A wearable walking assistance device

Abstract

The application discloses a wearable walking assisting device, which comprises a waist fixing mechanism, an energy storage assisting mechanism and a leg connecting mechanism. One end of the energy storage assisting mechanism is bound to the waist side of a wearer through the waist fixing mechanism, and the other end of the energy storage assisting mechanism is bound to the leg of the wearer through the leg connecting mechanism. The energy storage assisting mechanism has an energy storage assembly, which stores energy when the contralateral leg of the wearer swings forward and releases the stored energy to provide assistance when the ipsilateral leg lifts forward to step. The waist fixing mechanism of the application fixes the energy storage assisting mechanism at the hip joint position of the waist of the wearer. The energy storage assisting mechanism stores the energy consumed in the human body walking process in the elastic member by using the pendulum principle and the center of gravity fluctuation of walking. The leg connecting mechanism assists the leg lifting action by using the stored energy, reduces the power requirement, and thus achieves the purpose of assisting walking. The application adopts a more scientific back-pushing type thigh connecting mode, and the assisting effect is more obvious.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rehabilitation equipment technology, and in particular to a wearable walking aid device. Background Technology

[0002] Walking is one of the most important human abilities, but many people cannot walk freely like normal people for various reasons. These include the elderly and stroke patients with hemiplegia, which are the two most common groups with walking difficulties in my country. For the elderly, the main reasons are muscle weakness and deterioration of neural control function, making it difficult for them to take steps. For hemiplegic patients, the main reason is muscle control problems caused by neurological damage. These patients exhibit an abnormal gait of "circling the feet" when walking, and insufficient lower limb muscle strength is a significant cause of this gait. These individuals can use walking aids for rehabilitation training to improve their walking difficulties.

[0003] Currently, there are many types of common walking aids, including canes and walking frames. However, these devices mainly provide walking support and stability, and do not directly provide walking assistance. There are also some powered exoskeleton devices that can assist walking, but they have not become widespread due to their high price, difficulty in wearing them, and inconvenience in walking. Therefore, non-powered exoskeleton walking aids have received much attention. These devices use elastic energy storage components such as springs and utilize the pendulum principle and gravitational potential energy from the rise and fall of the center of gravity during walking to store this energy in the elastic components, assisting in lifting the thigh and moving forward. Currently, similar products on the market are based on this principle. While theoretically feasible, these walking aids are less effective in practice due to insufficient spring force and excessive friction. For example, a representative device using a cam and compression spring design can store very little energy, resulting in its walking assistance capabilities not meeting the needs of most situations.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a wearable walking assistance device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a wearable walking assistance device. The parameters of the spring can be adjusted according to the user's needs, thereby adjusting the stored energy to make its effect on assisting walking more pronounced.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a wearable walking assistance device, comprising a waist fixation mechanism, an energy storage and assist mechanism, and a leg connection mechanism. One end of the energy storage and assist mechanism is secured to the wearer's waist via the waist fixation mechanism, and the other end is secured to the wearer's leg via the leg connection mechanism. The energy storage and assist mechanism includes an energy storage component, which provides power to assist the wearer's legs in taking forward steps. If the wearable walking assistance device is positioned on the wearer's left leg, it stores energy when the wearer's right leg swings forward and releases the stored energy to provide walking assistance when the wearer's left leg swings forward, and vice versa.

[0007] Furthermore, the waist fixation mechanism includes a fixation plate and a waist strap. The fixation plate is T-shaped and its shape is adapted to the shape of the human hip joint. The fixation plate has symmetrical holes on both sides, and the waist strap passes through the holes to bind the fixation plate to the wearer's waist.

[0008] Furthermore, the energy storage assist mechanism also includes a housing and an adjustment component. The housing is fixedly mounted on the fixed plate, and both the energy storage component and the adjustment component are disposed inside the housing.

[0009] Furthermore, the adjustment assembly includes a central rotating shaft, a ratchet, and a pawl. The central rotating shaft is rotatably disposed within the housing. The ratchet is fixedly connected to the central rotating shaft. The housing is provided with a slot. The pawl is rotatably disposed on one side of the ratchet. One end of the pawl is swung within the slot, and the other end of the pawl is engaged with the ratchet. When the pawl is engaged with the ratchet, the ratchet is restricted by the unidirectional rotation of the pawl.

[0010] Furthermore, the energy storage component includes an adjusting ring, an end cap, an elastic element, and a swing arm. The adjusting ring is rotatably disposed within the housing and fixedly connected to the end cap. The end cap is fixedly connected to the central rotating shaft. The adjusting ring is provided with a plurality of cylindrical pins. One end of the elastic element is connected to the cylindrical pins. The swing arm is connected to the central rotating shaft bearing and to the other end of the elastic element.

[0011] Furthermore, the adjustment assembly also includes a torsion spring disposed within the housing and connected to the pawl. Under the elastic force of the torsion spring, the other end of the pawl can abut against the ratchet.

[0012] Furthermore, the leg connection mechanism includes a connector, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, and a leg strap. The swing arm is connected to one end of the first connecting rod through the connector, and the other end of the first connecting rod is fixedly connected to the second connecting rod. The second connecting rod is bound to the back of the wearer's leg through the leg strap.

[0013] Furthermore, one end of the swing arm has an arc-shaped tooth structure and a through hole, through which the elastic element is connected to the swing arm.

[0014] Furthermore, the elastic element is a tension spring.

[0015] Implementing this invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] The walking assistance device of the present invention includes a waist fixation mechanism, an energy storage and assist mechanism, and a leg connection mechanism. The waist fixation mechanism fixes the energy storage and assist mechanism at the hip joint of the wearer's waist. The energy storage and assist mechanism uses the pendulum principle and the rise and fall of the center of gravity during walking to store the energy lost during the human body walking in an elastic element. The leg connection mechanism uses the stored energy to assist the leg lifting action, reducing the force required, thereby achieving the purpose of assisting walking.

[0017] The energy storage component, based on a spring-loaded design, can store more energy, and the number of springs can be increased as needed. The initial spring length can be adjusted to increase energy reserves and thus enhance the assistive effect. The lower end of the leg connection mechanism is positioned on the back of the thigh, transmitting assistance from back to front, ensuring it remains in close contact with the thigh throughout walking for optimal support. If the lower end of the leg connection mechanism were positioned on the side or top of the thigh, excessive tightness would cause discomfort, while excessive looseness would reduce the assistive effect. This more scientifically designed rear-push thigh connection method makes the walking assistance effect more pronounced.

[0018] This invention has a simple structure and can be placed on the affected side of a hemiplegic patient, allowing the healthy side to drive the affected side to walk. It can also be placed on both sides of an elderly person, allowing them to alternately use their own gravitational potential energy to assist walking. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the wearing effect of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fixing plate structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the end cap and adjusting ring structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustment component structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the energy storage component and the regulation component of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the leg connection mechanism of the present invention;

[0026] In the picture:

[0027] 1. Waist fixing mechanism, 11. Fixing plate, 111. Hole, 12. Waist strap, 2. Energy storage assist mechanism, 21. Energy storage component, 211. Adjusting ring, 212. End cap, 213. Elastic element, 214. Cylindrical pin, 215. Swing rod, 2151. Through hole, 22. Outer shell, 221. Slot, 222. Fence, 23. Adjusting component, 231. Central pivot, 232. Ratchet, 233. Pawl, 234. Torsion spring, 3. Leg connection mechanism, 31. Connector, 32. First connecting rod, 33. Second connecting rod, 34. Leg strap. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] To make the inventive concept of this application easy to understand, before describing the embodiments of this application in detail, the relevant concepts involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained first, and the relevant concepts involved in the embodiments of this application are applicable to the following interpretations.

[0030] Human walking is cyclical, with both legs swinging forward alternately. For a single leg, it can be divided into two phases: the standing phase and the swinging phase; the standing phase is when the foot contacts the ground, and the swinging phase is when the leg is in the air and moving forward.

[0031] The above is an introduction to the relevant concepts in the embodiments of this application.

[0032] like Figure 1-7 As shown, for hemiplegic patients, assuming their left leg is the affected side and their right leg is the unaffected side, this wearable walking aid should be worn on the left side, i.e., the affected side, as indicated. Figure 1 When a hemiplegic patient undergoes gait rehabilitation training, as the patient's right leg moves forward, their center of gravity also moves forward simultaneously. During this process, the center of gravity shifts along the line connecting both hip joints as an axis. Figure 1 For reference, the right leg rotates clockwise around the axis, while the left leg rotates counterclockwise around the axis.

[0033] like Figure 1As shown, the walking assistance device of the present invention includes a waist fixation mechanism 1, an energy storage and assist mechanism 2, and a leg connection mechanism 3. The waist fixation mechanism 1 fixes the energy storage and assist mechanism 2 to the outer side of the hip joint of the wearer's waist, and its central rotating shaft 231 should be aligned with the greater trochanter of the hip joint. The other end of the energy storage and assist mechanism 2 is bound to the wearer's leg through the leg connection mechanism 3; the energy storage and assist mechanism 2 has an energy storage component 21, which provides power to assist the wearer's legs in taking a step forward. The energy storage and assist mechanism 2 uses the pendulum principle of walking and the fluctuation of the center of gravity to store the energy lost during the human body's walking process in the energy storage component 21. The leg connection mechanism 3 uses the stored energy to assist the leg lifting action, reducing the force required, thereby achieving the purpose of assisting walking.

[0034] like Figure 1 and 3 As shown, the waist fixation mechanism 1 includes a fixation plate 11 and a waist strap 12. The fixation plate 11 is T-shaped and can be customized. Its shape can be adapted to the shape of the human hip joint through 3D printing and other technologies. The fixation plate 11 has symmetrical holes 111 on both sides. The waist strap 12 passes through the holes 111 to bind the fixation plate 11 to the wearer's waist.

[0035] like Figure 4-6 As shown, the energy storage assist mechanism 2 includes a housing 22 and an adjustment component 23. The housing 22 is fixedly mounted on the fixed plate 11, and both the energy storage component 21 and the adjustment component 23 are disposed within the housing 22. The energy storage component 21 includes an adjustment ring 211, an end cap 212, an elastic element 213, and a rocker arm 215. The adjustment ring 211 is rotatably disposed within the housing 22 and fixedly connected to the end cap 212. The end cap 212 is fixedly connected to the central rotating shaft 231. Several cylindrical pins 214 are provided on the adjustment ring 211. One end of the elastic element 213 is connected to the cylindrical pins 214. The rocker arm 215 is bearing-connected to the central rotating shaft 231, and the other end of the rocker arm 215 is connected to the elastic element 213. The initial tension of the elastic element 213 is adjusted by the end cap 212. Preferably, the elastic element 213 is a tension spring, and one end of the rocker arm 215 has an arc-shaped tooth structure and is provided with a through hole 2151. The elastic element 213 is connected to the rocker arm 215 through the through hole 2151.

[0036] The adjustment assembly 23 includes a central rotating shaft 231, a ratchet 232, and a pawl 233. The central rotating shaft 231 is rotatably mounted inside the housing 22. The ratchet 232 is fixedly connected to the central rotating shaft 231. The end cap 212 and the adjustment ring 211 are not directly connected to the housing 2. The edge of the end cap 212 has a wavy protrusion. Before using the walking assistance device of the present invention, the end cap 212 can be rotated clockwise by applying external force with the palm of the hand, which will drive the adjustment ring 211, the cylindrical pin 214 on it, and the ratchet 232 to rotate together, and stretch the elastic member 213. The enclosure 222 surrounding the ratchet 232 restricts the axial movement of the ratchet 232. A slot 221 is provided on the housing 22. A pawl 233 is rotatably mounted on one side of the ratchet 232. One end of the pawl 233 is oscillating within the slot 221, allowing control of its position. The other end of the pawl 233 engages with the ratchet 232. When engaged, the ratchet 232 is restricted from rotating in one direction by the pawl 233. After the end cap 212 rotates clockwise to a certain position, it prevents the ratchet from rotating back under the elastic force of the elastic element 213, thus achieving initial tension adjustment. The adjustment assembly 23 also includes a torsion spring 234, which is located within the housing 22 and connected to the pawl 233. Under the elastic force of the torsion spring 234, the other end of the pawl 233 can abut against the ratchet 232. The pawl 233 can be opened through the slot 221, releasing the ratchet 232 and causing the adjusting ring 211, its cylindrical pin 214, and the ratchet 232 to return to their initial positions, returning the elastic element 213 to its initial state. Preferably, the adjusting ring 211 and the rocker arm 215 can be connected using multiple elastic elements 213 to form an elastic parallel structure, increasing the assist effect. Elastic elements 213 with different elastic moduli can also be selected according to the wearer's needs.

[0037] like Figure 1 and 7As shown, the leg connection mechanism 3 includes a connector 31, a first connecting rod 32, a second connecting rod 33, and a leg strap 34. The swing rod 215 is connected to one end of the first connecting rod 32 via the connector 31, and the other end of the first connecting rod 32 is fixedly connected to the second connecting rod 33. The second connecting rod 33 is bound to the wearer's leg via the leg strap 34. According to human gait characteristics, in the early swing phase of the right leg, the body's center of gravity moves upward; while in the late swing phase of the right leg, the body's center of gravity moves downward. When the left leg is wearing a walking aid, the right leg needs to exert more force in the early swing phase of the right leg than when there is no walking aid. For the previously assumed hemiplegic patient, the right leg is the healthy side and can exert more force; in the late swing phase of the right leg, the body's center of gravity lowers, and the resulting gravitational potential energy can assist the body to continue moving forward. Part of the gravitational potential energy can be converted into elastic potential energy in the elastic element 213. During this process, the left leg drives the swing rod 215 to rotate counterclockwise, thereby causing the elastic element 213 to stretch and store elastic potential energy. When the right leg lands and the swing phase ends, the energy storage process concludes. Afterward, the tension generated by the elastic element 213 acts on the swing arm 215, driving the leg connection mechanism 3 to apply a pushing force to the rear of the left leg. Because the left leg is the affected side and its muscle strength is weak, the pushing force from behind can assist the left leg in its forward stepping motion, thus achieving the goal of assisting walking by having the healthy side drive the affected side.

[0038] For elderly individuals with declining muscle strength, this walking aid can be worn bilaterally. When the left leg is in the swing phase, it stores energy in the right-side walking aid, which then assists the right leg in moving forward; when the right leg is in the swing phase, it stores energy in the left-side walking aid, which then assists the left leg in moving forward. During this process, kinetic and potential energy are constantly being converted between the two legs, and there is also a conversion of gravitational potential energy to elastic potential energy in the later stages of the swing phase. The gravitational potential energy in the later stages of the swing phase is generated due to the lowering of the body's center of gravity, and most of it is wasted during normal walking. This walking aid can utilize this energy to assist walking.

[0039] The above-disclosed embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Therefore, equivalent variations made in accordance with the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wearable walking assistance device, characterized in that, It includes a waist fixation mechanism (1), an energy storage assist mechanism (2), and a leg connection mechanism (3). One end of the energy storage assist mechanism (2) is fixed to the hip joint of the wearer's waist via the waist fixation mechanism (1), and the other end of the energy storage assist mechanism (2) is fixed to the wearer's leg via the leg connection mechanism (3). The energy storage assist mechanism (2) has an energy storage component (21), which is used to provide power to assist the wearer's legs in taking a step forward. The waist fixation mechanism (1) includes a fixation plate (11) and a waist strap (12). The fixation plate (11) is T-shaped and its shape is adapted to the shape of the human hip joint. The fixation plate (11) has symmetrical holes (111) on both sides. The waist strap (12) passes through the holes (111) to bind the fixation plate (11) to the wearer's waist. The energy storage assist mechanism (2) also includes a housing (22) and an adjustment component (23). The housing (22) is fixedly mounted on the fixing plate (11), and the energy storage component (21) and the adjustment component (23) are both mounted inside the housing (22). The adjustment assembly (23) includes a central rotating shaft (231), a ratchet (232), and a pawl (233). The central rotating shaft (231) is rotatably disposed inside the housing (22). The ratchet (232) is fixedly connected to the central rotating shaft (231). The housing (22) is provided with a slot (221). The pawl (233) is rotatably disposed on one side of the ratchet (232). One end of the pawl (233) is swung in the slot (221). The other end of the pawl (233) is engaged with the ratchet (232). When the pawl (233) is engaged with the ratchet (232), the ratchet (232) is restricted by the unidirectional rotation of the pawl (233). The adjustment assembly (23) also includes a torsion spring (234), which is disposed inside the housing (22). The torsion spring (234) is connected to the pawl (233). Under the elastic force of the torsion spring (234), the other end of the pawl (233) can abut against the ratchet (232). The energy storage component (21) includes an adjusting ring (211), an end cap (212), an elastic element (213), and a swing rod (215). The adjusting ring (211) is rotatably disposed inside the outer shell (22) and fixedly connected to the end cap (212). The end cap (212) is fixedly connected to the central rotating shaft (231). The adjusting ring (211) is provided with a plurality of cylindrical pins (214). One end of the elastic element (213) is connected to the cylindrical pins (214). The swing rod (215) is bearing connected to the central rotating shaft (231). The swing rod (215) is connected to the other end of the elastic element (213).

2. The wearable walking assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The leg connection mechanism (3) includes a connector (31), a first connecting rod (32), a second connecting rod (33), and a leg strap (34). The swing rod (215) is connected to one end of the first connecting rod (32) through the connector (31), and the other end of the first connecting rod (32) is fixedly connected to the second connecting rod (33). The second connecting rod (33) is bound to the back of the wearer's leg through the leg strap (34).

3. The wearable walking assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that, One end of the swing rod (215) has an arc-shaped tooth structure and a through hole (2151). The elastic element (213) is connected to the swing rod (215) through the through hole (2151).

4. A wearable walking assistance device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The elastic element (213) is a tension spring.

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