RU202567U1 - Modular exoskeleton - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to devices that facilitate the lifting and movement of loads, for enhancing the physical capabilities of a person and increasing safety when working in conditions of heavy physical labor. The purpose and task of the utility model is to develop a modular design of an exoskeleton that provides an expansion of functionality through the installation of additional modules, as well as an increase in convenience and safety during operation. The modular exoskeleton contains an L-shaped frame that connects the chest plate, back plate and belt to the mounted abdominal plate and tubular attachment by installing universal mounts, while universal mounts are required to install additional modules such as a headrest , front support, elastic cables with hooks, a roller through which elastic and inelastic elements are parallel stretched, connected to the thigh cuffs; active module, while the back plate is made in the shape of the natural deflection of the human spine and contains velcro and soft pads for customization to individual characteristics of a person, and elastic and inelastic elements contain buckles to adjust the degree of sagging and tension of these elements, and the hip cuffs contain velcro for quick fastening and resetting, and the active module contains a housing, a microcontroller, a winch, a battery, a cable, a carabiner, an angular displacement sensor, and a sensor. The technical results of the claimed utility model are to expand the functionality of the exoskeleton; reducing the load on the arms, abdominal region, spine when taking and carrying a load; increased convenience and safety during operation. 19 ill.

Description

The field of technology to which the utility model belongs

The utility model relates to devices that facilitate the lifting and movement of loads, for enhancing the physical capabilities of a person and increasing safety when working in conditions of heavy physical labor.

One of the most common injuries during work is spinal injuries that occur when lifting and carrying loads improperly. When lifted correctly, the load should be lifted by the legs with a straight back [1]. The formation of the correct deflection of the spine, as well as a decrease in the load on the human body when performing various works, can be achieved through the use of an exoskeleton.

An exoskeleton is a technical device worn on a person and designed to increase a person's physical strength. At the moment, there are two groups of exoskeletons: active and passive.

Active exoskeletons are characterized by the presence of: power drive systems, electronic control systems, power supply systems. At the moment, active exoskeletons are quite complex and expensive to manufacture and demanding on operating conditions, which makes the cost of their implementation extremely high today.

Passive exoskeletons function due to the muscular strength of a person and are able to provide an even distribution of the load on the human body, thereby reducing overall fatigue during work, and as a result, this increases labor productivity. Also, these exoskeletons are very easy to manufacture and operate.

State of the art

From the prior art, a device US No. 2019216630 (publ. 07/18/2019) is known containing: a support frame, femoral links, torque generators, while the torque generators connect the support frame to the femoral links and create a torque that supports the torso.

The disadvantages of this device are

insufficient mobility of the body due to the rigid design of the exoskeleton;

there is no fixation of the correct deflection of the spine when bending;

there are no mechanisms for unloading hands when lifting and carrying a load, for this it is necessary to install another module, which leads to an increase in the mass and dimensions of the exoskeleton;

there is no opportunity to work in a static position with a fixed angle of inclination, which limits the scope of the exoskeleton;

there is no support for abdominal pressure, which is necessary when working with heavy loads, which can lead to a violation of human health;

the structural design of the exoskeleton support frame limits its use among women.

Also known is a device US No. 2020113725 (publ. 04/16/2020) containing: a biometric semi-rigid support system, straps for attaching to the body and a feedback panel. In this case, the feedback panel is located on the back of the user in a place corresponding to the middle chest region of the user. This arrangement makes the user feel pressure feedback on the back when flexing and twisting the torso.

The disadvantages of this device are

the exoskeleton is not able to provide assistance in straightening the trunk after tilting, which limits the scope of this exoskeleton;

there is no opportunity to work in a static position with a fixed angle of inclination, which limits the scope of the exoskeleton;

the location of the belts can squeeze the veins and arteries going to the arms, which can cause numbness and, as a result, a violation of human health;

the semi-rigid support presses on the back of the user if the tilt is incorrect, this affects the convenience during operation;

inability to expand the functionality of the exoskeleton by installing additional modules.

Also known is a mobile support device from US patent No. 5951591 (publ. 09.14.1999) containing: a frame to which a chest strap is attached, a belt clip and leg extensions. The chest strap is worn by the worker and is supported by a system of elastic cord and pulleys. The belt is pulled over the upper body as the worker leans forward and thus provides support. The further the user leans forward, the tighter the cords are pulled, and thus the more the back is supported.

The disadvantages of this technical solution are

there is no fixation of the correct deflection of the spine when bending;

the device does not provide assistance in straightening;

inability to expand functionality by installing additional modules;

there are no mechanisms for unloading hands when lifting and carrying loads;

there are no mechanisms for unloading the spine when carrying a load.

Also known is the invention under the patent WO No. 2019/074350 (publ. 18.04.2019) containing: a frame, a belt, a belt for the abdomen, curved levers, a concave swivel module, an elastic element, a tubular frame, a non-slip belt and silicone foam with an effect memory.

The disadvantages of this technical solution are:

inability to expand functionality by installing additional modules;

there is no correct fixation of the spine when tilting;

there are no mechanisms for unloading hands when lifting and carrying loads;

there are no mechanisms for unloading the spine when carrying a load.

Another known passive exoskeleton according to patent RU No. 194544U1 (publ. 12/13/2019, bull. No. 4) taken as a prototype containing a chest support, lumbar support, hip support, springs and is made in the form of a corset connecting the chest and lumbar supports and equipped with a support plate in the area of the spine, located between the thoracic and lumbar supports and made with expansion up to stop with the axis of the right and left shoulder blades, as well as internal and external springs rigidly fixed to the support plate and installed in the area of the lumbar support, in addition, it additionally equipped with a belt with a fastener connected to the lumbar support, as well as two elastomers connected in an X-shape at the back with the chest regulating straps and the rear part of the thigh supports.

The disadvantages of the known technical solution are:

the corset fits snugly to the human body, thereby impairing natural ventilation, which leads to an increase in human sweating, and as a result, reduces ease of use and labor efficiency;

sagging of elastomers is necessary for walking and running, as a result of which a person in production conditions can catch elastomers for various objects of the environment, which can lead to breakage of the exoskeleton or injury to a person;

when the elastomers are fully stretched in an upright standing position, the process of walking and running becomes more difficult, because elastomers limit the step phase, which affects the convenience and safety of movement;

before performing a production operation associated with lifting and transferring a load, it is necessary to adjust the tension of elastomers each time;

there is no support for abdominal pressure, which is necessary when working with heavy loads, which can lead to a violation of human health;

there are no mechanisms for unloading hands when taking a load from the ground;

the spring and the base plate do not provide a rigid fixation of the torso, as a result of which a person may bend his back incorrectly when bending; when lifting a large mass, an incorrect tilt increases the chances of a spinal injury;

there is no opportunity to work in a static position with a fixed angle of inclination, which limits the scope of the exoskeleton;

there is no possibility of a quick reset of the exoskeleton, which can lead to human injuries during emergencies;

inability to expand the functionality of the exoskeleton by installing additional modules.

Disclosure of a utility model

The purpose and task of the utility model is the development of a modular design of the exoskeleton, which ensures the expansion of its functionality by installing additional modules, as well as increasing the convenience and safety during operation.

The technical results of the claimed utility model are:

expanding the functionality of the exoskeleton;

reducing the load on the arms, abdominal region, spine when taking and carrying a load;

increased convenience and safety during operation.

This is achieved by the fact that, in contrast to the known technical solution, this exoskeleton contains a frame made in the shape of the letter "L", which connects the chest plate, back plate and belt with the mounted abdominal plate and tubular fastening, due to the installation of universal fasteners, when this universal mounts are necessary for the installation of additional modules such as: headrest, front support, elastic cables with hooks, a roller through which elastic and inelastic elements are stretched in parallel, connected to the hip cuffs; active module, while the back plate is made in the shape of the natural deflection of the human spine and contains velcro and soft pads for customization to individual characteristics of a person, and elastic and inelastic elements contain buckles to adjust the degree of sagging and tension of these elements, as well as hip cuffs contain velcro for their quick fastening and reset, and the active module contains: a case, a microcontroller, a winch, a battery, a cable, a carabiner, an angular displacement sensor, a sensor.

The essence of the proposed design of a modular exoskeleton is as follows.

The exoskeleton is made in the form of a modular design, thanks to the combination of a frame and universal mounts, it becomes possible to install various additional modules, which expands the functionality of the exoskeleton and allows you to form a set of necessary modules for a specific production task.

When tilting, a person involuntarily flexes his back in the lumbar region, which is unacceptable when working with various weights, therefore, it is necessary to fix the spine in the correct (straight) position. This is achieved through the use of a frame made in the shape of the letter "L" with an installed chest plate, a back plate and a belt with a mounted abdominal plate, which provide rigid fixation of the human body due to uniform pressure at three points (chest, lower back, abdominal region) and thereby restrict the movement of the thoracic and lumbar spine, as a result of which the person cannot bend incorrectly and thus the correct back deflection is formed, which reduces the likelihood of injury when lifting and carrying a load.

The choice of the frame is due to the fact that not only the possibility of installing additional modules on the exoskeleton is provided, but also better ventilation is provided due to the small areas of contact with the human body and the large gaps between the body and the frame, which affects the ease of use. The frame also provides a faster donning of the exoskeleton and allows you to get rid of the use of various straps to fix the exoskeleton on the human body, which in its own way affects the ease of use and allows you to quickly drop the exoskeleton in an emergency.

One of the most common injuries when lifting a large mass is a hernia of the abdomen, which occurs with excessive intra-abdominal pressure [2]. To reduce the risk of abdominal injury when lifting and carrying loads, the belt contains an abdominal plate to maintain proper abdominal pressure. The abdominal belt with a belt serves as an athletic belt, which athletes currently use when performing heavy physical exercises.

If necessary, a front support is installed in the tubular mount, which provides additional rigidity to the frame and contributes to a more even distribution of the mass of the transferred load from the hands to the hips of a person. The front support is made in the form of a pair of "screw-nut" for the possibility of individual adjustment for each person.

The roller provides the ability to walk and run with the maximum tension of the elastic and inelastic element, because when one leg is moved forward and the other backward, the lengths of these elements change. The maximum tension is necessary to eliminate the slack of these elements and to improve ease of use. As a result, there is no need to adjust the amount of sag and the tension force of the elastic and inelastic element each time before performing the work. It also provides useful work from an upright standing position.

Velcro closure secures the thigh cuffs for quick donning and quick release of the exoskeleton in an emergency.

On the frame, at the level of a person's shoulders, elastic cables with hooks are fixed through universal fasteners. They provide partial compensation for the mass of the carried load and reduce the load on the biceps muscles, due to their preliminary tension using the extension of the arms before taking the load.

The headrest reduces stress on the neck muscles.

If necessary, an active module is additionally installed on the exoskeleton, which converts the passive exoskeleton into an active one and provides significant assistance in straightening the trunk.

Description of drawings

The features and essence of the claimed modular exoskeleton are illustrated by drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a general view of a modular exoskeleton;

FIG. 2 front view;

FIG. 3 rear view;

FIG. 4 side view;

FIG. 5 correct installation of the modular exoskeleton on the human body and fixation of the correct deflection of the spine;

FIG. 6 general view of the capture;

FIG. 7 work of capture;

FIG. 8 stretching the elastic member when tilted;

FIG. 9 return of the trunk to its original position;

FIG. 10 work of elastic cables with grippers when lifting a load;

FIG. 11 distribution of the mass of the carried load from the hands to the belt;

FIG. 12 the work of an elastic element when a person gets up from a squatting position;

FIG. 13a the operation of the roller, rear view;

FIG. 13b walking process;

FIG. 14 the work of the roller in the absence of movement;

FIG. 15 the work of the roller when moving;

FIG. 16 active module installed;

FIG. 17 general view of the active module;

FIG. 18 input action on the sensor.

Implementation of the utility model

The modular exoskeleton (Figs. 1-4) is a frame 1, made in the shape of the letter "L", on which a chest plate 2, universal attachments 3, a back plate 4, a belt 5, an abdominal plate 6, a tubular attachment 7 are mounted, frontal support 8, elastic cables 9, hooks 10, roller 11, elastic element 12, inelastic element 13, thigh cuffs 14, buckles 15, velcro fabric 16, soft pads 17, handles 18, headrest 19, rods 20, active module 21, body 22, microcontroller 23, battery 24, winch 25, rope 26, carbine 27, angular displacement sensor 28, sensor 29.

The modular exoskeleton works as follows.

A frame 1 is put on a person over his head, on which, with the help of universal fasteners 3, the following was previously fixed: chest plate 2; a back plate 4 connected to a belt 5 with an abdominal plate 6 mounted on it and a tubular attachment 7; elastic cables 9 with hooks 10; a roller 11 through which an elastic element 12 and an inelastic element 13 are stretched in parallel, which are connected to the thigh cuffs 14.

After that, the belt 5 is fastened at the level of the abdominal region and the thigh cuffs 14 are fastened to the legs of the person with the help of velcro cloth 16. Further, by rotating the handle 18, the person looses the fixation of the universal fasteners 3 and thereby it becomes possible to adjust the height of the frame 1 relative to the back plate 4. The frame 1 is installed on such a level at which the chest plate 2 touches the chest of the person, after which the universal attachments 3 are again clamped and thus the fixation of the trunk in the correct position is ensured (Fig. 5). To reduce the discomfort arising when fixing the human body, soft pads 17 are installed on the chest plate 2 and back plate 4. Adjustment of the back plate 4 deflection to the individual characteristics of a person is ensured by installing soft pads 17 of different thicknesses. The fastening of the soft pads 17 is provided by the Velcro cloth 16. To prevent sagging of the elastic element 12 and the inelastic element 13, the person adjusts their length through the buckle 15, thereby pulling the elastic and inelastic elements closer to the body. Hooks 10 are fixed on the palms of a person (Fig. 6). The headrest 19 is set according to the situation depending on the type of work to be performed. Then the modular exoskeleton is ready for use.

The modular exoskeleton supports a variety of production tasks.

Example 1. Leaning forward, a person lies down with the upper part of his chest on chest plate 2, thereby transferring the mass of his body to frame 1. Continuing the tilt, the elastic element 12 is stretched, storing energy, and upon the subsequent return of the body to the vertical position, the elastic element 12 releases the accumulated energy thereby reducing the load on the muscles of the back and muscles of the legs during straightening (Fig. 8.9). At the same time, a person does not have the ability to bend his back when tilting incorrectly due to the limitation of the movement of the thoracic and lumbar spine, which is provided by frame 1, chest plate 2, back plate 4 and belt 5 with abdominal plate 6 due to uniform pressure at three points (Fig. five). Adjusting the length of the elastic element 12 allows you to change the force of its tension, which allows the exoskeleton to perform more useful work when returning the body to the vertical position after tilting.

Example 2. When taking a load from the ground, a person straightens his arms, thereby stretching the elastic cables 9, which store energy. And grabbing the load due to the hooks 10 (Fig. 7, 10), with the subsequent separation of the load from the ground, the elastic cables 9 return to their original positions, thereby reducing the load on the human biceps. Straightening up and holding the load in hands, through the hooks 10 and elastic cables 9, the mass of the carried load "hangs" on the frame 1 and through it it is redistributed onto the belt 5 and lies on the person's hips, thereby bypassing the spine, which reduces the likelihood of spinal injuries (Fig. eleven).

The hook 10 is made in the form of a glove worn on the palm of a person and contains rods 20, which are connected to an elastic cable 9 (Fig. 6). When lifting the load, the rods 20 stretch and pull the proximal phalanges of the fingers, as a result, the weight of the load falls on the rods 20, which reduces the load on the muscles of the forearm (Fig. 7).

Example 3. Inelastic element 13 limits the angle of inclination forward, as a result, a person can hang with his torso at a given angle, while the back muscles are unloaded. Thus, work in a static position is ensured. This is especially true for workers behind a conveyor belt, doctors, system administrators, cooks, etc. whose job is to be forced to stand / sit with the torso tilted forward.

Example 4. The correct way to lift a load from the ground is squatting with a straight back, taking the load in your hands and lifting with the muscles of the legs. This exoskeleton also provides assistance in straightening, due to the torque that occurs when squatting and stretching the elastic element 12 (Fig. 12).

The use of this modular exoskeleton is not limited to the listed examples and the range of tasks performed is unlimited.

When carrying a load of significant mass, an abdominal plate 6 is additionally installed to maintain the required abdominal pressure, which reduces the likelihood of getting a hernia of the abdomen. Also, if necessary, the frontal support 8 is installed in the tubular mount 7 and the universal mount 3 on the frame 1, thereby imparting greater rigidity to the system, which contributes to a more even distribution of the weight of the carried load over the entire waist of a person.

Thanks to the roller 11, through which the elastic element 12 and the inelastic element 13 are stretched in parallel, a person has the ability to walk and run with the maximum tension of these elements, because when one leg is moved forward and the other backward, the lengths of these elements change.

For clarification, we introduce the parameters of the lengths of the elastic and inelastic element 12, 13 in the sections from the thigh cuff 14 to the roller 11 (Fig. 13a, Fig. 14), where l ₁ is the length of the elastic and inelastic element from the thigh cuff to the roller for the left leg; l ₂ - the length of the elastic and inelastic element from the thigh cuff to the roller for the right leg. When a person stands (Fig. 14), the length is the same l ₁ = l ₂ and when tilted, the work of the elastic and inelastic element 12, 13 is carried out. At the beginning of walking, a person shifts his center of mass and rearranges one leg forward, while the other leg remains in place, but due to the peculiarities of the process of walking and running, the person's body drops (Fig.13b), as a result of which the length l ₁ changes and becomes smaller , while the length l ₂ increases accordingly. Those. the elastic and inelastic element is pulled through the roller, which allows a person to walk without restriction of movement (Fig. 15). It also expands the functionality of the exoskeleton, because the operation of the elastic element 12 and the inelastic element 13 in such a scheme is possible from a vertical standing position, and there is no need to adjust the length of these elements for walking / running.

If necessary, an active module 21 (Fig. 16) is additionally installed on the exoskeleton, which converts the passive exoskeleton into an active one. For this, the active module 21 contains a housing 22, a microcontroller 23, a battery 24, a winch 25, a cable 26, a carbine 27, an angular displacement sensor 28, a sensor 29 (Fig. 17). The active module 21 is installed by means of universal mounts 3 on the frame 1, while the roller 11 with the elastic element 12 is removed from the exoskeleton, and the cable 26 is connected to the inelastic element 13 due to the carabiner 27, while the functions of the roller 11 are performed by the carabiner 27. Also on frame 1, sensor 29 is installed.

In the neutral position, when the signal from the sensor 29 does not go to the microcontroller 23, the cable 26 moves freely without interfering with the person when walking and running. In the operating position, an input signal is supplied to the sensor 29 in the form of a physical impact on it by the chin of a person (Fig. 18), as a result, a control signal is supplied to the microcontroller 23 and, depending on the magnitude of the input signal (pressing force), power is supplied to the winch 25, which winds cable 26 and that through the carbine 27, in turn, pulls the inelastic element 13, as a result, the body is straightened.

After the impact on the sensor 28, mounted on the shaft of the winch 24, the angular displacement sensor 27 reads the number of revolutions and enters the data into the memory of the microcontroller 23 until the impact stops. Then the reverse is switched on with the number of revolutions equal to the number of revolutions stored in the memory, to return the cable 25 to its original position.

The modular exoskeleton reduces the load on the human body when performing a number of production tasks, which leads to a decrease in overall human fatigue and, as a consequence, to an increase in labor productivity. Also, a modular exoskeleton reduces the likelihood of injury when lifting and carrying a load by fixing the body in the correct position, maintaining the necessary abdominal pressure and distributing the mass of the carried load on the hips bypassing the spine, and the use of a frame and universal mounts provides the possibility of expanding the functionality of the exoskeleton by installing additional modules. Also, the exoskeleton takes into account the anatomical features of each person due to a wide range of different adjustments, which affects the ease of use.

The proposed modular exoskeleton can be used in metallurgy, mechanical engineering, construction, the Ministry of Emergencies, medicine, logistics and other industries where lifting and carrying loads and active inclinations is required.

Sources of information:

1. SAFETY, HEALTH AND WORKING CONDITIONS / Training Manual of the Swedish Joint Council on Occupational Safety and Health in Industry, developed in cooperation with the ILO. Moscow Perm: ILO, 2004.160 p.

2. V.V. Shimko, A.A. Sysolyatin. Abdominal hernia: a study guide Blagoveshchensk: Amursk. state honey. Academy, 2010.150 p.

Claims (1)

Modular exoskeleton containing a chest plate, a back plate, a belt, thigh cuffs and an elastic element, characterized in that it contains a frame made in the shape of the letter "L", which connects the chest plate, back plate and belt with the mounted abdominal plate and tubular fastening due to the installation of universal fasteners, while universal fasteners are required to install additional modules, such as a headrest, a front support, elastic cables with hooks, a roller through which elastic and inelastic elements are parallel stretched, connected to the hip cuffs, an active module, while the back plate is made in the shape of the natural deflection of the human spine and contains velcro fabric and soft pads for adjusting to individual characteristics of a person, and the elastic and inelastic elements contain buckles to adjust the degree of slack and the tension force of these elements, as well as the thigh cuffs contain velcro for quick their fastening and reset, and the active module contains a housing, a microcontroller, a winch, a battery, a cable, a carabiner, an angular displacement sensor, a sensor.

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