KR20230127636A - Artificial ankle apparatus absorbing external force - Google Patents

Abstract

An ankle prosthetic device capable of absorbing an external force includes a base unit, a body part, a joint unit, a driving unit, and a variable damping unit. The base unit is in contact with the ground. The body portion is fixed to the base unit in an upward direction and forms a storage space therein. The joint unit is connected to the upper part of the body part, and the upper end is fixed to the pedestrian. The driving unit is located in the storage space and provides rotational driving force to the joint unit to rotationally drive the joint unit with respect to the body. The variable damping unit is fixed to one side of the body so as to extend along the base unit, and absorbs an external force applied to the joint unit from the pedestrian by varying a damping coefficient.

Description

Ankle prosthetic device capable of absorbing external force {ARTIFICIAL ANKLE APPARATUS ABSORBING EXTERNAL FORCE}

The present invention relates to an ankle prosthetic device capable of absorbing external force, and more particularly, in addition to assisting a pedestrian's gait through active driving, relatively large It relates to an ankle prosthetic device capable of effectively absorbing an external force when an external force is applied or the applied external force is varied.

BACKGROUND ART A variety of body assisting devices such as various types of prosthetic arms or limbs have been developed to effectively substitute for necessary motions in place of human amputated parts.

In addition, these body assist devices are designed in various ways according to the amputated part, and in the case of an ankle prosthesis, it is fixed to the ankle of a pedestrian and serves to assist the walking of the pedestrian.

For example, in the case of an ankle prosthetic device, as in US Patent Registration No. 9561118, it is representative that the actuator extends in a vertical direction between the socket and the base to provide a driving force according to the walking of a pedestrian.

Furthermore, a structure for providing a driving force using such an actuator has been developed in various ways, such as in US Patent Registration No. 9693883 or US Patent Publication No. 2018-0078389.

That is, until now, a number of technologies related to a driving mechanism for effectively providing a driving force to an ankle of a pedestrian while walking have been developed.

However, in the case of these pedestrians, in addition to the walking state, there are many cases where they are simply positioned in a standing state, positioned in a sitting state, or put their weight on one ankle side during a standing or walking state. There is an increasing technical demand for a system for effectively absorbing an external force applied to an ankle prosthesis by a pedestrian more effectively in various postures as well as posture.

US Patent No. 9561118 US Patent No. 9693883 US Patent Publication No. 2018-0078389

Accordingly, the technical problem of the present invention has been conceived in this respect, and an object of the present invention is to assist a pedestrian's walking with active driving, as well as when a pedestrian stands or sits or puts his weight on an ankle prosthetic device. It is to provide an ankle prosthetic device capable of absorbing external force with improved convenience and safety for pedestrians by effectively absorbing external force when a large external force is applied or the applied external force is variable.

An ankle prosthetic device according to an embodiment for realizing the object of the present invention described above includes a base unit, a body part, a joint unit, a driving unit, and a variable damping unit. The base unit is in contact with the ground. The body portion is fixed to the base unit in an upward direction and forms a storage space therein. The joint unit is connected to the upper part of the body part, and the upper end is fixed to the pedestrian. The driving unit is located in the storage space and provides rotational driving force to the joint unit to rotationally drive the joint unit with respect to the body. The variable damping unit is fixed to one side of the body so as to extend along the base unit, and absorbs an external force applied to the joint unit from the pedestrian by varying a damping coefficient.

In one embodiment, the variable damping unit increases the bearing capacity against an external force by increasing the damping coefficient in a state in which the pedestrian is standing or sitting, or in a state in which the weight is placed on the joint unit, and in a state in which the pedestrian is walking, the damping coefficient reduced, it is possible to induce walking assistance by driving the driving unit.

In one embodiment, the cam unit may further include a cam unit connected between the driving unit and the variable damping unit to convert a rotational driving force of the driving unit into a linear motion of the variable damping unit.

In one embodiment, the cam unit may provide a rotational driving force of the driving unit as a compressive force of the variable damping unit, regardless of a rotational direction of the driving unit.

In one embodiment, the cam portion may extend at a predetermined inclination angle in a direction toward the variable damping unit with respect to a vertical direction in which the body portion extends.

In one embodiment, the cam unit includes a cam surface that is concavely recessed at a lower end and extends in a curved surface, and the cam surface may come into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the roller unit of the variable damping unit.

In one embodiment, the variable damping unit may include a cylinder part that absorbs an external force transmitted from the cam part, and a damping controller that changes a damping coefficient of the cylinder part.

In one embodiment, the cylinder unit may be a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder.

In one embodiment, the variable damping unit may include an inclined extension bar for transmitting an external force transmitted from the cam part, a horizontal extension bar connected to the inclined extension part and transmitting the external force to the cylinder part, and the cylinder part and the damping unit. A gear unit connected between the control units and providing driving force of the damping control unit to the cylinder unit may be further included.

In one embodiment, the horizontal extension bar extends in the same direction as the extension direction of the cylinder portion, and the inclined extension bar may extend upward with a predetermined angle inclination with respect to the horizontal extension bar.

In one embodiment, the variable damping unit includes a horizontal rotation part connecting the horizontal extension bar and the inclined extension bar to enable relative rotation of the horizontal extension bar and the inclined extension bar, and relative rotation of the inclined extension bar with respect to the cam part To enable this, an inclined rotation part connected to an end of the inclined extension bar may be further included.

In one embodiment, it further comprises an extension unit extending between the variable damping unit and the body, wherein the extension unit, A horizontal opening for guiding movement of the horizontal rotation unit and an inclined opening for guiding movement of the inclined rotation unit may be included.

In one embodiment, the driving unit may include a driving unit fixed to the body and generating rotational driving force, and a rotational unit located in the storage space and providing the rotational driving force to the cam unit.

In one embodiment, the joint unit may include an upper connection portion fixed to the pedestrian, and a lower connection portion formed at a lower portion of the upper connection portion and fixed along an outer circumferential surface of the rotating portion to receive the rotational driving force.

In one embodiment, the base unit includes a first base frame extending in a direction parallel to the ground, and a second base frame extending to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the first base frame, and the body portion includes the It extends in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the rear end of the second base frame, and may be fixed to the second base frame.

According to embodiments of the present invention, even through an ankle prosthetic device, in addition to active driving that induces walking driving of a pedestrian, external force is effectively absorbed in a situation where an external force is applied, such as a state in which a pedestrian is seated or standing or carrying weight As a result, the pedestrian can maintain various postures more comfortably and stably.

That is, the conventional walking drive is induced through a driving unit, and in a situation where an external force is applied, the external force is absorbed through a variable damping unit, thereby providing effective support or posture maintenance for various postures of a pedestrian wearing an ankle prosthetic device. can

In this case, the variable damping unit can vary the damping coefficient, and accordingly, in the case of a pedestrian's sitting or standing state or weight application state, it is possible to increase the supporting force against the external force, and in the walking state, separate supporting force is removed to It may be controlled not to interfere with active driving by the driving unit.

In particular, the variable damping unit is connected to a drive unit that is rotationally driven through a cam portion, and the cam portion provides a compressive force to the variable damping unit regardless of the rotation direction of the drive unit, thereby providing a stable external force regardless of the walking state of a pedestrian. absorption can be performed.

That is, the extension direction of the cam portion is formed to be inclined, the cam surface of the cam portion is formed as a concave curved surface, and furthermore, in connection between the cam portion and the variable damping unit, an inclined extension bar, an inclined opening, a horizontal extension bar, and a horizontal opening are provided. By applying, stable external force absorption as described above may be possible.

1 is a front view showing an ankle prosthetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a front perspective view showing the ankle prosthetic device of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view showing the ankle prosthetic device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of the ankle prosthetic device of FIG.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing in detail the driving unit, the cam part, and the variable damping unit of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection and operation state of the cam portion and the variable damping unit of FIG. 5 .

Since the present invention can be applied with various changes and can have various forms, embodiments will be described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific form disclosed, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. Like reference numerals have been used for like elements throughout the description of each figure. Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms.

These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. Terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this application, the terms "comprise" or "consisting of" are intended to designate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features It should be understood that it does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, they should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning. don't

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail.

1 is a front view showing an ankle prosthetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a front perspective view showing the ankle prosthetic device of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view showing the ankle prosthetic device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of the ankle prosthetic device of FIG.

1 to 4, the ankle prosthetic device 10 according to this embodiment includes a base unit 100, a body part 200, an extension unit 300, a drive unit 400, and a cam part 500. , a joint unit 600 and a variable damping unit 700 are included.

The base unit 100 is a part in contact with the ground and includes a first base frame 110 and a second base frame 120 .

In this case, in the first base frame 110, the ankle prosthetic device 10 is in the correct position (as in FIG. 1, the ankle prosthetic device is located on the ground in a state where no external force is provided) In this state, it may be extended along the first direction (X), but it may be extended with a flexible curved shape like the shape of the sole of the foot as a whole.

At this time, it is apparent that the curved shape of the first base frame 110 can be designed in various ways, and the front end 111 located at the front end and the rear end 112 located at the rear end are respectively on the ground It can be formed to contact.

Meanwhile, the second base frame 120 may be connected to the front end 111 of the first base frame 110, and generally in the first direction X, which is the extension direction of the first base frame 120. may extend in a first' direction (X') having a predetermined first inclination angle (θ) with respect to

In this case, the second base frame 120 may also have a flexible curved shape as a whole, and this flexible curved surface may be designed in various ways, and the first inclination angle θ may also be varied in various ways.

However, the front end 121 of the second base frame 120 can contact the ground at a fixed position, and the rear end 122 of the second base frame 120 is the second base frame 120 Considering the extension direction (X') of, it may be located in the upper direction by a predetermined height from the ground.

Meanwhile, although the base unit 100 of the ankle prosthetic device 10 has been described as including the first and second base frames 110 and 120 in this embodiment as described above, it is not limited thereto, and the base The unit 100 may be formed as a single integrated base frame.

The body portion 200 includes a pair of first and second vertical frames 210 and 220 and a horizontal frame 230 facing each other.

The body portion 200 is a frame structure forming the body of the ankle prosthetic device 10, and is generally on the rear end 122 of the second base frame 120, the second base frame 120 It is positioned so as to extend upward in a third' direction (Z') perpendicular to the extension direction (X') of the. In this case, since the second base frame 120 extends to have a first inclination angle θ with respect to the first direction X, the body portion 200 also has the same angle with respect to the third direction Z. 1 may be extended to have an inclination angle (θ).

That is, the first and second vertical frames 210 and 220 face each other at a predetermined interval and extend at a predetermined height in the third' direction (Z') at a fixed position.

The horizontal frame 230 is fixed on the rear end 122 of the second base frame 120, and the lower ends of the first and second vertical frames 210 and 220 are connected and fixed to each other. Accordingly, the first and second vertical frames 210 and 220 and the horizontal frame 230 form a predetermined storage space 201 inside the body portion 200 .

In this case, as shown in the first vertical frame 210, a pair of first upper protrusions 211 and first lower protrusions in a direction toward the front end, that is, in a direction toward the extension unit 300 to be described later. (212) is formed. That is, while the first upper and lower protrusions 211 and 212 protrude in the direction of the extension unit 300, a relatively recessed portion is formed, and an inclined rotating portion 771 to be described later is positioned on the recessed portion.

At this time, although not shown, the same second upper protrusion and second lower protrusion are formed on the second vertical frame 220, and accordingly, a relatively recessed part is formed, and the inclined rotation part ( 771) is located.

The extension unit 300 is connected to the front end of the body 200, fixes the variable damping unit 700 to be described later, and guides the movement of the variable damping unit 700.

The extension unit 300 extends along the extension direction of the second base frame 120 as a whole. That is, the extension unit 300 may extend along the first' direction (X') as shown in the original position.

Specifically, the extension unit 300 includes a first extension frame 310 connected to the first vertical frame 210 and a second extension frame 320 connected to the second vertical frame 220. do.

In this case, the first extension frame 310 is connected to the first connection part 314 connected to the first vertical frame 210 and the variable damping unit 700 to be described later on the opposite side of the first connection part 314. It includes a first coupling part 313 connected, and a first extension part 311 extending between the first connection part 314 and the first coupling part 313 .

Meanwhile, although the second extension frame 320 is also not specifically shown, it is spaced apart from the first extension frame 310 by a predetermined distance and has a symmetrical structure. Accordingly, the first and second extension frames 310, 320), a predetermined space is formed, and the variable damping unit 700 to be described later is partially positioned on the space.

In addition, the first coupling part 313 may be substantially integrally formed with the second coupling part of the second extension frame 320, and thus, as an integral structure, the first and second coupling parts are It may be coupled to and fixed to the variable damping unit 700 .

The first connection part 314 includes a first upper connection part 315 connected to the first upper protrusion 211 and a first lower connection part 316 connected to the first lower protrusion 212. .

That is, as the first upper connecting portion 315 is connected to the protruding first upper protruding portion 211 and the first lower connecting portion 316 is connected to the protruding first lower protruding portion 212, the A first inclined opening 317 is formed between the first upper connecting portion 315 and the first lower connecting portion 316 and between the first upper protruding portion 211 and the first lower protruding portion 212 .

In this case, the first inclined opening 317 extends to be inclined upward from the 1' direction (X') in which the extension unit 300 extends. As will be described later in the first inclined opening 317, the inclined rotation part 771 is located inside to guide the movement of the inclined rotation part 771.

In addition, although not shown, the second inclined opening along with the first inclined opening 317 is symmetrically and equally formed between the second extension frame 320 and the second vertical frame 220, and thus Both sides of the inclined rotation part 771 may be guided at the same time.

On the first extension part 311, a first horizontal opening 312 is formed along the 1′ direction (X′) in which the extension unit 300 extends, and the first horizontal opening 312 Along with, the second horizontal opening is also equally symmetrically formed on the second extension frame 320.

In addition, the first horizontal opening 312 and the second horizontal opening guide the movement of the horizontal rotation unit 761 to be described later along the first' direction (X').

The drive unit 400 is fixed to the upper portions of the first and second vertical frames 210 and 220 and induces rotation of the joint unit 600 connected thereto by providing rotational driving force.

The cam part 500 is connected between the driving unit 400 and the variable damping unit 700, and the rotation drive according to the rotation of the driving unit 400 is performed by linear reciprocating motion of the variable damping unit 700. convert to

In this case, the driving unit 400 and the cam part 500 are positioned on the storage space 201 formed by the body part 200 .

The joint unit 600 is located above the cam part 500 and the driving unit 400, and is connected to the driving unit 400. Thus, the rotational driving force according to the rotational driving of the driving unit 400 is transmitted to the joint unit 600 .

The joint unit 600 includes a lower connection part 610 connected to the driving unit 400, an upper connection part 630 connected to a part of the pedestrian's body, and the upper connection part 630 and the lower connection part ( 610) and an upper cover portion 620 having a socket structure.

That is, the joint unit 600 has a socket structure and is connected to a part (end) of the pedestrian's body located at the top, and provides rotational driving force of the driving unit 400 to the end of the pedestrian's body. , through which the driving of the pedestrian is assisted.

Meanwhile, a detailed connection relationship between the driving unit 400, the cam part 500, and the joint unit 600 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

The variable damping unit 700 provides a predetermined damping force to the ankle prosthetic device 10 according to the present embodiment, and specifically, the fixing part 710, the cover part 720, and the damping controller 730 ), gear unit 740, cylinder part 750 (see FIG. 5), horizontal extension bar 760, horizontal rotation part 761, inclined extension bar 770, inclined rotation part 771 and roller part 780, FIG. 5).

The fixing part 710 is coupled to the extension unit 300 and is fixed to the first coupling part 313 and the second coupling part (not shown), so that the variable damping unit 700 is connected to the extension unit (300).

Accordingly, the variable damping unit 700 extends along the extension direction of the second base frame 120 as a whole, and may extend along the 1′ direction (X′) at a fixed position.

On the other hand, the variable damping unit 700 extends along the extension direction of the second base frame 120 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the body portion 200, which is the ankle prosthetic device ( 10) is driven and the extension direction of the second base frame 120 is kept constant even if it is changed.

When the ankle prosthetic device 10 is driven in the correct position, the extension direction of the second base frame 120 as well as the first base frame 110 is changed. That is, the first base frame 110 extending in the first direction (X) parallel to the ground at a regular position may be varied to form a predetermined angle with respect to the ground, and similarly, the first base frame 110 at a regular position The second base frame 110 having an inclination angle of the first inclination angle θ with respect to the frame 110 and extending in the 1′ direction (X′) may also form various angles and be variable.

However, even when the inclination angle formed by the first and second base frames 110 and 120 with respect to the ground is varied, the variable damping unit 700 maintains the entirety of the second base frame 120. It may extend along a direction parallel to the extension direction.

In this case, since the second base frame 120 may have a flexible curved shape as a whole, in fact, the variable damping unit 700 has a relatively high rigidity and thus the rear end of the second base frame 120 that extends uniformly. It may be a more accurate expression to extend in a direction parallel to the extension direction of (122).

As described above, since the variable damping unit 700 is located on the upper side of the second base frame 120 and has an extended state as described above, it is formed as a spare space in the ankle prosthetic device 10 as a whole It can be located at the part where it becomes, and accordingly, the overall structural stability of the ankle prosthetic device 10 may be promoted.

The cover part 720 has a structure extending from the fixing part 710 toward the front end 121 of the second base frame 120, and the cylinder part 750 is located inside.

In this case, the cylinder unit 750 may be, for example, a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder, and as a damping coefficient is changed, an absorption force for absorbing an external force may be changed.

That is, when the damping coefficient is controlled to increase, the supporting force against the external force increases as the stiffness increases, so that even when a relatively large external force is applied, a large resistance to it is maintained, and the external force can be effectively damped.

On the other hand, if the damping coefficient is controlled to decrease, the supporting force against the external force decreases as the stiffness decreases, and the cylinder operates as much as the displacement corresponding to the external force, reducing the damping ability against the external force.

As described above, by varying the damping coefficient of the cylinder part 750, the optimal damping coefficient is applied in consideration of various walking conditions and postures of the pedestrian, and the walking or posture of the pedestrian using the ankle prosthetic device 10 Convenience and safety can be improved.

The damping controller 730 may be a motor that controls the damping coefficient of the cylinder part 750, and is connected to the cylinder part 750 through the gear unit 740 to provide a control driving force for the damping coefficient. to provide.

That is, the damping control unit 730, although not shown, obtains information on the walking state of the pedestrian, information on the posture of the pedestrian, etc. Based on this, the damping coefficient of the cylinder part 750 is controlled so that the cylinder part 750 has an optimal damping coefficient.

At this time, the gear unit 740 includes a first gear 741 connected to the damping control unit 730, a third gear 743 connected to the cylinder part 750, and the first and second gears It includes a second gear 742 that transmits a driving force between the s (741, 743). Thus, the driving force of the damping controller 730 is transmitted to the cylinder part 750, and the damping coefficient of the cylinder part 750 is varied.

The horizontal extension bar 760 is connected to the cylinder part 750 and extends into the inner space formed by the extension unit 300, and the horizontal rotation part 761 is connected to an end thereof. In this case, the horizontal extension bar 760 extends in the same direction as the extension direction of the variable damping unit 700 .

The inclined extension bar 770 is connected to the horizontal extension bar 760 through the horizontal rotation part 761, and extends upward while forming a predetermined inclination with respect to the extending direction of the inclined extension bar 770. .

In addition, the inclined rotation part 771 is formed at the end of the inclined extension bar 770, and the roller part 780 is connected to the inclined rotation part 771. In this case, the roller unit 780 contacts and rotates with the cam unit 500, which will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

That is, the horizontal extension bar 760 and the inclined extension bar 770 extend between the cam part 500 and the cylinder part 750, and rotational driving of the cam part 500 is performed by the cylinder part 750. ) is converted to reciprocating motion.

Meanwhile, the horizontal rotation part 761 connecting the horizontal extension bar 760 and the inclined extension bar 770 to each other is guided and moved along the first horizontal opening 312 and the second horizontal opening described above. Also, through the horizontal rotation unit 761, the inclined extension bar 770 and the horizontal extension bar 760 are relatively rotatable.

The inclined rotation part 771 is guided along the first inclined opening 317 and the second inclined opening described above, and through the inclined rotation part 771, the inclined extension bar 770 is attached to the cam part 500. relative rotation is possible.

Hereinafter, relative operations of the driving unit 400, the cam part 500, and the variable damping unit 700 will be described in detail.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing in detail the driving unit, the cam part, and the variable damping unit of FIG. 1 . FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection and operation state of the cam portion and the variable damping unit of FIG. 5 .

5 and 6, first, the driving unit 400 includes a pair of first and second driving parts 410 and 420, and a pair of first and second rotating parts 430 and 440. includes

In this case, the first and second driving units 410 and 420 generate rotational driving force in a second direction Y perpendicular to both the first and third directions X and Z as a rotational central axis. It may be a driving motor, but it is illustrated that a pair is formed through the drawings, but is not limited thereto. That is, only one of the first and second driving units 410 and 420 may be provided, and further, the first and second driving units 410 and 420 are not driving motors that generate driving force, and are not shown. However, it can serve as a rotating part receiving driving force from the outside.

In this way, if a driving unit generating a separate external rotational driving force is additionally provided, the additionally provided driving unit will provide driving force to the first and second driving units 410 and 420 through a separate driving shaft. can

The first and second rotating parts 430 and 440 rotate by receiving rotational driving force from the first and second driving parts 410 and 420, respectively, and the first and second rotating parts 430 and 440 ) The above-described cam portion 500 is interposed between.

Meanwhile, the lower connection part 610 of the joint unit 600 is fixed along the outer circumferential surface of at least one of the pair of first and second rotational parts 430 and 440 . That is, since the first and second rotary parts 430 and 440 have a circular plate shape having a predetermined thickness as shown, the lower connection part 610 has a circular inner circumferential surface and the first and second rotary parts It may be fixed on at least one outer circumferential surface of (430, 440).

Thus, when a rotational driving force that rotates in the second direction Y as a rotational center axis is generated by the driving units 410 and 420, the rotational units 430 and 440 rotate the second direction Y as the rotational center. It rotates around an axis, and accordingly, the joint unit 600 also rotates around the second direction Y as a rotation center axis.

At this time, the joint unit 600 is connected to the end of the pedestrian's body, and provides an appropriate rotational driving force to match the walking state of the pedestrian so that the joint unit 600 rotates, through which the pedestrian walks. will perform

Meanwhile, the cam part 500 is fixed between the pair of first and second rotating parts 430 and 440 and receives the rotational driving force of the first and second rotating parts 430 and 440 as it is. will rotate

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper body 510 of the cam part 500 is located between the first and second rotating parts 430 and 440, and the first rotating shaft 511 is the first rotating shaft 511. And the rotational axis of the second rotating parts (430, 440) coincides.

Thus, when the first and second rotating parts 430 and 440 rotate in the first rotational direction (solid line, ①) or the second rotational direction (dotted line, ②), as shown by arrows, the same The upper body 510 of the cam part 500 also rotates in the first rotation direction (solid line, ①) or the second rotation direction (dotted line, ②).

In addition, unlike the first and second rotating parts 430 and 440 formed in a circular plate shape, the cam part 500 has a lower body 520 formed below the upper body 510, and the lower body 520 The body 520 is formed to protrude downward from the first and second rotating parts 430 and 440 as a whole.

Thus, the cam part 500 may have a shape such as '8' or 'snowman' while having a predetermined thickness as a whole.

Furthermore, the cam surface 521 formed on the lower surface of the lower body 520 has a curved shape and has a shape that is recessed into the inside. In addition, the roller unit 780 of the above-described variable damping unit 700 is placed in contact with the cam surface 521 .

The roller part 780 rotates on the same axis as the inclined rotation part 771, and the inclined rotation part 771 moves along the first inclined opening 717 and the second inclined opening in a pair of positive and negative sides. If formed at the end, the roller part 780 is located at the center of the pair of inclined rotation parts 771 and is located on the cam surface 521 .

In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the inclined extension bar 770 has a pair of inclined rotation parts 771 connected to one end and a pair of horizontal rotation parts 761 connected to the other end, In order to form such a structure, it may be formed in the form of an 'H beam' as a whole.

A driving mechanism in which the rotational drive by the rotational force applied to the cam part 500 is converted into reciprocating sliding movement of the cylinder part 750 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 .

That is, as described above, by the rotational driving of the driving unit 400, the upper body 510 rotates in the first rotational direction (solid line, ①) or the second rotation with the first rotational shaft 511 as the central axis of rotation. It rotates in the direction (dotted line, ②).

In this case, an extension line extending from the center of the roller unit 780 and the center of the first rotating shaft 511 contacting along the center of the lower body 520 in the initial state is the inclined extension bar 770. It may have a third inclination angle (γ) with respect to the extension direction (X″). At this time, the inclined extension bar 770 may extend while forming a second inclined angle φ with respect to the first direction X at a fixed position.

Therefore, when the upper body 510 rotates in the first rotational direction (solid line, ①), the lower body 520 and the cam surface 521 apply a compressive force in the direction shown by the arrow (solid line, ①). will be delivered In addition, when the upper body 510 rotates in the second rotational direction (dotted line, ②), the lower body 520 and the cam surface 521 apply a compressive force in the direction shown by the arrow (dotted line, ②). will be delivered

That is, the transmission direction of the compression force by the first rotational direction (solid line, ①) and the transmission direction of the compression force by the second rotational direction (dotted line, ②) may be slightly different, but the roller unit 780 Considering that it can move freely on the cam surface 521, a compressive force is eventually transmitted to the roller portion 780.

Furthermore, the roller unit 780 is connected only to the inclined extension bar 770 extending along the extension direction (X″), and the inclined extension bar 770 is also rotatable with respect to the roller unit 780. Since they are connected, the compressive force transmitted to the roller unit 780 as described above is transmitted as the compressive force along the extension direction of the inclined extension bar 770.

That is, when the upper body 510 rotates in the first rotational direction (solid line, ①), a compressive force (solid line, ①) is provided to the inclined extension bar 770 in the extension direction (X″), Similarly, even when the upper body 510 rotates in the second rotational direction (dotted line, ②), the inclined extension bar 770 is provided with a compressive force (dotted line, ②) in the extension direction (X″). .

Furthermore, the compressive force provided to the inclined extension bar 770 is changed in direction through the horizontal extension bar 760, and the cylinder portion 750 extends in the 1' direction (X') from a fixed position. is forwarded to

As described above, regardless of the rotation direction in which the driving unit 400 is driven to rotate, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the compression force of the cylinder portion 750 through the cam portion 500, and the damping of the cylinder portion 750 Optimum attenuation can be performed through the coefficients.

That is, in the case of an active driving state in which rotational driving force is provided by the driving unit 400, that is, in the walking state of a pedestrian, it is controlled so that no additional damping force is provided through the cylinder portion 750, so that the cam portion 500 ) rotates freely according to the rotation of the driving unit 400, and the cylinder part 750 is also freely compressed according to the transmitted compression force.

Accordingly, in an active driving state in which rotational driving force of the driving unit 400 is provided, a force that restricts or hinders the rotational driving force of the driving unit 400 does not occur separately, and implementation of a normal walking state of a pedestrian is achieved. It becomes possible.

In contrast, in a state in which rotational driving force by the driving unit 400 is not provided, that is, in a state in which a pedestrian is standing or sitting, or in a state in which a large external force is applied from the outside regardless of walking, the cylinder unit 750 Through this, a predetermined damping force is provided and, if necessary, the damping coefficient of the cylinder part 750 is controlled to have high rigidity. Accordingly, even if the external force or the like is provided to the cylinder part 750 through the cam part 500, the cylinder part 750 maintains rigidity without being compressed, and can maintain resistance to the external force.

Thus, the posture to be maintained by the pedestrian can be maintained by receiving the supporting force by the ankle prosthetic device 10, and the stable state maintenance of the pedestrian can be promoted through sufficient resistance to external force.

According to the embodiments of the present invention as described above, even through the ankle prosthetic device, in addition to active driving that induces walking driving of a pedestrian, external force is applied in a situation where an external force is applied, such as a state in which a pedestrian is seated or standing or carrying weight is effectively absorbed so that pedestrians can maintain various postures more comfortably and stably.

That is, the conventional walking drive is induced through a driving unit, and in a situation where an external force is applied, the external force is absorbed through a variable damping unit, thereby providing effective support or posture maintenance for various postures of a pedestrian wearing an ankle prosthetic device. can

In this case, the variable damping unit can vary the damping coefficient, and accordingly, in the case of a pedestrian's sitting or standing state or weight application state, it is possible to increase the supporting force against the external force, and in the walking state, separate supporting force is removed to It may be controlled not to interfere with active driving by the driving unit.

In particular, the variable damping unit is connected to a drive unit that is rotationally driven through a cam portion, and the cam portion provides a compressive force to the variable damping unit regardless of the rotation direction of the drive unit, thereby providing a stable external force regardless of the walking state of a pedestrian. absorption can be performed.

That is, the extension direction of the cam portion is formed to be inclined, the cam surface of the cam portion is formed as a concave curved surface, and furthermore, an inclined extension bar, an inclined opening, a horizontal extension bar, and a horizontal opening are provided in connection between the cam portion and the variable damping unit. By applying, stable external force absorption as described above may be possible.

Although the above has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art can variously modify and change the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the claims below. You will understand that you can.

10: ankle prosthetic device 100: base unit
110, 120: base frame 200: body
210, 220: vertical frame 230: horizontal frame
300: extension unit 310, 320: extension frame
312: first horizontal opening 317: first inclined opening
400: driving unit 410, 420: driving unit
430, 440: rotating part 500: cam part
510: upper body 520: lower body
521: cam surface 600: joint unit
700: variable damping unit 710: cylinder part
720: cover unit 730: damping control unit
760: horizontal extension bar 770: inclined extension bar
780: roller part

Claims (15)

a base unit in contact with the ground;
a body portion fixed to the base unit in an upward direction and forming a storage space therein;
a joint unit connected to an upper portion of the body and having an upper end fixed to a pedestrian;
a driving unit positioned in the storage space and providing a rotational driving force to the joint unit to rotationally drive the joint unit with respect to the body; and
An ankle prosthetic device including a variable damping unit fixed to one side of the body to extend along the base unit and absorbing an external force applied to the joint unit from the pedestrian by varying a damping coefficient. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable damping unit,
In a state in which a pedestrian is standing or sitting or bearing weight with the joint unit, the damping coefficient is increased to increase the support for external force,
An ankle prosthetic device, characterized in that in the state that the pedestrian is walking, by reducing the damping coefficient, inducing walking assistance by driving the driving unit. According to claim 1,
An ankle prosthetic device further comprising a cam connected between the driving unit and the variable damping unit to convert a rotational driving force of the driving unit into a linear motion of the variable damping unit. The method of claim 3, wherein the cam portion,
An ankle prosthetic device, characterized in that for providing the rotational driving force of the driving unit as the compressive force of the variable damping unit, regardless of the rotational direction of the driving unit. The method of claim 3, wherein the cam portion,
An ankle prosthetic device, characterized in that it extends while forming a predetermined inclination angle in a direction toward the variable damping unit with respect to the vertical direction in which the body portion extends. The method of claim 3, wherein the cam portion,
It includes a cam surface that is recessed at the lower end and extends into a curved surface,
The cam surface is an ankle prosthetic device, characterized in that in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the roller portion of the variable damping unit. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable damping unit,
a cylinder portion that absorbs an external force transmitted from the cam portion; and
Ankle prosthetic device comprising a damping control unit for varying the damping coefficient of the cylinder portion. The method of claim 7, wherein the cylinder portion,
Ankle prosthesis, characterized in that the hydraulic cylinder or pneumatic cylinder. The method of claim 7, wherein the variable damping unit,
an inclined extension bar for transmitting an external force transmitted from the cam unit;
a horizontal extension bar connected to the inclined extension portion to transmit the external force to the cylinder portion; and
The ankle prosthetic device further comprises a gear unit connected between the cylinder part and the damping control part and providing a driving force of the damping control part to the cylinder part. According to claim 9,
The horizontal extension bar extends in the same direction as the extension direction of the cylinder part,
Ankle prosthetic device, characterized in that the inclined extension bar is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal extension bar and extends upward. The method of claim 9, wherein the variable damping unit,
a horizontal rotation unit connecting the horizontal extension bar and the inclined extension bar to enable relative rotation of the horizontal extension bar and the inclined extension bar; and
The ankle prosthetic device further comprises an inclined rotation part connected to an end of the inclined extension bar to enable relative rotation of the inclined extension bar with respect to the cam part. According to claim 11,
Further comprising an extension unit extending between the variable damping unit and the body,
The extension unit is
a horizontal opening for guiding movement of the horizontal rotation unit; and
Ankle prosthetic device comprising an inclined opening for guiding the movement of the inclined rotation unit. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the driving unit,
a driving unit fixed to the body and generating a rotational driving force; and
An ankle prosthetic device comprising a rotation unit located in the storage space and providing the rotational driving force to the cam unit. The method of claim 13, wherein the joint unit,
an upper connection portion fixed to the pedestrian; and
Ankle prosthetic device comprising a lower connection part formed on the lower part of the upper connection part and fixed along an outer circumferential surface of the rotation part to receive the rotational driving force. According to any one of claims 1 to 12,
The base unit is
A first base frame extending in a direction parallel to the ground; and
And a second base frame extending to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the first base frame,
The body portion extends in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the rear end of the second base frame, and is fixed to the second base frame.

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