An integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device and power-assisted method

Abstract

An integral power-assisting exoskeleton device and power-assisting method, wherein the shoulder fixing frame of the shoulder joint assembly realizes free movement of the upper limb exoskeleton through a ball head connector; the forearm support of the upper limb exoskeleton is hinged to the upper arm support, and the upper limb cylinder for driving the forearm support to swing relative to the upper arm support is fixed to the upper arm support; the lower end of the thigh plate is rotatably installed with the knee joint rotation axis, and one end of the piston cylinder assembly for assisting in increasing the angle between the thigh plate and the calf plate is hinged to the large push plate, and the other end is hinged to the cantilever rocker on the outer periphery of the knee joint rotation axis; one end of the connecting plate of the foot exoskeleton is fixedly connected to the calf plate of the lower limb exoskeleton, and the other end is connected to the sole sleeve assembly, and energy is stored through the passive power-assisting component when the human foot structure performs plantar flexion movement for power-assisting walking, and the power-assisting function of the exoskeleton is realized on the basis of reducing system cost by adopting the minimum active power-assisting method, so that the power-assisting effect is better.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of power-assisted exoskeletons, and in particular to an integral power-assisted exoskeleton device and a power-assisted method. Background Art

[0002] Exoskeletons are currently primarily used in industrial, medical rehabilitation (for the elderly and disabled), and exercise. Wearable exoskeleton robotics have significantly increased robot utilization, as these advancements fully accommodate the needs of the human body. Exoskeleton technology has the potential to revolutionize human lifestyles. These robots will become a part of everyday work culture, significantly contributing to economic development and creating new jobs, a crucial development in today's economic climate.

[0003] Most existing integrated power-assisted exoskeletons are driven actively by motors or hydraulics, which have high manufacturing costs, complex assembly methods, a large number of power sources, and high system costs, which affect the widespread application of integrated exoskeletons. At the same time, the combination of active and passive power assistance is not effective, affecting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In response to the shortcomings of the above-mentioned existing production technology, the applicant provides an integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device and power-assisted method, so that the power-assisted function of the exoskeleton is realized on the basis of reducing system costs while meeting the power-assisted needs, thereby achieving a better power-assisted effect.

[0005] The technical solutions adopted in the present invention are as follows:

[0006] An integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device includes a back exoskeleton, an upper limb exoskeleton, a lower limb exoskeleton, and a foot exoskeleton.

[0007] The back exoskeleton comprises a rear crossbeam on which are mounted two support rod assemblies, the two support rod assemblies being symmetrically arranged about the vertical midline of the back exoskeleton, and a back plate assembly, the upper part of which is provided with shoulder joint assemblies on both sides, the middle of which is connected to the upper ends of the two support rod assemblies, and the back plate assembly being fixed to the back of a person requiring assistance by means of straps;

[0008] The shoulder joint assembly includes a shoulder fixing frame connected to the spine plate assembly, the shoulder fixing frame is installed with a shoulder joint L-shaped plate through a ball head connector, and the lower end of the shoulder joint L-shaped plate is installed with an upper limb swing axis;

[0009] There are two upper limb exoskeletons and they match the upper limbs of the human body. The structure of a single upper limb exoskeleton is as follows: it includes a forearm support and an upper arm support. The outer side of the upper end of the upper arm support is hinged to the upper limb swing axis, one end of the forearm support is hinged to the lower end of the upper arm support, and the other end of the forearm support is provided with a wrist ring that matches the wrist of the human body. An upper limb cylinder is fixedly installed on the outer side of the upper arm support, and the output end of the upper limb cylinder is transmission-connected to the forearm support. The upper limb cylinder is used to drive the forearm support to swing relative to the upper arm support, so that the angle between the forearm support and the upper arm support is reduced.

[0010] There are two lower limb exoskeletons and they match the lower limbs of the human body. The structure of a single lower limb exoskeleton is as follows: it includes a thigh plate, a calf plate and a piston-cylinder assembly, and also includes a hip joint fixed shaft rotatably connected to the upper end of the thigh plate, the hip joint fixed shaft is connected to the horizontal end of the rear crossbeam, the lower end of the thigh plate is rotatably installed with a knee joint rotation shaft, one end of the piston-cylinder assembly is hinged to the thigh plate, and the other end of the piston-cylinder assembly is hinged to the cantilever rocker on the outer peripheral surface of the knee joint rotation shaft, the piston-cylinder assembly is used to help increase the angle between the thigh plate and the calf plate, and the outer peripheral surface of the knee joint rotation shaft is rotatably installed with the calf plate through a round rod;

[0011] There are two foot exoskeletons and they match the foot structure of the human body. The structure of a single foot exoskeleton is: it includes a connecting plate, one end of the connecting plate is an upper connecting part that is detachably and fixedly connected to the calf plate, and the other end of the connecting plate is a lower hinged part. The lower hinged part is hingedly connected to a foot cover assembly, and the foot cover assembly matches the foot of the human body. The rear part of the foot cover assembly is connected to the lower part of the connecting plate through a passive power-assisting component. The passive power-assisting component stores energy for assisting walking when the foot structure of the human body performs plantar flexion movement.

[0012] Its further technical solution is:

[0013] The structure of a single support rod assembly is as follows: it includes an upper support rod, a first arc-shaped connecting rod, and a second arc-shaped connecting rod, wherein the upper ends of the first arc-shaped connecting rod and the second arc-shaped connecting rod are hinged to the lower end of the upper support rod, and the upper end of the upper support rod is hinged to the middle part of the spine plate assembly;

[0014] The rear cross beam is a U-shaped bending structure, and the end of the rear cross beam is a bending portion facing the human body. The inner side of the bending portion is hinged to the lower end of the first arc-shaped connecting rod, and the outer side of the rear cross beam is hinged to the lower end of the second arc-shaped connecting rod. The first arc-shaped connecting rod and the second arc-shaped connecting rod are arranged in a herringbone shape, and the bending directions of the first arc-shaped connecting rod and the second arc-shaped connecting rod are opposite to each other. The lower end of the second arc-shaped connecting rod is connected to the middle part of the length direction of the rear cross beam.

[0015] A plurality of adjustment holes are provided in the middle portion of the rear cross beam in the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of adjustment holes are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the rear cross beam, and the lower end of the second arc-shaped connecting rod is hinged to a single adjustment hole.

[0016] A shoulder gas spring and a shoulder connecting rod are installed on the upper part of the spine plate assembly. The length directions of the shoulder connecting rod and the shoulder gas spring are consistent. The shoulder gas spring is located above the shoulder connecting rod. One end of the shoulder gas spring is fixedly connected to the spine plate assembly, and the other end of the shoulder gas spring is hinged to the shoulder fixing frame. One end of the shoulder connecting rod is hinged to the shoulder fixing frame.

[0017] The elbow joint rotating disk and the elbow connecting rod are also included. The outer side of the elbow joint rotating disk is provided with a rotating disk hinge portion. The rotating disk hinge portion deviates from the rotation axis of the elbow joint rotating disk. One end of the elbow connecting rod is hinged to the rotating disk hinge portion, and the other end of the elbow connecting rod is hinged to the output end of the upper limb cylinder.

[0018] It also includes an elbow joint fixing plate, which is fixedly connected to the outer side of the forearm support and is transmission-connected to the elbow joint rotating plate. The rotation axis of the elbow joint rotating plate is colinear with the rotation axis of the intersection of the forearm support and the upper arm support. The inner side of the hinge of the forearm support and the upper arm support is hinged by a damping rotation device.

[0019] The piston-cylinder assembly is an air cylinder or an air spring, and the piston-cylinder assembly includes a cylinder body and a piston rod that performs piston motion relative to the cylinder body. When the angle between the thigh plate and the calf plate is equal to ninety degrees, the piston rod completely enters the cylinder body.

[0020] There are two thigh panels and they are arranged parallel to each other. The two thigh panels are respectively located at the two ends of the rotation axis of the hip joint fixed axis, and at the same time cooperate with the hip joint fixed axis and the knee joint rotation axis. The thigh panels are provided with multiple hole structures designed using topology optimization technology.

[0021] The structure of the foot cover assembly includes a base plate, and a group of support plates are respectively provided on both sides of the base plate. A single group of support plates includes a front support plate and a rear support plate, both of which are connected to the base plate at their lower ends, and the upper ends of the front support plate and the rear support plate are hinged to the lower hinge part at the same time;

[0022] The passive power-assisting component is structured as follows: comprising a swinging member, comprising a swinging base plate, a rotating shaft being provided on the swinging base plate, the rotating shaft being rotatably connected to the lower portion of the connecting plate, and further comprising a movable portion and a limiting portion provided on the swinging base plate, the limiting portion being provided with an arc-shaped through hole, the arc-shaped circle of the arc-shaped through hole being concentric with the rotating shaft, the arc-shaped through hole being slidably matched with the limiting shaft installed on the connecting plate, the limiting shaft being located between the lower hinge portion and the rotating shaft,

[0023] It also includes a lower support rod installed on the rear support plate, the end of the lower support rod and the movable part are both located behind the rear support plate and are connected through an independent suspension component.

[0024] The connecting plate is provided with an ankle support plate, which cooperates with the back of the lower leg of the human body. A roller is installed behind the ankle support plate through a rotating shaft, and a tension spring is connected between the roller and the rotating shaft.

[0025] It also includes a Bowden cable, one end of which is fixedly connected to the upper rear of the foot cover assembly, and the other end of the Bowden cable is wound around the roller.

[0026] The inner ring of the wrist ring is provided with a wrist pressure sensor, which is used to sense the pressure applied by the human wrist to the wrist ring. The rear part of the back plate assembly is equipped with a controller and an air pump, which is used to drive and control the upper limb cylinder. The air pump is connected to the upper limb cylinder through an air pipe, and the air pipe is provided with a cylinder reversing valve.

[0027] Lifting heavy objects process:

[0028] When the pressure detection value of the wrist pressure sensor is lower than the set low pressure threshold, the upper limb cylinder is in a deflated state, so that the forearm support and the upper arm support can swing freely relative to each other.

[0029] When the human body lifts a heavy object with both hands, the pressure detection value of the wrist pressure sensor is greater than or equal to the critical pressure value for starting the upper limb cylinder. After the cylinder reversing valve is actuated, the output end of the upper limb cylinder extends, driving the forearm support to swing upward relative to the upper arm support, thereby reducing the angle between the forearm support and the upper arm support and lifting the heavy object.

[0030] When the weight is lowered, the human body's wrist is pressed down, and when the pressure detection value of the wrist pressure sensor is less than the set low pressure threshold, the cylinder reversing valve is actuated to put the upper limb cylinder in a deflated state;

[0031] While walking:

[0032] When the ankle joint of the human foot is in dorsiflexion motion, the swing member swings forward toward the foot structure of the human body, and the spring of the independent suspension assembly is in a naturally extended state.

[0033] When the ankle joint of the human body is in plantar flexion motion, the swing member swings toward the rear of the human body's foot structure, and the spring of the independent suspension component is in a compressed state.

[0034] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0035] The present invention has a compact and reasonable structure and is easy to operate. It adopts a modular design of four structures: a back exoskeleton, an upper limb exoskeleton, a lower limb exoskeleton and a foot exoskeleton. An active power-assisting structure is provided on the upper limb exoskeleton, a power-assisting structure is provided on the lower limb exoskeleton, and a passive power-assisting structure is provided on the foot exoskeleton. Combined with the design of the freedom of movement of each joint, the present invention adopts the least power-assisting structure while meeting the power-assisting requirements, has a joint structure with appropriate degrees of freedom, and realizes the power-assisting function of the exoskeleton on the basis of reducing system costs, so that the power-assisting effect is better.

[0036] At the same time, the present invention also has the following advantages:

[0037] (1) The first arc-shaped connecting rod and the second arc-shaped connecting rod are arranged in a herringbone shape, which makes the support effect of the support rod assembly more stable. At the same time, the bending directions of the first arc-shaped connecting rod and the second arc-shaped connecting rod are opposite to each other, so that the support rod assembly also has a certain vertical buffering effect. The rigid spine plate assembly is connected to the lower limb exoskeleton through the elastic support rod assembly through the rear crossbeam, so that the human body has a better experience when wearing the exoskeleton.

[0038] (2) A shoulder gas spring is fixed on the spine plate assembly, and the shoulder connecting rod is hinged so that both are hinged to the shoulder fixing frame at the same time, thereby achieving the purpose of suspending the upper limb exoskeleton while improving the flexibility of the shoulder joint assembly of the back exoskeleton and expanding the range of motion of the upper limb exoskeleton.

[0039] (3) The fixed-axis rotation of the forearm support is achieved through the linear motion of the movable end of the fixed upper limb cylinder. The damping rotation device and the upper limb cylinder are connected in parallel to achieve a certain buffering and shock absorption effect. The rocker slider mechanism is coupled in parallel with the damping rotation device to make the movement of the elbow joint smoother, which can effectively avoid the impact of vibration.

[0040] (4) A swinging piston-cylinder assembly scheme is adopted at the knee joint, and the extreme position characteristics of the piston rod of the piston-cylinder assembly are utilized to achieve the dead point characteristics matching when the human body is sitting, so as to achieve a direct drive effect on the knee joint and provide better assistance and cushioning for standing up and squatting.

[0041] (5) The foot exoskeleton adopts a unilateral independent suspension scheme, which uses a swinging arc-shaped through-hole structure and cooperates with an independent suspension component to achieve the effects of energy storage, shock absorption and flexible rotation, adapting to the single degree of freedom at the ankle joint, and achieving adaptation of the suspension structure and movement during the dorsiflexion and plantar flexion movements of the ankle.

[0042] (6) The foot exoskeleton uses a passive elastic suspension to enable the exoskeleton to realize the rotation of the ankle joint during human movement, and can be combined with the active Bowden cable to be flexibly driven by the roller to achieve the effect of rigid-flexible coupling. A good adaptation design scheme is proposed for the rotating mechanical structure of the exoskeleton ankle joint to achieve certain sports shock absorption and energy storage measures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention (another perspective).

[0045] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the back exoskeleton of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the back exoskeleton of the present invention (from another perspective).

[0047] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the dorsal exoskeleton of the present invention (viewed from above).

[0048] Figure 6 This is a partial front view of the back exoskeleton of the present invention (the shoulder gas spring is in an extended state).

[0049] Figure 7 This is a partial front view of the back exoskeleton of the present invention (the shoulder gas spring is in a retracted state).

[0050] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the upper limb exoskeleton of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of the upper limb exoskeleton of the present invention (from another perspective).

[0052] Figure 10 This is an exploded view of the upper limb exoskeleton of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the action state of the upper limb exoskeleton of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the structure of the lower limb exoskeleton of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 13This is an exploded view of the lower limb exoskeleton of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 14 Schematic diagram of the lower limb exoskeleton in action.

[0057] Figure 15 Schematic diagram of the structure of the foot exoskeleton of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 16 Schematic diagram of the structure of the foot exoskeleton of the present invention (from another perspective).

[0059] Figure 17 Schematic diagram of the foot exoskeleton of the present invention (in plantar flexion).

[0060] Figure 18 Schematic diagram of the foot exoskeleton of the present invention (in dorsiflexion).

[0061] in:

[0062] 1. Back exoskeleton;

[0063] 11. Rear cross member; 111. Adjustment hole; 112. Bending portion;

[0064] 12. Support rod assembly; 121. First arc-shaped connecting rod; 122. Second arc-shaped connecting rod; 123. Upper support rod;

[0065] 13. Back plate assembly; 131. Back plate; 132. Waist bend plate; 133. Buckle;

[0066] 14. Shoulder joint assembly; 141. Shoulder connecting rod; 142. Shoulder fixing frame; 143. Upper limb swing axis; 144. Shoulder joint L-shaped plate; 145. Extension rod; 146. Ball joint connector; 147. Shoulder gas spring;

[0067] 15. H-shaped plate;

[0068] 2. Upper limb exoskeleton;

[0069] 21. Upper arm support; 211. Upper arm support plate; 212. Upper arm outer plate; 213. Upper arm inner plate;

[0070] 22. Forearm support; 221. Forearm support plate; 222. Forearm outer plate; 223. Forearm inner plate;

[0071] 23. Wrist ring; 24. Damping rotation device; 25. Upper limb cylinder; 26. Elbow connecting rod; 27. Elbow joint turntable; 271. Turntable hinge; 28. Elbow joint fixed plate; 29. Long screw;

[0072] 3. Lower limb exoskeleton;

[0073] 31. Thigh plate; 3101. Knee joint pressure plate; 32. Hip joint fixed shaft; 33. Fisheye bearing; 34. Piston-cylinder assembly; 35. Knee joint rotation axis; 3501. Linkage shaft; 36. Bearing; 37. Calf plate; 38. Round rod; 39. Cantilever rocker;

[0074] 4. Foot exoskeleton;

[0075] 41. Foot cover assembly; 411. Front foot plate; 412. Bottom plate; 413. Front support plate; 414. Rear support plate;

[0076] 42. Passive power-assisting component; 421. Lower support rod; 422. Independent suspension assembly; 423. Limiting shaft; 424. Swinging member; 4241. Limiting portion; 4242. Rotating shaft; 4243. Movable portion;

[0077] 43. Connecting plate; 431. Lower hinged portion; 432. Upper connecting portion; 44. Ankle support plate; 45. Roller; 46. Bowden cable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0078] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0079] Example 1:

[0080] like Figures 1-17 As shown, the integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device of this embodiment includes a back exoskeleton 1, an upper limb exoskeleton 2, a lower limb exoskeleton 3 and a foot exoskeleton 4.

[0081] The structure of the back exoskeleton 1 is as follows: it includes a rear crossbeam 11, on which are mounted two support rod assemblies 12, which are symmetrically arranged about the vertical midline of the back exoskeleton 1, and also includes a spine board assembly 13, on both sides of the upper part of the spine board assembly 13, shoulder joint assemblies 14 are respectively mounted, and the middle part of the spine board assembly 13 is connected to the upper ends of the two support rod assemblies 12 at the same time. The spine board assembly 13 is fixed to the back of the human body that needs assistance by straps.

[0082] Specifically, the back plate assembly 13 includes a back plate 131 arranged in the vertical direction, and the back plate 131 has many holes and slots, which are used to configure external devices (such as a floating backpack, a power source device, etc.); a plurality of buckles 133 are provided on the upper part and both sides of the back plate 131, and the lower part of the back plate 131 is fixed with a waist curved plate 132, and buckles 133 are also provided on the left and right sides of the waist curved plate 132. The buckles 133 are used to pass through straps, which are cross-constrained by the straps and the human torso to facilitate the user's wearing; an H-shaped plate 15 is installed on the back plate 131, and the H-shaped plate 15 is arranged horizontally. The two ends of the H-shaped plate 15 are respectively used to install the shoulder joint assembly 14; the rear cross beam 11 at the waist is connected in series with the support rod assembly 12 and the back plate assembly 13 to achieve effective support for the back and upper limb exoskeleton 2.

[0083] The shoulder joint assembly 14 includes a shoulder fixing frame 142 connected to the spinal plate assembly 13. The shoulder fixing frame 142 is installed with a shoulder joint L-shaped plate 144 through a ball head connector 146. The lower end of the shoulder joint L-shaped plate 144 is installed with an upper limb swing shaft 143.

[0084] There are two upper limb exoskeletons 2 and they match the upper limbs of the human body. The structure of a single upper limb exoskeleton 2 is as follows: it includes a forearm support 22 and an upper arm support 21. The outer side of the upper end of the upper arm support 21 is hinged to the upper limb swing axis 143, one end of the forearm support 22 is hinged to the lower end of the upper arm support 21, and the other end of the forearm support 22 is provided with a wrist ring 23 that cooperates with the human wrist. An upper limb cylinder 25 is fixedly installed on the outer side of the upper arm support 21, and the output end of the upper limb cylinder 25 is transmission-connected to the forearm support 22. The upper limb cylinder 25 is used to drive the forearm support 22 to swing relative to the upper arm support 21, so that the angle between the forearm support 22 and the upper arm support 21 is reduced.

[0085] Specifically, the ball head connector 146 can achieve free swinging in multiple directions. The ball head connector 146 is a purchased part, and a universal ball head D-type head can be selected; the shoulder fixing frame 142 is connected to the end of the H-shaped plate 15 installed on the spine plate assembly 13. The shoulder fixing frame 142 plays the role of suspending the upper limb exoskeleton 2, and the ball head connector 146 achieves free swinging of the shoulder joint; the shoulder joint L-shaped plate 144 is an inverted L-shape that matches the shoulder, and a shoulder joint pressure plate that cooperates with the upper arm support 21 is provided on the outer side of the upper limb swing shaft 143, which plays an axial limiting role when the upper arm support 21 rotates relative to the upper limb swing shaft 143.

[0086] Specifically, the structure of the upper arm support 21 includes an upper arm outer plate 212 located on the outer side of the upper arm after being worn on the upper arm of the human body, and an upper arm inner plate 213 located on the inner side of the upper arm. The upper arm outer plate 212 and the upper arm inner plate 213 are connected by an upper arm support plate 211. The upper arm support plate 211 cooperates with the back of the upper arm, and the upper arm support 21 is fixed to the upper arm relatively by a strap; the structure of the forearm support 22 includes an upper arm outer plate 222 located on the outer side of the forearm after being worn on the forearm of the human body, and an upper arm inner plate 223 located on the inner side of the forearm. Plate 223, the forearm outer plate 222 and the forearm inner plate 223 are connected through the forearm support plate 221, the forearm support plate 221 cooperates with the back of the forearm, and the forearm support and the forearm are fixed relatively to the forearm by a strap; the upper end of the upper arm outer plate 212 is hinged to the upper limb swing axis 143, the lower end of the upper arm outer plate 212 is hinged to one end of the forearm outer plate 222, the lower end of the upper arm inner plate 213 is hinged to one end of the forearm inner plate 223, and the other end of the forearm inner plate 223 and the forearm outer plate 222 are fixedly connected to the wrist ring 23 at the same time.

[0087] The upper limb cylinder 25 is used to drive the forearm support 22 to swing relative to the upper arm support 21, so that the angle between the forearm support 22 and the upper arm support 21 decreases, thereby assisting the human body in lifting heavy objects.

[0088] In the above structure, the shoulder fixing frames 142 installed on both sides of the upper part of the back exoskeleton 1 suspend the upper limb exoskeleton 2 through the ball head connector 146, and the hip joint fixing axis 32 of the lower limb exoskeleton 3 is installed on the bent parts 112 at both ends of the rear cross beam 11 at the lower part of the back exoskeleton 1. In addition, it can also be connected to the rotating shaft installed on the bent part 112 through a fisheye bearing 33. The fisheye bearing 33 is set in a way that it can swing along the vertical plane. At the same time, the fisheye bearing 33 can also achieve a slight swing in the horizontal direction, which facilitates the hip joint fixing axis 32 to generate a slight hip swing; the connection between the upper limb exoskeleton 2, the lower limb exoskeleton 3 and the back exoskeleton 1 realizes the connection between the upper and lower limb exoskeletons, and the two support rod assemblies 12 realize the effective support of the lower limb exoskeleton 3 to the upper limb exoskeleton 2.

[0089] The human leg is of limited size, and designing a lower-limb exoskeleton structure with as many degrees of freedom as possible within a limited space is challenging. This places high demands on the size of the transmission components and the transmission mechanism. The lower-limb exoskeleton 3 is largely connected to the human lower limb through binding. The deformation caused by the contraction and extension of the leg muscles will affect the positioning accuracy of the exoskeleton robot. This embodiment further improves the lower-limb mechanical structure and joint design, including the use of a piston-cylinder assembly 34 as a drive element. The piston-cylinder assembly 34 is located at the rear of the lower-limb exoskeleton 3. The structural design of the relevant joints provides as many degrees of freedom as possible, resulting in a comfortable, wearable, integrated, power-assisted, and portable exoskeleton device. The structure of the lower-limb exoskeleton 3 is as follows.

[0090] There are two lower limb exoskeletons 3 and they match the lower limbs of the human body. The structure of a single lower limb exoskeleton 3 is: it includes a thigh panel 31, a calf panel 37 and a piston-cylinder assembly 34, and also includes a hip joint fixed shaft 32 rotatably connected to the upper end of the thigh panel 31. The hip joint fixed shaft 32 is connected to the horizontal end of the rear cross beam 11. The lower end of the thigh panel 31 is rotatably installed with a knee joint rotation shaft 35. One end of the piston-cylinder assembly 34 is hinged to the thigh panel 31, and the other end of the piston-cylinder assembly 34 is hinged to the cantilever rocker 39 on the outer peripheral surface of the knee joint rotation shaft 35. The piston-cylinder assembly 34 is used to help increase the angle between the thigh panel 31 and the calf panel 37. The outer peripheral surface of the knee joint rotation shaft 35 is rotatably installed with the calf panel 37 through a round rod 38.

[0091] Specifically, the lower limb exoskeleton 3 is located on the outside of the lower limb of the human body and is relatively fixed to the lower limb by straps; the calf plate 37 swings along with the knee joint rotation axis 35, thereby providing a certain degree of rotational freedom to the foot exoskeleton 4 installed on the calf plate 37; holes and slots are provided in the calf plate 37 to adapt to wearers of different heights; the states between the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37 are roughly divided into three types, namely standing state, vertical state and squatting state. Since the weight of the human body itself or the weight of the heavy objects being carried needs to be overcome during the transition from squatting to standing state, especially when changing from vertical state to squatting state, the piston of the piston-cylinder assembly 34 extends, so that when the angle between the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37 increases, the lower limb exoskeleton 3 is assisted to be in a standing state.

[0092] Specifically, the piston-cylinder assembly 34 can be a gas cylinder or a gas spring, that is, it can be active or passive power assist; the piston-cylinder assembly 34 includes a cylinder body and a piston rod that performs piston motion relative to the cylinder body. The hinged installation position of the cylinder body forms a triangle with the center of the cantilever rocker 39 and the knee joint rotation axis 35. When the piston rod is extended when the vertical state changes to the standing state, the driving force inside the cylinder body is converted into a torque that drives the thigh plate 31 to swing relative to the knee joint rotation axis 35, helping the human body to stand, achieving a direct drive effect on the knee joint, and also playing a power assist role during walking.

[0093] There are two foot exoskeletons 4 and they match the structure of the human foot. The structure of a single foot exoskeleton 4 is: it includes a connecting plate 43, one end of the connecting plate 43 is an upper connecting portion 432 that is detachably and fixedly connected to the calf plate 37, and the other end of the connecting plate 43 is a lower hinged portion 431. The lower hinged portion 431 is hingedly connected to a foot cover assembly 41, and the foot cover assembly 41 matches the human foot. The rear part of the foot cover assembly 41 is connected to the lower part of the connecting plate 43 through a passive power-assisting component 42. The passive power-assisting component 42 stores energy for assisting walking when the human foot structure performs plantar flexion movement.

[0094] The entire framework of the integrated power-assisted exoskeleton is a rigid support structure: passive auxiliary support is used at the shoulder joint of the upper limb, and active pneumatic support (cylinder-fixed) is used at the elbow joint; passive auxiliary support is used at the hip joint of the lower limb, and active or passive support (cylinder or gas spring) is used at the knee joint; the ankle joint uses a passive suspension cushioning support structure; the back is supported by rods, and a power source backpack is placed in a hole structure to realize cylinder drive. At the same time, the degrees of freedom during movement meet ergonomic requirements. The shoulder joint ball joint connector 146 enables free rotation of the shoulder joint; the elbow joint uses the principle of a rocker slider mechanism to achieve single-degree-of-freedom bending. The overall lower limb mechanical structure of the lower limb exoskeleton 3 combined with the foot exoskeleton 4 has five degrees of freedom, including a slight horizontal hip swing, forward and backward swinging structure at the hip, knee, and ankle joints, and rotation of the lower leg relative to the knee joint, realizing adaptation to the lower body's movement function.

[0095] The modular design of each part makes it easy to wear, design, assemble reliably, improve design efficiency, have strong applicability and facilitate maintenance, and the system structure is easy to disassemble, creating a low-cost and easy-to-promote integrated power-assisted portable exoskeleton device.

[0096] When wearing the integrated power-assisted exoskeleton, the lower limbs are first placed with the human foot into the sole cover assembly 41, the upper limbs are extended into the upper limb exoskeleton 2, and the wrists are extended directly to the wrist ring 23. The exoskeleton is then restrained by the straps on the back plate assembly 13, the lower limb exoskeleton 3 and the sole cover assembly 41 to achieve wearing of the exoskeleton.

[0097] During exercise, sensors are required to control the exoskeleton's movements and determine the body's movement intentions to provide assistance. Active assistance utilizes pneumatic piping, a pneumatic reversing valve, and an air pump to achieve cylinder movement. The power pump can be located in the back plate assembly 13. Combining active and passive assistance, this system achieves integrated assisted carrying. This overall solution provides walking assistance and can also be used in military, fitness, and other workplaces.

[0098] Through the modular design of the four-part structure of the back exoskeleton 1, the upper limb exoskeleton 2, the lower limb exoskeleton 3 and the foot exoskeleton 4, an active power-assisting structure is set on the upper limb exoskeleton 2, a power-assisting structure is set on the lower limb exoskeleton 3, and a passive power-assisting structure is set on the foot exoskeleton 4. Combined with the design of the freedom of movement of each joint, the minimum power-assisting structure is used while meeting the power-assisting needs. The joint structure has appropriate degrees of freedom, which reduces the system cost, realizes the power-assisting function of the exoskeleton, and makes the power-assisting effect better.

[0099] Furthermore, the lower structure of the lower limb exoskeleton 3 is optimized:

[0100] like Figure 3-Figure 4As shown, the structure of a single support rod assembly 12 is as follows: it includes an upper support rod 123, a first arc-shaped connecting rod 121, and a second arc-shaped connecting rod 122. The upper ends of the first arc-shaped connecting rod 121 and the second arc-shaped connecting rod 122 are hinged to the lower end of the upper support rod 123, and the upper end of the upper support rod 123 is hinged to the middle part of the spine plate assembly 13.

[0101] The rear cross beam 11 is a U-shaped bending structure, and the end of the rear cross beam 11 is a bending portion 112 facing the human body. The inner side of the bending portion 112 is hinged to the lower end of the first arc-shaped connecting rod 121, and the outer side of the rear cross beam 11 is hinged to the lower end of the second arc-shaped connecting rod 122. The first arc-shaped connecting rod 121 and the second arc-shaped connecting rod 122 are arranged in a herringbone shape, and the bending directions of the first arc-shaped connecting rod 121 and the second arc-shaped connecting rod 122 are opposite to each other. The lower end of the second arc-shaped connecting rod 122 is connected to the middle part of the length direction of the rear cross beam 11.

[0102] The first arc-shaped connecting rod 121 and the second arc-shaped connecting rod 122 are arranged in a herringbone shape, so that the supporting effect of the support rod assembly 12 is better and more stable. At the same time, the bending directions of the first arc-shaped connecting rod 121 and the second arc-shaped connecting rod 122 are opposite to each other, so that the support rod assembly 12 also has a certain vertical buffering effect. The rigid spine plate assembly 13 is connected to the lower limb exoskeleton 3 through the elastic support rod assembly 12 through the rear crossbeam 11, so that the human body has a better experience when wearing the exoskeleton.

[0103] like Figure 3-Figure 4 As shown, a plurality of adjustment holes 111 are provided in the middle portion of the rear cross beam 11 in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of adjustment holes 111 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the rear cross beam 11 , and the lower end of the second arc-shaped connecting rod 122 is hinged to a single adjustment hole 111 .

[0104] The rear cross beam 11 is provided with an adjustment hole 111 to facilitate adaptive adjustment for people of different heights; at the same time, adjustment holes are also provided in the height direction at the connection part of the spine plate 131 and the fixed waist curved plate 132, and the upper support rod 123 is specifically connected to the holes on both sides of the spine plate 131, and the openings on the spine plate 131 are also multiple in the height direction, which is convenient for adjusting the overall height of the back exoskeleton 1 according to people of different heights.

[0105] Furthermore, the upper structure of the lower limb exoskeleton 3 is optimized:

[0106] like Figure 3-Figure 7As shown, a shoulder gas spring 147 and a shoulder connecting rod 141 are installed on the upper part of the spine plate assembly 13. The length directions of the shoulder connecting rod 141 and the shoulder gas spring 147 are consistent. The shoulder gas spring 147 is located above the shoulder connecting rod 141. One end of the shoulder gas spring 147 is fixedly connected to the spine plate assembly 13, and the other end of the shoulder gas spring 147 is hinged to the shoulder fixing frame 142. One end of the shoulder connecting rod 141 is hinged to the shoulder fixing frame 142.

[0107] Specifically, the length directions of the shoulder connecting rod 141 and the shoulder gas spring 147 are consistent, that is, they are both tilted upward and toward the shoulder of the human body. One end of the shoulder gas spring 147 is fixedly connected to the spine plate assembly 13 to ensure that the shoulder fixing frame 142 is in a suspended state, thereby making the ball head connector 146 connected to the shoulder fixing frame 142 in a suspended state; the shoulder fixing frame 142 is arranged in a vertical direction as a whole, and the hinge part between it and the shoulder gas spring 147 is located above the hinge part between it and the shoulder connecting rod 141; in addition, an extension rod 145 extending horizontally toward the front of the human body can be set at the upper end of the shoulder fixing frame 142, and a ball head connector 146 is installed at the front end of the extension rod 145; the shoulder connecting rod 141 and the shoulder gas spring 147 can both be connected to the spine plate 131 through an H-shaped plate 15.

[0108] like Figure 6 As shown, the shoulder gas spring 147 is in an extended state, and the shoulder fixing frame 142 is in the outermost position, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, when the human arm is raised significantly, the shoulder joint, driven by the shoulder muscles, moves closer to the neck. At this point, shoulder gas spring 147 is in a contracted state, adjusting the position of shoulder mount 142 as the shoulder joint moves. Shoulder gas spring 147 is a passive assist component, similar to a purchased spring. After compression, it automatically returns to its original position upon relaxation, providing a certain degree of guidance and cushioning.

[0109] A shoulder gas spring 147 is fixedly mounted on the spine plate assembly 13, and the shoulder connecting rod 141 is hingedly connected so that both are hingedly connected to the shoulder fixing frame 142 at the same time, thereby achieving the purpose of suspending the upper limb exoskeleton 2 while increasing the flexibility of the shoulder joint assembly 14 of the back exoskeleton 1 and expanding the range of motion of the upper limb exoskeleton 2.

[0110] Furthermore, a shock-absorbing design is performed on the active structure at the elbow joint of the exoskeleton:

[0111] like Figures 8-11 As shown, it also includes an elbow joint turntable 27 and an elbow connecting rod 26. A turntable hinge part 271 is provided on the outer side of the elbow joint turntable 27. The turntable hinge part 271 deviates from the rotation axis of the elbow joint turntable 27. One end of the elbow connecting rod 26 is hinged to the turntable hinge part 271, and the other end of the elbow connecting rod 26 is hinged to the output end of the upper limb cylinder 25.

[0112] It also includes an elbow joint fixing plate 28, which is fixedly connected to the outer side of the forearm support 22 and is transmission-connected to the elbow joint turntable 27. The rotation axis of the elbow joint turntable 27 is collinear with the rotation axis at the intersection of the forearm support 22 and the upper arm support 21. The inner side of the hinge of the forearm support 22 and the upper arm support 21 is hinged through a damping rotation device 24.

[0113] Specifically, the upper limb cylinder 25 is fixed on the outer plate 212 of the upper arm, the elbow joint fixing plate 28 is fixedly connected to the outer plate 222 of the forearm, and the elbow joint fixing plate 28 and the elbow joint turntable 27 are connected by a key. A long screw 29 is used to simultaneously pass through the elbow joint fixing plate 28, the outer plate 222 of the forearm, the outer plate 212 of the upper arm and the elbow joint turntable 27 to limit the elbow joint fixing plate 28 and the elbow joint turntable 27, and the gap between the outer plate 212 of the upper arm and the outer plate 222 of the forearm is matched by bolts and anti-loosening nuts; the damping rotation device 24 is a purchased part, such as an arbitrary stop support rod, which is connected to the inner plate 223 of the forearm and the inner plate 213 of the upper arm respectively through two swing rods.

[0114] Specifically, the elbow link 26 is hinged to the output end of the upper limb cylinder 25, and the displacement of the output end of the upper limb cylinder 25 is transmitted to the turntable hinge 271 through the swing of the elbow link 26. The position movement of the turntable hinge 271 is converted into the rotation of the elbow joint turntable 27, thereby achieving reliable rotation and enhanced range of motion of the upper limb elbow joint. Figure 11 As shown, the extension of the output end of the upper limb cylinder 25 assists in lifting the forearm support 22 from position C to position B and then to position A, thereby assisting the person in carrying heavy objects. The stroke of the output end of the upper limb cylinder 25 limits the extreme position of the forearm support 22, thereby matching and constraining the range of motion of the human elbow joint, preventing the range of motion from exceeding the limit of the human joint motion and causing injury to the body.

[0115] Specifically, the swing arm of the damping rotation device 24 includes a fixed rod and a movable rod. The damping rotation device 24 also includes a nylon retaining ring, a swivel, a cylindrical roller, a fixed pressure plate, and an adjusting nut. The damping rotation device 24 operates to provide smooth, undamped elbow flexion and damping during arm extension, achieving a cushioning and shock-absorbing effect. The damping rotation device 24 is coaxial with the axis of the elbow joint rotating disk 27.

[0116] The fixed-axis rotation of the forearm support 22 is achieved through the linear movement of the movable end of the fixed upper limb cylinder 25. The damping rotation device 24 and the upper limb cylinder 25 are connected in parallel to achieve a certain buffering and shock-absorbing effect. The rocker slider mechanism and the damping rotation device 24 are coupled in parallel to make the movement of the elbow joint smoother, which can effectively avoid the influence of vibration.

[0117] Furthermore, the installation structure and action of the piston-cylinder assembly 34 are optimized:

[0118] like Figure 12-14 As shown, the piston cylinder assembly 34 is a cylinder or gas spring. The piston cylinder assembly 34 includes a cylinder body and a piston rod that moves relative to the cylinder body. When the angle between the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37 is equal to ninety degrees, the piston rod completely enters the cylinder body. At this time, Figure 14 When the angle between the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37 is less than ninety degrees or greater than ninety degrees, the piston rod partially or completely extends out of the cylinder, such as Figure 14 d represents the standing state and f represents the squatting state.

[0119] When the piston-cylinder assembly 34 is a pneumatic cylinder, specifically, the cylinder body of the piston-cylinder assembly 34 is hinged to the thigh plate 31, the piston rod end of the piston-cylinder assembly 34 is hinged to the cantilever rocker 39 on the outer peripheral surface of the knee joint rotation axis 35, an angle sensor is installed at the lower part of the thigh plate 31 for detecting the angle change between the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37, and a pressure sensor is installed at the piston rod end of the piston-cylinder assembly 34 for sensing the pressure change at the knee joint. In addition, the control air circuit of the cylinder requires an external reversing valve, which relies on the pressure value feedback to the controller to realize the air supply and exhaust of the reversing valve to realize the compression and extension of the cylinder, and relies on the slight rotation feedback of the calf plate 37 driven by the human body to realize the extension and retraction of the lower limb gas rod, thereby achieving a power-assisting effect at the knee joint.

[0120] When squatting, a cushioning effect is required. At this time, the cylinder is in a contracted state, and the angle change between the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37 can be fed back to the controller to control the contraction speed of the cylinder.

[0121] When standing up, a power assist effect is needed. At this time, the cylinder is in the extended state, and the angle change between the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37 is fed back to the controller to control the extension speed of the cylinder.

[0122] When the piston-cylinder assembly 34 is a passive gas spring, the rated force of the gas spring itself can be relied upon to enable rapid standing after squatting. The initial position of the gas spring is an upright standing posture of the human body. When squatting, the gas spring is pressed down by the weight of the human body, causing the knee joint to rotate slowly, thereby achieving squatting. When the squatting posture is transformed into an upright posture, after the lower limbs exert a little force, the angle between the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37 is reset to Figure 14 After the middle e part is in a half-squatting or sitting state, the pressure of the gas spring itself is used to reset the position, so that the person can stand up quickly.

[0123] In the above two cases, when the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37 are in a vertical state, the piston rod of the cylinder is equivalent to reaching the limit position of compression, which is also a dead point position of the lower limb exoskeleton 3, so that the human body can maintain a half-squat or sit in a rest position such as a chair. At this time, the piston rod and the cantilever rocker 39 are collinear; the position of the cylinder piston rod when the human body is standing and the position of the cylinder piston rod when squatting are both the limit positions of the cylinder piston rod extension, thereby matching and constraining the range of motion of the human body's joints to prevent the range of motion from exceeding the limit of the human body's joint motion and causing harm to the human body.

[0124] The knee joint adopts a swinging scheme of the piston-cylinder assembly 34, and utilizes the extreme position characteristics of the piston rod of the piston-cylinder assembly 34 to achieve dead point characteristics matching when the human body is sitting, realize direct drive effect on the knee joint, and have better assistance and cushioning for standing up and squatting.

[0125] like Figure 12-13 As shown, there are two thigh panels 31 and they are arranged parallel to each other. The two thigh panels 31 are respectively located at the two ends of the rotation axis of the hip joint fixed axis 32, and are simultaneously coordinated with the hip joint fixed axis 32 and the knee joint rotation axis 35. The thigh panels 31 are provided with a plurality of hole structures designed using topology optimization technology.

[0126] The fisheye bearing 33 is connected to the hip joint fixed axis 32 at the hip joint. The hip joint portion of the exoskeleton relies on the fisheye bearing 33 to achieve lateral hip swing. The upper ends of the two thigh plates 31 are keyed to achieve synchronous rotation. The thigh plates 31 are restrained on either side of the hip joint fixed axis 32 by pressure plates on both sides. The cylinder body of the piston cylinder assembly 34 is also hinged to the two thigh plates 31. Bearings 36 are installed on both sides of the knee joint rotation axis 35 to reduce rotational friction and improve the mechanical rotation efficiency of the joint, making the joint rotation more smooth. In addition, holes are drilled on the side of the knee joint rotation axis 35, and the knee joint pressure plate 3101 is fixedly connected by screws and gaskets. The linkage shaft 3501 fixedly arranged at the inner hole of the knee joint pressure plate 3101 cooperates with the inner ring of the bearing 36, and the outer ring of the bearing 36 cooperates with the middle part of the knee joint rotation axis 35. Then, the knee joint pressure plate 3101 is rotated relative to the knee joint rotation axis 35 through the relative rotation of the inner and outer rings of the bearing 36, driving the thigh plate 31 to swing, ensuring the stability and reliability of the knee joint rotation axis 35 during rotation, and improving the mechanical rotation efficiency of the joint.

[0127] Topology optimization is the process of optimizing the layout and structure of materials within a given 3D geometric design space using a set of rules defined by the designer. The goal is to maximize part performance by mathematically modeling and optimizing factors such as external forces, load conditions, boundary conditions, constraints, and material properties within the design scope. It can be considered a structural design method and a design approach.

[0128] The thigh plate 31 uses topology optimization technology to achieve lightweight design for its hole structure. The plate material is aluminum alloy (2024-T3) for finite element analysis. Using ANSYS software, the weight is reduced by 25% based on the original solid single plate while meeting the requirements of maximum displacement, minimum safety factor, and maximum Mises equivalent stress. Its topology structure can be seen Figure 12 , which can effectively support the weight of the upper limbs and back.

[0129] Furthermore, the power structure of the foot exoskeleton is optimized:

[0130] like Figure 15-18 As shown, the structure of the foot cover assembly 41 includes a bottom plate 412, and a group of support plates are respectively provided on both sides of the bottom plate 412. A single group of support plates includes a front support plate 413 and a rear support plate 414, both of which are connected to the bottom plate 412 at their lower ends. The upper ends of the front support plate 413 and the rear support plate 414 are hinged to the lower hinge part 431 at the same time.

[0131] The passive power-assisting component 42 has the following structure: it includes a swinging member 424, which includes a swinging base plate, a rotating shaft 4242 provided on the swinging base plate, and the rotating shaft 4242 is rotatably connected to the lower part of the connecting plate 43. It also includes a movable portion 4243 and a limiting portion 4241 provided on the swinging base plate. The limiting portion 4241 is provided with an arc-shaped through hole. The arc-shaped circle of the arc-shaped through hole is concentric with the rotating shaft 4242. The arc-shaped through hole is slidably matched with the limiting shaft 423 installed on the connecting plate 43. The limiting shaft 423 is located between the lower hinge portion 431 and the rotating shaft 4242.

[0132] It also includes a lower support rod 421 installed on the rear support plate 414 . The end portion and the movable portion 4243 of the lower support rod 421 are both located behind the rear support plate 414 and are connected through an independent suspension component 422 .

[0133] Specifically, the independent suspension component 422 is an outsourced part, and the HSP106004 shock absorber can be selected; a forefoot plate 411 is also provided in front of the base plate 412, and the forefoot plate 411 cooperates with the front end of the human foot; due to the guiding effect of the arc-shaped through hole, during the dorsiflexion movement of the human ankle, the spring of the independent suspension component 422 will swing toward the front of the human body when it is slightly pulled, so that the state of the spring of the independent suspension component 422 changes without being pulled and maintains its original length. During the plantar flexion movement of the human ankle, the rotation adaptation of the suspension structure can also be achieved. During plantar flexion, the suspension spring is compressed, and the swinging member 424 swings toward the rear of the human body until the limit shaft 423 slides to the end of the arc-shaped through hole, which is the limit state. Its movement effect can be seen Figure 17 、 Figure 18As shown, on the one hand, it does not cause movement interference of the suspension structure, and during the dorsiflexion movement, the suspension structure does not store energy, making the dorsiflexion movement smoother and less labor-intensive; the front support plate 413, the rear support plate 414 and the bottom plate 412 form a triangular stable structure, which can make the structure of the foot exoskeleton 4 more stable, thereby protecting the human foot end and supporting the entire center of gravity of the human body, transmitting the gravity of the exoskeleton to the ground, and playing the effect of reducing the load and assisting carrying.

[0134] The foot exoskeleton 4 adopts a unilateral independent suspension solution, using a swinging member 424 with a swinging arc-shaped through-hole structure, in conjunction with an independent suspension component 422 to achieve the effects of energy storage, shock absorption and flexible rotation, adapting to the single degree of freedom at the ankle joint, and realizing the adaptation of the suspension structure and movement during the dorsiflexion and plantar flexion movements of the ankle.

[0135] like Figure 17-18 As shown, an ankle support plate 44 is provided on the connecting plate 43, and the ankle support plate 44 cooperates with the back of the lower leg of the human body. A roller 45 is installed behind the ankle support plate 44 through a rotating shaft, and a tension spring is connected between the roller 45 and the rotating shaft.

[0136] The foot cover assembly 41 further includes a Bowden cable 46 , one end of which is fixedly connected to the upper rear portion of the foot cover assembly 41 , and the other end of the Bowden cable 46 is wound around the roller 45 .

[0137] Specifically, a Bowden cable 46 is wound around the roller 45, and the upper part of the sole cover assembly 41 is pulled by the Bowden cable 46. The roller 45 is equipped with a tension spring for resetting, which forms a passive power-assisting effect with the Bowden cable 46. When dorsiflexing, the spring of the independent suspension assembly 422 is not compressed, and the ankle joint is subjected to resistance when the Bowden cable 46 is stretched when swinging freely. The elongation and deformation of the Bowden cable 46 can be used to maximize the limitation and cushioning during dorsiflexion.

[0138] The foot exoskeleton 4 uses a passive elastic suspension to enable the exoskeleton to realize ankle rotation during human movement, and can be combined with an active Bowden cable 46 to be flexibly driven by a roller 45 to achieve a rigid-flexible coupling effect. A good adaptation design scheme is proposed for the rotating mechanical structure at the exoskeleton ankle joint to achieve certain sports shock absorption and energy storage measures.

[0139] Example 2:

[0140] Power-assisting method of an integrated power-assisting exoskeleton device based on the structure of embodiment 1:

[0141] The inner ring of the wrist ring 23 is equipped with a wrist pressure sensor, which senses the pressure exerted by the wrist on the wrist ring 23. A controller and air pump are mounted on the rear of the spinal plate assembly 13. The controller drives and controls the upper limb cylinder 25. The air pump is connected to the upper limb cylinder 25 via an air tube equipped with a cylinder reversing valve. The wrist pressure sensor can be a thin film strain gauge.

[0142] Lifting heavy objects process:

[0143] When the pressure detection value of the wrist pressure sensor is lower than the set low pressure threshold, the upper limb cylinder 25 is in a deflated state, so that the forearm support 22 and the upper arm support 21 can swing freely relative to each other.

[0144] When a person lifts a heavy object with both hands, the pressure detected by the wrist pressure sensor is greater than or equal to the critical pressure value for starting the upper limb cylinder 25. After the cylinder reversing valve is actuated, the output end of the upper limb cylinder 25 extends, driving the forearm support 22 to swing upward relative to the upper arm support 21, thereby reducing the angle between the forearm support 22 and the upper arm support 21 and lifting the heavy object.

[0145] When lowering a heavy object, the human body's wrist presses down, and when the pressure detection value of the wrist pressure sensor is less than the set low pressure threshold, the cylinder reversing valve is actuated to put the upper limb cylinder 25 in a deflated state.

[0146] While walking:

[0147] When the ankle joint of the human foot is in dorsiflexion motion, the swing member 424 swings toward the front of the human foot structure, and the spring of the independent suspension component 422 is in a naturally extended state.

[0148] When the ankle joint of the human foot is in plantar flexion, the swing member 424 swings toward the rear of the human foot structure, and the spring of the independent suspension component 422 is in a compressed state.

[0149] Example 3:

[0150] Power-assisting method of an integrated power-assisting exoskeleton device based on the structure of embodiment 1:

[0151] When the person wearing the exoskeleton walks to the destination, the upper limb cylinder 25 is in a deflated state because the pressure detected by the wrist pressure sensor is lower than the set low pressure threshold, allowing the forearm support 22 and the upper arm support 21 to swing freely relative to each other.

[0152] When it is necessary to carry a heavy object at a lower position, the person squats down. As the hip joint, knee joint and ankle joint rotate, the angles of the thigh and calf change. When the piston-cylinder assembly 34 is an air cylinder, when the downward pressure received by the pressure sensor at the end of the piston cylinder changes, the reversing valve of the piston-cylinder assembly 34 can switch the air cylinder to a no-air supply state. When the person squats down until the angle between the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37 is a right angle, the person's hands touch the heavy object.

[0153] During the process of human hands lifting heavy objects, when the pressure detection value of the wrist pressure sensor is greater than or equal to the critical pressure value for starting the upper limb cylinder 25, the cylinder reversing valve is actuated and the output end of the upper limb cylinder 25 extends, driving the forearm support 22 to swing upward relative to the upper arm support 21, thereby reducing the angle between the forearm support 22 and the upper arm support 21 and lifting the heavy object. At the same time, the lower limbs of the human body stand up, and the angle between the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37 becomes larger. After the angle sensor detects the angle change, the piston rod of the piston cylinder assembly 34 extends to help the human body stand up.

[0154] During the walking process, the angle sensor is used to detect the angle changes of the thigh plate 31 and the calf plate 37. The piston rod end of the piston cylinder assembly 34 is installed with a pressure sensor to sense the pressure changes at the knee joint. The pressure value is fed back to the controller to realize the air supply and exhaust of the reversing valve to realize the compression and extension of the cylinder. The slight rotation feedback of the calf plate 37 driven by the human body is used to realize the extension and retraction of the lower limb gas rod, thereby achieving a power-assisting effect on the knee joint and helping the human body to walk.

[0155] During the walking process, when the ankle joint is in plantar flexion, the independent suspension component 422 stores energy, and during dorsiflexion, effective rotation can be achieved by relying on the swing of the swing member 424 without causing motion interference. During dorsiflexion, the independent suspension component 422 does not store energy (the spring is not compressed and remains in its original shape), which helps the human body walk. At the same time, during dorsiflexion, the Bowden cable 46 is flexibly driven by the roller 45 to achieve the effect of rigid-flexible coupling and perform limited shock absorption.

[0156] When lowering a heavy object, perform a squatting exercise for the lower limbs. After the heavy object is placed, the hand presses down. When the pressure detected by the wrist pressure sensor is less than the set low pressure threshold, the upper limb cylinder 25 is deflated, allowing the lower arm support 22 and the upper arm support 21 to swing freely relative to each other, and the upper limb exoskeleton 2 is inoperative. The lower limb standing action is as described above.

[0157] In addition, when the piston-cylinder assembly 34 is a gas spring, the piston rod extends when the state changes from the vertical state to the standing state, converting the driving force inside the cylinder into a torque that drives the thigh plate 31 to swing relative to the knee joint rotation axis 35, helping the human body to stand and achieving a direct drive effect on the knee joint. At the same time, the extension and retraction of the piston rod during walking also intermittently assists walking.

[0158] In the second and third embodiments, an active power-assisting structure is provided on the upper limb exoskeleton 2, a power-assisting structure is provided on the lower limb exoskeleton 3, and a passive power-assisting structure is provided on the foot exoskeleton 4. By combining the freedom of movement of each joint and adopting a minimum power-assisting structure, the good power-assisting carrying effect of the exoskeleton is achieved on the basis of reducing the system cost.

[0159] The above description is an explanation of the present invention, not a limitation of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined in the claims. Any modifications may be made within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device, characterized in that: It includes a back exoskeleton (1), an upper limb exoskeleton (2), a lower limb exoskeleton (3) and a foot exoskeleton (4). The structure of the back exoskeleton (1) is as follows: it includes a rear crossbeam (11), two support rod assemblies (12) are installed on the rear crossbeam (11), and the two support rod assemblies (12) are symmetrically arranged about the vertical midline of the back exoskeleton (1), and also includes a spine board assembly (13), shoulder joint assemblies (14) are respectively installed on both sides of the upper part of the spine board assembly (13), the middle part of the spine board assembly (13) is connected to the upper ends of the two support rod assemblies (12), and the spine board assembly (13) is fixed to the back of the human body that needs assistance through a strap; The shoulder joint assembly (14) includes a shoulder fixing frame (142) connected to the spine plate assembly (13), the shoulder fixing frame (142) is installed with a shoulder joint L-shaped plate (144) through a ball head connector (146), and the lower end of the shoulder joint L-shaped plate (144) is installed with an upper limb swing shaft (143); The number of upper limb exoskeletons (2) is two and they match the upper limbs of the human body. The structure of a single upper limb exoskeleton (2) is as follows: it includes a forearm support (22) and an upper arm support (21), the outer side of the upper end of the upper arm support (21) is hinged to the upper limb swing axis (143), one end of the forearm support (22) is hinged to the lower end of the upper arm support (21), and the other end of the forearm support (22) is provided with a wrist ring (23) that matches the wrist of the human body, and an upper limb cylinder (25) is fixedly installed on the outer side of the upper arm support (21), the output end of the upper limb cylinder (25) is transmission-connected to the forearm support (22), and the upper limb cylinder (25) is used to drive the forearm support (22) to swing relative to the upper arm support (21), so that the angle between the forearm support (22) and the upper arm support (21) is reduced; The number of lower limb exoskeletons (3) is two and matches the lower limbs of the human body. The structure of a single lower limb exoskeleton (3) is as follows: it includes a thigh plate (31), a calf plate (37) and a piston cylinder assembly (34), and also includes a hip joint fixed shaft (32) rotatably connected to the upper end of the thigh plate (31), the hip joint fixed shaft (32) is connected to the horizontal end of the rear cross beam (11), the lower end of the thigh plate (31) is rotatably mounted with a knee joint rotation shaft (35), one end of the piston cylinder assembly (34) is hinged to the thigh plate (31), and the other end of the piston cylinder assembly (34) is hinged to a cantilever rocker (39) on the outer peripheral surface of the knee joint rotation shaft (35), the piston cylinder assembly (34) is used to help increase the angle between the thigh plate (31) and the calf plate (37), and the outer peripheral surface of the knee joint rotation shaft (35) is rotatably mounted with the calf plate (37) through a round rod (38); The number of foot exoskeletons (4) is two and they match the foot structure of the human body. The structure of a single foot exoskeleton (4) is as follows: it includes a connecting plate (43), one end of the connecting plate (43) is an upper connecting portion (432) detachably fixedly connected to the calf plate (37), the other end of the connecting plate (43) is a lower hinged portion (431), the lower hinged portion (431) is hingedly connected to a foot cover assembly (41), the foot cover assembly (41) matches the foot of the human body, the rear part of the foot cover assembly (41) is connected to the lower part of the connecting plate (43) through a passive power-assisting component (42), and the passive power-assisting component (42) stores energy for assisting walking when the foot structure of the human body performs plantar flexion movement.

2. The integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure of a single support rod assembly (12) is as follows: it includes an upper support rod (123), a first arc-shaped connecting rod (121) and a second arc-shaped connecting rod (122), the upper ends of the first arc-shaped connecting rod (121) and the second arc-shaped connecting rod (122) are hinged and then hinged to the lower end of the upper support rod (123), and the upper end of the upper support rod (123) is hinged to the middle part of the spine plate assembly (13); The rear cross beam (11) is a U-shaped bending structure, the end of the rear cross beam (11) is a bending portion (112) facing the human body, the inner side of the bending portion (112) is hinged to the lower end of the first arc-shaped connecting rod (121), the outer side of the rear cross beam (11) is hinged to the lower end of the second arc-shaped connecting rod (122), the first arc-shaped connecting rod (121) and the second arc-shaped connecting rod (122) are arranged in a herringbone shape, and the bending directions of the first arc-shaped connecting rod (121) and the second arc-shaped connecting rod (122) are opposite to each other, and the lower end of the second arc-shaped connecting rod (122) is connected to the middle part of the length direction of the rear cross beam (11).

3. The integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of adjustment holes (111) are provided in the middle portion of the rear cross beam (11) in the longitudinal direction, the plurality of adjustment holes (111) are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the rear cross beam (11), and the lower end of the second arc-shaped connecting rod (122) is hinged to a single adjustment hole (111).

4. The integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device according to claim 1, wherein: A shoulder gas spring (147) and a shoulder connecting rod (141) are installed on the upper part of the back plate assembly (13), and the length directions of the shoulder connecting rod (141) and the shoulder gas spring (147) are consistent. The shoulder gas spring (147) is located above the shoulder connecting rod (141), one end of the shoulder gas spring (147) is fixedly connected to the back plate assembly (13), and the other end of the shoulder gas spring (147) is hinged to the shoulder fixing frame (142), and one end of the shoulder connecting rod (141) is hinged to the shoulder fixing frame (142).

5. The integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an elbow joint turntable (27) and an elbow connecting rod (26), wherein a turntable hinge portion (271) is provided on the outside of the elbow joint turntable (27), and the turntable hinge portion (271) deviates from the rotation axis of the elbow joint turntable (27). One end of the elbow connecting rod (26) is hinged to the turntable hinge portion (271), and the other end of the elbow connecting rod (26) is hinged to the output end of the upper limb cylinder (25). The elbow joint fixing plate (28) is fixedly connected to the outer side of the forearm support (22) and is transmission-connected to the elbow joint rotating plate (27). The rotation axis of the elbow joint rotating plate (27) is collinear with the rotation axis of the intersection of the forearm support (22) and the upper arm support (21). The inner sides of the hinged joint of the forearm support (22) and the upper arm support (21) are hinged via a damping rotation device (24).

6. The integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piston-cylinder assembly (34) is a gas cylinder or a gas spring. The piston-cylinder assembly (34) includes a cylinder body and a piston rod that performs piston motion relative to the cylinder body. When the angle between the thigh plate (31) and the calf plate (37) is equal to ninety degrees, the piston rod completely enters the cylinder body.

7. The integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two thigh panels (31) and they are arranged parallel to each other. The two thigh panels (31) are respectively located at the two ends of the rotation axis of the hip joint fixed axis (32) and are simultaneously coordinated with the hip joint fixed axis (32) and the knee joint rotation axis (35). The thigh panels (31) are provided with a plurality of hole structures designed using topological optimization technology.

8. The integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure of the foot cover assembly (41) includes a bottom plate (412), and a group of support plates are respectively provided on both sides of the bottom plate (412), and a single group of support plates includes a front support plate (413) and a rear support plate (414), both of which are connected to the bottom plate (412) at their lower ends, and the upper ends of the front support plate (413) and the rear support plate (414) are simultaneously hinged to the lower hinge portion (431); The passive power-assisting component (42) has the following structure: it includes a swinging member (424), the swinging member (424) includes a swinging base plate, a rotating shaft (4242) is provided on the swinging base plate, the rotating shaft (4242) is rotatably connected to the lower part of the connecting plate (43), and also includes a movable portion (4243) and a limiting portion (4241) provided on the swinging base plate, the limiting portion (4241) is provided with an arc-shaped through hole, the arc-shaped circle of the arc-shaped through hole is concentric with the rotating shaft (4242), the arc-shaped through hole is in sliding cooperation with the limiting shaft (423) installed on the connecting plate (43), and the limiting shaft (423) is located between the lower hinge portion (431) and the rotating shaft (4242). It also includes a lower support rod (421) mounted on the rear support plate (414), wherein the end of the lower support rod (421) and the movable portion (4243) are both located behind the rear support plate (414) and are connected via an independent suspension assembly (422).

9. The integrated power-assisted exoskeleton device according to claim 8, characterized in that: An ankle support plate (44) is provided on the connecting plate (43), and the ankle support plate (44) cooperates with the rear part of the lower leg of the human body. A roller (45) is installed behind the ankle support plate (44) through a rotating shaft, and a tension spring is connected between the roller (45) and the rotating shaft. It also includes a Bowden cable (46), one end of which is fixedly connected to the upper rear portion of the foot cover assembly (41), and the other end of which is wound around the roller (45).

10. A method for assisting a person using the integrated power-assisting exoskeleton device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The inner ring of the wrist ring (23) is provided with a wrist pressure sensor, and the wrist pressure sensor is used to sense the pressure applied by the human body's wrist to the wrist ring (23). The back of the back plate assembly (13) is equipped with a controller and an air pump, and the controller is used to drive and control the upper limb cylinder (25). The air pump is connected to the upper limb cylinder (25) through an air pipe, and a cylinder reversing valve is provided on the air pipe. Lifting heavy objects process: When the pressure detection value of the wrist pressure sensor is less than the set low pressure threshold, the upper limb cylinder (25) is in a deflated state, allowing the lower arm support (22) and the upper arm support (21) to swing freely relative to each other. When the human body lifts a heavy object with both hands, the pressure detection value of the wrist pressure sensor is greater than or equal to the critical pressure value for starting the upper limb cylinder (25), and the cylinder reversing valve is actuated, and the output end of the upper limb cylinder (25) extends, driving the forearm support (22) to swing upward relative to the upper arm support (21), thereby reducing the angle between the forearm support (22) and the upper arm support (21) and lifting the heavy object. When the heavy object is lowered, the human body's wrist is pressed down, and when the pressure detection value of the wrist pressure sensor is less than the set low pressure threshold, the cylinder reversing valve is actuated to put the upper limb cylinder (25) into a deflated state; While walking: When the ankle joint of the human foot is in dorsiflexion motion, the swing member (424) swings forward of the human foot structure, and the spring of the independent suspension component (422) is in a naturally extended state. When the ankle joint of the human body is in plantar flexion motion, the swing member (424) swings toward the rear of the human body's foot structure, and the spring of the independent suspension component (422) is in a compressed state.

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