ELECTROFLUIDIC CONTROLLED EXTERNAL SKELETON Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC A61H3/00 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: external skeleton consisting of a bearing frame comprising a mounting frame with pivots carrying supports consisting in turn of hip, knee and ankle links; there are also provided a control system and an electrofluidic system. The electrofluidic system comprises ten pneumatic muscles, two limited-swing pneumatic actuators, five proportional pneumatic distributors, eight two-port on/off pneumatic distributors, three three-port on/off pneumatic distributors, eight controlled back flow valves, two quick discharge valves, two back flow valves, two throttles, a pressure regulator, an air handling unit, a pneumatic accumulator, a compressor, and an electric accumulator. The control system consists of a combined microelectromechanic system comprising an accelerometer, an inclination meter, a gyro sensor, pressure and rotation angle sensors, a controller; the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth pneumatic muscles are connected to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth two-port on/off pneumatic distributors through the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth controlled back flow valves respectively; the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth two-port on/off pneumatic distributors are pneumatically connected to the first, second, third and fourth proportional pneumatic distributors respectively; the ninth and tenth pneumatic muscles are pneumatically connected to the first and second quick discharge valves through the first and second throttles, as well as to the second and third three-port pneumatic distributors through the first and second back flow valves; ends of the pneumatic muscles are pivotally connected to the hip and knee links of the bearing frame; the first and second limited-swing pneumatic actuators are pneumatically connected to the fifth proportional pneumatic distributor; the first, second, third, fourth and fifth proportional pneumatic distributors are pneumatically connected to the first three-port on/off pneumatic distributor; the second and third three-port on/off pneumatic distributors are pneumatically connected to the pressure regulator, which is in turn pneumatically connected to the first three-port on/off pneumatic distributor; the first three-port on/off pneumatic distributor is pneumatically connected through the air handling unit to the pneumatic accumulator and the compressor; six pressure sensors and six angle sensors are electrically connected to the controller, which is in turn electrically connected to the first, second, third, fourth and fifth proportional pneumatic distributors, the first, second and third three-port on/off pneumatic distributors, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth two-port on/off pneumatic distributors.

EFFECT: using the invention enables increasing the working characteristics, including the optimum load distribution by proportional control, stable speed and smoothness of movement provided by using smooth frameless pneumatic actuators.

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