Patent Description:
At present, wearable devices for lower limbs are designed for different purposes, including wearable devices that enhance human strength, wearable devices that provide rehabilitation training, and wearable devices that improve movement efficiency and reduce human energy consumption. For the purpose of enhancing human strength and rehabilitation, wearable lower limb devices or exoskeletons usually rely on a full-leg rigid metal structure to provide external body support. These lower limb exoskeleton systems can enable healthy people or physically disabled people to perform tasks that cannot be accomplished with their own strength. However, the existing rigid wearable devices have the following disadvantages in coordinating human actions and improving movement efficiency: (<NUM>) The interference between the device and the biological joints can introduce the misalignment of the device joints and the biological joints during movements; (<NUM>) The natural motion of the biological joints are restricted because the degrees of freedom (DOF) of the device are less than the DOF of the lower limb joints of the human body; (<NUM>) The user consumes extra energy when using the device due to the large weight and inertia of the device structure are not fully compensated by the device itself. Slow actuation response and lack of accurate human intension detection also make it difficult to use such full-leg rigid exoskeleton devices freely in daily life.

At present, some soft exosuit devices are made of lightweight and flexible materials to reduce constraints on biological joints and provide joint assistance. Such devices provide a lighter solution for assisting joints. However, these soft exosuit devices rely on the user's skin surface to provide tangential force as a reaction force for assisting joints. In other words, these devices provide auxiliary forces to the user's limb joints on one side, and apply tangential forces tangential to the skin surface to the user's skin surface on the other side. These tangential forces rub and squeeze user's skin, and make the device discomfortable to use. Moreover, when the user's muscle stiffness is insufficient or the shape of limb is not cone like, which can make it difficult to provide a large enough tangential force as a reaction force of the auxiliary force. Then, these devices cannot be properly used.

Therefore, there is a rising need for a wearable robotic device that can be easily worn without restricting user's joints, and does not rely on user's skin surface to provide tangential force while providing lower limb assistance, so as to improve user's daily mobility and action efficiency.

<CIT> describes a mechanical transmission, tethered actuation system, an autonomous ankle exoskeleton design and a method of their use employing a cable, pulleys and associated pulley housings to change angular transmission of linear force on the cable. The pulleys are linked by a ground link and the cable is threaded across and between the pulleys, whereby rotation of either of the pulleys in one direction causes rotation of the other pulley in the opposite direction. Independently of the pulleys, the pulley housings can freely rotate about associated pulleys, and a link between the pulley housings is provided, whereby rotation of one of the pulley housings in one direction causes rotation of the other pulley housing at an equivalent angle in the opposite direction, thereby enabling a change in transmission angle of linear force on the cable threaded across and between the pulleys and the associated pulley housing essentially without resistance. When pulleys have the same angular velocity ratio as that of the associated pulley housings, there is no cable slack since the net changes in length of the cable wrapping around two pulleys is zero.

<CIT> describes a wearable external skeleton for assisting in resting and walking. The external skeleton mainly comprises a waist binding base, a control box, hip joint driving devices, hip joint stay wires, knee joint flexible shafts, ankle joint flexible shafts, a sitting posture supporting belt, thigh assisting devices, shank assisting devices, a sitting posture supporting device and foot wearing devices. The walking assisting and sitting-posture resting functions are realized under the driving of only two motors. The stay wire transmission and flexible shaft transmission are designed according to the motion relations of all joints; power is output through gear meshing, coil spring winding and the like, the light-weight mechanical structure is driven to drive hip, knee and ankle joints to move in the walking period, and the walking assistance is provided for a user; for the leg on-ground key posture in the human body motion process, through the electromagnetic clamping function of the knee joints, the freedom degree of the knee joints is locked at proper time, and the weight of an upper body acts on the ground through force guide passages of the external skeleton to reduce the loads on lower limb; in combination with the human body sitting posture state statics principle and the ZMP principle, by switching the mechanical structure, the sitting posture resting function is realized.

<CIT> describes an exoskeleton device that includes a cable, a lever that is connected to the cable, a frame comprising a strut that redirects the cable toward the lever, wherein the frame is coupled to the lever by a rotational joint; and a motor that is connected to the cable and configured to cause the cable to provide a torque about the rotational joint, wherein the cable is configured to provide the torque by exerting a first force on the lever and a second force on the frame, and wherein the cable is further configured to provide the torque in a first rotational direction and is prevented from applying the torque in an opposite rotational direction to the first rotational direction.

<CIT> describes a powered exoskeleton which is designed to provide assistance to a user, where the powered exoskeleton may have power-generating elements in one location and power-applying elements in another location, so that a user can easily wear the powered exoskeleton.

<CIT> describes a lower limb of an ambulatory exoskeleton comprising at least a pelvis segment, a leg segment and a foot segment, the leg segment being hinged at the first end of same to the pelvis segment and at the second end of same to the foot segment, the leg segment comprising a spring element and means for varying the distance separating the ends of the leg segment, the means for varying the distance separating the ends of the leg segment being carried by the pelvis segment.

In order to solve at least one of the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the present invention proposes an ankle assisting exoskeleton device, which includes:.

According to the invention, a front end of the foot support is configured to clamp the user's foot in a vertical direction, and a rear end of the foot support is configured to be located behind the user's heel, and the rear end is connected with the cable; the lower limb support further includes: a torsion spring provided between the lower end of the link assembly and the foot support, which is configured to apply a torque to the foot support causing the front end thereof to be lifted upwards; and a sole pulling ring hinged to the foot support between the front end and the rear end of the foot support, which is configured to pull the user's sole.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the pair of support arms connects the rear end with the front end on left and right sides, and the front end consists of support arm front ends of the pair of support arms and an instep strap attached thereto, the instep strap is configured to partially cover the user's instep.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the link assembly includes a pair of connecting rods arranged on left and right sides of the foot support, and an upper end of each of the pair of connecting rods is respectively attached to left and right sides of the calf ring, an lower end of each of the pair of connecting rods is respectively hinged to the foot support.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the link assembly includes a support block that connects the pair of connecting rods with each other at a partial height of the link assembly.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device further includes a sleeve sleeved outside of the cable, wherein the cable can slide in the sleeve, an upper end of the sleeve is fixed to the actuator, and a lower end of the sleeve is connected to the lower limb support.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the link assembly includes a support block that connects the pair of connecting rods with each other at a partial height of the link assembly, and the lower limb support further includes a sleeve base hinged to the support block, wherein the lower end of the sleeve is fixed to the sleeve base.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device further includes one or more sensors configured to detect the user's biological signal and the pulling force applied by the cable to the foot support in real time, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device further includes a controller configured to use a detected data from the sensors to control the pulling force applied by the cable to the foot support in real time.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the actuator is provided with a roller around which the cable is wound, a motor configured to drive the roller to rotate, and a transmission that transmits power between the motor and the roller, and the ankle assisting exoskeleton device also includes a power supply configured to be worn in front of the user's waist for supplying power to various power-consuming components.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device includes an actuator, two independent lower limb supports that are configured to be worn on the user's left and right legs respectively, and two cables corresponding to the two lower limb supports respectively.

The present invention may be embodied as the schematic embodiments in the drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings are only schematic, and any changes conceived under the teachings of the present invention should be considered to be included in the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is only delimited by the appended claims.

The drawings show several exemplary embodiments of the invention. These drawings should not be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of the invention. The same and/or similar reference signs throughout the text may refer to the same and/or similar elements, in which:.

The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as necessarily limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, these exemplary embodiments are only provided to illustrate the present invention and convey the concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

<FIG> is a schematic perspective view of an ankle assisting exoskeleton device worn on the lower limbs of a user according to a possible embodiment of the present invention. <FIG> is a schematic partial enlarged view of the ankle assisting exoskeleton device worn on the lower limbs of the user shown in <FIG>. <FIG> is a schematic exploded perspective view of a lower limb support of the ankle assisting exoskeleton device shown in <FIG>. <FIG> is a schematic diagram of the force applied to the lower limb support of the ankle assisting exoskeleton device shown in <FIG>. <FIG> is a schematic exploded perspective view of a foot support of the lower limb support of the ankle assisting exoskeleton device shown in <FIG>. <FIG> shows the arrangement of sensors and microprocessors in the ankle assisting exoskeleton device shown in <FIG>. In order to make the following description of the possible embodiments of the present invention easier to understand, in each view, the arrow ZZ' indicates the vertical direction, the arrow YY' indicates the front-to-rear direction, and the arrow XX' indicates the transverse direction. The so-called front-rear direction YY' can be understood as the front-rear direction with reference to the user wearing the ankle assisting exoskeleton device, which covers the front Y pointing in the direction that the user is facing towards and the back Y' pointing in the direction that the user is facing away from. The so-called vertical direction ZZ' can be understood as the height direction with reference to the user wearing the ankle assisting exoskeleton device, which covers the upper Z and the lower Z'. The so-called transverse direction XX' can be understood as the left and right direction with reference to the user wearing the ankle assisting exoskeleton device, which covers the left direction X pointing in the left hand side of the user and the right direction X' pointing in the right hand side of the user. In addition, any direction perpendicular to the vertical direction ZZ' can be understood as a horizontal direction. It is worth noting that the above definition of orientation is only provided for the purpose of better describing the technical solution of the present invention, and should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention in any way.

With reference to <FIG>, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device according to the present invention includes: an actuator <NUM> configured to be worn behind the waist of a user; a lower limb support <NUM>; and a cable <NUM> configured to controllably exert a pulling force to the lower limb support <NUM> when driven by the actuator <NUM>. Further, the lower limb support <NUM> includes: a calf ring (for example, made of knitted fabric) <NUM> configured to surround the user's calf; a foot support <NUM>, a front end <NUM> of the foot support <NUM> is configured to vertically clamp the user's foot, a rear end <NUM> of the foot support <NUM> is configured to be located behind the user's heel, and the rear end <NUM> is connected to the cable <NUM>; a link assembly <NUM> disposed between the calf ring <NUM> and the foot support <NUM>, wherein an upper end of the link assembly <NUM> is attached to the calf ring <NUM> (for example, by a detachable hook and loop fastener, etc.), and a lower end of the link assembly <NUM> is hinged to the foot support <NUM> between the front end <NUM> and the rear end <NUM> of the foot support <NUM> (so that the foot support <NUM> can rotate about a transverse axis relative to the link assembly <NUM>); a torsion spring <NUM> disposed between the lower end of the link assembly <NUM> and the foot support <NUM>, which is configured to apply a torque to the foot support <NUM> to lift the front end <NUM> upwards; and a sole pulling ring <NUM> hinged to the foot support <NUM> between the front end <NUM> and the rear end <NUM> of the foot support <NUM> (so that the sole pulling ring <NUM> can rotate about a transverse axis relative to the foot support <NUM>), which is configured to pull (or hook) the user's sole (for example, the heel).

According to the above technical solution of the present invention, when the user wears the ankle assisting exoskeleton device according to the present invention, it only covers a small part (less than <NUM>% of the limb surface area) of the user's limbs (especially joints), so it will not cause any restriction on the movement of the user's joints. In particular, the present ankle assisting exoskeleton device only partially covers the ankle joint that it assists without causing any constraints and obstacles to the other joints (such as the knee joint) that it does not assist, since the calf ring <NUM> is configured to surround the user's calf instead of the knee joint. Further, referring to <FIG>, when the present ankle assisting exoskeleton device is working, the actuator <NUM> applies a pulling force F to the rear end <NUM> of the foot support <NUM> through the cable <NUM>, and the pulling force F applies a pulling torque to the foot support <NUM> to move the rear end <NUM> of the foot support <NUM> upwards and the front end <NUM> of the foot support <NUM> downwards; when the pulling torque is greater than the spring torque exerted by the torsion spring <NUM>, the rear end <NUM> exerts an upward pulling force F2 (i.e., a normal force perpendicular to the skin surface of the sole) to the sole (in particular, the heel) through the sole pulling ring <NUM> so as to assist the ankle in plantar flexion (also known as plantar flexion) movement. It is worth mentioning that, the front end <NUM> will apply a force F3 to the ground under the action of the pulling force F2 instead of applying a relatively large force to the user's foot so as not to cause user's discomfort, since the user's forefoot abuts against the ground when performing a plantar flexion movement; when the pulling torque is less than the spring torque exerted by the torsion spring <NUM>, the front end <NUM> of the foot support <NUM> will apply an upward normal force F3' to the sole, which is perpendicular to the surface of the sole so as to assist the ankle in plantarflexion (also known as dorsiflexion) movement; and whenever the link assembly <NUM> will only receive a torque that makes it rotate around the foot support <NUM>, therefore, the link assembly <NUM> will only exert normal forces F1, F1' to the user's calf, which are perpendicular to the skin surface of the calf, through the calf ring <NUM>, , and this also allows the calf ring <NUM> to only partially contact the calf without tightly holding the calf, thereby improving the user's comfort. Therefore, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device will only generate normal forces F1, F1', F2, F3' perpendicular to the skin surface that are applied to the user's skin surface in contact during operation, and will not apply a tangential force to the user's skin surface in contact, which is tangential to the user's skin surface. Therefore, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device will not cause skin friction and tangential compression to cause discomfort to the user, and can provide sufficient assistance without being affected by the user's skin laxity and muscle strength. In addition, the normal forces F1, F1' are smaller and the assisting force F3' is larger, since the moment arm S1 of the normal forces F1 and F1' is larger, and the moment arm S3 of the assisting force F3' is smaller. Therefore, the reaction force applied to the user's calf is relatively small, but the assisting force applied to the foot is relatively large, which further improves the comfort and effectiveness of the user when using the ankle assisting exoskeleton device for ankle assistance.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the position where the sole pulling ring <NUM> is hinged to the foot support <NUM> is located between the position where the link assembly <NUM> is hinged to the foot support <NUM> and the rear end <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the foot support <NUM> includes a pair of support arms <NUM>, <NUM> (i.e., the left side support arm <NUM> and the right side support arm <NUM>) connecting the rear end <NUM> to the front end <NUM> on the left and right sides, wherein the front end <NUM> is constituted by support arm front ends <NUM> and <NUM> of the pair of support arms <NUM>, <NUM> and an instep strap <NUM> attached thereto (for example, through detachable hook and loop fasteners, Velcro etc.), and the instep strap <NUM> is configured to partially cover the user's instep.

Therefore, referring to <FIG>, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, when the pulling torque applied by the cable <NUM> is less than the spring torque applied by the torsion spring <NUM>, the support arm front ends <NUM>, <NUM> will apply an upward normal force F3' to the sole, which is perpendicular to the surface of the sole, to assist the ankle in dorsiflexion movement.

Referring to <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the support arm front end <NUM>, <NUM> of the pair of support arms <NUM>, <NUM> include protrusions <NUM>, <NUM> extending towards each other at their bottoms.

Therefore, referring to <FIG>, according to the above embodiment, when the pulling torque applied by the cable <NUM> is less than the spring torque applied by the torsion spring <NUM>, the protrusions <NUM>, <NUM> will apply an upward normal force F3' to the sole, which is perpendicular to the surface of the sole to assist the ankle in dorsiflexion (also known as dorsiflexion) movement, and it will not cause the user's sole's discomfort when the force F3' is large, since the protrusions <NUM>, <NUM> are in surface contact with the user's sole,.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, according to the present invention, the pair of support arms <NUM>, <NUM> together with the rear end <NUM> are U-shaped and configured to be horizontally (at least partially) surround the user's foot.

Referring to <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the pair of support arms <NUM>, <NUM> include multiple sets of hinge holes, wherein each set of hinge holes include two hinge holes <NUM>, <NUM> disposed in the pair of support arms <NUM>, <NUM> oppositely in the transverse direction, and the sole pulling ring <NUM> is hinged to the pair of support arms <NUM>, <NUM> at one set of the multiple sets of hinge holes.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, the position where the sole pulling ring <NUM> is hinged to the foot support <NUM> can be chosen from a variety of options to better match the user's foot, so that the ankle assisting exoskeleton device can assist users in a more efficient and more reliable manner.

Still referring to <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the pair of support arms <NUM>, <NUM> include at least three sets of hinge holes.

Referring to <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the link assembly <NUM> includes a pair of connecting rods <NUM>, <NUM> (that is, the left connecting rod <NUM> and the right connecting rod <NUM>) arranged on the left and right sides of the foot support <NUM>, each of the pair of connecting rods <NUM>, <NUM> is respectively attached to the left and right sides of the calf ring <NUM> at its upper end, and respectively hinged to the foot support <NUM> at its lower end. Specifically, the left connecting rod <NUM> is hinged to the left support arm <NUM>, and the right connecting rod <NUM> is hinged to the right support arm <NUM>.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the calf ring <NUM> and the foot support <NUM> are only connected with each other through the pair of connecting rods <NUM>, <NUM>, which greatly reduces the weight of the lower limb support <NUM> and further reduces the covered area of the user's limbs. Therefore, the physical exhaustion of the user when wearing the ankle assisting exoskeleton device is minimized, and the comfort is further improved.

Referring to <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the link assembly <NUM> includes a support block <NUM> that connects the pair of connecting rods <NUM>, <NUM> with each other along a part of the height of the link assembly <NUM>. Although it has been shown in the figure that the support block <NUM> connects the pair of connecting rods <NUM>, <NUM> with each other at the middle of the link assembly <NUM> in the vertical direction, it is understandable that the position of the support block <NUM> in the vertical direction is variable, for example, it can be located above or below the middle of the link assembly <NUM> in the vertical direction. Therefore, any position of the support block <NUM> in the vertical direction should be regarded as included in the scope of the present invention.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, due to the existence of the support block <NUM>, the structure of the link assembly <NUM> is more stable and therefore can support the lower limb support <NUM> more reliably, and since the support block <NUM> is only located along a part of the height of the link assembly <NUM>, the support block <NUM> does not significantly increase the weight of the link assembly <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device further includes a sleeve <NUM> sheathed outside the cable <NUM>, wherein the cable <NUM> can slide in the sleeve <NUM>, and the sleeve <NUM> is fixed to the actuator <NUM> at its upper end and connected to the lower limb support <NUM> at its lower end. In particular, the cable <NUM> and the sleeve <NUM> constitute a Bowden Cable.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the sleeve <NUM> can be used to guide the cable <NUM> between the actuator <NUM> and the lower limb support <NUM>, so that the actuator <NUM> can apply a pulling force to the lower limb support <NUM> through the cable <NUM> more efficiently and reliably. As a result, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device can provide users with assistive force in a more efficient and more reliable manner.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the lower limb support <NUM> further includes a sleeve base <NUM> hinged to the support block <NUM>, so that the sleeve base <NUM> can rotate about a transverse axis relative to the support block <NUM>, wherein the lower end of the sleeve <NUM> is fixed to the sleeve base <NUM>.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the lower end of the sleeve <NUM> can rotate with the sleeve base <NUM> relative to the support block <NUM>, which makes the angular position of the lower end of the sleeve <NUM> varies with the movement of the user's foot. As a result, the direction in which the cable <NUM> exits from the lower end of the sleeve <NUM> is always directed towards the rear end <NUM> of the foot support <NUM> pulled by the cable <NUM>. In other words, the lower end of the sleeve <NUM> always guides the cable <NUM> towards the rear end <NUM> of the foot support <NUM> without imposing any obstruction in a direction transverse to that in which the cable <NUM> extends, so that the actuator <NUM> can apply a pulling force to the lower limb support <NUM> through the cable <NUM> more efficiently and reliably. As a result, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device can provide users with assistive force in a more efficient and more reliable manner.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device further includes one or more sensors (for example, IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensors, EMG (electromyogram) sensors, force sensors, etc.), which are configured to detect user's biological signals (for example, foot movement, foot angle, foot acceleration, leg movement, leg angle, leg acceleration, muscle activity, etc.) in real time and the pulling force applied by the cable <NUM> to the foot support <NUM>. The ankle assisting exoskeleton device also includes a controller (for example, a microprocessor) configured to use the detection data from the sensors to control the pulling force applied by the cable <NUM> to the foot support <NUM> in real time.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present ankle assisting exoskeleton device uses sensors to detect the user's biological signals (for example, foot movement, foot angle, foot acceleration, leg movement, leg angle, leg acceleration, muscle activity and the like) in real time. Then, the controller can use the detected data to determine the movement mode that is and will be performed by the user (for example, the user is about to stand, walk, run, etc.) and the action that is and will be performed by the user's foot (for example, curvature movement, plantarflexion movement), and then the controller further uses the detected pulling force applied by the cable <NUM> to the foot support <NUM> to perform a closed-ring control of the pulling force so as to assist the user's ankle in real time, accurately and prospectively. Therefore, no matter what movement mode (for example, the user is about to stand, walk, run, etc.) that is and will be performed by the user and no matter what action (for example, curvature movement, plantarflexion movement) that is and will be performed by the user's foot, this ankle assisting exoskeleton device can assist the user's ankle in real time, accurately and prospectively.

Referring to <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device includes an EMG sensor <NUM> arranged at the rear of the calf ring <NUM>, an IMU sensor <NUM> and a microprocessor <NUM> arranged in a support block <NUM>, a force sensor <NUM> arranged on the sleeve base <NUM> and an IMU sensor <NUM> arranged on the foot support <NUM>. In addition, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device further includes a circuit signal wire <NUM> configured to transmit data and power between the actuator <NUM> and the various sensors and the microprocessor.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, after the power is obtained from the actuator <NUM> through the circuit signal wire <NUM>, the EMG sensor <NUM> measures the biological signal of the user's calf, the IMU sensor <NUM> measures the inertial signal of the user's calf, the IMU sensor <NUM> measures the inertial signal of the user's foot, and the force sensor <NUM> measures the pulling force applied by the cable <NUM>. Then the microprocessor <NUM> can use the data output by the above-mentioned sensors to predict the user's actions and further control the pulling force applied by the cable <NUM> in a closed loop, so that the ankle assisting exoskeleton device can assist the user's ankle in real-time, precisely and prospectively. However, it is worth noting that the positions of the above-mentioned sensors and microprocessor are only exemplary, and their specific positions can be changed without affecting their functions. For example, the microprocessor <NUM> may be disposed in the actuator <NUM>, and the EMG sensor <NUM> may be disposed on the link assembly <NUM>.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the actuator <NUM> is provided with a roller on which the cable <NUM> is wound, a motor configured to drive the roller to rotate and controlled by the controller, and a transmission for transmitting driving force between the motor and the roller. The ankle assisting exoskeleton device also includes a power supply configured to be worn in front of the user's waist for supplying power to various power-consuming components.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned embodiments, the heavier components (for example, motor, power supply, transmission, etc.) of the ankle assisting exoskeleton device are all set on the waist of the user, that is, most weight of the ankle assisting exoskeleton device is concentrated on the user's waist instead of on the user's lower limbs. This further reduces physical exhaustion of the user when wearing the ankle assisting exoskeleton device, thereby improving the comfort of the user and allowing the user to be able to wear it for a long time to have the ankle assisted in movement; and since the power supply is located in front of the waist, and the motor, transmission, etc. are located behind the waist, the power supply, motor, transmission, etc. can be counterweight to each other, which further improves the comfort of the user when wearing the ankle assisting exoskeleton device.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the ankle assisting exoskeleton device includes an actuator <NUM>, and two independent lower limb supports <NUM> that are configured to be respectively worn on the left and right legs of the user, and two cables <NUM> corresponding to the two lower limb supports <NUM> respectively.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, when one of the ankles of the user needs assistance, the user can wear only one lower limb support <NUM> to assist the ankle to exercise; when both ankles of the user need assistance, the user can wear two independent lower limb supports <NUM>. to simultaneously assist both ankles to exercise, which greatly improves the flexibility of the ankle assisting exoskeleton device in use.

Claim 1:
An ankle assisting exoskeleton device comprising:
an actuator (<NUM>) configured to be worn behind a user's waist;
a cable (<NUM>),
a lower limb support (<NUM>) comprising:
a calf ring (<NUM>) configured to encircle a user's calf;
a link assembly (<NUM>) attached to the calf ring (<NUM>) and extending downwards;
a foot support (<NUM>), the foot support (<NUM>) comprising a front end (<NUM>) and a rear end (<NUM>) and being hinged between the front end (<NUM>) and the rear end (<NUM>) to a lower end of the link assembly (<NUM>), the foot support (<NUM>) including a pair of support arms (<NUM>, <NUM>), the pair of support arms <NUM>, <NUM> together with the rear end (<NUM>) are U-shaped and configured to at least partially horizontally surround a user's foot; and wherein the front end (<NUM>) of the foot support (<NUM>) is configured to vertically surround the user's foot and the rear end (<NUM>) is configured to be located behind the user's heel;
wherein the lower limb support (<NUM>) further comprises: a torsion spring (<NUM>) disposed between the lower end of the link assembly (<NUM>) and the foot support (<NUM>), the torsion spring (<NUM>) being configured to apply a torque to the foot support (<NUM>) causing the front end (<NUM>) to be lifted upwards; and
a sole pulling ring (<NUM>) hinged to the foot support (<NUM>) between the front end (<NUM>) and the rear end (<NUM>) of the foot support (<NUM>), the sole pulling ring (<NUM>) being configured to pull the user's sole; and
the cable (<NUM>) being connected at its ends to the actuator (<NUM>) and the rear end (<NUM>) of the foot support (<NUM>) so that the actuator (<NUM>) can apply an upward pull to the rear end (<NUM>) through the cable (<NUM>) to drive the user's foot to rotate around an ankle joint through an upward pulling force exerted on the user's sole.