CN219666642U - Passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of wearable mechanical equipment, and specifically relates to a passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm whose performance and characteristics are adapted to the physiological characteristics of the human body and reasonably matched. The main structure includes a waist fixed belt set at the bottom of a support rod, a top The set shoulder member, two shoulder fixed straps, and the driver and the arm fixed strap provided on the driver. The center of rotation of the shoulder member is directly above the shoulder, leaving enough space near the shoulder to reduce the external impact. The friction between bones and human body. When the arm is put down, the energy storage element in the driver begins to store energy. When the arm is raised, the energy storage element releases energy to provide assistance for raising the arm. Its structure is simple and its principle is scientific and reliable. On the one hand, The springs serve as energy storage elements for the actuators placed on both sides of the arms. On the other hand, the shoulder members leave some space between the exoskeleton and the human body, reducing the friction and conflict between the exoskeleton and the human body.

Description

A passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton robotic arm

Technical areas:

The utility model belongs to the technical field of wearable mechanical equipment, and specifically relates to a passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm whose performance and characteristics are adapted to the physiological characteristics of the human body and reasonably matched.

Background technique:

Overhead work is a hand work task performed when the hand is higher than the shoulder or the shoulder joint flexion and extension angle is greater than 60 degrees. It is very common in the maintenance and assembly of cars, airplanes, and ships. With the continuous development of new types of transportation, the requirements for maintenance work are increasing day by day. Overhand work requires hand-held tools for maintenance. Maintaining the overhead posture for a long time and the weight of the repair tools will put a heavy load on the shoulders, which will lead to musculoskeletal injuries of the shoulders. At the same time, long-term repetitive overhand work on the upper limbs Maintenance operations can easily cause muscle damage to the back and waist, induce bone strain, seriously affect the effectiveness of maintenance, and limit the increase in production capacity.

Based on the source of power, upper limb exoskeletons can be divided into active power-assisted upper limb exoskeletons and passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeletons: Active power-assisted upper limb exoskeletons refer to exoskeletons that use driving components to provide power for the upper limbs. Their power sources are generally They are: motor drive, hydraulic drive, pneumatic muscle drive, etc.; passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeletons do not require external energy. They generally release stored energy through elastic energy storage components to generate power-assisted functions. The power sources are generally springs, coil springs, elastic Elastic potential energy of soft materials, etc.

Relatively speaking, active upper limb assistance exoskeletons can provide more powerful energy and assistance effects, and can use electronic systems for precise control, and can even be combined with artificial intelligence technology for autonomous learning to adapt to the user's operational needs. Main applications In the field of medical rehabilitation, military enhancement, assistance to the disabled, etc. However, active upper limb-assisted exoskeletons require a powerful energy source. Due to current energy supply technology, they cannot be used as a lightweight portable device. Most of them are large devices that are overweight or cannot be moved.

As a lightweight wearable auxiliary device, the passive upper limb exoskeleton does not require a heavier energy supply part. It can use human-machine compatibility technology and bionic technology to transfer the weight of the upper limbs to the waist and other parts, reducing the weight of the upper limbs. fatigue and reduce the risk of illness.

From a structural perspective, the exoskeleton in the prior art has a shoulder complex that fits the movement state of the shoulder, so that its structure and activity pattern are more consistent with the human body's movement trajectory. The passive auxiliary exoskeleton system developed by SuitX in the United States in 2016 is divided into three sets of equipment: SHOULDERX, BACKX and LEGX. They can be used alone or combined to achieve auxiliary effects. Among them, SHOULDERX is a passive upper limb exoskeleton that transfers the load of the arms and tools to the wearer's hips through the shoulder complex, thereby supporting and assisting the shoulders. SHOULDERX can significantly reduce the shoulder's median and peak muscle activity during long-lasting static and repetitive overhead tasks using tools, making it an important device to effectively reduce shoulder fatigue and risk of injury. Currently, this exoskeleton has developed into its third generation. Compared with the previous generation, the weight has been reduced by 40%, but the boosting effect has not been reduced. The wearable exoskeleton robot Vest Exoskeleton (VEX) developed by Hyundai Motor Group in 2017 is designed to assist in long-term overhead work, reduce musculoskeletal strain and improve productivity. Its shoulder structure has multiple rotation axes to fit the shoulder The movement trajectory provides assistance without affecting the work effect. VEX weighs 2.5 kilograms, has an adjustable back height of 18 centimeters, and has 6 levels of assistance.

With the development of science and technology, the design of exoskeletons is developing towards better flexibility and freedom. It no longer has a shoulder complex that fits the shoulder movement state, but instead expands outward and backward to a certain extent. The EksoVest upper limb auxiliary support exoskeleton, developed by Ekso Bionics of the United States in 2017, can elevate and support the arms to assist with tasks from the chest to the top of the head. EksoVest consists of an upper arm support component, a back support component, a lumbar support component, a transmission link component and a driver component. Its special feature is that it uses two pairs of rotatable transmission link components, which not only play a supporting role, but also can This allows the exoskeleton to rotate flexibly without affecting operational tasks. The structural principle is as follows. When the exoskeleton is working, the reaction force generated by the spring in the driver will be transferred to the lower part of the system through two pairs of rotatable transmission link components, and will be borne by the waist and hips, greatly reducing the probability of injury and improving work efficiency. In addition, it also has a neck support that reduces neck fatigue caused by frequently raising your head. Currently, the system has been put into practical use in the production lines of Ford Motor Company and Boeing Company. The Paexo shoulder unpowered upper limb assistance exoskeleton developed by Germany's Ottobock in 2018 can not only provide significant assistance to the shoulders and arms during overhead work when worn, but also does not affect normal sitting and walking. It uses purely mechanical pull ropes Technology and spring energy storage achieve a force-assist effect that supports frequent and continuous overhead work, including assembly line work in logistics systems or overhead work in neurosurgery. The Paexo shoulder only weighs 1.9 kilograms and transfers the weight of the arms to the waist and hips. The ball joints at the hips allow the energy storage body to rotate freely without stiff rotation. The BESK portable exoskeleton developed by Spain's Cyber Human System in 2019 weighs 3kg and can carry a weight of 3 to 12kg. It is very flexible and the main body expands to the rear without causing friction or collision with the body. There are two models of BESK exoskeletons: BESK G exoskeleton supports overhead operations and BESK B exoskeleton supports horizontal displacement operations. The former assists in overhead operations by providing support for the upper arm, and the latter assists by providing support for the elbow and forearm. Complete repetitive tasks in a horizontal position, maintaining correct posture and reducing load.

Chiyuan Power (Dalian) Technology Co., Ltd. developed the CDYS shoulder-assisted industrial exoskeleton in 2018 for use in repetitive arm-raising tasks. The multi-degree-of-freedom carbon fiber skeleton system designed based on the movement characteristics of the human scapula weighs only 2.4kg, providing stable and strong support. While following the support force, it can adjust 7 support force levels without changing accessories. When the arm is in a natural drooping state or the walking swing arm is in a non-working state, the amount of assistance will automatically change without causing any hindrance. The EXO Titan arm upper limb assist exoskeleton developed by Haitong Industry in 2019 is similar to Ottobock's Paexo shoulder. It stores the energy when the arm is lowered in the energy storage box, and re-releases the energy when the arm is raised, and provides the arm with Supportive force. Its material is carbon fiber, titanium alloy, engineering plastics, aviation aluminum, breathable flexible wrapping materials, etc. It is light in weight, only 2.3KG. A single arm can provide a maximum support force of 5KG. The amount of assistance can be quickly adjusted with a wrench. Currently, it has Used in Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, Changan Ford, Dongfeng Nissan, etc.

The purpose of human-machine compatibility means that the equipment needs to further match the degree of freedom and reach of human movement on the basis of meeting physiological dimensions. The exoskeleton system in the prior art usually adopts a metal rigid structure. At the same time, because the movement axes do not coincide, it is easy to cause undesirable shear force or friction force between the body and the human body. It not only affects the efficiency of energy transfer, but also causes damage to the human body. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and design a passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton robotic arm. The purpose of human-machine compatibility should be fully considered during the design, so that the performance and characteristics of the machine in the human-machine system can adapt to each other and the human body and physiological characteristics in a reasonable manner. match.

Contents of the invention:

The purpose of this utility model is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and seek to design a passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm to improve the adaptability to the human body based on the purpose of human-machine compatibility.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the main structure of the passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton robotic arm involved in the present utility model includes a waist fixed belt provided at the bottom of the support rod, a shoulder member provided at the top, and two shoulder fixed belts, as well as a driver and a driver. The arm fixing belt is set on the upper part; the waist fixing belt is set on the bottom of the support rod through the waist fixing part; the shoulder member is set on the top of the support rod through the back fixing part; the two shoulder fixing belts are set on the shoulder set on the upper part of the back fixing part. Both ends of the head fixing piece; the driver is connected to the shoulder member through the connecting piece.

The main structure of the shoulder member involved in the utility model includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod, a fourth connecting rod, a fifth connecting rod, a sixth connecting rod and a pin; Both ends are fixed to the ends of the back fixing piece, the upper end is connected to the second connecting rod, the lower end is connected to the third connecting rod, the middle part of the fourth connecting rod is connected to the middle part of the second connecting rod, and the bottom end is connected to the third connecting rod. , the top end is connected to the fifth connecting rod, the bottom end of the sixth connecting rod is connected to the second connecting rod, and the top end is connected to the fifth connecting rod to form a telescopic and foldable structure; the above connections are all realized through pins.

The driver involved in the utility model is composed of a spring as an energy storage element, a fixed rotating shaft, a gear or a connecting rod.

The rotation center of the passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton mechanical arm involved in the present utility model is not on a certain pin, but directly above the shoulder outside the shoulder component.

Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the center of rotation of the shoulder member directly above the shoulder, leaving enough space near the shoulder, which can reduce the friction between the exoskeleton and the human body. When the arm is lowered, the energy storage in the driver The element begins to store energy. When the arm is raised, the energy storage element releases energy to provide assistance for raising the arm. Its structure is simple and the principle is scientific and reliable. On the one hand, springs are used as the energy storage element of the driver set on both sides of the arm. On the other hand, On the one hand, the shoulder component leaves some space between the exoskeleton and the human body, reducing the friction and conflict between the exoskeleton and the human body.

Picture description:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the main structure principle of Embodiment 1 of the present utility model.

Figure 2 is a top view of the main structure of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a side view of the main structure of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the driver involved in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the extension and compression states of the spring according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the main structure principle of Embodiment 2 of the present utility model.

Figure 7 is a top view of the main structure of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a side view of the main structure of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a schematic structural diagram of the driver involved in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the extension and compression states of the spring according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Detailed ways:

The utility model will be further described below through implementation examples and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Example 1:

The main structure of the passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton robotic arm involved in this embodiment includes a support rod 1, a waist fixation part 2, a back fixation part 3, a waist fixation belt 4, a shoulder fixation part 5, a shoulder member 6, and a shoulder fixation part. Belt 7, connecting piece 8, driver 9, shoulder connecting strap 10 and arm fixing strap 11; the bottom of the support rod 1 is provided with a waist fixing part 2, the top is provided with a back fixing part 3, the waist fixing part 2 and the waist fixing belt 4 connection, the upper part of the back fixing part 3 is connected to the shoulder fixing part 5, and both ends are connected to the shoulder member 6. The shoulder fixing part 5 is connected to the two shoulder fixing straps 7, and the shoulder member 6 is connected to the driver through the connecting piece 8 9 connection; a shoulder connection strap 10 is also provided between the shoulder fixation straps 7, and an arm fixation strap 11 is provided at the end of the driver 9.

The driver 9 involved in this embodiment is composed of a spring 91 and a gear 92. The spring 91 is connected to the gear 92, the gear 92 is meshed with the fixed rotating shaft 93, and the fixed rotating shaft 93 rolls between the gears 92; the driver 9 is in the process of being lowered with the arm. , the gear 92 slides to drive the spring 91 to elongate, thereby realizing energy storage.

Example 2:

The main structure of this embodiment is the same as that of Embodiment 1. The difference is that the driver 9 is composed of a spring 91 and a telescopic connecting rod assembly 94. The spring 91 is connected to the connecting rod assembly 94, and one end of the connecting rod assembly 94 is connected to the fixed rotating shaft 93. Fixed connection; when the driver 9 is lowered with the arm, the connecting rod assembly 94 extends to drive the spring 91 to extend, thereby realizing energy storage.

Claims (6)

1. The utility model provides a passive helping hand upper limbs ectoskeleton arm, the main structure includes the waist fixed band that the bracing piece bottom set up, the shoulder component that the top set up, and two shoulder fixed bands, and the arm fixed band that sets up on driver and the driver, its characterized in that, waist fixed band passes through waist mounting and sets up in the bottom of bracing piece; the shoulder component is arranged at the top of the supporting rod through the back fixing piece; the two shoulder fixing belts are arranged at two ends of the shoulder fixing piece arranged at the upper part of the back fixing piece; the driver is connected with the shoulder member by a connector.

2. The passive power-assisted upper extremity exoskeleton arm of claim 1 wherein the actuator is comprised of a spring and a gear, the spring being coupled to the gear, the gear being engaged with a fixed rotating shaft that rolls between the gears.

3. The passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton arm of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a spring and a retractable linkage assembly, the spring being coupled to the linkage assembly, one end of the linkage assembly being fixedly coupled to the fixed rotating shaft.

4. A passive power assisted upper extremity exoskeleton arm according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the body structure of the shoulder member comprises a first link, a second link, a third link, a fourth link, a fifth link, a sixth link and a pin; the two ends of the first connecting rod are fixed at the end part of the back fixing piece, the upper end of the first connecting rod is connected with the second connecting rod, the lower end of the first connecting rod is connected with the third connecting rod, the middle part of the fourth connecting rod is connected with the middle part of the second connecting rod, the bottom end of the fourth connecting rod is connected with the third connecting rod, the top end of the fourth connecting rod is connected with the fifth connecting rod, and the bottom end of the sixth connecting rod is connected with the second connecting rod to form a telescopic folding structure.

5. The passive power-assisted upper limb exoskeleton arm of claim 4, wherein said connections are each via a pin.

6. The passive power assisted upper extremity exoskeleton arm of claim 4 wherein the center of rotation is directly above the shoulder outside of the shoulder member.