JP6746181B1 - Canes and grips for canes - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cane and a grip for the cane that absorb a reaction force from the floor and suppress an impact on the body. SOLUTION: This is a grip 10 for a cane that a user holds with his/her hand, and an upper surface 11 on which a user's palm rests with his/her wrist behind in the walking direction, and a lower surface from the front side in the walking direction of the upper surface. And a bending portion 13 that bends in a direction. The upper surface 11 is provided at a position corresponding to the carpal canal row of the user's hand when a plurality of fingers of the user grip the grip 10 with the curved portion 13 and is perpendicular to the walking direction. When the proximal lateral arch portion 113 that extends in the lateral direction and is curved to be convex upward and/or a plurality of fingers of the user grips the grip 10 with the curved portion 13, the far side of the user's hand is far away. The distal lateral arch portion 114 is provided at a position corresponding to the position, extends in the lateral direction perpendicular to the walking direction, and is curved upward convexly. [Selection diagram] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a cane and a grip for the cane.

Conventionally, a cane has been widely used as a device for assisting walking. A typical cane is composed of a rigid body such as wood or metal and a handle portion. Many walking sticks are on the market that come into contact with the ground at one point when walking. On the other hand, in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, a cane that is in contact with the ground at four points and has a structure that is stable even when weight is applied (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Registered Utility Model Bulletin No. 3195836

When walking with a cane, hold the cane with one hand and weight the cane. At this time, the hand may receive reaction force from the floor, and symptoms such as numbness may appear.

In view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a grip for the wand and wand to suppress the impact on the body member.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a grip for a cane that a user holds with a hand, (a1) an upper surface on which the palm of the user is placed with the wrist behind the walking direction, and (a2) the above The upper surface includes a bending portion that bends downward from the front side in the walking direction, and (a3) the upper surface has (a3-1) a plurality of fingers of a user gripping the grip with the bending portion. In this case, the proximal lateral arch portion is provided at a position corresponding to the carpal canal row of the user's hand, extends in the lateral direction perpendicular to the walking direction, and is convexly curved upward, and/or (a3). -2) A lateral direction that is provided at a position corresponding to the distal part of the user's hand when a plurality of fingers of the user grip the grip with the curved portion and is perpendicular to the walking direction. A grip for a cane is provided having a distal transverse arch extending upwardly and convexly curved.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a grip for a cane that a user holds with a hand, (b1) an upper surface on which the palm of the user is placed with his or her wrist behind in the walking direction, and (b2) the above An upper surface and a lower surface provided with a space; and (b3) a curved portion that connects the upper surface and the lower surface, is provided on the front side in the walking direction, and has a width wider than the plurality of fingers of the user, b4) A grip for a cane is provided in which the upper surface, the curved portion, and the lower surface form a U-shape.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a grip for a cane that a user holds with a hand, (c1) an upper surface on which the palm of the user is placed with the wrist behind the walking direction, and (c2) walking. Provided on the front side in the direction of travel, having a width wider than the plurality of fingers of the user, and provided with a bending portion that curves from the front side in the walking direction of the upper surface of the grip to the downward direction and the backward direction in the walking direction. A grip for a cane is provided.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a cane comprising (d1) a grip for the above-mentioned cane, (d2) a shaft connected to the grip for the cane, and (d3) a grounding part connected to the shaft. Will be provided.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a grip for the wand and wand to suppress the impact on the body member. Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a cane and a grip for the cane that easily absorbs a reaction force from the floor. Further, according to one aspect of the present invention , it is possible to provide a walking stick and a grip for the walking stick.

It is a block diagram of the cane in this Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the grip in this Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the shaft in this embodiment. It is a block diagram of the foot part (grounding part) in this Embodiment.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1. Example of usage of cane

First, before describing the cane and the grip for the cane according to the present embodiment, an example of a usage pattern and problems of the cane will be described.

The cane is used for assisting walking difficulties due to old age, etc., and is also used for rehabilitation and daily life of a person who has hemiplegia due to illness or the like. Hemiplegic people often put more weight on them when using the cane. Overuse of the cane in such a state may cause symptoms such as carpal tunnel syndrome. When such a symptom occurs, it has an influence on daily life and work such as opening and closing buttons on clothes and typing on a personal computer. Further, for hemiplegic persons, the hand using the cane is the hand on the healthy side, and the hand without hemiplegia also develops a disease. Against this background, a cane and a grip for constructing such a cane, which can reduce the risk of secondary disorders (for example, carpal tunnel syndrome, periarthritis of the shoulder, etc.) caused by daily use of the cane. , Shaft and foot are required. In other words, it is important not only from a technical point of view, but also socially to provide a cane and a component for a cane that absorbs the reaction force from the floor and suppresses the impact on the body.

In addition, hemiplegic patients often perform so-called split walking. Divided walking refers to walking in which the foot is moved forward in a semicircle, rather than moving the foot forward from the knee. This is often seen even when using a cane that supports multiple points such as four points. This may be because the cane supports the weight but does not consider the movement of human walking. If unnatural gait continues, compensation can occur at other parts of the body and secondary disorders can occur. Therefore, there is a need for a cane that has good operability, is less likely to impose a burden on the body, and allows natural walking, and a grip, a shaft, and a foot portion for constructing such a cane.

The above-described usage pattern is an example of using a cane, and the present embodiment is not limited to this.

2. Overall Configuration FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a cane according to the present embodiment. The cane 1 of the present embodiment includes a grip 10, a shaft 20, and a foot portion 30. The grip 10 is a portion where the user holds the cane with his/her hand. The grip 10 may be referred to as a handle or a grip, for example. The grip 10 is connected to the shaft 20. The shaft 20 is a portion connected between the grip 10 and the foot portion 30. The shaft 20 may be referred to as a handle or a support, for example. The foot portion 30 is a portion that contacts the ground or the like. The foot portion 30 is connected to the shaft 20. The foot portion 30 may represent a portion that simply contacts the ground, other than the configuration described below. For example, the foot portion 30 may be integrated with the shaft 20 or may be rubber or another elastic body attached to the lower portion of the shaft. The foot portion 30 may be referred to as a grounding portion, for example. Further, the shaft 20 may have a known shape or an appropriate shape other than the configuration described below.

In the present embodiment, the grip 10, the shaft 20, and the foot portion 30 are configured as separate elements and are connected to each other to form the cane 1, but the grip 10, the shaft 20, and the foot portion 30 are integrally configured. Alternatively, two of the grip 10, the shaft 20, and the foot portion 30 may be integrally configured and connected to the other one. The detailed configuration of each unit will be described later.

In the following description, each direction is defined as follows. The direction in which the user grips the cane 1 and walks is the front-back direction, the walking direction is the front direction, and the opposite direction is the rear direction. The vertical direction is the vertical direction with respect to the horizontal ground, the ground side is the downward direction, and the opposite is the upward direction. It should be noted that the cane 1 tilts during use, but since it is not used upside down, the upper side of the cane 1 corresponds to the grip side in the longitudinal direction of the cane 1 and the lower side of the cane 1 It corresponds to the foot side in the longitudinal direction of the cane 1. Further, the direction orthogonal to the front-back direction and the vertical direction described above is referred to as a lateral direction (left-right direction). Since the direction of the hand holding the cane 1 may be different depending on whether it is the right hand or the left hand, the thumb side of the hand is assumed to be the thumb direction (thumb side), and the little finger side of the hand is the little finger direction (the little finger). Side). If the hand holding the cane 1 is left-right reversed, the thumb direction and the little finger direction are opposite. That is, the cane 1 (particularly the grip 10) can be provided for the right hand and the left hand. When it is not related to the hand holding the cane 1, it may be simply the lateral direction or the lateral direction.

Further, the state transition during walking and the name of each phase will be briefly described. During walking, it is mainly divided into a stance phase and a swing phase. The stance phase is the period from when the subject's leg is attached until the other leg is attached, and the swing period is the period from the attachment of the other leg to the subject's leg attached. The stance phase transitions from the initial ground contact to the load reaction phase, the middle stance phase, and the final stance phase. The load reaction period is generally a period from initial ground contact to separation of the toes of the other leg. The mid-stance period is generally a period after the load-responsive period until the heel of the subject's leg rises. The late stance period is the period from the middle of the stance period to the time when the other leg is attached. The swing phase transits in the order of swing early period, swing early stage, swing mid period, swing period end. The swing leg early period is roughly the period from the initial contact of the other leg to the release of the toe of the target leg. The initial stage of the swing leg is roughly the period after the first half of the swing leg until the feet come close to each other. The mid swing phase is roughly the period after the early swing phase until the tibia of the target leg becomes vertical. The latter part of the swing phase is roughly the period from the middle of the swing phase until the subject's leg is attached. As for the cane, it is possible to refer to the same name as the leg described above.

3. Grip configuration and effects (grip configuration example)
FIG. 2 shows a configuration diagram of the grip 10 in the present embodiment. 2A is a perspective view, FIG. 2B is a top view, FIG. 2C is a front view, and FIG. 2D is a side view.

The grip 10 includes an upper surface (upper portion) 11, a lower surface (lower portion) 12, a curved portion 13, and a connecting portion 14. The grip 10 is a grip for a cane that a user holds with a hand. Each part of the grip 10 may be integrally formed. Further, the upper surface 11, the lower surface 12 and the curved portion 13 may be formed of an elastic body such as rubber or a highly repulsive material.

The upper surface 11 is a portion on which the user of the cane 1 rests his palm. In FIG. 2B, the user's thumb folds downward from the position of reference numeral 111 (in the back side of the paper in FIG. 2B) to grip the grip 10, and the other four fingers of the user The grip 10 is gripped by bending downward from the position of reference numeral 112. The upper surface 11 has a width wider than the width of the plurality of fingers. For example, the upper surface 11 has a width wider than the width of four fingers other than the supposed thumb of the user. The grip 10 can provide various sizes such as S, M, and L according to the size of the assumed user's hand. The example of FIG. 2 shows the left-handed grip 10, but the right-handed grip may be reversed right and left.

The lower surface 12 is provided with an upper surface 11 and a space (cavity) 15 left therebetween. The end of the lower surface 12 is connected to the end of the upper surface 11 by the curved portion 13. The curved portion 13 is curved downward from the front side of the upper surface 11 in the walking direction.

The upper surface 11 has a proximal lateral arch 113. The proximal lateral arch portion 113 is located at a position corresponding to the carpal tunnel row of the user's hand when a plurality of fingers (for example, four fingers) of the user grip the grip 10 with the curved portion 13 involved. It is provided in. The proximal lateral arch portion 113 extends in a lateral direction perpendicular to the walking direction and is curved upwardly. The upper surface 11 also has a distal lateral arch 114. The distal lateral arch portion 114 is located at a position corresponding to the distal portion of the user's hand when a plurality of fingers (for example, four fingers) of the user grip the grip 10 with the curved portion 13. It is provided. The distal lateral arch portion 114 extends in a lateral direction perpendicular to the walking direction and is curved upwardly. The grip 10 of the present embodiment positions the user's hand with respect to the proximal lateral arch portion 113 and the distal lateral arch portion 114 by hanging the fingers of the hand on the curved portion 13 (particularly, a hook portion described later). It is configured to be able to. The proximal lateral arch portion 113 and the distal lateral arch portion 114 may include only one.

The curved portion 13 curves downward from the front side of the upper surface 11 in the walking direction, and then curves backward in the walking direction (C1 in FIG. 2D). Further, the bending portion 13 may have a hook portion C2 that is further curved in the upward direction. For example, a fingertip is associated with the hook portion C2. Note that the hook portion C2 may be omitted, and after the bending portion C1 of the bending portion 13, the lower surface 12 may extend rearward in the walking direction and may be further curved downward. Further, the bending portion 13 bends due to the pressing force between the user's hand and the floor.

The connecting portion 14 is connected to the shaft 20 of the cane 1. The connecting portion 14 is provided on the lower surface 12 on the side facing the bending portion 13. For example, the connecting portion 14 is provided below the position corresponding to the carpal portion of the user's hand when the user's finger holds the grip 10 with the curved portion 13. When the orientation of at least one of the shaft 20 and the foot portion 30 is predetermined with respect to the walking direction as in the present embodiment, the connecting portion 14 determines that the orientation of the grip 10 corresponds to the walking direction. You may have a direction designation|designated part (not shown). That is, when the grip 10 is attached to the shaft 20 by the direction designating portion, the grip 10 can be attached to the shaft 20 so as to be fixed in a predetermined direction, for example, the curved portion 13 is on the walking direction side. The direction designating portion may be, for example, a concave portion or a notch portion (or a protrusion portion) directed in one direction, and is fitted to a protrusion portion (or a concave portion or a notch portion) formed on the shaft 20 in the one direction. It may be configured. This allows the grip 10 to be correctly oriented with respect to the walking direction.

Further, the grip 10 (for example, the connecting portion 14) may have a mechanism (tilt adjusting portion) that can adjust the inclination of the shaft 20 with respect to the ground contact surface. The inclination here is not the inclination of the cane 1 (shaft 20) that changes with time during walking, but the inclination of the cane 1 in a predetermined ground contact state. The predetermined ground contacting state may be, for example, a state in which each grounding surface of the foot portion 30 is grounded, or a state in which the wand 1 is hard to fall down and is stable, or may be a predetermined state other than these. In other words, it may be a mechanism that can change the inclination of the shaft 20 when the feet 30 are in the same ground contact state. As an example of such a mechanism, a mechanism that can adjust the inclination of the shaft 20 by adjusting the insertion depth of the shaft 20 into the connecting portion 14 of the grip 10 may be provided. For example, the inclination of the insertion portion of the shaft 20 is changed so that the connection portion 14 changes in inclination with respect to the ground contact surface of the shaft 20 depending on the insertion depth of the shaft 20, and the first connection portion 23 of the shaft 20 is connected. It may be inserted into the portion 14 and may be fixed at an appropriate depth. Contrary to this example, the connection portion 14 of the grip 10 may be inserted into the first connection portion 23 of the shaft 20. The mechanism (tilt adjusting unit) that can adjust the inclination of the shaft 20 with respect to the ground contact surface is not limited to this example, and may have an appropriate form.

In the present embodiment, with respect to the left-right direction of the grip 10 (rotation about the vertical axis), the shaft 20 has a rectangular cross section, and the connecting portion 14 has a notch having a corresponding shape. Although oriented, other suitable configurations may be used. In the illustrated example, the shaft 20 fitted into the connecting portion 14 and the connecting portion 14 are fixed by screws, but the fixing method is not limited to this, and a fixing means can be used as appropriate.

The size of the grip 10 can be exemplified as follows, but is not limited to this. For example, the width of the grip 10 (for example, the width of the upper surface 11) is 96 mm, the length of the grip in the front-rear direction (from the front end of the curved portion 13 to the rear end of the upper surface 11) is 84 mm, the upper end of the upper surface 11 to the lower end of the lower surface 12. Is 41 mm, the upper end of the upper surface 11 to the lower end of the connecting portion 14 is 174 mm, and the width of the connecting portion 14 is 20 mm.

(Effect of each part of the grip)
The proximal lateral arch portion 113 maintains the arch shape of the hand even if a load is applied to the grip 10 on the palm surface, and thus can prevent the occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome and the like. In the grip 10 of the present embodiment, the upper surface 11 has a proximal lateral arch portion 113, and the user's fingers are positioned so that the proximal lateral arch portion 113 is located with the proximal lateral arch portion. Is configured to relate to the curved portion 13 and the hook portion C2.

The curvature of the distal lateral arch 114 reduces the bias of partial load pressure on the palm and the upper surface 11 of the grip 10. The distal lateral arch portion 114 of the grip 10 of the present embodiment is, for example, a wrist dorsiflexion of 15 to 30 degrees, which is a functional limb position of the hand (a limb position that is relatively convenient in life), and a flexion. The arch can be formed according to the curvature of the distal lateral arch when the hand bends in a range of 5 to ulnar flexion of 15 degrees and a slight flexion (ball-holding position).

The bending portion 13 can have the same shape as the bending of the finger when the finger is lightly gripped. Further, when the hook portion C2 is provided, the hook portion C2 is shaped so as to be further rolled. The fingertip can be fixed so as to be hooked on the hook portion C2. During normal use, hold the limb as if you were holding your finger lightly, and attach the cane 1 without applying excessive force. On the other hand, when it is about to fall, the user's hand exerts a strong force on the hook portion C2, and the internal muscles in the fingers act strongly to strengthen the gripping force on the cane 1. As a result, the cane 1 can be grasped with a light force, and the walking can be continued without releasing the cane 1 even if it is about to fall.

Further, the shape in which the fingertip can be hooked on the hook portion C2 assists the swinging out of the cane 1 when the cane 1 is swung out by the grip 10 pivoting about the lateral direction. For example, in the latter stage of stance, the cane 1 is held forward with the back of the hand facing the walking direction rather than the vertically upward direction. By simply lifting the cane 1 from this state, the back of the hand rotates and the cane 1 is shaken out.

In addition, the shaft 20 is connected at the position of the wrist portion extended from the position of the hook portion C2. Thereby, the distance of the moment of axial rotation becomes long, and the cane 1 can be swung out with a lighter force.

The curved portion 13 is configured such that when a load is applied to the upper surface 11, the upper surface 11 descends about 1 mm to 10 mm about the curved portion 13 as an axis. Due to this bending, the structure of the proximal lateral arch portion 113 can be protected. Further, due to this bending, when the cane 1 is attached to the shaft 20 of the cane 1 and used, the floor half force received by the user's hand can be dispersed. In addition, the curved portion (second curved portion) between the lower surface 12 and the connecting portion 14 is also configured such that the lower surface 12 descends about 1 mm to 10 mm about this curved portion as an axis from the middle stage of the stance to the latter period. Thereby, the floor reaction force with respect to the dorsiflexion of the wrist joint can be further alleviated.

(effect)
As described above, according to the grip of the present embodiment, the reaction force from the floor can be absorbed and the impact on the body can be suppressed. Further, according to the grip of the present embodiment, the cane is easy to swing out and easy to walk.

(Other configuration examples)
The above configuration can also be expressed as follows.

[Configuration example 1]
A grip for a cane that a user holds by hand,
The top surface,
A lower surface provided with a space above the upper surface,
The upper surface and the lower surface are connected to each other, provided on the front side in the walking direction, and provided with a curved portion having a width wider than a plurality of fingers of the user,
The upper surface, the curved portion, and the lower surface may form a U-shape.

[Configuration example 2]
In the grip for the cane of the above configuration example 1,
You may further provide the connection part which connects with the shaft of a cane provided in the side which opposes the said curved part of the said lower surface.

[Configuration example 3]
A grip for a cane that a user holds by hand,
It is provided on the front side in the walking direction, has a width wider than the plurality of fingers of the user, and is provided with a curved portion that curves from the front side in the walking direction on the upper surface of the grip toward the downward direction and the backward direction in the walking direction. Good.

[Configuration example 4]
In the grip for the cane of the above-described configuration examples 1 to 3,
The upper surface may be an upper surface on which the palm of the user is placed with the wrist behind the walking direction.

4. Shaft configuration and effect (Shaft configuration example)
FIG. 3 shows a configuration diagram of the shaft 20 in the present embodiment. 3A is a perspective view, FIG. 3B is a top view, FIG. 3C is a front view, and FIG. 3D is a side view.

The shaft 20 is a shaft for the walking stick 1 and includes a first bending portion 21 that is curved so as to be convex in the walking direction of the user and a second bending portion 21 that is curved so as to be convex in the opposite direction to the walking direction. And 22. In other words, the first bending portion 21 and the second bending portion 22 are bent in opposite directions. The first curved portion 21 is configured, for example, on the grip 10 side for holding the cane 1, and the second curved portion 22 is configured on the foot portion 30 side on which the cane 1 is in contact with the ground. That is, the first bending portion 21 is arranged above the second bending portion 22. The curve (curve) of the first bending portion 21 is gentler than the curve (curve) of the second bending portion 22. In other words, the curvature of the first bending portion 21 is smaller than the curvature of the second bending portion 22 (the radius of curvature of the first bending portion 21 is larger than the radius of curvature of the second bending portion 22). As an example, the radius of curvature R1 of the first curved portion 21 and the radius of curvature R2 of the second curved portion 22 can be set to R1=500 mm and R2=90 mm, respectively, but are not limited thereto. As an example, the shaft 20 may have a width of 20 mm in the left-right direction and a length of 720 mm in the longitudinal direction, but is not limited thereto. The length in the longitudinal direction may be provided in a plurality of sizes such as S, M, and L depending on the height of the user. Further, a mechanism (length adjusting unit) that can freely adjust the length of the shaft 20 in the longitudinal direction may be provided. Further, in the present embodiment, the shaft 20 has a rectangular cross section as shown in FIG. 2, but may have a shape other than this. The shaft 20 can be made of, for example, a material such as carbon fiber, resin, or metal, or other material having a strength capable of supporting a part of the weight of the user.

Here, “convex in the walking direction of the user” means that the convex direction of the curve of the first bending section 21 is not limited to the case where the convex direction of the curve of the first bending section 21 is parallel to the walking direction. A predetermined angle of less than 90 degrees may be formed with respect to the walking direction. In other words, the convex direction of the curve of the first bending section 21 may have at least a component in the walking direction. As an example, the convex direction of the curve of the second bending section 22 may have at least a component in the opposite direction to the walking direction even if the convex direction is opposite to the walking direction. The above-mentioned predetermined angle can be, for example, within plus or minus 15 degrees, within plus or minus 30 degrees, or within plus or minus 45 degrees, but is not limited to this.

When walking with the cane 1, the first bending portion 21 and the second bending portion 22 are bent by the pressing force between the grip 10 for holding the cane 1 and the ground surface. When viewed in time series during walking, the ratio of the degree of bending of the first bending portion 21 and the degree of bending of the second bending portion 22 when walking with the cane 1 changes. More specifically, the inclination between the longitudinal direction of the cane 1 and the ground contact surface of the cane 1 changes during walking, until the cane 1 touches the ground and moves away from the ground. The ratio between the degree to which the first bending portion 21 bends and the degree to which the second bending portion 22 bends due to the pressing force with the ground contact surface changes.

In addition, the shaft 20 has a first connecting portion 23 that connects to the grip 10 whose walking direction is determined by how to hold the cane 1 by hand. The first connecting portion 23 may have a direction designating portion (not shown) that determines the direction of the shaft 20 so that the bending of the first bending portion 21 and the second bending portion 22 corresponds to the walking direction. That is, when the shaft 20 is attached to the grip 10 and the foot portion 30 by the direction designating portion, it can be attached to the grip 10 and the foot portion 30 so that the convex direction of the first bending portion 21 faces the walking direction. The direction designating portion may be, for example, a projection portion directed in one direction, and may be configured to fit into a recess portion or a notch portion provided in the grip 10 provided in one direction. This allows the curvature of the shaft 20 to be correctly oriented with respect to the walking direction.

The shaft 20 has a second connecting portion 24 that connects to the foot portion 30 whose walking direction is defined. The second connecting section 24 may have a direction designating section (not shown) that determines the orientation of the shaft 20 so that the bending of the first bending section 21 and the second bending section 22 corresponds to the walking direction. The direction designating portion may be, for example, a projection portion directed in one direction, or may be configured to fit into a recess portion or a notch portion formed in the foot portion 30 and provided in one direction. This allows the curvature of the shaft 20 to be correctly oriented with respect to the walking direction. The direction designating section of the first connecting part 23 and the direction designating section of the second connecting part 24 may be provided in at least one of them. Further, the protrusion may be provided on the grip 10 and/or the foot 30 side, and the first connecting portion 23 and/or the second connecting portion 24 may be provided with a recess or a cutout portion.

The shaft 20 (for example, the second connecting portion 24 and the first connecting portion 23) may have a mechanism (tilt adjusting portion) that can adjust the inclination of the shaft 20 with respect to the ground plane. The inclination here is not the inclination of the cane 1 (shaft 20) that changes with time during walking, but the inclination of the cane 1 in a predetermined ground contact state. The predetermined ground contacting state may be, for example, a state in which each grounding surface of the foot portion 30 is grounded, or a state in which the wand 1 is hard to fall down and is stable, or may be a predetermined state other than these. In other words, it may be a mechanism that can change the inclination of the shaft 20 when the feet 30 are in the same ground contact state. As an example of such a mechanism, a mechanism capable of adjusting the inclination of the shaft 20 by adjusting the insertion depth of the shaft 20 into the foot portion 30 (or the grip 10) may be provided. For example, the connecting portion 38 provided on the foot portion 30, which is connected to the second connecting portion 24, changes the inclination of the shaft 20 with respect to the ground plane so that the inclination of the connecting portion 38 with respect to the ground plane changes depending on the insertion depth of the shaft 20. The slope may change. The second connecting portion 24 of the shaft 20 can be inserted into the connecting portion 38 and may be fixed at an appropriate depth. Contrary to this example, the connecting portion 38 of the foot portion 30 may be inserted into the second connecting portion 24 of the shaft 20. The grip 10 may have a similar configuration. The mechanism (tilt adjusting unit) that can adjust the inclination of the shaft 20 with respect to the ground contact surface is not limited to this example, and may have an appropriate form.

In the present embodiment, with respect to the horizontal direction (rotation around the vertical axis), the shaft 20 has a rectangular cross section, and the grip 10 or the foot portion 30 has a notch having a shape corresponding to the shaft 20. Although it is oriented by having a connecting portion that includes it, an appropriate configuration other than this may be used.

(Effect of shaft)
In kinematics, a movement of knee extension-flexion-extension-flexion during normal walking (double knee action) is useful for reducing impact from the ground when the heel touches the ground.

The first bending portion 21 forms an angle of 1 to 5 degrees at the apex (inflection point) of the first bending portion 21 when the heel touches the ground during walking. By this bending, the floor reaction force can be released in a direction different from the grip direction (for example, the extension direction from the lower portion of the inflection point of the first bending portion 21: the F2 direction in FIG. 3D).

Further, in the middle of the standing stance during walking, the first bending portion 21 and the second bending portion 22 together cause a depression of several mm to 20 mm due to bending. In the conventional general cane, the floor reaction force is transmitted in the upward direction (here, the grip direction), and the pressure on the hand, the elbow, and the shoulder increases, but in the shaft 20 of the present embodiment, the first bending portion 21 and the first bending portion 21 are provided. The depression of the bi-curved portion 22 reduces the pressure on the hand, the elbow and the shoulder as compared with the conventional cane.

Further, since the shaft 20 sinks in the middle stage of standing, the upper limbs of the cane gripping side are not lifted up so that the grip 10 can be smoothly moved in the traveling direction. On the other hand, with a normal single cane, the cane may be tilted and used in order to release the lifting of the upper limbs, and the posture during walking is likely to collapse.

In addition, in the latter half of standing while walking, the bending of the first bending portion 21 and the second bending portion 22 occurs at the timing of the foot kicking out of the ground while maintaining the sinking in the middle of the standing, and moves forward. Produce the driving force of.

(Modification)
The shaft 20 of the present embodiment is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may be configured as follows, for example. The shaft 20 may be provided with an elastic portion that is depressed at least in the vertical direction by the pressing force between the grip 10 for holding the cane 1 and the ground contact surface when walking with the cane 1. The expandable part corresponds to the first bending part 21 and the second bending part 22 described above. The expansion/contraction part may have a plurality of expansion/contraction parts having different expansion/contraction degrees. The stretchable portion generates a restoring force when the walking stick tilts in the walking direction and separates from the ground contact surface, thereby generating at least a propulsive force in the walking direction.

(effect)
As described above, according to the shaft of this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the impact from the ground when using the cane. Further, according to the shaft of the present embodiment, when the cane sinks in the vertical direction and the cane rotates and moves in the walking direction around the ground contact point, the grip for holding the cane does not move much in the vertical direction. Therefore, the user of the cane can walk easily even if the cane is grounded at a place near the body. Therefore, it is possible to avoid posture collapse and unnatural walking movement that may occur when the cane is grounded at a place away from the body and tilted to the left and right, and to avoid secondary obstacles caused by using the cane. obtain. Further, when the cane is separated from the ground contact surface, a restoring force from the depression is generated, and at least a propulsive force in the walking direction can be generated.

5. Foot composition and operation effects (foot composition example)
FIG. 4 shows a configuration diagram of the foot portion 30 in the present embodiment. 4(a) is a perspective view, FIG. 4(b) is a top view, FIG. 4(c) is a front view, and FIG. 4(d) is a side view. The foot portion 30 may be referred to as a leg portion, a base portion, or a cane tip portion.

The foot portion 30 includes a plurality of ground contact portions 31, 32, 33 that come into contact with the ground and support the walking stick. Here, the ground is not limited to the outdoors, but may be an indoor floor, and is a walking road surface in an environment in which the cane 1 is used for walking. At the initial stage of sticking the cane (for example, the above-mentioned initial grounding), one grounding part is grounded. In the middle stage (for example, the middle stage of stance) in which the weight of the user is applied, a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged grounding portions are grounded. At the final stage of separating the cane from the ground (for example, at the end of stance), at least two grounding portions arranged in the lateral direction perpendicular to the walking direction are grounded.

In the example of the foot portion 30 of the present embodiment, the plurality of ground contact portions are arranged in the lateral direction perpendicular to the first ground contact portion 31 located on the rear side in the walking direction and on the front side in the walking direction. It has the 2nd grounding part 32 and the 3rd grounding part 33 which are located. In this way, the first grounding portion 31 to the third grounding portion 33 are two-dimensionally arranged. Here, the first grounding portion 31 is grounded in the initial stage. In the middle stage, the first to third ground parts 31 to 33 are grounded. In the final stage, the second grounding portion 32 and the third grounding portion 33 are grounded.

The first grounding portion 31 is located on the rear side in the walking direction of the foot portion 30. Come to the bottom. Therefore, when the foot 30 of the cane is swung forward and the cane is attached to the ground, the first ground contact portion 31 contacts the ground.

There is one grounding surface by the first grounding portion 31, and the cane 1 can be tilted 360 degrees in any direction with the grounding surface as the center while the cane 1 is projected on the ground. Is excellent. Since the cane can be tilted in any direction of 360 degrees, the cane 1 can be placed in parallel with respect to the next traveling direction in the transition to the middle stage of stance in the walking cycle. Also, when the walking path is curved, if there is only one ground contact surface, the cane (foot for easy understanding) can be rotated about the ground contact point in the horizontal direction along with the bend, and the curve can be smoothly curved. Easy to walk.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the fact that there is one ground plane may mean that the ground plane may have a physical area, or may be a mode in which grounding is performed at a plurality of fine points. For example, one ground contact surface means that the cane 1 is likely to tilt in any direction when it is grounded, and two ground contact surfaces mean that the cane 1 is in a specific direction (2 when grounded). It is difficult to tilt in a direction (connecting points), and it is easy to tilt in a direction perpendicular to the specific direction. The three positions where the ground contact surface is two-dimensionally arranged means which direction the wand 1 is in contact with the ground. It is difficult to tilt.

The second grounding portion 32 and the third grounding portion 33 are located side by side in the lateral direction on the front side of the foot portion 30 in the walking direction. The second grounding portion 32 and the third grounding portion 33 may be divided into two forks from the first grounding portion 31. For example, in the middle of standing, the foot portion 30 is grounded by the first to third grounding portions 31 to 33. There are three ground planes and excellent stability. During walking, the contact area between the cane 1 and the ground can be increased and stability can be enhanced in the phase in which one leg is standing and the other leg is being extended.

For example, in the latter half of standing, the foot 30 has the second grounding portion 32 and the third grounding portion 33 grounded to the ground. There are two ground planes here. The latter stage of stance is the preparatory stage for the swing period, and in the swing period, the legs are swung forward. The swinging out of the foot has a great influence on the stride length of walking, and the stride length increases as the swinging out increases. However, for large swinging out, it is necessary to compensate for the stability of the opposite leg with the cane 1 or the like. One-point support with a cane has a small contact area with the ground and is weak as a supplement to stability. Also, supporting with 3 points (or supporting with 4 points or more) arranged in a two-dimensional direction with a cane will lead to compensation for stability, but will not generate forward propulsion force and will not lead to large swinging out of the foot. Absent. As in the present embodiment, the support at two locations arranged in the lateral direction is such that the contact surface between the cane 1 and the ground is larger than the one-point support, and the support is positioned perpendicular to the traveling direction. As a result, strong stability can be compensated. Further, the cane 1 can be tilted in the front-rear direction, for example, 0 to 45 degrees with the second grounding portion 32 and the third grounding portion 33 grounded. Since a tilt of 0 to 45 degrees in the front-rear direction is generated along with walking, it also leads to generation of propulsive force in walking.

The foot portion 30 may further include toe portions 34 and 35, which are warped upward in the front direction, on the front sides of the second ground contact portion 32 and the third ground contact portion 33 in the walking direction. For example, the toe portions 34 and 35 may be configured to bend upward by 5 degrees. The degree of warping is not limited to this and may be an appropriate degree. Since the toe portions 34 and 35 are warped upward, the contact area with the ground can be secured and stability can be maintained even when the above-mentioned inclination in the front-back direction occurs.

Further, the foot portion 30 may have arch portions 36 and 37 that are convex upward in the vertical direction between the first grounding portion 31 and the second grounding portion 32 and the third grounding portion 33. Further, the second ground contact portion 32 and the third ground contact portion 33 may have an arch extending in the lateral direction and a convex arch protruding upward in the vertical direction. In order to configure this arch portion, each of the second grounding portion 32 and the third grounding portion 33 is configured such that one plate is twisted inward by 90 degrees toward the tip. These arches provide a function that facilitates posture control in the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the horizontal rotation direction. This further increases the stability of the cane 1.

The foot portion 30 further includes a connecting portion 38 that connects with the shaft 20 of the cane. The connecting portion 38 is located on the rear side of the foot portion 30 in the walking direction, in other words, on the first ground contact portion 31. When the orientation of at least one of the grip 10 and the shaft 20 is predetermined with respect to the walking direction as in the present embodiment, the connecting portion 38 determines that the orientation of the foot portion 30 corresponds to the walking direction. You may have a direction designation|designated part (not shown). That is, the direction designating portion allows the toe portions 34, 35 to be attached to the shaft 20 so that the toe portions 34, 35 face the walking direction when the foot portion 30 is attached to the shaft 20. The direction designating portion may be, for example, a concave portion or a notch portion (or a protrusion portion) directed in one direction, and is fitted to a protrusion portion (or a concave portion or a notch portion) formed on the shaft 20 in the one direction. It may be configured. This allows the foot portion 30 to be correctly oriented with respect to the walking direction.

Further, the foot portion 30 (for example, the connecting portion 38) may have a mechanism (tilt adjusting portion) capable of adjusting the inclination of the shaft 20 with respect to the ground contact surface. The inclination here is not the inclination of the cane 1 (shaft 20) that changes with time during walking, but the inclination of the cane 1 in a predetermined ground contact state. The predetermined ground contacting state may be, for example, a state in which each grounding surface of the foot portion 30 is grounded, or a state in which the wand 1 is hard to fall down and is stable, or may be a predetermined state other than these. In other words, it may be a mechanism that can change the inclination of the shaft 20 when the feet 30 are in the same ground contact state. As an example of such a mechanism, a mechanism that can adjust the inclination of the shaft 20 by adjusting the insertion depth of the shaft 20 into the connecting portion 38 of the foot portion 30 may be provided. For example, the inclination of the insertion portion of the shaft 20 may be changed so that the inclination of the connecting portion 38 with respect to the ground contact surface of the shaft 20 changes depending on the insertion depth of the shaft 20. The second connecting portion 24 of the shaft 20 can be inserted into the connecting portion 38 and may be fixed at an appropriate depth. Contrary to this example, the connecting portion 38 of the foot portion 30 may be inserted into the second connecting portion 24 of the shaft 20. The mechanism (tilt adjusting unit) that can adjust the inclination of the shaft 20 with respect to the ground contact surface is not limited to this example, and may have an appropriate form.

In the present embodiment, with respect to the left-right direction of the foot portion 30 (rotation around the vertical axis), the shaft 20 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, and the connecting portion 38 has a corresponding notch. However, any other suitable structure may be used.

The size of the foot portion 30 can be exemplified as follows, but is not limited thereto. For example, the foot portion 30 has a lateral width of 90 mm, a height (from the ground plane to the tip of the connecting portion 38) of 117 mm, a width of the connecting portion 38 of 20 mm, and a length in the front-rear direction (from the front end of the toe portion to 38 mm). To the rear end is 151 mm). Further, the foot portion 30 can be formed mainly of carbon, but the bottom surface (or the ground contact portions 31 to 33) may be formed of a rubber material, for example. For example, the bottom made of a rubber material may be adhered to the foot made of carbon, or the foot 30 may be formed by insert molding.

(effect)
As described above, according to the foot portion of the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a cane that has both stability to support weight and ease of walking. In addition, stability and easiness of walking can be changed according to the walking process to provide desired stability and operability according to the walking process. In addition, propulsion in walking can be generated.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for manufacturing and selling canes and components for canes.

1 cane 10 grip 11 upper surface 12 lower surface 13 curved portion 14 connecting portion 15 space (cavity)
113 Proximal Lateral Arch 114 Distal Lateral Arch 20 Shaft 30 Foot

Claims (9)

A grip for a cane that a user holds by hand,
The upper surface on which the user's palm is placed with the wrist behind the walking direction,
From a front side in the walking direction of the upper surface, a bending portion that curves downward,
The upper surface is
When a plurality of fingers of the user grip the grip with the curved portion, the user's hand is provided at a position corresponding to the carpal canal row and extends in a lateral direction perpendicular to the walking direction. A proximal transverse arch that is convexly curved upward and/or
When a plurality of fingers of a user grips the grip Kakari' the curved portion is provided at a position corresponding to the arch of the distal side in the transverse direction of the arch of the user's hand, with respect to the walking direction Grip for a cane with a lateral transverse arch that extends in a vertical lateral direction and has a convex upward curve. The grip for a cane according to claim 1, wherein the curved portion is curved from a front side in the walking direction of the upper surface toward a downward direction and a backward direction in the walking direction. A space is provided between the upper surface and a space, and the lower surface further includes a lower surface whose end is connected to the end of the upper surface by the curved portion,
The grip for a cane according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the curved portion is bent by the pressing force between the user's hand and the floor. The grip for a cane according to claim 3 , further comprising a connecting portion connected to a shaft of the cane on a side of the lower surface facing the curved portion. The cane according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting portion is provided below a position corresponding to a carpal portion of the user's hand when the user's finger grips the grip with the curved portion. grip. A grip for a cane that a user holds by hand,
The upper surface on which the user's palm is placed with the wrist behind the walking direction,
A lower surface provided with a space above the upper surface,
The upper surface and the lower surface are connected to each other, provided on the front side in the walking direction, and provided with a curved portion having a width wider than a plurality of fingers of the user,
A grip for a cane in which the upper surface, the curved portion, and the lower surface form a U-shape. Before Symbol lower surface, wherein provided on the side facing the curved portion, the grip for the wand of claim 6, further comprising a connecting portion connecting the rod of the shaft. A grip for a cane that a user holds by hand,
The upper surface on which the user's palm is placed with the wrist behind the walking direction,
It is provided on the front side in the walking direction, has a width wider than the plurality of fingers of the user, and is provided with a bending portion that curves from the front side in the walking direction on the upper surface of the grip to the downward direction and the backward direction in the walking direction. A grip for a cane. A grip for a cane according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A shaft connected to the grip for the cane,
A grounding part connected to the shaft,
With a cane.

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