CN216222065U

CN216222065U - Auxiliary device

Info

Publication number: CN216222065U
Application number: CN202120728238.1U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 野村英明; 野口刚裕
Original assignee: Fuji Corp
Current assignee: Fuji Corp
Priority date: 2020-04-14
Filing date: 2021-04-09
Publication date: 2022-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 2031-04-09
Also published as: JPWO2021210077A1; CN113520741A; TW202139951A; JP7453351B2; TWI783436B; WO2021210077A1

Abstract

The present invention provides an assist device, comprising: a base having a main body frame; a pair of front caster, a pair of middle caster and a pair of rear caster are respectively arranged at three different positions in the front-back direction of the main body frame along the left-right direction; and a support member provided on the base for supporting the upper body of the person to be assisted. The pair of intermediate casters are disposed outside the minimum area surrounding the pair of front casters and the pair of rear casters in a plan view.

Description

Auxiliary device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an assist device.

Background

Patent document 1 discloses an assisting device for assisting a standing-up operation of a person to be assisted. The assisting apparatus of patent document 1 includes a foot rest on which both feet of the person to be assisted are placed, and a plurality of casters disposed below the foot rest. According to this structure, the assist device is configured to be movable and rotatable. The assist device assists the standing up and sitting movements of the person to be assisted, and is used for assisting the transfer between a bed and a wheelchair, for example.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document 1: international publication No. 2018/116472

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Problem to be solved by utility model

The auxiliary device sets the shape of the footrest, the position of the caster, and the like so as to avoid interference with the bed or the wheelchair. From the viewpoint of improving the usability of such an assist device, the assist device is required to be small in a portion that may interfere with a wheelchair or the like. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of improving stability such as preventing the auxiliary device from falling over, it is preferable to arrange the casters so that the distance between the casters increases.

An object of the present specification is to provide an assist device that can improve usability.

Means for solving the problems

The present specification discloses a first auxiliary device including: a base having a main body frame; a pair of front caster, a pair of middle caster and a pair of rear caster are respectively arranged at three different positions in the front-back direction of the main body frame along the left-right direction; and a support member provided on the base and supporting the upper body of the person to be assisted, wherein the pair of intermediate casters are disposed outside a minimum area surrounding the pair of front casters and the pair of rear casters in a plan view.

The present specification discloses a second auxiliary device including: a base having a main body frame; a pair of rear casters provided along the left-right direction at the rear of the main body frame; a cover member provided on the main body frame and covering at least a part of the pair of rear casters; and a support member provided on the base for supporting the upper body of the person to be assisted, the pair of rear casters having: a wheel rotatable about a horizontal axle; and a turning portion that supports the wheel so as to be turnable around a turning shaft that extends in a vertical direction and does not intersect the axle, wherein a rear end of the cover member is positioned forward of a rear end of the wheel in a state where a contact portion between the rear caster and a road surface is positioned rearward of the turning shaft, and a rear end of the cover member is positioned rearward of the rear end of the wheel in a state where the contact portion is positioned forward of the turning shaft.

Effect of the utility model

According to the configuration of the first auxiliary device, since the center caster is disposed on the outer side in the left-right direction, the stability of the auxiliary device can be improved. Further, since the distance separating the pair of rear casters in the right-left direction can be shortened by ensuring the stability by the center caster, it is possible to adopt a shape preventing interference with the bed or the like. As a result, the usability of the assist device can be improved.

According to the configuration of the second auxiliary device, the dimension of the cover member in the front-rear direction can be reduced. Thus, the auxiliary device can prevent interference with the bed or the like, and can be closer to the bed or the like than in the conventional art. This enables the passenger to get on and off in a more appropriate positional relationship with respect to the assistant. As a result, the usability of the assist device can be improved.

Drawings

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

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the supporting apparatus in a state of supporting the person to be assisted in the sitting posture.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the support device in a state of supporting the person to be assisted in a standing posture.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a base, a foot board, and casters of the auxiliary device.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of the rear portion of the base.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the rear portion of the base.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the wheelchair with the assist apparatus being brought closer to the wheelchair from diagonally behind, and is a view with parts of the wheelchair and the assist apparatus omitted.

Detailed Description

1. Structure of auxiliary device 1

The structure of the assisting apparatus 1 of the embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 4. The support device 1 supports a person M (see fig. 2 and the like) to be supported who sits on a wheelchair 90 or the like, from a sitting posture to a standing posture, and from the standing posture to the sitting posture. The support device 1 supports the upper body of the person M in a standing posture, thereby supporting a transfer operation between, for example, the wheelchair 90 and a bed not shown. The support apparatus 1 is used for movement support in which a subject M, who is carried by one support person who pulls the support apparatus 1 or the like, moves to a moving object (for example, a wheelchair 90, a bed, or a toilet).

The "standing posture" means a posture in which the lower body of the person M to be assisted stands. Therefore, in the present specification, the standing posture includes a posture of the person M to be assisted in which the hip is raised from the sitting posture, the lower body is standing, and the upper body is tilted forward, as shown in fig. 3. That is, the standing-up assistance is an assistance of raising the hip of the person M to be assisted, and leaning forward the upper body to bring the mass of the upper body into the posture of the assistance device 1. The seating assistance is an assistance of lowering the position of the hip of the person M to be assisted.

As shown in fig. 1, the auxiliary device 1 includes a base 10. More specifically, the base 10 includes a main body frame 11 constituting a main body. As shown in fig. 4, the main body frame 11 is mainly composed of a metal pipe member formed in a U shape in a plan view, and a plurality of auxiliary pipes connecting portions of the pipe member extending in the front-rear direction on both left and right sides. The base 10 has a support bracket 12 fixed to the main body frame 11. The support bracket 12 supports casters 31 to 33 and a drive device 50, which will be described later.

The assist device 1 includes a foot pedal 20. The footrest 20 is provided on the main body frame 11 with the upper surface horizontal. Both feet Mg of the person M to be assisted are placed on the foot rest 20. In the present embodiment, the footrest 20 functions as a cover member that covers at least a part of the pair of rear casters 33. The detailed structure of the footrest 20 will be described later.

The assist device 1 includes a pair of front caster 31, a pair of middle caster 32, and a pair of rear caster 33 provided at three different positions in the front-rear direction of the main body frame 11 in the left-right direction. The pair of front casters 31, the pair of intermediate casters 32, and the pair of rear casters 33 are fixed to the main body frame 11 via the support bracket 12. In the present embodiment, each of the casters 31 to 33 has a steering function of switching the moving direction. Thus, the assist device 1 is configured to be able to perform not only the movement in the front-rear direction and the direction change but also the lateral movement (movement to the front side) and the pivot turning (on-the-spot turning). The detailed structure of each caster 31 to 33 will be described later.

The assist device 1 includes a support member 60 provided on the base 10 via the drive device 50. The support member 60 supports the upper body of the person M to be assisted. The driving device 50 drives the arm by an actuator not shown, and moves the support member 60 in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction while tilting. The driving device 50 drives the actuator based on a command from a control device, not shown.

The support member 60 is provided to the arm of the driving device 50. In the present embodiment, the support member 60 includes a trunk support portion 61 and a pair of underarm support portions 62. The trunk support portion 61 is formed in a planar shape close to the trunk shape of the person M to be assisted. The trunk support 61 is formed of a flexible deformable material. The supporting surface of the trunk supporting portion 61 is in contact with the front surface of the trunk in the upper body of the person M to be assisted, and supports the trunk from the front. In more detail, the supporting surface of the trunk supporting portion 61 supports the range from the chest Mb to the abdomen of the person M to be assisted.

The pair of armpit supporting portions 62 are supported by the trunk supporting portion 61, and support armpits of the person M to be assisted. Specifically, the pair of armpit supports 62 are provided on the right and left sides of the trunk support 61. The armpit support 62 is swingably supported on the trunk support 61. The underarm support 62 is formed of a rod-like member in an L-shape. The surface of the underarm support 62 is covered with a flexibly deformable material.

The assist device 1 includes a handle 71. The handle 71 is formed in a substantially quadrangular frame shape. The handle 71 is formed to extend in the front-upper direction from the rear end portion of the arm of the driving device 50. The lateral portions of the handle 71 are held by both hands of the person M to be assisted. Further, the side portions and the front portion of the handle 71 are gripped by the assist person to move the assist device 1.

The assist device 1 includes a lower leg support device 72. The lower leg support device 72 is a member that is provided on the base 10 and that is brought into contact with the knees or lower legs of the person M to be assisted in the standing up operation. The lower leg support device 72 is provided to stabilize the standing motion or the sitting motion of the person M by determining the position of the knees or lower legs of the person M. The lower leg support device 72 has a cushioning member extending in the left-right direction as a cushion. The cushion member is adjusted in position in the front-rear direction so as to be suitable for the physique and the sitting posture of the person M to be assisted.

The support device 1 includes a controller (not shown) that receives an operation of the person M or the support person. The support device 1 receives, for example, a support request for a standing operation or a seating operation and a request for adjusting the vertical position of the support member 60 via the controller. The assist device 1 controls the operation of the drive device 50 in accordance with the received assist request or adjustment request.

2. Detailed structure of each caster 31 to 33

The detailed structure of each caster 31 to 33 will be described with reference to fig. 2 to 5. As shown in fig. 4, the assist device 1 includes a pair of front caster 31, a pair of middle caster 32, and a pair of rear caster 33, which are provided symmetrically in the left-right direction at three different positions in the front-rear direction of the main body frame 11. Specifically, a pair of front casters 31, a pair of middle casters 32, and a pair of rear casters 33 are disposed in this order from the front of the assist device 1. A pair of rear casters 33 is provided in the left-right direction at the rear of the main body frame 11.

2-1 positional relationship in the front-rear direction of each of the casters 31 to 33

In the present embodiment, the pair of intermediate casters 32 is disposed at positions a predetermined distance forward from the center in the front-rear direction of the main body frame 11. Thus, as shown in fig. 3, the support member 60 supports the person M in the upright posture, and the support device 1 is configured such that the chest Mb of the person M is positioned between the pair of front casters 31 and the pair of middle casters 32 in the front-rear direction.

As shown in fig. 2, the pair of rear casters 33 is disposed behind the heel Mh of the feet Mg placed at predetermined positions on the footrest 20. Thus, the assisting apparatus 1 is configured such that the leg portion Mg of the person M to be assisted is positioned between the pair of middle casters 32 and the pair of rear casters 33 in the front-rear direction during the assistance of the standing up or seating operation. In addition, the support device 1 sets the arrangement position in the front-rear direction so that the load is dispersed to the casters 31 to 33 as uniformly as possible in the support of the standing operation and the seating operation.

The support device 1 configured as described above can improve the stability in the front-rear direction in the use state including when the person M is riding thereon. On the other hand, the auxiliary device 1 is required to have improved stability in the right-left direction. The stability of the auxiliary device 1 in the left-right direction becomes higher as the separation distance of the casters 31 to 33 in the left-right direction becomes larger, but the auxiliary device 1 becomes larger in the left-right direction and may cause a reduction in usability. Therefore, the auxiliary device 1 is required to ensure stability in the left-right direction while suppressing an increase in size in the left-right direction.

Here, in the configuration in which the four wheels except the pair of intermediate casters 32 support the base 10, when the auxiliary device 1 is turned over, the auxiliary device 1 is tilted about the first straight line N1 passing through the front caster 31 and the rear caster 33 on the left and right sides. In contrast, the assist device 1 includes a pair of intermediate casters 32. The pair of intermediate casters 32 are disposed outside the minimum area Rm surrounding the pair of front casters 31 and the pair of rear casters 33 in plan view.

Here, the "minimum area" refers to a virtual area including at least a portion in contact with the traveling road (floor surface F) in a predetermined state of the pair of front casters 31 and the pair of rear casters 33. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the minimum region Rm has a substantially trapezoidal shape. The predetermined state may include any state in which the pair of front casters 31 and the pair of rear casters 33 are rotated within their rotation ranges.

In the present embodiment, the center of gravity Gr of the assisting apparatus 1 including the person M to be assisted is displaced in the front-rear direction in accordance with the physique of the person M to be assisted or the movement of the support member 60, but is located approximately near the center in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction (the thick line in fig. 4 indicates the moving range of the center of gravity Gr). The pair of intermediate casters 32 is disposed at a position close to the center of gravity Gr in the front-rear direction and on the front side of the center of gravity Gr.

According to such a configuration, when an external force in the left-right direction is applied to the assist device 1 such that the assist device 1 is turned over, the assist device 1 is tilted about the second straight line N2 passing through the left and right intermediate casters 32 and the rear caster 33. The second straight line N2 is farther from the center of gravity Gr than the first straight line N1. In this way, the stability of the assist apparatus 1 in the right-left direction can be improved by the configuration in which the pair of intermediate casters 32 is disposed outside the minimum region Rm.

2-2 relation of separation distance in left-right direction of each caster 31 to 33

In the present embodiment, the distance Lm separating the pair of intermediate casters 32 in the left-right direction is longer than the distance Lf separating the pair of front casters 31 in the left-right direction and the distance Lr separating the pair of rear casters 33 in the left-right direction (Lf < Lm, Lr < Lm). In this way, the distance Lm between the pair of intermediate casters 32 closest to the center of gravity Gr in the front-rear direction of the assist apparatus 1 is maximized, whereby the stability in the left-right direction can be further improved.

Further, the distance Lr of separation in the left-right direction of the pair of rear casters 33 is shorter than the distance Lf of separation in the left-right direction of the pair of front casters 31 (Lr < Lf). With such a configuration, since the pair of rear casters 33 can be prevented from interfering with other equipment (such as a bed and a wheelchair 90), the usability of the assist apparatus 1 can be improved.

In addition, assuming a state in which the subject person M is seated in the wheelchair 90 or a state in which the subject person M is seated in the wheelchair 90, the assisting apparatus 1 is configured in consideration of a relationship with the wheelchair 90. Specifically, the distance Lr between the pair of rear casters 33 in the left-right direction is set shorter than the distance Lw between the pair of front wheels 91 of the wheelchair 90 in the left-right direction. With such a configuration, when the assist device 1 is positioned close to the wheelchair 90, the pair of rear casters 33 can pass through the inside of the pair of front wheels 91 of the wheelchair 90.

In the assistance of the standing operation and the seating operation by the assistance device 1, the base 10 is positioned such that the rear end portion of the base 10 (the rear end portion of the footrest 20 in the present embodiment) is positioned rearward of the pair of front wheels 91 of the wheelchair 90 (see fig. 2 and 7). With this configuration, the support member 60 can be brought closer to the chest Mb of the person M seated in the wheelchair 90. Further, the distance Lm separating the pair of intermediate casters 32 in the right-left direction is longer than the distance Lw separating the pair of front wheels of the wheelchair 90 in the right-left direction. This makes it possible to sufficiently stabilize the assisting apparatus 1, particularly when the person M to be assisted is ascending and descending between the assisting apparatus 1 and the wheelchair 90.

2-3 construction of the casters 31 to 33

In the present embodiment, each of the casters 31 to 33 is eccentrically rotatable. Since the respective structures of the casters 31 to 33 are common, the structure of the pair of rear casters 33 will be described here. As shown in fig. 5, the pair of rear casters 33 includes: a caster body 41, a wheel 42, a swivel part 43, and a mounting part 44.

The caster body 41 is provided with wheels 42 rotatable about a horizontal axle 42A. In the present embodiment, the caster body 41 supports the pair of wheels 42 so as to be independently rotatable in the extending direction of the axle 42. That is, the pair of wheels 42 are configured to be rotatable in opposite directions to each other. The turning portion 43 supports the wheel 42 so as to be able to turn around the turning shaft 43A. The swivel axis 43A extends in the vertical direction (vertical direction in the present embodiment) and does not intersect with the axle 42A. The mounting portion 44 is fixed to the support bracket 12 of the base 10.

The rear caster 33 configured as described above travels by the pair of wheels 42 rotating in the same direction. When an external force is applied to the rear caster 33 in a direction different from the traveling direction, a moment about the swivel axis 43A is generated, and the caster body 41 and the pair of wheels 42 swivel about the swivel axis 43A. Thereby, the traveling direction of the rear caster 33 is changed to a direction parallel to the external force.

Further, the pair of wheels 42 rotate in different directions when the rear caster 33 rotates, and the rotation performance of the rear caster 33 is improved. The pair of wheels 42 rotate in the same direction at different rotation speeds when the assist device 1 turns, and absorb the inner wheel difference corresponding to the distance to the turning center. With such a configuration, the rear caster 33 improves the turning performance of the assist device 1.

In the present embodiment, the pair of intermediate casters 32 is of the same type as the pair of rear casters 33. The pair of front casters 31 are of an eccentric swivel type and have the same structure, but a large structure is adopted to increase the load resistance. The pair of front casters 31 has a lock function of restricting the movement of the assist device 1. As described above, the wheels 42 of the pair of intermediate casters 32 and the pair of rear casters 33 have the same diameter, and the diameter is smaller than the diameter of the wheels 42 of the pair of front casters 31.

With this configuration, the pair of front casters 31 are set to have a large diameter, so that the assist device 1 can easily get over a step or the like when moving forward, and the traveling performance of the assist device 1 can be improved. On the other hand, by setting the pair of intermediate casters 32 and rear caster 33 to have a small diameter, the upper surface of the footrest 20 can be lowered, and interference with other devices can be suppressed.

3. Detailed structure of pedal plate 20 and cover member 80

The detailed structure of the foot pedal 20 will be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6. As described above, the assist device 1 includes the foot board 20 functioning as a cover member for the pair of rear casters 33. Hereinafter, the "foot pedal 20" is also referred to as the "cover member 80". Here, the assisting apparatus 1 is moved backward during the movement assistance, and is positioned close to the moving object (for example, the wheelchair 90, the bed, or the toilet). Therefore, when the cover member 80 interferes with the moving object, the rearward movement of the assisting apparatus 1 is restricted.

For example, there are cases where: even if the degree of freedom of movement is increased by only increasing the radius of the wheels 42 of the rear caster 33, the person M to be assisted can be guided to a more appropriate position, and the burden on the person M to be assisted and the person to be assisted can be reduced. In the motion assistance in which the position or angle of the assistance apparatus 1 is appropriately adjusted in a narrow space such as a toilet to allow the person M to be assisted to sit on the toilet seat, it is particularly effective to improve the degree of freedom of movement of the assistance apparatus 1. Therefore, the assisting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to protect the pair of rear casters 33 and suppress interference with other devices.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the rear end 80E of the cover member 80 is located further to the front than the rear end 42E1 of the wheel 42 in a state where the contact portion (hatched portion in fig. 5 and 6) between the rear caster 33 and the road surface (floor surface F) is located further to the rear than the swivel axis 43A. That is, for example, when the assisting apparatus 1 moves forward as a whole, the caster body 41 and the wheel 42 that have rotated about the rotation shaft 43A are partially exposed from the cover member 80 in a plan view.

In addition to the above configuration, the rear end 80E of the cover member 80 is located rearward of the rear end 42E2 of the wheel 42 in a state where the contact point is located forward of the swivel axis 43A. That is, for example, when the assisting apparatus 1 moves backward to approach the moving object, all of the caster bodies 41 and the wheels 42 that have been rotated around the rotation shaft 43A are stored in the cover member 80 in a plan view.

According to such a configuration, for example, as compared with a configuration in which the rear caster 33 is always housed regardless of the swivel angle of the rear caster 33, the dimension of the cover member 80 in the front-rear direction can be reduced. This can suppress interference between the cover member 80 and other devices, and can improve the degree of freedom of movement of the assisting apparatus 1. As a result, the support member 60 can be brought closer to the person M to be assisted who is seated on the wheelchair 90 or the toilet seat. This enables the person to be assisted M to get on and off in a more appropriate positional relationship, and the usability of the assisting apparatus 1 can be improved.

On the other hand, a part of the rear caster 33 may be exposed from the cover member 80 in a plan view. However, when the auxiliary device 1 moves forward, it is not necessary to cover the rear caster 33 because interference with other equipment fixed to the floor surface F does not occur. In this way, the cover member 80 simultaneously suppresses interference with other devices and protects the rear caster 33 when moving rearward, on the assumption that the rear caster 33 is of the eccentric swivel type, by utilizing displacement relative to the swivel shaft 43A corresponding to the swivel angle of the rear caster 33.

As shown in fig. 6, the cover member 80 has a recess 81 recessed forward in a plan view at the center in the lateral direction. In the present embodiment, the recess 81 is formed in a shape curved forward. The concave portion 81 is located between both legs Mg in a state where both legs Mg are placed at predetermined positions on the step panel 20, and has a position and a shape that do not interfere with the function of the step panel 20. Further, the concave portion 81 can suppress interference between a moving object fixed to the floor surface F at the center in the left-right direction, such as a toilet stool, and the cover member 80 (the footrest 20).

4. Action assistance by an assistance device 1

The assistance by the standing operation and the seating operation of the assistance device 1 will be described with reference to fig. 2, 3, and 7. First, the supporting device 1 moves backward to approach the person M seated in the wheelchair 90 in a state where the trunk supporting portion 61 of the supporting member 60 is set at an angle such that the chest Mb of the person M faces. At this time, the pedals 92 of the wheelchair 90 are in a state of being lifted in advance.

Here, the separation distance Lr in the left-right direction of the pair of rear casters 33 and the width of the cover member 80 in the left-right direction are set to be shorter than the separation distance Lw in the left-right direction of the pair of front wheels 91 of the wheelchair 90. Thus, the rear end portion of the footrest 20 (cover member 80) and the pair of rear casters 33 are configured to be movable rearward through the inside of the pair of front wheels 91 of the wheelchair 90. At this time, the contact portion between the pair of rear casters 33 and the road surface is positioned on the front side of the swiveling shaft 43A, and the cover member 80 covers the entire pair of rear casters 33.

As shown in fig. 2 and 7, the base 10 is positioned such that the rear end of the base 10 is located rearward of the front wheels 91 of the wheelchair 90. At this time, the pair of front wheels 91 of the wheelchair 90 are positioned on the outer side in the left-right direction of the footrest 20, and approach the pair of intermediate casters 32 in the front-rear direction. Subsequently, the person M to be assisted places both feet Mg on the footrest 20, and brings the knees and the lower legs into contact with the rear surface of the lower leg support device 72.

The person M to be assisted leans forward the upper body so that the chest Mb abuts on the trunk support 61. The person M to be assisted extends both arms toward the handle 71 and supports both armpits on the pair of armpit supports 62. Thereby, the person M to be assisted can get on the assisting apparatus 1 in the sitting posture. Then, the driving device 50 is driven to tilt the support member 60 and move upward and forward. Thereby, the person M to be assisted moves from the sitting posture shown in fig. 2 to the standing posture with both legs extended shown in fig. 3.

The support device 1 moves and turns while supporting the person M in a standing posture, and supports a sitting motion at a position and an angle corresponding to a target. The order of the assistance of the seating operation is reverse to that of the assistance of the standing operation, and therefore, a detailed description thereof is omitted. In such a series of operations, the pair of intermediate casters 32 is provided outside the minimum region Rm and spaced apart from each other by the distance Lm in the left-right direction, thereby ensuring stability of the assist apparatus 1 in the left-right direction.

When the assist device 1 approaches the moving target by moving backward, the pair of rear casters 33 is entirely covered with the cover member 80, thereby preventing interference with the moving target and the like. When the assist apparatus 1 approaches a moving target fixed to the floor surface F, a part of the moving target enters the concave portion 81 of the cover member 80, thereby suppressing interference and improving the degree of freedom of movement of the assist apparatus 1.

5. Modifications of the embodiments

5-1. Structure of auxiliary device 1

In the embodiment, the assist device 1 is configured to include: a structure (a) in which the pair of intermediate casters 32 are disposed outside the minimum region Rm, respectively; and a structure (B) in which the rear end 80E of the cover member 80 is positioned within the range of the rear ends 42E1, 42E2 of the changing wheels 42. In contrast, the assist device 1 may be configured to include only one of the above-described configurations (a) and (B).

That is, the support device 1 may be configured to include the configuration (a) and the cover member that always houses the rear caster 33 regardless of the swivel angle of the rear caster 33. With such a configuration, the stability of the assist device 1 in the right-left direction can be improved. In this embodiment, the pair of rear casters 33 need not be of an eccentric swivel type. However, the embodiment is preferable from the viewpoint of improving the turning performance of the assist device 1.

The support device 1 may be configured to include the structure (B) and the pair of intermediate casters 32 disposed inside the minimum region Rm, or may be configured to include the structure (B) and not include the pair of intermediate casters 32. With this configuration, the cover member 80 can be reduced in size in the front-rear direction, and the degree of freedom of movement of the assist device 1 can be improved.

5-2. pedal 20 and cover member 80

In the embodiment, the pedal plate 20 and the cover member 80 are described as the same member by way of example. In contrast, the pedal plate 20 and the cover member 80 may be different members. For example, the assisting apparatus 1 may be configured to omit the foot pedal 20 and assist the walking of the person M to be assisted, depending on the level of assistance required by the person M to be assisted. In this embodiment, the cover member 80 is formed to protect at least a part of the pair of rear casters 33.

5-3, types relating to auxiliary devices 1

As described above, the structure of the assisting apparatus 1 differs depending on the level of assistance required by the person M to be assisted. For example, in the embodiment, the assist device 1 is configured to include the driving device 50 that moves the support member 60 in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction while rotating it obliquely. In contrast, the assist device 1 may be configured to include a driving device that tilts or moves up and down only the support member 60.

The assisting apparatus 1 may be configured such that the driving device as described above is omitted and the supporting member 60 is moved or rotated manually by the assistant, or such that the supporting member 60 is fixed to the base 10. In any type of the auxiliary device 1, at least one of the above-described configurations (a) and (B) is applied to achieve the corresponding effect.

Description of the reference numerals

1: auxiliary device, 10: base station, 11: main body frame, 12: support bracket, 20: foot board, 31: front caster (pair), 32: intermediate caster(s), 33: rear caster(s), 41: caster body, 42: wheel, 42A: axle, 43: convolution, 43A: swivel axis, 44: mounting portion, 60: support member, 80: cover member, 81: recess, 90: wheelchair (moving target), 91: front wheel(s), Rm: minimum area, F: ground surface (road surface), Lf: separation distance (in the left-right direction of the pair of front casters), Lm: separation distance (in the left-right direction of the pair of intermediate casters), Lr: separation distance (in the left-right direction of the pair of rear casters), Lw: separation distance (in the left-right direction of a pair of front wheels of the wheelchair), M: assisted, Mb: breast, Mg: two feet, Mh: a heel part.

Claims

1. An assist device is characterized by comprising:

a base having a main body frame;

a pair of front caster wheels, a pair of middle caster wheels and a pair of rear caster wheels are respectively arranged at three different positions of the main body frame in the front-rear direction along the left-right direction; and

a support member provided on the base for supporting the upper body of the person to be assisted,

the pair of intermediate casters are disposed outside a minimum area surrounding the pair of front casters and the pair of rear casters in a plan view.

2. Auxiliary device according to claim 1,

the distance separating the pair of rear casters in the right-left direction is shorter than the distance separating the pair of front casters in the right-left direction.

3. Auxiliary device according to claim 1,

the distance separating the pair of intermediate casters in the right-left direction is longer than the distance separating the pair of front casters in the right-left direction and the distance separating the pair of rear casters in the right-left direction.

4. Auxiliary device according to claim 2,

5. Auxiliary device according to one of claims 1 to 4,

the assist device assists a standing operation for bringing the person to be assisted sitting in a wheelchair into a standing posture and a sitting operation for bringing the standing person to be assisted sitting in a wheelchair into a sitting posture,

a separation distance in the left-right direction of the pair of rear casters is shorter than a separation distance in the left-right direction of the pair of front wheels of the wheelchair,

in the assistance of the standing up motion and the seating motion, the base is positioned such that a rear end portion of the base is located on a rear side of a front wheel of the wheelchair.

6. Auxiliary device according to claim 5,

the distance separating the pair of intermediate casters in the right-left direction is longer than the distance separating the pair of front wheels of the wheelchair in the right-left direction.

7. Auxiliary device according to one of claims 1 to 4,

the auxiliary device further comprises a pedal plate which is arranged on the main body frame and is used for placing the feet of the person to be assisted,

the pair of rear casters are disposed on the rear side of the heels of the feet placed at predetermined positions on the footrest.

8. Auxiliary device according to one of claims 1 to 4,

the pair of rear casters is of an eccentric swivel type, and includes:

a wheel rotatable about a horizontal axle; and

and a turning portion that supports the wheel so as to be turnable around a turning shaft that extends in the vertical direction and does not intersect the axle.

9. Auxiliary device according to claim 8,

the pair of front caster wheels and the pair of middle caster wheels are of the eccentric rotary type,

the wheels of the pair of intermediate casters and the pair of rear casters have the same diameter, and the diameter is smaller than the diameter of the wheels of the pair of front casters.

10. Auxiliary device according to claim 8,

the auxiliary device further comprises a cover member provided to the main body frame and covering at least a part of the pair of rear casters,

the rear end of the cover member is located forward of the rear end of the wheel in a state where a contact portion between the rear caster and a road surface is located rearward of the swivel shaft, and the rear end of the cover member is located rearward of the rear end of the wheel in a state where the contact portion is located forward of the swivel shaft.

11. Auxiliary device according to claim 9,

12. Auxiliary device according to claim 10 or 11,

the support member supports the upper body of the person to be assisted from the front,

the assisting device is configured to assist movement of the person being assisted who rides to a moving object, and the person is moved backward to approach the moving object and positioned in the moving assistance.

13. An assist device is characterized by comprising:

a base having a main body frame;

a pair of rear casters provided along a left-right direction at a rear portion of the main body frame;

a cover member provided on the main body frame and covering at least a part of the pair of rear casters; and

the pair of rear casters includes:

a wheel rotatable about a horizontal axle; and

a turning portion that supports the wheel so as to be turnable around a turning shaft that extends in a vertical direction and does not intersect the axle,

14. Auxiliary device according to claim 13,

the cover member is a foot rest on which both feet of the person to be assisted are placed, and has a recess recessed forward in a plan view at the center in the lateral direction.

15. Auxiliary device according to claim 13 or 14,