Apparatus for assisting limb and computer program

• US 7,963,932 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ashihara, Jun, Hiki, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh; Quang D
• Application Number:
  US11/444,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20060276728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 601/5, 601/23, 601/33, 601/34, 601/35, 623/24, 623/27, 602/16, 602/19, 602/23, 602/26, 602/27, 482/4, 482/51, 482/66
• US Class Current: 601/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7635 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0102 specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0255 Both knee and hip of a patient, e.g. in supine or sitting position, the feet being moved in a plane substantially parallel to the body-symmetrical-plane A61H1/0214 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0262 Walking movement; Appliances for aiding disabled persons to walk A61H3/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0266 Foot
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0277 Elbow
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0285 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0192 Specific means for adjusting dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1215 Rotary drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/14 Special force transmission means, i.e. between the driving means and the interface with the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1616 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/163 holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1642 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1652 Harness
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1676 Pivoting
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/501 connected to external computer devices or networks
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5061 Force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5069 Angle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5092 : Optical sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/00 : Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about apparatus for helping babies to walk A47D13/04; orthopaedic devices for correcting deformities of, or supporting, limbs A61F5/0102; exercising apparatus for the feet or toes A63B23/10; stairways or ramps E04F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0006 : Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure

Abstract

An apparatus for assisting limb includes a body attachment, a link for upper leg, and a knee joint unit, a link for lower leg, a lower limb attachment, a drive unit and a knee joint actuator. The body attachment is attached to a trunk of a user. The link for upper leg is placed alongside with an upper leg of the user and coupled with the body attachment. The link for lower leg is placed alongside with a lower leg of the user and coupled with the link for the upper leg via the knee joint unit. The lower limb attachment is attached to one of the lower leg and a foot of the user, and coupled with the link for lower leg. The knee joint actuator is placed in the body attachment so as to apply rotational torque to the knee joint unit via the drive unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting a limb comprising:

a body attachment configured to be attached to a trunk of a user;

a link for an upper leg, the link for the upper leg configured to be placed alongside an upper leg of the user, and configured to be coupled with the body attachment;

a knee joint unit;

a link for a lower leg, the link for the lower leg configured to be placed alongside a lower leg of the user, and configured to be coupled with the link for the upper leg via the knee joint unit;

a lower limb attachment configured to be attached to one of the lower leg and a foot of the user, the lower limb attachment being coupled with the link for the lower leg;

a drive unit; and

a knee joint actuator configured to be placed in the body attachment so as to apply rotational torque to the knee joint unit via the drive unit;

a foot detector configured to detect one of a landed phase and a lifted phase of the foot of the user;

a controller configured to control the knee joint actuator,

wherein the controller is configured to perform drive control for the knee joint actuator so as to provide an assist force freeing the user from weight via the lower limb attachment when the foot is in the landed phase, and

wherein, when the foot detector detects a lifted phase, the controller terminates driving of the knee joint actuator.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

wherein the lower limb attachment is configured to be attached to the foot of the user so that the lower limb attachment is able to land on the ground, and

wherein the controller is further configured to perform drive control for the link for lower leg, the link for upper leg, the drive unit and the body attachment.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the assist force is equal to one of a predetermined value and a certain percentage of the weight of the user.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a load detector which detects a load imposed by the user via the body attachment on the link for upper leg, the link for lower leg, the drive unit and the lower limb attachment,

wherein the controller performs drive control for the knee joint actuator in a landed phase based on the load detected by the load detector.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the assist force has a lower limit and an upper limit and wherein the controller performs drive control for the knee joint actuator in a landed phase based on the load detected by the load detector so that the assist force exists between the lower and upper limits.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a behavior detector configured to detect a signal indicative of behavior for the link for upper leg and the link for lower leg, wherein the controller performs drive control for the knee joint actuator based on the signal detected by the behavior detector.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a first portion at which the assist force is applied to the user via the link for upper leg and a second portion to which the load of the user is applied in the body attachment are positioned so that the fist and second portions are substantially included in a common vertical plane.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a hip joint unit; and

a hip joint actuator;

wherein the body attachment is coupled with the link for upper leg via the hip joint unit, and

wherein the hip joint actuator is integrally installed with the knee joint actuator in the body attachment so as to apply rotational torque to the hip joint unit.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising:

wherein the controller configured to control hip joint actuator,

wherein the lower limb attachment is configured to be attached to the foot of the user so that the lower limb attachment is able to land on the ground, and

wherein the controller performs drive control for the knee joint actuator and the hip joint actuator so as to provide an assist force freeing the user from weight via the lower limb attachment in a landed phase, the link for lower leg, the link for upper leg, the drive unit and the body attachment.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when the foot detector detects a lifted phase, the controller terminates driving of at least one of the knee joint actuator and the hip joint actuator.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when the foot detector detects a lifted phase, the controller performs drive control for the hip joint actuator so as to assist a swing for the upper leg of the user.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the assist force is equal to one of a predetermined value and a certain percentage of the weight of the user.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising a load detector which detects a load imposed by the user via the body attachment on the link for upper leg, the link for lower leg, the drive unit and the lower limb attachment,

wherein the controller performs drive control for the knee joint actuator and the hip joint actuator in a landed phase based on the load detected by the load detector.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the assist force has a lower limit and an upper limit and wherein the controller performs drive control for the knee joint actuator and the hip joint actuator based on the load detected by the load detector so that the assist force exists between the lower and upper limits.

15. An apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising a behavior detector configured to detect a signal indicative of behavior for the link for upper leg and the link for the lower leg, wherein the controller performs drive control for the knee joint actuator and the hip joint actuator based on the signal detected by the behavior detector.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a first portion at which the assist force is applied to the user via the link for upper leg and a second portion to which the load of the user is applied in the body attachment are positioned so that the fist and second portions are substantially included in a common vertical plane.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises a link for knee joint configured to drive the knee joint unit and the link is placed alongside with the link for upper leg.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit transmits a driving force by one of a belt, wires and a combination of a shaft and gears so as to apply rotational torque to the knee joint unit.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17 further comprising:

an ankle joint unit;

a link for ankle joint configured to drive the ankle joint unit; and

an ankle joint actuator,

wherein the lower limb attachment is coupled with the link for lower leg via the ankle joint unit, and

wherein the ankle joint actuator is integrally installed with the knee joint actuator in the body attachment so as to apply rotational torque to the ankle joint unit via the link for ankle joint.