Walking power assisting device with differential transmission mechanism
By using a single power module and a differential transmission mechanism in the walking assist device, the power module is set in front of the human body, near the lower abdomen, the waist module surrounds the waist, and the leg rod module is distributed on both sides, solving the problems of large weight, large size and high cost of the existing device, and achieving a light, compact and reliable walking assist effect.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410134521.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-31
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-01
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-01-31
AI Technical Summary
The existing walking assist device requires a dual-power module and a rigid waist rod, which leads to a large weight, large size, high cost and difficult to carry. The existing improvement solutions have the problems of large space and high complexity.
A single power module and a differential transmission mechanism are adopted. The power module is horizontally located near the lower abdomen in front of the human body. The power output is achieved through the differential transmission mechanism. The waist module is arranged around the waist, and the leg rod module is distributed on both sides of the power module. The rigid waist rod is eliminated, and a fixed wiring motor and drive module are used.
It achieves a light weight, small size, low cost and compact and close-fitting walking assist effect, avoids the reliability problems caused by high-frequency winding of the wiring harness, and is suitable for people of different body shapes.
Smart Images

Figure CN120395772A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wearable exoskeleton devices, and in particular to a walking assist device with a differential transmission mechanism. Background Art
[0002] In daily life, humans often desire to enhance lower limb strength and endurance. Wearable powered exoskeletons are devices that meet this need. Wearable powered exoskeletons with walking assistance are generally referred to as walking assistance devices. Walking assistance devices can help people walk farther, climb higher, and exercise more effectively. Numerous documents have been published describing the mechanisms for implementing such walking assistance devices.
[0003] In the existing walking assistance device, the power modules are distributed at the hip joints on both sides of the human body, and the waist is connected to the left and right power modules through a rigid waist bar. This type of device requires the use of dual power modules, and the rigid waist bar needs to transmit a large torque, and its length needs to be adjustable to match different users. This will increase the complexity and weight of the waist bar and have certain manufacturing costs. Moreover, because the left and right power modules of this type of device are wrapped around the user's waist, its volume is often relatively large, which makes it difficult to carry.
[0004] To solve the above problems, the existing technology provides some improvement solutions, such as using a single power module to drive two legs to walk, but the existing improvement solutions still have problems such as large implementation space and high implementation complexity. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide a walking assistance device that is light in weight, small in storage volume, small in implementation space, low in complexity and compact.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention provide:
[0007] A walking assist device with a differential transmission mechanism, the walking assist device comprising a power module, a waist module and a leg rod module;
[0008] The power module is horizontally arranged near the lower abdomen in front of the human body, and the rotation axis of the power module is horizontally arranged and parallel to the coronal plane of the human body; the power module includes a motor module, a reduction mechanism, a differential transmission mechanism, a first power output end, and a second power output end; the motor module is transmission-coupled to the input end of the reduction mechanism, one end of the differential transmission mechanism is transmission-coupled to the output end of the reduction mechanism and the first power output end, and the other end of the differential transmission mechanism is transmission-coupled to the second power output end; based on the differential transmission mechanism, the rotation of the output end of the reduction mechanism can drive the first power output end to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the second power output end;
[0009] The waist module is arranged around the human waist and is in transmission connection with the power module, and the power module can rotate relative to the waist module;
[0010] The upper parts of the leg rod modules are distributed on both sides of the power module and are respectively in transmission connection with the first power output end and the second power output end.
[0011] The walking assistance device provided by the embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages: 1. Light weight, and its weight is only about 60% of the existing walking assistance device distributed on the human waist and the hip joints on both sides; 2. Small storage volume, and it cancels the rigid annular waist rod connecting the left and right sides, greatly reducing the storage volume; 3. Low cost, and it only needs one power module to work normally; 4. Compact and body-hugging, the power module is arranged near the lower abdomen on the front side of the human body, with a small power diameter, and there are no protruding rigid structures on both sides and the back, which does not affect the squatting, sitting, running and jumping of the human body, and does not affect taking a car or sitting on a chair with armrests, and the overall experience is better; 5. Small implementation space and low complexity, the motor module and the reduction mechanism in the power module are more compact, and the differential movement of the power module is realized through a simple differential transmission mechanism; the complex wire harnesses of the motor and the drive module are all fixed wiring, avoiding the reliability problems caused by the high-frequency winding of the wire harnesses. Description of the Drawings
[0012] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the following drawings are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.
[0013] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 of the power module of the present invention;
[0014] Figure 2 Front view schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 of the walking assistance device of the present invention;
[0015] Figure 3 Side view schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 of the walking assistance device of the present invention;
[0016] Figure 4 Side view schematic diagram of the walking state of the power module and the leg rod module of the present invention;
[0017] Figure 5 Side view schematic diagram of the sitting state of the power module and the leg rod module of the present invention;
[0018] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of Embodiment 2 of the power module of the present invention;
[0019] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of Embodiment 3 of the power module of the present invention;
[0020] Figure 8 Side view schematic diagram of Embodiment 2 of the walking assistance device of the present invention.
[0021] The reference numerals are as follows:
[0022] 1. Power module; 11. Motor module; 111. Stator; 1111. Three-phase motor wires; 112. Rotor; 113. Rotor shaft; 12. Reduction mechanism; 121. Reduction gearbox housing; 122. Reduction gear set; 123. Reduction gearbox input end; 124. Reduction gearbox output end; 13. Differential transmission mechanism; 131. Left differential gear set; 1311. First differential gear; 1312. Second differential gear; 132. Right transmission gear set; 1321. First transmission gear; 1322. Second transmission gear; 1323. Third transmission gear; 133. Differential drive shaft; 134. Left differential fixed seat; 135. Right transmission fixed seat; 136. Reduction gearbox differential fixing piece; 14. Power module cover; 141. First connection end; 142. Second connection end; 15. Axis of rotation; 16. First power output end; 17. Second power output end; 18. Universal joint; 181. First universal joint; 182. Second universal joint;
[0023] 2. Waist module; 21. Front end of the waist frame; 211. Waist frame connecting shaft; 22. Waist frame main body; 23. Rear end of the waist frame; 24. Rear waist belt;
[0024] 3. Leg rod module; 31. Upper section of the leg rod; 32. Leg rod main body; 321. Leg rod chute; 33. Lower section of the leg rod; 34. Leg rod expansion and retraction shaft; 35. Leg shell; 351. Leg shell main body; 352. Leg shell chute; 353. Pulley; 354. Spherical shaft; 36. Leg belt; 37. Leg shell suspension strap;
[0025] 4. Sensing control system; 41. Drive module; 411. Drive module fixing block; 42. Motor encoder; 421. Encoding magnet; 422. Encoding induction circuit; 43. Main control circuit; 44. Main control drive wire harness;
[0026] 5. Battery module; 51. Power cord. Detailed implementation manners
[0027] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Similar component numbers in the drawings represent similar components. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
[0028] It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or their combinations.
[0029] It should also be understood that the terms used in the specification of the embodiments of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. As used in the specification of the embodiments of the present invention and the appended claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms.
[0030] Such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the figure, the walking assistance device of the present invention includes a power module 1, a waist module 2, and a leg rod module 3. Among them, in Embodiment 1 of the power module 1, it is horizontally arranged near the lower abdomen in front of the human body. The rotation axis of the power module is horizontally arranged and parallel to the human coronal plane. The power module 1 includes a motor module 11, a reduction mechanism 12, a differential transmission mechanism 13, a power module housing 14, a first power output end 16, and a second power output end 17. Both the motor module 11 and the reduction mechanism 12 are cylindrical structures. The motor module 11 and the reduction mechanism 12 are arranged side by side and are both distributed on the rotation axis 15. The motor module 11 includes a stator 111 and a rotor 112. The stator 111 is arranged on the side close to the reduction mechanism 12. The rotor 112 is arranged on the side far from the reduction mechanism 12. The rotor 112 is provided with a rotor shaft 113. The rotor shaft 113 passes through the stator 111 and extends into the reduction mechanism 12. The rotor 112 can rotate relative to the stator 111 based on the rotor shaft 113. The reduction mechanism 12 includes a reducer housing 121, a reducer gear set 122, a reducer input end 123, and a reducer output end 124. The reducer input end 123 (i.e., the input end of the reduction mechanism 12) is arranged on the side close to the motor module 11. The reducer output end 124 (i.e., the output end of the reduction mechanism 12) is arranged on the side far from the motor module 11. The reducer housing 121 is in transmission connection with the stator 111 on the side close to the reducer input end 123. The reducer input end 123 is in transmission connection with the rotor shaft 113.
[0031] In this embodiment, the differential drive mechanism 13 includes a first drive group, a second drive group, and a differential drive shaft 133. Among them, the first drive group is the left differential gear group 131, and the second drive group is the right drive gear group 132. The left differential gear group 131 is arranged outside the output end 124 of the speed reducer, and the right drive gear group 132 is arranged outside the motor module 11. The differential drive shaft 133 is arranged parallel to the rotation axis 15 and is in driving connection with the left differential gear group 131 and the right drive gear group 132. The left differential gear group 131 includes an even number of gears arranged in parallel and meshing with each other. In this embodiment, a pair of meshing gear groups are used, namely the first differential gear 1311 and the second differential gear 1312. The rotation shaft of the first differential gear 1311 is arranged on the rotation axis 15, and the first differential gear 1311 is in driving connection with the output end 124 of the speed reducer and the first power output end 16. The second differential gear 1312 is arranged parallel to the first differential gear 1311. The rotation shaft of the second differential gear 1312 is arranged on the axis of the differential drive shaft 133 and is in driving connection with one end of the differential drive shaft 133. The rotational movement of the output end 124 of the speed reducer is transmitted to the differential drive shaft 133 through the left differential gear group 131 and rotates in the opposite direction, that is, the output end 124 of the speed reducer and the differential drive shaft 133 rotate synchronously in the opposite direction. The right drive gear group 132 includes an odd number of gears arranged in parallel and meshing with each other. In this embodiment, three drive gears are used, namely the first drive gear 1321, the second drive gear 1322, and the third drive gear 1323. The rotation shaft of the first drive gear 1321 is arranged on the axis of the differential drive shaft 133 and the first drive gear 1321 is in driving connection with the other end of the differential drive shaft 133. The rotation shaft of the third drive gear 1323 is arranged on the rotation axis 15 and the third drive gear 1323 is in driving connection with the second power output end 17. The second drive gear 1322 is rotationally connected to the first drive gear 1321 and the third drive gear 1323. Through the mutual rotation and meshing of the first drive gear 1321, the second drive gear 1322, and the third drive gear 1323, the rotation of the differential drive shaft 133 is translated to the rotation shaft of the third drive gear 1323 arranged on the rotation axis 15.
[0032] The working principle of the power module 1 in this embodiment is as follows: The rotation of the rotor 112 in the motor module 11 drives the rotation of the output end 124 of the speed reducer, and then drives the first differential gear 1311 to rotate in the same direction as the output end 124 of the speed reducer; after the gear meshing transmission of the left differential gear set 131, the rotation of the output end 124 of the speed reducer is translated onto the differential transmission shaft 133 and the rotation direction is opposite; after the gear meshing transmission of the right transmission gear set 132, the rotation of the output end 124 of the speed reducer is translated back onto the rotation axis 15 and the rotation direction is opposite; in this way, the rotation of the output end 124 of the speed reducer will drive the first power output end 16 to rotate relative to the second power output end 17 simultaneously, coaxially and in opposite directions, realizing the differential rotation output of a power module driving the coaxial ones distributed on both sides of the power module.
[0033] In the power module 1 of other embodiments, swapping the positions of the left differential gear set 131 and the right transmission gear set 132 can also achieve the same effect. In addition, the number of gears of the left differential gear set 131 and the right transmission gear set 132 can also be set as needed, but ultimately it is necessary to make the first power output end 16 and the second power output end 17 rotate simultaneously, coaxially and in opposite directions. These simple deformations or substitutions that do not require creative labor all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
[0034] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the differential transmission mechanism 13 also has a left differential fixed seat 134 and a right transmission fixed seat 135. The left differential fixed seat 134 is fixed together with the speed reducer housing 121; the right transmission fixed seat 135 is fixedly connected to the speed reducer housing 121 through a speed reducer differential fixing piece 136; the left differential gear set 131 is rotationally connected to the left differential fixed seat 134 through its rotating shaft, and the right transmission gear set 132 is rotationally connected to the right transmission fixed seat 135 through its rotating shaft; in this way, the stator 111, the speed reducer housing 121, the left differential fixed seat 134 and the right transmission fixed seat 135 are fixed together to form a large fixed base, while the rotor 112, the speed reducer gear set 122, the left differential gear set 131 and the right transmission gear set 132 can all rotate relative to the above large base.
[0035] As Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the power module 1 further includes a power module housing 14, and the reducer housing 121, the left differential fixed seat 134, and the right transmission fixed seat 135 are all fixed to the power module housing 14. The power module housing 14 has two connection points on the left and right sides respectively: the first connection end 141 and the second connection end 142, which are used for rotatably connecting to the waist module 2 described below.
[0036] As Figure 2 , Figure 3 shown, it is a schematic diagram of different perspectives of Embodiment 1 of the walking assistance device having the above-mentioned power module 1. The walking assistance device includes a power module 1, a waist module 2, a leg rod module 3, a sensing control system 4, and a battery module 5.
[0037] The waist module 2 is arranged around the human waist. The two sides of the waist module 2 are respectively rotatably connected to the first connection end 141 and the second connection end 142 through the waist frame connection shaft 211; the rotatable connection can support the relative free rotation of the waist module 2 and the power module 1 based on the waist frame connection shaft 211; the waist frame connection shaft 211 is horizontally arranged, that is, parallel to the rotation axis of the power module, so as to support the power module 1 to extend or flex in the sagittal plane direction relative to the waist module 2.
[0038] Specifically, in this embodiment, the waist module 2 includes a waist frame front end 21, a waist frame main body 22, a waist frame rear end 23, and a rear waistband 24; the waist frame front end 21 is distributed on the left and right sides of the power module 1 and is respectively rotatably connected to the first connection end 141 and the second connection end 142 based on an axis parallel to the rotation axis 15 (i.e., the waist frame connection shaft 211), that is, the power module 1 can rotate downward relative to the waist module 2; the waist frame rear end 23 is distributed near the left and right sides of the human lower back, and the two sides of the waist frame rear end 23 are connected together through the rear waistband 24; the waist frame main body 22 connects the waist frame front end 21 and the waist frame rear end 23 together; the power module 1 and the waist module 2 form a closed-loop structure and are closely attached to the human waist. Tightening the rear waistband 24 can tightly fix the power module 1 to the lower abdomen in front of the human body.
[0039] The leg rod module 3 includes an upper leg rod 31, a leg rod main body 32, a lower leg rod 33, a leg rod expansion and contraction shaft 34, a leg shell 35, a leg strap 36, and a leg shell sling 37. The leg rod main body 32 is arranged on the front side of the human thigh and along the direction of the human thigh. The upper end of the leg rod main body 32 is rotatably connected to the upper leg rod 31 through the leg rod expansion and contraction shaft 34. The leg rod expansion and contraction shaft 34 is arranged perpendicular to the extension direction of the leg rod main body 32 to meet the freedom requirement of the abduction and adduction of the human leg. The lower end of the leg rod main body 32 is drivingly connected to the lower leg rod 33. The upper leg rods 31 are distributed on the left and right sides of the power module 1 and are respectively drivingly connected to the first power output end 16 and the second power output end 17. The leg shell 35 is arranged on the front side of the human thigh. The leg shell 35 includes a leg shell main body 351. The leg shell main body 351 is rectangular and is distributed up and down along the human thigh. The leg shell main body 351 is provided with leg shell chutes 352 distributed up and down along the human thigh. The leg shell chutes 352 are provided with sliding members. In this embodiment, the sliding member is a pulley 353. The pulley 353 can freely slide up and down in the leg shell chutes 352. The shaft of the pulley 353 is rotatably connected to the lower leg rod 33 through the spherical shaft 354 to meet the different angle requirements between the leg rod main body 32 and the leg shell 35 when people with different body shapes use the walking assistance device of the present invention. The spherical shaft 354 can make the walking assistance device of the present invention more flexible during walking movement and adapt to more people with different body shapes. The leg strap 36 fixes the leg shell 35 to the human leg. The leg shell sling 37 connects the leg shell 35 to the waist module 2 to prevent the leg shell 35 from dropping during movement and fix the initial positions of the pulley 353 and the leg shell 35.
[0040] The upper leg rod 31, the leg rod main body 32, the lower leg rod 33, and the leg shell 35 are all rigid mechanisms. The power module 1 rotates and outputs power through the first power output end 16 and the second power output end 17, and can drive the leg shell 35 to lift or press the human thigh, that is, drive the human thigh to swing back and forth. The leg rod expansion and contraction shaft 34 is always perpendicular to the leg rod main body 32. It can support the adduction and abduction movement of the leg rod main body 32 while transmitting the torque of the power output. The sliding connection formed by the lower leg rod 33 and the leg shell 35 through the spherical shaft 354 and the pulley 353 can support the change of the relative position and angle between the power module 1 and the leg shell 35 during the human movement process, and can also transmit the hip extension or hip flexion moment.
[0041] The power module 1, the waist module 2, and the leg rod module 3 constitute the main functional framework of the walking assistance device of the present invention. The working principle is as follows:
[0042] When the human body walks, the rotor 112 in the power module 1 rotates relative to the stator 111 under drive. The rotor 112 drives the output end 124 of the speed reducer to rotate relative to the speed reducer housing 121. The output end 124 of the speed reducer drives the first differential gear 1311 to rotate relative to the speed reducer housing 121, and further drives the first differential gear 1311 to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the third transmission gear 1323, correspondingly driving the first power output end 16 to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the second power output end 17; further driving the leg rod bodies 32 on both the left and right sides to swing relatively, and finally driving the human thigh fixed to the lower leg rod 33 to swing differentially forward and backward, so that a boosting torque can be applied to the human body to help one side of the human body step forward while the other side kicks backward, making walking more labor-saving and easier; as Figure 4 shown, when the human thigh swings differentially forward and backward, the leg rod modules 3 on both the left and right sides are respectively located on the front and rear thighs. At this time, the power module 1 is located between the leg rod modules 3 on both the left and right sides.
[0043] When the human body bends forward, the torso leans backward, or squats down and sits down, at this time the left and right legs of the human body extend or flex relative to the torso simultaneously. Since the waist module 2 is fixed to the human torso, the leg rod module 3 and the human thigh extend or flex relative to the human torso simultaneously. At this time, the power module 1 and the leg rod modules 3 on both the left and right sides extend or flex relative to the waist module 2 together. The free rotational connection between the first connection end 141, the second connection end 142 and the waist module 2 can meet this requirement of extension or flexion, so that the human body can bend forward, the torso can lean backward, or squat down and sit down freely without obstruction; as Figure 5 shown, at this time the leg rod modules 3 on both the left and right sides and the power module 1 extend or flex relative to the waist module 2 together. Figure 5 shows that when the human body sits down from a standing position, the leg rod module 3 and the power module 1 rotate from position A relative to the waist module 2 to position B together.
[0044] The sensing and control system 4 is used to sense human actions and control the output of torque, and includes a drive module 41, a motor encoder 42 and a main control circuit 43.
[0045] The driving module 41 is arranged on the right transmission fixed seat 135, close to the rotor shaft 113; the motor encoder 42 includes a coded magnet 421 and a coded induction circuit 422, the coded induction circuit 422 is arranged on the driving module 41, close to the shaft end of the rotor shaft 113; the coded magnet 421 is arranged at the shaft end of the rotor shaft 113, close to the coded induction circuit 422; the rotation of the rotor 112 relative to the stator 111 will cause the relative rotation of the coded magnet 421 relative to the coded induction circuit 422, so as to be sensed by the motor encoder 42; the driving module 41 is electrically connected to the motor encoder 42 and is also electrically connected to the motor module 11 through a motor wire harness. In this embodiment, the motor wire harness is a motor three-phase wire 1111, and the driving module 41 controls the rotation or torque output of the motor module 11 according to the information of the motor encoder 42; the main control circuit 43 is arranged near the motor module 11 and is electrically connected to the driving module 41 through a main control driving wire harness 44. The motor module 11, the reduction mechanism 12, the differential transmission mechanism 13, and the sensing control system 4 are all arranged in the power module housing 14.
[0046] The battery module 5 is arranged on the waist module 2, near the rear end 23 of the waist frame; the battery module 5 may include two batteries, located on the left and right sides respectively. The power supply line 51 of the battery module 5 extends along the waist frame main body 22 to the front end 21 of the waist frame, and crosses the waist frame connecting shaft 211 to enter the power module housing 14, and is electrically connected to the driving module 41 and the main control circuit 43.
[0047] When using a single power module for driving, the whole device will be more concise and lightweight. However, due to the long-term large-scale winding and torsion of the circuit wire harness in the power module, it may bring problems of poor reliability. In view of the above problems, combined with the structural characteristics of the present invention, the above problems can be well solved. Among all the wire harnesses, the motor three-phase wire 1111 and the main control driving wire harness 44 are routed along the housing of the power module. In this embodiment, the motor three-phase wire 1111 is routed along the reduction gear differential fixing piece 136, and the main control driving wire harness 44 is routed along the power module housing 14. Since the reduction mechanism 12, the driving module 41, the main control circuit 43, and the power module housing 14 do not have relative movement, the above wire harnesses are all statically routed (i.e., fixed routing), and there is no continuous self-torsion or winding and bending. The routing is fixed, simple, and has high reliability, avoiding the reliability problems caused by the high-frequency winding of the wire harness; the power supply line 51 is led out from the waist module 2 to the power module 1, and there is a certain degree of continuous torsion through the waist frame connecting shaft 211. However, the number of wires of the power supply line 51 is relatively small and it is thicker, and it has a strong bearing capacity for long-term torsion, and the reliability is well guaranteed.
[0048] In the waist module 2, the waist frame front end 21, waist frame body 22, and waist frame rear end 23 are all rigid or semi-rigid structures. When the walking assist device of the present invention applies a hip extension torque to one side of the wearer, a corresponding reaction torque, namely a hip flexion torque, is generated on the other side. At this time, one side applies pressure to the wearer's thigh through the leg shell 35, and the other side applies tension to the wearer's thigh through the leg belt 36. Accordingly, the waist module 2 is subjected to a rotational torque in the horizontal plane. The rigid waist frame front end 21 squeezes the wearer's waist on one side, while the waist frame rear end 23 and rear waist belt 24 tighten the wearer's waist on the other side, thereby balancing the derived horizontal rotational torque caused by the assist device applying power to the wearer, ensuring the stable operation of the device.
[0049] like Figure 6 As shown, it is a schematic structural diagram of embodiment 2 of the power module 1 of the present invention. In this embodiment, by adopting two or more universal joints 18 commonly used in the industry to realize transmission, it is possible to achieve an effect similar to the right transmission gear set 132 of embodiment 1, that is, the universal joint 18 is used to realize the translation of the rotation axis; Figure 6 As shown, the differential drive shaft 133 is divided into three sections, and the universal joint 18 includes a first universal joint 181 and a second universal joint 182. The three sections of the differential drive shaft 133 are sequentially connected by the first universal joint 181 and the second universal joint 182. The differential drive shaft 133 of the first section and the differential drive shaft 133 of the third section are parallel to the rotation axis 15 of the power module 1. The differential drive shaft 133 of the first section is connected to the second differential gear 1312, and the differential drive shaft 133 of the third section is connected to the second power output end 17, thereby realizing the translation of the rotational motion; compared with the right side transmission gear set 132 in Example 1 of the power module 1 to realize the translation of the rotational motion axis, the universal joint has higher transmission efficiency and lighter weight, but the space it occupies is slightly larger. In actual products, a suitable transmission method is selected according to the situation.
[0050] like Figure 7 As shown, it is a structural diagram of Example 3 of the power module 1 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the right-side transmission gear set 132 in Example 1 is directly removed, and the differential transmission shaft 133 is directly connected to the second power output end 17 and outputs power. Compared with the power module 1 in Example 1, which realizes the translation of the rotational motion axis through the right-side transmission gear set 132, the structure of this embodiment is more streamlined and lighter. However, the first power output end 16 and the second power output end 17 on the left and right sides are not on the same axis, which will bring a slight difference in force feeling on the left and right sides during operation. This transmission method can be selected according to the situation in low-end price-sensitive products.
[0051] like Figure 8As shown, it is a side view schematic diagram of Embodiment 2 of the walking assistance device of the present invention. In this embodiment, the leg shell 35 and the lower section 33 of the leg rod are only connected by a spherical shaft 354, and there is no relative sliding anymore; the relative sliding between the main body 32 of the leg rod and the lower section 33 of the leg rod is used to meet the changes in the relative position and angle between the power module 1 and the leg shell 35 when a human walks; in this embodiment, a leg rod sliding groove 321 is provided on the main body 32 of the leg rod, and a sliding member is provided at the upper end of the lower section 33 of the leg rod. In this embodiment, the sliding member can be a pulley 353, and the pulley 353 can freely slide up and down in the leg rod sliding groove 321, so that the lower section 33 of the leg rod can telescopically move relative to the main body 32 of the leg rod. Or, in other embodiments, a leg rod sliding groove 321 can also be provided at the upper end of the lower section 33 of the leg rod, and a pulley 353 is provided at the lower end of the main body 32 of the leg rod. The pulley 353 can freely slide up and down in the leg rod sliding groove 321, so that the lower section 33 of the leg rod can telescopically move relative to the main body 32 of the leg rod through the pulley 353. Both of these two schemes can meet the changes in the relative position and angle between the power module 1 and the leg shell 35 when a human walks.
[0052] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, provided that these modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalent technologies, the present invention is also intended to include these modifications and variations.
[0053] The above is the specific implementation manner of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention can easily think of various equivalent modifications or substitutions, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A walking assistance device with a differential drive mechanism, characterized in that, The walking assistance device includes a power module, a waist module, and a leg rod module; The power module is horizontally arranged near the lower abdomen in front of the human body. The rotation axis of the power module is horizontally arranged and parallel to the human coronal plane. The power module includes a motor module, a reduction mechanism, a differential transmission mechanism, a first power output end, and a second power output end. The motor module is drivingly connected to the input end of the reduction mechanism. One end of the differential transmission mechanism is drivingly connected to the output end of the reduction mechanism and the first power output end. The other end of the differential transmission mechanism is drivingly connected to the second power output end. Based on the differential transmission mechanism, the rotation of the output end of the reduction mechanism can drive the first power output end to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the second power output end; The waist module is arranged around the human waist and is drivingly connected to the power module. The power module can rotate relative to the waist module; The upper parts of the leg rod module are distributed on both sides of the power module and are respectively drivingly connected to the first power output end and the second power output end.
2. The walking assistance device according to claim 1, wherein The differential transmission mechanism includes a first transmission group and a differential transmission shaft. The first transmission group is arranged outside the output end of the reduction mechanism. One end of the first transmission group is drivingly connected to the output end of the reduction mechanism and the first power output end. The other end of the first transmission group is drivingly connected to one end of the differential transmission shaft. The other end of the differential transmission shaft is directly or indirectly drivingly connected to the second power output end. The differential transmission shaft is arranged parallel to the rotation axis.
3. The walking assistance device according to claim 2, wherein, The first transmission group includes an even number of parallel and meshing differential gears. The rotation shaft of the first differential gear is arranged on the rotation axis, and the first differential gear is drivingly connected to the output end of the reduction mechanism and the first power output end. The rotation shaft of the last differential gear is arranged on the axis of the differential transmission shaft and is drivingly connected to one end of the differential transmission shaft.
4. The walking assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power module further includes a second transmission group. The second transmission group is arranged outside the motor module. The second transmission group includes an odd number of parallel and meshing transmission gears. The rotation shaft of the first transmission gear is arranged on the axis of the differential transmission shaft and the first transmission gear is drivingly connected to the other end of the differential transmission shaft. The rotation shaft of the last transmission gear is arranged on the rotation axis and the last transmission gear is drivingly connected to the second power output end.
5. The walking assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The differential transmission shaft is divided into multiple segments. Adjacent segments of the differential transmission shaft are drivingly connected by universal joints. The first segment of the differential transmission shaft is drivingly connected to the other end of the first transmission group. The last segment of the differential transmission shaft is drivingly connected to the second power output end.
6. The walking assistance device according to claim 1, wherein The waist module includes a front waist frame, a waist frame body, a rear waist frame, and a rear waist belt. The front waist frame is distributed on both sides of the power module and is rotatably connected to both sides of the power module based on a waist frame connecting shaft parallel to the rotation axis. The rear waist frame is distributed near both sides of the human lower back, and the rear waist frames on both sides are connected together by the rear waist belt. The waist frame body connects the front waist frame and the rear waist frame.
7. The walking assistance device according to claim 1, wherein, The leg rod module includes an upper leg rod, a leg rod main body, a lower leg rod, a leg rod retracting and extending shaft, and a leg shell; The upper leg rods are distributed on both sides of the power module and are respectively in transmission connection with the first power output end and the second power output end; The leg rod main body is arranged along the direction of the human thigh. The upper end of the leg rod main body is rotatably connected to the upper leg rod through the leg rod retracting and extending shaft, and the leg rod retracting and extending shaft is arranged perpendicular to the extending direction of the leg rod main body; The lower leg rod is in transmission connection with the lower end of the leg rod main body; The leg shell is in transmission connection with the lower leg rod.
8. The walking assistance device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The leg shell is provided with vertically distributed leg shell chutes. The leg shell chutes are provided with sliding members, and the sliding members can freely slide up and down in the leg shell chutes; the sliding members are rotatably connected to the lower leg rod through spherical shafts.
9. The walking assistance device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The leg shell and the lower leg rod are connected by a spherical shaft; The lower end of the leg rod main body is provided with a leg rod chute, and the upper end of the lower leg rod is provided with a sliding member. The lower leg rod can telescopically move relative to the leg rod main body through the sliding member; alternatively, the upper end of the lower leg rod is provided with a leg rod chute, and the lower end of the leg rod main body is provided with a sliding member. The lower leg rod can telescopically move relative to the leg rod main body through the sliding member.
10. The walking assistance device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The walking assistance device further includes a sensing control system and a battery module; The sensing control system is used to sense human movements and control the output of torque. The sensing control system includes a driving module, a motor encoder, and a main control circuit; the driving module is fixedly arranged in the power module, the motor encoder is used to sense the rotation information of the motor module, the main control circuit is arranged near the motor module, the driving module is electrically connected to the motor encoder, the main control circuit is electrically connected to the driving module through a main control driving wire harness, and the driving module is electrically connected to the motor module through a motor wire harness; the motor wire harness and the main control driving wire harness are fixedly routed along the housing of the power module; The battery module is arranged on the waist module; the power cord of the battery module extends along the waist frame main body to the front end of the waist frame, and crosses the waist frame connecting shaft to enter the power module and is electrically connected to the driving module and the main control circuit.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Motion assist device
CN106063759A
Bidirectional rope-driven hip joint assisting lower limb exoskeleton robot
CN220313341U
Wearable muscular strength assist apparatus and method and system of controlling the same
US20190009405A1
Open-loop control for exoskeleton motor
US20210291355A1
Motion assistance method and system using wearable robot and state trajectory memory buffer
WO2023113467A1
Cited By
Sliding telescopic loop bar device and walking power assisting device
CN120732668A