A hybrid drive-type hand function rehabilitation device

Abstract

This invention provides a hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device, comprising: a support plate, a glove, five finger bending components, and a pneumatic actuator; the palm portion of the glove is connected to one side of the support plate; the five finger bending components are disposed on the side of the support plate opposite to the glove, with one end of the five finger bending components near the palm portion of the glove connected to the support plate, and the other end of the five finger bending components near the finger portion of the glove connected to the glove; the pneumatic actuator controls the inflation and deflation of the finger bending components; the finger bending components include a delay control structure and at least two connected pneumatic bending components; the two pneumatic bending components are arranged along their length and have the same bending direction; the delay control structure controls each pneumatic bending component to inflate and bend sequentially from the base of the finger to the fingertip. This invention can simulate the bending sequence of normal human fingers, solving the problem of no time lag in the bending process of current bionic fingers, and achieving a more precise rehabilitation treatment effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rehabilitation device technology, and in particular to a hybrid drive type hand function rehabilitation device. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing aging population, the number of patients with upper limb dysfunction caused by stroke and other diseases is constantly increasing, leading to a growing demand for hand function rehabilitation and driving the rapid development of rehabilitation technology. Traditional hand rehabilitation systems mostly use mechanical and electric drives, which suffer from problems such as bulky structure and poor comfort. In recent years, with the development of flexible materials and intelligent control technology, hybrid-driven flexible rehabilitation hand function technology has become an emerging research hotspot. Hybrid drive technology combines flexible actuators with electric motors or pneumatic drives, providing sufficient power and precise control while ensuring the comfort of the rehabilitation hand, to adapt to different rehabilitation needs. For example, patent document CN115463006A describes a flexible rehabilitation glove based on a hybrid actuator. This glove uses a flexible actuator to drive the patient's finger movement, but in this design, all parts of the flexible actuator bend simultaneously, while the normal bending sequence of a person's fingers is the first, second, and third phalanges bending sequentially. Existing flexible rehabilitation gloves cannot enable patients' fingers to bend in the normal sequence for rehabilitation treatment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device to eliminate or improve one or more defects existing in the prior art.

[0004] This invention provides a hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device, comprising: a support plate, a glove, a five-finger flexion assembly, and a pneumatic drive component;

[0005] The palm portion of the glove is connected to one side of the support plate;

[0006] The five-finger bending assembly is disposed on the side of the support plate opposite to the glove. One end of the five-finger bending assembly near the palm part of the glove is connected to the support plate, and the other end of the five-finger bending assembly near the finger part of the glove is connected to the glove.

[0007] The five finger bending components are linear in the non-inflated state and arc-shaped in the inflated state, bending towards one side of the glove. The pneumatic drive is used to control the inflation and deflation of the finger bending components.

[0008] The finger bending assembly includes a time-delay control structure and at least two connected pneumatic bending elements;

[0009] The two pneumatic bending members are arranged along their length and have the same bending direction.

[0010] The delay control structure is connected to each of the pneumatic bending components and is used to control each of the pneumatic bending components to bend sequentially from the base of the finger to the tip of the finger.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the delay control structure is disposed between two adjacent pneumatic bending members, and the delay control structure includes a valve body, an air inlet head, an air outlet head, and a valve plate;

[0012] The air inlet and the air outlet are respectively disposed on both sides of the valve body for communication with the pneumatic bending component, and the air inlet and the air outlet are connected to the valve body;

[0013] The valve body has a hollow structure, and the valve plate is located in the center inside the valve body. The valve body has cavity structures formed on both sides of the valve plate. The valve plate has a through hole in the middle, and the diameter of the through hole is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cavity structure.

[0014] Both the air inlet head and the air outlet head are equipped with limit rings.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the upper side of the pneumatic bending member has a plurality of protrusions arranged side by side, with a gap between adjacent protrusions, and a cavity is provided inside the protrusions. Each cavity is interconnected, and the cavity expands when inflated, causing the pneumatic bending member to bend away from the protrusions.

[0016] The spacing on the pneumatic bending member located at the end of the finger bending assembly is smaller than the spacing on the other pneumatic bending members of the finger bending assembly;

[0017] The lengths of the pneumatic bending elements decrease sequentially from the base of the finger to the fingertip.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, the pneumatic bending member at the first end is fixedly connected to the support plate via a second bracket, and the pneumatic bending member and the delay control structure at the end are fixedly connected to the glove via a second bracket.

[0019] The pneumatic bending component located at the head end is connected to the pneumatic drive component in sequence through a conduit and an air valve.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, the finger bending assembly corresponding to the thumb includes two pneumatic bending elements, and the finger bending assemblies corresponding to the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger each include three pneumatic bending elements.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, the hybrid drive type hand function rehabilitation device further includes a swing drive component; at least one swing drive component is provided, and the swing drive component corresponds to at least one of the thumb, index finger and ring finger, and the swing drive component includes a power source, a pull rope assembly and an elastic frame;

[0022] The elastic frame is disposed on the support plate and connected to one of the five finger bending components;

[0023] The two ends of the pull rope assembly are respectively connected to the elastic frame and the power source. The power source is used to pull the pull rope assembly to drive the elastic frame and the finger bending assembly connected to the elastic frame to swing left and right.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present invention, the elastic frame includes a first fixing frame, a floating baffle, and at least one elastic spring.

[0025] The elastic spring is disposed between the first fixed frame and the floating baffle, and its two ends are respectively connected to the first fixed frame and the floating baffle. The elastic spring can be swayed and deformed to the left and right.

[0026] The bottom of the first fixing frame is fixedly connected to the support plate;

[0027] The floating baffle has a U-shaped structure and is snapped onto the finger bending assembly connected to the elastic frame, for driving the finger bending assembly connected to the elastic frame to swing. The floating baffle is connected to the pull rope assembly.

[0028] The first fixing frame has an U-shaped structure, and the side of the first fixing frame with an opening is fixedly connected to the support plate.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present invention, the pull rope assembly includes a first pull rope and a second pull rope; through holes are respectively provided on both sides of the first fixing frame in the horizontal direction; and connecting sleeves are respectively provided on both sides of the floating baffle in the horizontal direction.

[0030] The first pull rope passes through the through hole on one side of the first fixing frame, and the first end of the first pull rope is fixedly connected to the connecting sleeve on the same side.

[0031] The middle part of the second pull rope passes through the through hole on the other side of the first fixing frame, and the first end of the second pull rope is fixedly connected to the connecting sleeve on the same side;

[0032] The second end of the first pull rope and the second pull rope are both connected to the power source. The power source is used to control the first pull rope to tighten and the second pull rope to relax, or the first pull rope to relax and the second pull rope to tighten, or the first pull rope and the second pull rope to relax simultaneously.

[0033] In some embodiments of the present invention, the power source includes a servo motor and a turntable;

[0034] The servo motor is fixedly mounted relative to the support plate. The center of the turntable is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the servo motor. The edge of the turntable has two centrally symmetrically arranged pull rope connection holes, which are respectively fixedly connected to the second end of the first pull rope and the second end of the second pull rope.

[0035] The rotation axis of the turntable is set horizontally so that the portion of the first pull rope near the turntable and the portion of the second pull rope near the turntable spatially intersect.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, the swing drive assembly further includes at least two positioning rings, with a lateral gap between the two positioning rings, the positioning rings being fixedly connected to the support plate, the direction of the line connecting the two positioning rings being the same as the direction of the rotation axis of the turntable, and the middle portions of the first pull rope and the second pull rope passing through the interior of the two positioning rings respectively.

[0037] The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device also includes a wrist fixation ring and a first support;

[0038] The first bracket is fixedly mounted on the wrist fixing ring, the wrist fixing ring has a notch, and the servo motor is fixedly connected to the first bracket.

[0039] In this invention, a hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device comprises a glove whose palm portion is connected to one side of a support plate. The glove is made of a flexible material, allowing it to bend and providing comfort and flexibility. The user's hand is fully inserted into the glove, enabling the five finger bending components to drive the patient's fingers in motor rehabilitation. The five finger bending components are linear in their non-inflated state and arc-shaped, bending towards one side of the glove in their inflated state. A pneumatic drive unit controls the inflation and deflation of the finger bending components. This configuration allows the finger bending components to bend and straighten the fingers, achieving the effect of rehabilitation training. The finger bending components are a modular structure composed of multiple pneumatic bending segments. A delay control structure controls the bending sequence of the pneumatic bending segments, simulating the bending sequence of normal human fingers and solving the problem of lack of time delay in current human-like finger bending processes, thus achieving a more precise rehabilitation treatment effect.

[0040] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the following description and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the present invention. The objects and other advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the description and drawings.

[0041] Those skilled in the art will understand that the purposes and advantages that can be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the above specific descriptions, and the above and other purposes that can be achieved by the present invention will be more clearly understood based on the following detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0042] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The components in the drawings are not drawn to scale but are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. For ease of illustration and description of certain parts of the invention, corresponding portions in the drawings may be enlarged, i.e., may appear larger relative to other components in an exemplary device actually manufactured according to the invention. In the drawings:

[0043] Figure 1 This is a front structural diagram of a hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rear structure of a hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the elastic frame and the pneumatic bending component in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a finger bending component in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pneumatic bending component in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the delay control structure in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an elastic frame in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a finger bending component corresponding to the thumb in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the wrist fixing ring in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Reference numerals: 1. Finger bending assembly; 11. Pneumatic bending component; 111. Protruding structure; 112. Cavity; 12. Delay control structure; 13. Second bracket; 14. Conduit; 15. Air valve; 121. Valve body; 122. Air inlet; 123. Air outlet; 124. Valve plate; 125. Limiting ring; 126. Through hole; 2. Swing drive assembly; 21. Servo motor; 22. First pull rope; 23. Second pull rope; 24. Elastic frame; 25. Turntable; 27. Positioning ring; 241. First fixing frame; 242. Floating baffle; 243. Elastic spring; 244. Connecting sleeve; 245. Through hole; 3. Wrist fixing ring; 4. First bracket; 5. Support plate; 6. Glove. Detailed Implementation

[0053] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Here, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0054] It should also be noted that, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention due to unnecessary details, the accompanying drawings only show structures and / or processing steps closely related to the solutions according to the present invention, while other details that are not closely related to the present invention are omitted.

[0055] It should be emphasized that the term "include / comprises" when used herein refers to the existence of features, elements, steps or components, but does not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps or components.

[0056] It should also be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the term "connection" herein may refer not only to a direct connection but also to an indirect connection involving an intermediate.

[0057] In the following description, embodiments of the invention will be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or similar parts, or the same or similar steps.

[0058] Existing rehabilitation hand technologies mainly include the following types, involving different driving methods, control methods, and adaptive designs, suitable for different types of patient needs:

[0059] 1) Mechanical drive scheme

[0060] Mechanical actuation was one of the early techniques applied to hand rehabilitation. It typically uses rigid or semi-rigid structures, driving finger flexion and extension movements via mechanical links and electric motors. The advantage of this approach is its high power, capable of meeting strong rehabilitation needs, but it also suffers from inconvenience in wearing and poor comfort. Rigid link structures and electric motors are commonly used as the actuation method. The disadvantages of this approach are its relatively bulky structure, difficulty in adapting to individual differences, poor patient wearing experience, and certain problems with rotational center alignment and movement flexibility.

[0061] For example, patent CN118253074A discloses an exoskeleton hand active rehabilitation training device, which consists of a rehabilitation glove, a mechanism, and a drive mechanism. The mechanism includes a front block, an exoskeleton joint, an upper elastic element, and a lower elastic element; the drive mechanism includes a housing, a motor, a motor sleeve, a tension / compression sensor, a potentiometer, and a slider. The exoskeleton joint is mounted above the lower elastic element, and the front block is fixed to one end of the lower elastic element and connected to the end of the finger of the rehabilitation glove; the upper elastic element is located above the lower elastic element and passes through the exoskeleton joint, with one end connected to the front block and the other end extending into the housing. The motor controls the rotational motion, which is converted into the linear motion of the slider, thereby pushing and pulling the silicon steel sheet to achieve finger flexion and extension movements. At the same time, the potentiometer provides position feedback to ensure closed-loop control of the exoskeleton joint.

[0062] The patent's drawback lies in the fact that the device's design involves multiple components, such as exoskeleton joints, motors, sliders, and sensors, increasing the overall structural complexity. The coordination and integration between these components may complicate system debugging and maintenance. For patients, the complex device may also affect ease of wear and use. Although the exoskeleton joints and elastic components are designed with hand flexibility in mind, the overall device structure may be relatively bulky, especially for patients with limited hand function. Inconvenience or discomfort during wear may affect their willingness to use it. If the gloves do not fit the patient's hand perfectly, it may cause discomfort and affect the effectiveness of rehabilitation training.

[0063] 2) Flexible drive solution

[0064] Flexible actuation rehabilitation gloves typically rely on flexible materials (such as pneumatic actuators, shape memory alloys, and flexible electrodeformable materials) to drive finger movements. Compared to rigid structures, flexible actuation prioritizes comfort and adaptability, but may compromise on power and control precision.

[0065] For example, patent CN118105276A discloses a pneumatic muscle rehabilitation glove. The glove body includes five finger sleeves, each with a pneumatic muscle on its back. The pneumatic muscle is connected to an actuator via an air tube splitter. The pneumatic muscle consists of an end cap, a through cap, an air inlet, a curved tube, and an air plug. The curved tube is composed of a highly elastic silicone tube and an outer corrugated woven mesh sleeve. One end of the curved tube is sealed to the air plug, which is connected to the end cap at the end of the curved tube; the other end is sealed to the air inlet, which is connected to the through cap at the end of the curved tube. Through the combination of the corrugated woven mesh sleeve and the silicone sleeve, the pneumatic muscle forms a flexible main body, adaptable to various groups, especially stroke patients with finger contractures. This design offers good elasticity, providing gentle and impact-free training, and is safe and reliable.

[0066] The patent's shortcoming lies in the fact that, although the pneumatic muscles are connected to the actuator via a tracheal system, the accuracy of air pressure control and the feedback mechanism remain a technical challenge. The pneumatic system may require additional sensors to monitor air pressure and finger position; if these sensors are not accurate enough, it could affect the accuracy of finger movements and the closed-loop control of the system.

[0067] 3) Hybrid drive scheme

[0068] Hybrid-driven rehabilitation glove technology combines rigid and flexible actuation to compensate for their respective shortcomings. Typically, this approach integrates flexible materials with rigid structures such as electric motors and pneumatic actuators, achieving more flexible and personalized rehabilitation functions through multiple actuation methods. Flexible actuation provides soft comfort, while the electric motor provides sufficient power. The combination of flexible and rigid actuation can be dynamically adjusted according to the patient's needs through an intelligent control system. In some designs, pneumatic actuators and electric motors simultaneously act on the movement of the rehabilitation hand, providing powerful and precise power output through a composite system. This approach offers good adaptability and adjustability, providing both flexibility and comfort while ensuring sufficient power and control precision to meet the needs of different patients. However, it is highly complex, costly, and technically challenging, requiring a high degree of integration and a precise control system.

[0069] For example, patent CN115463006A discloses a flexible rehabilitation glove based on a hybrid actuator. This device includes five hybrid actuators and their control box. Each hybrid actuator consists of an actuator end mounting base, a flexible actuator, a TPFE water pipe, a flexible actuator front mounting base, an air pipe connector, an SMA spring actuator, and a cooling water pipe. The control box contains an air pump, a filter, a water pump, a water tank, a proportional valve, and a control circuit board. The filter is connected to both the air pump and the proportional valve. The exterior of the control box includes an actuator control housing, a control box cover, a main switch, buttons, and a voltage display. This flexible rehabilitation glove combines the high torque output of the flexible actuator with the high force-to-weight ratio of the SMA, overcoming the limitation of traditional flexible actuators that can only move in one direction. It enables bidirectional finger movement, providing patients with sufficient working torque and range of motion.

[0070] Hybrid-driven flexible rehabilitation gloves combine pneumatic actuation and SMA spring actuators, solving the problems of insufficient power and unidirectional movement in traditional flexible actuators, and providing stronger torque output and bidirectional movement capabilities. However, its system complexity, response accuracy, poor adaptability, large weight, low energy efficiency, high cost, and difficult maintenance may affect its effectiveness and widespread adoption in practical applications.

[0071] Hybrid-driven flexible rehabilitation gloves are a type of intelligent rehabilitation medical device designed to help stroke patients regain upper limb function, especially hand function. Key technologies include an intelligent control system, flexible actuators, and a transmission system. The intelligent control system adjusts the actuator's movements according to the patient's rehabilitation needs, thus achieving personalized rehabilitation training. The flexible actuator utilizes flexible materials and advanced actuation methods (such as pneumatics, shape memory alloys, or electrodeformable materials) to provide soft and flexible power output, improving not only the glove's comfort but also enhancing patient fit and long-term use experience. Furthermore, the hybrid drive system automatically adjusts the training intensity according to the patient's rehabilitation progress, achieving more precise and efficient treatment results. The continuous maturation of this technology is driving the development of hand rehabilitation training equipment towards greater intelligence, personalization, and wearability.

[0072] Traditional rehabilitation robots use rigid linkage structures to assist patients in performing relaxation and flexion movements, using these rigid linkages to guide the patient's fingers along preset trajectories. Rigid structures present challenges such as difficulty in wearing and alignment of the rotation center. Traditional flexible rehabilitation gloves, compared to rigid linkage structures, have unique advantages in design and application, but also have some shortcomings. While flexible gloves offer a degree of comfort and flexibility, they still have limitations in adapting to individual patient differences (such as finger shape, size, and muscle strength). Some gloves may be difficult to personalize to meet the specific needs of different patients, leading to less than satisfactory therapeutic effects. Although flexible gloves generally possess some self-adaptability, in practical applications, patient needs and rehabilitation goals are often diverse. How to provide personalized support through appropriate adjustments during actual use remains a challenge.

[0073] To address the problem that existing hand function rehabilitation devices cannot enable patients to bend their fingers in a normal sequence during rehabilitation treatment, this invention provides a hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device that enables sequential bending of finger joints, which helps restore finger function and solves the problem of no time delay in the bending process of current bionic fingers.

[0074] This invention provides a hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device, referring to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The device includes: a support plate 5, a glove 6, a five-finger bending assembly 1, a pneumatic drive and a swing drive assembly 2.

[0075] The palm part of the glove 6 is connected to one side of the support plate 5. The glove 6 is made of flexible material and can be bent. The glove 6 is comfortable and flexible. The user's hand is fully inserted into the glove 6, so that the five finger bending components 1 can drive the patient's fingers to perform motor rehabilitation through the glove 6.

[0076] The five-finger bending component 1 is located on the side of the support plate 5 away from the glove 6, allowing the patient to bend their five fingers after wearing the glove 6. This prevents the five-finger bending component 1 from interfering with the movement of the fingers. The end of the five-finger bending component 1 near the palm part of the glove 6 is connected to the support plate 5, and the end of the five-finger bending component 1 near the fingers of the glove 6 is connected to the glove 6. The outer contour of the support plate 5 is roughly the same as the palm part of the glove 6. The support plate 5 is fixed to the patient's palm part through the glove 6. The support plate 5 serves to support and fix the entire rehabilitation device.

[0077] The five finger bending components 1 have a straight structure when not inflated, and an arc-shaped structure that bends towards the glove 6 when inflated. A pneumatic actuator controls the inflation and deflation of the finger bending components 1. This configuration allows the finger bending components 1 to bend and straighten the fingers, achieving the effect of rehabilitation training. The pneumatic actuator can be an air pump or similar structure.

[0078] The finger bending assembly 1 includes a delay control structure 12 and at least two connected pneumatic bending members 11. The two pneumatic bending members 11 are arranged along their length and have the same bending direction. The delay control structure 12 is connected to each pneumatic bending member 11 and is used to control each pneumatic bending member 11 to bend sequentially from the base of the finger to the fingertip.

[0079] In this embodiment, the finger bending assembly 1 is a split structure, composed of multiple pneumatic bending components 11, for example, refer to... Figure 8 The finger bending component 1 corresponding to the thumb includes two pneumatic bending elements 11, while the finger bending components 1 corresponding to the index, middle, ring, and little fingers each include three pneumatic bending elements 11 to adapt to different finger lengths and better meet structural and wearing comfort requirements. A delay control structure 12 can control the bending sequence of the pneumatic bending elements 11. Taking the finger bending component 1 corresponding to the index finger as an example, this component includes a first pneumatic bending element, a second pneumatic bending element, and a third pneumatic bending element connected in sequence. The first pneumatic bending element is located near the palm. The delay control structure 12 can control the first pneumatic bending element to bend first, the second pneumatic bending element to bend second, and the third pneumatic bending element to bend last, thereby simulating the bending sequence of normal human fingers and solving the problem of no time delay in the bending process of current bionic fingers, achieving a more precise rehabilitation treatment effect.

[0080] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The delay control structure 12 is set between two adjacent pneumatic bending components 11. Taking the finger bending component 1 corresponding to the index finger as an example, there are two delay control structures 12, which are respectively set between the first pneumatic bending component and the second pneumatic bending component, and between the second pneumatic bending component and the third pneumatic bending component.

[0081] Reference Figure 6The delay control structure 12 includes a valve body 121, an air inlet 122, an air outlet 123, and a valve plate 124. The air inlet 122 and air outlet 123 are respectively located on both sides of the valve body 121 for communication with the pneumatic bending member 11. The valve body 121 is a hollow structure, and the valve plate 124 is located centrally inside the valve body 121. Cavities are formed on both sides of the valve plate 124 inside the valve body 121. The valve plate 124 has a through hole 126 in its center, the diameter of which is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cavity structure. The difference in cross-sectional area between the through hole 126 and the cavity structure creates a pressure difference. After the first pneumatic bending member is inflated and bent, and the air pressure exceeds the threshold of the delay control structure 12, the second pneumatic bending member begins to inflate and bend, and so on, sequentially achieving the bending of the three pneumatic bending members, effectively simulating the movement sequence of each joint when a human finger is fully extended. The delay control structure 12 in the above embodiment not only serves to connect two adjacent pneumatic bending members 11, but also realizes the effect of sequential inflation and bending of the two pneumatic bending members 11, achieving significant results through a simple structure.

[0082] In the above embodiment, both the air inlet head 122 and the air outlet head 123 are provided with limit rings 125. The limit rings 125 can enhance the connection performance at the connection between the delay control structure 12 and the pneumatic bending member and enhance the sealing performance.

[0083] The pressure reduction principle of the delay control structure 12 in the above embodiment is as follows:

[0084] According to the continuity equation (for incompressible fluids): A1v1=A2v2

[0085] Where A1 and A2 are the cross-sectional areas of the through-hole and cavity structure inside the valve body, respectively, and v1 and v2 are the fluid velocities at these two locations. Assuming that the cross-sectional areas at both ends of the valve body are different, the fluid will have a higher velocity at the location with the smaller cross-sectional area and a lower velocity at the location with the larger cross-sectional area.

[0086] According to Bernoulli's equation (assuming the fluid is incompressible and in steady state): P + 1 / 2ρv 2 +ρgh=constant

[0087] Where P is the fluid pressure, ρ is the fluid density, v is the flow velocity, h is the height, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. Because the cross-sectional areas at the orifice and cavity structures differ, changes in flow velocity will cause changes in pressure. When the fluid velocity increases, kinetic energy increases, and according to Bernoulli's equation, the pressure will decrease; when the flow velocity decreases, kinetic energy decreases, and the pressure will increase. Therefore, by controlling the cross-sectional areas at the orifice and cavity structures, the downstream pressure can be adjusted by changing the flow velocity.

[0088] In some embodiments, the delay control structure 12 includes multiple sets of pipes and valves, each pipe being connected to different pneumatic bending members 11 on the same finger bending assembly 1. The valves control the pipes to inflate the pneumatic bending members 11, and the opening sequence of the valves controls the bending of one side of each pneumatic bending member 11.

[0089] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 The pneumatic bending member 11 has multiple protrusions 111 arranged side by side on its upper side, with gaps between adjacent protrusions. Each protrusion has a cavity 112 inside, and these cavities are interconnected. When inflated, the cavities expand, causing the pneumatic bending member 11 to bend away from the protrusions. The pneumatic bending member 11 is made of flexible material. When inflated, the cavity 112 is subjected to pressure, causing the protrusions 111 to expand and deform significantly. The side of the pneumatic bending member 11 away from the protrusions deforms less, creating a deformation difference between the top and bottom, allowing it to bend only in one direction (the direction of finger bending), thus inducing a bending motion in the finger. When the pneumatic bending member 11 is deflated, the top cavity 112 contracts and deforms due to elastic force, causing the finger to straighten.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the spacing on the pneumatic bending member 11 located at the end of the finger bending assembly 1 is smaller than the spacing on the other pneumatic bending members 11 of the finger bending assembly 1. The spacing provides deformation space. Since the bending angle of the knuckle at the fingertip is small, the spacing size here is correspondingly smaller, which improves the bending accuracy of the pneumatic bending member 11. The length of each pneumatic bending member 11 decreases sequentially from the base of the finger to the fingertip. The length of each pneumatic bending member 11 is adapted to the length of the knuckle, enhancing the fit of the finger and the comfort of use.

[0091] In some embodiments, the pneumatic bending member 11 at the first end is fixedly connected to the support plate 5 via the second bracket 13, and the pneumatic bending member 11 at the end and the delay control structure 12 are fixedly connected to the glove 6 via the second bracket 13; the second bracket 13 serves as a connection, so that multiple parts of the pneumatic bending member 11 are connected to the glove 6, so that the glove 6 bends along a preset trajectory, preventing the glove 6 from deviating from the preset bending trajectory.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the pneumatic bending member 11 located at the first end is connected to the pneumatic drive member via the conduit 14 and the air valve 15. The conduit 14 can be made of PU material. The conduit 14 passes around the edge of the support plate 5 and extends to the lower part of the glove's palm area. This arrangement facilitates conduit storage and is aesthetically pleasing. The pneumatic drive member can be an air pump. When the entire device starts working, taking the finger bending component 1 corresponding to the index finger as an example, the air pump inflates the finger bending component 1. When the gas passes through the first pneumatic bending member, the air pressure remains constant, and the first pneumatic bending member expands and deforms preferentially. When the gas passes through the delay control structure 12, the air pressure decreases, and the deformation of the second pneumatic bending member lags behind that of the first pneumatic bending member. Similarly, the deformation of the third pneumatic bending member lags behind that of the second pneumatic bending member, thereby achieving delayed expansion of the three pneumatic bending members, that is, delayed bending of the three finger joints when driving the three finger joints.

[0093] In the above embodiment, five sets of conduits 14 and air valves 15 are provided, each corresponding to one of the five finger bending components 1. The air valves 15 can control the opening and closing of the conduits 14. When the conduits 14 connected to the finger bending components 1 are in the open state, the finger bending components 1 can achieve the bending function. The five finger bending components 1 in this embodiment can work individually or in multiples at the same time to achieve various bending action requirements during the rehabilitation process.

[0094] In some embodiments, the hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device further includes a swing drive component 2; at least one swing drive component 2 is provided, and the swing drive component 2 corresponds to at least one of the thumb, index finger, and ring finger, as shown in the figure. Figure 1 For example, three swing drive components 2 are set up, corresponding to the thumb, index finger and ring finger respectively. According to the training requirements of real left and right swing of human fingers, swing drive component 2 is designed. Under normal circumstances, swing drive component 2 does not affect the flexion and extension of the pneumatic joint of the finger. The left and right swing of the finger can be achieved through swing drive component 2 during the straightening and bending of the finger.

[0095] In the above embodiment, the swing drive component 2 includes a power source, a pull rope assembly, and an elastic frame 24. The elastic frame 24 is mounted on the support plate 5 and connected to one of the five finger bending components 1. The two ends of the pull rope assembly are connected to the elastic frame 24 and the power source, respectively. The power source pulls the pull rope assembly to cause the elastic frame 24 and the finger bending component 1 connected to the elastic frame 24 to swing left and right. The power source converts its own power into the pulling force of the pull rope assembly. This pulling force causes the elastic frame 24 to sway left and right, thereby causing the finger bending component 1 to sway left and right. This configuration allows the patient's fingers to perform left and right swing rehabilitation training. Left and right swing rehabilitation training, bending and straightening rehabilitation training can be performed simultaneously or individually, allowing the patient's fingers to receive multi-directional movement training, simulating normal multi-directional movement of human fingers, and greatly improving the effectiveness of rehabilitation training. Since the left and right swing angles of the index finger, ring finger, and thumb are actually the most obvious in human hands, swing drive components 2 are designed for these three fingers. The swing of each finger can be controlled individually, or all three fingers can swing simultaneously. This embodiment realistically mimics the normal movement pattern of human fingers, which can significantly improve the wearing comfort and movement flexibility during hand function rehabilitation training, and greatly enhance the rehabilitation effect of patients with hand function movement disorders.

[0096] In some embodiments, reference Figure 7 The elastic frame 24 includes a first fixed frame 241, a floating baffle 242, and at least one elastic spring 243, of which 2 to 6 are optional. The elastic spring 243 is disposed between the first fixed frame 241 and the floating baffle 242, with both ends connected to the first fixed frame 241 and the floating baffle 242 respectively. The elastic spring 243 can oscillate left and right. The bottom of the first fixed frame 241 is fixedly connected to the support plate 5. The floating baffle 242 has a U-shaped structure and is engaged with the finger bending assembly 1 connected to the elastic frame 24, used to drive the finger bending assembly 1 connected to the elastic frame 24 to swing. The floating baffle 242 is connected to the pull rope assembly. The first fixed frame 241 has a U-shaped structure, with one open side of the first fixed frame 241 fixedly connected to the support plate 5.

[0097] In the above embodiment, one end of the elastic spring 243 is connected to the support plate 5 via the first fixing frame 241, and the other end of the elastic spring 243 is connected to the finger bending component 1 connected to the elastic frame 24 via the floating baffle 242. When the pull rope group applies tension, it can cause the elastic spring 243 to deform, thereby causing the finger bending component 1 connected to the elastic frame 24 to swing. When the pull rope group no longer applies tension, the elastic spring 243 can return to a straight state due to its own elasticity. This structure is simple and reliable. The swing of the elastic spring 243 causes the finger bending component 1 connected to the elastic frame 24 to swing, thereby allowing the patient's fingers to receive rehabilitation training by swinging left and right. The above design more realistically imitates the normal movement pattern of human fingers, which can significantly improve the wearing comfort and movement flexibility during hand function rehabilitation training, and greatly improve the rehabilitation effect of patients with hand function movement disorders.

[0098] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 The pull rope assembly includes a first pull rope 22 and a second pull rope 23, and the pull ropes can be steel wire ropes. The first fixing frame 241 has through holes 245 on both sides in the horizontal direction. The floating baffle 242 has connecting sleeves 244 on both sides in the horizontal direction.

[0099] The middle portion of the first pull rope 22 passes through a through hole 245 on one side of the first fixing bracket 241, and the first end of the first pull rope 22 is fixedly connected to the connecting sleeve 244 on the same side. The middle portion of the second pull rope 23 passes through a through hole 245 on the other side of the first fixing bracket 241, and the first end of the second pull rope 23 is fixedly connected to the connecting sleeve 244 on the same side.

[0100] The second end of the first pull rope 22 and the second end of the second pull rope 23 are both connected to a power source. The power source is used to control the first pull rope 22 to tighten and the second pull rope 23 to loosen, or the first pull rope 22 to loosen and the second pull rope 23 to tighten, or the first pull rope 22 and the second pull rope 23 to loosen simultaneously.

[0101] When the first pull cord 22 or the second pull cord 23 is tightened, it will pull the floating baffle 242 and the elastic spring 243 to swing, thereby causing the glove and the corresponding fingers to swing. When the first pull cord 22 or the second pull cord 23 is relaxed, the finger bending component 1 will return to its original position under the action of the elastic spring 243 itself.

[0102] In some embodiments, the power source includes a servo motor 21 and a turntable 25, and three sets of power sources can be provided. The servo motor 21 is fixedly mounted relative to the support plate 5. The center of the turntable 25 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the servo motor 21. The edge of the turntable 25 has two centrally symmetrically arranged cable connection holes, which are respectively fixedly connected to the second end of the first cable 22 and the second end of the second cable 23. The output shaft of the servo motor 21 can rotate 180° in both directions. Figure 9The diagram shows each servo motor 21 in its standby position, with the first pull rope 22 and the second pull rope 23 both relaxed. When the entire device is in operation, taking the finger bending component 1 corresponding to the ring finger as an example, when the output shaft of the servo motor 21 rotates clockwise, the turntable 25 causes the first pull rope 22 to tighten and the second pull rope 23 to relax, pulling the elastic frame 24 to sway, causing the ring finger to sway closer to the middle finger. Conversely, when the output shaft of the servo motor 21 rotates counterclockwise, the turntable 25 causes the first pull rope 22 to relax and the second pull rope 23 to tighten, pulling the elastic frame 24 to sway, causing the ring finger to sway away from the middle finger. In this way, the ring finger can be driven to perform left and right swing training. Similarly, the three swing drive components 2 can respectively perform left and right swing training for the index finger, ring finger, and thumb.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the rotation axis of the turntable 25 is horizontally arranged so that the portion of the first pull rope 22 near the turntable 25 and the portion of the second pull rope 23 near the turntable 25 spatially intersect. This arrangement prevents the first pull rope 22 and the second pull rope 23 from contacting each other during movement, preventing interference between the first pull rope 22 and the second pull rope 23, and preventing interference between the turntable 25 and the first pull rope 22 and the second pull rope 23, thereby improving the stability of the device.

[0104] Reference Figure 1 The output shafts of the two servo motors 21 located at the bottom point face outwards from the overall device, while the output shaft of the servo motor 21 located at the top point faces in the opposite direction to the servo motor 21 below it. This arrangement prevents interference between the pull cables connected to the various servo motors 21, and also ensures that when a servo motor is operating independently, it does not interfere with the control systems of other servo motors.

[0105] In some embodiments, the swing drive assembly 2 further includes at least two positioning rings 27, with a lateral gap between them. The positioning rings 27 are fixedly connected to the support plate 5, and the line connecting the two positioning rings 27 is in the same direction as the rotation axis of the turntable 25. The middle portions of the first pull rope 22 and the second pull rope 23 pass through the interior of the two positioning rings 27 respectively. The positioning rings 27 can guide the first pull rope 22 and the second pull rope 23, while preventing interference between the first pull rope 22 and the second pull rope 23 during movement.

[0106] In some embodiments, the hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device further includes a wrist fixation ring 3 and a first support 4. The first support 4 is fixedly mounted on the wrist fixation ring 3, which has a notch. The servo motor 21 is fixedly connected to the first support 4. The wrist fixation ring 3 can be installed on the patient's wrist through the notch. The wrist fixation ring 3 may have a certain degree of elasticity, allowing it to fit securely against the wrist. Air valves are installed side-by-side at the bottom of the wrist fixation ring 3 for an aesthetically pleasing effect.

[0107] The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device of the present invention has the following advantages and technical effects:

[0108] 1. Achieve sequential bending of finger joints, solving the problem of no time delay in the bending process of current humanoid fingers.

[0109] 2. The reed-type swing drive component enables lateral deflection of the fingers, achieving more precise rehabilitation goals for the index finger, ring finger, and thumb, and increasing the fun and diversity of rehabilitation movements during the rehabilitation process.

[0110] 3. Different numbers of pneumatic bending components are designed for fingers of different lengths to improve wearing comfort.

[0111] 4. Different intervals are used for the pneumatic bending components at different joints of the same finger to adapt to the bending angle of different joints, thereby improving bending accuracy and treatment accuracy.

[0112] 5. Each finger bending component 1 can work simultaneously or individually to meet the various bending movement requirements during rehabilitation.

[0113] 6. The device realistically mimics the normal movement pattern of human fingers, which can significantly improve the wearing comfort and movement flexibility during hand function rehabilitation training, and greatly enhance the rehabilitation effect of patients with hand function movement disorders.

[0114] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations and processes described above and illustrated in the figures. For the sake of brevity, a detailed description of known methods is omitted. In the above embodiments, several specific steps are described and illustrated as examples. However, the method of the present invention is not limited to the specific steps described and illustrated. Those skilled in the art may make various changes, modifications, and additions, or change the order of the steps after understanding the spirit of the present invention.

[0115] In the present invention, features described and / or illustrated for one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, and / or combined with or replace features of other embodiments.

[0116] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are intended to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device, characterized in that, include: Support plate (5), glove (6), five-finger bending assembly (1) and pneumatic drive; The palm portion of the glove (6) is connected to one side of the support plate (5); The five-finger bending assembly (1) is disposed on the side of the support plate (5) away from the glove (6). One end of the five-finger bending assembly (1) near the palm part of the glove (6) is connected to the support plate (5), and one end of the five-finger bending assembly (1) near the finger part of the glove (6) is connected to the glove (6). The five finger bending components (1) are linear in the non-inflated state and are arc-shaped in the inflated state, bending toward the glove (6). The pneumatic drive is used to control the inflation and deflation of the finger bending components (1). The finger bending assembly (1) includes a delay control structure (12) and at least two connected pneumatic bending elements (11). Among them, the two pneumatic bending members (11) are arranged along their length direction and have the same bending direction; The delay control structure (12) is connected to each of the pneumatic bending components (11) and is used to control each of the pneumatic bending components (11) to be inflated and bent sequentially from the base of the finger to the fingertip; the delay control structure (12) is disposed between two adjacent pneumatic bending components (11) and the delay control structure (12) includes a valve body (121), an air inlet (122), an air outlet (123) and a valve plate (124). The air inlet (122) and the air outlet (123) are respectively disposed on both sides of the valve body (121) for communicating with the pneumatic bending member (11), and the air inlet (122) and the air outlet (123) are connected to the valve body (121). The valve body (121) is a hollow structure. The valve plate (124) is located in the center inside the valve body (121). The valve body (121) has cavity structures formed on both sides of the valve plate (124). The valve plate (124) has a through hole (126) in the middle. The diameter of the through hole (126) is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cavity structure.

2. The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Limiting rings (125) are provided on both the air inlet (122) and the air outlet (123).

3. The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper side of the pneumatic bending member (11) has a plurality of protrusions (111) arranged side by side, with a gap between adjacent protrusions. The protrusions are provided with cavities (112) inside, and each cavity is interconnected. When the cavity is inflated, it expands, causing the pneumatic bending member (11) to bend away from the protrusions. The spacing on the pneumatic bending member (11) located at the end of the finger bending assembly (1) is smaller than the spacing on the other pneumatic bending members (11) of the finger bending assembly (1); The lengths of each of the pneumatic bending elements (11) decrease sequentially from the base of the finger to the tip of the finger.

4. The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pneumatic bending member (11) located at the first end is fixedly connected to the support plate (5) via the second bracket (13), and the pneumatic bending member (11) located at the end and the delay control structure (12) are fixedly connected to the glove (6) via the second bracket (13). The pneumatic bending member (11) located at the head end is connected to the pneumatic drive member in sequence through the conduit (14) and the air valve (15).

5. The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The finger bending assembly (1) corresponding to the thumb includes two pneumatic bending elements (11), and the finger bending assemblies (1) corresponding to the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger each include three pneumatic bending elements (11).

6. The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hybrid drive type hand function rehabilitation device further includes a swing drive component (2); at least one swing drive component (2) is provided, and the swing drive component (2) corresponds to at least one of the thumb, index finger and ring finger. The swing drive component (2) includes a power source, a pull rope group and an elastic frame (24). The elastic frame (24) is disposed on the support plate (5) and connected to one of the five finger bending components (1); The two ends of the pull rope assembly are respectively connected to the elastic frame (24) and the power source. The power source is used to pull the pull rope assembly to drive the elastic frame (24) and the finger bending assembly (1) connected to the elastic frame (24) to swing left and right.

7. The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The elastic frame (24) includes a first fixed frame (241), a floating baffle (242) and at least one elastic spring (243). The elastic spring (243) is disposed between the first fixed frame (241) and the floating baffle (242). The two ends of the elastic spring (243) are respectively connected to the first fixed frame (241) and the floating baffle (242). The elastic spring (243) can be swayed and deformed to the left and right. The bottom of the first fixing frame (241) is fixedly connected to the support plate (5); The floating baffle (242) has a U-shaped structure and is snapped onto the finger bending assembly (1) connected to the elastic frame (24) to drive the finger bending assembly (1) connected to the elastic frame (24) to swing. The floating baffle (242) is connected to the pull rope assembly. The first fixing frame (241) has a U-shaped structure, and the side of the first fixing frame (241) with an opening is fixedly connected to the support plate (5).

8. The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The pull rope assembly includes a first pull rope (22) and a second pull rope (23); the first fixing frame (241) has through holes (245) on both sides in the horizontal direction; the floating baffle (242) has connecting sleeves (244) on both sides in the horizontal direction. The middle part of the first pull rope (22) passes through the through hole (245) on one side of the first fixing frame (241), and the first end of the first pull rope (22) is fixedly connected to the connecting sleeve (244) on the same side. The middle part of the second pull rope (23) passes through the through hole (245) on the other side of the first fixing bracket (241), and the first end of the second pull rope (23) is fixedly connected to the connecting sleeve (244) on the same side; The second end of the first pull rope (22) and the second end of the second pull rope (23) are both connected to the power source. The power source is used to control the first pull rope (22) to tighten the second pull rope (23) and relax it, or the first pull rope (22) to relax the second pull rope (23) and tighten it, or the first pull rope (22) and the second pull rope (23) relax at the same time.

9. The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The power source includes a servo motor (21) and a turntable (25); The servo motor (21) is fixedly mounted relative to the support plate (5), the middle part of the turntable (25) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the servo motor (21), and the edge of the turntable (25) has two centrally symmetrically arranged pull rope connection holes, which are respectively fixedly connected to the second end of the first pull rope (22) and the second end of the second pull rope (23). The rotation axis of the turntable (25) is set horizontally so that the part of the first pull rope (22) near the turntable (25) and the part of the second pull rope (23) near the turntable (25) intersect spatially.

10. The hybrid-driven hand function rehabilitation device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The swing drive assembly (2) further includes at least two positioning rings (27), with a lateral gap between the two positioning rings (27). The positioning rings (27) are fixedly connected to the support plate (5), and the direction of the line connecting the two positioning rings (27) is the same as the direction of the rotation axis of the turntable (25). The middle parts of the first pull rope (22) and the second pull rope (23) pass through the inside of the two positioning rings (27) respectively. The hybrid drive type hand function rehabilitation device also includes a wrist fixation ring (3) and a first support (4). The first bracket (4) is fixedly mounted on the wrist fixing ring (3), the wrist fixing ring (3) has a notch, and the servo motor (21) is fixedly connected to the first bracket (4).

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