US 12,403,060 B2
Apparatus capable of actuating a distal joint and transferring the constraining reactions in an underactuated shoulder exoskeleton
Lorenzo Masia, Heidelberg (DE); Antonio Frisoli, Pisa (IT); Luca Tiseni, Pisa (IT); Domenico Chiaradia, Pisa (IT); Michele Xiloyannis, Zurich (CH); and Massimiliano Solazzi, Pisa (IT)
Assigned to Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento Sant'Anna, Pisa (IT); and Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg (DE)
Appl. No. 17/622,400
Filed by Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento Sant'Anna, Pisa (IT); and Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg (DE)
PCT Filed Jun. 25, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/056009
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 23, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/261167, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 102019000010026 (IT), filed on Jun. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0354727 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. A61H 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61H 1/0281 (2013.01) [A61H 2201/1215 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1616 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1638 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1673 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A underactuated mechanism comprising:
a first rotational joint, adapted to be connected to a human torso, said first rotational joint defining a first joint rotation axis (X);
a hyper-redundant connection mechanism connected to the first rotational joint at a first end of said hyper-redundant connection mechanism;
a second rotational joint adapted to be connected to a human arm, said second rotational joint defining a second joint rotation axis (Z) adapted to be arranged according to the degree of flexion-extension of a human shoulder joint, said second rotational joint being connected to said hyper-redundant connection mechanism at a second end of said hyper-redundant connection mechanism; and
elastic equilibrium means that allow the second rotational joint to reach an equilibrium position with respect to the first rotational joint determined by a minimum value of elastic and gravitational potential,
wherein said underactuated mechanism is configured to transfer back torque and reaction forces from the second rotational joint to the first rotational joint, and
wherein:
the first joint rotation axis (X) is coplanar with the second joint rotation axis (Z),
said first rotational joint is not actuated,
said second rotational joint is actuated by a direct drive actuation system with co-located motor, and
said hyper-redundant connection mechanism comprises at least three members connected together by rotation joints with axes parallel to one another, wherein one member of said at least three members is fastened to said first rotational joint and another member of said at least three members is fastened to said second rotational joint.