Exoskeleton knee joint assisting mechanism and passive exoskeleton

Abstract

The invention discloses an exoskeleton knee joint power-assisted mechanism, and belongs to the technical field of exoskeleton, the exoskeleton knee joint power-assisted mechanism comprises a first leg part, a second leg part and an elastic energy storage assembly, the elastic energy storage assembly comprises a roller, a guide push rod, a guide limiting part and an elastic part, and the roller is rotatably arranged at the lower end of the guide push rod; the two ends of the elastic part are connected with the upper end of the guide push rod and the lower end of the guide limiting part, the first leg part is hinged to the second leg part, the elastic energy storage assembly is arranged in the first leg part, the second leg part is provided with a cam, and the roller is pushed by the elastic part to abut against the outer contour face of the cam and is in an upright state as an initial state. When the second leg part rotates relative to the first leg part, the cam rotates by the same angle, the lift variation of the roller relative to the first leg part has at least one interval which is larger than the lift variation of the roller relative to the first leg part in the previous interval, and the power-assisted interval is divided into a plurality of intervals with different power-assisted changes, so that power-assisted feedback of the exoskeleton is optimized; and the use body feeling of a wearer is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of exoskeleton technology, and in particular to an exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism and a passive exoskeleton. Background Technology

[0002] Exoskeleton robots can assist human movement, effectively reducing fatigue and improving efficiency in everyday activities, industrial production, and firefighting. These devices have wide applications beyond civilian use, providing movement assistance in military and other specialized fields.

[0003] Existing passive exoskeletons on the market mostly use rope pull structures or gear sets for transmission and assistance, which makes the devices significantly inconvenient in terms of installation, operation and daily maintenance.

[0004] Meanwhile, the rationality of the mechanical structure layout and elastic component coordination of the passive exoskeleton directly determines the user experience after wearing it; for example, excessive assistance during walking can lead to limited movement, while insufficient assistance during running or jumping can result in a weak sense of movement, and there is a common problem of uneven assistance feedback causing poor user experience.

[0005] Therefore, how to improve the user experience of passive exoskeleton wearers and enhance the coordination, flexibility, and smoothness of movement between the exoskeleton device and human movement has become a technical problem that this invention urgently needs to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to overcome the defects of the existing technology, the present invention provides an exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism and a passive exoskeleton.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: an exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism, comprising:

[0008] First leg;

[0009] Second leg;

[0010] The flexible energy storage component includes a roller, a guide push rod, a guide limiter and an elastic element. The roller is rotatably mounted at the lower end of the guide push rod, and the two ends of the elastic element are respectively connected to the upper end of the guide push rod and the lower end of the guide limiter.

[0011] The first leg and the second leg are hinged together to form a knee joint;

[0012] The elastic energy storage component is disposed in the first leg;

[0013] The second leg is provided with a cam that cooperates with a roller. The roller moves against the outer contour surface of the cam under the push of the elastic element.

[0014] With the upright position as the initial state, when the second leg rotates relative to the first leg, the cam rotates by the same angle, and the change in the lift of the roller relative to the first leg has at least one range, which is larger than the change in the lift of the roller relative to the first leg in the previous range.

[0015] Preferably, the interval and the previous interval are either adjacent or non-adjacent intervals.

[0016] Preferably, the device also includes a torque adjustment component, which is movably abutted against the guide limit member to push the guide limit member down or raise the guide limit member.

[0017] The first leg has an inner cavity, in which the elastic energy storage component and the torque adjustment component are disposed.

[0018] Preferably, the torque adjustment assembly includes an adjustment bolt, an adjustment slider, and an adjustment guide block. The adjustment guide block is fixedly disposed in the inner cavity. The adjustment slider is slidably connected to the adjustment guide block. The sliding connection plane between the adjustment slider and the adjustment guide block is neither perpendicular nor parallel to the axis of the elastic element. The adjustment slider is provided with a strip hole. The front end of the adjustment bolt passes through the strip hole and is threadedly connected to the adjustment guide block. The length direction of the opening of the strip hole is parallel to the axial direction of the elastic element. The adjustment slider moves against the upper end of the guide limiter.

[0019] Preferably, the inner cavity has a window on its side, the outer end of the adjusting bolt protruding from the window, and an arrow on the outer end of the adjusting bolt for displaying the turning angle of the adjusting bolt. A scale is provided at the window to cooperate with the arrow for displaying the tightness of the adjusting bolt.

[0020] Preferably, the adjusting guide block is provided with a guide rail, and the adjusting slider is provided with a guide groove that cooperates with the guide rail.

[0021] Preferably, the inner cavity sidewall is provided with a guide groove, and the outer side of the guide push rod is provided with a guide block that cooperates with the guide groove.

[0022] Preferably, the elastic element is a compression spring or a gas spring.

[0023] A passive exoskeleton having the above-mentioned exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism, wherein the first leg is the thigh and the second leg is the calf.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Compared with the prior art, by using a cam and roller to push and store energy on the elastic element, the outer contour of the cam is optimized, and the assistance range is divided into three ranges with different assistance changes: low assistance range, medium assistance range and high assistance range. This satisfies the assistance output requirements of different action states such as walking, squatting, deep squatting and jumping, and avoids excessive assistance in walking, which hinders walking, insufficient assistance in squatting, and a sharp increase in assistance in deep squatting or jumping. This optimizes the assistance feedback of the exoskeleton and improves the user's experience. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a side view of the exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0028] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the assist area in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 (Upright position);

[0030] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the assist area in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 (Knee bent position);

[0031] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0032] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a partially exploded schematic diagram of the exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 10 The three-dimensional representation of the first leg in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 1 ;

[0035] Figure 11 The three-dimensional representation of the first leg in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 ;

[0036] Figure 12This is an exploded view of the first leg, the elastic energy storage component, and the torque adjustment component in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 13 This is a perspective view of the second leg in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 14 This is an exploded view of the elastic energy storage component in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 15 This is an exploded view of the torque adjustment component in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 16 The three-dimensional passive exoskeleton in this embodiment of the invention Figure 1 (Upright position);

[0041] Figure 17 The three-dimensional passive exoskeleton in this embodiment of the invention Figure 2 (Knee bent position).

[0042] In the diagram, 10 is the first leg; 11 is the inner cavity; 12 is the window; 13 is the scale; 14 is the guide groove; 20 is the second leg; 21 is the cam; 30 is the elastic energy storage component; 31 is the roller; 32 is the guide push rod; 33 is the guide block; 34 is the guide limit component; 35 is the elastic component; 40 is the torque adjustment component; 41 is the adjusting bolt; 42 is the arrow; 43 is the adjusting slider; 44 is the guide groove; 45 is the strip hole; 46 is the adjusting guide block; and 47 is the guide rail. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these descriptions are for the purpose of aiding understanding the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0044] As attached Figure 1-15 As shown, the present invention provides an exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism, comprising:

[0045] First leg section 10;

[0046] Second leg 20;

[0047] The flexible energy storage component 30 includes a roller 31, a guide push rod 32, a guide limit member 34, and an elastic member 35. The roller 31 is rotatably disposed at the lower end of the guide push rod 32, and the two ends of the elastic member 35 are respectively connected to the upper end of the guide push rod 32 and the lower end of the guide limit member 34.

[0048] The first leg 10 and the second leg 20 are hinged together to form a knee joint;

[0049] The flexible energy storage component 30 is disposed in the first leg 10;

[0050] The second leg 20 is provided with a cam 21 that cooperates with the roller 31. The roller 31 moves and abuts against the outer contour surface of the cam 21 under the push of the elastic member 35.

[0051] Specifically, when the wearer is in an upright position, the thighs and calves are in a naturally relaxed state, and the axes of the first leg 10 and the second leg 20 in the length direction coincide. When the wearer moves, that is, when the first leg 10 and the second leg 20 rotate relative to each other and the angle between them decreases, the cam 21 lifts the roller 31, and lifts one end of the elastic element 35 through the guide push rod 32, compressing and storing energy in the elastic element 35. This process does not require the wearer to exert any effort; the kinetic energy generated by the body's own weight and the external load is converted into elastic potential energy. After the wearer performs walking, running, squatting, or jumping movements, during the reset process, during the reverse return stroke of the cam 21, the elastic element 35 changes from the energy storage state to the state of releasing elastic potential energy, providing assistance for the wearer's movement.

[0052] With the upright position as the initial state, during the knee flexion process, when the second leg 20 rotates relative to the first leg 10, the cam 21 rotates by the same angle, and the amount of change in the lift of the roller 31 relative to the first leg 10 has at least one interval, which is larger than the amount of change in the lift of the roller 31 relative to the first leg 10 in the previous interval. The above interval and the previous interval are adjacent or non-adjacent intervals, and there can be multiple above intervals.

[0053] That is, during the knee flexion process, the amount of assistance provided by the elastic energy storage component 30 varies. Taking the rotation angle of the cam 21 relative to the roller 31 as a reference, there is at least a later stage of assistance that is greater than the earlier stage of assistance.

[0054] In this embodiment, the above interval and the previous interval are adjacent intervals, and the rotation interval of cam 21 relative to roller 31 is 0°-150°. The lift change of the rotation interval 60°-120° is greater than the lift change of the rotation interval 0°-60°, and the lift change of the rotation interval 120°-150° is less than the lift change of the rotation interval 60°-120°.

[0055] This allows the assistance level of the exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism to be divided into low assistance zone, medium assistance zone, and high assistance zone, corresponding to the three zones mentioned above, and to close different functions corresponding to knee flexion movements, such as walking, squatting, deep squatting, or jumping. Correspondingly, since not much assistance is needed when walking, but sufficient assistance is required when squatting, the assistance change when the cam 21 rotates relative to the roller 31 by the same angle in the low assistance zone is less than the assistance change when the cam 21 rotates relative to the roller 31 by the same angle in the medium assistance zone.

[0056] However, when squatting or preparing to jump, in order to avoid the elastic element 35 being over-compressed, which would cause a sharp increase in assistance or make it impossible to maintain the squatting or preparing to jump state, the assistance change of the cam 21 relative to the roller 31 when rotating by the same angle in the high assistance zone is smaller than the assistance change of the cam 21 relative to the roller 31 when rotating by the same angle in the medium assistance zone.

[0057] Compared to existing technologies, by using a cam 21 in conjunction with a roller 31 to push and store energy on the elastic element 35, the outer contour of the cam 21 is optimized, and the assistance range is divided into three zones with different assistance changes: low assistance zone, medium assistance zone, and high assistance zone. This meets the assistance output requirements of different movement states such as walking, squatting, deep squatting, and jumping, avoiding excessive assistance that hinders walking, insufficient assistance during squatting, and a sharp increase in assistance during deep squatting or jumping. This optimizes the assistance feedback of the exoskeleton and improves the user's experience.

[0058] Furthermore, the exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism also includes a torque adjustment component 40, which is movably abutted against the guide limit member 34 to push the guide limit member 34 down or raise the guide limit member 34.

[0059] The first leg 10 has an inner cavity 11, in which the elastic energy storage component 30 and the torque adjustment component 40 are disposed.

[0060] Specifically, when users of different weights need to wear and use the device, the torque adjustment component 40 can be adjusted to compress or relax the elastic element 35 to suit the needs of users of different weights. For example, heavier users can increase the pre-compression of the elastic element 35 to obtain greater assistance, while lighter users can decrease the pre-compression of the elastic element 35 to avoid excessive pre-compression that would prevent the user from bending their knees smoothly.

[0061] Compared to existing technologies, by setting up a torque adjustment component 40 and working with an elastic energy storage component 30 to adjust the pre-pressure on the elastic element 35, the elastic element 35 can be compressed or relaxed according to the user's weight to meet the needs of users of different weights, improve the user's body feeling when wearing the exoskeleton, and enhance the coordination, flexibility and smoothness of movements after wearing it.

[0062] Furthermore, the torque adjustment assembly 40 includes an adjustment bolt 41, an adjustment slider 43, and an adjustment guide block 46. The adjustment guide block 46 is fixedly disposed in the inner cavity 11. The adjustment slider 43 is slidably connected to the adjustment guide block 46. The sliding connection plane between the adjustment slider 43 and the adjustment guide block 46 is neither perpendicular nor parallel to the axis of the elastic member 35. That is, the sliding connection plane is inclined relative to the axis of the elastic member 35. The adjustment slider 43 is provided with a strip hole 45. The front end of the adjustment bolt 41 passes through the strip hole 45 and is threadedly connected to the adjustment guide block 46. The length direction of the opening of the strip hole 45 is parallel to the axial direction of the elastic member 35. The adjustment slider 43 moves against the upper end of the guide limiting member 34. That is, due to the support of the elastic member 35, the adjustment slider 43 and the adjustment guide block 46 remain in moving contact.

[0063] Specifically, when it is necessary to adjust the preload of the elastic element 35, tightening the adjusting bolt 41 can push the adjusting slider 43 to slide downward relative to the elastic element 35, further compressing the elastic element 35, that is, increasing the preload of the elastic element 35, thereby adapting to heavier users. Alternatively, loosening the adjusting bolt 41 can allow the elastic element 35 to relax, and the elastic element 35 can push the adjusting slider 43 to slide upward relative to the elastic element 35, that is, reducing the preload of the elastic element 35, thereby adapting to lighter users.

[0064] Furthermore, to facilitate the adjustment of the preload of the elastic element 35, a window 12 is provided on the side of the inner cavity 11. The outer end of the adjusting bolt 41 protrudes from the window 12. An arrow 42 is provided on the outer end of the adjusting bolt 41 to indicate the turning angle of the adjusting bolt 41. A scale 13 is provided at the window 12 to cooperate with the arrow 42 to indicate the tightness of the adjusting bolt 41. When rotating the adjusting bolt 41, the preload of the elastic element 35 can be conveniently adjusted by referring to the scale 13 on the outside of the window 12.

[0065] Furthermore, in order to provide stability for the sliding adjustment of the slider 43, the adjusting guide block 46 is provided with a guide rail 47, and the adjusting slider 43 is provided with a guide groove 44 that cooperates with the guide rail 47.

[0066] Furthermore, in order to improve the stability of the guide push rod 32, a guide groove 14 is provided on the side wall of the inner cavity 11, and a guide block 33 that cooperates with the guide groove 14 is provided on the outer side of the guide push rod 32.

[0067] Furthermore, the elastic element 35 is a compression spring or a gas spring. In this embodiment, the elastic element 35 is a compression spring. The guide push rod 32 and the guide limit member 34 are both provided with positioning posts that cooperate with the compression spring. The two ends of the compression spring are respectively sleeved on the positioning posts.

[0068] As attached Figure 16-17 As shown, a passive exoskeleton has the above-mentioned exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism, with the first leg 10 being the thigh and the second leg 20 being the calf.

[0069] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and these variations still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism, characterized in that, include: First leg (10); Second leg (20); The flexible energy storage component (30) includes a roller (31), a guide push rod (32), a guide limiter (34) and an elastic element (35). The roller (31) is rotatably disposed at the lower end of the guide push rod (32), and the two ends of the elastic element (35) are respectively connected to the upper end of the guide push rod (32) and the lower end of the guide limiter (34). The first leg (10) and the second leg (20) are hinged together to form a knee joint; The elastic energy storage component (30) is disposed in the first leg (10); The second leg (20) is provided with a cam (21) that cooperates with the roller (31). The roller (31) moves against the outer contour surface of the cam (21) under the push of the elastic member (35). With the upright position as the initial state, when the second leg (20) rotates relative to the first leg (10), the cam (21) rotates by the same angle, and the amount of change in the lift of the roller (31) relative to the first leg (10) has at least one range, which is greater than the amount of change in the lift of the roller (31) relative to the first leg (10) in the previous range.

2. The exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The interval and the previous interval are either adjacent or non-adjacent intervals.

3. The exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a torque adjustment component (40), which is movably abutted against the guide limit member (34) to push the guide limit member (34) down or raise the guide limit member (34); The first leg (10) has an inner cavity (11), and the elastic energy storage component (30) and the torque adjustment component (40) are disposed in the inner cavity (11).

4. The exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The torque adjustment assembly (40) includes an adjustment bolt (41), an adjustment slider (43), and an adjustment guide block (46). The adjustment guide block (46) is fixedly installed in the inner cavity (11). The adjustment slider (43) is slidably connected to the adjustment guide block (46). The sliding connection plane between the adjustment slider (43) and the adjustment guide block (46) is neither perpendicular nor parallel to the axis of the elastic element (35). The adjustment slider (43) is provided with a strip hole (45). The front end of the adjustment bolt (41) passes through the strip hole (45) and is threadedly connected to the adjustment guide block (46). The length direction of the opening of the strip hole (45) is parallel to the axis direction of the elastic element (35). The adjustment slider (43) moves against the upper end of the guide limiter (34).

5. The exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The inner cavity (11) has a window (12) on its side. The outer end of the adjusting bolt (41) is exposed through the window (12). The outer end of the adjusting bolt (41) is provided with an arrow (42) for displaying the turning angle of the adjusting bolt (41). The window (12) is provided with a scale (13) that cooperates with the arrow (42) for displaying the tightness of the adjusting bolt (41).

6. The exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The adjusting guide block (46) is provided with a guide rail (47), and the adjusting slider (43) is provided with a guide groove (44) that cooperates with the guide rail (47).

7. The exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner cavity (11) has a guide groove (14) on its side wall, and a guide block (33) that cooperates with the guide groove (14) is provided on the outside of the guide push rod (32).

8. The exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic element (35) is a compression spring or a gas spring.

9. A passive exoskeleton, characterized in that, The exoskeleton knee joint assist mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first leg (10) is the thigh and the second leg (20) is the calf.

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