Wearable Arm Support Using Wire Pulley to Reduce Muscle Strain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable robots are inadequate for reducing fatigue and discomfort in workers performing repetitive tasks with their heads up, particularly causing strain in the shoulders, neck, and scapulae, leading to potential inflammation and decreased work efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A wearable apparatus featuring a base vest, a support member with a wire system that lifts the arm, and a neck supporter, allowing natural movement and reducing fatigue through a pulley mechanism and elastic support, with a driving unit controlled by an external signal to assist muscle strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If existing wearable robots use strong frames to support the arm, then the arm lifting function is achieved, but the wearer experiences unnatural motions and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid frames with flexible wires that can bend and conform to the wearer's arm movements. The wire passes through guides on the support member and connects to the arm, allowing natural motion while providing the necessary lifting force. This flexible wire structure eliminates the unnatural constraints imposed by rigid frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the traditional rigid mechanical frame structure with a wire-based lifting mechanism. The wire, guided through supports and connected to the arm, creates a different mechanical approach that maintains strength while improving movement naturalness and wearer comfort.
2Stability of the object's composition
If wearable robots use rigid support structures, then structural stability is achieved, but the wearer experiences movement limitations and fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible wire replaces rigid support structures, maintaining structural stability through tension while allowing the wearer's arm to move freely in natural directions. The wire can accommodate various arm positions and movements without imposing rigid geometric constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic wire-based system that adapts to the wearer's movements rather than imposing a fixed structure. The wire tension and positioning adjust naturally as the arm moves, providing stability when needed while allowing freedom of movement throughout the range of motion.
3Productivity
If workers perform repetitive tasks with head up position, then work efficiency is maintained, but strain accumulates in shoulders, neck, and scapulae
Solution Approach 1:
The wire-based lifting mechanism acts as a counterweight system, providing an upward lifting force that counteracts the downward pull of gravity on the arm. This reduces the burden on the wearer's shoulders, neck, and scapulae, allowing sustained work in head-up positions without accumulating muscle strain.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable apparatus serves the wearer by automatically providing arm support during repetitive tasks. The system reduces fatigue and strain on the wearer's upper body muscles, enabling sustained productivity without the harmful effects of muscle strain accumulation.
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 apparatus minimizes movement limitations and reduces fatigue in the upper body, improving work efficiency and productivity by providing stable and comfortable support during tasks performed with the head up.
Implementation Method 1
a wire having a first end connected to an arm of the wearer across the support member and supporting the arm of the wearer by lifting the arm in a state of being supported by the support member when a second end of the wire is pulled
Implementation Method 2
a neck supporter having a first end elastically rotatably coupled to the base and a second end coming in contact with and supporting a neck of the wearer
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable apparatus for assisting muscle strength includes: a base supported on an upper body of a wearer; a support member coupled to the base and spaced forward at a predetermined distance from the base; and a wire having a first end connected to an arm of the wearer across the support member and supporting the arm of the wearer by lifting the arm in a state of being supported by the support member when a second end of the wire is pulled.