Exoskeleton device with brake control function and implementation method thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of exoskeleton robots, and provides an exoskeleton device with a brake control function and an implementation method thereof.The device comprises an exoskeleton device body, a brake used for restraining rotation of a rotating shaft of a driving motor and a brake control module used for controlling the brake. On the basis of an exoskeleton device main body, a brake for restraining the rotation of a rotating shaft of a driving motor and a brake control module for controlling the brake are arranged on the basis of the structure of the driving motor and a speed reducer, and the rotation of the rotating shaft is limited through the brake in the state that the driving motor is not powered (powered off); the constraining force of the brake is then gradually reduced until the user returns to the upright state, in which process the user can safely return to the upright position without losing the center of gravity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of exoskeleton robots, and in particular, relates to an exoskeleton device with a braking control function and a method for realizing the same. Background Art

[0002] A mechanical exoskeleton, also known as a powered exoskeleton or exoskeleton robot, is a machine device consisting of a frame that can be worn by a person. This equipment can provide additional energy for the movement of the limbs. At present, the power of the exoskeleton robot is mainly provided by batteries, and the drive motor is used to perform the drive. When the user uses the exoskeleton robot, the battery will continue to supply power. Generally, the controller of the exoskeleton robot will display the battery power in real time to remind the user of the power usage of the exoskeleton robot. If the battery circuit warning value is reached, an alarm will be sounded. However, in actual use, there will be cases where the user ignores the battery power. When the battery power is insufficient to drive the exoskeleton robot, or the battery fails, causing the exoskeleton robot to fail to operate normally, the above situations will cause the exoskeleton robot to "power off", that is, the drive motor is not powered. At this time, the exoskeleton robot cannot support normally, and the rotating shaft of the drive motor rotates freely. The user is prone to fall due to loss of center of gravity, causing the user to be injured. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an exoskeleton device with a braking control function to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: An exoskeleton device with a braking control function includes an exoskeleton device body mainly composed of a main body and a left and right rotating body, the rotating body includes an intermediate support frame, an upper support frame rotatably connected to the upper end of the intermediate support frame, and a lower support frame rotatably connected to the lower end of the intermediate support frame, the intermediate support frame includes an upper driving part for rotating the upper support frame and a lower driving part for rotating the lower support frame, the upper driving part and the lower driving part both include a driving motor and a reducer, and also include a brake for constraining the rotation of the rotating shaft of the driving motor, and a brake control module for controlling the brake; the brake includes a turntable, a connecting shaft arranged on one side of the turntable, a constraint plate arranged opposite to the other side of the turntable and movable forward and backward relative to the turntable, the constraint plate includes a plate body, an axial hole arranged in the middle of the plate body, and a plurality of friction plates arranged on the end surface of the plate body facing the turntable, one end of the connecting shaft passes through the axial hole and extends to the outside thereof.

[0005] In one embodiment, the friction plate is in an arc-shaped structure that protrudes upward relative to the plate body, and one side of the lower end of the friction plate is fixedly connected to the plate body, and the other side is movable.

[0006] In one embodiment, the plate body is a circular structure, and all the friction plates are arranged in a ring array based on the shaft hole.

[0007] In one embodiment, the brake control module includes: A driving power detection unit, used to detect the on or off state of the power supplied to the driving motor, and when the off state is detected, a braking signal is generated and output to the rotation angle detection unit; A rotation angle detection unit, used for obtaining the rotation angles of the upper support frame and the lower support frame relative to the middle support frame and storing them in a built-in memory, and outputting the rotation angles to a brake control unit according to the detection signal; The brake control unit calculates the time point of the front-rear displacement of the restraining plate relative to the turntable according to the rotation angle.

[0008] The power supply unit is used for supplying power.

[0009] In one embodiment, the forward and backward displacement time points include: Forward time point: the time point when the friction plate on the constraint plate constrains the turntable through friction force; Backward start time: the time when the constraint plate starts to move away from the turntable; Backward end time point: the time point when the middle support frame, the upper support frame and the lower support frame complete the change from the walking state to the upright state under the action of their own weight.

[0010] In one embodiment, the rotation angle includes an upper rotation angle of the upper support frame relative to the middle support frame, and a lower rotation angle of the lower support frame relative to the middle support frame.

[0011] In one embodiment, the main body includes a battery and a controller, and the rotation angle detection unit obtains the rotation angle of the upper support frame and the lower support frame relative to the middle support frame from the controller.

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention also provides a method for implementing an exoskeleton device with a braking control function, comprising the following steps: Step S1: Real-time detection of the power supply status of the driving motor; Step S2: when it is detected that the power supply of the driving motor is in the disconnected state, a braking signal is generated; Step S3: obtaining the rotation angles of the upper support frame and the lower support frame relative to the middle support frame and outputting them to the brake control unit; Step S4: calculating the time point of the front-rear displacement of the constraint plate relative to the turntable according to the rotation angle; Step S5: According to the braking signal, based on the front-rear displacement time point, the restraining plate is driven to move forward and backward relative to the turntable.

[0013] In one embodiment, the forward and backward displacement time points include: forward displacement time point: the time point when the friction plate on the constraint plate constrains the turntable by friction; backward start time point: the time point when the constraint plate starts to move away from the turntable; backward end time point: the time point when the middle support frame, the upper support frame and the lower support frame complete the change from the walking state to the upright state under the action of their own weight; In one embodiment, the specific method of step S5 is as follows: Step S5.1: driving the restraining plate close to the rotating disk according to the forward time point, so that the friction plate on the restraining plate restrains the rotating disk through friction force, so that the brake limits the rotation of the rotating shaft of the driving motor; Step S5.2: driving the restraining plate to start moving away from the turntable according to the backward start time point, and gradually reducing the restraining force of the brake; Step S5.3: Control the restraining plate to stop moving according to the retreat end time point.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The present invention is based on the main body of the exoskeleton device and the structure of the drive motor and the reducer, and is provided with a brake for restricting the rotation of the rotating shaft of the drive motor and a brake control module for controlling the brake. When the drive motor is not powered (powered off), the rotation of the rotating shaft is restricted by the brake, and then the restraining force of the brake is gradually reduced until the user returns to an upright position. During this process, the user can safely return to an upright position without losing the center of gravity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the state of wearing an exoskeleton device.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the exoskeleton device.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotating body.

[0018] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the brake in the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the restraining plate in the present invention.

[0020] Figure 6 It is a principle block diagram of the brake control module in the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7 It is the positional relationship between the middle support frame, the upper support frame and the lower support frame in the walking state.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a working principle diagram of the turntable and the constraint plate of the present invention.

[0023] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the process of Example 2.

[0024] Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the constraint plate drive structure.

[0025] The names corresponding to the reference numerals are as follows: 1-main body, 2-rotating body, 3-driving motor, 4-reducer, 5-brake, 6-brake control module, 7-connecting belt, 8-cover; 11-battery, 12-controller; 21-middle support frame, 22-upper support frame, 23-lower support frame, 24-foot support member; 211-upper driving part, 212-lower driving part; 241-fixed ring, 242-bending belt; 2411-fixed semicircular ring, 2412-rotating semicircular ring; 51-turntable, 52-connecting shaft, 53-constraint plate; 531-plate body, 532-shaft hole, 533-friction plate, 534-coupling, 535-constraint plate driving motor; 61 - driving power detection unit, 62 - rotation angle detection unit, 63 - brake control unit, 64 - power supply unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to enable those skilled in the art to have a clearer understanding and knowledge of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described below are only used to explain the present invention, and are convenient for understanding. The technical solutions provided by the present invention are not limited to the technical solutions provided by the following embodiments, and the technical solutions provided by the embodiments should not limit the protection scope of the present invention.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the disclosure of this application shall have the usual meanings understood by persons with ordinary skills in the field to which the disclosure belongs. The words "include" or "comprise" and the like used in this application mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The positional relationship words "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", etc. are determined according to the layout direction of the drawings in the specification, and are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0028] Example 1 The battery consumption of the exoskeleton device may vary depending on the usage status. In unexpected situations, due to battery discharge, the rotation axis of the drive motor rotates freely and the exoskeleton device loses its center of gravity due to its own weight, such as Figures 1 to 8 As shown, this embodiment provides an exoskeleton device with a braking control function, which can limit (constrain) the rotation of the rotating shaft of the driving motor when the driving motor is not powered on, and the exoskeleton device changes from a walking state to an upright state. During this process, the restraining force is gradually reduced, and the user can safely restore the upright posture without losing the center of gravity.

[0029] The exoskeleton device with a braking control function provided in this embodiment includes an exoskeleton device body, which is mainly composed of a main body and a left and right rotating body, wherein the main body includes a battery and a controller. When worn, the main body is located on the back of the user, the battery is used to power the exoskeleton device, and the controller is used to control the exoskeleton device (for example, control of the drive motor), detect the rotation angle, etc.

[0030] The left-right rotating body is a collective name for the left-rotating body and the right-rotating body. The left-rotating body and the right-rotating body have the same structure, so they are described here in the name of the rotating body. The rotating body includes an intermediate support frame, an upper support frame rotatably connected to the upper end of the intermediate support frame, and a lower support frame rotatably connected to the lower end of the intermediate support frame. The intermediate support frame includes an upper drive unit for rotating the upper support frame and a lower drive unit for rotating the lower support frame. The upper drive unit and the lower drive unit have the same structure and can be covered with a cover; the upper drive unit and the lower drive unit both include a driving motor and a reducer, the driving motor generates a rotating force, and the reducer reduces the number of rotations; in order to detect the angle, an angle sensor for detecting the angle can be installed at an adapted position of the left-right rotating body, and the detected angle data is transmitted to the controller.

[0031] The main body and the left and right rotating bodies are connected by left and right connecting belts respectively. The connecting belts extend from the bottom of the main body from left to right and then bend forward.

[0032] The bottom of the lower support frame is connected to a foot support member, which is composed of a fixed ring surrounding the ankle of the wearer and a bent belt fixed on both sides of the fixed ring and supporting the sole of the wearer's foot. The fixed ring can be composed of a fixed semicircular ring fixed on the lower support frame and a rotating semicircular ring joined with the fixed semicircular ring. When in use, the rotating semicircular ring can be joined with the fixed semicircular ring, and the ankle of the wearer can be placed on the inner side of the fixed semicircular ring, and then the rotating semicircular ring is closed and fastened to the fixed semicircular ring.

[0033] It should be noted that the main body of the exoskeleton device is an existing mature technology.

[0034] Based on the structure of the driving motor and the reducer, this embodiment is provided with a brake for restricting the rotation of the rotating shaft of the driving motor and a brake control module for controlling the brake.

[0035] The brake includes a left brake and a right brake, and the structures of the two are the same. The left brake is used to constrain the rotation of the rotating shaft of the driving motor or the reducer on the left rotating body, and the right brake is used to constrain the rotation of the rotating shaft of the driving motor or the reducer on the right rotating body. The following description is based on the brake.

[0036] The brake is installed as follows: in one embodiment, the reducer is installed on one side of the brake, and the upper support frame or the lower support frame is connected to the other side of the brake; in another embodiment, the brake can be installed between the drive motor and the reducer; in this case, the brake can be installed on one side of the reducer, and can be connected to the upper support frame or the lower support frame on the other side of the reducer.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 (a) is a schematic diagram of the brake in one direction. Figure 4 (b) is a schematic diagram of the brake in another direction; in this embodiment, the brake includes a turntable, a connecting shaft arranged on one side of the turntable, and a constraint plate arranged opposite to the other side of the turntable and movable back and forth relative to the turntable; wherein the connecting shaft is used to realize the connection between the brake and other components, for example: the reducer is connected to one end of the connecting shaft, the upper support frame or the lower support frame is connected to the other end of the connecting shaft, and the brake realizes the constraint of the rotating shaft of the drive motor through the reducer.

[0038] In this embodiment, the constraint plate includes a plate body, an axial hole arranged in the middle of the plate body, and a plurality of friction plates arranged on the end surface of the plate body facing the rotating disk, and one end of the connecting shaft passes through the axial hole and extends to the outside thereof. The structure of the friction plate is as follows: The friction plate is in the form of an arc-shaped structure that protrudes upward relative to the plate body. The lower end of the friction plate is open and connecting plates are arranged on both sides thereof. The connecting plates on one side are fixed to the plate body by rivets to achieve fixed installation of this side of the friction plate and the plate body. The connecting plate on the other side of the lower end of the friction plate is not connected to the plate body and is movable. When the turntable presses the friction plate, the circular part of the upper end of the friction plate is pressed and deformed, and the connecting plate on the other side (the movable side) moves toward the other side. In this process, the contact area between the friction plate and the turntable increases, and the friction force increases.

[0039] There are multiple friction plates, the plate body is a circular structure, and all friction plates are arranged in a ring array based on the shaft hole.

[0040] The brake control module is used to control the brake. The brake control module can be installed on the middle support frame of the rotating body. In this embodiment, the brake control module includes: A driving power detection unit, used to detect the on or off state of the power supplied to the driving motor, and when the off state is detected, a braking signal is generated and output to the rotation angle detection unit, and at the same time, is also output to the braking control unit; The rotation angle detection unit is used to obtain the rotation angle of the upper support frame and the lower support frame relative to the middle support frame and store it in the built-in memory, and output the rotation angle to the brake control unit according to the detection signal; wherein the rotation angle includes the upper rotation angle of the upper support frame relative to the middle support frame, and the lower rotation angle of the lower support frame relative to the middle support frame; the rotation angle detection unit obtains the rotation angle of the upper support frame and the lower support frame relative to the middle support frame from the controller; in the walking state, the upper support frame and the lower support frame have a certain angle relative to the middle support frame; on the contrary, in the upright state, the upper support frame and the lower support frame are at a 180-degree angle relative to the middle support frame. Figure 7 As shown, the upper support frame has an angle of θ1 relative to the middle support frame, and the lower support frame has an angle of θ2 relative to the middle support frame. When the angles are divided into upper and lower rotation angles, the upper and lower rotation angles refer to the angles required to rotate from a walking state to an upright state.

[0041] The brake control unit calculates the forward and backward displacement time points of the constraint plate relative to the turntable according to the rotation angle; the brake control unit includes a left brake unit and a right brake unit, which are used to control the left brake and the right brake respectively. The structures of the two are the same, and the brake control unit is used as the description reference. Among them, the forward and backward displacement time points include: forward time point: the time point when the friction plate on the constraint plate constrains the turntable through friction; backward start time point: the time point when the constraint plate starts to move away from the turntable; backward end time point: the time point when the middle support frame, the upper support frame and the lower support frame complete the change from the walking state to the upright state under the action of their own weight.

[0042] The power supply unit is used for supplying power. Specifically, the power supply unit supplies power to the driving power detection unit, the rotation angle detection unit and the brake control unit. The power supply unit can be set as an independent power supply or as a power supply charged from a battery.

[0043] like Fig.10 As shown, the movement of the constraint plate is driven by the constraint plate driving motor, and its implementation structure is as follows: the axial hole of the constraint plate is set as an internal thread hole, the connecting shaft is inserted into the internal thread hole, and the connecting shaft is set as a screw structure and meshes with the internal thread of the internal thread hole. The output shaft of the motor is connected to the end of the connecting shaft through a coupling. The motor is driven to rotate the connecting shaft when it rotates forward and reversely. Since the connecting shaft meshes with the axial hole of the constraint plate, the constraint plate is prompted to move forward and backward along the screw, thereby realizing the forward and backward movement of the constraint plate relative to the turntable. The constraint plate driving motor is controlled by the brake control unit.

[0044] like Figure 8 The working principle of the brake is shown in FIG. Figure 8 (a) shows the state where the constraint plate does not constrain the turntable. In this case (initial state), if no power is supplied from the battery to the drive motor, the constraint plate moves toward the turntable, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown in (b), the friction plate is pressed by the turntable, and the friction force gradually becomes the maximum; then, the constraint plate is retreated at the calculated retreat time point, and the constraint plate retreats relative to the turntable. At this time, the friction force gradually decreases. When it is fully upright, the constraint plate detaches from the turntable and returns to the initial state, as shown in Figure 8 (c) shown.

[0045] Example 2 like Fig. 9 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for implementing an exoskeleton device with a braking control function, which includes the following steps: Step S1: Real-time detection of the power supply status of the driving motor; this step is performed by the driving power detection unit; Step S2: when it is detected that the power supply of the driving motor is disconnected, a braking signal is generated, and the braking signal is transmitted to the braking control unit and the rotation angle detection unit at the same time; this step is performed by the driving power detection unit; Step S3: Obtain the rotation angles of the upper support frame and the lower support frame relative to the middle support frame and output them to the brake control unit; this step is performed by the rotation angle detection unit; Step S4: Calculate the time points of the front-to-back displacement of the constraint plate relative to the turntable according to the rotation angle, and this step is performed by the brake control unit; the front-to-back displacement time points include: forward time point: the time point when the friction plate on the constraint plate constrains the turntable through friction; backward start time point: the time point when the constraint plate starts to move away from the turntable; backward end time point: the time point when the middle support frame, the upper support frame and the lower support frame complete the change from the walking state to the upright state under the action of their own weight; Step S5: According to the brake signal, based on the forward and backward displacement time point, the constraint plate is driven to move forward and backward relative to the turntable. The specific method of this step is as follows: Step S5.1: According to the forward time point, the constraint plate is driven close to the turntable, so that the friction plate on the constraint plate constrains the turntable through friction, so that the brake limits the rotation of the rotating shaft of the drive motor; Step S5.2: According to the backward start time point, the constraint plate is driven to start away from the turntable, and the constraint force of the brake is gradually reduced; Step S5.3: According to the backward end time point, the constraint plate is controlled to stop moving.

[0046] The time point at which the friction plate of the constraint plate separates from the turntable is the same as the time point at which the middle, upper and lower support frames of the exoskeleton device complete the change from the walking state to the upright state. Therefore, during the process from the walking state to the upright state, the friction plate of the constraint plate remains in contact with the state generating friction.

[0047] The above is the preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements without departing from the design principle and technical solution of the present invention, and these improvements should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An exoskeleton device with a braking control function, comprising an exoskeleton device body mainly composed of a body (1) and a left and right rotating body (2), wherein the rotating body (2) comprises an intermediate support frame (21), an upper support frame (22) rotatably connected to the upper end of the intermediate support frame (21), and a lower support frame (23) rotatably connected to the lower end of the intermediate support frame (21), wherein the intermediate support frame (21) comprises an upper driving part (211) for rotating the upper support frame (22) and a lower driving part (212) for rotating the lower support frame (23), wherein the upper driving part (211) and the lower driving part (212) both comprise a driving motor (3) and a reducer (4), and wherein: It also includes a brake (5) for restraining the rotation of the rotating shaft of the driving motor (3), and a brake control module (6) for controlling the brake (5); the brake (5) includes a turntable (51), a connecting shaft (52) arranged on one side of the turntable (51), and a restraining plate (53) arranged opposite to the other side of the turntable (51) and movable forward and backward relative to the turntable (51); the restraining plate (53) includes a plate body (531), an axial hole (532) arranged in the middle of the plate body (531), and a plurality of friction plates (533) arranged on the end surface of the plate body (531) facing the turntable (51); one end of the connecting shaft (52) passes through the axial hole (531) and extends to the outside thereof.

2. The exoskeleton device with braking control function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The friction plate (533) is in an arc-shaped structure that protrudes upward relative to the plate body (531), and one side of the lower end of the friction plate (533) is fixedly connected to the plate body (531), while the other side is movable.

3. The exoskeleton device with braking control function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plate body (531) is of a circular structure, and all the friction plates (533) are arranged in a ring array with the shaft hole (532) as a reference.

4. The exoskeleton device with braking control function according to claim 3, characterized in that: The brake control module (6) comprises: A driving power detection unit (61) is used to detect the on or off state of the power supplied to the driving motor (3), and when the off state is detected, a braking signal is generated and output to the rotation angle detection unit (62); A rotation angle detection unit (62) for acquiring the rotation angles of the upper support frame (22) and the lower support frame (23) relative to the intermediate support frame (21) and storing the rotation angles in a built-in memory, and outputting the rotation angles to a brake control unit (63) according to the detection signal; The brake control unit (63) calculates the time point of the front-rear displacement of the restraining plate relative to the rotating disk according to the rotation angle. The power supply unit (64) is used for supplying power.

5. The exoskeleton device with braking control function according to claim 4, characterized in that: The forward and backward displacement time points include: Forward time point: the time point when the friction plate on the constraint plate constrains the turntable through friction force; Backward start time: the time when the constraint plate starts to move away from the turntable; Backward end time point: the time point when the middle support frame, the upper support frame and the lower support frame complete the change from the walking state to the upright state under the action of their own weight.

6. The exoskeleton device with braking control function according to claim 5, characterized in that: The rotation angle comprises an upper rotation angle of the upper support frame (22) relative to the middle support frame (21), and a lower rotation angle of the lower support frame (23) relative to the middle support frame (21).

7. The exoskeleton device with braking control function according to claim 6, characterized in that: The main body (1) comprises a battery (11) and a controller (12), and the rotation angle detection unit (62) obtains the rotation angle of the upper support frame (22) and the lower support frame (23) relative to the middle support frame (21) from the controller (12).

8. The method for implementing the exoskeleton device with braking control function according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step S1: Real-time detection of the power supply status of the driving motor; Step S2: when it is detected that the power supply of the driving motor is in the disconnected state, a braking signal is generated; Step S3: obtaining the rotation angles of the upper support frame (22) and the lower support frame (23) relative to the middle support frame (21) and outputting them to the brake control unit; Step S4: calculating the time point of the front-rear displacement of the constraint plate relative to the turntable according to the rotation angle; Step S5: According to the braking signal, based on the front-rear displacement time point, the restraining plate is driven to move forward and backward relative to the turntable.

9. The method for implementing the exoskeleton device with braking control function according to claim 8, characterized in that: The forward and backward displacement time points include: the forward time point: the time point when the friction plate on the constraint plate constrains the turntable through friction force; the backward start time point: the time point when the constraint plate starts to move away from the turntable; the backward end time point: the time point when the middle support frame, the upper support frame and the lower support frame complete the change from the walking state to the upright state under the action of their own weight.

10. The method for implementing the exoskeleton device with braking control function according to claim 9, characterized in that: The specific method of step S5 is as follows: Step S5.1: driving the restraining plate close to the rotating disk according to the forward time point, so that the friction plate on the restraining plate restrains the rotating disk through friction force, so that the brake limits the rotation of the rotating shaft of the driving motor; Step S5.2: driving the restraining plate to start moving away from the turntable according to the backward start time point, and gradually reducing the restraining force of the brake; Step S5.3: Control the restraining plate to stop moving according to the retreat end time point.

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