JP2008023276A - All-fingers movable type artificial hand - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an all-fingers movable type artificial hand which can also be converted into a robot hand, with palm shape and light weight, and good design, which enables five fingers to be operated independently, enables flexure in the joint part, extension and throwing power, wrist exercises to the palm and the back, inward and outward rotation movement, and makes gripping sensibled in the sensory area of the brain. <P>SOLUTION: The artificial hand is composed of engineer plastic or aluminum or other materials for light weight and designed to have human palm shape. Independent operation of five fingers and improvement of gripping power are realized by using the interference driving method, and gripping of the artificial hand and sensibility for gripping with visual and touching sensation through sensation feedback system are enabled. The hand includes a sensor for sensing rotation and bending. By these mechanisms, the all-finger movable type artificial hand can be converted into a robot hand. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

The present invention relates to a robot hand used as a prosthetic hand that can move my five fingers as well as the wrist as it wishes and can also control myoelectric potential with a function that can be diverted to a robot hand.
Specifically, in forearm amputees and fingers and other deficient persons, the potential of the muscles generated when trying to move each part of the body according to instructions from the brain is measured, and based on data obtained by analyzing the potential Actuate the motor and bend, extend, palm flexion, dorsiflexion, pronation, pronation, etc. including the relevant parts such as fingers and wrists, etc. The present invention relates to a prosthetic hand that can be operated quickly and a prosthetic hand that has a gripping sensation that was not found in the prior art.

In the conventional electric prosthetic hand, the movable part is only opening / closing of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger and the rotation of the wrist, and there are many things that move three fingers, and the weight of a person's arm is about 1. In spite of being about 2 to 2 kg, the weight of the conventional technician is very heavy, about 3 kg or more, and has an external appearance such as a key nail shape that is far from the shape of a human hand in terms of design. Some of them have a shape that is unbearable to be worn by women or children who have a job, and it is a mechanism that cannot perform wrist flexion and dorsiflexion. In particular, early development of a prosthetic hand that is light and excellent for children and women and that moves all five fingers to their own will was strongly demanded.

Similarly, in a conventional prosthetic hand, it can be confirmed only by the visual cortex of the brain that the prosthetic hand has grasped the object. To get a comfortable living environment. It was eagerly attached to a prosthetic hand that could do such a thing, and a strong hope was entrusted to its early realization.

The present invention has been made in order to solve these problems in view of such various problems of the prior art. The purpose is to solve the problem with the following structure.
Specifically, the finger has four fingers composed of the proximal phalanx, middle phalanx, and distal phalanx, and the thumb and phalanx composed of the proximal phalanx and distal phalanx, and the palm and wrist that support them. It has a mechanism capable of pronation / extroversion and palmar dorsiflexion. Each joint equivalent part is a pin fulcrum that can be freely moved, and the shape is determined by a human hand, and the material is configured as an engineer plastic and aluminum to reduce the weight of the artificial hand. With these, it is possible to provide a prosthetic hand that can be flexed and stretched at the joints, has the same design as a human hand, and has a weight reduced to about 1.2 kg, Furthermore, a robot hand used as a prosthetic hand according to the present invention having a gripping feedback function by a sensor solves the problem.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
That is,
The invention of claim 1 of the present application is composed of a proximal phalanx, a middle phalanx, and a distal phalanx in the four fingers. It consists of a base that performs anteroposterior bending and a wrist that performs palmar dorsiflexion and pronation / extraction.
Each operation mode according to the first and second aspects of the present invention controls the operation with a wire or a non-included wire included in the serpentine tube, and attaches one end of the wire or the like to the corresponding portion and the other end to the dedicated motor for the corresponding portion. It is driven by a wire connected to As a result, all the joints including each finger and wrist can be moved independently. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the approximate shape is similar to that of a human hand. At each joint, five fingers including the thumb are connected by pins that enable joint movement. And its wrist part.

The four fingers to be formed are connected to the finger mounting seat 11 with bolts, and a dedicated motor is arranged for each finger. The movement is similar to that of the five fingers of a human hand by fastening or fastening the bending rope 36 and the extension rope 37 to the fingertip rope fixed to the distal phalanx shown in FIG. Furthermore, with the four fingers, the two motors are synchronously operated according to the operation, thereby improving the reliability of the operation and doubling the gripping force. At the wrist, the rope 42, which is supported by the dorsal buckling action, the pronation and the supination action of the two motors, and is fastened to the mounting hole 38 of the base seat 14, is roughly attached to the vertical cylindrical portion of the rotary shaft 16. Half way around. After that, the horizontal cylinder is roughly half-turned, and one end of the horizontal cylindrical part is connected to the motor via the palm dorsal buckling seat 12 and the synchronous operation is performed in the same manner, thereby improving the reliability of the operation and doubling the gripping force. is there. The rope 32 for bending operation and the rope 33 for extension operation are fastened or fastened to the fixed seat 19, and then the rope 34 for extension operation and the extension rope operation to the finger intermediate rope fixing seat installed on the proximal phalanx shown in FIG. The rope 35 is fastened or fastened. Similarly, the finger tip rope fixing seat 19 fastened to the distal phalanx shown in FIG. 11 by the thumb flexion and extension motor.

12 and 13, the other attachment holes 39, the attachment holes 40, and the attachment holes 41 provided in the base seat 14 are respectively connected to one end of the rope 43, the rope 44, and the rope 45, respectively. Tighten. As a result, the rope 42 and the rope 44 are pulled simultaneously by two motors, respectively, to give two motor torques for rotating the wrist joint 13 around the rotary shaft 16 to perform a rotating operation. Similarly, by simultaneously pulling the rope 43 and the row 45 by the respective motors, a rotational force in the opposite direction can be generated. This allows the wrist to rotate and unwind.

Furthermore, it is possible to perform palm bending by simultaneously pulling the rope 42 and the rope 45 by two motors. Further, if the rope 43 and the rope 44 are pulled at the same time, the reverse rotation operation can be performed, and the dorsiflexion operation can be performed, and the pulling force is doubled.

Similarly, the thumb joint 28 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 also bends back and forth and rotates horizontally by the same mechanism as the wrist. Specifically, the two motors handle the forward / backward bending operation and the horizontal forward / reverse rotation operation, respectively, and the rope 50 tightly fixed to the mounting hole 46 of the thumb base 29 is approximately half-turned around the vertical cylindrical portion of the thumb joint 28, and then the horizontal cylinder. The part is approximately half-turned, and one end thereof is connected to the motor via the thumb front / rear buckling seat 27.

By the same attachment method, one end of each of the rope 51, the rope 52, and the rope 53 is tightly fixed to the other attachment hole 47, the attachment hole 48, and the attachment hole 49 provided in the thumb base 29, respectively. As a result, by pulling the rope 50 and the rope 52 simultaneously by two motors, it is possible to generate torque for rotating the thumb joint 28 around the thumb rotation shaft 31. Similarly, by simultaneously pulling the rope 51 and the rope 53 by the respective motors, a rotational force in the opposite direction can be generated. This enables the thumb to rotate horizontally.

Furthermore, it is possible to bend forward by pulling the rope 50 and the rope 53 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 simultaneously by the respective motors. Further, by pulling the rope 51 and the rope 52 at the same time, the reverse operation, that is, the backward bending operation can be performed. Based on these results, all joint movable prosthetic hands according to the present invention in which each joint portion can freely operate and each finger can move independently, for example, can be diverted to a myoelectric prosthetic hand, for example, a robot hand. To solve the problem.

In the invention of claim 3 of the present application, it is a single-finger deficient finger having the same basic structure as claim 1 and claim 2 of the present application, and is implemented by an attachment method according to the missing finger part. is there.

In the invention of claim 4 of the present application, a rotation angle meter and a bending angle meter are installed at each joint and rotating part of each finger corresponding to the inventions of claims 1 to 3 of the present application, and rotation is performed by the electrical signal. In addition, the embodiment controls the operation of the prosthetic hand or the robot hand by measuring the degree of bending and stretching. The embodiment has many uses, but will be described with an example. It is intended to measure the flexion / extension of a nearby finger when dealing with a single-finger, and to control the movement of the missing finger to follow the proximity of the remaining finger. is there. As a result, even if a single finger is missing, it is possible to provide a prosthetic hand corresponding to a single-finger deficiency without causing a sense of incongruity. Similarly, this control enables precise operation as a manipulator-controlled robot hand.

In the invention of claim 5 of the present application, it is a prosthetic hand having a system for transmitting grip information to the sensory area of the brain. Specifically, this corresponds to the invention of claim 1 to claim 4 of the present application.

The embodiment will be described using a pressure sensor or a capacitance sensor as a representative detection device example. This is a system that detects an electrical signal generated in the sensor by contact or pressure by gripping and analyzes the degree of strength and then transmits the signal to, for example, a human body, for example, a device.

In this way, when transmitting to the human body, the low frequency generator is bonded to the human body and the low frequency based on the detection signal is generated, so that the subject can feel as if he / she is holding an object. is there. Furthermore, by changing the frequency according to the strength of the gripping force, you can feel as if you are gripping strongly or weakly, and you can touch the finger or contact by dividing the frequency range used at each major part such as each finger. This is a grip sensory feedback sensor system in which a part can be recognized as a sensation.

Embodiment of the Invention

In the invention of claim 1 of the present application, description will be made based on FIG. The four fingers of the index finger 2, the middle finger 3, the ring finger 4, and the little finger 5 are formed from the distal phalanx 6, the middle phalanx 7, and the proximal phalanx 8. For the purpose of enabling bending or extension to the fulcrum that becomes the joint, the tip joint pin 21, the intermediate joint pin 22, and the root joint pin 23 are joined by fitting so that the bending and extension can be freely performed. Is bent to the finger tip rope fixing seat 19 fastened to the distal phalanx by a motor dedicated to single-end operation of each finger of the index finger 2, middle finger 3, ring finger 4 and little finger 5, as shown in FIGS. The rope 32 for fixing is tightly fixed, and at the same time, the rope 33 for extension operation is also fixed. At this time, the rope 32 and the rope 33 are connected at one end to one motor dedicated to the operation of each finger. As a result, if the finger is bent during the forward rotation of the motor, the rope 32 is pulled on the bent side and the rope 33 is bent in the direction of gripping an object, and the finger falls on the bent side. It also bears the role of preventing this. When the motor is rotated in the reverse direction, the finger is extended and the rope 33 is pulled to open the finger. At that time, the rope 32 also bears the role of preventing the fingers from extending unnecessarily.

Further, for the purpose of increasing gripping force and improving gripping reliability, a rope 34 and a rope 35 are newly clamped and fixed to the finger intermediate rope fixing seat 20 as shown in FIG. One end of each finger is connected to a dedicated motor for each finger. The motor synchronizes with the finger tip movement motor fastened to the distal phalanx via a rope, and the fingers perform bending and extension. Assist the operation. Similarly, even with the thumb shown in FIG. 11, the fulcrum formed from the distal phalanx 6, the middle phalanx 7 and the thumb phalanx 10 and having the joint as well as the four fingers has the purpose of enabling bending and extension. The tip joint pin 24 and the intermediate joint pin 25 are fitted and joined so that they can be flexed and extended. The movement is performed by fastening the bending rope 36 and the extension rope 37 to the finger tip rope fixing seat 19 fastened to the distal phalanx by the thumb flexion and extension motor to perform the same action as the four fingers. To do.

Furthermore, the bending wires 32 and 36 are regulated at the middle phalanx portion of each of the five fingers, and the presser pin 54 is released to naturally adjust the resistance when the fingers are bent in accordance with an increase in resistance due to gripping or the like. In addition, it is a prosthetic hand that also includes structural characteristics that allow the wire to move away from the bending fulcrum and increase the bending moment to the tip of the finger to save power.

In addition, at the wrist portion, the two motors handle the palm dorsiflexion operation, the pronation and the supination operation, and the rope 42 tightly fixed to the mounting hole 38 of the base seat 14 shown in FIG. About half a round around the vertical cylinder. Thereafter, the horizontal cylindrical portion is rotated approximately half way, and one end of the horizontal cylindrical portion is connected to the motor through the palm dorsal buckling seat 12. By the same attachment method, one end of each of the rope 43, the rope 44, and the rope 45 is tightly fixed to the other attachment hole 39, the attachment hole 40, and the attachment hole 41 provided in the base seat 14, respectively.

Accordingly, by simultaneously pulling the rope 42 and the rope 44 shown in FIG. 12 by the respective motors, a torque is generated for rotating the wrist joint 13 about the rotation shaft 16 to the right, and the rotation operation is performed. Similarly, by simultaneously pulling the rope 43 and the rope 45 by the respective motors, a rotational force in the opposite direction can be generated. As a result, it is possible to perform the inward and outward movements and boost of the wrist.
Further, the palm 42 is bent by pulling the rope 42 and the rope 45 simultaneously by each motor, and the reverse rotation operation, that is, the dorsiflexion operation can be performed by pulling the rope 43 and the rope 44 simultaneously.

Similarly, in the thumb indirect 28 according to the second aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. Specifically, the two motors share the forward / backward bending operation and the horizontal forward / reverse rotation operation, and the rope 50 tightly fixed to the mounting hole 46 of the thumb base 29 is approximately half-turned around the vertical cylindrical portion of the thumb joint 28, and then The horizontal cylindrical portion is approximately half a circumference, and one end of the horizontal cylindrical portion is connected to the motor via the thumb front / rear buckling seat 27. By the same attachment method, one end of each of the rope 51, the rope 52, and the rope 53 is tightly fixed to the other attachment hole 47, the attachment hole 48, and the attachment hole 49 provided in the thumb base 29, respectively.

As a result, the rope 50 and the rope 52 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are pulled simultaneously by the two motors, thereby obtaining the torque generated for the two to rotate the thumb joint 28 around the thumb rotation shaft 31. It is what Similarly, by simultaneously pulling the rope 51 and the rope 53 by the respective motors, a rotational force in the opposite direction can be generated. This enables the thumb to rotate horizontally. Furthermore, by pulling the rope 50 and the rope 53 simultaneously by the respective motors, the motor torque of two synchronized motors can be obtained and the palm can be bent. Furthermore, by pulling the rope 51 and the rope 52 at the same time, the reverse operation, that is, the dorsiflexion operation can be performed. From these results, it is the all-finger movable prosthesis according to the present invention that has a structure in which each joint portion can freely operate, and can be used for a robot hand that can be operated independently by each finger.

Action and effect

In the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention, a joint pin is fitted and installed in each joint portion, thereby realizing a shape imitating a human hand and free joint operability. Furthermore, the end of the rope is fixed to the middle of the finger as well as the vicinity of the finger tip, and the other end is connected to the dedicated motor so that it can operate like a human hand. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the gripping force was doubled by pulling the ropes arranged near the finger tip and the finger middle by controlling two motors at the same time. By adding the invention according to claim 2 to these, it is possible to perform delicate operations such as writing letters with a pencil, pinching things, grasping, etc. and still crushing aluminum cans for drinking water Experimental results have demonstrated that a gripping force is generated.

Similarly, in the thumb of the invention according to claim 2 of the present invention, as a result of the control of the stop position by the addition of the invention according to claim 4 of the present invention, it is possible to make horizontal rotation, forward and backward bending, bending and extension. From the can to the tissue and pencil, the prosthetic hand according to the present invention was able to be held and held. As a result, the experimental results demonstrated a series of actions, such as gripping, grabbing, picking, and pinching, necessary for human hand movements, such as writing letters, drinking things, and pouring drinks.

Further, when grasping an object with a conventional prosthetic hand, the grasping of the sensory feedback system sensor according to the present invention of claim 5 can be performed, whereas the grasping can be confirmed only in the visual cortex of the brain. As a result of the addition, the prosthetic hand according to the present invention has realized that it can be felt that the object is also grasped in the sensory area of the brain in addition to the grasp confirmation in the visual cortex, It is now possible to provide an all-finger movable prosthesis for the purpose of restoring a comfortable living environment for the user.

It is a whole front view. It is a left side view. It is a finger | toe side view. It is a finger front view. FIG. FIG. FIG. 10 is a wire attachment diagram for turning the thumb root joint right. FIG. 6 is a wire attachment diagram for the left thumb joint joint left turn. It is a wire attachment figure for finger tip parts. It is a wire attachment figure for finger middle parts. It is a thumb wire attachment figure. It is a wire attachment figure for wrist part right turning. It is a wrist part left turn wire attachment figure. It is a basic seat section A arrow view It is a thumb basic seat cross section B arrow view.

Explanation of symbols

1, thumb 2, index finger 3, middle finger 4, ring finger 5, little finger 6, distal phalanx (common to five fingers)
7. Middle phalanx (five fingers common)
8. The proximal phalanx (common to all four fingers)
9. Metacarpal bone (common to all four fingers)
10, thumb proximal phalanx 11, finger attachment seat 12, palm dorsal flexion seat 13, wrist joint 14, base seat 15, palm dorsal flexion pin 16, rotating shaft 17, connecting ring 18, attachment seat 19, finger tip rope fixing seat 20, finger intermediate rope fixing seat 21, tip joint pin (common to all four fingers)
22. Intermediate joint pin (common to all four fingers)
23, root joint pin (common to all four fingers)
24, thumb tip joint pin 25, thumb intermediate joint pin 26, thumb joint connecting pin 27, thumb thumb anteroposterior seat 28, thumb joint 29, thumb basic seat 30, thumb anteroposterior flexion pin 31, thumb rotary shafts 32 to 35, four finger control Wires 36 to 37, thumb control wires 38 to 41, base seat wire mounting holes 42 to 45, wrist control wires 46 to 49, thumb base seat mounting holes 50 to 53, thumb forward / backward bending / horizontal rotation control wires 54, presser pins

Claims (5)

For four fingers that have multiple fulcrum points that can be used jointly and can bend or extend, using a wire or rope that adheres to the vicinity of the tip of the finger and near the center of the finger, or a wire protected by a bendable envelope An all-finger movable prosthesis capable of operating all fingers that have a mechanism for boosting the gripping force and capable of operating each finger independently, and can also be converted into a robot hand. The all-finger movable prosthetic hand according to claim 1, further comprising: a thumb that freely rotates, bends and stretches, and a forward and backward flexion, and a wrist that freely allows palm flexion, dorsiflexion, pronation, and supination. A movable prosthetic hand used as a prosthetic hand or a robot hand according to the first and second terms used to make up for a single finger defect. A movable prosthetic hand used as a prosthetic hand or a robot hand according to the first to third items including a sensor for detecting rotation and bending in each movable part. The movable prosthesis provided as a prosthetic hand or a robot hand provided with a grasping sensation feedback sensor system according to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention.

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