Elastic-component-driven finger exoskeleton mechanism and elastic-component-driven hand exoskeleton mechanism
The finger exoskeleton mechanism driven by elastic components solves the problems of low ratio of driving torque to driving force and poor hand size compatibility in the prior art, realizes independent control of finger joints and comfortable rehabilitation, and reduces manufacturing costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NANCHANG UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing hand rehabilitation exoskeleton devices suffer from problems such as low ratio of driving torque to driving force, poor hand size compatibility, and easy joint damage and discomfort.
The finger exoskeleton mechanism, driven by elastic components, connects to the linkage via the elastic drive components to achieve bending and extension movements of the fingers, avoiding alignment with the finger joints. It is made of polytetrafluoroethylene to reduce resistance and protect the joints.
It enables independent control of finger joints, improves the precision and comfort of hand rehabilitation, reduces manufacturing costs, reduces the risk of joint injury, and enhances hand size compatibility.
Abstract
Description
Elastic component-driven finger exoskeleton mechanism and hand exoskeleton mechanism Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of finger exoskeleton technology, and more specifically to a finger exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic component. Furthermore, it also relates to a hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic component. Background Technology
[0002] With the increasing aging population and the rise in limb injuries caused by workplace accidents and traffic incidents, the demand for hand rehabilitation is growing. Traditional hand rehabilitation primarily relies on manual manipulation by physical therapists, but this method is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also struggles to guarantee the precision and consistency of treatment. Therefore, developing a robotic device to assist hand rehabilitation and automate and refine the rehabilitation process has significant clinical implications and application value.
[0003] Research on hand exoskeletons began in the early 1990s, initially applied to master-slave manipulation, such as robotic hand control for astronauts' extravehicular activities. With continuous technological advancements, hand exoskeletons have gradually been applied to rehabilitation engineering, becoming an important assistive tool for hand rehabilitation.
[0004] Hand exoskeleton technology solutions are mainly divided into three categories: soft exoskeletons, soft-hard hybrid hand exoskeletons, and hard hand exoskeletons.
[0005] Soft hand exoskeletons offer good flexibility, small structural dimensions, and a good fit to the hand. However, this close fit results in a short lever arm for driving finger joint rotation, leading to a low ratio of joint torque to driving force. There are two main types: wire-driven and pneumatic-driven. Wire-driven exoskeletons can only provide tension, requiring two drive motors or one drive motor combined with a pulley for each joint. This results in complex wiring, poor hand size compatibility, requiring customization to the patient's hand size, and greater overall weight and manufacturing costs. Pneumatic exoskeletons offer better hand size compatibility compared to wire-driven exoskeletons, but the ratio of hand joint driving torque to driving force is even lower, resulting in weaker grip strength and poorer servo control precision in position and speed.
[0006] Hybrid hand exoskeletons lack independent control over the movement of each finger joint, significantly reducing finger flexibility compared to the natural structure of the fingers. This limits the controllable hand postures and hinders many rehabilitation exercises. Because the driving force originates from the distal phalanges, the ratio of joint torque to driving force is low, resulting in weaker grip strength. More seriously, the large component of the driving force perpendicular to the joint rotation axis exerts significant pressure on the three finger joints, increasing the risk of joint damage. Furthermore, the high rigidity perpendicular to joint rotation during finger flexion and extension restricts finger opening and closing, and misalignment can cause patient discomfort.
[0007] Rigid hand exoskeletons, exemplified by linkage mechanisms, have numerous, large, and heavy components. Furthermore, aligning the kinematic pairs with the joints is difficult, easily leading to misalignment, causing patient discomfort, and even joint damage. They also lack hand size compatibility; when different patients have varying hand sizes, components often need to be replaced to accommodate the changes. Additionally, with up to 21 degrees of freedom in the finger joints, rigid hand exoskeletons severely restrict the degrees of freedom of joints other than those they control. When patients have some degree of mobility in the restricted degrees of freedom, it hinders hand rehabilitation training. Summary of the Invention
[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems in the prior art and to provide a finger exoskeleton mechanism and a hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member. The finger exoskeleton mechanism has the advantages of good protection performance for the fingers and strong compatibility with hand size.
[0009] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of the present invention provides a finger exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member, comprising: an elastic driving member disposed on a side near the back of the hand and capable of extension, retraction, flexion, and extension movements; and a plurality of links, one end of each link forming a hand fixing pair with a finger joint and a palm, the other end of each link forming an elastic driving member fixing pair with an end of the elastic driving member, and the other end of each link forming a compound kinematic pair with a non-end of the elastic driving member, the compound kinematic pair being configured to cause the elastic driving member to perform flexion and extension movements; wherein the elastic driving member has the following operating states:
[0010] In the bending working state, when the elastic drive member is extended, the elastic drive member bends towards the palm; and in the extending working state, when the elastic drive member is retracted, the elastic drive member extends away from the palm.
[0011] Through the above technical solution, the elastic drive component is sequentially connected to the finger joints (e.g., distal, middle, and proximal phalanges) or the palm via elastic drive component fixing pairs, connecting rods, and hand fixing pairs. The elastic drive component is flexible, rotatable, and extendable. Extension and retraction are achieved by applying loads to the elastic drive component through movement or manual drive, allowing it to have both bending and extension working states. Specifically, when the elastic drive component extends, the length of the elastic drive component between the two elastic drive component fixing pairs increases. Since the length of a human finger is fixed, the elastic drive component bends towards the palm to accommodate the increased length of the elastic drive component between the two elastic drive component fixing pairs, thereby driving the hand joint between the two elastic drive component fixing pairs to rotate towards the palm, causing the finger to bend. Similarly, when the elastic drive component retracts, it rotates away from the palm to accommodate the decreased length of the elastic drive component between the two elastic drive component fixing pairs, thereby driving the finger to extend.
[0012] In the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by this invention, the hand fixation pair connects to the finger joint or palm without needing to align with the finger joint, making it easier to wear. Compared to aligning the hand fixation pair with the finger joint, aligning the hand fixation pair with the finger joint is relatively easy, reducing the likelihood of misalignment during use, which could cause user discomfort or even damage to the finger joint. This also allows the finger exoskeleton mechanism to have good compatibility with different hand sizes. When different users' hand sizes change, there is no need to customize or replace components in the finger exoskeleton mechanism, saving economic costs. Moreover, as mentioned above, by extending the elastic drive member, the curve length between the two elastic drive member fixation pairs is increased, achieving finger bending. Thus, by increasing the length of the elastic drive members between different elastic drive member fixation pairs, different finger joints can be bent, thereby adapting to different rehabilitation needs. Furthermore, the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by this invention can also achieve independent control of bending of different finger joints, enabling more hand postures.
[0013] Furthermore, the finger exoskeleton mechanism of this invention uses an elastic drive member to drive finger bending. When the movement drive applies excessive driving force to the elastic drive member, if a non-elastic drive member, such as a steel cable, is used, this excessive driving force will transmit a large force to the finger joint during the bending process, increasing the risk of finger joint injury. However, because the elastic drive member itself has a certain degree of elasticity, it will buffer part of the excessive driving force during bending, thereby protecting the finger joint.
[0014] In some embodiments, the hand fixing joint includes a first fixing joint formed by connecting the distal phalanx of the finger to a first link, a third fixing joint formed by connecting the middle phalanx of the finger to a second link, a fifth fixing joint formed by connecting the proximal phalanx of the finger to a third link, and a seventh fixing joint formed by connecting the palm to a fourth link.
[0015] In some embodiments, the elastic drive member fixing pair includes a second fixing pair, a fourth fixing pair, a sixth fixing pair, and an eighth fixing pair formed by the elastic drive member being connected to the first link, the second link, the third link, and the fourth link, respectively.
[0016] In some embodiments, the elastic drive member includes a first elastic drive member whose end is connected to the first link to form the second fixed pair, a second elastic drive member whose end is connected to the second link to form the fourth fixed pair, and a third elastic drive member whose end is connected to the third link to form the sixth fixed pair.
[0017] In some embodiments, the composite kinematic pair includes a first composite kinematic pair formed by connecting the second link to the first elastic drive member, a second composite kinematic pair formed by connecting the third link to the first elastic drive member and the second elastic drive member, and a third composite kinematic pair formed by connecting the fourth link to the first elastic drive member, the second elastic drive member, and the third elastic drive member.
[0018] In some embodiments, the finger exoskeleton mechanism further includes a motion drive loaded on the elastic drive member to cause the elastic drive member to perform telescopic movements.
[0019] In some embodiments, the motion drive includes a first motion drive loaded on the first elastic drive member, a second motion drive loaded on the second elastic drive member, and a third motion drive loaded on the third elastic drive member.
[0020] In some embodiments, the composite kinematic pair includes a translational and rotational composite kinematic pair, which is configured to cause the elastic drive member to perform axial translational and bending / stretching movements.
[0021] In some embodiments, the composite kinematic pair includes a cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair, which is configured to enable the elastic drive member to perform axial movement, bending and stretching movements, and rotation about the central axis of the cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair.
[0022] In some embodiments, the elastic drive member is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.
[0023] A second aspect of the present invention provides a hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member, comprising a plurality of the aforementioned finger exoskeleton mechanisms driven by elastic members, wherein the plurality of finger exoskeleton mechanisms are respectively installed on different fingers.
[0024] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the finger exoskeleton mechanism driven by the elastic member disclosed in this invention;
[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in this invention driving the proximal phalanx of the finger to bend and rotate around the palm.
[0027] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in this invention driving the proximal phalanx of the finger to bend and rotate around the palm.
[0028] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in this invention driving the proximal phalanx of the finger to bend and rotate around the palm.
[0029] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in this invention, excluding the second elastic drive member, the third elastic drive member, and related connecting members.
[0030] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in this invention, excluding the first elastic drive member, the third elastic drive member, and related connecting members.
[0031] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in this invention, excluding the first elastic drive member and related connecting members;
[0032] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of the finger exoskeleton mechanism disclosed in this invention, excluding the first elastic drive member, the second elastic drive member, and related connecting members.
[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures
[0034] 1-Distal phalanx of finger; 2-Middle phalanx of finger; 3-Proximal phalanx of finger; 4-Palm; 5-First fixed joint; 6-First connecting rod; 7-Second fixed joint; 8-First cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic joint; 9-Third fixed joint; 10-Second connecting rod; 11-Fourth fixed joint; 12-First rotation center; 13-Fifth fixed joint; 14-Third connecting rod; 15-Sixth fixed joint; 16-Second cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic joint; 17-Second rotation center; 18-Seventh fixed joint; 19-Fourth connecting rod; 20-Eighth fixed joint; 21-Third cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic joint; 22-Third rotation center; 23-First elastic drive component; 24-Second elastic drive component; 25-Third elastic drive component; 26-First traverse drive; 27-Second traverse drive; 28-Third traverse drive. Detailed Implementation
[0035] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0036] In this invention, unless otherwise stated, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," "top," "bottom," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.
[0037] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., 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 at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0038] In this invention, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.
[0039] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.
[0040] A first aspect of the present invention provides a finger exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member. Referring to Figures 1-8, the finger exoskeleton mechanism includes: an elastic driving member disposed on one side near the back of the hand and a plurality of connecting rods. The elastic driving member is telescopic and bendable. One end of the connecting rod forms a hand fixing pair with the finger joint and the palm. The other end of the connecting rod forms an elastic driving member fixing pair with the end of the elastic driving member. The other end of the connecting rod forms a compound kinematic pair with the non-end of the elastic driving member. The compound kinematic pair is configured to cause the elastic driving member to perform flexion and extension movements. The elastic driving member has the following operating states:
[0041] In the bending motion working state, when the driving component drives the elastic driving component to extend, the elastic driving component bends towards the palm.
[0042] In the extended motion working state, when the driving component drives the elastic driving component to retract, the elastic driving component extends in the direction away from the palm.
[0043] In the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by this invention, the connecting rods form hand fixation pairs at four points on the finger joints (e.g., distal phalanx, middle phalanx, proximal phalanx) or palm, which do not need to be aligned with the finger joints, making them easy to wear. Compared to aligning the connecting rods with the finger joints to form fixation pairs, aligning the connecting rods with the finger joints is relatively easy, reducing the probability of misalignment during use, improving user comfort, and avoiding damage to the finger joints. This also makes the finger exoskeleton mechanism more compatible with different hand sizes. When different users' hand sizes change, there is no need to customize or replace components in the finger exoskeleton mechanism, saving economic costs. Moreover, as mentioned above, by extending the elastic drive member, the curve length between the two elastic drive member fixation pairs is increased, achieving finger bending. Thus, by increasing the length of the elastic drive members between different elastic drive member fixation pairs, different finger joints can be bent, thereby adapting to different rehabilitation needs. Based on this, the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by this invention can also achieve independent control of bending of different finger joints, realizing more hand postures.
[0044] In some embodiments, the number of hand fixing pairs can be three or four, corresponding to the number of finger joints and the palm. For example, when the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention is worn on the thumb, the number of hand fixing pairs, elastic drive member fixing pairs, and connecting rods are all three, respectively connected to the two finger joints of the thumb and the palm 4. In other embodiments, referring to Figures 1-4, the number of hand fixing pairs is four, including a first fixing pair 5, a third fixing pair 9, and a seventh fixing pair 18. Generally, the three finger joints are named distal phalanx 1, middle phalanx 2, and proximal phalanx 3, respectively, in the direction from away from the palm 4 to near the palm 4. The three finger joints are named distal interphalangeal joint, proximal interphalangeal joint, and metacarpophalangeal joint, respectively, in the direction from away from the palm 4 to near the palm 4. As shown in Figures 1-4, one end of the first link 6 is connected to the distal phalanx 1 of the finger to form a first fixed joint 5; one end of the second link 10 is connected to the middle phalanx 2 of the finger to form a third fixed joint 9; one end of the third link 14 is connected to the proximal phalanx 3 of the finger to form a fifth fixed joint 13; and one end of the fourth link 19 is connected to the palm 4 to form a seventh fixed joint 18. Correspondingly, the other end of the first link 6 is connected to the elastic drive member to form a second fixed joint 7; the other end of the second link 10 is connected to the elastic drive member to form a fourth fixed joint 11; the other end of the third link 14 is connected to the elastic drive member to form a sixth fixed joint 15; and the other end of the fourth link 19 is connected to the elastic drive member to form an eighth fixed joint 20.
[0045] Of course, the specific number of hand fixation joints, elastic drive component fixation joints, and connecting rods can be adjusted according to actual rehabilitation needs. For example, if only the metacarpophalangeal joints need rehabilitation treatment, then there are two hand fixation joints, elastic drive component fixation joints, and connecting rods, with the two connecting rods connected to the palm 4 and the proximal phalanx 3 of the fingers, respectively.
[0046] In some embodiments, the finger exoskeleton mechanism further includes a motion drive, which is loaded onto an elastic drive member to cause the elastic drive member to extend and retract. The number of elastic drive members and the number of motion drives can also be adjusted according to actual rehabilitation needs. The number of elastic drive members can be one or more, and the number of motion drives can be one or more. In some embodiments, one or more elastic drive members can be extended and retracted by one motion drive, or one motion drive can be used to drive one elastic drive member to extend and retract. For example, referring to Figures 5, 6, and 8, the number of elastic drive members is one. As shown in Figure 5, the elastic drive member is a first elastic drive member 23 that is driven by the first motion drive 26. The end of the first elastic drive member 23 can form a second fixed joint 7 with the other end of the first connecting rod. As shown in Figure 6, the elastic drive member is a second elastic drive member 24 that is driven by the second motion drive 27. The end of the second elastic drive member 24 can form a fourth fixed joint 11 with the other end of the second connecting rod 10. As shown in Figure 8, the elastic drive member is the third elastic drive member 25 which is connected to the third moving drive 28. The end of the third elastic drive member 25 can form a sixth fixed pair 15 with the other end of the third link 14. The third moving drive 28 is loaded on the third elastic drive member 25, causing the third elastic drive member 25 to extend, thereby increasing the curve length between the eighth fixed pair 20 and the sixth fixed pair 15, thus causing the proximal phalanx 3 of the finger to bend around the metacarpophalangeal joint.
[0047] In some embodiments, referring to FIG7, the elastic drive member includes a second elastic drive member 24 which is drivenly connected to the second motion drive 27 and a third elastic drive member 25 which is drivenly connected to the third motion drive 28. The end of the second elastic drive member 24 forms a fourth fixed pair 11 with the other end of the second link 10. The non-end of the second elastic drive member 24 forms a compound kinematic pair at the other ends of the third link 14 and the fourth link 19, respectively. The end of the third elastic drive member 25 forms a sixth fixed pair 15 with the other end of the third link 14. The non-end of the third elastic drive member 25 forms a compound kinematic pair with the other end of the fourth link 19.
[0048] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 1-4, the elastic drive member includes a first elastic drive member 23, a second elastic drive member 24, and a third elastic drive member 25, which are respectively connected to the first motion drive 26, the second motion drive 27, and the third motion drive 28. The end of the first elastic drive member 23 forms a second fixed joint 7 with the other end of the first connecting rod 6; the end of the second elastic drive member 24 forms a fourth fixed joint 11 with the other end of the second connecting rod 10; and the end of the third elastic drive member 25 forms a sixth fixed joint 15 with the other end of the third connecting rod 14. The first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24, and the third elastic drive member 25 form a compound kinematic joint at the other end of the fourth connecting rod 19; the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24 form a compound kinematic joint at the other end of the third connecting rod 14; and the first elastic drive member 23 forms a compound kinematic joint at the other end of the second connecting rod 10.
[0049] In some embodiments, the composite kinematic pair includes a first composite kinematic pair formed by connecting the second link 10 to the first elastic drive member 23, a second composite kinematic pair formed by connecting the third link 14 to the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24, and a third composite kinematic pair formed by connecting the fourth link 19 to the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24 and the third elastic drive member 25.
[0050] In some embodiments, the rotation of the elastic drive member through the compound kinematic pair can be a rotation about the rotation center and / or a rotation about the central axis of the elastic drive member.
[0051] In some embodiments, the composite kinematic pair includes a translational and rotational composite kinematic pair. The elastic drive member is configured to move axially and rotate about a rotation center via the translational and rotational composite kinematic pair. The rotation center is located on the side closer to the back of the hand or the side closer to the palm. Preferably, the rotation center is located on the side closer to the back of the hand. In this way, when the drive member drives the elastic drive member to extend, the elastic drive member moves axially toward the distal phalanx 1 of the finger via the translational and rotational composite kinematic pair. At the same time, because the rotation center is located on the side closer to the back of the hand, when the elastic drive member moves axially out of the translational and rotational composite kinematic pair, it bends and rotates away from the back of the hand, preventing it from deforming toward the finger surface and damaging the finger, while also increasing the driving torque of the finger joint.
[0052] In some embodiments, the composite kinematic pair includes a cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair, and the elastic drive member is configured to be able to move and rotate axially through the cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair. The rotation includes rotation about a rotation center and rotation about the central axis of the cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair. The rotation center is located on the side closer to the back of the hand or the side closer to the palm of the hand.
[0053] The compound kinematic pair includes a first compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the second link 10 with the first elastic drive member 23, a second compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the third link 14 with the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24, and a third compound kinematic pair formed by connecting the fourth link 19 with the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24 and the third elastic drive member 25.
[0054] Referring to Figures 1-4, the cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair includes a first cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair 8 formed by connecting the second link 10 and the first elastic drive member 23, a second cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair 16 formed by connecting the third link 14 and the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24, and a third cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair 21 formed by connecting the fourth link 19 and the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24 and the third elastic drive member 25. The first rotation center 12 of the first cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair 8, the second rotation center 17 of the second cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair 16, and the third rotation center 22 of the third cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair 21 are located on the side closer to the back of the hand. One end of the first elastic drive member 23 is connected to the first moving drive 26, and the other end extends from the palm 4 toward the distal phalanx 1 of the finger and is connected to the second fixed pair 7. One end of the second elastic drive member 24 is connected to the second moving drive 27, and the other end extends from the palm 4 toward the middle phalanx 2 of the finger and is connected to the fourth fixed pair 11. One end of the third elastic drive member 25 is connected to the third moving drive 28, and the other end extends from the palm 4 toward the proximal phalanx of the finger and is connected to the sixth fixed joint 15.
[0055] In some embodiments, the elastic drive member is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which reduces the resistance to bending and rotation of the elastic drive member, thereby reducing the required driving torque. At the same time, the elastic drive member made of PTFE makes the resulting finger exoskeleton lightweight and low in manufacturing cost.
[0056] It should be noted that the elastic drive component can bend and deform around the finger joint axis, for example, bending and rotating towards or away from the palm, and can also be deformed around a direction perpendicular to the joint rotation direction, for example, driving the fingers to perform opening and closing movements. That is, wearing the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention allows for a certain degree of opening and closing between the fingers of the hand.
[0057] The following describes in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the specific process by which the finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention drives finger bending and extension:
[0058] First, referring to Figure 2, the first motion drive 26, the second motion drive 27, and the third motion drive 28 synchronously drive the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24, and the third elastic drive member 25 to extend, thereby increasing the curve length between the third cylinder-rotation composite kinematic pair 21 and the second cylinder-rotation composite kinematic pair 16. This causes the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24, and the third elastic drive member 25 to deform and bend and rotate toward the palm, driving the proximal phalanx 3 of the finger to bend and rotate around the palm 4.
[0059] Next, referring to Figure 3, the first motion drive 26 and the second motion drive 27 synchronously drive the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24 to extend, thereby increasing the curve length between the first cylinder and rotational composite kinematic pair 8 and the second cylinder and rotational composite kinematic pair 16, causing the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24 to deform and bend and rotate toward the palm, driving the middle segment 2 of the finger to bend and rotate around the proximal segment 3 of the finger.
[0060] Then, referring to Figure 4, the first moving drive 26 drives the first elastic drive member 23 to extend, increasing the curve length between the first cylindrical and rotational composite motion pair 8 and the second fixed pair 7, causing the first elastic drive member 23 to deform and bend and rotate toward the palm, driving the distal phalanx 1 of the finger to bend and rotate around the middle phalanx 2 of the finger.
[0061] The finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by this invention drives the finger extension process in the opposite way to the above-mentioned finger bending process. First, the first moving drive 26, the second moving drive 27 and the third moving drive 28 synchronously drive the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24 and the third elastic drive member 25 to retract, so that the curve length between the third cylinder and rotational composite kinematic pair 21 and the second cylinder and rotational composite kinematic pair 16 is reduced, so that the first elastic drive member 23, the second elastic drive member 24 and the third elastic drive member 25 are deformed and bent and rotated away from the palm, driving the proximal phalanx 3 of the finger to extend and rotate around the palm 4.
[0062] Next, the first moving drive 26 and the second moving drive 27 synchronously drive the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24 to retract, thereby reducing the curve length between the first cylindrical-rotational composite kinematic pair 8 and the second cylindrical-rotational composite kinematic pair 16, causing the first elastic drive member 23 and the second elastic drive member 24 to deform and bend away from the palm direction, driving the middle segment 2 of the finger to extend and rotate around the proximal segment 3 of the finger.
[0063] Then, the first moving drive 26 drives the first elastic drive member 23 to retract, reducing the curve length between the first cylindrical and rotational composite motion pair 8 and the second fixed pair 7, causing the first elastic drive member 23 to deform and bend and rotate away from the palm direction, driving the distal phalanx 1 of the finger to extend around the middle phalanx 2 of the finger.
[0064] The finger exoskeleton mechanism provided by the present invention can enable the three joints of the finger to achieve arbitrary bending and stretching angles by controlling the driving ratio and direction of the first moving drive 26, the second moving drive 27 and the third moving drive 28, thereby realizing arbitrary bending and stretching postures of the finger.
[0065] A second aspect of the present invention provides a hand exoskeleton mechanism driven by an elastic member, comprising a plurality of the aforementioned finger exoskeleton mechanisms driven by elastic members, wherein the plurality of finger exoskeleton mechanisms are correspondingly installed on different fingers. The number of finger exoskeleton mechanisms can be adjusted according to the patient's treatment needs; for example, the number of finger exoskeleton mechanisms is two, respectively worn on the patient's index and middle fingers, or the number of finger exoskeleton mechanisms is five, respectively worn on the patient's five fingers.
[0066] The finger exoskeleton mechanism and hand exoskeleton mechanism provided by this invention have the following beneficial effects:
[0067] (1) Achieve multiple hand postures: The finger exoskeleton mechanism of the present invention has multiple degrees of freedom and can achieve complete bending movements of the three joints of the fingers. The bending of each joint can be controlled independently and with higher precision. Therefore, the hand exoskeleton composed of five finger exoskeleton mechanisms can achieve more hand postures compared with the existing technology.
[0068] (2) Fewer driving components and simpler control: The elastic driving component of the present invention is different from the wire drive in the prior art. When the finger flexes and extends, the driving law of the elastic driving component is the same. The flexion and extension of one joint of the finger can be achieved by one driving component.
[0069] (3) No need to align finger joints when wearing: The finger joints of the present invention are completely connected by elastic drive components. Therefore, there is no requirement for the alignment of the mechanism kinematic pairs with the finger joints when wearing. Thus, it is convenient and quick to wear, and will not cause discomfort caused by joint misalignment in the prior art, or even damage to the fingers. At the same time, it allows a certain degree of finger opening and closing, which is more in line with the physiological structure of the fingers, further improving the comfort when wearing and exercising.
[0070] (4) Fewer components, simpler connection, lighter weight and lower cost: The mechanism of the present invention has fewer components and fewer kinematic pairs, and the elastic drive component is made of polytetrafluoroethylene, which further reduces the weight of the obtained finger exoskeleton and reduces manufacturing costs.
[0071] (5) The ratio of the generated rotational torque to the driving force is high: the rotation center of the cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair is located above the back of the finger, which makes the elastic driving component deform away from the finger surface, avoiding its deformation towards the finger surface and damaging the finger. At the same time, it increases the driving torque of the finger joint and improves the gripping force of the hand exoskeleton composed of five finger exoskeletons.
[0072] (6) Multiple hand exoskeleton combinations: Depending on the patient's needs, different numbers of finger exoskeleton mechanisms can be selected to form a hand exoskeleton mechanism.
[0073] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the scope of the inventive concept, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, including combinations of various specific technical features in any suitable manner. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not describe the various possible combinations separately. However, these simple modifications and combinations should also be considered as the content disclosed in the present invention and are all within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. An elastic member-driven finger exoskeleton mechanism characterized by comprising: include: An elastic drive member is disposed on the side near the back of the hand and is capable of extension, retraction, bending, and stretching movements; as well as, Multiple links, one end of which forms a hand fixing pair with the finger joint and the palm (4), the other end of which forms an elastic drive member fixing pair with the end of the elastic drive member, and the other end of which forms a compound kinematic pair with the non-end of the elastic drive member, the compound kinematic pair being configured to cause the elastic drive member to perform bending and stretching movements; The elastic drive component has the following operating states: In the bending working state, when the elastic drive member extends, the elastic drive member bends towards the palm of the hand. as well as, In the extended working state, when the elastic drive member retracts, the elastic drive member extends in a direction away from the palm of the hand. The hand fixing joint includes a first fixing joint (5) formed by connecting the distal phalanx (1) of the finger to the first link (6), a third fixing joint (9) formed by connecting the middle phalanx (2) of the finger to the second link (10), a fifth fixing joint (13) formed by connecting the proximal phalanx (3) of the finger to the third link (14), and a seventh fixing joint (18) formed by connecting the palm (4) to the fourth link (19). The elastic drive component fixing pair includes a second fixing pair (7), a fourth fixing pair (11), a sixth fixing pair (15) and an eighth fixing pair (20) formed by the elastic drive component being connected to the first link (6), the second link (10), the third link (14) and the fourth link (19) respectively. The elastic drive component includes a first elastic drive component (23) whose end is connected to the first link (6) to form the second fixed pair (7), a second elastic drive component (24) whose end is connected to the second link (10) to form the fourth fixed pair (11), and a third elastic drive component (25) whose end is connected to the third link (14) to form the sixth fixed pair (15).
2. The elastic-member-driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by The composite kinematic pair includes a first composite kinematic pair formed by connecting the second link (10) with the first elastic drive member (23), a second composite kinematic pair formed by connecting the third link (14) with the first elastic drive member (23) and the second elastic drive member (24), and a third composite kinematic pair formed by connecting the fourth link (19) with the first elastic drive member (23), the second elastic drive member (24), and the third elastic drive member (25).
3. The elastic-member-driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by The finger exoskeleton mechanism also includes a motion drive, which is loaded onto the elastic drive member to cause the elastic drive member to perform telescopic movements.
4. The elastic-member-driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to claim 3, characterized by The motion drive includes a first motion drive (26) loaded on the first elastic drive member (23), a second motion drive (27) loaded on the second elastic drive member (24), and a third motion drive (28) loaded on the third elastic drive member (25).
5. The elastic-member-driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by The composite kinematic pair includes a translational and rotational composite kinematic pair, which is configured to enable the elastic drive member to perform axial translational and bending / stretching movements.
6. The elastic-member-driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by The composite kinematic pair includes a cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair, which is configured to enable the elastic drive member to perform axial movement, bending and stretching movements, and rotation about the central axis of the cylindrical and rotary composite kinematic pair.
7. The elastic-member-driven finger exoskeleton mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by The elastic drive component is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.
8. An elastic member-driven exoskeleton mechanism characterized by comprising: It includes multiple finger exoskeleton mechanisms driven by elastic members according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the multiple finger exoskeleton mechanisms are installed on different fingers.