JPH08215249A - Stretching action aid apparatus and walking action aid apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To facilitate spontaneous rising action or stretching action by arranging a support part which is driven by a drive means to support a user so that a waist part of the user passes through a curved track bulged downward from a segment connecting an action starting point and an action ending point. CONSTITUTION: In the stretching action aid apparatus constituted of a 4-joint link mechanism, a first link 2 is joined by a front first joint 6 of a body frame 5, a third link 4 by a rear third joint 8 of the body frame 5 and a second link 3 by second and fourth joints 7 and 9 of the first and third links 2 and 4. Moreover, the second link 3 is provided with an upper body support part 10 and a trunk support part 11 is connected to a connection part 12 in the course thereof. The first joint 6 of the first link 2 or the fourth joint 9 of the third link 4 are driven to rotate to obtain an action track bulged downward by the second link 3. In other words, the above action is utilized to assist in the rising and falling actions.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to elderly people and rehabilitation
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a bending / extending motion assisting device, a walking motion assisting device, and a control method thereof, which assists a person in need of motion to stand up / falling motions (flexing / extending motions) and walking motions to assist activities of daily living.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-303446 has been used as a conventional auxiliary device for rising and falling motions (flexing and stretching motions).
There is a device (prior art 1) described in the publication. This publication discloses a device for lifting a patient's hips by raising a lifting arm and a lifting tool in a state where a knee is applied to a knee support pad and a chest is applied to the chest support pad.

As disclosed in this publication, this device moves a knee pad and pushes the knee resting against the pad to the back side, so that the patient's hips stretch the knee and lift it. It operates so as to move upward in an arc shape centered on the connecting portion with the lifting arm. In addition, this device, when pushing the knee to the back side with the knee pad,
Since the hips are lifted while the knees are stretched, the patient's hips are lifted even if the lifting device is not strongly strained.

That is, in this device, the chest pad and the knee pad come into contact with the user so that they can be used by people with limited limbs, and the lifting arm connected to them is rotated around the fulcrum to allow the user to move. The waist is caused to perform a rising / falling motion (bending / extending motion) so that the line segment connecting the motion start point and the motion end point takes a trajectory of upward bulge.

2) As described in JP-A-5-305038, in order to vertically support the toilet seat around the body of the toilet, the lower end of the toilet is fixed to the floor and the operator stands up in a substantially vertical posture. There is a device (prior art 2) in which a pair of posts made of hollow bodies are provided, and a frame on a pipe is incorporated in each of these posts so as to be vertically movable. By adopting the above-described configuration, this device can linearly move the toilet seat in the direction of the vertical line and assist the rising / falling motion (flexing / extending motion).

On the other hand, as a conventional walking movement assisting device,
3) An electric walker (prior art 3) as described in JP-A-4-71554 is known. This electric walker is a size that a person can stand alone and has an opening in the rear and a U-shaped lower frame with the shortest side as the front part, and the corner of the U-shape facing upwards A vertical frame that extends to the height of the back, and a side support that is approximately horizontal to the bottom and has an opening in the rear and a U-shape with the shortest side as the front so that a person can stand alone. It has and.

Further, the electric walker is provided with a pair of front and rear driving wheels on the left and right of the front portion of the lower frame, and a pair of left and right rear wheels rotatably provided on the rear portion of the lower frame, and the rear wheels are free wheels. ing.

The apparatus of the prior art 1 described above is designed to move the patient for a long distance, and is provided with a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, and the patient sits on a chair that is lifted by a pantograph lifter. It is possible to move by putting both feet on the footrest. During this movement, the caregiver operates the handle.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-71554, manual walking provided with wheels, a frame, and a support portion on which a user can lean his / her upper body. Vessels are generally well known.

[0010]

The device of the prior art 1 is
As described above, the waist of the user takes an upward swelling trajectory with respect to the line segment connecting the motion start point and the motion end point. This is close to the motion pattern of a normal person, and is different from the natural standing-up / falling motion (flexing / extending motion) performed by a user with a weakened lower limb while erecting the lower limb.

Further, in the device of the prior art 1, the body is supported by the knees and the chest, and there is a possibility that an uncomfortable feeling is felt at these parts.

Further, since the device of the prior art 2 does not assist the horizontal movement of the waist in the rising stage of the toilet seat, the main part of the user is pushed forward and the weight is gradually transferred to the legs. It wasn't something to do.

Therefore, in any of the above-mentioned conventional techniques, the user's natural rising / falling motion (flexing / stretching motion).
However, it is not intended to assist the user in voluntarily raising and falling (flexing and stretching). For this reason, the user does not use his / her legs or waist by increasing the dependence on the auxiliary device,
Furthermore, there was a possibility that his legs would be weakened.

Further, the electric walker of the related art 3 and the well-known manual walker do not have a special mechanism for overcoming a step, and a certain amount of force is required for overcoming the step. To do. In addition, there is no means for mitigating the impact force that acts on the user during this step crossing operation.

Therefore, in the conventional walker, there is a problem that it is difficult to perform the step crossing operation, or the step crossing operation cannot be performed.

Further, the moving means provided in the prior art 1 is premised on being operated by a caregiver, and does not assist the user's self-sustaining operation (used by the user without a caregiver).

Further, the prior art 1 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-71 is used.
The walker as shown in FIG. 4 of Japanese Patent No. 554 was very inconvenient because it could not approach the toilet bowl in the forward direction while walking.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a bending / extending movement assisting device capable of urging the user to spontaneously perform a rising movement (flexing / extending movement) so as to promote spontaneous rising movement or bending / extending movement. It is in.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a walking motion assisting device capable of mitigating an impact force acting on a user during a walking motion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a walking motion assisting device capable of crawling a toilet bowl to facilitate the user's use of the toilet bowl.

[0021]

In the present invention, the bending and stretching motions mean the motions of sitting on the floor, standing up from a state of sitting on a chair, a toilet seat, a bed, or the like, or conversely (sit down). I shall say that. At this time, it includes a case of a middle waist posture, and an operation of further standing up or sitting down from the middle waist posture. Further, it may be a squatting motion.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the bending / extending movement assisting device of the present invention includes a supporting portion for supporting the user and a driving means for driving the supporting portion to assist the bending / extending movement of the user. In the bending / extending movement assisting device, the supporting portion supports the user's waist so that the user's waist passes along a curved orbit that bulges below the line segment connecting the movement start point and the movement end point. .

Further, the bending / extending movement assisting device of the present invention comprises a supporting portion for supporting the user and a driving means for driving the supporting portion, and the bending / extending movement assisting device for assisting the bending / extending movement of the user, The support portion may be supported so that the support position passes along a curved trajectory that bulges below a line segment that connects the operation start point and the operation end point. The support position is a position or a support point at which the support unit contacts and supports the user's body.

In the bending / extending motion assisting device described above,
The drive means includes a pair of link mechanisms composed of at least four joints driven by one motor, and the support portion is
It may be driven by an intermediate link of the link mechanism. The four-bar linkage has four links and three links. In this case, the link located furthest to the user is the first link or the front first link, and the front link is the third link. The link or the first link on the rear side, and the link sandwiched between them will be referred to as the second link or the intermediate link. Each link does not have to be a pair. However,
It is preferable that at least the intermediate link and the rear-side first link have a pair of link structures arranged on the left and right sides so that the load acts evenly on the left and right sides so that the strength can be easily secured. At this time, by arranging them separately on the right and left sides, it is possible to secure a wide operating space for the user.

At this time, the supporting portion may be directly connected to the intermediate link or may be connected via another member, but it is necessary to be moved based on the movement of the intermediate link.

Further, the link mechanism may have a parallel link structure so that the posture of the supporting portion is kept constant regardless of the operation. At this time, two parallel link mechanisms may be incorporated in the four-bar linkage mechanism.

A spring balancer may be provided on the front first link of the four-bar linkage. It is generally desirable that the spring balancer be provided on a link having a small operating angle, and the link mechanism for realizing the above-described curved track is configured such that the operating angle of the front first link becomes small.
Other links could be provided if the size of the operating angle is not an issue.

Further, in the above-mentioned bending / extending movement assisting device,
The support part may be a support part that supports the lower body of the user or a support part that supports the upper body.
When supporting the lower half of the body, the buttocks of the user may be supported, and when supporting the upper half of the body, the armpits of the user may be supported.

Further, in the bending / extending motion assisting device described above,
The support section includes an upper body support section that supports the upper body, and a trunk support section that supports the lower body of the user and is rotatably provided at a support position with respect to the upper body support section. Is also good. At this time, the upper body support portion may be one that the user can grasp, or may be able to lean against the upper body. Further, the trunk support part may be fixedly provided to the upper body support part.

Here, the trunk support portion is a support portion that supports a body part (trunk) from the user's shoulder to the buttocks except for the upper limbs, and specifically supports the buttocks, the waist or the armpits. .

The drive mechanism of the bending / extending motion assisting apparatus of the present invention may include a motor, a worm speed reducer, or a rotary speed reducer, and the drive link may be rotationally driven by this.

The drive mechanism of the bending / extending movement assisting device of the present invention may have a motor, a timing belt, and a rotary type speed reducer, and the drive link may be rotationally driven by this.

Further, the drive mechanism of the bending / extending movement assisting device of the present invention has a motor, a worm speed reducer, a pinion gear, and a rack, and the drive link is rotationally driven by the linear motion of the rack. You can

Further, the driving mechanism of the bending / extending movement assisting device of the present invention has a motor, a timing belt, and a ball screw,
The drive link may be rotationally driven using the linear motion of the ball screw shaft.

Further, the bending / extending movement assisting device of the present invention may be provided with an operation instructing section having a rising button, a falling button and an emergency stop button.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned other objects,
The walking motion assisting device of the present invention is a device that includes a support portion that supports a user and a moving unit, and in the device that assists the walking motion of the user, the moving unit includes a pair of front wheels rotatable about a vertical axis and A pair of rear wheels, a pair of wheels provided between the front and rear wheels so as to be movable in the direction of the front wheel or the rear wheel, and an up-and-down drive unit that independently vertically drives the front and rear wheels, And an intermediate wheel drive means for driving a pair of wheels provided between the front and rear wheels independently of each other on the left and right sides.

Here, the wheels provided between the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels will be referred to as intermediate wheels,
The whole of these is called a six-wheel structure or a six-wheel moving mechanism.

At this time, it is desirable that the vertical drive means for the front wheels or the rear wheels be displaced by 0.05 m (5 cm) or more in the vertical direction. Or total 0.1m
It is desirable to displace (10 cm) or more.

Further, in the above-mentioned walking motion assisting device,
The intermediate wheel drive means includes a motor and a timing belt for transmitting the drive force of the motor to each wheel provided between the front and rear wheels, and the vertical drive means includes a motor.
A pinion gear driven by the motor and a rack that meshes with the pinion gear and moves in the vertical direction may be provided.

The timing belt is provided for each of the pair of intermediate wheels. It is also possible to drive the intermediate wheel by combining the gear and the shaft without using the timing belt.

In the drive means of the walking motion assisting apparatus, the intermediate wheel drive means is a motor, a worm provided coaxially with the rotation shaft of the motor, and the worm. A worm wheel that meshes with the worm wheel, a pulley provided coaxially with the worm wheel, and a pulley provided coaxially with the wheels provided between the front and rear wheels, A timing belt passed between these pulleys, wherein the vertical drive means is a motor, a worm provided coaxially with a rotation shaft of the motor, and the worm. A wheel that meshes with the wheel, a pinion gear that is provided coaxially with the wheel, a rack that meshes with the pinion gear and moves vertically, and left and right wheels that are coupled to the rack. May be provided.

Further, in the driving means of the above-mentioned walking movement assisting device, the intermediate wheel driving means transfers the motor and the driving force of this motor to each wheel provided between the front and rear wheels. The vertical drive means includes a motor, a ball screw nut portion driven by the motor, and a ball screw shaft that is provided through the ball screw nut portion and a steel ball and moves in the vertical direction. , May be provided.

In the driving means of the walking motion assisting device, the intermediate wheel driving means is a motor, a worm provided coaxially with the rotation shaft of the motor, and the worm. A worm wheel that meshes with the worm wheel, a pulley provided coaxially with the worm wheel, and a pulley provided coaxially with the wheels provided between the front and rear wheels, A timing belt passed between these pulleys, wherein the vertical drive means is a motor, a pulley provided coaxially with a rotation shaft of the motor, and the pulley. The timing belt mounted on the
, A ball screw nut portion coaxially connected to the pulley, a ball screw shaft that moves vertically through the ball screw nut portion and a steel ball, and the ball screw shaft. The left and right wheels may be connected to each other and connected to each other.

At this time, the motor may rotate the ball screw nut portion via a gear.

Further, in the walking motion assisting device described above,
A force sensor may be provided above each wheel of the front wheels.

Further, in the walking motion assisting device of the present invention, at the step, the device body is tilted backward, the front wheel is raised, the device body is returned to the neutral position, and both front and rear wheels are lowered. Steps of raising or lowering the raising intermediate wheel along a step, steps of moving the intermediate wheel after touchdown, steps of tilting the device body forward, steps of raising the rear wheel, and returning the device body to the neutral position. Steps and are provided so that they can be moved.

In the above walking movement assisting device,
A force sensor is provided above each wheel of the front wheels, and a step of detecting a step by the force sensor and a step of generating a turning operation command of the device until the left and right force sensors simultaneously detect the step are provided. You can

Further, in the walking movement assisting device of the present invention, the motor for driving the front wheels in the vertical direction for detecting the step difference of the front wheels.
The current signal of the motor is used to detect the step difference of the intermediate wheel, and the current signal of the motor that rotates the intermediate wheel is used to detect the step difference of the rear wheel. A step detecting means used may be provided.

Further, in the walking motion assisting device of the present invention, the step of detecting the step by the current signal of the motor for driving the front wheel in the vertical direction at the step portion, and the step of detecting the step and tilting the apparatus main body backward And a step of raising the front wheel, a step of returning the apparatus main body to the neutral position and moving,
The step of detecting the step by the current signal of the motor that rotates the intermediate wheel, the step of detecting the step and lowering or raising both the front and rear wheels, and raising or lowering the intermediate wheel along the step, and after the intermediate wheel touches the ground A step of moving, a step of detecting a step by a current signal of a motor for driving the rear wheel in a vertical direction to detect a step of the rear wheel, a step of detecting the step and tilting the main body of the apparatus forward, and a step of rear wheel You may make it move with the step of raising and the step of returning the apparatus main body to a neutral position and moving it.

As means for detecting the step, in addition to the above-mentioned means, an optical sensor such as a laser, an ultrasonic sensor, a proximity sensor or the like is used, and the step is detected before each wheel comes into contact with the step. It may be done. Further, these sensors and warning means by display or sound may be provided to notify the user of the approach of the step. Here, the step may be a sill provided on a door or the like, an electric wiring laid on the floor or the like, a cover for protecting the sill, a thick rug, a discontinuous portion of the floor, or the like.

Further, the walking movement assisting device of the present invention may be provided with an operation instructing section provided with a forward button, a backward button, a right turn button, a left turn button and an emergency stop button on the upper front side of the apparatus. At this time, a button for instructing a step crossing (up, down) may be provided, or the step crossing may be automatically executed in the forward movement operation or the reverse movement operation. In this case, it would be necessary to have means for detecting the step.

Further, the bending / extending movement assisting device of the present invention comprises a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels rotatable about a vertical axis,
Between the front and rear wheels, a pair of wheels provided so as to be movable in the direction of the front wheel or the rear wheel, an up-and-down drive means for independently vertically moving the front and rear wheels, and between the front and rear wheels. An intermediate wheel drive unit for driving the pair of wheels provided independently for left and right may be provided to assist the walking motion.

Further, the walking movement assisting device of the present invention is provided with the driving means for the supporting portion, and the supporting portion causes the waist of the user to bulge below the line segment connecting the movement starting point and the movement ending point. The bending and stretching motion may be assisted so that the curved path is followed.

Further, in order to achieve the object of the present invention, the bending / extending motion assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is the walking motion assisting device according to any one of claims 13 to 21, or these. It may be provided with a walking motion assisting device in which the above are combined.

In order to achieve another object of the present invention, the walking motion assisting device according to any one of claims 13 to 21 is a bending motion assisting device according to any one of claims 2 to 11. Alternatively, it may be provided with a bending and stretching movement assisting device that is a combination of these.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned other objects,
The walking movement assisting device of the present invention is a device that includes a support portion that supports a user and a moving unit, and is a device that assists a walking movement of a user, and has a width of 0.4 m (40 cm) or more and a height direction from a floor surface. Is provided with a space of 0.45 m (45 cm) or more. Such a space may be provided in the above-described walking motion assisting device or the movable bending / extending motion assisting device.

[0057]

In each of the above-mentioned means, the pair of link mechanisms composed of at least four joints, which constitute the driving means for driving the support portion, have a line segment connecting the waist start point of the user to the operation end point. The support is driven so as to pass through a curved track that bulges downward. In the case of the four-bar linkage, the trajectory of the supporting portion that realizes the trajectory of the user's waist as described above can be taken out from the movement of the intermediate link.

As described above, the bending and stretching operation is performed so that the waist passes through the curved path bulging downward, so that the user can carry out the operation with less discomfort. This is because the user gradually bends and stretches his / her upper body, lower back or buttocks while pulling forward to gradually transfer his / her weight to the legs and rise while dispersing the force necessary for the bending / stretching motions throughout the legs. It is thought that this is because it is possible. More specifically, the distribution of force is performed on the thighs and lower legs, at this time, especially on the knees and ankles, which may cause discomfort or overload on a part of the leg. It is thought that mitigation can be done.

At this time, the locus of the lower bulge of the waist is specifically determined by determining the locus of the contact point or position between the support and the user.

In the above-mentioned link mechanism, the parallel link structure is provided so that the posture of the intermediate link is always maintained, and by taking out the movement of this link and moving the support portion, the posture of the support portion can be kept constant. it can.

If a spring balancer is provided on the front first link of the four-bar linkage, the weight of the user can be canceled and the linkage can be driven with a small force. Therefore, the motor for driving the link mechanism need only be small, and space and power can be saved. When it is driven with a battery, it can be driven for a long time.

The supporting portion for supporting the lower half of the user's body or the supporting portion for supporting the upper half of the body guides the user's lumbar region to the orbit of the downward bulge to perform bending and stretching motions. In addition, the support unit supports the upper body support unit that supports the upper body and the lower body of the user,
When the support position is composed of a trunk support part rotatably provided with respect to the upper body support part, the trunk support part supports the user's body, and the upper body support part is, for example, It can serve as a grip for the user.

At this time, if the torso support is rotatable, as the rotating shaft is raised by the link mechanism, the torso supported by the torso support reaches the lowest possible point. As the support rotates, the user is supported to move forward substantially horizontally and then rise. At this time, the trajectory of the point supported by the trunk support part will be slightly different depending on how the user applies force to the legs, etc., but the user should finely adjust the standing timing, position, etc. You can

On the other hand, when the torso support is fixed, the point supported by the torso support moves in conjunction with the movement of the intermediate link. In this case, the trajectory of the supporting point has good reproducibility, and it is possible to perform the bending and stretching motion faithfully to the previously considered trajectory. Further, the fixed type or the rotary type may be changed according to the user's health and recovery state. By doing so, the force required by the user for bending and stretching movements can be reduced, or conversely, increased, and training for bending and stretching movements can also be performed.

Next, each means of the walking movement assisting device of the present invention will be described.

In the six-wheel structure equipped with the moving means of the present invention, the front wheels and the rear wheels are made rotatable about the vertical axis, and the intermediate wheels can be driven independently on the left and right sides, so that forward and backward movement and turning can be performed. it can. That is, forward and backward movements can be performed by simultaneously driving the left and right intermediate wheels in the same direction, and turning can be performed by driving one intermediate wheel or driving the left and right intermediate wheels in mutually opposite directions.

The front wheels or the rear wheels are vertically driven independently by the vertical drive means. When overcoming a step, the main body of the apparatus is supported by any two of the front wheels, the intermediate wheels, and the rear wheels, and the remaining one is placed on the step.

More specifically, at the step, the main body of the apparatus is tilted backward, the front wheels are raised, the main body of the apparatus is returned to the neutral position and moved, and then the front and rear wheels are both lowered or raised to move the intermediate wheels along the step. Ascending or descending, the intermediate wheel moves after touching down, the apparatus body is tilted forward, the rear wheel is raised, and the apparatus body is moved back to the neutral position. By operating in this way, the device can climb up or down the step without being impacted by the step.

At this time, by displacing the front and rear wheels in the vertical direction by 0.1 m (10 cm) or more, it is possible to get over the step existing in the normal building.

Further, the force sensor detects the presence of the wheel in contact with the step, and the control device carries out the step-over operation on the basis of this information.

Further, by providing a space of 0.4 m (40 cm) or more in width and 0.45 m (45 cm) or more in the height direction from the floor surface, the device can crotch a Western-style toilet bowl, so that the user can Can approach the toilet bowl in the forward movement and add more work.

[0072]

EXAMPLES In the following description, the "bending / extending motion" will be described as a "rising / falling motion".

A first embodiment of the rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a first embodiment of a rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a motion trajectory of a user's waist when the rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention is used. FIG. 3 shows an example of the trunk support part of the rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows another example of the trunk support part of the rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a side view of an example of the first embodiment of the rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention,
6 shows a front view of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 shows a diagram of a drive system of a second example of the first embodiment of the rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention, and FIG. 8 shows the present invention. FIG. 9 shows a third example of the drive mechanism of the first embodiment of the rising / falling movement assisting device, and FIG. 9 shows a fourth example of the driving mechanism of the first embodiment of the rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention. For example,
FIG. 10 shows a fifth example of the drive mechanism of the first embodiment of the rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention, and FIG.
Shows the configuration of the operation instruction unit of the rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention, and FIGS. 12 to 15 show rising / falling movement assistance of the physical therapist.

First rising and falling movement assisting device
This embodiment shows a device that assists the user's natural rising and falling movements.

In a rehabilitation facility, a physical therapist assists the person in the rehabilitation facility to assist the person with a weakened leg in standing and falling motions. Here, first, the assisting movement of the physical therapist will be described with reference to FIGS.

This physiotherapist's stand-up motion assistance is performed as shown in FIGS. 12 to 15 (in this figure, the physiotherapist 101 and the person 102 with weakened lower limbs). A downward bulge motion trajectory is taken with respect to the line segment connecting the position and the waist position at the end of the motion. On the other hand, the rising / falling motion of a healthy person takes an upwardly swelling motion trajectory with respect to the line segment connecting the motion start point and the motion end point, and is different from the physical therapist's motion of standing up motion.

12 to 15, the physical therapist 10
1 grasps the waist strap 103 of the person 102 with weakened lower limbs,
First, pull it toward you. Then, the waist strap 103 is pulled up. The fall operation assistance is also performed in the reverse procedure.

As described above, by setting the motion trajectory of the waist of the person 102 with weakened lower limbs to be the motion trajectory of the downward bulge with respect to the line segment connecting the motion start point and the motion end point, 102 can reduce the force applied to the lower limbs, especially the knees, and becomes a natural rising motion pattern, which is also useful for training of rising and falling motions. Also, physical therapist 101
Since the radius of gyration on which force is applied becomes small, it can be lifted with a small torque.

An example in which a 4-bar linkage mechanism is used as a mechanism for realizing an auxiliary motion similar to that of a physical therapist with one motor will be shown.

FIG. 1 shows a rising / falling movement assisting device 1 constituted by a four-bar link mechanism, which is provided with a first link 2, a second link 3 and a third link 4, and the first link 2 is a body frame 5 On the front side of the main frame 5, the third link 4 on the rear side of the body frame 5 by the fourth joint 8, and the second link 3 on the first link 2 and the third link 4 and the second joint 7 and It is connected by the third joint 8. Further, the third link 3 is provided with a body support portion 10, and a trunk support portion 11 is connected by a connection portion 12 in the middle thereof.

In the above structure, the first joint 6 at the base of the first link (first front link) 2 or the fourth joint 9 at the base of the third link (first rear link) 4 is rotationally driven. , The second bulge (intermediate link) 3 can obtain the motion trajectory of the downward bulge. Utilizing this property,
The rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention is configured.

Here, the upper body support portion (handle portion) 10 of the movable portion is held by the user U with his / her hand to stabilize the posture of the upper half of the body during the rising / falling movements, and the trunk support portion 1
1 may be made of a soft member such as a belt, or may be made of a member that does not deform. In the case of a soft member, it can be moved without causing great pain to the lower half of the body.

In any case, the locus of motion of the waist of the user U becomes from point A to point B of FIG. 2, which is close to the locus of motion of the waist when assisting the standing motion of the physical therapist.
A natural rising motion can be realized.

Next, an example of the structure of the trunk supporting portion 11 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 shows a fixed non-deformable torso support 11 for the handle 10, and FIG. 4 shows a non-deformable torso support 11 rotatable with respect to the handle 10 at a coupling portion. .

Using the torso support 11 shown in FIG.
The contact portion of the torso support portion with the user U takes the same movement trajectory as the handle 10. On the other hand, the trunk support portion 11 shown in FIG.
When using, the contact portion of the torso support portion with the user U first advances along the seat surface to a certain position (the lowest point that the contact portion can take) in accordance with the operation of the handle portion 10. Then, when the handle reaches a certain height, the user U also rises. This realizes a motion closer to the motion of the physical therapist during the auxiliary motion. At this time, the position to move forward is
It depends on how the user U holds his / her legs or how he / she grips the upper body support part.

Next, an example of the mechanism of the rising / falling movement assisting device 1 of FIG. 1 will be described.

An example of the case where a rotary type speed reducer is used as a drive system is shown in a side view in FIG. 5 and a front view in FIG.

The rotational power of the motor 13 is input to the input stage of the rotary type speed reducer 20 via the bevel gear 19, and the output stage thereof is directly connected to the front side first link 2 to connect the front side first link 2 to the first side. The intermediate link 3 and the rear first link 4 are rotationally driven around the joint 6, and are rotationally driven around the second joint 7, the third joint 8, and the fourth joint 9.

Here, the front side first link 2 is branched leftward and rightward at its tip end and connected to the left and right intermediate links 3a and 3b, and the left and right intermediate links 3a and 3b are respectively left and right rear side first links 4a. , 4b. The left and right intermediate links 3a, 3b are provided with a handle portion 10 in the middle thereof, and have a structure for connecting the left and right intermediate links 3a, 3b.

A torso support portion 11 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is attached to the handle portion 10. Further, in order to reduce the load torque of the motor, a spring balancer 16 is provided between the front first link 2 and the fixed portion, and, for example, by generating a force corresponding to the user's own weight, the motor 13 It is possible to reduce the capacity.

In order to ensure safety, the device has mechanical stoppers 1 at both ends of the operating range of the front first link 2.
7, 18 are provided. Also, such a motor 1
It is thought that the link mechanism driven by an individual can secure safety even if it runs out of control because the operation area of the contact portion with the user U is not a surface like a multi-axis robot but a line of finite length. To be

Here, the installation position of the spring balancer can be considered to be for the front first link 2 and for the rear first link 4, but the spring balancer 16 is provided on the front first link 2.
The reason why the spring balancer is provided is that the spring balancer is effective for an operation with a small operation stroke. The arm length of each link that can realize the rising motion trajectory of the downward bulge by this four-bar linkage depends on the human size, for example, the front first link 2
Length 0.49m (490mm), Intermediate link 3 length 0.42
m (420 mm), rear first link 4 length 0.196 m
(196 mm), in this case, the operating angle of the first link is about 20 (°), while the operating angle of the rear first link is large at about 160 (°), and the balancer installation position is Is the front first link 2.

Next, a second mechanical example of the rising / falling movement assisting device of FIG. 1 will be described.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the drive system when a worm reducer is used as the drive system.

The worm 2 is driven by the rotational power of the motor 13.
1, the left and right front first links 2a, 2b, which are directly connected via a connecting shaft, are rotated around the first joint 6 by rotating the worm wheel 1 by changing the rotation angle by 90 °. Intermediate link 3, rear first link 4
Is driven to rotate around the second joint 7, the third joint 8, and the fourth joint 9.

Next, a third mechanical example of the rising / falling movement assisting device of FIG. 1 will be described.

An example of the case where a worm speed reducer is used as the drive system is shown in a side view in FIG.

The worm 2 is driven by the rotational power of the motor 13.
1 is rotated, the rotation angle is changed by 90 ° by the worm wheel 22, and it is directly connected to the fourth joint 9 via a timing belt 24 made of, for example, a steel belt from a pulley 23 directly connected to the left and right via a connecting shaft. Pulley 25
Is transmitted to the rear first link 4 to rotate around the fourth joint 9. The rear side first link 4 is rotationally driven around the fourth joint 9, and the intermediate link 3 and the front side first link 2 are moved to the third side.
It is driven to rotate around the joint 8, the second joint 7, and the first joint 6.

Here, in this example, the drive system is
However, a rotary type speed reducer may be used.

Next, a fourth mechanism example of the rising / falling movement assisting device of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. An example in which a linear motion mechanism including a rack and pinion mechanism is used as a drive system will be shown.

When the front side first link 2 is rotationally driven, the rotational power of the motor 13 attached to the gear box provided in the fixed portion so as to be swingable around the horizontal axis is applied to the motor 13.
A worm 21 coaxially provided with the worm wheel 22, an worm wheel 22 meshing with the worm 21, a pinion gear 26 coaxially provided with the worm wheel 27, a rack 27 meshing with the worm wheel 27, coupled to the rack 27 and rotatably connected to the left and right front first links 2. It is realized by transmitting to the connecting link 28.
Further, a brake 29 is provided coaxially with the motor, and when the power is off, the brake is activated to maintain the position of the front first link 2.

Next, a fifth mechanical example of the rising / falling movement assisting device of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

An example in which a linear motion mechanism composed of a ball screw mechanism is used as a drive system will be shown.

When the front side first link 2 is rotationally driven, the rotational power of the motor 13 attached to the gear box provided in the fixed portion so as to be swingable around the horizontal axis is provided coaxially with the motor. Pulley 30, timing belt 31,
The pulley 32, the ball screw nut portion 33 coaxially coupled to the pulley 32, the ball screw shaft 34 provided through the steel ball and the ball screw nut 34, and the left and right front side first members coupled to the ball screw shaft 34.
It is realized by transmitting to a connecting link 28 rotatably connected to the link 2. Further, a brake 29 is provided coaxially with the motor 13, and when the power is off, the brake operates to hold the position of the front first link 2.

Next, the structure of the operation instructing section of the user U of the rising / falling movement assisting apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The stand-up button 35 on the handle portion 10,
A fall button 36 and an emergency stop button 37 are provided, and a rise button 35 and a fall button 36 are provided.
The operation is realized only while the button is pressed, and when the emergency stop button 37 is pressed, the power is turned off and the brake is activated.
The operation stops and the position is held at the position of the link at that time.

Next, a rising / falling movement assisting apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram of a second embodiment of the rising / falling movement assisting apparatus of the present invention.

The first embodiment has a problem that the posture of the handle 10 is changed by the operation of the movable portion. Therefore, in this embodiment, the posture of the handle is made constant regardless of the operation of the movable portion. Here, as shown in FIG. 16, a constant angle (9 in the figure) with respect to the horizontal line of the base portion is used.
Rotational power is transmitted to the intermediate second link 39 via the front second link 38 that operates in parallel with the front first link 2 with respect to the fixed first link 41 (vertical bar portion in the figure) that forms 0 °).
The second intermediate link 39 is bifurcated and transmits rotational power to the handle portion 10 via the third intermediate link 40 that operates in parallel with the intermediate link 3.

Such link mechanisms are provided on the left and right,
The left and right intermediate link 3 connecting portions of the handle portion 10 are rotatably connected. By using the rising / falling movement assisting device having such a structure, the user U
By grasping the handle portion 10, the posture of the handle portion 10 does not change during the rising and falling motions, so that the posture of the upper body can be stably maintained.

Further, the concrete mechanism of the rising / falling movement assisting device of the second embodiment of the present invention is realized by using the driving mechanism shown in FIGS. 5 to 10 of the first embodiment. .

As described above, by using the rising / falling movement assisting mechanism described in the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the line segment connecting the movement start position and the movement end position of the waist of the user is As a result, it is possible to realize a motion trajectory that swells downward and realize a natural motion for the user.

Further, by using the rising / falling movement assisting mechanism described in the second embodiment, the posture change of the handle portion during the movement is eliminated, and the posture of the upper body can be held more stably.

Next, the walking motion assisting device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 31.

FIG. 17 shows a conceptual diagram of the walking motion assisting device of the present invention, FIGS. 18 to 21 show the moving motion of the walking motion assisting device of the present invention, and FIGS. 22 to 26 show the walking motion of the present invention. 27 shows a step-up operation of the auxiliary device, FIG. 27 shows a specific example of the drive mechanism of FIG. 17, FIGS. 28 and 29 show a detailed partial mechanism of the drive mechanism of FIG. 27, and FIG. 31 shows another specific example of the mechanism, and FIG. 31 shows an operation instruction unit of the walking motion assisting device of the present invention.

The walking movement assisting device of the present invention is characterized in that it has a structure capable of overcoming a step difference of about 0.05 m (5 cm) often indoors with a low impact. In addition, the mobile movement is configured to be useful as a living movement support device. In the moving operation, it is desired to approach the toilet bowl backward when the man is urinating and when the woman is urinating or urinating.

On the other hand, it is desirable to approach the toilet bowl in a positive manner during men's urination. Therefore, the present device can support the self-supporting movement operation during excretion by providing a space that straddles the toilet bowl at the lower part both front and rear. Further, by taking a space so that the user can move forward as much as possible, it is possible to realize an operation such as opening and closing a front sliding door.

The configuration of the walking motion assisting device of the present invention in consideration of the above will be described with reference to FIG.

The walking motion assisting device 41 of the present invention has a six-wheel structure, and the wheels are the left front wheel 42a, the right front wheel 42b, and the left intermediate wheel 4.
3a, a right intermediate wheel 43b, a left rear wheel 44a, and a right rear wheel 44b (here, 43b, 44b, 45b are not shown).

The front wheel 42 is mounted on the front wheel mounting member 46, the intermediate wheel 43 is mounted on the intermediate wheel mounting member 47, and the rear wheel 44 is mounted on the rear wheel mounting member 48. The front wheels 42 and the rear wheels 44 are casters rotatable about a vertical axis, and the intermediate wheels 43 are fixed so as not to rotate about the vertical axis.

Front wheel mounting member 46 and rear wheel mounting member 4
8, the front wheel mounting member 46 and the rear wheel mounting member 48 are rotatable from the intermediate wheel mounting member 47 via the front wheel arm 49 and the rear wheel arm 45, and the front wheel arm 49 and the rear wheel mounting member 48 are rotatable. The arm 45 is configured to be driven up and down by a first linear motion shaft 50 and a second linear motion shaft 51 that are rotatable around the horizontal axis of the support portion.

Further, the intermediate wheel 43 is configured to be driven to rotate independently left and right, and is capable of forward and reverse left and right turning operations. In the figure, the intermediate wheel 43 is driven by a motor (not shown) via a pulley 54, a belt 55, and a pulley 56. Although the front wheel arm 49 and the rear wheel arm 45 are parallel links in the drawing, they may be single links. Further, the controller 57 is built in, and is configured to generate a control signal using a battery as a power source and energize and drive the motor.

The movement operation of such a mechanism is shown in FIGS.
This will be described using 1. The figure is a top view of this mechanism.

Here, the front wheels 42a, 42b and the intermediate wheel 43.
a, 43b, and rear wheels 44a, 44b. The forward movement is realized by rotating both intermediate wheels 43a, 43b in the forward direction as shown in FIG. 18, and the backward movement is performed as shown in FIG. It is realized by rotating both the intermediate wheels 43a and 43b in the backward direction.

The right turning motion is realized by driving the intermediate wheel 43a in the forward direction and the rear wheel 43b in the reverse direction as shown in FIG. 20, and the left turning motion is performed as shown in FIG. It is realized by driving 43a in the backward direction and 43b in the forward direction.

The step-up operation of such a mechanism is shown in FIG.
It is shown in FIG.

The step down operation follows the reverse step of the step up operation. First, the center of gravity is moved backward to reduce the reaction force of the front wheels 42, and then the front wheels 42 are raised (FIG. 22). Then, the vehicle moves forward to lower the front wheel 42 when the front wheel 42 reaches the position where the front wheel 42 crosses the step and shifts the center of gravity forward (FIG. 23).

Next, in a state where the front wheel 42 and the rear wheel 44 are both pressed against the ground so that the load acting on the intermediate wheel 43 becomes small when the intermediate wheel 43 approaches the step, the intermediate wheel 43 is moved. When the vehicle is moved forward, the front wheels 42 and the rear wheels 44 are vertically moved so that the intermediate wheels 43 move away from the front surface of the step and move along the step surfaces (FIG. 2).
4). By doing so, it is possible to realize a step-over operation with less impact.

When the rear wheel 44 reaches a step, the center of gravity is first moved forward to reduce the reaction force of the rear wheel 44, and then the rear wheel 4
Raise 4 (Figure 25). After the rear wheel 44 reaches the position over the step, the rear wheel 44 is lowered to shift the center of gravity to the rear (FIG. 2).
6). By realizing such an operation, it is possible to realize a step crossing operation with less impact.

A specific mechanism of the walking motion assisting device that realizes such a motion will be described with reference to FIGS. 27 to 30.

27 to 29 show a method of realizing the vertical movement of the front wheels and the rear wheels by using a rack and pinion mechanism.

The drive system for raising and lowering the front wheels 42 is a worm 60 driven by a motor 52, and meshes with the worm 60 to rotate 90 degrees.
Through the worm wheel 61 that changes (°), the pinion gear 62 provided coaxially with the worm wheel 61 is rotated to linearly operate the rack 63 that meshes with the pinion gear 62. On the other hand, rear wheel 4
The drive system for raising and lowering 4 is provided with a similar drive mechanism at the rear part thereof and drives the second linear motion shaft 51.
7 is not shown because it is behind the intermediate wheel drive mechanism.

The drive system for rotating the left intermediate wheel 43a rotates the pulley 54 provided coaxially with the motor 58 through the worm 64 and the worm wheel 65 meshing with the worm 64. -Transmits rotational power by rotating the pulley 56 coaxially arranged with the left intermediate wheel 43a via the belt 55. Such a drive mechanism is provided on the left and right so as to independently drive the left and right intermediate wheels.

In FIG. 27, the front wheel 42 and the front wheel mounting member 4 are shown.
A force sensor 66 is provided between 6 and the direction of the step can be detected by providing the force sensor 66 on the upper portions of the left and right front wheels, and the step can be approached at a right angle.

Next, FIGS. 28 and 29 show the structure of the linear motion mechanism for raising and lowering the front wheels and the rear wheels.

The main structure is as described above, but the rack has two cam followers 67a, 67b, 6 from three directions.
It is supported by 8a, 68b, 68c and 68d.
Stoppers 69a and 69b are provided at the upper and lower ends of the rack 63, and when the rack 63 is operated beyond the operating range, it can come into contact with the gear box 70 to stop the operation. Here, the gear box 70 is rotatably supported by the fixed base 71, and swings when the rack 63 moves in the vertical direction.

Here, the shaft 72 of the gear box 70 is coaxial with the worm wheel 61, but the swing shafts 73a and 73b with respect to the fixed base 71 of the gear box 70 are centered on the contact point between the rack 63 and the pinion gear 62. It is provided to do. With such a structure, the force generated in the rack 63 directly acts on the connecting portion of the front wheel arm 49 and the rear wheel arm 45 with the rack 63.

Next, another specific mechanism of the walking motion assisting device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 30 shows a method of realizing the vertical movement of the front wheels and the rear wheels by using a ball screw mechanism.

The drive system for raising and lowering the front wheels is the motor 52.
The rotational power is further transmitted to the pulley 74, the timing belt 75, and the pulley 76 provided coaxially with the pulley 74,
The ball screw nut portion 77 that is coaxially coupled with the reel 76 is rotated, and the ball screw shaft 78 provided through the steel ball is linearly operated.

On the other hand, the drive system for raising and lowering the rear wheels is provided with a similar drive mechanism at the rear portion thereof, and the second linear drive shaft 5
1 but is not shown in FIG. 30 as it is behind the intermediate wheel drive mechanism.

Next, the structure of the user's motion instruction unit used in the walking motion assisting device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

From the forward button 79, the reverse button 80, the left turn button 81, the right turn button 82, the emergency stop button 83, the step up button 88, and the step down button 89 provided on the upper surface of the front side of the walking movement assisting device. Made of The above-described wheel drive system of the moving operation is realized by pressing each button. The operation is stopped by pressing the emergency stop button 83. Here, the step up and the step down may be performed by button operation, or automatically without a button.

Further, display means 86, 87 for notifying the user U when a step or the like is detected, and a speaker 88 for notifying by sound or voice may be provided. in this case,
The sensor for detecting the step is preferably an optical means such as a laser, an ultrasonic wave, or a proximity sensor.

Next, an embodiment of the control method of the walking motion assisting device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 32 to 34.

FIG. 32 shows the construction of the control device for the walking motion assisting device of the present invention, FIG. 33 shows the method of getting over the step of the walking motion assisting device of the present invention, and FIG. 34 shows the step overcoming direction of the present invention. FIG. 35 is an explanatory view of a correction method, FIG. 35 shows a flow of a correction method for overcoming a step using a force sensor on the upper part of the front wheel, and FIG. 36 shows detection of a current of a motor which is an internal sensor. It shows how to get over the step by.

First, the control device of the walking motion assisting device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The user selects the move button 89 (forward button,
(Reverse button, left turn button, right turn button) is pressed, the movement operation is realized only while the button is pressed. When the move button 89 is pressed, the step detecting means 90 detects the presence / absence of a step.

As the step detecting means, a force sensor composed of a strain gauge for detecting the force acting on the front and rear wheels, a current sensor of a motor for vertically driving the front and rear wheels. , A proximity sensor that measures the distance to an obstacle. These step detecting means are detecting means for detecting the step by utilizing the characteristic that the detection value of the sensor greatly changes when approaching the step.

If there is no step, the position command generating section 91 for each axis of movement mode generates a position command for each axis motor.
On the other hand, if there is a step, the step-over mode each-axis position command generation unit 92 generates a position command for each axis motor. The axis position command generated in this manner is sent to the motor control device 93 for each axis, converted into a motor current command, amplified by the amplifier section, and energized to the motor 94. −
Drives a mechanism 94 coupled to the output shaft.

Here, the position of the motor is detected by the position detector, and the detected position value 95 is fed back to the motor control device, so that the current of the motor that follows the position command is detected. A command is generated.

Next, a method of climbing over a step using the control device of the walking motion assisting device of this structure will be described with reference to FIG.

In this method, the inclination of the main body is changed so that the reaction force from the floor acting on the wheels can be reduced so that the wheels for climbing over the bumps can climb over the bumps with low impact, and the wheels are raised to smooth the bumps. It is a method to overcome.

First, when the control device of the walking motion assisting device in the moving mode (S101) detects that the front wheel is approaching the step by the step detecting means (here, the case of moving forward will be described as an example. (S102), the main body of the apparatus is tilted backward (S103), the acting force applied to the front wheels is reduced to zero, and the front wheels are raised (S104).

Next, the apparatus main body is returned to the neutral position and moved (S105), and the intermediate wheel detects a step (S10).
6) and lower both front and rear wheels (S10
7) Reduce the load on the intermediate wheels to zero and raise or lower the intermediate wheels along the steps.

Thereafter, the movement is continued (S108), and when the rear wheel detects a step difference (S109), the main body of the apparatus is tilted forward (S110) to reduce the acting force on the rear wheel to zero,
Raise the rear wheel (S112). Further, the apparatus main body is returned to the neutral position and moved (S113).

Next, a force sensor 66 constituted by a strain gauge as shown in FIG. 30 as a step detecting means.
Figure 3
4 and FIG. 35.

The object of the present invention is that the walking movement assisting device of the present invention raises and lowers the left and right wheels at the same time.
Step line (assuming that the line connecting the corners is a straight line, FIG.
This is due to the fact that a low-impact step-over operation cannot be realized unless the approach is made perpendicularly to 96 of 4).
Therefore, in order to deal with this, it is an object to perform a correction operation in a direction in which both wheels simultaneously detect a step difference when one wheel detects a step difference by using force sensors 66 on both front wheels.

FIG. 34 is a diagram showing a method of correcting a step overcoming direction using a force sensor on the upper portion of the front wheel.
When the left front wheel 42a or the right front wheel 42b detects the step line 96 (Fig. (B)) while performing the moving operation as shown in (a), the turning operation is performed so that the vehicle can approach the step at right angles, and the vehicle moves forward. , When the left and right front wheels simultaneously detect a step (FIG. (C)), the step-over operation is started.

The flow will be described with reference to FIG. While performing the moving operation, the force sensor monitors whether there is a step (S114). Then, when the force sensor provided on the left front wheel or the right front wheel detects a step (S115), the walking motion assisting device detects that the left and right front wheels are connected to the line connecting the corners of the step (assumed to be a straight line). In-situ turning operation is performed so as to vertically approach (S11).
6).

A force sensor provided on a wheel different from the wheel that previously detected the step while performing the turning operation on the spot detects the step (the force sensor provided on the left front wheel and the right front wheel). Detects the step at the same time, S117) and executes a normal step overcoming the step.

Next, an explanation will be given with reference to FIG. 36 for a case in which an internal sensor (internal sensor) is used to detect a step without using an external sensor (external sensor) such as a force sensor.

This method cannot perform the correction operation of approaching the step line vertically, unlike the method of providing force sensors on the left and right, but the user approaches the step line almost vertically. This is a particularly useful method, assuming it has the ability to move forward. It is also a useful method for detecting the step difference between the intermediate wheels and the rear wheels in realizing the step detection algorithm of FIG.

The specific configuration is such that the movement is performed (S1
19) The current of the motor that drives the front wheels up and down is detected, and when a step is detected (S120), the front wheel step overrun operation is moved (S121), and further movement is performed (S122), and then the rotation direction of the intermediate wheel. Motor current is detected, and when a step is detected (S123), the intermediate wheel step over operation is moved (S124) and moved (S125) to detect the motor current for vertically driving the rear wheel. Then, when the step is detected (S
126), and move to the step of climbing over the rear wheel step (S127),
Further, the operation moves to the moving operation (S128).

Next, an embodiment of the rising / falling walking movement assisting device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 37 to 42.

FIG. 37 shows an example of the rising / falling walking motion assisting device of the present invention, and FIG. 38 shows a second example of the rising / falling walking motion assisting device of the present invention. 39 shows a third example of the rising / falling walking movement assisting device of the present invention, and FIG.
Shows a fourth example of the rising / falling walking motion assisting device of the present invention, and FIG. 41 shows a fifth example of the rising / falling walking motion assisting device of the present invention.
FIG. 42 shows a sixth example of the rising / falling walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

The rising / falling walking motion assisting device of the present invention is a device having both the rising / falling motion assisting function and the walking motion assisting function, taking advantage of the features of the rising / falling motion assisting device and the walking motion assisting device described above. is there. However, depending on the application, it is possible to use the above mechanism for one of the functions and use the existing mechanism for the other functions. Two types of devices, that is, the descending motion assisting device, the above-described walking motion assisting device, and the above-described rising / falling motion assisting device will be described.

FIG. 37 shows a device in which the rising / falling movement assisting device shown in FIGS. 1 to 11 and the four-wheel walking assisting device are combined. FIG. 38 shows an apparatus in which the rising / falling movement assisting device and the four-wheel walking assisting device shown in FIG. 16 are combined.

Here, the four-wheel walking movement assisting device may be manual or electric. Next, an example in which the above-described 6-wheel electric walking movement assisting device and the above-described rising / falling movement assisting device are combined will be shown.

FIG. 39 shows an apparatus in which the rising / falling movement assisting device shown in FIGS. 1 to 11 is combined with the above-described six-wheel walking assisting device. FIG. 40 shows an apparatus in which the rising / falling movement assisting device shown in FIG. 16 and the above-described six-wheel walking assisting device are combined.

FIG. 41 shows the rising / falling walking movement assisting device shown in FIG. 39 when the trunk support portion 6 is configured to support the armpit, and FIG. This is a walking movement assisting device when the torso support 11 is configured to support the armpit.

Here, the handle portion of the rising / falling movement assisting device may or may not be shared as the upper body contact portion of the walking motion assisting device.

Since the user is able to perform the bending and stretching operation by merely grasping the support by configuring the armpit to be supported in this way, it is not necessary to attach the support to the waist or the buttocks. Operation becomes easy.

By using the rising / falling walking movement assisting device as shown in FIGS. 37 to 42, it is possible to realize a natural rising and to climb over a step with a low impact.

An example in which a space is provided at the bottom of the device is shown in FIG.
3, shown in FIG.

43 and 44 show a side view and a front view of a position embodiment of a bending / extending movement assisting device equipped with wheels for movement, and a part of its components are omitted.

As shown in this figure, the width W is 0.4 m (4
0 cm) or more, the height H from the floor is 0.45 m (45 c
By providing the space of m) or more, the device can crotch the Western-style toilet bowl, and the user can approach the toilet bowl with the forward movement and add the use. Furthermore, by providing such a space in the walking motion assisting device shown in FIGS. 17, 27, 30, and 37 to 42, the walking motion assisting device can crotch a Western-style toilet bowl, and Will be able to approach the toilet bowl in the forward motion and add more treatment.

Since the rising / falling movement assisting device and the walking motion assisting device of each embodiment of the present invention are configured as follows, they have the following effects.

(1) In the rising / falling motion assisting device of the present invention, since the contact portion with the user takes a motion trajectory that bulges downward with respect to the line segment connecting the motion start point and the motion end point, the knee contact is performed. There is an advantage that a person with a weakened lower limb having a small acting force can realize a natural motion.

(2) In the second embodiment of the rising / falling movement assisting device of the present invention, the posture of the handle portion does not change during the rising / falling movement, so that the upper body can be stably supported.

(3) Since the walking motion assisting device of the present invention has a six-wheel structure and the front two wheels and the rear two wheels can be independently raised and lowered, the impact force acting on the user when riding over a step is extremely small. You can

(4) Since the rising / falling walking movement assisting device of the present invention has the advantages of the rising / falling movement assisting device and the walking movement assisting device described above, the user's independent movement (without a caregiver) Operation).

In addition to the above, since the bending / extending movement assisting device of the present invention or the walking movement assisting device including the same uses a link mechanism, by changing the length of the link, the lumbar region of the user during bending / extending movements. It is possible to freely design the trajectories through which the and traverse the ideal trajectories.

[0184]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In the bending / extending motion assisting device of the present invention, since the contact portion with the user takes a motion trajectory that bulges downward with respect to the line segment connecting the motion start point and the motion end point, it acts on the knee. It is possible to realize a natural motion for a person with weakened lower limbs and to assist the user in voluntary bending and stretching motions.

(2) Since the walking motion assisting device of the present invention has a six-wheel structure and the front two wheels and the rear two wheels can be raised and lowered independently, the impact force acting on the user when riding over a step is extremely small. You can

(3) Since the walking motion assisting device or the bending / extending motion assisting device equipped with the moving means has a space at the bottom for accommodating at least a western-style toilet, the device can crotch the western-style toilet. Therefore, the user can approach the toilet bowl while keeping the forward movement and can add the treatment.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a bending and stretching movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a locus of motion of a user's waist when the bending and stretching motion assisting device of the present invention is used.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing one configuration example of a trunk support portion of the bending and stretching movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the trunk support portion of the bending and stretching movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the first mechanism of the bending and stretching movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the first mechanism of the bending and stretching movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a drive system of a second mechanism of the bending and stretching movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a drive system of a third mechanism of the bending and stretching movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a drive system of a fourth mechanism of the bending and stretching movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a drive system of a fifth mechanism of the bending and stretching movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an operation instructing unit of the bending and stretching motion assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram (No. 1) showing assistance of a rising motion of a physical therapist.

FIG. 13 is a diagram (part 2) showing assistance of a rising motion of a physical therapist.

FIG. 14 is a diagram (No. 3) showing assistance of a rising motion of a physical therapist.

FIG. 15 is a diagram (part 4) showing the standing motion assistance of the physical therapist.

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the bending and stretching movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a walking motion assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a view (No. 1) showing a moving motion using the walking motion assisting device of the invention.

FIG. 19 is a diagram (No. 2) showing a moving motion using the walking motion assisting device of the invention.

FIG. 20 is a diagram (No. 3) showing the movement operation using the walking movement assistance device of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a view (No. 4) showing the moving motion using the walking motion assisting device of the invention.

FIG. 22 is a diagram (No. 1) showing a step climbing operation using the walking motion assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a diagram (No. 2) showing the step-climbing movement using the walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a diagram (No. 3) showing the step climbing movement using the walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a view (No. 4) showing a step climbing motion using the walking motion assisting device of the invention.

FIG. 26 is a view (No. 5) showing a step climbing movement using the walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a side view of the first mechanism of the walking motion assistance device of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a partial detailed mechanical view (No. 1) of the first mechanism of the walking motion assistance device of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a partial detailed mechanical view (No. 2) of the first mechanism of the walking motion assistance device of the present invention.

FIG. 30 is a side view of a second mechanism of the walking motion assistance device of the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a motion instruction unit of the walking motion assistance device of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control device of the walking motion assistance device of the present invention.

FIG. 33 is a diagram showing a method of climbing over a step in the control method of the walking motion assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 34 is an explanatory diagram of a method of correcting a step overpassing direction using a force sensor in the control method of the walking motion assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 35 is a diagram showing a flow of a method of correcting a step overpass using a force sensor in the control method of the walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 36 is a diagram showing a method of climbing over a step using a current detecting means which is an internal sensor in the control method of the walking movement assisting device of the invention.

FIG. 37 is a first schematic diagram of a bending / extending walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 38 is a second schematic diagram of the bending / extending walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 39 is a third schematic diagram of the bending / extending walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 40 is a fourth schematic diagram of the bending / extending walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 41 is a fifth schematic view of the bending / extending walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 42 is a sixth schematic view of the bending / extending walking movement assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 43 is a side view of an example of a bending / extending movement assisting device including a moving means according to the present invention.

FIG. 44 is a front view of an example of the bending / extending motion assisting device including the moving means according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Bending / expanding movement assisting device, 2 ... Front side first link, 3 ... Intermediate link, 4 ... Rear side first link, 10 ... Handle part, 11
... Trunk support, U ... User, 13 ... Motor, 14 ... Rotational speed reducer, 15 ... Handrail, 16 ... Spring balancer, 17,
18 ... Mechanical stopper, 19 ... Bevel gear, 20 ... Rotary reduction gear, 21 ... Worm, 22 ... Warm wheel,
23, 24 ... Timing belt, 25 ... Pulley, 26 ...
Pinion gear, 27 ... Rack, 28 ... Connection link, 29
... Brake, 30, 32 ... Pulley, 31 ... Timing belt, 33 ... Ball screw nut part, 34 ... Ball screw shaft, 35 ... Rise button, 36 ... Fall button, 37 ... Emergency stop button, 38 ... the second link on the front side, 3
9 ... second intermediate link, 40 ... third intermediate link, 41 ... walking movement assisting device, 42 ... front wheel, 43 ... intermediate wheel, 44 ... rear wheel, 45 ... rear wheel arm, 46 ... front wheel upper member, 47 ... intermediate wheel upper member, 48 ... rear wheel upper member, 49 ... front wheel a-
50 ... 1st linear motion shaft, 51 ... 2nd linear motion shaft, 52 ... Front wheel raising / lowering motor, 53 ... Rear wheel raising / lowering motor, 54, 5
6 ... Intermediate wheel drive pulley, 55 ... Belt, 57 ... Controller, 58 ... Intermediate wheel drive timing belt, 60 ... Worm, 61 ... Worm wheel, 62 ... Pinion gear,
63 ... rack, 64 ... worm, 65 ... worm wheel
Le, 66 ... Force sensor, 67, 68 ... Cam follower, 6
9 ... Stopper, 70 ... Gear box, 71 ... Fixed base, 72, 7
3 ... Shaft, 74, 76 ... Pulley, 75 ... Timing belt, 77 ... Ball screw nut part, 78 ... Ball screw shaft,
79 ... Forward button, 80 ... Reverse button, 81 ... Left turn button, 82 ... Right turn button, 83 ... Emergency stop button, 8
4 ... Step up button, 85 ... Step down button, 88 ... Step up button, 89 ... Step down button, 89 ... Move button, 90 ... Step detecting means, 91 ... Move mode Each axis position command generator, 92 ... Step overpass mode Each axis position command generator,
Reference numeral 93 ... Motor control device, 94 ... Motor and mechanism, 95 ... Position detection value, 96 ... Step line, 97 ... Fixed link, 101 ...
Physiotherapist, 103 ... waist strap.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Keiichi Kimura, 502 Jinritsucho, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Hiritsu Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (72) Masakatsu Fujie, 502, Jinritsucho, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki, Hiritsu Co., Ltd. Machinery Research Laboratory

Claims (27)

[Claims] 1. A bending / extending motion assisting device for assisting a bending / extending motion of a user, comprising: a supporting part for supporting the user; and a driving means for driving the supporting part. A bending / extending movement assisting device, which is a supporting portion that supports a curved trajectory that bulges below a line segment that connects the movement start point and the movement end point. 2. A bending / extending motion assisting device for assisting a bending / extending motion of a user, comprising: a supporting part for supporting a user; and a driving means for driving the supporting part. A bending / extending movement assisting device, which is a support portion that supports a curved orbit that bulges below a line segment that connects an operation start point and an operation end point. 3. The bending / extending movement assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the driving means includes a link mechanism having at least four joints driven by one motor, and the supporting portion is the A bending / extending movement assisting device that is driven by an intermediate link of a link mechanism. 4. The bending / extending movement assisting device according to claim 3, wherein the link mechanism has a parallel link structure, and the posture of the supporting portion is kept constant regardless of the movement. Bending and extension movement assisting device. 5. The bending / extending movement assisting device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a spring balancer is provided at the front first link of the four-bar linkage. 6. The bending / extending movement assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion is a supporting portion which supports a lower half of the user's body. 7. The bending / extending movement assisting device according to claim 6, wherein the supporting portion is a supporting portion for supporting a buttocks of a user. 8. The bending / extending movement assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion is a supporting portion for supporting an upper half of the user's upper body. 9. The bending / extending movement assisting device according to claim 8, wherein the supporting portion is a supporting portion for supporting an armpit of a user. 10. The bending / extending movement assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion supports an upper body supporting portion that supports an upper body and a lower body of a user, and the supporting position is the supporting position. A bending / extending movement assisting device, comprising: a trunk support portion rotatably provided with respect to an upper body support portion. 11. The bending / extending motion assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion supports an upper body supporting portion for supporting an upper body and a lower body of a user, and the supporting position thereof is the same. A bending / extending motion assisting device, comprising: a trunk support portion fixedly provided to the upper body support portion. 12. A walking motion assisting device for assisting a walking motion of a user, comprising: a support portion for supporting a user and a moving means, wherein the moving means comprises a pair of front wheels and a pair of front wheels rotatable about a vertical axis. A rear wheel, a pair of wheels provided between the front and rear wheels so as to be movable in the direction of the front wheel or the rear wheel, an up-and-down drive unit for independently moving the front and rear wheels up and down, A walking motion assisting device, comprising: an intermediate wheel driving means for driving a pair of wheels provided between front and rear wheels independently of left and right. 13. The walking motion assisting device according to claim 12, wherein the intermediate wheel driving means transmits the motor and the driving force of the motor to each wheel provided between the front and rear wheels. A walking operation comprising a belt, and the vertical drive means includes a motor, a pinion gear driven by the motor, and a rack that meshes with the pinion gear and moves in the vertical direction. Auxiliary device. 14. A walking motion assisting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the intermediate wheel drive means is a motor, a worm provided coaxially with a rotation shaft of the motor, and the worm. −
A worm wheel that meshes with the worm, and this worm wheel
And a pulley that is provided between the front and rear wheels and that is provided coaxially with the wheels, and a pulley that is provided coaxially with the wheels.
And a timing belt passed between the motor and the vertical drive means, the motor, a worm provided coaxially with a rotation shaft of the motor, and a worm meshing with the worm. -A wheel, a pinion gear provided coaxially with the worm wheel, a rack that meshes with the pinion gear and moves in the vertical direction, and a connecting portion between the left and right wheels connected to the rack. A walking motion assisting device comprising: 15. The walking movement assisting device according to claim 12, wherein the intermediate wheel driving means transmits the motor and the driving force of the motor to each wheel provided between the front and rear wheels. A belt, the vertical drive means includes a motor, a ball screw nut portion driven by the motor, and a ball screw shaft which is provided through the ball screw nut portion and a steel ball and moves in the vertical direction. And a walking movement assisting device. 16. The walking motion assisting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the intermediate wheel driving means is a motor, a worm provided coaxially with a rotation shaft of the motor, and the worm. −
A worm wheel that meshes with the worm, and this worm wheel
And a pulley that is provided between the front and rear wheels and that is provided coaxially with the wheels, and a pulley that is provided coaxially with the wheels.
A timing belt passed between the motor and the vertical drive means, the motor, a pulley provided coaxially with the rotation shaft of the motor, and the pulley. A timing belt, a pulley driven by the timing belt, a ball screw nut portion coaxially connected to the pulley, and a ball screw nut portion and a steel ball provided to move vertically. A walking motion assisting device, comprising: a ball screw shaft for rotating, and a connecting portion for connecting left and right wheels coupled to the ball screw shaft. 17. The walking motion assistance device according to claim 12, further comprising a force sensor provided above each wheel of the front wheels. 18. The walking movement assisting device according to claim 12, wherein the step of tilting the main body of the apparatus rearward, the step of raising the front wheels, and the step of returning the main body of the apparatus to the neutral position at the step. A step of lowering or raising both the front and rear wheels, raising or lowering the intermediate wheel along a step, a step of moving the intermediate wheel after touching down, a step of tilting the device body forward, and a step of raising the rear wheel,
And a step of returning the main body of the apparatus to a neutral position and moving the apparatus main body. 19. The walking motion assisting device according to claim 18, wherein a force sensor is provided above each wheel of the front wheels, and the step of detecting a step by the force sensor and the step sensors of the left and right simultaneously detect the step. A step of generating a turning motion command of the device until it is detected, and a walking motion assisting device. 20. The walking motion assisting device according to claim 12, wherein a current signal of a motor for driving the front wheel in a vertical direction is used to detect a step of the front wheel, and to detect a step of the intermediate wheel. The motor current signal for rotating the middle wheel is used to drive the rear wheel up and down to detect the step difference on the rear wheel.
A walking motion assisting device, characterized in that it is provided with a step detecting means that uses a current signal of the robot. 21. The walking movement assisting device according to claim 20, wherein the step portion detects the step by a current signal of a motor for driving the front wheels in the vertical direction, and the step detects the step so that the main body of the apparatus is detected. The steps of tilting backward, raising the front wheels, returning the main unit to the neutral position and moving, detecting the step difference by the current signal of the motor that rotates the intermediate wheel, and detecting the step difference to move the front and rear wheels Both lowering or raising steps of raising or lowering the intermediate wheel along the step, moving the intermediate wheel after contact with the ground, and using a current signal from a motor that drives the rear wheel up and down to detect the step of the rear wheel. The step of detecting a step, the step of detecting the step and tilting the main body of the apparatus forward, the step of raising the rear wheel, and the step of returning the main body of the apparatus to the neutral position to move Walking assist device according to claim. 22. The walking motion assisting device according to claim 12, further comprising driving means for the supporting part, wherein the supporting part causes the waist of the user to define an operation starting point and an operation ending point. A walking motion assisting device characterized in that it assists bending and stretching motions so that the curved trajectory bulges below the connecting line segment. 23. The walking movement assisting device according to claim 12, wherein a space having a width of 40 cm or more and a height of 45 cm or more from a floor surface is provided. . 24. The bending / extending movement assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the front wheel or the rear wheel is provided between a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels rotatable about a vertical axis and the front and rear wheels. A pair of wheels provided so as to be movable in the direction of, and an up-and-down drive unit that independently drives the front and rear wheels up and down, and a pair of wheels provided between the front and rear wheels independently drive left and right. Intermediate wheel drive means for
A bending and stretching movement assisting device characterized in that it assists walking movements. 25. The walking motion assisting device according to claim 24, wherein the width is 40 cm or more and the height is 45c from the floor.
A walking motion assisting device characterized by having a space of m or more. 26. A walking motion assisting device for assisting a walking motion of a user, comprising a support part for supporting a user and a moving means, and having a space of 40 cm or more in width and 45 cm or more in a height direction from a floor surface. A walking movement assisting device characterized by being provided. 27. A walking motion assisting device for assisting a walking motion of a user, comprising a support part for supporting the user and a moving means, and a front wheel, a rear wheel, and an intermediate wheel arranged therebetween. A walking motion assisting device, comprising: a front wheel and a rear wheel, each of which can be independently displaced by 10 cm or more in the vertical direction.