US 9,067,325 B2Granted

Human grasp assist device soft goods

AssigneesGM Global Technology Operations LLC, The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

InventorsChris A. Ihrke, Donald R. Davis, Douglas Martin Linn, Bryan Bergelin, Lyndon B. J. Bridgwater, Heather Bibby, Judy Schroeder, Craig Erkkila

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Abstract

A grasp assist system includes a glove and a flexible sleeve. The glove includes a digit such as a finger or thumb, a force sensor configured to measure a grasping force applied to an object by an operator wearing the glove, and adjustable phalange rings positioned with respect to the digit. A saddle is positioned with respect to the finger. A flexible tendon is looped at one end around the saddle. A conduit contains the tendon. A conduit anchor secured within a palm of the glove receives the conduit. The sleeve has pockets containing an actuator assembly connected to another end of the tendon and a controller. The controller is in communication with the force sensor, and calculates a tensile force in response to the measured grasping force. The controller commands the tensile force from the actuator assembly to tension the tendon and thereby move the finger.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A grasp assist system comprising:

a glove having:
a digit selected from the group consisting of a finger and a thumb;
a force sensor positioned with respect to the glove that is configured to measure a grasping force applied to an object by an operator wearing the glove;
a plurality of adjustable phalange rings positioned with respect to the digit;
a saddle positioned with respect to the digit;
a flexible tendon that is looped at one end around the saddle;
a conduit that at least partially contains the tendon;
and
a conduit anchor secured to the glove, wherein the conduit is received within the conduit anchor and prevented from moving in an axial or compressive direction by the conduit anchor;
and
a flexible sleeve having pockets containing:
an actuator assembly connected to another end of the tendon;
and
a controller in communication with the force sensor, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a tensile force in response to the measured grasping force, and to command the tensile force from the actuator assembly to thereby tension the tendon and thereby move the digit.

11 more elements

A grasp assist system comprising:

a glove constructed at least partially of elastane fiber, and having:
a plurality of fingers;
a thumb;
a force sensor positioned with respect to the thumb, wherein the force sensor is configured to measure a grasping force applied to an object by an operator wearing the glove;
an adjustable wrist strap;
a plurality of adjustable phalange rings, wherein a different pair of the adjustable phalange rings is positioned with respect to the proximal and medial phalanges of a corresponding one of the fingers;
a plurality of arcuate saddles, wherein a different one of the saddles is positioned at one of the medial and the distal phalanges of the corresponding fingers;
flexible tendons each having a first end connected to a corresponding one of the saddles;
a plurality of conduits, wherein each of the conduits contains a corresponding one of the tendons;
and
a conduit anchor attached to the glove, wherein the conduit plastic anchor receives the conduits therein via a first set of openings and allows the tendons to pass through the conduit anchor via another set of openings;
and
a flexible sleeve that is wearable on a forearm of the operator, wherein the sleeve includes:
a plurality of motorized actuator assemblies, wherein each of the assemblies is connected to a second end of a corresponding one of the flexible tendons and is contained in a pocket of the sleeve;
and
a controller in communication with the force sensor, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a tensile force in response to the measured grasping force, and to command the tensile force from at least one of the actuator assemblies.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.