Patent ID: 9445931
Filing Date: 2016-09-20
CPC Classification: A61F,A61H,F16F

Claim Text:
1. A walking assist device comprising: an upper leg link to be attached to an upper leg of a user; a lower leg link to be attached to a lower leg of the user, the lower leg link being rotatably connected to the upper leg link; an actuator configured to apply motor torque to the lower leg link; a one-way damper configured to generate a resisting force against rotation of the lower leg link in a knee bending direction and not to generate a resisting force against the rotation of the lower leg link in a knee straightening direction; and a controller configured to control the actuator and switch between engaging and disengaging of the one-way damper with/from the lower leg link, wherein the controller is configured to: control the actuator to apply the motor torque to the lower leg link so that an angle of rotation of the lower leg link follows a predetermined target pattern of the knee angle, the target pattern representing changes in the knee angle during a walking action; and engage the one-way damper while controlling the actuator to apply the motor torque to the lower leg link in the knee straightening direction in the swing phase and disengages the one-way damper while controlling the actuator to apply the motor torque to the lower leg link in the knee bending direction in the swing phase.