KR101795782B1 - An artificial muscle module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an artificial muscle module. According to the present invention, the artificial muscle module (10) has an inlet (110) formed on a side of the housing (100) to draw the air in while having an installation space (120) formed therein. A tube inlet (210) is formed on a side of the installation space (120) to be linked with an inlet (110). A pair of muscle tubes (200) is installed to receive air through the tube inlet (210) and be inflated. The other side of the muscle tube (200) is fixed in the installation space (120) to install a first guide unit (300) moving in accordance with the inflation of the muscle tube (200). An end of the wire unit (400) is coupled to the first guide unit (300). The other side of the wire unit (400) is extended to the outside of the housing (100). The length of the wire unit (400) being exposed to the outside of the housing (100) varies in accordance with the movement of the first guide unit (300). The present invention uses a relatively simple structure to rehabilitate or assist the movement of joints by using the inflation through inflow of air. Accordingly, the artificial muscle module can arrange the driving unit such as a driving motor on the outside without directly attaching the driving unit on the joint parts of the user, thereby enhancing wearability and usability on the users end.

Description

An artificial muscle module

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an artificial muscle module, and more particularly, to an artificial muscle module configured to support a body movement using a muscle tube expanded by inflow of air.

Recently, various researches and developments have been carried out on rehabilitation and assistive devices such as the elderly and the handicapped, and it is a supplementary device for rehabilitation and activity assisting of the elderly people or persons with discomfort such as arms or legs, Development of supporting robots is underway.

In the case of a human-wearing type muscle-supported robot developed up to now, the robot is constructed in a form in which a wear part is formed of a link and a joint, and a motor is attached to the joint or a pneumatic piston or artificial muscle is attached to the link. That is, a link structure in which a frame of a rigid material is connected to support each joint of the user's body structure is applied, and a driving mechanism such as a driving motor for artificial driving of each joint is applied. Therefore, the driving force of the driving unit is transmitted to each link, and the joint in which the link is fixed is assisted by the user's rehabilitation and activity.

However, in the case of a human body wearing type muscle supporting robot through the link structure as described above, the energy consumption of the driving part is increased due to the weight of the linkage structure, and inconvenience is increased and the manufacturing cost is increased due to the complicated structure. In addition, it is difficult to easily change to fit the body structure of the user.

Therefore, it is required to develop an artificial muscle module that can be reduced in volume and weight to be easily worn and applied to various joints of the body.

Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1222915 (Oct.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an artificial muscle module that can be reduced in volume and weight, and applied to various joints of the body.

The technical problem of the present invention is not limited to those mentioned above, and another technical problem which is not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to accomplish the above object, according to an artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an artificial muscle module, comprising: a housing formed with an inlet through which air is introduced from one side to the outside, A pair of muscle tubes installed in the installation space and having a tube inlet communicating with the inlet at one side thereof and expanding by the inflow of air through the tube inlet; A first guide unit movably installed in the installation space, the first guide unit being fixed on the other side of the muscle tube and moving according to the expansion of the muscle tube; And a wire unit having one end coupled to the first guide unit and the other end extending to the outside of the housing and having a variable length exposed to the outside of the housing in accordance with movement of the first guide unit, 1 guide unit is moved toward the tube inlet according to the expansion of the muscle tube and is restored to its original position according to the relaxation of the muscle tube.

And a second guide unit for guiding movement of the wire unit, the length of which is varied by the movement of the first guide unit, and the second guide unit for guiding the movement of the wire unit. .

Wherein the first guide unit comprises a guide plate on which the other side of the muscle tube is fixed and a pair of guide shafts extending through the guide plate in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the muscle tube, Is slid along the guide shaft.

And the second guide unit is constituted by a tension spring which is located in the installation space, one side of which is fixed to the guide plate and one side of which is connected to the other side of the tension spring and which is fixed in the installation space. do.

And one side of the tension spring and the other side of the wire spring are fixed by a fixing member, respectively.

The wire unit may include a wire having one end connected to the first guide unit and the other end extending to the outside of the housing, and a fixture connecting the first guide unit and one end of the wire.

The muscle tube is characterized in that it comprises at least one of a polyurethane resin, a polyether resin, a polyester resin, a polypropylene resin, and a polyolefin resin.

The details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

According to the artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the muscular tube which expands according to the inflow of air and the first and second guide units and wire units which move in accordance with the expansion and relaxation of the muscle tube, The bending is induced in the same direction as the direction of the body, so that the movement of the various joints of the body can be rehabilitated or assisted. Particularly, the artificial muscle module of the present embodiment has a relatively simple structure. Since the artificial muscle module according to the present embodiment can be re-operated or assisted with the operation of the articulated part due to the expansion due to inflow of air, the drive unit, such as a driving motor, So that the comfort and usability of the user can be improved and convenience can be improved.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view illustrating a configuration of an artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 and 4 are operational state diagrams showing the operation of the configuration of the artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a reference view showing a wearing state of a configuration of an artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention.

In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, descriptions of techniques which are well known in the technical field of the present invention and are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is for the sake of clarity of the present invention without omitting the unnecessary explanation.

For the same reason, some of the components in the drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated. Also, the size of each component does not entirely reflect the actual size. In the drawings, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional perspective view of an artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of an artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the external skeleton and the skeleton of the artificial muscle module 10 are formed by the housing 100. The housing 100 is for covering the muscle tube 200 to be described below and also serves to prevent the muscle tube 200 from being damaged by an external impact or the like. In the present embodiment, the housing 100 may be formed of a light material, for example, a material such as a synthetic resin. This is to minimize the weight of the artificial muscle module 10.

In this embodiment, the housing 100 does not include an elastic material and does not expand in accordance with the expansion of the muscle tube 200, which will be described below. That is, the muscle tube 200 expands while the air is introduced, but when it is expanded beyond a certain volume, it contacts the inner surface of the housing 100, and the muscle tube 200 is expanded only by the volume of the housing 100 . Therefore, the amount of expansion of the muscle tube 200 is limited by the housing 100.

Accordingly, the amount of expansion of the muscle tube 200 can be controlled through the volume of the housing 100, and the volume of the housing 100 can be controlled according to the volume of the joint of the user who needs rehabilitation or operation, The size of the required muscle strength of the subject, and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 4, an inlet 110 is formed at one side of the housing 100. The inlet 110 is a portion into which air flows from the outside. The inlet 110 may be connected to a supply line for supplying fluid pressure, e.g., pneumatic pressure, from the external fluid pressure supply O, as shown in FIG.

An installation space 120 is formed in the housing 100. The installation space 120 is a portion where the muscle tube 200, the first and second guide units 300 and 500, and the wire unit 300 to be described below are installed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of muscle tubes 200 are installed in the installation space 120. The muscle tubes 200 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. In the present embodiment, the muscle tube 200 is formed in a tube shape with a restoring force against expansion. For this purpose, it may be composed of at least one resin selected from the group consisting of rubber, synthetic resin, spandex, polyurethane resin, polyether resin, polyester resin, polypropylene resin or polyolefin resin . For example, the muscle tube 200 may have a structure in which a highly rigid plastic mesh encloses the muscle tube 200. Here, the muscle tube 200 may be formed so that the inner diameter thereof is constant, and the inner tube may be formed so as to be different from each other.

For reference, polyethers and polyesters are excellent in chemical stability and durability, but are inferior to polyurethane fibers in elongation properties such as recoverability. Polypropylene terephthalate (PBT) fiber has somewhat lower physical properties such as elongation. Polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) has both flexibility and elasticity. Polyolefin has excellent soft stretchability, heat resistance and chemical resistance.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a tube inlet 210 is formed at one side of the muscle tube 200. The tube inlet 210 is a portion that communicates with the inlet 110. The tube inlet 210 is a portion through which the air introduced through the inlet 110 flows. That is, when air is introduced through the tube inlet 210, the muscle tube 200 is expanded and contracted in length, and when the air is discharged through the tube inlet 210, the muscle tube 200 is relaxed and restored to its original state.

1 to 4, a first guide unit 300 is movably installed in an installation space 120 of the housing 100. As shown in FIG. The first guide unit 300 is a part where the other side of the muscle tube 200 is fixed and moved according to the expansion of the muscle tube 200. The first guide unit 300 includes a guide plate 320 to which the other side of the muscle tube 200 is fixed and a pair of guide shafts 330 ).

1 to 4, the guide plate 320 may be slidably installed in the installation space 120 of the housing 100. The guide plate 320 may have a substantially plate shape. The other side of the muscle tube 200 is fixed to one side of the guide plate 320, and the wire unit 400 to be described later is fixed. The guide plate 320 is slidably moved along the guide shaft 330.

A guide protrusion 322 may protrude from one side of the guide plate 320 facing the muscle tube 200. The guide protrusion 322 is a portion through which the guide shaft 330 is inserted. The guide protrusion 322 firmly supports the guide shaft 330 and prevents the guide shaft 330 from being separated.

3 and 4, the guide shaft 330 is installed on the inner surface of the installation space 120 opposite to the inlet 110. As shown in FIG. The guide shafts 330 are installed through the guide protrusions 322, respectively. The guide shaft 330 extends in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the muscle tube 200. The guide shaft 330 guides the movement of the guide plate 320.

3 and 4, the wire unit 400 is coupled to the first guide unit 300. As shown in FIG. The wire unit 400 may include a wire 410 and a fixture 420 according to the movement of the first guide unit 300. In this embodiment,

One end of the wire 410 is connected to the guide plate 320 and the other end is extended to the outside of the housing 100. The length of the wire 410 exposed from the outside of the housing 410 varies according to the movement of the guide plate 320. As shown in FIG. 5, the other end of the wire 410 is connected to a wearer 600 installed in the arm joint of the user P. In this way, bending of the user's arm joint can be rehabilitated or assisted.

One end of the wire 410 is fixed to the guide plate 320 by the fixture 420. The fixing member 420 may be attached to the other side of the guide plate 320 while the wire 410 is inserted and fixed therein. The fixture 420 may be integrally formed with the guide plate 320.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a second guide unit 500 may be installed in the installation space 120 of the housing 100. In this embodiment, the second guide unit 500 is positioned between the muscle tubes 200. The second guide unit 500 guides the movement of the wire unit 400 while varying in length by the movement of the guide plate 320. At the same time, the second guide unit 500 also restricts the moving speed of the guide plate 320 when the muscle tube 200 is relaxed and restored to its original state.

In the present embodiment, the second guide unit 500 may include a tension spring 510 and a wire spring 520. In this embodiment, the tension spring 510 is in a tensioned state when the guide plate 320 is in the home position. That is, the tension spring 510 is restored to its original state in the state of being stretched according to the expansion and relaxation of the muscle tube 200. One side of the tension spring 510 is fixed to one side of the guide plate 320 and the other side is connected to one side of the wire spring 520. The other side of the wire spring 520 is fixed to the inner end of the housing 100.

One side of the tension spring 510 and the other side of the wire spring 520 may be fixed by a fixing member 530, respectively. The fixing member 530 is installed at the inner ends of the guide plate 320 and the housing 100, respectively. The fixing member 530 fixes the tension spring 510 and the wire spring 520 to the guide plate 320 and the housing 100. In this embodiment, the fixing member 530 may be formed into a hook shape, as shown in Figs.

Hereinafter, an operation state of the artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

5, the artificial muscle module 10 according to the present embodiment is installed on the back of a user, and the wire 410 of the artificial muscle module 10 is attached to a wear part 600).

3, when air flows from the external fluid pressure supply part O through the inlet 110, air flows through the inlet 110 to the tube 200 of the muscle tube 200, And moves into the muscle tube 200 through the inlet 210.

When air continues to flow into the muscle tube 200, the muscle tube 200 expands laterally and becomes shorter in length as shown in FIG. At the same time, the guide plate 320 connected to the other side of the muscle tube 200 slides along the guide shaft 330 in the direction of approaching the tube inlet 210, that is, in the direction of arrow A in FIG. .

At this time, the wire unit 400 coupled with the guide plate 320 moves together, and the wearer 600 connected to the wire 410 is pulled in a direction in which the arm joint is bent, and the arm joint is bent . At the same time, the tension spring 510 of the second guide unit 500 is restored to its original state in the tensioned state.

In this state, when the air escapes through the inlet 110 through the tube inlet 210, the muscle tube 200 is relaxed and restored to its original state, and at the same time, the other side of the muscle tube 200 The guide plate 320 is slid along the guide shaft 330 in a direction away from the tube inlet 210. As a result, the wire unit 400 coupled with the guide plate 302 is also restored to its original position, and the arm joints are expanded again.

At this time, since the restored tension spring 510 is stretched again, the movement speed of the guide plate 320 is limited, and the arm joint of the user P is prevented from suddenly expanding.

The first and second guide units 300 and 500 and the wire unit 400 move according to the expansion and relaxation of the muscle tube 200 and the muscle tube 200 that expand according to the inflow of air, Bending is induced in the same direction as the bending direction of the joint part, so that the movement of the various joint parts of the body can be rehabilitated or assisted.

Particularly, the artificial muscle module 10 of the present embodiment has a relatively simple structure, and since the artificial muscle module 10 can be re-operated or assisted by the expansion due to the inflow of air, a driving unit such as a driving motor is directly attached So that the wearer comfort and usability are improved, and convenience is improved.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, And is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that other modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention are possible in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

10: artificial muscle module 100: housing
110: inlet 120: installation space
130: Fixing member 200: Muscle tube
210: tube inlet 300: first guide unit
320: guide plate 322: guide projection
330: guide shaft 400: wire unit
410: wire 420: fastener
500: second guide unit 510: tension spring
520: wire spring

Claims (7)

A housing having an inlet through which air flows in from one side and an installation space formed inside the inlet;
A pair of muscle tubes installed in the installation space and having a tube inlet communicating with the inlet at one side thereof and expanding by the inflow of air through the tube inlet;
A first guide unit movably installed in the installation space, the first guide unit being fixed on the other side of the muscle tube and moving according to the expansion of the muscle tube; And
And a wire unit having one end coupled to the first guide unit and the other end extending to the outside of the housing and having a variable length exposed to the outside of the housing along with the movement of the first guide unit,
The first guide unit is moved toward the tube inlet according to the expansion of the muscle tube and restored to its original position according to the relaxation of the muscle tube,
The first guide unit includes:
A guide plate on which the other side of the muscle tube is fixed,
And a pair of guide shafts extending through the guide plates in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the muscle tube,
Wherein the guide plate is slidably moved along the guide shaft.
The method according to claim 1,
And a second guide unit for guiding movement of the wire unit, the length of which is varied by the movement of the first guide unit, and the second guide unit for guiding the movement of the wire unit. Artificial muscle module.
delete 3. The method of claim 2,
The second guide unit includes:
A tension spring positioned in the installation space and having one side fixed to the guide plate,
And a wire spring connected to one side of the tension spring and fixed in the installation space.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein one side of the tension spring and the other side of the wire spring are fixed by a fixing member, respectively.
The method according to claim 1,
The wire unit includes:
A wire having one end connected to the first guide unit and the other end extending to the outside of the housing,
And a fixture connecting one end of the wire to the first guide unit.
The method according to claim 1,
The muscle tube comprises:
An artificial muscle module comprising at least one of a polyurethane resin, a polyether resin, a polyester resin, a polypropylene resin, and a polyolefin resin.

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