A bounce mechanism for an exoskeleton walking assist device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of adaptation of outer skeleton walking booster's bounce mechanism, including bounce mechanism, bounce mechanism is made of one elastic member, wherein elastic member is made of spring or spring piece, elastic member is shaped after forming the stringless arch shape, one end of bounce mechanism is connected with the shoulder part of outer skeleton walking booster, the other end of bounce mechanism is connected with the foot of outer skeleton walking booster, the bounce mechanism of the utility model, by setting the elastic member made of spring or spring piece and shaped after forming arch shape, when for outer skeleton walking booster, it can utilize the elastic deformation characteristics of elastic member, provide effective elastic force assistance when user carries out bounce action, very good solution traditional outer skeleton walking booster lacks bounce booster function The problem of expanding the application scenario of booster.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of walking aids technology, specifically a bouncing mechanism adapted to an exoskeleton walking aid. Background Technology

[0002] Exoskeleton walking aids play an important role in assisting people with mobility impairments or carrying heavy loads. However, most existing exoskeleton walking aids focus on support during walking and are significantly lacking in jumping assistance.

[0003] Meanwhile, traditional assistive devices lack a dedicated jumping mechanism, making it difficult to provide effective assistance when users need to jump. They cannot adequately meet the jumping assistance needs in some special scenarios, especially in situations where jumping is required to cross obstacles in complex terrain. This limits the application scope and effectiveness of exoskeleton walking assistive devices to some extent. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a bouncing mechanism adapted to an exoskeleton walking aid to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a bouncing mechanism adapted to an exoskeleton walking aid, comprising a bouncing mechanism, wherein the bouncing mechanism is composed of an elastic element, wherein the elastic element is made of a spring or spring sheet, and the elastic element is shaped into a stringless bow-like shape after being shaped, one end of the bouncing mechanism is connected to the shoulder of the exoskeleton walking aid, and the other end of the bouncing mechanism is selectively connected to the front end, middle part or rear part of the foot of the exoskeleton walking aid.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model: when the bouncing mechanism is composed of an elastic element, the elastic element is in the shape of a common bow or a composite bow, and the connection end of the elastic element and the foot is provided with a matching connection interface corresponding to the front, middle or rear of the foot.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the elastic element is covered with an elastic protective sleeve.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model: when the elastic element is made of a spring sheet, the spring sheet is a single-layer spring sheet or a multi-layer spring sheet, and the connection end of the spring sheet and the foot is provided with an arc-shaped fitting section corresponding to the contour of the front, middle or rear of the foot.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model: the connection between the jumping mechanism and the shoulder, front end, middle part and rear part of the exoskeleton walking aid is hinged, and the hinged parts at each connection position of the foot are provided with an angle limiting structure.

[0010] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0011] 1) The jumping mechanism of this utility model is composed of elastic elements made of springs or spring sheets and formed into a bow shape after plasticization. When used in an exoskeleton walking assist device, it can utilize the elastic deformation characteristics of the elastic elements to provide effective elastic assistance when the user performs jumping actions. This solves the problem of traditional exoskeleton walking assist devices lacking jumping assistance function and expands the application scenarios of the assist device.

[0012] 2) The jumping mechanism of this utility model is connected to the shoulder and foot parts of the exoskeleton walking aid by a hinged connection, which allows the jumping mechanism to flexibly adjust the angle according to the user's movement posture during operation, adapt to different movement states, improve the flexibility and comfort of use, and also solve the problem of lack of flexibility in traditional connection methods. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0014] Figure 2 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of this utility model;

[0015] Figure 3 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the protective sleeve structure of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the protective sleeve structure of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the protective sleeve structure of this utility model.

[0019] In the diagram: 110, elastic element; 111, protective sleeve. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0021] Example 1

[0022] Please see Figure 1-4This utility model provides a technical solution: a bouncing mechanism adapted to an exoskeleton walking aid, including a bouncing mechanism 100, which is composed of an elastic element 110, wherein the elastic element 110 is made of a spring or spring sheet, and the elastic element 110 is shaped into a stringless bow-like shape after being shaped. One end of the bouncing mechanism 100 is connected to the shoulder of the exoskeleton walking aid, and the other end of the bouncing mechanism 100 is selectively connected to the front end, middle part or rear part of the foot of the exoskeleton walking aid.

[0023] Specifically, when users need to use the exoskeleton walking aid for walking or preparing for jumping, they can choose the foot connection position according to the scenario: when using the midfoot to exert force when going up and down stairs, the elastic element 110 is connected to the midfoot; when using the toes to exert force when jumping over low hurdles, the connection is switched to the front of the foot; and when using the heel to exert force for jumping, the connection is switched to the back of the foot. During walking, the body's movement causes a relative movement tendency between the corresponding force points of the shoulders and feet, and the elastic element 110 undergoes elastic deformation to store energy as it moves. When performing a jumping action, the energy stored in the elastic element 110 is released along the direction of the force point, providing precise assistance for the jump and helping users complete jumping actions in different scenarios more easily.

[0024] In this embodiment: when the bouncing mechanism 100 is composed of an elastic element 110, the elastic element 110 is in the shape of a regular bow or a composite bow, and the connection end of the elastic element 110 and the foot is provided with a matching connection interface corresponding to the front, middle or rear of the foot.

[0025] Specifically, the connection interface adopts a snap-on design, which adapts to the interface size and shape of different positions on the foot: the front interface is a narrow snap-on to adapt to the width of the toes, the middle interface is a wide snap-on to adapt to the width of the middle of the foot, and the rear interface is an arc-shaped snap-on to adapt to the contour of the heel. Users can quickly switch the connection position by pressing the snap-on, and can complete the adjustment without tools, improving the convenience of use.

[0026] In this embodiment, the elastic element 110 is covered with an elastic protective sleeve 111.

[0027] Specifically, the elastic protective sleeve 111 is made of silicone material with a thickness of 2mm. The surface has diamond-shaped anti-slip protrusions with a height of 1mm corresponding to the connection positions of the front, middle and back of the foot. When the elastic element 110 is connected to different positions of the foot, the anti-slip protrusions can increase the friction between the connection end and the foot exoskeleton, preventing the connection end from sliding during jumping. At the same time, the elasticity of the silicone material can assist the deformation of the elastic element 110 and reduce fatigue damage to the elastic element.

[0028] In this embodiment: when the elastic element 110 is made of a spring sheet, the spring sheet is a single-layer spring sheet or a multi-layer spring sheet, and the connection end of the spring sheet and the foot is provided with an arc-shaped fitting section corresponding to the contour of the front, middle or rear of the foot.

[0029] Specifically, the thickness of a single-layer spring sheet is 1.5mm, and the total thickness of the three-layer multi-layer spring sheet is 4mm. The radius of curvature of the arc-shaped adapter segment corresponding to the front of the foot is 5cm to fit the upward curve of the toes, the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped adapter segment corresponding to the middle of the foot is 8cm to fit the natural curve of the sole, and the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped adapter segment corresponding to the back of the foot is 6cm to fit the protruding curve of the heel. The arc-shaped adapter segment design allows the connecting end to fit completely with the foot exoskeleton, avoiding damage to the exoskeleton caused by local stress concentration.

[0030] In this embodiment: the connection between the jumping mechanism 100 and the shoulder, front end, middle part and rear part of the exoskeleton walking aid is hinged, and the hinged components at each connection position of the foot are provided with an angle limiting structure.

[0031] Specifically, the hinge components use stainless steel pins, and the angle limiting structure is an arc-shaped baffle on the outside of the pin. The baffle of the front hinge component of the foot limits the rotation angle to 0°-60° to adapt to the upward tilt of the toes. The baffle of the middle hinge component of the foot limits the rotation angle to 0°-45° to adapt to the bending of the foot. The baffle of the rear hinge component of the foot limits the rotation angle to 0°-30° to adapt to the rotation of the heel. This ensures that the deformation of the elastic element 110 is always within a safe range during jumping, while avoiding excessive rotation that could affect the power generation efficiency.

[0032] Additional notes: To increase the stability of the jumping mechanism 100 and the exoskeleton installation, the thigh and lower leg of the jumping mechanism 100 and the exoskeleton walking assist device are also equipped with hinge components, and the thigh hinge component can be linked with the hinge component at the front, middle or rear of the foot through the adjustment rod.

[0033] Specifically, the adjustment rod is a telescopic aluminum alloy rod with a length adjustment range of 40cm-60cm. When the jumping mechanism 100 is connected to the front of the foot, the adjustment rod is shortened to 40cm, so that the lever arm of the thigh hinge component matches that of the front of the foot hinge component. When connected to the middle or back of the foot, the adjustment rod is extended to 50cm or 60cm respectively, to ensure coordinated force exertion of the thigh and foot and avoid movement imbalance caused by a single force point.

[0034] Example 2

[0035] The elastic element 110 is made of two spring plates, which together constitute an elastic element 110; one end of each spring plate is hinged to the shoulder of the exoskeleton walking aid, and the other end is selectively hinged to the front, middle or rear of the foot of the exoskeleton walking aid.

[0036] Specifically, during the power-building phase of a user's jumping motion using the exoskeleton assistive device, the squatting motion causes relative displacement between the corresponding force points on the shoulders and feet. When connected to the front of the foot, the two spring plates deform with the upward tilt of the toes, storing the elastic potential energy required for "toe-powering"; when connected to the middle of the foot, the spring plates deform with the bending of the foot, storing the elastic potential energy required for "foot-powering"; and when connected to the back of the foot, the spring plates deform with the downward pressure of the heel, storing the elastic potential energy required for "heel-powering". Upon entering the jumping power-generating phase, the stored elastic potential energy is rapidly released along the direction of the force point, propelling the corresponding foot position. Simultaneously, the coordinated work of the two spring plates prevents uneven force distribution on one side, ensuring a smooth jumping process. Furthermore, because the two ends of the spring plates are hinged, they can flexibly adjust their angles throughout the movement according to the posture changes of different force points on the shoulders and feet, ensuring smooth and stable elastic deformation and making energy storage and release more efficient.

[0037] The contents not described in detail in this description are existing technologies known to those skilled in the art. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bouncing mechanism adapted to an exoskeleton walking aid, characterized in that: Includes a bouncing mechanism (100), which is composed of an elastic element (110), wherein the elastic element (110) is made of a spring or spring sheet, and the elastic element (110) is shaped into a bow-like shape without a string after being shaped. One end of the bouncing mechanism (100) is connected to the shoulder of the exoskeleton walking aid, and the other end of the bouncing mechanism (100) is selectively connected to the front end, middle part or rear part of the foot of the exoskeleton walking aid.

2. The jumping mechanism for an exoskeleton walking aid according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic element (110) is in the shape of a regular bow or a composite bow, and the connection end of the elastic element (110) to the foot is provided with a matching connection interface corresponding to the front, middle or rear of the foot.

3. The jumping mechanism for an exoskeleton walking aid according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic element (110) is covered with an elastic protective sleeve (111).

4. The jumping mechanism for an exoskeleton walking aid according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the elastic element (110) is made of a spring sheet, the spring sheet is a single-layer spring sheet or a multi-layer spring sheet, and the connection end of the spring sheet to the foot is provided with an arc-shaped fitting section corresponding to the contour of the front, middle or rear of the foot.

5. The jumping mechanism for an exoskeleton walking aid according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection between the bouncing mechanism (100) and the shoulder of the exoskeleton walking aid, as well as the connection between the bouncing mechanism (100) and the front, middle or rear of the foot of the exoskeleton walking aid, are all hinged, and the hinged components at each connection position of the foot are provided with an angle limiting structure.

Images