A plug-in interface structure for connecting a power source in an exoskeleton actuator connection waist bag

Abstract

This invention provides a plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to the power supply inside the waist pack. A snap-fit ​​structure ensures stable insertion and locking of the male and female connectors. Combined with the magnetic attraction of the first and second neodymium magnetic rings, this guarantees reliable connection between the current conductor and the hollow terminal, meeting the power supply requirements of the exoskeleton actuator. It also avoids the problem of tension being directly transmitted to the solder joints or terminals in traditional connections, preventing cable breakage or terminal detachment due to the cable scraping against obstacles during user activity, thus reducing the risk of equipment damage and user loss of balance and falls. Simultaneously, the combination of magnetic attraction and snap-fit ​​design solves the problem of inconvenient insertion and removal of traditional connectors, improving the efficiency of device wearing. Furthermore, the female connector is stably installed in the waist pack with a locking nut, further enhancing the overall reliability of the interface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of power supply interface technology for exoskeleton robots, and in particular to a plug-in interface structure for connecting the power supply inside the waist pack of an exoskeleton actuator. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of robotics and rehabilitation medicine engineering, lower limb exoskeleton devices (such as knee-assisted exoskeletons and hip-assisted exoskeletons) are increasingly widely used in military, industrial load-bearing, and medical rehabilitation fields. These devices are typically powered by a battery pack worn on the user's waist, which transmits electrical energy to drive motors in the legs via power cords.

[0003] In practical use, the battery pack is usually placed in a waist pack or fixed to a belt, and the power cord needs to extend from the waist, through the thigh, to the actuator at the knee or hip joint. Currently, the connection of this power cord generally uses traditional fixed soldering or ordinary standard connectors (such as XT60, aviation plugs, etc.). This connection method has the following significant drawbacks: First, it lacks a tensile and scratch-resistant protection mechanism: when users are walking, running, or traversing complex environments, the dangling or swaying power cord is very likely to scratch surrounding obstacles (such as furniture, machinery, vegetation, etc.). Traditional fixed connections or rigidly locked connectors will directly transmit the tensile force generated by the scratch to the solder joint between the cable and the device, which can easily cause the cable to be torn from the inside of the interface, the terminal block on the device to be pulled off or damaged, and in the most serious cases, cause the user to lose balance and fall, or drag and damage the entire exoskeleton device. Second, it has poor ease of use and user experience: traditional connectors are inconvenient to plug and unplug, especially when the user is wearing the device, making it difficult to quickly and accurately align and complete the connection, reducing the efficiency of wearing the device.

[0004] In summary, existing technologies lack a dedicated power connection interface that can simultaneously and harmlessly disconnect under abnormal tensile force to protect cables and equipment, while also facilitating quick plugging and unplugging. This technological gap severely restricts the reliability, safety, and user experience of lower limb exoskeleton devices. Therefore, this innovative interface provides a solution. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a plug-in interface structure for connecting the power supply inside the waist pack to the exoskeleton actuator, which can achieve quick plugging and unplugging while improving the resistance to pulling and scratching.

[0006] This utility model provides a plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to a power source inside a waist pack. It includes a male plug-in connector and a female plug-in connector that are locked together by a snap-fit ​​structure. A current conductor is pre-embedded inside the male plug-in connector, and this current conductor is electrically connected to the actuator in the exoskeleton device. A first neodymium magnet is located at the bottom of the male plug-in connector, and a second neodymium magnet corresponding to the first neodymium magnet is located on the female plug-in connector. A hollow terminal block is located on the female plug-in connector, which is plugged into the high-current conductor and the low-current conductor, respectively. The terminal of the hollow terminal block is connected to a battery located inside the waist pack. A locking nut is fitted to one end of the female plug-in connector that extends into the inside of the waist pack.

[0007] Furthermore, the male connector has a high-current conductor and a low-current conductor pre-embedded inside, which are electrically connected to the motor and control board in the exoskeleton device, respectively.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a male connector cover, which is threaded to the non-plug end of the male connector socket. The cable for connecting the motor and the control board is introduced through the male connector cover and soldered to the high-current conductor and the low-current conductor.

[0009] Furthermore, the male connector has a mating boss at its center, and four symmetrical holes for accommodating two high-current conductors and two low-current conductors are provided on the mating boss. The diameter of the holes is larger than the diameter of the high-current conductors and the low-current conductors. The female connector has a mating groove at its insertion end that mates with the mating boss. The groove contains four hollow terminals for inserting the high-current conductors and low-current conductors on the male connector.

[0010] Furthermore, the male connector has multiple vertical slits along its circumference at its insertion end.

[0011] Furthermore, the inner wall of the male connector is provided with a plurality of snap-fit ​​slots evenly distributed along the circumference, and the outer wall of the female connector is provided with a plurality of snap-fit ​​protrusions that cooperate with the snap-fit ​​slots along the circumference.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner wall of the male connector is provided with a guide protrusion parallel to its axis, and the outer wall of the female connector is provided with a guide groove that cooperates with the guide protrusion.

[0013] Furthermore, the diameter of the non-plug end of the female connector is smaller than the outer diameter of its plug end, and the outer side of the non-plug end of the female connector is provided with an external thread that mates with the locking nut.

[0014] Furthermore, the thickness of the female connector's insertion end is the same as the depth of the male connector's insertion end.

[0015] Furthermore, the male connector cap is provided with a rubber sealing ring at the inlet of the cable to secure the cable, and the inner diameter of the rubber sealing ring is smaller than the outer diameter of the cable.

[0016] The technical solution of this utility model achieves stable insertion and locking of the male connector and female connector through a snap-fit ​​structure. Combined with the magnetic attraction of the first and second neodymium magnetic rings, it not only ensures reliable connection between the current conductor and the hollow terminal to meet the power supply requirements of the exoskeleton actuator, but also avoids the problem of direct transmission of tensile force to the soldering point or terminal in traditional connections. This prevents the cable from being torn or the terminal from being pulled off due to the cable scraping against obstacles during user activities, reducing the risk of equipment damage and user imbalance and falls. At the same time, the combination of magnetic attraction and snap-fit ​​design solves the problem of inconvenient insertion and removal of traditional connectors, improves the efficiency of equipment wearing, and the female connector is stably installed on the waist pack by the locking nut, further enhancing the overall reliability of the interface. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of this utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a disassembled view of the entire plug-in interface in this utility model.

[0019] Figure 2 This is another disassembled view of the entire plug-in interface in this utility model.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation status of the docking port in this utility model.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1-male connector, 101-snap slot, 102-vertical seam, 103-interlocking boss, 104-socket hole, 2-female connector, 201-snap protrusion, 202-interlocking groove, 203-hollow terminal block, 3-locking nut, 4-male connector cover, 5-cable, 6-high current conductor, 7-low current conductor, 8-first neodymium magnet, 9-second neodymium magnet, 10-rubber sealing ring. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solution of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0023] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0024] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. Furthermore, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly; for example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] Example 1 like Figures 1-3As shown, this utility model provides a plug-in interface structure for connecting the power supply inside the waist pack to the exoskeleton actuator. The plug-in is used to fix it to the waist pack and then electrically connect it to the battery pack. It includes a plug-in male connector 1 and a plug-in female connector 2 that can be plugged into and locked to each other. Because the traditional fixed welding or ordinary standard connector connection methods have insufficient high current transmission capacity, the drive motor of the lower limb exoskeleton will generate a very large peak current (usually up to tens of amperes) when starting, assisting or dealing with complex terrain. Most miniaturized standard connectors on the market cannot withstand such a large current stably for a long time, posing a risk of overheating, aging, or even melting, leading to power outages and equipment malfunctions, and also creating safety hazards. Therefore, during the injection molding process, a high-current conductor 6 and a low-current conductor 7 are pre-embedded inside the male connector 1. Both the high-current conductor 6 and the low-current conductor 7 are copper conductors, which are electrically connected to the motor and control board in the exoskeleton device, respectively. The non-plug end of the male connector 1 is fitted with a male connector cover 4 by threads. The cable 5 used to connect the motor and control board is introduced through the male connector cover 4 and soldered to the high-current conductor 6 and the low-current conductor 7. A rubber sealing ring 10 is provided at the entrance of the male connector cover 4 to the cable 5 to fix the cable 5. The inner diameter of the rubber sealing ring 10 is smaller than the outer diameter of the cable 5.

[0026] During connection, the power supply cable 5 (input end) of the device is routed through the inside of the pants to the waist bag. The power supply cable 5 (input end) of the device passes through the rubber sealing ring 10 on the cover of the male connector 1. Then, the motor power cable (input end) is soldered to the high-current copper conductor, and the control board power cable (input end) is soldered to the low-current copper conductor. After soldering, the male connector cover 4 and the male connector 1 are rotated and locked.

[0027] The mating structure of the male connector 1 and the female connector 2 is as follows: The male connector 1 has a mating boss 103 at its center. The boss 103 has four symmetrically arranged holes 104 for accommodating two high-current conductors 6 and two low-current conductors 7. The diameter of the holes 104 is larger than the diameters of the high-current conductors 6 and the low-current conductors 7. The female connector 2 has mating grooves 202 at its mating end that mate with the boss 103. The diameter of the grooves 202 is the same as the diameter of the boss 103. The device has four hollow terminals 203 inside, which are used to connect the high-current conductor 6 and the low-current conductor 7 on the male connector 1. The terminals of the hollow terminals 203 are connected to the battery located inside the waist pack. The inner wall of the male connector 1 has a guide protrusion parallel to its axis, and the outer wall of the female connector 2 has a guide groove that cooperates with the guide protrusion. During the docking process of the male connector 1 and the female connector 2, the guide protrusion on the base of the male connector 1 not only has a guiding function, but also a foolproof function.

[0028] The bottom of the male connector 1 is provided with a first neodymium strong magnet 8 ring, and the female connector 2 is provided with a second neodymium strong magnet 9 ring corresponding to the first neodymium strong magnet 8 ring. The thickness of the insertion end of the female connector 2 is the same as the depth of the insertion end of the male connector 1. When inserting, the guide protrusion on the male connector 1 is slid relative to the guide groove on the female connector 2 until it stops. At this time, the first neodymium strong magnet 8 ring on the male connector 1 is attracted together with the second neodymium strong magnet 9 ring on the female connector 2.

[0029] In order to achieve locking after the male connector 1 and the female connector 2 are inserted, a plurality of snap-fit ​​slots 101 are evenly provided on the inner wall of the male connector 1 along the circumference, and a plurality of snap-fit ​​protrusions 201 that cooperate with the snap-fit ​​slots 101 are provided on the outer wall of the insertion end of the female connector 2 along the circumference. When the first neodymium strong magnet 8 ring on the male connector 1 is attracted together with the second neodymium strong magnet 9 on the female connector 2, the snap-fit ​​groove on the male connector 1 and the snap-fit ​​protrusion on the female connector 2 are also engaged together.

[0030] In order to facilitate the insertion of the snap-fit ​​protrusion 201 on the female connector 2 into the snap-fit ​​slot 101 of the male connector 1, the male connector 1 has multiple vertical slits 102 along the circumferential direction at the insertion end. The vertical slits 102 can deform the snap-fit ​​groove on the base of the male connector 1 during the process of snapping together with the snap-fit ​​protrusion on the female connector 2. At this time, the snap-fit ​​groove on the base of the male connector 1 and the snap-fit ​​protrusion on the female connector 2 can be snapped together.

[0031] The non-plug end of the female connector 2 is used to penetrate to the inside of the waist bag, and the diameter of the non-plug end of the female connector 2 is smaller than the outer diameter of its plug end, so that the main body of the female connector 2 remains on the outside of the waist bag. After the non-plug end of the female connector 2 penetrates to the inside of the waist bag, it is connected and fixed with a locking nut 3, thereby realizing the fixed installation of the female connector 2 on the waist bag.

[0032] If the device's power supply cable is pulled during walking, running, or traversing complex environments, the magnetic and snap-fit ​​structures prevent the cable 5 from being torn from the interface, the device's terminals from being pulled off, or the user from losing balance and falling, thus preventing damage to the entire exoskeleton device. The female connector 2 is securely attached to the waist pack via a locking nut 3, and its terminals are soldered to the battery's large and small current output terminals. This invention primarily addresses module interfaces requiring both large and small current power supply, portability, and anti-pull and anti-scratch protection mechanisms. Its working principle involves pressing to attract the male connector 1 and female connector 2 together using neodymium magnets and snap-fit ​​mechanisms, achieving a quick connection. The rapid plugging and unplugging of the male and female connectors also enables quick switching of large and small current power supply, while simultaneously providing anti-pull and anti-scratch protection.

[0033] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A plug-in interface structure for connecting a power source inside a waist pack to an exoskeleton actuator, characterized in that, The device includes a male connector and a female connector that are interlocked and locked together by a snap-fit ​​structure. The male connector has a pre-embedded current conductor that is electrically connected to the actuator in the exoskeleton device. The bottom of the male connector has a first neodymium magnetic ring, and the female connector has a second neodymium magnetic ring corresponding to the first neodymium magnetic ring. The female connector has hollow terminals that are respectively connected to the current conductor. The terminals of the hollow terminals are connected to a battery located inside the waist pack. A locking nut is installed at one end of the female connector that extends into the inside of the waist pack.

2. The plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to the power supply inside the waist pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The male connector has a high-current conductor and a low-current conductor pre-embedded inside, which are electrically connected to the motor and control board in the exoskeleton device, respectively.

3. The plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to the power supply inside the waist pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a male connector cover, which is threaded to the non-plug end of the male connector, and the cable for connecting the motor and the control board is introduced through the male connector cover and soldered to the high current conductor and the low current conductor.

4. The plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to the power supply inside the waist pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The male connector has a mating boss at its center, and four symmetrical holes for accommodating two high-current conductors and two low-current conductors are provided on the mating boss. The diameter of the holes is larger than the diameter of the high-current conductors and low-current conductors. The female connector has a mating groove at its insertion end that mates with the mating boss. The groove contains four hollow terminals for inserting the high-current conductors and low-current conductors on the male connector.

5. The plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to the power supply inside the waist pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The male connector has multiple vertical slits along its circumference at the insertion end.

6. The plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to the power supply inside the waist pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the male connector is provided with multiple snap-fit ​​slots evenly distributed along the circumference, and the outer wall of the female connector is provided with multiple snap-fit ​​protrusions that cooperate with the snap-fit ​​slots along the circumference.

7. The plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to the power supply inside the waist pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the male connector is provided with a guide protrusion parallel to its axis, and the outer wall of the female connector is provided with a guide groove that cooperates with the guide protrusion.

8. The plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to the power supply inside the waist pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the non-plug end of the female connector is smaller than the outer diameter of its plug end, and the outer side of the non-plug end of the female connector is provided with an external thread that mates with the locking nut.

9. The plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to the power supply inside the waist pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the female connector end is the same as the depth of the male connector end.

10. The plug-in interface structure for connecting the exoskeleton actuator to the power supply inside the waist pack according to claim 3, characterized in that, The male connector cap has a rubber sealing ring at the inlet of the cable for fixing the cable, and the inner diameter of the rubber sealing ring is smaller than the outer diameter of the cable.

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