Wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton

Abstract

The application discloses a wearable flexible shoulder joint power exoskeleton, which comprises a flexible wearable system, a shoulder joint weight reduction system and a pneumatic origami driving device. The flexible wearable system comprises a shoulder pipe fixer and an upper arm air bag. The shoulder pipe fixer is arranged on the shoulder of a wearer, and the upper arm air bag is arranged on the upper arm of the wearer. The shoulder joint weight reduction system is connected with the upper arm air bag and arranged between the upper arm and the trunk of the wearer. The pneumatic origami driving device is arranged outside the flexible wearable system. The first end of the pneumatic origami driving device is arranged on the shoulder pipe fixer, and the second end of the pneumatic origami driving device is connected with the upper arm air bag. The application reduces the energy consumption required for driving the shoulder joint, reduces the volume and weight of the driving device, and improves the control precision.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rehabilitation equipment technology, and in particular to a wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the rapid development of flexible materials and flexible actuation technologies, these materials and technologies have been widely applied to flexible exoskeleton robots, providing rehabilitation and daily living assistance for people with limb movement disorders. The emergence of flexible upper limb rehabilitation training equipment has, to some extent, compensated for the shortage of rehabilitation physicians and the limited availability of rehabilitation equipment, while also addressing the issues of rigid exoskeletons being bulky, heavy, and lacking human-machine interaction. In the research of flexible upper limb enhanced exoskeleton systems, some progress has been made in lightweight, wearable upper limb exoskeleton systems with gravity balance, but widespread application is still not possible.

[0003] Existing upper limb flexible exoskeletons typically connect to the human body using exoskeleton suits or Velcro. This connection method can cause tension on the skin tissue, leading to potential displacement. Pneumatic flexible exoskeletons, on the other hand, have large and heavy actuators, lack gravity balancing devices, consume a lot of energy, and are difficult to control nonlinearly.

[0004] Therefore, those skilled in the art are dedicated to providing a wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton that provides wearers with assistance in shoulder joint flexion / extension, abduction / adduction, and weight reduction. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is how to provide a shoulder exoskeleton that can provide assistance and weight reduction for the wearer in shoulder joint flexion / extension, abduction / adduction.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton, comprising a flexible wearable system, a shoulder joint weight reduction system, and a pneumatic origami drive device. The flexible wearable system includes a shoulder tube fixator and an upper arm airbag. The shoulder tube fixator is located on the wearer's shoulder, and the upper arm airbag is located on the wearer's upper arm. The shoulder joint weight reduction system is connected to the upper arm airbag and is positioned between the wearer's upper arm and torso. The pneumatic origami drive device is located on the outer side of the flexible wearable system. The first end of the pneumatic origami drive device is located on the shoulder tube fixator, and the second end of the pneumatic origami drive device is connected to the upper arm airbag. The shoulder joint weight reduction system is configured to balance the weight of the human upper limb and to allow for flexion / extension, abduction / adduction, and internal / external rotation of the shoulder joint without restricting the weight reduction plane. The shoulder joint weight reduction system achieves gravity balance of the human shoulder joint at any angle of shoulder abduction / adduction.

[0007] Furthermore, the flexible wearable system also includes a shoulder joint orthosis that matches the wearer's shoulder joint and upper arm. The shoulder joint orthosis covers at least the outer part of the shoulder joint and upper arm between the shoulder tube fixator and the upper arm airbag. The pneumatic origami drive device is fixed to the shoulder joint orthosis at the portion located between the shoulder tube fixator and the upper arm airbag. The upper arm airbag is fixed to the upper arm after inflation, serving as the moving platform of the pneumatic origami drive device. One end of the upper arm airbag is connected to the shoulder joint weight reduction system, serving as the upper arm support point of the shoulder joint weight reduction system. The shoulder tube fixator is used to fix the tube of the pneumatic origami drive device.

[0008] Furthermore, the shoulder joint orthosis also includes a strap, which connects the shoulder joint orthosis to the wearer's torso. After inflation, the upper arm airbag is flexibly fixed to the upper arm, thus fixing the shoulder joint orthosis to the upper arm. The upper arm airbag can protect the upper arm tissues, and the expansion and contraction of the upper arm airbag can promote blood circulation in the upper arm, thus providing a massage effect.

[0009] Furthermore, the shoulder joint weight reduction system includes a retractable origami airbag, one end of which is fixed to the inner side of the upper arm and the other end to the outer side of the sternum, to achieve gravity balance of the shoulder joint at any angle in the coronal plane of the human body, so that when the shoulder joint performs abduction / adduction movements, the upper arm is in balance with the force and torque of the shoulder joint weight reduction system at any angle.

[0010] Furthermore, the retractable origami airbag is connected to the upper arm airbag by pressing it together with a thermoforming machine.

[0011] Furthermore, the pneumatic origami driving device includes a pneumatic origami linear actuator and a pneumatic pipe. The pneumatic pipe is disposed on the shoulder pipe fixator, and the pneumatic origami linear actuator is fixed on the shoulder joint orthosis. The two ends of the pneumatic origami linear actuator are respectively connected to the pneumatic pipe and the upper arm airbag.

[0012] Furthermore, the pneumatic pipes include a front pneumatic pipe, an outer pneumatic pipe, and a rear pneumatic pipe; the pneumatic paper-folding linear actuator is provided in three parts, corresponding to the front pneumatic pipe, the outer pneumatic pipe, and the rear pneumatic pipe respectively.

[0013] Furthermore, the pneumatic origami linear actuator includes an origami mechanism and an external airbag. The external airbag encloses the origami mechanism. The pneumatic origami linear actuator is placed on the front, outer, and back sides of the upper arm to simulate the muscle pathways of the deltoid and biceps brachii muscles. The front actuator is used to drive the flexion / extension freedom of the shoulder joint, while the outer actuator and the shoulder joint weight reduction system are used to drive the abduction / adduction freedom of the shoulder joint. A gap is left between the origami mechanism and the external airbag to allow for changes in the internal pressure of the air chamber during air extraction / de-extraction.

[0014] Furthermore, the shoulder tube fixator is provided with a first guide hole, a second guide hole, a third guide hole, and a fourth guide hole.

[0015] Furthermore, the shoulder joint orthosis is equipped with a hidden buckle, and the pneumatic orthotic linear actuator is connected to the shoulder joint orthosis through the hidden buckle, achieving a small body size and easy assembly and disassembly. The shoulder joint orthosis is equipped with multiple female buckles to adapt to the needs of different body shapes.

[0016] The present invention has at least the following beneficial technical effects:

[0017] 1. The wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton provided by the present invention uses an upper arm airbag as the moving platform of the pneumatic origami driving device and as the upper arm support point of the shoulder joint weight reduction system. After inflation, it is fixed to the human upper arm and will not produce a large relative displacement under the action of air pressure, which can protect the human upper arm tissue. The expansion and contraction of the airbag can promote blood circulation in the human upper arm and play a massage role.

[0018] 2. The wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton provided by this invention uses a pneumatic origami drive device that combines an origami mechanism and an airbag. It adopts a biomimetic design, mimicking the main muscle force lines of the biceps brachii and deltoid muscles in the human upper limb. After the origami mechanism is sealed by the airbag, negative pressure is injected into the origami mechanism, and the actuator will axially contract, thereby realizing the flexion / extension and abduction / adduction of the shoulder joint. The device is lightweight, small in size, simple to manufacture, low in cost, has a high force-to-weight ratio, and mimics muscle force lines, thus improving transmission efficiency.

[0019] 3. The wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton provided by the present invention uses a pneumatic origami drive device to balance the gravity acting on the shoulder joint during adduction / abduction movements. Gravity balance is achieved at any position of the shoulder joint movement, reducing the energy consumption required to drive the shoulder joint, reducing the size and weight of the drive device, and improving control precision.

[0020] The following will further explain the concept, specific structure, and technical effects of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, so as to fully understand the purpose, features, and effects of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of wearing the wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is an overall schematic diagram of the wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a flexible wearable system of a wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the shoulder tube fixator of the wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the shoulder joint weight reduction system of the wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic origami driving device for a wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic origami linear actuator of the wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic pipes of the wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded origami mechanism of the wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the figure, 1-flexible wearable system, 100-shoulder joint orthosis, 101-shoulder tube fixator, 1011-first guide hole, 1012-second guide hole, 1013-third guide hole, 1014-fourth guide hole, 102-upper arm airbag;

[0031] 2- Shoulder joint weight reduction system, 200- Extendable origami airbag;

[0032] 3-Pneumatic origami drive device, 300-Pneumatic origami linear actuator, 3001-Folding mechanism, 3002-External airbag, 301-Pneumatic pipe, 3011-Front pneumatic pipe, 3012-Outer pneumatic pipe, 3013-Rear pneumatic pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below to make the technical content clearer and easier to understand. The present invention can be embodied in many different forms, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned herein.

[0034] In the accompanying drawings, components with the same structure are indicated by the same numerical designation, and components with similar structures or functions are indicated by similar numerical designations. The dimensions and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrary, and the present invention does not limit the dimensions and thicknesses of each component. To make the illustrations clearer, the thickness of some components has been appropriately exaggerated in the drawings.

[0035] This invention provides a wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton that utilizes the flexibility of airbags to fix the upper arm of the human body; by generating negative pressure within the origami mechanism, the actuator is contracted, thereby realizing flexion / extension, abduction / adduction movements of the shoulder joint; at any position of shoulder joint movement, gravity balance is achieved, reducing the energy consumption required to drive the shoulder joint.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton of this embodiment includes a flexible wearable system 1, a shoulder joint weight reduction system 2, and a pneumatic origami drive device 3. The flexible wearable system 1 is disposed on the shoulder and upper arm of the human body, providing protection for shoulder joint movement, while providing stable force anchor points for the shoulder joint weight reduction system 2 and the pneumatic origami drive device 3, ensuring connection stability and wearing comfort. The shoulder joint weight reduction system 2 is fixed to the upper arm portion of the flexible wearable system 1 and is located on the inner side of the upper arm, realizing weight reduction during shoulder joint movement, while not restricting the flexion / extension, abduction / adduction, and internal / external rotation of the shoulder joint under the weight reduction plane, and can achieve gravity balance of the human shoulder joint at any angle of shoulder joint abduction / adduction. The pneumatic origami drive device 3 is fixed to the outer side of the flexible wearable system 1, realizing assistance for shoulder joint flexion / extension and abduction / adduction.

[0037] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the flexible wearable system 1 includes a shoulder joint orthosis 100, a shoulder tube fixator 101, and an upper arm airbag 102. The shoulder tube fixator 101 is located at the wearer's shoulder joint, and the upper arm airbag 102 is located at the wearer's upper arm. The upper arm airbag 102 is ring-shaped, meaning it is fitted over the wearer's upper arm. The shoulder joint orthosis 100 is a wearable structure that can wrap around the shoulder joint and upper arm between the shoulder tube fixator 101 and the upper arm airbag 102. To ensure a stable connection, both ends of the shoulder joint orthosis 100 can be connected to the shoulder tube fixator 101 and the upper arm airbag 102, respectively. The shoulder joint orthosis 100 is also equipped with straps that can wrap around the wearer's torso to secure the flexible wearable system 1 to the human torso.

[0038] The shoulder joint orthosis 100 is equipped with a hidden buckle, which allows the pneumatic origami drive device 3 to be fixed to the outside of the flexible wearable system 1.

[0039] The shoulder tube fixation device 101 has a first guide hole 1011, a second guide hole 1012, a third guide hole 1013, and a fourth guide hole 1014, which are connected at the center of the shoulder tube fixation device 101.

[0040] like Figure 5 As shown, the shoulder joint weight reduction system 2 includes a retractable origami airbag 200. In this embodiment, the retractable origami airbag 200 is connected to the annular airbag 102 by pressing with a hot press.

[0041] like Figure 2 , Figures 6 to 8 As shown, the pneumatic origami drive device 3 includes a pneumatic origami linear actuator 300 and a pneumatic pipe 301.

[0042] The pneumatic pipe 301 includes a front pneumatic pipe 3011, an outer pneumatic pipe 3012, a rear pneumatic pipe 3013, and a manifold pneumatic pipe, which pass through the first guide hole 1011, the second guide hole 1012, the third guide hole 1013, and the fourth guide hole 1014 of the pneumatic pipe retainer 101, respectively, to achieve a fixed connection between the pneumatic pipe 301 and the shoulder pipe retainer 101.

[0043] The pneumatic origami linear actuator 300 includes an origami mechanism 3001 and an external airbag 3002, with the origami mechanism 3001 covering the external airbag 3002. In this embodiment, three pneumatic origami linear actuators 300 are provided, corresponding to the front pneumatic pipe 3011, the outer pneumatic pipe 3012, and the rear pneumatic pipe 3013, respectively. One end of each of the three pipes is embedded within the origami mechanism 3001, achieving a fixed connection between the pneumatic origami linear actuator 300 and the pneumatic pipe 301. The pneumatic origami linear actuator 300 is fixed to the shoulder joint orthosis 100 via a snap fastener, and its other end is connected to the retractable origami airbag 200.

[0044] like Figure 9 The diagram shown is a schematic of the unfolded origami mechanism 3001. After unfolding, the surface area of ​​the origami mechanism 3001 is much larger than that after folding.

[0045] The working process of the wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton in this embodiment is as follows: The external airbag 3002 creates a negative pressure environment between the origami mechanism 3001 and the upper arm airbag 102. The pneumatic pipe 301 provides the required negative pressure, causing the pneumatic origami linear actuator 300 to deform. The external airbag 3002 of the pneumatic origami linear actuator 300 restricts the degree of freedom of movement of the origami mechanism 3001. The origami mechanism 3001 guides the external airbag 3002 to perform single-degree-of-freedom movement when air pressure is generated. When the shoulder joint is flexed, the anterior pneumatic tube 3011 is depressed, and the anterior pneumatic origami linear actuator 300 contracts, lifting the upper limb forward in the sagittal plane. When the shoulder joint is extended, the posterior pneumatic tube 3013 is depressed, and the posterior pneumatic origami linear actuator 300 contracts, lifting the upper limb backward in the sagittal plane. When the shoulder joint is abducted, the lateral pneumatic tube 3012 is depressed, the lateral pneumatic origami linear actuator 300 contracts, and the retractable origami airbag 200 inflates, lifting the upper limb outward in the frontal plane. When the shoulder joint is adducted, the lateral pneumatic tube 3012 inflates, the lateral pneumatic origami linear actuator 300 extends, and the retractable origami airbag 200 deflates, lowering the upper limb inward in the frontal plane until the retractable origami airbag 200 is fully contracted. At any angle of shoulder abduction and adduction, the retractable origami airbag 200 can achieve gravity balance of the human shoulder joint, while not restricting the flexion / extension, abduction / adduction, internal rotation / external rotation of the shoulder joint under the weight reduction plane.

[0046] The pneumatic origami drive device of this invention adopts a biomimetic design, mimicking the force line of the human upper arm muscles. It uses a combination of pneumatic and origami mechanisms to provide power and reduce size. At the same time, the shoulder joint weight reduction system uses the gravity balance method of the pneumatic origami mechanism to balance the weight of the upper limb, helping the user to achieve shoulder joint flexion / extension, abduction / adduction assistance and weight reduction. It can protect the human upper arm tissue, reduce the energy consumption required by the shoulder joint, reduce the size and weight of the drive device, and improve control accuracy.

[0047] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of the present invention without creative effort. Therefore, those skilled in the art can obtain the following results based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology.

Claims

1. A wearable, flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton, characterized by, The flexible wearable system, shoulder joint weight reduction system, pneumatic origami driving device, the flexible wearable system includes a shoulder pipe fixer, an upper arm air bag, a shoulder joint orthosis, the shoulder pipe fixer is arranged on the shoulder of the wearer, the upper arm air bag is arranged on the upper arm of the wearer, and the shoulder joint orthosis is matched with the shoulder joint and the upper arm of the wearer;The shoulder joint weight reduction system is connected with the upper arm air bag, and the shoulder joint weight reduction system is arranged between the upper arm and the trunk of the wearer;The pneumatic origami driving device is arranged outside the flexible wearable system, the first end of the pneumatic origami driving device is arranged on the shoulder pipe fixer, and the second end of the pneumatic origami driving device is connected with the upper arm air bag;The shoulder joint weight reduction system is configured to balance the gravity of the upper limb of the human body and not to limit the flexion / extension, abduction / adduction, internal rotation / external rotation of the shoulder joint under the weight reduction plane, and the shoulder joint weight reduction system realizes the gravity balance of the shoulder joint of the human body at any angle of shoulder joint abduction / adduction; The pneumatic origami driving device includes a pneumatic origami linear drive and a pneumatic pipe, the pneumatic pipe is arranged on the shoulder pipe fixer, the pneumatic origami linear drive is fixedly arranged on the shoulder joint orthosis, and the two ends of the pneumatic origami linear drive are respectively connected with the pneumatic pipe and the upper arm air bag;The pneumatic pipe includes a front side pneumatic pipe, an outer side pneumatic pipe and a rear side pneumatic pipe, and the pneumatic origami linear drive is provided with three, which are respectively corresponding to the front side pneumatic pipe, the outer side pneumatic pipe and the rear side pneumatic pipe;The pneumatic origami linear drive includes an origami mechanism and an external air bag, the external air bag wraps the origami mechanism, and the pneumatic origami linear drive is arranged on the front side, the outer side and the rear side of the upper arm of the human body, simulating the muscle direction of the deltoid muscle and the biceps muscle, wherein the front side drive is used to drive the movement of the flexion / extension degree of freedom of the shoulder joint, the outer side drive and the shoulder joint weight reduction system are used to drive the movement of the abduction / adduction degree of freedom of the shoulder joint, and a gap is left between the origami mechanism and the external air bag to realize the change of the internal pressure of the air cavity when air is extracted / air is released.

2. The wearable flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to claim 1, wherein, The shoulder joint orthosis at least covers the shoulder joint between the shoulder pipe fixer and the upper arm air bag, the outer side part of the upper arm, the pneumatic origami driving device is fixedly arranged on the part between the shoulder pipe fixer and the upper arm air bag, the upper arm air bag is fixed on the upper arm of the human body after being inflated, and serves as a moving platform of the pneumatic origami driving device, one end of the upper arm air bag is connected with the shoulder joint weight reduction system, and serves as an upper arm support point of the shoulder joint weight reduction system, and the shoulder pipe fixer is used to fix the pipe of the pneumatic origami driving device.

3. The wearable, flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton of claim 2, wherein, The shoulder joint orthosis further includes a binding belt, the shoulder joint orthosis is connected with the trunk of the wearer through the binding belt, the upper arm air bag is flexibly fixed with the upper arm of the human body after being inflated, so that the shoulder joint orthosis is fixed with the upper arm of the human body, the upper arm air bag can protect the tissue of the upper arm of the human body, and the expansion / contraction of the upper arm air bag can promote the blood circulation of the upper arm of the human body and play a massage role.

4. The wearable, flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein, The shoulder joint weight reduction system comprises a telescopic paper-folding air bag, one end of which is fixed to the inner side of the human upper arm and the other end of which is fixed to the outer side of the human breastbone, so as to realize the gravity balance of the shoulder joint at any angle in the coronal plane of the human body, and balance the force and torque of the shoulder joint weight reduction system at any angle of the upper arm at any moment when the shoulder joint is performing abduction / adduction movement.

5. The wearable, flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton according to claim 4, wherein, The telescopic paper-folding air bag is connected with the upper arm air bag through hot pressing.

6. The wearable, flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton of claim 2, wherein, The shoulder pipe fixer is provided with a first guide hole, a second guide hole, a third guide hole and a fourth guide hole.

7. The wearable, flexible shoulder joint powered exoskeleton of claim 2, wherein, The shoulder joint orthosis is provided with a snap fastener, the pneumatic paper-folding linear driver is connected with the shoulder joint orthosis through the snap fastener, small volume and convenient disassembly and assembly are realized, and the shoulder joint orthosis is provided with a plurality of female fasteners, which are suitable for different human body types.

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