Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Tatsuya Noda

Yasushi Ikeuchi

Jun Ashihara

Yutaka Hiki

Hiroshi Kudoh

Takeshi Koshiishi

Kei Shimada

Hideo Shimizu

Yoichi Nishimura

Kazushi Hamaya

Yasuhiro Fujita

Taiji Koyama

Yoshihisa Matsuoka

Toru Takahashi

Hiroshi Matsuda

Takashi Hirata

Hisahiro Ito

Hiroshi Takei

Makoto Shishido

Takashi Fukuda

Jun Masuda

Eiji Ninomiya

Toru Fujihira

Eiichiro Urabe

Ryuzo Yokoyama

A main body frameof a walking assist device, which is to be fixed to the waist of a user, has first framesto be fixed to the waist of the user, second frames, and connection mechanisms, which connect the first framesand the second framessuch that the relative positions of the second frameswith respect to the first frameschange according to the motions of the legs of the user.

Walking assist device

A case structure to accommodate a driving apparatus including a first motor and a second motor includes a first case, a second case, a first joint portion, an intermediate case, a positioning portion, and a first end portion of a second rotor or a second rotary shaft of the second motor. A stator of the first motor is to be attached to the first case. The second case is joined to the first case. The first joint portion is provided by joining a first end surface of the first case and an end surface of the second case together. The intermediate case is disposed on an inner diameter side of the first joint portion and attached to a stator of the second motor and to the first case. The intermediate case is positioned at the positioning portion with respect to the second case.

Case structure for driving apparatus

Provided is a drive apparatus of a hybrid vehicle, configured in such a manner that the occurrence of a resonance phenomenon is minimized and that the efficiency of utilization of the space occupied by a torque limiter mechanism is improved. A drive apparatus for a hybrid vehicle is configured in such a manner that a torque limiter is provided in the path of power transmission between an inner shaft and a generator at a position between the generator and a motor. The torque limiter axially overlaps with at least a part of the stator of the generator and/or at least a part of the stator of the motor.

Drive apparatus for hybrid vehicle

A joint drive type link mechanism provided with a link including a joint portion at an intermediary thereof, and a driving source for the joint portion, wherein a link member configuring the link is mounted with the driving source and electric components used for the control of the driving source, in which the link is prevented from being heated by the heat of the electric components is provided. The link member includes an interior space in which the electric components are arranged and has the driving source is arranged thereon with an air inlet connecting to the interior space and an exhaust outlet for exhausting the air passing through the interior space. Further, the interior space is provided with fans as well as a heat sink for cooling the air after air-cooling the electric components.

Joint drive leg link mechanism and walking auxiliary equipment

A walking assistance device including a pelvic frame () extending from a lower back to each lateral side of a user, and a belly belt () for securing the pelvic frame in position. A power generator () is attached to each lateral side of the pelvic frame. A power transmitting arm () can be attached to an output member () of the power generator simply by hooking an upper part of a base end () of the power transmitting arm onto an upper groove () of the output member, and pushing a latch member or a slider () provided in a lower part of the base end onto a lower groove () of the output member. The user wearing the pelvic frame () can easily attach the power transmitting arm () to the output end of the power generator () by easily using a single hand without requiring help.

Walking assistance device

A walking assist device having a load transmit portion, a leg link connected to the load transmit portion, and a driving source capable of driving the leg link in a direction to raise a seat member, so that at least a partial weight of a user may be supported by the leg link through the load transmit portion. An electric component to be used for controlling the driving source can be mounted on the walking assist device without degrading the compactness of the walking assist device. At least a part of the leg link is constituted of a cylindrical link member in which at least the electric component, such as a motor driver to be used for the control of the driving source, is partially housed. The walking assist device also includes a heat transfer member for absorbing the heat of the electric component by the cylindrical link member. The heat transfer member is thermally connected to a side plate of the cylindrical link member directed toward the side opposite to the leg of the user.

In a stator of an electric rotating machine such as a motor, there is provided with laminated 24 yoke pieces that form a yoke of circular shape when assembled and the yoke pieces are made rotatable relative to each other. Similarly laminated 24 teeth are each connected to each of the yoke pieces and a winding is wound on the teeth. In the stator, the teeth radially protrude inward in the yoke when the yoke pieces are assembled as the yoke such that some gap between adjacent teeth can be widened than others. Specifically, each of the yoke pieces has a first plate bored with a hole and a second plate formed with a projection and the plurality of the yoke pieces are rotatably connected through the holes and the projections to enable some gaps to be widened than others

Stator of electric rotating machine and winding method thereof

Provided is a walking assist device including a seat member, a leg link having a joint portion, and a driving source for the joint portion. The walking assist device allows a user to rest by sitting on the seat member. Accordingly, the walking assist device further includes a lock mechanism disposed in the joint portion and an operation unit for the lock mechanism. When the operation unit is switched on, the driving source is controlled to increase an up-pushing force on the seat member. A variation rate on the up-pushing force is increased with time to a given value where the lock mechanism is initiated.

A walking aid apparatus comprising a sitting member which a user sits astride and leg links each coupled to a connection provided on the undersurface of the sitting member in such a way as to be free to swing in the forward/backward direction, which improves the stability of the sitting member. The connection is adapted in such a way that a forward/backward swinging fulcrum of the leg links is located above the sitting member. More specifically, the connection is provided with an arc-shaped guide track longitudinal in the forward/backward direction and having the center of curvature above the sitting member, so that each of the leg links swings along the guide track in the forward/backward direction. If the leg links are allowed to swing freely also in the lateral direction, preferably the lateral swinging fulcrum of the leg links is also located above the sitting member.

Walking assisting device

A walk assistance device capable of transmitting a force generated by a leg link to a user's trunk via a load transmit portion, wherein the leg link includes an upper first link portion connected to the load transmit portion via a first joint portion, a lower second link portion connected to a foot attachment portion via a second joint portion, a middle third joint portion connecting the first link portion to the second link portion such that a distance between the first joint portion and the second joint portion is variable, and a driving source that drives the third joint portion. The moment of inertia around the first joint portion of the leg link is reduced to decrease a load on the user's leg in walking. The driving source is disposed above the third joint portion of the first link portion so that the center-of-gravity of the entire leg link is located above the third joint portion. In the case where the driving source includes an electric motor and a reduction gear, the electric motor is disposed above the reduction gear.

Walk assistance device

A walking assistance device () has a receiving portion () which receives a part of the weight of a user (A) applied from above and a pair of left and right leg links (R,L) connected to the receiving portion () through first joints (R,L), with foot attachment portions (R,L) at lower ends of the leg links (R,L) attached to the feet of the legs of the user (A), respectively. The leg links (R,L) are connected to the receiving portion () in such a way that, when each leg of the user (A) is a standing leg, a line of action of a supporting force transmitted from a third joint (R,L) of the leg link (R,L) to a crus frame (R,L) out of the supporting force acting on the leg link (R,L) from the floor side passes through a specific point (P) located upper than the receiving portion () within an anteroposterior width of a contact surface between the receiving portion () and the user (A) from the third joint (R,L), viewed in the sagittal plane. Thereby, it is possible to stably apply a desired lifting force for reducing the weight to be borne by the user with his/her legs to the user.

Controller for walking assistance device

An electric motorcomprises a rotatorrotating relative to a statorand a plurality of teethwinding an exciting coilin the stator. The teethgenerate a magnetic field directed to the rotatorfrom tip facesand comprise a radially extending partA extending in a radial direction of the rotatorand a coil winding partB formed to be bent from the radially extending partA.

Electrical rotary machine

A walking assistance device having a leg link connected to a load transmit portion via a first joint and to a foot attachment portion via a second joint, and having an intermediate third joint moving such that a distance between the first joint and the second joint is variable; a drive source for the third joint; and a battery for the drive source. When in an upstanding position, force in the forward-backward direction is prevented from acting on the load transmit portion to enhance stability. Also, a moment of inertia of the leg link is decreased to curtail a load applied to the leg of the user. The drive source and the battery are located at positions higher than the third joint, and when the user is in an upstanding position, a plane passing through the second joint lies between the drive source and the battery.

An electric actuator comprised of an electric motor and a wave gear speed reducer connected to the electric motor efficiently air-cools the electric motor and a wave generator of the speed reducer and obviates the need for increasing the axial length of the actuator. The wave generator has a plurality of holes penetrating in the axial direction, the holes being arranged with intervals provided in the circumferential direction. A partitioning portion between the holes constitutes a vane portion which blows air in the axial direction. An internal space wherein a coil of the electric motor is disposed is in communication with an internal space of the speed reducer, and the vane portion blows air into the internal space of the electric motor. An air cooling passage is formed in a stator of the electric motor such that air flows into the air cooling passage when the vane portion blows air.

Electric actuator

In walking assistance device, a force detector () is provided between thigh retaining member () that directly retain the thigh of the user and a thigh support member () that is actuated by an actuator (TA) provided in hip coupling portion. Thereby, the load acting on the hip coupling portion can be accurately detected, and the output of the force detector can be favorably used for the purpose of controlling the actuator so as to minimize the force that is applied to the thigh of the user. In particular, to the end of providing a suitably rigidity to the thigh retaining member so that the force produced by the actuator may be evenly applied to the entire thigh, and facilitating the effort required for the wearer to wear the walking assistance device, the thigh retaining member comprises a base portion () connected to the thigh support member and two pairs of resilient arms () extending laterally from either side of the base portion so that the thigh retaining member generally defines a shape of letter-C in plan view.

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Wako, Japan

Tatsuya Noda