Elastic upper arm exoskeleton

Abstract

The invention discloses an elastic upper arm exoskeleton which comprises a carrying glove used for bearing gravity when an object is carried; the first end of the traction belt is connected with the carrying glove; the shoulder strap grooves are suitable for being placed on the left shoulder and the right shoulder of a user to bear the weight of the whole exoskeleton; the second end of the traction belt penetrates through the shoulder belt groove and then is connected with the damping assistance mechanism; the damping power-assisted mechanism comprises a fixing plate which is fixedly connected with the first end of the shoulder strap groove; the energy storage seat is arranged on the outer side of the fixing plate, and a transverse cylindrical energy storage cavity is formed in the energy storage seat; the transmission shaft is rotatably arranged on the energy storage seat; the elastic energy storage assembly is arranged between the transmission shaft and the energy storage cavity; the transmission wheel is mounted on the transmission shaft, and the second end of the traction belt is wound on the transmission wheel. Extra strength and support can be provided for a user when the user carries an object, the strength of the upper limbs of the user is enhanced, the labor intensity is relieved, the body injury of the user is relieved, and the working efficiency and safety are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wearable devices, and in particular to an elastic upper arm exoskeleton that can enhance and assist the movement and functionality of a human upper limb. Background Art

[0002] Existing heavy manual laborers often suffer from fatigue and physical discomfort due to long-term physical exertion and repetitive movements. Long-term employment in this profession is prone to various health problems, and as workers age, their physical functions decline, increasing the difficulty and pressure of work. As a result, the new generation of young people are unwilling to engage in physical labor or work that damages their bodies, resulting in a gradual loss of manual laborers in the growing economy.

[0003] Since the last century, exoskeleton robots have been exploratory research. Initially, they were developed to solve military tasks, improve the mobility of individual soldiers in combat, and provide medical assistance to disabled people to improve their living standards. In order to improve the current situation of heavy manual laborers, ensure their health, alleviate physical injuries, and improve their load-bearing capacity, control and flexibility, people began to study exoskeleton-assisted human movement. After years of development, major universities and research institutions at home and abroad have increasingly developed exoskeleton technology. In order to realize the intelligent development of my country, my country has also invested heavily in this industry, developed and improved key technologies, and realized human-machine integration. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides an elastic upper arm exoskeleton that can enhance and assist the movement and functionality of the upper limbs of the human body, aiming to help improve the working conditions and health of heavy manual workers.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] An elastic upper arm exoskeleton, comprising: two carrying gloves, used to bear gravity when carrying objects; two traction belts, each of which is connected to the carrying gloves at a first end; two shoulder strap slots, which are suitable for being placed on the left and right shoulders of a user to bear the weight of the entire exoskeleton; a damping assist mechanism, wherein the second ends of the two traction belts are connected to the damping assist mechanism after passing through the two shoulder strap slots respectively, and the damping assist mechanism is used for power storage / release and provides assistance to the user when carrying objects through the two traction belts;

[0007] The damping assist mechanism includes: a fixing plate, the inner side of which is suitable for fitting the user's back, and the fixing plate is fastened to the first ends of the two shoulder strap grooves; an energy storage seat, which is arranged on the outer side of the fixing plate, and has a transverse cylindrical energy storage cavity; a transmission shaft, which is rotatably arranged on the energy storage seat and is coaxial with the energy storage cavity; an elastic energy storage component, which is arranged between the transmission shaft and the energy storage cavity and is used for power storage / release; a transmission wheel, wherein the two transmission wheels are respectively mounted at both ends of the transmission shaft, and the second ends of the two traction belts are respectively wound around the two transmission wheels.

[0008] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton, preferably, the damping assist mechanism also includes a flange, the two flanges are respectively fixed at the two ends of the energy storage cavity to close the ends of the energy storage cavity, and an inner hole is opened in the middle of the flange, a bearing is embedded in the inner hole, the two ends of the transmission shaft respectively pass through the two bearings and are tightly connected thereto, thereby rotatably supporting the transmission shaft on the energy storage seat.

[0009] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton, preferably, the elastic energy storage component includes: a spring, a plurality of the springs are installed side by side on the transmission shaft located in the energy storage cavity, and the inner ring of the spring contains a spring hook, which can be embedded in the groove of the transmission shaft for positioning, and the outer ring of the spring also has a spring hook, which can be embedded in the side groove of the energy storage cavity for limiting and fixing; an isolation block, a plurality of the isolation blocks are embedded between two adjacent springs and sleeved on the transmission shaft.

[0010] In the elastic upper arm exoskeleton, preferably, a carrying glove pad is fixedly connected to the outer side of the carrying glove.

[0011] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton preferably has finger wearing buckles fixed on the outside of the carrying glove liner.

[0012] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton is preferably provided with an anti-gravity shoulder strap at the lower part of the shoulder strap slot, and the anti-gravity shoulder strap is composed of a 3D airbag array, and the airbags are connected by small channels.

[0013] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton is preferably provided with an adjusting buckle suitable for adjusting the length of the traction belt on the traction belt near the carrying glove.

[0014] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton is preferably provided with a shielding cover outside the damping assist mechanism, and the shielding cover is fastened to the fixing plate.

[0015] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton preferably has two strip-shaped through holes on the upper part of the shielding cover for the traction belt to pass through, and a first limiting shaft assembly is arranged on the upper part of each of the through holes, and a second limiting shaft assembly is arranged on the fixed plate located above the first limiting shaft assembly, and the first limiting shaft assembly and the second limiting shaft assembly are both composed of a first shaft seat and two first limiting shafts, and the first shaft seats are respectively fastened to the shielding cover and the fixed plate, and the two first limiting shafts are installed on the first shaft seat, and a gap is left between the two first limiting shafts for the traction belt to pass through.

[0016] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton is preferably provided with the third limiting shaft assembly at the second end of the shoulder strap groove, the third limiting shaft assembly is composed of a third shaft seat and a third limiting shaft, the third shaft seat is fastened to the second end of the shoulder strap groove, the third limiting shaft is installed on the third shaft seat, and a gap is left between the third limiting shaft and the shoulder strap groove for the traction belt to pass through, the second end of the traction belt passes through the third limiting assembly, the second limiting shaft assembly, the first limiting shaft assembly and the through hole in sequence, and then is wound around the transmission wheel.

[0017] The present invention adopts the above technical solution, which has the following advantages:

[0018] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton provided by the present invention can be used to assist heavy physical labor and carry heavy objects. It can provide additional strength and support for the user, enhance the user's upper limb strength, reduce labor intensity, alleviate the user's physical injuries, improve work efficiency and safety, and provide the user with a better quality of life and work effectiveness. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same components. In the accompanying drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the dorsal structure of an elastic upper arm exoskeleton provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 An exploded diagram of a damping assist mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the front and side structures of an elastic upper arm exoskeleton provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] The reference numerals in the figures are as follows:

[0024] 1-carrying gloves; 2-traction belt; 3-shoulder belt groove; 4-fixing plate; 5-energy storage seat; 6-transmission shaft; 7-elastic energy storage assembly; 8-transmission wheel; 9-flange; 10-bearing; 11-carrying gloves pad; 12-finger wearing buckle; 13-anti-gravity shoulder strap; 14-adjusting buckle; 15-shielding cover; 16-through hole; 17-first limit shaft assembly; 18-second limit shaft assembly; 19-third limit shaft assembly;

[0025] 71-spring; 72-isolating block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of 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.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the system or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc., are used to define components, only for the convenience of distinguishing the above components, and unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meanings and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "setting", and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0029] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton provided by the present invention includes: a carrying glove, which is used to bear gravity when carrying an object; a traction belt, whose first end is connected to the carrying glove; a shoulder belt slot, which is suitable for being placed on the left and right shoulders of the user to bear the weight of the entire exoskeleton; a damping assist mechanism, and the second end of the traction belt is connected to the damping assist mechanism after passing through the shoulder belt slot; the damping assist mechanism includes: a fixed plate, which is fastened to the first end of the shoulder belt slot; an energy storage seat, which is arranged on the outside of the fixed plate, and the energy storage seat has a horizontal cylindrical energy storage cavity; a transmission shaft, which is rotatably arranged on the energy storage seat; an elastic energy storage component, which is arranged between the transmission shaft and the energy storage cavity; a transmission wheel, which is installed on the transmission shaft, and the second end of the traction belt is wound around the transmission wheel. The present invention can provide additional strength and support for the user when carrying an object, enhance the user's upper limb strength, reduce labor intensity, alleviate the user's physical injury, and improve work efficiency and safety.

[0030] The elastic upper arm exoskeleton provided by the embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] See also Figure 1 The elastic upper arm exoskeleton provided in this embodiment includes: two carrying gloves 1, which are used to bear gravity when carrying objects, and the shape of the carrying gloves 1 can be replaced according to the shapes of different objects to improve practicality; two traction belts 2, and the first end of each traction belt 2 is connected to the carrying glove 1; two shoulder strap grooves 3, which are suitable for being placed on the left and right shoulders of the user to bear the weight of the entire exoskeleton; a damping assist mechanism, the second ends of the two traction belts 2 respectively pass through the two shoulder strap grooves 3 and are connected to the damping assist mechanism, the damping assist mechanism is used for power storage / release, and provides assistance to the user when carrying objects through the two traction belts 2.

[0032] See also Figure 2 The damping assist mechanism includes: a fixing plate 4, the inner side of which is suitable for fitting the back of the user, and the fixing plate 4 is fastened to the first ends of the two shoulder strap grooves 3; an energy storage seat 5, which is arranged on the outer side of the fixing plate 4, and has a horizontal cylindrical energy storage cavity on the energy storage seat 5; a transmission shaft 6, which is rotatably arranged on the energy storage seat 5 and is coaxial with the energy storage cavity; an elastic energy storage component 7, which is arranged between the transmission shaft 6 and the energy storage cavity for power storage / release; a transmission wheel 8, two transmission wheels 8 are respectively installed at both ends of the transmission shaft 6, and the second ends of the two traction belts 2 are respectively wound around the two transmission wheels 8.

[0033] When the elastic upper arm exoskeleton provided by the present invention is in use, the user first wears the exoskeleton on the body through the shoulder strap slot 3, and then holds the carrying gloves 1 to fix it to the object to be carried. The weight of the object is transmitted to the two traction belts 2 through the two carrying gloves 1, and further transmitted to the two transmission wheels 8 and the transmission shaft 6 through the two traction belts 2 to rotate them. At this time, the elastic energy storage component 7 releases the reaction torque to resist the rotation tendency of the transmission shaft 6, thereby providing assistance for carrying the object.

[0034] In the above embodiment, preferably, please continue to refer to Figure 2 The damping assist mechanism also includes a flange 9, and the two flanges 9 are respectively fixed at the two ends of the energy storage cavity to close the ends of the energy storage cavity, and an inner hole is opened in the middle of the flange 9, and a bearing 10 is embedded in the inner hole. The two ends of the transmission shaft 6 pass through the two bearings 10 and are tightly connected thereto, thereby rotatably supporting the transmission shaft 6 on the energy storage seat 5.

[0035] In the above embodiment, preferably, the elastic energy storage component 7 includes: a spring 71, a plurality of springs 71 are installed side by side on the transmission shaft 6 located in the energy storage cavity, and the inner circle of the spring 71 contains a spring hook, which can be embedded in the groove of the transmission shaft 6 for positioning, and the outer circle of the spring 71 also has a spring hook, which can be embedded in the side groove of the energy storage cavity for limiting and fixing; an isolation block 72, a plurality of isolation blocks 72 and embedded between two adjacent springs 71 and sleeved on the transmission shaft 6. Through the above arrangement, when the carrying glove 1 carries an object, the traction belt 2 drives the transmission wheel 8 to rotate, and the transmission wheel 8 further drives the transmission shaft 6 to rotate. At this time, the spring 71 is compressed and deformed to store internal force. When the spring 71 is compressed to a certain extent, the reaction torque can be released to resist the rotation trend of the transmission shaft 6, thereby providing assistance for carrying objects. Further, the form of the spring 71 can be different types such as torsion springs and worm springs, and is selected according to the output torque requirements. In this embodiment, the worm spring is selected for installation according to the calculation results.

[0036] In the above embodiments, preferably, please refer to Figure 1 The outer side of the handling glove 1 is fixedly connected with a handling glove liner 11. Through the above arrangement, the handling glove liner 11 can isolate the contact between the palm skin and the handling glove 1 to prevent the palm from being cut or bruised by the handling glove.

[0037] In the above embodiments, preferably, please refer to Figure 3 A finger wearing buckle 12 is fixed on the outside of the carrying glove liner 11. Through the above arrangement, when the user is carrying an object, the fingers of both hands can be inserted into the finger wearing buckle 12 to fix the finger position and prevent the palm from sliding sideways.

[0038] In the above embodiment, preferably, an anti-gravity shoulder strap 13 is installed at the lower part of the shoulder strap slot 3, and the anti-gravity shoulder strap 13 is composed of a 3D airbag array, and the airbags are connected by small channels. Through the above arrangement, the anti-gravity shoulder straps 13 on both sides can contact the user's shoulders to set off the downward pressure of the shoulders to reduce the uneven force damage. When the airbags are in a stressed state, the airflow flows mutually to produce uniform force, sharing the pressure in terms of area, and there are gaps between the airbags to have a ventilation effect.

[0039] In the above embodiments, preferably, please refer to Figure 3 An adjusting buckle 14 suitable for adjusting the length of the traction belt 2 is provided on the traction belt near the carrying glove 1. Through the above arrangement, the adjusting buckle 14 can be fixed at different adjustment positions according to the length required by the user, thereby adjusting the traction belt 2 to a suitable length.

[0040] In the above embodiments, preferably, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 A shielding cover 15 is arranged outside the damping assist mechanism, and the shielding cover 15 is fastened to the fixing plate 4. Through the above arrangement, the damping assist mechanism can be hidden inside the shielding cover 15 to protect the damping assist mechanism.

[0041] In the above embodiments, preferably, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 Two strip-shaped through holes 16 suitable for the traction belt 2 to pass through are opened on the upper part of the shielding cover 15, and a first limiting shaft assembly 17 is arranged on the upper part of each through hole 16, and a second limiting shaft assembly 18 is arranged on the fixing plate 4 located above the first limiting shaft assembly 17, and a third limiting shaft assembly 19 is arranged at the second end of the shoulder belt groove 3. The first limiting shaft assembly 17 and the second limiting shaft assembly 18 are composed of a shaft seat and two limiting shafts, and the shaft seat is respectively fastened to the shielding cover 15 and the fixing plate 4, two limiting shafts are installed on the shaft seat, and a gap is left between the two limiting shafts for the traction belt 2 to pass through, the third limiting shaft assembly 19 is composed of a shaft seat and a limiting shaft, the shaft seat is fastened to the second end of the shoulder belt groove 3, the limiting shaft is installed on the shaft seat, and a gap is left between the limiting shaft and the shoulder belt groove 3 for the traction belt to pass through, and the second end of the traction belt 2 passes through the third limiting assembly 19, the second limiting shaft assembly 18, the first limiting shaft assembly 17 and the through hole 16 in sequence and then is wound around the transmission wheel 8. Through the above-mentioned settings, the traction belt 2 can be guided to pass through the path through the above-mentioned limiting shaft assemblies, which plays a role in guiding the traction belt 2 and limiting the swing of the traction belt 2.

[0042] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be included in the scope of the claims and specification of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An elastic upper arm exoskeleton, characterized in that: include: Carrying gloves, two in number, used to bear gravity when carrying objects; Two traction belts, each of which has a first end connected to the carrying glove; There are also two shoulder strap slots, which are suitable for being placed on the left and right shoulders of the user to bear the weight of the entire exoskeleton; A damping assist mechanism, wherein the second ends of the two traction belts are connected to the damping assist mechanism after respectively passing through the two shoulder belt slots, and the damping assist mechanism is used for power storage / release and provides assistance to the user when carrying objects through the two traction belts; The damping assist mechanism comprises: A fixing plate, the inner side of which is suitable for fitting the back of the user, and the fixing plate is fastened to the first ends of the two shoulder strap grooves; An energy storage seat is arranged on the outer side of the fixing plate, and the energy storage seat has a horizontally placed cylindrical energy storage cavity; A transmission shaft, rotatably disposed on the energy storage seat and coaxial with the energy storage cavity; An elastic energy storage component, disposed between the transmission shaft and the energy storage chamber, for storing / releasing power; Transmission wheels, the two transmission wheels are respectively installed at the two ends of the transmission shaft, and the second ends of the two traction belts are respectively wound around the two transmission wheels.

2. The elastic upper arm exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that: The damping assist mechanism also includes a flange, and the two flanges are respectively fixed at the two ends of the energy storage cavity to close the ends of the energy storage cavity, and an inner hole is opened in the middle of the flange, and a bearing is embedded in the inner hole. The two ends of the transmission shaft pass through the two bearings respectively and are tightly connected thereto, thereby rotatably supporting the transmission shaft on the energy storage seat.

3. The elastic upper arm exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic energy storage component comprises: Springs, a plurality of said springs are installed side by side on the said transmission shaft located in the said energy storage cavity, and the said spring inner ring contains a spring hook, which can be embedded in the groove of the said transmission shaft for positioning, and the said spring outer ring also has a spring hook, which can be embedded in the side groove of the said energy storage cavity for limiting and fixing; Isolation blocks, a plurality of the isolation blocks are embedded between two adjacent springs and sleeved on the transmission shaft.

4. The elastic upper arm exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that: A carrying glove liner is fixedly connected to the outer side of the carrying glove.

5. The elastic upper arm exoskeleton according to claim 4, characterized in that: Finger donning buckles are fixed to the outside of the carrying glove liner.

6. The elastic upper arm exoskeleton according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: An anti-gravity shoulder strap is installed at the lower part of the shoulder strap groove, and the anti-gravity shoulder strap is composed of a 3D airbag array, and the airbags are connected by small channels.

7. The elastic upper arm exoskeleton according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: An adjusting buckle suitable for adjusting the length of the traction belt is arranged on the traction belt close to the carrying glove.

8. The elastic upper arm exoskeleton according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A shielding cover is arranged outside the damping assist mechanism, and the shielding cover is fastened to the fixing plate.

9. The elastic upper arm exoskeleton according to claim 8, characterized in that: Two strip-shaped through holes suitable for the traction belt to pass through are opened on the upper part of the shielding cover, and a first limiting shaft assembly is arranged on the upper part of each of the through holes, and a second limiting shaft assembly is arranged on the fixed plate located above the first limiting shaft assembly, and the first limiting shaft assembly and the second limiting shaft assembly are both composed of a first shaft seat and two first limiting shafts, and the first shaft seats are respectively fastened to the shielding cover and the fixed plate, and the two first limiting shafts are installed on the first shaft seats, and a gap is left between the two first limiting shafts for the traction belt to pass through.

10. The elastic upper arm exoskeleton according to claim 9, characterized in that: The third limiting shaft assembly is arranged at the second end of the shoulder belt groove, and the third limiting shaft assembly consists of a third shaft seat and a third limiting shaft. The third shaft seat is fastened to the second end of the shoulder belt groove, and the third limiting shaft is installed on the third shaft seat. A gap is left between the third limiting shaft and the shoulder belt groove for the traction belt to pass through. The second end of the traction belt passes through the third limiting shaft assembly, the second limiting shaft assembly, the first limiting shaft assembly and the through hole in sequence and then is wound around the transmission wheel.

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