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Modular Exoskeleton Structure That Provides Force Assistance To The User

Abstract: The invention relates to a modular exoskeleton structure that provides force assistance to the user comprising a base module (1) that includes: a lumbar belt (11) to be placed around the user"s waist; a battery (12) and a control unit (13) both secured to the lumbar belt (11); a first securing part secured to the belt (11) and intended to engage with a complementary second securing part of a hip module (5) in order to attach the hip module (5) to the base module (1) by means of the snap-fitting of the second securing part in the first securing part; and a third securing part secured to the belt (11) and intended to engage with a complementary fourth securing part of a back module in order to attach the back module to the base module (1).

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Notices, Deadlines & Correspondence

Patent Information

Application #
Filing Date
19 July 2018
Publication Number
47/2018
Publication Type
INA
Invention Field
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Status
Email
Parent Application
Patent Number
Legal Status
Grant Date
2023-12-15
Renewal Date

Applicants

SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE
18/20 Quai du Point du Jour 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt
B-TEMIA INC.
2750, rue Einstein bureau 230 Québec, Québec G1P4R1

Inventors

1. GRENIER, Jordane
c/o Safran Electronics & Defense 18/20 Quai du Point du Jour 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt
2. BEDARD, Stéphane
C/O B Temia INC. 2750, rue Einstein bureau 230 Québec, Québec G1P4R1
3. THIEFFRY, Roland
c/o Safran Electronics & Defense 18/20 Quai du Point du Jour 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt
4. VAURE, Alexandre
c/o Safran Electronics & Defense 18/20 Quai du Point du Jour 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt
5. BAPTISTA, Jonathan
c/o Safran Electronics & Defense 18/20 Quai du Point du Jour 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt

Specification

The assistance to the effort exoskeletons are mechanical structures that duplicate the human skeletal structure that improve the physical capabilities of the human body. There are different exoskeletons support to the effort, the shape and structure depend on the tasks by the user. In general, each exoskeleton is designed to assist the user to accomplish a specific task. Therefore, each exoskeleton been a design and development of a specific and is generally not compatible for use with another exoskeleton. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to propose an exoskeletal structure that can adapt to different uses, and can be supplied with electrical energy without affecting significantly the metabolic functioning of the body of the user. This is achieved in the context of the present invention through modular exoskeleton structure for assistance to the effort of a user, comprising: - a base module comprising an own hip belt to surround the waist of the wearer, a first battery and a control unit fixed to the waist belt, - a clean back module to be fixed on the back of the user, the back of module comprising a second battery, - a first fixing part fixed to the belt and adapted to cooperate with a complementary second fixing part of a hip module for attaching the module to the hip snap basic module of the second fixing part in the first part of fixation, - a third fastener attached to the belt, and - a fourth complementary fastener attached to the back of the module, wherein the third fastener is adapted to cooperate with the fourth additional fastener for attaching the back module to the basic module, the third fastening part and the fourth fastening part comprising a base and a clean record to be inserted in the base to electrically connect the second battery to the control unit when the fourth fixing part engages with the third fastening part. With fasteners, a hip module and / or a back module can be fixed quickly and reversibly to the base module. In addition, other modules may be attached to the base module such that a second hip module to assist both lower limbs of the user or a bag support module back for example. The proposed structure allows to create, from a set of pre-existing modules, different assemblies depending on the desired use, or add an assembly to fit a new use. Furthermore, the structure can be used in at least two configurations: According to a possible configuration, the back of module is not attached to the base module. In this configuration (without back module), the first battery is sufficient to power the actuators of the structure including actuators hip modules when they are connected to the basic module. According to another configuration, the back of module is attached to the base module. In this configuration, the addition of back module increases the electric power consumption of the structure. The second battery allows complete energy intake provided by the first battery. As the first battery is secured to the waist belt, it is located near the user's center of mass. This provides a distribution of mass of the structure around the body of the user who has little impact the metabolic functioning of the body (ie the energy cost for the body is minimal). In addition, the first battery may have a reduced size, which in particular avoids hampering the natural swinging of the user's arm during walking. The second battery, meanwhile, is not positioned on the base module with the first battery, but on the back of module. This avoids an increase in the volume of the basic module which would hinder the natural swinging of the user's arm during walking. Indeed, when the volume disposed about the size just constrain the natural swinging of the arms, it becomes more advantageous to have the mass of the second battery module on the back, since the positive impact of arm swing on energy center of mass Thus, the provision of the first battery in the base module and the second battery module in the back leads to a distribution of mass of the batteries minimizes the impact of the mass on the metabolic functioning of the body. The proposed modular structure can also have the following characteristics: - the further structure comprises at least one own hip module to be attached to a thigh of the user, each hip unit comprising a hip actuator, the hip actuator comprising a stator and a clean rotor to be driven in rotation relative to the stator for rotating the hip module relative to the base module during a flexion movement or extension of the hip, the second fixing part being fixed to the stator of the actuator, - the first attachment part and the second fixing part form a bayonet fastening device wherein one of the first piece and the second piece comprises a radial pin, and the other of the first part and second part comprises a curved slot in which the radial pin can slide, the slot being curved so that the sliding of the pin in the slot from an inlet of the slot to an end of the slot requires a combined movement of translation and of rotation of the second part relative to the first part, the translation being carried out successively in a first direction and then in a second direction opposite the first direction, - the attachment device further comprises an elastic member own return to bias the second part in the second direction to maintain the second part clipped into the first part, - when the elastic biasing member biases the second part in the second direction, the elastic return element tending to move the second part of the first piece, - the hip module comprises an own femur part to be fastened on the thigh of the user, the structure further comprising at least one module comprising a knee tibial own part to be fixed to the calf of the user, and own knee joint connecting the femur part in the tibia part by allowing a rotation of the tibia part with respect to the femoral part in a flexion movement and extension of the knee, - the knee module comprises its own connecting bar to be inserted into a femoral portion of the femoral portion for fixing the knee module hip module, - the connecting rod is capable of sliding inside the femoral hip segment module to authorize an adjusting of the distance between the knee joint and the hip joint, - the structure further comprises at least one own foot module to be fastened to the foot of the wearer, the foot module comprising an own connecting bar to be inserted into a tibial segment of the tibial portion for securing the module foot knee module, - the first part and the second part each comprise an own electrical contacts electrically connecting the first battery and the control unit to the actuator when the second part is snapped into the first part, - the structure comprises at least one elbow own module to be attached to a user's arm, - the structure further comprises a shoulder own module to connect the elbow module back module. The invention also relates to a back module for an exoskeletal structure, comprising a spine segment adapted to extend along a spinal column of a user, the spine segment comprising a plurality of elements vertebra, stacked on each other, and a flexible member connecting the vertebra connection members to each other, the spine segment having a stable equilibrium position in which the flexible connection element keeps the elements against vertebra support each other, and the flexible connection element being resilient so that, upon movement of the back of the user, theflexible connection element allows a displacement of the vertebral elements relative to each other while exerting a restoring force tending to return the spine segment in the position of stable equilibrium. Such back module to assist the upper body of a user to carry loads, while providing greater freedom of movement. The vertebral column segment being formed by a plurality of support elements vertebrae against each other, it can transmit a vertical load on the back of the module and to accommodate movements of the upper body the user. Indeed, the flexible element allows a certain degree of freedom of the vertebrae of the elements relative to each other, which gives a certain freedom of movement of the spine. Moreover, the number of vertebra elements can be adjusted depending on the size of the user, allowing to easily adapt the exoskeleton structure to the morphology of the user. The module can also have the following characteristics: - the flexible connecting element exerts a compressive force on the elements of vertebrae to maintain the vertebrae support elements against each other in the position of stable equilibrium, - the flexible connecting element extends within the spinal segment through each of the vertebrae members, the flexible element connection being kept tensioned so as to exert a compressive force on the vertebra members, - each vertebra element has a recess and a protrusion, each protrusion being adapted to be received in a recess of another element vertebra located immediately above or below it in the stack, - each vertebra element is connected to a next vertebra member by a connection allowing a bending movement and / or radial rotation and / or lateral inclination of the back of the user, - each vertebra element has an arcuate shape with a concavity oriented towards the bottom of the spine when the spine segment extends along the spine of the user, - the module further comprises one or more cable (s) of electric transmission or data transmission extending into the spine segment through each of the vertebrae elements for connecting a battery and / or actuators and / or sensors to a control module of the exoskeletal structure or to connect two control modules of the exoskeletal structure, - or the cable (s) of electric transmission or transmission data has a length greater than a length of the spine segment such that they allow deformation of the spinal column segment without undergoing stretching, - the module comprises a fastening device comprising an attachment part attached to a lower end of the spinal segment, the attachment piece being adapted to be fixed to a complementary attachment part attached to a waist belt of a base module of the exoskeleton structure for attaching the module back to the base module. The invention further relates to an exoskeleton structure for assistance to the effort of a user, comprising: - a base module comprising an own hip belt to surround the waist of the wearer and an attachment part fixed to the belt, and - a back module as defined above, comprising an attachment part attached to a lower end of the spinal segment, the attachment part of the back of module being suitable for being fixed to the attachment part of the belt for attaching the module back to the base module, so that a weight applied to the spine member is transferred to the base module. In one embodiment of the invention, the base module includes a control unit and a battery secured to the belt, and back module comprises an add-on battery and / or actuators, and the fasteners each comprise clean electrical contacts to electrically connect the battery and the control unit of the base module to the battery and / or back module actuators when the attachment part back module is fastened to the attachment part of the base module. PRESENTATION OF DRAWINGS Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the following description which is purely illustrative and non-limiting and should be read with reference to the appended figures, in which: - Figure 1 shows schematically, in front view, a user equipped with an exoskeleton structure according to a possible embodiment of the invention, - Figures 2 and 3 show schematically, in back view and in side view, the user equipped with the exoskeletal structure, according to a first possible configuration of the invention, - Figures 4 and 5 show schematically, in back view and in side view, the user equipped with the exoskeletal structure, according to a second possible configuration of the invention, - Figures 6 and 7 schematically show, in rear view and in side view, the user equipped with the exoskeletal structure, according to a third possible configuration of the invention, - Figures 8A and 8B schematically illustrate a hip joint connecting a hip module to the base module, - Figure 9 shows schematically a fastening device for attaching the hip module to the basic module, - Figures 10A and 10B show schematically the attachment device in the unlocked configuration and respectively locked configuration, - Figure 1 1 shows schematically the lower modules of the exoskeletal structure, - Figures 12A-12E schematically illustrate a boot equipped with a foot module during different from the user walks phases, - Figure 13 shows schematically an enlarged view of the upper modules of the exoskeletal structure, - Figure 14 shows schematically a spine segment forming part of the back of the module, - Figure 15 schematically shows a vertebra of the spine member segment, - Figures 16 to 18 show schematically a shoulder module, - Figure 19 shows schematically a fastening device for attaching the shoulder module to bend module, - Figures 20 and 21 schematically show a backpack carrier module, - Figure 22 shows schematically a fastening device for attaching the support module backpack hip each module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT modular structure In Figures 1 to 7, the exoskeletal structure shown comprises a base module 1, a back module 2, two shoulder modules 3, two elbow modules 4, two hip modules 5, two knee modules 6 , two foot modules 7 and a bag support module 14 back. The exoskeleton shown in these figures structure can be used in different configurations in order to obtain different exoskeletons adapted to different uses. In a first configuration illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the exoskeleton is formed by the assembly of the basic module 1, module 2 back on both shoulder modules 3, of the two elbow modules 4, the two hip modules 5, the two knee modules 6 and 7 foot two modules. In a second configuration illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the exoskeleton is formed by the assembly of the basic module 1, module 2 back on both shoulder modules 3 and two elbow module 4 only. In a third configuration illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the exoskeleton is formed by the assembly of the basic module 1, two hip modules 5, the two knee modules 6, the two leg modules 7, and bag support module back 14 only. The three examples of configurations illustrated in these figures are obtained from three different assemblies of the modular structure of exoskeleton. However, other configurations are of course possible. In these various configurations, the exoskeleton is formed from one or more modules assembled together. As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the basic module 1 comprises a waist belt 1 one is able to surround the bottom of the wearer's trunk. Lumbar buckle 1 1 is arranged around the waist of the user, resting on the hips of the user. The basic module 1 also includes a first battery 12 for powering the various actuators of the electric power structure, and a control unit 13 programmed to control the various actuators. The first battery 12 and the control unit 13 are fixed to the waist belt 1 January. The back module 2 is adapted to be fixed to the upper body of the user, above the basic module 1, along the back of the user. bend 4 of the modules are adapted to be secured on the user's arm, respectively in the right arm and left arm. Each shoulder module 5 is adapted to connect the back module 2 to a respective elbow module 4. The back module 2, the shoulder and the elbow 3 modules 4 modules form a set of upper modules whose function is to assist the user in much it exercises with his upper body, e.g. when performing repetitive tasks with his upper body. 5 hip modules are adapted to be secured over the thighs of the user, respectively in the right thigh and the left thigh of the user. The knee modules 6 are adapted to be secured to the calf of the user, respectively in the calf of the right leg and calf of the left leg of the user. 7 foot modules are adapted to be secured on the user's feet, respectively, right foot and left foot. Hip modules 5, the knee modules 6 and 7 foot modules form a set of lower modules whose function is to assist the user in his efforts produced with the lower body, in particular when walking or when carrying or moving loads. Note that the hip modules 5 are symmetrical to one another. Hip modules 5 therefore comprise identical or similar parts. Similarly, knee modules 6 are symmetrical with each other, and include identical or similar parts. It is the same foot 7 modules, shoulder modules 3 and 4 elbow modules. hip module As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, each hip module 5 comprises a femoral portion 51 suitable for being fixed on the thigh of the user and a hip joint 52. The femoral part 51 comprises a femoral segment 1 51 provided to extend along the thigh of the user and fastening straps 512 adapted to surround the user's thigh to fix the femoral segment 51 1 to the thigh. Each hip module 5 is connected to base module 1 through a respective hip joint 52. Specifically, the hip joint 52 connects the portion 51 of the femoral hip module 5 to the belt 1 1 of the basic module 1. Hip joint As illustrated in Figures 8A and 8B, the hip joint 52 comprises a hip actuator 521 to assist the user during a flexion movement or extension of the hip of the user. The actuator 521 includes a stator 522 and a rotor 523 adapted to be rotated relative to the stator 522 when the stator 522 is supplied with electric power for rotating the hip module 5 relative to the base module 1 during a flexion movement or extension of the hip. The hip joint 52 further comprises an elastic member 524 arranged to exert a return spring force that supports the rotor 523 when the user gets up from a sitting or crouched position. The elastic return element 524 may comprise a pretensioned spring arranged between the stator 522 and the rotor 523, in a guide groove 525 provided between the stator 522 and the rotor 523. More specifically, the elastic return element 524 is arranged so that: - in a first angular range of movement CH rotor 523 relative to stator 522, corresponding to an angular range in which is located the rotor 523 when the user walks or runs (Figure 8A), the elastic member return 524 n 'exerts no spring force on the rotor 523, and - in a second angular range

Documents

Application Documents

# Name Date
1 201817027080-TRANSLATIOIN OF PRIOIRTY DOCUMENTS ETC. [19-07-2018(online)].pdf 2018-07-19
2 201817027080-STATEMENT OF UNDERTAKING (FORM 3) [19-07-2018(online)].pdf 2018-07-19
3 201817027080-POWER OF AUTHORITY [19-07-2018(online)].pdf 2018-07-19
4 201817027080-FORM 1 [19-07-2018(online)].pdf 2018-07-19
5 201817027080-DRAWINGS [19-07-2018(online)].pdf 2018-07-19
6 201817027080-DECLARATION OF INVENTORSHIP (FORM 5) [19-07-2018(online)].pdf 2018-07-19
7 201817027080-COMPLETE SPECIFICATION [19-07-2018(online)].pdf 2018-07-19
8 abstract.jpg 2018-08-23
9 201817027080.pdf 2018-09-26
10 201817027080-FORM-26 [16-10-2018(online)].pdf 2018-10-16
11 201817027080-Power of Attorney-261018.pdf 2018-10-29
12 201817027080-Correspondence-261018.pdf 2018-10-29
13 201817027080-FORM 3 [15-01-2019(online)].pdf 2019-01-15
14 201817027080-Proof of Right (MANDATORY) [18-01-2019(online)].pdf 2019-01-18
15 201817027080-OTHERS-210119.pdf 2019-01-28
16 201817027080-Correspondence-210119.pdf 2019-01-28
17 201817027080-FORM 18 [25-11-2019(online)].pdf 2019-11-25
18 201817027080-FER.pdf 2021-11-01
19 201817027080-Information under section 8(2) [14-01-2022(online)].pdf 2022-01-14
20 201817027080-FORM 3 [18-01-2022(online)].pdf 2022-01-18
21 201817027080-FER_SER_REPLY [27-04-2022(online)].pdf 2022-04-27
22 201817027080-CORRESPONDENCE [27-04-2022(online)].pdf 2022-04-27
23 201817027080-CLAIMS [27-04-2022(online)].pdf 2022-04-27
24 201817027080-certified copy of translation [27-04-2022(online)].pdf 2022-04-27
25 201817027080-PatentCertificate15-12-2023.pdf 2023-12-15
26 201817027080-IntimationOfGrant15-12-2023.pdf 2023-12-15

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1 SS1E_25-10-2021.pdf

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