Finger-Mounted Gripper with Unidirectional Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
People with physically impaired hands or wrists due to arthritis, injury, or other physiological problems face difficulties in gripping and holding objects due to reduced strength, and existing aid devices often position grippers on top of or inside the fingers, which can lead to incomplete user engagement and risk of object loss.
Innovation Solution
Aid tool with at least two grippers that attach to fingers, allowing them to follow the finger movements to grab and release objects, featuring unidirectional locking to ensure a firm grip without affecting the user's fingers, and optional force sensors to adjust the grip strength based on user input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If grippers are positioned on top of the fingers to press fingers onto the object, then gripping force is improved, but user comfort and finger mobility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The grippers are repositioned from a vertical arrangement (on top of fingers) to a horizontal arrangement (at the sides of fingers), allowing the gripping force to be applied laterally rather than compressing the fingers vertically. This dimensional change resolves the contradiction by maintaining gripping effectiveness while preserving finger mobility and comfort.
2Force
If aid device makes the whole grabbing action, then gripping strength is improved, but user exercise and engagement deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The aid device provides partial assistance by augmenting the user's gripping force rather than completely replacing it. The spring mechanism stores and releases energy to supplement the user's effort, allowing users with reduced strength to achieve adequate grip while still maintaining active engagement and exercise of their hand muscles.
3Force
If grippers are positioned inside the hand, then gripping force is improved, but comfort and dexterity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The grippers are repositioned from an internal arrangement (inside the hand) to an external arrangement (at the sides of fingers), changing the spatial dimension of force application. This allows the gripping mechanism to operate externally without interfering with hand dexterity or comfort while still providing the necessary gripping force through lateral pressure on the object.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables users to maintain a firm grip on objects without relying solely on the aid device, allowing for user-controlled engagement and exercise, while preventing unintended release and allowing further tightening by the user.
Implementation Method 1
a spring (16) connected to the movable section (10) and the mounting means (9), where the spring (16) is adapted to tighten the grab of the gripper (2) when the movable section (10) is moved from the initial position
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
This invention relates to aid devices for assisting people inhibited in their movement of especially the hands and / or wrists, such as people who are physically impaired due to arthritis, injury, or other physiological problems giving reduced strength. This is solved by introducing an aid tool comprising at least two grippers and means to attach each gripper to a finger of a person, where the grippers are adapted to follow the individual finger in a movement in the direction of closing and loosen of a grip, and where an activation of the aid tool includes locking the grippers unidirectionally in the present position. The invention further introduces mounting means for attaching the aid tool to a body part, and where the mounting means comprises coupling means for detaching and attaching this and other tools according to the need.