Rope-driven auxiliary power-assisted lower limb exoskeleton

Abstract

The utility model relates to an exoskeleton, in particular to a rope-driven auxiliary power-assisted lower limb exoskeleton, which is provided with a joint module for controlling a shank part to simulate the walking of a human leg part, and further comprises a rope-driven energy storage mechanism. The rope-driven energy storage mechanism comprises a pull wire and a spring energy storage part, the spring energy storage part is arranged on the shank part, one end of the pull wire is restrained to the spring energy storage part, the other end of the pull wire is restrained to the thigh part, and in the walking process, when the shank part moves downwards, the pull wire pulls the spring energy storage part to compress and store energy, otherwise, the spring energy storage part releases energy; and the auxiliary joint module drives the shank part to move upwards. The lower limb exoskeleton with the energy storage mechanism provided by the embodiment of the utility model is provided with the driving module of the knee joint, and is additionally provided with the passive power assisting structure for assisting the knee joint by utilizing gravitational potential energy of the leg, so that compared with the lower limb exoskeleton driven by the existing module, the driving module and the passive power assisting structure are combined, and the driving module and the passive power assisting structure are combined; the power requirement for the driving module can be effectively lowered, and meanwhile the battery life can be prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to exoskeletons, specifically a rope-driven, assistive lower limb exoskeleton. Background Technology

[0002] The joints of actively assisted exoskeletons are driven by modules. For example, various lower limb exoskeletons used for rehabilitation. In the prior art, such as lower limb exoskeleton robots (application number 202410824484.5) and lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robots (application number 202411494685.X), the joints are driven independently by drive modules. Due to the weight of the legs and the weight of the exoskeleton itself, the drive modules of each joint need to have sufficient power. This also means that the walking process of the exoskeleton requires a lot of energy. Therefore, the existing exoskeletons of this type have the problem of high module power requirements and short overall battery life. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an active lower limb exoskeleton with a rope-driven energy storage structure, wherein the rope-driven energy storage structure alternately stores and releases energy during walking, and assists the joint module in driving the movement of the lower leg during the energy release process, thereby solving the problems pointed out in the background art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton, comprising a thigh, a lower leg, and a foot, which are connected sequentially. A joint module is provided in the lower part of the thigh to control the lower leg and simulate human leg walking. This joint module plays a major driving role in the walking of the lower leg. The lower limb exoskeleton also includes a rope-driven energy storage mechanism that assists in the walking of the lower leg. This rope-driven energy storage mechanism includes a pull wire and a spring energy storage component. The spring energy storage component is disposed on one of the leg structures in the thigh and lower leg. One end of the pull wire is constrained to the spring energy storage component, and the other end is constrained to the other leg structure. During walking, when the lower leg moves downward, the pull wire pulls the spring energy storage component to compress and store energy; conversely, the spring energy storage component releases energy and assists the joint module in driving the lower leg upward.

[0005] In the above technical solution, the walking of the lower leg mainly relies on the power provided by the joint module. The set rope-driven energy storage mechanism can convert the gravitational potential energy of the lower leg into elastic potential energy and store it. During the process, the rope-driven energy storage mechanism releases energy and pulls the lower leg in the opposite direction, thereby playing a certain role in assisting the lower leg to lift its leg. This solution can reduce the power demand on the joint module, save energy, and improve the battery life.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment, the spring energy storage component is located on the lower leg and includes an energy storage spring and a limiting component that limits the energy storage spring. The end of the energy storage spring is a free end. The upper end of the pull cable is constrained and connected to the thigh, and the lower end is constrained to the free end of the energy storage spring. Preferably, a guide ring is provided on the lower part of the thigh surrounding the drive shaft of the joint module, and a guide wheel is mounted on the lower leg below the guide ring. The pull cable passes from top to bottom, passing through the guide ring on the side biased towards the back of the body and the guide wheel on the side biased towards the front of the body, and then connects to the spring energy storage component. During walking, as the lower leg moves downward, the guide wheel pushes the pull cable forward. Since the length of the pull cable remains constant and the upper end is fixed, the lower end of the pull cable will pull the spring to compress. During this process, the gravitational potential energy of the leg is converted into the elastic potential energy of the energy storage spring. The guide ring and guide wheel serve to change the direction of the pull cable tension. At the same time, the guide wheel experiences rolling friction during its interaction with the pull cable, which can reduce wear on the pull cable.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment, the thigh and calf sections do not distinguish between left and right legs, and their structures are identical. Furthermore, the pull wires can wrap around the guide ring and guide wheel in opposite directions, thereby enabling the interchangeability of the left and right leg exoskeletons. This can effectively reduce manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment, the lower leg includes a lower leg link and an upper transition connection. The leg link is movably connected to the transition connection and can move along its length. The transition connection is equipped with an elastic mechanism that provides a downward force to the leg link. During walking, when the foot touches the ground, the leg link moves upward. At this time, the elastic mechanism can play a shock-absorbing role, and the extension and retraction of the leg link can also adapt to changes in leg length during walking.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, a displacement sensor is installed within the transition connection. During walking, when the foot touches the ground, the leg link moves upward. This displacement sensor measures the distance the leg link moves upward, thus collecting data on the length changes of the exoskeleton during walking. Preferably, a pressure sensor is also installed within the transition connection. When the leg link moves upward, pressure is applied to the pressure sensor, which works in conjunction with the displacement sensor to collect gait data of the leg link during assisted walking.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment, the transition connection includes an upper drive connecting arm and a lower side-swing connecting arm, which are connected by a hinge, allowing the side-swing connecting arm to shift towards the side that fits the human body, thereby fitting the human leg.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, the hinge is a double-headed hinge structure with two parallel hinge axes. The upper end is hinged to the drive connecting arm, and the lower end is hinged to the side swing connecting arm. A locking mechanism is provided between the lower end of the hinge and the side swing connecting arm to limit the deflection of the side swing connecting arm relative to the hinge. In the unlocked state, the side swing connecting arm can be folded to fit the drive connecting arm, which facilitates the folding and storage of the lower limb exoskeleton.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, the lower limb exoskeleton also includes a strap assembly. The strap assembly is hinged to a mounting base that extends along the front-back direction of the human body via an axis. There is a space for movement between the strap assembly and the corresponding exoskeleton, allowing the strap assembly to deflect under the constraint of the mounting base. This provides the strap assembly with a certain amount of leeway, which firstly allows the strap assembly to bind the leg in the best position, and secondly allows it to deflect appropriately with the leg during walking, thereby better transitioning the connection between the leg and the exoskeleton. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0014] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton provided by this utility model;

[0015] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the disassembled structure at the junction of the lower leg and thigh;

[0016] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the setup of the pull cord on the thigh.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a spring energy storage component;

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the side-swing connecting arm;

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the side-swing connecting arm and the drive connecting arm;

[0020] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the location of the pressure sensor in the side-swing connecting arm;

[0021] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the displacement sensor in the side-swing connecting arm;

[0022] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the strap assembly.

[0023] In the diagram, the components are: thigh 1, calf 2, foot 3, ankle joint 4, strap assembly 5, upper protective shell I 6, upper protective shell II 7, joint module 8, drive connecting arm 9, hinge 10, side swing connecting arm 11, joint limiting block 12, guide ring 13, pull wire fixing block 14, pull wire 15, guide wheel 16, mounting plate 17, upper clamping mechanism 18, lower clamping mechanism 19, clamping position 20, leg connecting rod 21, sleeve 22, spring energy storage component 23, side connecting rod 24, displacement sensor 25, mounting bracket 26, pressure sensor 27, spring 28, mounting base 51, limiting head 91, docking hole 101, self-locking shaft 102, clearance hole I 103, self-locking bolt 104, outer shell 171, self-locking hole 181, positioning clamping plate 189, clearance hole II 221, spring guide tube 231, energy storage spring 232, and extrusion head 233. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following will describe in detail the implementation of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, so that the implementation process of how this application uses technical means to solve technical problems and achieve technical effects can be fully understood and implemented accordingly.

[0025] Figure 1 In one embodiment of this utility model, a rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton includes a thigh 1, a lower leg 2, and a foot 3. The upper end of the lower leg 2 is connected to the thigh 1, and the foot 3 is connected to the lower end of the lower leg 2 via an ankle joint 4. Strap assemblies 5 are respectively provided on the thigh 1 and the lower leg 2, and the foot 3 can be connected to the foot via the straps. The energy storage mechanism lower limb exoskeleton provided in this embodiment has a knee joint drive module and a passive assist structure that utilizes the gravitational potential energy of the leg to assist the knee joint. Compared with existing module-driven lower limb exoskeletons, this embodiment combines the drive module with the passive assist structure, which can effectively reduce the power requirements of the drive module and improve battery life.

[0026] In this embodiment, the lower leg 2 is divided into an upper transition connecting part and a lower leg connecting rod, wherein the transition connecting part is further divided into a drive connecting arm 9 and a side swing connecting arm 11; as shown Figure 2As shown, opening the upper protective shells I6 and II7 on the outer (away from the body) and inner (closer to the body) sides of the thigh reveals that the upper end of the drive connecting arm 9 is mounted on the lower end of the thigh 1. A joint module 8, which drives the aforementioned drive connecting arm 9, is mounted on the lower end of the thigh 1. This joint module 8 is the drive module for the knee joint, capable of controlling the drive connecting arm 9 (or the lower leg) to simulate the movement of the human lower leg. A joint limiting block 12 is provided on the lower part of the thigh 1, located in front of the body. This joint limiting block 12 restricts the forward movement range of the entire lower leg 2 relative to the thigh 1, thus having a similar joint limiting function to the human knee joint. The passive power assist structure used in this embodiment is a rope-driven energy storage mechanism including a pull cable 15 and a spring energy storage component 23. The spring energy storage component 23 is installed in the side-swing connecting arm 11, and the pull cable connects the thigh 1 and the spring energy storage component 23. Figure 3 As shown, a guide ring 13 is provided at the lower part of the thigh 1. This guide ring 13 is coaxial with the swing axis of the drive connecting arm 9. A cable fixing block 14 is installed above the guide ring 13, and a guide wheel 16 is mounted on the drive connecting arm 9 below it. It can be seen that the guide wheel 16 is biased towards the front of the body. The upper end of the cable 15 is fixed by the cable fixing block 14, and the lower end passes from top to bottom around the guide ring 13 (biased towards the rear of the body) and the guide wheel 16 (biased towards the front of the body), finally connecting to the spring energy storage component 23 located inside the side swing connecting arm 11. Combined with... Figure 4 As can be seen, the spring energy storage component 23 includes a longitudinally arranged spring guide tube 231 and an energy storage spring 232 installed inside the spring guide tube 231. The upper end of the energy storage spring 232 is restricted by the top of the spring guide tube 231, and the lower part is provided with a compression head 233 that can retract into the spring guide tube 231. The lower end of the aforementioned pull wire 15 moves through the top of the spring guide tube 231 and then constrains and connects to the compression head 233. During walking, as the lower leg moves downward, the guide wheel 16 pushes the pull wire 15 forward. Since the length of the pull wire 15 remains unchanged and the upper end is fixed, the pull wire 15 will pull the compression head 233 at the lower end and compress the energy storage spring 232 upward. During this process, the gravitational potential energy of the lower leg and the corresponding exoskeleton is converted into the elastic potential energy of the energy storage spring 232. During the leg lifting process, the joint module 8 will provide some power, and the energy of the energy storage spring 232 will also be released and pulled in the opposite direction through the pull wire 15, thereby assisting the joint module 8 in driving the movement of the knee joint.

[0027] Regarding the installation of the spring energy storage component 23, as follows: Figure 5As shown, the side-swing connecting arm 11 includes a mounting plate 17 that provides the main support, and a housing 171 that cooperates with the mounting plate 17. An upper clamping mechanism 18 is mounted on the upper part of the mounting plate 17, and a lower clamping mechanism 19 is mounted on the lower part. Two clamping positions 20 are respectively provided on the two clamping mechanisms, and corresponding positioning clamps 189 are provided. Both clamping positions 20 can fix the spring energy storage component 23. In this embodiment, the spring energy storage component 23 is located in the clamping position 20 closer to the front of the human body. The lower limb exoskeleton provided in this embodiment does not distinguish between left and right legs; that is, the structures of the left and right leg exoskeletons are completely identical. This embodiment shows a lower limb exoskeleton suitable for the right leg. If the joint limiting block 12, the pull wire fixing block 14, the pull wire 15, the guide wheel 16, and the spring energy storage component 23 are respectively installed in positions symmetrical to the current position, a lower limb exoskeleton suitable for the left leg is obtained.

[0028] In addition, the lower leg section provided in this embodiment can adapt to different leg shapes and can be folded and stored. Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 It can be seen that the side-swing connecting arm 11 and the drive connecting arm 9 are connected by a double-headed hinge 10 with double hinge axes, and both hinge axes extend along the user's front-back direction. Figure 6 As shown, the upper end of the hinge 10 is hinged to the lower end of the drive connecting arm 9, and a limiting head 91 is provided at the end of the drive connecting arm 9. The limiting head 91 is used to limit the extent of outward deflection of the hinge 10 relative to the drive connecting arm 9; the lower end of the hinge 10 is hinged to the upper clamping mechanism 18 of the side swing connecting arm 11.

[0029] from Figure 6 It can be seen that a longitudinally penetrating docking hole 101 is provided in the middle of the hinge member 10 (the top of the docking hole 101 may not be open). A waist-shaped clearance hole I103 is provided on the side of the hinge member 10, penetrating and communicating with the docking hole 101. Simultaneously, a self-locking shaft 102 is movably provided in the docking hole 101, and a self-locking bolt 104 is provided on the side of the self-locking shaft 102, passing through the clearance hole I103. Additionally, a self-locking hole 181 corresponding to the docking hole 101 is provided on the upper part of the limiting head 91. The self-locking shaft 102 can move downward to insert into the self-locking hole 181. At this time, the degree of freedom between the hinge 10 and the side-swing connecting arm 11 is restricted. In the wearing state, the lower part of the drive connecting arm 9 will be deflected to fit the user's leg under the constraint of the upper end of the hinge 10. When it is necessary to store the lower limb exoskeleton, the self-locking shaft 102 is fully retracted into the docking hole 101. At this time, under the connection of the double-headed hinge 10, the entire lower leg can be folded up for easy storage and transportation.

[0030] In addition, the lower limb exoskeleton provided in this embodiment also has gait data acquisition capabilities, such as... Figure 7As shown, the upper clamping mechanism 18 and the lower clamping mechanism 19 jointly clamp a longitudinally arranged sleeve 22. The upper part of the leg connecting rod 21 is movably installed inside the sleeve 22. Additionally, a pressure sensor 27 is installed directly opposite the opening at the upper end of the sleeve 22, and a spring 28 is provided between the pressure sensor 27 and the top of the leg connecting rod 21, meaning the leg connecting rod 21 indirectly contacts the pressure sensor 27 through the spring 28. Figure 8 It can be seen that the side-swing connecting arm 11 also has a displacement sensor 25 installed via an mounting bracket 26. A side connecting rod 24 is laterally arranged on the side of the leg connecting rod 21, which is connected to the displacement sensor 25. An avoidance hole II221 is provided on the sleeve 22 to avoid the side connecting rod 24. During walking, when the foot 3 touches the ground, the leg connecting rod moves upward. The displacement sensor 25 can measure the distance the leg connecting rod moves upward, that is, collect the length change data of the exoskeleton during the walking gait. The pressure sensor 27 can collect the pressure data of the leg connecting rod 21 during the walking gait.

[0031] In addition to the above structure, the strap assembly 5 used in this embodiment has a certain range of motion, from... Figure 9 As can be seen, the strap assembly 5 is hinged to the mounting base 51 on the exoskeleton. The hinge axis extends along the user's front-back direction, and there is room for movement between the upper and lower parts of the strap assembly 5 and the exoskeleton. This allows the strap assembly to have an upward or downward deflection range under the restriction of the mounting base, providing the strap assembly with a certain amount of room for movement, so that it can better transition between the legs and the exoskeleton.

[0032] The specification and claims use certain terms to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that hardware manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in name, but rather on differences in function. The term "comprising" throughout the specification and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "comprising but not limited to." "Approximately" means that within an acceptable margin of error, those skilled in the art can solve the technical problem and substantially achieve the technical effect within a certain margin of error.

[0033] It should be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a product or system comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a product or system. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the product or system that includes said element.

[0034] The foregoing description illustrates and describes several preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, as previously stated, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. It can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments, and can be altered within the scope of the inventive concept described herein through the foregoing teachings or techniques or knowledge in related fields. Any modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton, comprising a thigh, a lower leg, and a foot, which are connected in sequence, characterized in that: A joint module is installed on the lower part of the thigh to control the lower leg and simulate human leg walking. The lower limb exoskeleton also includes a rope-driven energy storage mechanism, which includes a pull wire and a spring energy storage component. The spring energy storage component is installed on one of the leg structures in the thigh and the lower leg. One end of the pull wire is constrained to the spring energy storage component, and the other end is constrained to the other leg structure. During walking, when the lower leg moves downward, the pull wire pulls the spring energy storage component to compress and store energy. Conversely, the spring energy storage component releases energy and assists the joint module in driving the lower leg to move upward.

2. The rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The energy storage spring is located on the lower leg and includes an energy storage spring and a limiting component for limiting the energy storage spring. The end of the energy storage spring is a free end. The upper end of the pull wire is constrained and connected to the thigh, and the lower end is constrained to the free end of the energy storage spring.

3. The rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The lower part of the thigh is provided with a guide ring around the drive shaft of the joint module, and a guide wheel is installed on the lower leg below the guide ring; the pull cable passes from top to bottom around the guide ring on the side of the body that is biased towards the back of the body and the guide wheel on the side of the body that is biased towards the front of the body.

4. The rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The thigh and calf sections are not distinguished as left and right, and have the same structure. The pull cord can wrap around the guide ring and guide wheel in opposite directions.

5. The rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lower leg includes a lower leg link and an upper transition connection, wherein the leg link is movably connected to the transition connection and can move in the length direction, and the transition connection is provided with an elastic mechanism that provides a downward force to the leg link.

6. The rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton as described in claim 5, characterized in that: A displacement sensor is installed inside the transition connection section. This displacement sensor is used to measure the distance that the leg link moves upward relative to the transition connection section.

7. The rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton as described in claim 5, characterized in that: A pressure sensor is also installed in the transition connection section. When the foot touches the ground, the leg linkage triggers the pressure sensor.

8. The rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The transition connection includes an upper drive connecting arm and a lower side-swing connecting arm, which are connected by a hinge, allowing the side-swing connecting arm to shift towards the side that fits the human body.

9. The rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The hinge is a double-headed hinge structure with two parallel hinge axes. The upper end is hinged to the drive connecting arm, and the lower end is hinged to the side swing connecting arm. A locking mechanism is provided between the lower end of the hinge and the side swing connecting arm to limit the deflection of the side swing connecting arm relative to the hinge. In the unlocked state, the side swing connecting arm can be folded to fit against the drive connecting arm.

10. The rope-driven assisted lower limb exoskeleton as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lower limb exoskeleton also includes a strap assembly that is hinged to a mounting base that extends along the front-back direction of the human body via an axis. There is a space for movement between the strap assembly and the corresponding exoskeleton, allowing the strap assembly to deflect under the constraints of the mounting base.

Images