Extensible posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system

Abstract

The invention discloses an extensible posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system which comprises a flexible wearing supporting module, a cluster driving control module, a knee joint wearing connecting module and an extensible variable stiffness module. The flexible wearable supporting module is attached to a human body trunk; the cluster driving control module is fixed to one side of the flexible wearable supporting module and provides motion control for the extensible variable stiffness module group. The knee joint wearing connection module is worn on a knee joint part and provides a stress anchor point for the cluster driving control module on the lower limb of a human body; the extensible variable stiffness module is arranged on the front side of the thigh, and function replacement and compensation are carried out according to the muscle capacity. Individualized position adjustment and individualized rigidity adjustment are carried out according to the muscle capacity of a wearer by adopting the extensible variable rigidity module, the abnormal gait of the lower limbs of the wearer is corrected, the stability of daily walking is improved, auxiliary force in the walking process is provided, and more free and comfortable walking experience is provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of exoskeleton robots, and in particular to an expandable posture-correcting flexible lower limb exoskeleton system. Background Art

[0002] Gait dysfunction or injury is considered to be one of the most common physiological consequences of stroke patients or the elderly. Common abnormal gaits include hemiplegic gait, scissor gait, cerebellar ataxia gait, Parkinson's gait, etc. In general, gait abnormality is caused by insufficient leg muscle strength or poor muscle coordination. Traditional individualized physical therapy requires the direct participation of therapists and specifies repetitive specific task training. In contrast, modern wearable smart rehabilitation device treatments can reduce the therapist's dependence and provide continuous repetitive training.

[0003] Therefore, technical personnel in this field are committed to providing an expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system that meets the requirements of light weight, strong adaptability, and good flexibility. It can adjust the position and stiffness of the system to match the conditions of different patients. It can replace and compensate for functions according to muscle capacity during walking, correct abnormal posture, improve the stability of daily walking, and provide auxiliary force during walking, providing a more free and comfortable walking experience. Summary of the invention

[0004] Purpose of the invention: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system to solve the problem that traditional rigid structures are difficult to adapt to patients with different degrees of injuries.

[0005] Technical solution: The expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system described in the present invention includes a flexible wearable support module, a cluster drive control module, an expandable variable stiffness module, and a knee joint wearable connection module, wherein the flexible wearable support module fits closely to the human body trunk to ensure the stability of the exoskeleton system and the comfort of wearing; the cluster drive control module is fixed on one side of the flexible wearable support module to provide motion control for the expandable variable stiffness module group; the knee joint wearable connection module is worn on the knee joint to provide a firm force point for the cluster drive control module in the lower limbs of the human body and protect the knee joint. The expandable variable stiffness module is arranged on the front side of the thigh, with the upper end fixed on the flexible wearable support module and the lower end connected to the knee joint wearable connection module. Functional substitution and compensation are performed according to muscle capacity to achieve the effect of lower limb posture correction.

[0006] Furthermore, the flexible wearable support module includes a shoulder strap and a waist belt, and the shoulder strap and the waist belt are fixedly connected by a clip, which ensures the stability of the entire exoskeleton system while closely fitting the human body to ensure comfort.

[0007] Furthermore, the cluster drive control module includes a battery and a circuit board, which are installed on one side of the waist belt. The cluster drive control module can support multi-channel communication to provide motion control for the expandable variable stiffness group.

[0008] Furthermore, the knee joint wearable connection module includes an upper knee pad and a lower knee pad, both of which are composed of a plastic shell and a sponge lining, which protect the knee joint. Stress anchor points are arranged on the upper and lower parts of the knee pad according to the directions of different muscles, and the anchor points are used to fix the lower end of the expandable variable stiffness module.

[0009] Furthermore, the expandable variable stiffness module is composed of an expandable mechanism and an elastic band, the elastic band is connected and fixed to the expandable mechanism through a Bowden cable, the expandable mechanism replaces and compensates muscle function by adjusting the stiffness of the elastic band, and corrects the posture of the lower limbs, the expandable mechanism includes a shell component, a steering engine component, a gear set component, and an internal fixed component, the shell component includes a main shell, a back plate, a side plate, and a fixed buckle, the steering engine component includes a steering engine, a steering plate, and a flange, the gear set component includes a steering engine gear, a side gear, a fixed gear, and a wire wheel, the internal fixed component includes a box connecting rod, a gear connecting rod, a fixed skeleton, a ball bearing, and a plane bearing, the internal fixed component fixes the steering engine component and the gear set component into a combined mechanism, and the shell component wraps the combined mechanism. In order to meet the need of the internal fixed component to fix the gear set component, the box connecting rod has 4, and the side gear, fixed gear, wire wheel, ball bearing, box connecting rod, gear connecting rod, and plane bearing are the same in number, all of which have 2.

[0010] Furthermore, the back plate is connected to the fixing buckle via bolts and clamped on the belt, the main shell is connected and fixed to the back plate and the side plate via bolts, two holes are left on both sides at the bottom of the main shell for passing the Bowden wire, and four convex grooves are arranged in the middle of the two holes inside the main shell, the convex grooves on both sides are used for embedding the two pins of the fixing frame, and the two convex grooves in the middle are used for embedding the box connecting rod.

[0011] Furthermore, convex grooves are left on the left and right sides of the shell component to place the ball bearing, one end of the box connecting rod is inserted into the ball bearing, and the other end is inserted into the groove on the left side of the wire wheel, and the short protruding end of the gear connecting rod is inserted into the groove on the right side of the wire wheel, and the long protruding end of the gear connecting rod passes through the hole on the side of the fixed frame and is engaged with the groove of the side gear.

[0012] Furthermore, the steering gear output end is connected to the steering disc by bolts, the steering disc is connected to the upper end of the flange by bolts, the lower end of the flange passes through the hole above the fixed frame, and the flange is engaged with the groove in the middle of the steering gear through the protrusion at the lower end. The wire wheel has a hole for fixing the Bowden wire, the upper end of the side gear cooperates with the steering gear, the lower end of the side gear cooperates with the fixed gear, a plane bearing is padded under the fixed gear, and the fixed gear and the plane bearing are fixed to the bottom of the housing by the box connecting rod.

[0013] Furthermore, the expandable posture-correcting flexible lower limb exoskeleton system can individually adjust the number of expandable variable stiffness modules and the positions installed on the waist belt according to the patient's muscle ability. The cluster drive control module controls the rotation of the servo and adjusts the appropriate stiffness of the elastic belt to match the wearer's different speeds, thereby performing functional replacement and compensation for muscle ability to achieve the effect of lower limb posture correction.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] 1. The expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system provided by the present invention and the personalized expandable variable stiffness module stiffness adjustment can adapt to wearers with different degrees of lower limb muscle strength damage, better adapt to the actual situation of the wearer, and have higher safety.

[0016] 2. The expandable posture-correcting flexible lower limb exoskeleton system provided by the present invention can adapt to wearers with different lower limb muscle injuries through personalized expandable variable stiffness module position adjustment, and can perform targeted functional replacement and compensation to achieve the best posture correction effect.

[0017] 3. The expandable posture-correcting flexible lower limb exoskeleton system provided by the present invention adopts a modular design as a whole, with each part being small and light in weight, and having a simple structure and convenient assembly, thereby minimizing the extra burden on the wearer.

[0018] 4. The expandable posture-correcting flexible lower limb exoskeleton system provided by the present invention is fixed with flexible straps and belts, which fit the torso better. The flexible transmission mechanism replaces the rigid connecting rod, and the adjustability is adapted to different wearers, which reduces the restrictions on the wearer and ensures safety and comfort. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the wearing effect provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a flexible wearable support module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a knee joint wearable connection module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an expandable variable stiffness module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a housing component of an expandable mechanism;

[0024] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional diagram of an expandable mechanism;

[0025] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the expandable mechanism servo components;

[0026] Figure 8 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the expandable mechanism;

[0027] Fig. 9 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the internal gear set structure of the expandable mechanism;

[0028] Fig.10 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the internal fixed components of the expandable mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following describes several preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings in the specification, so that the technical content is clearer and easier to understand. The present invention can be embodied in many different forms of embodiments, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned in the text.

[0030] In the drawings, components with the same structure are indicated by the same numerical reference numerals, and components with similar structures or functions are indicated by similar numerical reference numerals. The size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown, and the present invention does not limit the size and thickness of each component. In order to make the illustration clearer, the thickness of the components is appropriately exaggerated in some places in the drawings.

[0031] This embodiment provides an expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system, including a flexible wearable support module 1, a cluster drive control module 2, a knee joint wearable connection module 3, and an expandable variable stiffness module 4. The wearing effect is as follows: Figure 1 shown.

[0032] In this embodiment, the flexible wearable support module 1 fits closely to the human torso, providing the necessary stability and support for the entire exoskeleton system. The cluster drive control module 2 is fixed on one side of the flexible wearable support module 1, and is used to provide motion control for the expandable variable stiffness module group 4. The knee joint wearable connection module 3 is worn on the knee joint, providing a force anchor point for the expandable variable stiffness group 4. The expandable variable stiffness module 4 is arranged on the front side of the thigh, with the upper end fixed on the flexible wearable support module 1, and the lower end fixed on the anchor point of the knee joint wearable connection module 3. Personalized position adjustment and personalized stiffness adjustment are performed according to the wearer's muscle ability to correct abnormal gait of the lower limbs for the wearer.

[0033] The internal structure of the expandable variable stiffness module of the expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system of this embodiment is bilaterally symmetrical relative to the middle axis. Unless otherwise specified below, only the unilateral structure is described.

[0034] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the flexible wearable support module 1 includes a shoulder strap 101 and a waist belt 102. The shoulder strap 101 and the waist belt 102 are connected and fixed by clips, which closely fit the human body and provide necessary stability and support for the entire exoskeleton system; the knee joint wearable connection module 3 includes an upper knee pad 301 and a lower knee pad 302. Both the upper knee pad 301 and the lower knee pad 302 are provided with multiple fixed anchor points 303 according to different muscle directions, which are used to fix the lower end of the expandable variable stiffness module 4, ensuring firmness while playing a protective role.

[0035] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the upper and lower ends of the elastic band of the expandable variable stiffness module 4 are wrapped around and connected to the Bowden cable 406, and the shell component 401 includes a main shell 4011, a back plate 4012, a side plate 4013 and a fixing buckle 4014, the fixing buckle 4014 is fixed to the back plate 4012 by bolts, the side plate 4013 and the back plate 4012 are fixed to the main shell 4011 by bolts, and the servo 4021 is embedded in the convex groove on the upper part of the main shell 4011.

[0036] like Figure 6 to Figure 10As shown, the steering gear component 402 includes a steering gear 4021, a steering plate 4022 and a flange 4023, which are connected and fixed in sequence by bolts. The lower end of the flange 4023 passes through the hole above the fixed frame 4044, and the protrusion at the lower end is engaged with the groove in the middle of the steering gear 4031. The left and right sides of the housing component 401 are provided with protruding grooves for placing ball bearings 4041. One end of the box connecting rod 4042 is inserted into the groove on one side of the wire wheel 4034, and the short protruding end of the gear connecting rod 4043 is inserted into the groove on the side of the wire wheel 4034. The groove on the other side of the line wheel 4034, the long protruding end of the gear connecting rod 4043 passes through the hole on the side of the fixed frame 4044 and fits into the groove of the side gear 4032, the upper end of the side gear 4032 cooperates with the multi-stage gear 4031, and the lower end of the side gear 4032 cooperates with the fixed gear 4033. A plane bearing 4045 is padded under the fixed gear 4033. The fixed gear 4033 and the plane bearing 4045 are fixed to the bottom of the main housing 4011 by the box connecting rod 4042.

[0037] The working principle of the expandable flexible lower limb exoskeleton system of the present invention is as follows: the entire system adjusts the number and position of the expandable variable stiffness modules 4 according to the wearer's muscle ability. When the wearer is walking, the cluster drive control module 2 provides motion control for the expandable variable stiffness module 4 group, and the internal gear group component 403 rotates to adjust the stiffness of the elastic belt 405, and transmits force to the knee joint wear connection module 3, so as to correct the abnormal gait of the lower limbs of the wearer and improve the stability of daily walking. While the lower limbs of the human body are swinging, the elastic belt 405 can also store the dissipated energy, assist the hip joint flexion, and provide a more free and comfortable walking experience.

[0038] The preferred specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above. It should be understood that ordinary technicians in the field can make many modifications and changes based on the concept of the present invention without creative work. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by technicians in the technical field based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning or limited experiments on the basis of the prior art should be within the scope of protection determined by the claims.

Claims

1. An expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system, characterized in that: It comprises a flexible wearable support module (1), a cluster drive control module (2), a knee joint wearable connection module (3) and an expandable variable stiffness module (4), wherein the flexible wearable support module (1) fits the human body trunk and provides stability and support for the exoskeleton system; The cluster drive control module (2) is fixed on one side of the flexible wearable support module (1) to provide motion control for the expandable variable stiffness module (4) group; the knee joint wearable connection module (3) is worn at the knee joint to provide a force anchor point for the cluster drive control module (2) at the lower limb of the human body; The expandable variable stiffness module (4) is arranged on the front side of the thigh, with the upper end fixed on the flexible wearable support module (1) and the lower end connected to the knee joint wearable connection module (3), so as to replace and compensate for the function according to the muscle capacity, thereby achieving the effect of lower limb posture correction.

2. The expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible wearable support module (1) comprises a shoulder strap (101) and a waist belt (102), wherein the shoulder strap (101) and the waist belt (102) are fixedly connected via a clip.

3. The expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cluster drive control module (2) comprises a battery and a circuit board, and is mounted on one side of the waist belt (102). The cluster drive control module (2) supports multi-channel communication and is used to provide motion control for the expandable variable stiffness group.

4. The expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The knee joint wearable connection module (3) comprises an upper knee pad (301) and a lower knee pad (302), and both the upper knee pad (301) and the lower knee pad (302) are provided with force anchor points (303) according to different muscle directions, and the anchor points (303) are used to fix the lower end of the expandable variable stiffness module (4).

5. The expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The expandable variable stiffness module (4) is composed of an expandable mechanism and an elastic band (405); the elastic band (405) is connected and fixed to the expandable mechanism via a Bowden cable (406); the expandable mechanism replaces and compensates for muscle function and corrects the posture of the lower limbs by adjusting the stiffness of the elastic band (405).

6. The expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The expandable mechanism comprises a housing component (401), a steering engine component (402), a gear set component (403), and an internal fixing component (404); the housing component (401) comprises a main housing (4011), a back plate (4012), a side plate (4013), and a fixing buckle (4014); the steering engine component (402) comprises a steering engine (4021), a steering plate (4022), and a flange (4023); the gear set component (403) comprises a steering engine gear (4031 ), side gear (4032), fixed gear (4033), and wire wheel (4034); the internal fixed component (404) includes a box connecting rod (4042), a gear connecting rod (4043), a fixed frame (4044), a ball bearing (4041), and a plane bearing (4045); the internal fixed component (404) fixes the servo component (402) and the gear set component (403) into a combined mechanism, and the outer shell component wraps the combined mechanism.

7. The expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The back plate (4012) is connected to the fixing buckle (4014) by bolts and clamped on the belt (102); the main shell (4011) is connected and fixed to the back plate (4012) and the side plate (4013) by bolts; two holes are left on both sides of the lower side of the main shell (4011) for passing the Bowden wire (406); four convex grooves are arranged between the two holes inside the main shell (4011); the convex grooves on both sides are used to embed two pins of the fixing frame (4044); and the two convex grooves in the middle are used to embed the box connecting rod (4042).

8. The expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The output end of the steering gear (4021) is connected to the steering disc (4022) by bolts, and the steering disc (4022) is connected to the upper end of the flange (4023) by bolts. The lower end of the flange (4023) passes through the hole above the fixed frame (4044). The flange (4023) is engaged with the groove in the middle of the steering gear (4031) through the protrusion at the lower end. The wire wheel (4034) has a hole for fixing the Bowden wire (406). The upper end of the side gear (4032) is matched with the steering gear (4031), and the lower end of the side gear (4032) is matched with the fixed gear (4033). A plane bearing (4045) is padded below the fixed gear (4033). The fixed gear (4033) and the plane bearing (4045) are fixed to the bottom of the housing by a box connecting rod (4042).

9. The expandable posture correction flexible lower limb exoskeleton system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The left and right sides of the shell component (401) are provided with convex grooves for accommodating ball bearings (4041); one end of the box connecting rod (4042) is inserted into the ball bearing (4041), and the other end is inserted into the groove on one side of the wire wheel (4034); the groove on the other side of the wire wheel (4034) is inserted into the short protruding end of the gear connecting rod (4043); the long protruding end of the gear connecting rod (4043) passes through the hole on the side of the fixed frame (4044) and is engaged with the groove of the side gear.

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