Legged mobility exoskeleton device with enhanced actuator mechanism employing magnetic coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11331241-B2
Application number	US-201816338885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2018
Priority date	Feb 8, 2017
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A joint actuator assembly includes a motor, a rotating driving member driven by the motor for driving a driven component, and a transmission assembly located between the motor and the rotating driving member that provides speed reduction from the motor to the rotating driving member. The rotating driving member comprises a magnetic coupling including a plurality of magnetic elements that are configured to magnetically couple with an opposing magnetic coupling of the driven component. The actuator and driven component may be combined into a mobility device including a magnetic coupling system having a first magnetic coupling on the actuator that magnetically couples to a second magnetic coupling on the driven component. The magnetic coupling system includes plurality of magnetic elements located as part of one or both of the first and second magnetic couplings. The first and second couplings have opposing mating surfaces that join together in a coupled position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobility device comprising:
an actuator assembly including a rotating driving member;
a driven component that is driven by the rotating driving member; and
a magnetic coupling system comprising a first magnetic coupling on the actuator assembly that magnetically couples to a second magnetic coupling on the driven component, the magnetic coupling system including a plurality of magnetic elements located as part of one or both of the first and second magnetic couplings;
wherein the first magnetic coupling has a first tapered mating surface and the second magnetic coupling has a second opposing tapered mating surface that join when the magnetic coupling system is in a coupled position, and a magnetic force of the plurality of magnetic elements joins the first tapered mating surface and the second opposing tapered mating surface such that the first tapered mating surface and the second opposing tapered mating surface form a mechanical interface that prevents sliding movement of the driven component relative to the actuator assembly.

2. The mobility device of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic coupling comprises a plurality of recessed pockets and the second magnetic coupling has a plurality of raised mating features that respectively extend into the recessed pockets when the magnetic coupling system is in the coupled position.

3. The mobility device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the recessed pockets includes a respective one of the plurality of magnetic elements located at a bottom of the recessed pocket, and/or at least one of the raised mating features includes a respective one of the plurality of magnetic elements located at an end of the raised mating feature.

4. The mobility device of claim 2 , wherein:
each recessed pocket includes the first tapered mating surface extending from an outer surface of the rotating driving member toward a bottom of the recessed pocket; and
each raised mating feature includes the second opposing tapered mating surface extending from a base surface of the driven component toward an end of the raised mating feature.

5. The mobility device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical interface formed by the first tapered mating surface and the second opposing tapered mating surface provides mechanical keying that aligns the actuator assembly and the driven component.

6. The mobility device of claim 1 , wherein in the rotating driving member polarity is the same for all magnetic elements, and in the driven component polarity is the same for all magnetic elements and opposite to the polarity of the magnetic elements in the rotating driving member.

7. The mobility device of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic coupling system comprises a magnetic keying system that aligns the rotating driving member and the driven component, the magnetic keying system including magnetic elements in each of the rotating driving member and the driven component being installed with alternating and opposite polarity.

8. The mobility device of claim 1 , wherein one of the actuator assembly and the drive component includes magnetic elements, and the other of the actuator assembly and the drive component includes ferrous discs opposing the magnetic elements.

9. The mobility of claim 1 , wherein the rotating driving member comprises an output reel of the actuator assembly that drives the driven component.

10. The mobility device of claim 1 , wherein the mobility device is a legged mobility exoskeleton device comprising:
a hip component;
at least one thigh assembly including the actuator assembly connected to the hip component at a hip joint; and
the driven component is at least one lower leg assembly that is magnetically coupled to the at least one thigh assembly by the magnetic coupling system at a knee joint.

11. A mobility device comprising:
an actuator assembly including a rotating driving member;
a driven component that is driven by the rotating driving member; and
a magnetic coupling system comprising a first magnetic coupling on the actuator assembly that magnetically couples to a second magnetic coupling on the driven component, the magnetic coupling system including a plurality of magnetic elements located as part of one or both of the first and second magnetic couplings;
wherein the first magnetic coupling has a first mating surface and the second magnetic coupling has a second mating surface that join when the magnetic coupling system is in a coupled position; and
wherein the first mating and the second mating surface are opposing tapered mating surfaces, and the tapered mating surface of the first mating surface is stepped with a plurality of ridges and the tapered mating surface of the second mating surface is stepped with plurality of opposing ridges relative to the first mating surface, and the mating surfaces form a mechanical interface that results in a secure coupling that preclude any sliding movement of the driven component relative to the actuator assembly.

Assignees

• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Farris Ryan
• Etheridge Steven
• Morrison Scott

Classifications

• A61H2205/102

  Knee · CPC title

• A61H2201/1207

  with electric or magnetic drive · CPC title

• A61H2201/1463

  Special speed variation means, i.e. speed reducer · CPC title

• B25J9/0006

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

• A61H2201/1436

  Special crank assembly · CPC title