Hip-knee passive exoskeleton device based on clutch time-sharing control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11638673-B2
Application number	US-201916414926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2019
Priority date	Sep 14, 2018
Publication date	May 2, 2023
Grant date	May 2, 2023

Abstract

The disclosure belongs to the technical field of lower limb exoskeleton, and specifically discloses a hip-knee passive exoskeleton device based on clutch time-sharing control, comprising a waist support subassembly, connection subassemblies, thigh subassemblies, clutch subassemblies, shank subassemblies and elastic member subassemblies, the waist support subassembly is configured to be connected to the waist, the connection subassemblies are configured to include two connection subassemblies which are arranged in bilateral symmetry on two sides of the support subassembly, the thigh subassemblies are configured to include two thigh subassemblies which are respectively connected to the two connection subassemblies, the clutch subassemblies are configured to include two clutch subassemblies which are respectively mounted on the two thigh subassemblies, the shank subassemblies are configured to include two shank subassemblies which are arranged in bilateral symmetry below the two thigh subassemblies, the elastic member subassemblies are configured to include two elastic member subassemblies which are arranged in bilateral symmetry. The disclosure can assist the movements of the knee and hip joints, thereby improving the energy utilization efficiency and reducing the metabolic energy consumption of walking.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hip-knee passive exoskeleton device based on clutch time-sharing control, consisting essentially of:
a waist support subassembly,
connection subassemblies,
thigh subassemblies,
clutch subassemblies,
shank subassemblies and
elastic member subassemblies,
wherein the waist support subassembly is configured to be connected to a waist of a wearer,
the connection subassemblies connect the waist support subassembly and the thigh subassemblies and include two connection subassemblies which are arranged in bilateral symmetry on two sides of the waist support subassembly,
wherein each of the connection subassemblies includes a pawl force arm connector, a pawl force arm extending in a backward direction of the wearer, a spring force arm extending in a forward direction of the wearer, a hip joint movement connector, a thigh connecting rod, and a knee joint movement connector, wherein the pawl force arm connector connects the pawl force arm to the waist brace, the spring force arm is mounted on the waist support subassembly, the hip joint movement connector is respectively hinged to the pawl force arm connector and an upper end of the thigh connecting rod to ensure the free movement of the thigh connecting rod with the thigh, and the knee joint movement connector is hinged to a lower end of the thigh connecting rod,
the thigh subassemblies include two thigh subassemblies which are respectively connected to the two connection subassemblies and are configured to be connected to thighs of the wearer,
the clutch subassemblies include two clutch subassemblies which are respectively mounted on the two thigh subassemblies to perform time-sharing control of energy of the knee and hip joints,
the shank subassemblies include two shank subassemblies which are arranged in bilateral symmetry below the two thigh subassemblies and are configured to be connected to shanks of the wearer,
the elastic member subassemblies include two separately connected elastic member subassemblies which are arranged in bilateral symmetry, connects to only the respective waist support subassembly and the shank subassemblies and passes through the respective clutch subassemblies,
wherein the waist support subassembly includes two waist braces, a waist flexible strap and a waist brace connector, the waist brace connector is configured to connect one ends of the two waist braces, and the waist flexible strap is configured to connect the other ends of the two waist braces, so that the two waist braces is connected to the waist to support force generated by the hip-knee passive exoskeleton device,
wherein the waist support subassembly further includes boss planes, wherein the spring force arm and pawl force arm connector are connected to the boss planes, and
wherein the hip-knee passive exoskeleton device is configured in a way that the elastic member subassemblies are configured to store the energy when the knee joint performs negative work and releases the stored energy to assist the hip joint in performing positive work in a way so that the knee joint energy is able to be transferred to the hip joint by the exoskeleton to assist movement of both the knee joint and hip joint during walking, wherein the assistance in movement of both the knee joint and hip joint is only provided by the stored energy of the elastic member subassemblies.

2. The hip-knee passive exoskeleton device based on clutch time-sharing control according to claim 1 , wherein each of the thigh subassemblies includes a thigh rear hoop and a thigh flexible strap, the thigh rear hoop is hinged to the hip joint movement connector, and the thigh flexible strap is configured to closely attach the thigh rear hoop to the thigh.

3. The hip-knee passive exoskeleton device based on clutch time-sharing control according to claim 2 , wherein each of the clutch subassemblies includes a clutch bracket, a clutch cover plate, a ratchet wheel, a stroke stop, a wire wheel, a pawl and a pawl rope, wherein the clutch bracket is mounted on the thigh rear hoop, the ratchet wheel, the stroke stop and the wire wheel are mounted between the clutch bracket and the clutch cover plate via a spline shaft to ensure synchronous rotation of the ratchet wheel, the stroke stop and the wire wheel, the pawl is rotatably mounted between the clutch bracket and the clutch cover plate via a pawl shaft, the pawl rope has an upper end connected to the pawl force arm and a lower end connected to the pawl, and the pawl is located on a side of the ratchet wheel and is engageable with the ratchet wheel.

4. The hip-knee passive exoskeleton device based on clutch time-sharing control according to claim 3 , wherein each of the shank subassemblies includes a shank rear hoop, a shank front hoop and two shank flexible straps, the shank rear hoop and the shank front hoop are hinged together by hinge pins, and the two shank flexible straps secure the shank rear hoop and the shank front hoop to the shank.

5. The hip-knee passive exoskeleton device based on clutch time-sharing control according to claim 4 , wherein each of the elastic element subassemblies includes a tension spring, a spring connecting rope, a pawl torsion spring and a wire wheel torsion spring, wherein the tension spring has an upper end connected to the spring force arm and a lower end connected to an upper end of the spring connecting rope, the spring connecting rope has a middle portion connected to the wire wheel and a lower end connected to the shank rear hoop, the pawl torsion spring is mounted between the pawl and the clutch cover plate to return the pawl to an initial position, and the wire wheel torsion spring is mounted between the wire wheel and the clutch bracket to return the wire wheel to an initial position.

Assignees

• Univ Huazhong Science Tech

Inventors

• Chen Wenbin
• Wei Tongtong
• Zhou Tiancheng
• Wu Shuang
• Xiong Caihua

Classifications

• A61H2201/1445

  Overrunning clutches; One-way clutches · CPC title

• A61H2201/1652

  Harness · CPC title

• A61H2003/007

  secured to the patient, e.g. with belts · CPC title

• A61H1/0262

  Walking movement; Appliances for aiding disabled persons to walk (A61H3/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61H2201/1642

  Holding means therefor · CPC title