# US 10,369,690 B2 · Apparatus for human arm supporting exoskeleton > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,690 B2 - Document ID: US10369690B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/157,417 - Filed: 2018-10-11 - Published: 2019-02-07 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-18 - Assignees: The Regents of the University of California - Applicants: The Regents of the University of California - Inventors: Logan Van Engelhoven; Homayoon Kazerooni - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369690B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/0006: {Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure} - B25H 1/10: with provision for adjusting holders for tool or work - B65H 1/10: comprising weights {(B65H1/022 takes precedence)} - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - B25H: WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT, e.g. FOR MARKING-OUT WORK; STORAGE MEANS FOR WORKSHOPS (storing or packaging B65) - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract An arm supporting exoskeleton comprises a shoulder base coupled to an arm link mechanism. The arm link mechanism comprises a proximal link and a distal link configured to rotate relative to each other about a rotating joint; at least one arm-coupler adapted to couple a user's arm to the distal link; a tensile force generator coupled to the proximal link and the distal link, and providing a torque to flex the distal link relative to the proximal link; and a protrusion located substantially at the rotating joint. When the distal link extends past a toggle angle, the protrusion constrains the tensile force generator, and the torque provided by the tensile force generator remains substantially small. When the protrusion does not constrain the tensile force generator, the torque tends to flex the distal link relative to the proximal link, thereby reducing human shoulder forces and torques required to raise the arm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An arm supporting exoskeleton configured to be coupled to a person, the arm supporting exoskeleton comprising: a shoulder base, configured to be coupled to a trunk of the person and comprising: a load bearing structure coupled to an arm link mechanism and configured to support reaction forces and reaction torques on the shoulder base; and a coupling mechanism configured to couple the load bearing structure to the trunk of the person such that the shoulder base moves in unison with the trunk of the person; the arm link mechanism configured to be coupled to the shoulder base, the arm link mechanism comprising: a proximal link; and a distal link configured to rotate relative to the proximal link around a first rotational axis; an arm-coupler attached to the distal link and configured to couple an upper arm of the person to the distal link; a torque generator coupled to the proximal link and the distal link and configured to generate a torque between the proximal link and the distal link; and a shoulder bracket that allows for removable coupling of the arm link mechanism to the shoulder base. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the shoulder bracket is coupled to the shoulder base. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the first rotational axis passes through a glenohumeral joint of the person when the arm-coupler is coupled to the upper arm of the person. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 1, further comprising a horizontal rotation joint that allows the proximal link to rotate relative to the shoulder base about a second rotational axis orthogonal to the first rotational axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 4, wherein the second rotational axis is positioned to pass approximately through a glenohumeral joint of the person when the arm-coupler is coupled to the upper arm of the person. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 4, wherein the rotation of the proximal link about the horizontal rotation joint is lockable. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the distal link comprises a lower bracket, coupled to the torque generator, and wherein a location of the lower bracket is adjustable along the distal link to adjust the torque generated by the torque generator between the proximal link and the distal link. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the proximal link comprises an upper bracket coupled to the torque generator, and wherein a location of the upper bracket can be adjusted along the proximal link to adjust the torque generated by the torque generator between the proximal link and the distal link. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the torque generator comprises a tensile force generator, comprising a first end and a second end, coupled to the proximal link at the first end, and coupled to the distal link at the second end, and wherein a tensile force generated in the tensile force generator generates the torque between the proximal link and the distal link to flex the distal link relative to the proximal link. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 9, wherein the tensile force generator comprises a coil spring element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 10, wherein the tensile force generator comprises a line element, coupling the coil spring element to the proximal link. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 11, wherein the line element at least partially encircles a pulley of the torque generator coupled to the distal link before the line element is coupled to the proximal link. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises an element selected from the group consisting of a belt, a vest, a chest strap, an anchor strap, a shoulder strap, a sternum strap, a suspender strap, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the load bearing structure comprises a back frame, configured to locate substantially behind a back of the person, the back frame comprising an upper frame and a lower frame, wherein the upper frame is coupled to the arm link mechanism and configured to support at least a portion of the reaction forces and reaction torques on the shoulder base from the arm link mechanism, wherein the lower frame is coupled to the upper frame and configured to support at least another portion of the reaction forces and reaction torques on the upper frame, wherein a hip loading belt is coupled to the lower frame, and wherein the hip loading belt is configured to transfer at least a portion of the reaction forces and reaction torques from the back frame to hips of the person. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 14, wherein a location of the upper frame relative to the lower frame is adjustable along an axis parallel to a spine of the person, when the person wears the arm supporting exoskeleton, to accommodate a height of a torso of the person. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 14, wherein the upper frame comprises: an upper middle bar; a first upper corner bar; and a second upper corner bar, wherein each of the first upper corner bar and the second upper corner bar is configured to be coupled to the upper middle bar at various locations on the upper middle bar to provide selective shoulder width adjustment for the upper frame. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 14 wherein the load bearing structure further comprises a hammock structure, spanning a curve in the load bearing structure and configured to evenly distribute at least a portion of the reaction forces to the person. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein a location of the arm-coupler is adjustable with respect to the distal link. ### Claim 19 An arm supporting exoskeleton configured to be coupled to a person, the arm supporting exoskeleton comprising: a shoulder base configured to be coupled to a trunk of the person; an arm link mechanism, configured to be coupled to an upper arm of a person; and an offset adjustment joint configured to adjust and fix a position of the arm link mechanism relative to the shoulder base, wherein the arm link mechanism comprises: a proximal link; a distal link, configured to rotate relative to the proximal link around a first rotational axis; an arm-coupler, attached to the distal link and adapted to couple the upper arm of the person to the distal link; and a torque generator, comprising a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the proximal link, the second end coupled to the distal link, the torque generator configured to generate a torque between the proximal link and the distal link. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 19, wherein the offset adjustment joint is configured to rotate the proximal link relative to the shoulder base about an axis parallel with the first rotational axis. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 19, wherein the offset adjustment joint is configured to adjust a torque profile the arm supporting exoskeleton is configured to apply to the person. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 21, wherein a peak position of the torque profile is adjusted. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 21, wherein a neutral zone of the torque profile is adjusted. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 19, wherein the proximal link comprises an upper bracket coupled to the torque generator, wherein a location of the upper bracket is adjustable along the proximal link to adjust the torque generated by the torque generator. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 19, wherein the distal link comprises a lower bracket coupled to the torque generator, wherein a location of the lower bracket is adjustable along the distal link to adjust the torque generated by the torque generator. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 19, wherein the arm supporting exoskeleton further comprises a horizontal rotation joint that allows the proximal link to rotate relative to the shoulder base about a second rotational axis orthogonal to the first rotational axis. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 26, wherein the second rotational axis is positioned to pass through a glenohumeral joint of the person, when the person wears the arm supporting exoskeleton. ### Claim 28 (depends on 19) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 19, wherein the shoulder base comprises: a load bearing structure coupled to the arm link mechanism and configured to support reaction forces and reaction torques on the shoulder base; and a coupling mechanism configured to couple the load bearing structure to the trunk of the person such that the shoulder base moves in unison with the trunk of the person. ### Claim 29 (depends on 19) The arm supporting exoskeleton of claim 19, wherein a location of the arm coupler is adjustable with respect to the distal link.