Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080289670 | Walking Assistance Device - A walking assistancing device having leg links ( | 11-27-2008 |
20080318739 | Walking Assistance Device - A walking assistance device having a leg link connected to a load transfer portion via a first joint and to a foot attachment portion via a second joint, and having an intermediate third joint moving such that a distance between the first joint and the second joint is variable; a drive source for the third joint; and a battery for the drive source. When in an upstanding position, force in the forward-backward direction is prevented from acting on the load transfer portion to enhance stability. Also, a moment of inertia of the leg link is decreased to curtail a load applied to the leg of the user. The drive source and the battery are located at positions higher than the third joint, and when the user is in an upstanding position, a plane passing through the second joint lies between the drive source and the battery. | 12-25-2008 |
20090014042 | WALK ASSISTANCE DEVICE - A walk assistance device capable of transmitting a force generated by a leg link to a user's trunk via a load transfer portion, wherein the leg link includes an upper first link portion connected to the load transfer portion via a first joint portion, a lower second link portion connected to a foot attachment portion via a second joint portion, a middle third joint portion connecting the first link portion to the second link portion such that a distance between the first joint portion and the second joint portion is variable, and a driving source that drives the third joint portion. The moment of inertia around the first joint portion of the leg link is reduced to decrease a load on the user's leg in walking. The driving source is disposed above the third joint portion of the first link portion so that the center-of-gravity of the entire leg link is located above the third joint portion. In the case where the driving source includes an electric motor and a reduction gear, the electric motor is disposed above the reduction gear. | 01-15-2009 |
20090199883 | WALKING ASSISTING DEVICE - A compact and easy-to-use walking assisting device capable of reducing constrained feeling given to a user and allowing a free swing of the arms of the user in walking. The walking assisting device comprises one or more leg links to which ground contact members are connected at their lower ends respectively and a load transfer portion connected to the upper ends of the leg links, in which at least a part of the weight of the user is supported by the leg links via the load transfer portion, wherein the load transfer portion includes a seat member for the user to sit astride, wherein connecting portions with the upper ends of the leg links connected thereto are attached to the undersurface of the seat member, and wherein the connecting portion have a degree of freedom allowing the forward/backward and lateral swings of the leg links. | 08-13-2009 |
20100204621 | WALKING ASSIST DEVICE - A walking assist device having a load transmit portion, a leg link connected to the load transmit portion, and a driving source capable of driving the leg link in a direction to raise a seat member, so that at least a partial weight of a user may be supported by the leg link through the load transmit portion. An electric component to be used for controlling the driving source can be mounted on the walking assist device without degrading the compactness of the walking assist device. At least a part of the leg link is constituted of a cylindrical link member in which at least the electric component, such as a motor driver to be used for the control of the driving source, is partially housed. The walking assist device also includes a heat transfer member for absorbing the heat of the electric component by the cylindrical link member. The heat transfer member is thermally connected to a side plate of the cylindrical link member directed toward the side opposite to the leg of the user. | 08-12-2010 |
20110028874 | WALKING ASSIST DEVICE - An actuator ( | 02-03-2011 |
20110306907 | WALKING ASSIST DEVICE - In a walking assist device having leg links each connected to a support member through a first joint and having a first link and second link connected to the first link through a second joint, and actuators to be operated to displace the first and second links relative to each other to produce assist forces that assist part of user's body weight to assist the user to walk, it is configured such that a forward protruding amount of the second joint to be protruded with change of an angle between the first and second links about the second joint is changed. With this, it becomes possible to decrease the forward protruding amount to be protruded from the trunk of the user with change of the angle about the second joint, thereby decreasing the inertia force about the vertical axis, while mitigating the unnatural impression of the appearance. | 12-15-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090163328 | CURVED GUIDE MECHANISM AND WALK-ASSISTING DEVICE - A curved guide mechanism includes a guide unit having an arcuate guide track, and a movable body movably engaged with the guide track via a plurality of engagement elements. The guide track is constituted by a guide groove formed in the guide unit. The movable body is provided with at least three engagement elements including inner engagement elements movably engaged with an inner peripheral rail portion formed on the inner peripheral side of the guide groove, and an outer engagement element movably engaged with an outer peripheral rail portion formed on the outer peripheral side of the guide groove. The engagement elements are spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction of the guide groove. | 06-25-2009 |
20090292232 | WALKING ASSIST DEVICE - Provided is a walking assist device including a seat member, a leg link having a joint portion, and a driving source for the joint portion. The walking assist device allows a user to rest by sitting on the seat member. Accordingly, the walking assist device further includes a lock mechanism disposed in the joint portion and an operation unit for the lock mechanism. When the operation unit is switched on, the driving source is controlled to increase an up-pushing force on the seat member. A variation rate on the up-pushing force is increased with time to a given value where the lock mechanism is initiated. | 11-26-2009 |
20100113989 | WALKING ASSISTANCE DEVICE - A walking assistance device has a drive mechanism for driving a third joint of a leg link of the walking assistance device, the drive mechanism including a crank arm secured to a lower link member and a linear-motion actuator which has a linear-motion output shaft connected to the crank arm. The angle formed by a straight line connecting a joint axis of the third joint and a connecting portion of the linear-motion output shaft relative to the crank arm and a straight line which passes the connecting portion and which is parallel to the axial center of the linear-motion output shaft changes from an angle closer to the straight angle toward an angle closer to the right angle as the flexion degree of the leg link is increased from a flexion degree corresponding to a state wherein a user is in an upright posture. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114332 | ANKLE JOINT STRUCTURE OF WALKING ASSISTANCE DEVICE - An ankle joint structure of a walking assistance device is capable of protecting a user from feeling uncomfortable by properly following the foot motions of the user. An ankle joint has a turn shaft member enabling a ground contact assembly to turn relative to a leg link, a lateral rotation shaft member enabling the ground contact assembly to laterally rotate relative to the leg link, and a longitudinal rotation shaft member enabling the ground contact assembly to longitudinally rotate relative to the leg link. The turn shaft member is connected to the leg link, the longitudinal rotation shaft member is connected to the ground contact assembly, and the lateral rotation shaft member is disposed between the turn shaft member and the longitudinal rotation shaft member. | 05-06-2010 |
20100121233 | WALKING ASSISTANCE DEVICE - A walking assistance device having an ankle joint limited in a swingable range in a rolling direction, enabling a user to open his/her legs apart more easily. The walking assistance device includes a seating member | 05-13-2010 |
20120157894 | WALKING ASSISTANCE DEVICE - A walking assistance device includes a seating member configured to provide seating for a user to sit astride, and leg links connected to the seating member. The seating member includes: a supporting member configured to support the user sitting on the seating member from below the seating member; a movable member configured to contact an inguinal region of the user supported by the supporting member and to be movably supported by the supporting member; and at least one elastic member provided between the movable member and the supporting member and configured to be deformable in accordance with a force applied from the inguinal region of the user to the movable member. | 06-21-2012 |