A finger exoskeleton device adapting to external force and a motion decoupling method thereof

Abstract

The application provides a finger exoskeleton device and a motion decoupling method thereof, a middle phalanx transmission mechanism arranged at a proximal phalanx part and connected with a driving mechanism; a distal phalanx transmission mechanism arranged at a distal phalanx part and connected with the middle phalanx transmission mechanism; and the driving mechanism is used to provide power. The application has the beneficial effect that the finger exoskeleton device and the motion decoupling method thereof can increase the rotation angle of the distal phalanx by decoupling the motion of the distal phalanx and the middle phalanx under the stress action of the middle phalanx only when the grip is insufficient, so that the grip is sufficient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of medical technology, and in particular relates to a finger exoskeleton device that adapts to external forces and its motion decoupling method. Background Technology

[0002] Neurological injuries typically lead to motor dysfunction, sometimes accompanied by disordered motor function or even complete loss of motor ability, causing severe disruptions to daily life and significantly reducing the quality of life for patients and their families. With the increasing aging population, the incidence of neurological injuries is rising year by year, leading to a growing demand for rehabilitation. In neurological injuries (such as stroke), upper limb dysfunction is very common, and these patients also experience varying degrees of hand dysfunction. Rehabilitation of hand motor function is extremely difficult, requiring long-term home rehabilitation even after discharge.

[0003] For patients with hand motor disorders, clinical practice involves extensive repetitive passive exercise training to promote hand motor function rehabilitation. The effectiveness of this rehabilitation depends heavily on the therapist's clinical experience. However, in a home environment, the lack of physician guidance can easily lead to secondary injuries during training. Hand exoskeleton rehabilitation robots can assist patients in improving their self-care abilities while simultaneously providing rehabilitation training. Hand exoskeleton robots include both flexible and rigid structures. Flexible exoskeleton robots can achieve physiological finger bending, but they are difficult to control due to the challenges in controlling tangential forces and cannot achieve precise positional control of individual joints. Rigid exoskeleton structures can achieve specific posture control of finger joints, facilitating fine motor training of the hand.

[0004] Existing rigid hand exoskeleton robots typically employ underactuated or coupled actuation methods to achieve the combined movement of the distal and middle phalanges of the fingers. On one hand, during normal hand activities, the movements of the distal and middle phalanges are coupled due to the interactions of tendons and ligaments in the human hand. Therefore, many hand exoskeleton robots utilize the combined movement of the distal and middle phalanges. On the other hand, as the distal end of the finger, the distal phalanx has a limited range of motion. To reduce actuation and facilitate wearability, a single actuation degree of freedom using a linkage structure is typically employed to achieve motion coupling.

[0005] Currently, the coupling of the distal and middle phalangeal joints of hand exoskeleton robots has the following drawbacks: Due to the motion transmission of the linkage structure, it can only achieve the combined movement of specific trajectories (distal and middle phalanges), making it difficult to achieve full grasping when gripping objects of different sizes (or shapes). Furthermore, when achieving fine motor skills, the movement trajectories of the distal and middle phalanges have different combinations, and the combined movement of specific trajectories is not suitable for irregular fine motor skills of the fingers. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention aims to propose a finger exoskeleton device that adapts to external forces and its motion decoupling method, so as to adjust the motion angle of the distal phalanx when the middle phalanx is subjected to external force, so as to achieve full gripping.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is implemented as follows:

[0008] A finger exoskeleton device that adapts to external forces, comprising:

[0009] The middle phalanx transmission mechanism is located in the proximal phalanx and is connected to the drive mechanism;

[0010] The distal phalanx transmission mechanism is located in the distal phalanx and is connected to the middle phalanx transmission mechanism.

[0011] Drive mechanism, used to provide power.

[0012] Furthermore, the drive mechanism includes a fixed base, a motor, a lead screw nut, a threaded rod, and a locking slider;

[0013] The electric motor is mounted on a fixed base, the threaded rod is connected to the power output end of the electric motor, and the lead screw nut is sleeved on the threaded rod;

[0014] The locking slider is fixed to the lead screw nut by threaded installation.

[0015] Furthermore, the locking slider includes a fixed connecting slider, a tension spring, and a slider sleeve;

[0016] The slider sleeve is installed on a rectangular slide rail that is fixedly connected to the slider body;

[0017] The slider sleeve is connected to the fixed connecting slider by a tension spring.

[0018] Furthermore, the middle phalanx transmission mechanism includes a first fixed slide, a first cross-joint connecting rod, a middle phalanx drive rod, a middle phalanx fixing sleeve, and a hinge pin;

[0019] The first fixed slide rail includes two arc-shaped guide grooves;

[0020] One end of the first cross joint link is installed in the first fixed slide rail;

[0021] The middle phalanx drive rod is installed in the guide groove of the first fixed slide by a nut;

[0022] The middle phalanx drive rod is connected to the drive mechanism components via a hinge pin;

[0023] One side of the middle phalanx fixation sleeve is fixed to the middle phalanx, and the other side is installed on the middle phalanx drive rod.

[0024] Furthermore, one end of the first cross-joint link is installed in the first fixed slide rail, and the first cross-joint link rotates relative to the first fixed slide rail, with the rotation center having a offset distance from the rotation center of the slide rail.

[0025] Furthermore, the distal phalanx transmission mechanism includes a second fixed slide, a distal phalanx drive rod, and a distal phalanx fixing sleeve;

[0026] The second fixed slide rail includes two arc-shaped guide grooves;

[0027] The second fixed slide is installed on the middle phalanx fixation sleeve;

[0028] The distal phalanx drive rod is installed in the guide groove of the second fixed slide by a nut;

[0029] One side of the distal phalanx fixation sleeve is fixed to the distal phalanx, and the other side is installed on the distal phalanx drive rod.

[0030] Furthermore, the distal phalanx transmission mechanism includes a pin, a first push rod, a pin, a second push rod, a pin, a rectangular slider, a second cross-joint connecting rod, and a torsion spring;

[0031] One end of the first push rod is mounted on the distal phalanx drive rod via a pin, and the other end is mounted on the second push rod via a pin.

[0032] The second push rod is mounted on the second fixed slide rail via a pin and a rectangular slider.

[0033] A torsion spring is installed between the second push rod and the second fixed slide rail;

[0034] The first cross joint link and the second push rod are connected by a pin;

[0035] One end of the second cross joint link is mounted on the second push rod via a pin, and the other end is mounted on the fixed connecting slide.

[0036] Furthermore, the second fixed slide is installed on the middle phalanx fixation sleeve, and the rotation center of the slide coincides with the rotation center of the distal interphalangeal joint.

[0037] Furthermore, when the middle phalanx is under force while the distal phalanx is not, the drive mechanism causes the fixed connecting slide to generate a displacement Δl. Under the action of the mechanism's motion transmission, the distal phalanx drive rod rotates by an angle Δθ, so that the distal phalanx and the middle phalanx form different joint motion relationships to adapt to the needs of irregular finger movement.

[0038] Compared with the prior art, the finger exoskeleton device and its motion decoupling method adapted to external forces described in this invention have the following advantages:

[0039] (1) The finger exoskeleton device and its motion decoupling method adapted to external force described in this invention, when not fully grasping, only under the force of the middle phalanx, increases the rotation angle of the distal phalanx by decoupling the motion of the distal phalanx and the middle phalanx, so as to achieve full grasping;

[0040] (2) The finger exoskeleton device and its motion decoupling method adapted to external force described in this invention realize different joint motion relationships between the distal phalanx and the middle phalanx by setting a decoupling structure, overcome the defect that the trajectory of fixed coupling cannot be adjusted, and facilitate the realization of irregular fine movements of the finger. Attached Figure Description

[0041] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton device of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 2 This is a diagram of the driving mechanism of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the middle phalanx transmission mechanism of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 4 This is a diagram of the distal phalanx transmission mechanism of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanism of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 6 This is a diagram of the decoupling method of the present invention.

[0048] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0049] 100-Drive mechanism; 110-Fixed base; 120-Motor; 130-Lead screw nut; 140-Threaded rod; 150-Locking slider; 151-Fixed connecting slide body; 152-Tension spring; 153-Slider sleeve;

[0050] 200 - Middle phalanx transmission mechanism; 201 - First fixed slide rail; 202 - First cross-joint linkage; 203 - Middle phalanx drive rod; 204 - Middle phalanx fixing sleeve; 205 - Nut; 206 - Hinge pin;

[0051] 300 - Distal phalanx transmission mechanism; 301 - Second fixed slide rail; 302 - Distal phalanx drive rod; 303 - Distal phalanx fixing sleeve; 304 - Nut; 305 - Pin; 306 - First push rod; 307 - Pin; 308 - Second push rod; 309 - Pin. Detailed Implementation

[0052] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0053] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, a finger exoskeleton device includes: a drive mechanism 100, a middle phalanx transmission mechanism 200, and a distal phalanx transmission mechanism 300.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, the drive mechanism 100 comprises a fixed base 110, a motor 120, a lead screw nut 130, a threaded rod 140, and a locking slider 150. The locking slider 150 is threadedly fixed to the lead screw nut 130.

[0056] The locking slider 150 comprises a fixed connecting slider 151, a tension spring 152, and a slider sleeve 153. The slider sleeve 153 is mounted on a rectangular slide rail of the fixed connecting slider 151, enabling linear sliding. The slider sleeve 153 is locked to the fixed connecting slider 151 by the tension spring 152. When the force is small, the slider sleeve 153 is tightly connected to the fixed connecting slider 151 under the action of the tension spring 152. When the force is large, the tension spring 152 is stretched, and the slider sleeve 153 can slide a certain distance along the rectangular slide rail of the connecting slider 151.

[0057] like Figure 3 As shown, the middle phalanx transmission mechanism 200 comprises a first fixed slide 201, a first cross-joint connecting rod 202, a middle phalanx drive rod 203, a middle phalanx fixing sleeve 204, a nut 205, and a hinge pin 206.

[0058] The first fixed slide 201 is fixed to a suitable position on the proximal phalanx by a strap, so that the rotation center of the slide coincides with the rotation center of the proximal interphalangeal joint. The drive mechanism 100 is connected to the first fixed slide 201 by a pin.

[0059] The first cross joint link 202 is mounted on the first fixed slide rail 201 to form a hinged connection, so that the first cross joint link 202 can rotate relative to the first fixed slide rail 201, and the rotation center is offset from the slide rail rotation center by a certain distance.

[0060] The middle phalanx drive rod 203 is installed in the guide groove of the first fixed slide rail 201 via a nut 205. Three sliding rods on the middle phalanx drive rod 203 ensure that it can only rotate around the center of rotation of the slide rail. The middle phalanx drive rod 203 is connected to the slider sleeve 153 via a hinge pin 206, allowing the slider sleeve 153 to move with the middle phalanx drive rod 203.

[0061] The middle phalanx fixation sleeve 204 is fixed to the middle phalanx by a strap, and the other side is installed on the middle phalanx drive rod 203 by adhesive, so that the middle phalanx follows the middle phalanx drive rod 203 to rotate on a fixed axis.

[0062] like Figure 4 As shown, the distal phalanx transmission mechanism 300 comprises a second fixed slide rail 301, a distal phalanx drive rod 302, a distal phalanx fixing sleeve 303, a nut 304, a pin 305, a first push rod 306, a pin 307, a second push rod 308, a pin 309, a rectangular slider 310, a second cross-joint connecting rod 311, and a torsion spring 312.

[0063] The second fixed slide rail 301 is installed on the middle phalanx fixation sleeve 204 with adhesive, and the rotation center of the slide rail coincides with the rotation center of the distal interphalangeal joint. The distal phalanx drive rod 302 is installed in the guide groove of the second fixed slide rail 301 with a nut 304, so that the distal phalanx drive rod 302 can only rotate around the rotation center of the slide rail. The distal phalanx fixation sleeve 303 is fixed to the distal phalanx with a strap, and the other side is installed on the distal phalanx drive rod 302 with adhesive, so that the distal phalanx follows the rotation of the distal phalanx drive rod 302.

[0064] One end of the first push rod 306 is mounted on the distal phalanx drive rod 302 via a pin 305, and the other end is mounted on the second push rod 308 via a pin 307. The second push rod 308 is mounted on the second fixed slide rail 301 via a pin 309 and a rectangular slider 310, allowing the second push rod 308 to move a certain distance along a straight slide rail on the second fixed slide rail 301. A torsion spring 312 is installed between the second push rod 308 and the second fixed slide rail 301, so that the second push rod 308 is fixed to one end of the straight slide rail on 301 when no external force is applied. The first cross-joint connecting rod 202 and the second push rod 308 are connected by a pin to form a rotary hinge.

[0065] One end of the second cross joint connecting rod 311 is mounted on the second push rod 308 via a pin 309, and the other end is mounted on the fixed connecting slide body 151 to form a hinge connection.

[0066] This invention achieves its goals by setting a motion decoupling structure, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the movement of the distal and middle phalanges adapts to changes in the shape of the external object when subjected to external forces. When the forces on the middle and distal phalanges are similar, the middle phalanx transmission mechanism 200 and the distal phalanx transmission mechanism 300 produce a combined movement under the action of the torsion spring 312 and the tension spring 152. In cases of insufficient grip, when only the middle phalanx is subjected to force, the torsion spring 312 and the tension spring 152 deform under the force, causing the slider sleeve 153 to displace along the rectangular slide rail fixed to the slider 151. In this case, the rotation angle of the distal phalanx fixing sleeve 303 increases, thereby decoupling the movement of the distal and middle phalanges and achieving the benefit of sufficient grip.

[0067] The motion decoupling method involved in this invention is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, when the middle phalanx is under force while the distal phalanx is not, the drive mechanism drives the fixed connecting slide 151 to generate a certain displacement Δl. Under the action of the mechanism's motion transmission, the distal phalanx drive rod 302 rotates a certain angle Δθ, so that the distal phalanx and the middle phalanx form different joint motion relationships to adapt to the needs of irregular finger movement.

[0068] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and method steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of the various examples have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0069] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed methods and systems can be implemented in other ways. For example, the division of units described above is merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For instance, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. The aforementioned units may or may not be physically separated. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention according to actual needs.

[0070] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of the present invention.

[0071] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A finger exoskeleton device that adapts to external forces, characterized in that, include: The middle phalanx transmission mechanism is located in the proximal phalanx and is connected to the drive mechanism; The distal phalanx transmission mechanism is located in the distal phalanx and is connected to the middle phalanx transmission mechanism. Drive mechanism, used to provide power; The drive mechanism includes a fixed base, a motor, a lead screw nut, a threaded rod, and a locking slider; The electric motor is mounted on a fixed base, the threaded rod is connected to the power output end of the electric motor, and the lead screw nut is sleeved on the threaded rod; The locking slider is fixed to the lead screw nut by threaded installation; The locking slider includes a fixed connecting slider, a tension spring, and a slider sleeve; The slider sleeve is installed on a rectangular slide rail that is fixedly connected to the slider body; The slider sleeve is connected to the fixed connecting slider body by a tension spring; The middle phalanx transmission mechanism includes a first fixed slide, a first cross-joint connecting rod, a middle phalanx drive rod, a middle phalanx fixing sleeve, and a hinge pin; The first fixed slide rail includes two arc-shaped guide grooves; One end of the first cross joint link is installed in the first fixed slide rail; The middle phalanx drive rod is installed in the guide groove of the first fixed slide by a nut; The middle phalanx drive rod is connected to the drive mechanism components via a hinge pin; One side of the middle phalanx fixation sleeve is fixed to the middle phalanx, and the other side is installed on the middle phalanx drive rod; One end of the first cross-joint link is installed in the first fixed slide rail. The first cross-joint link rotates relative to the first fixed slide rail, and the center of rotation is offset from the center of rotation of the slide rail. The distal phalanx transmission mechanism includes a second fixed slide, a distal phalanx drive rod, and a distal phalanx fixation sleeve; The second fixed slide rail includes two arc-shaped guide grooves; The second fixed slide is installed on the middle phalanx fixation sleeve; The distal phalanx drive rod is installed in the guide groove of the second fixed slide by a nut; One side of the distal phalanx fixation sleeve is fixed to the distal phalanx, and the other side is installed on the distal phalanx drive rod; The distal phalanx transmission mechanism includes a pin, a first push rod, a pin, a second push rod, a pin, a rectangular slider, a second cross-joint connecting rod, and a torsion spring; One end of the first push rod is mounted on the distal phalanx drive rod via a pin, and the other end is mounted on the second push rod via a pin. The second push rod is mounted on the second fixed slide rail via a pin and a rectangular slider. A torsion spring is installed between the second push rod and the second fixed slide rail; The first cross joint link and the second push rod are connected by a pin; One end of the second cross joint connecting rod is mounted on the second push rod via a pin, and the other end is mounted on the fixed connecting slide body; The second fixed slide is installed on the middle phalanx fixation sleeve, and the rotation center of the slide coincides with the rotation center of the distal interphalangeal joint.

2. The motion decoupling method for a finger exoskeleton device adaptable to external forces according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the middle phalanx is under force while the distal phalanx is not, the drive mechanism causes the fixed connecting slide to generate a displacement Δl. Under the action of the mechanism's motion transmission, the distal phalanx drive rod rotates by an angle Δθ, so that the distal phalanx and the middle phalanx form different joint motion relationships to adapt to the needs of irregular finger movement.

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