CN210256125U - Ankle mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model discloses ankle mechanism. The ankle mechanism comprises an upper ankle bracket and a lower ankle bracket which are rotationally connected; the ankle upper support comprises at least one semi-annular support plane and the ankle lower support is sleeved on the foot of the wearer, so that the bearing pressure applied to the semi-annular support plane is released to the ground through the ankle lower support. This ankle mechanism is close to the shin and light, can set up in the wearing person shoes, utilizes the inherent structure of wearing person shoes to realize ankle mechanism's fixed does not influence the ground performance of grabbing of the original shoes of wearing person, can not bring extra discomfort or unmatched sensation for the wearing person, and the wearing is experienced. After wearing, the force of the lower leg rod in the power assisting device does not need to pass through the body of a wearer, and extra burden can not be caused to the wearer. In addition, the relative sliding rotation between the lower protective shell of the shank and the semi-annular supporting plane can better adapt to the left-right rotating motion of legs when a human body moves, and the comfort and the power assisting effect are improved.

Description

Ankle mechanism

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a wearable ectoskeleton technical field especially relates to an ankle mechanism.

Background

In daily work and life, there are often situations where it is desirable to increase the strength of the legs of a human body. In order to meet the needs of people, wearable exoskeletons or similar machine devices, such as powered lower limb assistance exoskeletons, come into force.

The prior art devices of this type are generally bulky (e.g., the power assist devices disclosed in patent application No. 200680006514.1 and patent application No. 200780027195.7). An excessively bulky device may result in a poor wearing experience for the user. Among other things, foot mechanisms are important components of such exoskeleton robots.

Chinese patent CN201610098737.0 discloses a passive energy-storing foot mechanism for a lower extremity assisting exoskeleton, which in use is placed over the wearer's shoe, being heavy and complex. CN201621316009 discloses an exoskeleton robot foot structure connected to a leg mechanism via a pivoting structure, which in use is also fitted over a wearer's shoe; patent CN201711015340 discloses a foot device capable of detecting plantar pressure and a lower limb assisting device thereof, wherein the foot device is also sleeved outside a shoe of a wearer when in use.

Such foot mechanisms have the common disadvantage of being bulky and fitting over the wearer's shoes, and in particular, the ankle mechanisms used in existing wearable exoskeleton devices have a complex structure, and when worn by a wearer, have a series of problems such as poor foot fit, poor sole grip, and being relatively heavy.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the utility model provides an ankle mechanism aims at solving one or more problems that current ankle mechanism exists.

To achieve the above object, a first aspect of the embodiments of the present invention provides an ankle mechanism. Wherein the ankle mechanism comprises an upper ankle bracket and a lower ankle bracket which are rotationally connected; the ankle support comprises at least one semi-annular support plane, and the ankle support is sleeved on the foot of a wearer, so that the force borne by the semi-annular support plane is released to the ground through the ankle support.

Compared with the prior art, the utility model beneficial effect be: the ankle mechanism is close-fitting and light, so that the force of the lower leg rod in the power assisting device does not need to pass through the human body of a wearer, and no extra burden is caused to the wearer.

In addition, the relative sliding rotation between the lower protective shell of the shank and the semi-annular supporting plane can better adapt to the left-right rotation movement of legs when a human body moves, and the wearing comfort and the power assisting effect are improved.

Furthermore, the utility model discloses ankle mechanism can set up in the wearing person shoes, utilizes the intrinsic structure of wearing person shoes to realize ankle mechanism's fixed does not influence the ground performance of grabbing of the original shoes of wearing person, can not bring extra discomfort or unmatched sensation for the wearing person, and the wearing is experienced.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required to be used in the description of the embodiments are briefly introduced below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to these drawings without any creative effort.

Fig. 1 is a side view of an ankle mechanism provided in an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 2 is a rear view of an ankle mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a top view of an ankle mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a side view of an ankle mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a side view of a portable power assisting apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the ankle mechanism and shank of the present invention in cooperation with one another;

fig. 7 is a rear view of a lumbar portion of a portable power assist apparatus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is a front view of a lumbar mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 9 is a side view of a lumbar mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 10 is a front view of a cable torque sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 11 is a schematic view of a cable drive mechanism according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

fig. 12 is a schematic view of a cable drive mechanism according to embodiment 2 of the present invention;

fig. 13 is a schematic view of the operation of the cable-driven power device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 14 is a schematic view of a hip drive mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 15 is a schematic view of a guy cable winding of the hip pulley according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a schematic view of a tension adjusting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a side view of a portable power assist apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

The reference numbers are as follows:

1-a cable driving mechanism; 11-cable driving power device; 111-a power base; 112-power output end; 113-first cable fixing point; 12-a guy cable; 121 — a first cable; 122 — second cable; 123-stay rope lubricating pipe; 13-hip drive mechanism; 131-upper hip arm; 132-lower hip arm; 133-hip pulley; 1331 — second cable fixing point; 1332-hip pulley shaft; 1333 — main wheel; 13331-cylindrical boss; 1334-annular auxiliary wheel; 13341-waist hole; 1335-bolts; 134-hip rotation shaft; 135-hip turntable; 136-elastic pull rope; 14-knee drive mechanism; 141-knee turntable; 1411 — third cable fixing point; 15-thigh rod; 16-shank rod;

2-waist and back mechanism; 21-a back plate; 211 — backplane motherboard; 212-main board rib plate; 2121, forming a waist hole of a rib plate; 22-waist bar; 221-left crossbar; 222-right cross bar; 223-a chute; 224-waist bar connecting plate; 2241-vertical ribs; 2242-vertical rib waist hole; 23-adduction and abduction of the rotating shaft; 24-a fastening screw;

3-ankle mechanism; 31-ankle upper brace; 311-semi-annular support plane; 312 — a lower extension; 313 — an upper extension; 314 — second semi-annular support plane; 32-ankle support; 321-thin base plate; 322-bending the upright part; 323-front of thin floor; 33-ankle rotation axis; 34-vertical axis;

4-man-machine connection system; 41-waist strap; 411-waist upper band; 412-lower waist strap; 42-hip and waist connecting band; 43-thigh link; 431-thigh strap; 432-thigh shield; 44-the shank is connected; 441-upper crus protective shell, 442-upper crus bandage; 45, connecting the lower part of the shank; 451-lower calf bandage; 452-lower calf shell; 46-foot strap; 461-heel strap; 462-instep strap; 463-ankle strap;

5-a sensor system; 51-cable torque sensor; 511-output terminal; 512-input end; 513-a strain beam; 514-strain gauge; 52-waist inertial sensor; 53-shank inertial sensor; 54-foot inertial sensor; 55-hip angle sensor; 56-knee angle sensor; 57-plantar pressure sensor.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, wherein like component numbers represent like components. It is obvious that the embodiments to be described below are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by a person skilled in the art without creative efforts belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

It will be understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification and the appended claims, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description of the embodiments of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the embodiments of the invention. As used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Fig. 1 to 3 are schematic views of an ankle mechanism provided in embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1-3, the ankle mechanism 3 is composed of an ankle lower support 32 and an ankle upper support 31.

Wherein, the ankle lower support 32 and the ankle upper support 31 are rotatably connected through an ankle rotating shaft 33 and can rotate relatively. The ankle lower support 32 is composed of a thin bottom plate 321 and bent upright portions 322 provided on both sides of the thin bottom plate 321.

The thin bottom plate 321 is fixedly connected with the two side bending standing parts 322, the upper ends of the bending standing parts 322 extend to the height near the ankles of the wearer, and holes or bosses for rotatably connecting with the ankle upper support are arranged.

When worn, the ankle mechanism is secured to the wearer's foot by foot straps 46 provided to the ankle brace. The thin base plate 321 is positioned under the sole of the wearer's foot and may be positioned within the wearer's shoe between the wearer's foot and the shoe.

The ankle upper support 31 includes: a semi-annular support plane 311, a lower extension 312, and an upper extension 313.

Wherein the lower end of the lower extension 312 extends to a predetermined height (i.e., near the ankle of the wearer), and is rotatably connected to the upper end of the ankle lower bracket bent upright portion 322 by the ankle rotating shaft 33.

The upper extension 313 is an arc-shaped thin plate structure, which is matched with the lower ankle part of the wearer, and the semi-annular support plane 311 is positioned between the upper extension 313 and the lower extension 312 and is arranged around the lower end of the arc-shaped thin plate.

The semi-annular support plane 311 of the upper ankle support is used to carry pressure from the wearable device and to relieve the pressure carried to the ground through the upper ankle support 31 and the lower ankle support 32.

Fig. 4 is a view of an ankle mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is different from the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 3 in that the ankle mechanism of this embodiment further includes a second semi-annular support plane 314 disposed above the original semi-annular support plane 311.

For simplicity, in the present embodiment, the upper support plane 314 and the lower support plane 311 respectively represent two semi-annular support planes.

The upper support plane 314 is disposed on the upper extension 313 for limiting the lower leg shield 452 to fall off the lower support plane 311. That is, the lower leg shaft is prevented from coming off the ankle upper brace.

With continued reference to fig. 4, foot strap 46 of the present embodiment includes a heel strap 461, an instep strap 462, and an ankle strap 463.

Wherein the heel strap 461 is fixed to the thin base plate 321 heel posterior segment, the instep strap 462 is fixed to the thin base plate 321 heel anterior segment, the heel strap 461 extends from both sides around the wearer heel tendon to the instep, and the instep strap 462 is fixed from both sides converging at the wearer instep to form a tight fit with the wearer foot posterior segment, thereby preventing the ankle mechanism 3 from separating from the wearer foot when the ankle upper bracket 31 is under pressure.

Preferably, the foot strap 46 of this embodiment may further include an ankle strap 463, the ankle strap 463 secured to the upper end of the ankle support 31 matching the wearer's ankle with the curved tab structure of the upper extension 313 to prevent separation from the wearer's ankle when the ankle support 31 is loaded.

As shown in fig. 1-4, in some embodiments, the thin bottom plate 321 may extend forward to form a thin bottom plate front portion 323, the thin bottom plate front portion 323 engaging the wearer's shoe interior to secure the ankle lower support bracket 32 with the wearer's shoe interior.

It should be noted that the ankle mechanism provided by the embodiments of the present invention can be made of any suitable type of material, including but not limited to carbon fiber, plastic, polymer material, metal, etc. According to the needs of actual conditions, the ankle mechanism can also be made of two or three materials, and different materials are used at different parts.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a portable power assisting apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. The portable power assisting device is realized based on the ankle mechanism 3 disclosed in the above embodiment.

As shown in fig. 5, the portable booster apparatus includes: the device comprises a inhaul cable driving mechanism 1, a waist and back mechanism 2, an ankle mechanism 3, a man-machine connecting system 4 and a sensor system 5.

The cable driving power device 11 of the cable driving mechanism 1 is in transmission connection with the lumbar and back mechanism 2, and the ankle mechanism 3 is in transmission connection with the shank rod 16 in the cable driving mechanism 1. The inhaul cable driving mechanism 1, the waist and back mechanism 2 and the ankle mechanism 3 are respectively fixed on the corresponding body parts of the wearer through the man-machine connecting system 4.

Specifically, the lumbar-dorsal mechanism is fixed to the lumbar of the wearer, the lower leg shaft is fixed to the lower leg of the wearer, and the ankle mechanism is fixed to the foot and the ankle of the wearer.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the ankle mechanism 3 and the shank 16 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, a lower leg shield 452 is provided at the lower end of the lower leg shaft 16. The lower leg shield 452 is fixedly connected to the lower leg shaft 16.

In this embodiment, the lower leg shield 452 is a thin plate structure in a shape of a semi-circular band, and is fitted over the upper extension 313 of the upper ankle bracket. The lower end of the lower leg shield 452 abuts the ankle support plane 311 and has a degree of freedom to rotate about the vertical axis 34.

In the using process, the utility model discloses helping hand equipment dead weight and support wearer's reaction force all transmit through shank pole 16 under the shank on the protective housing 452 to further pass through on the thin bottom plate of ankle support plane 311 transmission ankle lower carriage 32. And finally, is transmitted by the wearer's shoe, bleeding to the ground.

Due to the structure, the force of the shank does not need to pass through the human body of a wearer, extra burden cannot be caused to the wearer, meanwhile, the relative sliding rotation between the lower leg protection shell 452 and the ankle support plane 311 can better adapt to the left-right rotation movement of the legs during human body movement, and the wearing comfort and the power assisting effect are improved.

In the present embodiment, the term "transmission coupling" means that power transmission can be realized between two components, and one component can drive the other component to move.

The sensor system 5 is a series of sensors for collecting motion data information to detect the motion and posture of the wearer. In some embodiments, the sensor system may include: the guy cable torque sensor 51, the inertial sensors 52-54, the joint angle sensors 55-56 and the sole pressure sensor 57 are respectively arranged at the corresponding positions of the portable power assisting device to acquire corresponding data information.

Based on the action and posture information of the wearer obtained through collection, the inhaul cable driving mechanism can be correspondingly controlled to output corresponding torque so as to achieve the effect of assistance.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of a lumbar-back portion of a portable power assist apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 7, the complete lumbar back portion may be comprised of the lumbar back mechanism 2, the cable drive power means 11 and the lumbar strap 41 of the ergonomic connecting system 4.

Wherein, back mechanism 2 includes: a back plate 21 and a waist bar 22. The back plate 21 and the waist rod 22 are in transmission connection. The upper end of the back plate 21 is fixed to the waist upper strap 411, and the lower end of the back plate 21 is fixed to the waist lower strap 412. The back plate 21 is fixedly disposed near the back lumbar spine of the wearer by a lumbar strap 41.

The waist bar 22 is composed of a left cross bar 221 and a right cross bar 222. The left crossbar 221 and the right crossbar 222 are provided with slide grooves 223 extending in the horizontal direction.

The cable drive power unit base 111 is rotatably coupled to the lumbar rod 22 by an adduction-abduction rotation shaft 23. The adduction-abduction rotation axis 23 is perpendicular to the human coronal plane to adapt to the abduction-adduction movement of the lower limbs of the human body, and the adduction-abduction rotation axis 23 can slide on the sliding groove 223 to adapt to different waist wearers.

Due to the freedom degree of the inside and outside folding and unfolding of the waist and back mechanism, the aim of transmitting power from the back to the waist and the legs can be well fulfilled, and the problem of matching caused by various motions of the lower limbs of a human body can be well solved.

Fig. 8 and 9 are schematic structural views of the lumbar back mechanism 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the back plate 21 includes a back plate main plate 211 and a back plate rib plate 212.

The back plate main plate 211 is of a waist and back profiling close-fitting thin plate structure and can be fitted with the waist of a wearer. The back plate rib plate 212 is vertically arranged and fixedly connected with the back plate main plate 211. Rib plate waist holes 2121 are formed in the back plate rib plates 212.

The waist bar 22 comprises a left cross bar 221, a right cross bar 222 and a waist bar connecting plate 224. The waist bar connecting plate 224 is fixedly connected with the left cross bar 221 and the right cross bar 222 and is arranged in a shape like a Chinese character 'pin'.

Be provided with on the waist pole connecting plate 224 and erect muscle 2241, it is provided with the perpendicular muscle kidney hole 2242 that corresponds on the muscle 2241 to erect. The vertical ribs 2241 and the back plate rib plate 212 are fixed through fastening screws 24 penetrating through the rib plate waist holes 2121 and the vertical rib waist holes 2242.

In practical use, after the relative angle, the up-down position and the front-back position between the vertical rib 2241 and the back plate rib plate 212 are adjusted, the vertical rib 2241 and the back plate rib plate 212 are fixed together by the fastening screw 24.

Such an adjustable connection structure allows the lumbar mechanism 2 to be adjusted up and down, back and forth, and rotationally when the wearer uses the lumbar mechanism, and provides better fit with the wearer.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a portable power assisting apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Although only the right-hand side structure is disclosed in fig. 5. However, based on the technical solutions disclosed in the present application, those skilled in the art can easily think of using a symmetrical left structure or a symmetrical left and right structure at the same time. For simplicity, the right side is taken as an example to illustrate the structure and operation mechanism.

As shown in fig. 5, the cable drive power unit 11 is provided at the rear waist of the wearer and is rotatably connected to the waist bar 22. The hip upper arm 131, the thigh rod 15 (fixedly connected with the hip lower arm 132), the calf rod 16 and the ankle mechanism 3 are sequentially connected in a transmission manner to form a bracket mechanism from the waist to the sole.

In addition to the waist strap 41, the ergonomic connecting system may further include: the upper leg link 43, the upper leg link 44, the lower leg link 45, and the foot band 46 fix the waist mechanism 2, the upper leg bar 15 (fixedly connected to the hip lower arm 132), the lower leg bar 16, and the ankle mechanism 3 to the corresponding portions of the lower limb of the wearer.

Wherein, the thigh connection 43, the shank upper connection 44 and the shank lower connection 45 are all composed of a hard protective shell and a flexible bandage. That is, the thigh link includes a thigh strap 431 and a thigh shell 432, the upper calf link 44 includes an upper calf strap 442 and an upper calf shell 441, and the lower calf link 45 includes a lower calf strap 451 and a lower calf shell 452

The thigh shell 432, the upper calf shell 441 and the lower calf shell 451 can transmit assistance or bear the weight of the device. The thigh strap 431, the upper calf strap 442 and the lower calf strap 451 are used for fixing the protective shell and the corresponding equipment on the corresponding position of the lower limb of the wearer.

The working principle of the portable power assisting device provided by the embodiment of the invention is described in detail below with reference to fig. 1 to 5.

When the cable drive power device 11 tightens the cable 12, the hip transmission mechanism 13 receives a moment to rotate the lumbar mechanism 2 backward (counterclockwise in fig. 6) with respect to the thigh lever 15. At the same time, the knee gear 14 is subjected to a moment to straighten the shank 16 and the thigh 15.

The moment may be transmitted to the wearer through the hard shell and straps to assist in the rearward extension of the waist and straightening of the legs of the wearer to allow the wearer to stand up or assist in supporting body weight.

When the cable driving power device 11 loosens the cable 12, the hip transmission mechanism 13 and the knee transmission mechanism 14 are switched to the free rotation state, and the waist and the legs of the wearer can be freely extended or bent to flexibly move.

Wherein the cable torque sensor 51 is integrated in the cable drive power unit 11. The lumbar inertial sensor 52, the calf inertial sensor 53, and the foot inertial sensor 54 are provided in the lumbar-back mechanism 2, the calf pole 16, and the ankle-lower support 32, respectively.

Of course, the waist inertial sensor 52, the lower leg inertial sensor 53, and the foot inertial sensor 54 may be provided in the waist band 41, the lower leg upper link 44, the lower leg lower link 45, and the foot band 46, respectively, to detect the movement of each part of the wearer more preferably.

The sole pressure sensor 57 is a flexible thin plate structure, and can be disposed on the upper surface of the thin sole plate 321 of the ankle lower bracket, and is located on the sole of the wearer to detect the pressure between the foot of the wearer and the ground.

Specifically, fig. 10 is a front view of the cable torque sensor 51 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cable torque sensor 51 is specifically disposed between the power output end 112 and a power source providing rotational power.

As shown in fig. 10, the cable torque sensor 51 has a ring structure, and includes: an input 512, an output 511, a load beam 513, and a strain gage 514. The input end 512 is fixedly connected with the power source, the output end 511 is fixedly connected with the power output end 112, and the strain gauge 514 is arranged on the strain beam 514.

When the power source outputs power, the force measuring beam 513 deforms and is detected by the strain gauge 514. Based on the detection result of the strain gauge 514, the torque of the output power can be measured.

Based on the detection result of the cable tension sensor 51, it is possible to help precisely control the tension of the cable 12, and accordingly control the portable assistive device to provide the assistive torque to the wearer at the hip gear 13 and the knee gear 14.

In some embodiments, with continuing reference to fig. 5, the human-machine interface system 5 may further include: hip and waist connection strap 42.

The hip and waist connecting belt 42 is respectively connected with the lower waist strap 412 and the upper hip arm 131 for sharing the weight of the hip transmission mechanism 13, the thigh rod 15, the knee transmission mechanism 14 and the lower leg rod 16 to the lower waist strap 412.

Therefore, the influence of the weight of the hip waist and the legs of the device when the wearer lifts the legs can be reduced, and the experience of the wearer is improved. Preferably, a hip and waist connecting belt 42 having a certain elasticity can be used so that the distance between the hip transmission mechanism 13 and the lower waist belt 412 can be changed when the hip transmission mechanism is adducted and abducted with the leg of the wearer or the waist is rotated.

Fig. 11 is a schematic view of the cable driving mechanism 1 applied to the portable power assisting device provided in embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in fig. 11, the cable drive mechanism 1 may include: a cable drive power device 11, a first cable 121, a second cable 122, a hip transmission mechanism 13, a knee transmission mechanism 14, a thigh lever 15, and a shank lever 16.

Wherein the cable drive power device 11 includes: the power output end 112 can rotate relative to the power base 111 to drive the cable 12 to output power.

The hip gear 13 includes: a hip upper arm 131, a hip lower arm 132, and a hip pulley 133. The hip upper arm 131 and the hip lower arm 132 are rotatably connected and can rotate around a hip rotating shaft 134 respectively. The hip pulley 133 is also coupled to the hip upper arm 131 or the hip lower arm 132 via a rotating shaft, and freely rotates around the hip rotating shaft. The hip upper arm 131 is fixedly connected with the power base 111, and the hip lower arm 132 is fixedly connected with the upper end of the thigh rod 15.

The knee gear 14 may include a knee dial 141. Wherein, the knee rotary disc 141 is rotatably coupled with the lower end of the thigh rod 15 and fixedly coupled with one end of the shank rod 16. That is, the knee turntable 141 can freely rotate with respect to the thigh lever 15.

In the present specification, the term "fixedly connected" means that there is no freedom of relative movement between two connected devices, and the two devices are rigidly connected. The term "rotationally coupled" or "rotational coupling" means that there is a degree of freedom of relative movement between two connected devices, and relative rotational movement can occur.

As shown in fig. 11, the cable 12 includes a first cable 121 and a second cable 122. One end of the first cable 121 is fixed to the first cable fixing point 113 of the power output end 112, and after passing around the power output end 112, the first cable cuts into the hip pulley 133 counterclockwise and is fixed to the second cable fixing point 1331 of the hip pulley 133.

One end of the second cable 122 is also fixed to the second cable fixing point 1331 of the hip pulley 133, and the other end of the second cable 122 is cut into and fixed to the third cable fixing point 1411 of the knee dial 141 after passing around the hip pulley 133 in the clockwise direction.

Through the arrangement of the first cable and the second cable along different winding directions, in the actual operation process of the cable driving mechanism, the cable driving power device 11 can tighten the first cable 121. Under the drive of the first cable 121, the hip pulley 133 is rotated clockwise to drive the second cable 122 to tighten. With the tightening of the second cable 122, the knee turntable 141 can be driven to rotate accordingly, so as to achieve the purpose of outputting the power of the cable driving power device 11 to the hip joint and the knee joint.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view of a cable drive mechanism according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in fig. 12, embodiment 2 provides a cable drive mechanism that differs from embodiment 1 mainly in that the cables 12 are the same cable. That is, the first cable 121 and the second cable 122 are two different portions of the same cable extending continuously.

As shown in fig. 12, the cable 12 is provided with a cable lubricating tube 123 around a part of the first cable 121. The cable lubrication tube 123 is of an arcuate configuration with sufficient outward convex curvature to guide the cable 12 to cut into the hip 133 and contact a portion of the arc length of the hip 133. Specifically, the cable lubricating sleeve 123 can be fixed on an arc-shaped rigid structure to obtain a required arc-shaped structure, so that the cable lubricating sleeve 123 keeps an arc shape.

After the inhaul cable lubricating pipe is adopted, the inhaul cable lubricating pipe has the advantages of high power transmission efficiency, small abrasion to the inhaul cable, good reliability and the like.

After contacting the hip pulley 133, the pull cable 12 may be cut out of the hip pulley 133 at a small angle, and then further pass down the knee dial 141 and be fixed at the third fixing point 1411.

In this embodiment, power transmission between the non-coplanar cable drive power unit 11, hip pulley 133 and knee turntable 141 is achieved by an arcuate cable lubrication sleeve 123. This can save the guy cable provided on the hip pulley 133, and the structure can be simplified.

It should be noted that the cable drive mechanisms shown in the above embodiments 1 and 2 are only for illustration and are not intended to limit the technical solution of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make corresponding adjustments, changes or substitutions according to the principles of the embodiments disclosed in the specification to achieve the same purpose. For example, the winding direction of the cable may be changed as long as the power of the cable drive power unit 11 can be output to the hip joint and the knee joint, and the hip pulley and the knee turntable are rotated in different directions to achieve the effect of assisting the force.

Fig. 13 is a schematic view of a cable driving device 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 13, the cable drive device 11 works in combination with the first cable 121.

Wherein, the inhaul cable driving device 11 is arranged on the waist and the back of a wearer when in use. The power base 111 and the hip upper arm 131 are fixedly connected. In some embodiments, the powered base 111 and hip upper arm 121 may be configured in an arcuate configuration to conform to the anatomy of the human body.

The power take-off 112 is a cylindrical structure provided with a first cable fixing point 113. One end of the first cable 121 is fixed to the first cable fixing point 113, and is led out from the power output end after passing through the power output end 112, and is connected with the hip pulley 133 downwards.

As shown in fig. 13, a cable lubrication pipe 123 may be sleeved outside the first cable 121. The cable lubrication tube 123 may be fixed to the power base 111 or the hip upper arm 121.

The friction between the first cable 121 and the power base 111 or the hip upper arm 121 when the first cable 121 is tightened or released can be reduced through the cable lubrication pipe 123, so that the service life of the cable is prolonged, and the transmission efficiency is improved.

Fig. 14 is a schematic view of a hip transmission mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. In fig. 14, the hip upper arm 131 is provided to be transparent to fully show the internal structure of the hip gear.

As shown in fig. 14, the hip pulley 133 is rotatably connected to the hip upper arm 131 via a hip pulley shaft 1332. The hip upper arm 131 is rotatably connected to the hip lower arm 132 via a hip rotation shaft 134. The hip lower arm 132 is fixedly attached to the top end of the thigh rod 15.

In the present embodiment, the first cable 121 and the second cable 122 each use two cables in parallel. Correspondingly, 4 wire grooves are provided on the outer circumference of the hip pulley 133.

The first cable 121 is arranged in an outer wire groove of the hip pulley 133, and cable lubrication pipes 123 are sleeved outside the first cable 121. The cable lubrication tube 123 is fixed in the hip upper arm 131. The second cable 122 is disposed in a slot inside the hip pulley 133 and is housed inside the hip lower arm 132 and the thigh rod 15.

The interior of the hip lower arm 132 and the thigh bar 15 may be configured as a cavity structure so that the second cable 122 does not contact and rub against the inner walls of the hip lower arm 132 and the thigh bar 15.

As shown in fig. 11, 13 and 14, the hip rotation shaft 134 connecting the hip upper arm 131 and the hip lower arm 132 and the hip pulley rotation shaft 1332 connecting the hip upper arm 131 and the hip pulley 133 are not coaxial. I.e. rotation about different axes between the two rotary connections.

The design of non-coaxial can make the guy 12 with the same tension generate different torques on the hip transmission mechanism 13 under the condition that the hip upper arm 131 and the hip lower arm 132 are at different angles, which is consistent with the requirement of the assistance of human motion. That is, when the hip upper arm angle is small, i.e., when the wearer is near standing, the torque generated by the cable 12 is small. Whereas the moment generated by the cable 12 is greater in the case of a greater hip forearm angle, i.e. when the wearer bends over or squats.

The working principle of the cable driving mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to fig. 11 to 14.

As shown in fig. 11, when the cable 12 is under tension, the wrap angle of the cable 12 on the hip pulley 133 changes accordingly as the hip up and down arms 131 and 132 rotate relative to each other (i.e., the wearer swings the thighs back and forth). When the hip lower arm 132 is rotated counter clockwise relative to the hip upper arm 131, the wrap angle of the cable 12 on the hip pulley 133 increases, and vice versa decreases.

In addition, the hip pulley 133 can rotate independently relative to the hip upper arm 131, and the cable 12 can drive the hip pulley 133 to rotate without influencing the relative rotation of the hip upper and lower arms 131 and 132.

When the cable 12 is under tension by the power output, the cable 12 can apply a torque to the hip upper and lower arms 131 and 132. As shown in fig. 11, when the cable 12 is tensioned, the hip lower arm 132 has a clockwise rotational moment relative to the hip upper arm 131.

In addition, along the arc-shaped hip upper arm 131, the first cable 121 coupled to the power base 111 and the hip pulley 133 may be externally covered with a cable lubrication pipe 123. The friction between the first cable 121 and the hip upper arm 131 in a bent state when the first cable 121 is tensioned can be reduced through the cable lubrication pipe 123, so that the transmission efficiency of the first cable 121 is improved, and the durability and the reliability of the first cable 121 are improved.

Fig. 15 is a schematic winding diagram of the guy cable on the hip pulley according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 15, a spiral groove is formed in the outer surface of the hip pulley 133 along the circumferential direction of the hip pulley, and the stay 12 is drawn out from the stay driving power unit 11, and then cut into and wound around the hip pulley 133 by one turn. Finally, the knee turntable 141 is cut into the body and fixed to the knee turntable 141. In this way, the structure of hip pulley 133 can be simplified well.

In some embodiments, multiple cables in parallel may be employed to enable the cable 12 to transmit higher torques. In such a case, it is necessary to adjust the initial installation tension of the plurality of parallel cables, and to ensure the load-bearing tension balance between each different cable to improve the life of the cable 12.

Fig. 16 is a schematic view of a cable tension adjusting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. In fig. 16, a hip pulley is described as an example. It should be understood that the cable tension adjusting mechanism may also be provided on the power take-off and/or the knee turntable in the same or similar structure for adjusting the initial installation tension of different cables.

As shown in the cross-sectional view of fig. 16, the hip pulley 133 may be composed of a main wheel 1333 and an annular auxiliary wheel 1334. Wherein, a cylindrical boss 13331 is arranged on the main wheel 1333, and the annular auxiliary wheel 1334 is sleeved on the main wheel cylindrical boss 13331. The cable 12 is routed around the edges of the primary wheel 1333 and the annular secondary wheel 1334.

The annular auxiliary wheel 1334 is provided with a waist hole 13341 for passing a bolt 1335 therethrough to fixedly connect the main wheel 1333 and the annular auxiliary wheel 1334. After the bolts are loosened, the relative position of the main wheel 1333 and the annular auxiliary wheel 1334 can be adjusted to adjust the tension of the cable.

During installation or maintenance, the bolt 1335 may be first loosened, and the ring-shaped secondary wheel 1334 may be rotated with the primary wheel 1333 held stationary until the cable tension on the ring-shaped secondary wheel 1334 reaches a set value. After the set point is reached, the bolts 1335 are tightened to secure the primary wheel 1333 and the annular secondary wheel 1334 together, keeping the relative positions unchanged.

Fig. 17 is a side view of a portable power assist apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. In contrast to embodiment 1 shown in fig. 5, embodiment 2 provides a portable power assist device further comprising a hip dial 135 and an elastic pull cord 136.

As shown in fig. 17, the hip dial 135 and the hip lower arm 132 are fixedly connected, one end of the elastic pull rope is fixed on the hip dial 135, and the other end of the elastic pull rope is fixed on the hip upper arm 131 after passing around the hip dial 135.

Therefore, when the wearer stands or the thighs are swung backwards, the elastic pull rope 136 is in a tensioning state, leg lifting moment on the legs of the wearer is generated, the wearer is helped to lift the thighs, and the burden of climbing up stairs and lifting legs of the wearer for a long time is relieved.

The leg raising moment generated by the elastic pulling rope 136 and the hip assist moment generated when the pulling rope 12 is tensioned can be mutually offset.

In actual use, when the legs of the wearer are in a supporting state, the pulling rope 12 can generate a moment for swinging the thighs backwards on the hips, and the pulling rope assists the wearer to push the trunk forwards. When the wearer needs to take a leg, the pulling cable 12 is loosened by the pulling cable driving mechanism, the elastic pulling cable 136 releases the pulling force, and the leg lifting moment is generated to push the thighs of the wearer to swing forwards.

To sum up, the embodiment of the utility model provides a light helping hand equipment can the different shapes of adaptation the wearer, and waist and low limbs naturally exert various actions when applying the helping hand and can support the wearer to move, and the wearing is experienced. In the above embodiments, the descriptions of the respective embodiments have respective emphasis, and for parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference may be made to related descriptions of other embodiments.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, while the invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The above description is for the specific embodiments of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope of the present invention, and these modifications or replacements should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims (12)

1. An ankle mechanism, which is characterized in that the ankle mechanism comprises an upper ankle bracket and a lower ankle bracket which are rotationally connected;

the ankle upper support comprises at least one semi-annular support plane and the ankle lower support is sleeved on the foot of the wearer, so that the bearing pressure applied to the semi-annular support plane is released to the ground through the ankle lower support.

2. The ankle mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the ankle lower support comprises a thin bottom plate and bent upright portions provided on both sides of the thin bottom plate;

the thin bottom plate is fixedly connected with the bending upright parts on two sides, the upper ends of the bending upright parts extend to a set height, holes or bosses for being rotatably connected with the ankle upper bracket are arranged at the upper ends of the bending upright parts, and the thin bottom plate is positioned on the soles of the wearers.

3. The ankle mechanism of claim 2 wherein the upper ankle brace further comprises an upper extension and a lower extension, the distal end of the lower extension being pivotally coupled to the upper end of the bent upright of the lower ankle brace.

4. The ankle mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the upper extension of the ankle upper brace is an arcuate tab that fits the wearer's ankle.

5. The ankle mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the semi-annular support plane is provided as one, between the upper and lower extensions, disposed about the lower end of the arcuate flap.

6. The ankle mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the semi-annular support planes are provided in two, including an upper support plane and a lower support plane; the upper support plane and the lower support plane are connected by the upper extension part;

the lower support plane is disposed about the ankle of the wearer, the upper support plane being disposed above the lower support plane;

wherein the lower support plane is used for bearing pressure from a shank, and the upper support plane is used for preventing the shank from separating from the ankle upper support.

7. The ankle mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the distal end of the lower extension is rotatably connected to the upper end of the bent upright portion of the ankle pylon by an ankle rotation shaft.

8. The ankle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a foot strap is provided on the ankle pylon for securing the ankle pylon to the wearer's foot to prevent forces from the ankle pylon from causing the ankle apparatus to disengage from the wearer's foot.

9. The ankle mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the foot strap comprises an instep strap and a heel strap;

the instep strap is secured to the front heel section of the ankle pylon, the heel strap is secured to the rear heel section of the ankle pylon, wraps around the heel portion of the wearer, and is gathered with the instep strap and secured to the instep of the wearer to wrap around the heel portion of the wearer so that when the foot of the wearer is off the ground, forces from the ankle pylon are transferred to the instep of the wearer and prevent the ankle mechanism from separating from the foot of the wearer.

10. The ankle mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising an ankle strap; the ankle strap is arranged on the ankle upper bracket and used for fixing the ankle upper bracket with the ankle of the wearer so as to prevent the ankle upper bracket from being separated from the ankle of the wearer during bearing force.

11. The ankle mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the semi-annular support plane of the ankle upper brace abuts against a lower end of a lower leg shield of a semi-annular band structure, the lower leg shield being slidably rotatable with respect to the semi-annular support plane;

the lower crus protective shell is fixedly connected with the crus rod and arranged at the lower end of the crus rod.

12. The ankle mechanism of claim 1 wherein the sub-ankle brace is made of one or more of carbon fiber, plastic, polymeric material and metal.

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