Neck supporting exoskeleton

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11938074-B2
Application number	US-201916656941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2019
Priority date	Oct 18, 2018
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

A neck supporting exoskeleton is configured to be worn by a person to support the person's head during backward extension motions of the person's neck. The neck supporting exoskeleton may comprise a torso frame configured to be coupled to the person's torso, a head pillow configured to contact the rear portion of the person's head during backward extension motions of the person's neck, a linkage allowing for relative motion between the head pillow and the torso frame in the sagittal plane of the person, and an actuator configured to impose a supporting force onto the head pillow. When the person's neck extension angle increases beyond an engagement angle, the actuator causes the linkage to impose a supporting force onto the head pillow resisting the backward extension motion of the head pillow and the person's head relative to the torso frame thereby providing a support for the person's head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exoskeleton configured to be worn by a person to support a head of the person during an extension motion of a neck of the person, the supporting exoskeleton comprising:
a torso frame having a first portion configured to apply a load onto at least one shoulder of the person and a second portion extending from the first portion, the second portion configured to extend along the spine of the person;
a head pillow configured to contact only a rear portion of the person's head; and
a resilient structure comprising a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the torso frame, the second end coupled to the head pillow, the resilient structure configured to rotate the head pillow relative to the torso frame in a sagittal plane of the person about a first axis passing through the neck of the person and to generate a supporting force onto the head pillow in response to the extension motion of the neck of the person,
wherein the resilient structure defines an engagement angle where the head pillow is adapted to contact the rear portion of the person's head,
wherein the neck of the person extends posteriorly at a neck extension angle, the neck extension angle increasing from a non-engaging angle where the head of the person does not contact the head pillow, and
wherein the resilient structure defines the neck extension angle such that the head pillow is adapted to resist the extension motion of the neck of the person and to support the head of the person.

2. The exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein the resilient structure comprises a leaf spring configured to bend about the first axis.

3. The exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein the resilient structure further comprises a linkage, comprising a first segment, coupled to the torso frame, and a second segment, coupled to the head pillow, wherein the second segment is configured to rotate relative to the first segment about the first axis.

4. The exoskeleton of claim 1 , further comprising a positioning mechanism, wherein the positioning mechanism allows the person to change a location of the head pillow relative to the torso frame.

5. The exoskeleton of claim 4 , wherein the positioning mechanism comprises:
a base link;
an adjustment link, rotationally coupled to the base link; and
a position locking element, configured to move between at least a first position and a second position,
wherein, when the position locking element is in the first position, the adjustment link can freely rotate relative to the base link, and
wherein, when the position locking element is in the second position, the adjustment link is fixed relative to the base link.

6. The exoskeleton of claim 4 , wherein the positioning mechanism comprises:
a base link;
an adjustment link, translationally coupled to the base link; and
a position locking element, configured to move between at least a first position and a second position,
wherein, when the position locking element is in the first position, the adjustment link can freely translate relative to the base link, and
wherein, when the position locking element is in the second position, the adjustment link is fixed relative to the base link.

7. The exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein the head pillow comprises:
a head pillow base, coupled to the resilient structure, and
a head contact element, movably coupled to the head pillow base adapted to minimize relative motion between the head pillow and the head of the person.

8. The exoskeleton of claim 1 ,
wherein the torso frame further comprises a rigid spine adapted to terminate behind the torso of the person, and
wherein the resilient structure is coupled to the rigid spine adapted to be behind the head of the person.

9. The exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is a rigid shoulder frame adapted to terminate above the at least one shoulder of the person, and wherein the resilient structure is coupled to the rigid shoulder frame.

10. The exoskeleton of claim 1 , further comprising a stow lock configured to selectively prevent flexion motion of the head pillow relative to the torso frame past a stow position adapted to be located past the engagement angle in the extension motion of the person's neck,
wherein the stow lock is configured to be moved between a first position and a second position,
wherein, when the stow lock is in the first position and the head pillow is at a stow position, the stow lock does not prevent the head pillow from moving relative to the torso frame, and
wherein, when the stow lock is in the second position and the head pillow is at the stow position, the stow lock prevents the head pillow from moving relative to the torso frame in a flexion motion to stow the head pillow out of a workspace of the person when the exoskeleton is not in use.

11. The exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein the resilient structure further comprises a first resilient structure adapted to be to the right side of the person's head and a second resilient structure adapted to be to the left side of the person's head.

12. The exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein the resilient structure is separated into two segments adapted to be located on both the right and left side of the person's neck or head.

13. The exoskeleton of claim 1 , further comprising a flexion hard stop configured to prevent a flexion motion between the head pillow and the torso frame in the sagittal plane of the person past the engagement angle.

14. The exoskeleton of claim 13 , wherein the resilient structure is preloaded against the flexion hard stop at the engagement angle.

15. The exoskeleton of claim 13 , wherein the flexion hard stop comprises a flexible tensile element.

16. The exoskeleton of claim 13 , wherein the flexion hard stop is adjustably coupled to the resilient structure, the head pillow, or the torso frame to allow for adjustment of the engagement angle.

17. The exoskeleton of claim 1 , further comprising an extension hard stop configured to prevent the head pillow from moving relative to the torso frame in the extension motion at a resting angle which is greater than the engagement angle.

18. The exoskeleton of claim 17 , wherein the extension hard stop is adjustably coupled to the resilient structure, the head pillow, or the torso frame to adjust the resting angle.

Assignees

• Suitx Inc
• Univ California

Inventors

• VAN ENGELHOVEN Logan
• Kazerooni Homayoon
• Ren James
• Tung Wayne Yi-Wei
• Koziak Valantyn

Classifications

• A61H1/0296 Primary

  Neck · CPC title

• A61F5/05883 Primary

  for the neck or head (A61F5/05816, A61F5/05833 take precedence; cervical supports A61F5/055) · CPC title

• A61F2005/0197

  with spring means · CPC title

• A61H2201/1607

  Holding means therefor · CPC title

• A61H2201/1621

  Holding means therefor · CPC title