KR102369477B1 - Hand wearable electric auxiliary gripper - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is provided with a concave portion (S) for accommodating the user's hand on the inside, the body 100 having a guide rail 120 on the outside; and a gripper device 200 that is coupled to the body to move along the guide rail and capable of holding an object. The body portion 210 is coupled; a coupling protrusion 215 provided on the rear surface of the body and coupled to the guide rail; two forks 220 and 230 positioned in front of the body to perform a rotational operation to grab an object; a rotating plate 250 positioned on the upper surface of the body; and connecting members (255a, 225b) for connecting the rotating plate and the fork to transmit the rotational operation of the rotating plate to the fork.

Description

Electric gripper for grip assist that can be worn in the hand {HAND WEARABLE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY GRIPPER}

The present invention relates to an electric forceps for assisting grabbing capable of measuring upper extremity movement and capable of upper extremity rehabilitation training, and more specifically, to a device for assisting a holding function in a person whose hand function is impaired due to various causes.

Recently, as we enter an aging society, the number of stroke patients is increasing, the number of patients with spinal cord injuries due to traffic accidents is increasing, and the number of patients suffering from brain lesions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, etc. The number of patients who lack active hand movement due to disease is increasing, and in response to this, development of a device for assisting finger or upper extremity rehabilitation or finger movement is being developed.

As an example, there is a description of a device that considers the movement of the upper limb and is capable of holding a finger. That is, the gripper device is attached to the hand and a gripping operation is performed using the device.

As a prior patent for this technology, there is US Patent No. 8,388,694. However, in the prior art, when the gripper device is attached to the hand and fixed, only an object in a direction with respect to the user's body can be grasped, which causes the following inconvenience. Assuming a situation in which the fixed gripper device wants to grab an object on the lower side of the body so that it can hold only objects on the inside and outside of the body, 1) change the direction of the gripper device by pronation or supination of the forearm 2) If the forearm cannot be moved, an attempt should be made to move the shoulder or elbow joint excessively large to grab an object in the downward direction, but this movement has a problem in that the stability of the trunk is shaken and the grasping fails, 3) the forearm cannot move and the torso If the stability of the shoulder or elbow joint is not great because of the very poor stability, there is a problem that it fails to even try to catch it.

In addition, since the prior art uses a wired battery by attaching a battery for driving a gripper device to a wheelchair, inconvenience may occur in an environment that does not use a wheelchair, such as a bed.

In addition, when an object to be grasped is covered by a hand, arm, or a gripper device, it is difficult to accurately determine whether the object has entered the gripper properly, and a situation in which the object cannot be stably gripped at the correct timing may occur.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electric clamping device that assists a grasping operation for a person with complete shoulder movement and elbow joint function but with reduced hand function.

In addition, the present invention has a built-in sensor capable of measuring a hand movement pattern in the electric forceps itself to observe the trend of an individual-specific movement pattern, and to implement and measure an exercise program based on real-time measurement data to enable clinical Its purpose is to provide technology that is beneficial to

The present invention is provided with a concave portion (S) for accommodating the user's hand on the inside, the body 100 having a guide rail 120 on the outside; and a gripper device 200 coupled to the body to move along the guide rail and capable of holding an object.

The gripper device includes: a body 210 coupled to the guide rail; and a coupling protrusion 215 provided on the rear surface of the body and coupled to the guide rail, wherein the body coupling protrusion is movably attached to the guide rail in a state coupled to the guide rail.

The gripper device includes: two forks 220 and 230 positioned in front of the body to perform a rotational operation to grab an object; a rotating plate 250 positioned on the upper surface of the body; and connecting members (255a, 225b) for connecting the rotating plate and the fork to transmit the rotational operation of the rotating plate to the fork.

a servo motor provided in the body to rotate the rotating plate; an IR sensor 270 positioned in front of the body to detect an object existing between the two forks; a vibrating unit for applying vibration to the body when the IR sensor detects an object between the forks; The body may further include an IMU sensor 140 provided inside the body to detect the shaking pattern.

When the IMU sensor detects a predetermined shaking pattern among the shaking patterns of the body, the gripper device may release the gripping state.

The gripper device may further include an opening switch 150 to release the gripping state.

In addition, since the IMU sensor typically includes an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor, it is possible to detect the movement of the user's upper extremity, so that the utilization of the gripper device can be monitored or the degree of use can be evaluated. To this end, it may further include a storage means for accumulating data on the use of the electric forceps by sensing the movement of the user's upper extremities.

As an additional function, it is possible to induce the user's upper extremity movement by using the IMU sensor. That is, vibration or sound may be generated using a vibrator or a small speaker in the gripper device. When a desired motion is achieved using vibration or sound, a feedback can be given to the user. Through this, a simple upper extremity movement may be possible.

At the end of the guide rail, two springs (S) located on both sides in the width direction of the guide rail; and stoppers 125 positioned at the ends of the two springs to face each other.

According to the present invention, the effect of being able to smoothly perform the grabbing operation while wearing the electric tongs on the hand occurs even in a state in which the hand function is reduced by the above configuration.

In addition, the present invention has a built-in sensor capable of measuring the hand movement pattern in the electric forceps itself to observe the trend of individual-specific movement patterns, and to implement an exercise program based on real-time measurement data, which is clinically beneficial. An advantageous effect of accumulating data arises.

1 is a perspective view of the electric tongs for assisting grabbing according to the present invention,
Figures 2a and 2b is a view of a partial configuration of the electric tongs for assisting grabbing of the present invention,
Figure 3 is an end view of the guide rail of the electric tongs for assisting grabbing of the present invention,
4 is a detailed view of the gripper device among the electric tongs for assisting holding according to the present invention;
5 shows a state in which the gripper device faces in a horizontal direction and a state in a downward direction in the electric tongs for assisting holding according to the present invention;
6 to 8 show an exemplary state in which the user applies a shaking motion of a specific pattern in order to release the gripper device in the electric tongs for assisting holding according to the present invention,
9 shows an exemplary state in which the user presses the open switch to release the gripper device in the electric tongs for assisting holding according to the present invention;
10 shows a neutral forearm posture for the purpose of explaining the present invention.

The objects, specific advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In addition, the terms used are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, which may vary according to the intention or custom of the user operator. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be made based on the content throughout this specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the electric tongs for assisting holding according to the present invention, Figures 2a and 2b is a view of some configuration of the electric tongs for assisting grabbing of the present invention, Figure 3 is a guide of the electric tongs for assisting grabbing of the present invention It is an end view of the rail, and FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the gripper device among the electric tongs for catching assistance according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 to 8 show an exemplary state in which the user applies a shaking motion of a specific pattern in order to release the gripper device in the gripper device in the electric tongs for assisting holding according to the present invention, and FIG. It is an exemplary view in which the user presses the open switch to release the gripper device in the electric tongs for assisting holding according to the invention, and FIG. 10 shows a neutral forearm posture for explanation of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 4, the electric tongs for assisting holding according to the present invention (simply referred to as 'electric tongs' for convenience of explanation) are, in large view, a body 100, which is a part where a hand is inserted and fastened to the palm, and the above It consists of a gripper device 200 coupled to the body to grip the object. The body 100 is provided with a concave portion (S) for accommodating the user's hand on the inside, so that the user's palm is fitted and coupled, and the user's hand is bound to the body while wrapping the palm located in the concave portion. A Velcro 180 is provided.

A guide rail 120 is formed on the outside of the body 100 to have a predetermined width and a predetermined length, so that the gripper device 200 is coupled to the body to move along the guide rail. Preferably, the gripper device can be stopped at a specific position while moving along the guide rail, and the present invention provides a structure that can be positioned at both ends of the guide rail.

2A and 2B, the gripper device includes a body part 210 coupled to the guide rail, and a coupling protrusion 215 provided on the rear surface of the body part and coupled to the guide rail. The coupling protrusion of the body portion is movably attached to the guide rail in a state where it is coupled. The coupling protrusion has a narrow shape in the middle to prevent separation while being mounted on the guide rail, and has a shape in which the width increases at both ends.

Referring to FIG. 3 , two springs S positioned on both sides in the width direction of the guide rail and a stopper 125 positioned at the ends of the two springs facing each other are disposed at the end of the guide rail. When the engaging protrusion 215 on the rear surface of the body of the gripper device passes between the two opposing stoppers 125 while the gripper device moves the guide rail, the elastic force of the spring S causes the stopper ( Since the distance between the 125) is narrowed, the coupling protrusion 215 cannot pass through the stopper 125 unless an external force of sufficient magnitude for moving the body is applied. it will be prevented

Referring to FIG. 4 , the gripper device includes two forks 220 and 230 that are positioned in front of the body to perform a rotating operation to grab an object, a rotating plate 250 located on the upper surface of the body, and connecting the rotating plate and the fork. and connecting members 255a and 225b for transmitting the rotational operation of the rotating plate to the fork. A servo motor (not shown) is provided inside the body to rotate the rotating plate in a situation where a gripping operation of the gripper device is required. When the rotating plate rotates, a rotational force is applied to the fork through the connecting member, and the two forks rotate in opposite directions to catch an object existing between the forks.

In addition, an IR sensor 270 is provided at the front of the body to detect the presence of an object when an object enters between the two forks. That is, when the IR sensor detects an object between the forks while the user's hand moves and the gripper device approaches the object, the fork grabs the object by the rotation of the rotating plate and the rotation of the fork. That is, the user grabs the object by simply moving the gripper device to position the object between the forks.

In addition, the body may further include a vibrating unit such as a vibrating element, so that when the IR sensor detects an object between the forks while the gripper device approaches the object, it applies vibration to the body to notify the user. .

According to the present invention, when the user wears the gripping aid electric tongs, the gripper device can be arranged in various directions to catch the object. As shown in Fig. 5, when the object is facing downward (toward the foot), the fork of the gripper device can be directed downward to grab the object (the left picture of Fig. 5), and if the user wants to grab the object on the left and right Using the remaining function of the shoulder and elbow joint motion, the gripper device can be fixed by pushing the gripper device upward with the back of the hand or the blade of the hand to hold the object on the left and right (right figure of FIG. 5).

In the case where the object needs to be put down by releasing the holding state after moving the object to a specific location in the state of holding the object, various methods are possible.

That is, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) 140 may be provided at a specific position inside the body 100 . The IMU sensor detects a pattern in which the body shakes by the user, and when a shake in a specific pattern is detected, the fork is opened and the object is put down. 6 to 8 , various types of patterns for a grip release operation are exemplarily shown. Fig. 6 shows the motion of shaking the body up and down, Fig. 7 shows the motion of shaking the body in and out, and Fig. 8 shows the motion of turning the body into a heart shape. will release This is an advantageous method for users who have difficulty in using both hands or have a risk of losing their center of gravity due to poor stability of the trunk when using both hands, since it is possible to place an object coupled to the gripper device without using the other hand.

When the motion of waving the arm is not smooth, the fork opening action opening switch 150 may be attached to the body so that the user can release the grabbed object at a desired time. In this case, using the opposite hand, etc., the user can release the object by pressing the open switch when desired.

The operation process according to the above configuration of the present invention is as follows.

When the user moves the gripper device close to the object to be grasped using the shoulder and elbow joint motion, which is the remaining function, the short-range infrared sensor installed at the front recognizes the object and gives a sense of vibration to the body to indicate that the object has entered the gripper device well. It automatically grabs an object while giving the user a tactile sense (vibration alert) stimulus.

After grabbing an object, if you shake it in a specific direction or a specific pattern, such as up/down, inside and outside directions, the IMU sensor built into the power tongs recognizes it and releases the grabbed object. This method is beneficial for users who have difficulty using both hands because they can place the object held by the gripper device without using the other hand, or who are at risk of losing their center of gravity due to poor trunk stability when using both hands. If the motion of waving the arm is not smooth, an open switch is attached to the body so that the user can release the object at the desired time so that the user can release the object by pressing the switch with the opposite hand.

Even if there is an object to be grasped in any direction of the body, it is possible to grasp the object without consuming energy by changing the direction of the body or by excessively increasing the movement of the shoulder or elbow joint, or without wrist movement (pronation or meeting). .

Using the 9-axis IMU sensor built into the electric tongs of the present invention, daily life movement patterns can be collected with a focus on the hand grip function for daily activities. When data on how to use hands in daily life is accumulated, it can be used as data for future rehabilitation treatment. For example, if the arm is continuously used in a pattern that stimulates the median nerve of the wrist, intervention is required. When the IMU sensor built into the electric clamp measures upper extremity movement data for a certain period of time, the data is analyzed as a motion and linked with the exercise program of a PC or monitor through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi module. When an exercise is performed using the electric forceps, the movement pattern during the exercise is recorded on the electric forceps. Since upper extremity movements in daily life before, during and after exercise can be quantitatively and qualitatively compared, it is possible to collect clinically significant data.

In other words, since the IMU sensor typically includes an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor, it is possible to detect the movement of the user's upper extremities, so that the utilization of the gripper device can be monitored or the degree of use can be evaluated. In addition, the user's upper extremity movement may be induced by using the upper extremity movement using the IMU sensor. That is, vibration or sound may be generated using a vibrator or a small speaker in the gripper device. When a desired motion is achieved using vibration or sound, a feedback can be given to the user, thereby inducing upper extremity movement.

Advantages of the present invention include the following points.

1. With the forearm in a neutral position, the gripper faces in two directions relative to the hand, that is, in the downward direction of the hand relative to the edge of the hand, or in the direction of the palm relative to the blade of the hand. It can face and can hold objects (refer to FIG. 10 for forearm neutral posture).

When the gripper device is fixed to the part where the hand is attached, it can hold only an object in one direction based on the hand posture, which causes the following inconvenience. For example, assuming a situation where you want to hold an object in the downward direction based on your hand using a fixed gripper device that can hold only objects on the inside and outside of the body, 1) Pronate or supinate the forearm to use the gripper device. 2) If the forearm cannot be pronated or supinated, the shoulder joint or elbow joint is moved excessively large to grab an object in the downward direction, but the stability of the trunk is shaken and the grip fails, or 3) the forearm pronation Or, if it is impossible to supinate and the stability of the trunk is very low, the movement of the shoulder or elbow joint is increased and even an attempt to catch it is failed.

In all three cases (1), 2), and 3)), it causes inconvenience to the user, so the gripper faces downward in the hand with respect to the blade of the hand or the gripper in the direction of the palm of the hand relative to the blade of the hand. A device is required, and the present invention solves this problem by manually changing the direction by pushing the gripper device along the rail of the body by moving the shoulder or elbow joint, which is the remaining function, in order to implement the mechanism as simply as possible. Then, in order to fix the gripper device at a desired position, a fixing device (stopper) was made by attaching spring devices to both sides of the rail. The position of the gripper device is not moved unless it is pushed with a force that exceeds the spring elastic force, so that the position of the gripper device does not move due to unintentional movement (vibration, etc.).

2. Tactile (vibration) stimulation that informs whether the target object has entered the gripper device properly

If the target object is not moved stably in the gripper device, only the end of the object can be held unstable, so there is a problem that the object can be dropped. That is, if the appropriate timing for the target object to stably enter the gripper device is not known, the efficiency of using the grabbing aid device may be reduced.

If the object to be grasped with a hand, arm, or grabbing device is obscured, the user has to suffer the inconvenience of moving the torso to check it visually, or does not know the proper time to grab, or may drop the object while holding it with a sense. A problem arises.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention is provided with an IR sensor that detects the position of an object, so that the position and timing to hold the object to be grasped stably even if it is not seen by hand, arm, device, etc. is tactile stimulation through a vibration motor This allows the user to hold an object stably without having to visually check it.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention as defined in the following claims are also provided. is within the scope of the

Claims (13)

A body 100 having a concave portion (S) for accommodating the user's hand on the inside, and a guide rail 120 on the outside; and a gripper device 200 coupled to the body to move along the guide rail and capable of holding an object;
The gripper device is
a body portion 210 coupled to the guide rail; two forks (220,230) positioned in front of the body to perform a rotational operation to grab an object; a rotating plate 250 located on the upper surface of the body; and connecting members (255a, 225b) for connecting the rotating plate and the fork to transmit the rotational operation of the rotating plate to the fork;
a servo motor provided in the body to rotate the rotating plate; and
An IR sensor 270 for detecting an object existing between the two forks located in front of the body portion; characterized in that it further comprises, a hand-worn gripping aid electric tongs. According to claim 1, wherein the gripper device,
a body portion 210 coupled to the guide rail; and
A coupling protrusion 215 provided on the rear surface of the body and coupled to the guide rail, characterized in that it includes, wherein the coupling protrusion of the body is movable in a state coupled to the guide rail,
Electric tongs for grip assist that can be worn on the hand. delete delete According to claim 1,
When the IR sensor detects an object between the forks, a vibrating unit for applying vibration to the body; characterized in that it further comprises,
Electric tongs for grip assist that can be worn on the hand. According to claim 1,
In order to detect a pattern in which the body shakes, the IMU sensor 140 is provided inside the body; characterized in that it further comprises,
Electric tongs for grip assist that can be worn on the hand. 7. The method of claim 6,
When the IMU sensor detects a predetermined shaking pattern among the shaking patterns of the body, the gripper device releases the gripping state.
Electric tongs for grip assist that can be worn on the hand. 8. The method of claim 7,
Further comprising a storage means for accumulating data on the use of electric forceps by sensing the movement of the user's upper extremities,
Using the power tongs usage data to monitor the utilization of the power tongs or to evaluate the degree of use,
Electric tongs for grip assist that can be worn on the hand. 9. The method of claim 8,
The body is characterized in that it further comprises a vibrator or a small speaker,
Electric tongs for grip assist that can be worn on the hand. 10. The method of claim 9,
Characterized in giving feedback to the user when a predetermined operation is achieved using vibration or sound emitted from the vibrator or small speaker,
Electric tongs for grip assist that can be worn on the hand. According to claim 1,
An opening switch 150 for releasing the gripper device holding the object; characterized in that it further comprises,
Electric tongs for grip assist that can be worn on the hand. According to claim 1,
At the end of the guide rail, two springs (S) located on both sides in the width direction of the guide rail; and
Further including; stoppers 125 facing each other located at the ends of the two springs
characterized in that the gripper device can be stopped at a specific position while the guide rail is moving,
Electric tongs for grip assist that can be worn on the hand. According to claim 1,
It characterized in that it further comprises a; Velcro 180 for wrapping and binding the user's hand located in the concave portion (S).
Electric tongs for grip assist that can be worn on the hand.

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