Energy storage assisting lower limb exoskeleton

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of exoskeletons, in particular to an energy storage assisting lower limb exoskeleton. An energy storage part and a driving part are arranged on the hip component, the driving part comprises a gear and a driving connecting component which are positioned and mounted, the driving connecting component is connected with the thigh part through a hard connecting rod arranged at the lower end part, and the thigh part drives the connecting rod to move; the energy storage part comprises an energy storage rod and an energy storage spring, the energy storage rod is meshed with the gear, and when the gear rotates anticlockwise, the energy storage rod moves in the length direction and compresses the energy storage spring. According to the scheme, the energy storage part completes the energy storage process in the foot falling action process, potential energy accumulated in the foot lifting action process is released and finally acts on the thigh through the leg contact part, and therefore the function of assisting in leg lifting is achieved, and the purpose of passive power assisting is achieved. According to the scheme, the gear is adopted to drive the energy storage rod, the torque is not changed, the energy storage spring is adopted to store energy, the energy is linearly changed, and the whole energy storage process and the power assisting process are stably carried out.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to exoskeleton technology, concretely is a kind of mechanical energy storage power-assisted lower limb exoskeleton. BACKGROUND

[0002] Lower limb exoskeleton with power-assisted function can provide additional power to human body, for example, lower limb exoskeleton, which drives the movement of the skeleton part through the joint module, since the skeleton part is bound to the user's arm or leg, the skeleton part of the joint module will completely drive or assist the movement of the limb, such exoskeleton is mainly used in the rehabilitation process of limb dysfunction, and the effect is good, but there are problems of large size, complex structure and heavy. However, there are other use requirements for exoskeleton, such as for reducing body load, the user population includes people with insufficient lower limb strength, people who need to do heavy physical labor, or people who need to walk for a long time, etc., and the exoskeleton used for assistance should have the characteristics of light weight, flexibility, etc. Obviously, the above-mentioned lower limb exoskeleton with joint module cannot meet the use requirements well. SUMMARY

[0003] The utility model aims at providing a lower limb exoskeleton which can accumulate the leg potential energy in the walking process and then convert it into the kinetic energy of power-assisted leg lifting action, the exoskeleton uses gear and rack as the main energy transmission mechanism, and spring as the energy storage mechanism, since there is no joint module and energy storage battery, only mechanical energy storage is needed, therefore the whole lower limb exoskeleton is simple and light in structure, flexible in use, and has no endurance pressure, thereby solving the problems raised in the background art.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the utility model provides the following technical scheme: an energy storage power-assisted lower limb exoskeleton, comprising a wearing part, the wearing part has a hip component located on both sides of the human body, an energy storage part and a driving part are arranged on the hip component. The driving part includes a gear installed in position, and a driving connection assembly capable of driving the gear to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise alternately, the lower end of the driving connection assembly is connected with a hard connecting rod, the connecting rod extends downward and a leg contact part contacting the thigh is arranged at the lower end of the connecting rod, and the connecting rod moves back and forth with the thigh under the action of the leg contact part and drives the driving connection assembly to move; the energy storage part includes an energy storage rod and an energy storage spring, wherein the energy storage rod has a rack section, and the rack section is engaged with the gear, and when the gear rotates counterclockwise, the energy storage rod moves along the length direction and compresses the energy storage spring.

[0005] In the above technical solution, the lower part of the connecting rod is connected to the thigh part through the leg contact part, the upper part is connected to the driving connection assembly, and the driving connection assembly is connected to the gear positioned and installed. Therefore, in the normal walking state, during the foot landing action, that is, when the thigh part is lowered from the raised state to the standing state, the connecting rod is deflected counterclockwise with the thigh part, and drives the driving connection assembly to deflect counterclockwise, so as to make the gear rotate counterclockwise. Similarly, it can be known that the gear rotates clockwise during the foot lifting action. The energy storage part provided in the scheme includes an energy storage rod meshing with the gear. During the foot landing action, the energy storage rod moves reversely under the drive of the gear and compresses the energy storage spring, so as to complete the energy storage process. Therefore, during the foot lifting action, the energy storage rod moves forward with the gear. At this time, the potential energy accumulated in the energy storage spring is released and directly acts on the energy storage rod. It is converted into kinetic energy for the clockwise rotation of the gear, and finally acts on the thigh part through the leg contact part, thereby playing a role in assisting the leg lifting and achieving the purpose of passive assistance. The scheme adopts the gear to drive the energy storage rod, the torque is unchanged, and the energy storage spring is used for energy storage, the energy is linearly changed, and the whole energy storage process and the assistance process are stable.

[0006] As a preferred scheme, the gear is positioned and installed through a coaxial center shaft, and the axis of the center shaft is directly opposite the hip joint. Therefore, the displacement change between the leg contact part and the thigh part during walking can be avoided, and the use experience is improved.

[0007] As a preferred scheme, the energy storage part further includes a guide shell fixedly installed on the hip part assembly. The guide shell is internally provided with a hollow guide cavity. The energy storage rod and the energy storage spring are movably installed in the guide cavity. The lower part of the guide shell is provided with a avoiding gap for the meshing of the energy storage rod and the gear. In order to meet different use requirements, it is preferred that an adjusting mechanism is arranged at one end of the guide shell away from the energy storage rod. The original compression amount of the energy storage spring can be adjusted through the adjusting mechanism, so as to adjust the output power of the energy storage mechanism. The user can adjust the energy storage part according to the body weight and the required assistance size, so as to meet the diversified use requirements.

[0008] As a preferred scheme, the hip part assembly is provided with a movable opening. The lower end of the driving connection assembly extends out of the movable opening. Within the limited movement range of the movable opening, the energy storage rod and the gear always remain in the meshing state. The movable opening serves as a channel for connecting the energy storage part with external mechanisms, and also serves as a structure for limiting the movement range of the driving connection assembly. It can avoid the phenomenon that the driving connection assembly is excessively deflected and causes the gear and the energy storage rod to be misaligned and meshed.

[0009] As a preferred scheme, a prefabricated groove extending to the middle part is arranged on the outer cylindrical surface of the gear, and a plurality of mounting holes I communicating with the prefabricated groove are arranged through the end surface of the gear; the upper part of the driving connection assembly is an upper connecting head inserted into the prefabricated groove, and a mounting hole II opposite to the mounting hole I is arranged on the upper connecting head, and the driving connection assembly is fixed by penetrating rods penetrating through the mounting hole I and the mounting hole II.

[0010] As a preferred scheme, the lower end of the driving connection assembly is a lower connecting head, the upper end of the connecting rod is a connecting rod end head, the connecting rod end head is movably connected with the lower connecting head, and the whole connecting rod can be individually deviated left and right with the thigh under the constraint of the lower connecting head, so that the connecting rod can meet the use demand of users in different walking postures, and since the connecting rod can be individually deviated left and right with the thigh, no lateral thrust or traction force is generated on the leg of the user, and the device is more flexible, and the use experience is improved.

[0011] As a preferred scheme, the hip assembly is provided with a machine cover assembly away from the human body, and the energy storage part and the driving part are arranged in the mounting space between the machine cover assembly and the hip assembly, so that the internal structure is protected and kept in a stable working environment, and the maintenance is facilitated.

[0012] As a preferred scheme, the leg contact part comprises a thigh contact plate located on the front side or the rear side of the thigh, and when the thigh contact plate is located on the front side of the thigh, the leg contact part further comprises a leg strap mounted on the thigh contact plate. Since the capacity released by the energy storage part can push the connecting rod to deviate clockwise, when the thigh contact plate is located on the rear side of the thigh, the thigh contact plate is always attached to the rear side of the thigh whether it is a foot landing action or a leg lifting action, and at this time, the leg strap is not needed for fixing, so that the feeling of being bound on the thigh can be reduced; when the thigh contact plate is located on the front side of the thigh, the leg strap is needed for fixing, although the comfort of the leg is reduced, but the leg contact part can be ensured to be more stable.

[0013] As a preferred scheme, the connecting rod can be connected with the lower end of the driving connection assembly in a positive direction, at this time, the thigh contact plate is attached to the front side of the thigh, and the left and right connecting rods can be installed reversely, and the thigh contact plate is attached to the rear side of the thigh, and the user can select the use mode according to the demand. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] The drawings described herein are used to provide further understanding of the present application, and constitute a part of the present application, the illustrative embodiments of the present application and the description thereof are used to explain the present application, and do not constitute improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0015] Figure 1 The overall structure schematic diagram of the embodiment provided by the present application is shown in the figure.

[0016] Figure 2 For Figure 1 Split structure diagram of the hip assembly;

[0017] Figure 3 For Figure 2 Split structure diagram of the energy storage and driving assembly;

[0018] Figure 4 For Figure 3 Internal structure diagram of the energy storage assembly;

[0019] Figure 5 For Figure 3 Split structure diagram of the driving assembly;

[0020] Figure 6 For Figure 1 Connection structure diagram of the connecting rod and driving connection assembly;

[0021] Figure 7 For Figure 1 Another use mode of the energy storage assisted lower limb exoskeleton shown in the figure.

[0022] In the figure, the back plate assembly 1, the hip assembly 2, the cover assembly 3, the back connecting piece 4, the driving connection assembly 5, the connecting rod 6, the leg fitting plate 7, the binding band fixing position 8, the leg binding band 9, the movable mouth 10, the gear 11, the center bearing 12, the energy storage assembly 13, the guide shell 14, the adjusting cap 15, the limiting bearing 16, the center shaft 17, the energy storage rod 18, the energy storage spring 19, the prefabricated groove 111, the mounting hole I 112, the mounting bolt 113, the end face operation groove 31, the end cover 32, the upper connecting head 51, the connecting handle 52, the lower connecting head 53, the mounting hole II 54, the connecting position 55, the shaft hole 56, the connecting shaft 57, the connecting rod end head 61, the threaded section 141, the guide cavity 142. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with the accompanying drawings and examples, so that the implementation process of how to apply technical means to solve technical problems and achieve technical effects of the present application can be fully understood and implemented.

[0024] Figure 1For an embodiment of the utility model, a kind of energy storage assisted lower limb exoskeleton, including wearing part, the wearing part has hip component 2 located at both sides of human body, hip component 2 is connected back plate assembly 1 by back connecting piece 4, and in the side of hip component 2 adhering human body, binding band fixing position 8 for fixing flexible wearing band is set, when using, the lower limb exoskeleton is worn on the body by flexible wearing band, when hip component 2 is located at both sides of hip, back plate assembly 1 is adhered to human back under the constraint of flexible wearing band.In addition, it also includes connecting rod 6 extending downward from hip component 2, and leg adhering plate 7 is installed in the lower end of connecting rod 6;From Figure 1 It can be seen that leg band 9 is provided at the rear of leg adhering plate 7, and leg adhering plate 7 can be fixed on the thigh by leg band 9 when using, so that connecting rod 6 can swing back and forth with the thigh. The energy storage assisted lower limb exoskeleton does not carry energy storage battery and joint module, and it only accumulates and outputs energy by energy storage part 13 and driving part provided on hip component 2.

[0025] From Figure 1 It can be seen that the outer side of hip component 2 is provided with detachable cover assembly 3, and the aforementioned energy storage part 13 and driving part are arranged in the mounting cavity between cover assembly 3 and hip component 2. From Figure 2 It can be seen that the driving part includes gear 11, the middle part of gear 11 is provided with central bearing 12, the central bearing 12 is positioned and installed by central shaft 17, and it is obvious that central shaft 17 is arranged along the left and right directions of human body. The driving part also has driving connection assembly 5 fixedly connected with gear 11, the lower part of driving connection assembly 5 is connected with the aforementioned connecting rod 6, when connecting rod 6 swings back and forth with the thigh, driving connection assembly 5 moves and drives gear 11 to rotate counterclockwise or clockwise; in order to avoid gear 11 from moving left and right and generating friction with components, limit bearing 16 is arranged on the coaxial line of the two end surfaces of gear 11, and in the embodiment, limit bearing 16 is respectively installed on hip component 2 and cover assembly 3. In addition, from Figure 2 It can be seen that the outer side of cover assembly 3 is provided with end face operation groove 31, and the aforementioned central shaft 17 is inserted from the middle part of end face operation groove 31, and end cover 32 matched with end face operation groove 31 is also arranged.

[0026] From Figure 2 And Figure 3 It can be seen that the used energy storage part 13 includes guide shell 14 arranged obliquely upward from the right side of gear 11 (guide shell 14 is installed on hip component 2 by bolt), and also includes energy storage rod 18 engaged with gear 11 and adjusting cap 15 arranged at the top end of guide shell 14. Specifically, as Figure 4As shown, the energy storage rod 18 is a movable shaft with a flat tooth structure on one side, which is installed in the lower part of the guide cavity 142 inside the guide shell 14. Since it is engaged with the gear 11 through the flat tooth structure, it can only move along the guide cavity 142 under the drive of the gear 11. The energy storage part 13 also includes an energy storage spring 19 arranged at the upper part of the guide cavity 142, the upper end of the energy storage spring 19 contacts the adjusting cap 15, and the lower end abuts against the energy storage rod 18. Therefore, when the gear 11 rotates counterclockwise, the energy storage rod 18 moves upward and presses the energy storage spring 19. Since the connecting rod 6 only moves backward, i.e. the gear 11 only rotates counterclockwise, when the thigh part descends from the raised state to the standing state during the whole walking process, the energy storage part 13 completes energy storage at this stage, and converts the gravitational potential energy of the thigh part into the elastic potential energy of the energy storage spring 19. During the leg lifting process, the connecting rod 6 and the gear 11 rotate clockwise at the same time. At this time, the elastic potential energy accumulated in the energy storage spring 19 is converted into the kinetic energy of the downward movement of the energy storage rod 18. At this time, the energy storage rod 18 provides part of the driving force for the gear 11, and acts on the thigh part through the connecting rod 6, i.e. is converted into the power for lifting the leg, so as to realize passive power assistance.

[0027] From Figure 4 It can be seen that the upper end of the guide shell 14 is a threaded segment 141 with internal threads, and the adjusting cap 15 is installed in cooperation with the threaded segment 141. Since the adjusting cap 15 actually acts as a limiting structure for the upper end of the energy storage spring 19, when only the adjusting cap 15 is rotated, the original compression amount of the energy storage spring 19 will change. According to the calculation method of the spring elastic potential energy, the change of the original compression amount will change the size of the original potential energy. Therefore, the adjusting cap 15 can be used to adjust the power output of the energy storage part 13. For users with a thin body shape or without the need for excessive assistance, they can increase the original length of the energy storage spring 19 through the adjusting cap 15. For users with a fat body shape or requiring greater assistance, they can reduce the original length of the energy storage spring 19 through the adjusting cap 15, so as to meet the use needs of different groups of people and different stages of the same group of people.

[0028] In the above-mentioned driving part, the gear 11 is combined and installed with the driving connection assembly 5. As shown in the drawings, Figure 5 A prefabricated groove 111 extending to the middle part of the gear is arranged on the outer cylindrical surface of the gear 11, and a plurality of installation holes I112 communicating with the prefabricated groove 111 are arranged on the end surface of the gear 11. In addition, the upper part of the driving connection assembly 5 is an upper connecting head 51 inserted into the prefabricated groove 111, and an installation hole II54 opposite to the installation hole I112 is arranged on the upper connecting head 51. After the upper connecting head 51 is correctly inserted into the prefabricated groove 111, the driving connection assembly 5 is fixed through the installation bolt 113 (a pin structure can also be used) penetrating the installation hole I112 and the installation hole II54.

[0029] In addition, in combination with Figure 5And Figure 6 The driving connecting assembly 5 further comprises a connecting handle 52 connected with the upper connecting head 51, and a lower connecting head 53 arranged at the lower end of the connecting handle 52. Figure 5 As can be seen, the lower part of the lower connecting head 53 is provided with an n-shaped connecting site 55, and an axial hole 56 is arranged to transversely pass through the connecting site 55, and it can be seen that the openings on both sides of the connecting site 55 point to the left and right directions. Figure 6 The upper end of the connecting rod 6 is provided with a connecting rod end 61 (a plug hole is arranged to pass through the connecting rod end 61), the connecting rod end 61 is inserted into the connecting site 55, and the connecting rod 6 can be pivotally installed through the connecting shaft 57 passing through the axial hole 56 and the connecting rod end 61, so that the whole connecting rod 6 can be deflected in the left and right directions. In the wearing state, the legs of the user may swing left and right when walking, and since the connecting rod 6 is connected in the above manner, the connecting rod 6 can adapt to the movement state of the legs, so that no lateral force is generated on the legs, avoiding lateral bending of the connecting rod 6, so that the whole lower limb exoskeleton is more flexible, and the use experience is improved.

[0030] In the embodiment, the energy storage part 13 and the driving part are mostly arranged in a hidden manner, and since the driving part needs to be connected with the connecting rod 6, an active port 10 is arranged at the lower part of the hip assembly 2, the connecting handle 52 of the driving connecting assembly 5 extends out of the active port 10, and the lower connecting head 53 is completely exposed. The active port 10 serves as a channel for the energy storage part 13 to connect with external mechanisms, and also serves as a structure for limiting the movement range of the driving connecting assembly 5, which can avoid the phenomenon that the driving connecting assembly 5 is excessively deflected and causes the gear 11 and the energy storage rod 18 to be misaligned.

[0031] When the lower limb exoskeleton is worn, the ideal state is that the axis of the central shaft 17 is directly opposite the hip joint, and the user can perceive this through trial walking, and it is appropriate that the connecting rod 6 does not generate obvious upward push or downward pull on the hip assembly 2 when walking. In addition, the leg fitting plate 7 in the embodiment is arranged at the lower end of the connecting rod 6, and as can be seen from FIG. 1, the lower part of the connecting rod 6 is bent to one side of the human body, and the back of the leg fitting plate 7 is movably connected with the end of the connecting rod 6 (the end of the connecting rod 6 is provided with a mounting ball which is movably inserted into a clamping groove in the back of the leg fitting plate 7), so that the leg fitting plate 7 has good fitting effect with the thigh. In addition, the connecting rod 6 in the embodiment can be disassembled, and can be arranged in the mounting orientation of Figure 1 , or the two connecting rods 6 can be transposed and arranged in the mounting orientation of Figure 7 ; when arranged in the mounting orientation of Figure 1 , the leg fitting plate 7 is fitted to the front side of the thigh, and according to the energy storage and power assisting principle of the lower limb exoskeleton, the leg fitting plate 7 needs to be fixed to the thigh by using the leg binding belt 9; when arranged in the mounting orientation of Figure 7In the shown installation position, the leg-attaching plate 7 is always attached to the back of the thigh, and the leg-attaching strap 9 is not needed, thus avoiding the feeling of being obviously bound to the leg. In addition, the leg-attaching plate 7 can be designed separately for Figure 7 The connecting rod and the leg-attaching plate 7 in the shown use mode.

[0032] As used in the specification and claims, certain terminology is used to refer to certain components. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that different names are often used to refer to the same component by different manufacturers. The specification and claims are not limited to the names specifically used to refer to a component, but are instead read to read in light of the functional difference between components. As used throughout this specification and in the claims, "comprising" is intended to mean "including but not limited to," such that the listed items are the only items not excluded. "Consisting essentially of" when used throughout this specification and in the claims, permits the inclusion of additional items that do not materially affect the essential nature of the composition or method. "Substantially" refers to an acceptable range of error for the given technology at the time of the application.

[0033] It is to be understood that the terms "including", "comprising", or any other variation thereof are intended to cover the non-exclusive inclusion of the elements specified and that the method or system described is not limited to only those elements specified. The terms "including" and "comprising" are not restricted to "deleting" the listed items but rather specify the presence of those items and permit the presence of additional items.

[0034] The above description illustrates and describes several preferred embodiments of the present application, but as previously discussed, it is understood that the present application is not limited to the forms disclosed and that other embodiments are possible by appropriately adapting the teaching herein or the knowledge in the pertinent art within the scope of the inventive concept. Any modification and variation without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application should be considered within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An energy-storing, power-assisted lower extremity exoskeleton comprising a donning portion having hip assemblies located on either side of a human body, characterized in that: The energy storage part and the driving part are arranged on the hip assembly, wherein the driving part comprises a gear positioned and mounted, and a driving connection assembly capable of driving the gear to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise alternately, the lower end of the driving connection assembly is connected with a hard connecting rod, the connecting rod extends downward and is provided with a leg contact part contacting the thigh at the lower end of the connecting rod, and the connecting rod moves forward and backward with the thigh and drives the driving connection assembly to move under the action of the leg contact part; the energy storage part comprises an energy storage rod and an energy storage spring, wherein the energy storage rod has a rack segment and is engaged with the gear through the rack segment, and when the gear rotates counterclockwise, the energy storage rod moves along the length direction and compresses the energy storage spring.

2. The energy-storing assisted lower extremity exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein: The gear is positioned and mounted through a coaxial center shaft, and the axis of the center shaft is opposite to the hip joint.

3. The energy-storing assisted lower extremity exoskeleton of claim 2, wherein: The energy storage part further comprises a guide shell fixedly mounted on the hip assembly, the guide shell is internally provided with a hollow guide cavity, the energy storage rod and the energy storage spring are movably mounted in the guide cavity, and the lower part of the guide shell is provided with an avoiding gap for the engagement of the energy storage rod and the gear.

4. The energy-storing assisted lower extremity exoskeleton of claim 3, wherein: An adjusting mechanism is arranged at the end of the guide shell away from the energy storage rod, and the original compression amount of the energy storage spring can be adjusted through the adjusting mechanism.

5. The energy-storing assisted lower extremity exoskeleton of claim 3, wherein: The hip assembly is provided with a movable port, the lower end of the driving connection assembly extends out of the movable port, and within the limited movable range of the movable port, the energy storage rod and the gear always remain in the engaged state.

6. The energy-storing assisted lower extremity exoskeleton of claim 3, wherein: A prefabricated groove extending to the middle part is arranged on the outer cylindrical surface of the gear, and a plurality of mounting holes I communicating with the prefabricated groove are arranged through the end surface of the gear; the upper part of the driving connection assembly is an upper connecting head inserted into the prefabricated groove, and the mounting hole II opposite to the mounting hole I is arranged on the upper connecting head, and the driving connection assembly is fixed through the through rod penetrating the mounting hole I and the mounting hole II.

7. The energy-storing assisted lower extremity exoskeleton of claim 3, wherein: The lower end of the driving connection assembly is a lower connecting head, the upper end of the connecting rod is a connecting rod end head, the connecting rod end head is movably connected with the lower connecting head, and the entire connecting rod can be independently deviated left and right with the thigh under the constraint of the lower connecting head.

8. The energy-storing assisted lower extremity exoskeleton of claim 3, wherein: The side of the hip assembly away from the human body has a machine cover assembly, and the energy storage part and the driving part are mounted in the mounting space between the machine cover assembly and the hip assembly.

9. An energy-storing assisted lower extremity exoskeleton according to any one of claims 3-8, characterized in that: The leg contact part comprises a leg fitting plate located on the front side or the rear side of the thigh, and when the leg fitting plate is located on the front side of the thigh, the leg contact part further comprises a leg strap mounted on the leg fitting plate.

10. The energy-storing assisted lower extremity exoskeleton of claim 9, wherein: The connecting rod can be connected with the lower end of the driving connection assembly in the positive direction, at this time, the leg fitting plate is attached to the front side of the thigh, and the left and right connecting rods can also be installed reversely and make the leg fitting plate attached to the rear side of the thigh.

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