TWI765425B - Automatically adjustable supporting equipment and method for automatically adjusting supporting equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatically adjustable supporting equipment includes a supporting band, an adjusting device and a controller. The supporting band surrounds a body part of a user. The adjusting device is disposed on the supporting band and includes an actuating mechanism and an accelerometer. The actuating mechanism is configured to adjust a pressure applied on the body part by the supporting band. The accelerometer is configured to measure an acceleration. The controller is coupled to the adjusting device and configured to drive the actuating mechanism according to the acceleration to adjust the pressure to a pressure preset value.

Description

Self-regulating protective gear and automatic regulating method of protective gear

The present disclosure relates to a protective gear and a control method of the protective gear, and more particularly, to an automatic regulating protective gear and an automatic regulating method of the protective gear.

In recent years, due to the advancement of science and technology, many work items that used to be done by manpower have begun to be replaced by mechanical force in large numbers. Although it brings a lot of convenience in life, for the human body itself, the opportunities for activities are gradually reduced. People's life style is gradually changing from the active life to the sedentary life, which inevitably leads to the gradual decline of the physical fitness of the human body. Among the physical fitness capabilities, the evaluation and improvement of cardiopulmonary function were often emphasized in the past, but were often ignored for other physical fitness capabilities. This will not only promote the unbalanced improvement of physical fitness capabilities, but also greatly reduce the training effect. Among them, the decline of muscle fitness during exercise is one of the reasons for common civilization diseases, such as low back pain, The cause is mostly due to myogenic problems with exercise - ie muscle weakness or muscle tightness.

In view of this, various protective gears have been invented in the industry, which can fix the user's limbs in a relatively stable position to ensure that they are not easily injured, but the existing protective gears still have shortcomings, such as: in order to To achieve a better protection effect and enhance muscle strength, the tighter the protective gear covers the limbs, the better, but this will cause the user to experience muscle strength decline and discomfort after prolonged use, resulting in protection effect and comfort. It is difficult to balance the two.

The present disclosure provides a self-adjusting protective gear and an automatic adjusting method for the protective gear, which can adjust the pressure exerted by the support belt on the user's limb according to the movement pattern of the user's limb.

An auto-adjustable brace of the present disclosure includes a support belt, an actuating mechanism, an acceleration sensor, and a controller. The support strap wraps around the user's limb. An actuating mechanism is assembled with the support strap and used to adjust the pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb. The acceleration sensor is used to sense the acceleration value. The controller is coupled to the actuating mechanism and the acceleration sensor, and is configured to drive the actuating mechanism to adjust the pressure to a predetermined pressure value according to changes in the acceleration value.

An automatically adjustable protective gear of the present disclosure includes a support strap, an actuating mechanism, and a controller. The support strap is adapted to encircle the user's limb. The actuating mechanism includes a motor and a solenoid valve. The motor is adapted to be assembled with the support belt and is configured to carry the belt Moving the support strap adjusts the pressure that the support strap applies to the limb. The solenoid valve is configured to be movable between an engaged position and a rotated position and includes a stop. A controller is coupled to the actuating mechanism and is capable of controlling the solenoid valve to move to the engaged position or the rotational position, wherein when the solenoid valve is in the engaged position, a stop of the solenoid valve When the solenoid valve is in the rotating position, the stopper of the solenoid valve is disengaged from the rotating shaft, so that the motor is free turn.

An automatic adjustment method of a protective gear of the present disclosure includes the following steps. Wrap the support straps around the user's limb. The acceleration sensor senses the acceleration value of the limb. The controller judges the action pattern of the user according to the change of the acceleration value, and adjusts the support band accordingly, so that the pressure exerted by the support band on the limb is equal to a preset pressure value, wherein the pressure preset value is responsive to the action pattern.

Based on the above, the self-adjusting brace of the present disclosure can determine the movement pattern of the user according to the motion parameters of the limbs sensed by the sensor, and drive the actuating mechanism to adjust (increase or decrease) according to the movement pattern. ) The pressure exerted by the support girdle on the limb. Therefore, when the user is in a dynamic motion state, the actuating mechanism can increase the pressure (tighten) exerted by the support strap on the limb, so as to increase the support force and restraint force on the limb. When the user is in a static motion pattern, the actuating mechanism can reduce the pressure (relaxation) exerted by the support strap on the limb to improve the user's comfort.

10: Limbs

11, 12: Limbs

20: Guards

100: Self-adjusting protective gear

110: Support Girdle

120: Actuating Mechanism

122, 122a, 122b: Motor

1221, 1221a, 1221b: Rotation axis

1222, 1222a, 122b: teeth

124: Solenoid valve

1241: Stopper

130, 130a, 130b: sensor modules

132, 132a, 132b: acceleration sensor

134: Pressure Sensor

136a, 136b: angle sensor

140: Controller

142: Action Recognition Model

D1: switch direction

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a use situation of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a use situation of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a schematic block diagram of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an actuating mechanism of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic diagrams of two states of an actuating mechanism of an automatic adjusting brace according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic flowchart of an automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A is a schematic flowchart of an automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are schematic diagrams of usage scenarios of an automatically adjustable protective gear in different sports modes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of an angle sensor in different operations according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Schematic diagram of the sensed angle curve in the dynamic state.

FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are schematic diagrams of usage scenarios of an auto-adjustable protective gear in different sports modes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

13 is a schematic diagram of an angle curve sensed by an angle sensor under different motion patterns according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

14 is a schematic diagram of an acceleration curve sensed by an acceleration sensor in another motion state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

15 is a schematic diagram of an angle curve sensed by an angle sensor in another motion state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The foregoing and other technical contents, features and effects of the present disclosure will be clearly presented in the following detailed description of each embodiment with reference to the drawings. The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc., only refer to the directions of the attached drawings. Accordingly, the directional terminology used is illustrative, not limiting, of the present disclosure. Also, in the following embodiments, the same or similar elements will be given the same or similar reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a use situation of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 at the same time. In some embodiments, the self-adjusting protective gear 100 can be worn on the limb 10 of the user to provide support and protection for the limb 10 . In certain embodiments, the self-adjusting brace 100 may, for example, To be worn on the waist, limbs, joints or other suitable parts of the user, that is to say, the limbs 10 may include the waist, limbs, joints and other parts. In this embodiment, the limb 10 may be the knee joint of the user as shown in FIG. 1 , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the self-adjusting brace 100 may include a support strap 110 , an actuation mechanism 120 , a sensor module 130 , and a controller 140 . The support strap 110 is used to wrap around the user's limb 10 . In some embodiments, the support belt 110 can be directly wrapped around the user's limb 10 , such as the user's waist or at least one side of a joint, so as to adjust the limb 10 by directly tightening or loosening the limb 10 . Provide support and protection. In other embodiments, the self-adjusting brace 100 may additionally include a protection device 20 with higher mechanical strength (eg, knee pads, elbow pads and other joint protection devices), which can cover the user's limb 10 to prevent In order to prevent the limb 10 from being injured by external forces such as impact, the support strap 110 can surround the protective device 20 to adjust or tighten the protective device 20 .

In some embodiments, the actuating mechanism 120 can be assembled with the support strap 110 and used to adjust the pressure exerted by the support strap 110 on the limb 10 . In this embodiment, the sensing module 130 can be used to sense motion parameters (eg, acceleration or angle) of the limb 10 , which can be disposed on the limb 10 , or disposed on at least one side of the limb 10 , for example. In this embodiment, the self-adjusting protective gear 100 may include a single sensing module 130 , that is, the number of sensing modules 130 may be one, but this embodiment is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the self-adjusting brace can also include two or more sensing modules to sense the motion parameters of the limb 10 separately or cooperatively.

In some embodiments, the controller 140 is coupled to the actuation mechanism 120 and the sensor The measuring module 130 determines the movement type of the user according to the movement parameters sensed by the sensing module 130 , and drives the actuating mechanism 120 to adjust the movement of the support belt 110 on the limb 10 according to the movement type. pressure. In some embodiments, the controller 140 can control the actuating mechanism 120 to adjust the pressure applied by the support belt 110 to a predetermined pressure value according to the action pattern of the user.

In this embodiment, the sensing module 130 may include an acceleration sensor 132 configured to sense the acceleration value of the limb 10 . The controller 140 is coupled to the acceleration sensor 132 to determine the motion type of the user according to the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor 132 , and drives the actuating mechanism 120 to adjust the support belt 110 according to the motion type. Pressure exerted on the limb 10 . The controller 140 may be disposed in the sensing module 130 , but may also be installed in the actuating mechanism 120 .

For example, when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor 132 is substantially greater than or equal to the predetermined acceleration value, the controller 140 can determine that the limb 10 is in a dynamic motion type accordingly, and drive the actuation accordingly. The mechanism 120 increases the pressure applied by the support belt 110 to a dynamic pressure preset value. In this embodiment, the predetermined value of the acceleration may be approximately between 1G and 2G, and the predetermined value of the dynamic pressure may be approximately between 3kg/cm ² and 12kg/cm ² . However, the above-mentioned numerical ranges are only illustrative, and any person with ordinary knowledge in the art should understand that the above-mentioned numerical ranges may vary due to different body parts and different user conditions, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Conversely, when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor 132 is substantially smaller than the predetermined acceleration value, and the duration of the state in which the acceleration value is smaller than the predetermined acceleration value is substantially longer than a predetermined time, the controller 140 It is judged that the limb 10 is in a static action type, and the actuating mechanism 120 is driven accordingly to reduce the pressure exerted by the support band 110 to a predetermined static pressure value. In this embodiment, the predetermined value of the acceleration may be approximately between 0G and 0.1G, and the predetermined value of the static pressure may be approximately between 1kg/cm ² and 3kg/cm ² . However, the above-mentioned numerical ranges are only illustrative, and any person with ordinary knowledge in the art should understand that the above-mentioned numerical ranges may vary due to different body parts and different user conditions, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the acceleration sensor 132 can be a triaxial acceleration sensor to sense the acceleration values of the limb 10 in the X direction, the Y direction and the Z direction.

FIG. 1A is a schematic block diagram of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. It must be noted here that the self-regulating protective gear of this embodiment is similar to the self-regulating protective gear of FIG. 1 . Therefore, the present embodiment uses the component numbers and parts of the previous embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same. The same or similar elements, and the description of the same technical content is omitted. For the description of the omitted part, reference may be made to the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated in this embodiment. The differences between the self-adjusting protective gear of this embodiment and the self-adjusting protective gear of FIG. 1 will be described below.

Referring to FIG. 1A , in the present embodiment, the self-adjusting brace can include two sensing modules 130 a and 130 b, which can sense the motion parameters of the limb 10 separately or cooperatively. For example, when the limb 10 is the joint of the user, the sensing modules 130a and 130b may be disposed on opposite sides of the joint, for example, to sense the acceleration values at the opposite ends of the joint and/or the position of the joint at the opposite ends. Motion parameters such as the angle of the clip. Further, when the limb 10 is the joint of the user, the sensor modules 130a and 130b can be respectively disposed in the thigh and calf connected with the knee joint, as shown in FIG. 1A, near the knee joint At the joints, the motion parameters of the thigh and the lower leg (such as acceleration and the angle between the thigh and the lower leg, etc.) are sensed respectively.

FIG. 7 is a schematic flowchart of an automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Please refer to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 and FIG. 7 at the same time. Under the aforementioned configuration, the automatic adjustment method of the protective gear may include the following steps. First, the brace 100 is worn on the limb 10 of the user, for example, the support belt 110 is wrapped around the limb 10 of the user (step S110 ). Next, the sensing module 130 senses the motion parameters of the limb 10 , for example, senses the acceleration value of the limb 10 (step S120 ). In some embodiments, the acceleration sensor 132 may be disposed on the limb 10 , on one side of the limb 10 , or on opposite sides of the limb 10 , for example. In this embodiment, the limb 10 can be, for example, the user's knee joint, and the acceleration sensors 132 can be disposed on opposite sides of the knee joint, for example, to sense the limbs (such as the thigh and the knee joint) connected to the knee joint respectively. calf) acceleration value.

Next, step S130 is executed to determine the user's motion type (eg, dynamic motion type or static motion type) according to the measured acceleration value. Under various motion types of the user, the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor 132 can have various combinations of sensing results, and the controller 140 can associate various motion types with their corresponding various types The combination of the sensing results of 130 is matched, and then the user's action type is determined according to the combination of different sensing results sensed by the sensing module 130 (as in the previous example, but not limited to this). Next, step S140 is executed, the controller 140 adjusts the pressure exerted by the support strap 110 on the limb 10 according to the determined action pattern, for example, the pressure is approximately equal to a predetermined pressure value corresponding to the action pattern.

FIG. 2A is a schematic block diagram of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. It must be noted here that the self-regulating protective gear of this embodiment is similar to the self-regulating protective gear of FIG. 2 , therefore, the present embodiment uses the component numbers and parts of the previous embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used to indicate The same or similar elements, and the description of the same technical content is omitted. For the description of the omitted part, reference may be made to the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated in this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A , the following will describe the differences between the self-adjusting protective gear of the present embodiment and the self-adjusting protective gear 100 of FIG. 2 .

In some embodiments, the sensing module 130 may further include a pressure sensor 134 , which is coupled to the controller 140 and the support belt 110 to sense the pressure exerted by the support belt 110 on the limb 10 . In this embodiment, the controller 140 may be disposed in the sensing module 130 , but may also be disposed in the actuating mechanism 120 . The pressure sensor 134 of this embodiment may be disposed on the surface of the support belt 110 contacting the limb 10 , for example. In this configuration, when the pressure sensor 134 senses that the pressure is approximately equal to the pressure preset value, the controller 140 stops driving the actuating mechanism 120 . For example, if the controller 140 determines that the limb 10 is in a dynamic motion state, the controller 140 drives the actuating mechanism 120 to increase the pressure applied by the support belt 110 , and when the pressure sensor 134 senses the pressure of the support belt 110 When the pressure reaches (the actual value is greater than or equal to) the dynamic pressure preset value, the controller 140 stops driving the actuating mechanism 120 , that is, stops continuing to tighten the support belt 110 . On the other hand, if the controller 140 determines that the limb 10 is in a static motion state, the controller 140 drives the actuating mechanism 120 accordingly to reduce the pressure applied by the support belt 110 , and when the pressure sensor 134 senses the pressure of the support belt 110 The pressure reaches (actually less than or equal to) the static pressure preset value , the controller 140 stops driving the actuating mechanism 120 , that is, stops continuing to loosen the support belt 110 .

Under such a configuration, the self-adjusting brace 100 of the present disclosure can determine the movement pattern of the user according to the motion parameters of the limbs sensed by the sensor, and drive the actuating mechanism to adjust ( increase or decrease) the pressure exerted by the support strap 110 on the limb 10 . Therefore, when the user is in a dynamic motion pattern (eg, walking, running, falling, sitting to standing, or standing to sitting, etc.), the actuating mechanism 120 can increase the force exerted by the support belt 110 on the limb 10 . Pressure (tightening) to increase the support and restraint of the limb 10 . When the user is in a static motion state (such as sitting, lying down, standing, etc.), the actuating mechanism 120 can reduce the pressure (relaxation) exerted by the support strap 110 on the limb 10, so as to improve the use of the comfort of the user.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an actuating mechanism of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the actuating mechanism 120 includes a motor 122 and a solenoid valve 124 . In certain embodiments, the motor 122 may be connected to the support strap 110 . The motor 122 is configured to drive the support strap 110 to adjust the pressure exerted by the support strap 110 on the limb 10 . In this embodiment, the motor 122 can be, for example, a spindle motor, which can include a rotating shaft 1221 . The motor 122 is used to drive the rotating shaft 1221 to rotate. In this embodiment, at least one end of the support belt 110 can be disposed on the rotating shaft 1221 , so the end of the support belt 110 can be driven to rotate through the rotating shaft 1221 to adjust the tightness of the support belt 110 , and then Adjust the pressure that the support strap 110 exerts on the limb 10 . In this embodiment, the support strap 110 may be It includes a movable part 112 and a fixed part 114 , wherein the end of the movable part is set on the rotating shaft 1221 to adjust the tightness of the support belt 110 with the rotation of the rotating shaft 1221 , and the fixed part 114 remains fixed.

In some embodiments, the solenoid valve 124 is coupled to the controller 140 to be controlled by the controller 140 to move between an engaging position and a rotating position along the switching direction D1. In this embodiment, the circumference of the rotating shaft 1221 may include a plurality of teeth 1222 , and the solenoid valve 124 may include a stopper 1241 adapted to engage with the teeth 1222 . In this configuration, when the controller 140 wants to stop driving the actuating mechanism 120 (eg, when the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor 134 is approximately equal to the pressure preset value), the controller 140 controls the solenoid valve 124 to move to the position shown in FIG. 3 . In the engagement position shown, the stopper 1241 of the solenoid valve 124 is engaged with the teeth 1222 of the rotating shaft 1221 of the motor 122 to prevent the rotation of the motor and stop the rotation of the driving motor 122. In this way, the end of the support belt 110 stops being driven so that the tightness of the support belt 110 can be fixed.

Similarly, when the controller 140 wants to adjust the pressure exerted by the support belt 110 on the limb 10 (for example, when the controller determines that the user's action pattern has changed), the controller 140 controls the solenoid valve 124 to move along the switching direction D1 (for example, 3) to the rotating position, and drive the motor 122 to start rotating. At this time, the stopper 1241 of the solenoid valve 124 is disengaged from the teeth 1222 of the rotating shaft 1221 of the motor 122, so that the motor 122 can rotate freely. In this way, the end of the support belt 110 starts to be driven to rotate so that the tightness of the support belt 110 can be adjusted. The controller 140 may be disposed in the sensing module, but may also be disposed in the actuating mechanism 120 .

Under such a configuration, the self-adjusting protective gear 100 of the present disclosure only needs to be When the actuating mechanism 120 is to be stopped, the solenoid valve 124 is moved to the engaged position, the motor 122 and the end of the support belt 110 can be fixed at the current position, and the current tightness of the support belt 110 can be fixed. After that, it is not necessary to continuously supply power to the actuating mechanism 120 , and the tightness of the support belt 110 is maintained only by the mechanical engagement relationship between the stopper 1241 of the solenoid valve 124 and the rotating shaft 1221 of the motor 122 . Therefore, the self-adjusting protective gear 100 of the present disclosure can not only automatically adjust the tightness of the support strap 110 , but also achieve the effect of saving electricity.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic diagrams of two states of an actuating mechanism of an automatic adjusting brace according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. It must be noted here that the actuating mechanism 120 of this embodiment is similar to the actuating mechanism 120 of FIG. 3 . Therefore, this embodiment uses the component numbers and parts of the previous embodiment, and the same numbers are used to indicate the same or Similar elements, and the description of the same technical content is omitted. For the description of the omitted part, reference may be made to the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated in this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , the difference between the actuating mechanism 120 of the present embodiment and the actuating mechanism 120 of FIG. 3 will be described below.

In this embodiment, the motor 122 may include a plurality of motors 122a and 122b, which are respectively assembled with opposite ends of the support belt 110 to drive the two ends of the support belt 110 (eg, rotate relative to each other) to adjust the support. The pressure applied by the strap 110 to the limb 10 . Therefore, the actuating mechanism 120 of the present embodiment utilizes the two motors 122a, 122b to drive the opposite ends of the support belt 110 to rotate in opposite directions at the same time, so that the efficiency of adjusting the tightness of the support belt 110 can be accelerated, that is, it can be Adjust the support strap 110 to the desired pressure preset in less time.

In this embodiment, the motors 122a, 122b each include rotating shafts 1221a, 1221b. The peripheries of the rotating shafts 1221a, 1221b may each include a plurality of teeth 1222a, 122b. In some embodiments, the rotation directions of the rotating shafts 1221a and 1221b of the motors 122a and 122b are opposite to each other, and they are respectively assembled with the opposite ends of the support belt 110 to drive the two ends of the support belt 110 (for example, : Rotate in the opposite direction to retract or release). The solenoid valve 124 may be provided, for example, between the two motors 122a, 122b. In this configuration, when the controller 140 wants to adjust the pressure exerted by the support belt 110 on the limb 10 (for example, when the controller determines that the user's action state has changed), the controller 140 controls the solenoid valve 124 to move to the position shown in FIG. 4 . Rotate position, and drive the motor 122 to start to rotate. At this time, the stopper 1241 of the solenoid valve 124 is disengaged from the teeth 1222 of the rotating shaft 1221 of the motor 122, so that the motor 122 can rotate freely. In this way, both ends of the support belt 110 start to rotate relative to each other so that the tightness of the support belt 110 can be adjusted.

Conversely, when the controller 140 wants to stop driving the actuating mechanism 120 , for example, when the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor 134 is approximately equal to the pressure preset value, the controller 140 controls the solenoid valve 124 to move to the position shown in FIG. 5 . The stopper 1241 of the solenoid valve 124 is engaged with the teeth 1222a and 1222b of the rotating shafts 1221a and 1221b of the motors 122a and 122b, respectively, to block the rotation of the motors 122a and 122b, and the controller 140 stops driving the motors 122 to rotate. At this time, the stopper 1241 is engaged with the teeth 1222a and 1222b of the rotating shafts 1221a and 1221b, and the motor 122 is positioned. In this way, the opposite ends of the support belt 110 stop being rolled up, so that the tightness of the support belt 110 can be fixed. The controller 140 may be disposed in the sensing module, but may also be disposed in the actuating mechanism 120 .

Under such a configuration, the self-adjusting brace of this embodiment utilizes the two motors 122a, 122b to drive the opposite ends of the support belt 110 to rotate in opposite directions at the same time, so that the support belt 110 can be adjusted more quickly to the desired pressure preset. In addition, the actuating mechanism 120 only needs to move one solenoid valve 124 to the engaged position when it wants to stop driving the actuating mechanism 120, and then it can engage with the two motors 122a, 122b at the same time, and stop driving the opposite ends of the support belt 110, The opposite ends of the support belt 110 are fixed at the current position, so that the current tightness of the support belt 110 can be fixed. After the solenoid valve 124 is in the engaged position, it is not necessary to continuously supply power to the actuating mechanism 120. At this time, only the mechanical engagement relationship between the stopper 1241 of the solenoid valve 124 and the rotating shafts 1221a and 122b of the motors 122a and 122b is used to maintain the support belt. 110 tightness. Therefore, the self-adjusting protective gear of this embodiment can not only improve the efficiency of automatically adjusting the tightness of the support belt 110 , but also achieve the effect of saving electricity.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an automatically adjustable protective gear according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7A is a schematic flowchart of an automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Please refer to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7A at the same time, in some embodiments, the self-adjusting protective gear 100 can be applied to the protection of joints, that is, the limb 10 includes the joint of the user and the two limb parts 11 connected by the joint. , 12. In this embodiment, the self-adjusting brace 100 may include a plurality of sensor modules 130a and 130b, which are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the joint to sense motion parameters on both sides of the joint. For example, if the self-adjusting brace 100 is used to protect the knee joint, the sensor modules 130a and 130b can be respectively disposed on the two limb parts 11 and 12 connected to the knee joint as shown in FIG. In the thigh and calf near the knee joint, respectively Sensing the motion parameters of the thigh and calf (such as acceleration and the angle between the thigh and the calf, etc.). In some embodiments, the acceleration sensor 132 may include a plurality of acceleration sensors 132a, 132b, which are respectively disposed on the limb parts 11, 12 to which the joints are connected. In some embodiments, the self-adjusting brace 100 may further include a plurality of angle sensors 136a, 136b, which are coupled to the controller 140 and are respectively disposed on the limbs 11, 12 connected to the joints to sense all the angle sensors 136a and 136b. the angle of the joint. In this embodiment, the angle sensors 136a and 136b may be gyroscopes, but this embodiment is not limited thereto.

In such a configuration, the automatic adjustment method of the protective gear may include the following steps. First, the brace 100 is worn on the limb 10 of the user, for example, the support belt 110 is wrapped around the limb 10 of the user (step S110 ). Next, the sensing module 130 senses motion parameters of the limb 10 , such as sensing the acceleration value of the limb 10 (step S120 ) and/or sensing the angle presented by the limb 10 (step S125 ). In this embodiment, the acceleration sensors 132a and 132b may be disposed on opposite sides of the knee joint, respectively, to sense the acceleration values of the limbs 11 and 12 (eg, thigh and calf) connected to the knee joint. The angle sensors 136a and 136b can be respectively disposed on opposite sides of the joint, that is, respectively disposed on the limbs 11 and 12 to which the joints are connected, so as to sense the angle of the knee joint, that is, the limbs to which the knee joint is connected. The angle between 11 and 12 (eg thigh and calf).

Next, step S130 is executed to determine the user's motion type (eg, dynamic motion type or static motion type) according to the measured acceleration value and/or angle. Under various motion patterns of the user, the acceleration values sensed by the acceleration sensors 132a, 132b and the angles sensed by the angle sensors 136a, 136b are different. There are different combinations of sensing results, the controller 140 can match a variety of different action types with their corresponding combinations of different sensing results, and then judge according to the different combinations of sensing results sensed by the sensing module 130 Show the user's action pattern. The following will list some of the action types and their corresponding sensing result combinations as examples, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Next, step S140 is executed, the controller 140 adjusts the pressure exerted by the support strap 110 on the limb 10 according to the determined action pattern, for example, the pressure is approximately equal to the predetermined pressure value corresponding to the action pattern, wherein, The method for making the pressure approximately equal to the pressure preset value corresponding to the action type (step S140 ) may include the following sub-steps. For example, the pressure sensor 134 is used to sense the pressure exerted by the support belt 110 on the limb 10, when the pressure sensor 134 senses that the pressure exerted by the support belt 110 on the limb 10 is approximately equal to the pressure preset value (step S142 ), the controller 140 stops adjusting the pressure exerted by the support strap 110 on the limb 10 (step S144 ), that is, to fix the current tightness of the support strap 110 .

FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are schematic diagrams of usage scenarios of an automatically adjustable protective gear under different action modes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an angle curve sensed by an angle sensor in different action modes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Please refer to FIG. 8 and FIG. 10 first, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the user is in the action form from sitting to standing, as shown in FIG. 8 , the angle of the user's knee joint (limb 10 ) will increase from about 90 degrees to nearly 180 degrees (angle θ1 to angle θ2). Since the user's thighs and calves are both in motion, the acceleration value will also increase. Therefore, when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensors 132a, 132b is substantially greater than or equal to the predetermined acceleration value and the angle sensor 136a, 136b senses When the measured angle increases, the controller 140 determines that the limb 10 is in a sitting-to-standing motion type, which is a dynamic motion type, and accordingly drives the actuating mechanism 120 to adjust the support belt 110 to increase the pair of support belts 110 The pressure applied by the limb 10 is increased, for example, to a dynamic pressure preset value.

It should be noted that the relationship between the joint angle and time sensed by the angle sensors 136a and 136b is shown in FIG. 10 , wherein, the user’s action pattern during T1 is sitting, so the angle of the knee joint is approximately maintained at 90 degrees up and down, during T2, the user's movement pattern is from sitting to standing, so the angle of the knee joint increases from about 90 degrees to nearly 180 degrees. During T3, the user maintains a standing movement pattern, while during T4, the user's movement pattern is from standing to sitting. Therefore, the controller 140 of the self-adjusting protective gear 100 of the present embodiment can determine the action pattern of the user from the angle relationship graph. In some embodiments, the controller 140 can also determine the motion type of the user only according to the angles sensed by the angle sensors 136a and 136b. In addition, since the user's limb posture, angle, and momentum may be slightly different each time, and the angle and momentum presented by different users in the same posture may also be different, the angle, acceleration mentioned in this disclosure , pressure and other values are all examples, the so-called "substantially", "approximately", "left and right" and other terms mean that there may be at least a plus or minus 15% error. The controller 140 may be disposed in the sensing module, but may also be disposed in the actuating mechanism.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 again, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the user is in the action form from standing to sitting, as shown in FIG. 9 , the angle of the user's knee joint (limb 10 ) will decrease from about 180 degrees to nearly 90 degrees (as shown in the figure 10 during T4), and since the user's thighs and calves are close to a static state after sitting down, the acceleration value thereof will be greatly reduced and the state of the low acceleration value will be maintained for a period of time. Therefore, when the angle sensed by the angle sensors 136a, 136b decreases, and the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensors 132a, 132b is substantially less than a predetermined acceleration value and the duration is substantially greater than or equal to a predetermined value After the time (for example, about 10 seconds), the controller 140 determines that the limb 10 is in a sitting motion type, which is a static motion type, and drives the actuating mechanism 120 to adjust the support strap 110 accordingly to reduce the size of the support strap 110 The pressure exerted on the limb 10 is reduced, for example, to a static pressure preset value. The controller 140 may be disposed in the sensing module, but may also be disposed in the actuating mechanism 120 .

FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are schematic diagrams of usage scenarios of an automatically adjustable protective gear under different action modes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an angle curve sensed by an angle sensor under different action modes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Please refer to FIG. 11 first. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the user is in the action mode from walking to standing, as shown in FIG. 11 , the angle of the user's knee joint increases from about 135 degrees to Close to 180 degrees (angle θ1 to angle θ2). In addition, since the user's thighs and calves are in a state of near rest when standing, the acceleration value thereof will be greatly reduced and the state of the low acceleration value will be maintained for a period of time. Therefore, when the angle sensed by the angle sensors 136a, 136b gradually increases to be close to 180 degrees, and the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensors 132a, 132b is substantially less than a predetermined acceleration value and the duration is substantially greater than or is equal to a preset time (for example, about 10 seconds). In this case, the controller 140 determines that the limb 10 is in a standing action type. It is a static action type, and the controller 140 drives the actuating mechanism 120 to adjust the support strap 110 accordingly, so as to reduce the pressure exerted by the support strap 110 on the limb 10 , for example, to a predetermined static pressure value. The controller 140 may be disposed in the sensing module, but may also be disposed in the actuating mechanism 120 .

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13 , in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the user is in the action form from standing to walking, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the angle of the knee joint presented by the user when the user starts walking will continue to change. Since the user's thighs and calves are both in motion, their acceleration values increase and have larger acceleration values. Therefore, when the acceleration values sensed by the acceleration sensors 132a and 132b increase and continue to change, and the angle sensor When the angles sensed by 136a and 136b also continue to change, the controller 140 determines that the limb 10 is in a walking motion type, which is a dynamic motion type, and the controller 140 drives the actuating mechanism 120 to adjust the support belt 110 accordingly. The pressure exerted by the support strap 110 on the limb 10 is increased, eg, to a dynamic pressure preset value. The controller 140 may be disposed in the sensing module, but may also be disposed in the actuating mechanism 120 .

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of an acceleration curve sensed by an acceleration sensor in another action mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of an angle curve sensed by an angle sensor in another action mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The user may have various motion patterns, and each motion pattern has its corresponding different motion trajectories. For example, the motion patterns may include walking, running, falling, squatting, kneeling, lying, etc. The trajectory of action is more complicated. Fig. 14 and Fig. 15 show the acceleration feeling of the action pattern of "falling down" The values read by the detector and the angle sensor are complicated to change in each direction, and the acceleration and angle of each fall may also be different. Therefore, in some embodiments, the controller 140 further includes at least one motion recognition model 142 (as shown in FIG. 2A ). The motion recognition model 142 of the controller 140 can be based on the acceleration sensors 132a, 132b and the angle sensor The sensing results of 136a and 136b are used to determine the action type of the user. In the present embodiment, the motion recognition model 142 may, for example, use Python to create a neural-like model training database, input the sensing results of the acceleration sensors 132a, 132b and the angle sensors 136a, 136b, and make the motion recognition The model performs feature analysis and extraction on it, so as to identify (judgment) the user's action pattern through a machine learning identification algorithm. Of course, this embodiment is only used for illustration, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

After the controller 140 determines the action type of the user, the controller 140 drives the actuating mechanism 120 to adjust (increase or decrease) the pressure applied by the support belt 110 to a preset pressure value, such as increasing to a dynamic pressure preset value. Set or reduce to static pressure preset. When the pressure sensor 134 senses that the pressure exerted by the support belt 110 on the limb 10 is approximately equal to the predetermined pressure value (step S142 ), step S144 is executed, and the controller 140 stops adjusting the pressure exerted by the support belt 110 on the limb 10 . The applied pressure, that is, the tightness of the current support strap 110 is fixed. The controller 140 may be disposed in the sensing module, but may also be disposed in the actuating mechanism.

Based on the above discussion, it can be seen that the disclosed embodiments provide various advantages. It should be understood, however, that not all advantages are discussed herein and that other embodiments may provide different advantages, nor that all embodiments require a particular advantage.

To sum up, the self-adjusting protective gear of the present disclosure can determine the movement pattern of the user according to the motion parameters of the limbs sensed by the sensor, and drive the actuating mechanism to adjust (increase or adjust) according to the movement pattern. Decrease) the pressure that the brace puts on the limb. Therefore, when the user is in a dynamic motion state, the actuating mechanism can increase the pressure (tighten) exerted by the support strap on the limb, so as to increase the support force and restraint force on the limb. When the user is in a static motion pattern, the actuating mechanism can reduce the pressure (relaxation) exerted by the support strap on the limb to improve the user's comfort.

In addition, the self-adjusting protective gear of the present disclosure only needs to move the solenoid valve to the engaged position when the actuating mechanism is to be stopped, so that the motor and the end of the support belt can be fixed at the current position, and then the support belt can be fixed. Current tightness. After that, it is not necessary to continuously supply power to the actuating mechanism, and only the engagement relationship between the stopper of the solenoid valve and the rotating shaft of the motor is used to maintain the tightness of the support belt. Therefore, the self-adjusting protective gear of the present disclosure can not only automatically adjust the tightness of the support strap, but also achieve the effect of saving electricity.

Although the present disclosure has been disclosed above with examples, it is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field may make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The scope of protection of the present disclosure shall be determined by the scope of the appended patent application.

10: Limbs

100: Self-adjusting protective gear

110: Support Girdle

120: Actuating Mechanism

130: Sensor Module

132: Accelerometer

140: Controller

Claims (35)

A self-adjusting protective gear, comprising: a support belt surrounding a user's limb; an actuating mechanism assembled with the support belt and used to adjust the pressure exerted by the support belt on the limb; and a sense of acceleration a detector for sensing an acceleration value; and a controller, coupled to the actuating mechanism and the acceleration sensor, configured to drive the actuating mechanism to adjust the pressure to a pressure preset according to the acceleration value set value. The self-adjusting protective gear according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor, coupled to the controller and the support strap, and used for sensing the pressure. The self-adjusting protective gear of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to further determine the user's action pattern according to the acceleration value, when the pressure sensor senses that the pressure reaches When the pressure preset value corresponds to the action type, the controller stops driving the actuating mechanism. The self-adjusting brace of claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism comprises: a motor configured to drive the support strap to adjust the pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb; and a solenoid valve configured to be controlled by the controller to be movable between an engaged position and a rotated position. The self-regulating brace of claim 4, wherein the solenoid valve includes a stopper, the motor includes a rotating shaft, and the stopper of the solenoid valve is in the engaged position when the solenoid valve is in the engaged position. A stopper is engaged with the rotating shaft of the motor to block the rotation of the motor, and when the solenoid valve is in the rotational position, the stopper of the solenoid valve and the rotation of the motor The shaft is disengaged to allow the motor to rotate freely. The self-adjusting brace of claim 4, wherein the motor includes a plurality of motors assembled with opposite ends of the support strap, respectively, and configured to drive the two ends to adjust the support strap the pressure exerted by the band on the limb. The self-adjusting brace of claim 6, wherein the rotational directions of the plurality of motors are opposite to each other. The self-adjusting protective gear according to claim 1, wherein when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor is greater than or equal to a preset acceleration value, the controller drives the actuating mechanism to adjust the a support strap to increase the pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb to a dynamic pressure preset value. The self-adjusting protective gear according to claim 1, wherein when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor is less than a preset acceleration value and the duration is greater than or equal to a preset time, the controller drives the The actuating mechanism adjusts the support strap to reduce the pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb to a static pressure preset value. The self-regulating brace of claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor includes a plurality of acceleration sensors. The self-adjusting protective gear of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of angle sensors, which are coupled to the controller and used to sense the angles of the limbs. The self-adjusting brace of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to drive the actuating mechanism to adjust the support strap according to the acceleration value and the angle to adjust the support strap the pressure applied to the limb. The self-adjusting brace of claim 11, wherein the angle sensor comprises a gyroscope. The self-adjusting protective gear of claim 11, wherein when the acceleration value is greater than or equal to a preset acceleration value and the angle increases, the controller drives the actuating mechanism to adjust the support strap to The pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb is increased. The self-adjusting brace of claim 11, wherein the controller drives the actuation when the angle decreases and the acceleration value is less than an acceleration preset value for a duration greater than or equal to a preset time A mechanism adjusts the support strap to reduce the pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb. The self-adjusting protective gear of claim 11, wherein when the angle increases to be greater than or equal to 180 degrees, and the acceleration value is less than a preset acceleration value and the duration is greater than or equal to a preset time, the controller drive the actuator The support strap is configured to adjust the support strap to reduce the pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb. The self-adjusting brace of claim 11, wherein when the angle continues to change and the acceleration value increases and continues to change, the controller drives the actuating mechanism to adjust the support strap to increase the pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb. The self-adjusting protective gear of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the user's action type by at least one action recognition model. A self-adjusting brace includes: a support strap adapted to encircle a user's limb; an actuation mechanism including a motor adapted to be assembled with the support strap and configured to drive the support strap adjusting the pressure applied by the support strap to the limb; and a solenoid valve configured to move between an engaged position and a rotated position and including a stop; a controller coupled to the actuation mechanism, and The solenoid valve can be controlled to move to the engaged position or the rotational position, wherein the stopper of the solenoid valve is engaged with the rotating shaft of the motor when the solenoid valve is in the engaged position In order to block the rotation of the motor, when the solenoid valve is in the rotating position, the stopper of the solenoid valve is disengaged from the rotating shaft, so that the motor can rotate freely. The self-adjusting brace of claim 19, wherein the motor includes a plurality of motors assembled with opposite ends of the support strap, respectively, and configured to drive the ends to adjust the support the pressure exerted by the band on the limb. The self-adjusting protective gear of claim 19, further comprising an acceleration sensor for sensing an acceleration value, the controller is coupled to the acceleration sensor to drive the acceleration value according to the acceleration value The actuating mechanism adjusts the support strap so that the pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb reaches a predetermined pressure value. The self-adjusting protective gear of claim 19, further comprising a pressure sensor coupled to the controller and the support strap and used for sensing the pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb mentioned pressure. The self-regulating brace of claim 22, wherein the controller stops driving the actuating mechanism when the pressure sensor senses that the pressure reaches the pressure preset value. The self-regulating brace of claim 21, wherein the acceleration sensor includes a plurality of acceleration sensors. The self-adjusting brace of claim 24, further comprising a plurality of angle sensors, coupled to the controller and respectively disposed on the support belt to sense the angle of the limb. The self-adjusting brace of claim 25, wherein the controller is configured to drive the actuating mechanism to adjust the support strap as a function of the angle such that the pressure is equal to a preset corresponding to the pressure value. The self-adjusting protective gear of claim 19, wherein the controller determines the user's action type by at least one action recognition model. An automatic adjustment method of a protective gear, comprising: wrapping a support belt around a user's limb; an acceleration sensor sensing the acceleration value of the limb; and a controller judging the user's action type according to the acceleration value and adjust the support band accordingly, so that the pressure exerted by the support band on the limb is equal to a predetermined pressure value, wherein the predetermined pressure value is responsive to the action pattern. The automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to claim 28, wherein the controller adjusts the support belt accordingly, so that the pressure exerted by the support belt on the limb is equal to the pressure preset The values include: a pressure sensor sensing the pressure exerted by the support strap on the limb; and when the pressure is equal to the pressure preset value, the controller stops adjusting the support strap. The automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to claim 28, further comprising: an angle sensor senses the angle presented by the limb, wherein the controller determines the user's The movement type includes: the controller determines the movement type of the user according to the acceleration value and the angle. The automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to claim 30, wherein when the acceleration value is substantially greater than or equal to a predetermined acceleration value and the angle increases, the controller determines that the limb is in a dynamic motion type, and Accordingly, the support belt is adjusted to increase the pressure exerted by the support belt on the limb to a preset dynamic pressure value. The automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to claim 30, wherein when the angle decreases, and the acceleration value is less than a preset acceleration value and the duration is greater than or equal to a preset time, the controller judges the limb In a static action type, the support belt is adjusted to reduce the pressure exerted by the support belt on the limb to a static pressure preset value. The automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to claim 30, wherein when the angle increases to be equal to 180 degrees, and the acceleration value is less than the acceleration preset value and the duration is substantially greater than or equal to the preset time, the control The device judges that the limb is in a static motion type, and adjusts the support belt to reduce the pressure exerted by the support belt on the limb to a static pressure preset value. The automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to claim 30, wherein when the angle continues to change, and the acceleration value increases and continues to change, the controller determines that the limb is in a dynamic motion type, and adjusts The support belt increases the pressure exerted by the support belt on the limb to a preset value of dynamic pressure. The automatic adjustment method of a protective gear according to claim 28, wherein the controller determines the movement type of the user according to the acceleration value, including the controller using at least one movement recognition model to determine the action pattern of the user.

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