JP2015044272A - Upper limb auxiliary device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an upper limb auxiliary device that can assist a work of the wearer's upper arm and front arm with one actuator and keeps bearer's safety improved structurally.SOLUTION: An upper limb auxiliary device 1, which assists a work with the wearer's upper arm raised, comprises a mounting part 2 that is mounted on the wearer and has a shoulder frame 23 located in a vicinity of the wearer's shoulder, an upper limb support link 3 pivoted by the shoulder frame 23 and constituted of a linkage that supports the wearer's upper arm A1 and front arm A2, one motor means 6 that supplies power to this upper limb support link 3 to make the wearer's upper limb move up and own, a worm gear mechanism 5 provided in a power transmission path from this motor means 6 into the upper limb support link 3, operation means (constituted of sensing means 7) operated by the wearer, and a controller 8 that drives the motor means 6 on the basis of operation signals from this operation means.

Description

  The present invention relates to an upper limb assisting device. More specifically, the present invention relates to an upper limb assisting device for the purpose of lightening the work performed by raising the arm, such as a graining operation in fruit cultivation.

Long-time work with raising arms (upper limbs), such as grain-removing work in fruit tree cultivation, has a heavy burden on the body and a heavy labor as agricultural workers age. For example, in grape cultivation, a fine graining operation with scissors held in the hand is performed for a long time with the upper limbs raised.
In order to reduce the labor of such work, an upper arm holding device as in Patent Document 1 and a work support device as in Patent Document 2 have been proposed.

JP 2012-239818 A JP 2008-220883 A

However, in the apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, since one or more actuators are arranged for each joint such as an elbow or a shoulder for assisting work, the weight is increased and the cost is also increased.
In addition, it is necessary to appropriately control a plurality of actuators, and it has been indispensable to design in consideration of safety so as not to cause physical harm to the wearer even in hardware.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and provides an upper limb assisting device that can assist the wearer's upper arm and forearm with a single actuator and that structurally enhances the safety of the wearer. Is an issue.

In order to solve the above problem, an upper limb assisting device for assisting the work of raising the upper limb of the wearer, the wearer being worn by the wearer and having a shoulder frame located near the shoulder of the wearer; An upper limb support link that is pivotally supported by the shoulder frame and configured to support a wearer's upper arm and forearm, and one motor means that supplies power to the upper limb support link to raise and lower the upper limb of the wearer. A worm gear mechanism provided in a power transmission path from the motor means to the upper limb support link, operating means operated by a wearer, and a control device for driving the motor means based on an operation signal from the operating means; The upper limb assisting device was provided.
The worm gear mechanism includes a worm and a worm wheel, and the worm is attached to the rotating shaft of the motor means. Further, it is preferable that the upper arm assisting device is configured such that when the upper limb of the wearer is moved up and down by the upper arm assisting device, a portion corresponding to the position of the wrist follows an arcuate locus.

This upper limb assisting device uses an upper limb support link, which is operated by a single motor means, has a relatively simple structure, and is easily reduced in weight and cost.
Further, since the upper limb support link is constituted by a link mechanism, the movement is limited, and the upper limb assisting device is structurally improved in safety of the wearer.
Furthermore, when the wearer is weakened with the upper limb raised, the weight of the arm acts on the upper limb support link, causing the motor means to lose torque and lowering the upper limb. For this reason, it has been conventionally held by using a ratchet mechanism or the like, but it tends to increase the burden on the operator, such as requiring work at the time of release. The proposed upper limb assisting device has a worm gear mechanism in the power transmission path from the motor means to the upper limb support link. Therefore, even when the worm gear mechanism exhibits a self-locking function and the motor means is stopped. The state where the upper limb of the wearer is raised can be maintained, and the release work as in the case of using the ratchet mechanism is not required.
In other words, since the position of the upper limb support link is held by the self-locking function of the worm gear mechanism, energy is not consumed to hold the position, but the motor means is driven to change to an arbitrary position only when the position is changed. Thus, it is possible to realize an upper limb assisting device having the feature of being able to do so.

  Specifically, the upper limb support link (3) is pivotally supported by the shoulder frame (23) in the middle in the longitudinal direction, and the upper arm support in which the front side part supports the upper arm from the pivoted portion. A first upper arm link (31) constituting a portion (311), a first connection shaft (41) provided at a tip of the first upper arm link (31), and a longitudinal intermediate between the first connection shaft (41) A forearm link (32) that constitutes a forearm support portion (321) that supports the forearm along the forearm, and a lower portion of the forearm link (32). One end is connected to the two connecting shafts (42) and the second connecting shaft (42), and is substantially the same length as the first upper arm link (31) and parallel to the first upper arm link (31). A second upper arm link (33) located below the first upper arm link (31), a third connection shaft (43) provided at the other end of the second upper arm link (33), and a third connection shaft ( 43) one end is connected to A third upper arm link (34) that is substantially the same length as the portion below the connection portion with the first connection shaft (41) in the forearm link (32) and is parallel to the forearm link (32), A fourth connecting shaft (44) for connecting the other end of the third upper arm link (34) and a rear end of the first upper arm link (31), and one end connected to the third connecting shaft (43); The upper limb assisting device may include a power transmission link (30) having the other end fixed to the rotation shaft (520) of the worm wheel (52).

At this time, in a state where the first upper arm link (31) and the second upper arm link (33) are horizontal,
The rotation axis (520) of the worm wheel is located behind the third upper arm link (34), above the horizontal line of the second upper arm link (33), and higher than the horizontal line of the first upper arm link (31). It can be set as the upper limb auxiliary | assistance apparatus comprised so that it might be located below.

In this upper limb assisting device, when the motor means is rotated in the direction of raising the upper limb from the basic posture, an arc-shaped trajectory in which the tip portion of the forearm link corresponding to the wrist position shifts forward as it moves upward is obtained. Therefore, it is possible to perform almost the operation of raising the upper limb by a human being, and it is particularly suitable for the work of raising the upper limb in fruit tree cultivation such as grape cultivation.

  At this time, it is also possible to provide an upper limb assisting device in which the upper arm support portion (311) and the second upper arm link (33) of the first upper arm link (31) are configured to be adjustable in length.

This upper limb assisting device can adjust the upper limb support link in accordance with the length of the upper arm of the wearer, and is highly versatile.

  The operation means may be an upper limb assisting device configured by detection means for detecting a state in which the wearer's wrist is bent toward the back of the hand.

At this time, the detection means includes a wrist mounting portion that is mounted near the wearer's wrist, and extends obliquely from the left and right of the wrist mounting portion toward the upper side of the wearer's hand and moves toward the tip portion side. The left and right base plates that extend the distance, the left and right auxiliary plates that are pivotally supported on the inner side surfaces of the left and right base plates near the wrist mounting portion, the tip portions of the left and right auxiliary plates, and the tip portions of the left and right base plates The left and right elastic means attached between and the left and right auxiliary plates pass through the through holes provided in the left and right base plates, respectively, and straddle the auxiliary plates and the base plate. It can also be set as the upper limb auxiliary | assistance apparatus provided with the left and right bending sensor attached to.
This detecting means is configured such that the bending sensor bends when the wearer's wrist is bent toward the back of the hand.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide work support for the upper arm and forearm of the wearer with a single actuator, and to provide an upper limb assisting device that structurally increases the safety of the wearer.

It is a side view which shows the state which mounted | wore the upper-limb assistance apparatus. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of an upper limb support link. It is a figure which shows the locus | trajectory of an operator's wrist. It is a side view (photograph) which shows the state which mounted | wore the detection means. It is a top view (photograph) which shows the state which mounted | wore the detection means.

  Hereinafter, the upper limb assisting device will be described by way of example. The upper limb assisting device includes a mounting portion, an upper limb support link, a worm gear mechanism, motor means, operating means, and a control device. Each of these components will be described below by way of example. In addition, the expression which shows directions, such as the front, back, upper direction, and the downward direction used in the following description, shows the direction on the basis of the wearer wearing the upper limb assisting device as displayed in the upper left of FIG. It is a thing. Moreover, although each link which comprises an upper limb support link uses an aluminum square etc., in each figure, it is simply displayed with the thick straight line.

[Mounting part]
The mounting portion 2 is mounted on a wearer and supports an upper limb support link 3, a worm gear mechanism 5, a motor means 6 and the like which will be described later. The mounting portion 2 has a shoulder frame 23 located near the shoulder of the wearer, and the upper limb support link 3 is pivotally supported by a support shaft 40 provided on the shoulder frame 23.

  In the present embodiment, the mounting portion 2 includes a back plate 21 extending from the back portion of the wearer to the shoulder, and hook means 22 extending in an arc shape from the upper end portion of the back plate 21 to the front along the upper shoulder portion. A shoulder frame 23 that extends forward from the left and right sides of the back plate 21 and is located outside the shoulder of the wearer, and a back frame 24 that extends rearward from the left and right sides of the back plate 21 are provided. The shoulder frame 23 and the back frame 24 may be separated, or may be configured to be continuous using a single plate material, for example. The shoulder frame 23 may be provided under the shoulder so as to be close to the shoulder of the wearer.

  In the present embodiment, the mounting portion 2 is mounted on the wearer by the hook means 22, but is not limited to this as long as it can be securely mounted. For example, a shoulder bag of a school bag may be imitated, or a binding band may be wound around the chest and fixed.

[Upper limb support link]
The upper limb support link 3 is configured by a link mechanism that supports the upper arm A1 and the forearm A2 of the wearer, and is pivotally supported by the shoulder frame 23 of the mounting portion 2. The upper limb support link 3 is configured to perform an operation following the raising and lowering of the upper limb.

  This upper limb support link 3 is based on a horizontally long parallel link having four links. The front link (32) of the links constituting the parallel link is extended so as to protrude upward. The portion protruding upward is a forearm support portion 321 that supports the forearm A2 along the forearm A2. On the other hand, of the links constituting the parallel link, the upper link (31) is pivotally supported by a support shaft 40 provided on the shoulder frame 23 at a position closer to the rear of the middle portion in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the upper limb support link 3 is pivotally supported by the shoulder frame 23. The support shaft 40 is in a position corresponding to the shoulder joint when the upper limb assisting device 1 is worn. Of the upper link (31), the portion on the front side from the portion pivotally supported by the support shaft 40 becomes the upper arm support portion 311 that supports the upper arm along the upper arm.

Hereinafter, the upper limb support link 3 will be described in detail. A first upper arm link 31 is pivotally supported (connected) on a support shaft 40 provided on the shoulder frame 23. The pivot support position is a position closer to the rear of the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the first upper arm link 31, and the portion from the tip of the first upper arm link 31 to the pivot support position can support the upper arm A1 as the upper arm support portion 311. In order to be able to do this, the length of this portion is generally the position of the upper arm A1 of the wearer (the distance from the wearer's shoulder joint to the elbow joint).
The upper arm support portion 311 is provided with upper arm support means (not shown) for supporting the upper arm. For example, means for fixing the upper arm A1 with a binding band and a table on which the upper arm A1 is placed can be provided on the upper arm support portion 311.
A first connecting shaft 41 is provided at the tip of the first upper arm link 31. The first connecting shaft 41 corresponds to the elbow joint of the wearer.
The distance (L311) from the support shaft 40 to the first connecting shaft 41 is approximately equal to the length of the wearer's upper arm A1, and is usually 25 to 35 cm. In this embodiment, it is approximately 31 cm.
Further, the distance from the support shaft 40 to the fourth connection shaft 44 described later is preferably about 1/3 of the distance (L311) from the support shaft 40 to the first connection shaft 41, and in this embodiment is approximately 10 cm. It was.

A forearm link 32 is connected to the first connecting shaft 41. The connection location is a position closer to the lower side of the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the forearm link 32, and the portion from the upper end of the forearm link 32 to the connection location of the first connection shaft 41 may support the forearm A2 as the forearm support portion 321. In order to be able to do this, the length of this portion is generally the position of the wearer's forearm A2 (the distance from the vicinity of the wearer's wrist to the elbow joint).
The length (L321) of the portion from the upper end of the forearm link 32 to the connecting portion of the first connecting shaft 41 is approximately equal to or shorter than the length of the wearer's forearm A2, and is usually 20 to 30 cm. In this embodiment, it is approximately 28 cm.
The forearm support portion 321 is provided with forearm support means (not shown) for supporting the forearm A2. For example, a means for fixing the forearm A2 with a tie band and a table that supports from below when the forearm A2 is extended can be provided on the forearm support portion 321.
A second connecting shaft 42 is provided at the lower end of the forearm link 32. The distance from the first connecting shaft 41 to the second connecting shaft 42 is about 1/2 to 1/3 of the length (L321) of the portion from the upper end of the forearm link 32 to the connecting portion of the first connecting shaft 41. In this embodiment, it is approximately 10 cm.

One end (front end) of the second upper arm link 33 is connected to the second connecting shaft 42. The second upper arm link 33 has substantially the same length as the first upper arm link 31 and is positioned below the first upper arm link 31 at a distance from the first upper arm link 31. The second upper arm link 33 is a link parallel to the first upper arm link 31.
A third connecting shaft 43 is provided at the other end (rear end) of the second upper arm link 33.

One end (lower end) of the third upper arm link 34 is connected to the third connection shaft 43. The third upper arm link 34 has substantially the same length as the portion below the connecting portion of the forearm link 32 with the first connecting shaft 41. The third upper arm link 34 is a link parallel to the forearm link 32.
A fourth connecting shaft 44 is provided at the other end (upper end) of the third upper arm link 34, and the other end of the third upper arm link 34 is connected to the first upper arm link 31 by the fourth connecting shaft 44. It is connected to the rear end.

  One end (front end) of the power transmission link 30 is connected to the third connection shaft 43. The other end (rear end) of the power transmission link 30 is fixed to a rotating shaft 520 of the worm wheel 52 described later, and when the worm wheel 52 rotates by a predetermined angle, one end (front end) of the power transmission link 30 is arcuate. Exercise along the trajectory. Depending on the length of the power transmission link 30, the trajectory of the tip of the forearm link 32 corresponding to the wrist position can be finely adjusted. The length of the power transmission link 30 is usually 15 to 25 cm. In this embodiment, it is approximately 18 cm.

  In addition to these, in the upper limb support link 3 of the present embodiment, an auxiliary link 35 is provided. The auxiliary link 35 is substantially the same length as the third upper arm link 34, and one end (upper end) is pivotally supported by a support shaft 40 provided on the shoulder frame 23 and is parallel to the third upper arm link 34. An end (lower end) is connected to a position closer to the rear of the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the second upper arm link 33 by an auxiliary support shaft 45.

[Worm gear mechanism]
The worm gear mechanism 5 includes a worm 51 and a worm wheel 52. The worm gear mechanism 5 is provided in the power transmission path from the motor means 6 (described later) to the upper limb support link 3. Specifically, the worm 51 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor means 6, and the other end (rear end) of the power transmission link 30 is fixed to the rotating shaft 520 of the worm wheel 52 engaged with the worm 51. With this configuration, the position of the upper limb support link 3 can be easily maintained (self-locking function).

  Further, since the worm gear mechanism 5 itself has a speed reduction mechanism, the speed reducer attached to the motor means becomes unnecessary, or the speed reduction ratio can be reduced even if it is attached. Thus, it is possible to reduce the size, weight and cost.

The worm wheel 52 rotates in the state where the upper limb assisting device 1 is worn and the upright posture is taken and the first upper arm link 31 and the second upper arm link 33 are horizontal (the state shown in FIG. 1). The shaft 520 is attached to the mounting portion 2 so as to be positioned behind the third upper arm link 34, above the horizontal line of the second upper arm link 33, and below the horizontal line of the first upper arm link 31. ing.
With such a configuration, when the motor means 6 is rotated in the direction of raising the upper limb from the basic posture, the arcuate shape is such that the tip portion of the forearm link 32 corresponding to the wrist position shifts forward as it moves upward. Follow the trajectory.

Here, when the rotating shaft 520 of the worm wheel 52 is below the horizontal line of the second upper arm link 33, the tip of the forearm link 32 corresponding to the wrist position moves rearward (operator) This is an unnatural operation because it follows an arc-shaped locus that shifts to the side).
If the rotation shaft 520 of the worm wheel 52 is above the horizontal line of the first upper arm link 31, the tip of the forearm link 32 corresponding to the wrist position shifts extremely forward as it moves upward. Since this tends to follow an arcuate locus like this, this also becomes an unnatural operation, which is not preferable in terms of work.

  Further, the worm wheel 52 needs to be attached so as not to interfere with the upper limb support link 3, particularly so as not to interfere with the third connecting shaft 43, the fourth connecting shaft 44, and the third upper arm link 34.

[Motor means]
The motor means 6 supplies power to the upper limb support link 3 via the worm gear mechanism 5 to raise and lower the upper limb of the wearer. In the upper limb assisting apparatus 1 of the present invention, one motor means 6 is used. In this embodiment, the motor means 6 is attached to the mounting part 2.
The motor means 6 is not particularly limited as long as there is a torque sufficient to operate the upper limb support link 3 in a state where the upper arm A1 and the forearm A2 of the wearer are supported. In the present invention, since the worm gear mechanism 5 described above is used, it is not necessary to use a stepping motor having a large static torque, a dedicated DC circuit is unnecessary, and a general DC motor that is inexpensive and consumes little power is used. preferable.

[Operation means and control device]
The operation means is operated by a wearer or the like for the purpose of controlling the motor means 6. On the other hand, the control device 8 drives the motor means 6 based on an operation signal from the operation means. Then, rotation, reversal, stop, etc. of the motor means 6 are switched by these operation means and the control device 8.

  Various operation means can be used. However, since the upper arm A1 and the forearm A2 are basically supported by the upper limb support link 3, the operation of operating the operating means is limited. Therefore, for example, the rotation and reversal of the motor means 6 may be assigned to each of the two switches and placed under the foot as a foot switch.

  Further, instead of using a foot switch as an operation means, a push switch may be mounted near the wrist and operated with the opposite hand. In this case, for the convenience of operating the push switch, the forearm A2 is preferably placed on a table provided on the upper arm support portion 311 rather than being fixed to the upper arm support portion 311 with a binding band.

  And the control apparatus 8 produces | generates the control signal which drives the motor means 6 based on the operation signal output according to operation performed with respect to the operation means. For example, when a switch to which the rotation operation of the motor means 6 is assigned is pressed, the motor means 6 is controlled to rotate in the clockwise direction, and the switch to which the reversing operation of the motor means 6 is assigned is pressed. In this case, the motor means 6 can be controlled to rotate counterclockwise, and when these switches are not pressed, the motor means 6 can be controlled to stop (no power is supplied). As a power source for driving the motor means, a battery attached to the upper limb assisting device 1 may be used, or an external power source may be used.

Moreover, you may use the detection means 7 which detects the state which bent the wearer's wrist to the back side of the hand as an operation means.
For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the operation means can be configured by the detection means 7 including the wrist mounting portion 71, the base plate 72, the auxiliary plate 73, the elastic means 74, and the bending sensor 75. Hereinafter, each of these components will be described in detail.

The wrist mounting portion 71 is mounted at a position where the movement of the wrist is hardly hindered near the wearer's wrist. For example, it may be configured like a wristband fixed near the wrist with a surface tape or the like.
The left and right base plates 72 are configured to extend obliquely (approximately 45 degrees with respect to the forearm, preferably 40 to 70 degrees) from the left and right of the wrist mounting portion 71 toward the upper side of the wearer's hand. The left and right base plates 72 are configured such that the distance between the left and right base plates 72 increases toward the distal end side.
The left and right auxiliary plates 73 are located on the inner side (hand side) of the left and right base plates 72, and are pivotally supported by the pivot means 731 on the inner side surfaces of the left and right base plates 72 near the wrist mounting portion 71.
The elastic means 74 is attached so as to be sandwiched between the distal end portions of the left and right auxiliary plates 73 and the distal end portions of the left and right base plates 72, and when the auxiliary plate 73 is not stressed, the distance between the two is constant. Is responsible for keeping As the elastic means 74, a spring or the like can be used.
The left and right bending sensors 75 are attached so as to cross the auxiliary plate 73 and the base plate 72 through the through holes 720 provided in the left and right base plates 72 along the place where the left and right auxiliary plates 73 are pivotally supported. It is fixed to the auxiliary plate 73 or the base plate 72 by sticking or the like, and when the auxiliary plate 73 is bent, the resistance value is increased. Of the edges that define the through hole 720, the edge portion along the portion where the auxiliary plate 73 is pivotally supported is inclined with respect to the surface of the base plate 72 so that the cut end is along the longitudinal direction of the auxiliary plate 73. Is formed.

When the detection means 7 configured as described above is mounted near the wrist and the wrist is bent toward the back of the hand from the state shown in FIG. 4, for example, the auxiliary plate 73 bends as the hand enters between the left and right auxiliary plates 73. As a result, the resistance value of the bending sensor 75 changes. The control device 8 is operated using the change in the resistance value as an operation signal.
For example, the detection means 7 is attached to both the left and right wrists as an operation means, and the motor means 6 is rotated when one detection means 7 is operated, and the motor means 6 is reversed when the other detection means 7 is operated. can do. Further, for example, a combination of one detection means 7 and another switch, the motor means 6 is rotated when the detection means 7 is operated, and the motor means 6 is reversed when another switch is operated. it can.

[Operation of upper limb assisting device]
Hereinafter, the operation of the upper limb assisting apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described.
The basic posture is a state in which the upper limb assisting device 1 is worn and the first upper arm link 31 is horizontal and the upper arm A1 is substantially horizontal. In this basic posture, as shown in FIG. 1, the angle formed by the first upper arm link 31 and the forearm link 32 is approximately 90 degrees, and the elbow of the wearer is bent at a right angle.
In order to raise the upper limb from this basic posture, the operating means is operated so that the motor means 6 rotates in the clockwise direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the third connecting shaft 43 moves along an arcuate locus (clockwise) around the rotating shaft 520 of the worm wheel 52, and the upper limb support link 3 operates accordingly. The tip (upper end) portion of the forearm link 32 corresponding to the wrist position moves along an arcuate locus. At this time, it follows an arc-shaped locus in which the wrist position is positioned forward as it goes upward.
When it is desired to maintain the state where the upper limb is raised, the operation of the upper limb support link 3 is stopped. Specifically, the operating means is operated so that the rotation of the motor means 6 stops. Here, even when the rotation of the motor means 6 is stopped, the position of the upper limb support link 3 is maintained by the self-locking function of the worm gear mechanism 5.
In order to lower the upper limb from the raised position to the basic posture, the operating means is operated so that the motor means 6 rotates counterclockwise. Then, the third connecting shaft 43 moves in the direction opposite to that when it rises, and the tip (upper end) portion of the forearm link 32 also moves in the direction opposite to that when it rises.
That is, the upper limb assisting device operates like a pantograph (enlarger).

FIG. 3 shows a wrist trajectory that an operator (subject) who does not wear the upper limb assisting device 1 unconsciously raises his arm diagonally forward and rests for 5 seconds, and then puts the upper limb assisting device 1 on. The locus of the tip (corresponding to the wrist position) of the wearer's forearm link 32 is shown.
According to this, it can be seen that the upper limb assisting device can substantially realize the operation of raising the arm by a human.

  Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and claims attached to the application of the present application by those skilled in the art or the like. Various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope.

  For example, the upper arm support portion 311 of the first upper arm link 31 and the second upper arm link 33 may be configured so that the length can be adjusted. Specifically, the lengths may be adjusted by inserting and pulling out the smaller ones by combining cylindrical bodies of different sizes (telescopic structure). At this time, it is preferable to provide a fixing means such as a penetrating rod so that it can be fixed with an arbitrary link length. The second upper arm link 33 is preferably configured so that the length can be adjusted on the front side.

  Further, the upper limb assisting device 1 is basically configured to be able to assist the work by raising the left and right upper limbs. That is, the shoulder frame 23 is usually provided near the left and right shoulders of the wearer, and the upper limb support link 3 and the worm gear mechanism 5 are usually provided on the left and right sides.

  Further, the upper limb assisting device can be used not only for fruit cultivation but also for general-purpose work by raising the upper limb. For example, the present invention can be applied to work facing upward such as in a tunnel, and can also be applied to work for lowering a heavy object at a high position.

1 Upper limb assist device

2 wearing part
21 Back plate
22 Hook means
23 Shoulder frame
24 Back frame

3 upper limb support links
30 Power transmission link
31 First upper arm link
311 Upper arm support
32 forearm links
321 Forearm support
33 Second upper arm link
34 Third upper arm link
35 Auxiliary link

40 Support shaft
41 First connecting shaft
42 Second connecting shaft
43 Third connecting shaft
44 Fourth connecting shaft
45 Auxiliary support shaft

5 Worm gear mechanism
51 Warm
52 Worm wheel
520 rotation axis

6 Motor means

7 Detection means
71 Wrist attachment
72 Base plate
720 through hole
73 Auxiliary plate
731 pivotal means
74 Elastic means
75 Bending sensor

8 Control device

A1 upper arm
A2 forearm

Claims (6)

An upper limb assisting device for assisting the work of raising the upper limb of the wearer,
A wearer that is worn by the wearer and has a shoulder frame located near the shoulder of the wearer;
An upper limb support link that is pivotally supported by the shoulder frame and configured by a link mechanism that supports the upper arm and forearm of the wearer;
One motor means for supplying power to the upper limb support link to raise and lower the upper limb of the wearer;
A worm gear mechanism provided in a power transmission path from the motor means to the upper limb support link;
Operating means operated by the wearer;
A control device for driving the motor means based on an operation signal from the operation means,
Upper limb assist device.
The upper limb support link
A first upper arm link that is pivotally supported by the shoulder frame in the middle in the longitudinal direction, and a portion on the front side from the pivoted portion constitutes an upper arm support portion that supports the upper arm along the upper arm;
A first connecting shaft provided at the tip of the first upper arm link;
A forearm link that is connected to the first connecting shaft in the middle in the longitudinal direction, and a portion on the upper side from the connecting portion constitutes a forearm support part that supports the forearm along the forearm;
A second connecting shaft provided at the lower end of the forearm link;
A second upper arm link that is connected to the second connecting shaft at one end, is substantially the same length as the first upper arm link, is parallel to the first upper arm link, and is positioned below the first upper arm link;
A third connecting shaft provided at the other end of the second upper arm link;
A third upper arm link having one end connected to the third connecting shaft, substantially the same length as a portion below the connecting position with the first connecting shaft in the forearm link, and parallel to the forearm link;
A fourth connecting shaft for connecting the other end of the third upper arm link and the rear end of the first upper arm link;
A power transmission link having one end connected to the third connection shaft and the other end fixed to the rotation shaft of the worm wheel,
The upper limb assisting device according to claim 1.
In a state where the first upper arm link and the second upper arm link are horizontal,
The rotation axis of the worm wheel is
It is configured to be positioned behind the third upper arm link, above the horizontal line of the second upper arm link, and below the horizontal line of the first upper arm link.
The upper limb assisting device according to claim 2.
The upper arm support portion of the first upper arm link and the second upper arm link are configured to be adjustable in length.
The upper limb assisting device according to claim 2 or claim 3.
The operation means is
Consists of detection means for detecting a state where the wearer's wrist is bent toward the back of the hand,
The upper limb assistance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The detection means is
A wrist mounting part to be mounted near the wrist of the wearer;
The left and right base plates that extend diagonally from the left and right of the wrist mounting portion toward the upper part of the back of the wearer's hand, and the distance from each other increases toward the tip side,
Left and right auxiliary plates pivotally supported at positions closer to the wrist mounting portion on the inner surfaces of these left and right base plates;
Left and right elastic means attached between the tip portions of the left and right auxiliary plates and the tip portions of the left and right base plates;
Left and right bending sensors attached so as to straddle the auxiliary plate and the base plate through the through holes respectively provided in the left and right base plates along the place where the left and right auxiliary plates are pivotally supported. Prepared,
The upper limb assisting device according to claim 5.