A wearable device for assisting lower limbs driven by gas-electric coupling and a method for using the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a gas-electric coupling driven lower limb power-assist wearable device and a method of using the same, including a calf structure, a thigh drive structure, a knee joint drive structure, a back and an energy system structure; the top of the calf structure is provided with a connection groove connected to the knee joint drive structure, the knee joint drive structure is provided with a positioning column and fixedly connected to the thigh drive structure by bolts, and the thigh drive structure is provided with a revolute pair structure connected to the back and the energy system structure. The gas-electric coupling driven lower limb power-assist wearable device of the present invention adopts a gas-electric coupling drive mode. When working, the knee joint structure is driven by air pressure, and the hip joint structure is driven by a motor. The motor drive can reduce the burden during the swinging phase of human walking, reduce energy consumption, improve support efficiency, reduce the quality of the drive structure, and improve the feasibility and adaptability of the product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of wearable exoskeleton equipment, and in particular relates to a wearable lower limb assist device driven by gas-electric coupling and a method of using the same. Background Art

[0002] The more common drive structure of traditional lower limb exoskeletons is to set a pair of motors at the hip joint and knee joint, and use the motor rotation drive to coordinate the flexion and extension movement of the human joints. There are swing phases and support phases during human walking. In the swing phase, the exoskeleton joints need to follow the human body's movement without causing obvious obstruction and hysteresis; in the support phase, it can be considered that the joints need to open the support to avoid the situation where the "legs become weak" and cannot stand when wearing an exoskeleton and carrying heavy objects.

[0003] Compared with the motor, the knee joint needs to stall the motor to output the supporting torque during the support phase. At this time, the motor has low working efficiency and high power consumption. The pneumatic drive can release compressed air to drive the actuator in the support phase to provide a large torque. Compared with the motor stalling, it has higher efficiency and better supporting effect. During the swing phase, the angles of hip flexion and extension are close, and there is no need to stall during the support phase. Therefore, the motor drive has a greater advantage than the pneumatic drive at this time. At the same time, in the laboratory field, the traditional pneumatic drive is an off-body drive, which requires an independent air source workbench for air supply drive, and the outdoor activity scene of the exoskeleton is limited. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a lower limb assist wearable device driven by air-electric coupling and a method of using the same, so as to realize a lower limb assist wearable device driven by air pressure and motor coupling and a driving system component set that cooperates.

[0005] In order to achieve the purpose of the present invention, on the one hand, the present invention provides a lower limb power-assist wearable device driven by gas-electric coupling, including a calf structure, a thigh drive structure, a knee joint drive structure, and a back and energy system structure; the top of the calf structure is provided with a connecting groove connected to the knee joint drive structure, the knee joint drive structure is provided with a positioning column and is fixedly connected to the thigh drive structure by bolts, the thigh drive structure is provided with a rotating pair structure connected to the back and energy system structure, and the back and energy system structure are located at the human body wearing part and are fixed to the human body through a flexible connection with a soft strap.

[0006] The calf structure includes a calf connecting rod, a three-dimensional force sensor, a protective gear sleeve, a calf protective gear, a calf fixing rod, a locking buckle sleeve, a calf movable rod, a spring extension mechanism, a fisheye bearing, a foot connector, and a shoe cover; the lower end structure of the calf connecting rod has an inclination angle, the calf connecting rod is connected to the three-dimensional force sensor by screws, the three-dimensional force sensor is placed at the calf position, the three-dimensional force sensor is matched through an axial hole, inserted into the calf fixing rod, and connected to the protective gear sleeve and the calf fixing rod by bolts; the protective gear sleeve and the calf protective gear are a protective gear structure, the inner side of the calf protective gear is provided with a soft binding, the two are connected to each other through a slider guide groove, the calf The protective gear can slide up and down in the guide groove of the protective gear sliding sleeve and can rotate at degrees; the end of the calf fixing rod is glued and connected to the inner side of the locking buckle sleeve, and the outer side of the locking buckle sleeve is locked on the calf movable rod through a thread, and the end of the calf movable rod is connected to the spring extension mechanism through a bolt under the cooperation of the shaft hole, and the spring extension mechanism is connected to the fisheye bearing through a screw thread, and the fisheye bearing is connected to the foot connecting head through a grooved pin shaft and a retaining ring to form a rotating pair; the foot connecting head is fastened with the shoe cover screw through the inner hole, and the shoe cover is located at the end of the calf structure, which is used to connect the human foot and support other parts in the calf structure.

[0007] The locking buckle sleeve includes a locking upper buckle sleeve, a locking lower buckle sleeve, a positioning spring buckle and a friction locking sleeve; the locking upper buckle sleeve is connected to the end of the calf fixing rod by bonding, the locking lower buckle sleeve is connected to the locking upper buckle sleeve by a tapered thread, the positioning spring buckle adopts a V-shaped spring sheet structure, and the spring head of the spring sheet is fixed on the opening of the calf movable rod; the friction locking sleeve is arranged between the locking upper buckle sleeve and the annular groove of the locking lower buckle sleeve; the outer diameter of the calf movable rod is smaller than that of the calf fixing rod, and a gear length adjustment structure is provided.

[0008] The thigh driving structure includes a motor bracket, a hip joint motor, a thigh connecting rod, and a thigh rod; the motor bracket is provided with a flange threaded hole, and is fixedly connected to the hip joint motor by a threaded connection; a pin and a threaded hole are arranged on the output end surface of the hip joint motor; the thigh connecting rod is connected to the hip joint motor through a hole and a bolt; the thigh rod is positioned with the end surface of the thigh connecting rod and is connected by a bolt; a limiting column is provided on the motor bracket, and a groove is provided on the inner side of the thigh connecting rod.

[0009] The knee joint drive structure is composed of key cylinder drive components, which is a triangular drive structure, including an upper hinge point, a lower hinge point, and a movable hinge point: including a cylinder housing, a slotted pin shaft at the upper hinge point, a retaining spring at the upper hinge point, an upper hinge point sleeve, a throttle valve, a cylinder, a knee joint fisheye joint, a knee joint fisheye sleeve, a flange bearing, a lower hinge shaft, a pan head screw, a slotted pin shaft at the movable hinge point, a retaining spring at the movable hinge point, a sleeve at the movable hinge point, a flexion joint polyurethane shock absorber, and an extension joint polyurethane shock absorber ; The cylinder shell is used as the main structure of the knee joint driving structure, and is connected to the shaft hole of the slotted pin shaft at the upper hinge point through two coaxial holes. The grooves on both sides of the slotted pin shaft at the upper hinge point are fixed with the upper hinge point retaining spring. The upper hinge point retaining spring fixes the upper hinge point slotted pin shaft to the cylinder shell to form a rotating pair; the flange surface of the upper hinge point sleeve is fixed to the end surfaces at both ends of the cylinder connecting hole, and the throttle valve is installed in the rod cavity of the cylinder through a pipe thread connection. The air inlet, the knee joint fisheye joint is threadedly connected to the output head of the cylinder air rod; the knee joint fisheye sleeve flange surface is fixed on the end surfaces on both sides of the through hole of the flange bearing; the flange bearing is supported on the step surface of the through hole of the calf connecting rod, and the lower hinge shaft is inserted and arranged in the cylinder housing and the knee joint fisheye joint hole. The end of the lower hinge shaft is provided with a semicircular groove and a threaded hole, which is positioned with the cylinder housing and is fixed to the cylinder housing by the pan head screw and thread cooperation; the movable hinge point slotted pin shaft cooperates with the extension connecting rod hole shaft hole of the calf connecting rod, and the movable hinge point retaining spring is clamped on the groove of the movable hinge point slotted pin shaft; the movable hinge point sleeve is supported on the two end surfaces of the movable hinge point slotted pin shaft of the calf connecting rod; the flexion joint polyurethane shock-absorbing block is installed on the bottom of the cylinder housing and is fixedly connected by rubber-coated screws; the extension joint polyurethane shock-absorbing block is installed on the bottom side of the cylinder housing and is fixedly connected by rubber-coated screws.

[0010] The back and energy system structure includes a back panel plastic shell, a carbon fiber back panel, a battery fixing sheet metal frame, a battery pack, a carbon fiber tube, a hip joint drive assembly, a device bracket, an angle aluminum part, a support plate, a pneumatic component group, and a component plastic shell; the back panel plastic shell is connected to the rivet nut on the carbon fiber back panel through a thread, and the carbon fiber back panel is fixedly connected to the carbon fiber tube through a core-pulling rivet; the battery fixing sheet metal frame is connected to the carbon fiber back panel and the carbon fiber tube by bolts through holes on the peripheral sheet metal holes, and the battery pack is fixed to the carbon fiber back panel and the battery fixing sheet metal frame formed by the battery fixing sheet metal frame The remaining gap between the empty spaces is filled with foam to prevent the battery pack from shaking; the carbon fiber tube and the hip joint drive assembly are matched through a square shaft hole, and the hip joint drive assembly and the device bracket are connected by using a semicircular shaft hole positioning and bolt fastening method, and the edge extension hole of the device bracket is aligned with the edge hole of the angle aluminum part and fixed by bolts and nuts, the angle aluminum part and the support plate are positioned and fixed with screws around, and the support plate is fixed with screws to the component plastic shell, the component plastic shell is used for the external part of the entire structure, covering and protecting the pneumatic component group, and the component plastic shell is threadedly connected to the bottom threaded hole of the device bracket.

[0011] The pneumatic component group includes a booster air pump, an element base plate, an air pressure sensor, a first reversing valve, a second reversing valve, an air tank, a three-way joint, and a proportional valve; the booster air pump is placed on the side of the element base plate and fixed by side anti-vibration screws. The element base plate serves as a component assembly base plate, and the lower bolts connect the first reversing valve, the second reversing valve and the air tank. The air tank serves as a container for storing compressed air and connects the booster air pump, the proportional valve and the air pressure sensor; the air pressure sensor is connected to the air tank output port through a pipe thread; the three-way joint is connected to the element base plate through the thread on the adapter bracket; one end of the input side of the first reversing valve and the second reversing valve is connected to the proportional valve, and the other end is connected to the atmosphere; the output side of the first reversing valve and the second reversing valve is connected to the rod chamber of the cylinder.

[0012] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a method for using a lower limb assist wearable device driven by gas-electric coupling, comprising the following steps:

[0013] Step 1: Start the worn exoskeleton, and the system will start the initialization process, complete the initialization of the pneumatic components, use the three-dimensional force sensor to weigh the load mass, and complete the calibration of the motor encoder;

[0014] Step 2, in the phase identification process, first observe the changes of the x-channel and y-channel three-dimensional force sensors, design the y-channel force threshold as the average value of the y-channel three-dimensional force sensor reading after the previous switch to the swing phase and multiply it by a certain gain; compare the y-channel reading with the current threshold, and when the y-channel reading is greater than the current threshold, switch to the support phase, otherwise do not switch; then judge whether the x-channel reading is greater than the current threshold, if so, switch to the swing phase, otherwise do not switch; judge whether the y-channel reading is less than or equal to the current threshold, switch to the swing phase; update the thresholds of the x-channel and y-channel of the three-dimensional force sensor;

[0015] Step 3, after the phase identification is completed, the human body fixed point is constructed through the current phase, the exoskeleton ankle joint is constructed as the human-machine fixed point in the support phase, and the exoskeleton hip joint is constructed as the human-machine fixed point in the swing phase; the feedforward two-link dynamic model is corrected through the exoskeleton related information and load mass, and the drive command is issued to the cylinder and hip joint motor;

[0016] Step 4: Swing phase, cut off the power of the first reversing valve and the second reversing valve, so that the inside of the cylinder is connected to the atmosphere, the calf connecting rod rotates freely in the cylinder shell, the human knee flexes to drive the cylinder piston to move, and the human body lifts the calf with little resistance; the hip joint motor drives the thigh connecting rod to follow the human thigh movement without damping, and the exoskeleton four-bar linkage model is used to determine the hip joint motor torque;

[0017] Step 5, entering the support phase, switching on the first reversing valve and the second reversing valve, so that the inside of the cylinder is connected to the gas tank, and the calf connecting rod rotates in the cylinder shell to provide a larger directional torque, providing knee joint support force; the hip joint motor is blocked, increasing the output torque between the thigh connecting rod and the hip joint motor, providing hip joint support force.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the significant progress of the present invention is that: (1) Compared with the exoskeleton driven by all motors at the hip and knee joints, the hip and knee joints of the present invention are driven by pneumatic drive, which can improve the efficiency of energy use, reduce the mass of the joints, and improve the power-assisting effect; compared with the exoskeleton driven by all pneumatics at the hip and knee joints, the hip joints are driven by motors to improve the flexibility of swinging the hips forward and backward, avoiding the complex control requirements of two-phase pneumatic drive; (2) The independent integrated cooperative air source carrying system in the field of pneumatic lower limb exoskeleton of the present invention expands the use scenarios of pneumatic exoskeletons, and can be used as a back support to support heavy objects, avoiding the use of exoskeletons only in laboratories or limited scenarios with stable air sources, expanding the use scenarios of lower limb power-assisting wearable devices, and improving the feasibility and adaptability of product use; (3) The calf rod length adjustment method of the present invention adopts snap-on positioning and friction locking to quickly adjust different gears, and positioning and friction locking ensure double insurance for gear setting. The lower limb exoskeleton calf will be subjected to great impact during walking, which may cause the gear to retreat and the structure to collapse under the impact. Therefore, the double insurance form of spring buckle positioning and friction locking can effectively reduce the risk of gear adjustment failure and improve the safety and operability of adjustment.

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the functional characteristics and structural parameters of the present invention, further description is given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this application. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 (a) is a front view of the device of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 1 (b) is a rear view of the device of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 1 (c) is a right side view of the device of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the calf structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the locking buckle sleeve and the length adjustment mechanism of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 is an exploded schematic diagram of the knee joint drive structure of the present invention;

[0027] FIG5 (a) is an exploded schematic diagram of the knee joint driving structure of the present invention;

[0028] FIG5( b ) is a schematic diagram of the knee joint drive structure of the present invention at the extension limit position;

[0029] FIG5( c ) is a schematic diagram of the flexion limit position of the knee joint driving structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 It is an exploded diagram of the back and energy system structure;

[0031] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic component group;

[0032] Figure 8 It is a state picture of a human body wearing an exoskeleton;

[0033] Fig. 9 It is the overall control block diagram of the present invention;

[0034] Fig.10 It is a logic block diagram of the x-channel and y-channel identification of the three-dimensional force sensor of the present invention;

[0035] Fig.11 It is a logic block diagram of phase identification of the present invention.

[0036] The accompanying drawings are marked as follows: 1, calf structure; 2, thigh drive structure; 3, knee joint drive structure; 4, back and energy system structure; 101, calf connecting rod; 102, three-dimensional force sensor; 103, protective gear sliding sleeve; 104, calf protective gear calf; 105, fixing rod; 106, locking buckle sleeve; 107, calf movable rod; 108, spring extension mechanism; 109, fisheye bearing; 110, foot connector; 111, shoe cover; 1061, locking upper buckle sleeve; 1062, locking buckle sleeve; 1063, positioning snap buckle; 1064, friction locking sleeve; 201, motor bracket; 202, hip joint motor; 203, thigh connecting rod; 204, thigh rod; 301, cylinder housing; 302, upper hinge point grooved pin shaft; 303, upper hinge point retaining spring; 304, upper hinge point sleeve; 305, throttle valve; 306, cylinder; 307, knee joint fisheye joint; 308, knee joint fisheye sleeve; 309, flange bearing; 3 10. Lower hinge shaft; 311. Pan head screw; 312. Slotted pin shaft at movable hinge point; 313. Circlip at movable hinge point; 314. Bushing at movable hinge point; 317. Polyurethane shock absorber at flexion joint; 318. Polyurethane shock absorber at extension joint; 401. Plastic shell of back plate; 402. Carbon fiber back plate; 403. Sheet metal frame for battery fixing; 404. Battery pack; 405. Carbon fiber tube; 406. Hip joint drive assembly; 407. Device bracket; 408. Aluminum angle piece; 409, support plate; 410, pneumatic component group; 411, component plastic shell; 4101, booster air pump; 4102, component base plate; 4103, air pressure sensor; 4104, first reversing valve; 4105, second reversing valve; 4106, gas tank; 4107, three-way connector; 4108, proportional valve; 501, right thigh posture sensor; 502, right calf posture sensor; 503, left thigh posture sensor; 504, left calf posture sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments; based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] A gas-electric coupling driven lower limb power-assisting wearable device of the present invention, in combination with Figures 1 (a), (b), and (c), includes a calf structure 1, a thigh drive structure 2, a knee joint drive structure 3, and a back and energy system structure 4; the top of the calf structure 1 is provided with a connecting groove connected to the knee joint drive structure 3, the knee joint drive structure 3 is provided with a positioning column and is fixedly connected to the thigh drive structure 2 by bolts, the thigh drive structure 2 is provided with a rotating pair structure connected to the back and energy system structure 4, and the back and energy system structure 4 is located at the wearable part of the human body and is fixed to the human body through a flexible connection with a soft strap.

[0039] Combination Figure 2The calf structure 1 includes a calf connecting rod 101, a three-dimensional force sensor 102, a protective gear sliding sleeve 103, a calf protective gear 104, a calf fixing rod 105, a locking buckle sleeve 106, a calf movable rod 107, a spring extension mechanism 108, a fisheye bearing 109, a foot connector 110, and a shoe cover 111; the lower end structure of the calf connecting rod 101 has an inclination angle, in order to make the calf structure part of the exoskeleton closer to the human leg and improve the wearing matching and comfort, the calf connecting rod 101 is connected to the three-dimensional force sensor 102 by screws, and the three-dimensional force sensor 102 is placed at the calf position, which can The force magnitudes in the three directions of XYZ when the calf structure lands are measured, and the phase recognition judgment is performed through the three-dimensional force sensor data, and as the input item data of the adaptive algorithm, the three-dimensional force sensor 102 is inserted into the calf fixing rod 105 through the shaft hole, and is connected to the protective gear sliding sleeve 103 and the calf fixing rod 105 by bolts; the protective gear sliding sleeve 103 and the calf protective gear 104 are a protective gear structure, and a soft binding is configured on the inner side of the calf protective gear 104, and the human calf is bound by the soft binding, and the two are connected to each other through the slider guide groove, and the calf protective gear 104 can be in the protective gear sliding sleeve 103 The calf fixing rod 105 slides up and down in the guide groove and can rotate 360° to adapt to the changes in the calf posture caused by the use of the exoskeleton; the end of the calf fixing rod 105 is glued and connected to the inner side of the locking buckle sleeve 106, and the outer side of the locking buckle sleeve 106 is locked on the calf movable rod 107 by a thread, and the end of the calf movable rod 107 is connected to the spring extension mechanism 108 by a bolt in the matching shaft hole, and the spring extension mechanism 108 is connected to the fisheye bearing 109 by a screw thread, and the fisheye bearing 109 is connected to the foot connector 110 by a grooved pin and a retaining ring to form a rotating pair; the foot connector The joint 110 is screwed to the shoe cover 111 through the inner hole. The shoe cover 111 is located at the end of the calf structure 1 and is used to connect the human foot and support other parts in the calf structure 1. The spring extension mechanism 108 is connected to the lower side of the calf movable rod 107, which can make up for the problem that the length of the foot of the special-shaped structure is not sufficiently extended and does not match the length of the human body during kicking. The fisheye bearing 109 is connected to the foot connector 110 through a grooved pin and a retaining spring, which can adapt to the multi-degree-of-freedom rotation of the ankle joint. The shoe cover 111 can be made of but not limited to elastomeric materials such as natural rubber and silicone rubber.

[0040] Combination Figure 3The locking buckle sleeve 106 includes a locking upper buckle sleeve 1061, a locking lower buckle sleeve 1062, a positioning spring buckle 1063 and a friction locking sleeve 1064; the locking upper buckle sleeve 1061 is connected to the end of the calf fixing rod 105 by bonding, the locking lower buckle sleeve 1062 is connected to the locking upper buckle sleeve 1061 by a tapered thread, the positioning spring buckle 1063 adopts a V-shaped spring sheet structure, and the bullet head of the spring sheet is fixed on the opening of the calf movable rod 107; the friction locking sleeve 1064 is arranged on the locking upper buckle sleeve 1061 and the The outer diameter of the calf movable rod 107 is smaller than that of the calf fixed rod 105, and a gear length adjustment structure is provided; the specific length adjustment operation process is: unscrew the locking lower buckle sleeve 1062, press the positioning spring buckle 1063, slide the calf movable rod 107 to select a suitable gear hole in the calf fixed rod 105; when the positioning spring buckle 1063 pops up, the positioning is successful; then adjust the position of the friction locking sleeve 1064 to the inside of the locking lower buckle sleeve 1062, tighten the locking lower buckle sleeve 1062, and complete the adjustment of the calf rod length.

[0041] Combination Figure 4 The thigh driving structure 2 includes a motor bracket 201, a hip joint motor 202, a thigh connecting rod 203, and a thigh rod 204; the motor bracket 201 is provided with a flange threaded hole, which is fixedly connected to the hip joint motor 202 by a threaded connection, and a pin and a threaded hole are arranged on the output end surface of the hip joint motor 202. The thigh connecting rod 203 is connected to the hip joint motor 202 through a hole and a bolt, and the thigh rod 204 is positioned with the end face of the thigh connecting rod 203 and connected by a bolt; a limiting column is provided on the motor bracket 201, and a groove is provided on the inner side of the thigh connecting rod 203. The purpose of limiting is achieved by the face-to-face collision between the edge of the groove and the edge of the limiting column, which can realize the movement range of the thigh connecting rod in the sagittal plane of 135 degrees of flexion and 40 degrees of extension.

[0042] 5 (a), (b), (c), the knee joint drive structure 3 is composed of key cylinder drive elements, which is a triangular drive structure, including an upper hinge point, a lower hinge point, and a movable hinge point: including a cylinder housing 301, an upper hinge point grooved pin shaft 302, an upper hinge point retaining spring 303, an upper hinge point sleeve 304, a throttle valve 305, a cylinder 306, a knee joint fisheye joint 307, a knee joint fisheye sleeve 308, a flange bearing 309, a lower hinge shaft 310, a pan head screw 311, a movable hinge point grooved pin shaft 312, a movable hinge point retaining spring 313, a movable hinge point sleeve 314, and a flexion joint polyurethane shock-absorbing block 317. , extension joint polyurethane shock-absorbing block 318; the cylinder shell 301 is used as the main structure of the knee joint driving structure 3, and is connected to the axial hole of the upper hinge point slotted pin shaft 302 through two coaxial holes, and the grooves on both sides of the upper hinge point slotted pin shaft 302 are clamped and fixed with the upper hinge point retaining spring 303, and the upper hinge point retaining spring 303 fixes the upper hinge point slotted pin shaft 302 to the cylinder shell 301 to form a rotating pair; the flange surface of the upper hinge point sleeve 304 is fixed on the end surfaces of both ends of the connecting hole of the cylinder 306, and the throttle valve 305 is installed on the air inlet of the rod cavity of the cylinder 306 through a pipe thread connection, and the The knee joint fisheye joint 307 is threadedly connected to the output head of the cylinder 306 gas rod; the flange surface of the knee joint fisheye sleeve 308 is fixed on the end surfaces on both sides of the through hole of the flange bearing 309; the flange bearing 309 is supported on the step surface of the through hole of the calf connecting rod 101, and the lower hinge shaft 310 is inserted and arranged in the cylinder housing 301 and the hole of the knee joint fisheye joint 307. The end of the lower hinge shaft 310 is provided with a semicircular groove and a threaded hole, which is positioned with the cylinder housing 301 and fixed to the cylinder housing 301 by the pan head screw 311 and the thread; the grooved pin shaft 312 of the movable hinge point is The extended connecting rod hole of the calf connecting rod 101 is matched with the shaft hole, and the movable hinge point spring 313 is clamped on the groove of the movable hinge point slotted pin shaft 312; the movable hinge point sleeve 314 is supported on the two end surfaces of the movable hinge point slotted pin shaft 312 of the calf connecting rod 101; the flexion joint polyurethane shock absorber block 317 is installed at the bottom of the cylinder shell 301 and is fixedly connected by rubber-coated screws; the extension joint polyurethane shock absorber block 318 is installed on the bottom side of the cylinder shell 301 and is fixedly connected by rubber-coated screws; the cylinder 306 extends the piston rod outward during the process of being driven by compressed air, pushing the calf connecting rod 101 to extend outward. For the two-phase movement of knee flexion / extension, when the human body needs support and assistance, the compressed air drives the joint to extend, and the force on the piston rod generates a supporting torque.When the human body is in the swing phase, the cylinder gas is discharged to the atmosphere, and the human body's knee joint is bent to drive the cylinder piston to move. At this time, the friction resistance between the cylinder and the piston rod is small, and the human body has little resistance to lifting the calf; as shown in Figure 5 (b) and Figure 5 (c), the calf connecting rod 101 has two maximum motion limit states; as shown in Figure 5 (b), when the calf connecting rod 101 touches the polyurethane shock-absorbing block 318 of the extension joint, the calf connecting rod 101 reaches the maximum limit state of extension. As shown in Figure 5 (c), when the calf connecting rod 101 touches the polyurethane shock-absorbing block 317 of the flexion joint, the calf connecting rod 101 reaches the maximum limit state of flexion. Limit the range of motion of the calf connecting rod 101 structure to protect the movement safety of the human joints.

[0043] Combination Figure 6 The back and energy system structure 4 includes a back plate plastic shell 401, a carbon fiber back plate 402, a battery fixing sheet metal frame 403, a battery pack 404, a carbon fiber tube 405, a hip joint drive assembly 406, a device bracket 407, an aluminum angle 408, a support plate 409, a pneumatic component group 410, and a component plastic shell 411; the back plate plastic shell 401 is connected to the rivet nut on the carbon fiber back plate 402 through a thread, and the carbon fiber back plate 402 is fixedly connected to the carbon fiber tube 405 through a blind rivet; the battery fixing sheet metal frame 403 is connected to the carbon fiber back plate 402 and the carbon fiber tube 405 by bolts through holes on the surrounding sheet metal holes, and the battery pack 404 is fixed to the carbon fiber back plate 402 and the battery fixing sheet metal frame 403 by the battery fixing sheet metal frame 403 The remaining gaps between the formed spaces are filled with foam to prevent the battery pack from shaking; the carbon fiber tube 405 is matched with the hip joint drive assembly 406 through a square shaft hole, and the hip joint drive assembly 406 is connected to the device bracket 407 by positioning with a semicircular shaft hole and bolt fastening. The edge extension hole of the device bracket 407 is aligned with the edge hole of the angle aluminum part 408 and fixed by bolts and nuts. The angle aluminum part 408 is fixed with screws around the support plate 409, and the support plate 409 is fixed with screws to the component plastic shell 411. The component plastic shell 411 is used for the external part of the entire structure, covering and protecting the pneumatic component group 410, and the component plastic shell 411 is threadedly connected to the bottom threaded hole of the device bracket 407; the support plate 409 is preferably made of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber. The pneumatic component group 410 integrates a small air compressor, i.e., an air pump, an air tank, a proportional valve, a reversing valve, a three-way joint, and an air pressure sensor. The component plastic shell 411 is connected and fixed with the angle brackets on the pneumatic component group 410 by screws to serve as an appearance shell. The support plate 409 is supported directly below the component plastic shell 411 to prevent the plastic shell from being crushed.

[0044] Combination Figure 7The pneumatic component group 410 includes a booster pump 4101, a component base plate 4102, an air pressure sensor 4103, a first reversing valve 4104, a second reversing valve 4105, a gas tank 4106, a three-way joint 4107, and a proportional valve 4108; the booster pump 4101 is placed on the side of the component base plate 4102 and fixed by side anti-vibration screws. The component base plate 4102 serves as a component assembly base plate, and the first reversing valve 4104, the second reversing valve 4105 and the gas tank 4106 are bolted together on the lower side. The gas tank 4106 serves as a container for storing compressed air and is connected to the booster pump 4101, the proportional valve 4108, and the pressure sensor 4103. The example valve 4108 and the air pressure sensor 410; the air pressure sensor 4103 is connected to the output port of the gas tank 4106 through a pipe thread; the three-way joint 4107 is connected to the element base plate 4102 through the thread on the adapter bracket; one end of the input side of the first reversing valve 4104 and the second reversing valve 4105 is connected to the proportional valve 4108, and the other end is connected to the atmosphere; the output side of the first reversing valve 4104 and the second reversing valve 4105 is connected to the rod chamber of the cylinder 306; when the first reversing valve 4104 or the second reversing valve 4105 is in zero position, the cylinder 306 is connected to the atmosphere, and moves freely with small resistance.

[0045] The present invention also provides a method for using a wearable lower limb assist device driven by gas-electric coupling, comprising the following steps:

[0046] Step 1: Start the worn exoskeleton, and the system will start the initialization process, complete the initialization of the pneumatic components, use the three-dimensional force sensor to weigh the load mass, and complete the calibration of the motor encoder;

[0047] Step 2, in the phase identification process, first observe the changes of the x-channel and y-channel three-dimensional force sensors, design the y-channel force threshold as the average value of the y-channel three-dimensional force sensor reading after the previous switch to the swing phase and multiply it by a certain gain; compare the y-channel reading with the current threshold, and when the y-channel reading is greater than the current threshold, switch to the support phase, otherwise do not switch; then judge whether the x-channel reading is greater than the current threshold, if so, switch to the swing phase, otherwise do not switch; judge whether the y-channel reading is less than or equal to the current threshold, switch to the swing phase; update the thresholds of the x-channel and y-channel of the three-dimensional force sensor;

[0048] Step 3, after the phase identification is completed, the human body fixed point is constructed through the current phase, the exoskeleton ankle joint is constructed as the human-machine fixed point in the support phase, and the exoskeleton hip joint is constructed as the human-machine fixed point in the swing phase; the feedforward two-link dynamic model is corrected through the exoskeleton related information and load mass, and the drive command is issued to the cylinder and hip joint motor;

[0049] Step 4: Swing phase, cut off the power of the first reversing valve and the second reversing valve, so that the inside of the cylinder is connected to the atmosphere, the calf connecting rod rotates freely in the cylinder shell, the human knee flexes to drive the cylinder piston to move, and the human body lifts the calf with little resistance; the hip joint motor drives the thigh connecting rod to follow the human thigh movement without damping, and the exoskeleton four-bar linkage model is used to determine the hip joint motor torque;

[0050] Step 5, entering the support phase, switching on the first reversing valve and the second reversing valve, so that the inside of the cylinder is connected to the gas tank, and the calf connecting rod rotates in the cylinder shell to provide a larger directional torque, providing knee joint support force; the hip joint motor is blocked, increasing the output torque between the thigh connecting rod and the hip joint motor, providing hip joint support force. Example

[0051] When walking, the posture sensor is worn to identify the movement state of the human body. Figure 8 The sensor layout includes a right thigh posture sensor 501, a right calf posture sensor 502, a left thigh posture sensor 503, and a left calf posture sensor 504; during the process of walking assistance, the exoskeleton interacts with the human body using a three-dimensional force sensor to collect human motion data, and processes the data in real time to determine the trend of human motion, and control the torque parameters of the motor accordingly to provide assistance to the human body.

[0052] Combination Fig. 9 After wearing the exoskeleton, the system is initialized, the pneumatic components are initialized, the load mass is weighed, and the motor encoder is calibrated. During the phase identification process, it is determined whether it is the support phase. If so, the support phase model is entered to send control instructions to the drive unit; if it is not the support phase, the swing phase model is entered to send control instructions to the drive unit.

[0053] The support phase and swing phase can be identified only through the x-channel and y-channel of the 3D force sensor. Fig.10 In the phase recognition process, the change of the y-channel three-dimensional force sensor is first observed, and the y-channel force threshold is designed as the average value of the y-channel three-dimensional force sensor reading after the previous switch to the swing phase multiplied by a certain gain. When the y-channel does not change significantly, considering the gait differences of different people, the x-channel three-dimensional force sensor change detection is designed as a compensation measure. The x-channel threshold is designed as the average value of the x-channel three-dimensional force sensor within a fixed sliding window length multiplied by a certain gain. When the x-channel three-dimensional force sensor reading exceeds the threshold, it switches to the swing phase.

[0054] After phase recognition, the corresponding phase model is entered and combined with Fig.11, determine whether the state is in the support phase. If not, the human-machine fixed point is designed to be the exoskeleton hip joint, and the exoskeleton related information is used to output the feedforward two-link dynamic model; if so, the human-machine fixed point is designed to be the exoskeleton ankle joint, and the exoskeleton related information and load mass are used as reference to output the feedforward two-link dynamic model.

[0055] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device.

[0056] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for using a wearable lower limb assist device driven by gas-electric coupling, characterized in that: The lower limb assist wearable device comprises a calf structure (1), a thigh drive structure (2), a knee joint drive structure (3), and a back and energy system structure (4); the top of the calf structure (1) is provided with a connection groove connected to the knee joint drive structure (3); the knee joint drive structure (3) is provided with a positioning column and is fixedly connected to the thigh drive structure (2) by bolts; the thigh drive structure (2) is provided with a rotational pair structure connected to the back and energy system structure (4); the back and energy system structure (4) is located at a wearable part of a human body and is fixed to the human body by a flexible connection with a soft strap; The knee joint is driven by air pressure, and the hip joint is driven by an electric motor; The knee joint driving structure (3) is composed of key cylinder driving components, including a cylinder (306); The lower limb assist wearable device further comprises a pneumatic component group, the pneumatic component group comprising a first reversing valve (4104) and a second reversing valve (4105), the output sides of the first reversing valve (4104) and the second reversing valve (4105) being connected to the rod chamber of the cylinder (306); The method for using the lower limb assist wearable device comprises the following steps: Step 1: Start the worn exoskeleton, and the system will start the initialization process, complete the initialization of the pneumatic components, use the three-dimensional force sensor to weigh the load mass, and complete the calibration of the motor encoder; Step 2, in the phase identification process, first observe the changes of the x-channel and y-channel three-dimensional force sensors, design the y-channel force threshold as the average value of the y-channel three-dimensional force sensor reading after the previous switch to the swing phase and multiply it by a certain gain; compare the y-channel reading with the current threshold, and when the y-channel reading is greater than the current threshold, switch to the support phase, otherwise do not switch; then judge whether the x-channel reading is greater than the current threshold, if so, switch to the swing phase, otherwise do not switch; judge whether the y-channel reading is less than or equal to the current threshold, switch to the swing phase; update the thresholds of the x-channel and y-channel of the three-dimensional force sensor; Step 3, after the phase identification is completed, the human body fixed point is constructed through the current phase, the exoskeleton ankle joint is constructed as the human-machine fixed point in the support phase, and the exoskeleton hip joint is constructed as the human-machine fixed point in the swing phase; the feedforward two-link dynamic model is corrected through the exoskeleton related information and load mass, and the drive command is issued to the cylinder and hip joint motor; Step 4: Swing phase, cut off the power of the first reversing valve and the second reversing valve, so that the inside of the cylinder is connected to the atmosphere, the calf connecting rod rotates freely in the cylinder shell, the human knee flexes to drive the cylinder piston to move, and the human body lifts the calf with little resistance; the hip joint motor drives the thigh connecting rod to follow the human thigh movement without damping, and the exoskeleton four-bar linkage model is used to determine the hip joint motor torque; Step 5, entering the support phase, switching on the first reversing valve and the second reversing valve, so that the inside of the cylinder is connected to the gas tank, and the calf connecting rod rotates in the cylinder shell to provide a larger directional torque, providing knee joint support force; the hip joint motor is blocked, increasing the output torque between the thigh connecting rod and the hip joint motor, providing hip joint support force.

2. The method for using a wearable device for assisting lower limbs driven by gas-electric coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The calf structure (1) comprises a calf connecting rod (101), a three-dimensional force sensor (102), a protective gear sliding sleeve (103), a calf protective gear (104), a calf fixing rod (105), a locking buckle sleeve (106), a calf movable rod (107), a spring extension mechanism (108), a fisheye bearing (109), a foot connecting head (110), and a shoe cover (111); the lower end structure of the calf connecting rod (101) is provided with an inclination angle, and the calf connecting rod (101) is connected to the calf The three-dimensional force sensor (102) is connected by screws. The three-dimensional force sensor (102) is placed at the calf position. The three-dimensional force sensor (102) is inserted into the calf fixing rod (105) through the shaft hole, and is connected to the protective gear sliding sleeve (103) and the calf fixing rod (105) by bolts. The protective gear sliding sleeve (103) and the calf protective gear (104) form a protective gear structure. The inner side of the calf protective gear (104) is provided with a soft binding. The two are connected by The guide grooves of the slider are connected to each other, and the calf protector (104) can slide up and down in the guide groove of the protector sliding sleeve (103) and can rotate (360) degrees; the end of the calf fixing rod (105) is glued and connected to the inner side of the locking buckle sleeve (106), and the outer side of the locking buckle sleeve (106) is locked on the calf movable rod (107) by a thread; the end of the calf movable rod (107) is connected to the spring extension mechanism (108) by a bolt in a matching shaft hole. The spring extension mechanism (108) is threadedly connected to the fisheye bearing (109) via a screw rod, and the fisheye bearing (109) is connected to the foot connection head (110) via a slotted pin shaft and a retaining spring to form a revolving pair; the foot connection head (110) is screw-fastened to the shoe cover (111) via an inner hole, and the shoe cover (111) is located at the end of the calf structure (1) and is used to connect to a human foot and to support other parts in the calf structure (1).

3. The method for using a wearable device for assisting lower limbs driven by gas-electric coupling according to claim 2, characterized in that: The locking buckle sleeve (106) comprises an upper locking buckle sleeve (1061), a lower locking buckle sleeve (1062), a positioning spring buckle (1063) and a friction locking sleeve (1064); the upper locking buckle sleeve (1061) is connected to the end of the calf fixing rod (105) by bonding, the lower locking buckle sleeve (1062) is connected to the upper locking buckle sleeve (1061) by a tapered thread, the positioning spring buckle (1063) adopts a V-shaped spring sheet structure, and the spring head of the spring sheet is fixed on the opening of the calf movable rod (107); the friction locking sleeve (1064) is arranged between the annular grooves of the upper locking buckle sleeve (1061) and the lower locking buckle sleeve (1062); the outer diameter of the calf movable rod (107) is smaller than that of the calf fixing rod (105), and a gear length adjustment structure is provided.

4. The method for using a wearable device for assisting lower limbs driven by gas-electric coupling according to claim 3, characterized in that: The thigh drive structure (2) comprises a motor bracket (201), a hip joint motor (202), a thigh connecting rod (203), and a thigh rod (204); the motor bracket (201) is provided with a flange threaded hole and is fixedly connected to the hip joint motor (202) by threaded connection; a pin and a threaded hole are arranged on the output end surface of the hip joint motor (202); the thigh connecting rod (203) is connected to the hip joint motor (202) by a hole and a bolt; the thigh rod (204) is positioned with the end surface of the thigh connecting rod (203) and is connected by bolts; a limiting column is provided on the motor bracket (201); and a groove is provided on the inner side of the thigh connecting rod (203).

5. The method for using the gas-electric coupling driven lower limb assist wearable device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The knee joint drive structure (3) is composed of key cylinder drive elements, which is a triangular drive structure, including an upper hinge point, a lower hinge point, and a movable hinge point: including a cylinder housing (301), an upper hinge point grooved pin shaft (302), an upper hinge point retaining spring (303), an upper hinge point shaft sleeve (304), a throttle valve (305), a cylinder (306), a knee joint fisheye joint (307), a knee joint fisheye shaft sleeve (308), a flange bearing (309), a lower hinge shaft (310), a pan head screw (311), a movable hinge point grooved pin shaft (312), a movable hinge point retaining spring (313), a movable hinge point shaft sleeve (314), a flexion joint polyurethane shock-absorbing block (316), and a lower hinge shaft (317). 17), extension joint polyurethane shock absorbing block (318); the cylinder housing (301) is used as the main structure of the knee joint driving structure (3), and is connected to the shaft hole of the upper hinge point grooved pin shaft (302) through two coaxial holes, and the grooves on both sides of the upper hinge point grooved pin shaft (302) are clamped and fixed with the upper hinge point retaining spring (303), and the upper hinge point retaining spring (303) fixes the upper hinge point grooved pin shaft (302) to the cylinder housing (301) to form a revolute pair; the flange surface of the upper hinge point sleeve (304) is matched and fixed to the end surfaces of the two ends of the connecting hole of the cylinder (306), and the throttle valve (305) is installed on the cylinder through a pipe thread connection. The cylinder (306) has an air inlet of the rod cavity, and the knee joint fisheye joint (307) is threadedly connected to the output head of the cylinder (306) air rod; the flange surface of the knee joint fisheye sleeve (308) is fixed on the end surfaces on both sides of the through hole of the flange bearing (309); the flange bearing (309) is supported on the step surface of the through hole of the calf connecting rod (101), and the lower hinge shaft (310) is inserted and arranged in the cylinder housing (301) and the hole of the knee joint fisheye joint (307); the lower hinge shaft (310) has a semicircular groove and a threaded hole at the end thereof, and is positioned with the cylinder housing (301), and is engaged with the pan head screw (311) and the thread. The movable hinge point grooved pin shaft (312) is fixed on the cylinder housing (301); the movable hinge point grooved pin shaft (312) cooperates with the extended connecting rod hole shaft hole of the calf connecting rod (101), and the movable hinge point retaining spring (313) is clamped on the groove of the movable hinge point grooved pin shaft (312); the movable hinge point shaft sleeve (314) is supported on the two end surfaces of the movable hinge point grooved pin shaft (312) of the calf connecting rod (101); the flexion joint polyurethane shock absorbing block (317) is mounted on the bottom of the cylinder housing (301) and fixedly connected by rubber-coated screws; the extension joint polyurethane shock absorbing block (318) is mounted on the bottom side of the cylinder housing (301) and fixedly connected by rubber-coated screws.

6. The method for using the gas-electric coupling driven lower limb assist wearable device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The back and energy system structure (4) comprises a back plate plastic shell (401), a carbon fiber back plate (402), a battery fixing sheet metal frame (403), a battery pack (404), a carbon fiber tube (405), a hip joint drive assembly (406), a device bracket (407), an aluminum angle piece (408), a support plate (409), a pneumatic component group (410), and a component plastic shell (411); the back plate plastic shell (401) is connected to the rivet nut on the carbon fiber back plate (402) through a thread, and the carbon fiber back plate (402) is fixedly connected to the carbon fiber tube (405) through a blind rivet; the battery fixing sheet metal frame (403) is connected to the carbon fiber back plate (402) and the carbon fiber tube (405) through holes on the peripheral sheet metal holes by bolts, and the battery pack (404) is fixed to the carbon fiber back plate (411) by the battery fixing sheet metal frame (403). 02) and the empty space formed by the battery fixing sheet metal frame (403), the remaining gap is filled with foam to prevent the battery pack from shaking; the carbon fiber tube (405) and the hip joint drive assembly (406) are matched through a square shaft hole, the hip joint drive assembly (406) and the device bracket (407) are connected by a semicircular shaft hole positioning and bolt fastening method, the edge extension hole of the device bracket (407) is aligned with the edge hole position of the angle aluminum piece (408) and fixed by bolts and nuts, the angle aluminum piece (408) and the support plate (409) are positioned and fixed by screws around, the support plate (409) and the component plastic shell (411) are screwed, the component plastic shell (411) is used for the external part of the entire structure, covers and protects the pneumatic component group (410), and the component plastic shell (411) is threadedly connected to the bottom threaded hole of the device bracket (407).

7. The method for using the wearable device for assisting lower limbs driven by gas-electric coupling according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pneumatic component assembly (410) comprises a booster air pump (4101), an element base plate (4102), an air pressure sensor (4103), a first reversing valve (4104), a second reversing valve (4105), an air tank (4106), a three-way connector (4107), and a proportional valve (4108); the booster air pump (4101) is disposed on the side of the element base plate (4102) and fixed by side anti-vibration screws; the element base plate (4102) serves as a component assembly base plate; the first reversing valve (4104), the second reversing valve (4105) and the air tank (4106) are connected by bolts on the lower side; the air tank (4106) serves as a storage tank. A container for storing compressed air is connected to the booster air pump (4101), the proportional valve (4108) and the air pressure sensor (410); the air pressure sensor (4103) is connected to the output port of the gas tank (4106) via a pipe thread; the three-way connector (4107) is connected to the element base plate (4102) via a thread on an adapter bracket; one end of the input side of the first reversing valve (4104) and the second reversing valve (4105) is connected to the proportional valve (4108), and the other end is connected to the atmosphere; the output side of the first reversing valve (4104) and the second reversing valve (4105) is connected to the rod chamber of the cylinder (306).

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