A load-adaptive weight-bearing exoskeleton that balances freedom of movement
By introducing a roller-wire mechanism and an adaptive hip joint structure into a purely mechanical weight-bearing exoskeleton, the limitations of existing weight-bearing exoskeletons in terms of freedom of movement and load-bearing effect are solved, achieving lightweight, efficient load-bearing support and free movement.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENZHEN FEIHONG EQUIP TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing weight-bearing exoskeletons have limitations in balancing freedom of movement and load-bearing capacity. Electrically driven exoskeletons are heavy and have limited battery life, while purely mechanical exoskeletons have limited support and the elastic elements at the joints affect natural gait, leading to increased burden on users.
It adopts a purely mechanical weight-bearing exoskeleton structure, which provides support for the knee joint even when it is not fully extended by setting up a roller-wire mechanism. The hip joint structure adaptively adjusts to match the movement of the human leg, increasing the degree of freedom of movement.
It achieves improved support and freedom of movement of weight-bearing exoskeletons without increasing weight or wearing burden, simplifies the structure, and reduces joint displacement and restriction.
Smart Images
Figure CN116619338B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a load-bearing exoskeleton, and more particularly to a load-adaptive load-bearing exoskeleton that takes into account the degree of freedom of movement. Background Technology
[0002] A weight-bearing exoskeleton is a wearable device consisting of a connected torso frame and a load-bearing crossbeam. Symmetrically connected to the left and right ends of the load-bearing crossbeam are sequentially connected hip joint structures, thigh frames, knee joint structures, calf frames, ankle joint structures, and foot frames. The weight carried can be transferred to the ground sequentially through the torso frame, load-bearing crossbeam, hip joint structures, thigh frames, knee joint structures, calf frames, ankle joint structures, and foot frames, aiming to improve the wearer's load-bearing capacity and endurance.
[0003] Currently, weight-bearing exoskeletons fall into two main categories: electrically driven and purely mechanical. Electrically driven exoskeletons have complex actuator structures, are heavy, have limited battery life, and simple skeletal structures. They rely heavily on the control system's response to complex human movements, resulting in a heavy burden on the wearer, limited freedom of movement, and limited load support. While purely mechanical weight-bearing exoskeletons are lightweight, have no battery life limitations, and are less burdensome to wear, their knee joint structure is composed of limiting and elastic elements. Support is only achieved when the exoskeleton leg is fully extended (i.e., the thigh and calf form a straight line), thus limiting support effectiveness. Furthermore, existing electrically driven and purely mechanical weight-bearing exoskeletons suffer from the problem of continuous relative misalignment between the exoskeleton joints and the human joints during movement. The presence of elastic elements at the joints further affects the natural gait, increasing the burden and causing a feeling of restriction and limiting freedom of movement. Increasing freedom of movement at the hip joint would reduce support effectiveness. Therefore, existing weight-bearing exoskeletons have limitations in balancing freedom of movement and load-bearing capacity. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned technical problems existing in the prior art by providing a load-adaptive exoskeleton that takes into account the degree of freedom of movement.
[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is: a load-adaptive weight-bearing exoskeleton that takes into account the degree of freedom of movement, which is provided with a connected torso skeleton and a load-bearing crossbeam, and a hip joint structure, thigh skeleton, knee joint structure, lower leg skeleton, ankle joint structure and foot skeleton that are symmetrically connected to the left and right ends of the load-bearing crossbeam.
[0006] The hip joint structure is provided with a connecting base, which is rotatably connected to a load-bearing crossbeam via a vertically arranged first rotating shaft. A horizontally arranged second rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the connecting base. One end of the second rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the hip joint base, and the other end of the hip joint base is hinged to one end of the hip joint connector via a horizontally arranged third rotating shaft. The other end of the hip joint connector is rotatably connected to the upper end of the thigh frame via a horizontally arranged fourth rotating shaft. The axes of the third and fourth rotating shafts are consistent and 90 degrees different from the axis of the second rotating shaft. A hip joint guide roller is sleeved on the fourth rotating shaft. The upper end of the thigh frame is provided with a guide wheel located below the hip joint guide roller and consistent with the axis of the hip joint guide roller. The lower end of the thigh frame is connected to the knee joint structure via a first height adjustment device.
[0007] The knee joint structure includes a knee joint frame that connects to the thigh frame. The upper end of the knee joint frame has a horizontally arranged fifth pivot, on which a knee joint thread guide is fixed. The lower end of the knee joint frame has a horizontally arranged sixth pivot, on which a knee joint roller and a lower leg connector are rotatably connected. The lower leg connector is located outside the knee joint roller, and its lower end is connected to the lower leg frame. The fifth pivot is axially aligned with the second pivot, and the sixth pivot is axially aligned with the third pivot.
[0008] A pull line is provided, the upper end of which is fixed to the hip joint base. The pull line passes sequentially around the hip joint thread roller, guide roller, knee joint roller, and knee joint thread roller, and the lower end of the pull line is fixed to the lower leg connector.
[0009] The preferred structure is that the first height adjustment device is provided with a first height adjustment base fixed to one side of the thigh frame, the knee joint frame is provided with a first slider that is slidably connected to the first height adjustment base, the first slider is provided with a plurality of first keyways of different heights, the other side of the thigh frame is connected to one end of a first spring piece, the other end of the first spring piece is fixed with a first key, the thigh frame is provided with a first through hole, and the first key can pass through the first through hole and be placed in the first keyway.
[0010] The preferred structure is that the lower end of the calf connector is provided with a plug, the plug has a second keyway, the top of the calf skeleton is provided with a second slot that matches the plug, the slot is provided with a second through hole corresponding to the second keyway, the outer side of the calf skeleton is connected to one end of the second spring piece, the other end of the second spring piece is fixed with a second key, the second key can pass through the second through hole and be placed in the second keyway, and the upper and lower ends of the calf skeleton (6) are respectively provided with an upper wear liner and a lower wear liner.
[0011] A preferred structure includes a second height adjustment device between the calf frame and the ankle joint structure. This second height adjustment device has a second height adjustment base fixed to one side of the calf frame, and a second slider slidably connected to the second height adjustment base. The second slider has multiple third keyways of varying heights. The other side of the calf frame is connected to one end of a third spring piece, the other end of which is fixed with a third key. A third through hole is provided on the calf frame, through which the third key can pass and be placed in the third keyway. The lower end of the second slider is hinged to the upper end of the ankle joint structure via a horizontally arranged seventh pivot. The lower end of the ankle joint structure is hinged to the foot frame via a horizontally arranged eighth pivot. A non-slip pad is fixed to the lower end of the foot frame. The seventh pivot is axially aligned with the second pivot, and the eighth pivot is axially aligned with the third pivot.
[0012] The preferred structure is that the upper end of the pull wire is fixedly connected to a fixing key, which is inserted into the socket of the hip joint base, so that the upper end of the pull wire is fixed to the hip joint base.
[0013] A preferred configuration is that the other end of the second rotating shaft is connected to the upper end of the thigh skeleton by an elastic element.
[0014] This invention pertains to a purely mechanical weight-bearing exoskeleton. Through its roller-cable structure, the exoskeleton's knee joint can provide support even when not fully extended, thanks to the torque generated by the load on the knee joint. This achieves adaptive load support, increasing the exoskeleton's effective support range throughout the gait. The hip joint structure of this invention is a composite axis formed by a third and fourth pivot. During movement, the hip joint adaptively adjusts its position to match the needs of the leg's movement, balancing freedom of movement. It boasts advantages such as simple structure, light weight, high degree of freedom, and significantly improved load-bearing capacity. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 , 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] Figure 3 , 4 Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are schematic diagrams of the hip joint structure, thigh skeleton, and knee joint structure in embodiments of the present invention.
[0017] Figure 10 , 11 Figures 11, 12, and 13 are schematic diagrams of the lower leg skeleton, ankle joint structure, and foot skeleton in embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0018] The present invention relates to a load-adaptive weight-bearing exoskeleton that balances freedom of movement, such as... Figure 1-13As shown, the structure is similar to existing purely mechanical load-bearing exoskeleton structures, featuring a connected torso skeleton 1 and a load-bearing crossbeam 2. Symmetrically connected to the left and right ends of the load-bearing crossbeam 2 are sequentially connected hip joint structures 3, thigh skeleton 4, knee joint structures 5, lower leg skeleton 6, ankle joint structures 7, and foot skeleton 8. The structure differs from existing technologies as follows:
[0019] The hip joint structure 3 is provided with a connecting base 3-1. The connecting base 3-1 is rotatably connected to the load-bearing beam 2 via a vertically arranged first rotating shaft 3-2. A horizontally arranged second rotating shaft 3-3 is rotatably connected to the connecting base 3-1. One end of the second rotating shaft 3-3 is fixedly connected to the hip joint base 3-4. The other end of the hip joint base 3-4 is hinged to one end of the hip joint connector 3-6 via a horizontally arranged third rotating shaft 3-5. The other end of the hip joint connector 3-6 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the thigh frame 4 via a horizontally arranged fourth rotating shaft 3-7. The axial directions of the third rotating shaft 3-5 and the fourth rotating shaft 3-7 are consistent and 90 degrees different from the axial direction of the second rotating shaft 3-3. Preferably, an elastic element 3-9 is connected between the other end of the second rotating shaft 3-3 and the upper end of the thigh frame 4. The elastic element 3-9 can be made of latex material, elastic band, or metal spring, etc. Its function is to provide elastic tension to the thigh frame 4 based on the trunk frame 1 to offset the weight. A hip joint thread-passing roller 3-8 is sleeved on the fourth rotating shaft 3-7. The upper end of the thigh frame 4 is provided with a guide wheel 4-1 located below the hip joint thread-passing roller 3-8 and aligned with the axial direction of the hip joint thread-passing roller 3-8. The lower end of the thigh frame 4 is connected to the knee joint structure 5 through a first height adjustment device 4-2.
[0020] The first height adjustment device 4-2 can have various structures, but the optimal structure is a first height adjustment base 4-2-1 fixed to the inside of the thigh frame 4. The knee frame 5-1 has a first slider 4-2-2 that slides in contact with the first height adjustment base 4-2-1. The first slider 4-2-2 has multiple first keyways 4-2-3 of different heights. The outside of the thigh frame 4 is connected to one end of a metal spring piece 4-2-4. The other end of the first spring piece 4-2-4 is fixed with a first key 4-2-5. The thigh frame 4 has a first through hole 4-2-6. The first key 4-2-5 can pass through the first through hole 4-2-6 and be placed in the first keyway 4-2-3, thereby realizing the locking and unlocking between the knee joint structure 5 and the thigh frame 4, and thus realizing the overall height adjustment of the thigh frame 4.
[0021] The knee joint structure 5 is provided with a knee joint frame 5-1 connected to the thigh frame 4. The upper end of the knee joint frame 5-1 is provided with a horizontally arranged fifth rotating shaft 5-2. A knee joint thread guide wheel 5-3 is fixed on the fifth rotating shaft 5-2. The lower end of the knee joint frame 5-1 is provided with a horizontally arranged sixth rotating shaft 5-4. A knee joint roller 5-5 and a lower leg connector 5-6 are rotatably connected to the sixth rotating shaft 5-4. The lower leg connector 5-6 is located outside the knee joint roller 5-5. The lower end of the lower leg connector 5-6 is connected to the lower leg frame 6. The fifth rotating shaft 5-2 is aligned with the second rotating shaft 3-3 in axis, and the sixth rotating shaft 5-4 is aligned with the third rotating shaft 3-5 in axis.
[0022] A pull wire 9 is provided, and a fixing key 9-1 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the pull wire 9. The fixing key 9-1 is inserted into the socket of the hip joint base 3-4, so that the upper end of the pull wire 9 is fixed on the hip joint base 3-4. The pull wire 9 passes through the hip joint thread roller 3-8, the guide wheel 4-1, the knee joint roller 5-5 and the knee joint thread roller 5-3 in sequence. The lower end of the pull wire 9 is fixed on the lower leg connector 5-6. The end of the pull wire 9 can be fixed to the lower leg connector 5-6 by means of set screws, other clamping methods, adhesive, locking and other methods.
[0023] The lower end of the calf connector 5-6 can be fixedly connected to the calf frame 6 by magnetic attraction, rotation tightening, or pressing, and the calf frame 4 and the calf frame 6 can be quickly detached. The best structure is that the lower end of the calf connector 5-6 has a plug 5-6-1 with a second keyway 5-6-2. The top of the calf frame 6 has a second slot 6-1 that matches the plug 5-6-1. The slot 6-1 has a second through hole 6-2 that corresponds to the second keyway 5-6-2. The outer side of the calf frame 6 is connected to one end of a metal second spring 6-3. The other end of the second spring 6-3 is fixed with a second key 6-4. The second key 6-4 can pass through the second through hole 6-2 and be placed in the second keyway 5-6-2. The upper and lower ends of the calf frame 6 are also provided with an upper wearable liner 6-5 and a lower wearable liner 6-6, respectively, for connecting textiles to fix the calf frame 6 to the human calf.
[0024] A second height adjustment device 7-1 is provided between the lower leg frame 6 and the ankle joint structure 7. This second height adjustment device 7-1 can also have various structural forms, but the preferred structure is a second height adjustment base 7-1-1 fixed to the inner side of the lower leg frame 6, and a second slider 7-1-2 slidably connected to the second height adjustment base 7-1-1. The second slider 7-1-2 has multiple third keyways 7-1-3 of varying heights. One end of a metal spring piece 7-1-4 is connected to the outer side of the lower leg frame 6, and the other end of the third spring piece 7-1-4 is fixed with a third key 7. -1-5, a third through hole 7-1-6 is provided on the lower leg skeleton 7. The third key 7-1-5 can pass through the third through hole 7-1-6 and be placed in the third keyway 7-1-3. The lower end of the second slider 7-1-2 is hinged to the upper end of the ankle joint structure 7 through a horizontally arranged seventh pivot 7-2. The lower end of the ankle joint structure 7 is hinged to the foot skeleton 8 through a horizontally arranged eighth pivot 7-3. The lower end of the foot skeleton 8 is fixed with a foot anti-slip pad 8-1. The seventh pivot 7-2 is axially aligned with the second pivot 3-3. The eighth pivot 7-3 is axially aligned with the third pivot 3-5.
Claims
1. A load-adaptive, weight-bearing exoskeleton that balances freedom of movement, comprising a connected torso skeleton (1) and a load-bearing crossbeam (2), with a hip joint structure (3), a thigh skeleton (4), a knee joint structure (5), a lower leg skeleton (6), an ankle joint structure (7), and a foot skeleton (8) symmetrically connected to the left and right ends of the load-bearing crossbeam (2), characterized in that: The hip joint structure (3) is provided with a connecting base (3-1). The connecting base (3-1) is rotatably connected to the load-bearing beam (2) via a vertically arranged first rotating shaft (3-2). A horizontally arranged second rotating shaft (3-3) is rotatably connected to the connecting base (3-1). One end of the second rotating shaft (3-3) is fixedly connected to the hip joint base (3-4). The other end of the hip joint base (3-4) is hinged to one end of the hip joint connector (3-6) via a horizontally arranged third rotating shaft (3-5). The other end of the hip joint connector (3-6) is rotatably connected to the upper end of the thigh skeleton (4) via a horizontally arranged fourth rotating shaft (3-7). The axial directions of the third rotating shaft (3-5) and the fourth rotating shaft (3-7) are consistent and differ from the axial direction of the second rotating shaft (3-3) by 90 degrees. The hip joint thread roller (3-8) is sleeved on the fourth rotating shaft (3-7). The upper end of the thigh frame (4) is provided with a guide wheel (4-1) located below the hip joint thread roller (3-8) and aligned with the axial direction of the hip joint thread roller (3-8). The lower end of the thigh frame (4) is connected to the knee joint structure (5) through the first height adjustment device (4-2). The knee joint structure (5) is provided with a knee joint frame (5-1) connected to the thigh frame (4). The upper end of the knee joint frame (5-1) is provided with a horizontally arranged fifth rotating shaft (5-2). A knee joint thread roller (5-3) is fixed on the fifth rotating shaft (5-2). The lower end of the knee joint frame (5-1) is provided with a horizontally arranged sixth rotating shaft (5-4). A knee joint roller (5-5) and a small... The leg connector (5-6) is located outside the knee joint roller (5-5). The lower end of the leg connector (5-6) is connected to the lower leg skeleton (6). The fifth rotating shaft (5-2) is aligned with the second rotating shaft (3-3) and the sixth rotating shaft (5-4) is aligned with the third rotating shaft (3-5). A pull wire (9) is provided. The upper end of the pull wire (9) is fixedly connected to a fixing key (9-1). The fixing key (9-1) is inserted into the socket of the hip joint base (3-4) so that the upper end of the pull wire (9) is fixed on the hip joint base (3-4). The pull wire (9) passes through the hip joint thread roller (3-8), the guide wheel (4-1), the knee joint roller (5-5), and the knee joint thread roller (5-3) in sequence. The lower end of the pull wire (9) is fixed on the leg connector (5-6).
2. The load-adaptive weight-bearing exoskeleton that takes into account the degrees of freedom of movement according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first height adjustment device (4-2) is provided with a first height adjustment base (4-2-1) fixed on one side of the thigh frame (4). The knee joint frame (5-1) is provided with a first slider (4-2-2) that is slidably connected to the first height adjustment base (4-2-1). The first slider (4-2-2) is provided with a plurality of first keyways (4-2-3) of different heights. The other side of the thigh frame (4) is connected to one end of the first spring piece (4-2-4). The other end of the first spring piece (4-2-4) is fixed with a first key (4-2-5). The thigh frame (4) is provided with a first through hole (4-2-6). The first key (4-2-5) can pass through the first through hole (4-2-6) and be placed in the first keyway (4-2-3).
3. The load-adaptive weight-bearing exoskeleton that takes into account degrees of freedom of movement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The lower end of the calf connector (5-6) is provided with a plug (5-6-1), and the plug (5-6-1) has a second keyway (5-6-2). The top of the calf skeleton (6) is provided with a second slot (6-1) that matches the plug (5-6-1). The second slot (6-1) is provided with a second through hole (6-2) that corresponds to the second keyway (5-6-2). The outer side of the calf skeleton (6) is connected to one end of the second spring (6-3). The other end of the second spring (6-3) is fixed with a second key (6-4). The second key (6-4) can pass through the second through hole (6-2) and be placed in the second keyway (5-6-2). The upper and lower ends of the calf skeleton (6) are also provided with an upper wear liner (6-5) and a lower wear liner (6-6).
4. The load-adaptive weight-bearing exoskeleton that takes into account the degrees of freedom of movement according to claim 3, characterized in that: A second height adjustment device (7-1) is provided between the lower leg frame (6) and the ankle joint structure (7). The second height adjustment device (7-1) is provided with a second height adjustment base (7-1-1) fixed on one side of the lower leg frame (6) and a second slider (7-1-2) slidably connected to the second height adjustment base (7-1-1). Multiple third keyways (7-1-3) of different heights are provided on the second slider (7-1-2). The other side of the lower leg frame (6) is connected to one end of a third spring (7-1-4). A third key (7-1-5) is fixed to the other end of the third spring (7-1-4). There is a third through hole (7-1-6), and the third key (7-1-5) can pass through the third through hole (7-1-6) and be placed in the third keyway (7-1-3). The lower end of the second slider (7-1-2) is hinged to the upper end of the ankle joint structure (7) through the horizontally arranged seventh pivot (7-2). The lower end of the ankle joint structure (7) is hinged to the foot skeleton (8) through the horizontally arranged eighth pivot (7-3). The lower end of the foot skeleton (8) is fixed with a foot anti-slip pad (8-1). The seventh pivot (7-2) is axially aligned with the second pivot (3-3), and the eighth pivot (7-3) is axially aligned with the third pivot (3-5).
5. The load-adaptive weight-bearing exoskeleton that takes into account degrees of freedom of movement according to claim 4, characterized in that: The other end of the second pivot (3-3) is connected to the upper end of the thigh skeleton (4) by an elastic element (3-9).