KR102740162B1 - Wearable robot with improved leg wearable structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A wearable robot having an improved leg-worn structure according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a robot body worn on a user's body to assist a walking motion of the user; a leg linkage member having an upper end rotatably connected to the robot body and a lower end extending toward the user's leg; a first wearing member having one end rotatably connected to one side of the lower end of the leg linkage member and worn on a front part of the user's leg when the user walks; a second wearing member having one end rotatably connected to the other side of the lower end of the leg linkage member and worn on a rear part of the user's leg when the user walks; and a fixing member provided on the first wearing member and the second wearing member to fix the first wearing member and the second wearing member to the user's leg. At this time, the first wearing member and the second wearing member may be provided to be rotatably connected to the lower end of the leg linkage member so as to rotate in opposite directions with respect to the user's leg.

Description

WEARABLE ROBOT WITH IMPROVED LEG WEARABLE STRUCTURE

The present invention relates to a wearable robot with an improved leg-worn structure, and more specifically, to a wearable robot with an improved leg-worn structure capable of smoothly assisting a user's walking and stably measuring the user's leg power when assisting the user's walking.

In general, wearable robots are robots that are mounted on the user's body and perform functions such as assisting or supporting the user's strength by recognizing the user's intentions while the user performs various actions.

Wearable robots such as the above can be used to assist users such as the elderly or disabled, assist in handling heavy objects in industrial settings, or transport heavy objects or conduct reconnaissance in the military field.

Recent wearable robots are provided in the form of exoskeleton robots that are worn on the user's body, arms, or legs. Exoskeleton-type wearable robots attach actuators to the robot's arms or legs to assist the user's walking and amplify power. In other words, exoskeleton-type wearable robots help overcome the user's physical limitations, maintain posture, and perform agile movements. In addition, exoskeleton-type wearable robots also play a role in preventing external shocks or forces that may cause problems in advance.

In particular, the leg-wearing structure of a wearable robot must be designed in a form that allows it to be worn stably on the user's legs. Recently, sensors have been added to the leg-wearing structure of a wearable robot to measure the user's walking state in real time, and the measured values of the sensors are used to check and assist the user's walking state in real time.

However, the leg-wearing structure of existing wearable robots has the disadvantage of being abnormally twisted or dislocated from the original position due to the large leg force applied in only one direction when the user walks, and also has the disadvantage of not being able to accurately check the user's walking state because the user's leg force is not accurately transmitted to the sensor.

To solve this problem, the leg-wearing structure of the wearable robot can be structurally reinforced or the strength and thickness of the material can be increased, but this has the problem of increasing the manufacturing cost and weight of the wearable robot. In addition, the performance and number of sensors installed in the leg-wearing structure of the wearable robot can be increased, but this also has the problem of increasing the installation cost of the sensors.

Therefore, research has been continuously conducted recently to secure the wearability and structural stability of the legs while the user walks by improving the leg wearing structure of wearable robots, while easily securing the efficiency of measuring leg power. Related prior art documents include Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0053894 (Title of the Invention: Wearable Robot Structure, Publication Date: 2012.05.29), and Korean Registration Patent No. 10-2119536 (Title of the Invention: Wearable Robot and Control Method Thereof, Registration Date: 2020.06.01).

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0053894 (Published on May 29, 2012) Korean Patent No. 10-2119536 (registered on 2020.06.01)

An embodiment of the present invention provides a wearable robot having an improved leg-wearing structure that can be easily and conveniently worn on a user's leg and secures structural stability by preventing structural deformation due to leg force applied when the user walks.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention provides a wearable robot with an improved leg-wearing structure that can stably measure the user's leg power when the user walks and accurately measure the user's leg power to optimally assist the user's walking.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a wearable robot having an improved leg wearing structure is provided, including a robot body worn on a user's body to assist a walking motion of the user, a leg linkage member having an upper end rotatably connected to the robot body and a lower end extending toward the user's legs, a first wearing member having one end rotatably connected to one side of the lower end of the leg linkage member and worn on a front part of the user's legs when the user walks, a second wearing member having one end rotatably connected to the other side of the lower end of the leg linkage member and worn on a rear part of the user's legs when the user walks, and a fixing member provided on the first wearing member and the second wearing member to fix the first wearing member and the second wearing member to the user's legs.

The first wearable member and the second wearable member may be provided to be interlocked with the lower part of the leg linkage member so as to rotate in opposite directions around the user's leg.

Preferably, one end of the first wearing member and the second wearing member may be interlocked with each other in a gear structure so as to rotate the first wearing member and the second wearing member in opposite directions. Accordingly, the first wearing member and the second wearing member may rotate in a direction in which they are separated or gathered from each other around the lower end of the leg interlocking member.

Here, the first wearing member may include a first shaft connection part rotatably connected to one side of the lower end of the leg linkage member, a first wearing member formed in a shape that extends long from the first shaft connection part and wraps around the front part of the leg, and a first gear part provided on the outer periphery of the first shaft connection part.

In addition, the second wearing member may include a second shaft connection part rotatably connected to the other side of the lower end of the leg linkage member, a second wearing member formed in a shape that extends long from the second shaft connection part and wraps around the rear end of the leg, and a second gear part provided on the outer periphery of the second shaft connection part and coupled with the first gear part.

Meanwhile, the fixing member may be provided as a fastening belt that is provided in a form that can be fastened to the first wearing part and the second wearing part to fix the first wearing part and the second wearing part while being worn on the user's leg.

Preferably, a wearable robot having an improved leg-worn structure according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a first force-measuring sensor arranged on an inner surface of the first wearing member to measure the user's leg force applied forward to the first wearing member, and a second force-measuring sensor arranged on an inner surface of the second wearing member to measure the user's leg force applied backward to the second wearing member.

On the inner surfaces of the first wearable member and the second wearable member, sensor installation surfaces for attaching the first force measuring sensor or the second force measuring sensor may be formed so as to face each other. At this time, the sensor installation surfaces may be provided in a flat shape with respect to the user's leg.

Preferably, a wearable robot with an improved leg-wearing structure according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a sensor wire section electrically connected to the first force measuring sensor and the second force measuring sensor.

A pocket portion may be provided on either the inner surface of the first wearing portion or the second wearing portion or the inner surface of the fixing member to receive the sensor wire portion through it.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a wearable robot with an improved leg-worn structure is provided, including a robot body worn on a user's body to assist a walking motion of the user, a leg-linkage member having an upper end rotatably connected to the robot body and a lower end extended toward the user's legs, a first wearing member having one end rotatably connected to one side of a lower end of the leg-linkage member and worn on a front part of the user's legs when the user walks, a second wearing member having one end rotatably connected to the other side of the lower end of the leg-linkage member and worn on a rear part of the user's legs when the user walks, a fixing member provided on the first wearing member and the second wearing member to fix the first wearing member and the second wearing member to the user's legs, a first force measuring sensor arranged on an inner surface of the first wearing member to measure a force of the user's legs applied forward to the first wearing member, and a second force measuring sensor arranged on an inner surface of the second wearing member to measure a force of the user's legs applied backward to the second wearing member.

Here, sensor installation surfaces for attaching the first force measuring sensor or the second force measuring sensor may be formed to face each other on the inner surfaces of the first wearable member and the second wearable member. At this time, the sensor installation surfaces may be provided in a flat shape with respect to the user's leg.

In addition, a wearable robot with an improved leg-wearing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a sensor wire part electrically connected to the first force measuring sensor and the second force measuring sensor. At this time, a pocket part may be provided on one of the inner surface of the first wearing part and the second wearing part or the inner surface of the fixing member to receive the sensor wire part through it.

A wearable robot having an improved leg-worn structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a first wearing member and a second wearing member that are interlocked with each other at the lower end of a leg-linking member so that the robot is worn on the front and back of the user's legs when the user walks, respectively, and is provided with a structure that rotates in opposite directions with the user's legs as the center, so that the robot can be easily worn on the user's legs by simply spreading the first and second wearing members in opposite directions, inserting the user's legs, and then closing them in the opposite direction again. At this time, when the first and second wearing members worn on the user's legs are fixed by a fixing member and the user's leg force for walking is applied to the first or second wearing member, the first and second wearing members are supported by the fixing member from being spread in opposite directions by the leg force, so that abnormal structural deformation can be prevented in advance while the first and second wearing members rotate in the direction of the leg force.

In addition, since the wearable robot with improved leg-wearing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which one end of a first wearing member and a second wearing member, which are rotatably connected to the lower end of a leg-linking member, are interlocked with each other by a gear structure, a structure for rotating the first wearing member and the second wearing member in a direction that spreads or brings them together can be easily implemented by simply changing the structure of connecting one end of the first wearing member and the second wearing member by a gear structure.

In addition, since the wearable robot with improved leg-wearing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which the first and second force-measuring sensors are respectively installed on the first and second sensor installation surfaces formed on the inner surfaces of the first and second wearing members, the first and second force-measuring sensors can be stably attached to the user's legs by installing them on the first and second sensor installation surfaces having a flat structure, and the problem of a gap occurring between the user's legs and the first and second force-measuring sensors when the user walks can be prevented in advance.

In addition, a wearable robot having an improved leg-wearing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a sensor wire section electrically connected to first and second force-measuring sensors installed on a first wearing member and a second wearing member, wherein the sensor wire section is structured to be arranged inside a pocket section provided on an inner surface of one of the first and second wearing members or a fixed member, so that the sensor wire section is not exposed to the outside and can be protected by the pocket section, thereby preventing in advance the problem of the sensor wire section being damaged due to external impact and friction.

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a wearable robot with an improved leg-wearing structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a drawing showing a leg wearing module of the wearable robot illustrated in Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are drawings showing the main parts of the leg-worn module illustrated in Figure 2 as viewed from different directions.
Figure 5 is a drawing showing the operating state of the leg-worn module illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.
Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the first and second wearing members illustrated in Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a drawing showing a cross-section along line AA shown in Figure 2.
Figure 8 is a drawing showing the operating state when leg force is applied to the leg-worn module illustrated in Figure 2.
FIG. 9 is a drawing showing the operating state when leg force is applied to the leg wearing module with the first and second gear parts shown in FIG. 2 omitted.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited or restricted by the embodiments. The same reference numerals presented in each drawing represent the same components.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a wearable robot (100) having an improved leg-wearing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a leg-wearing module (200) of the wearable robot (100) illustrated in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating main parts of the leg-wearing module (200) illustrated in FIG. 2 when viewed from different directions. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an operating state of the leg-wearing module (200) illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating first and second wearing members (130, 140) illustrated in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a cross-section taken along line A-A illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the operating state when leg force is applied to the leg wearing module (200) shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 9 is a drawing showing the operating state when leg force (F) is applied to the leg wearing module (200) with the first and second gear parts (136, 146) shown in FIG. 2 omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a wearable robot (100) with an improved leg wearing structure according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a robot body (110) and a leg wearing module (200).

The wearable robot (100) of the present embodiment can be manufactured as an exoskeleton type robot structure and can be worn on the body and legs of the user (H) to assist the walking motion of the user (H). In particular, the wearable robot (100) of the present embodiment can actively assist the walking of the user (H) by using power.

In addition, in the wearable robot (100) of the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the leg-worn module (200) is described as being worn on the thigh of the user (H), but it is not limited thereto and may be worn on the calf of the user (H) or on both the thigh and calf of the user (H).

In addition, in the wearable robot (100) of the present embodiment, the upper part of the leg-worn module (200) can be rotatably connected to the left and right parts of the robot body (110), respectively. The leg-worn module (200) as described above can repeatedly rotate in the forward and backward direction around the connection part with the robot body (110) when the user (H) walks.

Referring to Fig. 1, the robot body (110) of the present embodiment can be worn on the body of the user (H) to assist the walking motion of the user (H). That is, the robot body (110) can be provided as a belt structure worn on the waist and hip joint areas of the user (H), or as a shoulder strap structure worn on the shoulder area of the user (H). Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, it will be described that the robot body (110) is provided as a belt structure.

For example, the robot body (110) may include a body wearing part (112) having a belt structure that is worn on the waist and hip joints of the user (H), and a walking aid (114) that is positioned on each side of the body wearing part (112) and connected to a leg wearing module.

The walking aid (114) as described above may be formed to rotatably support the upper part of the leg-worn module (200). In particular, the walking aid (114) of the present embodiment may be provided with a power supply unit (not shown) for providing power to the leg-worn module (200) as needed. Accordingly, the walking aid (114) can also actively assist the walking of the user (H) by using the power of the power supply unit.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the leg-worn module (200) of the present embodiment is a module worn on the leg of a user (H), and can be repeatedly moved back and forth in the forward and backward directions (D1, D2) together with the leg of the user (H) when the user (H) walks. At this time, the leg-worn module (200) of the present embodiment can be provided as a right leg module (210) worn on the right leg of the user (H), and a left leg module (220) worn on the left leg of the user (H).

The leg-worn module (200) as described above can rotate around the connection portion with the walking aid (114). Here, the leg-worn module (200) can receive power from the walking aid (114) to support the leg muscle strength of the user (H), or can accurately measure the leg strength (F) that the user (H) exerts on the leg-worn module (200) when the user (H) walks by using the force measuring sensor (160, 170) installed in the leg-worn module (200). By databaseizing the leg strength (F) of the user (H) measured by the force measuring sensor (160, 170), the walking state of the user (H) can be analyzed or a method for assisting the walking of the user (H) can be derived.

For example, the leg-worn module (200) of the present embodiment may include a leg-linking member (120), a first wearing member (130), a second wearing member (140), and a fixing member (150).

At this time, the leg linkage member (120), the first wearing member (130), and the second wearing member (140) may be formed of a hard, high-strength material, and the fixing member (150) may be formed of a flexible material with very little or no elasticity. However, this is not limited thereto, and the leg linkage member (120), the first wearing member (130), the second wearing member (140), and the fixing member (150) may be manufactured from various materials.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the leg linkage member (120) of the present embodiment may be provided in a rod shape that extends downward from the walking aid (114) of the robot body (110). The leg linkage member (120) as described above may be linked with the legs of the user (H) when the user (H) walks.

Here, the upper part of the leg linkage member (120) can be rotatably connected to the walking aid (114) of the robot body (110), and the lower part of the leg linkage member (120) can be extended toward the thigh of the user's (H) leg.

Meanwhile, at the lower end of the bridge linkage member (120), an upper support (122) can be connected in a horizontal direction, a lower support (124) can be arranged parallel to the upper support (122) at a position spaced below the upper support (122), and both ends of the first rotation axis (126) and the second rotation axis (128) can be connected to the upper support (122) and the lower support (124), respectively.

The first rotation axis (126) and the second rotation axis (128) are arranged in the length direction of the bridge linkage member (120) between the upper support (122) and the lower support (124), but can be arranged parallel to each other at positions spaced apart from each other. The first axis connection part (132) of the first wearing member (130) described later can be rotatably connected to the first rotation axis (126), and the second axis connection part (142) of the second wearing member (140) described later can be rotatably connected to the second rotation axis (128).

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the first wearable member (130) of the present embodiment is a member worn on the front part (H1) of the leg of the user (H) when the user (H) walks, and may be rotatably connected to one side of the lower part of the leg linkage member (120). For example, one end of the first wearable member (130) may be rotatably connected to a first rotation axis (126) provided at the lower part of the leg linkage member (120).

The first wearing member (130) as described above may be provided at the lower end of the leg linkage member (120) with a structure that is rotationally linked in the opposite direction to the second wearing member (140) centered on the leg of the user (H). To this end, in the present embodiment, one end of the first wearing member (130) is described as being linked to one end of the second wearing member (140) with a gear structure, but is not limited thereto and various structures may be applied depending on the design conditions and situations for the leg wearing structure of the wearable robot (100). That is, one end of the first wearing member (130) and one end of the second wearing member (140) may be linked to each other by a linkage belt, a linkage wire, a linkage link, or the like.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 6, the first wearing member (130) may include a first shaft connection part (132) rotatably connected to a first rotational axis (126) provided on one side of the lower portion of the leg linkage member (120), a first wearing member (134) formed in a shape that extends long from the first shaft connection part (132) and wraps around the front portion (H1) of the leg, and a first gear part (136) provided on the outer periphery of the first shaft connection part (132).

An axial hole may be formed in the center of the first shaft connecting portion (132) to allow the first rotational shaft (126) to pass through. The first shaft connecting portion (132) as described above may be provided as a circular pipe structure that surrounds the outer circumference of the first rotational shaft (126).

The first wearing part (134) can be extended in an arc shape from the first axis connecting part (132) along the front part (H1) of the user's (H) leg to wrap around the front part (H1) of the user's (H) leg. The first wearing part (134) can be integrally connected to the first axis connecting part (132) and can be rotated together with the first axis connecting part (132). That is, the first wearing part (134) can be positioned in close contact with the front part (H1) of the user's (H) leg when the user's (H) walks, and can be rotated to a position spaced forward from the front part (H1) of the user's (H) leg when the user's (H) walks. A first belt fitting hole (135) for inserting a fastening belt (152) of a fixing member (150) described below can be formed in the first wearing part (134) as described above.

The first gear portion (136) may be provided in a spur gear shape along the outer circumference of the first shaft connecting portion (132). The first gear portion (136) as described above may also be formed in a helical gear shape or a screw gear shape instead of a spur gear shape, but in this embodiment, it is described that the first gear portion (136) is provided in a spur gear shape.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the second wearable member (140) of the present embodiment is a member worn on the back of the leg (H2) of the user (H) when the user (H) walks, and can be rotatably connected to the other side of the lower end of the leg linkage member (120). For example, one end of the second wearable member (140) can be rotatably connected to a second rotation axis (128) provided at the lower end of the leg linkage member (120).

The second wearable member (140) as described above may be provided at the lower end of the leg linkage member (120) with a structure that rotates in the opposite direction to the first wearable member (130) around the leg of the user (H). To this end, in the present embodiment, one end of the second wearable member (140) may be linked to one end of the first wearable member (130) in a gear structure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 6, the second wearing member (140) may include a second shaft connection part (142) rotatably connected to a second rotational shaft (128) provided on the other side of the lower end of the leg linkage member (120), a second wearing member (144) formed in a shape that extends long from the second shaft connection part (142) and wraps around the rear portion (H2) of the leg, and a second gear part (146) provided on the outer periphery of the second shaft connection part (142).

An axial hole may be formed in the center of the second shaft connecting portion (142) to allow the second rotational shaft (128) to pass through. The second shaft connecting portion (142) as described above may be provided as a circular pipe structure that surrounds the outer circumference of the second rotational shaft (128).

The second wearing part (144) may extend from the second axis connecting part (142) in an arc shape along the back part (H2) of the user's (H) leg to wrap around the back part (H2) of the user's (H) leg. The second wearing part (144) may be integrally connected to the second axis connecting part (142) and may rotate together with the second axis connecting part (142). That is, the second wearing part (144) may be positioned in close contact with the back part (H2) of the user's (H) leg when the user's (H) walks, and may be rotated to a position spaced rearward from the back part (H2) of the user's (H) leg when the user's (H) walks. A second belt fitting hole (145) may be formed in the second wearing part (144) described above to insert a fastening belt (152) of a fixing member (150) described below.

The second gear portion (146) may be provided in a spur gear shape along the outer circumference of the second shaft connecting portion (142). The second gear portion (146) as described above may be formed in a helical gear shape or a screw gear shape instead of a spur gear shape, but in this embodiment, it is described that it is provided in a spur gear shape that meshes with the first gear portion (136).

Meanwhile, the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) of the present embodiment can be designed and manufactured with the same structure, thereby realizing common use of parts. Accordingly, the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) can be determined depending on which axis among the first rotation axis (126) and the second rotation axis (128) of the leg linkage member (120) they are assembled to.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) are configured to rotate in opposite directions with respect to the user's (H) leg as the center, and can be rotatably connected to the first rotation axis (126) and the second rotation axis (128) in a form in which the first gear part (136) and the second gear part (146) are interlocked. Accordingly, the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) can simultaneously rotate in directions in which they spread apart or come together with respect to the lower portion of the leg linkage part (120), and thus can be very easily and conveniently worn on the user's (H) leg.

That is, when the first wearing member (130) is rotated in the first direction (R1) moving forward from the front part (H1) of the leg and the second wearing member (140) is rotated in the second direction (R2) moving backward from the back part (H2) of the leg, the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) can be operated in a spreading mode in which they spread apart. In the spreading mode, the user's (H) legs can be easily inserted or removed between the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140), thereby improving the wearing convenience of the wearable robot (100).

In addition, when the first wearing member (130) is rotated in the second direction (R2) toward the front part (H1) of the leg and the second wearing member (140) is rotated in the second direction (R2) toward the back part (H2) of the leg, the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) can be operated in a folding mode in which they fold. In the folding mode, the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) can be brought into close contact with the leg of the user (H), so the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) can stably support the leg of the user (H).

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 7, the fixing member (150) of the present embodiment is a member that fixes the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) to the leg of the user (H), and may be provided on the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140). Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the fixing member (150) is described as a belt member that fixes the first wearing portion (134) and the second wearing portion (144) while being worn on the leg of the user (H), but is not limited thereto, and may be variously modified depending on the design conditions and situations for the leg wearing structure of the wearable robot (100).

For example, the fixed member (150) may include a fastening belt (152) provided in a form that can be fastened to the first wearing portion (134) and the second wearing portion (144), and a pocket portion (154) provided in a pocket shape on the inner surface of the fastening belt (152) to accommodate a sensor wire portion (180) described below.

Here, the binding belt (152) is made of a material with little elasticity and excellent strength, and can be placed on the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) in a form that is inserted into the first belt insertion hole (135) of the first wearing member (134) and the second belt insertion hole (145) of the second wearing member (144). A Velcro for binding can be applied to the binding belt (152). Accordingly, the user (H) can easily bind or release the binding state of the binding belt (152).

In addition, the pocket portion (154) may be formed as a pocket structure so that the sensor wire portion (180) may be received by penetrating the inner surface of the binding belt (152). Accordingly, the pocket portion (154) may minimize the sensor wire portion (180) from being exposed to the outside, thereby minimizing external impact and friction applied to the sensor wire portion (180), thereby preventing damage and disconnection of the sensor wire portion (180) in advance.

Unlike the above, the pocket portion (154) may be formed on the inner surface of the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) rather than on the inner surface of the binding belt (152). However, in the present embodiment, since the material of the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) is described as a hard, high-strength material such as metal, it is more preferable to form the pocket portion (154) on the inner surface of the binding belt (152) by making the flexible binding belt (152) into a double structure.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the leg-worn module (200) of the present embodiment may further include a first force measuring sensor (160), a second force measuring sensor (170), and a sensor wire section (180).

That is, when a user (H) wearing a wearable robot (100) walks, a first force measuring sensor (160) and a second force measuring sensor (170) can be installed in the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) to measure the leg force (F) that the user's (H's) leg exerts on the leg wearing module (200). In this embodiment, the walking state of the user (H) can be identified in real time by using the measurement results measured by the first force measuring sensor (160) and the second force measuring sensor (170), and further, a function for assisting the walking of the user (H) can be appropriately implemented.

The first force measuring sensor (160) may be arranged on the inner surface of the first wearing member (130). The first force measuring sensor (160) as described above may measure the leg force (F) of the user (H) applied forward to the first wearing portion (134) of the first wearing member (130). Meanwhile, a first sensor installation surface (162) for attaching the first force measuring sensor (160) may be formed on the inner surface of the first wearing portion (134) of the first wearing member (130). At this time, the first sensor installation surface (162) may be provided in a flat shape with respect to the front portion (H1) of the leg of the user (H).

The second force measuring sensor (170) may be arranged on the inner surface of the second wearable member (140). The second force measuring sensor (170) as described above may measure the leg force (F) of the user (H) applied toward the rear to the second wearing portion (144) of the second wearable member (140). Meanwhile, a second sensor installation surface (172) for attaching the second force measuring sensor (170) may be formed on the inner surface of the second wearing portion (144) of the second wearable member (140). At this time, the second sensor installation surface (172) may be provided in a flat shape with respect to the rear surface (H2) of the leg of the user (H).

As described above, the first force measuring sensor (160) and the second force measuring sensor (170) can be arranged on the first sensor installation surface (162) and the second sensor installation surface (172) having a flat structure, and the first sensor installation surface (162) and the second sensor installation surface (172) can be formed on the inner surfaces of the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) so as to face each other. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first force measuring sensor (160) and the second force measuring sensor (170) can be stably attached to the front part (H1) of the leg and the back part (H2) of the leg of the user (H), and the problem of a gap occurring between the first force measuring sensor (160) and the front part (H1) of the leg or between the second force measuring sensor (170) and the back part (H2) of the leg during the walking process of the user (H) can be prevented in advance. In addition, the first force measuring sensor (160) and the second force measuring sensor (170) can be attached and fixed more stably than when the first sensor installation surface (162) and the second sensor installation surface (172) are formed with a flat structure, by forming the first sensor installation surface (162) and the second sensor installation surface (172) with a flat structure.

The sensor wire portion (180) is a member that is electrically connected to the first force measuring sensor (160) and the second force measuring sensor (170), and can be electrically connected to the first force measuring sensor (160) and the second force measuring sensor (170) along the inner side of the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140). That is, the sensor wire portion (180) can perform a function of supplying external electricity to the first force measuring sensor (160) and the second force measuring sensor (170) or transmitting measurement values of the first force measuring sensor (160) and the second force measuring sensor (170) to the outside.

Here, one end of the sensor wire portion (180) can be electrically connected to the first force measuring sensor (160), and the other end of the sensor wire portion (180) can be electrically connected to the second force measuring sensor (170).

In addition, the portion of the sensor wire section (180) except for one end and the other end can be stably accommodated inside the pocket section (154) provided on the inner surface of the binding belt (152). As a result, the sensor wire section (180) can be prevented from being damaged or broken when the user (H) walks.

Meanwhile, FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the operating states of the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) when the user (H) walks in the wearable robot (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention. At this time, FIG. 8 illustrates the operating states of the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) applied to the wearable robot (100) of the present embodiment, and FIG. 9 illustrates the operating states of the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) that occur when the first and second gear parts (136, 146) are omitted, unlike the wearable robot (100) of the present embodiment.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, when the front leg (H1) of the user (H) applies a leg force (F) forward to the first wearing member (130), the first wearing member (130) attempts to rotate in the first direction (R1), and the second wearing member (140) attempts to rotate in the second direction (R2) by the interlocking action of the first gear portion (136) and the second gear portion (146).

However, since the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) are fastened and fixed with the fastening belt (152), the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) can maintain the initial posture without being spread apart as in the spread mode. Therefore, in the present embodiment, structural deformation, such as the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) being displaced from the original position or the structure of the leg wearing module (200) being twisted due to the leg force (F) of the user (H) when the user (H) walks, can be prevented in advance.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, when the front leg (H1) of the user (H) applies a leg force (F) forward to the first wearing member (130), the first wearing member (130) tries to rotate in the first direction (R1), and the second wearing member (140) tries to rotate in the first direction (R1) by the binding belt (152) because it is not connected by the first gear part (136) and the second gear part (146).

That is, the first wearable member (130) and the second wearable member (140) may cause structural deformation that rotates or twists around the leg linkage member (120) along the direction in which the leg force (F) of the user (H) is applied when the user (H) walks, which may cause the user (H) to have difficulty walking, and errors may also occur in the measurement results measured by the first force measuring sensor (160) and the second force measuring sensor (170).

In conclusion, in this embodiment, since the first wearing member (130) and the second wearing member (140) are structured to be linked in opposite directions due to the gear connection structure of the first gear part (136) and the second gear part (146), the leg wearing structure of the wearable robot (100) can be improved, thereby improving walking stability, wearing comfort, and measurement accuracy of leg power (F).

As described above, in the embodiments of the present invention, specific matters such as specific components, and limited examples and drawings have been described, but this is only provided to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and those with common knowledge in the field to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and variations from this description. Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and all things that are equivalent or equivalent to the claims below as well as the claims are considered to belong to the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

100: Wearable Robots
110: Robot body
120: Absence of bridge linkage
130: First wearable
136: 1st gear
140: Second wearable
146: 2nd gear
150: Fixed Absence
152: Binding Belt
154: Pocket
160: 1st force measuring sensor
162: 1st sensor installation surface
170: 2nd force measurement sensor
172: 2nd sensor installation surface
180: Sensor wire section
200: Leg Wear Module
D1: Forward
D2: Rear

Claims (9)

A robot body worn on the user's body to assist the user's walking motion;
A leg linkage member having an upper portion rotatably connected to the robot body and a lower portion extending toward the user's legs;
A first wearable member, one end of which is rotatably connected to one side of the lower end of the above-mentioned bridge linkage member and is worn on the front part of the user's leg when the user walks;
A second wearable member, one end of which is rotatably connected to the other end of the lower end of the above-mentioned bridge linkage member and is worn on the back of the user's leg when the user walks;
A fixing member provided on the first wearing member and the second wearing member to fix the first wearing member and the second wearing member to the user's leg;
A first force measuring sensor arranged on the inner side of the first wearable member to measure the user's leg force applied forward to the first wearable member; and
A second force measuring sensor is disposed on the inner side of the second wearable member to measure the user's leg force applied backwards to the second wearable member;
The first wearable member and the second wearable member are provided so as to be linked to the lower part of the leg linkage member so as to rotate in opposite directions around the user's leg.
A first sensor installation surface for attaching the first force measuring sensor is formed on the inner surface of the first wearable member, and a second sensor installation surface for attaching the second force measuring sensor is formed on the inner surface of the second wearable member so as to face the first sensor installation surface.
The above first and second sensor installation surfaces are formed with a flat structure to more stably attach and fix the first and second force measuring sensors, but are formed with a raised shape toward the user's legs rather than the inner surface of the first and second wearing members, so that they are stably attached to the user's legs. A wearable robot with an improved leg-wearing structure characterized by:
In the first paragraph,
One end of the first wearing member and the second wearing member are interlocked with each other in a gear structure so as to rotate the first wearing member and the second wearing member in opposite directions,
A wearable robot with an improved leg wearing structure, characterized in that the first wearing member and the second wearing member rotate in a direction in which they spread apart or come together with respect to the lower part of the leg linkage member as the center.
In the second paragraph,
The first wearing member includes: a first shaft connecting portion rotatably connected to one side of the lower portion of the leg linking member; a first wearing portion formed in a shape that extends long from the first shaft connecting portion and wraps around the front portion of the leg; and a first gear portion provided on the outer periphery of the first shaft connecting portion.
A wearable robot with an improved leg wearing structure, characterized in that the second wearing member includes: a second shaft connecting portion rotatably connected to the other side of the lower end of the leg linkage member; a second wearing portion formed in a shape that extends long from the second shaft connecting portion and wraps around the rear end of the leg; and a second gear portion provided on the outer periphery of the second shaft connecting portion and coupled with the first gear portion.
In the third paragraph,
The above fixed member is,
A wearable robot with an improved leg-worn structure, characterized in that it is provided with a fastening belt that is provided in a form that can be fastened to the first worn part and the second worn part to secure the first worn part and the second worn part in a state of being worn on the user's leg.
delete delete In any one of claims 1 to 4,
Further comprising a sensor wire section electrically connected to the first force measuring sensor and the second force measuring sensor;
The above sensor wire portion is arranged along the inner surface of the first wearing portion and the second wearing portion,
A pocket is provided on one of the inner surface of the first wearable portion and the second wearable portion or the inner surface of the fixing member to accommodate the sensor wire portion by inserting it therein.
A wearable robot with an improved leg-wearing structure, characterized in that both sides of the pocket portion are formed to be open toward the first and second force measuring sensors so that both ends of the sensor wire portion connected to the first and second force measuring sensors can be brought out to the outside.
A robot body worn on the user's body to assist the user's walking motion;
A leg linkage member having an upper portion rotatably connected to the robot body and a lower portion extending toward the user's legs;
A first wearable member, one end of which is rotatably connected to one side of the lower end of the above-mentioned bridge linkage member and is worn on the front part of the user's leg when the user walks;
A second wearable member, one end of which is rotatably connected to the other end of the lower end of the above-mentioned bridge linkage member and is worn on the back of the user's leg when the user walks;
A fixing member provided on the first wearing member and the second wearing member to fix the first wearing member and the second wearing member to the user's leg;
A first force measuring sensor arranged on the inner side of the first wearable member to measure the user's leg force applied forward to the first wearable member;
A second force measuring sensor arranged on the inner side of the second wearable member to measure the user's leg force applied backwards to the second wearable member; and
A sensor wire section electrically connected to the first force measuring sensor and the second force measuring sensor is included;
The above sensor wire portion is arranged along the inner surface of the first wearing portion and the second wearing portion,
A pocket is provided on one of the inner surface of the first wearable portion and the second wearable portion or the inner surface of the fixing member to accommodate the sensor wire portion by inserting it therein.
A wearable robot with an improved leg-wearing structure, characterized in that both sides of the pocket portion are formed to be open toward the first and second force measuring sensors so that both ends of the sensor wire portion connected to the first and second force measuring sensors can be brought out to the outside.
In Article 8,
A first sensor installation surface for attaching the first force measuring sensor is formed on the inner surface of the first wearable member, and a second sensor installation surface for attaching the second force measuring sensor is formed on the inner surface of the second wearable member so as to face the first sensor installation surface.
The above first and second sensor installation surfaces are formed with a flat structure to more stably attach and fix the first and second force measuring sensors, but are formed with a raised shape toward the user's legs rather than the inner surface of the first and second wearing members, so that they are stably attached to the user's legs. A wearable robot with an improved leg-wearing structure characterized by:

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