CN115484914B - Auxiliary device - Google Patents

Abstract

An auxiliary device is provided with: a base station; a pair of underarm support parts for supporting the left and right underarms of the assisted person; and a driving unit for moving the pair of underarm support units at least in the up-down direction with respect to the base, the underarm support units including: a normal surface portion which contacts at least the underarm portion and the upper arm portion of the assisted subject; and a low friction surface portion having a smaller friction coefficient than the normal surface portion, and being in contact with the flank portion of the assisted person.

Description

assisting equipments

Technical Field

The present specification relates to an assisting device including an underarm supporting portion for supporting the underarm of a person being assisted.

Background technique

With the development of an aging society, the demand for assistive devices is constantly increasing. Assistive devices usually assist the assisted person in various movements by driving a support component that supports a part of the assisted person's body. Most assistive devices that assist the assisted person in standing up and sitting down movements have a pair of armpit support parts that respectively support the left and right armpits of the assisted person or an upper body support part that supports the upper body of the assisted person. By introducing an assistive device, the physical burden of the assistor and the assisted person can be reduced, and the shortage of manpower of the assistor can also be alleviated. A technical example of such an assistive device is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

The assisting device of Patent Document 1 comprises: a base; an armpit support part capable of supporting the left and right armpits of the person being assisted while being relatively movable relative to the base; and a driving part for driving the armpit support part. Furthermore, the armpit support part comprises: a core part; and a peripheral part configured to be rotatable relative to the core part and in contact with the body of the person being assisted. Thus, the peripheral part can rotate relative to the core part while following the posture changes of the person being assisted. Therefore, the friction force generated between the person being assisted and the armpit support part can be buffered and suppressed, thereby achieving a comfortable feeling of use for the person being assisted.

Prior art literature

Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2018/179294

Summary of the invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, the assisting device of Patent Document 1 is preferred in that it can reduce the pain in the side abdomen of the person being assisted caused by the friction force by rotating the peripheral component relative to the core component. However, if the peripheral component is configured to rotate infinitely, the force of the armpit support part to hold up the person being assisted will disappear, and the original function cannot be played. Therefore, the amount of rotation of the peripheral component is limited, and as a result, there is a limit to the reduction of the pain caused by the friction force. In addition, there is a situation where the armpit support part supports a load equivalent to more than half of the body weight of the person being assisted. In this case, the person being assisted sometimes feels pain due to the strong pressure on both sides of the armpits lifted by the armpit support part.

In addition, some assistive devices also adopt a structure in which the pair of underarm support parts are swung or moved in a direction close to each other according to the downward load acting on the pair of underarm support parts, so as to reliably support the person being assisted. In this structure, the person being assisted may feel pain due to the compressive force of the left and right underarm support parts clamping the side abdomen. This pain tends to become significant in the person being assisted who is larger in stature.

Therefore, the problem to be solved in this specification is to provide an assistive device that reduces the pain of the person being assisted and realizes a comfortable feeling of use.

Technical solutions to solve problems

The present specification discloses an assisting device, comprising: a base; a pair of underarm support parts, respectively supporting the left and right underarms of the person being assisted; and a driving part, which moves the pair of underarm support parts at least in the up and down directions based on the above-mentioned base, and the above-mentioned underarm support parts have: a normal surface part, which contacts at least the above-mentioned underarm and upper arm of the above-mentioned person being assisted; and a low-friction surface part, which has a smaller friction coefficient than the above-mentioned normal surface part and contacts the side abdomen of the above-mentioned person being assisted.

Thus, the portion of the surface of the underarm support portion that contacts the lateral abdomen of the person being assisted becomes a low-friction surface portion. Therefore, the pain of the person being assisted caused by the frictional force can be reduced. Therefore, an assisting device that realizes a comfortable feeling of use can be provided.

In addition, the present specification discloses an assisting device comprising: a base; a pair of armpit support parts, respectively supporting the left and right armpits of the person being assisted; and a driving part, which moves the pair of armpit support parts at least in the up and down directions based on the above-mentioned base, and the above-mentioned armpit support parts have: a core component; and a peripheral component, which covers the above-mentioned core component and can be elastically deformed, and the above-mentioned core component is arranged below the center of the above-mentioned peripheral component.

Thus, by making the thickness of the upper side of the peripheral member constituting the armpit support portion larger than before, the pressure feeling of pushing up the armpit can be suppressed. Therefore, the pain of the person being assisted can be reduced. Therefore, an assistive device that realizes a comfortable feeling of use can be provided.

In addition, the present specification discloses an assistive device comprising: a base; a pair of armpit support parts, which respectively support the left and right armpits of the person being assisted and can swing or move in directions approaching or separating from each other; a driving part, which moves the pair of armpit support parts at least in the up and down directions based on the above-mentioned base; and a limiting mechanism, which limits the swinging range or movement range of the pair of armpit support parts in the direction approaching each other.

Thus, the closest distance between the pair of underarm support parts when they approach each other is limited. Therefore, the compressive force that clamps the lateral abdomen of the person being assisted from both sides can be suppressed, and the pain of the person being assisted can be reduced. Therefore, an assistive device that realizes a comfortable feeling of use can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the overall structure of an assist device according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a support member including a trunk support portion and an underarm support portion when viewed from the rear.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the underarm support portion taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the assist device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the rear portion of the underarm support portion according to the second embodiment when viewed from the rear.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the assist device according to the second embodiment.

7 is a perspective view showing a restriction belt and an adjustment buckle corresponding to one form of a restriction mechanism and an adjustment portion in the assist device according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the functions of the restriction belt and the adjustment buckle.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the assist device according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a restriction mechanism and an adjustment unit of an assist device according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating an underarm support assisting mechanism that can be added to each embodiment.

Detailed ways

1. Overall Structure of the Assisting Device 1 of the First Embodiment

The overall structure of the assisting device 1 of the first embodiment is described with reference to FIG1 . The up and down, front and back of the assisting device 1 are defined as indicated by the upper right arrow in FIG1 . The assisting device 1 is used, for example, to transfer between two different places such as between a bed of the person being assisted and a wheelchair or between a wheelchair and a toilet seat. The assisting device 1 supports the upper body of the person being assisted and assists in the standing up action from the sitting position to the standing position and the sitting down action from the standing position to the sitting position.

Here, the standing posture refers to a posture in which the buttocks are lifted off the seat surface and the legs are extended, including a standing posture and a bending posture. That is, the standing posture includes a standing posture in which the upper body is roughly upright and a bending posture in which the upper body is leaning forward. In addition, the assistive device 1 is also used for the purpose of allowing the assisted person to ride and move when the two places to be transferred are separated. For example, the assistive device 1 is used for the purpose of moving the assisted person from a living room to a toilet or a cafeteria. The assistive device 1 is composed of a base 2, an arm part 3, a support part 6 including an upper body support part 4 and an underarm support part 5, an actuator 7, and a control part (not shown).

The base 2 is a part for the person being assisted to ride on. The arm member 3 and the actuator 7 are assembled to the base 2. The base 2 is formed of a footrest 20, a pair of left and right pipe frames 21, and a pair of left and right assembly frames 22. The footrest 20 is formed of a metal or resin plate and extends horizontally at a position slightly higher than the ground F. The left and right edges of the footrest 20 are bent downward. The footrest 20 is a part for the person being assisted to place his feet.

The pipe frame 21 is formed by bending a metal pipe. The pair of left and right pipe frames 21 are mounted on the lower side of the footrest 20 and extend forward. The front portion 211 of each pipe frame 21 is bent upward in front of the footrest 20. The front sides of the front portions 211 of the pair of pipe frames 21 are provided with erected plate-shaped assembly frames 22, respectively.

A swing support seat 29 is provided at the upper part of the pair of left and right assembly frames 22. A front wheel 25 is provided at the lower part of the pair of assembly frames 22. A position adjustment part 281 is provided at the upper end of the front part 211 of the pipe frame 21. The position adjustment part 281 is a manual adjustment mechanism for an assistant or the like to adjust the position of the knee contact member 28 in the front-back direction according to the physique of the person being assisted or the like.

The knee-contacting component 28 is located above the footrest 20 and is a portion for the knee of the person being assisted to contact. By determining the position of the knee by the knee-contacting component 28, the standing-up and sitting-down movements of the person being assisted are stabilized. The knee-contacting component 28 is formed by a base plate 282, a knee-contacting body 283, and two support rods 284. The base plate 282 is formed using a metal plate material in a manner extending in the left-right direction and is arranged slightly forward of the vertical direction. The knee-contacting body 283 is formed of elastically deformable polyurethane foam and the like and is mounted on the rear side of the base plate 282. The two support rods 284 are formed using metal rods and connect the base plate 282 to the left and right position adjustment parts 281.

An actuator support 23 is provided at a front position of the foot pedal 20. Middle wheels 26 are provided on the left and right sides of the front lower surface of the foot pedal 20. Rear wheels 27 are provided on the left and right sides of the lower surface of the rear end portion of the foot pedal 20. The diameters of the middle wheel 26 and the rear wheel 27 are smaller than the diameter of the front wheel 25. The front wheel 25, the middle wheel 26 and the rear wheel 27 have a steering function. Therefore, the auxiliary device 1 can not only move straight and rotate, but also move horizontally and rotate in place. In addition, the front wheel 25 has a locking function to limit the movement of the auxiliary device 1.

As shown in FIG1 , when viewed from the side, the arm member 3 is formed into a shape that is bent in the middle. A pair of left and right swing shafts 31 are provided at a lower portion of the arm member 3. The pair of swing shafts 31 are supported on the swing support seat 29 of the assembly frame 22 in a swingable manner. In order to limit the swing angle range of the arm member 3, a stop mechanism not shown in the figure is provided near the swing support seat 29. Thus, the arm member 3 can swing in the upward and forward direction and the downward and rearward direction relative to the base 2. The arm member 3 swings in the upward and forward direction (clockwise swing in FIG1 ) when the person being assisted stands up. In addition, the arm member 3 swings in the rearward and downward direction when the person being assisted sits down.

A battery and a connecting rod mechanism (not shown) are housed inside the arm member 3. The battery serves as a power source for the actuator 7 and the control unit. A swing support portion (illustration mark omitted) is provided on the rear side of the upper portion of the arm member 3, and a swing member 32 is provided on the swing support portion. The swing member 32 swings relative to the arm member 3. However, in the initial state before the assisted person contacts the support member 6, the swing member 32 is restricted by the connecting rod mechanism and does not swing. In addition, the applicant of the present application disclosed a detailed structural example of the connecting rod mechanism in International Publication No. 2018/167856.

The swing member 32 has a bottom plate 33 on the rear side. The bottom plate 33 is formed using a plate material with high rigidity made of metal or resin. The bottom plate 33 has a handle 34 on the front surface. The handle 34 is formed in a substantially quadrilateral frame shape and extends upward from the arm member 3. The handle 34 is a portion for the person being assisted to hold, and is also a portion for the assisting person to hold in order to move the assisting device 1.

The support member 6 is provided on the rear side of the base plate 33. The support member 6 is configured to include an upper body support portion 4 and a pair of underarm support portions 5. The upper body support portion 4 is mounted on the rear surface of the base plate 33. The upper body support portion 4 is formed by stacking a hard cushioning member 41 and a soft cushioning member 42. The upper body support portion 4 supports the upper body of the person being assisted, mainly supporting the area from the chest to the abdomen.

A pair of armpit support parts 5 are installed on the left and right sides of the base plate 33 and are arranged on the left and right sides of the upper body support part 4. The armpit support part 5 is formed in an L-shape bent at an obtuse angle. The upper part of the armpit support part 5 that stands up higher than the bent part abuts against the shoulder of the person being assisted. The inclined straight part of the armpit support part 5 that is lower than the bent part enters the armpit of the person being assisted and supports the upper body. When the person being assisted stands up, the armpit support part 5 plays the role of holding the person being assisted. The detailed structure of the armpit support part 5 will be described later.

The actuator 7 is an embodiment of a driving unit that moves a pair of underarm support parts 5 at least in the up-down direction with the base 2 as a reference. The actuator 7 is a telescopic linear actuator, and is formed by a main body 71, a movable part 72, and a motor 73. The main body 71 is a cylindrical component with a large diameter that is long in the upper and lower parts, and has an opening at the upper part. The lower end of the main body 71 is supported by the actuator support 23 of the base 2. The movable part 72 is a round rod-shaped component with a small diameter that is long in the upper and lower parts. The upper end of the movable part 72 is connected to the link mechanism of the arm part 3. The lower part of the movable part 72 is embedded in the opening of the main body 71.

The motor 73 is mounted on the front side of the lower part of the main body 71. The motor 73 switches the direction of the current supplied to the control current through the control unit to drive the extension and contraction of the movable part 72. As a result, the movable part 72 performs a telescopic operation relative to the main body 71. The actuator 7 performs a first extension operation from the minimum length to a predetermined mid-length and a second extension operation from the mid-length to the maximum length.

By the first extension action of the actuator 7, the support member 6 is driven via the link mechanism and swings in the upward and forward direction. By the second extension action of the actuator 7, the arm member 3 is driven via the link mechanism and swings in the upward and forward direction. In this way, the support member 6 moves upward relative to the base 2 and also moves forward. Thus, the assisting device 1 assists the assisted person in standing up. In addition, by the contraction action of the actuator 7, the support member 6 moves downward and also moves backward. Thus, the assisting device 1 assists the assisted person in sitting down.

The control unit, which is not shown in the figure, is composed of an operating device and a control main body. The operating device has an up button and a down button for operating the actuator 7. The operating device is operated by an assistant. The control main body is a computer device having a CPU and operating by software. The control main body controls the current flowing in the actuator 7 according to the operation information of the up button and the down button. In this way, the action and stop of the actuator 7 and the switching between the extension action and the contraction action are controlled.

2. Detailed structure and function of the underarm support portion 5

Next, the detailed structure and function of the armpit support part 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the armpit support part 5 is composed of a core member 51, a peripheral member 52, a normal cover member 53, and a low-friction cover member 54. The core member 51 is formed by, for example, bending a round bar or tube made of metal or hard resin into an L shape. The upper part of the core member 51 that is on the upper side than the bent part and the straight part that is on the lower side than the bent part correspond to the upper part and the straight part of the armpit support part 5. The core member 51 has sufficient mechanical strength to support the weight of the person being assisted.

The peripheral component 52 is formed into a thick-walled cylindrical shape covering the outer periphery of at least the lower straight portion of the core component 51 using a cushioning material capable of elastic deformation. As a material of the cushioning material forming the peripheral component 52, a sponge rubber made of ethylene propylene rubber can be exemplified. The peripheral component 52 composed of the cushioning material is easily compressed and deformed by the load applied from the assisted person M. The peripheral component 52 can be constrained by bonding or the like relative to the core component 51, or can be set to be rotatable within a predetermined angle range relative to the core component 51.

The cover member 53 is usually formed of, for example, synthetic leather. The cover member 53 is usually formed into a cylindrical shape covering the outer periphery of the peripheral member 52. The cover member 53 is usually bonded to the peripheral member 52 and can be deformed together with the peripheral member 52. The cover member 53 may also cover the lower rear end surface of the core member 51 and the peripheral member 52.

The low friction cover member 54 is formed using a substantially quadrilateral synthetic resin sheet, such as a polypropylene sheet. As shown in FIG3 , the low friction cover member 54 extends from the upper side of the pair of underarm support portions 5 through the opposite inner sides to the lower side. The low friction cover member 54 is bonded or sewn to the outer surface of the normal cover member 53.

According to the above-mentioned structure, the low-friction cover component 54 is in contact with the lateral abdomen of the person being assisted. In addition, the normal cover component 53 is in contact with at least the armpit and upper arm of the person being assisted. Here, the surface of the normal cover component 53 is relatively rough compared with the low-friction cover component 54, and has a relatively large friction coefficient. On the contrary, the surface of the low-friction cover component 54 is relatively smooth, and has a relatively small friction coefficient. Therefore, the normal cover component 53 constitutes a normal surface portion that is in contact with at least the armpit and upper arm of the person being assisted. In addition, the low-friction cover component 54 constitutes a low-friction surface portion that has a smaller friction coefficient than the normal surface portion and is in contact with the lateral abdomen of the person being assisted.

In the initial state of the standing-up action of the assisted person H shown in FIG4 , the armpit support portion 5 is located between the flank and the upper arm below the armpit of the assisted person H. When the assistance of the standing-up action based on the assisting device 1 starts, the armpit support portion 5 moves upward while holding up the assisted person H. At this time, the armpit support portion 5 rises while contacting the flank, generating a friction force F1. Due to the friction force F1, the peripheral component 52 is twisted and deformed in the rotation direction R1 (refer to FIG3 ) in which the low-friction cover component 54 descends, and is also compressed and deformed. In addition, a friction force F1 in the upward direction acts on the flank of the assisted person H. Nevertheless, since the low-friction cover component 54 (low-friction surface portion) is in contact with the flank, the generated friction force F1 can be reduced.

On the other hand, the normal cover member 53 contacts the armpit and upper arm of the person being assisted H with appropriate surface pressure and friction, thereby ensuring the force for lifting. Therefore, the armpit support part 5 can stably lift the person being assisted H. If the normal cover member 53 is not used, and the entire circumference of the peripheral member 52 is covered with the low-friction cover member 54, the sliding of the side abdomen and upper arm becomes too large, and there is a risk of destabilizing the posture of the person being assisted H.

According to the assisting device 1 of the first embodiment, the portion of the surface of the underarm support portion 5 that contacts the flank of the person being assisted H becomes the low-friction cover member 54 (low-friction surface portion). Therefore, it is possible to reduce the pain of the person being assisted H caused by the friction force F1. Therefore, it is possible to provide the assisting device 1 that realizes a comfortable feeling of use.

In addition, the combination of materials of the normal cover member 53 and the low friction cover member 54 is not limited to the above example, and may be a combination of other materials. In addition, the low friction cover member 54 may not be a two-layer structure arranged to overlap with the outer surface of the normal cover member 53, but may be a one-layer structure arranged in a substantially quadrilateral cutout formed in the normal cover member 53. In addition, the normal cover member 53 may be omitted, and the low friction cover member 54 may be directly bonded to a part of the outer surface of the peripheral member 52. In this case, the friction coefficient of the surface of the low friction cover member 54 is set to be smaller than the friction coefficient of the outer surface of the peripheral member 52.

3. Underarm Supporting Section 5A of Assisting Device 1 of Second Embodiment

Next, referring to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the differences between the assisting device 1 of the second embodiment and the first embodiment are mainly described. In the second embodiment, the structure other than the underarm support portion 5A is the same as that of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the underarm support portion 5A of the second embodiment is composed of a core member 51, an intermediate member 55 and a peripheral member 52.

The core member 51 is formed using a round rod or tube made of metal or hard resin. The intermediate member 55 is formed into a thick-walled cylindrical shape covering the outer periphery of the core member 51 using a material that is harder than the outer peripheral member 52 but can be elastically deformed, such as a relatively hard sponge rubber. The outer peripheral member 52 is formed using a cushioning material so as to cover the upper side of the outer periphery of the intermediate member 55 but not the lower side. In addition, the intermediate member 55 may be formed of the same material as the outer peripheral member 52, or may be formed integrally with the outer peripheral member 52. In addition, the inner side and the outer side of the underarm support portion 5A that contact the flank do not need to be symmetrical structures.

In the second embodiment, the intermediate member 55 is a part of the outer peripheral member 52 that covers the core member 51 and is elastically deformable. Thus, the core member 51 is arranged at a position lower than the center of the outer peripheral member 52 including the intermediate member 55. In addition, the thickness D1 of the upper side of the outer peripheral member 52 including the intermediate member 55 is greater than the thickness D2 of the lower side. In addition, the thickness D1 of the upper side is set to be greater than the thickness of the conventional underarm support portion having a substantially rotationally symmetrical cross section.

In the state of the standing up action of the assisted person H shown in FIG6 , a load W1 based on the weight of the assisted person H acts on the armpit support portion 5A. As a reaction force, the armpit support portion 5A lifts the armpit of the assisted person H, so the assisted person H feels a sense of oppression in the armpit. However, since the thickness D1 of the upper side of the outer peripheral member 52 including the intermediate member 55 is large, a larger deformation than before occurs, and the sense of oppression is suppressed.

According to the assisting device 1 of the second embodiment, the thickness D1 of the upper side of the outer peripheral member 52 constituting the armpit supporting portion 5A is made larger than before, and the occurrence of the pressure feeling of pushing up the armpit can be suppressed. Therefore, the pain of the person being assisted H can be reduced. Therefore, the assisting device 1 that realizes a comfortable feeling of use can be provided.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the outer peripheral part 52 including the middle part 55 is not uniformly increased over the entire circumference, but the thickness D1 of the upper side is increased and the thickness D2 of the lower side is reduced. Thus, the size of the underarm support part 5A can be suppressed. In addition, by reducing the thickness D2 of the lower side, a large space can be ensured between the underarm support part 5A and the ground F, and the wheelchair can be easily entered. Thus, the person being assisted H can easily transfer from the wheelchair to the footrest 20, and the comfort of use is improved.

In addition, the intermediate member 55 can be formed of a solid material that does not undergo elastic deformation and become a part of the core member 51. In this modified form, the peripheral member 52 covers the upper side of the core member 51 including the intermediate member 55, but does not cover the lower side. However, the thickness D3 of the upper side of the peripheral member 52 is set to be larger than the thickness of the conventional underarm support portion.

4. Assisting device 1 according to the third embodiment

Next, referring to Figs. 7 to 9, the differences between the assisting device 1 of the third embodiment and the first and second embodiments will be mainly described. The assisting device 1 of the third embodiment includes a base 2, an arm member 3, a support member 6 including an upper body support portion 4 and an underarm support portion 5B, an actuator 7, and a control unit (not shown), and further includes a restriction belt 81 and an adjustment buckle 83. In Fig. 8, the upper body support portion 4 and the peripheral member 52 are not shown.

As shown in FIG8 , the core member 51 constituting the underarm support portion 5B has a mounting plate 56 on the inner side of the upright front portion. The mounting plate 56 is arranged in a manner very close to the rear surface of the base plate 33. A predetermined position 57 is set substantially in the center of the mounting plate 56. The predetermined position 57 is supported by the base plate 33 so as to be able to swing. Thus, the pair of core members 51 and the underarm support portion 5B can swing in a direction approaching each other with the predetermined position 57 as the swing center, as shown by the arrow M1. In addition, a limiting position 58 is set at a position close to the core member 51 at the lower edge of the mounting plate 56.

As shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, a fixed point position 82 is set at the center of the upper part of the handle 34 of the substantially quadrilateral frame shape. The limiting belt 81 connects the limiting position 58 of one armpit support part 5B with the limiting position 58 of the other armpit support part 5B, and is slidably folded back at the fixed point position 82. The limiting belt 81 can be extended and retracted in the width direction, but not in the length direction. In addition, since the handle 34 and the armpit support part 5B move and swing integrally, the positional relationship shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 is always maintained.

When the limiting belt 81 is stretched and tension is generated, it limits the left and right limiting positions 58 and limits the swing range of the mounting plate 56 and the core member 51. As a result, the swing range of the underarm support portion 5B is limited. That is, the limiting belt 81 has a function of limiting the closest distance when the pair of underarm support portions 5B approach each other. In addition, the limiting belt 81 only produces slack in the direction in which the pair of underarm support portions 5B separate from each other, and does not have a limiting function. The limiting belt 81 is one form of a limiting mechanism that limits the swing range or movement range in the direction in which the pair of underarm support portions 5B approach each other.

An adjustment buckle 83 is inserted between one of the restriction positions 58 and the fixed position 82 of the restriction belt 81. The adjustment buckle 83 has the function of adjusting the length of the restriction belt 81. The assistant or the like adjusts the length of the restriction belt 81 by operating the adjustment buckle 83 according to the physique of the person being assisted. The adjustment buckle 83 is one form of an adjustment part that adjusts the swing range or the movement range restricted by the restriction mechanism (restriction belt 81) according to the physique of the person being assisted.

In the initial state of the standing action of the assisted person H shown in FIG9 , the armpit support portion 5B is located between the lateral abdomen and the upper arm below the armpit of the assisted person H. At this time, since the pair of armpit support portions 5B clamp the lateral abdomen of the assisted person H from both sides, a compressive force F2 is generated. However, since the closest distance of the pair of armpit support portions 5B is limited by the limiting belt 81, the compressive force F2 can be reduced.

In addition, when the person being assisted H is small, the assistant etc. adjusts the limiting belt 81 to be longer and sets the closest distance between the pair of underarm support parts 5B to be smaller. On the other hand, when the person being assisted H is large, the assistant etc. adjusts the limiting belt 81 to be shorter and sets the closest distance between the pair of underarm support parts 5B to be larger. In this way, by adjusting the length of the limiting belt 81, the closest distance between the pair of underarm support parts 5B can be made suitable for the physique of the person being assisted H, producing an effect of always appropriately reducing the pressure F2.

According to the assisting device 1 of the third embodiment, the closest distance between the pair of underarm support parts 5B when they approach each other can be limited. Therefore, the compressive force F2 that clamps the lateral abdomen of the person being assisted H from both sides can be suppressed, and the pain of the person being assisted H can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to provide an assisting device 1 that realizes a comfortable feeling of use.

Alternatively, a pair of left and right limiting belts may be used that independently connect the limiting position 58 and the fixed position 82 of the left and right armpit support parts 5B. In this embodiment, an adjustment buckle 83 is provided on each of the pair of limiting belts. Alternatively, the adjustment buckle 83 may be omitted. Furthermore, the pair of armpit support parts 5B may not swing, but may move toward or away from each other while maintaining a parallel state. In this embodiment, a limiting mechanism that replaces the limiting belt 81 limits the range of movement of the pair of armpit support parts 5B in the direction of approaching each other.

5. Assisting device 1 according to fourth embodiment

Next, referring to FIG. 10 , the differences between the auxiliary device 1 of the fourth embodiment and the first to third embodiments are mainly described. In FIG. 10 , the illustration of the upper body support portion 4 and the peripheral component 52 is omitted. The auxiliary device 1 of the fourth embodiment is similar to the third embodiment, and the core component 51 and the underarm support portion 5B swing, and is provided with a restriction mechanism and an adjustment portion different from those of the third embodiment. The restriction mechanism is composed of a pair of restriction pins 86 and a restriction rod 87. As an adjustment portion, a rod position adjustment portion 88 is provided.

A pair of limiting pins 86 are provided at positions close to the core member 51 near the lower edges of the left and right mounting plates 56, instead of the limiting positions 58 of the third embodiment. The limiting rods 87 are mounted on the rear surfaces of the left and right mounting plates 56 and are arranged below the limiting pins 86. In the middle of the swinging of the underarm support portion 5B and the core member 51 in the direction M1 approaching each other, the limiting pins 86 come into contact with the upper surfaces of the limiting rods 87, and the swinging is limited.

The central part of the restriction rod 87 in the left-right direction is supported by the rod position adjustment part 88, and can slide and move in the up-down direction. The rod position adjustment part 88 is provided so as to penetrate the bottom plate 33. The rod position adjustment part 88 has the function of adjusting the position of the restriction rod 87 in the up-down direction. The assistant or the like operates the rod position adjustment part 88 from the front side of the bottom plate 33, and the position of the restriction rod 87 in the up-down direction can be adjusted as shown by the arrow M2.

Specifically, when the person being assisted is small, the assistant adjusts the position of the restriction rod 87 to be lower, and sets the closest distance between the pair of underarm support parts 5B to be smaller. On the other hand, when the person being assisted is large, the assistant adjusts the position of the restriction rod 87 to be higher, and sets the closest distance between the pair of underarm support parts 5B to be larger. Thus, similar to the third embodiment, the closest distance between the pair of underarm support parts 5B can be made suitable for the physique of the person being assisted, producing an effect of always reducing the pressure.

6. Underarm support assist mechanism 9

Next, the armpit support assisting mechanism 9 that can be added to the assisting device 1 of the first to fourth embodiments will be described with reference to FIG. 11 . The armpit support assisting mechanism 9 is provided on the front surface or the rear surface of the base plate 33 . As shown in FIG. 11 , the armpit support assisting mechanism 9 swings or moves the pair of armpit support parts 5B (5, 5A) in a direction M3 approaching each other according to the downward load W2 acting on the pair of armpit support parts 5B (5, 5A). Thus, when the person being assisted leans on the pair of armpit support parts 5B (5, 5A), the pair of armpit support parts 5B (5, 5A) approach each other and reliably support the person being assisted.

The applicant of the present application named an example of a mechanism that can be applied to the underarm support assist mechanism 9 as a holding position adjustment mechanism and disclosed it in International Publication No. 2015/011838. In addition, in the implementation of the auxiliary device 1 of the third embodiment in which the underarm support assist mechanism 9 is added, it has the effect of suppressing the left-right imbalance of the posture of the person being assisted. In detail, when the person being assisted leans on one underarm support part 5B, the underarm support part 5B swings, but the limiting belt 81 is tightened to generate tension. As a result, the swing range of one underarm support part 5B is limited, and the imbalance with the other underarm support part 5B is suppressed. As a result, the auxiliary device 1 can suppress the left-right imbalance of the posture of the person being assisted.

7. Variations and Applications of Implementation Methods

In addition, the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be combined for implementation. In addition, the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be combined with the third embodiment or the fourth embodiment. In other words, the auxiliary device 1 of the first embodiment and the second embodiment can also have the limiting mechanism and the adjustment part described in the third embodiment or the fourth embodiment. In addition, the first embodiment to the fourth embodiment can be variously modified and applied.

Description of Reference Numerals

1. Auxiliary device; 2. Base; 20. Foot pedal; 21. Tube frame; 22. Assembly frame; 3. Arm part; 33. Bottom plate; 34. Handle; 4. Upper body support part; 5. 5A, 5B, underarm support part; 51. Core part; 52. Peripheral part; 53. Normal cover part; 54. Low friction cover part; 55. Intermediate part; 56. Mounting plate; 57. Predetermined position; 58. Limit position; 6. Support part; 7. Actuator; 81. Limiting belt; 82. Fixed point position; 83. Adjustment buckle; 86. Limiting pin; 87. Limiting rod; 88. Rod position adjustment part; 9. Underarm support assist mechanism.

Claims (10)

1. An auxiliary device is provided with:

A base station;

A pair of underarm support parts for supporting the left and right underarms of the assisted person; and

A driving unit for moving the pair of underarm support units at least in the up-down direction with reference to the base,

The underarm support portion has: a normal surface portion that contacts at least the underarm and upper arm portions of the assisted subject; and a low friction surface portion having a smaller friction coefficient than the normal surface portion and being in contact with the flank portion of the assisted person.

2. The auxiliary device according to claim 1, wherein,

The underarm support portion has:

a core member;

an outer peripheral member covering the core member and being elastically deformable;

A normal cover member covering the outer peripheral member and constituting the normal surface portion; and

And a low friction cover member covering the outer peripheral member and constituting the low friction surface portion.

3. The auxiliary device according to claim 2, wherein,

The low friction cover member is disposed so as to overlap with an outer surface of the normal cover member.

4. The auxiliary device according to claim 2, wherein,

The usual cover member is a synthetic leather whose surface is relatively rough, and the low-friction cover member is a synthetic resin sheet whose surface is relatively smooth.

5. An auxiliary device according to claim 3, wherein,

The usual cover member is a synthetic leather whose surface is relatively rough, and the low-friction cover member is a synthetic resin sheet whose surface is relatively smooth.

6. The auxiliary device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein,

The underarm support portion has:

A core member; and

An outer peripheral member that covers the core member and is elastically deformable, the core member being disposed below a center of the outer peripheral member.

7. The auxiliary device according to claim 6, wherein,

The outer peripheral member is formed in a cylindrical shape to cover the core member, and the thickness of the upper side is greater than the thickness of the lower side.

8. The auxiliary device according to claim 6, wherein,

The peripheral member covers the upper side of the core member and does not cover the lower side of the core member.

9. The auxiliary device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein,

The pair of underarm support portions can swing or move in directions approaching or separating from each other,

The auxiliary device further includes a restricting mechanism that restricts a swing range or a movement range in a direction in which the pair of underarm support portions approach each other.

10. The auxiliary device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein,

The auxiliary device further includes an underarm support assisting mechanism that swings or moves the pair of underarm support portions in a direction approaching each other in accordance with a downward load acting on the pair of underarm support portions.