Ergonomic exoskeleton system for the upper limb

摘要

Exoskeleton kinematic chain arranged to pivotally connect a first element to a second element, said first element comprising two pivot points A₁ and B₁ located at a distance A₁B₁, said second element comprising two pivot points A₂ and B₂ located at a distance A₂B₂. The exoskeleton kinematic chain comprises a first external link pivotally connected to the first element at the pivot point A₁ and a first end link pivotally connected to the first external link at a pivot point D₁, said pivot point D₁ being located at a distance A₁D₁ by the pivot point A₁. The exoskeleton kinematic chain comprises then a second external link pivotally connected to the second element at the pivot point A₂, and a second end link pivotally connected to the second external link at a pivot point D₂, said pivot point D₂ being located at a distance A₂D₂ by the pivot point A₂. The exoskeleton kinematic chain also comprises a first intermediate link pivotally connected to the first element at the pivot point B₁ and integrally connected to the second end link at a junction point C₂, a second intermediate link pivotally connected to the second element at the pivot point B₂ and integrally connected to the first end link at a junction point C₁. The first and the second end link are pivotally connected to each other at a pivot point M. Defining ==θ, for any value of θ, the projections of the pivot points A₁, B₁, A₂, B₂ in a plane Π, lay in a circumference K having center O and radius r=A₁D₁=A₂D₂=D₁B₂=MB₂=D₂B₁=MB₁, in such a way that decreasing the value of θ the first and the second element rotate with respect to each other about an axis z orthogonal to the plane Π and passing through the center O in the direction for which the point A₁ is overlapped to the point B₂.