US 11,980,563 B2
Wearable assistance devices and methods of operation
Karl Zelik, Nashville, TN (US); Matthew Yandell, Nashville, TN (US); Dustin Howser, Bristol, TN (US); and Erik Lamers, Nashville, TN (US)
Assigned to Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (US)
Appl. No. 16/478,310
Filed by VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY, Nashville, TN (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 19, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/014393
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 16, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/136722, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 26, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/448,104, filed on Jan. 19, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2019/0358074 A1, Nov. 28, 2019
Int. Cl. A61F 5/02 (2006.01); F16D 13/58 (2006.01); A61B 5/389 (2021.01); A61F 5/01 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 5/028 (2013.01) [A61F 5/026 (2013.01); F16D 13/58 (2013.01); A61B 5/389 (2021.01); A61F 2005/0197 (2013.01)] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wearable lower back assistance device configured to be worn by a user, comprising:
an upper-body interface;
a lower-body interface;
one or more elastic members, each of the elastic members mechanically coupling the upper-body interface to the lower-body interface and extending from the upper-body interface to the lower-body interface and configured along a back of the user so as to provide an assistive force parallel to the back of the user, and configured to curve about a portion of a user's buttocks when the user bends forward;
a clutch mechanism associated with each one of the elastic members, wherein the clutch mechanism is configured for selectively adjusting the assistive force by changing a load path between the upper-body interface and the lower-body interface through one or more of the elastic members, when the clutch mechanism changes from disengaged to engaged; and
an actuator associated with the clutch mechanism for engaging and disengaging the clutch mechanism, and the actuator being located on a front of the upper-body interface,
wherein the upper-body interface is a garment top configured to cover at least a portion of shoulders of the user, and wherein the clutch mechanism is mechanically connected to the garment top.