A non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of wearable mechanical equipment, and specifically relates to a non-fixed supporting force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm with variable supporting force. The main structure includes a shoulder strap assembly and transmission assemblies arranged on both sides thereof, and an arm assembly connected to the transmission assembly. A cam assembly is also arranged between the shoulder strap assembly and the arm assembly, and a connecting rod assembly is also arranged between the transmission assembly and the cam assembly. The spring retracts to release the tension, and the line passes the tension to the upper connecting rod through the wiring channel and the pulley to rotate it. When the upper connecting rod rotates, the groove cam is rotated through the elliptical plate, and the arm is further lifted up through the synchronous belt in a 1:1 ratio to provide supporting force for the arm. The structure is simple and the principle is scientific and reliable. The cam mechanism, the connecting rod mechanism and the transmission mechanism are used to solve the problem that the arm still needs to bear a certain force when it is in a falling state, and the force change curve is improved so that the arm is not subjected to force when it is perpendicular to the ground, and only starts to be supported when it is lifted 45°.

Description

Technical field:

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of wearable mechanical equipment, and specifically relates to a non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm with variable support force. Background technology:

[0002] Human exoskeletons in the prior art are divided into active exoskeletons and passive exoskeletons according to whether they are driven by energy: active exoskeletons drive machine movement by connecting to energy supply equipment. Due to the technical limitations of energy storage devices, their energy reserves are limited, which affects their use in outdoor application scenarios; passive exoskeletons transfer the weight to the ground or a reasonable position on the human body through their own mechanical structure, and do not require external energy supply. While eliminating energy limitations, they reduce the weight of the equipment and achieve lightweight.

[0003] Compared with active exoskeletons, passive exoskeletons mainly use energy from the human body, are not limited by battery life, and can be used continuously. In addition, passive exoskeletons do not require motors, control systems, and other components, are relatively light in weight, have low production costs, and are safer, making them more likely to be promoted and applied.

[0004] The upper limb passive exoskeleton is a non-powered auxiliary exoskeleton robot, that is, it is not driven by non-natural external forces such as energy devices. Compared with traditional powered exoskeletons, it is greatly reduced in size and weight, and has no energy power requirements, which solves the long-standing shortcomings of powered exoskeletons and conforms to the current concept of sustainable energy development.

[0005] The upper limb passive exoskeleton is mainly composed of five parts: upper arm support, back support, waist support, transmission connecting rod and driver. The current upper limb passive exoskeleton has become mature in terms of technology. The more well-known manufacturers and products are:

[0006] Ekso Bionics, a California-based company, is a pioneer and leader in the field of passive exoskeletons. Its EksoVest consists of an upper arm support, back support, waist support, transmission connecting rod and driver. It has a light structure and good follow-up performance. It will not affect the normal work of the wearer and has good versatility. Users can choose a suitable exoskeleton based on their own biological size data and the range of assistance required for the operation. When worn, the power-assisted exoskeleton follows the wearer's movements and supports the human body. Its second-generation upper limb passive power-assisted exoskeleton product, Ekso Evo, is an upgrade of the Ekso Vest. It simplifies the complex back transmission connecting rod structure of the previous generation and is only composed of waist support, back support, driver and upper arm support. The back support integrates a multi-directional rotation structure, which can cooperate with the user's movements to achieve multi-directional fitting movement during use. It is lighter and reduces the space occupied by the back.

[0007] Comau, a member of the Italian Fiat Chrysler (FCA) Group, has launched MATE (Muscular Aiding Tech Exoskeleton), an upper limb passive assisted exoskeleton solution for automotive assembly production scenarios. It can provide support for the shoulders and arms during daily work, especially for work that requires lifting the arms, and can effectively reduce the "overload injury risk" of the workers' upper limbs.

[0008] Hilti, located in Europe, is a technology company that provides high-quality technologies and products to the construction industry. Its upper limb passive assisted exoskeleton robot product for the construction industry, Hilti EXO 01, is used to relieve pressure on the shoulders and arms during overhead installation work.

[0009] SuitX, a robotics company from the University of California, Berkeley’s Human Factors Laboratory, has launched a passive upper extremity exoskeleton product, shoulderX, which can significantly reduce peak muscle activity during static and repetitive overhead tasks with heavier tools, thereby helping to reduce the risk of work-related shoulder fatigue and injury.

[0010] The comparative analysis of the main upper limb passive exoskeletons on the market is shown in the following table:

[0011]

[0012]

[0013] It can be seen that the existing products are similar in the form of realizing the supporting force: the main form is to deform the spring through the rotation of the arm, and provide supporting force by energy conversion, such as stretching the spring to accumulate elastic potential energy when the arm is put down, and releasing energy to generate supporting force to support the arm when the arm is raised. The whole process has the following disadvantages: First, when the arm is put down, it has to withstand greater resistance, and it still has to continue to withstand resistance in a static state. In this state, it is impossible to freely perform the operation task; second, when the arm is at the lowest point, the spring deformation is the largest and the force is the largest. When the arm is raised, the force gradually decreases. When the arm is at the highest point, the spring deformation is the smallest and the force is the smallest. When the hand is over the head, the arm needs to be in a medium-high position, but at this time the force provided by the spring has been weakened a lot, which does not meet the needs of hand-over-head operation. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and design a non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm to solve the problem that the arm still needs to withstand a certain force when it is falling, and improve the force change curve. Summary of the invention:

[0014] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to design a non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm so that the arm is not subjected to force when perpendicular to the ground and begins to be supported when raised 45°.

[0015] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the main structure of the non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm of the present invention includes a shoulder strap assembly and a transmission assembly arranged on both sides thereof, and an arm assembly connected to the transmission assembly, wherein a cam assembly is also arranged between the shoulder strap assembly and the arm assembly, and a connecting rod assembly is also arranged between the transmission assembly and the cam assembly; the main structure of the shoulder strap assembly includes two shoulder straps and a waist plate arranged on the waist belt, a chest connecting belt connecting the front of the shoulder strap, and two connecting belts arranged at the rear of the shoulder strap; the main structure of the transmission assembly includes a general base and a ball head connector arranged thereon, and a bracket and a spring arranged on the ball head connector, a baffle, a rotating shaft and a connecting buckle are arranged on the bracket, and a line connected to the spring passes through a pulley set arranged on the bracket; the main structure of the arm assembly includes a large arm rod and an arm support arranged thereon, and a small arm rod connected to the arm support; the main structure of the cam assembly includes a groove cam and a synchronous belt arranged thereon; the main structure of the connecting rod assembly includes a lower connecting rod and an upper connecting rod and a middle rotating shaft arranged therebetween, and a groove buckle arranged on the upper connecting rod;

[0016] The general base of the present invention is connected with the ball head connector through the ball head connector base, the ball head connector is connected with the mounting plate, the mounting plate is provided with a spring base and a bracket, the spring base is provided with two spring inner rods parallel to each other, the outer periphery of the spring inner rod is provided with a spring, the top is provided with a lower line fixing piece, the line provided on the lower line fixing piece passes through the pulley group provided on the bracket in sequence: pulley 1, pulley 2, pulley 3 and pulley 4, the upper part of the bracket is triangular, the middle part of the triangle is hollowed out, the lower part is trapezoidal, and the top of the trapezoid is A baffle is provided, and a wiring channel is opened on the wiring path of the upper line of the bracket. Rotating shafts are provided at the two ends and pulley three and pulley four, one of the ends is provided with a connecting buckle base, and a connecting buckle is provided on the connecting buckle base; the arm support is connected to the upper arm rod and the small arm rod through a fixing part; the groove cam is connected to the synchronous belt through the lower synchronous belt shaft; the connecting rod base is connected to the lower connecting rod through the lower rotating shaft, and an upper line fixing part is provided on the top of the upper connecting rod, which is connected to the elliptical plate through the upper rotating shaft, and a groove buckle is provided at the end of the elliptical plate.

[0017] The waist belt, shoulder strap, chest connecting belt and connecting belt involved in the present invention are all elastic, comfortable, close-fitting and retractable; the connecting piece is a ring-shaped object made of soft plastic; one end of the connecting belt is connected to the shoulder strap through a connecting piece arranged at the rear of the shoulder strap, and the other end is connected to the connecting buckle; the waist plate is a plate-shaped object made of a polymer material with supporting strength, which is connected to the main base; the mounting plate is connected to the connecting rod base; the top of the bracket is connected to the large arm rod through a rotating shaft, and the end is connected to the groove cam through the rotating shaft at the connecting buckle; the other end of the line is connected to the upper line fixing piece; the groove cam is connected to the groove buckle; the lower synchronous belt shaft is connected to the upper synchronous belt shaft arranged at the connection between the transmission component and the arm component through a synchronous belt.

[0018] After the non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm involved in the present invention is worn, the arm rotates at the same angle in the process of raising the arm from 45° to 90° and the process of raising the arm from 90° to 135°; in the former, the upper connecting rod and the lower connecting rod rotate around the lower rotation axis in a straight line; in the latter, the upper connecting rod rotates around the middle rotation axis. The former causes the displacement of the lower line fixing part to be smaller than that of the latter, and the deformation variable generated by the spring is also smaller than that of the latter, and the elastic potential energy reduction is smaller, so that when the arm is raised to the high-frequency working angle range (90°-135°), the elastic potential energy lost by the spring is smaller, and a larger supporting force can still be provided for the arm.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention releases the tension when the spring retracts, and the wire passes the tension to the upper connecting rod through the wiring channel and the pulley to make it rotate. When the upper connecting rod rotates, the groove cam is rotated through the elliptical plate, and the arm is further lifted up through the synchronous belt 1:1 to provide supporting force for the arm. The structure is simple and the principle is scientific and reliable. The cam mechanism, the connecting rod mechanism and the transmission mechanism are used to solve the problem that the arm still needs to bear a certain force when falling, and the force change curve is improved, so that the arm is not subjected to force when it is perpendicular to the ground, and only starts to be supported when it is lifted 45°, and the force reduction amplitude is reduced within the commonly used height range. Description of the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the main structural principle of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the wearing state of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 The present invention is a schematic diagram of the main structural principle of the transmission assembly.

[0023] Figure 4 The figure is a schematic diagram of the main structural principle of the arm assembly involved in the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 The present invention is a schematic diagram of the main structural principle of the cam assembly.

[0025] Figure 6 The figure is a schematic diagram of the main structural principle of the connecting rod assembly involved in the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the local structural state of the present invention when the arm is hanging down.

[0027] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the local structural state of the present invention when the arm is raised 45 degrees.

[0028] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the local structural state of the present invention when the arm is raised 90 degrees.

[0029] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the local structural state of the present invention when the arm is raised 135 degrees. Specific implementation method:

[0030] The present invention is further described below by way of implementation examples in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Embodiment 1:

[0032] The main structure of the non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm involved in this embodiment is as follows Figure 1 As shown, it includes a shoulder strap assembly 1, a transmission assembly 2, an arm assembly 3, a cam assembly 4 and a connecting rod assembly 5; the transmission assembly 2 is provided on both sides of the shoulder strap assembly 1, the arm assembly 3 is provided at the end of the transmission assembly 2, the shoulder strap assembly 1 and the arm assembly 3 are connected through the cam assembly 4, and the transmission assembly 2 and the cam assembly 4 are connected through the connecting rod assembly 5, wherein:

[0033] The main structure of the strap assembly 1 is as follows Figure 2 As shown, it includes a waist belt 11, a shoulder strap 12, a chest connecting belt 13, a connecting piece 14, a connecting belt 15 and a waist plate 16; the waist belt 11 with an annular structure is provided with two shoulder straps 12, the front parts of the shoulder straps 12 are parallel to each other and connected through the chest connecting belt 13, and the rear parts of the shoulder straps 12 cross each other and are provided with a connecting piece 14 with an annular structure, and the connecting piece 14 is connected to the two connecting belts 15 extending to the left and right sides respectively. In addition, the rear part of the waist belt 11 is also provided with a waist plate 16 matching the shape of the waist;

[0034] The main structure of the transmission assembly 2 is as follows: Figure 3As shown, it includes a main base 201, a ball head connector base 202, a ball head connector 203, a mounting plate 204, a spring base 205, a bracket 206, a spring inner rod 207, a spring 208, a lower line fixing member 209, a line 210, a pulley 1 211, a pulley 212, a pulley 3 213, a pulley 4 214, a baffle 215, a wiring channel 216, a rotating shaft 217, a connecting buckle base 218 and a connecting buckle 2 19; A ball connector base 202 is provided on the main base 201 connected to the waist plate 16, a ball connector 203 is provided in the ball connector base 202, the ball connector 203 is connected to the mounting plate 204, a spring base 205 and a bracket 206 are provided on the mounting plate 204, two spring inner rods 207 parallel to each other are provided on the spring base 205, and a spring 208 is provided on the periphery of the spring inner rod 207, the top A lower line fixing member 209 is provided, and a line 210 provided on the lower line fixing member 209 passes through a pulley 1 211, a pulley 212, a pulley 3 213 and a pulley 4 214 provided on the bracket 206 in sequence. The upper part of the bracket 206 is triangular, the middle part of the triangle is hollowed out, and the lower part is trapezoidal. A baffle 215 is provided on the top of the trapezoid. A wiring channel 216 is provided on the wiring path of the upper line 210 of the bracket 206. Rotating shafts 217 are provided at both ends and at the pulleys 3 213 and 4 214. A connecting buckle base 218 is provided at one end, and a connecting buckle 219 is provided on the connecting buckle base 218. The connecting buckle 219 is connected to the connecting belt 15, wherein the planes where the pulley 1 211 and the pulley 2 212 are located coincide with each other, the planes where the pulleys 2 212 and the pulleys 3 213 are located are parallel to each other, and the planes where the pulleys 3 213 and the pulleys 4 214 are located are perpendicular to each other.

[0035] The main structure of the arm assembly 3 is as follows Figure 4 As shown, it includes a large arm rod 31, an arm support 32, a small arm rod 33 and a fixing member 34; the large arm rod 31 connected to the top of the bracket 206 through a rotating shaft 217 is provided with two semicircular arm supports 32 parallel to each other, the centers of the arm supports 32 are connected through the small arm rod 33, and the arm support 32 is connected to the large arm rod 31 and the small arm rod 33 through the fixing member 34;

[0036] The main structure of the cam assembly 4 is as follows Figure 5 As shown, it includes a groove cam 41, a lower synchronous belt shaft 42, a synchronous belt 43 and an upper synchronous belt shaft 44; the groove cam 41 connected to the end of the bracket 206 through the rotating shaft 217 at the connecting buckle 219 is provided with a lower synchronous belt shaft 42, and the lower synchronous belt shaft 42 is connected to the upper synchronous belt shaft 44 provided at the connection between the transmission component 2 and the arm component 3 through the synchronous belt 43;

[0037] The main structure of the connecting rod assembly 5 is as follows: Figure 6As shown, it includes a connecting rod base 51, a lower rotating shaft 52, a lower connecting rod 53, a middle rotating shaft 54, an upper connecting rod 55, an upper line fixing piece 56, an upper rotating shaft 57, an elliptical plate 58 and a groove buckle 59; the connecting rod base 51 connected to the mounting plate 204 is connected to the lower connecting rod 53 through the lower rotating shaft 52, the lower connecting rod 53 is connected to the upper connecting rod 55 through the middle rotating shaft 54, the top of the upper connecting rod 55 is provided with an upper line fixing piece 56 connected to the line 210, and is connected to the elliptical plate 58 through the upper rotating shaft 57, and the end of the elliptical plate 58 is provided with a groove buckle 59 connected to the groove cam 41.

[0038] After the non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm involved in this embodiment is worn, when the arm is hanging down, the spring 208 is in the maximum tension state, and the tension provided is the maximum. The line 210 first pulls the tension to the upper connecting rod 55, and then transmits it to the groove cam 41 through the elliptical plate 58, and finally transmits it to the upper arm rod 31 through the synchronous belt 43; because the upper half of the groove cam 41 is a 1 / 4 circle, the direction of the tension at this time is the same as the radius direction of the 1 / 4 circle, the groove cam 41 has no tendency to rotate, and the arm is not subjected to force. Figures 7 and 8 It can move freely within the range of 45°, which is convenient for low-altitude operations.

[0039] After the non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton robot arm involved in this embodiment is worn, when the arm is raised 45°, the 1 / 4 circle stroke of the groove cam 41 ends, and it begins to have a tendency to rotate, and the tendency is the largest; the spring 208 begins to contract, and the support force on the arm increases sharply from 0 to the maximum.

[0040] After the non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm involved in this embodiment is worn, during the process of raising the arm from 45° to 90°, the groove cam 41 is driven to rotate by the synchronous belt 43, so that the upper connecting rod 55 and the lower connecting rod 53 rotate around the lower rotating shaft 52; wherein, the extension section at the bottom of the upper connecting rod 55 is stuck on the top of the lower connecting rod 53, so that the upper connecting rod 55 rotates counterclockwise around the middle rotating shaft 54, and cannot rotate clockwise. When a strong force forces the upper connecting rod 55 to rotate clockwise, the upper connecting rod 55 and the lower connecting rod 53 are on the same straight line, and rotate clockwise around the lower rotating shaft 52.

[0041] After the non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm involved in this embodiment is worn, when the arm is raised from 90° to 135°, the groove cam 41 is driven to rotate by the synchronous belt 43, so that the upper connecting rod 55 rotates around the middle rotation axis 54; wherein, when the arm is raised to 90°, the lower connecting rod 53 is in a vertical state, and the upper part of the lower connecting rod 53 contacts with the baffle 215 and is obstructed. When the arm is raised from 90° to 135°, the lower connecting rod 53 no longer rotates, and the upper connecting rod 55 rotates counterclockwise around the middle rotation axis 54.

Claims

1. A non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm, the main structure of which includes a strap assembly and transmission assemblies arranged on both sides thereof, and an arm assembly connected to the transmission assembly, characterized in that: A cam assembly is also provided between the shoulder strap assembly and the arm assembly, and a connecting rod assembly is also provided between the transmission assembly and the cam assembly. The main structure of the transmission assembly includes a general base and a ball head connector provided thereon, and a bracket and a spring provided on the ball head connector. A baffle, a rotating shaft and a connecting buckle are provided on the bracket. The wire connected to the spring passes through a pulley set provided on the bracket. The general base is connected to the ball head connector through the base of the ball head connector. The ball head connector is connected to the mounting plate. A spring base and a bracket are provided on the mounting plate. Two springs are provided on the spring base. The spring inner rods are parallel to each other, and a spring is arranged on the outer periphery of the spring inner rods. A downline fixing piece is arranged on the top. The line arranged on the downline fixing piece passes through the pulley group arranged on the bracket in sequence: pulley one, pulley two, pulley three and pulley four. The upper part of the bracket is triangular, the middle part of the triangle is hollow, and the lower part is trapezoidal. The baffle is arranged on the top of the trapezoid. A wiring channel is opened on the wiring path of the line on the bracket, and rotating shafts are arranged at the two ends and pulley three and pulley four. A connecting buckle base is arranged at one end, and a connecting buckle is arranged on the connecting buckle base.

2. The non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main structure of the harness assembly comprises two harnesses and a waist plate arranged on the waist belt, a chest connecting belt connected to the front of the harness, and two connecting belts arranged at the rear of the harness.

3. The non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main structure of the arm assembly includes a large arm rod and an arm support arranged thereon, and a small arm rod connected to the arm support.

4. The non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm according to claim 3, characterized in that: The main structure of the cam assembly includes a groove cam and a synchronous belt arranged thereon.

5. The non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm according to claim 4, characterized in that: The main structure of the connecting rod assembly includes a lower connecting rod and an upper connecting rod, a middle rotating shaft arranged therebetween, and a groove buckle arranged on the upper connecting rod.

6. The non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm according to claim 5, characterized in that: The arm support is connected to the upper arm rod and the lower arm rod through fixings; the groove cam is connected to the synchronous belt through the lower synchronous belt shaft; the connecting rod base is connected to the lower connecting rod through the lower rotating shaft, and an upper line fixing piece is provided on the top of the upper connecting rod, which is connected to the elliptical plate through the upper rotating shaft, and a groove buckle is provided at the end of the elliptical plate.

7. The non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The waist belt, shoulder strap, chest connecting belt and connecting belt are all elastic; the connecting piece is a ring made of soft plastic; one end of the connecting belt is connected to the shoulder strap through a connecting piece arranged at the rear of the shoulder strap, and the other end is connected to the connecting buckle; the waist plate is a plate-shaped object made of a polymer material with supporting strength, which is connected to the main base; the mounting plate is connected to the connecting rod base; the top of the bracket is connected to the big arm rod through a rotating shaft, and the end is connected to the groove cam through the rotating shaft at the connecting buckle; the other end of the line is connected to the upper line fixing piece; the groove cam is connected to the groove buckle; the lower synchronous belt shaft is connected to the upper synchronous belt shaft arranged at the connection between the transmission assembly and the arm assembly through a synchronous belt.

8. The non-fixed support force type passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm according to claim 7, characterized in that: After wearing it, the arm rotates at the same angle in the process of raising the arm from 45° to 90° and from 90° to 135°; in the former, the upper connecting rod and the lower connecting rod rotate around the lower rotation axis in a straight line; in the latter, the upper connecting rod rotates around the middle rotation axis. The former causes the displacement of the lower line fixing to be smaller than that of the latter, the deformation variable produced by the spring is smaller than that of the latter, and the elastic potential energy is reduced less, so that when the arm is raised to 90°-135°, the spring loses less elastic potential energy, thereby providing support for the arm.

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