load on the user from the time of wearing it. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(a) is a partially perspective plan view showing one embodiment of an assisting tool of the present invention, and (b) is an enlarged view of a biasing member used therein. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the use state (normal state) of the assisting tool shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view showing a usage state (normal time) of the assisting tool shown in FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a side view showing a schematic diagram (when bent) illustrating a manner in which the assisting tool shown in FIG. 1 is used. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partially perspective plan view showing an embodiment of an assisting tool as a reference example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a usage state (normal time) of the assisting tool shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a usage mode of the assisting tool shown in FIG. 5 (when bent). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the assisting tool of the reference example, with a partly see-through view of a side view in a state where the assisting tool is worn by a user. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing how the assisting tool shown in FIG. 8 is used. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the assisting device of the reference example, with a partly see-through view of a side view in a state where the assisting device is worn by a user. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing how the assisting tool shown in FIG. 9 is used. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb in FIG. 5, showing a modified example of the assisting tool shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of an assisting tool according to the reference example. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a usage form of the assisting tool shown in FIG. 13, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a rear view. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of an assisting tool according to the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a usage form of the assisting tool shown in FIG. 15, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a rear view. [Explanation of symbols]

[0009] 1 Auxiliary tool, 10 Main body, 20 Body support part, 30 Other support part, 40 Holding part, 50 Pressing member, 51 First pressing part, 53 Second pressing part, 55 Fulcrum part DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings (Figs. 1 to 4). In Figs. 1 to 11, the urging members, which are originally shown with dotted lines to show that they are seen through, are shown with solid lines to avoid making the drawings difficult to understand. The assisting device 501 of this embodiment is an assisting device for assisting the movement of a user's joint, as shown in FIG. 1(a) and the like. The assisting device 501 is composed of a main body 510 having a body support part 520 and an other support part 530. The body support part 520 is located above or below the joint and abuts against a part of the body facing the bending direction side of the joint. The other support part 530 is formed integrally with the body support part 520 and abuts against another part of the body different from the part of the body described above. The body support part 520 and the other support part 530 are provided with a biasing member 550 provided via a holding part 540 as a holding member provided on each of them, and the biasing member 550 is composed of a first biasing part 551 that applies a biasing force to the body support part 520 and a second biasing part 553 that applies a biasing force to the other support part 530.

[0011] [Main unit] The main body 510 of the assisting tool 501 of this embodiment is preferably one that is normally worn on the body, and in this embodiment, is in the shape of a bib apron. The main body 510 is configured with a body support part 520 that contacts the upper body and an other support part 530 located on the lower body side, with a middle part 513 located near the waist joint (meaning the vicinity of the base of the lumbar vertebrae in this specification). The middle part 513 is provided with a waist string 515 for fitting the apron to the body. The upper end of the body support part 20 is provided with a neck string 517 for hanging it around the neck, and the lower end is provided with a thigh strap 519 for fitting the main body 510 (other support part 530) to the thigh. The main body 510 is trapezoidal in shape, and both left and right side edges are curved inwardly to form an arc shape (shown as a straight line in FIG. 1 for convenience of illustration) (i.e., the width of the upper end is narrow and the width of the lower end is wide, and the waist string 515 is provided near the center point of the arc). It is not limited to a circular arc shape, and it is sufficient that the width of the other support part 530 is wider than the width of the body support part 520. Hereinafter, in this specification, the expression "because it is arc-shaped" is used to mean "because it is configured so that the width of other support part 530 is wider than the width of body support part 520". The holding portion 540 is provided through the body support portion 520 and the other support portion 530, that is, over the entire length of both the left and right side edges of the main body 510, and has a cylindrical shape. [Body support section and other support section] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, etc., the body support part 520 is a part that comes into close contact with the user's upper body (above the ilium and up to the chest) when in use, and the other support part 530 is a part that comes into close contact with the user's lower body (below the ilium and up to the thigh) when in use. The body support part 520 is located on the front body (chest side), which is the side that bends when the user bends. On the other hand, the other support part 530 is located on the front body (front (chest) side of the thigh) and both sides are located from the side of the user's body to the back body (see Figure 2, etc.).

[0012] [Holding part] The holding portion 540 is formed in a cylindrical shape and in a straight line. In this embodiment, since the main body 510 is a curved trapezoid as described above, the holding portions 540 provided on both the left and right side edges of the main body 510 are provided in an arc shape. By providing the holding portions 540 in this way, even if the user crouches deeply and spreads his / her knees, the thighs do not come off the apron, and the assisting function of the assisting device is fully exerted. This is important in that when the user wears the assisting device 501, the position of the holding portion 540 is provided so as to incline from the side of the body to the back body side on the user's lower body side, and is provided so as to be located at the front body side of the body on the upper body side, so that the effect of the urging member described later is fully exerted. Therefore, by having the main body 510 have the above-mentioned shape, the position of the holding portion 540 in which the urging member is housed is located from the side of the user's body to the chest side, and the effect of the urging member is fully exerted. The inner diameter of the holding portion is not particularly limited as long as it is a size that can accommodate the biasing member, but in order to prevent the biasing member from falling, button-type sealing portions can be provided at the upper and lower openings of the holding portion (not shown). [Forming material] In this embodiment, the material forming each part of the main body 510 is cloth, but any material that can be used as an apron material can be used without any particular restrictions. For example, cloth made of cotton, linen, synthetic fibers, etc., as well as plastic film, etc. can be used.

[0013] <Using member> The biasing member 550 is an S-spring as shown in FIG. 1(b) and the like. The S-spring is disposed in the holder 540 so that the longitudinal direction of the S-spring is along the side edge of the main body 510. As described above, the device is made up of a first biasing part 551 located in the body support part 520 and a second biasing part 553 located in the other support part 530. The position of the fulcrum differs depending on the user, but the fulcrum is usually a part located on the upper side of the ilium. This allows the first biasing part 551 and the second biasing part 553 to apply biasing forces in different directions, respectively, to the user's body, so that a force in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4 can be applied to the user's body. 〔shape〕 The shape of the biasing member 550 in this embodiment is an S-spring shape. Here, the S-spring shape is a shape in which a linear member is bent alternately to draw an S-shape, and as a whole, it is thin and elongated like a leaf spring, and appears to have a predetermined width. The overall shape is linear with no particular angle. The reason why the S-spring is particularly preferable in this embodiment is that the S-spring can be bent in any direction of the arrows a, b, c, and d shown in FIG. 1(b), and even if it is installed so that it is located in front of the body on the upper body side and is located from the side to the back of the body on the lower body side as in this embodiment, it can be flexibly changed in shape and laid (worn), and can be used without placing an excessive burden on the body. By using the S-spring without providing a bending point in this way, no extra load is applied when the user bends the joints, and the user is not subjected to much load from the biasing member during normal body movements, and a biasing force is applied when the user bends forward to prevent damage to the joints, etc. due to a sudden change in posture, and the biasing force reduces the burden on the user when returning from a crouched posture. In particular, in a waist support device such as this embodiment, the use of an S-spring can reduce the initial force when returning from a crouched posture, and the burden on the user can be significantly reduced. In addition, in the form of an apron such as this embodiment, the biasing member 550 is an S-spring, so it can easily follow the curved shape of the holding part, and the biasing member 550 can be easily installed and does not impair the appearance, so it has a high design effect. Moreover, the first urging portion 551 and the second urging portion 553 each have a length that extends over almost the entire length of the body support portion 520 and the other support portion 530. By having such a length, the urging force can be transmitted to the entire body of the user, and more accurate assistance can be provided. [Forming material] The material for forming the biasing member 550 of this embodiment can be any material that is normally used for this type of spring material, without any particular restrictions. Examples of such materials include metals such as stainless steel, iron, copper, titanium, and Inconel, and plastics.

[0014] <Usage and Effects> The use of the assisting tool 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. In Figure 4, the arm and the inside of the holding part are shown in a see-through manner. In Figures 3 and 4, for the convenience of drawing, the biasing member is shown by a straight line in a light color in consideration of the difficulty of viewing. First, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, user A puts on the support tool 1 in the same manner as a normal apron. The user A performs various movements such as extension, bending, lateral bending, and turning in the same manner as in normal work, but as shown in FIG. 4, when the user A bends (bends), the biasing member 550 also bends, and the biasing force of the biasing member 550 is applied to the body support unit 520 and the other support unit 530 in the extension direction (arrow direction in FIG. 4) via the first biasing unit 551 and the second biasing unit 553, resulting in a force being applied to the user A in the extension direction (arrow direction in FIG. 4). The reason why people hurt their joints is that excessive force is applied to the muscles around the joint or the joint itself when extending from a bent state. By using the assisting tool 501 of this embodiment, when applying force in the extension direction, the biasing force of the assisting tool is applied to the body of the user A, so that the muscles around the joint do not apply excessive force, and the burden on the muscles or joints is reduced. As a result, the risk of injury to the user can be reduced. Particularly in the assisting device 501 of this embodiment, the first biasing member 551 of the biasing member 550 made of an S-spring abuts against the front of the upper body such as the chest of the user via the holding part 540, and the second biasing member 553 abuts against the rear side from the side of the user's thigh via the holding part 540. Because of this configuration, the biasing member can reduce the burden on the user when bending or straightening the body without placing an excessive load on the body as in the case where the biasing member is only on the front of the body.

[0015] <Reference embodiment> The assisting device 1 as a reference example is a waist assisting device for assisting the movement of the waist joint, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Specifically, the assisting device 1 of this embodiment has a main body 10 having a body support part 20 that abuts against a part of the body, and an other part support part 30 that abuts against another part of the body different from the part of the body or a part other than the body. The main body 10 is an apron in this embodiment. Holding parts 40 are formed on both the left and right sides of the main body 10 as cylindrical holding members. An urging member 50 is disposed inside the holding part 40. As a result, the urging member 50 is provided in communication with both the body support part 10 and the other part support part 30. The biasing member 50 is a coil spring consisting of a first biasing portion 51 that applies a biasing force to the body support portion, a second biasing portion 53 that applies a biasing force to the other support portion, and a fulcrum portion 55 located between the first and second biasing portions, and the body support portion 20 and the other support portion 30 are formed from cloth as a flexible material. The details will be explained below.

[0016] <Main body> The main body 10 of the assisting device 1 of this embodiment is preferably one that is normally worn on the body, and in this embodiment, is in the shape of a bib apron. The main body 10 is composed of a body support section 20 that contacts the upper body and an external support section 30 located on the lower body side, with an intermediate section 13 located near the waist joint (meaning the vicinity of the base of the lumbar vertebrae in this specification). A waist strap 15 is provided on the intermediate section 13 for fitting the apron to the body. A neck strap 17 is provided on the upper end of the body support section 20 for hanging it around the neck. The shape of the apron can be various shapes such as a so-called H-shape or a sash-shape, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. 1, the holding portion 40 is provided through the body support portion 20 and the other support portion 30, that is, over the entire length of both the left and right side edges of the main body 10, and has a cylindrical shape. [Body support section and other support section] The body support section 20 is a section that comes into close contact with the user's upper body (above the waist joint and up to the chest) when in use, and the other support section 30 is a section that comes into close contact with the user's lower body (below the waist joint and up to the thighs) when in use. Both are located in the front body, which is the side that the user bends when bending. In this embodiment, the body support section 20 and the other support section 30 are trapezoidal in their entirety (i.e., the main body 10). However, they are not limited to this shape at all, and they may be rectangular in their entirety as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, or the width of only the part that comes into contact with the chest may be narrowed.

[0017] [Holding part] The holding part 40 is formed in a cylindrical shape and in a straight line. In this embodiment, since the main body 10 is trapezoidal as described above, the holding parts 40 provided on both left and right side edges of the main body 10 are provided in a straight line. Since the main body 10 is trapezoidal and the holding parts 40 are located on both sides, the knees may open when the user crouches deeply, but the thighs that support the user at that time do not come off the apron, and the assisting function of the assisting tool is fully exerted. This is because, when the user wears the assisting tool 1, it is important to provide the holding part so that the position of the holding part 40 is inclined from the rear body side to the front body side of the user's body in order to exert the effect of the urging member described later. Therefore, regardless of the shape of the main body, it is preferable that the holding part 40 is provided so that the lower side and the upper side are located on the front body side when used, but it is preferable that the holding part 40 is located on both side edges of the main body 10 as in this embodiment from the viewpoint of smoothly transmitting the force of the urging member to the user's body and reducing the burden on the user. The inner diameter of the holding portion is not particularly limited as long as it is a size that can accommodate the biasing member, but a button-type holding member can be provided (not shown) to hold the biasing member so that it does not fall. [Forming material] In this embodiment, the material forming each part of the main body 10 is cloth, but any material that can be used as an apron material can be used without any particular restrictions. For example, cloth made of cotton, linen, synthetic fibers, etc., as well as plastic films, etc. can be used.

[0018] <Using member> As described above, the urging member 50 is a coil spring made up of the first urging portion 51, the second urging portion 53, and the fulcrum portion 55. The urging member 50 is disposed so that the fulcrum portion 55 is located at the intermediate portion 13. This allows the first urging portion 51 and the second urging portion 53 to exert urging forces in different directions, respectively, and thus allows forces in the directions of the arrows in FIG. 6 to be exerted on the user's body. 〔shape〕 The shape of the urging member 50 in this embodiment may be linear without an angle (i.e., 180 degrees), but in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the fulcrum 55 is bent as an apex (bending point) so that the first urging portion 51 and the second urging portion 53 are angled. This angle is preferably an obtuse angle (θ shown in FIG. 1) centered on the circular fulcrum 55 formed by winding the rod-shaped member that forms the urging member 50, and is preferably about 170 to 179 degrees. By having such a bent shape, no extra load is applied when the user bends a joint, and the user is not subjected to a load from the urging member during normal body movements, and the urging force can be applied to assist the user when the user performs work such as bending. In particular, an obtuse angle is preferable for a waist support device as in this embodiment and a knee support device to be described later. If the apron is not bent but is straight, it may be necessary to apply an initial force to bend the urging member when bending a joint such as the waist, which may place an extra burden on the joint, but by folding it in advance, this initial force can be reduced and no extra burden is placed on the joint. Also, in the apron form of this embodiment, if the urging member 50 is angled too much, problems such as difficulty in placing the urging member 50 in the holding part 40 and the shape of the apron becoming distorted occur, but if the angle is within the above range, such problems do not occur. In other words, the effect of the design is not impaired. Moreover, the first urging portion 51 and the second urging portion 53 each have a length that extends over almost the entire length of the body support portion 20 and the other support portion 30. By having such a length, the urging force can be transmitted to the entire body of the user, and more accurate assistance can be provided. [Forming material] The material for forming the biasing member 50 of this embodiment can be any material that is normally used for this type of spring material, without any particular limitations. For example, metals such as iron, plastics, and the like can be mentioned.

[0019] <Usage and Effects> A usage mode of the assisting tool 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In Fig. 7, the arm and the inside of the holding part are shown in a see-through manner. First, as shown in FIG. 7(a), a user A puts on the support tool 1 in the same manner as a normal apron. The user A performs various movements such as extension, bending, lateral bending, and turning in the same way as in normal work, but as shown in FIG. 3(b), when the user A bends (bends), the biasing member 50 also bends, and the biasing force of the biasing member 50 is applied to the body support unit 20 and the other support unit 30 in the extension direction via the first biasing unit 51 and the second biasing unit 53, resulting in a force being applied to the user A in the extension direction (arrow direction in FIG. 3). The reason why people hurt their joints is that excessive force is applied to the muscles around the joint or the joint itself when extending from a bent state. By using the assisting tool 1 of this embodiment, when applying force in the extension direction, the biasing force of the assisting tool is applied to the body of the user A, so that the muscles around the joint do not apply excessive force, and the burden on the muscles or joints is reduced. As a result, the risk of injury to the user can be reduced.

[0020] Other embodiments will be described below. In the following description, differences from the above-mentioned reference embodiment will be mainly described. Therefore, for parts that are not specifically described, the description of the above-mentioned embodiment will be applied as appropriate. <Second Reference Embodiment> The assisting tool 101 in the form shown in FIG. 8 is the same apron type as the assisting tool of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, but is different in that a downward urging member 150' is installed on the other support part 130. The downward urging member 150' is provided in the opposite direction to the urging member 150. That is, the urging member 150 is installed to form an obtuse angle on the front body side, assuming that it will be bent toward the front body side, but the downward urging member 150' is bent to form an obtuse angle toward the back side of the knee, as shown in FIG. 9, so that the lower end of its second urging part 153' is placed on the ground or floor surface and bent in sync with the bending of the knee when in use. The downward urging member 150' is installed so that the fulcrum part 155' is located on the outside of the knee, and the first urging part 151' is held in the holding part 140 via a holding member not shown. Also, although an example has been shown in which the straight portion 153' is not fixed anywhere, this is not limited to this, and the second urging portion 153' may be fixed by setting a jig to fix the second urging portion 153' to a shoe, sock, etc. This prevents excessive strain on the knee joint and the muscles around it caused by the knee bending action, which is often performed at the same time as bending over, as shown in Figure 9, and makes it possible to easily straighten the knee from a bent position.

[0021] <Third Reference Embodiment> The assisting device 201 of this embodiment is a knee support type assisting device. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10, the main body 210 is composed of an upper half 220 as a body support part that contacts the thigh, a lower half 230 as a support part that contacts the calf, an intermediate part 213 between the two and located at the knee joint when worn, and a holding part 240 provided along the axial direction of the user's foot when used. In Fig. 6, the upper half 220 and the lower half 230 are each made of a detachable belt-type member at the front side (the side that is located at the front side of the user's body when used), and the rear side (the back side of the thigh and the calf side) is made of a stretchable cloth material that can be contacted all over. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and various forms are possible within the scope of the present invention, such as making the entire part out of a cylindrical cloth material. Then, a biasing member 250 is provided in the holding portion 240 so that a fulcrum portion 255 thereof is located at the intermediate portion 213. Although the biasing member 250 is illustrated as being linear in the drawings, it is bent at an obtuse angle toward the direction in which the knee joint bends, similar to the above-described embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, in the assist device 201 of this embodiment, when the knee is bent, the biasing member 250 is also bent, and the biasing force reduces excessive strain on the user's knee joint and the surrounding muscles when straightening the knee, effectively preventing damage to the joint and the surrounding muscles. The biasing member can be bent so that an acute angle is formed between the first biasing portion and the second biasing portion with the fulcrum portion as a vertex. When the angle is set to an acute angle in this manner, it is suitable as an ankle support. When used as an ankle support, the acute angle may be smaller than 90 degrees, but is preferably 60 to 80 degrees.

[0022] <Fourth Reference Embodiment> The fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 12 is a modified example of the assisting tool shown in FIG. 5, and differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the first urging part 51 and the second urging part 53 are each set to a length (approximately 25 cm) up to the middle part of the body support part 20 and the other support part 30. With this length, it is not possible to apply a sufficient urging force over the entire length of the assisting tool, but in order to solve this problem, in this embodiment, urging auxiliary members 41 and 43 made of plastic pipes with a length of 25 to 30 cm are installed on both ends of the holding part 40 in the holding part 40. The tips of the first urging part 51 and the second urging part 53 are inserted into the center side of these urging auxiliary members 41 and 43. As a result, the urging force by the first urging part 51 and the second urging part 53 is applied over the entire length of the body support part and the other support part via the urging auxiliary members 41 and 43, and a sufficient urging force can be applied as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 described above. In addition, there are reference examples shown in Figures 13 and 14, and reference examples shown in Figures 15 and 16. All of these are examples in which an S-spring is used as the elastic member. Therefore, a description of the parts that can be formed in the same manner as the above-mentioned assisting tool of the present invention will be omitted. The support tool 501a shown in FIG. 13 is a tunic-like apron type, and as shown in FIG. 14, a holding portion is provided so that the biasing member is located at the upper body portion in the front body and below the waist portion in the back body. By providing a biasing member in this manner, a biasing force is applied from both the front and back without placing an excessive burden on the user, so that the user can be provided with good assistance; however, the burden on the front of the body is greater than in the example shown in Figure 1 above, and the biasing force of a single biasing member cannot be fully utilized. The assisting tool 501b in the form shown in FIG. 15 is a vest type, and as shown in FIG. 16, holding parts are provided so that the biasing members are positioned in the upper body part in both the front and rear body parts. This configuration makes it easy to wear and provides a moderate amount of biasing force to the user; however, particularly with regard to support of the lower back, it is not possible to apply a sufficient amount of biasing force to the upper and lower body as in the example shown in Figure 1 above, and since biasing force is applied to both the front and back body parts separately, the burden on the body is greater than in the example of Figure 1.

[0023] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the assisting device of the present invention is not limited to being worn on the user's body as described above, but can be attached to an object such as a machine or furniture and used to assist the user's physical activity. Specifically, by using the armrest of a chair as the assisting device, it can be used to assist the user when standing up from a position where he or she is sitting on the chair. In this way, the assisting device of the present invention is not only provided in a form that is worn on the user's body. It can also be applied as an assisting device for any joint, such as the elbow or shoulder. In the above embodiment, the body support part and the other support part are both made of a flexible material, but the present invention is not limited to this and they may be made of a hard material (e.g., plastic) that is not flexible. The body support part and the other support part may be formed separately, not integrally. The first and second biasing portions are provided over substantially the entire length of the body support portion and the other-part support portion, but they do not necessarily have to be provided over the entire length.

Claims

1. An assisting device for assisting a user's joint movement, A body support part that is located above or below the joint and abuts against a part of the body facing the bending direction side of the joint; An other support part that is integrally formed with the body support part and abuts against another body part different from the one part of the body; The body support section and the other support section are provided with a biasing member via a holding member provided on each of the body support section and the other support section, the biasing member includes a first biasing portion that applies a biasing force to the body support portion and a second biasing portion that applies a biasing force to the other support portion, The assisting tool is characterized in that the biasing member is an S-spring.

2. The assistive device is apron-shaped, The body support portion is a portion that contacts the user's body from the front of the chest to the front of the abdomen, and the other body support portion is a portion that contacts the user's body from the side of the waist to the side of the thigh, 2. The assisting tool according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member is provided over the entirety of the assisting tool.

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