Hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of exoskeleton rehabilitation, and relates to a hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding, which comprises a driving module, a skeleton structure and a sliding binding mechanism, the driving module comprises a driver and a driver shell; the skeleton structure comprises an outer side metal plate, an inner side metal plate, skeleton joints and fingertip joints; the sliding binding mechanism comprises a sliding block; a plurality of skeleton joints are arranged on the upper side of the inner side metal plate, a pair of rollers is arranged on each skeleton joint, and the outer side metal plate penetrates through the middle of the two rollers; two conduction assemblies are arranged on the upper side and the lower side of the sliding block, the outer side metal plate and the inner side metal plate pass through the upper conduction assembly and the lower conduction assembly respectively, and the outer side metal plate and the inner side metal plate can slide relative to the sliding block respectively. Sliding constraint between the surface of the exoskeleton and the hand is achieved through the sliding blocks, so that the exoskeleton can conform to the telescopic movement of the outer side surfaces of the fingers in the finger bending process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of exoskeleton rehabilitation, and relates to a hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding. Background Art

[0002] Hand dysfunction is often caused by factors such as stroke, cerebral apoplexy, trauma, etc. Patients need to use a rehabilitation hand exoskeleton for treatment to restore finger movement ability through long-term rehabilitation training.

[0003] Existing hand exoskeletons are mostly fixed on the outside of the fingers, making it difficult to adapt to the telescopic movement of the outer surface during finger bending, and the fixing position is single, with poor adaptability. For example, the patent with the publication number CN118873383A discloses an active rehabilitation hand exoskeleton based on force feedback. The bending angle of this mechanism is limited, and it cannot conform to the telescopic movement of the outer side of the finger, with poor fitting degree.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a hand exoskeleton robot with high adaptability, capable of conforming to finger telescopic movement and being lightweight. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes a hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding, which realizes the sliding constraint between the outer surface of the exoskeleton and the hand through a slider, so that the exoskeleton can conform to the telescopic movement of the outer surface of the finger during finger bending.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above problems is: A hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding, which is characterized in that:

[0007] It includes a plurality of motion units, and each motion unit includes a driving module, a bone structure, and a sliding binding mechanism;

[0008] The driving module includes a driver and a driver housing;

[0009] The bone structure includes an outer metal plate, an inner metal plate, bone joints, and fingertip joints;

[0010] The sliding binding mechanism includes a slider;

[0011] One end of the inner metal plate is fixed to the driver housing, and the other end is fixed to the fingertip joint; one end of the outer metal plate is fixed to the fingertip joint, and the other end is connected by the driver. A plurality of bone joints are arranged on the upper side of the inner metal plate, and a pair of rollers are provided on the bone joints. The outer metal plate passes through the middle of the two rollers;

[0012] Two conduction components are arranged up and down on the upper side of the slider. The outer metal plate and the inner metal plate respectively pass through the upper conduction component and the lower conduction component, and the outer metal plate and the inner metal plate can slide relative to the slider respectively.

[0013] Furthermore, the above-mentioned driving module further includes a lead screw motor and a special-shaped nut. The lead screw motor drives the special-shaped nut to move, and the end of the outer metal plate is connected to the special-shaped nut, converting the rotational motion of the lead screw motor into a linear motion.

[0014] Furthermore, the above-mentioned driving module further includes a motor encoder. The encoder real-time feedbacks the motor position, and the controller adjusts the rotational speed of the lead screw motor to achieve precise flexion and extension angle control.

[0015] Furthermore, a binding component is provided on the lower side of the above-mentioned slider, and the binding component is used to fix to the finger.

[0016] Furthermore, the conduction component on the above-mentioned slider is a slideway, and the outer metal plate and the inner metal plate pass through the slideway to achieve the sliding connection between the slider and the metal plate.

[0017] Furthermore, the conduction component on the above-mentioned slider is a roller group or a micro-bearing group, and the outer metal plate and the inner metal plate pass through the roller group or the micro-bearing group to achieve the sliding connection between the slider and the metal plate.

[0018] Furthermore, the above-mentioned hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding further includes a metacarpal connecting plate, and the driving module of the motion unit is fixed on the metacarpal connecting plate; a binding component is provided on the metacarpal connecting plate for connecting to the palm.

[0019] Furthermore, the above-mentioned driver housing is fixed on the metacarpal connecting plate, the lead screw motor is located outside the driver housing, and the lead screw and the special-shaped nut connected to the lead screw motor are located inside the driver housing.

[0020] Furthermore, the above-mentioned binding component is a binding band or a flexible material, the number of the above-mentioned motion units is 2 - 4, and the number of sliders of a single motion unit can be increased or decreased.

[0021] Furthermore, the above-mentioned slider is fixed on the outer surface of the patient's phalanx through a binding band or a flexible material; the above-mentioned roller is a Teflon roller.

[0022] Advantages of the present invention:

[0023] 1) Using sliding binding reduces the risk of joint and soft tissue injury compared to fixed binding, providing a safer rehabilitation training environment for patients.

[0024] 2) The overall system is lighter in weight, causing less burden on the patient's hand, and the gaps between various structures are smaller, which can improve the load capacity of the exoskeleton.

[0025] 3) The position of the slider is adjustable, which can be adjusted according to the finger sizes of different patients, improving the adaptability of the device and the personalized rehabilitation effect.

[0026] 4) The motor is equipped with an encoder, which can precisely control the flexion and extension movement of the hand, improving the accuracy of rehabilitation training.

[0027] 5) Teflon rollers are used to reduce contact friction, enhancing the mechanical strength and structural life of the overall system, and are suitable for long-term and multiple rehabilitation trainings.

[0028] 6) The structure of the present invention is simple, and the production and manufacturing cost is relatively low, which can effectively reduce the economic burden on patients. Description of the Drawings

[0029] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the wearing of the hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding proposed by the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of the metal bone mechanism;

[0031] Figure 3 It is a sectional view of the electric drive mechanism.

[0032] Wherein: 1, metacarpal connecting plate; 2, drive housing; 3, slider; 4, bone joint; 5, outer metal plate; 6, roller; 7, fingertip joint; 8, inner metal plate; 9, lead screw motor; 10, motor encoder; 11, bolt; 12, special-shaped nut. Detailed Embodiments

[0033] To make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to be protected, but only represents the selected embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] Refer to the attached Figures 1-3 , the present invention proposes a hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding, including a plurality of motion units, and the motion units include a drive module, a bone structure and a sliding binding mechanism. The drive module includes a driver and a drive housing 2, and the driver is fixed on the drive housing 2. The bone structure includes an outer metal plate 5, an inner metal plate 8, a bone joint 4 and a fingertip joint 7. The sliding binding mechanism includes a slider 3.

[0035] One end of the inner metal plate 8 is fixed to the driver housing 2, and the other end is fixed to the fingertip joint 7; one end of the outer metal plate 5 is fixed to the fingertip joint 7, and the other end is connected by the driver. A plurality of bone joints 4 are fixedly arranged on the upper side of the inner metal plate 8. A pair of rollers 6 are arranged on the bone joint 4, and the outer metal plate 5 passes through the middle of the two rollers 6 to form a sliding connection; two conduction components are arranged up and down on the upper side of the slider 3. The outer metal plate 5 and the inner metal plate 8 respectively pass through the upper conduction component and the lower conduction component, and the outer metal plate 5 and the inner metal plate 8 can slide relative to the slider 3 respectively.

[0036] Specifically, the number of the motion units can be set to 2 - 4 according to needs, and the number of sliders 3 of a single motion unit can be increased or decreased.

[0037] See Figure 1 , the hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding further includes a metacarpal connecting plate 1, and the driving module of the motion unit is fixed on the metacarpal connecting plate 1; a binding component is arranged at the lower part of the metacarpal connecting plate 1 for connecting with the palm. A binding component is also arranged at the lower side of the slider 3 for fixing with the finger. The metacarpal connecting plate 1 and the slider 3 can be relatively independent, and adjusting the position of the slider 3 can adapt to different finger sizes.

[0038] In the present invention, the binding method of the exoskeleton and the finger is replaced from fixed binding to sliding binding. Two sliders that can slide relative to each other along the surface of the metal plate are added between the exoskeleton metal plates, and the sliders are bound to the outer surface of the phalanx. During the process of the exoskeleton driving the finger to bend, the slider adapts to the telescopic movement of the outer surface of the finger by sliding relative to the metal surface, and adapts to patients with different finger size characteristics by adjusting the position of the slider.

[0039] The present invention proposes an exoskeleton hand robot based on sliding binding, which realizes the sliding constraint between the surface of the exoskeleton and the hand through roller sliders, can conform to the telescopic movement of the outer surface of the finger during the finger bending process, and adapts to different finger sizes by adjusting the position of the slider, thereby effectively improving the limitations of the existing exoskeleton and realizing more personalized and efficient rehabilitation training.

[0040] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned binding component is a binding band or a flexible material, and the metacarpal connecting plate 1 is connected to the palm through the binding band or the flexible material. The slider 3 is fixed to the outer surface of the patient's phalanx through the binding band or the flexible material.

[0041] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the conduction component on the slider 3 is a slideway, and the outer metal plate 5 and the inner metal plate 8 pass through the slideway to achieve the sliding connection between the slider 3 and the metal plate. Alternatively, the conduction component on the slider 3 is a roller group or a micro-bearing group, and the outer metal plate 5 and the inner metal plate 8 pass through the roller group or the micro-bearing group to achieve the sliding connection between the slider 3 and the metal plate.

[0042] The roller 6 is a Teflon roller, and the Teflon roller can be replaced by a micro-bearing or a roller made of polyoxymethylene (POM). The bone joint 4 and the slider 3 are connected to the Teflon rollers 6 thereon through bolts 11. A pair of Teflon rollers connected to the bone joint 4 are in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the outer metal plate 8. There are four pairs of Teflon rollers on the slider 3, two of which are in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the outer metal plate 5, and the remaining two pairs of Teflon rollers are in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the inner metal plate 8.

[0043] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figure 3 , the drive module further includes a lead screw motor 9 and a special-shaped nut 12. The lead screw motor 9 drives the special-shaped nut 12 to move, and the end of the outer metal plate 5 is connected to the special-shaped nut 12, converting the rotational motion of the lead screw motor 9 into a linear motion. By driving the lead screw motor 9 to rotate to drive the special-shaped nut 12, the connected outer metal plate 5 performs a telescopic motion. Since the length of the inner metal plate 8 is fixed, the telescopic motion of the outer metal plate 5 is converted into a bending motion, and the deformation is transmitted to the inner metal plate 8 through the fingertip joint 7. The bending shape of the outer metal plate 5 is restricted by the Teflon rollers connected to the bone joint 4, realizing the bending motion of the metal bone part, and finally completing the hand rehabilitation movement. During the process of the exoskeleton driving the finger to bend, the slider 3 adapts to the telescopic motion of the outer surface of the finger by sliding relatively along the surfaces of the inner metal plate 8 and the outer metal plate 5.

[0044] Of course, the drive module can also adopt a linear motor or a pneumatic push rod to drive the outer metal plate 5 to perform a linear movement through the linear motor or the pneumatic push rod.

[0045] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figure 3 , the above drive module further includes a motor encoder 10. The encoder 10 is installed at the tail of the motor. The encoder 10 real-time feedbacks the motor position, and the controller adjusts the rotation speed of the lead screw motor 9 to achieve precise flexion and extension angle control.

[0046] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figure 3 , the above drive housing 2 is fixed on the metacarpal connecting plate 1. The lead screw motor 9 is located outside the drive housing 2, and the lead screw and the special-shaped nut 12 connected to the lead screw motor 9 are located inside the drive housing 2.

[0047] The present invention provides a hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding. A sliding constraint between the surface of the exoskeleton and the hand is achieved through a slider, enabling the exoskeleton to conform to the telescopic movement of the outer surface of the finger during the finger bending process, realizing passive compliance of the finger extension movement, improving the versatility of the device, and enhancing the comfort of the wearer, etc. In addition, by adjusting the position of the slider, a single size can be adapted to wearers within a certain range, with good versatility, thereby reducing the customization links in the design and production processes and effectively reducing the production cost.

[0048] The above are only the embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the content of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or directly or indirectly applied to other related system fields, shall be equally included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding, characterized in that: It includes several action units, each of which includes a driving module, a skeleton structure and a sliding binding mechanism; The drive module comprises a drive and a drive housing (2); The bone structure comprises an outer metal plate (5), an inner metal plate (8), a bone joint (4) and a fingertip joint (7); The sliding binding mechanism comprises a sliding block (3); One end of the inner metal plate (8) is fixed to the driver housing (2), and the other end is fixed to the fingertip joint (7); one end of the outer metal plate (5) is fixed to the fingertip joint (7), and the other end is connected to the driver; a plurality of bone joints (4) are arranged on the upper side of the inner metal plate (8), a pair of rollers (6) are arranged on the bone joints (4), and the outer metal plate (5) passes through the middle of the two rollers (6); Two conducting components are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the slider (3); the outer metal plate (5) and the inner metal plate (8) pass through the upper conducting component and the lower conducting component respectively; the outer metal plate (5) and the inner metal plate (8) can slide relative to the slider (3) respectively.

2. The hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving module further comprises a screw motor (9) and a special-shaped nut (12); the screw motor (9) drives the special-shaped nut (12) to move; the end of the outer metal plate (5) is connected to the special-shaped nut (12) to convert the rotational motion of the screw motor (9) into linear motion.

3. The hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive module further comprises a motor encoder (10), the encoder (10) feeds back the motor position in real time, and the controller adjusts the rotation speed of the screw motor (9) to achieve precise flexion and extension angle control.

4. The hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding according to claim 3, characterized in that: A binding component is provided on the lower side of the slider (3), and the binding component is used to be fixed to the finger.

5. The hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding according to claim 4, characterized in that: The conducting component on the slider (3) is a slideway, and the outer metal plate (5) and the inner metal plate (8) pass through the slideway to achieve sliding connection between the slider (3) and the metal plate.

6. The hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding according to claim 4, characterized in that: The conducting component on the slider (3) is a roller group or a micro bearing group, and the outer metal plate (5) and the inner metal plate (8) are connected to the slider (3) and the metal plate by sliding through the roller group or the micro bearing group.

7. A hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: It also comprises a metacarpal bone connection plate (1), on which a drive module of the action unit is fixed; and a binding component is provided on the metacarpal bone connection plate (1) for connection with the palm.

8. The hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driver housing (2) is fixed on the metacarpal connection plate (1), the screw motor (9) is located outside the driver housing (2), and the screw and special-shaped nut (12) connected to the screw motor (9) are located inside the driver housing (2).

9. The hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding according to claim 8, characterized in that: The binding component is a binding belt or a flexible material, the number of the action units is 2-4, and the number of sliders (3) of a single action unit can be increased or decreased.

10. The hand exoskeleton robot based on sliding binding according to claim 9, characterized in that: The slider (3) is fixed to the outer surface of the patient's phalanx by means of a binding strap or a flexible material; the roller (6) is a Teflon roller.

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