# US 2018/0021943 A1 · Exoskeleton and Method of Increasing the Flexibility of an Exoskeleton Joint > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0021943 A1 - Document ID: US20180021943A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/704,084 - Filed: 2017-09-14 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-02 - Assignees: Ekso Bionics, Inc. - Applicants: Ekso Bionics, Inc. - Inventors: Russdon Angold; Adam Preuss; Nicholas Fleming; Matthew D. Sweeney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021943A1 ## CPC - B25J 9/0006: {Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure} - A61F 2/60: Artificial legs or feet or parts thereof - A61F 5/0111: {for the feet or ankles} - A61H 3/00: Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about (apparatus for helping babies to walk A47D13/04 {; applying electrical currents by contact electrodes for stimulating motor muscles, e.g. walking assistance A61N1/36003}) - B25J 17/00: Joints - F16M 13/04: for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains {, e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head (apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B)} - 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}) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N) - F16M: FRAMES, CASINGS OR BEDS OF ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS, NOT SPECIFIC TO ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; STANDS; SUPPORTS ## Abstract An exoskeleton configured to be coupled to a user includes a plurality of interconnected support elements constituted by rigid compression members interconnected through a tensegrity joint. The joint includes a tensile member having a first end and a second end coupled to first and second ones of the support elements respectively. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An exoskeleton comprising: a plurality of interconnected support elements configured to be coupled to body portions of a user, wherein each of the support elements is a rigid compression member, wherein at least two of the support elements are interconnected through a tensegrity joint including a first tensile member having a first end coupled to a first support element of the at least two support elements and a second end coupled to a second support element of the at least two support elements, and wherein the tensegrity joint is configured such that a weight of the exoskeleton is transferred from the first support element to the second support element through the first tensile member only when the first tensile member is under tension. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein: the tensegrity joint is an ankle joint; the first support element is a first shank, the first shank configured to be coupled to a leg of the user with a brace; and the second support element is a boot, the boot configured to be coupled to a foot of the user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The exoskeleton of claim 2, wherein: the tensegrity joint further includes a second tensile member having a first end and a second end; the first end of the second tensile member is coupled a third support element of the at least two support elements; the second end of the second tensile member is coupled to the boot; and the third support element is a second shank, the second shank configured to be coupled to the leg of the user with the brace. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The exoskeleton of claim 2, wherein the first tensile member is the only connection between the first shank and the boot at the ankle joint. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein: the tensegrity joint is a hip joint; the first support element is configured to be coupled to a torso of the user; and the second support element is configured to be coupled to a leg of the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The exoskeleton of claim 5, wherein: the first support element is a torso brace having a hip extension, the first end of the first tensile member being coupled to the hip extension; and the second support element is an upper leg support. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The exoskeleton of claim 6, wherein the first tensile member is the only connection between the hip extension and the upper leg support at the hip joint. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein: the tensegrity joint is an abdominal joint; the first support element is configured to be coupled to a torso of the user; and the second support element is configured to be coupled to a waist of the user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The exoskeleton of claim 8, wherein: the first support element is a torso brace having an extension, the first end of the first tensile member being coupled to the extension; and the second support element is a waist brace. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The exoskeleton of claim 9, wherein the tensile member is the only connection between the extension and the waist brace at the abdominal joint. ### Claim 11 A method of constructing a joint of an exoskeleton comprising a plurality of interconnected support elements configured to be coupled to body portions of a user, wherein each of the support elements is a rigid compression member, and wherein at least two of the support elements are interconnected through the joint, the method comprising: configuring the joint as a tensegrity joint by coupling a first end of a first tensile member to a first support element of the at least two support elements and coupling the second end of the first tensile member to a second support element of the at least two support elements such that a weight of the exoskeleton is transferred from the first support element to the second support element through the first tensile member, but only when the first tensile member is under tension. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the tensegrity joint is an ankle joint, the first support element is a first shank and the second support element is a boot, the method further comprising: coupling the first shank to a leg of the user with a brace; and coupling the boot to a foot of the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: coupling a first end of a second tensile member to a third support element of the at least two support elements, wherein the third support element is a second shank; and coupling a second end of the second tensile member to the boot. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the steps of coupling the first end of the first tensile member to the first shank and coupling the second end of the first tensile member to the boot provide the only connection between the first shank and the boot at the ankle joint. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the tensegrity joint is a hip joint, the method further comprising: coupling the first support element to a torso of the user; and coupling the second support element to a leg of the user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein: the first support element is a torso brace having a hip extension; the second support element is an upper leg support; and coupling the first end of the first tensile member to the first support element includes coupling the first end to the hip extension. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the steps of coupling the first end of the first tensile member to the hip extension and coupling the second end of the tensile member to the upper leg support provide the only connection between the hip extension and the upper leg support at the hip joint. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the tensegrity joint is an abdominal joint, the method further comprising: coupling the first support element to a torso of the user; and coupling the second support element to a waist of the user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein: the first support element is a torso brace having an extension; the second support element is a waist brace; and coupling the first end of the first tensile member to the first support element includes coupling the first end to the extension. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the steps of coupling the first end of the first tensile member to the extension and coupling the second end of the first tensile member to the waist brace provide the only connection between the extension and the waist brace at the abdominal joint.