US 2021/0052399 A1Published application

A device for enhancing a subject's grasping capability

AssigneeUniversità Degli Studi Di Siena

InventorsDavid CIONCOLONI, Irfan HUSSAIN, Domenico PRATTICHIZZO, Simone ROSSI, Gionata SALVIETTI, Giovanni SPAGNOLETTI

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Abstract

A device for enhancing a user's grasping capability comprises a belt-like support configured to be tightly fitted about a user's part of the body; an articulated gripping element having a plurality of phalanxes: proximal, fixed to the support, intermediate and distal, which are articulated to each other by articular joints; a motor unit fixed to the support; a winding drum; a tendon partially wound on the drum and extending along the phalanxes and the joints, arranged so that, by pulling it from the drum, the phalanxes rotate about respective articular joints and move the articulated gripping element from an extended position to a gripping bow-shaped position, causing a flexion/extension movement of the articulated gripping element, the joints configured so that by releasing the tendon from the drum, the phalanxes rotate about the respective joints and move the articulated gripping element between gripping bow-shaped position and extended position.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A device (100) for enhancing a user's (1) grasping capability, comprising:

a belt-like support (102) configured to be tightly fitted about a part of said user's (1) body (3), said belt-like support (102) having a longitudinal axis (129),
an articulated gripping element (130) having a plurality of phalanxes (131,132,133) serially connected to each other about respective joint axes (134) parallel to one another, said phalanxes comprising a proximal phalanx (131), connected to said support (102), and a distal phalanx (133), said phalanxes (131,132,133) articulated to each other by articular joints (135);
a motor unit (120) fixed to said support (102);
a winding drum (125) connected to said motor unit (120) between an actuation condition and a release condition;
at least one tendon (140) partially wound on said winding drum (125) and partially extending through said phalanxes (131,132,133) and said articular joints (135), said tendon (140) arranged in such a way that, if said tendon (140) is pulled by said winding drum (125) in said actuation condition, said phalanxes (131,132,133) rotate about respective articular joints (135) and move said articulated gripping element (130) from an extended position (A) to a gripping bow-shaped position (B), causing a flexion/extension movement of said articulated gripping element (130);
said articular joints (135) configured in such a way that, if said tendon (140) is released by said winding drum (125) in said release condition, said phalanxes (131,132,133) rotate about respective articular joints (135) and move said articulated gripping element (130) from said gripping bow-shaped position (B) to said extended position (A),
wherein said proximal phalanx (131) is configured to allow an articulated gripping element (130) to rotate about a rotation axis (128) orthogonal to said longitudinal axis (129) of said belt-like support (102), in order to allow said articulated gripping element (130) to be wound like a bracelet or a belt in a rest bow-shaped position (C) about said part of said user's (1) body (3) when said winding drum (125) is in said release condition,
wherein a passive-lock mechanism is also provided configured for blocking said articulated gripping element (130) in said rest bow-shaped position (C).

5 more elements

A device (100) for enhancing a user's (1) grasping capability, comprising:

a belt-like support (102) configured to be tightly fitted about a part of said user's (1) body (3), said belt-like support (102) having a longitudinal axis (129),
an articulated gripping element (130) having a plurality of phalanxes (131,132,133) serially connected to each other about respective joint axes (134) parallel to one another, said phalanxes comprising a proximal phalanx (131), connected to said support (102), and a distal phalanx (133), said phalanxes (131,132,133) articulated to each other by articular joints (135);
a motor unit (120) fixed to said support (102);
a winding drum (125) connected to said motor unit (120) between an actuation condition and a release condition;
at least one tendon (140) partially wound on said winding drum (125) and partially extending through said phalanxes (131,132,133) and said articular joints (135), said tendon (140) arranged in such a way that, if said tendon (140) is pulled by said winding drum (125) in said actuation condition, said phalanxes (131,132,133) rotate about respective articular joints (135) and move said articulated gripping element (130) from an extended position (A) to a gripping bow-shaped position (B), causing a flexion/extension movement of said articulated gripping element (130);
said articular joints (135) configured in such a way that, if said tendon (140) is released by said winding drum (125) in said release condition, said phalanxes (131,132,133) rotate about the respective articular joints (135) and move said articulated gripping element (130) from said gripping bow-shaped position (B) to said extended position (A),
wherein said motor unit (120) comprises a mechanically loaded motor member.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.