WO2025192927A1 - Lower body assistance device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lower body assistance device, which enables coordinated adjustment of the left and right sizes of a main body unit and fixing of the adjusted size by means of a simple operation of a button provided on the main body unit in which a torso is accommodated, has a controller, a battery and the like that are not mounted at the rear of a wearer and are disposed at the front of the main body unit encompassing the waist and pelvis of the user, thereby having improved usability in daily life, minimizes wires exposed to the outside so as to improve the aesthetics of a product and lower the possibility of breakage of the product, and can efficiently transmit the auxiliary torque of a joint actuator to the thighs of the wearer.

Description

Lower body assist device

The present invention relates to a lower body assist device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a lower body assist device that enables the left and right size of a main body unit to be adjusted and the adjusted size to be fixed by simply operating a button provided on a main body unit that accommodates a torso, wherein a controller and a battery are not mounted on the back of a wearer but are positioned in front of the main body unit that surrounds the user's waist and pelvis, thereby improving usability in daily life, minimizing wiring exposed to the outside to improve the aesthetic appeal of the product and reduce the possibility of product failure, and enabling the assistive torque of a joint actuator to be efficiently transmitted to the wearer's thigh.

Recently, the number of patients with congenital or acquired disabilities, stroke, Parkinson's disease, and other brain diseases is increasing, and patients with disabilities or those who have difficulty walking independently are at risk of decreased muscle strength or weakened cardiopulmonary function.

Therefore, for these disabled people or patients, a rehabilitation treatment system can be established by introducing a wearable assistive device in the form of an exoskeleton robot in a training, medical, or rehabilitation institution to perform walking or rehabilitation training.

Here, the wearable assistive device is mounted on both lower extremities of the user, and can provide driving modes for various walking functions such as a standing mode, a sitting mode, etc., and the wearable assistive device can be configured to adjust walking time or walking speed during training.

Meanwhile, the wearable assistive device must be set to have its size, assistive power, or gait cycle adjusted according to the user's body size, walking ability, or diagnosis.

Since lower body assist devices are powered by rechargeable batteries, lightweight and compact design is essential to extend their operating time. Previously, the battery and controller were housed in a backpack-shaped body, making it difficult for the wearer to operate or replace the battery. Furthermore, the bulky body hindered its usability in everyday life.

In addition, in the case of conventional assistive devices in the form of exoskeleton robots, there are many cases where products are segmented by size according to the user's body size, which causes increased costs and also reduces the usability of a single assistive device.

To solve this problem, some existing products provide a size adjustment function to adjust the width and depth of the exoskeleton according to the width or thickness of the user's torso. However, there was a problem in that the width and depth of the exoskeleton had to be adjusted separately, or the configuration for adjusting the width and depth of the exoskeleton separately was complicated and the weight increased significantly.

In addition, in the case of exoskeleton-type robots, since the user's movements, etc. must be detected in real time, various sensors are installed in various locations of the exoskeleton and installed on body organs where movement occurs to detect movement information, but there is a problem that the wiring becomes complicated, which reduces the aesthetic appeal of the appearance and increases the possibility of failures such as short circuits.

In addition, even when the lower body assist device is equipped with a function to adjust the width or size of the exoskeleton, it is common for the structure to independently adjust the size of the left and right lower limbs of the exoskeleton, making it difficult to adjust the left and right sizes of the exoskeleton equally, and inexperienced users have to repeat trial and error to adjust the size.

In addition, even when the lower body assist device is provided with a function for adjusting the width or size of the exoskeleton, there is also a problem that the width or size of the exoskeleton changes during use of the lower body assist device because the adjustment method is complicated or the adjusted size is not fixed.

The present invention aims to provide a lower body assist device capable of adjusting the left and right size of a main body unit and fixing the adjusted size by simply operating a button provided on a main body unit that accommodates a torso, wherein a controller and a battery are not mounted on the back of the wearer but are positioned in front of the main body unit that surrounds the user's waist and pelvis, thereby improving usability in daily life, minimizing wiring exposed to the outside to improve the aesthetic appeal of the product and lowering the possibility of product failure, and enabling the assistive torque of a joint actuator to be efficiently transmitted to the wearer's thigh.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention comprises a main body unit including a rear portion that wraps around a rear region of a waist of a wearer, a pair of side portions that extend to wrap around a hip joint region of the wearer, and a bending portion that obliquely connects between the rear portion and the pair of side portions, the front of which is open and has a metal frame and a housing that wraps around the metal frame inside; a thigh frame that is rotatably connected to both side portions of the main body unit and is arranged along the thigh of the wearer; a thigh wearing unit that is mounted on the thigh frame and is provided to wrap around the thigh of the wearer; A lower body assist device can be provided, which includes a joint actuator mounted on a side portion of the main body unit to rotate the femoral frame to assist the movement of the wearer's hip joint, and wherein a pair of side portions of the pair of bending portions of the main body unit are each slidably withdrawn or slidably inserted relative to the rear portion, thereby enabling adjustment of the size of the internal width and depth of the main body unit, and wherein a locking unit for locking the sliding withdrawal function or the sliding insertion function of the side portions and an unlocking unit for unlocking the locking state by the locking unit are each provided on the rear portion of the main body unit.

In addition, the metal frame constituting the main body unit is disposed on the inside of the rear portion and includes a rear frame bent at the bending portion and a side frame that overlaps the rear frame and the bending portion by at least a portion and is bent in the direction of the side of the hip joint, and the joint actuator can be mounted on the side frame.

And, it includes a connecting means for connecting the locking unit and each side frame, one end of the connecting means is fixed to the side frame, the other end is slidably connected to the locking unit, the locking unit selectively locks the sliding movement of the connecting means, and the unlocking unit can release the locking state of the locking unit.

Here, a pair of the connecting means may include rack gears arranged to face each other, and the locking unit may include a locking gear rotatably arranged between the pair of rack gears to slide the pair of rack gears in opposite directions, a locking member selectively engaging the locking gear at an upper portion of the locking gear to block rotation of the locking gear, and a locking button that presses the locking member at an upper portion of the locking member and is exposed to the outside of the main body unit.

In this case, the locking gear includes a driving unit in which a pair of rack gears are engaged on an outer surface to slide the pair of rack gears in opposite directions, and a locking unit integrally formed with the driving unit and engaged with a locking projection provided on the lower surface of the locking member, and when the locking button of the locking unit is pressed and the locking member below it descends and the locking projection of the locking member engages with the locking portion of the locking gear, rotation of the locking gear is blocked, sliding of the rack gear constituting the connecting means is blocked, and locking can be achieved.

In addition, the connecting means may further include a connecting member made of a metal plate material connecting each rack gear and the side frame.

In addition, the unlocking unit can selectively release the pressed state of the locking button and the locking member after the locking operation of the locking unit.

And, an elastic member is interposed between the locking member and the locking gear of the locking unit, and the unlocking unit can release the pressed state of the locking button of the locking unit and release the engagement state of the locking gear of the locking member.

Here, the unlocking unit has an unlocking button provided at a position adjacent to the locking button of the locking unit, and a locking member that retracts in the opposite direction of the locking button of the locking unit when the unlocking button is pressed, but is elastically supported by an elastic member in the direction of the locking button and has a locking portion at the front end, and when the locking button of the locking unit is pressed, the side of the locking button pushes the locking portion of the locking member in the opposite direction to the locking button, and when the locking portion of the locking member is seated in the locking groove formed on the side of the locking button, the locking unit can be locked.

In this case, when the locking unit is in a locked state and the locking release button of the unlocking unit is pressed, the engaging member moves back in the opposite direction of the locking button, and the engaging state of the locking button in the engaging portion of the engaging member is released, so that the locking state of the locking unit can be released.

In addition, a pressing part may be provided at the bottom of the release button of the unlocking unit, and a propelling part in the form of an inclined surface that is propelled by the pressing part of the release button may be provided on the engaging member.

According to the lower body assist device according to the present invention, the width and depth size of the space in which the torso of the main body unit, which constitutes the lower body assist device and in which the torso of the wearer is accommodated, is changed by simply operating buttons provided on the main body unit, and the changed size can be maintained.

In addition, according to the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention, when adjusting the width and depth size of the space in which the torso of the main body unit, which constitutes the lower body auxiliary device and in which the torso of the wearer is accommodated, the left and right side parts of the main body unit are linked to each other and pulled out or inserted relative to the rear part, so that the left and right size adjustment can be performed at once.

In addition, according to the lower body assistance device according to the present invention, the size or area of the locking button provided in the main body unit is configured differently from the size of the unlocking button, so that a user wearing the lower body assistance device can distinguish the locking button or unlocking button by the sense of the hand alone without having to turn the head in an uncomfortable posture to check with the naked eye, and can easily operate it.

In addition, according to the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention, the main body unit is open at the front, and a mount plate is provided at the front of the main body unit, and a controller and a battery are mounted on the mount plate so that the wearer can directly control the lower body auxiliary device and replace rechargeable batteries, etc., thereby maximizing usability in daily life.

In addition, according to the lower body assist device according to the present invention, sensors are provided in the circuit section in which the motor driver of the joint actuator for hip joint assistance is provided, thereby minimizing wiring connections, thereby improving the aesthetic appeal of the appearance and minimizing the possibility of failures such as short circuits.

In addition, according to the lower body assist device according to the present invention, the thigh frame connecting the joint actuator and the thigh wearing unit connects the side portion of the wearer's main body unit and the front area of the wearer's thigh, thereby minimizing distortion of the thigh frame, etc. when the lower body assist device is operated, and efficiently transmitting the assisting power or assisting torque.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state of wearing a lower body assist device according to the present invention for hip joint assistance, and FIG. 2 is a rear view showing a state of wearing the lower body assist device shown in FIG. 1.

Figure 3 shows a partially exploded perspective view of the lower body auxiliary device shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 illustrates an external perspective view and an exploded perspective view of a joint actuator constituting a lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention.

Figure 5 shows an inner perspective view of a drive motor constituting a lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention and a perspective view of a housing of a reduction unit separated from the other.

Figure 6 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the main body unit of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention with the rear cover removed.

Figure 7 shows an exploded perspective view of the locking unit and the locking release unit of the main body unit of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention.

Figure 8 illustrates the operating state of a metal frame for adjusting the size of the main body unit of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention.

Figures 9 to 12 illustrate cross-sectional views of the operating states of the locking unit and the locking release unit of the main body unit of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention.

Figure 13 shows the rear view of the main body unit of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention before and after size adjustment.

Figure 14 shows the rear view of the main body unit of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention before and after size adjustment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosure is thorough and complete, and to sufficiently convey the spirit of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like reference numbers designate like elements throughout the specification.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a state in which a lower body assist device according to the present invention for hip joint assistance is worn, FIG. 2 is a rear view of a state in which the lower body assist device illustrated in FIG. 1 is worn, and FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the lower body assist device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a wearer wearing a lower body assist device (1000) for hip joint assistance, FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of a wearer wearing the lower body assist device (1000) illustrated in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 illustrates a partially exploded perspective view of the lower body assist device (1000) illustrated in FIG. 1.

In the case of a conventional exoskeleton robot-type assistance system, a structure was used in which a main body equipped with a battery (200) and a controller (300), etc., was placed on the wearer's back, and an exoskeleton was connected from the main body to the side of the wearer's lower extremities. However, it was difficult to perform daily life while wearing an exoskeleton robot.

However, the lower body auxiliary device (1000) illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 is miniaturized and mounted in the waist area, omitting the backpack-shaped body, etc., on the back of the wearer's upper body, thereby maximizing the wearer's usability in daily life.

Specifically, the lower body assist device according to the present invention comprises a main body unit (100) including a rear portion (110) for surrounding a rear region of a waist of a wearer and a pair of side portions (120) extended to surround a hip joint region of the wearer, the front of which is open and has a metal frame therein and a housing for surrounding the metal frame; a thigh frame (500) rotatably connected to both side portions (120) of the main body unit (100) and arranged along the thigh of the wearer; a thigh wearing unit (600) mounted on the thigh frame (500) and provided to surround the thigh of the wearer; a joint actuator (400) mounted on the side portions (120) of the main body unit (100) for rotating the thigh frame (500) to assist movement of the hip joint of the wearer; A pair of side portions of the pair of bending portions (150) of the main body unit (100) can be slid out or inserted in conjunction with each other relative to the rear portion (110) to adjust the size of the internal width and depth of the main body unit (100). A locking unit (700) for locking the sliding withdrawal function or sliding insertion function of the side portions on the rear portion (110) of the main body unit (100) and an unlocking unit (800) for unlocking the locking state by the locking unit (700) can be respectively provided.

The main body unit (100) is open at the front to enable wear, and the rear portion (110) is positioned across the back of the wearer's waist. The two ends of the rear portion (110) can be connected to a pair of side portions (120) positioned at the hip joint side area via a diagonally provided bending portion (150).

The above main body unit (100) is provided with a metal frame on the inside and a resin material housing on the outside, thereby ensuring sufficient rigidity while providing a sleek appearance. A detailed description of the metal frame and housing structure constituting the main body unit (100) will be postponed for later.

A housing constituting the main body unit (100), specifically, a front end of the housing (121) of the side portion (120), may be equipped with a mount plate (130) that is configured separately from the housing of the main body unit (100) but connected to the housing.

The above mount plate (130) opens the front of the main body unit (100) to provide convenience of wearing and can provide a mounting location for the controller (300) and battery (200).

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment in which an extension (123a, 123b) for hinge-joining the mount plate (130) is provided at the front end of the housing (121a, 121b) of the side portion (120) of the main body unit (100), and the mount plate (130) and the extension (123a, 123b) of the front end of the housing of the main body unit (100) are connected in a hinge-joined manner. However, the method of connecting the mount plate (130) and the housing of the main body unit (100) may be changed in various ways.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, two mount plates (130) are shown to be each attached to the front end of the main body unit (100), but only one mount plate (130) may be provided.

The above mount plate (130) may be formed with a fastening hole for fastening a controller (300), etc., or a long hole for connecting a belt member.

The controller (300) mounted on the mount plate (130) may be configured in a cross-section in the shape of the letter 'L' in which a vertical portion (300a) and a horizontal portion (300b) are connected, and the battery (200) may be configured in a structure in which it is detachably mounted on the horizontal portion (300b). In the case of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention, the battery (200) is detachably mounted on the controller (300) on the mount plate (130) connected to the front of the main body unit (100), so that the wearer has a structure in which the battery (200) can be replaced when the battery (200) is discharged without the help of a third party.

The above controller (300) is configured in a cross-section in the shape of the letter 'L', so that a battery (200) is mounted on the horizontal portion (300b), and the vertical portion (300a) can provide a mounting location for the mount plate (130).

The above controller (300) has a horizontal portion and terminal portions (310, 210) provided on the upper portion of the horizontal portion (300b) and the lower portion of the battery (200) to enhance waterproof performance, enable easy connection during the docking process of the battery (200), and reduce the possibility of separation or falling of the battery (200) in the event of an external impact.

In addition, the controller (300) is equipped with an input unit (320) for inputting a control signal on the front of the horizontal section (300b), so that the wearer can input various control signals or power on/off signals by himself/herself without the help of a third party.

In addition, a plurality of lighting indicators (330) are provided on the upper surface of the vertical portion (300a) of the controller (300) and the horizontal portion (300b), so that the user can display the remaining amount of the battery (200) or the size of the torque provided by the joint actuator (400) described below.

And, unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, since two mount plates (130) are provided, it is also possible to mount a battery (200) and a controller (300) on each mount plate (130) and install wiring cables, etc. along the main body unit (100).

A joint actuator (400) may be mounted on the side portion (120) of the main body unit (100) to assist the wearer's hip joint movement by rotating the thigh frame (500) described below. The joint actuator (400) may be equipped with a reduction gear-integrated drive motor and a motor driver configured in the form of a PCB board for controlling the drive motor, and various sensors, such as an encoder or an inertial sensor, may be integrally mounted on the motor driver configured in the form of a PCB board. A detailed description of the joint actuator will be postponed later.

An output member (460) may be mounted on the output shaft or output terminal of the above joint actuator (400) and connected to the thigh frame (500).

As illustrated in FIG. 3, an output member (460) mounted on the joint actuator (400) is provided, and the output member (460) is connected to a thigh frame (500) by a hinge (h) to have a structure that allows internal or external rotation of the thigh output member.

The upper part of the thigh frame (500) can be connected to the output member (460) of the joint actuator (400), and the lower part can be connected to the thigh wearing unit (600).

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the upper end of the thigh frame (500) is connected to the output member (460) of the joint actuator (400), and the lower end of the thigh frame (500) can be bent forward of the wearer's thigh and connected to the mount bracket (610) of the thigh wearing unit (600).

The lower end of the thigh frame (500) is bent forward of the wearer's thigh and positioned along the wearer's thigh to maximize the efficiency of transferring assistive power compared to when connected to the thigh wearing unit. That is, the lower end (510) of the thigh frame (500) is configured to be bent forward of the thigh and connected to the mount bracket (610) of the thigh wearing unit (600), so that the driving power of the joint actuator is effectively transferred to the thigh, and distortion of the thigh frame (500) during force transfer can be minimized.

However, in order to simplify the structure or make it lighter, the lower end of the thigh frame (500) may be configured to be connected to the thigh wearing unit by being positioned along the side of the thigh of the wearer rather than being bent forward of the thigh of the wearer.

The above mount bracket (610) is placed on the front of the wearer's thigh, and may be connected to a belt member (b) or the like to wrap around and fix the wearer's thigh.

In addition, the lower part of the thigh frame (500) is slidably mounted with the mount bracket (610) to compensate for, to some extent, deviations in the length of the thigh depending on the wearer or changes in the length of the thigh due to flexion or extension movements.

In order to slidably connect the lower end of the thigh frame (500) and the mount bracket (610), the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 may include a long hole (510h) formed in the lower end of the thigh frame (500), a slot into which the lower end of the thigh frame (500) is inserted in the mount bracket (610), and a catch (not shown) accommodated in the long hole formed in the lower end of the mount bracket (610) may be provided therein.

Accordingly, the wearer can adjust the position of the thigh wearing unit (600) according to the shape and length of the thigh, etc., to improve the wearing comfort or the effect of transmitting auxiliary power, or absorb the change in distance between the hip joint actuator and the thigh wearing unit according to the movement of the hip joint.

FIG. 4 illustrates an external perspective view and an exploded perspective view of a joint actuator (400) constituting a lower body assist device (1000) according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 illustrates an internal perspective view of a drive motor constituting a lower body assist device (1000) according to the present invention and a perspective view of a housing of a reduction unit (420) separated.

The lower body assist device (1000) according to the present invention has a pair of joint actuators (400) for hip joint assistance.

The joint actuator (400) illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 can be largely configured to include a driving unit (410), a reduction unit (420), and a circuit unit (430).

The above driving unit (410) may be configured to include a driving motor and a motor encoder (413), and the above reduction unit (420) may be equipped with a plurality of gears and an output encoder (423), and the above circuit unit (430) may be configured in the form of a motor driver including at least one PCB board and various control circuits or sensors provided on the board. An example of a sensor mounted on the above circuit unit (430) may include an IMU sensor, and the like.

The driving motor constituting the above driving unit (410) may be a drive motor with an integrated reduction gear having its own reduction gear, etc., and a motor encoder (413) may be mounted on the output shaft of the drive motor.

The above reduction unit (420) is connected to the drive motor output shaft of the drive unit (410) by a motor gear (422), driven by the motor gear (422) and having at least one perforated hole (424h) for weight reduction, an output gear (424) having an output terminal (425) to which an output member (460, see FIG. 3) is connected, and an auxiliary gear (426) connected to the motor gear (422) for installing the output encoder (423) is connected on a single layer to perform reduction and torque amplification.

The above reduction unit (420) can be made slim by configuring it as a single layer, and the slimming of the reduction unit (420) can help miniaturize the joint actuator.

The above output encoder (423) may be mounted on the output gear (424), but interference may occur with the installation of output elements or various wirings connected to the output terminal (425). Therefore, an auxiliary gear (426) connected together with the motor gear is mounted, and the output encoder (423) is mounted on the auxiliary gear (426) to measure the rotation angle of the output element, i.e., the rotation angle of the hip joint, etc.

The IMU sensor (not shown) mounted on the circuit unit (430), the output encoder (423), and the information measured by the output encoder (423) are transmitted to the controller and can be used as a control variable of the hip joint actuator of the controller (300).

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the rear housing (111a) constituting the rear part (110) of the main body unit (100) of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention removed, FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the locking unit (700) and the unlocking unit (800) of the main body unit (100) of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 shows the operating state of a metal frame for adjusting the size of the main body unit (100) of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention.

The lower body assist device according to the present invention comprises a main body unit (100) including a rear portion (110) that wraps around a rear region of a waist of a wearer, a pair of side portions each extended to wrap around a hip joint region of the wearer, and a bend portion (150) that obliquely connects the rear portion (110) and the pair of side portions, the front of which is open and has a metal frame and a housing that wraps the metal frame inside; and a pair of side portions in the pair of bend portions (150) of the main body unit are respectively slidably withdrawn or inserted in conjunction with the rear portion (110) so that the internal width and depth of the main body unit can be adjusted in size, and a locking unit for locking a sliding withdrawal function or a sliding insertion function of the side portions on the rear portion (110) of the main body unit and an unlocking unit for unlocking a locked state by the locking unit may be respectively provided.

In general, even when a lower body assist device is provided with a function to adjust the width or size of the exoskeleton, it is common for the structure to independently adjust the size of the left and right lower limbs of the exoskeleton, making it difficult to adjust the left and right sizes of the exoskeleton equally, and inexperienced users must repeat trial and error to adjust the size. In addition, even when a lower body assist device is provided with a function to adjust the width or size of the exoskeleton, the adjustment method is often complicated, the adjusted size does not have a fixing function, or the fixing function often requires complex operations.

However, the main body unit (100) of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention is provided with a locking unit (700) and an unlocking unit (800) that can be operated with a simple button operation, so that the left and right sizes of the internal width and depth of the main body unit (100) can be adjusted in bulk or the adjusted sizes can be fixed.

The above locking unit (700) and unlocking unit (800) are provided on the rear part (110) of the main body unit (100), and each button can be mounted so as to be exposed on the rear outer surface of the rear part (110).

The buttons of the locking unit (700) and the unlocking unit (800) are provided in an open state on the rear housing (111a) of the main body unit, so that the buttons of the locking unit (700) and the unlocking unit (800) are exposed and can be configured so that the user can easily operate them.

In addition, the locking operation of the locking unit (700) can be released in conjunction with the operation of the unlocking unit (800). When size adjustment is required, the locking state of the locking unit (700) and the unlocking unit (800) must be released, and when size fixation is required after size adjustment is completed, the size adjustment function must be locked by the locking unit (700).

This is described in detail with reference to Figure 7 below.

The metal frame constituting the main body unit (100) is arranged on the inside of the rear portion (110) and includes a rear frame (113) bent at the bending portion (150) and a side frame (123) that overlaps the rear frame (113) and the bending portion (150) by at least a portion and is bent in the direction of the side of the hip joint, and the joint actuator can be mounted on the side area (123s) of the side frame (123).

The rear frame (113) is positioned at the rear of the main body unit (100) and has a bending area (113r) at both ends bent at the bending portion (150) of the main body unit (100), and the side frame (123) also has an overlapping area (123r) that overlaps the bending area (113r) bent at the bending portion (150).

Accordingly, the overlapping area (123r) of the side frame (123) is slidably connected to the bending area (113r) of the rear frame (113) at the bending portion (150) by a restraining member (160), so that when the width and depth inside the main body unit (100) are adjusted, the overlapping area (123r) of the side frame (123) slides to adjust the size with respect to the bending area (113r) of the rear frame (113) at the bending portion (150) of the main body unit (100).

And, the bending region (113r) of the rear frame (113) of the bending portion (150) of the main body unit (100) is arranged in the bending housings (151a, 151b) which are integrally provided at the ends of the front housing (111b) and the rear housing (111a) constituting the rear portion (110), and the overlapping region (123r) of the side frame (123) is slidably withdrawn or inserted within the bending housings (151a, 151b), and in this case, the side housings (121a, 121b) on which the side frame (123) is mounted have a structure in which they are slidably withdrawn or inserted while wrapping around the outside of the bending housings (151a, 151b).

The above restraint member (160) is fastened in a state where the overlapping area (123r) of the side frame (123) is interposed between the bending area (113r) of the rear frame (113), and the overlapping area (123r) of the side frame (123) can perform a function of restraining in a slidable manner.

The side portion (120) of the main body unit (110) including each of the above side frames (123) is connected to the locking unit (700) provided on the rear portion (110) of the main body unit (100) via a connecting means (140), and depending on whether the locking unit (700) is in a locked or unlocked state, the side portion (120) can be slid out relative to the rear frame (113) to increase in size, or slid in to decrease in size.

One end of a connecting means (140) connecting the locking unit (700) and each side frame (123) is fixed to the side frame (123), the other end is slidably connected to the locking unit (700), the locking unit (700) locks the sliding of the connecting means (140), and the unlocking unit (800) can be configured to release the locking state of the locking unit (700).

The connecting means (140) connecting the above locking unit (700) and each side frame (123) are connected together to one locking unit (700) so that the sliding motion of the left and right side frames (123) can be restricted together during locking and unlocking.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, a pair of connecting means (140) may include rack gears (143) arranged to face each other, and the locking unit (700) may be configured to include a locking gear (740) rotatably arranged between a pair of rack gears (143) to slide the pair of rack gears (143) in opposite directions, a locking member (730) selectively engaged with the locking gear (740) above the locking gear (740) to block rotation of the locking gear (740), and a locking button (710) that presses the locking member (730) above the locking member (730) and is exposed to the outside of the main body unit (100).

Each connecting means includes a rack gear (143) that slides in opposite directions when the locking gear (740) rotates with the locking gear (740) interposed therebetween, and may further include a connecting member (141) made of a metal plate material that connects the rack gear (143) and the side frame (123) at the outer end of the rack gear (143).

The above rack gear (143) is mounted so as to slide on the rear portion (110) of the main body unit (100), and the side frame (123) is mounted so as to slide with respect to the rear frame (113) at the bending portion (150), so that in order to compensate for the angle at the bending portion (150), the connecting means (140) is connected so that the rack gear (143) is not directly connected to the side frame (123), but is connected through a connecting member (141) in the form of a thin metal plate, so as to respond to an angle change at the bending portion (150).

As shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 7, the locking gear (740) includes a driving part (743) in which a pair of rack gears (143) are engaged on the outer surface to slide the pair of rack gears (143) in opposite directions, and a locking part (743) that is integrally formed with the driving part (743) and engages with a locking projection (733) provided on the lower surface of the locking member (730), and when the locking button (710) of the locking unit (700) is pressed and the locking member (730) below it descends and the locking projection (733) of the locking member (730) engages with the locking part (743) of the locking gear (740), the rotation of the locking gear (740) is blocked, thereby forming the connecting means (140). It has a structure in which the sliding of the rack gear (143) is blocked and locked.

The above locking gear (740) is provided with a driving part (743) having gear teeth formed on the circumference thereof, and the gear teeth of the driving part (743) mesh with the gear teeth of the rack gear (143), so that when the locking gear (740) is rotatable, it rotates together with the sliding motion of the rack gear (143), and when the locking gear (740) is blocked from rotating, it can block the sliding of the rack gear (143).

A locking portion (743) having a plurality of protrusions may be formed on the upper portion of the driving portion (743) of the above locking gear (740). Unlike the gear teeth for power transmission, the protrusions are configured to block the rotation of the locking gear (740).

Accordingly, a protruding portion (733) having protrusions corresponding to the protrusions of the locking portion (743) of the locking gear (740) may be provided on the lower surface of the locking member (730).

Since the above locking member (730) is configured to selectively prevent rotation of the locking gear (740), a rotation prevention rib (732) is provided on the side to prevent rotation of the locking gear in the locked state, and a pressure part (731) pushed by the locking button (710) may be provided on the outside.

The above locking member (730) is mounted on the upper or outer side of the locking gear (740), and an elastic member (740) is mounted therebetween so that even when pushed by the locking button (710) in the direction of locking with the locking gear (740), it can have an elastic repulsive force in the unlocking direction.

The above locking member (730) is not directly mounted on the rear frame (113), but the first mount member (720) is mounted on the rear frame (113), and can be movably mounted in the mounting hole (721) of the first mount member (720), and the rotation prevention rib (732) of the locking member (730) is accommodated in the rotation prevention groove (722) inside the mounting hole (721) of the first mount member (720), so that rotation is impossible, thereby preventing rotation of the locking gear (740) in the locked state.

The locking member (730) elastically supported by the above elastic member (740) can be locked or unlocked by being pushed by the push portion (714) on the inner surface of the locking button (710).

The above locking button (710) can be pushed by a user's pushing motion, and can be provided with a hinge axis (713) to be hingedly connected to the first mount member (720), and can be provided with a push area (712) of sufficient area.

In addition, the first mount member (720) may be provided with an axis mounting portion (723) on which the hinge axis (713) of the locking button (710) is rotatably mounted. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the locking button (710) is depicted as being rotatably mounted on the first mount member (720) by the hinge axis (713), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The above unlocking unit (800) can be configured to release the pressed state of the locking button (710) of the locking unit (700) and release the engagement state of the locking gear (740) of the locking member (730).

The above-described locking release button (810) may also be mounted on the rear frame (113) via a second mount member (820) rather than being directly mounted on the rear frame (113), and the second mount member (820) may be configured to include a locking release button (810), a catch member (830), and an elastic member (840) that pushes the catch member (830) in the catch direction for the locking button (710) described later.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the locking button (710) of the locking unit (700) and the unlocking button (810) of the unlocking unit (800) can be mounted in parallel in the vertical direction at the rear center of the main body unit (100). In addition, the size or area of the locking button (710) is larger than that of the unlocking button (810), so that a user wearing a lower body assistance device can distinguish the locking button (710) or the unlocking button (810) by the sense of the hand alone without having to turn the head in an uncomfortable posture to check with the naked eye, and can easily operate it.

Specifically, the unlocking unit (800) is provided with a locking release button (810) disposed adjacent to the locking button (710) of the locking unit (700) and a locking member (830) that is retracted in the opposite direction of the locking button (710) when the locking release button (810) is pushed, but is elastically supported by an elastic member (840) in the direction of the locking button (710) and has a locking portion (831) at the front end, and when the locking button (710) of the locking unit (700) is pushed, the outer circumference of the locking button (710) pushes the locking portion (831) of the locking member (830) in the opposite direction of the locking button (710), and when the locking button (710) is further pressed, the locking groove (711) formed on the side of the locking button (710) is provided. When the locking portion (831) of the locking member (830) is secured, the locking unit (700) can be in a locked state.

That is, in the process of pressing the locking button (710) of the locking unit (700), the outer surface or side of the locking button (710) pushes the engaging portion (831) of the engaging member (830) to retract the engaging member (830) in the opposite direction of the locking button (710). However, when the engaging portion (831) of the engaging member (830) is seated in the engaging groove (711) on the side of the locking button (710), the locking button (710) is maintained in a pressed state, i.e., the engagement state of the locking member (730) and the locking gear (740) is maintained, so that the locked state can be maintained.

And, when the locking release button (810) of the unlocking unit (800) is pushed, the pressing part (811) under the locking release button (810) pushes the pushing part (833) of the engaging member (830), so that the engaging member (830) moves backward in the opposite direction to the engaging direction of the engaging part (831) with respect to the engaging groove (711) of the locking button (710), and the engaging state of the engaging part (831) of the engaging member (830) in the engaging groove (711) of the locking button (710) is released, and the locking button (710) is restored to the original position by the repulsive force of the elastic member (740) under the locking member (730), so that the engagement state of the locking member (730) and the locking gear (740) is released, and the locking The locking state of the unit (700) can be released.

A pressing portion (811) may be provided at the bottom of the locking release button (810) of the unlocking unit (800), and a propelling portion (833) in the form of an inclined surface that is propelled by the pressing portion (811) of the unlocking unit (800) may be provided on the engaging member (830).

Of course, the pressing portion (811) below the locking release button (810) of the unlocking unit (800) can also be configured with an inclined surface corresponding to the inclined surface of the pushing portion (833) of the engaging member (830) to enable smooth operation.

Additional descriptions of the operating states of the above locking unit (700) and the above unlocking unit (800) will be described later with reference to FIG. 9 and below.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the locking gear (740) of the locking unit (700) is engaged with the rack gear (143) constituting a pair of connecting means (140). When reducing the width and depth of the main body unit (100), as illustrated in FIG. 8(a), the size can be reduced by inserting both side parts together toward the rear part (110), and when increasing the width and depth of the main body unit (100), the size can be increased by pulling out both side parts together from the rear part (110), as illustrated in FIG. 8(b).

In this way, since one locking gear (740) is linked to the rack gears (143) of two connecting means (140), there is an advantage in that the size of the main body unit (100) can be adjusted equally on both sides without trial and error even when used by an inexperienced user without any left-right deviation when adjusting the size. In this case, each connecting member (143) constituting the connecting means (140) can flexibly connect the rack gear and the side frame even when the angle of each bending portion (150) changes.

Figures 9 to 12 illustrate cross-sectional views of the operating states of the locking unit (700) and the unlocking unit (800) of the main body unit (100) of the lower body auxiliary device according to the present invention.

The state shown in Fig. 9 is a state in which neither the locking button (710) nor the locking release button (810) is pushed, so that when the side part of the main body unit (100) is pulled out or inserted to adjust the size, the rack gear (143) constituting the connecting means (140) can rotate the locking gear (740) of the locking unit (700).

Accordingly, a user who wants to adjust the size of the main body unit (100) completes the size adjustment inside the main body unit (100) by withdrawing or inserting both side parts of the main body unit (100), and when the size adjustment of the main body unit (100) is completed and the user wants to fix the adjusted size, as shown in FIG. 10, when the locking button (710) of the locking unit (700) is pushed, the push part (714) on the inner surface of the locking button (710) presses the pressing part (731) of the locking member (730), and the locking projection (733) of the locking member (730) engages with the locking part (743) of the locking gear (740), thereby blocking the rotation of the locking gear (740) and the sliding of the rack gear (143) engaged with the locking gear (740).

And, as shown in FIG. 10, in the process of pushing the locking button (710) in the locking direction, the outer surface of the locking button (710) pushes the engaging portion (831) of the pushing member (830) constituting the unlocking unit (800) in the second direction, that is, in the opposite direction of the engaging direction of the locking button (710) into the engaging groove (711), and as shown in FIG. 11, when the locking button (710) of the locking unit (700) is sufficiently pushed and the engaging portion (831) of the engaging member (830) of the unlocking unit (800) is pushed and settled by the elastic member in the engaging groove (711) of the locking button (710), the locking button (710) and the locking member (730) are maintained in the pushed state despite the elastic force of the elastic member (740) therebelow, so that eventually The locking state of the locking unit (700) can be completed by blocking the rotation of the locking gear (740). That is, the locking gear (740) of the locking unit (700) cannot rotate and the rack gear (143) cannot slide, so that the adjusted size can be fixed.

As illustrated in Fig. 12, a pressure part (811) in the form of an inclined surface may be provided at the bottom of the locking release button (810) of the unlocking unit (800) mounted on the main body unit (100), and a propelling part (833) in the form of an inclined surface that is propelled by the pressure part (811) of the locking release button (810) may be provided on the engaging member (830).

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 12, when the release button is pushed, the pressing part (811) provided at the bottom of the locking release button (810) presses the inclined surface-shaped pushing part (833) provided at the engaging member (830) to push the engaging member (830) in the second direction, thereby retracting the engaging part (831) of the engaging member (830) inserted into the engaging groove (711) of the locking button (710), and when the engaging part (831) of the engaging member (830) is removed from the engaging groove (711) of the locking button (710), the locking member (730) and the locking button (710) return to the original position where they are not pressed by the elastic force of the elastic member (740) provided at the bottom of the locking member (730), and the locking member (730) and the Since the locking gear (740) is separated and the engagement state is released, the locking gear (740) becomes rotatable, and accordingly, the rack gear (143) engaged with the driving part (743) of the locking gear (740) slides in opposite directions, so that the size of the main body unit (100) can be adjusted.

FIG. 13 shows a rear view of the main body unit (100) of the lower body auxiliary device (1000) according to the present invention before and after size adjustment, and FIG. 14 shows a rear view of the main body unit (100) of the lower body auxiliary device (1000) according to the present invention before and after size adjustment.

The states shown in FIG. 13(a) and FIG. 14(a) show a state in which the size of the main body unit (100) is not adjusted, and the states shown in FIG. 13(b) and FIG. 14(b) show a state in which the size of the main body unit (100) is adjusted.

The main body unit (100) according to the present invention has a bending portion (150) at the boundary between the rear portion (110) and the side portion (120), so that the side portion can be slidably displaced with respect to the rear portion (110) as described above, thereby allowing the size of the main body unit (100) to be adjusted.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 13(a) and 14(a), when the size of the main body unit (100) is not adjusted, the width (Ws) and thickness (Ts) of the main body unit (100) can be worn by a user with a small torso size, and as shown in FIGS. 13(b) and 14(b), when a wearer with a relatively large torso size wears the main body unit (100), the side portion (120) of the main body unit (100) is pulled out from the rear portion (110) in a state of being elastically pulled by an elastic member without a separate size adjustment operation, so that the width (Wb) and thickness (Tb) of the main body unit (100) can be adjusted to fit the torso size.

While some existing wearable robots offered the ability to adjust the width and thickness of structures mounted on the pelvis, structures typically adjusted both width and thickness separately. Furthermore, when separate left-right adjustment structures were provided, discrepancies in the adjusted size sometimes occurred, leading to problems with size adjustments not being completed simultaneously.

However, the present invention has a bending portion (150) that diagonally connects the rear portion (110) and the side portion (120) at the boundary between the rear portion (110) and the side portion (120) of the main body unit (100), and configures the side portion (120) to be withdrawable with respect to the rear portion (110) from the bending portion (150), so that the width and thickness of the receiving portion of the main body unit (100) can be adjusted together according to the size of the body, thereby maximizing usability.

And, as described above, in the case of the lower body auxiliary device (1000) according to the present invention, when adjusting the internal size of the main body unit (100), the left side portion (120) and the right side portion (120) are withdrawn, and a pair of rack gears (143) are slidably withdrawn or inserted in a state of engagement with the locking gear (740) constituting the locking unit (700), so that the left and right side portions are withdrawn or inserted together, so that there is no possibility of left-right asymmetry occurring when adjusting the size, and when one side portion is withdrawn, left-right size adjustment is possible, so that user convenience can be maximized.

While this specification has described preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims below. Therefore, any modified implementation that fundamentally includes the elements of the claims should be considered within the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims (11)

A main body unit comprising a rear portion that wraps around the back area of the wearer's waist, a pair of side portions that are extended to wrap around the wearer's hip joint area, and a bending portion that obliquely connects the rear portion and the pair of side portions, the front of which is open, and a metal frame and a housing that wraps the metal frame inside; A thigh frame rotatably connected to both side portions of the main body unit and positioned along the wearer's thigh; A thigh wearing unit mounted on the thigh frame and configured to wrap around the wearer's thigh; It includes a joint actuator mounted on the side of the main body unit to rotate the thigh frame to assist the wearer's hip joint movement; A lower body auxiliary device characterized in that a pair of side portions of the pair of bending portions of the main body unit are each slide-out and inserted in conjunction with the rear portion, so that the internal width and depth of the main body unit can be adjusted, and a locking unit for locking the sliding-out function or sliding-insertion function of the side portions on the rear portion of the main body unit and an unlocking unit for unlocking the locking state by the locking unit are each provided. In the first paragraph, A lower body auxiliary device characterized in that the metal frame constituting the main body unit is arranged on the inside of the rear part and includes a rear frame bent at the bending portion and a side frame that overlaps the rear frame and the bending portion by at least a portion and is bent in the direction of the side of the hip joint, and the joint actuator is mounted on the side frame. In the second paragraph, Including a connecting means connecting the above locking unit and each side frame, One end of the above connecting means is fixed to the side frame, and the other end is slidably connected to the locking unit, The above locking unit selectively locks the sliding movement of the above connecting means, A lower body auxiliary device characterized in that the above unlocking unit releases the locking state of the above locking unit. In the third paragraph, A pair of said connecting means each includes a rack gear arranged to face each other, A lower body auxiliary device characterized in that the locking unit comprises a locking gear rotatably arranged between a pair of rack gears to slide the pair of rack gears in opposite directions, a locking member selectively engaging the locking gear at an upper portion of the locking gear to block rotation of the locking gear, and a locking button that presses the locking member at an upper portion of the locking member and is exposed to the outside of the main body unit. In paragraph 4, The above locking gear includes a driving part in which a pair of the above rack gears are engaged on the outer surface and slide the pair of the above rack gears in opposite directions, and a locking part that is integrally formed with the driving part and engages with a locking projection provided on the lower surface of the above locking member. A lower body auxiliary device characterized in that when the locking button of the locking unit is pressed, the locking member below it descends and the locking projection of the locking member engages with the locking portion of the locking gear, rotation of the locking gear is blocked, sliding of the rack gear constituting the connecting means is blocked, and locking is achieved. In paragraph 4, A lower body auxiliary device characterized in that the above connecting means further includes a connecting member made of a metal plate material connecting each rack gear and the side frame. In paragraph 4, A lower body auxiliary device characterized in that the unlocking unit selectively releases the pressed state of the locking button and the locking member after the locking operation of the locking unit. In paragraph 7, An elastic member is interposed between the locking member and the locking gear of the above locking unit, The lower body auxiliary device is characterized in that the unlocking unit releases the pressed state of the locking button of the locking unit and the engagement state of the locking gear of the locking member is released. In paragraph 7, The above unlocking unit has a locking release button provided at a position adjacent to the locking button of the locking unit, and a locking member that retracts in the opposite direction of the locking button of the locking unit when the locking release button is pressed, but is elastically supported by an elastic member in the direction of the locking button and has a locking portion at the front end. A lower body auxiliary device characterized in that, in the process of pressing the locking button of the locking unit, the side of the locking button pushes the engaging portion of the engaging member in the opposite direction to the locking button, and when the engaging portion of the engaging member is seated in the engaging groove formed on the side of the locking button, the locking unit is locked. In paragraph 9, A lower body auxiliary device characterized in that when the locking unit is in a locked state and the locking release button of the unlocking unit is pressed, the engaging member moves back in the opposite direction of the locking button, and the engaging state of the locking groove of the locking button of the engaging portion of the engaging member is released, thereby releasing the locked state of the locking unit. In Article 10, A pressure part is provided at the bottom of the release button of the above unlocking unit, A lower body auxiliary device characterized in that the above-mentioned engaging member is provided with a propelling portion in the form of an inclined surface that is propelled by the pressing portion of the above-mentioned release button.