Articulated joint for knee brace comprising means for operating the same

• US 20070038168A1
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: F.G.P. S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: F.G.P. S.R.L.
• Inventors: Turrini, Alberto, Ferrigolo, Moreno
• Application Number:
  US10/541,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038168A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 602/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0125 the device articulating around a single pivot-point
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/024 Knee A61H1/0255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1215 Rotary drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/14 Special force transmission means, i.e. between the driving means and the interface with the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1676 Pivoting

Abstract

An articulated joint (10) for a post-operative knee brace or for articular walkers in general, of the type designed to form an articulated connection between a pair of uprights (11,12) each of which can be applied to two sectors of the body joint to be treated, is described. Power-driving means for the angular movement of one upright with respect to the other are fitted at the hinge point connecting the two uprights.

Claims

1. An articulated joint for a post-operative knee brace or for articular walkers in general, comprising:

an articulated connection between a pair of uprights each of which can be applied to two sectors of a body joint to be treated, and a power-driving means for the angular movement of one upright with respect to the other, the power-driving means being fitted at a hinge point connecting the two uprights.

2. The articulated joint of claim 1, wherein the power-driving means comprises of a shaped pinion which is part of a unit kinematically connected to an electrical type motor and to a reduction gear unit.

3. The articulated joint of claim 2, wherein the pinion is part of and integral with a toothed pulley which engages with a worm screw driven by a shaft of the motor.

4. The articulated joint of claim 3, wherein the worm screw is positioned at a tangent with respect to the pulley and both the screw and the pulley are enclosed in a container which has approximately the same surface extension as the joint discs over which it is positioned.

5. The articulated joint of claim 2 wherein the pinion, which presents a longitudinally shaped conformation, for example hexagonal, triangular, polygonal, toothed or similar, is inserted in an appropriate corresponding housing in the pin of the joint, and more specifically in a housing of the pin integral with one of the two uprights.

6. The articulated joint of claim 4, wherein the motor and the drive and reduction unit enclosed in the container are fitted on one of the uprights, and the pinion is in turn shaped so as to penetrate a corresponding female hole of the pin, which is therefore integral with the other upright.

7. The articulated joint of claim 6, wherein the drive unit consisting of the motor and the container holding the kinematic movement transmission organs, is fitted on a support plate equipped on the opposite side with protruding centering teeth.

8. The articulated joint of claim 7, wherein the teeth are shaped and arranged so they can be inserted in corresponding housings in the upright.

9. The articulated joint of claim 7, wherein a locking clip with a substantially “

C”

shaped cross-section, or another similar shape, clamps the plate on the respective upright.

10. The articulated joint of claim 2, wherein the motor is connected by appropriate cabling to a power takeoff which can be represented by a storage battery or a network source, and if necessary to a PLC control unit or the like, which acts by keyboard commands.

11. The articulated joint of claim 7, wherein the is connected by appropriate cabling to a power takeoff which can be represented by a storage battery or a network source, and if necessary to a PLC control unit or the like, which acts by keyboard commands.

12. The articulated joint of claim 3, wherein the motor is connected by appropriate cabling to a power takeoff which can be represented by a storage battery or a network source, and if necessary to a PLC control unit or the like, which acts by keyboard commands.

13. The articulated joint of claim 3 wherein the pinion, which presents a longitudinally shaped conformation, for example hexagonal, triangular, polygonal, toothed or similar, is inserted in an appropriate corresponding housing in the pin of the joint, and more specifically in a housing of the pin integral with one of the two uprights.

14. The articulated joint of claim 8, wherein a locking clip with a substantially “

C”

shaped cross-section, or another similar shape, clamps the plate on the respective upright.

15. The articulated joint of claim 2, wherein the drive unit consisting of the motor and the container holding the kinematic movement transmission organs, is fitted on a support plate equipped on the opposite side with protruding centering teeth.