JP6435729B2 - Driving device and driving method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving device and a driving method thereof.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a wearable movement support device that is attached to a hand and assists the movement of a finger by bending and extending (bending or extending) a finger joint.

JP 2011-115248 A

  However, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is mainly configured to support the operation of the index finger, and does not consider the movement of the thumb. Therefore, there is a need for a technique that can favorably assist the movement of the thumb. Such a problem is not limited to humans, and is a common problem even when assisting movement of a joint of a living body such as an animal or a joint other than a living body such as a robot.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms.
The first aspect of the present invention is:
A base member arranged on the back of the hand;
A first member disposed on the back side of the thumb of the hand and rotatably provided on the base member;
With
The first member is rotatable about a rotation axis along the longitudinal direction of the index finger metacarpal of the hand,
A rotation unit that rotates the first member around the rotation axis;
The rotating part is
A diaphragm including a piezoelectric body;
A driven portion that is driven by contact with the diaphragm.
It is a drive device. The present invention can also be realized as the following forms.

(1) According to one form of this invention, a drive device is provided. The drive device includes a base member and a first member rotatably provided on the base member, and the first member is located in the index finger of the hand when the base member is disposed on the back of the hand. It can be rotated around a rotation axis along the hand bone. If it is a drive device of such a form, the movement which the belly side of the thumb faces to the palm side can be favorably assisted by the first member.

(2) The drive device according to the aspect described above may include a rotation unit that rotates the first member around the rotation axis. In such a form, the movement of the thumb belly toward the palm side can be favorably assisted by rotating the first member by the rotating portion.

(3) In the driving device according to the aspect described above, the rotating unit may include a diaphragm including a piezoelectric body; and a driven unit that is driven by the diaphragm in contact with the diaphragm. With such a configuration, the rotation unit can be configured to be small, so that the drive device can be reduced in size.

(4) In the driving device according to the above aspect, the diaphragm may be provided with a protrusion, and the protrusion may contact the driven part. With such a configuration, the diaphragm does not contact the driven part, but the projection part contacts the driven part, so that the durability of the rotating part can be improved.

(5) The drive device according to the above aspect may include an elastic member provided between the first member and the hand. With such a configuration, the first member and the hand can be prevented from rubbing, so that the first member can be smoothly rotated around the rotation axis.

  The present invention can be realized in various forms other than the form as a driving device. For example, it can be realized in the form of a driving method of the driving device, a joint driving device that assists the movement of the joint, and the like.

It is a schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of the drive device as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the detailed structure of a drive device. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of a 1st rotation part. It is explanatory drawing shown about the operation principle of a piezoelectric drive device. It is a figure which shows the structure of the joint mechanism with which the drive device was equipped. It is a figure for demonstrating the rotatable angle of a joint mechanism. It is A arrow line view in FIG. It is a B arrow line view in FIG. It is C arrow line view in FIG. It is a figure which shows the 1st modification of a drive device. It is a figure which shows the 2nd modification of a drive device. It is a figure which shows the 3rd modification of a drive device. It is a figure which shows the 4th modification of a drive device. It is a figure which shows the 5th modification of a drive device.

A. Drive structure:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a driving apparatus 1 as an embodiment of the present invention. The drive device 1 is attached to a hand such as a person who has trouble with bending and stretching of a finger due to an accident or illness, a person who has a weak grip, or a person whose strength has weakened due to aging. Used to assist. The drive device 1 of this embodiment is used in particular to assist the movement of the thumb of the hand. In the following, when the drive device 1 is attached to the hand as the attached part, the fingertip side of the thumb is referred to as “front end side” or “front side”, and the base of the thumb (near the third joint) is referred to as “rear side”. Called “end side” or “rear side”. Further, in this specification, the “finger” of the hand means from the fingertip to the third joint regardless of the kind of the finger. “Hand” also includes “finger”.

  The drive device 1 includes a base member 10, a first member 20, and a second member 30. The base member 10 is a member disposed on the back side of the hand. The base member 10 has a flat block-like outer shape, and is attached to the hand by an arbitrary fixing tool such as a band or a hook. The first member 20 is provided on the base member 10 so as to be rotatable around the first rotation shaft 51 along the index finger metacarpal 80 of the hand. The first member 20 is arranged from the vicinity of the third joint on the dorsal side of the thumb to the vicinity of the second joint. The second member 30 is a member that can rotate relative to the first member 20. The tip of the second member 30 is fixed between the first joint on the back side of the thumb and the second joint. As will be described later, the driving device 1 is configured such that the distance between the base member 10 and the second member 30 can be changed. The first rotation shaft 51 on which the first member 20 rotates is an axis in a direction different from the axis on which the index finger of the hand rotates.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the driving device 1. The base member 10 includes a first rotation shaft 51, a first rotation unit 12, and a control unit 14. The first member 20 is connected to the first rotation shaft 51. The first rotation unit 12 relatively rotates the first member 20 around the first rotation shaft 51 by driving the first rotation shaft 51. A detailed configuration of the first rotating unit 12 will be described later. The control unit 14 includes a circuit for assisting the movement of the thumb by controlling the first rotation unit 12, a second rotation unit 118, a third rotation unit 122, and a fourth rotation unit 142 described later. ing. The control unit 14 may be provided in a portion other than the base member 10.

  The first member 20 includes a first connecting part 110 and a second connecting part 120. The first connecting part 110 includes a first sub member 112 and a second sub member 114.

  The first sub member 112 is a member that can rotate around the first rotation shaft 51 of the base member 10. The first sub member 112 includes an elastic member 116, a second rotating part 118, and a second rotating shaft 52. The elastic member 116 is disposed between the first sub member 112 and the back of the hand. As a material of the elastic member 116, for example, elastic rubber, sponge, or spring can be used. The elastic member 116 may be omitted.

  The second rotating unit 118 is provided in the first sub member 112 and drives the second rotating shaft 52. The second rotation shaft 52 is disposed in the vicinity of the third joint of the thumb when the driving device 1 is attached to the hand. The second rotation shaft 52 is along the axis where the thumb opens and closes with respect to the index finger around the third joint. A rear end portion of the second sub member 114 is connected to the second rotation shaft 52 so as to be rotatable around the second rotation shaft 52. Therefore, the second rotation unit 118 can drive the second sub member 114 in a direction (first rotation direction) in which the thumb opens and closes with respect to the index finger. Note that the second rotating portion 118 may be provided outside the first sub member 112.

  The second sub member 114 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The second sub member 114 is provided with an opening 115 at the front end surface thereof. A rear end portion of the second connecting portion 120 is inserted into the opening 115. A first slide mechanism 117 for sliding the second connecting portion 120 in the front-rear direction is provided in the second sub member 114. In the present embodiment, the distance between the base member 10 and the second member 30 varies as the second connecting portion 120 slides with respect to the second sub member 114 by the first slide mechanism 117.

  The second connecting portion 120 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The second connecting part 120 includes a third rotating part 122 and a third rotating shaft 53. The third rotating part 122 is provided in the second connecting part 120 and drives the third rotating shaft 53. The third rotation shaft 53 is disposed near the second joint of the thumb when the driving device 1 is attached to the hand. The third rotation shaft 53 is parallel to the second rotation shaft 52 provided in the first connecting portion 110. The rear end portion of the second member 30 is connected to the second connecting portion 120 so as to be rotatable around the third rotation shaft 53. Therefore, the third rotation unit 122 can drive the second member 30 in a direction (first rotation direction) in which the thumb opens and closes with respect to the index finger.

  The second member 30 includes a third connecting part 130, a fourth connecting part 140, and a fifth connecting part 150. A fixed portion 40 is connected to the distal end portion of the second member 30.

  The 3rd connection part 130 is comprised shorter than the 2nd connection part 120 and the 4th connection part 140 in the front-back direction. A rear end portion of the third connecting portion 130 is connected to the second connecting portion 120 so as to be rotatable around the third rotating shaft 53. A fourth rotating shaft 54 is provided at the distal end of the third connecting portion 130. The fourth rotation shaft 54 is an axis perpendicular to the second rotation shaft 52 and the third rotation shaft 53.

  The fourth connecting portion 140 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The rear end portion of the fourth connecting portion 140 is connected to the third connecting portion 130 so as to be rotatable around the fourth rotating shaft 54. The fourth connecting part 140 includes a fourth rotating part 142 and a fifth rotating shaft 55. The fourth rotating unit 142 drives the fourth rotating shaft 54 provided in the third connecting unit 130. Since the fourth rotation shaft 54 is an axis perpendicular to the second rotation shaft 52 and the third rotation shaft 53, the fourth rotation portion 142 is in a direction in which the thumb is bent (second rotation direction). The fourth connecting part 140 can be driven. The fifth rotation shaft 55 is an axis parallel to the fourth rotation shaft 54 and is provided at the distal end portion of the fourth connecting portion 140.

  The fifth connecting portion 150 is connected to the distal end portion of the fourth connecting portion 140 so as to be rotatable around the fifth rotating shaft 55 (that is, in the second rotating direction). Further, the fifth connecting portion 150 is connected to the second slide mechanism 44 provided on the upper surface side of the fixed portion 40. The second slide mechanism 44 allows the fifth connecting portion 150 to slide relative to the thumb proximal phalange 81. That is, the fifth connecting part 150 is rotatable with respect to the fourth connecting part 140 and is slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the fixed part 40.

  The fixing portion 40 includes a mounting band 42 on the lower surface side. When the mounting band 42 is wound between the first joint and the second joint of the thumb, the fixing portion 40 is mounted on the thumb. The mounting band 42 can be made of various rubber materials such as silicone rubber.

  As described above, the driving device 1 includes the base member 10, the first connecting portion 110 (the first sub member 112 and the second sub member 114), the second connecting portion 120, from the back of the hand toward the tip of the thumb. The third connecting part 130, the fourth connecting part 140, the fifth connecting part 150, and the fixing part 40 are connected in order. Hereinafter, these members are also referred to as “movable members”. Each movable member can be made of, for example, various resin materials such as polyethylene or various metal materials such as aluminum.

B. Schematic configuration of rotating part:
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of the first rotating unit 12. Since the 2nd rotation part 118, the 3rd rotation part 122, and the 4th rotation part 142 are the structures similar to the 1st rotation part 12, description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure of these rotation parts. The first rotating unit 12 includes a first rotor 61 concentrically connected to the first rotating shaft 51, a second rotor 62 that rotates the first rotor 61, and a third rotor 63 that rotates the second rotor 62. And a piezoelectric drive device 64 that rotates the third rotor 63. The first rotor 61, the second rotor 62, and the third rotor 63 are configured as a set of gear trains (driven parts). When the third rotor 63 is rotated by the piezoelectric driving device 64, the first rotor 61 is rotated accordingly. Then, the rotation shaft (first rotation shaft 51) connected to the first rotor 61 rotates according to the rotation of the first rotor 61, and the first connection portion 110 moves relative to the base member 10 according to this. Rotate. The number of rotors and the gear ratio of each rotor can be arbitrarily changed according to the rotation direction of the shaft to be driven, the required torque, and the like.

  The piezoelectric drive device 64 includes a diaphragm 66 provided with a piezoelectric body (piezoelectric element) 651. More specifically, the piezoelectric driving device 64 is configured by attaching the vibrating bodies 65 including the five piezoelectric bodies 651 to the front surface and the back surface of the diaphragm 66.

  Each of the five piezoelectric bodies 651 constituting the vibrating body 65 includes a piezoelectric body and a first electrode and a second electrode that sandwich the piezoelectric body (not shown). Note that one of the first electrode and the second electrode may be a common electrode. These piezoelectric bodies 651 are electrically connected to the control unit 14 shown in FIG. Note that it is sufficient that at least one piezoelectric body 651 is included in the vibrating body 65, and various other types and arrangements can be employed. Further, the vibrating body 65 may be provided on only one of the two surfaces of the diaphragm 66 (the front surface and the back surface).

A protrusion 67 is provided at the end of the piezoelectric driving device 64 (the diaphragm 66). The protrusion 67 is preferably formed of a durable material such as ceramics (for example, Al ₂ O ₃ ). On both side surfaces of the piezoelectric driving device 64, a plurality of support portions 68 for supporting the piezoelectric driving device 64 are provided at positions corresponding to vibration nodes of the piezoelectric driving device 64. These support portions 68 are formed integrally with the diaphragm 66. In addition, it is preferable that the plurality of support portions 68 protruding from the same side surface of the diaphragm 66 are connected via a connecting plate 69.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation principle of the piezoelectric drive device 64. The piezoelectric driving device 64 operates when the protrusion 67 of the piezoelectric driving device 64 expands or contracts or elliptically moves when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric body 651 of each piezoelectric driving device 64 at a constant period. That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, when a voltage of a specific frequency is applied to a pair of two piezoelectric bodies 651a and 651d that are diagonally located, the piezoelectric driving device 64 bends and meanders. The tip of the projection 67 reciprocates in a specific direction or elliptically moves. As a result, the third rotor 63 (FIG. 3) in contact with the protrusion 67 rotates in a predetermined direction. As shown in FIG. 4B, when a voltage having a specific frequency is applied to the other pair of piezoelectric bodies 651b and 651c, the third rotor 63 rotates in the reverse direction. Such operations of the piezoelectric driving device 64 and the vibrating body 65 are described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-320979 or the corresponding US Pat. No. 7,224,102, and the disclosure content thereof is incorporated by reference. It is.

C. Joint mechanism structure:
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the joint mechanism 90 provided in the drive device 1. FIG. 5 shows a structure of the joint mechanism 90 configured by connecting the first member 20 and the second member 30 by the third rotating shaft 53. From the base member 10 of the drive device 1 to the fourth connecting portion 140 (or the fixing portion 40), a flat wiring member 70 for electrically connecting each rotating portion to the control portion 14 is inserted inside. . Therefore, the flat wiring member 70 is also arranged in the joint mechanism 90. The flat wiring member 70 is a wiring member that is flat and can be bent. The flat wiring member 70 of this embodiment is configured by a flexible substrate. As long as the shape of the flat wiring member 70 is flat as a whole, the surface may be flat or uneven. As the flat wiring member 70, in addition to the flexible substrate, for example, a flat cable in which a plurality of coated wires are arranged and fused, a ribbon-like flexible flat cable in which a plurality of flat conductors are arranged and covered, or the like is adopted. Can do.

  FIG. 5A schematically shows a planar structure of the joint mechanism 90. FIG. 5B shows a state of the flat wiring member 70 arranged in the joint mechanism 90. FIG. 5C schematically shows the XX cross section of FIG. In FIG. 5C, illustration of the third rotation unit 122 that rotates the third rotation shaft 53 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5C, the first member 20 is provided with a first cavity portion 21 inside, and the second member 30 is provided with a second cavity portion 31 inside. The flat wiring member 70 is provided in the joint mechanism 90 along the first member 20 and the second member 30 through the first cavity portion 21 and the second cavity portion 31. In the present embodiment, the flat wiring member 70 is fixed to the first member 20 and the second member 30 at the upper position P1 and the lower position P2 on the third rotation shaft 53. The flat wiring member 70 may be fixed to one of the first member 20 and the second member 30.

  The flat type wiring member 70 is bent in advance in the vicinity of the third rotation shaft 53 so as to intersect with the virtual line VL parallel to the third rotation shaft 53 at three positions. That is, the flat-type wiring member 70 is bent in advance in a Z-fold shape in the vicinity of the third rotation shaft 53 of the joint mechanism 90 so as not to be folded. As described above, if the flat wiring member 70 is bent, the flat wiring member 70 can be easily bent around the axis (third rotation shaft 53) perpendicular to the surface thereof. Therefore, the first member 20 and the second member 30 constituting the joint mechanism 90 can be smoothly rotated around the third rotation shaft 53. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the flat wiring member 70 is arranged in the joint mechanism 90 having the third rotation shaft 53, but the first is a shaft parallel to the third rotation shaft 53. As for the joint mechanism (joint mechanism constituted by the first sub member 112 and the second sub member 114) having the two rotation shafts 52, a flat wiring member 70 is provided in the inside thereof as shown in FIG. As shown, it is pre-bent and arranged.

  FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the rotatable angle of the joint mechanism 90. The pivotable angle of the joint mechanism 90 is determined according to the pivotable angle of the flat wiring member 70. Therefore, in the following description, it is assumed that the pivotable angle of the joint mechanism 90 is the pivotable angle of the flat wiring member 70. FIG. 6A shows a side view of the flat wiring member 70 when the first member 20 and the second member 30 are not rotated, and FIG. 6B shows the first member 20 and the second member 30. The top view of the flat type wiring member 70 in case the 2 member 30 is rotating is represented. In FIG. 6A, a black circle is shown at a portion where the flat wiring member 70 and the virtual line VL intersect. When the flat wiring member 70 is disposed in the first member 20 and the second member 30, the angle at which the second member 30 can be rotated relative to the first member 20 is defined as follows. Can do.

The flat type wiring member 70 has portions intersecting with the virtual line VL parallel to the third rotation shaft 53 at three places (see FIG. 6A), and the flat type wiring member 70 is shown in FIG. When fixed to the first member 20 and the second member 30 as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6B, the width of the flat wiring member 70 is W,
As shown in FIG. 6A, when the first member 20 and the second member 30 are not rotating, the virtual line VL is a flat type in the direction X in which the first member 20 and the second member 30 extend. When the distance between positions intersecting the wiring member 70 at two locations is L,
The second member 30 is rotatable relative to the first member 20 up to an angle (4θ) that is four times θ that satisfies the following expression (1).

  2L cos 2θ / (cos 2θ + 1) −W tan θ> 0 (1)

The reason why the pivotable angle is defined by the equation (1) is as follows. First, the length A and the length B shown in FIG. 6B always satisfy the relationship of the following formula (2) regardless of the rotation angle of the first member 20. The length A is the length of the center line along the length direction of the flat wiring member 70 in the region where the flat wiring member 70 is bent. The length B is a distance B from the end of the center line to the third rotation shaft 53.
A + 2B = 2L (2)
Next, the length A can be expressed by the following equation (3) from FIG.
A = 2B cos 2θ (3)
Substituting this equation (3) into equation (2),
2B cos 2θ + 2B = 2L
It becomes. Therefore, the length B of Expression (2) is expressed as follows.
B = L / (cos 2θ + 1)
Substituting this length B into equation (2),
A + 2L / (cos2θ + 1) = 2L
So that
The length A can be expressed by the following equation (4).
A = 2L cos 2θ / (cos 2θ + 1) (4)

Next, the shortest length C of the flat wiring member 70 in the region where the flat wiring member 70 is bent is expressed by the following equation (5) using the angle θ shown in FIG. Can be expressed as
C = A−Wtanθ (5)
When the first member 20 rotates, C needs to be larger than 0, and therefore the equation (5) is expressed as the following equation (6).
A-Wtanθ> 0 (6)
Substituting the length A represented by the above equation (4) into this equation (6) yields the following equation (1).
2L cos 2θ / (cos 2θ + 1) −W tan θ> 0

  From the above, if the width W of the flat wiring member 70 and the distance L between the two positions where the virtual line VL intersects the flat wiring member 70 at two locations are determined, the joint mechanism is obtained by the above equation (1). 90 pivotable angles are determined.

  In the present embodiment, the flat wiring member 70 is fixed to the first member 20 and the second member 30, but the flat wiring member 70 is not fixed inside the first member 20 and the second member 30. It is also possible. In the present embodiment, the flat wiring member 70 is provided inside the joint mechanism 90, but the flat wiring member 70 may be provided outside the joint mechanism 90. FIG. 5 shows an example in which the flat wiring member 70 is bent so as to intersect with the virtual line VL parallel to the third rotation shaft 53 at three locations. The imaginary line VL may be bent so as to intersect at four or more places (preferably, four or more places and odd places).

D. Action and effect of drive unit:
FIG. 7 is a view taken in the direction of arrow A in FIG. FIG. 8 is a view taken in the direction of arrow B in FIG. FIG. 9 is a view taken in the direction of arrow C in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, when the driving device 1 is attached to the hand, the base member 10 is disposed on the back of the hand, and the first rotation shaft 51 is disposed along the index finger metacarpal bone 80. Therefore, the first sub member 112 connected to the first rotation shaft 51 is kept parallel to the back side of the base of the thumb. However, even if the first rotation shaft 51 is disposed along the index finger metacarpal bone 80, these shafts are not in the same position, so the first sub member 112 is centered on the first rotation shaft 51. When rotating, the height γ from the third joint 83 of the thumb to the first sub-member 112 (see FIGS. 7 and 9) and the thumb metacarpal 82 connecting the second joint 84 and the third joint 83 of the thumb. The distance α (see FIGS. 7 and 8) to the second rotation shaft 52 and the movement of the thumb change.

  In contrast, in the driving device 1 of the present embodiment, even when the distance α varies according to the movement of the thumb, as shown in FIG. The third connecting part 130 rotates around the third rotating shaft 53 and the second connecting part 120 slides by the first slide mechanism 117 so as to appropriately follow the movement. Can do. Further, in the driving device 1 of the present embodiment, even when the height γ varies according to the movement of the thumb, as shown in FIG. 9, the fourth connecting portion 140 is provided around the fourth rotation shaft 54. The fixed portion 40 is rotated around the fifth rotation shaft 55, and the fixed portion 40 and the fifth connecting portion 150 are slid by the second slide mechanism 44. Can follow.

Further, in the present embodiment, when each movable member operates as described above, the first rotating portion 12 drives the first rotating shaft 51 and the fourth rotating portion 142 is the fourth rotating shaft. By driving 54, the bending motion of the thumb can be assisted. In addition, the second turning unit 118 drives the second turning shaft 52 and the third turning unit 122 drives the third turning shaft 53, so that the opening / closing operation of the thumb can be assisted. That is, even if the height γ and the distance α fluctuate according to the movement of the thumb, the driving device 1 according to the present embodiment appropriately moves the thumb by each rotating unit while causing each movable member to follow the movement. Can assist. Therefore, it is possible to assist the thumb movement with a high degree of freedom without imposing a burden on the joint of the thumb.
In addition, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the first member 20 is provided to be rotatable around the first rotation shaft 51 along the index finger metacarpal 80 of the hand with respect to the base member 10 disposed on the back of the hand. Therefore, the movement of the thumb belly side toward the palm side can be favorably assisted by the first member 20.

  In addition, the driving device 1 according to the present embodiment includes the first rotation unit 12 that rotates the first member 20 around the first rotation shaft 51. Therefore, the first member 20 can be positively rotated, and as a result, the movement of the thumb belly toward the palm side can be better assisted.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since each rotation part is comprised by the piezoelectric material 651 and the diaphragm 66, a rotation part can be comprised small. Therefore, the drive device 1 can be reduced in size. In the present embodiment, the diaphragm does not directly contact the driven part (gear train), but the protrusion 67 provided on the diaphragm 66 contacts the driven part, so that the durability of the rotating part is improved. be able to.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the elastic member 116 is provided between the 1st member 20 and a hand, it can suppress that the 1st member 20 and a hand rub. Therefore, the first member 20 can be smoothly rotated around the first rotation shaft 51.

  Further, in the driving device 1 of the present embodiment, the first member 20 and the second member 30 are rotated in the first rotation direction by the third rotation unit 122, and the base member 10 and the second member 30 are The distance of is variable. Therefore, the movement of the thumb can be favorably supported by the second member 30. Further, in the present embodiment, the first rotation direction is a direction in which the thumb of the hand opens and closes with respect to the index finger, so that the movement of the thumb can be better supported.

  In the present embodiment, the distance between the base member 10 and the second member 30 varies as the first connecting portion 110 and the second connecting portion 120 provided in the first member 20 approach and separate from each other. . Therefore, the distance between the base member 10 and the second member 30 can be varied with a simple configuration. Moreover, if it is such a structure, the 1st member 20 can be reduced in size.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the 1st connection part 110 which comprises the 1st member 20 is comprised by the 1st submember 112 and the 2nd submember 114 which can rotate relatively. Therefore, the freedom degree of movement of the 1st connection part 110 increases, and it can assist thumb movement more favorably.

  In addition, the driving device 1 of the present embodiment includes a second rotating unit 118 that rotates the second sub member 114 relative to the first sub member 112. Therefore, the second sub member 114 can be positively rotated with respect to the first sub member 112, and as a result, the movement of the thumb can be assisted better.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the 2nd member 30 is provided with the 3rd connection part 130, the 4th connection part 140, and the 5th connection part 150, and the 4th connection part 140 and the 5th connection part 150 are the following. The third connecting part 130 can be rotated in a second rotation direction different from the first rotation direction. Therefore, the degree of freedom of movement of the driving device 1 is increased, and the thumb movement can be assisted better.

  In addition, the drive device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a fourth rotating unit 142 that rotates the fourth connecting unit 140 in the second rotating direction relative to the third connecting unit 130. Therefore, the 4th connection part 140 can be actively rotated with respect to the 3rd connection part 130, As a result, a motion of a thumb can be assisted more favorably. In the present embodiment, the second rotation direction is a direction in which the thumb bends, so that the movement of the thumb can be assisted better.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the fixing part 40 to be attached to the thumb is provided on the second member 30, and the fixing part 40 can be relatively slid along the proximal phalange 81 of the thumb. Therefore, the movement of the thumb can be assisted better.

  Further, the joint mechanism 90 of the present embodiment is provided with a flat wiring member 70 along the first member 20 and the second member 30, and the flat wiring member 70 is attached to the third rotation shaft 53. It is bent so as to have three or more intersecting portions with the parallel virtual line VL. Therefore, even when the first member 20 and the second member 30 are rotated around the third rotation shaft 53, the flat wiring member 70 can follow the movement, so that the flat wiring The presence of the member 70 can suppress the movement of the joint mechanism 90 from being restricted.

  In the present embodiment, the flat wiring member 70 is fixed to at least one of the first member 20 and the second member 30, and therefore can be prevented from wobbling with respect to the joint mechanism 90.

  In the present embodiment, the first member 20 has a first cavity portion 21, and the second member 30 has a second cavity portion 31. The flat wiring member 70 passes through the first cavity portion 21 and the second cavity portion 31. Therefore, the joint mechanism 90 can be reduced in size.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the flat type wiring member 70 is comprised with the flexible substrate. Therefore, the flat wiring member does not need to be configured with a special material. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the joint mechanism 90 can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the pivotable angle of the joint mechanism 90 is defined by the above equation (1). Therefore, the joint mechanism 90 can be easily designed.

  In the present embodiment, the first member 20 and the second member 30 provided with the flat wiring member 70 are rotated by the third rotating portion 122. In the present embodiment, the flat wiring member 70 is provided. Since it is bent in advance as described above, it is possible to prevent the third rotating part 122 from being burdened.

E. Variation:
<First and second modifications>
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a first modification of the driving device. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second modification of the driving device. In the driving device 1 of the above embodiment, the base member 10 and the second member 30 are expanded and contracted by the first connecting mechanism 110 and the second connecting portion 120 and the first connecting portion 110 being extended and contracted by the first slide mechanism 117. The distance between is adjusted. On the other hand, the first member 20 may have any structure as long as the distance between the base member 10 and the second member 30 can be adjusted. For example, the drive device 1a shown in FIG. 10 is configured such that a part of the first member 20a can be expanded and contracted by a bellows-like member. Also with such a configuration, the distance between the base member 10 and the second member 30 can be adjusted as in the above embodiment. Further, the drive device 1b shown in FIG. 11 is configured such that a part of the first member 20b can be bent. Even with such a configuration, the distance between the base member 10 and the second member 30 can be adjusted, as in the above embodiment.

<Third and fourth modifications>
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a third modification of the driving device. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a fourth modification of the driving device. The drive device 1 according to the embodiment includes a second rotation shaft 52 and a third rotation shaft 53. However, either one of these axes (preferably, the second rotating shaft 52) may be omitted. For example, in the driving device 1c shown in FIG. 12, the second rotating shaft 52 is omitted. Therefore, the second rotating portion 118 is also omitted, and the first sub member 112 and the second sub member 114 are integrated to form one first connecting portion 110c. Further, in the driving device 1d shown in FIG. 13, the third rotation shaft 53 is omitted. Therefore, the 3rd rotation part 122 is also abbreviate | omitted, Furthermore, it comprises as the connection part 125 with which the 2nd connection part and the 3rd connection part were integrated. As shown in these drawings, even if one of the second rotation shaft 52 and the third rotation shaft 53 is omitted, the movement of the omitted shaft is caused by the play of each movable member. The range can be absorbed. Further, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, if the number of rotating shafts is reduced, the number of rotating parts can be reduced accordingly, so that the drive device 1 can be reduced in size, weight, and power saving. Can be achieved.

<Fifth Modification>
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a fifth modification of the drive device. The drive device 1 of the above embodiment includes the first member 20 and the second member 30, but the second member 30 may be omitted as shown in FIG. In this case, the first member 20e may not include the second sub member 114. According to such a configuration, it is possible to provide a single-function drive device 1e that assists in turning the thumb around an axis along the index finger metacarpal bone 80.

<Sixth Modification>
In the above-described embodiment, the base member 10 includes the first rotating unit 12 that drives the first rotating shaft 51, but the first rotating unit 12 may be included in the first member 20. Good. In the above-described embodiment, the second rotating portion 118 that drives the second rotating shaft 52 is provided in the first sub member 112, but the second rotating portion 118 is provided in the second sub member 114. It may be done. In the above embodiment, the third rotating part 122 that drives the third rotating shaft 53 is provided in the second connecting part 120, but the third rotating part 122 is connected to the third connecting part 130. It may be provided. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the 4th rotation part 142 which drives the 4th rotation axis | shaft 54 is provided in the 4th connection part 140, the 4th rotation part 142 is provided in the 3rd connection part 130. FIG. It may be provided.

<Seventh Modification>
In the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each rotation axis is driven by a rotation unit using the piezoelectric body 651. However, each rotation axis may be driven by various actuators. For example, a general small motor, an electromagnetic actuator, or the like can be used as an actuator for driving each rotation shaft. It is also possible to use an actuator composed of a wire and a tensioner that changes the tension of the wire, an actuator composed of a hose and a pump that changes the hydraulic pressure and air pressure in the hose, and the like.

<Eighth Modification>
The flat wiring member 70 in the above embodiment is not limited to the joint mechanism 90 provided in the drive device 1 and may be provided in any other joint mechanism. Further, the joint mechanism through which the flat wiring member 70 is inserted may or may not include an actuator such as a rotating part. In addition, the driving device 1 is not limited to the flat wiring member 70, and wiring may be performed by another form of wiring member. For example, wiring may be performed by a general covered wire or a cable in which a plurality of covered wires are collected by a sheath.

<Ninth Modification>
In the above-described embodiment, the drive device 1 includes the first rotation unit 12, the second rotation unit 118, the third rotation unit 122, and the fourth rotation unit 142 as the rotation unit. However, it is not necessary to provide all these rotating parts. For example, a rotation unit for driving a joint that does not need to assist movement can be omitted.

<10th modification>
In the above embodiment, it is assumed that the driving device 1 is mounted on the thumb of a human hand. However, the driving device 1 is not limited to a human being, but a living body joint such as an animal or a robot other than a living body such as a robot. You may use for the use which assists the motion of a joint.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be realized with various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments and modifications corresponding to the technical features in each embodiment described in the summary section of the invention are intended to solve part or all of the above-described problems, or In order to achieve part or all of the effects, replacement or combination can be performed as appropriate. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e ... Drive device 10 ... Base member 12 ... 1st rotation part 14 ... Control part 20, 20a, 20b, 20e ... 1st member 21 ... 1st cavity part 30 ... 2nd Member 31 ... 2nd cavity 40 ... Fixing part 42 ... Mounting band 44 ... 2nd slide mechanism 51 ... 1st rotating shaft 52 ... 2nd rotating shaft 53 ... 3rd rotating shaft 54 ... 4th rotating shaft 55 ... 5th rotation axis 61 ... 1st rotor 62 ... 2nd rotor 63 ... 3rd rotor 64 ... Piezoelectric drive device 65 ... Vibrating body 66 ... Diaphragm 67 ... Projection part 68 ... Supporting part 69 ... Connecting plate 70 ... Flat type Wiring member 80 ... metacarpal bone of index finger 81 ... proximal phalanx of thumb 82 ... metacarpal bone of thumb 83 ... third joint of thumb 84 ... second joint of thumb 90 ... joint mechanism 110, 110c ... first connecting portion 112 ... first 1 sub member 114 ... 2nd sub member 115 ... opening DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 ... Elastic member 117 ... 1st slide mechanism 118 ... 2nd rotation part 120 ... 2nd connection part 122 ... 3rd rotation part 125 ... connection part 130 ... 3rd connection part 140 ... 4th connection part 142 ... 4th Rotating part 150 ... Fifth connecting part 651, 651a, 651b, 651c, 651d ... Piezoelectric body VL ... Virtual line

Claims (4)

A base member arranged on the back of the hand ;
A first member disposed on the back side of the thumb of the hand and rotatably provided on the base member;
With
Said first member, Ri rotatable der around a rotary shaft along the longitudinal direction of the front Kite index finger metacarpal,
A rotation unit that rotates the first member around the rotation axis;
The rotating part is
A diaphragm including a piezoelectric body;
A driven portion that is driven by contact with the diaphragm.
Drive device. The drive device according to claim 1 ,
The diaphragm is provided with a protrusion,
The drive device in which the protrusion comes into contact with the driven part. The drive device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein
A drive device comprising: an elastic member provided between the first member and the hand. A base member arranged on the back of the hand ;
A first member disposed on the back side of the thumb of the hand and rotatably provided on the base member;
A drive method for a drive device comprising:
Rotating portion and a driven portion to which the diaphragm and the diaphragm including the piezoelectric element is driven in contact with the pre-Symbol first member, along the longitudinal direction of the index finger metacarpals of the hand rotation Drive method to rotate around the axis.

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