A hand with a clamping function thumb

Abstract

This utility model relates to a hand with a gripping thumb, aiming to solve the problems of existing prosthetic hands, such as limited functionality, complex structure, difficult maintenance, non-removable components, and excessive weight. The hand with a gripping thumb includes a palm shell, a thumb mechanism, a return spring, and a control cable. The palm shell is a hollow structure with an internal hinge seat and a long slot. The thumb mechanism consists of a thumb head, a hinge shaft, and a drive arm, and is installed inside the palm shell. The return spring connects the drive arm and the fixed seat, and the control cable connects to the drive arm and extends from the wrist, achieving the swinging gripping of the thumb head through its reaction with the return spring. This utility model has a simple structure, few parts, low cost, and is easy to maintain. The palm cover of the palm shell is removable, facilitating repair and replacement, and reducing maintenance costs. The overall design is lightweight, reducing the burden on patients and providing a practical, economical, and reliable solution for amputees, meeting their diverse daily needs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of prosthetics, specifically a hand with a thumb that has a gripping function, for patients with forearm amputations. Background Technology

[0002] Existing prosthetic hand technology is mainly divided into two categories: one is cosmetic hands primarily for decoration, and the other is robotic hands with basic functions. However, both types of prosthetic hands have significant shortcomings in terms of practicality, maintenance costs, and adaptability.

[0003] Traditional cosmetic hands or prostheses often prioritize aesthetic realism but lack functional design. For example, the prostheses disclosed in Chinese design patents 2019301011914 and 2019301011223 have fixed fingers that can only be used for decoration and cannot perform basic actions such as grasping or holding. Such designs fail to meet the functional needs of amputees in their daily lives, such as eating and holding objects, forcing them to still rely on other assistive tools.

[0004] While some functional prostheses possess gripping capabilities, their complex internal structures and reliance on external linkage components result in high maintenance costs. For instance, the integrated myoelectric prosthesis hand (publication number: CN109172061B) achieves finger movement through a reducer and transmission components, but its complex mechanical structure not only increases manufacturing costs but also makes maintenance difficult, requiring professional repair.

[0005] Traditional prostheses often employ an integrated design, with components that cannot be replaced. For example, the transmission structure of the drive rod in the prosthetic robotic arm (notification number: CN107693175A) is complex, and internal components (such as gears and connecting rods) are prone to wear. During maintenance, the entire prosthesis must be returned to the factory for repair, increasing the cost of use.

[0006] Existing functional prostheses are often too heavy due to their complex mechanical structures, which can easily lead to fatigue with prolonged wear. For example, while multi-degree-of-freedom bionic prostheses can achieve flexible movement, their metal transmission components significantly increase the overall weight, affecting the user experience.

[0007] In summary, existing prosthetic hands have significant shortcomings in terms of functionality, structural simplification, ease of maintenance, and cost control. There is an urgent need for an innovative design that balances aesthetics and functionality while maintaining a simple structure to meet the diverse needs of amputees for everyday assistive tools. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention aims to solve the problem that the prosthetic hand in the prior art cannot achieve the clamping function, and provides a hand with a simple structure and convenient operation that has a clamping function for the thumb.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows: a hand with a thumb-gripping function, comprising a palm shell, a thumb mechanism, a return spring, and a control cable, wherein:

[0010] The palm shell is a hollow shell, and a hinge seat is provided at the base of the thumb in the inner cavity of the palm shell. A long slot is provided at the junction of the palm shell and the thumb tip.

[0011] The thumb mechanism includes a thumb head, a hinge shaft, and a drive arm. The thumb head and the drive arm are respectively disposed on the corresponding side of the hinge shaft. The hinge shaft is mounted on a hinge seat in the inner cavity of the palm shell. The root of the thumb head passes through the elongated slot of the palm shell. The drive arm is located in the inner cavity of the palm shell.

[0012] One end of the reset spring is connected to the drive arm of the thumb mechanism, and the other end is connected to the fixed base, so that the drive arm can drive the thumb head to swing and reset.

[0013] One end of the control cable is connected to the drive arm of the thumb mechanism, and its pulling direction on the drive arm is opposite to the reset direction of the reset spring, so that the two form a reaction. The other end passes through the wrist of the palm shell.

[0014] Preferably, the palm cover of the hand shell is detachable for easy maintenance and replacement; a hinge seat is correspondingly provided on the palm cover.

[0015] Preferably, the palm cover is detachably fixed to the main body of the palm shell by screws.

[0016] Preferably, the thumb tip, hinge shaft, and drive arm are integrally formed.

[0017] Preferably, the return spring is a tension spring, and the fixing seat is disposed in the inner cavity of the palm housing at or near the wrist; the other end of the control cable passes around the steering structure in the inner cavity of the palm housing and then passes out from the wrist of the palm housing, so that the pulling direction of the control cable on the drive arm is opposite to the return direction of the return spring.

[0018] Preferably, the return spring is a compression spring, and the fixing seat is disposed in the inner cavity of the palm shell near the base of the middle finger; the other end of the control cable passes directly out from the wrist of the palm shell, so that the pulling direction of the control cable on the drive arm is opposite to the return direction of the return spring, and the two form a reaction.

[0019] Preferably, the return spring is a torsion spring, which is sleeved on the hinge shaft of the thumb mechanism. One end of the torsion spring is fixed to the drive arm or hinge shaft of the thumb mechanism, and the other end is connected to a fixed seat. The fixed seat is located in the inner cavity of the palm shell near the hinge seat. The other end of the control cable passes directly out from the wrist of the palm shell, so that the pulling direction of the control cable on the drive arm is opposite to the return direction of the return spring, and the two form a reaction.

[0020] Preferably, the palm shell has four fixed fingers, or the index finger of the palm shell is fixed.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0022] 1. This utility model achieves a balance between functionality, economy and user experience through structural simplification, modular design and material innovation, solving the core problems of traditional prostheses such as "discrepancy between function and appearance", "difficult maintenance" and "high cost", providing amputees with practical, lightweight and easy-to-use daily assistive tools;

[0023] 2. This invention integrates an active gripping thumb mechanism with a naturally simulated hand shell, satisfying the daily functional needs of amputees (such as gripping tableware and small objects like keys) while maintaining the natural appearance of the prosthesis. The thumb's range of motion is similar to that of a human thumb, its posture is natural, and when closed, it conforms to the index finger to form a stable grip, avoiding the abruptness of traditional mechanical hands. Furthermore, the surface of the hand shell can be customized with skin tone or texture to further enhance the decorative effect and help patients rebuild their psychological confidence.

[0024] 3. The palm cover features a screw-removable design, allowing users or technicians to quickly open the casing and directly inspect internal components (such as replacing the return spring or adjusting the control lever) without the need for specialized tools. For example, when the return spring fails due to prolonged use, only the palm cover needs to be removed and the spring replaced, eliminating the need for factory repair or replacement of the entire palm cover, significantly shortening the repair cycle and reducing maintenance costs. This design is particularly suitable for resource-constrained areas or home users.

[0025] 4. The thumb mechanism utilizes a one-piece molding process (such as injection molding or 3D printing), reducing assembly steps and avoiding the error accumulation problems associated with traditional multi-part assembly. The shell material is made of high-strength engineering plastics (such as PA66 or PC / ABS alloy), ensuring structural strength while reducing overall weight by more than 40% compared to metal-driven prostheses, thus reducing fatigue during long-term wear. The standardized components (such as the return spring and control cable) further reduce production costs, allowing the product price to be controlled within 60% of traditional functional prostheses, promoting widespread application.

[0026] 5. Compared with the existing technology, the present invention has a simple structure, low cost and low failure rate, and is easy to promote and popularize. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the hand with a thumb that has a clamping function, as shown in the embodiment.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the hand with the palm cover detached in Example 1.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the thumb in the open state in Example 1.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the hand with the palm cover detached in Example 2.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hand with the palm cover detached in Example 3.

[0032] Label Explanation:

[0033] 1—Palm shell, 1.1—Hinge seat, 1.2—Long slot, 1.3—Palm cover, 1.4—Screw hole seat, 1.5—Fixing seat, 1.6—Steering structure, 1.7—Index finger, 1.8—Middle finger;

[0034] 2—Thumb mechanism, 2.1—Thumb head, 2.2—Hinge shaft, 2.3—Drive arm;

[0035] 3—Reset spring; 4—Control cable. Detailed Implementation

[0036] In order to enable those skilled in the art to understand the technical content of this utility model, the present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a hand with a thumb clamping function includes a palm shell 1, a thumb mechanism 2, a return spring 3, and a control cable 4.

[0039] The hand shell 1 has four fixed fingers, or at least the index finger 1.7 of the hand shell is fixed. The hand shell 1 is a hollow shell. A hinge seat 1.1 is provided at the base of the thumb inside the inner cavity of the hand shell 1. An elongated slot 1.2 is provided at the junction of the hand shell 1 and the thumb. The palm cover 1.3 of the hand shell 1 is detachable for easy maintenance and replacement. The palm cover 1.3 is correspondingly provided with the hinge seat 1.1. The palm cover 1.3 is detachably fixed to the main body of the hand shell 1 by screws and screw hole seats 1.4. The wrist connection of the hand shell 1 is used to connect with the prosthesis socket.

[0040] The thumb mechanism 2 includes an integrally formed thumb head 2.1, a hinge shaft 2.2, and a drive arm 2.3. The thumb head 2.1 and the drive arm 2.3 are respectively disposed on the corresponding side of the hinge shaft 2.2. The hinge shaft 2.2 is mounted on the hinge seat 1.1 in the inner cavity of the palm shell. The root of the thumb head 2.1 passes through the elongated slot 1.2 of the palm shell. The drive arm 2.3 is located in the inner cavity of the palm shell 1.

[0041] One end of the return spring 3 is connected to the drive arm 2.3 of the thumb mechanism 2, and the other end is connected to the fixed seat 1.5, thereby driving the drive arm 2.3 to drive the thumb head 2.1 to swing and return to its original position. In this embodiment, the return spring 3 is a tension spring, and the fixed seat 1.5 is disposed in the inner cavity of the palm shell 1 at or near the wrist.

[0042] One end of the control cable 4 is connected to the drive arm 2.3 of the thumb mechanism 2. The pulling direction of the control cable 4 on the drive arm 2.3 is opposite to the reset direction of the return spring 3, forming a reaction. The other end extends out from the wrist of the hand shell 1. Specifically, the other end of the control cable 4 passes around the steering structure 1.6 in the inner cavity of the hand shell. The steering structure 1.6 is a pull ring or an arc-shaped guide post. It then extends out from the wrist of the hand shell 1, so that the pulling direction of the control cable 4 on the drive arm 2.3 is opposite to the reset direction of the return spring 3. The extension end drive component and related structure of the control cable 4 can be found in the invention patent previously applied for by the inventor, entitled "A Prosthesis", patent application number 2018114282730.

[0043] Example 2

[0044] like Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, a hand with a thumb-gripping function includes a palm shell 1, a thumb mechanism 2, a return spring 3, and a control cable 4. The return spring 3 is a compression spring, and the fixing seat 1.5 is disposed in the inner cavity of the palm shell 1 near the base of the middle finger 1.8; the other end of the control cable 4 passes directly out from the wrist of the palm shell, so that the pulling direction of the control cable 4 on the drive arm 2.3 is opposite to the return direction of the return spring 3, and the two form a reaction force. The remaining technical features are similar to those of Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0045] Example 3

[0046] like Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, a thumb-gripping hand includes a palm shell 1, a thumb mechanism 2, a return spring 3, and a control cable 4. The return spring 3 is a torsion spring, which is sleeved on the hinge shaft 2.2 of the thumb mechanism 2. One end of the torsion spring is fixed to the drive arm of the thumb mechanism or the hinge shaft 2.2, and the other end is connected to a fixed seat 1.5. The fixed seat 1.5 is located in the inner cavity of the palm shell near the hinge seat 1.1. In this embodiment, the screw hole seat 1.4 near the hinge seat 1.1 is directly used as the fixed seat 1.5. The other end of the control cable 4 passes directly through the wrist of the palm shell 1, so that the pulling direction of the control cable 4 on the drive arm 2.3 is opposite to the return direction of the return spring 3, creating a reaction force. The remaining technical features are similar to those in Embodiment 1 and will not be repeated here.

[0047] This invention relates to a hand with a gripping thumb, which achieves active gripping functionality through a hollow design of the palm shell and a clever structure of the thumb mechanism. The interaction between the return spring and the control cable allows the thumb to swing flexibly, enabling gripping of objects. The palm cover of the palm shell is detachable, facilitating maintenance and replacement of the internal structure. The integrated structure of the thumb, hinge shaft, and drive arm improves overall stability and durability. The return spring can be a tension spring, compression spring, or torsion spring, with the appropriate type and installation position selected according to different design requirements. The palm shell has four fixed fingers, or the index finger is fixed, to provide stable support. Through the above design, this invention effectively solves the problem of existing prosthetic hands being unable to achieve gripping functionality, providing amputees with a practical, economical, and reliable solution.

[0048] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A hand with a thumb-gripping function, characterized in that, include: A palm shell, wherein the palm shell is a hollow shell, a hinge seat is provided at the base of the thumb in the inner cavity of the palm shell, and a long slot is provided at the junction of the palm shell and the thumb tip; A thumb mechanism includes a thumb head, a hinge shaft, and a drive arm. The thumb head and the drive arm are respectively disposed on the corresponding sides of the hinge shaft. The hinge shaft is mounted on a hinge seat in the inner cavity of the palm shell. The root of the thumb head passes through a long slot in the palm shell. The drive arm is located in the inner cavity of the palm shell. The return spring has one end connected to the drive arm of the thumb mechanism and the other end connected to the fixed base, so that it can drive the drive arm to drive the thumb head to swing and return to its original position. The control cable has one end connected to the drive arm of the thumb mechanism. Its pulling direction on the drive arm is opposite to the return direction of the return spring, and the two form a reaction. The other end passes through the wrist of the palm shell.

2. The hand with a thumb-gripping function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The palm cover of the hand shell is removable for easy maintenance and replacement; a hinge seat is correspondingly provided on the palm cover.

3. The hand with a thumb-gripping function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The palm cover is detachably fixed to the main body of the palm shell by screws.

4. The hand with a thumb-gripping function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thumb head, hinge shaft, and drive arm are integrally formed.

5. The hand with a thumb-gripping function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The return spring is a tension spring, and the fixing seat is located in the inner cavity of the palm shell at or near the wrist. The other end of the control cable passes around the steering structure in the inner cavity of the palm shell and then passes out from the wrist of the palm shell, so that the pulling direction of the control cable on the drive arm is opposite to the return direction of the return spring.

6. The hand with a thumb-gripping function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The return spring is a compression spring, and the fixing seat is set in the inner cavity of the palm shell near the base of the middle finger; the other end of the control cable passes directly out from the wrist of the palm shell, so that the pulling direction of the control cable on the drive arm is opposite to the return direction of the return spring, and the two form a reaction.

7. The hand with a thumb-gripping function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The return spring is a torsion spring, which is sleeved on the hinge shaft of the thumb mechanism. One end of the torsion spring is fixed to the drive arm or hinge shaft of the thumb mechanism, and the other end is connected to a fixed seat. The fixed seat is located in the inner cavity of the palm shell near the hinge seat. The other end of the control cable passes directly out from the wrist of the palm shell, so that the pulling direction of the control cable on the drive arm is opposite to the return direction of the return spring, and the two form a reaction.

8. The hand with a thumb-gripping function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The palm shell has four fixed fingers, or the index finger of the palm shell is fixed.

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