Single-degree-of-freedom rebound waist joint for exoskeleton

Abstract

The invention discloses a single-degree-of-freedom rebound waist joint for an exoskeleton, relates to the technical field of wearable equipment, and aims to solve the problems of complex structure and inconvenience in maintenance of a waist joint quick-release module in the exoskeleton in the prior art. The device comprises a rotating module and a quick release module; the rotating module comprises a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft, an elastic piece, a spring seat and a reset spring. The second rotating shaft can be inserted into the first rotating shaft which drives the second rotating shaft to rotate; the first elastic sheet and the second elastic sheet are arranged on two sides of the first rotating shaft; spring seats are mounted at the lower parts of the first elastic sheet and the second elastic sheet; the quick release module is located on the lower portion of the rotating module and comprises a waist joint adapter plate, a quick release cover plate, a button, a spring and a lower limb adapter template. The button comprises a head part and a rod part; the quick-release cover plate and the lower limb switching template form a space for button movement, a spring is arranged in the space, one end of the spring is connected to the head of the button, and the other end of the spring is connected to the lower limb switching template. The module quick-release structure is simple, and maintenance is convenient.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of wearable devices, in particular to a detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton. BACKGROUND

[0002] An exoskeleton can be worn on the outside of the human body, and can provide mechanical assistance to the human body according to the movement posture of the human body. The exoskeleton has a strong application prospect in disaster rescue, heavy lifting, outdoor hiking, and medical rehabilitation. At present, various exoskeletons are used for human body weight, corresponding to the joints of the human body, and various joints are designed in the exoskeleton, including hip joints, knee joints, and waist joints. For the realization of left and right swinging of the waist joint, a ball hinge structure is mostly used in the prior art. Moreover, the fast release module of the waist joint in the current exoskeleton technology does not consider the quick release function, so that the waist joint cannot be modularized, thereby being inconvenient for maintenance or component replacement, inconvenient for wearing and taking off, and reducing user experience. The quick release module in the waist joint in the prior art mostly adopts a universal joint structure, which is relatively complex. It is necessary to study a waist joint with a simple structure and convenient maintenance. SUMMARY

[0003] In view of the above analysis, the present application aims to provide a detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton to solve the problem of complex structure and inconvenient maintenance of the fast release module of the waist joint in the prior art.

[0004] The main purpose of the present application is achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0005] A detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton, comprising a rotating module and a quick release module.

[0006] The rotating module comprises a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft, and a spring piece. The second rotating shaft can be inserted into the inside of the first rotating shaft, and the first rotating shaft can drive the second rotating shaft to rotate. The upper part of the spring piece is connected to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft.

[0007] The quick release module is located at the lower part of the rotating module and comprises a waist joint adapter plate, a quick release cover plate, a button, and a lower limb adapter template.

[0008] Further, the button comprises a head and a rod.

[0009] Further, the rotating module further comprises a spring seat and a return spring for the return of the waist joint.

[0010] Further, the spring seat and the return spring are connected to the spring piece.

[0011] Further, the installation direction of the return spring and the spring seat is parallel to the axial direction of the first rotating shaft.

[0012] Further, the waist joint adapter plate comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first plate is used for inserting into the first groove, and the inner side of the second plate is used for being attached to the outer side of the quick release cover plate.

[0013] Further, a flange is arranged on the head of the button near one end of the rod, and the flange is used for limiting the axial movement of the button.

[0014] Further, a chamfer is arranged on the end face of the head of the button, and the chamfer is used for inserting the waist joint adapter plate into the outer side of the quick release cover plate.

[0015] Further, the rotating module further comprises a cover plate and a joint seat, the cover plate is used for fixing the first rotating shaft, and the joint seat is used for fixing the second rotating shaft.

[0016] Further, an arc-shaped groove is arranged on the elastic sheet, and a protrusion is arranged on the inner side of the cover plate and the joint seat, the protrusion can be embedded into the arc-shaped groove and move along the arc-shaped groove.

[0017] Further, the quick release cover plate (302) and the lower limb adapter template (305) form a space for the movement of the button (303) inside.

[0018] Further, a first through hole is arranged at the center of the lower limb adapter template (305) for penetrating the rod of the button (303), and a second through hole is arranged at the center of the quick release cover plate (302) for penetrating the head of the button (303).

[0019] Further, the outer sides of the quick release cover plate (302) and the lower limb adapter template (305) form a first groove for inserting the first plate.

[0020] Further, the second plate is provided with a third through hole, and the diameter of the third through hole is the same as the diameter of the head of the button.

[0021] Further, when the end of the first plate is attached to the bottom of the first groove, the third through hole is coaxial with the second through hole.

[0022] Further, the waist joint adapter plate comprises a second groove, and the second groove is arranged between the first plate and the second plate.

[0023] Further, the quick release cover plate has a protruding part, and when the first plate is inserted into the first groove, the protruding part of the quick release cover plate can be inserted into the second groove for fixing the waist joint adapter plate.

[0024] Further, the quick release module is further provided with a spring, one end of the spring is connected to the head of the button, and the other end of the spring is connected to the lower limb adapter template.

[0025] Further, the head of the button can extend into the second through hole when the spring is in a natural length; and the head of the button is separated from the third through hole when the spring is compressed.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present application can achieve at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0027] (1) Compared with the prior art, the present application only needs to cooperate with two rotating shafts to complete the left and right swing rotation of the waist joint module, and through the setting of two symmetrical elastic sheets, the two elastic sheets are connected with the rotating shaft and rotate with the rotating shaft on one hand, and are connected with the spring seat and the spring on the other hand, so that the elastic sheet is compressed through rotation to realize the quick resetting of the waist joint after rotation, and the structure is simple and convenient to maintain.

[0028] (2) Compared with the prior art, in the present application, the lower limb adapter template and the quick release cover plate form a button movable space through the insertion of the groove and the protrusion, a spring is arranged, and the axial movement of the button during pressing and recovery in the space and the insertion of the waist joint adapter plate into the first groove complete the fixing and unlocking of the waist joint adapter plate. The quick release module itself has a simple structure and does not need complex components such as universal joints, and is convenient to disassemble and assemble and easy to maintain. At the same time, the quick release mode of the quick release module is simple and convenient, and the disassembly and assembly efficiency is high.

[0029] (3) In the present application, a flange is arranged near one end of the rod part of the button head, and the diameter of the flange is greater than the diameter of the second through hole, so that the movement of the button head in the second through hole and the axial movement limiting of the button can be realized; and the button head is provided with a chamfer, so that the waist joint adapter plate can be easily inserted from the upper part and press the button.

[0030] (4) The clamping and fixing of the waist joint adapter plate is realized by arranging a third through hole on the second plate of the waist joint adapter plate, so that when the third through hole is coaxial with the first through hole and the second through hole, the head of the button can extend out of the second through hole and enter the third through hole, and clamps the waist joint adapter plate to fix it.

[0031] (5) In order to make the fixing of the waist joint adapter plate more firm, a second groove is also arranged on the waist joint adapter plate, and when the first plate of the waist joint adapter plate is inserted into the first groove of the quick release cover plate, the protruding part of the quick release cover plate is also inserted into the second groove of the waist joint adapter plate.

[0032] (6) In order to prevent the rotating shaft from rotating excessively, a combined limiting structure is arranged on the elastic sheet, the cover plate and the joint seat, an arc-shaped groove is arranged on the elastic sheet, a protrusion is arranged on the cover plate and the joint seat, and the protrusion can and only can move in the arc-shaped groove, so as to limit the rotation range of the elastic sheet, and the rotation range of the rotating shaft and the back adapter module is also limited.

[0033] Other features and advantages of the present application will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or can be learned by practice of the application. The purposes and other advantages of the present application will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the application and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the application and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the application.

[0035] Figure 1 Overall assembly view of detachable waist joint for exoskeleton provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 Exploded view of rotating module provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 Sectional view of rotating module provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 Working view of rotating module provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 5 Exploded view of each component of quick release module provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 6 Sectional view of quick release module waist joint adapter plate when inserted provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 7 Sectional view of quick release module waist joint adapter plate after insertion provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Reference signs:

[0043] 1-back plate, 2-rotating module, 201-cover plate, 202-first rotating shaft, 203-screw A, 204-thrust bearing, 205-flap, 206-spring, 206-1-first spring, 206-2-second spring, 207-rotary bearing, 208-back plate adapter template, 209-shaft sleeve, 210-spring seat, 211-return spring, 212-screw B, 213-joint seat, 214-second rotating shaft, 3-quick release module, 301-waist joint adapter plate, 302-quick release cover plate, 303-button, 304-spring, 305-lower limb adapter template, 4-waist belt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The preferred application of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the drawings constitute a part of the present application and are used to explain the principles of the present application together with the present application. The preferred application of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the drawings constitute a part of the present application and are used to explain the principles of the present application together with the present application.

[0045] The embodiment provides a detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton, which is connected with an upper back plate 1 and a lower waistband 4 and comprises a rotating module 2 and a quick-release module 3. Figure 1 The rotating module 2 comprises a first rotating shaft 202, a second rotating shaft 214, a spring plate 206, a spring seat 210 and a reset spring 211.

[0046] As shown in Figures 2-4 the rotating module 2 comprises the first rotating shaft 202, the second rotating shaft 214, the spring plate 206, the spring seat 210 and the reset spring 211.

[0047] The rotating function of the rotating module 2 is mainly realized through cooperation of the first rotating shaft 202 and the second rotating shaft 214.

[0048] The first rotating shaft 202 and the second rotating shaft 214 are both two-stage stepped shafts. The first rotating shaft 202 comprises a first end, a second end and a third end, and the second rotating shaft 214 comprises a small-diameter shaft, a medium-diameter shaft and a large-diameter shaft. The diameter of the first end is larger than that of the second end, and the diameter of the second end is larger than that of the third end. The third end is internally provided with a cylindrical recess, the small-diameter shaft of the second rotating shaft 214 is inserted into the cylindrical recess of the first rotating shaft 202, and the first rotating shaft 202 drives the second rotating shaft 214 to rotate. The second end of the first rotating shaft 202 and the medium-diameter shaft of the second rotating shaft 214 are of equal diameter and are arranged on the two sides of the third end respectively. The first end is located on the outside of the first rotating shaft 202, and the large-diameter shaft is located on the outside of the second rotating shaft 214.

[0049] The spring plate 206 comprises a first spring plate 206-1 and a second spring plate 206-2. The first spring plate 206-1 and the second spring plate 206-2 are of the same shape and are of symmetrical structure and are arranged on the two sides of the first rotating shaft 202. The upper part of each of the first spring plate 206-1 and the second spring plate 206-2 is provided with a rotating shaft connecting hole which is mounted on the outside of the first rotating shaft 202.

[0050] In order to quickly reset the waist joint after rotation, the reset spring 211 and the spring seat 210 are arranged below the first rotating shaft 202 and the second rotating shaft 214, the reset spring 211 is mounted in the spring seat 210, the two ends of the spring seat 210 are hinged to the lower part of the first spring plate 206-1 and the second spring plate 206-2, and the hinge shafts of the first spring plate 206-1 and the second spring plate 206-2 are provided with shaft sleeves 209. The mounting direction of the reset spring 211 and the spring seat 210 is parallel to the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 202. The spring seat 210 is of an extendable structure. The two ends of the reset spring 211 are fixed to the two ends of the spring seat 210 respectively. The rotation of the first spring plate 206-1 and the second spring plate 206-2 can compress the spring seat 210 and the reset spring 211. When the external force is removed, the elastic force of the reset spring 211 can quickly reset the first spring plate 206-1 and the second spring plate 206-2, and the first rotating shaft 202 and the second rotating shaft 214 are also reset.

[0051] Further, the rotating module 2 is also provided with a cover plate 201 and a joint base 213. The cover plate 201 and the joint base 213 are arranged on both sides of the rotating module 2. The cover plate 201 is a flat plate arranged outside the first rotating shaft 202, and the first rotating shaft 202 is fixed to the cover plate 201 by screws A 203. The joint base 213 is arranged outside the second rotating shaft 214, and the second rotating shaft 214 is fixed to the joint base 213 by screws B 212. The upper part of the joint base 213 is a U-shaped shell combined with the cover plate 201 into a square shape for shielding and protecting the rotating module 2. The lower part of the joint base 213 is a square block with a square groove at the bottom, which can be inserted into the lock tongue of the quick release module 3 to connect with the quick release module 3.

[0052] In order to prevent the rotating shaft from rotating excessively, a limiting structure is arranged on the elastic sheet 206 and the cover plate 201 and the joint base 213. An arc-shaped groove is arranged on the first elastic sheet 206-1 and the second elastic sheet 206-2, and an oval-shaped protrusion is arranged on the inner side of the cover plate 201 and the joint base 213 corresponding to the position of the arc-shaped groove. The protrusion can be embedded in the arc-shaped groove and move along the arc-shaped groove when the rotating shaft rotates. Thus, the rotation range of the elastic sheet 206 is limited, and since the elastic sheet 206 is connected with the first rotating shaft 202, the rotation range of the first rotating shaft 202 is also limited.

[0053] Further, the rotating module 2 also includes a slewing bearing 207 and a back plate adapter template 208. The slewing bearing 207 is arranged in the center of the third end outside. The upper part of the back plate adapter template 208 is provided with a lock catch which can be inserted into the groove of the back plate 1 to connect with the back plate 1. The middle part has two inner concave arc-shaped grooves at the edges of both sides. The lower part has a connecting hole in which the slewing bearing 207 is installed.

[0054] The rotating module 2 also includes a thrust bearing 204 and a baffle 205. The thrust bearing 204 and the baffle 205 are symmetrically installed outside the second end and the middle diameter shaft.

[0055] In use, the back plate adapter template 208 is rotated by external force, which drives the first elastic sheet 206-1 and the second elastic sheet 206-2 to rotate relative to the first rotating shaft 202 and the second rotating shaft 214. The spring seat 210 and the return spring 211 are compressed, and the upper limb rotates relative to the waist; when the external force is removed, the return spring 211 rebounds, the first elastic sheet 206-1 and the second elastic sheet 206-2 return to the initial position, and the back plate adapter template 208 returns to the normal position, realizing quick reset.

[0056] The quick release module 3 is located at the lower part of the rotating module 2, as shown in Figure 5 The quick release module 3 includes a waist joint adapter plate 301, a quick release cover plate 302, a button 303, a spring 304, and a lower limb adapter template 305.

[0057] The button 303 comprises a head and a stem. The head of the button 303 is a stepped cylindrical structure. It is to be noted that the head of the button 303 is a cylinder, and a circumferential flange is arranged on one end close to the stem for limiting the axial movement.

[0058] The quick-release cover plate 302 is formed by stacking a semicircular rectangular plate and a circular plate. The bottom of the semicircular rectangular plate is flush with the bottom of the circular plate, and the height of the semicircular rectangular plate is greater than the height of the circular plate. The part of the semicircular rectangular plate that is higher than the circular plate is the protruding part of the quick-release cover plate 302. The interior of the quick-release cover plate 302 is provided with a stepped hole, which comprises a large-diameter through hole and a second through hole. The diameter of the large-diameter through hole is greater than the diameter of the boss of the head of the button 303, and the diameter of the second through hole is smaller than the diameter of the boss of the head of the button 303 and greater than the diameter of the cylinder of the head of the button 303.

[0059] The lower limb adapter template 305 is arc-shaped, with legs on both sides of the lower part, and screw holes are arranged on the legs for fixing with the waist belt 4. A circumferential groove is arranged on the arc-shaped structure for fixing the circular plate of the quick-release cover plate 302.

[0060] The quick-release cover plate 302 and the lower limb adapter template 305 form a space for the movement of the button 303. A first through hole is arranged in the center of the lower limb adapter template 305 for inserting the stem of the button 303, and the stem of the button 303 can move along the axis in the first through hole. The center of the quick-release cover plate 302 has a second through hole for inserting the head of the button 303, and the cylinder outside the flange of the head of the button 303 can move along the axis in the second through hole. The first through hole and the second through hole are coaxial.

[0061] A spring 304 is arranged in the space formed by the quick-release cover plate 302 and the lower limb adapter template 305. One end of the spring 304 is connected to the flange of the head of the button 303, and the other end is connected to the lower limb adapter template 305.

[0062] The exterior of the quick-release cover plate 302 and the lower limb adapter template 305 forms a first recess for inserting the waist joint adapter plate 301.

[0063] The waist joint adapter plate 301 has a protruding plate on the upper part for inserting the joint seat 213, and the protruding plate is connected with the rotating module 2. The lower part comprises a first plate and a second plate. The first plate is used for inserting the first recess. The second plate is provided with a third through hole, and the diameter of the third through hole is the same as the diameter of the cylinder of the head of the button 303.

[0064] Further, in order to make the waist adapter template more fixed, a semicircular rectangular recess is arranged between the first plate and the second plate, which is a second recess for accommodating the head of the quick-release cover plate 302. When the first plate is inserted into the first recess, the protruding part of the quick-release cover plate 302 is inserted into the second recess, and the inner side of the second plate is attached to the outer side of the quick-release cover plate 302.

[0065] Further, the upper half of the end face of the button 303 is provided with a chamfer. When the flange outer side of the button 303 head is attached to the stepped end face of the quick release cover plate 302, the cylindrical part of the flange outer side extends out of the second through hole, and the upper edge of the chamfer coincides with the outer edge of the second through hole. The chamfered slope facilitates the insertion of the waist joint adapter plate 301.

[0066] When the flange outer side end face of the button 303 is attached to the stepped end face inside the quick release cover plate 302, the end of the stem of the button 303 is flush with the outer side of the lower limb adapter template 305. At this time, the spring 304 is in a natural length; when the button 303 moves to the side of the lower limb adapter template 305, the spring 304 is compressed.

[0067] When the first plate of the waist joint adapter plate 301 is not inserted into the first groove, the spring 304 is in a natural state, the end of the stem of the button 303 is flush with the outer side of the lower limb adapter template 305, the flange outer side of the button 303 head is attached to the stepped end face of the quick release cover plate 302, the cylindrical part of the flange outer side of the button 303 extends out of the second through hole of the quick release cover plate 302, and the chamfered edge of the end face of the button 303 head coincides with the upper edge of the second through hole.

[0068] As shown in Figure 6 When the first plate of the waist joint adapter plate 301 is inserted downward, the lower edge of the second plate of the waist joint adapter plate 301 first contacts the chamfered slope of the button 303 head; since the inner side of the second plate is attached to the outer end face of the quick release cover plate 302, as the first plate moves downward, the lower edge of the second plate pushes the button 303 head inward, the end of the stem of the button 303 extends out of the first through hole, at this time, the spring 304 is compressed; the first plate continues to move downward until it is inserted into the bottom of the first groove, the protruding part of the quick release cover plate 302 is also inserted into the bottom of the second groove, and the lower edge of the second plate of the waist joint adapter plate 301 stops moving downward. As shown in Figure 7 At this time, the third through hole of the waist joint adapter plate 301 corresponds to the position of the second through hole inside the quick release cover plate 302, and is on the same axis. The spring 304 returns to a natural state, the end of the stem of the button 303 is flush with the outer side of the lower limb adapter template 305, the flange outer side of the button 303 head is attached to the stepped end face of the quick release cover plate 302, the cylindrical part of the flange outer side of the button 303 extends out of the second through hole of the quick release cover plate 302 and into the third through hole of the waist joint adapter plate 301, and the waist joint adapter plate 301 is fixed. When disassembly is required, the button 303 head inside the third through hole is pressed, the button 303 head moves inward and is separated from the third through hole, the waist joint adapter plate 301 can move upward, the first plate of the waist joint adapter plate 301 is separated from the first groove, and the waist joint adapter plate 301 is disassembled.

[0069] In this embodiment, the waist joint adapter plate 301 is detachable from the waist belt 4; the rotating module 2 is detachable from the quick release module 3 through the groove of the joint seat 213; and the back plate 1 is detachable from the rotating module 2 through the back plate adapter template 208 and the plug of the back plate 1. After being detached, multiple modules are formed, which can realize modular processing and are easy to maintain.

[0070] The above merely provides the preferred but not limiting embodiments of the present application, and any modification or substitution within the technical scope disclosed by the present application can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art, which shall be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton, characterized by, The rotating module (2) and the quick release module (3) are included. The rotating module (2) includes a first rotating shaft (202), a second rotating shaft (214) and a spring sheet (206); the second rotating shaft (214) can be inserted into the first rotating shaft (202), the first rotating shaft (202) can drive the second rotating shaft (214) to rotate; the upper part of the spring sheet (206) is connected with the first rotating shaft (202) and the second rotating shaft (214). The quick release module (3) is located at the lower part of the rotating module (2) and includes a waist joint adapter plate (301), a quick release cover plate (302), a button (303) and a lower limb adapter template (305).

2. The detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton according to claim 1, wherein The button (303) includes a head and a rod.

3. The detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton according to claim 1, wherein The rotating module (2) further includes a spring seat (210) and a reset spring (211) for resetting the waist joint.

4. The detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton according to claim 3, wherein The spring seat (210) and the reset spring (211) are connected with the spring sheet (206).

5. The detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton according to claim 4, wherein The installation direction of the spring seat (210) and the reset spring (211) is parallel to the axial direction of the first rotating shaft (202).

6. The detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein, The waist joint adapter plate (301) includes a first plate and a second plate, and the inner side of the second plate is used to fit the outer side of the quick release cover plate (302).

7. The detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton of claim 2, wherein, The head of the button (303) is provided with a flange near one end of the rod along the circumference, and the flange is used to limit the axial movement of the button (303).

8. The detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton of claim 2, wherein, The end face of the head of the button (303) is provided with a chamfer, which is used to insert the waist joint adapter plate (301) and the outer side of the quick release cover plate (302) to fit.

9. The detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein, The rotating module (2) further includes a cover plate (201) and a joint seat (213); the cover plate is used to fix the first rotating shaft (202), and the joint seat (213) is used to fix the second rotating shaft (214).

10. The detachable waist joint for an exoskeleton of claim 9, wherein, An arc-shaped groove is arranged on the spring sheet (206), and the inner side of the cover plate (201) and the joint seat (213) is provided with a protrusion, which can be embedded in the arc-shaped groove and move along the arc-shaped groove.

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