Artificial robotic hand

• US 5,080,682 A
• Filed: 07/05/1990
• Issued: 01/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sam Schectman
• Original Assignee: Leonard A. Schectman
• Inventors: Schectman, Leonard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Randall L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Willse, David H.
• Application Number:
  US07/548,237
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 623/63-65, 623/58, 623/24, 623/25, 901/21, 901/25, 901/28, 901/39, 414/1, 414/2, 414/7, 294/902
• US Class Current: 623/64
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/583 Hands; Wrist joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30523 by means of meshing gear teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/701 operated by electrically controlled means, e.g. solenoids or torque motors
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0009 comprising multi-articulated fingers, e.g. resembling a human hand

Abstract

An electro-mechanical grasping device that simulates the movements of a human hand suitable for use as an artificial hand prosthesis that is lightweight, agile and includes a firm grasp. A lightweight platform houses a plurality of very small high torque electrical motors, each having its own linear gear rack, all of which is connected by suitable wire-like actuating member to a plurality of jointed members each of which represents a particular digit of the hand. A stiff cable is connected between all the simulated digits and the gear racks, the cables being mounted through eyelets that act as harness guides for providing the proper strength and movement of each of the digits. Control of the artificial hand and the digits may be through the receipt of myogram signals from the human muscles in the appropriate situation while power is received from a small DC battery.

Claims

1. An electromechanical grasping device for simulating the movement of a human hand for use as an artificial hand prosthesis comprising:

support platform sized to resemble a human metacarpus and having a first end and a first side next to said first end;

first, second, third and fourth extended hinged members having end tips and movably connected to simulate the movement of human fingers to said first end of said support platform, each of said extended hinged members including first, second and third bars hingeably joined together from end to end;

fifth extended hinged member positioned and sized to simulate the movement of a human thumb moveably connected to one side of said support platform;

plurality of linear gear racks attached and movably positioned on said support platform;

plurality of high torque motors each mounted on said support platform and each mechanically connected to a different one of said gear racks for providing individual linear movement of said gear racks;

stiff wire individual cables connecting each of said gear racks independently to a different end tip of said first, second, third and fourth extended hinged members;

cable guide means connected to each of said first, second, third and fourth hinged members for receiving and guiding said cables;

means for controlling said linear gear racks connected to each of said motors;

said first, second, third and fourth extended hinged members connected to one end of said support platform are sized as the digits in a human hand, and located relative to said support platform to approximate the location of human fingers;

said first, second and third bars sized to correspond to the phalanges in the fingers of a human hand;

said fifth extended hinged member having an intermediate support bar and an end tip bar connected together and movably rotatably connected to said first side of said support platform;

a fifth extended member connecting bar having first and second portions that are angularly disposed to each other;

a first hinge connecting one portion of said fifth member connecting bar to one side of said support platform to provide rotational movement, and a second hinge connected to said intermediate support bar whereby the fifth extended member can move rotationally relative to said first and second hinge joints;

said cable means including a first cable connected to said fifth member connecting bar and a second cable connected to the end tip bar;

said first, second and third bars including stopping means to limit the distance of rotational movement;

whereby the first, second, third and fourth hinged members can be individually moved to positions simulating human finger movement through the action of said cables and cable guides attached to said first, second, third and fourth hinged members and said fifth extended member can be moved by said two cables and cable guide means to positions simulating movement of the human thumb.