Assistance apparatus and assistance method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10945909-B2
Application number	US-201816009508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2018
Priority date	Jul 10, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

An assistance apparatus includes first to eighth wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to a first knee belt and a second knee belt to be worn above a left knee and a right knee of the user, respectively, and a motor. In a case of assisting the user in turning left, the motor generates, when a left leg is in a swing phase and a right leg is in a stance phase, a tension in each of the second, third, sixth, and seventh wires at an identical timing. In a case of assisting the user in turning right, the motor generates, when the left leg is in a stance phase and the right leg is in a swing phase, a tension in each of the second, third, sixth, and seventh wires at an identical timing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assistance apparatus comprising:
an upper body belt configured to be worn on an upper body of a user;
a first knee belt configured to be worn above a left knee of the user;
a second knee belt configured to be worn above a right knee of the user;
a first wire that couples the upper body belt and the first knee belt to each other on a front side of the user;
a second wire that couples the upper body belt and the first knee belt to each other and that extends in a direction crossing a direction in which the first wire extends on the front side of the user;
a third wire that couples the upper body belt and the first knee belt to each other on a back side of the user;
a fourth wire that couples the upper body belt and the first knee belt to each other and that extends in a direction crossing a direction in which the third wire extends on the back side of the user;
a fifth wire that couples the upper body belt and the second knee belt to each other on the back side of the user;
a sixth wire that couples the upper body belt and the second knee belt to each other and that extends in a direction crossing a direction in which the fifth wire extends on the back side of the user;
a seventh wire that couples the upper body belt and the second knee belt to each other on the front side of the user;
an eighth wire that couples the upper body belt and the second knee belt to each other and that extends in a direction crossing a direction in which the seventh wire extends on the front side of the user;
a control circuit; and
first motors, wherein
the first wire and the fourth wire extend upward from the first knee belt toward a right side of the user,
the second wire and the third wire extend upward from the first knee belt toward a left side of the user,
the fifth wire and the eighth wire extend upward from the second knee belt toward the left side of the user,
the sixth wire and the seventh wire extend upward from the second knee belt toward the right side of the user,
when the assistance apparatus assists the user in moving to turn left, the control circuit causes the first motors to generate, when a left leg of the user is in a swing phase and a right leg of the user is in a stance phase, first tensions in the second wire, the third wire, the sixth wire, and the seventh wire at a first identical timing, each of the first tensions being larger than or equal to a first threshold,
when the assistance apparatus assists the user in moving to turn right, the control circuit causes the first motors to generate, when the left leg is in a stance phase and the right leg is in a swing phase, second tensions in the second wire, the third wire, the sixth wire, and the seventh wire at a second identical timing, each of the second tensions being larger than or equal to the first threshold, and
the control circuit causes the first motors to generate the first tensions and the second tensions using information obtained from force sensors or drive amounts of the first motors.

2. The assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a walk timing detecting unit that determines, based on information obtained using a sensor, (i) a time point of 65% of a gait phase of the left leg and a time point of 15% of a gait phase of the right leg when the assistance apparatus assists the user in moving to turn left and (ii) a time point of 15% of a gait phase of the left leg and a time point of 65% of a gait phase of the right leg when the assistance apparatus assists the user in moving to turn right,
wherein the time point of the 65% of the gait phase of the left leg and the time point of the 15% of the gait phase of the right leg correspond to the first identical timing, and
wherein the time point of the 15% of the gait phase of the left leg and the time point of the 65% of the gait phase of the right leg correspond to the second identical timing.

3. The assistance apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the walk timing detecting unit determines, based on information obtained using the sensor, (i) a time point of 50% of the gait phase of the left leg corresponds to a time point of 0% of the gait phase of the right leg, or (ii) a time point of 50% of the gait phase of the right leg corresponds to a time point of 0% of the gait phase of the left leg.

4. The assistance apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor is (i) a pressure sensor or (ii) an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

5. The assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory, wherein
the memory stores a program for controlling the first motors, and
the control circuit controls the first motors in accordance with the program.

6. The assistance apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the assistance apparatus assists the user in moving to turn left, a tension smaller than the first threshold in each of the first wire, the fourth wire, the fifth wire, and the eighth wire is generated, and
wherein, when the assistance apparatus assists the user in moving to turn right, a tension smaller than the first threshold in each of the first wire, the fourth wire, the fifth wire, and the eight wire is generated.

7. The assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a walk timing detecting unit; and
second motors,
wherein when the assistance apparatus assists the user in moving to turn left,
the control circuit causes the first motors to generate the first tensions in the second wire, the third wire, the sixth wire, and the seventh wire in a period of 65% or more and 100% or less of a first gait phase of the left leg and in a period of 0% or more and 20% or less of a second gait phase of the left leg,
the control circuit causes the second motors to generate third tensions in the first wire, the fourth wire, the fifth wire, and the eighth wire in a period of 15% or more and 70% or less of the second gait phase of the left leg, each of the third tensions being larger than or equal to the first threshold, and
the second gait phase of the left leg is a gait phase subsequent to the first gait phase of the left leg, and

wherein the walk timing detecting unit determines, based on information obtained using a sensor, a time point of the 65% of the first gait phase of the left leg, a time point of the 20% of the second gait phase of the left leg, and time points of the 15% and the 70% of the second gait phase of the left leg.

8. The assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a walk timing detecting unit; and
second motors,
wherein when the assistance apparatus assists the user in moving to turn right,
the control circuit causes the first motors to generate the second tensions in the second wire, the third wire, the sixth wire, and the seventh wire in a period of 65% or more and 100% or less of a first gait phase of the right leg and in a period of 0% or more and 20% or less of a second gait phase of the right leg,

the control circuit causes the second motors to generate third tensions in the first wire, the fourth wire, the fifth wire, and the eighth wire in a period of 15% or more and 70% or less of the second gait phase of the right leg, each of the third tensions being larger than or equal to the first threshold, and
the second gait phase of the right leg is a gait phase subsequent to the first gait phase of the right leg, and

wherein the walk timing detecting unit determines, based on information obtained using a sensor, a time point of the 65% of the first gait phase of the right leg, a time point of the 20% of the second gait phase of the right leg, and time points of the 15% and the 70% of the second gait phase of the right leg.

9. The assistance apparatus accor

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Murakami Kenta
• John Stephen
• Komatsu Mayumi
• Adachi Shinobu

Classifications

• A61H2003/007

  secured to the patient, e.g. with belts · CPC title

• A61H1/00

  Apparatus for passive exercising (A61H5/00 takes precedence); Vibrating apparatus; Chiropractic devices, e.g. body impacting devices, external devices for briefly extending or aligning unbroken bones · CPC title

• A61H2201/1642

  Holding means therefor · CPC title

• A61H2201/1207

  with electric or magnetic drive · CPC title

• A61H2201/1652

  Harness · CPC title