Legged mobility exoskeleton device with enhanced adjustment mechanisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11123255-B2
Application number	US-201716335902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Jan 12, 2017
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A hip component for a legged mobility device has a hip body, and a hip insert assembly for adjusting a size of the hip component. The hip insert assembly includes a carrier assembly mounted to the hip body, and a main insert assembly spaced apart from the carrier assembly. Adjustment screws are connected to the carrier assembly and the main insert assembly. The carrier assembly includes an adjustment mechanism including a drive shaft and an adjustment chain to effect translational movement of the adjustment screws to move the main insert assembly to adjust both width and depth of the hip component simultaneously. The hip component includes abduction/adduction control mechanism that includes elastomeric bushings that are selective as to resistance level and shape to control a degree of abduction and adduction, and to preset an initial angle. A leg component includes a central carrier, and first and second housings that are located on opposite sides of the central carrier. An adjustment mechanism including a drive shaft that drives driven shafts, such as by a worm/worm gear interaction, effects movement of the first housing to relative to the second housing to adjust a length of the leg component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable hip component for a legged mobility device, the hip component comprising:
a hip body; and
a hip insert assembly attached to the hip body for adjusting a size of the hip component;
the hip insert assembly comprising:
a carrier assembly mounted to the hip body;
a main insert assembly spaced apart from the carrier assembly; and
a plurality of adjustment screws that each is connected at a first end to the carrier assembly, and that each is connected at a second end opposite from the first end to the main insert assembly;
wherein the carrier assembly includes an adjustment mechanism to effect simultaneous rotation of the plurality of adjustment screws in a common direction resulting in translational movement of the plurality of adjustment screws to move the main insert assembly either closer to or farther from the carrier assembly to adjust the size of the hip component.

2. The hip component of claim 1 , wherein:
the carrier assembly comprises a first carrier component for mounting the carrier assembly to the hip body, and a second carrier component that is fixed to the first carrier component;
the first and second carrier components define a housing that houses the adjustment mechanism, the adjustment mechanism including a moveable adjustment element and movement of the adjustment element drives the translational movement of the plurality of adjustment screws; and
the carrier assembly includes a drive shaft that extends through the first carrier component and into the second carrier component, the drive shaft being rotatable to move the adjustment element to drive the translational movement of the plurality of adjustment screws to adjust the size of the hip component.

3. The hip component of claim 2 , wherein:
the adjustment mechanism includes one or more sprockets corresponding to the plurality of adjustment screws, the one or more sprockets having internal threads that interface with corresponding external threading of the plurality of adjustment screws;
the moveable adjustment element comprises a rotatable adjustment chain that loops around the sprockets; and
rotation of the drive shaft drives rotation of the adjustment chain, which in turn drives rotation of the sprockets, and the interfacing of the internal threads of the sprockets with the external threading of the adjustment screws causes the translational movement of the adjustment screws.

4. The hip component of claim 3 , wherein the adjustment mechanism further includes a drive sprocket attached to the drive shaft such that rotation of the drive sprocket by the drive shaft is imparted to the adjustment chain.

5. The hip component of claim 2 , wherein the drive shaft has a shaped head that is configured to cooperate with an external tool to drive rotation of the drive shaft.

6. The hip component of claim 2 , wherein the hip component includes an internal motor that is controlled to drive rotation of the drive shaft.

7. The hip component of claim 2 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of drive bushings that provide riding surfaces for rotation of the drive shaft.

8. The hip component of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of sleeve bearings that provide riding surfaces for the plurality of adjustment screws.

9. The hip component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of adjustment screws consists of two adjustment screws.

10. The hip component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of adjustment screws are oriented at an obtuse angle relative to a lateral axis of the hip body, such that movement of main insert assembly via the adjustment screws operates to adjust simultaneously both a width and a depth of the hip component.

11. The hip component of claim 1 , wherein the main insert assembly comprises:
a hip insert having a receiving portion and an inner insert that is inserted into the receiving portion of the hip insert, wherein the inner insert is rotatable relative to the hip insert in abduction and adduction directions relative to a centerline axis of the hip body; and
an abduction/adduction control mechanism for controlling a degree of the abduction and adduction movement of the inner insert relative to the hip insert.

12. A legged mobility device comprising: (i) an adjustable hip component comprising: a hip body; and a hip insert assembly attached to the hip body for adjusting a size of the hip component; the hip insert assembly comprising: a carrier assembly mounted to the hip body; a main insert assembly spaced apart from the carrier assembly; and a plurality of adjustment screws that each is connected at a first end to the carrier assembly, and that each is connected at a second end opposite from the first end to the main insert assembly; wherein the carrier assembly includes an adjustment mechanism to effect simultaneous rotation of the plurality of adjustment screws in a common direction resulting in translational movement of the plurality of adjustment screws to move the main insert assembly either closer to or farther from the carrier assembly to adjust the size of the hip component; and (ii) at least one leg component that is attached to the adjustable hip component.

Assignees

• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Etheridge Steven Jefferson-Shawn
• Clausen Mike
• Farris Ryan

Classifications

• A61H2205/088

  Hip · CPC title

• A61H1/024

  Knee (A61H1/0255 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61H2201/123

  Linear drive · CPC title

• A61H2201/1628

  Pelvis · CPC title

• A61H2201/1676

  Pivoting · CPC title