Three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton

Abstract

The three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton comprises a connecting reference part, and a left hip joint structure and a right hip joint structure are symmetrically arranged on the left side and the right side of the connecting reference part; the right hip joint structure comprises an adduction / abduction joint motor, an intorsion / extorsion joint motor and a flexion / extension joint motor; the adduction / abduction joint motor is fixedly connected with the right end of the connecting reference piece, the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor is located on the outer side of the right hip joint structure, and the output end and the rear end of the adduction / abduction joint motor are connected with the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor through a first double-support frame type structure; and the output end and the rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor are connected with the buckling / stretching joint motor through a second double-support frame type structure. Inward rotation / outward rotation, adduction / abduction and flexion / extension of the lower limbs can be achieved under driving of the motor, human hip joint movement is fitted to the maximum extent, and exoskeleton flexibility is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of a self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton. Background Art

[0002] Current lower limb exoskeleton robots generally have limited degrees of freedom and single support, making it difficult to adapt to the gaits and movement habits of different users. At the same time, traditional fixed support structures are difficult to provide sufficient stability when walking and standing, resulting in limited range of motion for the wearer, affecting the assistance effect and user experience. In addition, long-term use of single-degree-of-freedom exoskeleton devices may cause uneven pressure on the hip joints and lower limb muscles, increasing fatigue and discomfort. This is a problem worthy of attention for users who need continuous walking or standing assistance, and may even have adverse effects on the joint health of long-term users.

[0003] Existing hip exoskeleton structures are mainly divided into two categories: mechanical adjustment solutions and electric drive solutions.

[0004] Mechanical adjustment schemes usually rely on hinges and locking devices to adjust the joint angles, but due to the large weight of the lower limb exoskeleton and the user, a large force is required when using it, which makes it difficult to meet the flexible adjustment requirements of the complex movements of the human body. For example, the Chinese patent application with publication number CN118456392A proposes a lasso-driven exoskeleton joint with a parallel gravity compensation mechanism. The invention connects a spring gravity compensation mechanism based on internal / external meshing gears in parallel to the flexion / extension structure of the exoskeleton hip joint. The internal meshing gear mechanism can convert the relative rotational motion of the hip joint into the linear motion of the spring. The spring can store and release energy to achieve passive gravity compensation of the mechanism, thereby reducing the driving torque of the hip joint and reducing the energy consumption of the exoskeleton. However, the lasso transmits too little force, the energy consumption reduction efficiency is too low, and there is only one active degree of freedom, so flexible assistance cannot be achieved.

[0005] The electric drive structure drives the joints through motors to drive the three-degree-of-freedom movement of the lower limb exoskeleton hip joint. This solution performs well in adjusting the speed and the accuracy of motion control, and has a certain degree of flexibility. However, the existing electric drive structure is relatively complex as a whole, with limited adjustment angles, making it difficult to achieve natural gait following, and some structural designs are still insufficient to effectively adapt to the full range of human motion. For example, the Chinese patent with publication number CN113183130B proposes a bionic three-axis intersection exoskeleton robot hip joint. The invention connects a series of connecting rod components in parallel, so that the hip joint can achieve active motion assistance with three degrees of freedom: flexion / extension, adduction / abduction, and internal rotation / external rotation, thereby improving the flexibility of movement. The three rotating shafts all intersect at the center of the human hip joint, without motion deviation, and improving the wearing comfort. However, since the connecting rods are connected by bearings, an assembly gap will be generated, resulting in reduced control accuracy and weak impact resistance.

[0006] In summary, mechanical adjustment solutions are generally laborious, costly, complex in structure, and lack sufficient degrees of freedom; although electric drive solutions have greater adjustment flexibility, they also have problems with complex structure and insufficient gait fluency. At the same time, most existing hip joint structures are simple connecting rod connections, which are prone to fatigue damage and have low resistance to external impact. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of this, the present invention provides a three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of a self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton, which can realize the internal rotation / external rotation, adduction / abduction, and flexion / extension of the lower limbs under the drive of a motor, fit the human hip joint movement to the greatest extent, and improve the flexibility of the exoskeleton. At the same time, in order to improve the wearing comfort of the human body and reduce the error of the joint rotation axis, this structure is designed to intersect the adduction / abduction and flexion / extension joint axes at one point. In addition, the motors are designed in a double-support series form, which increases its ability to resist external impact while ensuring the flexibility of the hip joint movement.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of a self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton, which is special in that:

[0009] It comprises a connection reference part, and the left and right sides of the connection reference part are symmetrically provided with a left hip joint structure and a right hip joint structure; the right hip joint structure comprises an adduction / abduction joint motor, an internal rotation / external rotation joint motor and a flexion / extension joint motor.

[0010] The adduction / abduction joint motor is fixedly connected to the right end of the connection reference member, and the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor is located on the outside of the right hip joint structure to leave enough space for the user to wear the device, while also improving wearing comfort.

[0011] The output end and rear end of the adduction / abduction joint motor are connected to the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor through a first double-support frame structure, and the output end and rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor are connected to the flexion / extension joint motor through a second double-support frame structure. The flexion / extension joint motor drives the thigh part of the exoskeleton.

[0012] Furthermore, the rotation axes of the adduction / abduction joint motor and the flexion / extension joint motor intersect at one point. The three joint motors correspond to the three joints of the human hip: adduction / abduction, internal rotation / external rotation, and flexion / extension. The rotation axes of the adduction / abduction joint motor and the flexion / extension joint motor intersect at one point, corresponding to the rotation center point of the human hip.

[0013] Furthermore, the rotation axis of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor is perpendicular to the rotation axes of the adduction / abduction joint motor and the flexion / extension joint motor.

[0014] Furthermore, the connection reference member includes a waist rear reference member and a waist front reference member, and the waist rear reference member and the waist front reference member are arranged in parallel with a distance between them.

[0015] Furthermore, a fixing seat is provided on the adduction / abduction joint motor, and the fixing seat is clamped between the rear waist reference piece and the front waist reference piece and fixed.

[0016] Furthermore, the first double-support frame structure includes an adduction / abduction joint motor output component and an auxiliary connecting component I; the adduction / abduction joint motor output component is installed on the output end of the adduction / abduction joint motor by bolts, the cross-roller bearing I is installed on the rear end of the adduction / abduction joint motor, and the auxiliary connecting component I is connected to the rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor through the cross-roller bearing I.

[0017] Furthermore, a fixed seat is provided on the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor, and the fixed seat is respectively fixedly connected to the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor output component and the auxiliary connecting component I of the first double support frame structure.

[0018] Furthermore, the second double-support frame structure includes an internal rotation / external rotation joint motor output component and an auxiliary connecting component II; the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor output component is installed on the output end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor by bolts, the cross-roller bearing II is installed on the rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor, and the auxiliary connecting component II is connected to the rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor through the cross-roller bearing II.

[0019] Furthermore, the thigh part of the exoskeleton includes an inner thigh connector and an outer thigh connector; a cross roller bearing III is installed at the rear end of the flexion / extension joint motor, the cross roller bearing III is fixedly connected to the outer thigh connector, and the inner thigh connector is installed at the output end of the flexion / extension joint motor.

[0020] Furthermore, a certain space is left between the lower ends of the inner thigh connector and the outer thigh connector for installing the exoskeleton knee joint motor and other electronic components such as the driver. The exoskeleton thigh part adopts a double-layer layout structure, which improves the rigidity of the thigh structure and can accommodate other electronic components such as the knee joint motor or driver.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton proposed in the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0022] 1) The exoskeleton hip joint is designed with three motor-driven degrees of freedom: adduction / abduction, internal rotation / external rotation, and flexion / extension, which fits the movement of a normal human hip joint;

[0023] 2) The rotation axes of the adduction / abduction joint motor and the flexion / extension joint motor intersect at one point, which corresponds to the rotation center of the human hip, and fits the human hip joint movement to the greatest extent; and the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor is placed on the side, which provides a larger wearing space for the wearer and also improves wearing comfort;

[0024] 3) The connected joint motors all adopt a double-support frame structure to improve the overall structural rigidity;

[0025] 4) All three joint motors and connectors use cross roller bearings, which have a large axial load capacity. Installing them at the rear end of each joint motor significantly improves the hip joint's ability to resist external impact;

[0026] 5) The joint motors are connected in series, so that each joint has a large enough range of motion and does not cause motion interference;

[0027] 6) The motor drive form provides users with better hip assistance effect;

[0028] 7) The thigh part adopts a double-layer structure, which improves the structural rigidity of the thigh and can accommodate other electronic components such as knee joint motors or drivers.

[0029] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention and implement it according to the contents of the specification, the following is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying any creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a human body wearing the hip joint exoskeleton proposed by the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 The overall structural diagram of the right hip joint exoskeleton of the three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton proposed by the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 An exploded view of the right hip exoskeleton;

[0034] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton proposed by the present invention in an abducted state;

[0035] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton proposed by the present invention in an external rotation state;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton proposed by the present invention in a flexed state.

[0037] In the figure: rear waist reference part-1, front waist reference part-2, adduction / abduction joint motor-3, internal rotation / external rotation joint motor-4, flexion / extension joint motor-5, adduction / abduction joint motor output part-6, cross roller bearing I-7, auxiliary connecting part I-8, internal rotation / external rotation joint motor output part-9, cross roller bearing II-10, auxiliary connecting part II-11, inner thigh connecting part-12, cross roller bearing III-13, outer thigh connecting part-14. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. The present invention is intended to be more generally applied to socket-type heating pipes, so the present invention can be used in any practical application that is suitable for the specific application.

[0039] See also Figure 1-Figure 3, an embodiment of the present invention provides a three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of a self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton, including a connection reference part, the left and right sides of which are symmetrically provided with a left hip joint structure and a right hip joint structure; the right hip joint structure includes an adduction / abduction joint motor 3, an internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4 and a flexion / extension joint motor 5; the adduction / abduction joint motor 3 is fixedly connected to the right end of the connection reference part, and the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4 is located on the outside of the right hip joint structure to leave enough space for the user to wear. The output end and rear end of the adduction / abduction joint motor 3 are connected to the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4 through a first double-support frame structure, and the output end and rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4 are connected to the flexion / extension joint motor 5 through a second double-support frame structure, and the flexion / extension joint motor 5 drives the thigh part of the exoskeleton.

[0040] Figure 1 The figure shows how the hip exoskeleton is worn by the human body. The hip exoskeleton is arranged around the human hip joint and interacts with the human body by being tied to the human body. The adduction / abduction, internal rotation / external rotation and flexion / extension degrees of freedom of the hip exoskeleton correspond to the degrees of freedom of the human hip joint to achieve anthropomorphic movement of the hip exoskeleton. The three-degree-of-freedom, double-support structure of the lower limb exoskeleton hip joint structure can flexibly support multi-directional movement of the hip joint to adapt to the walking and posture requirements of different users. The device allows users to adjust the angle and support strength of the hip joint according to actual conditions to achieve stable and natural lower limb movement assistance. This hip joint structure can not only effectively improve the wearer's sports experience, but also reduce muscle fatigue in the hip and lower limbs, and promote a healthy and safe long-term use environment.

[0041] Specifically, see Figure 2 The rotation axes of the adduction / abduction joint motor 3 and the flexion / extension joint motor 5 intersect at one point, corresponding to the rotation center point of the human hip, reducing the error of the joint rotation axis. The rotation axis of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4 is perpendicular to the rotation axes of the adduction / abduction joint motor 3 and the flexion / extension joint motor 5.

[0042] The three joint motors correspond to the three joints of the human hip adduction / abduction, internal rotation / external rotation and flexion / extension. The rotation axes of the adduction / abduction joint motor 3 and the flexion / extension joint motor 5 intersect at one point, corresponding to the rotation center of the human hip. The internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4 is arranged outside the hip joint to leave enough space for the user to wear, thereby improving the wearing comfort. The joint series structure is adopted so that each joint has a sufficiently large range of motion and no motion interference occurs.

[0043] Specifically, see Figure 2The connection reference member includes a waist rear reference member 1 and a waist front reference member 2. The waist rear reference member 1 and the waist front reference member 2 are arranged in parallel, and there is a distance between them.

[0044] Specifically, see Figure 2 and Figure 3 The adduction / abduction joint motor 3 is provided with a fixing seat, which is clamped between the rear waist reference member 1 and the front waist reference member 2 and fixed by bolts.

[0045] Specifically, see Figure 3 The first double-support frame structure includes an adduction / abduction joint motor output component 6 and an auxiliary connecting component I8; the adduction / abduction joint motor output component 6 is installed on the output end of the adduction / abduction joint motor 3 by bolts, and a cross roller bearing I7 is installed on the rear end of the adduction / abduction joint motor 3, and the auxiliary connecting component I8 is connected to the rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4 through the cross roller bearing I7.

[0046] Specifically, see Figure 3 The internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4 is provided with a fixing seat, which is fixedly connected to the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor output member 6 and the auxiliary connecting member I8 of the first double support frame structure by bolts.

[0047] Specifically, see Figure 3 The second double-support frame structure includes an internal rotation / external rotation joint motor output component 9 and an auxiliary connecting component II11. The internal rotation / external rotation joint motor output component 9 is installed on the output end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4 by bolts, and the cross roller bearing II10 is installed on the rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4. The auxiliary connecting component II11 is connected to the rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4 through the cross roller bearing II10.

[0048] Specifically, see Figure 3 The exoskeleton thigh part includes an inner thigh connector 12 and an outer thigh connector 14; a cross roller bearing III13 is installed at the rear end of the flexion / extension joint motor 5, the cross roller bearing III13 is fixedly connected to the outer thigh connector 14, and the inner thigh connector 12 is installed at the output end of the flexion / extension joint motor 5.

[0049] The connection between each joint motor is designed as a double support frame structure. Specifically, a cross roller bearing is installed at the rear end of the three joint motors, and each auxiliary support is installed on the bearing, so that the auxiliary support can move with the motor output end, thus forming a double support frame structure. Since the cross roller bearing has the ability to withstand large axial impact loads, the hip joint structure has significantly improved its ability to resist external impact.

[0050] Specifically, see Figure 1-Figure 3 A certain space is left between the lower ends of the inner thigh connector 12 and the outer thigh connector 14 for installing other electronic components such as the exoskeleton knee joint motor and driver.

[0051] Figure 4 The abduction state of the hip joint exoskeleton is shown. Driven by the adduction / abduction joint motor-3, the hip joint exoskeleton drives the human thigh to achieve abduction movement. Figure 5 The external rotation state of the hip joint exoskeleton is shown. Driven by the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor 4, the hip joint exoskeleton drives the human thigh to achieve external rotation movement. Figure 6 The flexed state of the hip joint exoskeleton is shown. Driven by the flexion / extension joint motor 3, the hip joint exoskeleton drives the human thigh to achieve flexion movement.

[0052] In summary, the present invention aims to address the problems of insufficient degrees of freedom, unstable support, and insufficient support for hip flexibility and stability in traditional exoskeleton hip joint structures, and provides an exoskeleton hip joint design that can achieve three-degree-of-freedom movement and has a double support structure. This structure can help users achieve forward and backward flexion and extension, internal and external rotation, and abduction and adduction movements of the hip joint through electric drive during complex movements such as walking, going up and down stairs, and switching between sitting and standing, thereby ensuring that the lower limbs have sufficient support and flexibility in all directions of movement to adapt to a variety of dynamic needs. In addition, the double support design of the hip joint structure helps to balance the load and reduce pressure on local joints, so as to improve the comfort and stability of the wearer and further reduce user fatigue.

[0053] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention in any form. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention are still within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of a self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton, characterized in that: It comprises a connection reference part, wherein the left hip joint structure and the right hip joint structure are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the connection reference part; The right hip joint structure comprises an adduction / abduction joint motor (3), an internal rotation / external rotation joint motor (4) and a flexion / extension joint motor (5); The adduction / abduction joint motor (3) is fixedly connected to the right end of the connection reference member, and the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor (4) is located outside the right hip joint structure; The output end and rear end of the adduction / abduction joint motor (3) are connected to the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor (4) via a first double-support frame structure, and the output end and rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor (4) are connected to the flexion / extension joint motor (5) via a second double-support frame structure, and the flexion / extension joint motor (5) drives the thigh part of the exoskeleton.

2. The three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotation axes of the adduction / abduction joint motor (3) and the flexion / extension joint motor (5) intersect at one point.

3. The three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotation axis of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor (4) is perpendicular to the rotation axes of the adduction / abduction joint motor (3) and the flexion / extension joint motor (5).

4. The three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connection reference member comprises a waist rear reference member (1) and a waist front reference member (2). The waist rear reference member (1) and the waist front reference member (2) are arranged in parallel, and there is a distance between them.

5. The three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton according to claim 4, characterized in that: The adduction / abduction joint motor (3) is provided with a fixing seat, which is clamped between the waist rear reference piece (1) and the waist front reference piece (2) and fixed.

6. The three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first double-support frame structure comprises an adduction / abduction joint motor output member (6) and an auxiliary connecting member I (8); The adduction / abduction joint motor output member (6) is installed on the output end of the adduction / abduction joint motor (3) by means of bolts, a cross roller bearing I (7) is installed on the rear end of the adduction / abduction joint motor (3), and an auxiliary connecting member I (8) is connected to the rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor (4) by means of the cross roller bearing I (7).

7. The three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton according to claim 6, characterized in that: The internal rotation / external rotation joint motor (4) is provided with a fixing seat, which is respectively fixedly connected to the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor output member (6) and the auxiliary connecting member I (8) of the first double support frame structure.

8. The three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second double-support frame structure comprises an internal rotation / external rotation joint motor output member (9) and an auxiliary connecting member II (11); The internal rotation / external rotation joint motor output member (9) is installed on the output end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor (4) by means of bolts, the cross roller bearing II (10) is installed on the rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor (4), and the auxiliary connecting member II (11) is connected to the rear end of the internal rotation / external rotation joint motor (4) by means of the cross roller bearing II (10).

9. The three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton according to claim 8, characterized in that: The exoskeleton thigh portion comprises an inner thigh connector (12) and an outer thigh connector (14); A cross roller bearing III (13) is installed at the rear end of the flexion / extension joint motor (5), the cross roller bearing III (13) is fixedly connected to the outer thigh connecting piece (14), and the inner thigh connecting piece (12) is installed at the output end of the flexion / extension joint motor (5).

10. The three-degree-of-freedom hip joint structure of the self-balancing lower limb exoskeleton according to claim 9, characterized in that: A space is reserved between the lower ends of the inner thigh connecting piece (12) and the outer thigh connecting piece (14) for installing an exoskeleton knee joint motor and a driver.

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