Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Yutaka Hiki

Jun Ashihara

Yasushi Ikeuchi

Hiroshi Kudoh

Tatsuya Noda

Yoshihisa Matsuoka

Takeshi Koshiishi

Hiroshi Matsuda

Makoto Shishido

Toru Takenaka

Yoichi Nishimura

Kiyoshi Handa

Yosuke Endo

Norio Komura

Satoshi Taguchi

Zenta Sugawara

Eiji Ninomiya

Toru Fujihira

Ryuzo Yokoyama

Kazuya Miwa

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.

Walking assist 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.

Walking assistance device

An actuator is reduced in weight without impairing a walking assist function, and this reduces the inertial moment of a leg link. A drive crank arm on the output shaft of the actuator and a driven crank arm fixed to a second link portion so as to be concentric to the joint shaft of a third joint portion are connected to each other via a connection link. The connection link is placed so that a line connecting a pivot portion at which the drive crank arm is pivotally mounted and a pivot portion at which the driven crank arm is pivotally mounted obliquely crosses a line connecting the output shaft of the actuator and the joint shaft of the third joint portion.

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.

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, a pair of leg linksandwhich support the seating memberfrom below, and a ground contact memberconnected to each leg linkthrough an ankle joint. The ankle jointhas a coupling mechanismwhich includes a joint shaft memberand a retaining portion which swingably retains the joint shaft memberin the rolling direction in a predetermined range &#x3c6;. The joint shaft memberis inclined to an abduction side in the rolling direction from the middle position of the predetermined range &#x3c6; in which the joint shaft member is swingable in the rolling direction when the walking assistance device is in an upright state.

A walking assistance device has a drive mechanism, which is provided with a linear-motion actuator including an electric motor installed in the upper link member, nut members which are rotationally driven by the electric motor, and a linear-motion output shaft which linearly moves in the direction of the axial centers of the nut members, and a crank arm which is secured to the lower link member coaxially with a joint axis of a third joint and swingably attached to one end of the linear-motion output shaft. The drive mechanism is constructed such that a translational force output from the linear-motion output shaft of the linear-motion actuator is converted into a rotational driving force of the third joint through the crank arm.

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.

A body weight support device of the present invention is equipped with a body attachment part attached to a user's body, a floor contact part provided contactably on a floor, a leg link part for connecting the body attachment part to the floor contact part through a joint part, an actuator for driving the joint part, and a control unit for controlling a drive of the actuator, wherein the control unit drives the actuator so that the leg link part gives a body weight support force to the user through the body attachment part.

Body weight support device and body weight support program

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.

A walking aid apparatus comprising a sitting member which a user sits astride and leg links each coupled to a connection provided on the undersurface of the sitting member in such a way as to be free to swing in the forward/backward direction, which improves the stability of the sitting member. The connection is adapted in such a way that a forward/backward swinging fulcrum of the leg links is located above the sitting member. More specifically, the connection is provided with an arc-shaped guide track longitudinal in the forward/backward direction and having the center of curvature above the sitting member, so that each of the leg links swings along the guide track in the forward/backward direction. If the leg links are allowed to swing freely also in the lateral direction, preferably the lateral swinging fulcrum of the leg links is also located above the sitting member.

Walking assisting device

A walk assistance device capable of transmitting a force generated by a leg link to a user's trunk via a load transmit portion, wherein the leg link includes an upper first link portion connected to the load transmit 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.

Walk assistance device

A walking assisting device having leg links connected to a load transfer portion, wherein each leg link is free to bend and stretch at a joint in the middle of the leg link, the leg link being formed to a length such that the joint projects forward of a reference line when a user is standing upright. The reference line is a line connecting a swing fulcrum of the leg link to a joint at the lower end of the leg link. Stability is improved by diminishing a moment in a forward tilting direction when the user is standing upright. The leg links are provided with an overhanging portion and a driving source mounted on the overhanging portion, which helps maintain balance relative to the reference line. The driving force is transmitted to the joint in the middle of the leg link via driving force transmission means.

An apparatus for assisting limb includes a body attachment, a link for upper leg, and a knee joint unit, a link for lower leg, a lower limb attachment, a drive unit and a knee joint actuator. The body attachment is attached to a trunk of a user. The link for upper leg is placed alongside with an upper leg of the user and coupled with the body attachment. The link for lower leg is placed alongside with a lower leg of the user and coupled with the link for the upper leg via the knee joint unit. The lower limb attachment is attached to one of the lower leg and a foot of the user, and coupled with the link for lower leg. The knee joint actuator is placed in the body attachment so as to apply rotational torque to the knee joint unit via the drive unit.

Apparatus for assisting limb and computer program

A walking assistance device having a leg link connected to a load transmit 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 transmit 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.

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 portions have a degree of freedom allowing the forward/backward and lateral swings of the leg links.

Growing community of inventors

Wako, Japan

Yutaka Hiki