Seating support device of wearable chair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11229296-B2
Application number	US-201916693252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2019
Priority date	Apr 2, 2019
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A seating support device of a wearable chair includes a femoral link extending in a direction where a femoral region extends and configured to be connected with the femoral region, a crural link extending in a direction where a crural region extends, and configured to be connected with the crural region, and including a housing that is coupled at an upper end thereof to a lower end of the femoral link to be rotatable relative thereto and a sliding part that is slidably coupled to the housing in a direction in which the housing extends, and a limiting device operated in conjunction with a relative rotation between the femoral link and the crural link to allow the sliding part to slide vertically and to prevent sliding between the sliding part and the housing in a state where an angle between the femoral link and the crural link is a seating angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seating support device of a wearable chair, comprising:
a femoral link extending in a direction where a wearer's femoral region extends, and configured to be connected with the wearer's femoral region;
a crural link extending in a direction where a wearer's crural region extends, and configured to be connected with the wearer's crural region, and including a housing that is coupled at an upper end thereof to a lower end of the femoral link to be rotatable relative thereto, and a sliding part that is slidably coupled to the housing in a direction in which the housing extends;
a limiting device operated in conjunction with a relative rotation between the femoral link and the crural link to allow the sliding part sliding in the housing to slide up and down, and to prevent sliding between the sliding part and the housing in a state where an angle between the femoral link and the crural link is a seating angle; and
a contact link coupled at a first end thereof to a lower end of the crural link to be rotatable relative thereto, and operated in conjunction with the sliding of the sliding part associated with the relative rotation between the femoral link and the crural link to be rotated about the first end, a second end coming into contact with a ground while being spaced apart from the crural link when a wearer wears the device.

2. The seating support device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a stopper engaging with the lower end of the femoral link to rotate integrally with the femoral link; and
a rotation preventing protrusion provided on the upper end of the crural link to prevent the stopper from being rotated such that an angle between the femoral link and the crural link is less than the seating angle.

3. The seating support device according to claim 2 ,
wherein coupling protrusions are formed on the lower end of the femoral link to protrude outwardly at a plurality of angular points in a direction where the femoral link is rotated relative to the crural link, and
wherein the stopper engages with an associated coupling protrusion to rotate integrally with the femoral link, and changes the seating angle depending on an angular point of the coupling protrusion engaging with the stopper.

4. The seating support device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotary ring coupled to the lower end of the femoral link to be rotatable relative to the femoral link, and coupled with the sliding part to slide the sliding part as the rotary ring rotates; and
a stopper coupled integrally with the rotary ring, and engaging with the lower end of the femoral link to rotate integrally with the rotary ring and the femoral link.

5. The seating support device according to claim 4 ,
wherein coupling protrusions are formed on the lower end of the femoral link to protrude outwardly at a plurality of angular points in a direction where the femoral link is rotated relative to the crural link, and
wherein the rotary ring is detachably coupled with the stopper, the stopper engages with the coupling protrusion when being integrally coupled with the rotary ring to rotate integrally with the femoral link, and the rotary ring is rotated relative to the femoral link depending on an angular point of the coupling protrusion with which the stopper engages, thus changing the seating angle.

6. The seating support device according to claim 1 , wherein the limiting device comprises:
through holes formed on both sides of the housing surrounding both sides of the sliding part; and
fixing bodies moved integrally in a sliding direction of the sliding part, and coupled slidably to both sides of the sliding part in the sliding part,
wherein the fixing bodies slide to both sides of the sliding part to be inserted into the through holes, thus preventing the sliding part from sliding.

7. The seating support device according to claim 6 , wherein the limiting device further comprises:
a cam device positioned above the sliding part, coupled slidably with the sliding part in the sliding direction of the sliding part, and connected to be linearly moved by a rotating motion of the rotary ring,
the fixing bodies comprise guide protrusions protruding in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the fixing bodies, and the cam device comprises a cam hole to allow the guide protrusions of the fixing bodies to slide a predetermined distance in a vertical direction while being inserted therein, and the cam hole is formed to allow the guide protrusions to come closer to each other if the guide protrusions of the fixing bodies slide downwards.

8. The seating support device according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission link connected at a first end thereof to be associated with the relative rotation between the femoral link and the crural link, and connected at a second end thereof to the sliding part, thus converting a rotating motion associated with the relative rotation between the femoral link and the crural link into a linear motion of the sliding part.

9. The seating support device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a rotary ring fixed to the lower end of the femoral link to be rotatable integrally with the femoral link;
an internal gear having on an inner circumference thereof inner teeth, and coupled at a portion or a whole portion thereof with the rotary ring to be rotatable integrally with the rotary ring; and
an external gear having on an outer circumference thereof outer teeth to mesh with the inner teeth of the internal gear, and coupled to the transmission link to slide the sliding part as the external gear rotates.

10. The seating support device according to claim 1 , wherein the first end of the contact link is rotatably coupled to the lower end of the housing, the seating support device further comprising:
a connection link rotatably coupled at a first end thereof to the sliding part, and coupled at a second end thereof to a position spaced apart from the first end of the contact link coupled to the lower end of the housing, and rotating the contact link by the sliding of the sliding part.

11. The seating support device according to claim 1 , wherein the contact link is rotated in conjunction with the relative rotation between the femoral link and the crural link in a rotating section where an angle between the femoral link and the crural link is between a pressing angle obtained by adding the seating angle to a preset interlocking angle and the seating angle, and is fixed in a free section where the angle between the femoral link and the crural link is equal to or more than the pressing angle.

12. The seating support device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a rotary ring fixed to the lower end of the femoral link to be rotatable integrally with the femoral link;
an internal gear having on an inner circumference thereof inner teeth, and coupled with the rotary ring in the free section of the femoral link and the crural link to be freely rotated relative thereto, and engaging with the rotary ring in the rotating section of the femoral link and the crural link to be rotated integrally therewith; and
an external gear having on an outer circumference thereof outer teeth to mesh with the inner teeth of the internal gear, and coupled with the contact link to be rotated in conjunction with the contact link.

13. The seating support device according to claim 12 , wherein a number of teeth of the external gear is smaller than a number of teeth of the internal gear to accelerate the rotation of the internal gear.

14. The seating support device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
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Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Lim Hyun Seop
• Hyun Dong Jin

Classifications

• A47C9/025

  Stools for standing or leaning against, e.g. in a semi-standing or half-seated position · CPC title

• B25J9/106

  with articulated links · CPC title

• B25J9/101

  using limit-switches, -stops · CPC title

• B25J9/0006 Primary

  Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure · CPC title

• A47C7/5068 Primary

  actuated by linkages · CPC title