Lumbar Exoskeleton Spring-Linkage for Movement-Friendly Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Workplace musculoskeletal disorders caused by tasks such as handling heavy loads, repetitive movements, and fast-paced environments lead to significant injuries and disabilities, necessitating improved exoskeleton technologies that provide lumbar support without impairing human movement.
Innovation Solution
An exoskeleton system with a torso, waist, and thigh attachments, featuring a spring-loaded assembly and actuator links that generate forces to assist in movements, and an adaptive system for dynamic adjustments, ensuring comfort and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If an exoskeleton provides mechanical support to reduce back strain, then lumbar support is improved, but movement freedom may be impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The exoskeleton employs dynamic elements including a spring-loaded assembly that adapts to user movement, pivot joints that allow rotational freedom, and an adaptative system with sliding links that adjust distances between anchors. These dynamic components enable the exoskeleton to provide lumbar support while accommodating natural movement ranges, resolving the contradiction between support strength and movement freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptative system changes geometric parameters dynamically - sliding links adjust distances between anchors, pivot links modify angles between components, and the spring-loaded assembly varies its stiffness characteristics. These parameter changes allow the exoskeleton to maintain lumbar support effectiveness across different movement states without restricting user mobility.
2Strength
If an exoskeleton redistributes mechanical effort through the body, then back strain is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exoskeleton is segmented into distinct functional modules: torso attachment, waist attachment, thigh attachments, and an exoskeleton mechanism with separate actuator systems. Each module performs a specific function in the effort redistribution chain, making the overall complex system manageable and maintainable while achieving back strain reduction through coordinated operation of these segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded assembly is a self-service actuator that automatically generates support force through user movement without requiring external power sources or complex control systems. The resilient element stores and releases energy autonomously, simplifying the overall device architecture while maintaining effective effort redistribution and back strain reduction.
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
The exoskeleton effectively redistributes mechanical effort, reducing strain on the user's lumbar region while allowing unhindered movements, enhancing task performance and user comfort.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-loaded assembly having a casing adapted to be coupled the torso anchor and pivotally coupled to the waist anchor, and a resilient element connected to the casing, the spring-loaded assembly being operable to generate a force upon deformation or deflection of the resilient element
Implementation Method 2
a resilient element connected to the casing, the spring-loaded assembly being operable to generate a force upon deformation or deflection of the resilient element
Implementation Method 3
a pair of actuator links rotatably coupled to the waist anchor at a first end thereof and connected to respective thigh anchors at a second end thereof, the pair of actuator links being operatively coupled to the spring-loaded assembly such that the spring-loaded assembly is operated upon rotation of at least one of the casing and either one or both of the pair of actuator links about the waist anchor
Implementation Method 4
the force generated upon operation of the spring-loaded assembly is transferred to the torso anchor and to the torso attachment to assist the user in performing a movement
Data Source
AI summary
An exoskeleton is provided and includes a garment to be worn by a user, an exoskeleton interface provided on a backside of the user when wearing the garment, and an exoskeleton mechanism adapted to be connected to the garment via the exoskeleton interface. The exoskeleton mechanism includes an actuator system having a spring-loaded assembly coupled a torso anchor and pivotally coupled to a waist anchor, and a resilient element connected to the casing. The spring-loaded assembly is operable to generate a force upon deformation or deflection of the resilient element. The exoskeleton mechanism also includes actuator links rotatably coupled between the waist anchor and respective thigh anchors. Each actuator link is operatively coupled to and adapted to operate the spring-loaded assembly upon rotation of the casing or the actuator links. The force generated upon operation of the spring-loaded assembly is transferred to the user via the exoskeleton interface and the garment to assist the user in performing a movement.