A spinal support flexible exoskeleton device based on fluid spring drive

Abstract

A spinal support flexible exoskeleton device driven by a fluid spring comprises a bionic flexible back plate, a fluid spring assembly, a transmission assembly and a connection assembly; the fluid spring assembly is arranged on the upper part of the bionic flexible back plate, and the connection assembly is arranged on the top, middle and bottom of the bionic flexible back plate for connecting with the human body; the transmission assembly is connected between the fluid spring assembly and the bionic flexible back plate; based on the hydraulic principle, the present invention enables the cylinder body, piston, piston rod and fluid in the cylinder body in the fluid spring device to form a complete hydraulic system, and when silicone oil is used as the hydraulic oil, a larger spring stiffness can be generated with a smaller volume, thereby providing a greater driving force.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of hydraulic equipment and rehabilitation medical equipment, and in particular relates to a spinal support flexible exoskeleton device driven by a fluid spring. Background Art

[0002] In people's production and life, manual workers often need to work for a long time, such as bending over for a long time or frequently to carry heavy objects. Long-term continuous carrying operations damage the health of workers and cause people to have symptoms of lumbar muscle strain and lumbar disc herniation. The present invention introduces a flexible support device for the spine, which can effectively support the spine while meeting the comfort of human wear. At the same time, it is driven by a fluid spring. Compared with traditional mechanical springs of the same volume, the fluid spring has enough pulling force on the spine when the human body bends and stands up to prevent spinal injuries, reduce the burden on the spine when the human body squats or carries heavy objects, and provide additional assistance to the human body. It has broad application prospects.

[0003] On the one hand, traditional spinal exoskeletons are driven by motors, and on the other hand, they are connected by rigid structures. These two aspects together cause a series of problems in traditional spinal exoskeletons, such as complex structure, heavy weight, high price, and inconvenience in daily wear. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a spinal support exoskeleton device driven by a fluid spring to solve a series of problems such as the complex structure, heavy weight, high price, and inconvenience in daily wear of traditional spinal exoskeletons.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A spinal support flexible exoskeleton device based on fluid spring drive, comprising a bionic flexible backboard, a fluid spring assembly, a transmission assembly and a connection assembly; the fluid spring assembly is arranged on the upper part of the bionic flexible backboard, and the connection assembly is arranged on the top, middle and bottom of the bionic flexible backboard for connection with the human body; the transmission assembly is connected between the fluid spring assembly and the bionic flexible backboard;

[0007] The fluid spring assembly comprises a housing and a fluid spring device, wherein the fluid spring device is arranged in the housing, one end of the transmission assembly is connected to the fluid spring device, and the other end is connected to the bionic flexible back plate.

[0008] Furthermore, the fluid spring device includes a driving wire, a piston, a connecting plate, an adjusting rod, a piston rod connecting block, an adjusting knob and a base; two pistons are arranged in parallel between the piston rod connecting block and the base, and the piston rod of the piston is connected to the piston rod connecting block; one end of the adjusting rod is connected to the piston rod connecting block through a thread, and the other end is connected to the connecting plate through a pin, the connecting plate is connected to the driving wire, and the driving wire extends from the base; the adjusting rod passes through the piston rod connecting block and is connected to the adjusting knob.

[0009] Furthermore, the transmission assembly includes a pulley assembly, a traction rope and a size adjustment rope; the pulley assembly is connected to the driving steel wire, the traction rope is wound around the pulley assembly, and both ends of the traction rope are respectively fixed to the connecting assembly at the bottom of the bionic flexible backboard, and the size adjustment rope is also fixed to the connecting assembly at the bottom of the bionic flexible backboard.

[0010] Furthermore, the pulley assembly includes a pulley ring, a ring pin, a pulley and a pulley pin; the pulley is arranged in the pulley ring through the pulley pin, and the top of the pulley ring is connected to the driving wire through the ring pin.

[0011] Furthermore, working channels for the size adjustment rope and the traction rope are provided in the bionic flexible backboard, and the two ropes are attached to the bionic flexible backboard.

[0012] Furthermore, the connecting component includes shoulder straps, a waist belt, a connecting belt and leg straps, the shoulder straps are arranged on the upper part of the bionic flexible backboard, the waist belt is arranged in the middle part of the bionic flexible backboard, and two leg straps are arranged at the lower part of the bionic flexible backboard; the connecting belt is arranged between the shell and the bionic flexible backboard, and is used to connect the shell and the bionic flexible backboard.

[0013] Furthermore, a size adjustment belt and a tension adjustment belt are respectively provided on both sides of the belt, and belt buckles are provided on the size adjustment belt and the tension adjustment belt; the back end of the tension adjustment belt is connected to the traction rope, and the back end of the size adjustment belt is connected to the size adjustment rope, and the adjustment belts on both sides can be pulled freely and fixed by the belt buckles.

[0014] Furthermore, the housing comprises an inner housing and an outer housing fixed by bolts.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0016] The present invention is based on the hydraulic principle so that the cylinder body, piston, piston rod and fluid in the cylinder body in the fluid spring device form a complete hydraulic system. When silicone oil is used as the hydraulic oil, a larger spring stiffness can be generated in a smaller volume, thereby providing a greater driving force.

[0017] The flexible support system, through a structural form that combines a flexible bionic back panel with a flexible transmission system, achieves the effect of cushioning the spine when bending over, and can reduce the burden on the spine when carrying heavy objects; when the human body changes from a bent over state to a standing state, the compressed fluid in the fluid spring device expands and the restoring force generated by the expansion of the fluid drives the entire back device to move via the driving wire, providing additional power for the human body to stand up, reducing the load on the spine, protecting the spine and preventing injuries such as lumbar disc herniation and lumbar muscle strain.

[0018] The present invention can adjust the working stroke of the traction rope by pulling the tension adjustment belt. When the tension adjustment belt is tightened, the idle stroke of the traction rope is small, and the fluid spring system can be pulled when the bending angle of the human spine is very small. When the tension adjustment belt is loose, the idle stroke of the traction rope is large, and the human spine can bend freely without triggering the fluid spring system. This design allows the spinal support exoskeleton device to personalize the strength of the fluid spring device under different working conditions, so as to adapt to different working occasions and switch freely between the working and resting states; by pulling the size adjustment belt, the leg support force can be dynamically adjusted, which can adapt to wearers of different body shapes and ensure good comfort after wearing.

[0019] By changing the preload of the fluid spring by adjusting the knob, the output characteristics of the entire hydraulic system can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the buffering effect of the system to suit the exercise habits and physical characteristics of different users.

[0020] The back structure of the bionic flexible backboard conforms to the back curve of the human body, can fit perfectly on the back of the human body, provide back support for the wearer, and do not hinder the rotation of the waist. Compared with the existing back support structure, it greatly improves the comfort of human wear. The spine support exoskeleton device provided by the present invention is designed according to the range of motion required by the person, has high flexibility of movement, provides assistance, and improves the convenience of wearing and adjusting for the user, and has a good protective effect on the human spine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a spinal support exoskeleton device of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the spinal support exoskeleton device of the present invention in another direction;

[0023] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the connection component in the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the fluid spring assembly in the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5It is a structural schematic diagram of the transmission assembly in the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the waistband in the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 It is an exploded view of the fluid spring device in the present invention.

[0028] Among them: 1. Bionic flexible back plate; 2. Fluid spring assembly; 3. Transmission assembly; 4. Connection assembly; 5. Shoulder strap; 6. Connection belt; 7. Waist belt; 8. Leg strap; 9. Outer shell; 10. Inner shell; 11. Fluid spring device; 12. Drive wire; 13. Pulley ring; 14. Pulley pin; 15. Pulley pin; 16. Pulley; 17. Towing rope; 18. Size adjustment rope; 19. Size adjustment belt; 20. Tension adjustment belt; 21. Belt buckle 22. Adjustment knob; 23. Piston rod connecting block; 24. Adjustment rod; 25. Piston end cover; 26. Piston rod; 27. Connection pin; 28. Connection plate; 29. ​​Top seal; 30. Drive pin; 31. Seal end cover; 32. Piston; 33. Piston cylinder; 34. Bottom seal; 35. Piston base connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0030] Reference Figures 1 to 7 The present embodiment provides a spinal flexible support exoskeleton device based on fluid spring drive, which includes a bionic flexible backboard 1, a fluid spring assembly 2, a transmission assembly 3 and a connection assembly 4; the fluid spring assembly 2 is arranged on the upper part of the bionic flexible backboard 1, and includes a fluid spring inner shell 10, a fluid spring outer shell 9 and a fluid spring device 11; the connection assembly 4 includes a shoulder strap 5, a waist belt 7, and a leg strap 8, which are respectively connected to the upper, middle and lower parts of the bionic flexible backboard 1; the transmission assembly 3 includes a driving wire 12, a pulley 16 assembly, a traction rope 17 and a size adjustment rope 18, and the transmission assembly 3 is arranged on the bionic flexible backboard 1 and connected to the fluid spring device 11 through the driving wire 12.

[0031] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 5 The bionic flexible backboard 1 is fixed with the shoulder strap 5, the waist belt 7 and the leg strap 8 by bolts. The bionic flexible backboard 1 is provided with working channels for the size adjustment rope 18 and the traction rope 17, and the two ropes are attached to the bionic flexible backboard 1.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 6, there are adjustment belts on both sides of the waist belt 7. The back end of the left tension adjustment belt 20 is connected to the traction rope 17, and the back end of the right size adjustment belt 19 is connected to the size adjustment rope 18. The adjustment belts on both sides can be pulled freely and fixed by the belt buckles 21 on both sides of the front. A part of the traction rope 17 is wound around the pulley 16, and the two ends of the traction rope 17 are respectively fixed to the leg straps 8 on both sides; the two ends of the size adjustment rope 18 are respectively fixed to the leg straps 8 on both sides. When in the working state, when the human body is bending, the driving wire 12 and the traction rope 17 are tensioned and the fluid spring device 11 is pulled in a compressed state. When the human body is converted from the bending state to the standing state, the driving wire 12 and the traction rope 17 are restored to their original state and the fluid spring device 11 is extended.

[0033] Reference Figure 4 The fluid spring fixing device includes an inner shell 10 and an outer shell 9, and the fluid spring inner shell 10 and the outer shell 9 are fixed by bolts. The upper end of the fluid spring inner shell 10 is fixed to the bionic flexible backboard 1 by shoulder straps 5 on both sides, and the lower end of the fluid spring inner shell 10 is connected to the bionic flexible backboard 1 by a connecting belt 6. The fluid spring device 11 is fixed to the connecting block of the inner shell 10 and reinforced by the block between the inner shell 10 and the outer shell 9. A steel wire channel is provided inside the connecting block of the inner shell 10, and a through hole is provided on the upper part of the outer shell 9 for setting the fluid spring adjustment knob 22. The inner shell 10 and the outer shell 9 are both provided with a channel at the bottom to connect the pulley 16 assembly through the driving steel wire 12.

[0034] Reference Figure 5 The pulley assembly includes a pulley ring 13, a ring pin 14, a pulley 16 and a pulley pin 15. A section of the traction rope 17 is wound around the pulley 16, and the pulley 16 and the pulley ring 13 are fixed by the pulley pin 15. At the same time, the pulley ring 13 is provided with a pin hole, and one end of the driving wire 12 is connected to the pulley ring 13 through the ring pin 14.

[0035] Reference Figure 7 The fluid spring device 11 includes an adjusting knob 22, a piston rod connection block 23, an adjusting rod 24, a piston end cover 25, a piston rod 26, a connecting pin 27, a connecting plate 28, a top seal 29, a driving pin 30, a seal end cover 31, a piston 32, a piston cylinder 33, a bottom seal 34 and a piston base connection 35. One end of the two piston rods 26 is respectively fixed vertically in the circular hole of the piston rod connection block 23, and the other end of the two piston rods 26 is fixed with a top seal 29, a seal end cover 31 and a piston 32; the two ends of the piston cylinder 33 are respectively provided with a top seal 29 and a bottom seal 34, and the bottom seal 34 is arranged on the connection block of the fluid spring inner housing 10 through the piston 32 base connection.

[0036] Furthermore, an adjusting rod 24 and a connecting plate 28 are arranged between the piston rod 26 and the piston cylinder 33. One end of the adjusting rod 24 passes through the piston rod connecting block 23 and is connected to the adjusting knob 22, and the other end is fixedly connected to the connecting plate 28 through a connecting pin 27. The driving wire 12 is fixedly connected to the center of the connecting plate 28 through a driving pin 30, and a circular hole through which the adjusting rod 24 passes is arranged on the connecting plate 28.

[0037] The working principle of the device of the present invention is as follows: Figures 1 to 7 , a spinal flexible support exoskeleton device based on fluid spring drive, which includes a bionic flexible backboard 1, a fluid spring assembly 2, a connecting assembly 4 and a transmission assembly 3. When a human body performs a bending action, the back distance is extended, and the length of the traction rope 17 remains unchanged, so the traction rope 17 is tensioned on the working surface of the bionic flexible backboard 1, driving the pulley 16 to move downward, and the driving wire 12 connected to the pulley ring 13 moves downward, thereby driving the piston 32 in the fluid spring device 11 to compress the fluid in the piston cylinder 33 to store energy; when the human body changes from a bending action to a standing state, the compressed fluid expands and releases energy, pushing the piston 32 to generate a reset force, driving the driving wire 12 and the pulley 16 to move upward, thereby pulling the traction rope 17 to assist the spine to straighten, in this process, the device reduces the spinal load and provides additional power for the person to stand up. The transmission assembly 3 moves on the working surface of the bionic flexible backboard 1 through the connection of the driving wire 12, the pulley 16 and the traction rope 17, so that the entire device performs bending / uprighting movements synchronously with the spinal action and transmits power. The connecting assembly 4 mainly fixes the entire device on the back of the human body through the shoulder strap 5, the waist belt 7 and the leg strap 8, and can be adapted to different wearers by adjusting the tightness.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 When a person wears the device, the size adjustment cord 18 can be activated by pulling the size adjustment belt 19. The farther the size adjustment cord 18 is pulled outward, the stronger the dynamic support provided to the hips and legs is, so that the device can be adapted to wearers of different body shapes. By pulling the tension adjustment belt 20, the position of the piston 32 in the fluid spring device 11 can be changed, and the initial pressure of the fluid can be adjusted. The spinal support exoskeleton device can adjust the strength of the fluid spring device 11 in a personalized manner under different working conditions, so as to adapt to different working occasions and switch freely between the working and resting states.

[0039] Reference Figure 7For the fluid spring device 11, the driving wire 12 is fixed to the connecting plate 28 by the driving pin 30, the connecting plate 28 is fixed to the adjusting rod 24 by the connecting pin 27, and the adjusting rod 24 is connected to the piston rod 26 connecting block 23 by the adjusting knob 22. By adjusting the preload size of the fluid spring of the knob 22, the output characteristics of the entire hydraulic system can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the buffering effect of the system to meet the exercise habits and physical characteristics of different users. One end of the piston rod 26 passes through the piston end cover 25 and the top seal 29 and is installed on the piston rod connecting block 23 by threaded connection, and the other end passes through the bottom seal 34 and the seal end cover 31 and is fixed to the piston. One end of the piston cylinder 33 has a piston end cover 25 and a top seal 29, and the other end of the piston cylinder 33 has a seal end cover 31 and a bottom seal 34. There is a piston base connector 35 between the bottom seal 34 and the inner housing 10 connecting block, and the bottom seal 34 is fixed to the inner housing 10 connecting block by threaded connection. Specific working method: when the human body performs a bending action, the driving wire 12 pulls the piston rod connecting block 23 to move in the direction of connecting the transmission component 3 through the connecting plate 28, and the piston rod connecting block 23 drives the piston 32 through the piston rod 26 to compress the fluid in the piston cylinder 33, and converts the kinetic energy generated by the bending of the spine into the potential energy of the compressed fluid and stores it in the piston cylinder 33. At the same time, since there is a damping hole in the piston 32, the spine has a certain buffer when bending and storing energy; when the human body changes from a bending action to a standing state, the compressed fluid in the piston cylinder 33 expands and releases energy, pushing the piston 32 and driving the piston cylinder 33 connecting block to move in the opposite direction of the transmission component 3 through the piston rod 26, thereby pulling the driving wire 12 to convert the potential energy of the compressed fluid into kinetic energy, and finally transmitting the kinetic energy to the back of the human body, providing additional support and power for the straightening of the spine.

[0040] All components in the present invention can be produced by different manufacturing methods, including but not limited to additive manufacturing (3D printing), CNC machine tool processing, casting, stamping, etc.

Claims

1. A spinal support flexible exoskeleton device based on fluid spring drive, characterized in that: The invention comprises a bionic flexible back plate (1), a fluid spring assembly (2), a transmission assembly (3) and a connection assembly (4); the fluid spring assembly (2) is arranged on the upper part of the bionic flexible back plate (1); the fluid spring assembly (2) comprises a housing and a fluid spring device (11); the fluid spring device (11) is arranged in the housing; The connecting assembly (4) comprises a shoulder strap (5), a waist strap (7), a connecting strap (6) and a leg strap (8), wherein the shoulder strap (5) is arranged on the upper part of the bionic flexible back plate (1), the waist strap (7) is arranged on the middle part of the bionic flexible back plate (1), and the two leg straps (8) are arranged on the lower part of the bionic flexible back plate (1); The transmission assembly (3) comprises a driving steel wire (12), a pulley (16) assembly, a traction rope (17) and a size adjustment rope (18); the transmission assembly (3) is arranged on the bionic flexible back plate (1) and is connected to the fluid spring device (11) via the driving steel wire (12); The pulley assembly is connected to the driving steel wire (12), and a part of the traction rope (17) is wound around the pulley (16); the two ends of the traction rope (17) are respectively fixed to the leg straps (8) on both sides; the two ends of the size adjustment rope (18) are respectively fixed to the leg straps (8) on both sides; the two sides of the waist belt (7) are respectively provided with a size adjustment belt (19) and a tension adjustment belt (20), and the size adjustment belt (19) and the tension adjustment belt (20) are both provided with a belt buckle (21); the back end of the tension adjustment belt (20) is connected to the traction rope (17), and the back end of the size adjustment belt (19) is connected to the size adjustment rope (18), and the adjustment belts on both sides can be freely pulled and fixed by the belt buckle (21).

2. A spinal support flexible exoskeleton device based on fluid spring drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fluid spring device (11) comprises a piston, a connecting plate (28), an adjusting rod (24), a piston rod connecting block (23), an adjusting knob (22) and a base; two pistons are arranged in parallel between the piston rod connecting block (23) and the base, and the piston rods of the pistons are connected to the piston rod connecting block (23); one end of the adjusting rod (24) is connected to the piston rod connecting block (23) through a thread, and the other end is connected to the connecting plate (28) through a pin, and the connecting plate (28) is connected to a driving wire (12), and the driving wire (12) extends from the base; the adjusting rod (24) passes through the piston rod connecting block (23) and is connected to the adjusting knob (22).

3. The spinal support flexible exoskeleton device based on fluid spring drive according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The pulley assembly comprises a pulley ring (13), a ring pin (14), a pulley (16) and a pulley pin (15); the pulley (16) is arranged in the pulley ring (13) through the pulley pin (15), and the top of the pulley ring (13) is connected to the driving wire (12) through the ring pin (14).

4. The spinal support flexible exoskeleton device based on fluid spring drive according to claim 2, characterized in that: A working channel for a size adjustment rope (18) and a traction rope (17) is arranged in the bionic flexible back plate (1), and the two ropes are attached to the bionic flexible back plate (1).

5. The spinal support flexible exoskeleton device based on fluid spring drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection assembly (4) further comprises a connection belt (6), which is arranged between the shell and the bionic flexible back plate (1) and is used to connect the shell and the bionic flexible back plate (1).

6. The spinal support flexible exoskeleton device based on fluid spring drive according to claim 4, characterized in that: The housing comprises an inner housing (10) and an outer housing (9) which are fixed by bolts.

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