Foldable Exoskeleton Storage Frame with Rotating Footrests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for storing and transporting bionic exoskeletons are inadequate due to their heavy and awkward design, leading to compatibility issues with standard chairs, which often result in damage, and lack of technology to facilitate easy movement from sitting to standing positions during physical therapy sessions.
Innovation Solution
A modular apparatus with a frame, adjustable legs, foldable components, and a motion mechanism, including wheels or other mobility systems, designed to accommodate exoskeletons in various configurations for storage, transport, and patient assistance, featuring a seat, back, and footrests that can be adjusted to reduce the overall profile and support both the patient and the exoskeleton.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If standard chairs are used to store and transport exoskeletons, then the exoskeletons can be stored and transported, but the chairs are easily torn or broken by the heavy metallic frame
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is divided into multiple components including a base, back, seat, and legs that can be folded and collapsed into different configurations. This segmentation allows the structure to be optimized for both strength during use and compactness during storage/transport without requiring excessive material strength throughout the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus transitions between a deployed configuration (with legs extended and back upright) for supporting the exoskeleton during therapy, and a collapsed configuration (with legs folded and back flattened) for storage and transport. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same structure to handle heavy loads when needed while minimizing material requirements during storage.
2Strength
If the exoskeleton is designed to be heavy and durable, then it can support patient weight and provide structural integrity, but it becomes difficult to store and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus employs dynamic reconfiguration between deployed and collapsed states. The legs can be extended to provide full support for the exoskeleton during therapy sessions, then folded back against the base for compact storage. This allows the structure to be strong when needed without permanently requiring the extended configuration that would increase storage difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The legs are designed to fold back and nest against the base structure, with the back folding over the seat. This nesting arrangement allows the entire apparatus to be collapsed into a compact form factor that is much easier to store and transport while maintaining full structural integrity when deployed.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the apparatus is designed with fixed components for stability, then it can reliably support the exoskeleton, but it cannot be collapsed to reduce overall profile size
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus uses hinges and joints that allow the legs and back to be positioned in fixed, stable configurations during use, then moved to collapsed positions for storage. The locking mechanisms ensure stability when deployed while enabling transition to a compact form when the locking mechanisms are released.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure is segmented into modular components (base, legs, seat, back) connected by joints that allow independent movement of each segment. This segmentation enables the legs to be extended outward for stable support during therapy, then folded back against the base for compact storage without compromising the integrity of individual components.
4Ease of manufacture
If simple chairs are used for storage, then the apparatus is easy to manufacture, but they are easily torn or broken by the heavy metallic frame
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than manufacturing a single complex heavy-duty chair, the apparatus is segmented into multiple lighter components that work together to support the exoskeleton. The base, legs, seat, and back are separate elements that can be manufactured more easily and assembled into a reliable support structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus is designed to be dynamic rather than static, allowing it to adapt its configuration based on whether it is in use or in storage. This dynamic design distributes the load more effectively across the structure during use, reducing stress on any single component and improving overall reliability without requiring excessively heavy materials.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a system/apparatus for storing, use in therapy, and transporting a (bionic) exoskeleton. The apparatus includes a frame comprising a plurality of legs, a seat, and a back which are operable for being moved between one or more configurations. The seat of the frame defines a seat surface configured for engagement with an exoskeleton. Furthermore, the back of the frame is operably engaged with the seat such that the back of the frame may be folded over, into, or extended from the frame to reduce an overall profile size of the apparatus in a collapsed or folded configuration. The apparatus may further include a pair of footrests defined along the legs that rotate in a lateral direction relative to the frame for the patients ease of transition into the exoskeleton. The frame also includes a locking mechanism that aids to from a storage configuration or a ready configuration.