Walking assistance device with differential transmission mechanism

Abstract

This invention discloses a walking assistance device with a differential transmission mechanism, comprising a power module, a waist module, and a leg support module. The power module is horizontally positioned near the lower abdomen in front of the user, with its rotation axis horizontal and parallel to the coronal plane of the body. It includes a motor module, a reduction mechanism, a differential transmission mechanism, a first power output end, and a second power output end. The motor module is driven by the input end of the reduction mechanism. One end of the differential transmission mechanism is driven by both the output end of the reduction mechanism and the first power output end, while the other end is driven by the second power output end. Based on the differential transmission mechanism, rotation of the output end of the reduction mechanism can drive the first power output end to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the second power output end. This walking assistance device has advantages such as light weight, small storage volume, small implementation space, low complexity, and a compact design.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wearable exoskeleton devices, and more particularly to a walking assistance device with a differential transmission mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] In daily work and life, humans often encounter the need to enhance lower limb strength and endurance. Wearable powered exoskeletons are devices that meet this need. Wearable powered exoskeletons with walking assistance functions are generally called walking assistance devices. Walking assistance devices can help people walk further, climb higher, and exercise more fully. Many existing documents disclose the mechanisms underlying these walking assistance devices.

[0003] In existing walking assistance devices, the power modules are distributed on both sides of the hip joints, and the waist is connected to the power modules on both sides through a rigid waist bar. Such devices require the use of dual power modules, and the rigid waist bar needs to transmit a large torque and its length needs to be adjustable to match different users. This increases the complexity of the waist bar, increases the weight, and has a certain manufacturing cost. Moreover, because the power modules on both sides are surrounded by the user's waist, such devices are often large in size and difficult to carry.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies have offered some improvements, such as using a single power module to drive bipedal walking. However, these improvements still suffer from limitations in implementation space and high complexity. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a walking assistance device that is lightweight, compact, space-saving, low-complexity, and fits the body.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, embodiments of the present invention are proposed;

[0007] A walking assistance device with a differential transmission mechanism, the walking assistance device comprising a power module, a waist module and a leg bar module;

[0008] The power module is horizontally positioned near the lower abdomen at the front of the body, with its rotation axis horizontal and parallel to the coronal plane of the body. The power module includes a motor module, a reduction mechanism, a differential transmission mechanism, a first power output end, and a second power output end. The motor module is connected to the input end of the reduction mechanism. One end of the differential transmission mechanism is connected to both the output end of the reduction mechanism and the first power output end, while the other end is connected to the second power output end. Based on the differential transmission mechanism, rotation of the output end of the reduction mechanism can cause the first power output end to rotate in the opposite direction to the second power output end.

[0009] The waist module is arranged around the waist of the human body and is connected to the power module for transmission. The power module can rotate relative to the waist module.

[0010] The upper part of the leg module is distributed on both sides of the power module and is connected to the first power output end and the second power output end respectively.

[0011] The walking assistance device provided in this invention has the following advantages: 1. Lightweight: its weight is only about 60% of that of existing walking assistance devices distributed around the waist and hip joints on both sides of the body; 2. Small storage volume: it eliminates the rigid ring-shaped waist bar connecting the left and right sides, greatly reducing the storage volume; 3. Low cost: it only requires one power module to work normally; 4. Compact and close-fitting: the power module is located near the lower abdomen on the front of the body, with a small power diameter, and no protruding rigid structures on the left and right sides or back, so it does not affect squatting, sitting, running, or jumping, nor does it affect riding in a car or sitting in a chair with armrests, resulting in a better overall experience; 5. Small implementation space and low complexity: the motor module and reduction mechanism in the power module are more compact, and the differential movement of the power module is achieved through a simple differential transmission mechanism; the complex wiring harnesses of the motor and drive module are all fixed wiring, avoiding reliability problems caused by high-frequency winding of the wiring harness. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of embodiment 1 of the power module of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a front view schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 of the walking assistance device of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 This is a side view schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 of the walking assistance device of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a side view of the power module and leg module of the present invention in a walking state;

[0017] Figure 5 This is a side view of the power module and leg bar module of the present invention in a seated state;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of embodiment 2 of the power module of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of embodiment 3 of the power module of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 8 This is a side view schematic diagram of Embodiment 2 of the walking assistance device of the present invention.

[0021] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0022] 1. Power module; 11. Motor module; 111. Stator; 1111. Motor three-phase wires; 112. Rotor; 113. Rotor shaft; 12. Reduction mechanism; 121. Reducer housing; 122. Reducer gear set; 123. Reducer input end; 124. Reducer output end; 13. Differential transmission mechanism; 131. Left differential gear set; 1311. First differential gear; 1312. Second differential gear; 132. Right transmission gear set; 1321. 1322. First transmission gear; 1323. Second transmission gear; 1324. Third transmission gear; 133. Differential drive shaft; 134. Left differential mounting base; 135. Right transmission mounting base; 136. Reducer differential mounting plate; 14. Power module housing; 141. First connecting end; 142. Second connecting end; 15. Rotation axis; 16. First power output end; 17. Second power output end; 18. Universal joint; 181. First universal joint; 182. Second universal joint;

[0023] 2. Waist module; 21. Waist frame front end; 211. Waist frame connecting shaft; 22. Waist frame main body; 23. Waist frame rear end; 24. Rear waist belt;

[0024] 3. Leg rod module; 31. Upper leg rod section; 32. Leg rod body; 321. Leg rod slide groove; 33. Lower leg rod section; 34. Leg rod retraction shaft; 35. Leg shell; 351. Leg shell body; 352. Leg shell slide groove; 353. Pulley; 354. Spherical shaft; 36. Leg strap; 37. Leg shell sling;

[0025] 4. Sensor control system; 41. Drive module; 411. Drive module mounting block; 42. Motor encoder; 421. Encoding magnet; 422. Encoding sensing circuit; 43. Main control circuit; 44. Main control drive harness;

[0026] 5. Battery module; 51. Power cord. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar component reference numerals in the drawings represent similar components. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] It should be understood that, when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or collections thereof.

[0029] It should also be understood that the terminology used in this specification of embodiments of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the invention. As used in this specification of embodiments of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0030] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the walking assistance device of the present invention includes a power module 1, a waist module 2, and a leg bar module 3. In embodiment 1, the power module 1 is horizontally positioned near the lower abdomen in front of the human body. The rotation axis of the power module is horizontally positioned and parallel to the coronal plane of the human body. The power module 1 includes a motor module 11, a reduction mechanism 12, a differential transmission mechanism 13, a power module housing 14, a first power output end 16, and a second power output end 17. The motor module 11 and the reduction mechanism 12 are both cylindrical structures. The motor module 11 and the reduction mechanism 12 are arranged side by side and are both distributed on the rotation axis 15. The motor module 11 includes a stator 111 and a rotor 112. The stator 111 is located on the side close to the reduction mechanism 12. The rotor 112 is located on the side away from the reduction mechanism 12. The rotor 112 has a rotor shaft 113, which passes through the stator 111 and extends into the reduction mechanism 12. The rotor 112 can rotate relative to the stator 111 based on the rotor shaft 113. The reduction mechanism 12 includes a reducer housing 121, a reducer gear set 122, a reducer input end 123, and a reducer output end 124. The reducer input end 123 (i.e., the input end of the reduction mechanism 12) is located on the side close to the motor module 11, and the reducer output end 124 (i.e., the output end of the reduction mechanism 12) is located on the side away from the motor module 11. The reducer housing 121 is drive-connected to the stator 111 on the side close to the reducer input end 123. The reducer input end 123 is drive-connected to the rotor shaft 113.

[0031] In this embodiment, the differential transmission mechanism 13 includes a first transmission group, a second transmission group, and a differential transmission shaft 133. The first transmission group is a left differential gear set 131, and the second transmission group is a right transmission gear set 132. The left differential gear set 131 is located outside the output end 124 of the reducer, and the right transmission gear set 132 is located outside the motor module 11. The differential transmission shaft 133 is parallel to the rotation axis 15 and drives the left differential gear set 131 and the right transmission gear set 132. The left differential gear set 131 includes an even number of parallel meshing gears. In this embodiment, a pair of meshing gears is used, namely the first differential gear 1311 and the second differential gear set 132. The first differential gear 1311 has its shaft mounted on the rotation axis 15 and is connected to the output end 124 of the reducer and the first power output end 16. The second differential gear 1312 is parallel to the first differential gear 1311 and its shaft is mounted on the axis of the differential transmission shaft 133 and is connected to one end of the differential transmission shaft 133. The rotational motion of the reducer output end 124 is transmitted to the differential transmission shaft 133 after being driven by the left differential gear set 131, and rotates in opposite directions. That is, the reducer output end 124 and the differential transmission shaft 133 rotate synchronously in opposite directions. The right-side transmission gear set 132 includes an odd number of parallel meshing gears. In this embodiment, three transmission gears are used, namely, a first transmission gear 1321, a second transmission gear 1322, and a third transmission gear 1323. The shaft of the first transmission gear 1321 is located on the axis of the differential transmission shaft 133, and the first transmission gear 1321 is connected to the other end of the differential transmission shaft 133. The shaft of the third transmission gear 1323 is located on the rotation axis 15, and the third transmission gear 1323 is connected to the second power output end 17. The second transmission gear 1322 rotates and connects the first transmission gear 1321 and the third transmission gear 1323. Through the mutual rotational meshing of the first transmission gear 1321, the second transmission gear 1322, and the third transmission gear 1323, the rotation of the differential transmission shaft 133 is translated to the shaft of the third transmission gear 1323 located on the rotation axis 15.

[0032] The working principle of the power module 1 in this embodiment is as follows: The rotation of the rotor 112 in the motor module 11 drives the output end 124 of the reducer to rotate, which in turn drives the first differential gear 1311 to rotate in the same direction as the output end 124 of the reducer; after being meshed by the gear set of the left differential gear set 131, the output end 124 of the reducer rotates and translates to the differential transmission shaft 133 and rotates in the opposite direction; after being meshed by the gear set of the right transmission gear set 132, the output end 124 of the reducer rotates and translates back to the rotation axis 15 and rotates in the opposite direction; in this way, the rotation of the output end 124 of the reducer will drive the first power output end 16 to rotate simultaneously and in the opposite direction relative to the second power output end 17 on the same axis, realizing the differential rotation output of the coaxial axis distributed on both sides of the power module driven by one power module.

[0033] In other embodiments of the power module 1, exchanging the positions of the left differential gear set 131 and the right transmission gear set 132 can achieve the same effect. Furthermore, the number of gears in the left differential gear set 131 and the right transmission gear set 132 can be set as needed, but ultimately, the first power output end 16 and the second power output end 17 must rotate simultaneously on the same axis and in opposite directions. These simple modifications or substitutions that do not require creative effort are all within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0034] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the differential transmission mechanism 13 also includes a left differential fixing seat 134 and a right transmission fixing seat 135. The left differential fixing seat 134 is fixed together with the reducer housing 121. The right transmission fixing seat 135 is fixedly connected to the reducer housing 121 through a reducer differential fixing plate 136. The left differential gear set 131 is rotatably connected to the left differential fixing seat 134 through its rotating shaft, and the right transmission gear set 132 is rotatably connected to the right transmission fixing seat 135 through its rotating shaft. In this way, the stator 111, the reducer housing 121, the left differential fixing seat 134, and the right transmission fixing seat 135 are fixed together to form a fixed large base, while the rotor 112, the reducer gear set 122, the left differential gear set 131, and the right transmission gear set 132 can all rotate relative to the large base.

[0035] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the power module 1 also includes a power module housing 14, to which the reducer housing 121, the left differential mounting base 134, and the right transmission mounting base 135 are all fixed. The power module housing 14 has two connection points on its left and right sides: a first connection end 141 and a second connection end 142, for rotatably connecting with the waist module 2 described below.

[0036] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of a walking assistance device embodiment 1 with the aforementioned power module 1 from different perspectives. The walking assistance device includes a power module 1, a waist support module 2, a leg support module 3, a sensor control system 4, and a battery module 5.

[0037] The waist module 2 is arranged around the waist of the human body. The two sides of the waist module 2 are rotatably connected to the first connecting end 141 and the second connecting end 142 respectively through the waist frame connecting shaft 211. The rotatable connection can support the waist module 2 and the power module 1 to rotate freely relative to each other based on the waist frame connecting shaft 211. The waist frame connecting shaft 211 is arranged horizontally, that is, parallel to the rotation axis of the power module, so as to support the power module 1 to extend or flex in the sagittal plane relative to the waist module 2.

[0038] Specifically, in this embodiment, the waist module 2 includes a waist frame front end 21, a waist frame body 22, a waist frame rear end 23, and a rear waist belt 24; the waist frame front end 21 is distributed on the left and right sides of the power module 1, and is rotatably connected to the first connecting end 141 and the second connecting end 142 based on an axis parallel to the rotation axis 15 (i.e., the waist frame connecting axis 211), that is, the power module 1 can rotate downward relative to the waist module 2; the waist frame rear end 23 is distributed near the left and right sides of the lower back of the human body, and the two waist frame rear ends 23 are connected together by the rear waist belt 24; the waist frame body 22 connects the waist frame front end 21 and the waist frame rear end 23 together; the power module 1 and the waist module 2 form a closed loop structure that fits tightly against the waist of the human body, and tightening the rear waist belt 24 can tightly fix the power module 1 to the lower abdomen in front of the human body.

[0039] The leg support module 3 includes an upper leg support section 31, a leg support body 32, a lower leg support section 33, a leg support extension / retraction shaft 34, a leg shell 35, a leg strap 36, and a leg shell sling 37. The leg support body 32 is positioned on the front of the human thigh and runs along the direction of the thigh. The upper end of the leg support body 32 is rotatably connected to the upper leg support section 31 via the leg support extension / retraction shaft 34. The leg support extension / retraction shaft 34 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the leg support body 32 to meet the freedom requirements of leg abduction and adduction. The lower end of the leg support body 32 is drive-connected to the lower leg support section 33. The upper leg support section 31 is distributed on the left and right sides of the power module 1 and is drive-connected to the first power output end 16 and the second power output end 17, respectively. The leg shell 35 is positioned on the front of the human thigh and includes a leg shell body 351, which is rectangular and distributed vertically along the human thigh. The leg shell body 351 has leg shells distributed vertically along the human thigh. The leg shell has a sliding groove 352, which contains a sliding element. In this embodiment, the sliding element is a pulley 353, which can slide freely up and down within the leg shell groove 352. The shaft of the pulley 353 is rotatably connected to the lower section 33 of the leg rod through a spherical shaft 354 to meet the different angle requirements between the leg rod body 32 and the leg shell 35 when people of different body shapes use the walking assistance device of the present invention. The spherical shaft 354 makes the walking assistance device of the present invention more flexible and adaptable to more body shapes during walking. The leg strap 36 fixes the leg shell 35 to the human leg. The leg shell sling 37 connects the leg shell 35 to the waist module 2 to prevent the leg shell 35 from falling during exercise and to fix the initial position of the pulley 353 and the leg shell 35.

[0040] The upper leg section 31, the main body of the leg section 32, the lower leg section 33, and the leg shell 35 are all rigid mechanisms. The power module 1 outputs power through the first power output end 16 and the second power output end 17, which can drive the leg shell 35 to lift or press the human thigh, that is, drive the human thigh to swing back and forth. The extension and retraction shaft 34 of the leg section is always perpendicular to the main body of the leg section 32, which can support the extension and retraction of the main body of the leg section 32 while transmitting the torque of the power output. The lower leg section 33 and the leg shell 35 are slidably connected by the spherical shaft 354 and the pulley 353, which can support the change of the relative position and angle between the power module 1 and the leg shell 35 during human movement, and can also transmit hip extension or hip flexion torque.

[0041] The power module 1, waist module 2, and leg bar module 3 constitute the main functional framework of the walking assistance device of the present invention, and its working principle is as follows:

[0042] When a person walks, the rotor 112 in the power module 1 rotates relative to the stator 111 under drive. The rotor 112 drives the reducer output end 124 to rotate relative to the reducer housing 121. The reducer output end 124 drives the first differential gear 1311 to rotate relative to the reducer housing 121, thereby causing the first differential gear 1311 to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the third transmission gear 1323, correspondingly causing the first power output end 16 to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the second power output end 17; further causing the leg bar bodies 32 on the left and right sides to swing relative to each other, and finally causing the human thigh, which is fixed to the lower section 33 of the leg bar, to swing back and forth differentially, thereby applying a assist torque to the human body to help one side of the leg step forward while the other side pushes backward, making walking more effortless and easier; Figure 4 As shown, when the human thigh swings back and forth differentially, the left and right leg bar modules 3 are located on the front and back thighs respectively, and the power module 1 is located in the middle of the left and right leg bar modules 3.

[0043] When a person bends over, leans back, or squats or sits down, their left and right legs extend or flex relative to the torso simultaneously. Because the waist module 2 is fixed to the torso, the leg support module 3 extends or flexes simultaneously with the thighs relative to the torso. At this time, the power module 1 and the left and right leg support modules 3 extend or flex together relative to the waist module 2. The free rotational connection between the first connecting end 141, the second connecting end 142, and the waist module 2 satisfies this extension or flexion requirement, thus allowing the person to bend over, lean back, or squat or sit down freely and without hindrance. Figure 5 As shown, at this time, the left and right leg modules 3 and the power module 1 together extend or flex relative to the waist module 2. Figure 5 The image shows that when a person moves from standing to sitting, the leg bar module 3 and the power module 1 rotate together from position A to position B relative to the waist module 2.

[0044] The sensing and control system 4 is used to sense human movement and control the output of torque. It includes a drive module 41, a motor encoder 42, and a main control circuit 43.

[0045] The drive module 41 is mounted on the right-side transmission mounting base 135, close to the rotor shaft 113. The motor encoder 42 includes an encoding magnet 421 and an encoding sensing circuit 422. The encoding sensing circuit 422 is mounted on the drive module 41, close to the shaft end of the rotor shaft 113. The encoding magnet 421 is mounted on the shaft end of the rotor shaft 113, close to the encoding sensing circuit 422. The rotation of the rotor 112 relative to the stator 111 causes the encoding magnet 421 to rotate relative to the encoding sensing circuit 422, thereby activating the motor encoder. The drive module 41 is electrically connected to the motor encoder 42 and also to the motor module 11 via a motor wiring harness. In this embodiment, the motor wiring harness is the three-phase motor wire 1111. The drive module 41 controls the rotation of the motor module 11 or outputs torque according to the information from the motor encoder 42. The main control circuit 43 is located near the motor module 11 and is electrically connected to the drive module 41 via a main control drive wiring harness 44. The motor module 11, the reduction mechanism 12, the differential transmission mechanism 13, and the sensing control system 4 are all located inside the power module housing 14.

[0046] The battery module 5 is mounted on the waist module 2 and located near the rear end 23 of the waist frame. The battery module 5 may include two batteries, located on the left and right sides respectively. The power line 51 of the battery module 5 extends along the waist frame body 22 to the front end 21 of the waist frame, crosses the waist frame connecting shaft 211 and enters the power module cover 14, and is electrically connected to the drive module 41 and the main control circuit 43.

[0047] When a single power module is used for driving, the entire device becomes simpler and lighter. However, due to the long-term and large-scale winding and twisting of the circuit harness in the power module, it may lead to poor reliability. In view of the above problems, the structural features of the present invention can effectively solve the above problems. In all wiring harnesses, the motor three-phase wire 1111 and the main control drive wiring harness 44 are routed along the housing of the power module. In this embodiment, the motor three-phase wire 1111 is routed along the differential fixing plate 136 of the reducer, and the main control drive wiring harness 44 is routed along the power module housing 14. Since there is no relative movement between the reducer 12, the drive module 41, the main control circuit 43, and the power module housing 14, the above wiring harnesses are all stationary wiring (i.e., fixed wiring), and there is no situation of continuous self-twisting or winding and bending. The wiring is fixed, simple, and highly reliable, avoiding the reliability problems caused by high-frequency winding of the wiring harness. The power line 51 is led out from the waist module 2 into the power module 1. It is subject to a certain degree of continuous twisting through the waist frame connecting shaft 211, but the power line 51 has a relatively small number of wires and is relatively thick, which has a strong ability to withstand long-term twisting and ensures good reliability.

[0048] In the waist module 2, the front end 21, the main body 22, and the rear end 23 of the waist frame are all rigid or semi-rigid mechanisms. When the walking assistance device of the present invention applies a hip extension torque to one side of the wearer, a corresponding reaction torque, i.e., a hip flexion torque, will be generated on the other side. At this time, one side will apply pressure to the thigh of the human body through the leg shell 35, and the other side will apply tension to the thigh of the human body through the leg strap 36. Correspondingly, the waist module 2 will be subjected to a rotational torque in the horizontal direction. The rigid front end 21 of the waist frame will squeeze the waist of the human body on one side, and the rear end 23 of the waist frame and the rear waist strap 24 will tighten the lower back of the human body on the other side, thereby balancing the derivative horizontal rotational torque brought about by the assistance device applying assistance to the human body, ensuring that the device can work stably.

[0049] like Figure 6 As shown, this is a structural schematic diagram of embodiment 2 of the power module 1 of the present invention. In this embodiment, transmission is achieved by using two or more universal joints 18 commonly used in industry, which can achieve the same effect as the right-side transmission gear set 132 in embodiment 1, that is, the universal joints 18 are used to realize the translation of the rotation axis; as Figure 6 As shown, the differential drive shaft 133 is divided into three sections. The universal joint 18 includes a first universal joint 181 and a second universal joint 182. These three sections of the differential drive shaft 133 are connected by the first universal joint 181 and the second universal joint 182 in sequence. The first section of the differential drive shaft 133 and the third section of the differential drive shaft 133 are both parallel to the rotation axis 15 of the power module 1. The first section of the differential drive shaft 133 is connected to the second differential gear 1312, and the third section of the differential drive shaft 133 is connected to the second power output end 17, thereby realizing the translation of the rotational motion. Compared with the right-side transmission gear set 132 in embodiment 1 of the power module 1 to realize the translation of the rotational motion axis, the universal joint has higher transmission efficiency and lighter weight, but it occupies a slightly larger space volume. In actual products, a suitable transmission method should be selected according to the situation.

[0050] like Figure 7 As shown, this is a structural schematic diagram of embodiment 3 of the power module 1 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the right transmission gear set 132 in embodiment 1 is directly removed. The differential transmission shaft 133 directly drives and connects to the second power output end 17 and outputs power. Compared with the power module 1 in embodiment 1, which realizes the translation of the rotational motion axis through the right transmission gear set 132, the mechanism of this embodiment is more concise and lighter. However, the first power output end 16 and the second power output end 17 on the left and right sides are not on the same axis, which will bring a slight difference in force on the left and right sides during operation. This transmission method can be selected according to the situation in low-end price-sensitive products.

[0051] like Figure 8As shown, this is a side view of embodiment 2 of the walking assistance device of the present invention. In this embodiment, the leg shell 35 and the lower leg section 33 are connected only by a spherical shaft 354, and there is no relative sliding. The relative sliding between the leg body 32 and the lower leg section 33 satisfies the change in relative position and angle between the power module 1 and the leg shell 35 when the human body walks. In this embodiment, the leg body 32 is provided with a leg slide groove 321, and the upper end of the lower leg section 33 is provided with a sliding member. In this embodiment, the sliding member can be a pulley 353, which can slide on the leg. The lower leg section 33 can slide freely up and down in the rod groove 321, allowing it to extend and retract relative to the leg body 32. Alternatively, in other embodiments, a leg groove 321 can be provided at the upper end of the lower leg section 33, and a pulley 353 can be provided at the lower end of the leg body 32. The pulley 353 can slide freely up and down in the leg groove 321, allowing the lower leg section 33 to extend and retract relative to the leg body 32 via the pulley 353. Both of these solutions can satisfy the relative position and angle changes between the power module 1 and the leg shell 35 during human walking.

[0052] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Since these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

[0053] The above description describes specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A walking assistance device with a differential transmission mechanism, characterized in that, The walking assistance device includes a power module, a waist module, and a leg bar module; The power module is horizontally positioned near the lower abdomen at the front of the body, with its rotation axis horizontal and parallel to the coronal plane of the body. The power module includes a motor module, a reduction mechanism, a differential transmission mechanism, a first power output end, and a second power output end. The motor module is connected to the input end of the reduction mechanism. One end of the differential transmission mechanism is connected to both the output end of the reduction mechanism and the first power output end, while the other end is connected to the second power output end. Based on the differential transmission mechanism, rotation of the output end of the reduction mechanism can cause the first power output end to rotate in the opposite direction to the second power output end. The waist module is arranged around the waist of the human body and is connected to the power module for transmission. The power module can rotate relative to the waist module. The upper part of the leg module is distributed on both sides of the power module and is respectively connected to the first power output end and the second power output end for transmission. The reduction mechanism includes a reducer housing, and the differential transmission mechanism also includes a left differential fixing seat and a right transmission fixing seat. The left differential fixing seat is fixed together with the reducer housing; the right transmission fixing seat is fixedly connected to the reducer housing through a reducer differential fixing plate. The power module also includes a power module housing. The reducer housing, the left differential mounting base and the right transmission mounting base are all fixed to the power module housing. The power module housing has two connection points on the left and right sides respectively: a first connection end and a second connection end. The waist module includes a waist frame front end, a waist frame body, a waist frame rear end, and a rear waist belt; the waist frame front end is distributed on both sides of the power module and is rotatably connected to both sides of the power module based on a waist frame connecting shaft parallel to the rotation axis; the waist frame rear end is distributed near both sides of the lower back of the human body, and the two waist frame rear ends are connected together by the rear waist belt; the waist frame body connects the waist frame front end and the waist frame rear end; the waist frame front end is rotatably connected to the first connecting end and the second connecting end based on the waist frame connecting shaft.

2. The walking assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The differential transmission mechanism includes a first transmission group and a differential transmission shaft. The first transmission group is disposed outside the output end of the reduction mechanism. One end of the first transmission group is connected to the output end of the reduction mechanism and the first power output end. The other end of the first transmission group is connected to one end of the differential transmission shaft. The other end of the differential transmission shaft is directly or indirectly connected to the second power output end. The differential transmission shaft is arranged parallel to the rotation axis.

3. The walking assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first transmission group includes an even number of parallel meshing differential gears. The shaft of the first differential gear is located on the rotation axis, and the first differential gear is connected to the output end of the reduction mechanism and the first power output end. The shaft of the last differential gear is located on the axis of the differential transmission shaft, and is connected to the end of the differential transmission shaft near the first power output end.

4. The walking assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power module also includes a second transmission group, which is located outside the motor module. The second transmission group includes an odd number of parallel meshing transmission gears. The shaft of the first transmission gear is located on the axis of the differential transmission shaft and is connected to the other end of the differential transmission shaft near the second power output end. The shaft of the last transmission gear is located on the rotation axis and is connected to the second power output end.

5. The walking assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The differential drive shaft is divided into multiple sections. Adjacent sections of the differential drive shaft are connected by a universal joint. The first section of the differential drive shaft is connected to the first power output end via the first transmission group, and the last section of the differential drive shaft is connected to the second power output end.

6. The walking assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The leg module includes an upper leg section, a leg body, a lower leg section, a leg extension / retraction shaft, and a leg shell; The upper sections of the leg rods are distributed on both sides of the power module and are respectively connected to the first power output end and the second power output end for transmission. The main body of the leg bar is set along the direction of the human thigh, and the upper end of the main body of the leg bar is rotatably connected to the upper section of the leg bar through the leg bar extension shaft. The leg bar extension shaft is set perpendicular to the extension direction of the main body of the leg bar. The lower section of the leg rod is driven to the lower end of the leg rod body; The leg shell is connected to the lower section of the leg rod via a transmission.

7. The walking assistance device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The leg shell has vertically distributed leg shell grooves, and each leg shell groove contains a sliding member that can slide freely up and down within the leg shell groove; the sliding member is rotatably connected to the lower section of the leg rod via a spherical shaft.

8. The walking assistance device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The leg shell and the lower section of the leg rod are connected by a spherical shaft; The lower end of the leg rod body is provided with a leg rod groove, and the upper end of the lower leg rod section is provided with a sliding member, through which the lower leg rod section can extend and retract relative to the leg rod body; or, the upper end of the lower leg rod section is provided with a leg rod groove, and the lower end of the leg rod body is provided with a sliding member, through which the lower leg rod section can extend and retract relative to the leg rod body.

9. The walking assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The walking assistance device also includes a sensor control system and a battery module; The sensing and control system is used to sense human body movements and control the output of torque. The sensing and control system includes a drive module, a motor encoder, and a main control circuit. The drive module is fixedly installed inside the power module. The motor encoder is used to sense the rotation information of the motor module. The main control circuit is located near the motor module. The drive module is electrically connected to the motor encoder. The main control circuit is electrically connected to the drive module through a main control drive harness. The drive module is electrically connected to the motor module through a motor harness. The motor harness and the main control drive harness are fixedly routed along the housing of the power module. The battery module is mounted on the waist module; the power line of the battery module extends along the waist frame body to the front end of the waist frame, crosses the waist frame connecting shaft and enters the power module, and is electrically connected to the drive module and the main control circuit.

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