DEVICE FOR AIDING PLANTAR FLEXOR MUSCLES

Abstract

The plantar flexure muscles assist device includes at least one drive mechanism (10) having a linear drive actuator (26); a latch mechanism (25) having a toothed annular surface coupled to the linear drive; a retractable rotating element having a toothed drum (24) and an elastic spiral element (23). The toothed drum has an annular groove and where the toothed drum corresponds to the toothed lock mechanism; a rope (28) wound in the annular groove of the toothed drum with one end attached to the elastic element (2); and a casing (21, 27) for containing the elements of the drive mechanism; a control system to send a signal to the linear actuator to activate or deactivate the locking mechanism, and a battery to supply power to the control system. The lightweight activation mechanism, together with the lightweight structure, allows the elastic element to store mechanical energy while the dorsiflexion movement occurs. This energy will enhance the plantar flexion movement, to increase physical performance on long and demanding walks and decrease user fatigue.

Claims

1. A muscle assist device comprising: a support clamp (1), a foot clamp (3), and at least one actuation mechanism (10) which attaches the support clamp and the foot clamp through an elastic element (2); wherein the at least one actuation mechanism (10) comprises an actuator with a linear actuation (26); a latch mechanism (25) having a toothed annular surface coupled to the linear actuation; a retractable rotating element composed of a toothed drum (24) and an elastic spiral element (23); wherein the toothed drum has an annular groove and the toothed drum corresponds to the toothed lock type mechanism; a rope (28) wound in the annular groove of the toothed drum with one end attached to the elastic element (2); and a casing (21, 27) for containing the elements of the drive mechanism; a control system comprising at least one sensor configured to detect the movement of the user's walk, a microcontroller configured to receive data from the at least one sensor and send a signal to the actuator with a linear drive to activate or deactivate the locking mechanism, and a battery to supply power to the control system. The support clamp (1) comprises at least an adjustable strap that embraces the front part of a calf in a transversal manner and supports the actuation mechanism in the rear part of the calf. The foot clamp (3) comprises a foot clamp structure (20) connected with a support sole (15) for the rear and lower part of the shoe that embraces and is fixed to part of a shoe externally, in order to be attached to conventional footwear and where the foot clamp structure has a protrusion (17) on its back where the elastic element (2) is placed.

2. The assistive device for plantar flexion muscles according to claim 1, wherein the least one adjustable instep strap (14), that is located in the anterior part of the foot clamp structure (20).

3. The assistive device for plantar flexion muscles according to claim 2, wherein the foot clamp structure (20) is “U” shaped.

4. The assistive device for plantar flexion muscles, according to claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism has a fixed axis (22) and a shaft coupling (29) that together form an axis of rotation of the element retractable swivel.

5. The assistive device for plantar flexion muscles, according to claim 1, wherein the support bracket (1) comprises three adjustable straps composed of an upper strap (4) that is located between the knee and the proximal part of the calf muscle; a mid strap (5) which wraps a wider section than the top strap due to the geometry of the calf muscle; and a lower strap (6) which embraces the distal part of the calf.

6. The assistive device for plantar flexion muscles: according to claim 1, wherein the elastic element (2) has an anticorrosive coating.

7. The assistive device for plantar flexure muscles according to claim 2, wherein the instep strap (14) is located in the front part of the foot clamp structure (20) inclined in order to be located parallel to the instep of the user's footwear.

8. The assistive device for plantar flexure muscles, according to claim 2, wherein the sole (15) is connected to the foot clamp structure (20) by its rear part; and the sole (15) in its front part comprises a transverse plate (16) which connects to the sides of the foot clamp structure (20) at the same height as the sides of the user's foot.

9. The assistive device for plantar flexure muscles, according to claim 3, wherein the support clamp (1) comprises a bar that is joined to a “U” shaped upper support at its rear through a pivoting element, whose axis of the pivoting element is perpendicular to the frontal anatomical plane, which allows the user's ankle to make pronation and supination movements, the ends of the upper “U” shaped support join with the ends of the structure foot clamp (20) through two pivoting elements perpendicular to the sagittal anatomical plane, which allows the user's ankle to perform the movements of plantar flexion and dorsal flexion.

10. An actuation mechanism for plantar flexure muscles assist device comprising: a linear actuator (26); a latch mechanism (25) having a toothed annular surface coupled to the linear drive; a retractable rotating element composed of a toothed drum (24); and an elastic spiral element (23); wherein the toothed drum has an annular groove and where the toothed drum meshes with the toothed lock mechanism; a rope (28) wound in the annular groove of the toothed drum with one end attached to an elastic element (2); and a casing (21, 27) for containing the elements of the drive mechanism.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0024] To complete the description that is being carried out and in order to facilitate the understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of figures is attached to the present specification in which, by way of illustration and not limitation, the following has been represented.

[0025] FIG. 1: Front view of the invention, showing how the device is dressed.

[0026] FIG. 2: Exploded view, which shows the support clamp and the elements it contains.

[0027] FIG. 3: Isometric view, which shows the support clamp and its fastening elements.

[0028] FIG. 4: Exploded view, which shows the parts of the foot clamp.

[0029] FIG. 5: Exploded view, which shows the drive mechanism and its components.

[0030] FIG. 6: Front view of a preferred embodiment, showing the bar and the upper support.

[0031] FIG. 7: Exploded view, which shows how the bar and the foot clamp are joined.

[0032] FIG. 8: Exploded view showing how the bar, the rigid part of the support bracket, and the drive mechanism are joined.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The present invention comprises a support clamp (1), a foot clamp (3), and at least one actuation mechanism (10) which joins the foot clamp and the foot clamp through an elastic element (2).

[0034] The support clamp (1), which is conceived as a calf coupling with improved clamping characteristics, can be made up of a rigid part (7), preferably constituted with a polymeric material, such as plastic or light metal, such as aluminum, which has an anatomical shape and ellipsoidal section in such a way that it is coupled to the anterior part of the calf, and a flexible part (8) made up of at least three adjustable straps located at both lateral ends of the rigid part (7), which start from there and wrap the front of the calf transversely. Also, the flexible part is made up of an upper strap (4) that is located between the knee and the proximal part of the calf muscle and is made of a material that is foldable but not elastic or deformable in length, such as a textile tape to use Velcro on the ends of these straps to fix them; a middle strap (5) which embraces a wider section than the aforementioned due to the geometry of the calf muscle and can be made of a rigid or flexible material, such as, for example, a strap made of textile or elastic material; and a lower strap (6) which embraces the distal part of the calf and is made of a material that is foldable, but not elastic or deformable in length, such as a textile material tape that has Velcro at the ends of the tape in such a way that can be fixed, one with respect to the other.

[0035] The foot clamp (3) is composed of a foot clamp structure (20) which embraces the shoe externally, has a substantially “U” part or ellipsoidal section (18) at the back and a straight part (19) on the side parts with a length that is approximately half that of the footwear in which it is to be worn. This allows it to be attached to conventional footwear. Also, the foot clamp structure has the protrusion on the back (17). In the protrusion (17), the elastic element (2) is placed, which is attached to the actuation mechanism (10) that is located in the support clamp. The foot clamp structure (20) is attached to the shoe at the back and bottom through the sole or cross plate (16) and the support sole (15), and the instep straps (14). The transverse sole (15) is fixed on both lateral sides of the rigid part (19) of the foot clamp structure (3), in the section in which the rigid part ends. Likewise, the support sole (15), preferably made with an “L” shape, is located parallel to the front/back of the shoe, starting from the protrusion (17) and until reaching the sole or transverse plate (16). Likewise, the sole or transverse plate and the support sole are preferably made of thin material, resistant to wear and tear because they would be stepped on by the user when using the device, such as thin leather or thin ribbons or high resistance/durability cords, or even its elaboration material or design could be modified according to the aesthetic style, or technical needs of the terrain. On the other hand, the instep straps (14) are located at the front of the foot clamp structure (20) at a certain angle, such that it is located on the user's instep. The instep straps are made of rigid material, such as plastic or flexible-like tapes.

[0036] The drive mechanism (10) comprises a linear drive actuator (26), a latch type mechanism (25) coupled to the linear drive having a toothed surface, a retractable rotating element composed of a toothed drum (24) and a spiral element elastic (23), a rope (28) wound in an annular groove or slot of the toothed drum with one end attached to an elastic element (2), and a protective casing, which can be divided into two parts (21, 27). The elastic element allows energy to be stored depending on the activation of the drive mechanism (10) through a control system, which is implemented in an electronic circuit (9) which comprises a microcontroller and at least one sensor that measures the angle and angular velocity of the foot, with respect to the horizontal plane during the walking phase, powered by a battery (12). The mechanism allows the energy storage in the elastic element (2) to be controlled as follows: When the ankle's angle between the user's leg and foot is reduced, the control system detects this movement and sends a signal to the actuator with linear drive. When activated, it displaces the locking mechanism, which blocks the movement of the retractable rotating element. This causes the elastic element (2) to stretch when the angle is shortened, which stores energy in said element. This energy will increase as the angle is shortened, and will deliver when the angle is enlarged. Also, the linear drive (26) is preferably an electric actuator; however, it can also be pneumatic, although it should include all the necessary components for its implementation. Preferably, the drive mechanism has a fixed shaft (22) and a shaft coupling (29) that together form an axis of rotation of the retractable rotary element.

[0037] Likewise, the operation of the drive mechanism to support normal walking is as follows: When the control system detects that the foot initiates contact with the floor, it sends a signal to the linear drive actuator (26), which moves the mechanism type lock (25), and thus blocks the movement of the retractable rotating element. Said retractable rotating element is blocked and, therefore, when the ankle angle decreases, which happens after the foot is in contact, the elastic element (2) will stretch, which will store elastic energy. In the walk, the angle is shortened during the initial part of the support phase. Subsequently, at the end of the support phase, the foot comes off the ground, causing the angle of the ankle to enlarge. This movement is called propulsion. Thus, during this stage, the energy stored in the elastic element will be used to support the foot's detachment from the ground. This force will help facilitate the walk during the propulsion phase. After the support phase is the balance phase, in which the foot is not in contact with the floor. So, the drive mechanism will remain off, not storing energy.

[0038] The electronic components will preferably be light and small. For monitoring and detecting movement on the walk, sensors such as accelerometers, gyros, inertial sensors, or a combination of the above could be used. This is done to predict the movement of the user and adequately assist the movement. On the other hand, the battery (12) will preferably be lithium-ion or another light battery with high storage capacity. Also, the control would use electronic controllers such as embedded microcontrollers.

[0039] In other words, the control system sends the activation signal to start storing energy in the drive mechanism that occurs when the foot performs the dorsiflexion movement, which occurs when the entire sole of the foot is in contact with the floor during the support phase of the march. After reaching the minimum dorsal flexion angle, the plantar flexion movement begins, in which the previously stretched elastic element (2) begins to contract to return to its original position. Said effort of the elastic element provides an additional impulse to that of the muscle, therefore, assists the foot to make the propulsion movement and, therefore, allows the plantar flexion movement to be carried out with less effort. The control system sends the deactivation signal when the balance phase begins, that is, the foot is no longer in contact with the floor.

[0040] The operation of the said drive mechanism is clear to visualize in the walk due to the cyclical movements of dorsal and plantar flexion; however, it could also promote other activities such as running or jumping. Therefore, the proposed invention would not only assist the plantar flexion movement during the walk, but also others, and as long as a dorsiflexion movement precedes, it allows energy to be stored in the elastic element of the drive mechanism.

[0041] Furthermore, the drive mechanism (1) of the present invention could be used to assist other joints of the body, such as the arm, knee, or shoulder.

[0042] Finally, the elements of the previously described subsystems must be manufactured with a light material and dimensioned according to the loads they will bear. For example, it is proposed that the rigid structures that make up the device be made of an aluminum alloy, carbon fiber, or some highly resistant low-density composite material. On the other hand, the fastening elements such as the upper strap, middle strap and lower strap, as well as the instep straps, are made of a lightweight material that is resistant to corrosion such as high temperatures or water. In addition, they must be soft in order to provide comfort when in contact with the user. Taking into account the foregoing, the present invention weighs a total of between 300 and 500 g, a weight much less than the devices of the state of the art.