IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,454,048
Granted Patent B2
US 12,454,048 · App. 18/683,184 · Granted Oct 28, 2025

Wearing device and method

Inventor: Esther Holsten-Stuehmer (Hamburg, DE)
Assignee: Festool GmbH
B25J9/0006B25J9/0009
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,454,048
App. No.
18/683,184
Granted
Oct 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wearing device, which is designed as an exoskeleton and/or includes a tool, for wearing on the human body, including a shoulder strap with a shoulder strap resting section for resting on a shoulder of a user. The shoulder strap resting section has a target bending structure extending in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap for reducing the bending stiffness of the shoulder strap resting section in a bending direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap, so that the shoulder strap resting section, in a state resting on the user's shoulder, can be bent in the bending direction by an elevation movement of the user's arm and a resulting formation of a shoulder hollow of the user, in order to assume a bent shape corresponding to the shoulder hollow and thus rest with its surface area against the user in the shoulder hollow.

Claims (25)

1. A wearing device, which is an exoskeleton for wearing on the human body, comprising a shoulder strap with a shoulder strap resting section for resting on a shoulder of a user, the shoulder strap resting section having a predetermined target bending structure extending in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap for reducing a bending stiffness of the shoulder strap resting section in a bending direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap, so that the shoulder strap resting section, in a state resting on the user's shoulder, can be bent in the bending direction by an elevation movement of an arm of the user and a thus resulting formation of a shoulder hollow of the user, in order to assume a bent shape corresponding to the shoulder hollow and thus rest in an area-contacting manner against the user in the shoulder hollow,

wherein the target bending structure comprises at least a first one-sided target bending line, which has a first front target bending line longitudinal section, which, starting from a first lateral edge region of the shoulder strap resting section, extends in the direction of an imaginary shoulder strap center line which is located centrally in the bending direction on the shoulder strap resting section and extends in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap.

2. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the wearing device comprises a base section comprising the shoulder strap for attachment to the torso of the human body, a support section movably coupled to the base section for supporting the arm of the human body and an actuator device acting on the support section for providing a support force for the arm.

3. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the target bending structure comprises one or more target bending lines.

4. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first one-sided target bending line has, arranged behind the first front target bending line longitudinal section in the shoulder strap longitudinal direction, a first rear target bending line longitudinal section, which extends in the direction towards the first lateral edge region.

5. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first one-sided target bending line has an arcuate, v-shaped or sickle-shaped course.

6. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first one-sided target bending line comprises a first straight target bending line longitudinal section arranged behind the first front target bending line longitudinal section in the shoulder strap longitudinal direction, which first straight target bending line longitudinal section runs parallel to the shoulder strap longitudinal direction.

7. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the one-sided target bending line does not cross the shoulder strap center line.

8. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the target bending structure comprises at least a second one-sided target bending line, which has a second front target bending line longitudinal section, which, starting from a second lateral edge region of the shoulder strap resting section opposite the first lateral edge region in the bending direction, extends in the direction towards the imaginary shoulder strap center line.

9. The wearing device according to claim 8 , wherein the second one-sided target bending line has a second rear target bending line longitudinal section arranged behind the second front target bending line longitudinal section in the shoulder strap longitudinal direction, which second rear target bending line longitudinal section extends in the direction towards the second lateral edge region.

10. The wearing device according to claim 8 , wherein the second one-sided target bending line has an arcuate, v-shaped or sickle-shaped course.

11. The wearing device according to claim 8 , wherein the first one-sided target bending line and the second one-sided target bending line occupy the same longitudinal region of the shoulder strap resting section in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap.

12. The wearing device according to claim 8 , wherein the first one-sided target bending line and the second one-sided target bending line do not cross each other.

13. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the target bending structure has at least a first crossing target bending line, which runs from a first lateral edge region of the shoulder strap resting section, crossing an imaginary shoulder strap center line positioned in the bending direction centrally on the shoulder strap resting section and running in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap, to a second lateral edge region of the shoulder strap resting section opposite the first lateral edge region in the bending direction.

14. The wearing device according to claim 13 , wherein the first crossing target bending line has an S-shaped or a diagonal course.

15. A wearing device, which is an exoskeleton and/or comprises a tool, for wearing on the human body, comprising a shoulder strap with a shoulder strap resting section for resting on a shoulder of a user, the shoulder strap resting section having a predetermined target bending structure extending in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap for reducing a bending stiffness of the shoulder strap resting section in a bending direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap, so that the shoulder strap resting section, in a state resting on the user's shoulder, can be bent in the bending direction by an elevation movement of an arm of the user and a thus resulting formation of a shoulder hollow of the user, in order to assume a bent shape corresponding to the shoulder hollow and thus rest in an area-contacting manner against the user in the shoulder hollow,

wherein the target bending structure comprises a plurality of first crossing target bending lines running parallel to each other and running in a first diagonal direction from a first lateral edge region of the shoulder strap resting section to a second lateral edge region of the shoulder strap resting section opposite the first lateral edge region in the bending direction, and a plurality of second crossing target bending lines running parallel to each other and running in a second diagonal direction from the second lateral edge region to the first lateral edge region of the shoulder strap resting section, and crossing the first crossing target bending lines,

wherein the lateral edges extend in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap.

16. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the target bending structure comprises a plurality of parallel target bending lines running parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap.

17. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the target bending structure comprises, for reducing the bending stiffness, thinning, perforations, seams and/or plastic deformations.

18. The wearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the shoulder strap comprises piping extending in the longitudinal direction and at least one target bending section arranged between the piping, which has a reduced bending stiffness compared to the piping and forms at least part of the target bending structure.

19. A method of operating a wearing device according to claim 1 , comprising the step of: performing the elevation movement of the user's arm and thereby causing the user's shoulder hollow to be formed so that the shoulder strap resting section is bent in the bending direction to assume the bent shape corresponding to the shoulder hollow and thus to rest in an area-contacting manner against the user in the shoulder hollow.

20. A wearing device, which is an exoskeleton and/or comprises a tool, for wearing on the human body, comprising a shoulder strap with a shoulder strap resting section for resting on a shoulder of a user, the shoulder strap resting section having a predetermined target bending structure extending in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap for reducing a bending stiffness of the shoulder strap resting section in a bending direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap, so that the shoulder strap resting section, in a state resting on the user's shoulder, can be bent in the bending direction by an elevation movement of an arm of the user and a thus resulting formation of a shoulder hollow of the user, in order to assume a bent shape corresponding to the shoulder hollow and thus rest in an area-contacting manner against the user in the shoulder hollow,

wherein the target bending structure comprises at least a first crossing target bending line running in a first diagonal direction from a first lateral edge region of the shoulder strap resting section to a second lateral edge region of the shoulder strap resting section opposite the first lateral edge region in the bending direction, and at least one second crossing target bending line running in a second diagonal direction from the second lateral edge region to the first lateral edge region of the shoulder strap resting section, and crossing the first crossing target bending line,

wherein the lateral edges extend in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder strap.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2024
From: HOLSTEN-STUEHMER, ESTHER
To: FESTOOL GMBH
Reel/Frame 066619/0110 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2021 208 906.2 · Aug 13, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250153342A1 · May 15, 2025
References Cited (14)
US 6267280B1 · Silagy · 2001 [cited by examiner]
US 10918559B2 · Romo et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20080314942A1 · Tuerschmann · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20170173783A1 · Angold et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
DE 69024498T2 · 1996 [cited by applicant]
DE 20121399U1 · 2002 [cited by applicant]
DE 102018111349 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 0570193 · 1993 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019118972 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020044608 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 9105495 · 1991 [cited by applicant]
WO WO9105495A1 · 1991 [cited by examiner]
Examination Report issued in corresponding German Patent Application No. 10 2021 208 906.2, Apr. 28, 2022, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion issued in International Application No. PCT/EP2022/072714, Dec. 9, 2022, 15 pages w/partial translation. [cited by applicant]