CN114557834A

CN114557834A - Assistance device and assistance method

Info

Publication number: CN114557834A
Application number: CN202210070566.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 野村英明; 野口刚裕; 清水聪志
Original assignee: Fuji Corp
Current assignee: Fuji Corp
Priority date: 2017-03-14
Filing date: 2017-12-06
Publication date: 2022-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-06
Also published as: JP6957600B2; EP3597165A1; WO2018168112A1; AU2017404355B2; JP6985459B2; EP3597165A4; JP2022020848A; JP6714766B2; AU2017404355A1; JP7176083B2; SG11201908144QA; JPWO2018168112A1; JP2020157082A; CN110381907A; CN110381907B; WO2018167856A1; EP3597165B1; JPWO2018167856A1; CN114557834B

Abstract

The invention provides an assisting device and an assisting method for assisting transfer operation of an assisted person. The present invention provides an assisting apparatus for assisting a transfer operation of an assisted person, including: a base station; an arm provided on the base so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction; a support section which supports a part of the body of the person to be assisted and is provided to the arm so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction; an underarm support part which is provided on the support part and supports the underarm of the person to be assisted; an actuator having a main body part provided on the base so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction and a movable part extending and contracting from the main body part; and a link mechanism for swinging the support portion forward relative to the arm by a first action of extending the movable portion from the shortened position to a predetermined midway position, thereby lowering the front portion of the underarm support portion and restricting the backward movement of the person to be assisted.

Description

Assistance device and assistance method

The application is a divisional application of an application with the international application number of 201780087965.0 and PCT/JP2017/043839 and the name of an invention of an auxiliary device, wherein the international application number of the application is 2017, 12 and 6.

Technical Field

The present specification relates to an assisting apparatus and an assisting method for assisting a transfer operation of a person to be assisted.

Background

With the development of an aging society, the demand for auxiliary devices is increasing. The assisting device generally moves a support portion supporting a part of the body of the person to be assisted by driving from an actuator. The introduction of the auxiliary device reduces the physical burden of the assistor and the assisted person, and also reduces the shortage of hands of the nursing staff. As an example of the assisting device, there is a device that assists a transfer operation from a sitting posture of an assisted person.

Patent documents

1 and 2 disclose examples of such an assisting device.

The human body transfer device of patent document 1 includes: the auxiliary device comprises a traveling part provided with wheels, a supporting part which is positioned at the upper part of the traveling part and supports an assisted person, and a driving part which drives a human body supporting part along the height direction. Further, the drive unit corresponding to the actuator drives the support unit to perform an arc-shaped swing operation of the support unit. This makes it possible to easily and quickly transfer the assisted person while suppressing the waist pain of the assisted person.

The auxiliary robot of patent document 2 includes a lifting unit that linearly moves in the vertical direction with respect to a base, an arm provided to the lifting unit so as to be capable of swinging, and a support portion provided to the tip of the arm. The lifting unit and the arm are driven by respective actuators to perform two-stage operations. This makes it possible to operate the lifting unit and the arm in a coordinated manner, and to suppress discomfort to the person to be assisted.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-165313

Patent document 2: international publication No. 2017/060964

Disclosure of Invention

However, in patent document 1, since the support portion swings only in an arc shape, it is not always possible for the person to be assisted to use the support portion comfortably. On the other hand, in patent document 2, since the lifting unit and the arm are independently operated by using two actuators, the transfer operation of the person to be assisted becomes smooth, and the use comfort is improved. However, the use of two actuators leads to an increase in cost.

The present specification addresses the problem of providing an assisting apparatus that uses one actuator to operate a plurality of members and improves the comfort of the person being assisted.

Means for solving the problems

The present specification discloses an assisting device for assisting a transfer operation of an assisted person, comprising: a base station; an arm provided on the base so as to be swingable in a front-rear direction; a support portion that supports a part of the body of the person to be assisted and is provided to the arm so as to be swingable in a front-rear direction; an actuator having a main body part provided on the base so as to be tiltable in a front-rear direction and a movable part extending and contracting from the main body part; and a link mechanism including a first link member provided to the arm so as to be swingable and connected to the movable portion, and a second link member fixedly provided to the support portion and engaged with the first link member, wherein the link mechanism transmits a first motion of the movable portion extending from a shortened position to a predetermined midway position to a forward swing of the support portion, and transmits a second motion of the movable portion extending from the midway position to an extended position to the forward swing of the arm.

Effects of the invention

According to the assist device disclosed in the present specification, the forward swing of the support portion and the forward swing of the arm can be driven using one actuator. This makes the transfer operation of the assisted person smooth and improves the comfort of use. In addition, the cost is low compared to the prior art using two actuators.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the assist device of the embodiment as viewed obliquely from the rear.

Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing an initial state in a case where the supporting device supports the transfer operation of the person to be supported.

Fig. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a midway state in a case where the supporting device supports the transfer operation of the person to be supported.

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing an end state in a case where the assisting apparatus assists the transfer operation of the person M to be assisted.

Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the link mechanism, and corresponds to an initial state of the assist device.

Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the link mechanism, and corresponds to an intermediate state of the assist device.

Fig. 7 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure of the arm restricting mechanism, and corresponds to an initial state of the assist device.

Fig. 8 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the arm restricting mechanism, and corresponds to an intermediate state of the assist device.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the arm viewed from obliquely above.

Fig. 10 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an unexpected swing motion of the arm, and shows a state of a middle position of the movable portion.

Detailed Description

1. Structure of the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment

The assist apparatus 1 of the embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 10. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an assist device 1 according to an embodiment as viewed obliquely from the rear. Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing an initial state in a case where the supporting apparatus 1 supports the transfer operation of the person M to be supported. Fig. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in the middle of the transfer operation of the person M to be assisted by the assisting apparatus 1. Fig. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing an end state in a case where the supporting apparatus 1 supports the transfer operation of the person M to be supported.

The support apparatus 1 supports transfer between two different points, for example, transfer between a bed and a wheelchair of a subject M and transfer between a wheelchair and a toilet stool. The support device 1 supports the trunk of the person M to be supported, and supports the transfer operation from the sitting posture to the transfer posture and the sitting operation from the transfer posture to the sitting posture. Here, the posture during transfer is a posture in which the buttocks are raised from the seat surface, and includes a standing posture and a stooping posture. That is, the posture during transfer includes a state in which the upper body is upright, a state in which the upper body is bent forward, and the like. The supporting device 1 can transfer the supported person M in the posture during transfer when the two transfer points are far apart from each other.

The assist device 1 includes a base 2, an arm 3, a support portion 4, an actuator 5, a link mechanism 6, an arm restricting mechanism 7, a control portion not shown, and the like. The base 2 is formed of a foot placing table 21, a rear wheel 23, a base rod 24, a lower leg rest 25, an attachment plate 26, a front wheel 28, and the like. The foot rest 21 is disposed substantially horizontally in proximity to the floor surface F. An actuator support portion 22 protrudes upward on the front side of the upper surface of the leg rest 21. A pair of left and right rear wheels 23 are provided on the left and right of the rear side of the foot rest 21.

A pair of left and right base bars 24 are provided forward from the left and right of the front surface of the foot mounting table 21. The base rod 24 is bent upward from the front and then extends to be slightly inclined rearward. The lower leg abutment 25 is provided rearward on the upper portions of the two base bars 24. The lower leg rest 25 is located above the foot platform 21 in the front direction. The lower leg abutting portion 25 is formed of a cushion material, and the vicinity of the lower leg of the person M to be assisted can be in contact with the lower leg abutting portion 25.

A pair of left and right mounting plates 26 are fixed to positions slightly above the bent portion bent upward from the front of the base rod 24 and on the inner sides facing each other. The mounting plate 26 extends forward from the base rod 24. Arm support bases 27 are provided on the upper portions of the pair of left and right mounting plates 26, respectively. A pair of left and right front wheels 28 are provided at the lower front portions of the pair of left and right mounting plates 26. The steering function of the front wheels 28 and the rear wheels 23 allows the assist device 1 to move not only in a straight line and in a steering manner but also in a lateral direction and in a pivot steering manner. The front wheels 28 have a lock function for restricting movement.

The arm 3 is formed of a rod-like member 31, a front cover member 36, an upper cover member 38, various components, etc., whose reference numerals are omitted. The rod 31 is a substantially U-shaped rod with its lower side open. Lower ends 32 of the rod-like members 31 on both sides are swingably supported by the arm support base 27 of the attachment plate 26. Thereby, the arm 3 can swing in the front-rear direction with reference to the base 2.

In order to limit the swing angle of the arm 3, a stopper mechanism with reference numerals omitted is provided near the arm support base 27. The rod-like member 31 extends upward from the left and right lower ends 32, extends while being bent rearward and obliquely upward in the middle, and is united with the upper portion in the rear. The overall shape of the arm 3 is constituted by an arm front portion 34 extending upward from the arm support base 27 and an arm upper portion 35 connected to an upper portion of the arm front portion 34 and extending obliquely upward rearward.

The front cover member 36 constitutes the arm front 34. The front cover member 36 is disposed at a distance from the front side of the rod 31. The front cover member 36 is formed by bending both side surfaces backward to define an internal space. The battery 37 is housed in the internal space of the front cover member 36. The battery 37 is a power source for the actuator 5 and the control unit.

The upper cover member 38 is formed continuously with the front cover member 36 and constitutes the arm upper portion 35. The upper cover member 38 is disposed close to the upper side of the rod member 31. The upper cover member 38 is formed by bending both side surfaces downward to define an internal space. The arm restricting mechanism 7, the link mechanism 6, and the support portion attaching seat 33 are provided in this order from the lower front side to the upper rear side of the inner space of the upper cover member 38. In fig. 1, the upper cover member 38 is not shown.

The support portion 4 is formed including a trunk support portion 41 and a pair of left and right underarm support portions 45. The trunk support 41 is swingably supported by the support mount 33 of the arm upper portion 35. Thereby, the support portion 4 can swing in the front-rear direction with respect to the arm 3. The trunk support 41 has a handle 42. The handle 42 is formed in a substantially square frame shape. The handle 42 is a part gripped by the assistant M and also a part gripped by the assistant to move the assisting apparatus 1.

The trunk support 41 is formed by a bottom plate 43 (see fig. 5), a trunk contact member 44, and the like. The bottom plate 43 is formed substantially in a rectangular shape using a plate material made of metal or resin and having a large rigidity. The base plate 43 is provided with the above-described grip 42, a portion attached to the support portion attachment seat 33, and a second link member 62 described later.

The trunk contact member 44 is formed of a material having flexibility larger than the bottom plate 43, and is attached to the upper surface of the bottom plate 43. The trunk contact member 44 can have a two-layer structure including, for example, a top layer and a bottom layer. The surface layer may be formed of a low-resilience urethane foam, and the back layer may be formed of a low-combustibility urethane foam. The trunk support portion 41 supports a part of the body of the person M from the chest of the trunk to the periphery of the abdomen.

A pair of right and left underarm supports 45 are attached to the right and left sides of the trunk support 41 near the chest. The underarm support 45 is formed in an L-shape bent at an obtuse angle. The underarm support 45 is formed of a core member 46 (see fig. 5), an outer peripheral member 47, and the like. The core member 46 is formed by bending a round bar or a pipe material made of metal or hard resin into an L shape, for example.

The outer peripheral member 47 is formed in a cylindrical shape covering the outer periphery of the core member 46 using a cushioning material. The shorter linear portion from the base end of the armpit support portion 45 on the attachment side to the bending position is a shoulder receiving portion, and the longer linear portion from the bending position to the tip end is an armpit entry portion. The shoulder bearing portion supports the front surface of the shoulder of the person M to be assisted. The underarm access portion enters the underarm on both sides of the trunk of the person M to be assisted. The trunk support 41 and the underarm support 45 may be provided with a detachable cover made of cloth or leather.

The actuator 5 includes a main body 51, a movable portion 52, a motor 53, and the like. The main body 51 is tiltably supported by the actuator support portion 22 of the base 2. Thereby, the actuator 5 tilts in the front-rear direction. The movable portion 52 extends and contracts from the main body portion 51. Specifically, the movable portion 52 extends from the shortened position to the extended position via a predetermined halfway position, or contracts in the opposite direction. The distance that the movable portion 52 extends from the shortened position to the halfway position is the first action, and the distance that the movable portion 52 extends from the halfway position to the extended position is the second action.

The stroke length of the first operation can be 30mm, for example, and the stroke length of the second operation can be 60mm, for example. The tip of the movable portion 52 is connected to a connecting pin 613 of a link mechanism 6 described later. The motor 53 is provided on the main body 51. The motor 53 controls the direction of the current flowing through a control unit, not shown, and drives the expansion and contraction operation of the movable unit 52. Instead of the motor 53, another type of drive source such as a pressure drive source using hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure may be used.

The link mechanism 6 includes a first link member 61, a second link member 62, a regulating member 63, and the like. Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the link mechanism 6, and corresponds to an initial state of the assist device 1. Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the link mechanism 6, and corresponds to an intermediate state of the assist device 1.

The first link member 61 is an elongated member having a support point 611, a front arm portion 612, and a rear arm portion 616. The support point 611 is disposed near the center of the arm upper portion 35. And, the support point 611 is swingably supported by the structure of the arm 3. Thereby, the first link member 61 swings about the supporting point 611.

The front arm portion 612 extends forward from the support point 611. A connecting pin 613 is provided at a lower portion of the front arm portion 612 in the front direction. The connecting pin 613 connects the front arm portion 612 and the front end of the movable portion 52. A restricting protrusion 614 is formed at an upper portion of the front arm portion 612 in the front direction. The rear arm portion 616 extends rearward from the supporting point 611. The engagement pin 617 is provided at the rear of the rear arm portion 616 so as to extend in the left-right direction. The engaging pin 617 engages with the second link member 62 in the counterclockwise direction in fig. 5 to push the second link member 62.

The second link member 62 is fixedly provided to the bottom plate 43 of the support portion 4. Thereby, the support portion 4 and the second link member 62 are integrally swung about the support portion mount 33. The restricting member 63 is fixed to a structural member in the front of the arm upper portion 35. The restriction protrusion 614 of the first link member 61 can abut against the restriction member 63.

In the initial state shown in fig. 5, the movable portion 52 of the actuator 5 is in the shortened position. The first link member 61 swings clockwise, and the second link member swings counterclockwise. A gap exists between the restricting protrusion 614 of the first link member 61 and the restricting member 63. The movable portion 52 having started the first operation extends as indicated by arrow a 1. Then, the front arm portion 612 of the first link member 61 is pushed via the connecting pin 613. Thereby, the first link member 61 swings counterclockwise as indicated by an arrow a 2.

The counterclockwise pivoting of the first link member 61 causes the engagement pin 617 of the rear arm 616 to pivot the second link member 62. The second link member 62 swings clockwise as indicated by an arrow A3, and the support portion 4 also swings forward as indicated by an arrow a 4. That is, the link mechanism 6 transmits the first motion of extending the movable portion 52 from the shortened position to the predetermined halfway position to the forward swing of the support portion 4. This operation is continued until the movable portion 52 extends to a predetermined halfway position, and the state shown in fig. 6 is reached.

In the halfway state shown in fig. 6, the restricting projection 614 of the first link member 61 is just in abutment with the restricting member 63. Thereby, further swinging of the first link member 61 is restricted. Then, the movable portion 52 having started the second operation extends as indicated by arrow a 5. Then, the front arm portion 612 of the first link member 61 directly transmits the second motion of the movable portion 52 to the arm 3. Thereby, the arm 3 swings forward about the arm support base 27 as indicated by an arrow a 6. As the swing of the arm 3 progresses, the actuator 5 tilts forward as indicated by an arrow a 7. That is, the link mechanism 6 transmits the second motion of extending the movable portion 52 from the neutral position to the extended position as the forward swing of the arm 3.

The arm restricting mechanism 7 is constituted by a restricting guide member 71, a biasing member 75, and the like. Fig. 7 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure of the arm restricting mechanism 7, and corresponds to an initial state of the assist device 1. Fig. 8 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the arm restricting mechanism 7, and corresponds to an intermediate state of the assist apparatus 1.

The restricting guide 71 has a support point 72 at one end on the front upper side and a force application point 73 at the other end on the rear lower side. The restricting guide member 71 also has an elongated hole 74 extending in the oblique direction between the support point 72 and the force application point 73. The support point 72 is disposed at a predetermined position 3A near the upper portion of the arm front portion 34, and is supported by a structural member so as to be swingable. The long hole 74 accommodates the connection pin 613 so as to be movable, in other words, the tip of the movable portion 52 so as to be movable.

As the urging member 75, for example, a coil spring can be used. One end 751 of the urging member 75 on the rear upper side is locked at the upper position 3B of the arm 3. The upper position 3B of the arm 3 is located rearward and above the predetermined position 3A. The other end 752 of the urging member 75 on the front lower side is locked to the urging point 73 of the restricting guide member 71. The biasing member 75 biases the upper position 3B of the arm 3 in a direction approaching the restricting guide 71 as indicated by an arrow F1. In other words, the biasing member 75 is biased in a direction to bring the upper position 3B of the arm 3 closer to the movable portion 52.

In the initial state shown in fig. 7, the movable portion 52 of the actuator 5 is in the shortened position. At this time, the connecting pin 613 is located at the rear lower end of the long hole 74. Here, when the movable portion 52 starts the first operation, the link pin 613 moves forward and upward in the long hole 74 in parallel with the swing of the first link member 61. Further, the restricting guide member 71 swings clockwise about the support point 72. In the configuration of the present embodiment, the guide member 71 is regulated from swinging by 24 ° by the first operation of the movable portion 52. This operation continues until the movable portion 52 extends to a predetermined halfway position and the restricting projection 614 comes into contact with the restricting member 63, thereby reaching the state shown in fig. 8.

In the halfway state shown in fig. 8, the connecting pin 613 is located at the front upper end of the long hole 74. When the movable portion 52 starts the second operation, the arm 3 swings, but the relative positional relationship between the arm 3 and the arm restricting mechanism 7 does not change. From the initial state to the final state of the assist device 1, the biasing member 75 biases the upper position 3B of the arm 3 in a direction to approach the movable portion 52.

The control unit, which is not shown, is composed of an operator, a control main body, and the like. The operator has an up button and a down button for operating the actuator 5, and is operated by the assistant. The control main body is configured using a computer device having a CPU and operating by software. The control main unit controls the direction of the current flowing through the motor 53 of the actuator 5 based on the operation information acquired from the operator.

2. Operation, action and Effect of the assistance device 1 of the embodiment

Next, the operation, action, and effect of the assisting apparatus 1 of the embodiment will be described. The control and operation of the ascending mode for assisting the transfer operation of the person M to be assisted will be described below. In the ascending mode, the assist device 1 operates from the initial state shown in fig. 2 to the final state shown in fig. 4 through the intermediate state shown in fig. 3. In addition, when assisting the sitting operation of the person M to be assisted, the assisting apparatus 1 operates in the reverse direction in substantially reverse order of the transfer operation.

First, the assistant returns the movable portion 52 of the actuator 5 to the shortened position shown in fig. 2. Next, the assistor holds the grip 42 to move the assisting apparatus 1 so as to approach the assisted person M in the sitting posture. The person M to be assisted enters the lower body into the area below the support portion 4 and places both feet on the foot placement table 21. The person M to be assisted can obtain a stable posture by bringing a part of the lower leg into contact with the lower leg rest portion 25.

Next, the person M to be assisted leans forward the trunk to make the trunk in surface contact with the trunk support portion 41, and also leans against the underarm support portions 45 under both the armpits. At this time, since the trunk support 41 swings in the standing direction, the forward inclination angle of the trunk may be small. In addition, the underarm support 45 is substantially horizontal or slightly rearward lowered, so that the person M to be assisted can easily lean on the underarm support 45. The posture of the person M to be assisted at this time becomes the initial posture. The series of operations of the person M to be assisted may be assisted by the assisting person. In the initial posture, the buttocks of the person M to be assisted are seated on the seat surface. Therefore, the person M to be assisted takes a comfortable posture by supporting the load by the body weight via the buttocks.

Next, the assist person starts the control of the ascending mode. Thereby, the movable portion 52 of the actuator 5 starts the first operation and extends, and the first link member 61 swings counterclockwise in fig. 2. In addition, the arm 3 maintains the rear side position in the initial state. The support portion 4 swings forward in conjunction with the second link member 62 in accordance with the swing of the first link member 61. At this time, since the front of the underarm support 45 is lowered, the rearward movement of the person M to be assisted is restricted and does not fall off the support 4.

The upper body of the person M to be assisted gradually becomes forward tilted by the swing of the support portion 4. When the movable portion 52 extends to a predetermined halfway position, the state shown in fig. 3 is obtained. In the state of fig. 3, the restricting projection 614 abuts against the restricting member 63, and the swing of the first link member 61 is completed. Accordingly, the swing of the support portion 4 is also ended. Then, the hip of the person M to be assisted is in a state of being separated from the seating surface at a moment.

Further, when the movable portion 52 starts the second operation, the arm 3 is driven by the movable portion 52 to swing clockwise in fig. 3. Simultaneously, the actuator 5 tilts forward. The support 4 maintains a fixed posture with respect to the arm 3. This operation continues until the movable portion 52 is extended to the extended position and the arm 3 reaches the distal position in the final state of fig. 4. Thereby, the upper body of the person M to be assisted moves obliquely upward forward and further tilts forward. As a result, as shown in fig. 4, the assisted person M takes a transfer posture in which the buttocks are greatly raised from the seating surface and the legs are extended.

According to the assist device 1 of the embodiment, the forward swing of the support portion 4 and the forward swing of the arm 3 can be driven using one actuator 5. This makes the transfer operation of the person M to be assisted smooth and improves the comfort of use. In addition, the cost is low compared to the prior art using two actuators.

In the assist device 1 according to the embodiment, the second link member 62 is allowed to be in a non-engagement state with respect to the first link member 61. That is, the second link member 62 can swing clockwise away from the engagement pin 617 of the first link member 61 (see fig. 10). Thereby, the support portion 4 swings freely forward. Therefore, the area below the support portion 4 can be enlarged, and the person M to be assisted can easily insert the lower body. Further, the thigh of the assistant M is not strongly gripped.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the arm 3 as viewed obliquely from above. As shown in the drawing, the movable first link member 61 and the second link member 62 are covered by the upper cover member 38. This improves safety, and also improves the appearance and appearance. The arm 3 is formed by connecting an arm front portion 34 and an arm upper portion 35, and the actuator 5 is disposed near the arm front portion 34. Therefore, a large space area can be secured below the support portion 4, and the person M to be assisted does not feel restricted.

3. Action and Effect of the arm restricting mechanism 7

Next, the operation and effect of the arm restricting mechanism 7 will be described. In the assist device 1 of the embodiment, the base 2, the arm 3, the actuator 5, and the first link member 61 constitute a four-joint link, and a degree of freedom of movement remains. In other words, the shape of the four-link can be changed when an external force is applied. The arm restricting mechanism 7 eliminates the degree of freedom of the four-link and restricts the unexpected forward swing of the arm 3. Fig. 10 is a side sectional view illustrating an unexpected swing operation of the arm 3, and shows a state of a middle position of the movable portion 52.

As shown in fig. 10, in the structure in which the arm restricting mechanism 7 is not provided, a case is assumed in which a forward external force is applied to the support portion 4. In this case, first, the support portion 4 is swingable forward. When the external force remains as it is, the arm 3 swings forward. That is, when the movable portion 52 does not operate, the arm 3 swings. As can be seen from a comparison of fig. 3 and 10, the arm 3 swings by the angle α in an unexpected motion. This phenomenon occurs when the person M to be assisted rides on the support section 4 with a jerky force. At this time, the person M to be assisted feels uneasy about the unexpected swinging motion of the arm 3, and the comfort in use is reduced.

The arm restricting mechanism 7, shown by a broken line in fig. 10, always accommodates the position of the connecting pin 613 in the inside of the long hole 74, thereby restricting the unexpected swing motion of the arm 3. According to the present embodiment, even if the link mechanism 6 has a degree of freedom, the arm restricting mechanism 7 eliminates the degree of freedom of the link mechanism 6 and restricts the unexpected movement of the arm 3. Therefore, according to the assisting apparatus 1 of the embodiment, the unexpected movement of the arm 3 can be restricted, and the comfort of the person M to be assisted can be ensured.

Further, the arm restricting mechanism 7 does not hinder the driving of the actuator 5. If the forward swing of the arm 3 is simply restricted, the arm 3 may be biased rearward by a biasing member. However, in this case, the rearward biasing force hinders the driving of the actuator 5. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the unexpected movement of the arm 3 can be restricted without increasing the output of the actuator 5.

4. Variants and applications of the embodiments

In addition, the present embodiment can be modified in various forms and applications, including modification of the shapes and sizes of the respective constituent members.

Description of reference numerals

1: the auxiliary device 2: base 22: actuator support portion 27: arm support seat 3: arm 31: the rod-like member 33: support portion mount 38: upper cover member 3A: predetermined position 3B: upper position 4: support portion 5: actuator 51: main body portion 52: the movable portion 53: the motor 6: the link mechanism 61: the first link member 611: support points 612: the front arm portion 613: the connecting pin 614: the limit projection 616: rear arm portion 617: engagement pin 62: second link member 63: the regulating member 7: arm limiting mechanism 71: the restricting guide member 74: long hole 75: a force application member M: the person to be assisted.

Claims

1. An assistance device that assists a transfer operation of an assisted person, the assistance device comprising:

a base station;

an arm provided on the base so as to be swingable in a front-rear direction;

a support portion that supports a part of the body of the person to be assisted and is provided to the arm so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction;

an underarm support portion provided to the support portion and supporting an underarm of the person to be assisted;

an actuator having a main body part provided on the base so as to be tiltable in a front-rear direction and a movable part extending and contracting from the main body part; and

and a link mechanism configured to pivot the support portion forward with respect to the arm by a first operation of extending the movable portion from the shortened position to a predetermined halfway position, thereby lowering the front portion of the underarm support portion and restricting rearward movement of the person to be assisted.

2. The assistance device according to claim 1,

the actuator swings the arm forward by a second operation of extending the movable portion from the halfway position to the extended position, thereby moving the support portion upward with respect to the base and bringing the person to be assisted supported by the support portion into a posture during transfer.

3. An assistance method for assisting a transfer operation of an assisted person by using an assistance device,

the auxiliary device is provided with: a base station; an arm provided on the base so as to be swingable in a front-rear direction; a support portion that supports a part of the body of the person to be assisted and is provided to the arm so as to be swingable in a front-rear direction; an underarm support portion provided to the support portion and supporting an underarm of the person to be assisted; and an actuator having a main body part provided on the base so as to be tiltable in a front-rear direction and a movable part extending and contracting from the main body part,

the support method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

a first step of bringing the underarm support portion into the underarm of the person to be assisted in a seated posture;

a second step of lowering the front portion of the underarm support portion to restrict rearward movement of the person to be assisted by swinging the support portion forward with respect to the arm by a first operation of extending the movable portion from the shortened position to a predetermined halfway position; and

a third step of swinging the arm forward by a second operation of extending the movable portion from the halfway position to the extended position, thereby moving the support portion upward relative to the base and bringing the person to be assisted supported by the support portion into a posture during transfer.