A wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness

Abstract

This invention provides a wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness, comprising an end effector, a transmission mechanism, a drive mechanism, a fixed platform, and an auxiliary mechanism. The end effector includes: a movable platform; a spring-loaded flexible shaft disposed on and connected to the movable platform, with a self-locking thread on its outer side; a knob sleeved on the outer side of the spring-loaded flexible shaft, with an internal thread on its inner wall that matches the self-locking thread; a pulley assembly disposed on the side of the knob away from the movable platform and connected to the knob; a handle bracket disposed on and connected to the pulley assembly; and a micro motor disposed on and connected to the handle bracket, with its motor shaft connected to the pulley assembly. The end effector of this invention achieves adjustable stiffness, thereby preventing secondary injury to the patient's wrist during rehabilitation and meeting the requirements of patients at different rehabilitation stages.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of medical rehabilitation equipment technology, and in particular relates to a wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the times, more and more work is done in front of computers. Prolonged mouse use and inappropriate, excessive, and repetitive hand and wrist movements often lead to tendon and tendon sheath wear and tear, resulting in aseptic inflammation such as congestion, edema, and exudation, leading to tenosynovitis. At the same time, with the continuous improvement of medical conditions and living environment in my country, the aging population has become one of the major problems hindering global social development, and the number of stroke patients is rising sharply. After a stroke, patients lose partial function of local nerves, causing great impact and inconvenience to their work and life. Against the backdrop of combining robotics technology and rehabilitation medicine, rehabilitation robots have emerged to help patients establish connections between their central nervous system and muscles and bones.

[0003] In recent years, the existing wrist function rehabilitation robots or rehabilitation equipment in China are not perfect. Most of them are mainly serial in nature and use end effectors. The stiffness of the serial mechanism cannot be changed. Patients are prone to secondary wrist injuries due to impact during rehabilitation. Moreover, the stiffness cannot meet the requirements of different rehabilitation stages, which is not conducive to the patient's rehabilitation.

[0004] Therefore, to address the aforementioned technical problems, there is a need to provide a wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness to solve the technical problems in the prior art where the stiffness of the serial mechanism cannot be changed, patients are prone to secondary wrist injuries due to impact during rehabilitation, and the stiffness cannot meet the requirements of different rehabilitation stages, which is not conducive to the patient's rehabilitation.

[0006] This invention provides a wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness, comprising: an end effector, a transmission mechanism, a drive mechanism, a fixed platform, and an auxiliary mechanism. The end effector includes: a movable platform, configured in an annular shape to accommodate a patient extending their wrist into the platform; a spring-loaded flexible shaft disposed on a first side of the movable platform and connected to it, with a self-locking thread on its outer surface; a knob sleeved on the outer side of the spring-loaded flexible shaft, with an internal thread on its inner wall that matches the self-locking thread; a pulley assembly disposed on the side of the knob away from the movable platform and connected to it; a handle support disposed on the side of the pulley assembly and connected to it; and a micro motor disposed on the side of the handle support and connected to it, with the motor shaft of the micro motor connected to the pulley assembly.

[0007] Optionally, a transmission mechanism is disposed on the second side of the moving platform and connected to the moving platform; a drive mechanism is disposed at the end of the transmission mechanism and connected to the transmission mechanism; a fixed platform is disposed on the side of the drive mechanism and connected to the drive mechanism; and an auxiliary mechanism is disposed inside the fixed platform and connected to the fixed platform, thereby providing auxiliary support for the patient's arm.

[0008] Optionally, multiple transmission mechanisms and multiple drive mechanisms are connected in parallel between the moving platform and the fixed platform, with the number of transmission mechanisms and drive mechanisms corresponding one-to-one.

[0009] Optionally, a grip is provided on the side of the handle bracket facing the moving platform and is connected to the handle bracket.

[0010] Optionally, the grip is spherical.

[0011] Optionally, the pulley assembly includes: a drive pulley, disposed between the micro motor and the knob, and connected to both the micro motor and the knob; a driven pulley, disposed on the side of the grip, corresponding to the drive pulley, and connected to the handle bracket; and a timing belt, disposed between the drive pulley and the driven pulley, thereby causing the drive pulley to drive the driven pulley to rotate.

[0012] Optionally, the transmission mechanism includes: a driven rod, disposed between the moving platform and the fixed platform and connected to the moving platform; a driving rod, disposed between the driven wheel and the drive mechanism and connected to the drive mechanism; and a pin, disposed between the driving wheel and the driven wheel and connected to the driving wheel, thereby enabling the driving wheel to drive the driven wheel to move through the pin.

[0013] Optionally, the drive mechanism includes: a motor frame, which is disposed on the side of the fixed platform and connected to the fixed platform; a motor, which is disposed inside the motor frame and connected to the motor frame; and a bushing, which is disposed at the end of the motor and connected to the motor and the drive wheel, thereby enabling the motor to drive the drive rod to move through the bushing.

[0014] Optionally, the auxiliary mechanism includes: a guide groove disposed on the inner wall of the fixed platform in the circumferential direction; a push rod disposed on the inner side of the fixed platform and slidably connected to the guide groove; a support tile disposed at the end of the push rod and connected to the push rod; and a sponge pad disposed on the inner wall of the support tile and connected to the support tile.

[0015] Compared to existing technologies, this invention provides a wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness. By setting a spring shaft and a knob on a moving platform, and adapting the self-locking thread on the outside of the spring shaft to the internal thread on the inner wall of the knob, and then driving a pulley assembly through a micro motor, the pulley assembly drives the knob to move, thereby adjusting the length of the spring shaft extending out of the knob. This achieves adjustable stiffness of the wrist rehabilitation device, and the stiffness meets the requirements of different stages of wrist rehabilitation for patients. It avoids secondary wrist injuries caused by impact during the rehabilitation process, which is beneficial to the patient's recovery. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent upon reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, several embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation, with the same or corresponding reference numerals denoteing the same or corresponding parts, wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness according to the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the motor and transmission mechanism of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the connection between the driven rod and the moving platform of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the end effector of the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0022] 1. First fixed platform; 2. Second fixed platform; 3. Support plate; 4. Sponge pad; 5. Pin; 6. Washer; 7. Nut; 8. Round head nut; 9. Moving platform; 10. Knob; 11. Handle; 12. Miniature motor; 13. Spring flexible shaft; 14. Driven rod; 15. Driving rod; 16. Bushing; 17. Motor; 18. Deep groove ball bearing; 19. Motor key; 20. Motor frame; 21. First bearing; 22. Motor shaft; 23. Flat key; 24. Elastic retaining ring; 25. Second bearing; 26. Synchronous belt; 27. Handle bracket; 28. Pulley. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Unless otherwise specified, the techniques used in the embodiments are conventional means well known to those skilled in the art.

[0024] It should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention should be understood in their ordinary sense by those skilled in the art. In this document, relational terms such as “first” and “second” are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. The terms “connected,” “linked,” etc., should be interpreted broadly, for example, referring to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection via an intermediate medium. The terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase “comprising…” does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0025] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment provides a wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness, including: an end effector, a transmission mechanism, a drive mechanism, a fixed platform, and an auxiliary mechanism. The end effector includes: a movable platform 9, which is annular to accommodate a patient extending their wrist into the movable platform 9; a spring-loaded flexible shaft 13, which is disposed on the first side of the movable platform 9 and connected to the movable platform 9, and has a self-locking thread on its outer side; a knob 10, which is sleeved on the outer side of the spring-loaded flexible shaft 13, and has an internal thread on its inner wall that matches the self-locking thread; a pulley 28 assembly, which is disposed on the side of the knob 10 away from the movable platform 9 and connected to the knob 10; a handle bracket 27, which is disposed on the side of the pulley 28 assembly and connected to the pulley 28 assembly; and a micro motor 12, which is disposed on the side of the handle bracket 27 and connected to the handle bracket 27, and has a motor shaft 22 connected to the pulley 28 assembly.

[0026] The wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness in this embodiment includes an end effector. The moving platform 9 in the end effector is annular, facilitating the insertion of the patient's wrist for rehabilitation. A spring-loaded flexible shaft 13 and a knob 10 are mounted on the moving platform 9, with the self-locking thread on the outer side of the spring-loaded flexible shaft 13 matching the internal thread on the inner wall of the knob 10. A micro motor 1712 drives a pulley 28 assembly, which in turn moves the knob 10, thereby adjusting the length of the spring-loaded flexible shaft 13 extending beyond the knob 10. This allows for adjustable stiffness of the wrist rehabilitation device, meeting the requirements of different rehabilitation stages of the patient's wrist. This avoids secondary wrist injury caused by impact during rehabilitation, thus promoting patient recovery.

[0027] For example, the end effector employs a rigidly adjustable configuration, which is a type of flexible configuration. The stiffness can be adjusted by changing the length of the knob 10 on the spring-loaded flexible shaft 13. That is, the longer the knob 10 is exposed on the spring-loaded flexible shaft 13, the greater the flexibility of the passive compliance device. When the knob 10 is in contact with the moving platform 9, the stiffness is at its maximum, and the flexibility is zero. This achieves passive compliance, preventing secondary wrist injuries caused by impact during wrist rehabilitation.

[0028] For example, the moving platform 9 in this embodiment is circular, elliptical, or square, as long as it can accommodate the patient's wrist, and is not limited to a specific shape.

[0029] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in one possible embodiment, a transmission mechanism is disposed on the second side of the moving platform 9 and connected to the moving platform 9; a drive mechanism is disposed at the end of the transmission mechanism and connected to the transmission mechanism; a fixed platform is disposed on the side of the drive mechanism and connected to the drive mechanism; and an auxiliary mechanism is disposed inside the fixed platform and connected to the fixed platform, thereby providing auxiliary support for the patient's arm.

[0030] For example, the drive mechanism provides power, which in turn drives the transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism is responsible for transmitting torque and speed to the moving platform 9, i.e., to the end effector, to provide rehabilitation training for the patient. The fixed platform is fixedly connected to the drive mechanism by bolts, thus providing fixed support for the drive mechanism. The fixed platform is divided into a first fixed platform 1 and a second fixed platform 2. An auxiliary mechanism is disposed between the first fixed platform 1 and the second fixed platform 2, so that when the patient uses this wrist rehabilitation device, the auxiliary mechanism can provide auxiliary support for the patient's arm.

[0031] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, in one possible embodiment, multiple transmission mechanisms and multiple drive mechanisms are connected in parallel between the moving platform 9 and the fixed platform, with the number of transmission mechanisms and drive mechanisms corresponding one-to-one.

[0032] For example, three transmission mechanisms and three drive mechanisms are connected in parallel between the moving platform 9 and the fixed platform. Each drive mechanism provides driving force to the corresponding transmission mechanism. In this embodiment, the patient's wrist is driven by three drive mechanisms, which in turn drive the transmission mechanism to perform rehabilitation movements. Each group includes one drive mechanism and one transmission mechanism. The three groups are connected in parallel between the moving platform 9 and the fixed platform, forming a 3RRR spherical parallel mechanism. The workspace corresponds to the three degrees of freedom of the human wrist in space, enabling palmar flexion and dorsiflexion, adduction and abduction, and eversion and inversion movements of the wrist joint. The parallel mechanism has high motion accuracy and good safety, thus achieving high-precision movement and more accurate positioning.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, in one possible embodiment, the grip 11 is disposed on the side of the handle bracket 27 facing the moving platform 9 and is connected to the handle bracket 27.

[0034] For example, the grip 11 is bolted to the side of the handle bracket 27 facing the moving platform 9, so that the patient can grip the grip 11 after passing his wrist through the moving platform 9.

[0035] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, in one possible embodiment, the grip 11 is spherical.

[0036] For example, the grip 11 is set to a spherical shape. Compared with the cylindrical grip 11, patients do not need to exert their own force when gripping the spherical grip 11, which can provide better rehabilitation results for patients with limited wrist joint freedom.

[0037] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in one possible embodiment, the pulley 28 assembly includes: a drive pulley, disposed between the micro motor 1712 and the knob 10, and connected to both the micro motor 12 and the knob 10; a driven pulley, disposed on the side of the grip 11, corresponding to the drive pulley, and connected to the handle bracket 27; and a timing belt 26, disposed between the drive pulley and the driven pulley, thereby causing the drive pulley to rotate.

[0038] For example, such as Figure 4As shown, the left side is the driving wheel, and the right side is the driven wheel, with a transmission ratio of 1:1 between them. The driving and driven wheels are driven by a synchronous belt 26. A micro motor 12 is bolted to the handle bracket 27 and connected to the driving wheel, thus driving its movement. The driving wheel, in turn, drives the driven wheel via the synchronous belt 26, achieving synchronous movement of the driving and driven wheels. This allows for synchronous adjustment of the two knobs 10, ultimately enabling adjustable stiffness of the wrist rehabilitation device.

[0039] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in one possible embodiment, the transmission mechanism includes: a driven rod 14, disposed between the moving platform 9 and the fixed platform, and connected to the moving platform 9; a driving rod 15, disposed between the driven wheel and the driving mechanism, and connected to the driving mechanism; and a pin 5, disposed between the driving wheel and the driven wheel, and connected to both the driving wheel and the driven wheel, thereby enabling the driving wheel to drive the driven wheel to move via the pin 5.

[0040] For example, the driving rod 15 and the driven rod 14 have a 90° arc structure. The driving rod 15 has four countersunk holes and is connected to the bushing 16 by bolts. The connection between the driving rod 15 and the driven rod 14 adopts a sliding bearing type rotation, with one end positioned by a shoulder and the other end positioned by a screw. The driving rod 15 and the driven rod 14 are connected together by a pin 5. A bushing is provided between the pin 5 and the inner wall of the driven rod 14, thereby extending the service life of the transmission mechanism.

[0041] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in one possible embodiment, the drive mechanism includes: a motor frame 20, which is disposed on the side of the fixed platform and connected to the fixed platform; a motor 17, which is disposed inside the motor frame 20 and connected to the motor frame 20; and a bushing 16, which is disposed at the end of the motor 17 and connected to the motor 17 and the drive wheel, thereby enabling the motor 17 to drive the drive rod 15 to move through the bushing 16.

[0042] For example, since the motor 17 cannot be directly fixed to the fixed platform, a motor frame 20 is provided in this embodiment to fix the motor 17 to the fixed platform. The motor frame 20 is connected to the fixed platform by bolts. The motor shaft 22 is connected by a motor key 19, which drives the bushing 16 to rotate, thereby driving the drive rod 15. A pair of deep groove ball bearings 18 are installed on the outside of the bushing 16. A relief groove is provided at the bottom of the stepped part at the lower end of the bushing 16 and at the bottom of the countersunk hole of the motor shaft 22. An annular groove is provided at the top of the bushing 16 to accommodate the elastic retaining ring 24. Since the axial force on the first bearing 21 is not large, the elastic retaining ring 24 is used for shaft end positioning. A shoulder is also provided at the bushing 16 for axial fixation of the deep groove ball bearings 18. With this arrangement, the driving performance of the drive mechanism is guaranteed, the operation is stable, and the service life of the drive mechanism is improved, thereby extending the service life of the wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness.

[0043] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in one possible embodiment, the auxiliary mechanism includes: a guide groove disposed on the inner wall of the fixed platform in the circumferential direction; a push rod disposed on the inner side of the fixed platform and slidably connected to the guide groove; a support tile 3 disposed at the end of the push rod and connected to the push rod; and a sponge pad 4 disposed on the inner wall of the support tile 3 and connected to the support tile 3.

[0044] For example, the wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness in this embodiment also includes a control system. When the patient is undergoing rehabilitation training, the patient holds the handle 11 in the end effector and places his arm on the sponge pad 4 of the support tile 3 of the auxiliary mechanism and adjusts it to a suitable position. The control system drives the motor 17 according to a predetermined program, which in turn drives the transmission mechanism to transmit torque and speed to the end effector, thereby driving the patient's wrist to perform rehabilitation training.

[0045] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness, characterized in that, It includes an end effector, a transmission mechanism, a drive mechanism, a stationary platform, and auxiliary mechanisms, wherein the end effector includes: The moving platform is configured in a ring shape to accommodate the patient inserting their wrist into the moving platform; A spring-loaded flexible shaft is disposed on the first side of the moving platform and connected to the moving platform, and the spring-loaded flexible shaft is provided with a self-locking thread on the outside; A knob is sleeved on the outside of the spring shaft, and the inner wall of the knob is provided with an internal thread, which is adapted to the self-locking thread; A pulley assembly is located on the side of the knob away from the moving platform and is connected to the knob; A handle bracket is disposed on the side of the pulley assembly and connected to the pulley assembly; A miniature motor is disposed on the side of the handle bracket and connected to the handle bracket, and the motor shaft of the miniature motor is connected to the pulley assembly; A grip is provided on the side of the handle bracket facing the moving platform and is connected to the handle bracket; The pulley assembly includes: The drive wheel is located between the micro motor and the knob, and is connected to both the micro motor and the knob; The driven wheel is located on the side of the grip, corresponding to the driving wheel, and connected to the handle bracket; A timing belt is disposed between the driving pulley and the driven pulley, thereby enabling the driving pulley to drive the driven pulley to rotate; The end effector adopts a rigid-adjustable flexible setting. By adjusting the knob on the length of the spring flexible shaft, the longer the exposed length of the spring flexible shaft, the greater the passive compliance flexibility. When the knob is in contact with the moving platform, the stiffness is at its maximum and the flexibility is zero.

2. The wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A transmission mechanism is disposed on the second side of the moving platform and connected to the moving platform; A drive mechanism is disposed at the end of the transmission mechanism and connected to the transmission mechanism; A fixed platform is disposed on the side of the drive mechanism and connected to the drive mechanism; An auxiliary mechanism is located inside the fixed platform and connected to the fixed platform to provide auxiliary support for the patient's arm.

3. The wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness according to claim 2, characterized in that, Multiple transmission mechanisms and multiple drive mechanisms are connected in parallel between the moving platform and the fixed platform, and the number of transmission mechanisms and drive mechanisms corresponds one-to-one.

4. The wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grip is spherical.

5. The wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness according to claim 2, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism includes: A driven rod is disposed between the moving platform and the fixed platform and is connected to the moving platform; The driving lever is located between the driven wheel and the drive mechanism, and is connected to the drive mechanism; A pin is disposed between the driving wheel and the driven wheel, and is connected to the driving wheel and the driven wheel, thereby enabling the driving wheel to drive the driven wheel to move through the pin.

6. The wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes: A motor frame is disposed on the side of the fixed platform and connected to the fixed platform; The motor is located inside the motor frame and is connected to the motor frame; A bushing is disposed at the end of the motor and connected to the motor and the drive wheel, thereby enabling the motor to drive the drive rod to move through the bushing.

7. The wrist rehabilitation device with adjustable stiffness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The auxiliary mechanism includes: A guide groove is provided on the circumferential inner wall of the fixed platform; A push rod is disposed on the inner side of the fixed platform and is slidably connected to the guide groove; A support tile is disposed at the end of the push rod and connected to the push rod; A sponge pad is disposed on the inner wall of the support tile and connected to the support tile.

Images