Apparatus for assisting standing-up and seating

Abstract

The present invention relates to a standing and sitting assistance device, wherein the standing and sitting assistance device according to the present invention comprises: a base; a seat member, one end of which is supported vertically and rotatably on the base to assist a user in sitting or standing; a backrest member, the other end of which is supported vertically and rotatably on the seat member; a driving unit for rotating the seat member relative to the base; and an interlocking member connecting the base and the backrest member so that the backrest member interlocks with the rotation of the seat member.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a standing and sitting assistance device, and more specifically, to a standing and sitting assistance device for assisting a user with limited mobility in sitting and standing, which minimizes volume so that it can be used without being overly conscious of external gaze. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, a wheelchair is a mobility aid designed to help people with disabilities, patients, or the elderly and infirm with limited mobility move around comfortably.

[0003] These wheelchairs consist of a seat, a backrest, and wheels mounted on both sides of the seat; manual wheelchairs, which are moved by the rider rotating the wheels directly with their hands or by an assistant pushing from behind holding a handle, are widely used.

[0004] Recently, many electric wheelchairs that do not require manual wheel movement are being developed, and a variety of products are being released and sold.

[0005] Electric wheelchairs, which generally use motors to drive the wheels for movement, have the advantage of facilitating mobility for the disabled, patients, or the elderly and infirm with limited mobility.

[0006] However, in the case of wheelchairs designed solely for mobility, while they are convenient for users with limited mobility to move around, there is the inconvenience of requiring assistance from caregivers or others because it is difficult to sit or stand in the wheelchair.

[0007] To solve this problem, an assistive device that assists standing and sitting, such as Patent Document 1 (Published Patent 10-2008-0042033), is provided in the wheelchair, but a drive unit with a driving capacity large enough to lift the user's weight is required.

[0008] In addition, since the gas spring used as the drive unit occupies a large portion of the space beneath the seat, the wheelchair equipped with the assistive device attracts even more attention from people around it, which presents a problem in that it fails to satisfy the user's need to be free from external gazes. Prior art literature

[0009] Published Patent 10-2008-0042033 The problem to be solved

[0010] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to solve such conventional problems by providing a standing and sitting assistance device that assists users with limited mobility in sitting and standing, with a minimized volume so that it can be used without being overly conscious of external gazes.

[0011] In addition, the invention provides a standing and sitting assistance device configured so that the backrest member moves in conjunction with the rotation of the seat member, thereby enabling the seat member and the backrest member to move simultaneously using a single drive unit.

[0012] In addition, the invention provides a standing and sitting assistance device that minimizes the driving load of the driving unit by providing a compensation torque through a gravity compensation unit to offset the gravity torque, thereby allowing the use of a small-capacity driving motor and enabling the device to be miniaturized and lightweight. means of solving the problem

[0013] The above objective is achieved by a standing and sitting assistance device according to the present invention, comprising: a base; a seat member, one end of which is rotatably supported up and down on the base to assist a user in sitting or standing; a backrest member, the other end of which is rotatably supported up and down on the seat member; a driving unit for rotating the seat member relative to the base; and an interlocking member connecting the base and the backrest member so that the backrest member interlocks with the rotation of the seat member.

[0014] Here, it is preferable that the interlocking member has one end rotatably connected to the base and the other end rotatably connected to the backrest member to form a parallelogram link structure together with the base, seat member, and backrest member.

[0015] In addition, it is preferable that the seat member includes a thigh support member that supports the user's thigh, a buttock support member that supports the user's buttocks, and a position adjustment member that can adjust the position of at least one of the thigh support member and the buttock support member in the front-rear direction.

[0016] In addition, it is preferable that the seat member further includes a fixing band capable of securing the user's thigh to the thigh support.

[0017] In addition, it is preferable that the backrest member includes a back support member that supports the user's back and a position adjustment member that can adjust the position of the back support member in the up and down direction.

[0018] Additionally, it is preferable to further include a gravity compensation member, one end of which is connected to the seat member and the other end of which is connected to the base, providing a compensation torque for the gravity torque acting on the seat member when the seat member rotates.

[0019] Additionally, the gravity compensation member preferably comprises a first support member fixed to the base, a second support member positioned to face the first support member and having a gap between it and the first support member adjusted according to the rotational position of the seat member, and an elastic member interposed between the first support member and the second support member.

[0020] Additionally, it is preferable that the gravity compensation member further includes a wire connecting the second support member to a position eccentrically offset from the rotation center of the seat member and the second support member, and an idler roller supporting the wire between the seat member and the second member.

[0021] In addition, it is preferable that the elastic member be configured to elastically deform during the process in which the seat member rotates in the sitting direction and elastically restore during the process in which the seat member rotates in the standing direction. Effects of the invention

[0022] According to the present invention, a standing and sitting assistance device is provided to assist a user with limited mobility in sitting and standing, with a minimized volume so that it can be used without being overly conscious of external gazes.

[0023] In addition, a standing and sitting assistance device is provided that is configured so that the backrest member moves in conjunction with the rotation of the seat member, thereby enabling the seat member and the backrest member to move simultaneously using a single drive unit.

[0024] In addition, a standing and sitting assist device is provided that minimizes the driving load of the drive unit by providing a compensation torque through a gravity compensation unit to offset the gravity torque, thereby allowing the use of a small-capacity drive motor and enabling the device to be miniaturized and lightweight. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the standing and sitting assist device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the standing and sitting assist device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the gravity compensation unit illustrated in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the standing and sitting assist device of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A' of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B' of FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is an operational cross-sectional view showing the standing assistance state of the standing and sitting assistance device of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a graph showing the gravitational torque and compensation torque acting on the first hinge portion of the standing and sitting assist device of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0026] Before proceeding with the explanation, in various embodiments, components having the same configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals and are described representatively in the first embodiment, while in other embodiments, configurations different from the first embodiment are described.

[0027] Hereinafter, a standing and sitting assistance device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0028] Among the attached drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the standing and sitting assist device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the standing and sitting assist device of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the gravity compensation part shown in Fig. 2.

[0029] The standing and sitting assist device of the present invention, as illustrated in the drawing above, includes a base (110), a seat plate member (120), a backrest member (130), a driving unit (140), an interlocking member (150), and a gravity compensation unit (160).

[0030] The base (110) is intended to support the seat member (120) from a floor support surface and may be formed in the shape of a column so that the seat member (120) can be positioned at a height where a user can easily sit. For example, the base (110) may include a pair of side walls (111) that are spaced apart to the left and right and whose spacing is maintained by a plurality of spacers.

[0031] The above seat member (120) includes a first frame (121) having one end connected to the base (110) so as to be rotatable up and down through a first hinge part (H1), a thigh support part (122) positioned on the front end side of the first frame (121) to support the user's thigh, a buttock support part (123) positioned on the rear end side of the first frame (121) to support the user's buttocks, a first position adjustment part (124) that can adjust the position of the thigh support part (122) and the buttock support part (123) in the front and rear directions according to the user's body shape, and a fixing band that can fix the user's thigh to the thigh support part (122).

[0032] The first position adjustment unit (124) comprises a first shaft (124a) positioned in the front-rear direction on the first frame (121), a first-1 linear bushing (124b) engaged with the first shaft (124a) and fixed to the thigh support (122), and a first-2 linear bushing (124c) engaged with the first shaft (124a) and fixed to the buttock support (123).

[0033] Additionally, a rail groove is formed in the first frame (121) to guide the forward and backward movement of the thigh support (122) and the buttock support (123), and a guide projection that slides along the rail groove may be formed on each of the thigh support (122) and the buttock support (123).

[0034] The above backrest member (130) includes a second frame (131) that is rotatably connected to the other end of the seat member (120) through a second hinge part (H2), a back support part (132) that is placed on the second frame (131) and supports the user's back, and a second position adjustment part (133) that can adjust the position of the back support part (132) up and down according to the user's body type.

[0035] The second position adjustment unit (133) includes a second shaft (133a) arranged in an up-and-down direction on the second frame (131) and a second linear bushing (133b) engaged with the second shaft (133a) and fixed to the back support unit (132).

[0036] The above drive unit (140) includes a drive motor (141) disposed on the base (110), a reduction gear (142) disposed on the same axis as the first hinge unit (H1) and having its output end fixed to the first frame (121), and a power transmission unit (143) connecting the drive shaft of the drive motor (141) and the input end of the reduction gear (142).

[0037] The above reduction gear (142) includes an input terminal connected to the drive motor (141) and an output terminal connected to the seat plate member (120), and is configured to reduce the rotational speed of the rotational driving force input through the input terminal and increase the torque to output to the output terminal.

[0038] The above power transmission unit (143) may include a drive pulley connected to the drive shaft of the drive motor (141), a driven pulley connected to the input end of the reduction gear (142), and a belt wound around the drive pulley and the driven pulley.

[0039] The above linkage member (150) connects the base (110) and the backrest member (130) so that the backrest member (130) can move in conjunction with the up and down rotation of the seat member (120). It may be formed in the form of a linkage link, with one end rotatably connected to the base (110) through a third hinge part (H3) and the other end rotatably connected to the second frame (131) through a fourth hinge part (H4). The above linkage member (150) has a shape that does not interfere with the first frame (121) when placed on the same plane as the first frame (121).

[0040] Specifically, the first hinge part (H1), the second hinge part (H2), the third hinge part (H3), and the fourth hinge part (H4) are positioned at locations corresponding to each vertex of a rectangle when viewed from the side, so that the base (110), the first frame (121), the second frame (131), and the linkage member (150) form a parallelogram link structure. Accordingly, in the process of assisting a user in standing or sitting by rotating the seat member (120) up and down using a single drive motor (141), the backrest member (130) connected to the seat member (120) can support the user's back while maintaining a certain angle in conjunction with the rotation of the seat member (120).

[0041] The gravity compensation member (160) is intended to provide a compensation torque for the gravity torque acting on the seat member (120), and comprises a first support member (161) disposed at the lower part of the first hinge member (H1) and fixed to the base (110), a second support member (162) disposed to face the first support member (161) in the lower region of the first support member (161), an elastic member (163) interposed between the first support member (161) and the second support member (162), a wire (164) connecting the second support member (162) to a position eccentrically offset from the rotation center of the first hinge member (H1) so that the distance between the first support member (161) and the second support member (162) can be adjusted according to the rotation position of the seat member (120), and the first support member (161). It includes a pair of idler rollers (165) that support the wire (164) from the upper side.

[0042] The second support member (162), connected to the seat member (120) by the wire (164), moves in a direction closer to the first support member (161) as the seat member (120) rotates in the sitting direction, and moves in a direction further away from the first support member (161) as the seat member (120) rotates in the standing direction.

[0043] The above elastic member (163) may be formed in the form of a compression coil spring that elastically deforms as the gap between the first support member (161) and the second support member (162) narrows, and elastically restores as the gap between the first support member (161) and the second support member (162) expands.

[0044] Additionally, the elastic member (163) is configured to be fully elastically restored when the seat member (120) is fully rotated in the standing direction, and to be elastically deformed when the seat member (120) is fully rotated in the sitting direction, so that the elastic restoring force is at its maximum. That is, the elastic member (163) can provide a compensating torque that opposes the gravitational torque while elastically deforming during the process of the seat member (120) rotating in the sitting direction from the fully elastically restored state, and since the amount of elastic deformation changes according to the rotation angle of the seat member (120), it can provide a compensating torque corresponding to the magnitude of the gravitational torque.

[0045] Meanwhile, the elastic member (163) may be provided in multiple quantities and arranged in parallel between the first support member (161) and the second support member (162), and a guide shaft that penetrates the center of the multiple elastic members (163) may be formed in the first support member (161), and a through hole through which the guide shaft passes may be formed in the second support member (162).

[0046] The standing and sitting assistance device of the present embodiment as described above can assist a user in standing and sitting by operating the seat member (120) and the backrest member (130) using a single driving unit (140), and can minimize the driving capacity of the driving unit (140) by providing a compensation torque opposite to the gravity torque through the gravity compensation unit (160), so that it can be miniaturized and configured in a wearable form or applied to various types of mobility platforms.

[0048] From now on, the operation of the first embodiment of the standing and sitting assistance device described above will be explained.

[0049] Among the attached drawings, Fig. 4 is a planar configuration diagram of the standing and sitting assist device of the present invention, Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A' of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B' of Fig. 4, Fig. 7 is an operational cross-sectional view showing the standing assist state of the standing and sitting assist device of the present invention, and Fig. 8 is a graph showing the gravity torque and compensation torque acting on the first hinge part of the standing and sitting assist device of the present invention.

[0050] Figures 4 to 6 among the above drawings show the sitting assistance state of the standing and sitting assistance device of the present invention, and Figure 7 shows the standing assistance state of the standing and sitting assistance device of the present invention.

[0051] First, the seating assistance state of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0052] One end of the seat member (120) is rotatably connected to the base (110) through the first hinge part (H1), and one end of the backrest member (130) is rotatably connected to the other end of the seat member (120) through the second hinge part (H2), and the interlocking member (150) is positioned parallel to the seat member (120) at the bottom of the seat member (120), one end is rotatably connected to the base (110) through the third hinge part (H3), and the other end is rotatably connected to the backrest member (130) through the fourth hinge part (H4).

[0053] As the first hinge part (H1), second hinge part (H2), third hinge part (H3) and fourth hinge part (H4) are positioned in areas corresponding to each corner of the rectangle, the base (110), seat member (120), backrest member (130) and interlocking member (150) form a parallelogram link structure.

[0054] The seat member (120) rotates up and down by the driving of a driving unit (140) installed on the base (110). That is, the seat member (120) can rotate up and down around the first hinge part (H1) by the forward and reverse driving of the driving unit (140), and the seat member (120) can assist the user in sitting in a seated position that is approximately horizontal to the ground, and assist the user in standing in a standing position that is approximately vertical to the ground.

[0055] In addition, since the backrest member (130) forms a parallelogram link structure together with the base (110), seat member (120), and interlocking member (150), the seat member (120) maintains a constant angle during rotation, thereby enabling stable support of the user's back during the process of assisting the user to sit or stand through the seat member (120).

[0056] Meanwhile, the seat member (120) is provided with a buttock support member (123) that supports the user's buttocks and a thigh support member (122) that supports the user's thighs, and the backrest member (130) is provided with a back support member (132) that supports the user's back. Since the user's thighs can be secured to the thigh support member (122) using a fixing band, the sitting and standing of patients with limited mobility or the elderly can be stably assisted.

[0057] Additionally, the buttock support (123) and thigh support (122) can be adjusted in the front-rear direction by the first position adjustment unit (124), and the back support (132) can be adjusted in the up-down direction by the second position adjustment unit.

[0058] Specifically, the first shaft (124a) of the first position adjustment member (124) is positioned in the front-rear direction on the first frame (121) constituting the seat member (120), and the first-1 linear bushing (124b) is fixed to the buttock support member (123) in a state of engagement with the first shaft (124a) to guide the front-rear movement of the buttock support member (123), and the first-2 linear bushing (124c) is fixed to the thigh support member (122) in a state of engagement with the first shaft (124a) to guide the front-rear movement of the thigh support member (122).

[0059] Additionally, the second shaft (133a) of the second position adjustment part (133) is positioned in the vertical direction on the second frame (131) constituting the backrest member (130), and the second linear bushing (133b) is fixed to the back support part (132) in a state engaged with the second shaft (133a) to guide the vertical movement of the back support part (132).

[0060] Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the positions of the buttock support (123), thigh support (122), and back support (132) to fit the user's body shape through the first position adjustment part (124) and the second position adjustment part (133).

[0061] As shown in FIG. 6, the seat member (120) can move to a sitting position by receiving driving force from a driving unit (140) to assist the user in sitting, and by rotating from a standing position to a sitting position.

[0062] At this time, the seat member (120) assists the user in sitting by rotating in the sitting direction while supporting the user's buttocks and thighs through the buttock support member (123) and thigh support member (122) provided on the first frame (121). In this process, the backrest member (130) connected to the other end of the seat member (120) moves in the sitting direction together with the seat member (120) while supporting the user's back, while maintaining a roughly vertical state with respect to the base (110) by means of an interlocking member (150) that connects the backrest member (130) together with the seat member (120), thereby enabling stable assistance for the sitting of a user with limited mobility.

[0063] Additionally, during the process in which the seat member (120) rotates in the direction of sitting to assist the user in sitting, a gravitational torque is applied to the first hinge member (H1) due to the self-weight of the seat member (120) and the user's body weight, and a gravity compensation member (160) disposed between the first hinge member (H1) and the base (110) can offset the gravitational torque by providing a compensation torque opposite to gravity.

[0064] Specifically, the first support member (161) of the gravity compensation part (160) is fixed to the base (110) in the lower region of the first hinge part (H1), the second support member (162) is positioned to face the first support member (161) at the lower part of the first support member (161), the elastic member (163) is interposed between the first support member (161) and the second support member (162), the wire (164) has one end connected to a position eccentrically to one side from the rotation center of the first hinge part (H1) and the other end connected to the second support member (162), and a pair of idler rollers (165) support the wire (164) at the upper side of the first support member (161).

[0065] The gravity compensation member (160) provides a force that pulls the wire (164) connected to the first hinge member (H1) downwards by providing an elastic restoring force in the direction of lowering the second support member (163) interposed between the first support member (161) and the second support member (162) as the second support member (162) connected to the wire (164) rises during the process in which the seat member (120) rotates in the direction of sitting to assist the user in sitting. Through this action, the gravity compensation member (160) can provide a compensation torque capable of counteracting the gravity torque on the first hinge member (H1).

[0066] That is, in the process of assisting the user to sit, the gravitational torque acting on the seat member (120) can be offset by the compensation torque provided through the gravity compensation unit (160), so the driving load of the driving motor (141) for rotating the seat member (120) in the sitting direction can be minimized.

[0068] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 7, the seat member (120) can receive driving force from the driving unit (140) to assist the user in standing up, and can rotate from a sitting position approximately horizontal to the ground in the standing direction to move to a standing position approximately vertical to the ground.

[0069] At this time, the seat member (120) supports the user's buttocks and thighs through the buttock support member (123) and thigh support member (122) provided on the first frame (121) and rotates in the standing direction to assist the user in standing. During this process, the backrest member (130) connected to the other end of the seat member (120) moves to a standing position together with the seat member (120) while maintaining a roughly vertical state and supporting the user's back, thereby enabling stable assistance in standing for a user with limited mobility.

[0070] Additionally, a gravitational torque is applied to the first hinge portion (H1) connecting the seat portion (120) and the base (110) during the process in which the seat portion (120) rotates in the standing direction to assist the user in standing up, due to the self-weight of the seat portion (120) and the user's body weight, and a gravity compensation portion (160) disposed between the first hinge portion (H1) and the base (110) can provide a compensation torque opposite to gravity to offset the gravitational torque acting on the first hinge portion (H1).

[0071] FIG. 8 shows the gravitational torque and compensation torque acting on the first hinge part (H1) according to the rotation angle of the seat plate member (120).

[0072] The gravitational torque acting on the first hinge portion (H1) takes the form of a sinusoidal wave, where the rotation angle of the seat plate member (120) is at a minimum of 0 degrees vertically, at a maximum of 90 degrees horizontally, and at a minimum of 180 degrees vertically. At this time, the compensation torque provided to the first hinge portion (H1) through the gravity compensation portion (160) takes the form of being vertically symmetrical with respect to the gravitational torque, so the gravitational torque acting on the first hinge portion (H1) can be offset.

[0073] That is, when a compensation torque is provided to the first hinge part (H1) through the gravity compensation part (160), the torque acting on the first hinge part (H1) can be significantly reduced compared to the case where the gravity compensation part (160) is not provided, so the driving capacity of the driving part (140) for operating the seat plate member (120) can be minimized and the weight reduced at the same time.

[0075] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but may be implemented in various forms of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims. It is deemed that the scope of the claims of the present invention includes various modifications that are possible by anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the invention pertains, without departing from the essence of the invention claimed in the claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0076] 110: Base, 111: Side wall, 120: Seat member, 121: First frame, 122: Thigh support, 123: Buttock support, 124: First position adjustment part, 124a: First shaft, 124b: First-1 linear bushing, 124c: 1st-2nd linear bushing, 130: backrest member, 131: 2nd frame, 132: Back support part, 133: Second position adjustment part, 133a: Second shaft, 133b: 2nd linear bushing, 140: Drive unit, 141: Drive motor, 142: Reducer, 143: Power transmission unit, 150: Interlocking member, 160: Gravity compensation part, 161: First support member, 162: Second support member, 163: Elastic member, 164: Wire, 165: Idler roller, H1: 1st hinge part, H2: 2nd hinge part, H3: 3rd hinge part, H4: 4th hinge part

Claims

Claim 1 Base; a seat member, one end of which is supported vertically and rotatably on the base to assist a user in sitting or standing; a backrest member, the other end of which is supported vertically and rotatably on the seat member; a driving unit for rotating the seat member relative to the base; and an interlocking member connecting the base and the backrest member so that the backrest member interlocks with the rotation of the seat member. The standing and sitting assist device further comprises a gravity compensation member connected between a position eccentric from the rotation center of the seat member and the base, and generating a compensation torque that offsets the gravity torque acting on the rotation center according to the rotation angle of the seat member, wherein the gravity compensation member comprises a first support member fixed to the base, a second support member that moves relative to the first support member according to the rotation of the seat member, an elastic member disposed between the first support member and the second support member, a wire connecting the position eccentric from the rotation center of the seat member and the second support member, and an idler roller that guides the tension direction of the wire between the seat member and the second support member, wherein the drawing length of the wire and the amount of elastic deformation of the elastic member change non-linearly according to the change in the rotation angle of the seat member, thereby generating a compensation torque corresponding to the change in gravity torque acting on the seat member. Claim 2 A standing and sitting assist device according to claim 1, wherein one end of the interlocking member is rotatably connected to the base and the other end is rotatably connected to the backrest member, forming a parallelogram link structure together with the base, the seat member, and the backrest member. Claim 3 A standing and sitting assist device according to claim 1, wherein the seat member comprises a thigh support member that supports the user's thigh, a buttock support member that supports the user's buttocks, and a position adjustment member that can adjust the position of at least one of the thigh support member and the buttock support member in the front-rear direction. Claim 4 In claim 3, the standing and sitting assist device further comprising a fixing band capable of fixing the user's thigh to the thigh support member. Claim 5 In claim 1, the backrest member comprises a back support member that supports the user's back and a position adjustment member that can adjust the position of the back support member in an up-and-down direction, forming a standing and sitting assist device. Claim 6 delete Claim 7 delete Claim 8 delete Claim 9 A standing and sitting assist device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is configured to elastically deform during the process in which the seat member rotates in the sitting direction and elastically restore during the process in which the seat member rotates in the standing direction.

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