An adaptive knee joint mechanism for wearable exoskeleton

Abstract

The present application provides an adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton, characterized in that the knee joint mechanism includes at least one inner connecting member and two outer connecting members respectively connected to the upper and lower sides of the inner connecting member, the inner connecting member is rotatably connected to the outer connecting member located on the upper side of the inner connecting member via a first rotating shaft, the inner connecting member is rotatably connected to the outer connecting member located on the lower side of the inner connecting member via a second rotating shaft, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are located at internal positions of the outer connecting member and the inner connecting member, a second pulley is installed at the rear end of the outer connecting member, and a first pulley is installed at the rear end of the inner connecting member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to an adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton. Background Art

[0002] Exoskeleton originally refers to a hard external structure in biology that protects the soft organs inside organisms. Now, exoskeleton robots refer to a type of mechanical device that imitates the movement state of the human body, enhances the human body's movement ability, and integrates bionics and ergonomics. They are worn on the outside of human limbs and can improve people's walking endurance, load-bearing capacity and other specific abilities. Since exoskeleton robots involve ergonomics, they must be highly adaptable. They must not only be suitable for wearers of different body shapes, but also provide dangerous protection for human joints to prevent human injuries during wearing.

[0003] Many knee joints of existing exoskeleton robots are not adaptive. When the exact position of human joints cannot be determined from the outside, the exoskeleton and human joints may be misaligned, causing discomfort to the wearer. Long-term use may even cause knee joint complications. Structures with adaptability are often larger in size and weight. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide an adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present application provides an adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton, characterized in that the knee joint mechanism includes at least one inner connecting member and two outer connecting members respectively connected to the upper and lower sides of the inner connecting member, the inner connecting member is rotatably connected to the outer connecting member located on the upper side of the inner connecting member through a first rotating shaft, the inner connecting member is rotatably connected to the outer connecting member located on the lower side of the inner connecting member through a second rotating shaft, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are located at the internal positions of the outer connecting member and the inner connecting member, a second pulley is installed at the rear end of the outer connecting member, and a first pulley is installed at the rear end of the inner connecting member.

[0006] Preferably, during the bending of the knee joint mechanism, the inner connecting member rotates relative to the outer connecting member located on the upper side of the inner connecting member via the first rotating shaft, and the inner connecting member rotates relative to the outer connecting member located on the lower side of the inner connecting member via the second rotating shaft, and the adjacent first pulleys and second pulleys move away from each other.

[0007] Preferably, the outer connecting member includes two outer connecting plates arranged opposite to each other, and the two outer connecting plates are connected by a connecting portion, and the front ends of the outer connecting plates are respectively provided with an upper outer shaft hole and a lower outer shaft hole, the upper outer shaft hole is located on the upper side of the connecting portion, and the lower outer shaft hole is located on the lower side of the connecting portion, and the inner connecting member includes an inner connecting block and two inner connecting plates arranged opposite to each other on the rear side of the inner connecting block, and the inner connecting block is provided with an upper inner shaft hole and a lower inner shaft hole, the upper inner shaft hole of the inner connecting member is arranged opposite to the lower outer shaft hole of the outer connecting member located on the upper side of the inner connecting member, and are rotatably connected through the first rotating shaft, and the lower inner shaft hole of the inner connecting member is arranged opposite to the upper outer shaft hole of the outer connecting member located on the lower side of the inner connecting member, and are rotatably connected through the second rotating shaft.

[0008] Preferably, first pulley mounting holes are formed on the two inner connecting plates of the inner connecting member, and the first pulley is installed between the two inner connecting plates through the first pulley mounting holes.

[0009] Preferably, a second pulley mounting hole is further provided on the outer connecting plate, and the second pulley is installed between the two outer connecting plates through the second pulley mounting hole.

[0010] Preferably, a limit block is also provided on the outer wall of the inner connecting piece, the upper and lower edges of the limit block are respectively first outer limit surfaces, the upper and lower sides of the outer connecting piece respectively have second outer limit surfaces matching the first outer limit surfaces, when the knee joint mechanism is in a non-bent state, the limit block is clamped between the connecting pieces located on the upper and lower sides of the inner connecting block, and the two first outer limit surfaces of the limit block are respectively in contact with the adjacent second outer limit surfaces.

[0011] Preferably, the upper and lower edges of the connecting part are respectively inner limit surfaces, and the upper and lower sides of the inner connecting block of the inner connecting piece have inner limit angles corresponding to the inner limit surfaces. During the bending process of the knee joint mechanism, when the inner limit angle contacts the inner limit surface, the knee joint mechanism bends to the maximum angle.

[0012] Preferably, at least a portion of the inner connecting block is embedded between two outer connecting pieces of the outer connecting member.

[0013] Preferably, the knee joint mechanism comprises a plurality of external connecting members and a plurality of internal connecting members, and the external connecting members and the internal connecting members are connected in series at intervals.

[0014] The present invention provides an adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton, providing an adaptive knee joint structure with small size, light weight and compact structure, which is convenient for wearers of different body shapes to adjust the exoskeleton. Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides an adaptive knee joint structure, which allows the knee joint to rotate smoothly and automatically, and the outer connecting plate and the inner connecting plate are interlocked, which can withstand a large lateral torque and has a limit protection function.

[0015] With reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, the specific embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, indicating the way in which the principles of the present application can be adopted. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are not limited in scope. Within the scope of the spirit and clauses of the appended claims, the embodiments of the present application include many changes, modifications and equivalents.

[0016] Features described and / or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments.

[0017] It should be emphasized that the term “include / comprises” when used herein refers to the presence of features, integers, steps or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The drawings described herein are for explanation purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way. In addition, the shapes and proportional dimensions of the components in the drawings are only for illustration purposes and are used to help understand the present application. They do not specifically limit the shapes and proportional dimensions of the components of the present application. Under the guidance of the present application, those skilled in the art can select various possible shapes and proportional dimensions to implement the present application according to specific circumstances. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton;

[0020] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the external connecting member of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inner connecting member of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 is a side view of the knee joint mechanism of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Section view in AA direction;

[0024] Figure 6It is a structural schematic diagram of the knee joint mechanism of the present application in a distorted state.

[0025] Wherein: 100, external connecting member; 200, internal connecting member; 300, first pulley; 400, second pulley;

[0026] 11. External connecting piece; 12. Upper external shaft hole; 13. Lower external shaft hole; 14. Second pulley mounting hole; 15. Connecting part;

[0027] 21. Inner connecting block; 22. Inner connecting plate; 23. First pulley mounting hole; 24. Upper inner shaft hole; 25. Lower inner shaft hole; 26. Limiting block;

[0028] 111, second outer limiting surface; 211, inner limiting angle; 151, inner limiting surface; 261, first outer limiting surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0031] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0032] As shown in the figure, the present application provides an adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton, characterized in that the knee joint mechanism includes at least one internal connector 200 and two external connectors 100 respectively connected to the upper and lower sides of the internal connector 200, the internal connector 200 is rotatably connected to the external connector 100 located on the upper side of the internal connector 200 through a first rotating shaft, the internal connector 200 is rotatably connected to the external connector 100 located on the lower side of the internal connector 200 through a second rotating shaft, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are located at the internal positions of the external connector 100 and the internal connector 200, a second pulley 400 is installed at the rear end of the external connector 100, and a first pulley 300 is installed at the rear end of the internal connector 200. During the bending process of the knee joint mechanism, the inner connecting member 200 rotates relative to the outer connecting member 100 located on the upper side of the inner connecting member 200 via the first rotating shaft, and the inner connecting member 200 rotates relative to the outer connecting member 100 located on the lower side of the inner connecting member 200 via the second rotating shaft, and the adjacent first pulley 300 and second pulley 400 move away from each other.

[0033] The outer connecting member 100 comprises two outer connecting pieces 11 arranged opposite to each other, and the two outer connecting pieces 11 are connected by a connecting portion 15. The front ends of the outer connecting pieces 11 are respectively provided with an upper outer shaft hole 12 and a lower outer shaft hole 13. The upper outer shaft hole 12 is located on the upper side of the connecting portion 15, and the lower outer shaft hole 13 is located on the lower side of the connecting portion 15. The inner connecting member 200 comprises an inner connecting block 21, and two inner connecting pieces 22 arranged opposite to each other at the rear side of the inner connecting block 21. The inner connecting block 21 is provided with an upper inner shaft hole 24 and a lower inner shaft hole 25. The upper inner shaft hole 24 of the inner connecting member 200 is arranged opposite to the lower outer shaft hole 13 of the outer connecting member 100 located on the upper side of the inner connecting member 200, and are rotatably connected by the first rotating shaft. The lower inner shaft hole 25 of the inner connecting member 200 is arranged opposite to the upper outer shaft hole 12 of the outer connecting member 100 located on the lower side of the inner connecting member 200, and are rotatably connected by the second rotating shaft. The two inner connecting pieces 22 of the inner connecting member 200 are provided with first pulley mounting holes 23, and the first pulley 300 is installed between the two inner connecting pieces 22 through the first pulley mounting holes 23. The outer connecting piece 11 is also provided with second pulley mounting holes 14, and the second pulley 400 is installed between the two outer connecting pieces 11 through the second pulley mounting holes 14. At least a portion of the inner connecting block 21 is embedded between the two outer connecting pieces 11 of the outer connecting member 100 to keep the knee joint mechanism stable.

[0034] A stopper 26 is also provided on the outer wall of the inner connecting piece 22. The upper and lower edges of the stopper 26 are respectively the first outer stopper surface 261. The upper and lower sides of the outer connecting piece 11 are respectively provided with the second outer stopper surface 111 matched with the first outer stopper surface 261. When the knee joint mechanism is in a non-bending state, the stopper 26 is clamped between the connecting pieces located at the upper and lower sides of the inner connecting piece 21. The two first outer stopper surfaces 261 of the stopper 26 are respectively in contact with the adjacent second outer stopper surfaces 111. The upper and lower edges of the connecting portion 15 are respectively the inner stopper surfaces 151. The upper and lower sides of the inner connecting piece 21 of the inner connecting piece 200 are provided with the inner stopper angles 211 corresponding to the inner stopper surfaces 151. When the inner stopper angles 211 are in contact with the inner stopper surface 151 during the bending process of the knee joint mechanism, the knee joint mechanism bends to the maximum angle, which can withstand a large lateral torque and protect the human knee joint.

[0035] The knee joint mechanism comprises a plurality of external connectors 100 and a plurality of internal connectors 200, wherein the external connectors 100 and the internal connectors 200 are connected in series at intervals.

[0036] The present invention provides an adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton, which is small in size, light in weight, compact in structure and has an adaptive adaptive knee joint structure, which is convenient for wearers of different body shapes to adjust the exoskeleton. Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides an adaptive knee joint structure, which allows the knee joint to rotate smoothly and automatically, and the outer connecting piece 11 and the inner connecting piece 22 are interlocked, which can withstand a large lateral torque and has a limit protection function.

[0037] The definition of the up, down, front and back directions in this application is as follows Figure 1 As shown, the upper outer shaft hole 12 is located at the front end of the outer connecting member 100 , and the lower outer shaft hole 13 is located at the lower side of the upper outer shaft hole 12 .

[0038] It should be noted that, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, “plurality” means two or more.

[0039] All articles and references disclosed, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The term "consisting essentially of..." to describe a combination should include the identified elements, ingredients, parts or steps and other elements, ingredients, parts or steps that do not substantially affect the basic novel characteristics of the combination. The use of the terms "comprising" or "including" to describe a combination of elements, ingredients, parts or steps herein also contemplates embodiments that consist essentially of these elements, ingredients, parts or steps. By using the term "may", it is intended to indicate that any attribute described that "may" include is optional.

[0040] Multiple elements, ingredients, parts or steps can be provided by a single integrated element, ingredient, part or step. Alternatively, a single integrated element, ingredient, part or step can be divided into separate multiple elements, ingredients, parts or steps. The disclosure "one" or "an" used to describe an element, ingredient, part or step is not intended to exclude other elements, ingredients, parts or steps.

[0041] It should be understood that the above description is for illustration and not for limitation. Many embodiments and many applications beyond the examples provided will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of the present teachings should not be determined with reference to the above description, but rather with reference to the foregoing claims and the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. For the purpose of comprehensiveness, all articles and references, including disclosures of patent applications and publications, are incorporated herein by reference. The omission of any aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein in the foregoing claims is not intended to be a waiver of such subject matter, nor should it be considered that the applicant has not considered such subject matter to be part of the disclosed application subject matter.

Claims

1. An adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton, characterized in that: The knee joint mechanism comprises at least one inner connecting member and two outer connecting members respectively connected to the upper and lower sides of the inner connecting member. The inner connecting member is rotatably connected to the outer connecting member located on the upper side of the inner connecting member via a first rotating shaft, and the inner connecting member is rotatably connected to the outer connecting member located on the lower side of the inner connecting member via a second rotating shaft. The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are located inside the outer connecting member and the inner connecting member. The rear end of the outer connecting member is provided with a second pulley, and the rear end of the inner connecting member is provided with a first pulley; During the bending process of the knee joint mechanism, the inner connecting member rotates relative to the outer connecting member located on the upper side of the inner connecting member via the first rotating shaft, and the inner connecting member rotates relative to the outer connecting member located on the lower side of the inner connecting member via the second rotating shaft, and the adjacent first pulleys and second pulleys move away from each other; The external connecting member comprises two external connecting plates arranged opposite to each other, and the two external connecting plates are connected by a connecting portion. The front end of the outer connecting piece is respectively provided with an upper outer shaft hole and a lower outer shaft hole, wherein the upper outer shaft hole is located on the upper side of the connecting portion, and the lower outer shaft hole is located on the lower side of the connecting portion. The inner connecting member comprises an inner connecting block and two inner connecting pieces arranged opposite to each other at the rear side of the inner connecting block. The inner connecting block is provided with an upper inner shaft hole and a lower inner shaft hole. The upper inner shaft hole of the inner connecting member is arranged opposite to the lower outer shaft hole of the outer connecting member located on the upper side of the inner connecting member, and are rotatably connected via the first rotating shaft. The lower inner shaft hole of the inner connecting member is arranged opposite to the upper outer shaft hole of the outer connecting member located at the lower side of the inner connecting member, and are rotatably connected via the second rotating shaft; The knee joint mechanism comprises a plurality of external connecting parts and a plurality of internal connecting parts, and the external connecting parts and the internal connecting parts are connected in series at intervals.

2. An adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The two inner connecting plates of the inner connecting member are provided with first pulley mounting holes, and the first pulley is mounted between the two inner connecting plates through the first pulley mounting holes.

3. The adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer connecting plate is also provided with a second pulley mounting hole, and the second pulley is mounted between the two outer connecting plates through the second pulley mounting hole.

4. The adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that: A limit block is also arranged on the outer wall of the inner connecting piece, and the upper and lower edges of the limit block are respectively the first outer limit surfaces, and the upper and lower sides of the outer connecting piece are respectively provided with second outer limit surfaces matching with the first outer limit surfaces. When the knee joint mechanism is in a non-bending state, the limit block is clamped between the connecting pieces located at the upper and lower sides of the inner connecting block, and the two first outer limit surfaces of the limit block are in contact with the adjacent second outer limit surfaces respectively.

5. An adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The upper and lower edges of the connecting portion are respectively inner limit surfaces, and the upper and lower sides of the inner connecting block of the inner connecting member have inner limit angles corresponding to the inner limit surfaces. During the bending process of the knee joint mechanism, when the inner limit angle contacts the inner limit surface, the knee joint mechanism bends to a maximum angle.

6. The adaptive knee joint mechanism for a wearable exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least a portion of the inner connecting block is embedded between two outer connecting pieces of the outer connecting member.

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