A wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis, which belongs to the technical field of wearable power-assisting devices. The exoskeleton prosthesis includes a waist support assembly worn on the waist, a shoulder support assembly worn on the shoulders and connected to the waist support assembly by a strap, two back support assemblies symmetrically arranged on both sides of the back and connecting the waist support assembly and the shoulder support assembly, two power-assisting devices symmetrically installed on the upper ends of the back support assemblies on both sides, and two arm support assemblies symmetrically worn on both arms and connected to the support arms of the power-assisting devices. Among them, the lower end of the back support assembly is hinged to the fixed seat of the waist support assembly, which increases the freedom of movement of the back support assembly. The power-assisting device uses the pre-tightening force of the S-shaped spiral spring to provide support force, which increases the power-assisting range and saves effort in adjustment. The present invention has a simple structure, light weight, good wearing comfort, and in particular a high degree of freedom of movement. The power-assisting size can be adjusted without the help of tools.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of wearable power-assisting devices, and in particular relates to a wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis. Background Art

[0002] In many operational fields such as building decoration, automobile assembly, equipment maintenance, etc., operators need to keep their hands raised for a long time, which will put a great burden on their neck, shoulders, back, and upper limb muscles and joints, thereby reducing work quality, affecting work efficiency, and causing musculoskeletal injury-related diseases. Fatigue work may even lead to major accidents.

[0003] Passive upper limb exoskeleton prostheses are widely used in medical rehabilitation, industrial production, military assembly and other fields because they do not require an external power source. In particular, wearable upper limb exoskeleton prostheses can not only greatly help operators reduce muscle load and relieve upper limb muscle fatigue, but also ensure that operators are rarely restricted by exoskeleton prostheses and can complete related work with a high degree of freedom.

[0004] The existing wearable passive upper limb exoskeleton prostheses have the following main defects: 1. The structure is relatively complex, especially the structure of the back support and power-assisting mechanism is relatively complex, heavy, and inconvenient to wear. People of different body shapes need to make multiple adjustments such as shoulder width and height to adapt to the wearer. It does not support multi-degree-of-freedom wearing adjustment, and the weight problem caused by the complex structure increases the load on the wearer, making the wearing experience poor; 2. The power-assisting system is usually composed of a drive component and related mechanical structures. The drive component is mostly an elastic element, such as a tension spring, a fluid spring, a scroll spring, and a gas spring. These elastic drive elements are often It is connected to pull ropes, drawstrings and other components for driving. During the force transmission process, energy loss and attenuation may occur due to the elastic contact force transmission between components or the friction between components; 3. The power assistance adjustment is relatively difficult, and the adjustment resistance is large. It often requires the use of external tools to adjust the preload of the spring, and the adjustment operation is complicated and laborious; 4. The power assistance mechanism is mostly set at the waist, and the force transmission needs to be transmitted from the waist to the arm, which increases the consumption during the force transmission process; 5. The back support structure does not fit the natural curve of the human body well, resulting in insufficient comfort when worn, greatly restricting the wearer's upper limb freedom of movement, and affecting the human-machine relationship and usage effect.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to design a wearable passive upper limb assisted exoskeleton prosthesis with a simple structure, easy adjustment, comfortable wearing and high degree of freedom. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical issues to be solved:

[0007] In order to avoid the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention provides a wearable passive upper limb power-assisted exoskeleton prosthesis, which at least solves the problems of the existing passive upper limb exoskeleton prosthesis, such as complex structure, inconvenience in wearing, and the need for external tools to adjust the power assistance and the laborious adjustment.

[0008] The technical solution of the present invention is: a wearable passive upper limb power-assisted exoskeleton prosthesis, comprising a waist support assembly worn on the waist, a shoulder support assembly worn on the shoulders and connected to the waist support assembly via a strap, two back support assemblies symmetrically arranged on both sides of the back and connecting the waist support assembly and the shoulder support assembly, two power-assisting devices symmetrically installed on the upper ends of the back support assemblies on both sides, and two arm support assemblies symmetrically worn on both arms and connected to the support arms of the power-assisting devices; wherein,

[0009] The lumbar support assembly includes a lumbar support plate located at the rear waist, and two fixing seats are provided on both sides of the lumbar support plate in a horizontally symmetrical manner relative to the center position for supporting the back support assembly;

[0010] The back support assembly is an L-shaped retractable rod, which is arranged vertically as a whole. Its lower end is spherically hinged to the fixed seat, its upper end is horizontally turned outward, and the end of the upper end is hinged to the housing of the power-assisting device; the back support assembly is elastically limitedly connected to the shoulder support assembly near the upper end.

[0011] The power assist device includes a shell, in which a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft are installed to rotate in parallel; an S-shaped volute spring is sleeved on the two rotating shafts, a core at one end of which is coaxially fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft, and a core at the other end is coaxially fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft; the ratchet is coaxially fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft; the pawl is installed on the inner wall of the shell, located on one side of the ratchet, for engaging with the ratchet; the support arm is retractable, one end of which is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft, and the other end is installed with an arm support assembly; one end of the first rotating shaft passes through the side wall of the shell and is exposed outside the shell, and its exposed end is used to screw and adjust the preload force of the volute spring, thereby adjusting the supporting force of the support arm.

[0012] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the core parts at both ends of the spiral spring are provided with a mounting part with a planar structure, which is used to be fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft respectively; the radial direction of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are provided with a coil spring fixing groove that matches the corresponding coil spring core mounting part, and the mounting part is inserted and fixed in the corresponding coil spring fixing groove.

[0013] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the shell includes a shell body and a shell cover covering the open end of the shell body; the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft both vertically pass through the shell cover and are rotatably connected to the shell cover; the inner wall of the shell body is provided with a first rotating shaft support sleeve and a second rotating shaft support sleeve, which are respectively used to rotatably support the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft.

[0014] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the ratchet is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft for anti-rotation, the ratchet is close to the inner wall of the shell cover, and is located between the shell cover and the spiral spring; the pawl is rotatably installed on the inner wall of the shell cover, and a fixed column is installed on the inner wall of the shell cover on one side of the pawl, one end of the spring is connected to the fixed column, and the other end is connected to the side wall of the pawl facing the fixed column, and the spring is used to elastically restrain the pawl; a sliding rod is fixed to the side of the pawl facing the shell cover, and the sliding rod passes through the shell cover, and a waist-shaped hole for the sliding rod to pass through is correspondingly provided on the shell cover, and the sliding rod slides along the waist-shaped hole to release the engagement state between the pawl and the ratchet.

[0015] A further technical solution of the present invention is that: the support arm comprises an inner support arm and an outer support arm; one end of the inner support arm is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft for anti-rotation, and the other end thereof is adjustably and telescopically connected to the outer support arm;

[0016] One end of the inner support arm is a fork-shaped structure, including an inner support plate and an outer support plate arranged in parallel, the inner support plate and the outer support plate are located on the inner and outer sides of the shell cover, the end of the inner support plate is provided with a through hole sleeved on the outer diameter of the second rotating shaft, and the end of the outer support plate is provided with a straight-line hole and a straight-line second protrusion on the outer end of the second rotating shaft for anti-rotation fixed sleeve;

[0017] The other end of the inner support arm is provided with an elastically pressable second adjustment button, and the outer support arm is provided with multiple through holes matching the second adjustment button arranged in a line along the axial direction. The end where the second adjustment button of the inner support arm is located is embedded in the outer support arm, and the second adjustment button is connected to different through holes of the outer support arm for telescopic adjustment of the inner and outer support arms.

[0018] A further technical solution of the present invention is: two stop strips are provided on the inner wall of the shell cover, and the two stop strips are arranged radially along the second rotating shaft, symmetrically located on both sides of the surface where the axis of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are located, and the angle between the two is 140°; the two stop strips are used to limit the rotation range of the inner support plate, thereby limiting the support force adjustment range of the support arm.

[0019] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the shoulder support assembly includes a shoulder package and front and rear straps, the shoulder package is an integral double-shoulder strap structure, covering the wearer's back, shoulders and chest, the lower end of the shoulder package located in the back area is connected to the middle outer wall of the waist support plate through the rear strap, and the lower ends of the shoulder package located in the chest area on both sides are connected to the inner walls of the corresponding sides of the waist support plate through the front straps; the front and rear straps are both provided with adjustment buckles for adjusting the adaptation length.

[0020] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the back support assembly includes an inner support rod and an outer support rod; the inner support rod is vertically arranged, and its lower end is spherical and hinged to the spherical surface of the fixed seat; its upper end is provided with an elastic and pressable first adjustment button; the outer support rod is coaxially sleeved on the upper end of the inner support rod, and the outer support rod is correspondingly provided with a group of through holes matching the first adjustment button, and the first adjustment button is adjusted to be connected to different through holes of the outer support rod for telescopic adjustment of the two; the upper end of the outer support rod is horizontally turned outward, and its end is provided with a joint for hinged connection with the shell of the power assist device.

[0021] A further technical solution of the present invention is: a limiting ring is provided at the upper end of the outer support rod; one end of the elastic strap is fixed to the shoulder wrap and is located at the outer edge of the back area close to the shoulder; the other end of the elastic strap passes through the limiting ring and is fixed to the fixed end of the elastic strap by Velcro, which is used to elastically limit the outer support rod within the elastic loop formed by the elastic strap.

[0022] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the arm support assembly includes an arm support plate and an arm strap, the arm support plate is a fan-shaped plate, fixedly connected to one end of the outer support arm away from the inner support arm; one end of the arm strap is fixed to one side of the arm support plate along the fan-shaped circumference, and the other end is wrapped around the wearer's arm and bonded to the fixed end of the arm strap through Velcro, so as to fix the arm support plate to the wearer's arm.

[0023] Beneficial effects

[0024] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: a wearable passive upper limb power-assisted exoskeleton prosthesis of the present invention is provided with a waist support component, a shoulder support component, a back support component, a power-assisting device and an arm support component, wherein the size of each wearing part can be freely adjusted according to the wearer's body shape requirements, including the tightness of the waist wearing, the tightness of the arm wearing, and the distance between the waist support plate and the shoulder wrapping, which can all be conveniently adjusted through their respective straps to meet the needs of different operators and different work tasks, and ensure the comfort of the wearer.

[0025] The back support components, symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the back, are telescopically adjustable via adjustment buttons to match the wearer's desired distance between the power assist device and the lumbar support plate. The lower end of the inner support rod of the back support component is spherically hinged to the fixed seat, while the upper end of the outer support rod is connected to the shoulder wrap elastic limiter via an elastic strap. This structural combination not only increases the freedom of movement of the back support component through the spherical hinge design, but also ensures that the elastic limiter of the elastic strap ensures that the back support component does not leave its effective range of motion. This allows the power assist device installed at the upper end of the back support component to have more flexible freedom of movement, and in turn, the arm support component installed on the support arm of the power assist device to have more flexible spatial freedom, thus ensuring that the wearer's upper limbs can move with multiple degrees of freedom during operation without being restricted by the wearable device. Furthermore, this structure eliminates the need to adjust the distance between the two power assist devices for wearers with different shoulder widths; adaptive adjustment is achieved through the spherical hinge structure between the lower end of the back support component and the lumbar support plate.

[0026] The power assist device of the present invention can freely adjust the power assist amount without the aid of external tools. By using an S-shaped spiral spring and utilizing the structural feature that the two ends of the S-shaped spiral spring rotate in opposite directions, the core of one end of the spiral spring is coaxially fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft, and the core of the other end is coaxially fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft. By screwing the first rotating shaft in the forward direction, the two ends of the spiral spring contract, driving the second rotating shaft to rotate in the opposite direction, thereby giving the support arm corresponding support force through the pre-tightening force of the spiral spring. Compared with a circular spiral spring of the same diameter, the S-shaped spiral spring of the present invention doubles the power assist range. When the user adjusts the exoskeleton prosthesis to the same power assist amount, the S-shaped spiral spring is more labor-saving and safer than an equal-diameter circular spiral spring, and can be easily adjusted by hand. At the same time, the power assist device of the present invention is located at the shoulder of the wearer and is rigidly connected to the arm support assembly through the support arm, reducing the consumption during force transmission.

[0027] The present invention limits the rotation range of the inner support plate through a stop bar, wherein the upper stop bar limits the maximum support force of the support arm, and the lower stop bar positions the support arm when the scroll spring is in a relaxed state. The upper and lower stop bars have an included angle of 140°, which limits the rotation range of the support arm to between 70° above and below the surface where the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are located, thereby avoiding damage to the wearer's upper limbs caused by excessive rotation angle of the support arm, but does not affect the wearer's free movement in the working area.

[0028] The present invention has a simple structure, fewer components, a higher degree of freedom, and is easy to wear and adjust. The waist support plate, arm support plate, inner support rods and outer support rods of the back support assembly, and inner support arms and outer support arms of the support arm are all made of alloy materials, which ensures support strength while being light in weight. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall front structure of the wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall rear structure of a wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the back support assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 The structure of the power assist device in the embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 1 ;

[0033] Figure 5 The structure of the power assist device in the embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 ;

[0034] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the arm support assembly and the support arm of the power assist device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the connection between the inner supporting arm and the outer supporting arm of the supporting arm in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first rotating shaft structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the second rotating shaft structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Description of reference numerals:

[0039] 100. Lumbar support assembly, 101. Lumbar support plate, 102. Fixed seat, 103. Lumbar strap;

[0040] 200. Shoulder support assembly, 201. Shoulder wrap, 202. Front strap, 203. Rear strap, 204. Adjustment buckle;

[0041] 300. Back support assembly, 301. Inner support rod, 302. Outer support rod, 303. First adjustment button, 304. Connector, 305. Limiting ring, 306. Elastic strap;

[0042] 400. Power assist device, 401. First rotating shaft, 402. Second rotating shaft, 403. Scroll spring, 404. Ratchet, 405. Pawl, 406. Support arm, 407. Mounting portion, 408. Coil spring fixing groove for first rotating shaft, 409. Coil spring fixing groove for second rotating shaft, 410. Housing, 411. Housing cover, 412. First rotating shaft support sleeve, 413. Second rotating shaft support sleeve, 414. Fixing column, 415. Spring, 416. Pawl mounting shaft, 417 Sliding rod, 418. Waist-shaped hole, 420. Fixing sleeve, 421. Knob, 422. Inner support arm, 423. Outer support arm, 424. Inner support plate, 425. Outer support plate, 426. Through hole, 427. Strip hole, 428. Second protrusion, 429. Second adjustment button, 430. Upper stop bar, 431. Lower stop bar, 432. Notch, 433. Double ear piece, 434. Ratchet connecting ring, 435. Fixing piece, 436. Shoulder, 437. First protrusion;

[0043] 500. Arm support assembly, 501. Arm support plate, 502. Arm strap, 503. Sponge pad, 504. Screw. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present invention, but should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0045] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like to indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0046] The present invention addresses the problems of traditional passive upper limb power-assisted exoskeleton prostheses, such as complex structure, heavy weight, and low wearing comfort, especially the need to use external tools to adjust the power assistance, the cumbersome adjustment process, and low freedom of movement, which affects the user experience and work efficiency. A wearable passive upper limb power-assisted exoskeleton prosthesis is provided.

[0047] See Figure 1 、 2This embodiment provides a wearable passive upper limb power-assist exoskeleton prosthesis. Compared to traditional exoskeleton prostheses, it offers a high degree of freedom of movement, easily adjustable power assistance, a simple structure, lightweight, and comfortable wear. The exoskeleton prosthesis comprises a waist support assembly 100 worn around the wearer's waist, a shoulder support assembly 200 worn on the shoulders and connected to the waist support assembly 100 via a strap, two back support assemblies 300 symmetrically located on either side of the back, connecting the waist support assembly 100 and the shoulder support assembly 200, two power-assistance devices 400 symmetrically mounted on the upper ends of the back support assemblies 300, and two arm support assemblies 500 symmetrically worn on both arms and connected to the support arms of the power-assistance devices 400.

[0048] Specifically, the lumbar support assembly 100 includes a lumbar support plate 101 positioned at the wearer's lower back, a waist strap 103 that secures the lumbar support plate 101 to the wearer's waist, and a mounting base 102 for mounting the back support assembly 300. The lumbar support plate 101 is a rigid plate made of alloy material, ensuring support strength while remaining lightweight. The waist strap 103 has two sections, secured to either end of the lumbar support plate 101. Each section of the waist strap 103 is fitted with a corresponding set of snap-on buckles, which secure the lumbar support plate 101 to the wearer's waist. The snap-on buckles are adjustable at their mounting position on the waist strap 103 to adjust the tightness of the lumbar support assembly 100 when worn. To ensure comfortable wearing, a hard sponge layer is attached to the surface of the lumbar support plate 101 that contacts the body, and the lumbar support plate 101 and its sponge layer are wrapped with nylon cloth. The waist support plate 101 has two fixing seats 102 symmetrically installed on both sides of the wearer's waist. The upper end surface of the fixing seat 102 is provided with a ball hole. The fixing seat 102 is used to support the back support assembly 300 and is spherically hinged with its lower end.

[0049] The shoulder support assembly 200 comprises a shoulder wrap 201, front straps 202, and back straps 203. The shoulder wrap 201 is a one-piece, dual-shoulder harness structure that covers the wearer's back, shoulders, and chest. It is made of hard sponge and wrapped in nylon fabric to ensure comfort and a snug fit. The lower end of the shoulder wrap 201 in the back region is connected to the middle outer wall of the waist support plate 101 via the back straps 203. The lower ends of the shoulder wrap 201 in the chest region on both sides are connected to the inner walls of the corresponding sides of the waist support plate 101 via the front straps 202. The back strap 203 is located at the center of the wearer's back, with two front straps 202 symmetrically located on either side of the back strap 203. Both the front straps 202 and the back straps 203 are equipped with adjustment buckles 204 for adjusting the length to accommodate different body types. The shoulder support assembly 200 and the waist support assembly 100 enable basic donning of the exoskeleton prosthesis.

[0050] See also Figure 3 The back support assembly 300 is an L-shaped, retractable rod, positioned vertically. Its lower end is spherically hinged to the fixed base 102, and its upper end is horizontally turned outward, with the upper end hinged to the housing of the power-assisting device 400. Near the upper end of the back support assembly 300, it is elastically connected to the shoulder support assembly 200. Two sets of back support assemblies 300 are symmetrically arranged to provide support for the power-assisting devices 400 on both shoulders.

[0051] The back support assembly 300 includes an inner support rod 301 and an outer support rod 302 that is sleeved onto the outer side of the inner support rod 301. The inner support rod 301 is arranged vertically, and the lower end of the inner support rod 301 is spherical, matching the spherical hole of the fixing seat 102, thereby realizing a spherical hinge connection between the inner support rod 301 and the fixing seat 102. The upper end of the inner support rod 301 is provided with an elastic, pressable first adjustment button 303 for adjusting the sleeve length of the inner support rod 301 and the outer support rod 302. The outer support rod 302 is a hollow cylindrical structure, coaxially sleeved onto the upper end of the inner support rod 301, and the outer support rod 302 is provided with a group of through holes corresponding to the first adjustment button 303 along the axial direction. By adjusting the first adjustment button 303 to engage with different through holes on the outer support rod 302, the two can be telescopically adjusted to meet the wearing needs of people of different heights. The upper end of the outer support rod 302 is horizontally turned outward, and the end of the turned-out portion is provided with a joint 304 for hinged connection with the housing of the power assist device 400 .

[0052] A retaining ring 304 is provided at the upper end of the outer support rod 302, near its outward-turned portion. This ring is used to elastically retain the outer end of the outer support rod 302 through an elastic band 306, thereby restricting the back support assembly 300 from moving out of its effective range of motion. One end of the elastic band 306 is secured to the shoulder wrap 201, located near the outer edge of the shoulder area of ​​the shoulder wrap 201. The other end of the elastic band 306 passes through a retaining ring 305 and is secured to the fixed end of the elastic band 306 via a Velcro fastener, thereby retaining the outer support rod 302 within the elastic loop formed by the elastic band 306.

[0053] See also Figure 4-9 The two power-assisting devices 400 are symmetrically mounted on the upper ends of the two back support assemblies 300, located on the wearer's shoulders. The power-assisting devices 400 include a housing, a first rotating shaft 401, a second rotating shaft 402, a spiral spring 403, a ratchet 404, a pawl 405, and a support arm 406.

[0054] The shell is used to accommodate and install other components of the power assist device 400, and the shell includes a shell body 410 and a shell cover 411 covering the open end of the shell body 410. The first rotating shaft 401 and the second rotating shaft 402 are parallel, both vertically pass through the shell cover 411, and are rotatably connected to the shell cover 411. The main parts of the first rotating shaft 401 and the second rotating shaft 402 are both located inside the shell, with only one end exposed to the shell cover 411. The inner wall of the shell body 410 facing the shell cover 411 is provided with a first rotating shaft support sleeve 412 and a second rotating shaft support sleeve 413, which are respectively used to rotatably support the first rotating shaft 401 and the second rotating shaft 402. A double ear piece 433 is provided on the outside of the shell body 410, which is used to be hinged to the joint 304 at the upper end of the outer support rod 302 through a pin.

[0055] The end of the first rotating shaft 401 exposed from the housing cover 411 is provided with a first straight-line protrusion 437 for rotating the first rotating shaft 401. To facilitate hand-operated rotation, a knob 421 is mounted externally to the first protrusion 437 and is fixedly connected to the first protrusion 437. The end of the second rotating shaft 402 exposed from the housing cover 411 is provided with a second straight-line protrusion 428 for anti-rotational connection to the support arm 406.

[0056] The spiral spring 403 has an S-shaped structure, with opposite rotational directions at both ends. It is sleeved onto the first rotating shaft 401 and the second rotating shaft 402. One end of the spiral spring 403 is coaxially fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft 401, while the other end is coaxially fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft 402. Specifically, each end of the spiral spring 403 has a planar mounting portion 407 for fixed connection to the first rotating shaft 401 and the second rotating shaft 402, respectively. Correspondingly, a first rotating shaft 401 is provided with a coil spring fixing groove 408 in the radial direction thereof, which matches the core mounting portion at one end of the coil spring 403. A second rotating shaft 402 is provided with a coil spring fixing groove 409 in the radial direction thereof, which matches the core mounting portion at the other end of the coil spring 403. The mounting portions 407 at both ends of the coil spring 403 are correspondingly inserted and fixed to the coil spring fixing groove 408 and the coil spring fixing groove 409 of the first rotating shaft, thereby achieving a fixed connection between the two rotating shafts at both ends of the coil spring 403. When the first rotating shaft 401 is rotated, the coil spring 403 can be tightened, thereby driving the second rotating shaft 402 to rotate. Furthermore, the pre-tightening force of the coil spring 403 provides support force for the support arm 406 fixedly mounted on the second rotating shaft 402.

[0057] The present invention uses a ratchet and pawl mechanism to prevent the spiral spring 403 from automatically loosening after being tightened, thereby limiting the preload force of the spiral spring 403 to the required force. The ratchet 404 is coaxially fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft 401. A rectangular raised shoulder 436 is provided on the outer diameter wall of the first rotating shaft 401, which is used to achieve key-fit anti-rotation fixation with the inner recess provided corresponding to the center hole of the ratchet 404. The ratchet 404 is located near the inner wall of the shell cover 411 and between the shell cover 411 and the spiral spring 403. The pawl 405 is rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the shell cover 411 via a pawl mounting shaft 416. It is located on one side of the ratchet 404 and is used to lock the ratchet 404 to prevent reverse rotation. A fixing column 414 is installed on the inner wall of the shell cover 411. The fixing column 414 is parallel to the pawl mounting shaft 416 and is used to install a spring 415 to pull the pawl 405. One end of the spring 415 is fixedly connected to the fixing post 415, and the other end is connected to the side wall of the pawl 404 facing the fixing post 414. A pawl connecting ring 434 is provided on the side wall of the pawl 404 facing the fixing post 414 for fixing with the spring 415.

[0058] A slide rod 417 is fixed to the side of the pawl 405 facing the housing cover 411. The slide rod 417 extends through the housing cover 411 and is provided with a corresponding waist-shaped hole 418 for the slide rod 417 to pass through. The slide rod 417 slides along the waist-shaped hole 418 away from the ratchet 404 to release the engagement between the pawl 405 and the ratchet 404. In this embodiment, the slide rod 417 is a T-shaped structure, with its rod portion extending through the waist-shaped hole 18 of the housing cover 411. The inner end of the rod portion is fixedly connected to the pawl 405, and the outer end of the rod portion is provided with a handle for easy sliding operation. By sliding the slide rod 417 to disengage the pawl 405 from the ratchet 404, the scroll spring 403 can be relaxed and returned to its original position.

[0059] The support arm 406 is retractable, with one end fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft 402 and the other end mounted to the arm support assembly 500. The support arm 406 converts the preload force of the spiral spring 403 into a supporting force that is transmitted to the arm support assembly 500. Specifically, the support arm 406 includes an inner support arm 422 and an outer support arm 423. One end of the inner support arm 422 is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft 402 for rotational protection, while the other end is adjustable and retractable to the outer support arm 423.

[0060] The connection between the inner support arm 422 and the second rotating shaft 402 is a fork-shaped structure, comprising an inner support plate 424 and an outer support plate 425 arranged in parallel. These plates are located on either side of the housing cover 411, clamping the housing cover 411 to the fork structure. They are then integrated into the housing cover 411 and connected to the other end of the inner support arm 422. The inner support plate 422 has a through hole 426 at its end that fits over the outer diameter of the second rotating shaft 402. The outer support plate 425 has a straight-line hole 427 at its end that securely engages with a straight-line second protrusion 428 on the outer end of the second rotating shaft 402 to prevent rotation. A retaining sleeve 420 is fixed to the outer end of the second protrusion 428 for protection. Correspondingly, a notch 432 is provided at the position of the housing 410 corresponding to the installation position of the inner support plate 424 to avoid the inner support plate 424, so that the inner support arm 422 can extend into the housing and ensure the rotation range of the inner support arm 422. A second elastically pressable adjustment button 429 is provided at the end of the inner support arm 422 away from the second rotating shaft 402. Correspondingly, a plurality of through holes matching the second adjustment button 429 are arranged in a line along the axial direction of the outer support arm 423. The end of the inner support arm 422 where the second adjustment button 429 is located is embedded in the outer support arm 423. By snapping the second adjustment button 429 into different through holes of the outer support arm 423, the inner and outer support arms 422 and 423 can be adjusted in telescopic manner to meet the requirements of wearers of different body shapes.

[0061] To limit the range of motion of the support arm 406 about the second rotation axis 402, two stop bars are provided on the inner wall of the housing cover 411: an upper stop bar 430 and a lower stop bar 431. These two stop bars are radially arranged along the second rotation axis 402, symmetrically located on either side of the plane containing the axis of the first and second rotation axes 401, 402, with an included angle of 140°. These stop bars restrict the rotation range of the inner support plate 424, allowing the support arm 406 to move within a range of 70°, either side. When the power assist device 400 is installed, the upper stop bar 430 is located above the plane containing the axis of the first and second rotation axes 401, 402, while the lower stop bar 431 is located below the plane containing the axis of the first and second rotation axes 401, 402.

[0062] When the inner support plate 424 rotates to the upper stop bar 430, the preload force of the scroll spring 403 reaches its maximum limit. This means that the forward rotation of the first rotating shaft 401 tightens the scroll spring 403, which in turn drives the reverse rotation of the second rotating shaft 402, raising the support arm 406 to the position defined by the upper stop bar 430. At this point, the support force of the support arm 406 is at its maximum. When the inner support plate 424 rotates to the lower stop bar 431, the scroll spring 403 is in a relaxed state. That is, after the sliding rod 417 releases the engagement between the pawl 405 and the ratchet 404, the scroll spring 403 relaxes, which in turn drives the second rotating shaft 402 forward, causing it to lower the support arm 406. At this point, the support arm 406 is in an inactive state. The two stop bars restrict the rotation range of the inner support plate 422, thereby limiting the support force range of the support arm 406.

[0063] Two sets of arm support assemblies 500 are symmetrically fixed to the ends of the support arms 406 on both sides. The arm support assemblies 500 are worn on the user's arms so that the arms are supported by the corresponding force of the support arms 406. The arm support assembly 500 includes an arm support plate 501, an arm strap 502 and a sponge pad 503. The arm support plate 501 is a fan-shaped plate made of alloy material and is fixedly connected to the end of the outer support arm 423 away from the inner support arm 422. Specifically, a fixing piece 435 is welded to the inner side of the outer end of the outer support arm 423, and a hard sponge pad 503 is provided on the inner side of the arm support plate 501. Screws 504 pass through the sponge pad 503, the arm support plate 501 and the fixing piece 435 from the inside to the outside to fix them. The sponge pad 503 can reduce the squeezing force on the wearer's upper arm and improve the wearing comfort. One end of the arm strap 502 is secured to one side of the arm support plate 501 along the fan-shaped circumference. The other end, after being wrapped around the wearer's arm, is bonded to the outer surface of the fixed end of the arm strap 502 via a Velcro fastener. The arm strap 502 secures the arm support plate 501 to the wearer's arm. The Velcro fastener is a universal nylon hook and nylon velvet fastener. The nylon hook fastener is secured to the fixed end of the arm strap 502, while the nylon velvet fastener is secured to the flexible end of the arm strap 502 for wrapping. Velcro fasteners, also known as hook and loop fasteners, are easy to wear and provide a secure fit.

[0064] The exoskeleton prosthesis of the present invention can be switched between the use state and the non-use state by adjusting the knob 421 and the slide bar 417. The wearer can adjust the power of the power-assisting devices 400 on both sides according to the power-assisting requirements of each arm.

[0065] When assistance is needed, the knob 421 is rotated clockwise, causing the first rotating shaft 401 to rotate clockwise, which in turn causes one end of the scroll spring 403 fixed to the first rotating shaft 401 to contract. This in turn causes the other end of the scroll spring 403 to contract, which in turn causes the second rotating shaft 402 to rotate counterclockwise. Because the support arm 406 is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft 402 for anti-rotation, the counterclockwise rotation of the second rotating shaft 402 causes the support arm 406 to rotate counterclockwise and upward. At this time, the preload force of the tightened scroll spring 403 is converted into the support force of the support arm 406, which supports the arm support assembly 500 and thus the wearer's arm. When the first rotating shaft 401 rotates clockwise, the ratchet 404 rotates accordingly, and the pawl 405 does not lock the ratchet 404 when the ratchet 404 rotates clockwise. When the knob 421 is rotated clockwise to the desired support force, it stops rotating. At this point, under the action of the spring 415, the pawl 405 engages with the ratchet 404, locking the pawl 405 from rotating counterclockwise. The power-assisted exoskeleton prosthesis is now in the desired support force operating state. The higher the support arm 406 is raised by rotating the knob 421 clockwise, the greater the power-assisted force. The maximum power-assisted force is limited by the upper stop bar 430. When the inner support plate 424 rotates to the upper stop bar 430, the maximum support force is achieved. In this embodiment, every 20° rotation of the knob 421 causes the pawl 405 to engage with the next tooth on the ratchet 404.

[0066] When the power assist needs to be released, first turn the knob 421 clockwise so that the pawl 405 is between the two teeth of the ratchet 404 (rotate between 5-20°), and at the same time move the slide bar 417 upward to put the pawl 405 and the ratchet 404 in a non-engaged state, then release the knob 421, and the S-shaped spiral spring 403 automatically returns to a completely relaxed state. At this time, the support arm 406 falls to the limit of the lower stop bar 431, and the exoskeleton prosthesis returns to a non-working state.

[0067] In order to prevent the support arm 406 from rotating at an excessive angle and causing damage to the upper limbs, the present invention limits the rotation range of the support arm 406 to 70° above and below the plane where the axis lines of the first rotating shaft 401 and the second rotating shaft 402 are located through upper and lower stop bars. During operation, the support arm 406 provides assistance to the wearer's arm and ensures that the wearer's arm can move freely within a comfortable range.

[0068] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis, characterized by: It includes a waist support assembly worn on the waist, a shoulder support assembly worn on the shoulders and connected to the waist support assembly through a strap, two back support assemblies symmetrically arranged on both sides of the back and connecting the waist support assembly and the shoulder support assembly, two power-assisting devices symmetrically installed on the upper ends of the back support assemblies on both sides, and two arm support assemblies symmetrically worn on both arms and connected to the support arms of the power-assisting devices; wherein, The lumbar support assembly includes a lumbar support plate located at the rear lumbar region, and two fixing seats are provided on both sides of the lumbar support plate in a horizontally symmetrical manner relative to the center thereof for supporting the back support assembly; The back support assembly is an L-shaped telescopic rod, which is vertically arranged as a whole, with its lower end hinged to the spherical surface of the fixed seat, its upper end turned horizontally outward, and the end of the upper end is hinged to the housing of the power-assisting device; the back support assembly is elastically limitedly connected to the shoulder support assembly near the upper end; The power assist device includes a housing, in which a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft are mounted for parallel rotation; an S-shaped scroll spring is sleeved on the two rotating shafts, a core portion of one end of the S-shaped scroll spring is coaxially fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft, and a core portion of the other end of the S-shaped scroll spring is coaxially fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft; a ratchet is coaxially fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft; a pawl is mounted on the inner wall of the housing, located on one side of the ratchet, and is used to engage with the ratchet; a support arm is retractable, one end of which is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft, and the other end of the arm support assembly is mounted; one end of the first rotating shaft passes through the side wall of the housing and is exposed outside the housing, and its exposed end is used for rotating to adjust the preload force of the scroll spring, thereby adjusting the supporting force of the support arm; The shoulder support assembly includes a shoulder wrap, a front strap, and a rear strap. The shoulder wrap is an integral double-shoulder strap structure that covers the wearer's back, shoulders, and chest. The lower end of the shoulder wrap located in the back area is connected to the middle outer wall of the waist support plate through the rear strap, and the lower ends of the shoulder wrap located in the chest area on both sides are connected to the inner walls of the corresponding sides of the waist support plate through the front straps. The front straps and the rear straps are both provided with adjustment buckles for adjusting the adaptive length. The back support assembly includes an inner support rod and an outer support rod; the inner support rod is vertically arranged, and its lower end is spherical and hinged to the spherical surface of the fixing seat; the upper end of the inner support rod is provided with a first elastically pressable adjustment button; the outer support rod is coaxially sleeved on the upper end of the inner support rod, and the outer support rod is provided with a group of through holes matching the first adjustment button, and the first adjustment button is adjusted to engage with different through holes of the outer support rod for telescopic adjustment of the two; the upper end of the outer support rod is horizontally turned outward, and the end thereof is provided with a joint for hinged connection with the housing of the power assist device; The arm support assembly includes an arm support plate and an arm strap. The arm support plate is a fan-shaped plate, which is fixedly connected to one end of the outer support arm away from the inner support arm; one end of the arm strap is fixedly connected to one side of the arm support plate along the fan-shaped circumference, and the other end is wrapped around the wearer's arm and bonded to the fixed end of the arm strap through Velcro, so as to fix the arm support plate to the wearer's arm.

2. The wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core parts at both ends of the spiral spring are provided with a mounting part with a planar structure, which is used to be fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft respectively; the radial direction of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are provided with a coil spring fixing groove that matches the corresponding coil spring core mounting part, and the mounting part is inserted and fixed in the corresponding coil spring fixing groove.

3. The wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell includes a shell body and a shell cover covering the open end of the shell body; the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft both vertically pass through the shell cover and are rotatably connected to the shell cover; the inner wall of the shell body is provided with a first rotating shaft support sleeve and a second rotating shaft support sleeve, which are respectively used to rotatably support the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft.

4. The wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ratchet is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft for anti-rotation, and the ratchet is close to the inner wall of the shell cover and is located between the shell cover and the spiral spring; the pawl is rotatably installed on the inner wall of the shell cover, and a fixing column is installed on the inner wall of the shell cover on one side of the pawl, one end of the spring is connected to the fixing column, and the other end is connected to the side wall of the pawl facing the fixing column, and the spring is used to elastically restrain the pawl; a sliding rod is fixed to the side of the pawl facing the shell cover, and the sliding rod passes through the shell cover, and a waist-shaped hole for the sliding rod to pass through is correspondingly provided on the shell cover, and the sliding rod slides along the waist-shaped hole to release the engagement state between the pawl and the ratchet.

5. The wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support arm includes an inner support arm and an outer support arm; one end of the inner support arm is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft for anti-rotation, and the other end thereof is adjustable and telescopically connected to the outer support arm; One end of the inner support arm is a fork-shaped structure, including an inner support plate and an outer support plate arranged in parallel, the inner support plate and the outer support plate are located on the inner and outer sides of the shell cover, the end of the inner support plate is provided with a through hole sleeved on the outer diameter of the second rotating shaft, and the end of the outer support plate is provided with a straight-line strip hole and the straight-line second protrusion on the outer end of the second rotating shaft is fixedly sleeved for anti-rotation; The inner support arm is provided with an elastically pressable second adjustment button at one end away from the second rotating shaft, and the outer support arm is provided with multiple through holes matching the second adjustment button arranged in a line along the axial direction. The end where the second adjustment button of the inner support arm is located is embedded in the outer support arm, and the second adjustment button is connected to different through holes of the outer support arm for telescopic adjustment of the inner and outer support arms.

6. The wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inner wall of the shell cover is provided with two stop strips, which are arranged radially along the second rotating shaft and symmetrically located on both sides of the surface where the axis lines of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are located, and the angle between the two is 140°; the two stop strips are used to limit the rotation range of the inner support plate, thereby limiting the support force adjustment range of the support arm.

7. The wearable passive upper limb power-assisting exoskeleton prosthesis according to claim 1, characterized in that: A limiting ring is provided at the upper end of the outer support rod, and one end of the elastic strap is fixed to the shoulder wrap and is located at the outer edge of the back area close to the shoulder. The other end of the elastic strap passes through the limiting ring and is fixed to the fixed end of the elastic strap by Velcro, which is used to elastically limit the outer support rod within the elastic loop formed by the elastic strap.

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