Lead vest supports the exoskeleton structure

Abstract

This invention discloses a lead apron support exoskeleton structure, including an upper body frame, a lower body frame, and a lead apron. The upper body frame includes a back frame and a lead apron frame. The lead apron frame is equipped with shoulder supports, and the lower end of the lead apron frame is connected to the back frame. The shoulder area of ​​the lead apron is equipped with shoulder pads, which are connected to the shoulder supports. The lower body frame includes a lumbar exoskeleton, a thigh exoskeleton, a calf exoskeleton, and an ankle exoskeleton. The back frame is connected to the lumbar exoskeleton. The lumbar exoskeleton and the thigh exoskeleton are connected by a hip joint mechanism. The hip joint mechanism includes a hip joint connector and a hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge. The lumbar exoskeleton, hip joint connector, hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge, and thigh exoskeleton are connected in sequence, making the lead apron and exoskeleton easy to wear, compatible with any lead apron on the market, easy to assemble and disassemble, and lightweight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of exoskeletons, and particularly relates to lead-supported exoskeleton structures. Background Technology

[0002] Medical lead aprons are essential protective clothing for doctors performing surgery or biopsies in radiation-exposed environments. The protective principle of lead aprons is to use high-density metallic elements to block harmful radiation; therefore, they are generally quite heavy, with a one-piece lead apron with 0.5mmPb protection typically weighing over 8 kg. Based on weight distribution, medical lead aprons are divided into one-piece and two-piece designs. One-piece lead aprons offer more comprehensive protection, but the weight is primarily borne by the wearer's shoulders. Two-piece lead aprons have protective gaps, but the waist and shoulders each share some of the weight.

[0003] Lead aprons increase the burden on doctors during surgery, especially in certain special surgical scenarios, such as cardiac / neuroscopic surgeries, where doctors need to perform surgeries for more than 4 hours. Wearing lead aprons for extended periods increases the burden on doctors' bodies, increases muscle fatigue, affects the precision of surgical procedures, and long-term weight-bearing increases the incidence of occupational diseases such as cervical spondylosis and lumbar disc herniation, which is detrimental to the health of doctors.

[0004] To reduce the burden of wearing lead aprons, exoskeleton support mechanisms have been developed to support them, as illustrated in Chinese patent publications CN215577725U and CN114504469A. Existing exoskeleton support mechanisms are worn inside the lead apron. Since conventional lead aprons are quite fitted, wearing an internal exoskeleton support mechanism is inconvenient, generally requiring a custom-made lead apron. Wearing an external lead apron is also cumbersome, requiring the use of straps to secure it at multiple points. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems in the background art and to propose a lead-supported exoskeleton structure.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this invention proposes a lead apron support exoskeleton structure, comprising an upper body support, a lower body support, and a lead apron. The upper body support includes a back support and a lead apron support. The lead apron support is equipped with shoulder supports, and its lower end is connected to the back support. The lead apron has shoulder pads at the shoulder positions, which are connected to the shoulder supports. The outer side of the lead apron is fastened through the upper and lower body supports. The lower body support includes a lumbar exoskeleton, a thigh exoskeleton, a calf exoskeleton, and an ankle exoskeleton connected in sequence. The back support is connected to the lumbar exoskeleton. The lumbar exoskeleton and the thigh exoskeleton are connected by a hip joint mechanism. The hip joint mechanism includes a hip joint connector and a hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge. The two ends of the hip joint connector are respectively connected to the lumbar exoskeleton and the hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge. The hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge is connected to the thigh exoskeleton. A quick-release component is installed on the hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge to enable quick release between the hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge and the thigh exoskeleton.

[0007] Preferably, the lead apron bracket is slidably mounted on the back support and secured with fasteners after sliding to a predetermined height position.

[0008] Preferably, the lower end of the lead apron support is provided with an adjusting rod with several slots, the upper end of the back support is provided with a connecting channel, and the back of the back support is provided with a positioning hole connected to the connecting channel. The adjusting rod passes through the connecting channel and is fixed by fasteners. When the adjusting rod moves to a predetermined position, the fastener passes through the positioning hole and engages with the slots.

[0009] Preferably, the lead apron support is provided with a connecting seat, and the lower end of the shoulder support is slidably connected to the side of the connecting seat and connected with fasteners after sliding to a predetermined width position.

[0010] Preferably, the shoulder pad is provided with a connector, and the upper end of the connector is provided with a mounting ring. The mounting ring is connected to the upper end of the shoulder support with a fastening bolt.

[0011] Preferably, the lumbar exoskeleton is provided with a support seat, which is connected to the back support. Support rods are slidably installed on both sides of the support seat, and the support rods are fixed with fasteners after sliding to a predetermined width position on both sides.

[0012] Preferably, the waist exoskeleton is connected to the hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge, the thigh exoskeleton is connected to the hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge, and the lower leg exoskeleton is connected to the ankle exoskeleton using a detachable adjustable structure to adjust the corresponding connection length according to wearing requirements.

[0013] Preferably, the detachable adjustment structure is a plug-in structure.

[0014] Preferably, the fastener includes a fastening block, a pull rod, and a locking block with a locking pin. The fastening block has a limiting groove on its inner side, a fastening hole, and an opening that communicates with the limiting groove. The locking block is installed in the limiting groove and slides within the limiting groove. A return spring is connected between the locking block and the inner wall of the limiting groove. One end of the pull rod passes through the opening on the fastening block and is connected to the locking block.

[0015] Preferably, the back support or lead apron is provided with buckle straps on the outside for securing the lead apron.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By installing the lead apron inside the exoskeleton structure, the wearer puts on the lead apron first and then on the exoskeleton, reducing the use of straps and making it easier to put on the lead apron; the overall structure is compact and lightweight (the overall weight without the lead apron is controlled within 4kg), and there is no need to use electrical components such as motors. It is highly flexible after being worn, and the wearing size is adjustable to meet the wearing needs of wearers of different sizes.

[0017] The features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a front view of the installation structure of the upper and lower body supports according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the back of the upper and lower body support installation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the ankle exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the lower leg exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the thigh exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a side view of the thigh exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the external exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the hip joint mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the third connector structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the upper body support according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the back of the upper body support according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 13 This is a side view of the upper body support according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 14 This is a top view of the upper body support according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a fastener according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 16 This is a front sectional view of the fastener according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] In the diagram: 1-Lead apron support, 2-Back support, 3-Lumbar exoskeleton, 4-Hip joint mechanism, 5-Handle, 6-Thigh exoskeleton, 7-Lower leg exoskeleton, 8-Ankle exoskeleton, 9-Fastener, 10-Lead apron, 11-Shoulder support, 12-Shoulder pad, 13-Connector, 14-Adjusting rod, 15-Connector, 31-Support seat, 32-Supporting rod, 41-Hip joint connector, 42-First connector, 43-Second connector, 44-Third connector, 61-Thigh connecting plate, 62-Connecting rod, 63-Spring mounting seat, 64-Connecting spring, 71-Lower leg support plate, 72-Lower leg plastic part, 73-Lower leg connecting rod, 81-Foot support plate, 82-Ankle joint connecting plate, 83-Ankle joint, 84-Lower leg connecting plate, 91-Fastening block, 92-Pull rod, 93-Locking block, 94-Reset spring. Detailed Implementation

[0035] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 9This embodiment provides a lead apron support exoskeleton structure, including an upper body support, a lower body support, and a lead apron 10. The upper body support includes a back support 2 and a lead apron support 1. The lead apron support 1 is provided with shoulder supports 11. The lower end of the lead apron support 1 is connected to the back support 2. The shoulder position of the lead apron 10 is provided with shoulder pads 12, which are connected to the shoulder supports 11. The outer side of the lead apron 10 is fastened through the upper body support and the lower body support. The lower body support includes a waist exoskeleton 3, a thigh exoskeleton 6, a calf exoskeleton 7, and an ankle exoskeleton 8 connected in sequence. The back support 2 is connected to the waist exoskeleton 3. The waist exoskeleton 3 and the thigh exoskeleton 6 are connected by a hip joint mechanism 4. The hip joint mechanism 4 includes a hip joint connector 41 and a hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge. The two ends of the hip joint connector 41 are respectively connected to the waist exoskeleton 3 and the hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge. The hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge is connected to the thigh exoskeleton 6. The three-degree-of-freedom hinge is equipped with a quick-release component 5, which enables quick release between the hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge and the thigh exoskeleton 6. The thigh exoskeleton 6, calf exoskeleton 7, and ankle exoskeleton 8 are all arranged symmetrically on the left and right. There are 4 shoulder pads 12, and the two shoulder pads 12 on the same side are connected by a telescopic structure. The upper end of the shoulder pad 12 is equipped with a slide rail, and a telescopic strip is installed in the slide rail for limiting. The wearer can adjust the relative distance between the two shoulder pads 12 according to their own shoulder conditions. According to the user's wearing needs, buckle-type straps for fastening the lead apron 10 can be added to the outside of the back support 2 or the lead apron 10 to facilitate the lead apron 10 to be better fastened to the inside of the upper and lower body supports. The lead apron 10 is relatively easy to put on and take off and is basically compatible with various lead aprons on the market. The waist exoskeleton 3, thigh exoskeleton 6, calf exoskeleton 7, ankle exoskeleton 8, and upper body support are all equipped with hollow structures to reduce the overall weight.

[0036] See Figure 4 The ankle exoskeleton 8 includes a foot support plate 81, an ankle joint connecting plate 82, an ankle joint 83, and a lower leg connecting plate 84. The foot support plate 81 has a foot strap on one side. The lower end of the ankle joint connecting plate 82 is connected to the foot support plate 81. The upper end of the ankle joint connecting plate 82 is hinged to the lower end of the ankle joint 83, so that the ankle joint connecting plate 82 can rotate back and forth relative to the ankle joint 83 after the two are connected. The lower end of the lower leg connecting plate 84 is hinged to the upper end of the ankle joint 83, and the lower leg connecting plate 84 can rotate left and right relative to the ankle joint 83 after the two are connected. The upper end of the lower leg connecting plate 84 is slidably connected to the lower leg exoskeleton 7 and is fixed with fasteners 9 after sliding to a predetermined leg height position. The ankle joint connecting plate 82 has a hollow structure to reduce weight.

[0037] See Figure 5The lower leg exoskeleton 7 includes a lower leg support plate 71, a lower leg plastic part 72, and a lower leg connecting rod 73. The upper end of the lower leg support plate 71 is provided with a knee joint connector, which is connected to the thigh exoskeleton 6 by an elastic hinge. The lower leg plastic part 72 is installed on the inner side of the lower leg support plate 71 and is provided with a lower leg strap. The lower end of the lower leg support plate 71 is provided with a channel for the lower leg connecting rod 73 to slide. The lower leg connecting rod 73 and the lower leg connecting plate 84 are slidably connected, and the lower leg connecting rod 73 and the lower leg support plate 71 are slidably connected and fixed with fasteners 9 after sliding to a predetermined leg height position.

[0038] See Figure 6 and Figure 7 The thigh exoskeleton 6 includes a connecting rod 62 and a thigh connecting plate 61. The lower end of the connecting rod 62 is connected to the upper end of the thigh connecting plate 61, and the upper end of the connecting rod 62 is connected to a three-degree-of-freedom hinge of the hip joint. A spring mounting seat 63 is provided on the outer side of the thigh connecting plate 61. The spring mounting seat 63 and the knee joint connector are connected by a connecting spring 64. The lower end of the thigh connecting plate 61 is hinged to the knee joint connector. The connecting spring 64 located inside the thigh connecting plate 61 is S-shaped. Through the elastic action of the connecting spring 64, the thigh connecting plate 61 and the knee joint connector have a certain elastic energy storage and assist function. The position of the spring mounting seat 63 can be adjusted according to wearing needs. In addition, a thigh plastic part with a thigh strap can be added to the inner side of the thigh connecting plate 61 according to the user's wearing needs.

[0039] See Figure 8 The lumbar exoskeleton 3 includes a support base 31, which has a fastening groove for fastening the back support 2. The support base 31 and the back support 2 are connected by fastening screws. Support rods 32 are slidably installed on the left and right sides of the support base 31. After the support rods 32 slide to the predetermined waist width position, they are fixed with fasteners 9.

[0040] See Figure 9 and Figure 10 The hip joint connector 41 is a hip adjustment link. The hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge includes a first connector 42, a second connector 43, and a third connector 44. The hip adjustment link is hinged to the first connector 42, allowing the hip adjustment link to rotate left and right relative to the first connector 42. The first connector 42 and the second connector 43 are hinged, allowing the first connector 42 to rotate up and down relative to the second connector 43. The second connector 43 and the third connector 44 are hinged, allowing the second connector 43 to rotate back and forth relative to the third connector 44. The hip adjustment link is slidably connected to the support link 32 on the same side and is fixed with a fastener 9 after sliding to a predetermined length position. The third connector 44 is equipped with a handle 5.

[0041] See 11 and Figure 13The lead apron support 1 is slidably mounted on the back support 2 and is fixed with fasteners 9 after sliding to a predetermined height position, so that the wearer can adjust the overall height of the lead apron support 1 and the back support 2 according to their own height.

[0042] See Figure 12 and Figure 14 The lower end of the lead apron support 1 is provided with an adjusting rod 14 with several slots, and the upper end of the back support 2 is provided with a connecting channel. The back of the back support 2 is provided with a positioning hole connected to the connecting channel. The adjusting rod 14 passes through the connecting channel and is fixed by a fastener 9. When the adjusting rod 14 moves to the predetermined position, the fastener 9 passes through the positioning hole and engages with the slots, making it convenient to adjust the overall height of the lead apron support 1 and the back support 2. After adjustment, the connection between the lead apron support 1 and the back support 2 is relatively firm.

[0043] The lead apron support 1 is equipped with a connecting seat 13. The lower end of the shoulder support 11 is slidably connected to the side of the connecting seat 13 and connected with a fastener 9 after sliding to a predetermined width position. This allows the wearer to adjust the relative width distance between the two shoulder supports 11 according to their own shoulder size, so as to better meet the wearing needs.

[0044] The shoulder pad 12 is provided with a connector 15. The upper end of the connector 15 is provided with a mounting ring. The mounting ring is connected to the upper end of the shoulder support 11 with a fastening bolt. The lower end of the connector 15 is installed on the telescopic strip to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the connector. The connector 15 can move back and forth along the telescopic strip to improve the fit between the lead apron 10 and the wearer.

[0045] The waist exoskeleton 3 is connected to the hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge, the thigh exoskeleton 6 is connected to the hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge, and the calf exoskeleton 7 is connected to the ankle exoskeleton 8. The connection length can be adjusted according to the wearing needs. The detachable adjustment structure is a plug-in structure. The connection length can be adjusted by plugging in, which makes it convenient for users to adjust the connection size of the corresponding parts according to their own wearing needs.

[0046] See Figure 15 and Figure 16 The fastener 9 includes a fastening block 91, a pull rod 92, and a locking block 93 with a locking pin. The fastening block 91 has a limiting groove on its inner side, a fastening hole, and an opening that communicates with the limiting groove. The locking block 93 is installed in the limiting groove and slides within it. A return spring 94 is connected between the locking block 93 and the inner wall of the limiting groove. One end of the pull rod 92 passes through the opening on the fastening block 91 and is connected to the locking block 93. Simply pulling the pull rod 92 can disengage the locking pin on the locking block 93 from the corresponding slot or latch on the connecting rod, thereby achieving the adjustment of the corresponding size. The overall adjustment process is relatively convenient.

[0047] The hip adjustment link, the lower leg link 73, the support link 32 on the waist exoskeleton 3, and the lower back of the shoulder support 11 are all provided with several slots that are compatible with the locking pins of the locking block 93 on the fastener 9. All of the above links adopt a hollow structure to reduce weight.

[0048] Working process of this invention:

[0049] During operation, the wearer first puts on the lead apron 10, then places their feet on the foot support plate 81 and secures them with the foot straps. The lower legs are then pressed against the lower leg plastic parts 72 and secured with the lower leg straps to complete the donning process. During use, the apron has multiple degrees of freedom and can move flexibly under the action of the three-degree-of-freedom hinges of the hip joint, the hinges on the lower leg exoskeleton 7, the hinges on the ankle exoskeleton 8, and the hinges at the connection between the thigh exoskeleton 6 and the lower leg exoskeleton 7. The connecting spring 64 on the thigh exoskeleton 6 can provide a certain energy storage assistance for the knee joint flexion.

[0050] During use, the dimensions of the lead apron support exoskeleton structure, including waist width, back height, shoulder width, and leg height, can be adjusted according to the wearer's body size, such as height, waist size, and shoulder size.

[0051] The above embodiments are illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any simple modifications to the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lead-supported exoskeleton structure, comprising an upper body support and a lower body support, characterized in that: It also includes a lead apron. The upper body support includes a back support and a lead apron support. The lead apron support is equipped with shoulder supports. The lower end of the lead apron support is connected to the back support. The shoulder area of ​​the lead apron is equipped with shoulder pads, which are connected to the shoulder supports. The outer side of the lead apron is fastened through the upper body support and the lower body support. The lower body support includes a waist exoskeleton, a thigh exoskeleton, a calf exoskeleton, and an ankle exoskeleton connected in sequence. The back support is connected to the waist exoskeleton. The waist exoskeleton and the thigh exoskeleton are connected by a hip joint mechanism. The hip joint mechanism includes a hip joint connector and a hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge. The two ends of the hip joint connector are respectively connected to the waist exoskeleton and the hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge. The hip joint three-degree-of-freedom hinge is connected to the thigh exoskeleton by a detachable and adjustable structure so as to adjust the corresponding connection length according to wearing needs.

2. The lead apron-supported exoskeleton structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lead apron bracket is slidably mounted on the back support and is secured with fasteners after sliding to a predetermined height.

3. The lead apron-supported exoskeleton structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The lower end of the lead apron support is provided with an adjusting rod with several slots, the upper end of the back support is provided with a connecting channel, and the back of the back support is provided with a positioning hole connected to the connecting channel. The adjusting rod passes through the connecting channel and is fixed by fasteners. When the adjusting rod moves to the predetermined position, the fastener passes through the positioning hole and engages with the slots.

4. The lead apron-supported exoskeleton structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lead apron support is equipped with a connecting seat, and the lower end of the shoulder support is slidably connected to the side of the connecting seat and connected with fasteners after sliding to a predetermined width position.

5. The lead apron-supported exoskeleton structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The shoulder pad is provided with a connector, and the upper end of the connector is provided with a mounting ring. The mounting ring is connected to the upper end of the shoulder support with a fastening bolt.

6. The lead apron-supported exoskeleton structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lumbar exoskeleton is equipped with a support base, which is connected to the back support. Support rods are slidably installed on both sides of the support base. After the support rods slide to a predetermined width position, they are fixed with fasteners.

7. The lead apron-supported exoskeleton structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The detachable adjustment structure is a plug-in structure.

8. The lead apron-supported exoskeleton structure as described in claim 2, 3, or 4, characterized in that: The fastener includes a fastening block, a pull rod, and a locking block with a locking pin. The fastening block has a limiting groove on its inner side, a fastening hole, and an opening that communicates with the limiting groove. The locking block is installed in the limiting groove and slides within it. A return spring is connected between the locking block and the inner wall of the limiting groove. One end of the pull rod passes through the opening on the fastening block and is connected to the locking block.

9. The lead apron-supported exoskeleton structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The back support or lead apron is provided with buckle straps on the outside for securing the lead apron.

Images