Passively Balanced Load-Adaptive Upper-Limb Exoskeleton

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019380903-A1
Application number	US-201716480291-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 16, 2017
Priority date	Feb 17, 2017
Publication date	Dec 19, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A passively balanced load-adaptive upper limb exoskeleton. An upper arm (A), an elbow (B), a forearm (C), and a hand (D) are arranged sequentially from left to right. An upper arm upper rod (A1) and an upper arm lower rod (A2) each are hinge-connected to an upper arm elbow housing via a bearing. A forearm upper rod (C1) and a forearm lower rod (C2) each are hinge-connected to a forearm elbow housing via a bearing. An upper arm support rod (E) is disposed between an upper arm driving mechanism (A4) and an upper arm elbow assembly (B1). One end of the upper arm support rod is fixedly connected to two upper arm support rod slide blocks (9) in the upper arm driving mechanism, and the other end thereof is hinge-connected to protruding shafts on two sides of an upper arm lead screw nut connection member via bearings. A forearm-upper arm support rod is disposed between a forearm driving mechanism (C4) and a forearm elbow assembly (B2). One end of the forearm-upper arm support rod (K) is fixedly connected to two upper arm support rod slide blocks in the forearm driving mechanism, and the other end thereof is hinge-connected to protruding shafts on two sides of a forearm lead screw nut connection member via bearings. The hand is hinge-connected to a wrist. The upper limb exoskeleton of the invention is used to facilitate handling of heavy goods or carrying of certain items.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A load-adapting passive balancing upper limb exoskeleton, characterized in that: said upper limb exoskeleton comprises an upper arm (A), an elbow joint (B), a forearm (C), a hand (D), an upper arm support rod (E), and a forearm support rod (K);
said upper arm (A) comprises an upper arm upper rod (A 1 ), an upper arm lower rod (A 2 ), a shoulder joint (A 3 ) and an upper arm drive mechanism (A 4 ); said upper arm drive mechanism (A 4 ) comprises a rear end mounting member ( 3 ), a gas spring top plate ( 4 ), a gas spring ( 5 ), a gas spring sliding rail ( 6 ), a connecting plate ( 7 ), two upper arm support rod sliding rails ( 8 ), two upper arm support rod sliding blocks ( 9 ) and two gas spring sliding blocks ( 10 ), wherein a rear portion of a cylinder body of said gas spring ( 5 ) is fixedly mounted to said rear end mounting member ( 3 ), a piston rod of said gas spring ( 5 ) is fixedly mounted to said gas spring top plate ( 4 ), said connecting plate ( 7 ) is fixedly installed at a left side of said gas spring top plate ( 4 ), one said gas spring sliding block ( 10 ) is fixedly mounted to said connecting plate ( 7 ), both two said gas spring sliding blocks ( 10 ) are slidably connected to said gas spring sliding rail ( 6 ), said gas spring sliding rail ( 6 ) is fixedly connected to said upper arm lower rod (A 2 ), said two upper arm support rod sliding rails ( 8 ) are arranged in parallel along a top and a bottom side and is fixedly mounted at a right side of said gas spring top plate ( 4 ), said two upper arm support rod sliding rails ( 8 ) and said two upper arm support rod sliding blocks ( 9 ) are corresponding to each other respectively, said upper arm support rod sliding block ( 9 ) are slidably connected to said upper arm support rod sliding rail ( 8 ), said upper arm upper rod (A 1 ) and said upper arm lower rod (A 2 ) have the same structure, said upper arm upper rod (A 1 ) and said upper arm lower rod (A 2 ) are symmetrically positioned at a top and a bottom end of said shoulder joint (A 3 ) respectively, said should joint (A 3 ) is positioned at a left side of said upper arm upper rod (A 1 ) and said upper arm lower rod (A 2 ) while said shoulder joint (A 3 ) is hinged to said upper arm upper rod (A 1 ) and said upper arm lower rod (A 2 ) respectively through bearings, said upper arm drive mechanism (A 4 ) is arranged in said upper arm lower rod (A 2 ), and both said rear end mounting member ( 3 ) of said upper arm drive mechanism (A 4 ) and said two gas spring sliding blocks ( 10 ) of said upper arm drive mechanism (A 4 ) are fixedly connected to said upper arm lower rod ( 2 ); said forearm (C) comprises a forearm upper rod (C 1 ), a forearm lower rod (C 2 ), a wrist joint (C 3 ) and a forearm drive mechanism (C 4 ), said forearm drive mechanism (C 4 ) and said upper arm drive mechanism (A 4 ) have the same structure, said forearm upper rod (C 1 ) and said forearm lower rod (C 2 ) have the same structure, said forearm upper rod (C 1 ) and said forearm lower rod (C 2 ) are symmetrically positioned at a top and a bottom end of said wrist joint (C 3 ), said wrist joint (C 3 ) is positioned at a right side of said forearm upper rod (C 1 ) and said forearm lower rod (C 2 ) while said wrist joint (C 3 ) is hinged to said forearm upper rod (C 1 ) and said forearm lower rod (C 2 ) respectively through bearings, said forearm drive mechanism (C 4 ) is arranged in said forearm upper rod (C 1 ), and both said rear end mounting member ( 3 ) of said forearm drive mechanism (C 4 ) and said two gas spring sliding blocks ( 10 ) of said forearm drive mechanism (C 4 ) is fixedly connected to said upper arm lower rod ( 2 ); said elbow joint (B) comprises upper arm elbow joint assembly (B 1 ), forearm elbow joint assembly (B 2 ), an elbow joint drive mechanism (B 3 ), an upper arm transition gear (B 4 ), an upper arm transition gear shaft (B 5 ), a forearm transition gear (B 6 ), a forearm transition gear shaft (B 7 ), and two roller bearings (B 8 ), said upper arm elbow joint assembly (B 1 ) comprises an upper arm screw nut ( 18 ), an upper arm screw nut connector ( 19 ), a bottom ball bearing for upper arm ( 20 ), an upper arm elbow joint housing ( 22 ), an upper arm screw ( 23 ), a upper arm top ball bearing ( 24 ), an upper arm transmission gear ( 21 ) and two upper arm needle roller thrust bearings ( 17 ), said upper arm screw nut ( 18 ) is screwed to said upper arm screw ( 23 ), an upper end of said upper arm screw ( 23 ) is sequentially provided with two upper arm needle roller thrust bearings ( 17 ) and said upper arm top ball bearing ( 24 ) from an inner side to an outer side of said upper arm screw ( 23 ), a lower end of said upper arm screw ( 23 ) is sequentially provided with said upper arm screw nut connector ( 19 ) and said upper arm bottom ball bearing ( 20 ) from said inner side to said outer side, said upper arm screw nut ( 18 ) is fixedly connected to said upper arm screw nut connector ( 19 ), all said upper arm ball bearing ( 24 ), said upper arm bottom ball bearing ( 20 ) and said two upper arm needle roller thrust bearings ( 17 ) are supported in said upper arm elbow joint housing ( 22 ), said lower end of said upper arm screw ( 23 ) is exposed outside said upper arm elbow joint housing ( 22 ) and is fixedly connected with said upper arm transmission gear ( 21 ), said forearm elbow joint assembly (B 2 ) comprises a forearm transmission gear ( 38 ), a forearm elbow joint housing ( 39 ), forearm screw nut ( 40 ), a forearm screw nut connector ( 41 ), a forearm top ball bearing ( 42 ), a forearm screw ( 43 ), two forearm needle roller thrust bearing ( 44 ), said forearm screw nut ( 40 ) is screwed to said forearm screw ( 43 ), an upper end of said forearm screw ( 43 ) is provided with said forearm screw nut connector ( 41 ), a lower end of said forearm screw ( 43 ) is provided with said two forearm needle roller thrust bearings ( 44 ), said forearm screw nut ( 40 ) is fixedly connected to said forearm screw nut connector ( 41 ), said forearm screw nut connector ( 41 ) is coupled to said forearm screw ( 43 ), both said forearm top ball bearing ( 42 ) and said two forearm needle roller thrust bearings ( 44 ) are supported in said forearm elbow joint housing ( 39 ), said lower end of said forearm screw ( 43 ) is exposed outside said forearm elbow joint housing ( 39 ) and is fixedly connected with said forearm transmission gear ( 38 ); said elbow joint drive mechanism (B 3 ) includes a reducer output gear ( 25 ), a reducer housing ( 26 ), a main shaft ( 27 ), a motor ( 28 ), and a reducer ( 29 ), said reducer ( 29 ) is disposed in said reducer housing ( 26 ), an input terminal of said reducer ( 29 ) is connected to said motor ( 28 ), an output terminal of said reducer ( 29 ) is connected to said main shaft ( 27 ), said reducer output gear ( 25 ) is fixedly connected to said main shaft ( 27 ); said upper arm elbow joint assembly (B 1 ) and said forearm elbow joint assembly (B 2 ) are disposed on left and right sides of said elbow joint drive mechanism (B 3 ) respectively, said reducer housing ( 26 ) is fixedly connected to said upper arm elbow joint housing ( 22 ) and said forearm elbow joint housing ( 39 ), said upper arm transition gear (B 4 ) is disposed between said reducer output gear ( 25 ) and said upper arm transmission gear ( 21 ) while said upper arm transition gear (B 4 ) is meshed with both said reducer output gear ( 25 ) and said upper arm transmission gear ( 21 ), said upper arm transition gear (B 4 ) is connected to said upper arm transition gear shaft (B 5 ) through one of said two roller bearings (B 8 ), said upper arm transition gear shaft (B 5 ) is fixedly connected to said upper arm elbow joint housing ( 22 ), said forearm transition gear (B 6 ) is disposed between said reducer output gear ( 25 ) and said forearm transmission gear ( 38 ) while said forearm transition gear (B

Assignees

• Harbin Inst Technology

Inventors

• Zhu Yanhe
• Zhang Guoan
• Li Hongwu
• Zhao Jie

Classifications

• A61H2201/1238

  with hydraulic or pneumatic drive · CPC title

• B25J9/0006 Primary

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

• A61H2201/1616

  Holding means therefor · CPC title

• B25J19/0012

  using fluidic devices · CPC title

• A61H1/0277 Primary

  Elbow · CPC title