Apparatus for human arm supporting exoskeleton

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9889554-B2
Application number	US-201615158113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	May 18, 2015
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

An arm supporting exoskeleton comprises a shoulder base coupled to an arm link mechanism. The arm link mechanism comprises a proximal link and a distal link configured to rotate relative to each other about a rotating joint; at least one arm-coupler adapted to couple a user's arm to the distal link; a tensile force generator coupled to the proximal link and the distal link, and providing a torque to flex the distal link relative to the proximal link; and a protrusion located substantially at the rotating joint. When the distal link extends past a toggle angle, the protrusion constrains the tensile force generator, and the torque provided by the tensile force generator remains substantially small. When the protrusion does not constrain the tensile force generator, the torque tends to flex the distal link relative to the proximal link, thereby reducing human shoulder forces and torques required to raise the user's arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An arm supporting exoskeleton configured to be coupled to a person, the arm supporting exoskeleton comprising:
a shoulder base configured to be coupled to a trunk of the person; and
an arm link mechanism configured to be coupled to said shoulder base, the arm link mechanism comprising:
a proximal link; and
a distal link configured to rotate relative to the proximal link about a rotating joint and along a first rotational axis;
at least one arm-coupler attached to the distal link and adapted to couple an upper arm of the person to said distal link;

a tensile force generator coupled to said proximal link at a first end of the tensile force generator and coupled to said distal link at a second end of the tensile force generator,
wherein the tensile force generator is configured to provide a torque to flex said distal link relative to said proximal link; and

a protrusion located substantially at said rotating joint, wherein:
when said distal link extends past a toggle angle, said protrusion constrains said tensile force generator, and the torque provided by said tensile force generator remains at or below a torque of a second torque mode; and
when said protrusion does not constrain said tensile force generator, said torque generated by the tensile force generator between said proximal link and said distal link is at or above a torque of a first torque mode and flexes said distal link relative to said proximal link, thereby reducing human shoulder forces and torques required to raise said upper arm of the person.

2. An arm supporting exoskeleton configured to be coupled to a person, the arm supporting exoskeleton comprising:
a shoulder base configured to be coupled to a trunk of the person; and
an arm link mechanism configured to be coupled to said shoulder base, the arm link mechanism comprising:
a proximal link; and
a distal link configured to rotate relative to the proximal link about a rotating joint and along a first rotational axis;
at least one arm-coupler attached to the distal link and adapted to couple an upper arm of the person to said distal link; and
a tensile force generator coupled to said proximal link at a first end of the tensile force generator and coupled to said distal link at a second end of the tensile force generator;
a protrusion located substantially at said rotating joint and configured to constrain the tensile force generator,
wherein the tensile force generator is configured to provide a torque to flex said distal link relative to said proximal link, wherein:
when an angle between said proximal link and said distal link is smaller than a toggle angle, said torque generated by the tensile force generator between said proximal link and said distal link is above a first amount and flexes said distal link relative to said proximal link, thereby reducing human shoulder forces and torques required to raise the upper arm of the person, and to impose reaction forces and torques on said shoulder base; and
when said angle between said proximal link and said distal link is larger than said toggle angle, said torque generated by the tensile force generator between said proximal link and said distal link is below a second amount allowing said person to freely move said upper arm.

3. An arm supporting exoskeleton configured to be coupled to a person, the arm supporting exoskeleton comprising:
a shoulder base configured to be coupled to a trunk of the person;
an arm link mechanism configured to be coupled to said shoulder base, the arm link mechanism comprising:
a proximal link; and
a distal link configured to rotate relative to the proximal link around a first rotational axis;
at least one arm-coupler attached to the distal link and adapted to couple an upper arm of the person to said distal link;
at least one torque generator coupled to said proximal link and said distal link and configured to generate a torque between said proximal link and said distal link;
a protrusion located substantially at a rotating joint of the first rotational axis and configured to constrain the at least one torque generator, wherein:
when an angle between said proximal link and said distal link is smaller than a toggle angle, said torque generated by the at least one torque generator between said proximal link and said distal link is above a first amount and flexes said distal link relative to said proximal link, thereby reducing human shoulder forces and torques required to raise the upper arm of the person, and to impose reaction forces and torques on said shoulder base; and
when said angle between said proximal link and said distal link is larger than said toggle angle, said torque generated by the at least one torque generator between said proximal link and said distal link is below a second amount allowing said person to freely move said upper arm.

4. The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 3 , wherein said shoulder base comprises:
a load bearing structure coupled to said arm link mechanism and configured to support said reaction forces and torques on said shoulder base; and
a coupling mechanism configured to couple said load bearing structure to the trunk of the person such that the shoulder base moves in unison with the trunk of the person.

5. The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 4 , wherein said load bearing structure comprises:
a back frame configured to locate substantially behind a back of the person,
the back frame coupled to said arm link mechanism and configured to support at least a portion of said reaction forces and torques on said shoulder base from said arm link mechanism; and

at least one hip loading belt coupled to said back frame,
wherein said hip loading belt is configured to transfer at least a portion of said reaction forces and torques from said back frame to hips of the person.

6. The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 4 , wherein said load bearing structure comprises:
a back frame configured to locate substantially behind a back of the person,
the back frame coupled to said arm link mechanism and configured to support at least a portion of said reaction forces and torques from said arm link mechanism; and

a lower extremity exoskeleton configured to be coupled to said back frame and to legs of the person,
wherein said lower extremity exoskeletons is configured to transfer at least a portion of said reaction forces and torques from said back frame to a support surface on which the person is standing.

7. The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 5 , wherein said back frame comprises:
an upper frame coupled to said arm link mechanism;
a lower frame coupled to said hip loading belt; and
a spine frame,
wherein said spine frame is coupled to said upper frame on an upper end of the spine frame and is rotatably coupled to said lower frame on a lower end of the spine frame, allowing for rotation of said upper frame relative to said lower frame in a frontal plane of the person.

8. The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 5 , wherein said back frame comprises:
an upper frame coupled to said arm link mechanism;
a lower frame coupled to said hip loading belt; and
a spine frame, wherein said spine frame is coupled to said lower frame on a lower end of the spine frame, and is rotatably coupled to said upper frame on an upper end of the spine frame, allowing for rotation of said upper frame relative to said lower frame along a major axis of said spine frame.

9. The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 8 , wherein said lower frame comprises:
a lower middle bar; and
first and second lower corner bars,
wherein each of the first and second lower corner bars is adapted to be coupled to said lower middle bar at various locations on said lo

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• VAN ENGELHOVEN Logan
• Kazerooni Homayoon

Classifications

• B25J9/0006 Primary

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

• B65H1/10

  comprising weights {(B65H1/022 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B25H1/10

  with provision for adjusting holders for tool or work · CPC title

• B25J9/0009

  Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases · CPC title

• F16M13/04

  for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains {, e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head (apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B)} · CPC title