KR102448693B1 - A force transmitting frame and a motion assist apparatus comprising thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The above description relates to a force transmission frame and an exercise assisting device including the same. According to an embodiment, the force transmission frame may have a length greater than a width, and rigidity of both ends may be greater than that of an intermediate region in the longitudinal direction.

Description

A FORCE TRANSMITTING FRAME AND A MOTION ASSIST APPARATUS COMPRISING THEREOF

The following description relates to a force transmission frame and an exercise assisting device including the same.

Recently, as an aging society deepens, there is an increasing number of people complaining of pain and discomfort due to joint problems, and interest in assistive devices that can facilitate walking for the elderly or patients with joint problems is increasing. The auxiliary device may have an active joint structure including a drive motor or a hydraulic system for driving each joint so as to assist the user's leg muscle strength.

US Patent Publication No. 2009/0287125 (2009. 11. 19.) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-110464 (2010. 5. 20.)

According to an embodiment, the force transmission frame may have a length greater than a width, and rigidity of both ends may be greater than that of an intermediate region in the longitudinal direction.

The intermediate region may be flexible.

The rigidity of both ends may be 1.5 to 20 times that of the middle region.

The rigidity of the both ends may be 4 to 10 times that of the middle region.

The surfaces of both ends may face the same direction.

The surfaces of both ends may face different directions.

The surfaces of both ends may form an angle of 80 to 100 degrees.

The middle region may have a curved shape.

The force transmission frame may include: an inner frame supporting one side of the object; And both ends are fixed to both ends of the inner frame, the middle portion comprises an outer frame that is not fixed to the middle portion of the inner frame, the middle portion of the outer frame, slidable with respect to the middle portion of the inner frame By being installed so as to be possible, the rigidity of both ends can be formed to be greater than the rigidity of the middle region in the longitudinal direction.

The inner frame may include an inner plate and a first engaging portion provided between the inner plate and the outer plate, and the outer frame may include an outer plate and a second engaging portion coupled to the first engaging portion. have.

One of the first and second locking parts may include a portion whose width increases in a direction in which the other locking part is located.

A cross-section of the one locking part may have a reversed trapezoidal shape.

The inner frame may further include a first protrusion protruding from the inner plate toward the outer plate, and the outer frame may further include a second protrusion protruding from the outer plate toward the inner plate. have.

A plurality of the first protrusion and the second protrusion may be formed along a longitudinal direction of the inner frame and the outer frame.

A distance between two adjacent first protrusions among the plurality of first protrusions may be shorter than a length of second protrusions provided opposite to the two first protrusions.

The distance between the inner plate and the outer plate may decrease from the middle portion toward both ends.

The distance from the inner plate to the outer plate may be determined according to the following equation.

<Equation>

Here, h (x) is the distance between the inner plate and the outer plate, F is the magnitude of the force acting on one end of the force transmission frame, T is the magnitude of the tension applied to the inner plate, L is the force transmission frame The length of x is the distance from the other end of the force transmission frame to any point on the inner plate, and p(x) is the height of the inner plate at x.

The force transmission frame may further include a frame reinforcement provided in at least one of the inner frame and the outer frame.

The frame reinforcement may include a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) material.

The force transmission frame may further include an action part connected to one end of the inner frame and one end of the outer frame, and transmitting a force to a portion of the object.

The thickness of the acting part may be formed to be greater than the sum of the thickness of one end of the inner frame and the thickness of one end of the outer frame.

The distance between the inner plate and the outer plate may increase as the distance from the acting portion increases.

According to another embodiment, the force transmission frame, the first plate; a second plate installed to face the first plate; a connection part for fixing one end of the first plate and one end of the second plate; and an action part for fixing the other end of the first plate and the other end of the second plate.

The force transmission frame may further include a separation preventing member for preventing the first plate and the second plate from being separated from each other.

The inner frame includes an inner plate and a first engaging portion provided between the inner plate and the outer plate, the outer frame includes an outer plate, and a second engaging portion provided between the inner plate and the outer plate And, one side of the separation preventing member may be slidably coupled to the first engaging portion, and the other side of the separation preventing member may be slidably coupled to the second engaging portion.

The force transmission frame may further include a guide part including a guide protrusion protruding from the first plate and a guide hole formed in the guide protrusion, and the second plate may be accommodated in the guide hole.

The distance between the first plate and the second plate is proportional to the product of a dot product value of the first unit vector in the normal direction of the acting part and the second unit vector in the spacing direction, and the distance value from the acting part to the distance can be determined by

A distance between the first plate and the second plate may be determined in proportion to a distance in a direction perpendicular to a direction of a force acting on the acting part.

According to an embodiment, the exercise assisting device includes: a fixing member fixed to an object; a driving source provided on one side of the fixing member; a joint assembly for assisting a rotational operation of the joint portion of the object; and a force transmission frame having one end connected to the joint assembly, the other end transmitting a force to a portion of the object, wherein the rigidity of the other end of the force transmitting frame is determined by the stiffness of the middle portion of the force transmitting frame. can be higher than

The force transmission frame may include two plates having both ends fixed to each other and the middle portion not fixed to each other.

The rigidity of the other end of the force transmission frame may be 1.5 to 20 times greater than the rigidity of the middle part.

The rigidity of the other end of the force transmission frame may be 4 to 10 times greater than the rigidity of the middle part.

The force transmission frame is inserted between the inner frame and the outer frame, the support for supporting the inner frame and the outer frame; and an anti-separation band for preventing the inner frame and the outer frame from being separated from each other.

The support is in a shape bent several times in the vertical direction, and is made of carbon fiber, and the separation prevention band is wound along the circumferential direction of the inner frame and the outer frame, and may be made of a fabric material.

The force transmission frame may include a support inserted between the first plate and the second plate to support the first plate and the second plate; and an anti-separation band for preventing the first plate and the second plate from being separated from each other.

The force transmission frame of the exercise assisting device is inserted between the two plates, the support for supporting the two plates; and an anti-separation band for preventing the two plates from being separated from each other.

1 is a front view of an exercise assisting device according to an embodiment.
2 is a side view of an exercise assisting device according to an embodiment.
3 is an exploded perspective view of a force transmission frame according to an embodiment.
4 is a cross-sectional view of a force transmission frame according to an embodiment.
5 is a view showing an inner surface and a side surface of the inner frame according to the embodiment.
6 is a view showing an inner surface and a side surface of the outer frame according to the embodiment.
7 is a view showing a sliding motion in a portion of the force transmission frame according to the embodiment.
8 is a cross-sectional view of a force transmission frame according to another embodiment.
9 is a cross-sectional view of a force transmission frame according to another embodiment.
10 is a graph illustrating a method of determining a thickness of a force transmission frame according to embodiments.
11 is a perspective view of a force transmission frame according to a further embodiment;
12 is a view showing a force transmission frame according to another further embodiment.
13 is a side view of a force transmission frame according to a modified example of another further embodiment;
14 is a view illustrating a state in which the force transmission frame is deformed when a load is applied to the force transmission frame according to the embodiments.
15 is a view showing a force transmission frame according to still another further embodiment.
16 is a view illustrating a state in which the separation prevention band is separated from the force transmission frame according to another additional embodiment.
17 is a view showing a support according to still another additional embodiment.
18 is a view showing a support according to a first modified example of yet another additional embodiment.
19 is a view showing a support according to a second modified example of yet another additional embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even though they are indicated on different drawings. In addition, in the description of the embodiment, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function interferes with the understanding of the embodiment, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, in describing the components of the embodiment, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only for distinguishing the elements from other elements, and the essence, order, or order of the elements are not limited by the terms. When it is described that a component is “connected”, “coupled” or “connected” to another component, the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but between each component another component It will be understood that may also be "connected", "coupled" or "connected".

1 is a front view of an exercise assisting device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the exercise assisting device according to the embodiment.

1 and 2 , the exercise assisting device 10 may be worn on an object to assist the movement of the object.

The object may be a human, an animal, a robot, or the like, but is not limited thereto. In addition, although FIG. 1 shows a case in which the exercise assisting device 10 assists the movement of the thigh of the subject, the exercise assisting apparatus 10 includes other parts of the upper body such as the subject's hand, upper arm, and lower arm, It is also possible to assist other parts of the lower body, such as the feet and calves. In other words, the exercise assisting device 10 may assist the exercise of a portion of the object.

Hereinafter, a case in which the exercise assisting device 10 assists the exercise of a person's thigh will be exemplarily described.

The exercise assisting device 10 includes a fixing member 20 , a driving module 30 , a joint assembly 40 , a support module 50 , and a controller 70 for controlling the driving module 30 , A power supply unit 80 for supplying power to the driving module 30 may be included.

The fixing member 20 may be fixed to the object and may have a shape surrounding the outer surface of the object. For example, the fixing member 20 may be fixed to one side of the waist of the object and may have a shape including a curved surface corresponding to the contact portion of the object.

The driving module 30 may provide power transmitted to the joint assembly 40 . The driving module 30 may include a motor that generates power by receiving voltage or current from the power supply unit 80 . For example, the driving module 30 may be disposed in a lateral direction of the joint assembly 40 , that is, a rotation axis of the driving module 30 is spaced apart from the rotation axis of the assembly 40 . In this case, the height protruding from the object may be reduced compared to the case in which the driving module 30 and the joint assembly 40 share the rotation axis. Meanwhile, unlike the drawing, the driving module 30 may be further spaced apart from the joint assembly 40 . In this case, a power transmission module for transmitting power from the driving module 30 to the joint assembly 40 may be additionally provided. The power transmission module may be a rotating body such as a gear, or a longitudinal member such as a wire, cable, string, rubber band, spring, belt, or chain.

The joint assembly 40 may receive power from the driving module 30 to assist the movement of the joint part of the object. The joint assembly 40 may be disposed on one side of the fixing member 20 at a position corresponding to the joint portion of the object. One side of the joint assembly 40 may be connected to the driving module 30 , and the other side may be connected to the support module 50 .

The joint assembly 40 may include a rotation member 42 and a connection member 44 . The rotation member 42 may be rotated by power received from the driving module 30 . For example, the rotation member 42 may be disposed on one side of the hip joint of the object. The connection member 44 connects the rotation member 42 and the support module 50 , and may be rotated by the rotational force of the rotation member 42 . The connecting member 44 may be, for example, a hinge coupling structure. By the hinge shaft of the hinged structure and the rotation axis of the rotation member 42 , the support module 50 can move with respect to the fixing member 20 in two degrees-of-freedom.

The support module 50 may support a part of the object and assist with movement. The support module 50 , which may be rotated by the rotational force of the joint assembly 40 , may include a force transmission frame 100 , an action member 54 , and a support member 56 .

The force transmission frame 100 may transmit force to a portion of the object. One end of the force transmission frame 100 is connected to the joint assembly 40 to rotate, and the other end is connected to the support member 56 to transmit force to a portion of the object. For example, the force transmission frame 100 may push or pull the thigh of the object. The force transmission frame 100 may extend and bend along the longitudinal direction of the thigh of the object to wrap at least a portion of the circumference of the thigh of the object. One end of the force transmission frame 100 may be located on the side of the thigh of the object, and the other end may be located on the front of the thigh of the object. In other words, the surface of one end side of the force transmission frame 100 and the surface of the other end side may be orthogonal to each other.

The force transmission frame 100 may be movably connected with respect to the connecting member 44 . Due to the relative motion of the force transmission frame 100 and the connecting member 44 , the total length from the joint assembly 40 to the acting member 54 can be varied. In this case, the support module 50 may perform three degrees of freedom movement with respect to the fixing member 20 .

The action member 54 may be connected to the other end of the force transmission frame 100 to apply a force to a portion of the object. For example, the action member 54 may be disposed along the front or circumferential direction of the thigh of the subject to push or pull the thigh of the subject. The action member 54 may include a curved surface corresponding to the thigh of the object that extends to both sides around the other end of the force transmission frame 100 .

The support member 56 may be connected to one side of the action member 54 . For example, the support member 56 may be disposed to surround at least a portion of the thigh of the object to prevent the thigh of the object from being separated from the force transmission frame 100 .

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the force transmission frame according to the embodiment, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the force transmission frame according to the embodiment.

3 and 4 , the force transmission frame 100 includes an inner frame 110 , an outer frame 130 , a joint connection part 150 , an action part 160 , and a frame reinforcement 170 . (180).

The inner frame 110 may be disposed toward the object to support one side of the object. As shown in FIG. 1 , the inner frame 110 may support the side of the thigh in the vicinity of the pelvis of the object and support the front of the thigh in the vicinity of the knee of the object. The middle region of the inner frame 10 may be implemented in a curved shape to be bent so as to support the side and front of the thigh. The inner frame 110 may be referred to as a first frame, and may include an inner plate 112 , a first protrusion 114 , and a first locking portion 116 .

The inner plate 112 may be provided in a shape corresponding to the outer surface of the object. For example, as described above, the inner plate 112 may be elongated in a shape corresponding to the side in the vicinity of the pelvis and the front in the vicinity of the knee along the longitudinal direction of the thigh. The inner plate 112 may be formed of a thin and elastic plate, for example, a material such as plastic or steel. The inner plate 112 may be referred to as a first plate.

The first protrusion 114 may protrude from the inner plate 112 toward the outer frame 130 . A plurality of first protrusions 114 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the inner plate 112, and may be formed long in the thigh circumferential direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the inner plate 112. .

The first locking part 116 may prevent the outer frame 130 from being separated from the inner frame 110 . The first locking part 116 may have the shape of a groove formed of the side surfaces of the first protrusion 114 and the inner surface of the inner plate 112 . 4 , the first locking part 116 may have a trapezoidal groove shape. The side surface of the first protrusion 114 may have a shape that protrudes inward as it moves away from the inner plate 112 to have such a groove shape. For example, when the first protrusions 114 are arranged in two rows along both edges of the inner plate 112 , the side surfaces of the first protrusions 114 protrude toward the center as they move away from the inner plate 112 . may have a shape. The side surfaces of the first protrusion 114 and the inner surface of the inner plate 112 are combined with the second locking portion 136 of the outer frame 130 to be described later to form a groove for preventing separation.

The outer frame 130 may be provided in a shape corresponding to the inner frame 110 . The outer frame 130 may be disposed in a direction opposite to the object with respect to the inner frame 110 . The outer frame 130 may be referred to as a second frame, and may include an outer plate 132 , a second protrusion 134 , and a second locking portion 136 .

The outer plate 132 may be spaced apart from the inner plate 112 in a shape corresponding to the inner plate 112 . The outer plate 132 may be formed of a thin and elastic plate, for example, a material such as plastic or steel. The outer plate 132 may be referred to as a second plate.

The distance between the outer plate 132 and the inner plate 112 may increase as the distance from the side of the acting part 160 and/or the joint connection part 150 is increased. For example, the gap may be greatest in the middle portion of the force transmission frame 100 and may decrease toward both ends. Accordingly, the stiffness of both ends of the force transmission frame 100 may be higher than that of the middle portion.

When the force transmission frame 100 has a three-dimensional shape, the interval between the outer plate 132 and the inner plate 112 is a first unit vector in the normal direction of the acting part 160 and a second unit in the interval direction. It may be determined in proportion to the product of the dot product value of the vector and the distance value from the action unit 160 to the interval.

The second protrusion 134 may protrude from the outer plate 132 toward the inner plate 112 . A plurality of second protrusions 134 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the outer plate 132 , and may be formed to be elongated in the thigh circumferential direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the outer plate 132 .

The second locking part 136 may prevent the inner frame 110 from being separated from the outer frame 130 . As shown in FIG. 4 , a cross-section of the second locking part 136 may have a reversed trapezoidal dove tail shape. The second engaging portion 136, which increases in width from the outer plate 132 toward the inner plate 112, is combined with the trapezoidal first engaging portion 116 to prevent the outer plate 132 from being separated.

The joint connection part 150 may transmit the rotational force of the joint assembly 40 to the inner frame 110 and the outer frame 130 . One end of the first plate 112 and the second plate 132 may be fixed to one end of the joint connection part 150 , and the connecting member 44 of the joint assembly 40 may be fixed to the other end.

The acting unit 160 may receive the rotational force of the joint assembly 40 to transmit the force to a portion of the object. As shown in FIG. 1 , the other end of the first plate 112 and the other end of the second plate 132 may be fixed so that the acting unit 160 can transmit the force to the front surface of the thigh of the object. The thickness of the acting part 160 may be greater than the sum of the thickness of the inner frame 110 adjacent to the acting part 160 and the thickness of the outer frame 130 .

The surfaces of the joint connection part 150 and the action part 160 of the force transmission frame 100 may face different directions. As in the case of Figure 3, the surface of the joint connection part 150 faces the side of the thigh near the pelvis of the object, and the surface of the action part 160 faces the front of the thigh near the knee to form the structure of the force transmission frame 100. can Specifically, the surface of the joint connection part 150 and the surface of the acting part 160 may form an angle of about 80 degrees to 100 degrees.

The frame reinforcement 170 and 180 may be provided on one or more of the inner frame 110 , the outer frame 130 , and the acting part 160 . The frame reinforcements 170 and 180 may be added to portions requiring increased rigidity, and may include a carbon fiber material having high strength and elasticity. For example, the frame reinforcements 170 and 180 may include a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) material.

The end portions of the force transmission frame 100 in which both ends of the inner frame 110 and the outer frame 130 are respectively fixed to each other by the joint connection part 150 and the acting part 160 have high rigidity to resist torsion. have Unlike both ends that are constrained to each other, the middle portion of the inner frame 110 may be moved relative to the middle portion of the outer frame 130 . Accordingly, the middle portion of the force transmission frame 100 may have higher flexibility than the end portion. Conversely, the rigidity of both ends of the force transmission frame 100 may be higher than that of the middle part. Specifically, both ends may have a rigidity of 1.5 to 20 times that of the rigidity of the middle part. More specifically, it may have a stiffness of 4 to 10 times. The stiffness of both ends may be the same or different. For example, the rigidity of the middle portion may be about 0.91N/mm, and the rigidity of the one end may be about 5.9N/mm.

Meanwhile, the inner frame 110 and the outer frame 130 may be prevented from being separated from each other by the interaction of the first and second locking parts 116 and 136 . Accordingly, the middle portion of the inner frame 110 may be slidably moved with respect to the middle portion of the outer frame 130 . As a result, according to the force transmission frame 100, while the middle portion is flexible, it is possible to prevent the inner frame 110 or the outer frame 130 from buckling.

The force transmission frame described as described above may have a longer length than a width and a curved shape in the middle region so that it can be mounted from the vicinity of the side of the thigh to the pelvis of the object to the vicinity of the front of the knee. While the rigidity of both ends to receive and transmit the force is high, the middle part in contact with the thigh has relatively low rigidity, so it can provide comfort to wear.

Although the previous embodiment shows two frames combined in a dovetail shape to form an intermediate portion having such flexibility, any other structure may be applied thereto. For example, a difference in rigidity may be realized by varying the thickness or material of both ends and the middle portion of one frame. A force transmission frame in which the rigidity of both ends is greater than that of the middle region and the middle region is flexible may be said to be included in the technical scope of the present specification. For example, the rigidity of both ends may be the same or 1.5 to 20 times greater than that of the middle region, specifically 4 to 10 times greater, and may be the same or different from each other.

5 is a view showing the inner surface and side of the inner frame according to the embodiment, Figure 6 is a view showing the inner surface and side of the outer frame according to the embodiment, Figure 7 is a portion of the force transmission frame according to the embodiment It is a diagram showing the sliding movement of When a force is applied to the middle portion of the force transmission frame, at least a portion of the force transmission frame may perform a sliding movement as shown in FIG. 7 .

5 to 7 , when the inner frame 110 and the outer frame 130 are slidably moved, the first protrusion 114 and the second protrusion 134 may move smoothly without engaging with each other.

Specifically, the distance d1 between the two adjacent first protrusions 114 among the plurality of first protrusions 114 is the length L2 of the second protrusions 134 disposed to face the two adjacent first protrusions 114 . It can be formed shorter. Similarly, the distance d2 between the two adjacent second protrusions 134 among the plurality of second protrusions 134 is greater than the length L1 of the first protrusions 114 disposed to face the two adjacent second protrusions 134 . can be made short. According to the above structure, as shown in FIG. 7 , during the sliding operation, the protrusions are inserted at opposite intervals to prevent the problem of interfering with the sliding operation.

Specifically, in a state in which no external force is applied to the force transmission frame 100 as shown in Fig. 7 (a), when an external force is applied, the middle portion of the inner frame 110 as shown in Figs. And the middle portion of the outer frame 130 may be relatively movable. In the above process, the first protrusion 114 moves from a position facing one second protrusion 134 to a position facing the second protrusion 134 of the other adjacent second protrusion 134 . Since it may not be inserted into the gap between them, it can be moved by sliding smoothly.

Hereinafter, components included in the above embodiments and components including common functions will be described using the same names. Unless otherwise stated, the descriptions of the above embodiments may also be applied to the following embodiments. Hereinafter, detailed description will be omitted.

8 is a cross-sectional view of a force transmission frame according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the force transmission frame 200 according to another embodiment may include an inner frame 210 and an outer frame 230 . The inner frame 210 may include an inner plate 212 , a first protrusion 214 , and a first locking portion 216 . The outer frame 230 may include an outer plate 232 , a second protrusion 234 , and a second locking portion 236 .

The second locking part 236 may be coupled to the first locking part 216 . The second locking part 236 may include a portion whose width increases as it goes away from the outer plate 232 . For example, the cross-section of the second locking part 236 may have a circular shape, and the cross-section of the first locking part 216 may be a rectangular groove in which two corners are curved inward. In this case, the area in contact with the first locking part 216 is reduced, so that the middle part of the inner frame 210 can slide more smoothly with respect to the middle part of the outer frame 230 .

9 is a cross-sectional view of a force transmission frame according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the force transmission frame 300 according to another embodiment may include an inner frame 310 , an outer frame 330 , and a separation preventing member 390 . The inner frame 310 may include an inner plate 312 , a first protrusion 314 , and a first locking portion 316 . The outer frame 330 may include an outer plate 332 , a second protrusion 334 , and a second locking portion 336 .

The separation preventing member 390 may prevent the inner plate 312 and the outer plate 332 from being separated from each other. One side of the separation preventing member 390 may be coupled to the first locking part 316 , and may be slidably moved with respect to the first locking part 316 . For example, one side of the separation preventing member 390 may have an inverted trapezoidal shape including a portion whose width increases in the direction in which the inner plate 312 is positioned. Similarly, the other side of the separation preventing member 390 may be coupled to the second locking part 316 .

In general, one side and the other side of the separation preventing member 390 may be a combined shape of two inverted trapezoidal shapes including a portion that increases in width from the center toward the two plates 312 and 332 .

10 is a graph illustrating a method of determining an interval between an inner plate and an outer plate according to embodiments.

The origin of the graph of FIG. 10 means a part where the joint connection part and the inner plate are connected. If the force acting on the acting part is F, the force F may be a force acting perpendicularly to the front surface of the thigh of the object. It is possible to determine the distance h(x) between the inner plate and the outer plate that prevents the outer plate from buckling when a constant force F is applied to the acting portion. In other words, the spacing h(x) allows the sum of the moments on the outer plate to be zero.

A point on the outer plate that meets the normal at a point on the inner plate (x ₁ , y ₁ ) may be referred to as (x ₂ , y ₂ ). The moments acting on (x ₂ , y ₂ ) are a moment M ₁ due to a force F and a moment M ₂ due to a tension T applied to the inner plate. Meanwhile, the tension applied to the outer plate does not act as a moment on (x ₂ , y ₂ ), so there is no need to consider it. Moments M ₁ and M ₂ are the same as in Equations 1 and 2 below.

And h(x ₁ ) that makes the sum of moments acting on (x ₂ , y ₂ ) become 0 may be determined as in Equation 3 below. In other words, if the moments M ₁ and M ₂ use the same condition, h(x ₁ ) may be determined as in Equation 3 below.

Here, Ф denotes an angle formed by a tangent to a point of the inner plate with respect to the x-axis. On the other hand, if the height of the inner plate is p(x), it can be said that p(x) is a function defining the shape of the inner plate. Ф and p(x) have the relationship of Equation 4 below.

Using Equation 4, Equation 3 can be expressed as Equation 5 below.

If Equation 5 is generalized as an expression for any point (x, y) of the inner plate, Equation 6 below is obtained.

Here, the relationship between the T value and the F value can be calculated if a function p(x) for the shape of the inner plate is given. And in the case of the F value, as a force applied to a portion of the object, it may be determined in advance by a user or a designer. Therefore, given a function p(x), it is possible to determine the shape of the outer plate spaced apart from the inner plate by an interval of h(x). According to the force transmission frame determined in the above manner, even when a load is applied to the acting part, the force transmission frame can be transmitted intact without bending.

When the force transmission frame has a two-dimensional shape, it may be understood that the distance between the outer plate and the inner plate is determined in proportion to the distance in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the force acting on the acting part.

Meanwhile, the above description is only one method for determining the distance between the inner plate and the outer plate, and the embodiments are not necessarily limited as described above.

11 is a perspective view of a force transmission frame according to a further embodiment;

Referring to FIG. 11 , the force transmission frame 400 according to an additional embodiment may include an inner frame 410 , an outer frame 430 , a joint connection part 450 , and an action part 460 . . The inner frame 410 may include an inner plate 412 , a first protrusion 414 , and a first locking portion 416 . The outer frame 430 may include an outer plate 432 , a second protrusion 434 , and a second locking portion 436 .

The distance between the inner plate 410 and the outer plate 432 may be determined according to Equation (6). For example, when the inner plate 410 has a straight shape as shown in FIG. 11 , the value of dp(x)/dx may be a constant. At this time, the value of h(x) is proportional to the (L-x) value. Accordingly, the interval h(x) between the inner plate 410 and the outer plate 432 may increase from the acting portion 460 to the joint connecting portion 450 . In other words, the distance between the inner plate 410 and the outer plate 432 may increase as the distance from the acting portion 460 increases.

The first protrusion 414 may be tapered as it moves away from the inner plate 412 . In other words, the width of the upper side of the first protrusion 414 may be smaller than the width of the lower side. The first protrusion 414 may have a tapered inclined surface. According to the above structure, even when the second protrusion 434 is inserted into the gap between two adjacent first protrusions 414 , it can be moved along the inclined surface without being caught by the first protrusion 414 .

12 is a view showing a force transmission frame according to another further embodiment.

12 , the force transmission frame 500 according to another additional embodiment may include an inner frame 510 , an outer frame 530 , a joint connection part 550 , and an acting part 560 . have. The inner frame 510 may include an inner plate 512 and a guide part 590 .

One end of the inner plate 512 and one end of the outer frame 530 may be fixed to the joint connection part 550 , and the other end of the inner plate 512 and the other end of the outer frame 530 may be fixed to the acting part 560 . have. The middle portion of the outer frame 530 may be slidably moved with respect to the middle portion of the inner plate 512 .

The guide unit 590 may guide the movement of the outer frame 530 . The guide part 590 may include a guide protrusion 592 and a guide hole 594 . The guide protrusion 592 may be formed to protrude from the inner plate 512 . A plurality of guide protrusions 592 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the inner plate 512 . Each of the guide protrusions 592 may be elongated in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inner plate 512 . The guide hole 594 is drilled in the guide protrusion 592 , and the outer frame 530 may be accommodated in the guide hole 594 . The guide hole 594 may allow the outer frame 530 to be spaced apart from the inner plate 512 at a set interval. For example, the guide hole 594 may be formed at a position of h(x) determined by Equation (6).

On the other hand, in the case of FIG. 12 , the force transmission frame 500 has been exemplarily shown for having a straight shape, but as shown in FIG. 13 , the force transmission frame 500 ′ may be formed in a bent shape. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the intermediate region may be bent and formed in a partially twisted shape.

14 is a view illustrating a state in which the force transmission frame is deformed when a load is applied to the force transmission frame according to the embodiments.

Specifically, Fig. 14 (a) shows a state in which no load is applied to the force transmission frame, and Fig. 14 (b) shows a state in which a load is applied to the action portion of the force transmission frame, and Fig. 14 (c) shows a state in which a load is applied to the middle part of the force transmission frame.

As described above, the stiffness of the end of the force transmission frame may be higher than the stiffness of the middle portion. Accordingly, even when a load F is applied to the end of the force transmitting frame, the position of the end of the force transmitting frame may not be significantly changed as shown in FIG. 14(b). On the other hand, when the same load F is applied to the middle portion of the force transmission frame, the position of the middle portion of the force transmission frame may be greatly changed as shown in FIG. 14( c ).

15 is a view showing a force transmission frame according to another additional embodiment, FIG. 16 is a view showing a state in which the separation prevention band is separated from the force transmission frame according to another additional embodiment, FIG. 17 is another It is a view showing a support according to a further embodiment.

18 is a view showing a support body according to a first modified example of another further embodiment, and FIG. 19 is a view showing a support body according to a second modified example of another further exemplary embodiment.

15 to 19 , the force transmission frame 600 according to another additional embodiment may include an inner frame 610 , an outer frame 630 , a support 620 , and an anti-separation band 690 . can Meanwhile, the inner frame 610 and the outer frame 630 may be referred to as a first plate and a second plate, respectively.

The supporter 620 may be inserted between the inner frame 610 and the outer frame 630 to support the inner frame 610 and the outer frame 630 . The support 620 may be made of carbon fiber, for example, a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) material. The support 620 may have a shape bent several times in the vertical direction. For example, as shown in FIGS. 17 to 19 , the support 620 may have a sine wave, a square wave, or a zigzag shape. According to the support 620, the distance between the inner frame 610 and the outer frame 630 can be prevented from being reduced within a predetermined distance.

The separation prevention band 690 may prevent the inner frame 610 and the outer frame 630 from being separated from each other. The separation prevention band 690 may be wound along the circumferential direction of the inner frame 610 and the outer frame 630 . The anti-separation band 690 may be made of, for example, a fabric material. A first hook-and-loop fastener 692 and a second Velcro 694 are provided on both sides of the release prevention band 690 so that both sides of the release prevention band 690 can be fixed to each other, respectively. can A general longitudinal member formed of a flexible material cannot transmit a force properly at the end because the amount of change increases as the distance from the fixed end increases. A general longitudinal member formed of a rigid material transmits a force properly at an end portion, but lacks flexibility in the middle portion, so it is difficult to respond to a volume change of an object according to various operating states. Also, as a result, frictional force with the object is increased. However, since the force transmission frame according to embodiments may have a flexible middle portion and a rigid end portion, it is possible to reduce frictional force with an object while reducing force loss in the power transmission process. In addition, it is not necessary to design the frame away from the body in order to avoid friction problems, and consequently, the volume required for installing the frame can be reduced, and furthermore, it can be possible to wear the entire exercise assisting device under clothing. . Additionally, since a large torque is transmitted as a small force from the end portion, the force felt by the subject through the skin is small, thereby reducing discomfort.

As described above, although the embodiments have been described with reference to the limited drawings, various modifications and variations are possible from the above description by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the described techniques are performed in an order different from the described method, and/or the described components of structures, devices, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or other components or equivalents. Appropriate results can be achieved even if substituted or substituted by

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (36)

In a form in which the length is greater than the width, the rigidity of both ends is greater than the rigidity of the middle region in the longitudinal direction,
an inner frame supporting one side of the object; and
Both ends are fixed to both ends of the inner frame, and the middle portion includes an outer frame that is not fixed to the middle portion of the inner frame,
The middle portion of the outer frame, by being slidably installed with respect to the middle portion of the inner frame, the rigidity of both ends is formed to be greater than the rigidity of the middle region in the longitudinal direction, the force transmission frame. The method of claim 1,
The middle region is a flexible force transmission frame. The method of claim 1,
The rigidity of the both ends is 1.5 to 20 times the rigidity of the middle region of the force transmission frame. 4. The method of claim 3,
The rigidity of the both ends is 4 to 10 times the rigidity of the middle region of the force transmission frame. The method of claim 1,
The surfaces of both ends of the force transmission frame are directed in the same direction. The method of claim 1,
The surface of the both ends is a force transmission frame that faces in different directions. 7. The method of claim 6,
The surface of the both ends is a force transmission frame forming an angle of 80 to 100 degrees. The method of claim 1,
The middle region is a force transmission frame in the form of a curved curve. delete The method of claim 1,
The inner frame includes an inner plate, and a first engaging portion provided between the inner plate and the outer plate,
The outer frame, the force transmission frame comprising an outer plate, and a second engaging portion coupled to the first engaging portion. ◈Claim 11 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 11. The method of claim 10,
The force transmission frame including a portion in which one of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion increases in width in a direction in which the other engaging portion is located. ◈Claim 12 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 12. The method of claim 11,
A cross-section of the one engaging portion is a force transmission frame having a reversed trapezoidal shape. ◈Claim 13 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 11. The method of claim 10,
The inner frame further includes a first protrusion formed to protrude from the inner plate toward the outer plate,
The outer frame, the force transmission frame further comprising a second protrusion formed to protrude from the outer plate toward the inner plate. ◈Claim 14 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 14. The method of claim 13,
The first protrusion and the second protrusion, a force transmission frame formed in plurality along the longitudinal direction of the inner frame and the outer frame. ◈Claim 15 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 15. The method of claim 14,
A distance between the adjacent two first protrusions among the plurality of first protrusions is shorter than the length of the second protrusions provided on opposite sides of the two first protrusions. ◈Claim 16 has been abandoned at the time of payment of the registration fee.◈ 11. The method of claim 10,
The distance between the inner plate and the outer plate, the force transmission frame decreases from the middle to both ends. ◈Claim 17 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 11. The method of claim 10,
The distance from the inner plate to the outer plate, the force transmission frame is determined according to the following equation.
<Equation>

(where h(x) is the distance between the inner plate and the outer plate, F is the magnitude of the force acting on one end of the force transmission frame, T is the magnitude of the tension applied to the inner plate, and L is the force transmission the length of the frame, x is the distance from the other end of the force transmission frame to any point on the inner plate, p(x) is the height of the inner plate at x) The method of claim 1,
The force transmission frame further comprising a frame reinforcement provided in at least one frame of the inner frame and the outer frame. ◈Claim 19 was abandoned at the time of payment of the registration fee.◈ 19. The method of claim 18,
The frame reinforcement is a force transmission frame comprising a carbon fiber material. ◈Claim 20 was abandoned at the time of payment of the registration fee.◈ 11. The method of claim 10,
The force transmission frame further comprising an action part connected to one end of the inner frame and one end of the outer frame, and transmitting a force to a portion of the object. ◈Claim 21 has been abandoned at the time of payment of the registration fee.◈ 21. The method of claim 20,
The thickness of the action portion is formed to be greater than the sum of the thickness of one end of the inner frame and the thickness of one end of the outer frame. ◈Claim 22 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 21. The method of claim 20,
A force transmission frame having a shape that increases as the distance between the inner plate and the outer plate increases as the distance from the acting portion increases. an inner frame including a first plate;
an outer frame including a second plate installed to face the first plate;
a connection part for fixing one end of the first plate and one end of the second plate; and
and an action part for fixing the other end of the first plate and the other end of the second plate,
The middle portion of the outer frame is provided to be slidably movable with respect to the middle portion of the inner frame, so that the rigidity of both ends is formed to be greater than that of the middle region in the longitudinal direction. 24. The method of claim 23,
The force transmission frame further comprising a separation preventing member for preventing the first plate and the second plate from being separated from each other. 25. The method of claim 24,
The inner frame includes an inner plate, and a first engaging portion provided between the inner plate and the outer plate,
The outer frame includes an outer plate, and a second engaging portion provided between the inner plate and the outer plate,
One side of the separation preventing member is slidably coupled to the first engaging portion, and the other side of the separation preventing member is slidably coupled to the second engaging portion. 24. The method of claim 23,
Further comprising a guide portion including a guide projection protruding from the first plate, and a guide hole formed in the guide projection,
The second plate is a force transmission frame accommodated in the guide hole. 24. The method of claim 23,
The distance between the first plate and the second plate is,
A force transmission frame determined in proportion to a product of a dot product value of a first unit vector in a normal direction of the acting portion and a second unit vector in a spacing direction, and a distance value from the acting portion to the interval. 24. The method of claim 23,
The distance between the first plate and the second plate is,
A force transmission frame determined in proportion to a distance in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the force acting on the action part. a fixing member fixed to the object;
a driving source provided on one side of the fixing member;
a joint assembly for assisting a rotational operation of the joint portion of the object; and
One end is connected to the joint assembly, the other end includes a force transmission frame for transmitting a force to a portion of the object,
The force transmission frame includes an inner frame and an outer frame having both ends fixed to both ends of the inner frame,
The middle portion of the outer frame is installed slidably with respect to the middle portion of the inner frame, so that the rigidity of the other end of the force transmission frame is higher than that of the middle portion of the force transmission frame. 30. The method of claim 29,
The force transmission frame,
An exercise assisting device comprising two plates having both ends fixed to each other and the middle portion not fixed to each other. 30. The method of claim 29,
The stiffness of the other end of the force transmission frame is 1.5 to 20 times the stiffness of the middle portion of the exercise assisting device. ◈Claim 32 was abandoned at the time of payment of the registration fee.◈ 31. The method of claim 30,
The stiffness of the other end of the force transmission frame is 4 to 10 times the stiffness of the middle portion of the exercise assisting device. The method of claim 1,
a support inserted between the inner frame and the outer frame to support the inner frame and the outer frame; and
The force transmission frame further comprising an anti-separation band for preventing the inner frame and the outer frame from being separated from each other. ◈Claim 34 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 34. The method of claim 33,
The support has a shape bent several times in the vertical direction, and is made of carbon fiber,
The anti-separation band is wound along the circumferential direction of the inner frame and the outer frame, and a force transmission frame made of a fabric material. ◈Claim 35 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 24. The method of claim 23,
a support inserted between the first plate and the second plate to support the first plate and the second plate; and
The force transmission frame further comprising an anti-separation band for preventing the first plate and the second plate from being separated from each other. ◈Claim 36 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 31. The method of claim 30,
The force transmission frame,
a support inserted between the two plates to support the two plates; and
Exercise assisting device further comprising an anti-separation band for preventing the two plates from being separated from each other.

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