PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a miniaturized and lightweight hand exoskeleton deice to be attached to a finger of a human body and capable of supporting a user in activities of daily living.SOLUTION: A hand exoskeleton device has a three-layered connected sliding spring mechanism, wherein flexible springs are disposed in three layers and motions are changed by one driving means. With this structure, power is transmitted to the metacarpophalangeal joint (the MP joint), the proximal phalangeal joint (the PIP joint) and the distal phalangeal joint (the DIP joint) of a finger other than the thumb, so that activities in daily living can be supported. According to this invention, a miniaturized and lightweight device for supporting the gripping motion of fingers of the human body can be provided. This invention is characterized by that the bending and stretching of three joints of a finger can be driven by one driving means and that large drive force can be transmitted. Further, the device can be safely driven because of the flexibility of a device body.COPYRIGHT: (C)2014,JPO&INPIT【課題】小型、軽量であり、人体の手指部に装着し、日常生活動作を支援することが可能なハンドエグゾスケルトン装置を提供する。【解決手段】本発明によるハンドエグゾスケルトン装置は、三層の連結スライドバネ機構により、柔軟なばねを三層に配置し、ひとつの駆動手段によって動作変換を行うことで、ヒトの拇指以外の手指における中手指節間関節(MP関節)、近位指節間関節(PIP関節)、遠位指節間関節(DIP関節)について、動力を伝達し、日常生活動作を支援することができる。本発明によれば、小型、軽量に人体の手指の把持動作を支援する装置を実現できる。本発明はひとつの駆動手段により手指の三関節について屈曲・伸展を駆動できる点と、大きな駆動力を伝達できることに特徴がある。さらに、装置本体に柔軟性を有するため,安全に駆動できる。【選択図】図4
