An assisted walking exoskeleton device with single-sided power decoupling function

Abstract

The application discloses an auxiliary walking exoskeleton device with single-side power decoupling function, which comprises four groups of back side spring assemblies, hip side spring assemblies and guide rope pulleys; each spring assembly comprises a first spring and a second spring; each spring is provided with an upper connecting piece and a lower connecting piece at both ends, and two upper connecting pieces are connected with the guide rope pulleys respectively; two connecting wire winding discs are driven by a motor; two ropes are drawn out from each wire winding disc, and one of the ropes is sequentially connected with a back side spring assembly and a hip side spring assembly located on the left side of a human body; the other rope is sequentially connected with a back side spring assembly and a hip side spring assembly located on the right side of the human body; two thigh connecting rods and thigh belts are connected with the hip side spring assemblies at one end of each thigh connecting rod. The application realizes the joint torque and stiffness control required by traditional antagonistic driving by using only two motors, reduces the number of actuators, and reduces the system weight and volume.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of lower limb exoskeleton technology, specifically relating to an auxiliary walking exoskeleton device with unilateral power decoupling function. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing aging population and the growing number of patients with limb dysfunction, lower limb exoskeletons that provide active assistance have significant application value in rehabilitation training and daily living aids. In existing technologies, antagonistic rope-driven exoskeletons use dual-motor counter-traction to continuously adjust the equivalent stiffness of the joint while outputting joint torque, exhibiting good motion compliance and human-machine interaction safety, making it a mainstream research direction in this field. However, existing antagonistic rope-driven exoskeletons require separate drive motors and transmission units for the flexion and extension directions of the hip joint on one side, resulting in an excessive number of actuators in the system. This leads to a larger system size and weight, increased equipment cost, and increased control complexity. Therefore, developing a new assistive walking exoskeleton device that reduces the number of actuators, thereby reducing system weight and size, lowering equipment cost, and reducing control complexity is a direction that those skilled in the art need to research. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an assistive walking exoskeleton device with unilateral power decoupling function, which can reduce the number of clutches in the system, thereby reducing the system's size, weight, cost, and control complexity.

[0004] This invention provides an assistive walking exoskeleton device with unilateral dynamic decoupling function, comprising:

[0005] A torso support assembly, worn on a human body; the torso support assembly includes:

[0006] Four variable stiffness modules are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the human body via the torso support component. Each variable stiffness module includes a back tension spring assembly, a hip tension spring assembly, and a steering pulley. The back tension spring assembly and the hip tension spring assembly each include a first tension spring, a second tension spring, a first upper connector, a second upper connector, a first lower connector, and a second lower connector. The first tension spring and the second tension spring are arranged in parallel. The first upper connector is located at the head end of the first tension spring and the second tension spring, the second upper connector is located at the head end of the first tension spring and the second tension spring, the first lower connector is located at the tail end of the first tension spring and the second tension spring, and the second lower connector is located at the tail end of the first tension spring and the second tension spring. The first upper connector and the second upper connector are respectively connected to the guide rope pulley, and the second lower connector and the first lower connector are respectively equipped with external thread bearings. The external thread bearings are threadedly connected to the torso support component.

[0007] The cable drive module includes a controller and two drive motors. The controller controls the operation of the two drive motors. The output shafts of the two drive motors are coaxially connected to a winding reel via motor output flanges. Two ropes extend from the two winding reels, and one of the ropes is sequentially connected to the dorsal tension spring assembly, the steering pulley, and the hip tension spring assembly in a variable stiffness module located on the left side of the body. The other rope is sequentially connected to the dorsal tension spring assembly, the steering pulley, and the hip tension spring assembly in a variable stiffness module located on the right side of the body.

[0008] Two thigh assemblies are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the human body; each thigh assembly includes a thigh link and a thigh strap, one end of the thigh link is connected to the thigh strap, and the other end of the thigh link is connected to the hip side tension spring assembly.

[0009] By employing this technical solution, the two drive motors in the rope drive module together form a dual-sided drive unit. By controlling the two drive motors to differentially extend and retract, driving the four cross-arranged ropes, it is possible to simultaneously provide independently adjustable antagonistic output torque and equivalent joint stiffness to the left and right hip joints. Thus, independent antagonistic drive and stiffness adjustment of the human hip joints are achieved based on two drive motors, thereby reducing the number of actuators and ultimately realizing the overall miniaturization and lightweighting of the equipment.

[0010] Preferably, the above-mentioned assisted walking exoskeleton device further includes: a back support assembly, which is symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the human spine; the rotor axes of the two drive motors are collinear, and the output ends of the two drive motors are opposite to each other; the two drive motors are fixedly mounted on the back support beam through the motor flange.

[0011] Preferably, in the above-mentioned walking-assisted exoskeleton device, the ropes extending from the two winding reels are arranged in a crisscross pattern and are respectively guided to the left and right sides of the human body.

[0012] More preferably, the above-mentioned walking-assisted exoskeleton device further includes: a clutch assembly, wherein there are two clutch assemblies located on the left and right sides of the body respectively; the two clutch assemblies each include a clutch, a hip output flange, a first rotary encoder, and a second rotary encoder;

[0013] The rope passes sequentially through the guide pulley on the back tension spring assembly and the guide pulley on the hip tension spring assembly, and connects to the hip output flange, which is connected to the input end of the clutch; the output end of the clutch is hinged to the thigh linkage.

[0014] The first rotary encoder is used to detect the rotational position of the input end of the clutch, and the second rotary encoder is used to detect the rotational position of the thigh link; the clutch, the first rotary encoder, and the second rotary encoder are respectively connected to the controller; the controller is also used to read the first rotary encoder and the second rotary encoder and control the clutch to switch the engagement / disengagement state between the hip side tension spring assembly and the thigh link.

[0015] By adopting this technical solution, the clutch assembly can determine the gait symmetry based on the signal difference between the first position sensor and the second position sensor, and perform unilateral disengagement when the gait is determined to be asymmetrical, thereby ensuring movement safety.

[0016] Preferably, in the above-mentioned assisted walking exoskeleton device, the controller is configured to receive an external emergency stop signal and control the clutch to operate based on the emergency stop signal.

[0017] Preferably, in the above-mentioned assisted walking exoskeleton device, the controller is an STM32F103ZET6;

[0018] The drive motor is EC-A4310-P2-36;

[0019] The clutch is a Mikipuri 546-13-34-NF-24V;

[0020] The first rotary encoder and the second rotary encoder are both GJW-MAS1 magnetic encoders.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical advancements:

[0022] First, this invention achieves independent antagonistic drive and stiffness adjustment of the two hip joints using only two motors, thus reducing the number of actuators and realizing the overall miniaturization and lightweighting of the device.

[0023] Secondly, the present invention achieves the stiffness function through a parallel tension spring assembly connected in series in the rope drive path. The stiffness adjustment is directly derived from the antagonistic control of the motor, eliminating the need for an additional stiffness adjustment motor and simplifying the system.

[0024] Finally, the present invention can achieve rapid separation when gait abnormalities are detected or when a safety signal is received, thereby improving the safety of human-computer interaction and its adaptability to complex gaits. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of Example 1.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a partial internal structure diagram of Embodiment 1. The waist strap, controller, and outer casing of the rope drive module have been removed from this diagram.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the rope-driven module.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the clutch assembly.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the back-side tension spring assembly / hip-side tension spring assembly.

[0030] The component names corresponding to the various reference numerals in the diagram are as follows:

[0031] 110. Back support beam; 120. Side support beam; 200. Rope drive module; 210. Drive motor; 211. Motor output flange; 220. Winding reel; 230. Controller; 311. First tension spring; 312. Second tension spring; 313. First upper connector; 314. First lower connector; 315. Second upper connector; 316. Second lower connector; 317. Rope guide pulley; 318. External thread bearing; 32. 0. Steering pulley; 330. Hip side tension spring assembly; 410. Clutch; 420. First rotary encoder; 430. Second rotary encoder; 440. Hip output flange; 500. Waist support assembly; 510. Waist strap; 511. First waist support; 512. Second waist support; 521. Third waist support; 522. Fourth waist support; 610. Thigh linkage; 620. Thigh strap; 700. Rope. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Example 1, please refer to Figure 1-5 :

[0034] The present invention provides an assistive walking exoskeleton device with unilateral power decoupling function, comprising: a back support assembly, a waist wearing assembly 500, a rope drive module 200, four variable stiffness modules, two thigh assemblies, and a clutch assembly.

[0035] The back support assembly forms the support frame of this device on the human body, including: two back support beams 110 symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the human spine, and two lateral support beams 120 respectively connected to the two back support beams 110. The waist wearing mechanism includes a waist strap 510, and a first waist support 511, a second waist support 512, a third waist support 521, and a fourth waist support 522. The first waist support 511 and the third waist support 521 are respectively connected to the lateral support beams 120; the two ends of the second waist support 512 are respectively connected to the first waist support 511 and the waist strap 510; the two ends of the fourth waist support 522 are respectively connected to the third waist support 521 and the waist strap 510.

[0036] The rope drive module 200 includes a controller 230 and two drive motors 210. In this example, the controller 230 is specifically an STM32F103ZET6. The controller 230 is used to control the operation of the two drive motors 210 respectively. The STM32F103ZET6 has a built-in external communication module, so it can receive external control signals such as emergency stop and perform control operations based on the external control signals. The two drive motors 210 are fixedly mounted on the first back support beam 110 and the second back support beam 110 respectively through motor flanges in a back-to-back manner. The output shafts of the two drive motors 210 are coaxially connected to the winding reels 220 through motor output flanges 211 respectively. Two ropes are wound and fixed on each of the two winding reels 220 in opposite directions. The two ropes on the first winding reel 220 and the two ropes on the second winding reel 220 are led out in a spatially cross-corresponding manner, respectively guiding to the left and right sides of the human body. In this example, the two drive motors 210 are EC-A4310-P2-36 respectively.

[0037] The four variable stiffness modules are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the human body. Each variable stiffness module includes a back tension spring assembly, a hip tension spring assembly 330, and a steering pulley 320. The back tension spring assembly and the hip tension spring assembly differ only in their positions but have the same shape. The back tension spring assembly and the hip tension spring assembly each include a first tension spring 311, a second tension spring 312, a first upper connector 313, a second upper connector 315, a first lower connector 314, and a second lower connector 316. The first tension spring 311 and the second tension spring 312 are arranged in parallel. The first upper connector 313 is located on the first tension spring 311 and the second upper connector 315. The head end of the second tension spring 312 and the second upper connecting member 315 are located at the head ends of the first tension spring 311 and the second tension spring 312, the first lower connecting member 314 is located at the tail ends of the first tension spring 311 and the second tension spring 312, and the second lower connecting member 316 is located at the tail ends of the first tension spring 311 and the second tension spring 312. The first upper connecting member 313 and the second upper connecting member 315 are respectively connected to the guide rope pulley 317. External thread bearings 318 are respectively installed on the second lower connecting member 316 and the first lower connecting member 314. The external thread bearings 318 are used for threaded connection with the torso bearing assembly.

[0038] The two thigh components are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the human body; the two thigh components respectively include a thigh connecting rod 610 and a thigh strap 620, and one end of the thigh connecting rod 610 is connected to the thigh strap 620.

[0039] There are two sets of clutch components, located on the left and right sides of the body respectively; the two sets of clutch components include a clutch 410, a first rotary encoder 420 and a second rotary encoder 430 respectively; the clutch 410 adopts Miki Prili 546-13-34-NF-24V; the first rotary encoder 420 and the second rotary encoder 430 respectively adopt GJW-MAS1 magnetic encoders.

[0040] One of the two ropes extending from each of the winding reels 220 leads to the left side of the body and sequentially passes through the guide pulley 317, the steering pulley 320, and the guide pulley 317 on the back-side tension spring assembly of one of the variable stiffness modules located on the left side of the body, and connects to the input end of the clutch 410 on the left side of the body; the other rope leads to the right side of the body and sequentially passes through the guide pulley 317, the steering pulley 320, and the guide pulley 317 on the hip-side tension spring assembly of one of the variable stiffness modules located on the right side of the body, and connects to the hip output flange 440 on the right side of the body, the hip output flange 440 being connected to the body. The clutch 410 on the right side has an input end; the output end of the clutch 410 is hinged to the thigh link 610; the first rotary encoder 420 is used to detect the rotational position of the input end of the clutch 410, and the second rotary encoder 430 is used to detect the rotational position of the thigh link 610; the clutch 410, the first rotary encoder 420, and the second rotary encoder 430 are respectively connected to the controller 230; the controller 230 is also used to read the first rotary encoder 420 and the second rotary encoder 430, and control the clutch 410 to switch the engagement / disengagement state between the hip side tension spring assembly and the thigh link 610.

[0041] In practice, its working process is as follows:

[0042] The two drive motors 210 in the rope drive module 200 together constitute a dual-sided drive unit. By controlling the two drive motors 210 to differentially extend and retract, driving the four cross-arranged ropes, it is possible to synchronously provide independently adjustable antagonistic output torque and equivalent joint stiffness to the left and right hip joints. Thus, independent antagonistic drive and stiffness adjustment of the two hip joints of the human body are realized based on the two drive motors 210. The gait symmetry is determined based on the signal difference between the first position sensor and the second position sensor, and unilateral separation is performed when an asymmetrical gait is determined, thereby ensuring movement safety.

[0043] Specifically, the two drive motors 210 operate as follows: When rotating, the drive motors 210 drive each rope to generate precise tension. This tension acts sequentially on each tension spring in the variable stiffness module, causing tensile deformation. By independently controlling the output torque and rotation angle of the two drive motors 210, the output torque and equivalent joint stiffness acting on the left and right hip joints can be adjusted synchronously and independently, thereby achieving efficient and smooth antagonistic drive assistance. The clutch operates as follows: Based on the signals from the first rotary encoder 420 and the second rotary encoder 430, the controller calculates the relative position difference in real time. When it is determined that the user is performing an asymmetrical gait (such as turning), the clutch 410 on one side is disengaged, allowing the hip joint on that side to switch to free movement mode, avoiding power interference. Simultaneously, upon receiving an external emergency stop signal, or detecting a position difference exceeding a preset safety threshold (indicating potential gait instability, fall, or severe external impact), all clutches 410 are controlled to perform emergency disengagement, instantly cutting off all power transmission to ensure user safety.

[0044] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of the present invention without creative effort. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An assistive walking exoskeleton device with unilateral dynamic decoupling function, characterized in that, include: A torso support assembly, which is worn on the human body; Four variable stiffness modules are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the human body via the torso support component. Each variable stiffness module includes a back tension spring assembly, a hip tension spring assembly, and a steering pulley. The back tension spring assembly and the hip tension spring assembly each include a first tension spring, a second tension spring, a first upper connector, a second upper connector, a first lower connector, and a second lower connector. The first tension spring and the second tension spring are arranged in parallel. The first upper connector is located at the head end of the first tension spring and the second tension spring, the second upper connector is located at the head end of the first tension spring and the second tension spring, the first lower connector is located at the tail end of the first tension spring and the second tension spring, and the second lower connector is located at the tail end of the first tension spring and the second tension spring. The first upper connector and the second upper connector are respectively connected to the guide rope pulley, and the second lower connector and the first lower connector are respectively equipped with external thread bearings. The external thread bearings are threadedly connected to the torso support component. The cable drive module includes a controller and two drive motors. The controller controls the operation of the two drive motors. The output shafts of the two drive motors are coaxially connected to a winding reel. Two ropes extend from the two winding reels, and one of the ropes sequentially passes through the dorsal tension spring assembly, the steering pulley, and the hip tension spring assembly in a variable stiffness module located on the left side of the body. The other rope sequentially passes through the dorsal tension spring assembly, the steering pulley, and the hip tension spring assembly in a variable stiffness module located on the right side of the body. Two thigh assemblies are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the human body; each thigh assembly includes a thigh link and a thigh strap, one end of the thigh link is connected to the thigh strap, and the other end of the thigh link is connected to the hip side tension spring assembly.

2. The assisted walking exoskeleton device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A back support assembly is provided, which is symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the human spine; the rotor axes of the two drive motors are collinear, and the output ends of the two drive motors are opposite to each other; the two drive motors are fixedly mounted on the back support beam through the motor flange.

3. The assisted walking exoskeleton device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ropes extending from the two winding reels are arranged in a crisscross pattern and are directed to the left and right sides of the human body, respectively.

4. The assisted walking exoskeleton device according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes: two clutch assemblies, located on the left and right sides of the body respectively; each clutch assembly includes a clutch, a hip output flange, a first rotary encoder, and a second rotary encoder; The rope sequentially passes through the guide pulley on the back tension spring assembly, the steering pulley, and the guide pulley on the hip tension spring assembly, and connects to the hip output flange, which is connected to the input end of the clutch. The output end of the clutch is hinged to the thigh link. The first rotary encoder is used to detect the rotational position of the input end of the clutch, and the second rotary encoder is used to detect the rotational position of the thigh link. The clutch, the first rotary encoder, and the second rotary encoder are respectively connected to the controller. The controller is also used to read the first rotary encoder and the second rotary encoder and control the clutch to switch the engagement / disengagement state between the hip tension spring assembly and the thigh link.

5. The assisted walking exoskeleton device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The controller is configured to receive an external emergency stop signal and control the clutch to operate based on the emergency stop signal.

6. The assisted walking exoskeleton device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The controller is an STM32F103ZET6; The drive motor is EC-A4310-P2-36; The clutch is a Mikipuri 546-13-34-NF-24V; The first rotary encoder and the second rotary encoder are both GJW-MAS1 magnetic encoders.

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