JP6946221B2 - Posture maintenance device - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a posture maintenance device.

By maintaining a standing, sitting, or mid-waist posture and working in the same posture for a long time, a load is applied to the worker's back, hips, knees, etc., resulting in disorders such as shoulder stiffness, low back pain, or joint pain. There is a problem that it is easy to be caused. Therefore, in order to reduce the load on the back, waist, knees, etc. of the worker, there are various load reducing tools such as supporters and corsets that are attached to the worker to reduce the load on the waist, etc. by the tension of rubber or fibers. Proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a back straightening tool that is worn on a human body and used to correct the back muscles correctly.

Jikkenhei 06-048621

However, with the conventional load reducing tool, although the load is reduced for a certain posture, the movement of the wearer is restricted depending on the posture to reduce the workability of the wearer, or the load applied to the wearer is rather increased. It may end up. In addition, when the load reducing tool is worn for a long period of time, blood circulation in the worn portion may deteriorate due to tightening by the load reducing tool, and fatigue may accumulate in the wearer. Therefore, there is a need for a posture maintaining device that reduces the load on the wearer without deteriorating the workability of the wearer.

An object of the present disclosure made in view of such circumstances is to provide a posture maintaining device capable of maintaining the posture of the object to be worn.

The posture maintaining device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a fitting to be mounted on the object to be mounted, a storage unit for storing the dilatant fluid, and a pressurizing unit for pressurizing the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit. A fluid supply unit that supplies fluid to the pressurizing unit is provided. The storage portion is fixed to the fitting. The pressurizing unit expands when the fluid is supplied and is arranged so as to pressurize the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit.

According to the posture maintaining device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the posture of the object to be worn can be maintained.

It is a figure which the wearer wears the posture maintenance device which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a figure which showed the change by the pressure of a dilatant fluid. This is an example of a storage unit for storing the dilatant fluid according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. It is another example of the storage part which stores the dilatant fluid which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure. This is an example of a posture maintaining device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a modification of the posture maintenance device which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a figure which the wearer wears the posture maintenance device shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of the posture maintenance apparatus of FIG. This is another example of the posture maintaining device of FIG. It is a figure which showed the part of the body which wears the posture maintenance device which concerns on one Embodiment of this disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

FIG. 1 shows a diagram in which the posture maintaining device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is worn by the wearer 10 to be worn. For example, the posture maintaining device 1 is worn on the upper body. The posture maintaining device 1 includes a fitting 2 worn on the upper body of the wearer 10 and a non-expandable storage portion 3 in which the dilatant fluid is stored. As will be described later, the dilatant fluid behaves like a liquid at normal pressure, that is, when a predetermined pressure is not applied, and behaves like a solid when a predetermined pressure is applied. Diratant fluids have the property of behaving like liquids at slower shear rates, while producing solid-like resistance to faster shear rates. The storage unit 3 is deformable when a predetermined pressure is not applied to the dilatant fluid. Therefore, the wearer 10 can take an arbitrary posture by wearing the posture maintaining device 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when the wearer 10 takes a forward leaning posture, the shape of the storage portion 3 also deforms according to the posture of the wearer 10. When a predetermined pressure is applied to the dilatant fluid while the wearer 10 is in a forward leaning posture, the storage portion 3 is solidified in a state of being mounted on the wearer 10. As a result, at least a part of the load applied to the waist portion of the wearer 10 by taking the forward leaning posture is distributed by the storage portion 3 of the posture maintaining device 1. Then, the wearer 10 to be mounted can maintain the posture by solidifying the dilatant fluid. The solidification of the dilatant fluid means, for example, that the viscosity of the dilatant fluid becomes high. Viscosity is the degree of stickiness of a substance and is also referred to as viscosity, viscosity coefficient, or absolute viscosity. In the following description, increasing the viscosity of the dilatant fluid also means that the dilatant fluid hardens or the dilatant fluid hardens.

The operation of the storage unit 3 for storing the dilatant fluid used in the posture maintenance device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

The dilatant fluid may be a mixture of any liquid and any solid particles that are insoluble or sparingly soluble in that liquid. The dilatant fluid is also called dilatancy or spherical suspension. Solid particles contain suspended solids. The properties of dilatant fluids are prominent in spherical objects. Therefore, the solid particles contain a spherical suspended solid. The solid particles contained in the dilatant fluid may contain, for example, starch and other carbohydrates such as potato starch and cornstarch. Examples of the liquid contained in the dilatant fluid include water. The liquid contained in the dilatant fluid may include, for example, water, alcohol, and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the dilatant fluid is like a liquid as a whole because fine molecules of a liquid such as water enter between the molecules of a suspended solid, for example, a spherical suspended solid such as Kataguri powder, at normal pressure. Shows various properties. On the other hand, when a momentary external force is applied to the dilatant fluid, the arrangement of the molecules of the suspended solids changes, and the viscosity of the dilatant fluid increases remarkably due to the inclusion of molecules such as water between the molecules of the suspended solids. Therefore, it exhibits solid-like properties as a whole. Further, in the dilatant fluid, when a predetermined pressure is applied for a certain period of time, the liquid molecules that have entered between the molecules of the sphere-suspending substance move according to the pressure, and the molecules of the sphere-suspending substance aggregate. As a whole, the viscosity increases and it becomes hard, showing solid-like properties. When the predetermined pressure applied is reduced or removed, the dilatant fluid becomes less viscous in response to the pressure and again exhibits liquid-like properties. The posture maintaining device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure utilizes the above-mentioned properties of the dilatant fluid.

The properties of the dilatant fluid described above differ depending on the liquid contained in the dilatant fluid. For example, when the dilatant fluid contains alcohol, the alcohol has a high affinity for organic substances and can increase the viscosity of the dilatant fluid when an external pressure is applied. The alcohol content of alcohol also affects the viscosity of the dilatant fluid. For example, if the alcohol content of the alcohol contained in the dilatant fluid is high, the dilatant fluid can maintain a high viscosity even after the external pressure is removed when the external pressure is applied to increase the viscosity. The amount of impurities contained in the liquid can also affect the properties of the dilatant fluid. For example, if the amount of minerals such as potassium contained in water or the amount of sugar contained in alcohol is large, the adhesion of suspended solids can be weakened and the viscosity of the dilatant fluid when external pressure is applied can be lowered. Therefore, the liquid contained in the dilatant fluid may be any liquid depending on the pressure applied to the dilatant fluid and the viscosity requirement of the dilatant fluid when the pressure is applied. The dilatant fluid according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be, for example, a mixture of suspended solids, alcohol and water. More specifically, the dilatant fluid may contain a spherical suspended solid having an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 70 μm or less, an alcohol having an alcohol content of 15% or more and 20% or less, and water. The water may be, for example, pure water having few impurities, soft water having a hardness of 60 mg / l or less, or the like.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a storage unit 3 for storing the dilatant fluid according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The storage unit 3 stores the dilatant fluid. In FIG. 3, the dilatant fluid is represented by a dot pattern. In FIG. 3, the storage portion 3 is shown in an elongated cylindrical structure, but the storage portion 3 is not limited to this. The shape of the storage portion 3 is a tubular structure, a planar structure, or a ring-shaped structure, a cube shape, a triangular pyramid shape, a conical shape, a hexahedron shape, a hexahedron or more shape, a sphere, an ellipsoid, or any other shape thereof. The shape may be a combination of. Further, the shape of the pressurizing portion 4 is not limited to the tube shape as shown in FIG. 1, but is a cylindrical shape, a cube shape, a triangular pyramid shape, a square pyramid shape, a conical shape, a hexahedron shape, and a hexahedral shape or more. , Sphere, ellipse or other shape and any combination thereof.

The storage unit 3 may have a non-expandable property. The storage unit 3 may have flexibility. The storage unit 3 may be used together with the pressure unit 4 that pressurizes the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit 3. The pressurizing unit 4 may pressurize the dilatant fluid by, for example, expanding its own volume. When the storage unit 3 is non-expandable, the storage unit 3 can efficiently apply the pressure applied from the pressurizing unit 4 to the dilatant fluid in the storage unit 3. Further, when the storage portion 3 has flexibility, the storage portion 3 can be deformed into an arbitrary shape by being bent or twisted. The degree of flexibility and non-expansion of the housing portion 3 may be arbitrarily determined depending on the application. For example, the flexibility of the storage unit 3 may be determined according to the mobility of the body of the wearer 10 located in the vicinity of the storage unit 3 when the posture maintaining device 1 is mounted. Further, the non-expandability of the storage unit 3 may be determined according to a predetermined pressure applied to the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit 3 when the pressurizing unit 4 expands. In the present embodiment, the storage portion 3 may be made of a material having flexibility enough to be easily bent by human power, while having a durability of 100 N or more against tension or tearing. .. Further, the storage unit 3 may have expandability. Further, the storage unit 3 does not have to have flexibility. For example, when the storage portion 3 is made of hard rubber, it has expandability but functions as a storage portion. Further, when the storage portion 3 is made of plastic, it does not have flexibility but functions as a storage portion. As the storage unit 3, an arbitrary combination of a non-expandable one and a non-expandable one and a flexible one and one having no flexibility can be used. The material of the storage part 3 and the pressure part 4 is a film material such as cloth, rubber, plastic, carbon fiber, nylon, polyester, polyethylene terephthalate film, iron, resin, paper and other materials. Any combination of these materials. The material is fine. The above description can be similarly applied to the storage unit 3 and the pressurizing unit 4 described below in the present specification.

The pressurizing unit 4 pressurizes the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit 3. The pressurizing unit 4 may be arranged at an arbitrary position where the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit 3 can be pressurized. The pressurizing unit 4 may be stored in the storage unit 3 together with the dilatant fluid. As shown in FIG. 3, the pressurizing portion 4 may have an elongated cylindrical structure extending perpendicular to the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the storage portion 3. In such a case, the dilatant fluid may be stored in the storage unit 3 so as to fill the periphery of the pressure unit 4. The pressurizing unit 4 reduces the volume of the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit 3 by expanding its own volume, and pressurizes the dilatant fluid.

The pressurizing unit 4 may be expanded by any method. For example, the pressurizing unit 4 may be expanded by being supplied with a fluid. Therefore, the pressurizing unit 4 may be a container having an opening 4A to which the fluid is supplied. The fluid supplied to the pressurizing unit 4 may be any fluid. The supplied fluid may be a gas such as air, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, or a liquid such as water and alcohol. For example, by using a gas as the fluid, the weight of the pressurizing unit 4 can be reduced. When the pressurizing unit 4 expands, a predetermined pressure is applied to the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit 3. Since the dilatant fluid becomes solid and hard when a predetermined pressure is applied, the storage portion 3 is solidified. For example, when the storage unit 3 has flexibility, when the pressure unit 4 is expanded while the storage unit 3 is bent, the storage unit 3 is solidified in the bent state. The pressurizing unit 4 may pressurize the dilatant fluid by a method other than expanding its own volume. For example, the pressurizing unit 4 may have a movable surface facing the dilatant fluid, and may pressurize the dilatant fluid by moving the movable surface to the dilatant fluid side.

FIG. 4 shows another example of the storage unit 3 for storing the dilatant fluid according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The storage unit 3 may be a non-expandable container having a planar structure. In FIG. 4, the pressurizing unit 4 is arranged so as to be in contact with the storage unit 3 via the contact surface 4B. When the fluid is supplied from the opening 4A of the pressurizing section 4, the pressurizing section 4 expands and pushes the contact surface 4B toward the storage section 3. As a result, the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit 3 is pressurized, and the storage unit 3 is solidified.

Hereinafter, an example of the posture maintaining device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 shows an example of the posture maintaining device 1 worn on the upper body of the wearer 10. The posture maintaining device 1 may include equipment such as a fitting 2, a storage unit 3, a pressurizing unit 4, a sensor 5, a fluid supply unit 6, a fluid discharge unit 7, or a connector 8.

The attachment 2 is attached to the wearer 10. FIG. 5 shows a wearer 2 worn on the upper body of the wearer 10. The fitting 2 is used to fix the storage portion 3 described later in the vicinity of a predetermined position on the body of the wearer 10. The fitting 2 may include a shoulder portion 2A, a back portion 2B, and a waist portion 2C. The wearing tool 2 is worn so that the shoulder portion 2A, the back portion 2B, and the waist portion 2C are in contact with the shoulder, back, and waist of the wearer 10, respectively. The shape of the fitting 2 may be any shape according to the part of the body on which the wearer 10 wears the posture maintaining device 1. For example, the fitting 2 may be in the shape of a vest or tights so that it can be worn on the upper or lower body of the wearer 10. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the fitting 2 may be band-shaped so as to be wrapped around a portion such as a foot. The fitting 2 may be made of any material. For example, the fitting 2 may be made of a material that can be expanded and contracted according to the body of the wearer 10 when worn. Further, the wearing tool 2 may be provided with a belt, a buckle, a fastener, a button, or the like so that the length and shape can be adjusted according to the body of the wearer 10 at the time of wearing.

The storage unit 3 stores the dilatant fluid. The storage unit 3 may be a flexible and non-expandable container. In the posture maintaining device 1 shown in FIG. 5, the storage portion 3 is a tube-shaped elongated tubular container. The storage unit 3 may be fixed to the fitting 2. By being fixed to the fitting 2, the storage portion 3 can be deformed according to the shape of a part of the body of the wearer 10 who wears the fitting 2. The posture maintaining device 1 may include, for example, three storage units 3A, 3B, and 3C. The number of storage units may be any number other than three. Further, the storage unit 3 may be fixed at an arbitrary position of the fitting 2. The storage unit 3 may be fixed to the wearer 2 so as to be close to at least a part of the body of the wearer 10 to which a load is applied when the wearer 10 takes a predetermined posture. More specifically, the retractable portion 3 may be fixed to the wearer 2 along the muscles of the wearer 10 or near the joints. In FIG. 5, the storage portions 3A, 3B, and 3C are fixed to the fitting 2 so as to be located near the left shoulder, the right shoulder, and the spine of the wearer 10 when worn, respectively. In such a case, the storage portions 3A, 3B, and 3C are fixed along the contraction direction of the trapezius muscle and the psoas major muscle of the wearer 10. Hereinafter, the storage units 3A, 3B, and 3C are also collectively referred to as the storage unit 3. The number, volume, shape, and the like of the storage portions 3 included in the posture maintaining device 1 may be arbitrarily determined. As a result, it is possible to reduce the load applied to each part of the body of the wearer 10 when the wearer 10 takes a predetermined posture.

The pressurizing unit 4 pressurizes the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit 3. The pressurizing unit 4 can be expanded by supplying a fluid, for example. When the fluid is supplied, the pressurizing unit 4 expands and is arranged so as to pressurize the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the pressurizing unit 4 may be inserted into the storage unit 3 together with the dilatant fluid along the longitudinal central axis of the storage unit 3. A plurality of pressure units 4 may be arranged so as to pressurize each of the dilatant fluids stored in the plurality of storage units 3. The plurality of pressurizing portions 4 may be connected to one via the connector 8. As a result, when the fluid is supplied from the fluid supply unit 6 described later to the pressurizing unit 4, the dilatant fluid stored in each of the storage units 3A, 3B, and 3C is pressurized. The number, volume, shape, and the like of the pressurizing portions 4 included in the posture maintaining device 1 may be arbitrarily determined. For example, a plurality of pressurizing units 4 may be arranged so as to pressurize the dilatant fluid stored in one storage unit 3. Alternatively, one pressurizing unit 4 may be arranged so as to pressurize the dilatant fluid stored in the plurality of accommodating units 3. As a result, it is possible to reduce the load applied to each part of the body of the wearer 10 when the wearer 10 takes a predetermined posture.

The sensor 5 detects information indicating the posture of the wearer 10. The sensor 5 may be wirelessly or wiredly connected to another device included in the posture maintaining device 1. As a result, the sensor 5 transmits the detected information indicating the posture of the wearer 10 to other devices as an electric signal. Other devices may operate based on the information. The sensor 5 may be any sensor. The sensor 5 may be, for example, a pressure sensor. In such a case, the sensor 5 is installed on the side of the wearer 2 in contact with the wearer 10. The pressure sensor detects the pressure applied by the wearer 2 and the wearer 10 as information indicating the posture of the wearer 10. The sensor 5 may be, for example, a myoelectric sensor. In such a case, the sensor 5 is installed at a portion of the wearer 2 that comes into contact with the skin of the wearer 10. The myoelectric sensor measures the myoelectric load and detects the movement of the muscles of the wearer 10 as information indicating the posture of the wearer 10. Further, the sensor 5 may be a gyro sensor. In such a case, the sensor 5 is installed at an arbitrary location of the posture maintaining device 1 and detects rotation, orientation, angular velocity, etc. as information indicating the posture of the wearer 10. The number of sensors 5 may be plural. As a result, when the wearer 10 takes a predetermined posture, the load applied to each part of the body of the wearer 10 can be measured differently.

The fluid supply unit 6 supplies the fluid to the pressurizing unit 4. The fluid supply unit 6 may be integrated with the pressurizing unit 4, or may be connected to the pressurizing unit 4 via a hollow tube or the like so that the fluid can be supplied. The fluid supply unit 6 may supply the fluid to the pressurizing unit 4 at an arbitrary amount and speed. As a result, the fluid supply unit 6 can adjust the hardness of the storage unit 3 by adjusting the strength with which the pressurizing unit 4 expands to pressurize the dilatant fluid. The fluid supply unit 6 may include a device such as an air compressor or a pump that supplies fluid to the pressurizing unit 4 by operating itself. Further, the fluid supply unit 6 may include a connector, a valve, or the like connected to an external fluid supply source. For example, the fluid may be carbon dioxide. In such a case, the fluid supply unit 6 may include a connector connected to a carbon dioxide cylinder that stores carbon dioxide or the like that has been liquefied by applying a high pressure. As a result, the carbon dioxide cylinder can be replaced and used continuously, and the maintainability of the posture maintaining device 1 is improved. When the fluid supply unit 6 is communicably connected to the sensor 5, the fluid supply unit 6 may supply the fluid to the pressurizing unit 4 based on the information indicating the posture of the wearer 10 detected by the sensor 5. ..

The fluid discharge unit 7 discharges the fluid of the pressurizing unit 4 to the outside. For example, the fluid discharge unit 7 may include a drainage pump, an exhaust pump, a drainage valve, an exhaust valve, or the like. The fluid discharge unit 7 may discharge the fluid of the pressurizing unit 4 to the outside at an arbitrary amount and speed. When the fluid discharge unit 7 is communicably connected to the sensor 5, the fluid discharge unit 7 discharges the fluid of the pressurizing unit 4 to the outside based on the information indicating the posture of the wearer 10 detected by the sensor 5. May be good. The fluid discharge unit 7 may be integrated with the fluid supply unit 6. For example, when the fluid supply unit 6 includes an exhaust valve, or when the fluid supply unit 6 is an air compressor or a pump having an exhaust function, the fluid supply unit 6 may be used as the fluid discharge unit 7.

The connector 8 connects a plurality of storage portions 3 or pressurizing portions 4. The connector 8 may include a valve. When the connector 8 includes a valve, a plurality of pressurizing portions 4 may be integrally connected via the valve. By opening and closing the valve, the supply of fluid to the plurality of pressurizing units 4 may be controlled. For example, in FIG. 5, when the fluid is supplied from the fluid supply unit 6 with the valve of the connector 8 opened, the fluid is supplied to all the pressurizing units 4 stored in the storage units 3A, 3B, and 3C. And all the storage parts 3A, 3B, and 3C become hard. On the other hand, if fluid is supplied from the fluid supply unit 6 with the valve of the connector 8 closed, it is not supplied to the pressurizing unit 4 stored in the storage units 3A and 3B, and only the storage unit 3C is hard. Become. In this way, each of the plurality of storage units 3 included in the posture maintaining device 1 may be controlled differently by using the connector 8 or the like. As a result, it is possible to reduce the load applied to each part of the body of the wearer 10 when the wearer 10 takes a predetermined posture.

(Operation example of posture maintenance device)
An example of the operation of the posture maintaining device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the wearer 10 wears the posture maintaining device 1 on the upper body. The wearer 10 adjusts with a belt or the like so that the storage portions 3A, 3B, and 3C are located near the left shoulder, the right shoulder, and the spine of the wearer 10, respectively. As a result, the storage portions 3A, 3B, and 3C are subjected to a load when the wearer 10 takes a standing posture, and the muscle contraction in the vicinity of the trapezius muscle and the psoas major muscle of the wearer 10. Located along the direction. At this time, a predetermined pressure is not applied to the dilatant fluid in the storage unit 3. Therefore, the storage portion 3 is deformed as the wearer 10 bends and stretches the upper body. After that, the wearer 10 takes a working posture, for example, and releases carbon dioxide from a carbon dioxide cylinder connected to the fluid supply unit 6. Then, carbon dioxide is supplied from the fluid supply unit 6 to the pressurizing unit 4, and the pressurizing unit 4 expands. When the pressurizing unit 4 expands, a predetermined pressure is applied to the dilatant fluid in the housing unit 3. As a result, the dilatant fluid becomes solid and hard, and the storage portion 3 is solidified along the posture of the wearer 10. Therefore, a part of the load applied to the body when the wearer 10 works in the same posture for a long time is distributed and reduced by the posture maintaining device 1. On the other hand, when the wearer 10 finishes the work and changes his / her posture, the wearer 10 opens the exhaust valve of the fluid discharge unit 7 and releases carbon dioxide from the pressurizing unit 4 to the outside. As a result, the pressure in the pressurizing unit 4 returns to the state before supplying carbon dioxide, the pressure applied to the dilatant fluid is reduced, and the dilatant fluid becomes fluid and soft. Therefore, the storage portion 3 can be deformed as the wearer 10 bends and stretches the upper body. As a result, the wearer 10 can take an arbitrary posture even when the posture maintaining device 1 is worn. The wearer 10 can repeatedly execute the above-described operation of the posture maintaining device 1 while wearing the posture maintaining device 1.

(Processing example of posture maintenance device 1)
The operation flow of the posture maintaining device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. After the posture maintaining device 1 is attached to the wearer 10 to be attached, steps S103 to S106 may be repeated.

Step S101: The posture maintaining device 1 is attached by the wearer 10.

Step S102: The storage unit 3 is adjusted so as to come to a predetermined position of the wearer 10.

Step S103: The wearer 10 is made to take a predetermined posture, and the fluid is supplied to the pressurizing unit 4.

Step S104: When the pressurizing unit 4 expands, a predetermined pressure is applied to the dilatant fluid in the storage unit 3, and the storage unit 3 becomes hard along the posture of the object to be mounted.

Step S105: The fluid is discharged to the outside from the pressurizing unit 4.

Step S106: The storage unit 3 can be deformed according to the operation of the wearer 10.

(Modification example 1 of posture maintenance device)
A modified example of the posture maintaining device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. The posture maintaining device 1B shown in FIG. 6 is for being worn on the foot of the wearer 10. The posture maintaining device 1B includes two band-shaped fittings 2 for mounting on the thigh and shin of the wearer 10. The storage portion 3 has an elongated cylindrical structure, and both ends thereof are fixed to each of the two fittings 2. The pressurizing unit 4 is inserted into the storage unit 3 together with the dilatant fluid along the longitudinal central axis of the storage unit 3. The fluid supply unit 6 is connected so that the fluid can be supplied to the pressurizing unit 4. The fluid supply unit 6 may have the function of the fluid discharge unit 7 described above.

As shown in FIG. 7, the wearer 10 wears the posture maintaining device 1B on the foot. The wearer 10 adjusts the band-shaped fitting 2 so that the storage portion 3 is located from the thigh to the shin of the wearer 10. As a result, the storage portion 3 is located near the knee joint of the wearer 10 along the contraction direction of the biceps femoris muscle and the gastrocnemius muscle. When a predetermined pressure is not applied to the dilatant fluid in the storage unit 3, the storage unit 3 deforms as the wearer 10 bends and stretches the knee. After that, the wearer 10 takes a mid-waisted posture and discharges the fluid from the fluid supply unit 6. Then, the pressurizing unit 4 expands due to the fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit 6 to the pressurizing unit 4, and a predetermined pressure is applied to the dilatant fluid in the storage unit 3. As a result, the dilatant fluid becomes solid and hard, and the storage portion 3 is solidified along the posture of the wearer 10's mid-waist. Therefore, a part of the load applied to the body of the wearer 10 is dispersed and reduced by the posture maintaining device 1. In addition, the posture maintaining device 1 can maintain the posture of the wearer 10.

As described above, the posture maintaining device 1 according to the present embodiment is stored in the fitting 2 mounted on the wearer 10 as the object to be mounted, the storage unit 3 for storing the dilatant fluid, and the storage unit 3. A pressurizing unit 4 for pressurizing the dilatant fluid and a fluid supply unit 6 for supplying the fluid to the pressurizing unit 4 are provided. The storage portion 3 is fixed to the fitting 2. When the fluid is supplied, the pressurizing unit 4 expands and is arranged so as to pressurize the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit 3. According to such a configuration, the wearer 10 can wear the posture maintaining device 1 and take a predetermined posture. The wearer 10 supplies the fluid from the fluid supply unit 6 to the pressurizing unit 4 while keeping a predetermined posture, so that the storage unit 3 is solidified in a state of being mounted on the wearer 10. As a result, at least a part of the load applied to the body of the wearer 10 who wears the posture maintaining device 1 is dispersed and reduced. As a result, at least a part of the load applied to the body of the wearer 10 can be reduced without deteriorating the workability of the wearer 10 who wears the posture maintaining device 1. In addition, the posture maintaining device 1 can maintain the posture of the wearer 10.

The storage unit 3 of the posture maintaining device 1 according to the present embodiment is fixed to the wearing tool 2 so as to be located near a part of the body of the wearing person 10 to which a load is applied when the wearing person 10 takes a predetermined posture. Will be done. As a result, at least a part of the load applied to the body of the wearer 10 who wears the posture maintaining device 1 is dispersed and reduced.

The posture maintaining device 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a sensor 5 that detects information indicating the posture of the wearer 10. According to such a configuration, the information indicating the posture of the wearer 10 detected by the sensor 5 can be used for the operation of the device included in the posture maintaining device 1. This improves the usefulness of the wearer 10 who wears the posture maintaining device 1.

The fluid supply unit 6 of the posture maintaining device 1 according to the present embodiment supplies fluid to the pressurizing unit 4 based on the information indicating the posture of the wearer 10 detected by the sensor 5. According to such a configuration, all or part of the control of the posture maintaining device 1 can be automatically performed based on the information indicating the posture of the wearer 10 detected by the sensor 5. This improves the usefulness of the wearer 10 who wears the posture maintaining device 1.

The dilatant fluid of the posture maintaining device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a spherical suspended solid having an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 70 μm or less, alcohol having an alcohol content of 15% or more and 20% or less, and water. According to such a configuration, the dilatant fluid can provide an appropriate hardness to the storage unit 3 according to the pressure applied from the pressurizing unit 4. As a result, at least a part of the load applied to the body of the wearer 10 can be reduced without deteriorating the workability of the wearer 10 who wears the posture maintaining device 1.

For example, in the above-described present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the posture-maintaining device 1 may include a control device 11 for controlling each device of the above-mentioned posture-maintaining device 1. The control device 11 may include a processor 12, a memory 13, a communication module 14, a battery 15, a display device 16, an input device 17, and the like. The control device 11 may be wirelessly or wiredly connected to each device of the posture maintaining device 1. According to such a configuration, the control device 11 automatically controls each device of the posture maintaining device 1 described above based on the operation of the wearer 10 or the information detected by the sensor 5 or the like. For example, the control device 11 may automatically control the fluid supply unit 6 and the fluid discharge unit 7 based on the information indicating the posture of the wearer 10 detected by the sensor 5. Further, the control device 11 may be separated from the posture maintaining device 1. In such a case, the control device 11 may be an information processing device including, for example, a remote controller, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), or the like. This improves the usefulness of the posture maintaining device 1.

The processor 12 is one or more processors that provide processing for controlling each function of the posture maintaining device 1 and the control device 11. The processor 12 may be a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a program that defines a control procedure, or a dedicated processor that specializes in processing each function.

The memory 13 stores a process for controlling each function of the posture maintaining device 1 and the control device 11, and information and a program used for the process. The memory 13 may be, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or the like. The memory 13 may function as, for example, a main storage device or an auxiliary storage device. The memory 13 may be a cache memory or the like included in the processor 12. Further, the memory 13 may be a volatile storage device or a non-volatile storage device.

The communication module 14 communicates with each device of the posture maintaining device 1 based on the control of the processor 12. The communication module 14 may be, for example, a wired LAN communication module, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication module, or the like.

The battery 15 supplies the electric power used for the operation of the control device 11. The battery 15 may be, for example, a dry battery, a storage battery, or the like.

Based on the control of the processor 12, the display device 16 notifies information by sound, vibration, lighting of a light, an image, or the like. The display device 16 may include at least one such as a speaker, a vibrator, a light, and a display device.

The input device 17 receives an input operation from the wearer. The input device 17 may include, for example, at least one physical key such as a power button, an input device such as a touch panel provided integrally with the display device of the display device 16, and a pointing device such as a mouse. When the input device 17 is operated by the wearer, the input device 17 transmits the user operation as electronic information to the processor 12. At least one of the display device 16 and the input device 17 may be provided on, for example, a remote controller, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC, or the like physically separated from the control device 11.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the posture maintaining device 1 has been described as including the fitting 2 and the storage unit 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the storage unit 3 may also have the function of the above-mentioned wearing tool 2, and the storage unit 3 may be mounted at an arbitrary place on the body of the wearer 10.

For example, in the present embodiment described above, the posture maintaining device 1 may be worn at any place on the body of the wearer 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the posture maintaining device 1 includes a head 21, a neck 22, a chest 23, an abdomen 24, shoulders 25, upper arms 26, elbows 27, forearms 28, wrists 29, hands 30, and hands. Finger 31, shoulder blade 32, back 33, waist 34, buttocks 35, inguinal 36, thigh 37, knee 38, shin 39, ankle 40, foot 41, toe 42, calf 43, heel 44, etc. It may be worn on any part of the body and any combination thereof.

Further, for example, the posture maintaining device 1 supplies the fluid to the pressurizing unit 4 based on the manual on / off of the fluid supply unit 6, and discharges the fluid from the pressurizing unit 4 based on the manual on / off of the fluid discharge unit 7. You may do so. In this case, air may be inserted into the fluid supply unit 6 by using something like a small gas cylinder. In this case, the posture maintaining device 1 can be used without a power source.

Further, for example, the posture maintaining device 1 may be attached to animals, instruments, vehicles, furniture, buildings, medical devices, medical devices, and other objects to be worn other than humans.

Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and modifications based on the present disclosure. It should be noted, therefore, that these modifications and modifications are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the configuration or function included in each means or each step or the like can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and the configuration or function or the like included in each means or each step or the like of each embodiment is other. It can be used in combination with embodiments, and a plurality of means or steps can be combined or divided into one.

1, 1B Posture maintenance device 2 Attacher 3 Storage part 4 Pressurization part 5 Sensor 6 Fluid supply part 7 Fluid discharge part 8 Connector 10 Wearer

Claims (5)

The attachment to be attached to the object to be attached and
A storage unit for storing dilatant fluid and
A pressurizing unit that pressurizes the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit,
A fluid supply unit that supplies fluid to the pressurizing unit and
With
The storage portion is fixed to the fitting and is fixed to the fitting.
A posture maintaining device in which the pressurizing unit expands when the fluid is supplied and is arranged so as to pressurize the dilatant fluid stored in the storage unit. 1. The storage portion is fixed to the wearer so as to be close to at least a part of the wearer's body to which a load is applied when the wearer to be worn takes a predetermined posture. Posture maintenance device described in. The posture maintaining device according to claim 2, further comprising a sensor for detecting information indicating the posture of the wearer. The posture maintaining device according to claim 3, wherein the fluid supply unit supplies the fluid to the pressurizing unit based on the information indicating the posture of the wearer detected by the sensor. The posture according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the dilatant fluid contains a spherical suspended solid having an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 70 μm or less, an alcohol having an alcohol content of 15% or more and 20% or less, and water. Maintenance device.

Images