Abstract: In order to provide a walking assistance device that can avoid hampering the motion of the muscles of the user and will not move out of place inadvertently when worn by the user, principal engagement points of a support member (hip support member 1 and/or lower leg support member 2) for securely mounting an assisting force generator (hip joint actuator 10 and/or knee joint actuator 26), which is disposed on a side of at least one joint of a lower limb to provide an assisting force to a movement of the lower limb, are provided at portions where a relatively small amount of movement of skin occurs when a trunk or joint is moved. In this way, the support member can be fastened firmly to the portions where an amount of movement of the skin is small, i.e.

Abstract: There is provided a walking assistance device equipped with an assisting force generator disposed on a side of each of a hip joint and a knee joint, comprising: a hip support member (1) having an attachment means (hip drive source mount 9) capable of repeatedly attaching and detaching a hip joint assisting force generator (hip joint actuator 10); a lower leg support member (2) having an attachment means (knee drive source mount 27) capable of repeatedly attaching and detaching a knee joint assisting force generator (knee joint actuator 26); and a drive unit (3) formed by integrally joining the hip joint assisting force generator and the knee joint assisting force generator via a link bar (25), wherein after the hip support member and the lower leg support member are fitted on a user's body, the assisting force generators of the drive unit are connected to the corresponding attachment means.

Abstract: In order to provide a walking assistance device capable of favorably providing an assisting force for maintaining the upright posture while reducing the sense of pressure when worn by the user, a hip support member (1) of the walking assisting device, which comprises an assisting force generator (hip joint actuator 10) disposed at least on a side of a hip joint to provide an assisting force to a movement of a lower limb, is provided with: a back support (4) equipped with pads (18, 19, 20) for respectively abutting an intermediate portion between right and left erector spinae muscles, lateral outer sides of the spinae muscles and right and left iliac crests; and a belt (5) connected to the back support for tightening a lower part of the rectus abdominis muscle. In this way, a supporting force can be provided to the lumbar vertebrae to steadily keep the upright posture while reducing a resistance to a bending movement of the waist caused by the support member.

Abstract: A spark plug for an internal combustion engine is provided which includes a metal shell, a porcelain insulator, a center electrode, a main ground electrode, and auxiliary ground electrodes. Each of the auxiliary ground electrodes has an end face facing the insulator to define an auxiliary spark gap. The end face includes an increasing-radial distance surface which is located at a distance from a longitudinal center line of the spark plug in a radial direction thereof which increases as approaching to the metal shell. The insulator nose has a wall thickness T meeting a relation of 0.3 mm?T?0.7 mm. This avoids a great local increase in electrical field strength on the auxiliary ground electrode to minimize excessive discharge within the auxiliary spark gap to enhance carbon fouling resistance and durability of the spark plug.

Abstract: A spark plug for an internal combustion engine is provided which includes a metal shell, a porcelain insulator, a center electrode, a main ground electrode, and auxiliary ground electrodes. Each of the auxiliary ground electrodes has an inner side surface facing the center electrode through the porcelain insulator to define an auxiliary spark gap between itself and a nose of the porcelain insulator so as to occupy a minimum distance between the porcelain insulator and the auxiliary ground electrode. This avoids a great local increase in electrical field strength on the auxiliary ground electrode to minimize excessive discharge within the auxiliary spark gap to enhance carbon fouling resistance and durability of the spark plug.