An adjustable length rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton leg mechanism

Abstract

An adjustable-length rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism includes an upper leg body and a lower leg body. The top of the upper leg body is used for joint connection. The lower leg body is inserted into the upper leg body from the bottom of the upper leg body, and the lower leg body has a degree of freedom of extension and retraction relative to the upper leg body. The bottom of the lower leg body is used for joint connection. A double-plate type adapter positioning block is provided on the outward extension section of the lower leg body. A wrench cam body is hinged to one side of the double-plate adapter positioning block, and a boss body is fixed to the other side. The cam end of the wrench cam body is pressed and limited to the side surface of the lower leg body. A positioning pin insertion hole is provided in the middle of the handle end of the wrench cam body, and a positioning pin is installed in the positioning pin insertion hole. A tightening screw is installed on the boss body. A force-transmitting tightening block is provided between the tightening screw and the lower leg body. The force-transmitting tightening block has a row of parallel waist-shaped holes, and a limit guide screw is installed in the hole. Two buffer dampers are symmetrically provided between the double-plate adapter positioning block and the upper leg body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of medical rehabilitation exoskeleton robot technology, and in particular relates to a rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism with adjustable length. Background Technology

[0002] With the aging of the population, the number of elderly stroke patients is also increasing. Clinical treatment has proven that patients wearing medical rehabilitation exoskeleton robots for assisted walking training can significantly enhance their recovery. Therefore, the demand for medical rehabilitation exoskeleton robots is becoming increasingly urgent.

[0003] Medical rehabilitation exoskeleton robots mainly consist of a lumbar structure, leg structure, joint structure, control system, and intention recognition system. They are primarily designed for individuals with leg motor dysfunction. During rehabilitation walking training, the exoskeleton is worn by the patient to support most of their body weight. The movement of the exoskeleton drives the wearer's legs to move synchronously, thus achieving rehabilitation training.

[0004] Currently, although existing medical rehabilitation exoskeleton robots have diverse functions and various types of leg mechanisms, these leg mechanisms still have shortcomings. For example, while existing types of leg mechanisms can achieve leg size adjustment, the adjustment structure is complex and the adjustment process is cumbersome. Some leg mechanisms only offer a few fixed length adjustment options and do not have stepless adjustment capabilities. Furthermore, once the length adjustment is completed, the length of these leg mechanisms is completely fixed.

[0005] However, during human movement, the joint spacing undergoes continuous small changes. If the length of the leg mechanism is completely fixed, it will inevitably reduce the wearing experience and effectiveness of the exoskeleton robot. In addition, some leg mechanisms have high rigidity, resulting in greater impact on the wearer's legs during human movement, which will also reduce the wearing experience and effectiveness. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides a length-adjustable rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism. It adopts a lightweight and simple design, with a simple length adjustment structure and easy adjustment process. The length adjustment is stepless and adaptive, which can adapt to the small size changes caused by the continuous joint spacing. The rigid-flexible coupling reduces the impact on the legs during walking, improving the wearing experience and effectiveness.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a length-adjustable rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism, comprising an upper leg bone and a lower leg bone; the top end of the upper leg bone is used for joint connection; the lower leg bone is inserted into the upper leg bone from the bottom end of the upper leg bone, the lower leg bone has a degree of freedom of extension and retraction relative to the upper leg bone, and the bottom end of the lower leg bone is used for joint connection.

[0008] The upper body of the leg bone adopts a parallel double-plate structure. The space between the double plates serves as a sliding guide space for the lower body of the leg bone. A linear guide rail pad is provided between the two plate edges of the double plates of the upper body of the leg bone. The insertion section of the lower body of the leg bone is located between the two linear guide rail pads. The double plates of the upper body of the leg bone and the linear guide rail pad are fixedly connected by bolts.

[0009] An annular pad is provided between the two plates at the joint connection end of the leg bone, and a joint connection hole is provided on the two plates at the circular hole of the annular pad.

[0010] The lower leg bone adopts a single-plate structure, and joint connection holes are provided on the plate at the joint connection end of the lower leg bone. Bolt connection holes are evenly distributed around the joint connection holes.

[0011] A straight groove is provided at the center of the plate of the lower leg bone insertion section, and straight, evenly distributed strap fixing installation holes are provided on the upper leg bone plates opposite to the straight groove.

[0012] A double-plate adapter positioning block is provided on the extended section of the lower leg bone. A wrench cam body is hinged to one side of the double-plate adapter positioning block. The cam end of the wrench cam body is pressed and limited to the side surface of the lower leg bone. The handle end of the wrench cam body is a free end.

[0013] A boss body is fixedly installed on the other side of the double-plate adapter positioning block by bolts. A tightening screw is installed on the boss body. A force-transmitting tightening block is provided between the tightening screw and the lower body of the leg bone. A row of parallel waist-shaped holes is provided on the force-transmitting tightening block. A limit guide screw is fixedly installed in each waist-shaped hole. The force-transmitting tightening block has a degree of freedom of movement along the length direction of the waist-shaped hole.

[0014] A positioning pin insertion hole is provided in the middle of the handle end of the wrench cam body, and a positioning pin is inserted into the positioning pin insertion hole to prevent the wrench cam body from rotating.

[0015] An auxiliary force hole is provided at the handle end of the wrench cam body. An auxiliary force rod or an auxiliary force rope is connected in the auxiliary force hole. The wrench cam body is driven to rotate by the auxiliary force rod or the auxiliary force rope.

[0016] A buffer damper is provided between the double-plate transition positioning block and the upper body of the leg bone. There are two buffer dampers, which are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the lower body of the leg bone. The upper end of the buffer damper is hinged to the upper body of the leg bone, and the buffer damper is hinged to the double-plate transition positioning block.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0018] The adjustable-length rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism of the present invention adopts a lightweight and simple design. The length adjustment structure is simple and the adjustment process is easy. The length adjustment is stepless and adaptive, which can adapt to the small size changes caused by the continuous joint spacing. The rigid-flexible coupling reduces the impact on the legs during walking, improving the wearing experience and effect. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a length-adjustable rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a length-adjustable rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism of the present invention (partial cross-section);

[0021] In the diagram, 1—upper leg bone, 2—lower leg bone, 3—linear guide rail pad, 4—annular pad, 5—straight groove, 6—strap fastener mounting hole, 7—double-plate adapter positioning block, 8—wrench cam, 9—boss, 10—tightening screw, 11—force transmission tightening block, 12—limit guide screw, 13—positioning pin insertion hole, 14—force application auxiliary hole, 15—buffer damper. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] like Figures 1-2 As shown, a length-adjustable rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism includes a leg bone upper body 1 and a leg bone lower body 2; the top end of the leg bone upper body 1 is used for joint connection; the leg bone lower body 2 is inserted into the leg bone upper body 1 from the bottom end of the leg bone upper body 1, and the leg bone lower body 2 has a degree of freedom of extension and retraction relative to the leg bone upper body 1, and the bottom end of the leg bone lower body 2 is used for joint connection.

[0024] The upper leg bone 1 adopts a parallel double-plate structure. The space between the double plates serves as the sliding guide space for the lower leg bone 2. A linear guide block 3 is provided between the two plate edges of the double plates of the upper leg bone 1. The insertion section of the lower leg bone 2 is located between the two linear guide blocks 3. The double plates of the upper leg bone 1 and the linear guide blocks 3 are fixedly connected by bolts.

[0025] An annular pad 4 is provided between the two plates at the joint connection end of the upper body of the leg bone 1, and a joint connection hole is provided on the two plates at the round hole of the annular pad 4.

[0026] The lower leg bone 2 adopts a single plate structure. Joint connection holes are provided on the plate at the joint connection end of the lower leg bone 2, and bolt connection holes are evenly distributed around the joint connection holes.

[0027] A straight groove 5 is provided at the center of the plate of the lower leg bone body 2 insertion section, and a straight and evenly distributed strap fixing device mounting hole 6 is provided on the double plates of the upper leg bone body 1 opposite to the straight groove 5.

[0028] A double-plate adapter positioning block 7 is provided on the extended section of the lower leg bone body 2. A wrench cam body 8 is hinged to one side of the double-plate adapter positioning block 7. The cam end of the wrench cam body 8 is pressed and limited to the side surface of the lower leg bone body 2. The handle end of the wrench cam body 8 is a free end.

[0029] A boss body 9 is fixedly installed on the other side of the double-plate adapter positioning block 7 by bolts. A tightening screw 10 is installed on the boss body 9. A force transmission tightening block 11 is provided between the tightening screw 10 and the lower body of the leg bone 2. A row of parallel waist-shaped holes is provided on the force transmission tightening block 11. A limit guide screw 12 is fixedly installed in each waist-shaped hole. The force transmission tightening block 11 has a degree of freedom of movement along the length direction of the waist-shaped hole.

[0030] A positioning pin insertion hole 13 is provided in the middle of the handle end of the wrench cam body 8. A positioning pin is inserted into the positioning pin insertion hole 13 to prevent the wrench cam body 8 from rotating.

[0031] A force application auxiliary hole 14 is provided at the handle end of the wrench cam body 8. The force application auxiliary hole 14 is used to connect an auxiliary force application rod or an auxiliary force application rope. The wrench cam body 8 is driven to rotate by the auxiliary force application rod or the auxiliary force application rope.

[0032] A buffer damper 15 is provided between the double-plate transition positioning block 7 and the upper body of the leg bone 1. There are two buffer dampers 15, which are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the lower body of the leg bone 2. The upper end of the buffer damper 15 is hinged to the upper body of the leg bone 1, and the buffer damper 15 is hinged to the double-plate transition positioning block 7.

[0033] The following describes a single use of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0034] When the medical rehabilitation exoskeleton robot adopts the adjustable-length rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism of the present invention, the working principle is exactly the same for the thigh and lower leg of the medical rehabilitation exoskeleton robot, and the leg bone upper body 1 has been pre-installed with a strap fixation device through the strap fixation device mounting hole 6.

[0035] When a patient wears the exoskeleton leg device, the upper leg bone 1 is first tied and fixed to the patient's leg using a strap fixation device. During the tying process, the wrench cam body 8 is in the unlocked state, and the lower leg bone 2 can move freely along the linear guide block body 3 to adapt to the length of the patient's leg, achieving stepless adaptive adjustment of the length. Finally, the strap fixation device is locked to completely fix the upper leg bone 1 to the patient's leg.

[0036] After the upper leg bone 1 is tied and fixed to the patient's leg, the wrench cam body 8, which is in a free outward position, is pressed inward so that the cam end of the wrench cam body 8 and the side surface of the lower leg bone 2 are pressed and limited. Then, the pre-prepared positioning pin is inserted into the positioning pin hole 13 to prevent the wrench cam body 8 from rotating and unlocking in the locked state.

[0037] When the wrench cam body 8 is adjusted to the locked state, the lower leg bone 2 and the double-plate adapter positioning block 7 are fixed. At this time, the lower leg bone 2 and the upper leg bone 1 can no longer move freely, and can only move in small sizes through the buffer damper 15. When the patient is undergoing assisted walking rehabilitation training, the buffer damper 15 can also play a certain role in cushioning and support. During the patient's walking process, as the joint spacing changes slightly back and forth, the buffer damper 15 can synchronously stretch and compress when the joint spacing changes slightly, so as to reduce the impact on the leg during walking, thereby improving the wearing experience and effect.

[0038] After the patient completes rehabilitation training, the medical rehabilitation exoskeleton robot needs to be removed. When disengaging the leg, first, the positioning pin needs to be pulled out of the positioning pin hole 13 to release the limit of the wrench cam body 8. Then, the wrench cam body 8 is turned outwards to separate the cam end of the wrench cam body 8 from the side surface of the lower leg bone 2, thus unlocking the wrench cam body 8. Finally, the strap fixation device is released to separate the upper leg bone 1 from the patient's leg. Turning the wrench cam body 8 outwards may require some force. For people with less strength, directly turning the wrench cam body 8 to unlock it may be difficult. Therefore, an auxiliary force-applying rod or auxiliary force-applying rope can be optionally installed at the handle end of the wrench cam body 8 to reduce effort and make unlocking the wrench cam body 8 easier.

[0039] As the frequency of use of medical rehabilitation exoskeleton robots increases, the wrench cam body 8 constantly switches between locked and unlocked states, which inevitably causes wear on the parts. As the wear intensifies, the locking effect of the wrench cam body 8 deteriorates, resulting in a decrease in the clamping force of the cam end of the wrench cam body 8 on the side surface of the leg bone 2. To solve this problem, the force transmission clamping block 11 can be squeezed by tightening the clamping screw 10, causing the force transmission clamping block 11 to shift inward along the length of the waist-shaped hole, thereby filling the worn-out dimensions and restoring the locking effect of the wrench cam body 8.

[0040] The solutions described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of patent protection of this invention. All equivalent implementations or modifications that do not depart from the scope of this invention are included in the patent scope of this case.

Claims

1. A length-adjustable rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism, characterized in that: It includes an upper leg bone and a lower leg bone; the top of the upper leg bone is used for joint connection; the lower leg bone is inserted into the upper leg bone from the bottom end of the upper leg bone, and the lower leg bone has a degree of freedom of extension and retraction relative to the upper leg bone, and the bottom end of the lower leg bone is used for joint connection; the upper leg bone adopts a parallel double-plate structure, and the space between the double plates serves as a sliding guide space for the lower leg bone. A linear guide block is provided between the two edges of the double plates of the upper leg bone, and the insertion section of the lower leg bone is located between the two linear guide blocks. The double plates of the upper leg bone and the linear guide blocks are fixedly connected by bolts; a [missing information - likely a design feature] is opened at the center of the plate of the insertion section of the lower leg bone. A straight groove is provided, and the upper leg bone double plate opposite the straight groove has evenly distributed strap fixing installation holes. A double plate type adapter positioning block is provided on the extended section of the lower leg bone. A wrench cam body is hinged to one side of the double plate type adapter positioning block. The cam end of the wrench cam body is pressed and limited with the side surface of the lower leg bone. The handle end of the wrench cam body is a free end. A buffer damper is provided between the double plate type adapter positioning block and the upper leg bone. There are two buffer dampers, which are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the lower leg bone. The upper end of the buffer damper is hinged to the upper leg bone and the buffer damper is hinged to the double plate type adapter positioning block.

2. The adjustable-length rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: An annular pad is provided between the two plates at the joint connection end of the leg bone, and a joint connection hole is provided on the two plates at the circular hole of the annular pad.

3. The adjustable-length rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower leg bone adopts a single-plate structure, and joint connection holes are provided on the plate at the joint connection end of the lower leg bone. Bolt connection holes are evenly distributed around the joint connection holes.

4. The adjustable-length rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A boss body is fixedly installed on the other side of the double-plate adapter positioning block by bolts. A tightening screw is installed on the boss body. A force-transmitting tightening block is provided between the tightening screw and the lower body of the leg bone. A row of parallel waist-shaped holes is provided on the force-transmitting tightening block. A limit guide screw is fixedly installed in each waist-shaped hole. The force-transmitting tightening block has a degree of freedom of movement along the length direction of the waist-shaped hole.

5. The adjustable-length rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A positioning pin insertion hole is provided in the middle of the handle end of the wrench cam body, and a positioning pin is inserted into the positioning pin insertion hole to prevent the wrench cam body from rotating.

6. The adjustable-length rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton leg mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: An auxiliary force hole is provided at the handle end of the wrench cam body. An auxiliary force rod or an auxiliary force rope is connected in the auxiliary force hole. The wrench cam body is driven to rotate by the auxiliary force rod or the auxiliary force rope.

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