A walking assistance device and method for a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of exoskeletons, and particularly to a walking assistance device and method for a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton, including a back frame mechanism for binding to the human back and moving synchronously with the back; a sliding sleeve mechanism slidably connected to the back frame mechanism in the vertical direction to form a relative vertical displacement; the sliding sleeve mechanism includes a tray for placing a backpack and a torsion spring for storing energy by the backpack pressing down the tray; an exoskeleton thigh mechanism including an upper thigh rod for binding to the human thigh, and a steel wire rope is connected between the thigh rod and the torsion spring; a hip joint mechanism that rotates following the human hip joint, with one end connected to the back frame mechanism and the other end connected to the exoskeleton thigh mechanism; the present invention combines the backpack with the exoskeleton to assist the human body, without the need for intermediate energy conversion, and can directly use part of the energy of the backpack for human body assistance, with small energy loss.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of exoskeletons, and particularly to a walking assistance device and method for a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton. Background Art

[0002] Human walking is the most important source of body movement generation. During walking, the center of gravity of the human body will repeatedly move up and down in the vertical direction. The movement caused by walking generates kinetic energy and may be converted into power in different forms.

[0003] When carrying a backpack, the walking of the human body will cause the movement of the backpack load, generating easily accessible mechanical energy. A suspension backpack is an inertial induction biomechanical energy harvester that converts the kinetic energy of the load on the vertical line during walking into electrical energy through a frame. Researchers are working hard to capture and collect this energy to power small portable electronic products such as mobile phones, watches, and players that cannot obtain traditional energy sources.

[0004] Generally speaking, research work on collecting energy generated by the movement of a backpack induced by human walking has been widely carried out, and such energy collection devices tend to output in the form of electrical energy. These energy collection devices can only collect a small amount of energy in milliwatts, and energy loss will inevitably occur during the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy, resulting in low energy efficiency and small output power. Especially when carrying a large load and walking for a long time at high intensity in the harsh environment of high plateaus and mountains, the cold environment causes the power generation device to malfunction, and even if power can be generated, the efficiency will be greatly reduced. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art, and provide a walking assistance device and method for a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton, which combines a passive backpack and a lower limb exoskeleton, without the need for intermediate energy conversion, and can directly use part of the energy of the backpack for human assistance. To achieve the above purpose, the present invention is solved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a walking assistance device for a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton, including:

[0007] A back frame mechanism for binding to the human back and moving synchronously with the back;

[0008] A sliding sleeve mechanism is slidably connected to the back frame mechanism in the vertical direction to form a relative vertical displacement; the sliding sleeve mechanism includes a tray for placing the backpack and a torsion spring for storing energy by the backpack pressing down the tray;

[0009] An exoskeleton thigh mechanism includes an upper thigh rod for binding to the human thigh, and a steel wire rope is connected between the thigh rod and the torsion spring;

[0010] The hip joint mechanism rotates following the rotation of the human hip joint, with one end connected to the backrest mechanism and the other end connected to the exoskeleton thigh mechanism.

[0011] As a further technical solution, the backrest mechanism has a guide rod, and the sliding sleeve mechanism is provided with a sliding sleeve that is slidably connected to the guide rod, and the backpack moves synchronously with the sliding sleeve.

[0012] As a further technical solution, springs are provided between the upper and lower parts of the sliding sleeve and the backrest mechanism.

[0013] As a further technical solution, two guide rods are symmetrically provided.

[0014] As a further technical solution, the backrest mechanism has a backboard adapted to the human back and a waist connecting plate integrated with the backboard, and the waist connecting plate is connected to the hip joint mechanism.

[0015] As a further technical solution, when the torsion spring is in a compressed state, it drives the thigh rod to move through a steel wire rope to assist the thigh to move forward.

[0016] As a further technical solution, each leg is independently configured with the torsion spring.

[0017] As a further technical solution, the backrest mechanism has a support platform, and the support platform supports the tray in a horizontal state.

[0018] As a further technical solution, the thigh rod is provided with a plurality of connection holes to adjust the connection position between the torsion spring and the thigh rod.

[0019] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a working method of a walking assistance device of a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton according to the first aspect, including the following steps:

[0020] Bind the backrest mechanism to the human back so that the backrest mechanism and the back move as a whole;

[0021] After placing the backpack, press down on the tray. The weight of the backpack causes the tray to rotate downward, and the torsion spring stores the energy of the backpack;

[0022] The torsion spring is connected to the exoskeleton thigh mechanism through a steel wire rope. When the backpack presses down on the tray, the torsion spring connected to the exoskeleton thigh mechanism will give it a forward acting force to complete the assistance of the backpack to the exoskeleton.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0024] (1) The present invention uses a suspension backpack to reduce the pressure on the human shoulders caused by the load, reduce the dynamic peak force acting on the body, and lower the metabolic cost of an individual during walking. At the same time, it innovatively combines the backpack with an exoskeleton to assist the human body. Without energy intermediate conversion, part of the energy of the backpack can be directly used for human assistance with small energy loss. Even in harsh environments, it can provide assistance to personnel carrying out tasks.

[0025] (2) The walking assistance device of the present invention does not need to rely on other clutch mechanisms to separate the left and right legs of the human body. The movement of the human legs themselves serves as the clutch mechanism. The torsion spring is installed at one end of the support plate in a compressed state, so that the other end of the torsion spring always provides a force to push the thigh forward. The torsion spring and the thigh rod are connected by a steel wire rope. When the human leg moves forward, the end connected to the torsion spring loses restraint and transmits the generated rotational force to the thigh rod to assist the movement of the thigh. The helix directions of the torsion springs on the left and right legs are different, and the left and right legs are each a clutch mechanism. When the leg moves forward, it is equivalent to one end of the torsion spring losing restraint. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation to the present invention. It should also be understood that these drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The present invention will now be described and explained with additional features and details by using the drawings, wherein:

[0027] Figure 1 Shows a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the walking assistance device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 Shows a schematic diagram of the back frame mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 Shows a schematic diagram of the sliding sleeve mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 Shows a schematic diagram of the torsion spring and the support plate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 Shows a schematic diagram of the hip joint structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 Shows a schematic diagram of the exoskeleton thigh mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 Shows a schematic diagram of the human body wearing in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 Shows a schematic diagram of the force direction of the steel wire rope during assistance in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 9 Shows the schematic diagram of the wire rope drive assistance in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] In the figure: 1. Back frame mechanism; 101. Shoulder strap; 102. Back panel; 103. Guide rod; 104. Support platform; 105. Waist connecting plate; 106. Spring; 2. Sliding sleeve mechanism; 201. Sliding sleeve; 202. Hanging ear; 203. Support plate; 2031. Torsion spring; 3. Hip joint mechanism; 301. Hip and waist interface support tube; 302. Hip joint end cover; 303. Hip joint fixed end; 4. Exoskeleton thigh mechanism; 401. Thigh rod; 402. Thigh rod binding. Specific embodiments

[0037] Next, the technical solutions in the typical embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] Embodiment 1

[0039] As Figure 1 shown, this embodiment provides a walking assistance device for a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton, including:

[0040] A back frame mechanism 1 for connecting the human body and the sliding sleeve mechanism 2, which is consistent with the movement trajectory of the human back.

[0041] A sliding sleeve mechanism 2 for installing the backpack, so that the backpack and the sliding sleeve mechanism 2 move in unison. There is a relative vertical displacement between the sliding sleeve mechanism 2 and the back frame mechanism 1. When walking, the spring 106 buffers the movement of the backpack.

[0042] A hip joint mechanism 3, the hip joint mechanism 3 is connected to the back frame mechanism 1 above and is connected to the exoskeleton thigh mechanism 4 below, and can rotate following the human hip joint during movement.

[0043] An exoskeleton thigh mechanism 4, the thigh rod 401 is bound to the human thigh and serves as the force application point of the traction force to drive the swing of the human thigh.

[0044] As Figure 2As shown in the figure, the back frame mechanism 1 includes a shoulder strap 101. The shoulder strap 101 is hung on the human body through the shoulders. The shoulder strap 101 is made of materials and in dimensions that conform to human comfort to reduce the pressure on the shoulders. Both ends of the shoulder strap 101 are fixed on the back plate 102. The back plate 102 is designed to fit the human back. The back plate 102 is connected to a guide rod 103, a spring 106, a support platform 104, and a waist connecting plate 105 from the upper part to the lower part. Among them, two guide rods 103 are symmetrically arranged. The guide rod 103 gives constraints in the vertical movement direction of the backpack, which is realized by connecting a square column with two cylinders up and down. The square column is connected to the back plate 102. The support platform 104 is connected to the middle of the guide rod 103 at the lower part of the back plate 102 to realize the support for heavy objects. The waist connecting plate 105 is arranged below the back plate 102 and is used for waist binding and connecting the lower limb exoskeleton. The back frame mechanism 1 is bound to the human body and theoretically moves synchronously with the human body, playing the role of an intermediate mechanism connecting the human body and the backpack exoskeleton.

[0045] As Figure 3 shown in the figure, the sliding sleeve mechanism 2 includes a sliding sleeve 201. The sliding sleeve 201 is connected in the guide rod 103. Springs are connected above and below the sliding sleeve 201 to reduce the vibration of the backpack. Hanging ears 202 are installed on both sides of the sliding sleeve 201. The hanging ears 202 realize the binding of the backpack and the sliding sleeve mechanism 2, making the center of the backpack align with the center of the sliding sleeve mechanism 2. A support plate 203 is arranged below the sliding sleeve mechanism 2. The support plate 203 is hinged at the lower end of the sliding sleeve mechanism and is used to support the backpack. The sliding sleeve mechanism 2 has a vertical displacement relative to the back frame mechanism 1. The movement of the backpack is synchronized with the sliding sleeve mechanism 2. The sliding sleeve mechanism 2 positions the backpack and restricts the movement of the backpack relative to the human body in the left - right direction.

[0046] As Figure 4 shown in the figure, a torsion spring 2031 is installed on the back of the support plate 203. The end of the torsion spring 2031 can be wound into a hook - shaped or straight torsion arm. The torsion spring 2031 can store part of the weight of the backpack. Taking the right - hand lower limb exoskeleton as an example, the gravity of the backpack presses one end of the torsion spring 2031. One end of the torsion spring 2031 rotates around the rotation center. The other end of the torsion spring 2031 has a torque or rotational force generated to return to the initial position. This torque or rotational force is used to assist the human body. The winding direction of the torsion spring 2031 is designed such that when one end of the torsion spring 2031 is pressed by the backpack, the other end of the torsion spring 2031 is always in a tendency to pull the thigh rod 401 forward through a steel wire rope, that is, in the direction of the leg moving forward. The part of the weight of the backpack stored by the torsion spring 2031 is directly used to assist the human body in this way.

[0047] As Figure 5As shown in the figure, the hip joint mechanism 3 includes a hip-waist interface support tube 301 and a hip joint end cap 302. The hip-waist interface support tube 301 is designed with a certain arc. One end is connected to the interface of the waist connecting plate 105, and the other end is matched with the hip joint end cap 302. The hip joint fixed end 303 is connected to the exoskeleton thigh mechanism 4. The hip joint mechanism 3 has a rotational degree of freedom and can rotate with the swing of the human leg without affecting normal walking. The hip joint mechanism 3 can be simplified to a small size without interfering with the walking of the human leg.

[0048] As Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the exoskeleton thigh mechanism 4 includes a thigh rod 401 and a thigh rod binding 402. One end of the thigh rod 401 is connected to the hip joint mechanism 3, and the other end can be used to connect to the knee joint mechanism, etc. The exoskeleton thigh mechanism 4 is connected to the human thigh through the thigh rod binding 402. The thigh rod 401 is provided with a plurality of connection holes to adjust the connection position of the torsion spring 2301 and the thigh rod 401, thereby adjusting the torque.

[0049] In this embodiment, a suspension backpack is used to reduce the pressure on the human shoulder caused by the load, reduce the dynamic peak force acting on the body, and reduce the metabolic cost of an individual during walking. At the same time, the backpack is innovatively combined with the exoskeleton to assist the human body. There is no need for energy intermediate conversion, and part of the energy of the backpack can be directly used for human body assistance with small energy loss. Even in a harsh environment, it can provide assistance to the personnel carrying out tasks.

[0050] In addition, the walking assistance device does not need to rely on other clutch mechanisms to separate the left and right legs of the human body, and the movement of the human legs themselves serves as a clutch mechanism. The torsion spring 2031 is installed at one end of the support plate 203 in a compressed state. The rotation direction of the torsion spring 2031 is designed so that the other end of the torsion spring 2031 always provides a force that makes the thigh move forward. The torsion spring 2031 and the thigh rod 401 can be connected by a steel wire rope. When the human leg moves forward, the end connected to the torsion spring 2031 loses restraint and transmits the generated rotational force to the thigh rod 401, assisting the thigh by pulling the thigh rod 401. The rotation directions of the torsion springs on the left and right legs are different, and the left and right legs are each a clutch mechanism. When the leg moves forward, it is equivalent to one end of the torsion spring 2031 losing restraint.

[0051] In all military operations, soldiers have to carry a variety of weapons and equipment. However, a large amount of weapons and equipment also affects the movement of soldiers. In complex terrains such as mountains or jungles, soldiers' physical strength is almost exhausted during the combat maneuver, and they often cannot guarantee the final combat process. Since the individual load will directly affect their combat effectiveness and endurance, in order to enable soldiers to maintain a good physiological state under load and reduce the occurrence of various injuries and illnesses, a backpack is combined with an exoskeleton to assist individual soldiers in marching. A load-bearing system for soldiers can be specifically studied and designed and combined with an exoskeleton, so that the load-bearing system can have the functions of load-bearing and load-bearing comfort. Structurally, the load-bearing system is abbreviated as the five-belt and three-device system, including shoulder straps, chest straps, waist straps, shoulder force-bearing straps, bottom-of-bag force-bearing straps, support devices, ventilation devices, and adjustment devices. Materials that are more comfortable to fit the human body, light in weight, and good in load-bearing capacity can be selected.

[0052] Portable and wearable electronic products such as mobile phones, smart watches, bands, and tablet computers are becoming indispensable partners in our daily lives. Although these advanced devices make our lives more convenient, they need to be frequently charged for their limited capacity. Charging the battery is easy for people in the city, but it is not easy for field scientists, explorers, soldiers, and those who do not have enough backup batteries in areas with power shortages. Therefore, various power-generating backpacks have been studied. A motor for a power-generating device is essential, but the motor will increase the weight of the backpack load. For soldiers on the march, when carrying a heavy load in harsh environments such as high plateaus and mountains, the power-generating system cannot work properly due to environmental factors, cannot effectively provide assistance for soldiers' movement, increases energy loss, and has low operating efficiency.

[0053] In the design process of the backpack system, the force, absorption force, and frictional force of the spring play a great role. These forces are caused by the frictional force of the power output of a linear guide or a rotary generator. The weight of the backpack itself is related to the load. It is necessary to consider these variables during the design process to achieve the maximum power of the load movement along a straight guide at a given frequency. The research results of levitating backpacks and power-generating backpacks can also be used to combine the levitating backpacks and power-generating backpacks with the exoskeleton system, and use technologies such as constant-force levitating backpack dynamic load unloading and active levitating backpacks with variable stiffness and damping to provide stable assistance to the human body. Although the power-generating device has defects for soldiers marching in harsh environments, it still has great significance for soldiers carrying loads under normal circumstances.

[0054] Embodiment 2

[0055] This embodiment provides a working method of a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton walking assistance device according to Embodiment 1, including the following steps:

[0056] Step 1: Secure the backrest mechanism 1 firmly on the human back through the shoulder strap 101 and the waist strap, so that the backrest mechanism 1 and the human back move as a whole;

[0057] Step 2: Install the sliding sleeve mechanism 2 on the backrest mechanism 1. Springs 106 are installed above and below the sliding sleeve 201. Fix the backpack on the sliding sleeve mechanism 2, and the backpack has no binding contact with the backrest mechanism 1. The sliding sleeve mechanism 2 has a vertical displacement relative to the backrest mechanism 1, and the movement of the backpack is synchronized with that of the sliding sleeve mechanism 2;

[0058] Step 3: After the backpack is installed, it will press down on the support plate 203. The weight of the backpack causes the support plate 203 to rotate downward, and the torsion spring 2031 is used to store the energy of the backpack;

[0059] Step 4: As Figure 8 and Figure 9 shown, the other end of the torsion spring 2031 is connected to the exoskeleton thigh mechanism 4 through a steel wire rope. When the backpack presses on the support plate 203, the torsion spring 2031 connected to the exoskeleton thigh mechanism 4 will exert a forward force on it. The acting force gradually decreases as the angle of the forward swing of the exoskeleton thigh mechanism increases. As the human leg drives the exoskeleton thigh mechanism to extend backward, the exoskeleton thigh mechanism 4 transmits the force to the torsion spring 2031 through the steel wire rope. One end of the torsion spring 2031 located below the support plate 203 will support the backpack. When the human leg drives the exoskeleton thigh mechanism to flex forward, the next assistance cycle begins, completing the assistance of the backpack to the exoskeleton.

[0060] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the technical solution of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A walking assistance device for a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton, characterized in that, Comprising: A backrest mechanism for binding to the human back and moving synchronously with the back; A sliding sleeve mechanism slidably connected to the backrest mechanism in the vertical direction to form a relative vertical displacement; the sliding sleeve mechanism includes a tray for placing a backpack and a torsion spring for storing energy by pressing down the tray with the backpack; An exoskeleton thigh mechanism including an upper thigh rod for binding to the human thigh, and a steel wire rope is connected between the thigh rod and the torsion spring; A hip joint mechanism that rotates following the human hip joint, with one end connected to the backrest mechanism and the other end connected to the exoskeleton thigh mechanism; The backrest mechanism has a guide rod, and the sliding sleeve mechanism is provided with a sliding sleeve that slidably connects to the guide rod, and the backpack moves synchronously with the sliding sleeve; When the torsion spring is in a compressed state, it drives the thigh rod to move through the steel wire rope to assist the thigh to move forward; Each leg is independently configured with the torsion spring; Design the helix direction of the torsion spring so that when one end of the torsion spring is pressed by the backpack, the other end of the torsion spring will always have a tendency to pull the thigh rod forward through the steel wire rope, that is, the direction in which the leg steps forward.

2. The walking assistance device of the passive suspension backpack exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that Springs are provided between the upper and lower parts of the sliding sleeve and the backrest mechanism.

3. The walking assistance device of a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two guide rods are symmetrically provided.

4. The walking assistance device of a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, The backrest mechanism has a backplate adapted to the human back and a waist connecting plate integrated with the backplate, and the waist connecting plate is connected to the hip joint mechanism.

5. The walking assistance device of a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, The backrest mechanism has a support platform that supports the tray in a horizontal state.

6. The walking assistance device of a passive suspension backpack exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thigh rod is provided with a plurality of connection holes to adjust the connection position between the torsion spring and the thigh rod.

7. The working method of the walking assistance device of the passive suspension backpack exoskeleton according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Including the following steps: Bind the backrest mechanism to the human back so that the backrest mechanism and the back move as a whole; After placing the backpack, press down the tray. The weight of the backpack causes the tray to rotate downward, and the torsion spring stores the energy of the backpack; The torsion spring is connected to the exoskeleton thigh mechanism through a steel wire rope. When the backpack presses down the tray, the torsion spring connecting the exoskeleton thigh mechanism will give it a forward acting force to complete the assistance of the backpack to the exoskeleton.

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