Wearable apparatus for assistance and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11510839-B2
Application number	US-201715854173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2017
Priority date	Aug 11, 2017
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A wearable assistance apparatus is disclosed, wherein the wearable assistance apparatus may include a first frame configured to transfer a power in a first direction to assist a user, a second frame configured to transfer the power in a second direction to assist the user, a first wearing portion configured to urge the second frame towards the user in response to the first wearing portion being pulled in the first direction, and a second wearing portion configured to urge the first frame towards the user in response to the second wearing portion being pulled in the second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable assistance apparatus, comprising:
a first frame configured to transfer a first power to assist a user, the first power being generated by a first driving device attached to the first frame;
a second frame configured to transfer a second power to assist the user, the second power being generated by a second driving device attached to the second frame, the second driving device being a separate driving device from the first driving device;
a first pull portion configured to urge the second frame towards the user in response to the first pull portion being pulled in a first direction;
a second pull portion configured to urge the first frame towards the user in response to the second pull portion being pulled in a second direction; and
a guide configured to guide at least one of the first frame and the second frame to move linearly in a set direction,
wherein each of the first frame and the second frame include a plurality of holes therein, and
the first pull portion is threaded through the plurality of holes in the first frame and connected to the second pull portion and the second pull portion is threaded through the plurality of holes in the second frame and connected to the first pull portion such that the first pull portion and the second pull portion form a cross-connection structure in which the first pull portion pulls the second frame including the second driving device in the first direction in response to the first power and the second pull portion pulls the first frame including the first driving device in the second direction in response to the second power.

2. The wearable assistance apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first driving device configured to generate the first power,
the second driving device configured to generate the second power; and
a supporter configured to contact a target portion of the user to support the user.

3. The wearable assistance apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a set direction is orthogonal to a direction of the first power and the second power.

4. The wearable assistance apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the guide comprises:
a rail extendable along a set direction such that the at least one of the first frame and the second frame is configured to move along the rail.

5. The wearable assistance apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the guide comprises:
a guide block that forms a movement path along a set direction such that the at least one of the first frame and the second frame is configured to move along the movement path.

6. The wearable assistance apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fastening portion configured to fix the first pull portion to the second pull portion such that the first frame and the second frame are fixed to a set target portion of the user in response to the first pull portion being fastened to the second pull portion.

7. The wearable assistance apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first frame is connected to a first end of the second pull portion, and the second frame is connected to a first end of the first pull portion.

8. The wearable assistance apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the first pull portion is configured to pass through the first hollow portion to transfer the first power to move the second frame, and
the second pull portion is configured to pass through the second hollow portion to transfer the second power to move the first frame.

9. A wearable assistance apparatus, comprising:
a back supporter configured to contact a back of a user to support the user;
a driving device configured to generate a power to assist movement of a hip joint of the user;
a waist frame configured to fasten to a waist of the user, and to transfer the power to the back supporter; and
a guide connected to the waist frame, the guide configured to guide movement of the driving device to adjust a distance between the driving device and the waist frame such that the driving device corresponds to the hip joint of the user, the guide including,
a rail extendable vertically such that the driving device is configured to move along the rail, and
a movable member connected to the driving device, the movable member including a wheel configured to directly contact and rotate about the rail to move the movable member along the rail.

10. The wearable assistance apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the guide further comprises:
at least one hole on the rail at a set distance; and
a pin connected to the movable member and inserted into any one of the at least one hole to fix the driving device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ha Taesin
• Shim Youngbo
• Choi Byungjune

Classifications

• A61H2201/1652

  Harness · CPC title

• A61F5/0125

  the device articulating around a single pivot-point · CPC title

• B25J9/0006

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

• A61H1/0244

  Hip (A61H1/0255 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F5/0102

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