Finger exoskeleton mechanism and hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by elastic components

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of finger exoskeleton technology, and discloses a finger exoskeleton mechanism and a hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member. The finger exoskeleton mechanism includes: an elastic drive member disposed on a side close to the back of the hand and capable of retracting and bending; a plurality of connecting rods, one end of which forms a hand fixed pair with the finger joints or the palm, and the other end forms an elastic drive member fixed pair with the end of the elastic drive member and a compound motion pair with the non-end of the elastic drive member; wherein the elastic drive member has the following working states: a bending working state, in which when the elastic drive member is extended, the elastic drive member bends toward the palm of the hand; and an extending working state, in which when the elastic drive member is retracted, the elastic drive member extends away from the palm of the hand. The finger exoskeleton mechanism of the present invention can independently drive the bending of multiple finger joints, and has the advantages of good finger protection, strong hand size compatibility, and multiple degrees of freedom.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of finger exoskeletons, and in particular to a finger exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing aging of the population and the rise in limb injuries caused by work-related injuries and traffic accidents, the demand for hand rehabilitation is growing. Traditional hand rehabilitation therapy relies primarily on manual manipulation by physical therapists, but this method is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also difficult to ensure accurate and consistent treatment. Therefore, the development of a robotic device that can assist in hand rehabilitation and achieve automation and precision in the rehabilitation process has important clinical significance and application value.

[0003] Research on hand exoskeletons began in the early 1990s, initially applied to master-slave manipulation, such as controlling robotic hands during astronaut extravehicular activities. With the continuous advancement of technology, hand exoskeletons have gradually been applied to rehabilitation engineering, becoming an important auxiliary tool for hand rehabilitation.

[0004] Hand exoskeleton technology solutions are mainly divided into three categories: soft exoskeletons, soft-hard hybrid hand exoskeletons and hard hand exoskeletons.

[0005] Soft hand exoskeletons offer excellent flexibility, a compact structure, and a close fit to the hand. However, this close fit shortens the moment arms required to rotate the finger joints, resulting in a low ratio of joint torque to driving force. These are primarily categorized as wire-driven and pneumatic. Wire-driven exoskeletons can only provide tension, requiring either two drive motors or a single drive motor with an additional pulley for each joint. This results in complex wiring, poor hand size compatibility, and the need for custom fabrication. These exoskeletons are also heavier and more expensive to manufacture. Pneumatic exoskeletons offer better hand size compatibility than wire-driven exoskeletons, but they also offer a lower ratio of driving torque to driving force, resulting in weaker gripping force and poor servo control accuracy for position and velocity.

[0006] The soft-hard hybrid hand exoskeleton cannot independently control the movement of each finger joint. Compared with the physiological structure of the finger, this greatly reduces the flexibility of the finger, and the hand posture that can be controlled is limited, making many rehabilitation movements impossible. Because the driving force drives the distal phalanx of the finger, the ratio of the joint rotation torque to the driving force of each finger is low, resulting in a low grip force. More seriously, because the driving force has a large component in the direction perpendicular to the joint rotation axis, it puts great pressure on the three joints of the finger, which can easily cause joint damage. Secondly, the rigidity in the direction perpendicular to the joint rotation when the finger flexes and extends is high, which strictly restricts the opening and closing of the finger. At the same time, if the wearer is not aligned, it will cause discomfort to the patient.

[0007] Rigid hand exoskeletons, typically based on linkage mechanisms, have numerous, large, and heavy components. Furthermore, alignment of the kinematic pairs with the joints is difficult, which can easily lead to misalignment, causing discomfort and even joint damage. Hand size compatibility is poor, and changes in hand size between patients often require replacement of components. Furthermore, because finger joints have up to 21 degrees of freedom, rigid hand exoskeletons impose strict restrictions on all but the controlled degrees of freedom. This hinders hand rehabilitation training when patients have limited mobility within the restricted degrees of freedom. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the prior art and to provide a finger exoskeleton mechanism and a hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic component, wherein the finger exoskeleton mechanism has the advantages of better protection performance for fingers and stronger compatibility with hand size.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of the present invention provides a finger exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member, comprising: an elastic drive member, the elastic drive member being arranged on a side close to the back of the hand and capable of extension and contraction and flexion and extension; and a plurality of connecting rods, one end of the connecting rod forming a hand fixed pair with the finger joint and the palm, the other end of the connecting rod forming an elastic drive member fixed pair with the end of the elastic drive member, and the other end of the connecting rod forming a compound motion pair with the non-end of the elastic drive member, the compound motion pair being configured to cause the elastic drive member to perform flexion and extension motion; wherein the elastic drive member has the following working states:

[0010] In the bending working state, when the elastic driving member is extended, the elastic driving member bends toward the palm of the hand; and in the stretching working state, when the elastic driving member is retracted, the elastic driving member stretches away from the palm of the hand.

[0011] Through the above technical solution, the elastic drive member is sequentially connected to the finger joints (e.g., the distal finger joint, the middle finger joint, and the proximal finger joint) or the palm through the elastic drive member fixing pair, the connecting rod, and the hand fixing pair. The elastic drive member is bendable, rotatable, and retractable. It is loaded on the elastic drive member by mobile drive or manual drive to retract and retract, so that the elastic drive member has a bending motion working state and an extension motion working state. Specifically, when the elastic drive member is extended, the length of the elastic drive member between the two elastic drive member fixing pairs increases. Since the length of a human finger is fixed, the elastic drive member bends toward the palm to accommodate the increase in the length of the elastic drive member between the two elastic drive member fixing pairs, thereby driving the hand joint between the two elastic drive member fixing pairs to rotate toward the palm, causing the finger to bend. Similarly, when the elastic drive member is retracted, the elastic drive member rotates away from the palm to accommodate the decrease in the length of the elastic drive member between the two elastic drive member fixing pairs, thereby driving the finger to extend.

[0012] In the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention, the hand fixed pair is connected to the finger joints or palm, and does not need to be aligned with the finger joints, making it easy to wear; compared to aligning the hand fixed pair with the finger joints, it is relatively easy to align the hand fixed pair with the finger joints, and it is not easy to be misaligned during use, causing discomfort to the user or even damaging the finger joints; at the same time, it also makes the finger exoskeleton mechanism more compatible with different hand sizes. When the hand sizes of different users change, there is no need to customize or replace the components in the finger exoskeleton mechanism, saving economic costs. Moreover, as mentioned above, by extending the elastic drive member, the length of the curve between the two elastic drive member fixed pairs increases, thereby achieving finger bending. In this way, by increasing the length of the elastic drive member between different elastic drive member fixed pairs, different finger joints can be bent, thereby adapting to different rehabilitation treatment needs. On this basis, the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention can also achieve independent control of bending of different finger joints, thereby achieving more hand postures.

[0013] Furthermore, the finger exoskeleton mechanism of the present invention uses an elastic drive member to drive finger bending. If the movement driver applies excessive driving force to the elastic drive member, using a non-elastic drive member such as a steel cable, the excessive driving force will transfer significant force to the finger joints during the bending process, increasing the risk of joint injury. However, due to the elasticity of the elastic drive member itself, it can buffer some of the excessive driving force during bending, thereby protecting the finger joints.

[0014] In some embodiments, the hand fixation pair includes a first fixation pair formed by connecting the distal segment of the finger with the first connecting rod, a third fixation pair formed by connecting the middle segment of the finger with the second connecting rod, a fifth fixation pair formed by connecting the proximal segment of the finger with the third connecting rod, and a seventh fixation pair formed by connecting the palm with the fourth connecting rod.

[0015] In some embodiments, the elastic drive member fixing pair includes a second fixing pair, a fourth fixing pair, a sixth fixing pair and an eighth fixing pair formed by connecting the elastic drive member with the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod, the third connecting rod and the fourth connecting rod respectively.

[0016] In some embodiments, the elastic driving member includes a first elastic driving member whose end is connected to the first connecting rod to form the second fixed pair, a second elastic driving member whose end is connected to the second connecting rod to form the fourth fixed pair, and a third elastic driving member whose end is connected to the third connecting rod to form the sixth fixed pair.

[0017] In some embodiments, the compound motion pair includes a first compound motion pair formed by connecting the second connecting rod with the first elastic drive member, a second compound motion pair formed by connecting the third connecting rod with the first elastic drive member and the second elastic drive member, and a third compound motion pair formed by connecting the fourth connecting rod with the first elastic drive member, the second elastic drive member and the third elastic drive member.

[0018] In some embodiments, the finger exoskeleton mechanism further includes a mobile drive, which is loaded on the elastic drive member to cause the elastic drive member to perform telescopic movement.

[0019] In some embodiments, the movement drive includes a first movement drive loaded on the first elastic drive member, a second movement drive loaded on the second elastic drive member, and a third movement drive loaded on the third elastic drive member.

[0020] In some embodiments, the compound kinematic pair includes a translation and rotation compound kinematic pair, and the translation and rotation compound kinematic pair is configured to enable the elastic driving member to perform axial translation and flexion-extension motion.

[0021] In some embodiments, the compound motion pair includes a cylindrical and rotary compound motion pair, and the cylindrical and rotary compound motion pair is configured to enable the elastic drive member to perform axial movement, flexion and extension movement, and rotation around the central axis of the cylindrical and rotary compound motion pair.

[0022] In some embodiments, the elastic driving member is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0023] A second aspect of the present invention provides a hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member, comprising a plurality of the aforementioned finger exoskeleton mechanisms driven by the elastic member, wherein the plurality of finger exoskeleton mechanisms are correspondingly installed on different fingers.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in the subsequent detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member disclosed in the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in the present invention driving the proximal segment of the finger to bend and rotate around the palm;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in the present invention driving the proximal segment of the finger to bend and rotate around the palm;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in the present invention driving the proximal segment of the finger to bend and rotate around the palm;

[0029] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in the present invention, excluding the second elastic driving member, the third elastic driving member and related connecting parts;

[0030] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in the present invention, excluding the first elastic driving member, the third elastic driving member and related connecting parts;

[0031] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in the present invention excluding the first elastic driving member and related connecting parts;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in the present invention excluding the first elastic driving member, the second elastic driving member and related connecting parts.

[0033] Description of Reference Numerals

[0034] 1- distal segment of finger; 2- middle segment of finger; 3- proximal segment of finger; 4- palm; 5- first fixed pair; 6- first connecting rod; 7- second fixed pair; 8- first cylinder and rotation compound motion pair; 9- third fixed pair; 10- second connecting rod; 11- fourth fixed pair; 12- first rotation center; 13- fifth fixed pair; 14- third connecting rod; 15- sixth fixed pair; 16- second cylinder and rotation compound motion pair; 17- second rotation center; 18- seventh fixed pair; 19- fourth connecting rod; 20- eighth fixed pair; 21- third cylinder and rotation compound motion pair; 22- third rotation center; 23- first elastic drive component; 24- second elastic drive component; 25- third elastic drive component; 26- first mobile drive; 27- second mobile drive; 28- third mobile drive. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following describes the specific embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0036] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the directions or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "up, down, left, right, inside, outside, top, bottom" are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0037] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0038] In the present invention, descriptions with reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples and features of different embodiments or examples described in this specification without mutual contradiction.

[0039] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection, or communication; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0040] The first aspect of the present invention provides a finger exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member, referring to Figures 1-8 As shown, the finger exoskeleton mechanism includes: an elastic drive member disposed on a side close to the back of the hand and a plurality of connecting rods. The elastic drive member is retractable and bendable and rotatable. One end of the connecting rod forms a hand fixed pair with the finger joint and the palm, the other end of the connecting rod forms an elastic drive member fixed pair with the end of the elastic drive member, and the other end of the connecting rod forms a compound motion pair with the non-end of the elastic drive member. The compound motion pair is configured to cause the elastic drive member to perform flexion and extension motion, wherein the elastic drive member has the following working states:

[0041] In the bending motion working state, when the driving member drives the elastic driving member to extend, the elastic driving member bends toward the palm of the hand;

[0042] In the stretching motion working state, when the driving member drives the elastic driving member to retract, the elastic driving member stretches away from the palm of the hand.

[0043] In the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention, connecting rods form hand fixation pairs at the finger joints (e.g., distal, middle, and proximal finger joints) or the palm 4, eliminating the need for alignment with the finger joints, making it easier to wear. Compared to forming a fixed pair with the connecting rod aligned with the finger joints, aligning the connecting rod with the finger joints is relatively easy, reducing the probability of misalignment during use, improving user comfort, and avoiding damage to the finger joints. This also makes the finger exoskeleton mechanism more compatible with different hand sizes. When the hand sizes of different users change, there is no need to customize or replace components in the finger exoskeleton mechanism, saving costs. Furthermore, as previously mentioned, by extending the elastic drive member, the length of the curve between the two elastic drive member fixation pairs is increased, achieving finger bending. By increasing the length of the elastic drive member between different elastic drive member fixation pairs, different finger joints can be bent, thereby adapting to different rehabilitation treatment needs. Furthermore, the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention can also achieve independent control of bending of different finger joints, enabling a wider range of hand postures.

[0044] In some embodiments, the number of hand fixation pairs can be 3 or 4, corresponding to the number of finger joints and the palm. For example, when the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention is worn on the thumb, the number of hand fixation pairs, elastic drive member fixation pairs and connecting rods are all 3, respectively connected to the two finger joints of the thumb and the palm 4. In other embodiments, referring to Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, there are four hand fixation pairs, including the first fixation pair 5, the third fixation pair 9, and the seventh fixation pair 18. Generally speaking, the three knuckles of a finger are named as the distal knuckle 1, the middle knuckle 2, and the proximal knuckle 3, respectively, from the direction away from the palm 4 to the direction close to the palm 4. The three joints of a finger are named as the distal knuckle, the proximal knuckle, and the metacarpophalangeal joint, respectively, from the direction away from the palm 4 to the direction close to the palm 4. Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, one end of the first connecting rod 6 is connected to the distal segment 1 of the finger to form a first fixed pair 5, one end of the second connecting rod 10 is connected to the middle segment 2 of the finger to form a third fixed pair 9, one end of the third connecting rod 14 is connected to the proximal segment 3 of the finger to form a fifth fixed pair 13, and one end of the fourth connecting rod 19 is connected to the palm 4 to form a seventh fixed pair 18. Correspondingly, the other end of the first connecting rod 6 is connected to the elastic drive member to form a second fixed pair 7, the other end of the second connecting rod 10 is connected to the elastic drive member to form a fourth fixed pair 11, the other end of the third connecting rod 14 is connected to the elastic drive member to form a sixth fixed pair 15, and the other end of the fourth connecting rod 19 is connected to the elastic drive member to form an eighth fixed pair 20.

[0045] Of course, the specific number of hand fixation pairs, elastic drive component fixation pairs and connecting rods can be adjusted according to actual rehabilitation needs. For example, if only rehabilitation treatment of the metacarpophalangeal joint is required, the number of hand fixation pairs, elastic drive component fixation pairs and connecting rods is two, and the two connecting rods are respectively connected to the palm 4 and the proximal segment 3 of the finger.

[0046] In some embodiments, the finger exoskeleton mechanism further includes a mobile drive, which is loaded on the elastic drive member to cause the elastic drive member to perform telescopic movement. The number of elastic drive members and mobile drives can also be adjusted according to actual rehabilitation needs. The number of elastic drive members can be one or more, and the number of mobile drives can be one or more. In some embodiments, one mobile drive can be used to load and drive one or more elastic drive members to telescope, or one mobile drive can be used to load and drive one elastic drive member to telescope. For example, refer to Figure 5 、 Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the number of elastic driving components is 1, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the elastic driving member is a first elastic driving member 23 that is transmission-connected to the first moving drive 26. The end of the first elastic driving member 23 can form a second fixed pair 7 with the other end of the first connecting rod. Figure 6 As shown, the elastic driving member is a second elastic driving member 24 that is transmission-connected to the second moving drive 27. The end of the second elastic driving member 24 can form a fourth fixed pair 11 with the other end of the second connecting rod 10. Figure 8 As shown, the elastic driving member is a third elastic driving member 25 that is transmission-connected to the third mobile driving member 28. The end of the third elastic driving member 25 can form a sixth fixed pair 15 with the other end of the third connecting rod 14. The third mobile driving member 28 is loaded on the third elastic driving member 25, so that the third elastic driving member 25 is stretched, and the length of the curve between the eighth fixed pair 20 and the sixth fixed pair 15 is increased, so that the proximal segment 3 of the finger is bent around the metacarpophalangeal joint.

[0047] In some embodiments, reference Figure 7 As shown, the elastic driving member includes a second elastic driving member 24 that is transmission-connected to the second mobile drive 27 and a third elastic driving member 25 that is transmission-connected to the third mobile drive 28. The end of the second elastic driving member 24 and the other end of the second connecting rod 10 form a fourth fixed pair 11, and the non-end of the second elastic driving member 24 forms a compound motion pair at the other end of the third connecting rod 14 and the fourth connecting rod 19 respectively. The end of the third elastic driving member 25 and the other end of the third connecting rod 14 form a sixth fixed pair 15, and the non-end of the third elastic driving member 25 and the other end of the fourth connecting rod 19 form a compound motion pair.

[0048] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the elastic drive member includes a first elastic drive member 23, a second elastic drive member 24, and a third elastic drive member 25, which are respectively connected to the first movement drive 26, the second movement drive 27, and the third movement drive 28. The end of the first elastic drive member 23 forms a second fixed pair 7 with the other end of the first connecting rod 6, the end of the second elastic drive member 24 forms a fourth fixed pair 11 with the other end of the second connecting rod 10, and the end of the third elastic drive member 25 forms a sixth fixed pair 15 with the other end of the third connecting rod 14. The first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24, and the third elastic drive member 25 form a compound kinematic pair at the other end of the fourth connecting rod 19, the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24 form a compound kinematic pair at the other end of the third connecting rod 14, and the first elastic drive member 23 forms a compound kinematic pair at the other end of the second connecting rod 10.

[0049] In some embodiments, the compound kinematic pair includes a first compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the second connecting rod 10 with the first elastic driving member 23, a second compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the third connecting rod 14 with the first elastic driving member 23 and the second elastic driving member 24, and a third compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the fourth connecting rod 19 with the first elastic driving member 23, the second elastic driving member 24 and the third elastic driving member 25.

[0050] In some embodiments, the rotation of the elastic drive member through the compound kinematic pair may be a rotation about a rotation center and / or a rotation about a central axis of the elastic drive member.

[0051] In some embodiments, the compound kinematic pair includes a translation and rotation compound kinematic pair, and the elastic drive member is configured to be able to move axially and rotate about a rotation center through the translation and rotation compound kinematic pair, and the rotation center is located on the side closer to the back of the hand or the side closer to the palm. Preferably, the rotation center is located on the side closer to the back of the hand. In this way, when the drive member drives the elastic drive member to extend, the elastic drive member moves axially toward the distal segment 1 of the finger through the translation and rotation compound kinematic pair. At the same time, because the rotation center is located on the side closer to the back of the hand, the elastic drive member bends and rotates away from the back of the hand when it moves axially out of the translation and rotation compound kinematic pair, thereby preventing it from deforming toward the finger surface and damaging the finger, while also increasing the driving torque of the finger joint.

[0052] In some embodiments, the compound motion pair includes a cylindrical and rotational compound motion pair, and the elastic driving member is configured to be able to move axially and rotate through the cylindrical and rotational compound motion pair, and the rotation includes rotation around the rotation center and rotation around the central axis of the cylindrical and rotational compound motion pair, and the rotation center is located on the side close to the back of the hand or the side close to the palm.

[0053] The compound kinematic pair includes a first compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the second connecting rod 10 with the first elastic driving member 23, a second compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the third connecting rod 14 with the first elastic driving member 23 and the second elastic driving member 24, and a third compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the fourth connecting rod 19 with the first elastic driving member 23, the second elastic driving member 24 and the third elastic driving member 25.

[0054] Reference Figure 1-Figure 4As shown, the cylindrical-rotational composite kinematic pair includes a first cylindrical-rotational composite kinematic pair 8 formed by connecting the second connecting rod 10 with the first elastic drive member 23, a second cylindrical-rotational composite kinematic pair 16 formed by connecting the third connecting rod 14 with the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24, and a third cylindrical-rotational composite kinematic pair 21 formed by connecting the fourth connecting rod 19 with the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24, and the third elastic drive member 25. The first rotation center 12 of the first cylindrical-rotational composite kinematic pair 8, the second rotation center 17 of the second cylindrical-rotational composite kinematic pair 16, and the third rotation center 22 of the third cylindrical-rotational composite kinematic pair 21 are located near the back of the hand. One end of the first elastic drive member 23 is transmission-connected to the first movable drive 26, and the other end extends from the palm 4 toward the distal finger segment 1 to connect to the second fixed pair 7. One end of the second elastic drive member 24 is transmission-connected to the second movable drive 27, and the other end extends from the palm 4 toward the middle finger segment 2 to connect to the fourth fixed pair 11. One end of the third elastic driving member 25 is transmission-connected to the third moving drive 28 , and the other end extends from the palm 4 toward the proximal finger 3 and is connected to the sixth fixed pair 15 .

[0055] In some embodiments, the elastic driving component is made of polytetrafluoroethylene, which reduces the resistance to bending and rotation generated by the elastic driving component, thereby reducing the required driving torque. At the same time, the elastic driving component made of polytetrafluoroethylene makes the resulting finger exoskeleton light in weight and low in manufacturing cost.

[0056] It should be noted that the elastic driving component can bend and deform around the finger joint axis, such as bending and rotating toward or away from the palm of the hand, and can also deform around a direction perpendicular to the joint rotation direction, such as driving the fingers to open and close, that is, wearing the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention can allow a certain degree of opening and closing between the fingers of the hand.

[0057] The following describes in detail the specific process of driving the finger bending and stretching of the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0058] First, refer to Figure 2 As shown, the first mobile drive 26, the second mobile drive 27 and the third mobile drive 28 synchronously drive the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24 and the third elastic drive member 25 to extend respectively, so that the length of the curve between the third cylinder and the rotation compound motion pair 21 and the second cylinder and the rotation compound motion pair 16 increases, so that the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24 and the third elastic drive member 25 are deformed, bent and rotated toward the palm direction, and drive the proximal segment 3 of the finger to bend and rotate around the palm 4.

[0059] Next, refer to Figure 3As shown, the first mobile drive 26 and the second mobile drive 27 synchronously drive the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24 to extend, so that the length of the curve between the first cylinder and the rotation compound motion pair 8 and the second cylinder and the rotation compound motion pair 16 increases, so that the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24 are deformed, bent and rotated toward the palm direction, and drive the middle segment 2 of the finger to bend and rotate around the proximal segment 3 of the finger.

[0060] Then, refer to Figure 4 As shown, the first mobile drive 26 drives the first elastic drive member 23 to extend, thereby increasing the length of the curve between the first cylinder and rotation compound motion pair 8 and the second fixed pair 7, causing the first elastic drive member 23 to deform, bend and rotate toward the palm direction, and drive the distal segment 1 of the finger to bend and rotate around the middle segment 2 of the finger.

[0061] The finger extension process driven by the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention is opposite to the above-mentioned finger bending process. First, the first mobile drive 26, the second mobile drive 27 and the third mobile drive 28 synchronously drive the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24 and the third elastic drive member 25 to retract, so that the length of the curve between the third cylinder and the rotation compound motion pair 21 and the second cylinder and the rotation compound motion pair 16 is reduced, so that the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24 and the third elastic drive member 25 are deformed, bent and rotated away from the palm direction, and the proximal segment 3 of the finger is driven to extend and rotate around the palm 4.

[0062] Then, the first mobile drive 26 and the second mobile drive 27 synchronously drive the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24 to retract, so that the length of the curve between the first cylinder and the rotation compound motion pair 8 and the second cylinder and the rotation compound motion pair 16 is reduced, so that the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24 are deformed and bend away from the palm direction, driving the middle segment 2 of the finger to extend and rotate around the proximal segment 3 of the finger.

[0063] Then, the first mobile drive 26 drives the first elastic drive member 23 to retract, reducing the length of the curve between the first cylinder and rotation compound motion pair 8 and the second fixed pair 7, causing the first elastic drive member 23 to deform, bend and rotate away from the palm direction, and drive the distal segment 1 of the finger to stretch around the middle segment 2 of the finger.

[0064] The finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention can achieve any flexion and extension angles of the three joints of the finger by controlling the driving ratios and directions of the first movement drive 26, the second movement drive 27 and the third movement drive 28, thereby achieving any flexion and extension posture of the finger.

[0065] A second aspect of the present invention provides a hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member, comprising a plurality of the aforementioned elastic member-driven finger exoskeleton mechanisms, each of which is mounted on a corresponding finger. The number of finger exoskeleton mechanisms can be adjusted based on the patient's treatment needs. For example, there can be two finger exoskeleton mechanisms, each mounted on the patient's index and middle fingers, or there can be five finger exoskeleton mechanisms, each mounted on each of the patient's five fingers.

[0066] The finger exoskeleton mechanism and hand exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0067] (1) Realize multiple hand postures: The finger exoskeleton mechanism of the present invention has multiple degrees of freedom and can realize full bending of the three finger joints. The bending of each joint can be controlled independently with higher precision. Therefore, the hand exoskeleton composed of five finger exoskeleton mechanisms can realize more hand postures compared with the existing technology.

[0068] (2) Fewer driving components and simple control: The elastic driving component of the present invention is different from the wire drive in the prior art. When the finger flexes and extends, the driving law of the elastic driving component is the same, and the flexion and extension of one joint of the finger can be achieved by one driving component;

[0069] (3) No need to align finger joints when wearing: The finger joints of the present invention are completely connected by elastic driving components, so there is no requirement for alignment of the mechanism kinematic pairs and finger joints when wearing. Therefore, it is convenient and quick to wear, and will not cause the discomfort caused by joint dislocation in the prior art, or even damage to the fingers. At the same time, it allows a certain amount of finger opening and closing, which is more consistent with the physiological structure of the fingers, further improving the comfort of wearing and exercising;

[0070] (4) Fewer components, simple connections, light weight, and low cost: The mechanism of the present invention has fewer components, fewer connecting kinematic pairs, and the elastic driving components are made of polytetrafluoroethylene, which further reduces the mass of the obtained finger exoskeleton and reduces the manufacturing cost;

[0071] (5) The ratio of the generated torque to the driving force is high: the rotation center of the cylinder and the rotation compound kinematic pair is located above the back of the finger, so that the elastic driving member deforms away from the finger surface, avoiding deformation toward the finger surface and damaging the finger. At the same time, the driving torque of the finger joint is increased, thereby improving the gripping force of the hand exoskeleton composed of five finger exoskeletons;

[0072] (6) Multiple hand exoskeleton combinations: Different numbers of finger exoskeleton mechanisms can be selected to form a hand exoskeleton mechanism based on patient needs.

[0073] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the technical concept of the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention may be subjected to various simple modifications, including combining the specific technical features in any suitable manner. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not further describe various possible combinations. However, these simple modifications and combinations should also be regarded as disclosed in the present invention and fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A finger exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member, characterized in that: include: An elastic driving member, which is provided on a side close to the back of the hand and is capable of stretching and flexing; as well as, A plurality of connecting rods, one end of each connecting rod forms a hand fixed pair with the finger joint and the palm (4), the other end of each connecting rod forms an elastic driving member fixed pair with the end of each elastic driving member, and the other end of each connecting rod forms a composite motion pair with the non-end of each elastic driving member, wherein the composite motion pair is configured to cause the elastic driving member to perform flexion and extension motion; Wherein, the elastic driving member has the following working states: In a bending working state, when the elastic driving member is extended, the elastic driving member bends toward the palm of the hand; as well as, In the extended working state, when the elastic driving member is retracted, the elastic driving member extends away from the palm of the hand; The hand fixed pair comprises a first fixed pair (5) formed by connecting the distal segment of the finger (1) with the first connecting rod (6), a third fixed pair (9) formed by connecting the middle segment of the finger (2) with the second connecting rod (10), a fifth fixed pair (13) formed by connecting the proximal segment of the finger (3) with the third connecting rod (14), and a seventh fixed pair (18) formed by connecting the palm (4) with the fourth connecting rod (19); The elastic drive member fixing pair comprises a second fixing pair (7), a fourth fixing pair (11), a sixth fixing pair (15) and an eighth fixing pair (20) formed by connecting the elastic drive member with the first connecting rod (6), the second connecting rod (10), the third connecting rod (14) and the fourth connecting rod (19) respectively; The elastic driving member comprises a first elastic driving member (23) whose end is connected to the first connecting rod (6) to form the second fixed pair (7), a second elastic driving member (24) whose end is connected to the second connecting rod (10) to form the fourth fixed pair (11), and a third elastic driving member (25) whose end is connected to the third connecting rod (14) to form the sixth fixed pair (15).

2. The elastic member driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compound kinematic pair comprises a first compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the second connecting rod (10) with the first elastic drive member (23), a second compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the third connecting rod (14) with the first elastic drive member (23) and the second elastic drive member (24), and a third compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the fourth connecting rod (19) with the first elastic drive member (23), the second elastic drive member (24) and the third elastic drive member (25).

3. The elastic member driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The finger exoskeleton mechanism further includes a mobile drive, which is loaded on the elastic drive member to enable the elastic drive member to perform telescopic movement.

4. The elastic member driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The movement drive includes a first movement drive (26) loaded on the first elastic drive member (23), a second movement drive (27) loaded on the second elastic drive member (24), and a third movement drive (28) loaded on the third elastic drive member (25).

5. The elastic member driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compound motion pair includes a translation and rotation compound motion pair, and the translation and rotation compound motion pair is configured to enable the elastic driving member to perform axial movement and flexion-extension movement.

6. The elastic member driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compound motion pair includes a cylindrical and rotating compound motion pair, and the cylindrical and rotating compound motion pair is configured to enable the elastic driving member to perform axial movement, bending and extension movement, and rotation around the central axis of the cylindrical and rotating compound motion pair.

7. The elastic member driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The elastic driving component is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

8. A hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member, characterized in that: It comprises a plurality of finger exoskeleton mechanisms driven by elastic components according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the plurality of finger exoskeleton mechanisms are correspondingly installed on different fingers.

Images