Force transmitting frames and motion assistance apparatuses including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10478368-B2
Application number	US-201514843039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2015
Priority date	Sep 19, 2014
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A force transmitting frame may have a length greater than a width. Stiffnesses of first and second end portions of the force transmitting frame may be greater than a stiffness of a central area of the force transmitting frame in a longitudinal direction of the force transmitting frame. The force transmitting frame may include: an inner frame configured to support one side of a user; and/or an outer frame of which first and second end portions are fixed to first and second end portions of the inner frame, and of which a central portion is not fixed to a central portion of the inner frame. The central portion of the outer frame may be configured to slide with respect to the central portion of the inner frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A force transmitting frame having a length greater than a width, wherein stiffnesses of first and second end portions of the force transmitting frame are greater than a stiffness of a central area of the force transmitting frame in a longitudinal direction of the force transmitting frame, the force transmitting frame comprising:
an inner frame configured to support one side of a user; and
an outer frame of which first and second end portions are fixed to first and second end portions of the inner frame, respectively, and of which a central portion is not fixed to a central portion of the inner frame, wherein
the central portion of the outer frame is configured to slide with respect to the central portion of the inner frame.

2. The force transmitting frame of claim 1 , wherein the central area is flexible.

3. The force transmitting frame of claim 1 , wherein the stiffnesses of the first and second end portions are 1.5 to 20 times greater than the stiffness of the central area.

4. The force transmitting frame of claim 1 , wherein the stiffnesses of the first and second end portions are 4 to 10 times greater than the stiffness of the central area.

5. The force transmitting frame of claim 1 , wherein surfaces of the first and second end portions face a same direction.

6. The force transmitting frame of claim 1 , wherein surfaces of the first and second end portions face different directions.

7. The force transmitting frame of claim 6 , wherein the surfaces of the first and second end portions form an angle of 80 degrees to 100 degrees.

8. The force transmitting frame of claim 1 , wherein
the inner frame comprises an inner plate and a first hanging portion between the inner plate and an outer plate, and
wherein the outer frame comprises the outer plate and a second hanging portion configured to fasten to the first hanging portion.

9. The force transmitting frame of claim 8 , wherein one of the first hanging portion and the second hanging portion comprises a portion having a width increasing in a direction toward the other of the first hanging portion and the second hanging portion.

10. The force transmitting frame of claim 9 , wherein a cross-section of the one hanging portion corresponds to a reversed trapezoidal shape.

11. The force transmitting frame of claim 8 , wherein
the inner frame further comprises a first protruding portion configured to protrude from the inner plate toward the outer plate, and
wherein the outer frame further comprises a second protruding portion configured to protrude from the outer plate toward the inner plate.

12. The force transmitting frame of claim 11 , wherein
a plurality of first protruding portions are formed in a longitudinal direction of the inner frame, and
wherein a plurality of second protruding portions are formed in a longitudinal direction of the outer frame.

13. The force transmitting frame of claim 12 , wherein an interval between two adjacent first protruding portions, among the plurality of first protruding portions, is configured to be shorter than a length of a second protruding portion provided on an opposite side of the two first protruding portions.

14. The force transmitting frame of claim 8 , wherein an interval between the inner plate and the outer plate decreases from the central area of the force transmitting frame toward the first and second end portions of the force transmitting frame.

15. The force transmitting frame of claim 8 , wherein an interval between the inner plate and the outer plate is determined based on the following Equation,

h
⁡

(
x
)

=

F
⁡

(

L
-
x

)

T
-

F
⁢

⁢

sin
⁡

(

atan
⁡

(

d
dx

⁢

p
⁡

(
x
)

)

)

[
Equation
]

wherein ‘h(x)’ denotes the interval between the inner plate and the outer plate, ‘F’ denotes a magnitude of a force applied to one end portion of the force transmitting frame, ‘T’ denotes a magnitude of a tensile force applied to the inner plate, ‘L’ denotes a length of the force transmitting frame, ‘x’ denotes a distance from an end portion of the force transmitting frame to a desired point of the inner plate, and ‘p(x)’ denotes a height of the inner plate at the distance x.

16. The force transmitting frame of claim 8 , further comprising:
an applying portion connected to one end of the inner frame and one end of the outer frame, and configured to transmit a force to a portion of the user.

17. The force transmitting frame of claim 16 , wherein a thickness of the applying portion is configured to be greater than a sum of a thickness of the one end of the inner frame and a thickness of the one end of the outer frame.

18. The force transmitting frame of claim 16 , wherein a distance between the inner plate and the outer plate increases as a distance from the applying portion increases.

19. The force transmitting frame of claim 1 , further comprising:
a frame stiffener provided on at least one of the inner frame and the outer frame.

20. The force transmitting frame of claim 19 , wherein the frame stiffener comprises a carbon fiber material.

21. The force transmitting frame of claim 1 , further comp

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Younbaek
• Choi Byungjune
• Kim Jeonghun
• Roh Se-Gon
• Lee Minhyung
• Lee Jongwon
• Choi Hyundo

Classifications

• A61F2005/0165

  with limits of movement · CPC title

• A61H2201/164

  Feet or leg, e.g. pedal · CPC title

• A61F2005/0179

  with spring means · CPC title

• A61F2005/0137

  with two parallel pivots · CPC title

• A61F5/0102

  specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations · CPC title