Rope-driven knee joint exoskeleton based on lead screw transmission

Abstract

The invention discloses a rope-driven knee joint exoskeleton based on lead screw transmission, and relates to the technical field of robots. Through coupling of an internal rigid connection mode of the knee joint assembly and a flexible connection mode between the power assembly and the knee joint assembly, the wearing comfort is improved, the weight is reduced, and the device is more suitable for long-term wearing and training use of children. The exoskeleton comprises a power assembly, a knee joint assembly and a leg binding assembly. The knee joint assembly is bound to the leg through the leg binding assembly; the knee joint assembly comprises a thigh curved surface supporting piece and a shank curved surface supporting piece. The thigh curved-surface supporting piece is hinged to the shank curved-surface supporting piece; the power assembly is arranged on the thigh curved surface supporting piece; the power assembly is connected with the shank curved surface supporting piece through a traction rope. The knee joint exoskeleton is used for improving the performance of the knee joint exoskeleton.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a cable-driven knee exoskeleton based on screw transmission. Background Technology

[0002] Lower limb dysfunction is the most common sequela of hemiplegic patients. While longitudinal walking exoskeletons, widely used in rehabilitation training and assisted walking, have made some progress in enhancing lower limb support, several shortcomings remain. First, most existing exoskeleton structures rely on rigid connections, neglecting the flexibility and coordination of the human body during movement, leading to significant discomfort during wear and making prolonged use difficult. Second, the use of large amounts of metal materials or complex transmission structures generally results in high overall weight, increasing the burden on the wearer and limiting their widespread application in smaller, weaker populations such as children. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of this application provide a rope-driven knee exoskeleton based on screw transmission. By coupling the rigid connection inside the knee joint component with the flexible connection between the power component and the knee joint component, the wearing comfort is improved and the weight is reduced, making it more suitable for children to wear and train for a long time.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, embodiments of this application provide a rope-driven knee exoskeleton based on screw transmission, including a power component, a knee joint component, and a leg binding component; the knee joint component is bound to the leg via the leg binding component; the knee joint component includes a thigh curved surface support and a calf curved surface support; the thigh curved surface support and the calf curved surface support are hinged; the power component is disposed on the thigh curved surface support; the power component is connected to the calf curved surface support via a traction rope.

[0005] Furthermore, the leg binding assembly includes a thigh binding piece, a knee binding assembly, and a calf binding piece arranged sequentially from top to bottom; the knee binding assembly includes two knee binding pieces and a knee shield connected between the two knee binding pieces.

[0006] Furthermore, the thigh curved surface support includes a vertical connecting plate and two lateral connecting plates; the calf curved surface support has the same structure as the thigh curved surface support and the two are arranged symmetrically from top to bottom; the middle part of the thigh curved surface support is connected to the knee joint binding member located above, the vertical connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support is connected to the thigh binding member, and the lateral connecting plates of the thigh curved surface support and the lateral connecting plates of the calf curved surface support are connected by a hinge assembly; the middle part of the calf curved surface support is connected to the knee joint binding member located below, and the vertical connecting plate of the calf curved surface support is connected to the calf binding member.

[0007] Furthermore, the hinge assembly includes straight and curved links arranged in a cross configuration; the lateral connecting plate of the thigh curved support, the lateral connecting plate of the calf curved support, the straight links, and the curved links together form a cross four-bar linkage structure.

[0008] Furthermore, the front side of the thigh curved surface support is provided with a rope end fixing member, the front side of the knee joint guard is provided with a pulley fixing device, and a pulley is provided on the pulley fixing device; the front side of the calf curved surface support is provided with a rope end fixing member; the upper end of the traction rope is connected to the output end of the power component, and the lower end passes through the rope end fixing member and then goes around the pulley before being connected to the rope end fixing member.

[0009] Furthermore, the power component is a linear motor.

[0010] Furthermore, the power assembly employs a lead screw and slider mechanism.

[0011] Furthermore, the lead screw and slider mechanism includes a lead screw base, a lead screw, a stepper motor, and a slider; the lead screw base is set on the front end face of the vertical connecting plate of the thigh curved support; the lead screw is mounted on both ends of the lead screw base and can rotate relative to the lead screw base; one end of the lead screw extends out of the lead screw base and is connected to the output end of the stepper motor; the slider is sleeved on the lead screw; and the upper end of the traction rope is connected to the slider.

[0012] Furthermore, the lead screw and slider mechanism is also provided with a packaging shell; the packaging shell is fastened to the lead screw and slider mechanism and connected to the vertical connecting plate.

[0013] Furthermore, the thigh binding includes an elastic binding band and buckles at both ends of the elastic binding band; the knee binding and the lower leg binding have the same structure as the thigh binding.

[0014] This application has the following advantages over the prior art:

[0015] 1. The present application embodiment is based on a rope-driven knee exoskeleton with screw transmission. Through the coupling of the rigid connection inside the knee joint component and the flexible connection between the power component and the knee joint component, it not only realizes longitudinal walking assistance, but also significantly improves the comfort and adaptability of wearing, reduces the overall weight of the device, and is more suitable for children to wear and train for a long time.

[0016] 2. The embodiment of this application is based on a screw-driven rope-driven knee exoskeleton, which improves the transmission efficiency of knee joint assistance by placing the traction rope in front.

[0017] 3. The rope-driven knee exoskeleton based on the screw drive in this application amplifies the transmission force through the screw drive, which enables the motor to be lightweight while achieving the power assist effect.

[0018] 4. In the embodiments of this application, the lateral connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support, the lateral connecting plate of the calf curved surface support, the straight connecting rod and the curved connecting rod in the rope-driven knee joint exoskeleton based on the screw drive form a cross four-bar structure, which makes the exoskeleton more comfortable to wear.

[0019] 5. The rope-driven knee exoskeleton based on the screw drive in this application can effectively limit the range of rotation of the exoskeleton by limiting the stroke of the slider in the screw-slider mechanism, thereby protecting the knee joint. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a rope-driven knee exoskeleton based on screw transmission, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of the rope-driven knee exoskeleton based on screw transmission according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the screw-slider mechanism in a rope-driven knee exoskeleton based on screw transmission, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a partial wearing state diagram of the cable-driven knee exoskeleton based on the lead screw transmission in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the wearing state of a rope-driven knee exoskeleton based on a lead screw drive, according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0028] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "joining" should be interpreted broadly, for example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; for those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0029] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0030] Reference Figures 1 to 5 This application provides a rope-driven knee exoskeleton based on screw transmission, suitable for patients with lower limb dysfunction, providing them with forward and backward walking assistance or rehabilitation training. The knee exoskeleton includes a power component 1, a knee joint component 2, and a leg binding component 3. It should be noted that the knee exoskeleton can be worn on one leg or both legs simultaneously, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The leg binding assembly 3 includes, from top to bottom, a thigh binding member 31, a knee binding member assembly 32, and a calf binding member 33. The knee binding member assembly includes two knee binding members 321 and a knee shield 322 connected between the two knee binding members 321. The two knee binding members 321 are located on the upper and lower sides of the knee, respectively.

[0032] The thigh binding 31 includes an elastic binding band 311 and buckles or Velcro 312 at both ends of the elastic binding band 311. Thus, by adjusting the tightness of the thigh binding 31, it can be adapted to rehabilitation patients with different leg sizes, thus broadening its applicability. The knee binding 32 and the calf binding 33 have the same structure as the thigh binding 31 and will not be described in detail here.

[0033] The knee joint assembly 2 includes a thigh curved surface support 21 and a calf curved surface support 22.

[0034] The thigh curved surface support 21 is an inverted "Y"-shaped concave part, including a vertical connecting plate and two lateral connecting plates. The calf curved surface support 22 has the same structure as the thigh curved surface support 21 and the two are arranged symmetrically from top to bottom.

[0035] The middle part of the thigh curved surface support 21 is connected to the knee joint binding 32 located above it. The upper end of the vertical connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support 21 is connected to the thigh binding 31. The end of the lateral connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support 21 is provided with two first mounting holes 211.

[0036] The middle part of the calf curved surface support 22 is connected to the knee joint binding 321 located below it. The lower end of the vertical connecting plate of the calf curved surface support 22 is connected to the calf binding 33. The end of the lateral connecting plate of the calf curved surface support 22 is provided with two second mounting holes 221. The thigh curved surface support 21 and the calf curved surface support 22 are hinged together by the hinge assembly 4.

[0037] The hinge assembly 4 includes a straight connecting rod 41 and a curved connecting rod 42 arranged in a cross configuration. The straight connecting rod 41 is located inside the thigh curved surface support 21 and the calf curved surface support 22, while the curved connecting rod 42 is located outside the thigh curved surface support 21 and the calf curved surface support 22. Specifically, the upper end of the straight connecting rod 41 is connected to the first mounting hole 211 on the rear side, and the lower end is connected to the second mounting hole 221 on the front side. The upper end of the curved connecting rod 42 is connected to the first mounting hole 211 on the front side, and the lower end is connected to the second mounting hole 221 on the rear side. Thus, the lateral connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support 21, the lateral connecting plate of the calf curved surface support 22, the straight connecting rod, and the curved connecting rod together form a cross four-bar linkage structure, which can adapt to the instantaneous changes in the center of rotation of the knee joint.

[0038] The power assembly 1 can adopt a lead screw and slider mechanism, which includes a lead screw base 101, a lead screw 102, a stepper motor 103, and a slider 104. The lead screw base 101 is set on the front end face of the vertical connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support 21. The lead screw 102 is mounted on both ends of the lead screw base 101 and can rotate relative to the lead screw base 101. One end of the lead screw 102 extends out of the lead screw base 101 and is connected to the output end of the stepper motor 103. The slider 104 is sleeved on the lead screw 102 and is connected to the lower leg curved surface support 22 through a traction rope 5.

[0039] The lead screw and slider mechanism is also equipped with a casing 6, which is fastened to the lead screw and slider mechanism and connected to the vertical connecting plate.

[0040] To guide the traction rope 5 and ensure its smooth vertical movement, the front of the thigh curved support 21 is provided with an upper rope end fixation member 8, the front of the knee joint guard 322 is provided with a pulley fixation member 9, and a pulley 10 is provided on the pulley fixation member 9. The front of the calf curved support 22 is provided with a lower rope end fixation member 11. The upper end of the traction rope 5 is connected to the slider 104, and the lower end passes through the upper rope end fixation member 8, then around the pulley 10, and is connected to the lower rope end fixation member 11. The upper rope end fixation member 8 only limits the radial displacement of the traction rope 5 and does not affect its axial movement.

[0041] The stepper motor 103 converts the rotational motion into the linear motion of the slider 104 via the lead screw 12, thereby driving the traction rope 5 fixed on the slider 104. In addition, by placing the traction rope 5 at the front, the transmission efficiency of the knee joint assist can be improved.

[0042] The power component 1 may also consist of only a linear motor, i.e., a direct-drive method using a motor.

[0043] In actual use, when patients with lower limb dysfunction use this exoskeleton for assisted walking, they first put on the exoskeleton through the thigh binding 31, knee binding 32, and calf binding 33 and adjust it to a comfortable angle. Then, the stepper motor 103 starts, driving the lead screw slider mechanism to start moving, which in turn drives the traction rope 5 connected to it to produce linear reciprocating motion along the axial direction. The linear motion of the traction rope 5 causes the lateral connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support 21, the lateral connecting plate of the calf curved surface support 22, the straight connecting rod 41, and the curved connecting rod 42 to form a cross four-bar structure, which swings in the front and back direction, realizing the knee joint's forward and backward walking assistance.

[0044] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A rope-driven knee exoskeleton based on a lead screw drive, characterized in that, The power assembly, the knee joint assembly and the leg binding assembly are included; the knee joint assembly is bound to the leg through the leg binding assembly; the knee joint assembly includes the thigh curved surface support and the calf curved surface support; the thigh curved surface support and the calf curved surface support are hinged; the power assembly is arranged on the thigh curved surface support; the power assembly is connected with the calf curved surface support through the traction rope.

2. The wire-driven knee exoskeleton based on lead screw actuation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The leg binding assembly includes the thigh binding part, the knee joint binding assembly and the calf binding part arranged in sequence from top to bottom; the knee joint binding assembly includes two knee joint binding parts and the knee joint shield connected between the two knee joint binding parts.

3. The wire-driven knee exoskeleton based on lead screw actuation according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thigh curved surface support includes the vertical connecting plate and the two lateral connecting plates; the calf curved surface support is the same in structure as the thigh curved surface support and is arranged symmetrically above and below the thigh curved surface support; the middle part of the thigh curved surface support is connected with the knee joint binding part above, the vertical connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support is connected with the thigh binding part, and the lateral connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support is connected with the lateral connecting plate of the calf curved surface support through the hinge assembly; the middle part of the calf curved surface support is connected with the knee joint binding part below, and the vertical connecting plate of the calf curved surface support is connected with the calf binding part.

4. The wire-driven knee exoskeleton based on lead screw actuation according to claim 3, characterized in that, The hinge assembly includes the straight connecting rod and the curved connecting rod arranged in cross; the lateral connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support, the lateral connecting plate of the calf curved surface support, the straight connecting rod and the curved connecting rod jointly form the cross four-connecting rod structure.

5. The lead screw transmission based rope-driven knee exoskeleton according to claim 4, wherein, The front side of the thigh curved surface support is provided with the upper rope end fixing part, the front side of the knee joint shield is provided with the pulley fixer, and the pulley fixer is provided with the pulley; the front side of the calf curved surface support is provided with the lower rope end fixing part; the upper end of the traction rope is connected with the output end of the power assembly, and the lower end of the traction rope is connected with the lower rope end fixing part after passing through the upper rope end fixing part and then winding around the pulley.

6. The lead screw transmission based rope-driven knee exoskeleton according to claim 5, wherein, The power assembly adopts the linear motor.

7. The lead screw driven rope-driven knee exoskeleton of claim 5, wherein, The power assembly adopts the screw block mechanism.

8. The wire-driven knee exoskeleton based on lead screw actuation according to claim 7, characterized in that, The screw block mechanism includes the screw base, the screw, the stepping motor and the sliding block; the screw base is arranged on the front end face of the vertical connecting plate of the thigh curved surface support; the screw is arranged on the two ends of the screw base and can rotate relative to the screw base, one end of the screw is connected with the output end of the stepping motor after extending out of the screw base, the sliding block is sleeved on the screw, and the upper end of the traction rope is connected with the sliding block.

9. The lead screw driven rope-driven knee exoskeleton of claim 8, wherein, An encapsulation shell is further arranged on the screw block mechanism; the encapsulation shell is buckled on the screw block mechanism and connected with the vertical connecting plate.

10. The lead screw transmission based rope-driven knee exoskeleton according to claim 2, wherein, The thigh binding part includes the elastic binding belt and the buckle arranged on the two ends of the elastic binding belt; the knee joint binding part and the calf binding part are the same in structure as the thigh binding part.

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