阅读说明：本技术 关节机构、膝关节辅助装置、关节部件以及离合器单元 (Joint mechanism, knee joint assist device, joint member, and clutch unit ) 是由 安齐秀伸 长妻明美 三井和幸 于 2020-03-12 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供能够抑制装置变得复杂、重量增加并且能够在完全伸展的状态或完全伸展的中途进行锁定的关节机构。具备：相互转动自如地结合的小腿框架部(15a)及大腿框架部(13a)；与小腿框架部(15a)及大腿框架部(13a)连接且对小腿框架部(15a)及大腿框架部(13a)之间的转动进行锁定而仅在一个方向上允许转动的单向离合器(37)；以及使单向离合器(37)与大腿框架部(13a)之间的连接状态断续的断续部(21),通过由断续部(21)将单向离合器(37)与小腿框架部(15a)之间切断,来解除小腿框架部(15a)及大腿框架部(13a)之间的转动的锁定,从而在两个方向上允许小腿框架部(15a)及大腿框架部(13a)之间的转动。(The invention provides a joint mechanism which can restrain the complexity and the weight increase of a device and can lock in a fully extended state or in the middle of the fully extended state. The disclosed device is provided with: a lower leg frame part (15a) and an upper leg frame part (13a) which are rotatably connected with each other; a one-way clutch (37) that is connected to the lower leg frame portion (15a) and the upper leg frame portion (13a), locks the rotation between the lower leg frame portion (15a) and the upper leg frame portion (13a), and allows rotation only in one direction; and an interruption part (21) that interrupts the connection state between the one-way clutch (37) and the thigh frame part (13a), wherein the interruption part (21) disconnects the one-way clutch (37) from the lower leg frame part (15a), thereby releasing the lock of the rotation between the lower leg frame part (15a) and the thigh frame part (13a), and allowing the rotation between the lower leg frame part (15a) and the thigh frame part (13a) in both directions.)

1. A joint mechanism is characterized by comprising:

a first rotating member and a second rotating member rotatably coupled to each other;

a one-way clutch connected to the first rotating member and the second rotating member, for locking rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member and allowing rotation only in one direction; and

an interrupting portion that interrupts a connection state between the one-way clutch and the second rotating member,

the rotation lock is released by cutting off the one-way clutch and the second rotating member by the interrupting portion, and the rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member is allowed in both directions.

2. The joint mechanism according to claim 1, comprising:

a connecting portion provided in the one-way clutch and connecting the second rotating member; and

a displacement portion provided on the second rotating member and displaceable relative to the connecting portion in accordance with rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member when the one-way clutch is disengaged from the second rotating member,

the interrupting portion connects the connecting portion and the displacement portion so as not to be displaceable, thereby connecting the second rotating member and the one-way clutch.

3. The joint mechanism according to claim 2,

the connecting portion and the displacement portion are arranged to overlap each other in a rotation axis direction, are relatively rotatable about the rotation axis, and have a communication hole communicating in the rotation axis direction,

the intermittent portion includes a pin disposed in the communication hole so as to be movable in an axial direction, and the intermittent portion is performed by the movement of the pin in the axial direction.

4. The joint mechanism according to claim 2,

the connecting portion and the displacement portion are disposed so as to be separated from each other in a cross direction intersecting the rotating shaft and are rotatable relative to each other about the rotating shaft,

the intermittent part comprises: a main body portion having a first engaging portion engaged with the displacement portion; a rotating portion which is rotatably supported by the main body portion about the rotating shaft and has a second engaging portion which engages with the connecting portion; and a braking unit that performs the interruption by braking and releasing the braking of the rotation of the rotating unit.

5. The joint mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the intermittent part is detachably attached to the one-way clutch.

6. A knee joint assist device using the joint mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising:

a thigh wearing section provided on one of the first rotating member and the second rotating member of the joint mechanism, and configured to be worn on a thigh of the person to be assisted; and

a lower leg wearing section provided on the other of the first rotating member and the second rotating member of the joint mechanism and configured to be worn on the lower leg of the person to be assisted,

the joint mechanism allows the rotation between the thigh wearing portion and the lower leg wearing portion only in the extension direction by locking the rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member, and allows the rotation between the thigh wearing portion and the lower leg wearing portion in both the extension direction and the knee bending direction by releasing the locking.

7. Knee joint assistance device according to claim 6,

comprises a sensor for detecting the front and rear positions of the thigh of the person to be assisted,

the joint mechanism can electrically switch between locking and unlocking of the rotation,

the rotation lock is performed when the thigh of the person to be assisted is located forward of the center of gravity of the body of the person to be assisted based on the detection of the sensor, and the rotation lock is released when the thigh of the person to be assisted is located backward of the center of gravity of the body of the person to be assisted.

8. A joint component, comprising:

a first rotating member and a second rotating member rotatably coupled to each other;

a one-way clutch connected to the first rotating member and the second rotating member, for locking rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member and allowing rotation only in one direction; and

and a mounting portion for mounting an interrupting portion that interrupts a connection state between the one-way clutch and the second rotating member.

9. A clutch unit detachably attached to a first rotating member and a second rotating member, for locking rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member and allowing rotation only in one direction, comprising:

a first mounting member and a second mounting member that are engaged with the first rotating member and the second rotating member in a rotating direction;

a fixing member that detachably fixes the first mounting member or the second mounting member to the first rotating member or the second rotating member;

a one-way clutch supported by one of the first mounting member and the second mounting member, for locking rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member and allowing rotation only in one direction;

a relative rotation portion provided on the other of the first mounting member and the second mounting member and supported on an outer periphery of the one-way clutch so as to be relatively rotatable; and

and a mounting portion for mounting an interrupting portion that interrupts a connection state of the one-way clutch and the second rotating member.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a joint mechanism, a knee joint assist device, a joint member, and a clutch unit that can perform locking and unlocking.

Background

As a walking assistance or rehabilitation device for an assisted person, for example, a walking movement assistance device as a knee joint assistance device is used. As a walking motion assist device, as described in patent document 1, a device including an actuator such as an electric motor has been proposed.

This walking motion assistance device is configured such that a thigh-side brace worn on the thigh of the person to be assisted and a lower leg-side brace worn on the lower leg are rotatably coupled by a joint mechanism, and torque is applied to the joint mechanism by an actuator such as an electric motor.

Thus, when the person to be assisted walks, for example, during the period from when the heel of the lower limb reaches the ground to when the heel leaves, the knee is locked by applying torque to the joint mechanism so that the knee is not bent between the thigh-side brace and the calf-side brace, and the knee of the person to be assisted can be prevented from bending. Further, after the heel is separated with walking, a reverse torque can be applied to the joint mechanism to release the lock, and the operation of swinging the lower limb forward until the heel reaches the ground next time can be assisted.

In this way, the walking movement assisting device of patent document 1 can assist the walking movement of the person to be assisted to be smoothly performed.

However, in order to make the gait of the person to be assisted natural, the thigh and the lower leg (of the joint mechanism) need to be locked at the time of full extension or in the middle of full extension in accordance with the gait of the person to be assisted. Therefore, the walking movement assistance device disclosed in patent document 1 includes various sensors, which leads to a problem that the device becomes complicated and the weight increases.

Such a problem also occurs in joints of robots and auxiliary devices for other joints such as ankles, elbows, shoulders, and the like that need to be locked when the joint mechanism is fully extended or in the middle of full extension using an actuator such as an electric motor. Further, depending on the joint, it is necessary to lock the joint at the time of complete bending or in the middle of complete bending, and the same problem occurs in such a case.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2018-050881

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The problem to be solved is that the device becomes complicated and the weight increases in order to lock the joint mechanism in the fully extended state or in the middle of the fully extended state, or in the fully bent state or in the middle of the fully bent state.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention is characterized by comprising: a first rotating member and a second rotating member rotatably coupled to each other; a one-way clutch connected to the first rotating member and the second rotating member, for locking rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member and allowing rotation only in one direction; and an interrupting portion that interrupts a connection state between the one-way clutch and the second rotating member, and releases the lock of the rotation by disconnecting the one-way clutch and the second rotating member by the interrupting portion, thereby allowing the rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member in two opposite directions.

The effects of the invention are as follows.

The present invention can connect the one-way clutch and the second rotating member with the intermittent portion, locked to allow rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member only in the extending direction or the knee bending direction.

As a result, if the first rotating member and the second rotating member are locked during the process of extension or flexion, the first rotating member and the second rotating member can be directly moved in the extension direction or the flexion direction, and can be locked in the fully extended state or the fully extended state, or the fully flexed state.

Therefore, without requiring complicated control, the device can be prevented from becoming complicated and increasing in weight, and the joint mechanism can be locked in a fully extended state or in the middle of fully extended state, or in a fully bent state or in the middle of fully bent state with a simple structure.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a knee-ankle-foot brace as a knee joint assist device to which a joint mechanism is applied. (example 1)

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a joint mechanism used in the knee-ankle-foot brace of FIG. 1. (example 1)

Fig. 3 is a side view showing a main part of the joint mechanism of fig. 2 in an enlarged manner. (example 1)

Fig. 4 is a bottom view showing a main part of the joint mechanism of fig. 2 in an enlarged manner. (example 1)

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing joint components used in the joint mechanism of fig. 2. (example 1)

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the joint component of fig. 5. (example 1)

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a main portion of the joint component of fig. 5 in an enlarged manner. (example 1)

Fig. 8 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the articular component of fig. 5 taken along line VIII-VIII. (example 1)

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of the articular component of figure 5. (example 1)

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a discontinuous portion used in the joint mechanism of fig. 2, as viewed from the bottom surface side. (example 1).

Fig. 11 is a block diagram illustrating the intermittent part of fig. 10. (example 1)

Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between the motion and the lock of the joint member. (example 1)

Fig. 13 is a sectional view showing the joint mechanism. (example 2)

Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing the intermittent portion. (example 3)

Detailed Description

The purpose of being able to suppress the complexity and weight increase of the device and to lock the device in a fully extended state or in the middle of fully extended state, or in a fully bent state or in the middle of fully bent state is achieved by a joint mechanism in which a one-way clutch is connected between a first rotating member and a second rotating member that are rotatably coupled to each other, and the one-way clutch and the second rotating member are interrupted by an interrupting portion.

That is, the joint mechanism includes: a first rotating member and a second rotating member rotatably coupled to each other; a one-way clutch connected to the first rotating member and the second rotating member, for locking rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member and allowing rotation only in one direction; and an interrupting portion that interrupts a connection state between the one-way clutch and the second rotating member, and releases the lock of rotation by disconnecting the one-way clutch and the second rotating member by the interrupting portion, thereby allowing rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member in both directions.

The joint mechanism may include: a connecting portion provided in the one-way clutch and used for connecting the second rotating member; and a displacement portion provided on the second rotating member and capable of being displaced relative to the connecting portion in accordance with rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member when the one-way clutch and the second rotating member are disconnected from each other, wherein the interruption portion connects the connecting portion and the displacement portion so as not to be displaced, thereby connecting the second rotating member and the one-way clutch.

The connection portion and the displacement portion may be arranged to overlap each other in the rotation axis direction, may be relatively rotatable about the rotation axis, may include a communication hole communicating in the rotation axis direction, and may be configured to include a pin arranged in the communication hole so as to be movable in the axial direction, and may be configured to perform the interruption by the movement of the pin in the axial direction.

The connection portion and the displacement portion may be disposed so as to be separated from each other in a crossing direction crossing the rotation axis and may be relatively rotatable around the rotation axis, and the intermittent portion may include: a main body portion having a first engaging portion engaged with the displacement portion; a rotating part which is supported by the main body part in a manner of freely rotating around a rotating shaft and is provided with a second clamping part clamped with the connecting part; and a braking unit that performs braking and brake release for braking and braking the rotation of the rotating unit.

The intermittent portion may be detachably attached to the one-way clutch.

The knee joint assist device using the joint mechanism having such a configuration may be configured to include: a thigh wearing section provided on one of the first rotating member and the second rotating member of the joint mechanism, and configured to be worn on a thigh of the person to be assisted; and a lower leg wearing section provided on the other of the first rotating member and the second rotating member of the joint mechanism and configured to be worn on a lower leg of the person to be assisted, wherein the joint mechanism allows rotation between the upper leg wearing section and the lower leg wearing section only in the extension direction by locking of rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member, and allows rotation between the upper leg wearing section and the lower leg wearing section in both the extension direction and the knee bending direction by releasing locking.

The knee joint assisting device may include a sensor that detects a front-rear position of the thigh of the person to be assisted, the joint mechanism may be configured to be capable of electrically switching the locking of the rotation and the unlocking of the locking, and based on the detection of the sensor, the locking of the rotation may be performed when the thigh of the person to be assisted is located forward of the center of gravity of the body of the person to be assisted, and the locking of the rotation may be unlocked when the thigh of the person to be assisted is located rearward of the center of gravity of the body of the person to be assisted.

The joint member constituting the joint mechanism may include: a first rotating member and a second rotating member, the other members being rotatably coupled to each other; a one-way clutch connected to the first rotating member and the second rotating member, for locking rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member and allowing rotation only in one direction; and a mounting portion for mounting an interrupting portion that interrupts a connected state between the one-way clutch and the second rotating member.

The clutch unit used in the joint mechanism may include: a first mounting member and a second mounting member that engage with the first rotating member and the second rotating member in the rotating direction; a fixing member that detachably fixes the first mounting member or the second mounting member to the first rotating member or the second rotating member; a one-way clutch supported by one of the first mounting member and the second mounting member, for locking rotation between the first rotating member and the second rotating member and allowing rotation only in one direction; a relative rotation portion provided on the other of the first mounting member and the second mounting member and supported on an outer periphery of the one-way clutch so as to be relatively rotatable; and a mounting portion for mounting an interrupting portion that interrupts a connected state between the one-way clutch and the second rotating member.

Example 1

[ Knee ankle foot brace ]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a knee/ankle-foot brace as a knee joint assist device to which a joint mechanism according to embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied.

As shown in fig. 1, the knee-ankle-foot brace 1 is a walking assistance or rehabilitation device, and is worn on the lower limb of a person to be assisted. The knee-ankle-foot brace 1 of fig. 1 is for the right foot. The knee-ankle-foot brace for the left foot is constructed symmetrically to the knee-ankle-foot brace 1.

Hereinafter, the upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear refer to the upper, lower, left, right, and front, respectively, of the knee-ankle-foot brace 1 when worn on the person to be assisted. The axial direction is a rotation axis direction along the axis of the rotation axis 25 of the joint mechanism 3 described below. The rotation direction refers to a direction in which the thigh frame portions 13a, 13b and the lower leg frame portions 15a, 15b of the joint mechanism 3 rotate.

The knee/ankle foot brace 1 of the present embodiment includes a frame 5 having a joint mechanism 3, a thigh wearing portion 7, a lower leg wearing portion 9, and a foot wearing portion 11.

The frame 5 is configured by rotatably coupling thigh frame portions 13a and 13b positioned on the thigh side and lower leg frame portions 15a and 15b positioned on the lower leg side to each other. In the frame 5 of the present embodiment, the lower leg frame portions 15a and 15b are coupled to the extended frame portions 17a and 17b extending downward, but the extended frame portions 17a and 17b may be omitted.

The joint member 19 is constituted by the thigh frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 15a on one side as the second rotating member and the first rotating member in the present embodiment, respectively, and is provided with a one-way clutch 37 as described later. The joint member 19 is attached with a discontinuity 21 to constitute the joint mechanism 3. Further, the joint member 19 of the present embodiment does not include the extended frame portion 17a, but may include the extended frame portion 17 a. The joint component 19 may have the upper leg frame portion 13a as the first rotation component and the lower leg frame portion 15a as the second rotation component.

The frame 5 may be configured by the upper leg frame portion 13a, the lower leg frame portion 15a, and the extension frame portion 17a constituting the joint mechanism 3, without the upper leg frame portion 13b, the lower leg frame portion 15b, and the extension frame portion 17 b.

The thigh wearing section 7 has belt-like wearing members 7a and 7b attached between the thigh frame sections 13a and 13b of the frame 5. The wearing members 7a and 7b are not limited to a belt shape. The thigh wearing section 7 is detachably worn on the thigh of the person to be assisted by wearing members 7a and 7 b.

The lower leg wearing section 9 has a band-shaped wearing member 9a attached between the lower leg frames 15a and 15b of the frame 5, and is detachably worn on the lower leg of the person to be assisted by the wearing member 9 a. The wearing member 9a of the lower leg wearing portion 9 is not limited to a band shape. The lower leg wearing portion 9 is configured to be relatively rotatable with respect to the upper leg wearing portion 7 via the frame 5.

The foot wearing portion 11 is rotatably attached to the lower ends of the extended frame portions 17a and 17b of the frame 5, and includes a shoe-shaped wearing member 11 a. The foot wearing section 11 is detachably worn on the foot of the person to be assisted by the wearing member 11 a.

The foot wearing portion 11 may be omitted. The wearing member 11a of the foot wearing portion 11 may be not in the form of a shoe but in the form of a belt.

In the knee-ankle-foot brace 1, when the person to be assisted wears the brace and walks, the rotation between the thigh wearing part 7 and the lower leg wearing part 9 is locked and unlocked by the intermittent part 21 of the joint mechanism 3, and thus the person to be assisted can obtain a natural gait. The details will be described later.

[ Joint mechanism ]

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the joint mechanism 3 used in the knee-ankle-foot brace 1 of fig. 1, fig. 3 is a side view showing enlarged main parts of the joint mechanism 3 of fig. 2, fig. 4 is a bottom view thereof, fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the joint member 19 used in the joint mechanism 3 of fig. 2, fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the joint member 19 of fig. 5, fig. 7 is a plan view showing enlarged essential parts of the joint member 19 of fig. 5, fig. 8 is a perspective cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of the joint member 19 of fig. 5, and fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view thereof.

The joint mechanism 3 includes a joint member 19 and an interrupted portion 21 attached to the joint member 19. The joint mechanism 3 of the present embodiment is used as a part of the knee-ankle-foot brace 1, but can be used for, for example, an auxiliary device for other joints such as ankle, elbow, shoulder, and the like, which need to be locked at full extension or halfway between them, and a joint of a robot. Depending on the joint, it may be necessary to lock the joint in a completely bent state or in the middle thereof, but in such a case, the joint mechanism 3 may be applied. The joint mechanism 3 is not limited to the use for rehabilitation, and may be used for an auxiliary device for assisting a joint when a heavy object is carried, for example.

The joint member 19 of the present embodiment includes the lower leg frame portion 15a, the upper leg frame portion 13a, and the clutch unit 23 as the first and second rotating members.

The lower leg frame portion 15a is formed in a long plate shape, and an upper end portion (hereinafter, simply referred to as an upper end portion) in fig. 1 is rotatably engaged with the rotating shaft 25. The rotating shaft 25 is configured by fitting one end of a rotating pin 25b to the inner circumference of a rotating sleeve 25 a. The other end of the rotation pin 25b protrudes in the axial direction. A fitting hole 27 provided in the lower leg frame portion 15a is rotatably fitted to the outer periphery of the pivot sleeve 25a of the pivot shaft 25.

The thigh frame portion 13a is formed in an elongated plate shape like the lower leg frame portion 15a, and a pair of coupling plates 31a and 31b are integrally provided at a lower end portion (hereinafter simply referred to as a lower end portion) in fig. 1. The pair of coupling plates 31a and 31b are fixed to the pivot shaft 25 along the front and back of the thigh frame portion 13 a.

Therefore, the upper leg frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 15a are rotatably coupled to each other via the rotation shaft 25.

A cylindrical lock member 33 is slidably fitted around the pair of coupling plates 31a and 31b of the thigh frame portion 13 a. The lock member 33 is movable by sliding between a lock position where the rotation of the thigh frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 15a is disabled and an unlock position where the rotation of the thigh frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 15a is enabled.

The clutch unit 23 is detachably attached to the thigh frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 15a, and locks the rotation between the thigh frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 15 a. The clutch unit 23 may be fixed (non-detachably) to the thigh frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 15 a.

The clutch unit 23 includes a first mounting member 35, a one-way clutch 37, a connecting portion 39, a second mounting member 41, a fixing block 43 as a fixing member, and a mounting portion 45.

The first attachment member 35 is a member that engages with the lower leg frame portion 15a in the rotational direction. The first attachment member 35 of the present embodiment is provided along the upper end of the lower leg frame portion 15a, has an arm shape, and has an engagement piece 35 a.

The engagement piece 35a is fixed to the first mounting member 35 by a fastener 36 such as a screw. The engaging piece 35a engages the first mounting member 35 with the lower leg frame portion 15a in the pivoting direction.

The first mounting member 35 has a clutch support portion 35b on the rotating shaft 25. A one-way clutch 37 is fixed to the clutch support portion 35 b.

The one-way clutch 37 is connected to the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a, and locks the rotation between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a and allows the rotation only in one direction (in the extending direction).

The one-way clutch 37 of the present embodiment can be of various types such as a wedge type, a cam type, and a ratchet type, and includes an engaging and disengaging member such as a wedge that can engage and disengage between the inside and the outside, but this is not illustrated.

The one-way clutch 37 is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole, and a fixed shaft portion 47 is inserted into a hole portion 37a provided on an inner periphery. The fixed shaft portion 47 has a cylindrical shape having an insertion hole 47a in a shaft center portion thereof, and the other end of the rotating pin 25b is inserted into the insertion hole 47a in the axial direction and fixed to the clutch support portion 35b of the first mounting member 35 by a fastener 49 such as a screw.

Therefore, the one-way clutch 37 is disposed concentrically with the rotating shaft 25.

The fixed shaft portion 47 is provided with a flange portion 47b, and the one-way clutch 37 is supported between the flange portion 47b of the fixed shaft portion 47 and the clutch support portion 35 b. With such support, the inside of the one-way clutch 37 rotates integrally with the lower leg frame portion 15 a.

A connecting portion 39 is provided on the outer periphery of the one-way clutch 37.

The connecting portion 39 is used to connect the thigh frame portion 13a to the one-way clutch 37. The connecting portion 39 of the present embodiment is integrally provided with a connecting flange 39b on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 39 a. The connection portion 39 is not limited to the above configuration as long as it can connect the thigh frame portion 13a to the one-way clutch 37.

The inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 39a is fitted and coupled to the outer periphery of the one-way clutch 37. Thereby, the connecting portion 39 rotates integrally with the outer side of the one-way clutch 37.

The connection portion 39 may be integrally provided outside the one-way clutch 37. In this case, the cylindrical portion 39a may be omitted, and only the connecting flange 39b may be integrally provided outside the one-way clutch 37.

The axial front end of the cylindrical portion 39a protrudes from the connecting flange 39 b.

The connection flange 39b is provided with an engagement hole 51a that engages with a second engagement portion 71a of the intermittent portion 21 described below so as to penetrate in the axial direction. The connection flange 39 is provided with a communication hole 53a used in embodiment 2 so as to pass through in the axial direction.

The second mounting member 41 is supported by the connecting portion 39. The second mounting member 41 engages with the thigh frame portion 13a in the turning direction. The second mounting member 41 has a plate-like shape as a whole, and is integrally provided with a relative rotation portion 41a and an arm portion 41 b.

The relative rotation portion 41a is supported on the outer periphery of the one-way clutch 37 so as to be relatively rotatable. In the present embodiment, the fitting hole 55 formed in the inner periphery is formed in an annular shape and fitted to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 39a of the connecting portion 39 so as to be relatively rotatable. Therefore, the relative rotation portion 41a is disposed so as to overlap the connection flange 39b of the connection portion 39 in the axial direction, and is relatively rotatable about the rotation axis.

The relative rotation portion 41a is abutted against the connection flange 39b on one axial side, and is supported by the stopper ring 57 on the other axial side, and is positioned in the axial direction.

A plurality of communication holes 53b used in embodiment 2 are provided in the circumferential direction in the relatively rotating portion 41 a. Each communication hole 53b penetrates the relative rotation portion 41a in the axial direction. The communication hole 53b selectively communicates with the communication hole 53a of the connection portion 39 in the axial direction according to the relative rotation state of the relative rotation portion 41a with respect to the connection portion 39.

The arm portion 41b of the second mounting member 41 is provided to protrude from the outer periphery of the relatively rotating portion 41a in the radial direction. The arm portion 41b has an engagement piece 41c provided along the lower end portion of the thigh frame portion 13a and engaged with the thigh frame portion 13 a. The engaging piece 41c engages the second mounting member 41 with the thigh frame portion 13a on one side in the pivoting direction.

The arm portion 41b is provided with a projection 59 as a displacement portion which is engaged with a first engagement portion 69a of the below-described intermittent portion 21 so as to project in the axial direction. Thus, the projection 59 is disposed apart from the connection portion 39 in the intersecting direction intersecting the rotation shaft 25, and is rotatable relative to the rotation shaft 25.

That is, the protrusion 59 is provided on the thigh frame portion 13a, and is configured to be displaceable relative to the link portion 39 in accordance with rotation between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the thigh frame portion 13a when the one-way clutch 37 is disconnected from the thigh frame portion 13 a.

The protrusion 59 has an engagement recess 59a for receiving the first engagement portion 69a, and engages with the first engagement portion 69a in the rotation direction. The protrusion 59 need not be provided on the second mounting member 41, and may be provided directly on the thigh frame portion 13a, for example.

A fixing block 43 as a fixing member is attached to the engagement piece 41c of the arm portion 41b of the second attachment member 41, and the clutch unit 23 is detachably fixed to the upper leg frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 15 a.

The fixing block 43 has slits 43a, 43b extending in different directions. One slit 43a is received in the thigh frame portion 13a in the rotation direction, and the fixing block 43 is engaged with the front and back of the thigh frame portion 13a and the other side in the rotation direction. The other slit 43b receives the engaging piece 41c of the second mounting member 41, and engages the fixed block 43 on both sides of the engaging piece 41c in the rotational direction. In this state, the fixing block 43 is fixed to the engaging piece 41c of the second mounting member 41 by a fastener 61 such as a screw.

Therefore, the fixing block 43 detachably fixes the second mounting member 41 to the thigh frame portion 13 a. In this state, the protrusion 59 of the clutch unit 23 rotates integrally with the thigh frame portion 13 a.

The protrusion 59 and the connection portion 39 are interrupted by the interruption portion 21, and thereby the rotation between the thigh wearing portion 7 and the lower leg wearing portion 9 of the knee/ankle foot brace 1 is locked and unlocked by the joint mechanism 3.

The mounting portion 45 is used to mount the interrupting portion 21 to the one-way clutch 37. The attachment portion 45 of the present embodiment can detachably attach the interrupting portion 21 to the one-way clutch 37. The intermittent portion 21 may be fixedly (non-detachably) attached to the one-way clutch 37 or the clutch unit 23.

The mounting portion 45 is fixed to the surface of the connection flange 39b of the connection portion 39 in an overlapping state by a fastener 63 such as a screw. The mounting portion 45 of the present embodiment is formed in a ring shape, and the inner periphery thereof is fitted to the axial front end outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 39a of the connecting portion 39.

The attachment portion 45 is provided with an engagement hole 51b that communicates with the engagement hole 51a of the connection flange 39b in the axial direction. The second engagement portion 71a of the intermittent portion 21 engages with the engagement hole 51b of the connecting portion 39 together with the engagement hole 51 a. Further, the attachment portion 45 is provided with a communication hole 53c used in embodiment 2 in the axial direction.

A holding plate 65 is provided on the back surface side of the mounting portion 45. The holding plate 65 is formed in an annular shape, and is fitted to the outer periphery of the distal end of the cylindrical portion 39a of the connecting portion 39 so as to be relatively rotatable. The holding plate 65 is accommodated in a recess 45a provided on the rear surface of the mounting portion 45, is rotatable within a predetermined range, and is biased in the rotational direction by a biasing member 67 such as a spring.

The holding plate 65 is provided with an engagement hole 51c in the axial direction. The holding plate 65 is biased by the biasing member 67 to be displaced, and the engagement hole 51c of the holding plate 65 is disposed slightly offset in the rotational direction with respect to the engagement hole 51b of the mounting portion 45 and the engagement hole 51a of the connecting portion 39. The engagement hole 51c of the holding plate 65 is axially communicated with the engagement hole 51a of the connecting portion 39 and the engagement hole 51b of the mounting portion 45 without being displaced in the rotational direction by displacing the holding plate 65 against the biasing force of the biasing member 67.

A part of the holding plate 65 of the present embodiment protrudes from the recess 45a of the mounting portion 45 in the radial direction, and the holding plate 65 can be displaced by operating the protruding portion.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the interrupting portion used in the joint mechanism of fig. 2 as viewed from the bottom surface side, and fig. 11 is a block diagram illustrating the interrupting portion 21 of fig. 10.

The interrupting portion 21 interrupts the connection state between the one-way clutch 37 and the thigh frame portion 13 a. By this interruption, the one-way clutch 37 is connected to the thigh frame portion 13a, and the rotation of the thigh frame portion 13a (thigh wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frame portion 15a (lower leg wearing portion 9) is locked. By this locking, such a rotation is limited in the knee bending direction, while rotation is allowed only in the extension direction. On the other hand, by disconnecting the one-way clutch 37 from the thigh frame portion 13a, the lock is released and the rotation of the thigh frame portion 13a (thigh wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frame portion 15a (lower leg wearing portion 9) is allowed in both the extension direction and the knee bending direction.

In particular, the intermittent portion 21 of the present embodiment causes the connection portion 39 of the clutch unit 23 and the projection portion 59 of the second mounting member 41 to be intermittently connected to each other so as not to be displaced, thereby connecting the thigh frame portion 13a and the one-way clutch 37 to each other, and causes the thigh frame portion 13a and the one-way clutch 37 to be separated from each other so as to be displaceable by being disconnected from each other.

The intermittent portion 21 may be either manual or electric, and in the present embodiment, is electric. The intermittent portion 21 includes a main body portion 69, a rotating portion 71, and a braking portion 73.

The main body 69 accommodates a battery 75 for supplying power to the brake unit 73, a controller 77 for controlling the supply of power, a wireless communication unit 79, and the like.

The controller 77 is an arithmetic device such as a processor. The wireless communication unit 79 is a unit capable of receiving at least a signal, and can wirelessly input instructions for supplying and releasing power to the controller 77.

The instruction to supply and release the power supply can be performed by a remote operation device such as a remote controller operated by the person to be assisted or the caregiver. Instead of the wireless communication unit 79 and the controller 77, the intermittent unit 21 may be provided with a switch for supplying and releasing power.

The body portion 69 has a first engaging portion 69a that engages with the second mounting member 41. The first engaging portion 69a of the present embodiment is a pin, and protrudes from the body portion 69 to be engaged in the engaging recess 59a of the protrusion 59. The first engaging portion 69a may be an engaging claw or the like that holds the second mounting member 41. In this case, the second mounting member 41 itself serves as a displacement portion.

The rotating portion 71 is supported by the main body portion 69 to be rotatable about the rotating shaft 25, and is engaged with the connecting portion 39. The rotating portion 71 of the present embodiment is attached to the attachment portion 45 of the clutch unit 23 by the second engaging portion 71a and is engaged with the connecting portion 39. The second engaging portion 71a may be an engaging claw or the like that holds the connecting flange 39b of the connecting portion 39.

The second engaging portion 71a of the present embodiment is formed in a pin shape and protrudes from the rotating portion 71 in the axial direction. The second engaging portion 71a is inserted through the engaging hole 51b of the mounting portion 45 and the engaging hole 51c of the holding plate 65, and the tip thereof reaches the engaging hole 51a of the connecting flange 39b of the connecting portion 39.

The second engaging portion 71a is provided with a constricted portion 71b at a position in the axial direction corresponding to the holding plate 65, and the holding plate 65 is engaged with the constricted portion 71b by the biasing force of the biasing member 67 to prevent the holding plate from coming off. Thus, the interrupting portion 21 is detachably attached to the clutch unit 23 (one-way clutch 37).

The braking portion 73 is disposed between the main body portion 69 and the rotating portion 71, and applies or releases a load torque to the rotation of the rotating portion 71. Thus, the braking portion 73 brakes and releases the rotation portion 71 with respect to the body portion 69, and breaks the protrusion portion 59 of the clutch unit 23 with respect to the connection portion 39.

The brake section 73 can employ various electromagnetic clutches and brakes such as an electromagnetic clutch using erg (electro-rheological gel) and an electromagnetic clutch using a friction plate or magnetic fluid, which are proposed by the applicant in japanese patent application No. 2015-42789.

[ actions of the Knee ankle foot brace ]

Hereinafter, the operation of the knee-ankle-foot brace 1 will be described with reference to fig. 12. Since the knee/ankle-foot support 1 is for the right foot, the description will be given taking as an example a case where the knee/ankle-foot support 1 is worn on the right foot.

Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between the operation and the lock of the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a of the joint mechanism 3.

When the knee-ankle-foot brace 1 of the present embodiment is used to walk the person to be assisted while being worn on the lower limbs of the person to be assisted, the locking and unlocking are performed, whereby the assistance around the knee can be performed while the person to be assisted walks, and the gait can be made natural.

Specifically, when the person is assisted to walk, the rotation of the upper leg frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 15a is locked while the heels of the right feet reach the ground and extend between the upper leg frame portions 13a and 13b (the upper leg wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frame portions 15a and 15b (the lower leg wearing portion 9) (fig. 12 (a)).

This locking is performed by applying a load torque to the rotation of the rotating portion 71 between the rotating portion 71 and the main body portion 69 by the braking portion 73 of the intermittent portion 21. Thereby, the thigh frame portion 13a of the joint mechanism 3 is connected to the one-way clutch 37 via the protrusion 59 of the clutch unit 23, the interruption portion 21, and the connection portion 39 of the clutch unit 23.

Therefore, the one-way clutch 37 is connected to the upper leg frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 15a, and the relative rotation therebetween is locked to allow the rotation only in the extension direction.

As a result, even if the locking is performed between the upper leg frames 13a and 13b (the upper leg wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frames 15a and 15b (the lower leg wearing portion 9) during the extension, the locking can be performed in the state of being fully extended or in the middle of being fully extended in accordance with the gait of the person to be assisted while directly operating between the upper leg frames 13a and 13b (the upper leg wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frames 15a and 15b (the lower leg wearing portion 9) in the extension direction in accordance with the walking state of the person to be assisted. Further, depending on the person to be assisted, the knee may not be fully extended, and therefore, it may be necessary to lock the knee in the middle of full extension. In fig. 12, (B) to (H) show the case of full stretching.

In a state where the distance between the thigh frame portions 13a and 13B (thigh wearing portion 7) and the calf frame portions 15a and 15B (calf wearing portion 9) is fully extended, the heel of the right foot reaches the ground, and the assisted person can move to the standing stage (state of applying body weight) with a natural gait while preventing the right knee from being bent ((B) to (E) of fig. 12).

After the standing period, when the heel of the right foot is separated from the ground, the locking of the rotation of the thigh frame portions 13a and 13b (thigh wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frame portions 15a and 15b (lower leg wearing portion 9) is released, the right knee of the person to be assisted is naturally bent, and the toe is separated from the ground, and the person can move to the stepping period ((F) to (H) of fig. 12).

After the stepping step is completed, the rotation of the thigh frame portion 13a and the lower leg frame portion 13b is locked by the joint mechanism 3 until the heel of the right foot reaches the ground and extends again between the thigh frame portions 13a and 13b (the thigh wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frame portions 15a and 15b (the lower leg wearing portion 9).

In this way, by repeatedly locking and unlocking the rotation of the thigh frame portions 13a and 13b (thigh wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frame portions 15a and 15b (lower leg wearing portion 9), the knee of the person to be assisted can be prevented from being bent, and the person can walk with a natural gait.

The knee-ankle-foot brace 1 of the present embodiment can assist the extension of the thigh and the lower leg when standing, while locking the thigh and the lower leg of the person being assisted in a sitting state with the knees bent during walking.

[ Effect of example 1 ]

As described above, the joint mechanism 3 used in the knee-ankle-foot brace 1 of the present embodiment includes: a lower leg frame portion 15a and an upper leg frame portion 13a rotatably coupled to each other via a rotation shaft 25; a one-way clutch 37 connected to the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a, for locking the rotation between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a and allowing the rotation only in one direction; and an interrupting portion 21 that interrupts a connection state between the one-way clutch 37 and the thigh frame portion 13a, and the interrupting portion 21 disconnects the one-way clutch 37 and the lower leg frame portion 15a to release the lock of the rotation between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the thigh frame portion 13a, thereby allowing the rotation between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the thigh frame portion 13a in both directions.

Therefore, the joint mechanism 3 can be locked by connecting the one-way clutch 37 and the thigh frame portion 13a by the interrupting portion 21 so as to allow the rotation between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the thigh frame portion 13a only in the extending direction.

As a result, when the locking is performed during the process of extending between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a, the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a can be directly moved in the extending direction, and the locking can be performed in the fully extended state or in the middle of the fully extended state.

Therefore, the joint mechanism 3 does not require complicated control, can suppress the complication and the increase in weight, and can perform locking in a fully extended state or in the middle of full extension with a simple structure. Further, since the joint mechanism 3 does not require complicated control, the caregiver or the person to be assisted can operate the lock and unlock.

The joint mechanism 3 of the present embodiment includes: a connecting portion 39 provided in the one-way clutch 37 and connecting the thigh frame portion 13 a; and a protrusion 59 provided on the thigh frame portion 13a, which is displaceable relative to the link portion 39 in accordance with rotation between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the thigh frame portion 13a when the one-way clutch 37 is disconnected from the thigh frame portion 13a, and which connects the link portion 39 and the protrusion 59 so as not to be displaceable, thereby connecting the thigh frame portion 13a and the one-way clutch 37.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the interruption between the thigh frame portion 13a and the one-way clutch 37 can be reliably performed.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the connection portion 39 and the protrusion portion 59 are disposed so as to be separated from each other in the intersecting direction intersecting the rotating shaft 25 and are rotatable relative to each other about the rotating shaft 25, and the intermittent portion 21 includes: a body portion 69 having a first engaging portion 69a that engages with the protrusion portion 59; a rotating portion 71 having a second engaging portion 71a that is rotatably supported by the body portion 69 about the rotating shaft 25 and engages with the connecting portion 39; and a braking unit 73 that brakes and releases the rotation of the rotating unit 71 to interrupt the connection between the thigh frame portion 13a and the one-way clutch 37.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the thigh frame portion 13a is disconnected from the one-way clutch 37 by braking and brake release by the braking portion 73 of the rotating portion 71, so that the braking portion 73 can be made small, and the whole of the disconnection portion 21 can be made small.

In addition, the intermittent part 21 of the present embodiment can house the braking part 73, the battery 75 for controlling the braking part 73, the controller 77, and the like in the main body part 69, and thus the overall size can be further reduced.

The intermittent part 21 is detachably attached to the one-way clutch 37, and thus, charging and the like can be easily performed.

The knee-ankle-foot brace 1 using the joint mechanism 3 includes: a thigh wearing section 7 provided to the thigh frame section 13a of the joint mechanism 3 and worn on the thigh of the person to be assisted; and a lower leg wearing unit 9 provided to a lower leg frame unit 15a of the joint mechanism 3 and adapted to be worn on a lower leg of the person to be assisted, wherein the joint mechanism 3 locks the rotation between the lower leg frame unit 15a and the upper leg frame unit 13a, allows the rotation between the upper leg wearing unit 7 and the lower leg wearing unit 9 only in the extension direction, and allows the rotation between the upper leg wearing unit 7 and the lower leg wearing unit 9 in both the extension direction and the knee bending direction by releasing the locking.

Therefore, in the knee-ankle foot brace 1 of the present embodiment, by locking the rotation during the extension between the thigh wearing portion 7 and the lower leg wearing portion 9, the movement in the extension direction between the thigh wearing portion 7 and the lower leg wearing portion 9 can be directly performed, and the locking can be performed in the fully extended state or in the middle of the full extension.

In addition, in a state where the upper leg wearing portion 7 and the lower leg wearing portion 9 are locked, the heel of the person to be assisted reaches the ground, and the knee of the person to be assisted can be prevented from being bent and can be naturally moved to the standing period.

When the heel is separated from the ground during the stance phase, the rotation of the thigh wearing part 7 and the lower leg wearing part 9 is unlocked, and the person to be assisted can move to the stepping phase while naturally bending the knee and separating the heel from the ground.

As described above, in the knee-ankle-foot brace 1 of the present embodiment, by repeatedly locking and unlocking the rotation of the thigh wearing portion 7 and the lower leg wearing portion 9, it is possible to prevent the knee of the person to be assisted from bending by simple control and to enable the person to be assisted to walk with a natural gait.

The joint member 19 used in the joint mechanism 3 includes: a lower leg frame portion 15a and an upper leg frame portion 13a rotatably coupled to each other via a rotation shaft 25; a one-way clutch 37 connected to the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a, for locking the rotation between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a and allowing the rotation only in one direction; and a mounting portion 45 for mounting the interrupting portion 21, the interrupting portion 21 interrupting a connection state between the one-way clutch 37 and the thigh frame portion 13 a.

Therefore, the joint mechanism 3 can be easily configured by simply attaching the intermittent portion 21 to the joint member 19.

The clutch unit 23 used in the joint mechanism 3 includes: a first attachment member 35 and a second attachment member 41 that engage with the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a in the pivoting direction; a fixing block 43 for detachably fixing the second mounting member 41 to the lower leg frame portion 13 a; a one-way clutch 37 supported by the lower leg frame portion 13a, for locking rotation between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a and allowing rotation only in one direction; a relative rotation portion 41a provided on the second mounting member 41 and supported on the outer periphery of the one-way clutch 37 so as to be relatively rotatable; and a mounting portion 45 for mounting the interrupting portion 21, the interrupting portion 21 interrupting a connection state of the one-way clutch 37 and the thigh frame portion 13 a.

Therefore, the clutch unit 23 can attach the one-way clutch 37 to the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a in a detachable manner, and the joint member 19 can be easily configured. As a result, the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13a can be made common, and cost reduction can be achieved. The clutch unit 23 may be configured such that a one-way clutch 37 is mounted as the joint member 19 between the lower leg frame portion 15a and the upper leg frame portion 13 a.

Example 2

Fig. 13 is a sectional view of an articulation mechanism according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. Since the basic structure of embodiment 2 is the same as that of embodiment 1, the same reference numerals are given to the structures corresponding to embodiment 1 in embodiment 2, and redundant description is omitted.

In the present embodiment, the intermittent portion 21 of the joint mechanism 3 is manually locked and unlocked. The other structure is the same as embodiment 1.

The intermittent portion 21 of the present embodiment causes an interruption between the connecting flange 39b of the connecting portion 39 and the relative rotation portion 41a as a displacement portion disposed to overlap in the axial direction. The intermittent portion 21 includes a fixed portion 81 and a movable portion 83.

The fixing portion 81 is a portion to be attached to the attachment portion 45 of the joint member 19. The fixing portion 81 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a second engaging portion 71a (not shown) is provided in the same manner as the rotating portion 71 of embodiment 1. The fixing portion 81 is provided with a through hole 81a penetrating in the axial direction.

The movable portion 83 is supported by the fixed portion 81 to be slidable in the axial direction within a predetermined range. The movable portion 83 supports a pin 83a inserted through the through hole 81a of the fixed portion 81. The pin 83a is movable in the axial direction in accordance with the sliding of the movable portion 83.

Thus, the pin 83a is disposed in the communication hole 53c of the mounting portion 45, the communication hole 53a of the connecting portion 39, and the communication hole 53b of the relatively rotating portion 41a of the second mounting member 41 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and the one-way clutch 37 and the thigh frame portion 13a are disconnected from each other by the movement in the axial direction.

That is, when the pin 83a is inserted into the communication hole 53c of the mounting portion 45, the communication hole 53a of the connecting portion 39, and the communication hole 53b of the second mounting member 41, the one-way clutch 37 and the thigh frame portion 13a are connected. On the other hand, when the pin 83a is pulled out from the communication hole 53b of the second mounting member 41 by the movement in the axial direction, the one-way clutch 37 and the thigh frame portion 13a are disconnected.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, by manually sliding the movable portion 83 of the intermittent portion 21 with respect to the fixed portion 81, the rotation of the thigh frame portion 13a (thigh wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frame portion 15a (lower leg wearing portion 9) is repeatedly locked and unlocked, and thereby the knee of the person to be assisted can be prevented from being bent, and the person can walk with a natural gait.

The movable portion 83 may be configured to electrically slide. The intermittent portions 21 may be configured such that the movable portions 83 are omitted and the pins 83a are directly moved in the axial direction. The fixed portion 81 may be omitted from the intermittent portion 21. When both the movable portion 83 and the fixed portion 81 are omitted, the pin 83a is supported in the communication holes 53a, 53b, and 53 c.

Otherwise, embodiment 2 can also exhibit the same operational effects as embodiment 1.

Example 3

Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing an interrupting portion used in the joint mechanism according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. Since the basic structure of embodiment 3 is the same as that of embodiment 1, the same reference numerals are given to the structures corresponding to embodiment 1 in embodiment 3, and redundant description is omitted.

In the present embodiment, the rotation of the thigh frame portion 13a (thigh wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frame portion 15a (lower leg wearing portion 9) is automatically locked and unlocked. Therefore, the sensor 85 is provided in the intermittent portion 21.

The sensor 85 detects the front and rear positions of the thighs of the person to be assisted, and may be configured by, for example, a gyro sensor, a tilt sensor, or the like. The sensor 85 may be provided in the thigh frame portion 13 a. The sensor 85 may be attached to the thigh of the person to be assisted, instead of the joint mechanism 3. In this case, the front and rear position information of the thigh may be transmitted from the sensor 85 to the intermittent portion 21 side by a wireless or wired method.

As in embodiment 1, the joint mechanism 3 can electrically switch between locking and unlocking the rotation of the thigh frame portion 13a (thigh wearing portion 7) and the lower leg frame portion 15a (lower leg wearing portion 9).

Based on the detection of the sensor 85, the controller 77 of the joint mechanism 3 causes the brake unit 73 of the interrupting unit 21 to generate a load torque to lock when the thigh of the person to be assisted is located forward of the center of gravity of the body of the person to be assisted, and causes the load torque of the brake unit 73 to disappear to unlock when the thigh of the person to be assisted is located rearward of the center of gravity of the body of the person to be assisted.

By such locking and unlocking, it is possible to automatically assist the person around the knee with a simple control and configuration when the person to be assisted walks, and to make the gait natural.

Otherwise, embodiment 3 can also provide the same operational effects as embodiment 1.

Description of the symbols

1-knee ankle foot brace (knee joint assist device), 3-joint mechanism, 7-thigh wearing portion, 9-calf wearing portion, 13 a-thigh frame portion (second rotating member), 15 a-calf frame portion (first rotating member), 19-joint member, 21-intermittent portion, 23-clutch unit, 25-rotating shaft, 35-first mounting member, 37-one-way clutch, 39-connecting portion, 41-second mounting member, 43-fixed block, 45-mounting portion, 53a, 53b, 53 c-communicating hole, 59-displacement portion, 69-main body portion (intermittent portion), 69 a-first engaging portion, 71-rotating portion, 71 a-second engaging portion, 73-braking portion, 83 a-pin, 85-sensor.