100 to the height of the user B and/or to the height of a compressed air cylinder 50. Different users can wear the same exoskeleton 100 in succession and adjust the vertical dimensions of the back plate 1 as required. One implementation of the two-part back plate 1 is described below.

The two parts 1.o and 1.u are connected to each other in the shape of a telescopic head. In the embodiment shown, the lower part 1.u or at least one upper segment of the two legs of the lower part 1.u has the shape of a tube or two tubes in each case. The two legs of the upper part 1.o are pushed into the two legs of the lower part 1.u from above. Thanks to the telescopic connection, the upper part 1.o can be moved linearly upwards and downwards relative to the lower part 1.u, which is indicated by a double arrow R in FIG. 1. Preferably, a latching connection or snap connection locks the upper part 1.o in a desired position relative to the lower part 1.u. Thanks to the overlap between the two parts 1.o and 1.u, the telescopic connection results in a mechanically stable back plate 1.

The following components of the exoskeleton 100 are attached to the upper part 1.o:

- a left shoulder strap 5.l and a right shoulder strap 5.r, which are located on the left and right shoulders of user B respectively,
- a flexible and stretchable connecting strap 19, which detachably connects the two shoulder straps 5.l and 5.r in front of the chest of the user B,
- a strap 2.l for the left shoulder strap 5.l and a strap 2.r for the right shoulder strap 5.r, which are located under the left and right shoulders of user B respectively,
- a belt spider 12.l for the left shoulder strap 5.l and a belt spider 12.r for the right shoulder strap 5.r, which connect the left shoulder strap 5.l and the right shoulder strap 5.r respectively to the upper part 1.o of the back plate 1, and
- one carrying handle 8 on the upper part 1.o.

Preferably, the components 5.l, 5.r, 2.l, 2.r, 12.l, 12.r, 19 are flexible and bendable in order to be able to adapt to the body shape of a user B of the exoskeleton. These components 5.l, 5.r, 2.l, 2.r, 12.l, 12.r, 19 are part of the flexible support of the embodiment example.

A rigid hip support (strap) 9 is attached to the lower part 1.u. This hip support 9 acts as the energy storage component and, in the embodiment example, has approximately the shape of a stirrup, particularly preferably the shape of a forward-pointing U. A middle segment 9.m of the hip support 9 is connected to the lower part 1.u of the back plate 1, preferably detachably connected. In the embodiment example, this middle segment 9.m is connected to the lower part 1.u as follows: The back plate 1 can rotate relative to the hip support 9 in two opposite directions of rotation about a horizontal axis of rotation DA.m to the left and to the right. The middle segment 9.m is located between a left hip support leg (left hip support segment) 9.l and a right hip support leg (right hip support segment) 9.r of the hip support 9. The two legs 9.l and 9.r point obliquely forwards and downwards. When the user B has put on the exoskeleton 100, his/her body is located at the level of his/her hips between the two hip support legs 9.l, 9.r, 9.r, and the middle segment 9.m is located behind his/her kidney. Preferably, a pad on the middle segment 9.m points towards the body of the user B. Preferably, the two hip support legs 9.l, 9.r and the middle segment 9.m are rigidly connected to each other and form a single rigid component.

A two-part left thigh stirrup 6.l is attached to the free end of the left hip support leg 9.l, a two-part right thigh stirrup 6.r is attached to the free end of the right hip support leg 9.r. The left thigh stirrup 6.l comprises an upper part 6.l.o and a lower part 6.l.u, the right thigh stirrup 6.r also comprises an upper part 6.r.o and a lower part 6.r.u.

A left hip pad (hip part) 3.l is attached near the free end of the left hip support leg 9.l, and a right hip pad (hip part) 3.r is attached near the free end of the right hip support leg 9.r. The two flexible hip pads 3.l and 3.r are connected to each other by a kidney pad 15. In one possible state of the exoskeleton 100, the kidney pad 15 is located between the body of the user B and the lower part 1.u of the back plate 1. In addition, the user B can detachably connect the two hip pads 3.l and 3.r to each other by means of a fastener 13 in front of his/her abdomen. The pads 3.l, 3.r, 15 and the fastener 13 form a single flexible component which surrounds the body of the user B and are also part of the flexible support component of the embodiment example. At least the two hip pads 3.l, 3.r, optionally also the kidney pad 15, can be elastically compressed and can therefore adapt even better to a changing body geometry of the user B.

A U-shaped free end of the left hip support leg 9.l surrounds a flattened segment of the left upper part 6.l.o, a U-shaped free end of the right hip support leg 9.r surrounds a flattened segment of the right upper part 6.r.o, see FIG. 2.

A left swivel joint 16.l rotatably connects the following three components of the exoskeleton 100:

- the left hip support leg 9.l,
- the upper left part 6.l.o and
- the left hip pad 3.l.

Accordingly, a right swivel joint 16.r rotatably connects the following three components of the exoskeleton 100:

- the right hip support leg 9.r,
- the upper right part 6.r.o and
- the right hip pad 3.r.

The two swivel joints 16.l and 16.r realize a common horizontal leg part axis of rotation EA. Both the two thigh stirrups 6.l and 6.r as well as the flexible component with the two hip pads 3.l and 3.r and the kidney pad 15 can move forwards and backwards relative to the hip support 9 and also relative to each other about this common leg part axis of rotation EA, independently of each other. This allows the user B, who has put on the exoskeleton 100, to walk relatively unhindered on the one hand and to bend his/her upper body forwards on the other hand.

The lower left part 6.l.u is rotatably mounted relative to the upper left part 6.l.o by a left swivel joint 18.l, namely about a horizontal axis of rotation DA.l, which is perpendicular to the leg part axis of rotation EA. This allows the lower left part 6.l.u to rotate outwards and inwards relative to the upper left part 6.l.o. Correspondingly, the right lower part 6.r.u is rotatably mounted relative to the right upper part 6.r.o about a horizontal axis of rotation DA.r, namely by a right swivel joint 18.r.

User B can place a left leg pad (leg part) 4.l around his/her left leg and a right leg pad (leg part) 4.r around his/her right leg. The two leg pads 4.l, 4.r are also flexible. The left leg pad 4.l is attached to the lower left part 6.l.u of the left thigh stirrup 6.l, the right leg pad 4.r is attached to the lower right part 6.r.u of the right thigh stirrup 6.r. A flexible left leg strap 11.l connects the left leg pad 4.l to the left hip pad 3.l, a flexible right leg strap 11.r connects the right leg pad 4.r to the right hip pad 3.r. The two leg pads 4.l, 4.r and the two leg straps 11.l, 11.r are also part of the flexible support component of the embodiment example.

One consequence of the swivel joints 16.l, 16.r, 18.l, 18.r is the following: When the user B has put on the exoskeleton 100, the hip support 9 and thus also the back plate 1 can be rotated forwards and backwards relative to the hip pads 3.l, 3.r and the leg pads 4.l, 4.r. This configuration makes it easier for user B in particular to put the carrier component on his/her body and take it off again later.

A mechanical energy storage device is arranged inside the hip support 9. In one embodiment, a left actuator 10.l is located inside the left hip support leg 9.l, and a right actuator 10.r is located inside the right hip support leg 9.r. In another embodiment, an actuator 10 is located inside the middle segment 9.m. These two embodiments can be combined. These two implementations can be combined with each other. The actuators 10 or 10.l, 10.r together form the energy storage device of the embodiment example or belong to the energy storage device. Each actuator 10, 10.l, 10.r comprises, for example, a torque spring or a linear spring.

According to the invention, a mechanical operative connection connects the flexible support component to the energy storage device. FIG. 6 shows an exemplary implementation of this mechanical operative connection. In this example, an energy storage device 10 in the form of a spring is arranged inside the middle segment 9.m. When the user B bends forward, this spring 10 is pulled apart and thus takes up kinetic energy. The spring 10 contracts again and releases at least part of the taken-up kinetic energy when the user B straightens up. The longitudinal axis of the spring 10 runs parallel to the axis of rotation of the leg part EA. The same applies if two parallel springs 10.l, 10.r are used instead of a single spring 10.

FIG. 6 shows a detail of this mechanical operative connection. A cable or flexible wire 60 connects the left end of the spring 10 to the upper part 6.l.o of the left thigh support 6.l. The cable 60 is guided around three deflection pulleys 61.1, 61.2, 61.3 and through a hole 62 in the upper part 6.l.o. The deflection pulleys 61.1, 61.2, 61.3 are located inside the left hip support leg 9.l. The wall of the left hip support leg 9.l is omitted in FIG. 6.

In a preferred embodiment, the user B can interrupt this mechanical operative connection and re-establish it later. When the mechanical operative connection is interrupted, the user B needs to exert less work to bend forward because the energy storage device 10, 10.l, 10.r then does not take up any kinetic energy. On the other hand, the energy storage device 10, 10.l, 10.r does not release any kinetic energy when user B straightens up again.

An actuating element 17 is attached to a shoulder strap 5.l or 5.r. This actuating element 17 can be actuated from the outside and comprises, for example, a switch and/or a button. Because the actuating element 17 is attached to a shoulder strap 5.l or 5.r, in many cases the user B can actuate this actuating element 17 relatively comfortably with one hand, even if the user is wearing a glove. FIG. 5 shows an example of an actuating element 17 on the right shoulder strap 5.r. It is also possible that an actuating element is attached to each shoulder strap 5.l and 5.r.

The user B can interrupt the operative connection between the flexible support component and the energy storage device 10, 10.l, 10.r and restore the operative connection later by actuating the actuating element or one actuating element 17 for both interrupting and restoring.

The actuating element 17 is in an operative connection with the mechanical operative connection just described with reference to FIG. 6, or with another mechanical operative connection. FIG. 6 shows an example of an electrical operative connection 72 with an electrical actuator 70 and a mechanical reset element in the form of a spring 71. In the implementation form shown, the spring 71 acts to pull the deflection pulley 61.1 downwards and thereby tighten the cable 60. The tightened cable 60 establishes the mechanical operative connection. The actuator 70 is in a schematically shown electrical operative connection 72 with the actuating element 17 and acts to pull the deflection pulley 61.1 upwards against the force of the spring 71. By actuating the actuating element 17, the user B switches the actuator 70 on and off again. As long as the deflection pulley 61.1 is pulled sufficiently far upwards, the cable