CARBON FIBER PROSTHETIC FOOT WITH HOLLOW CROSS SECTIONS
First Claim
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1. A prosthetic foot comprising:
- a mounting element securable to a lower limb prosthesis with structure for securing to a residual limb;
a tubulous fiber composite member attached to the mounting element, the tubulous fiber composite member in the form an elongated hollow shape configured to store and release energy, and that follows a not-straight path corresponding to a longitudinal centerline of the shapethe path sweeping an angular change between any two points located on the path,the angular change measured by projecting the path onto and plane fixed in space with respect to the foot,the composite member having fibers plies oriented at 0 degrees and +45 degrees and −
45 degrees with respect to the path.
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Abstract
A hollow tubulous composite structure and method for prosthetic limbs is described.
13 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A prosthetic foot comprising:
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a mounting element securable to a lower limb prosthesis with structure for securing to a residual limb; a tubulous fiber composite member attached to the mounting element, the tubulous fiber composite member in the form an elongated hollow shape configured to store and release energy, and that follows a not-straight path corresponding to a longitudinal centerline of the shape the path sweeping an angular change between any two points located on the path, the angular change measured by projecting the path onto and plane fixed in space with respect to the foot, the composite member having fibers plies oriented at 0 degrees and +45 degrees and −
45 degrees with respect to the path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for manufacture of a tubulous composite prosthetic foot member, the method comprising:
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compressing an uncured composite against interior cavity surfaces of a closed female mold to form an uncured elongated hollow shape with an exterior surface, with at least 90% of the external surface being formed directly against the cavity surfaces, the cavity surfaces being on hard metal tooling of essentially fixed geometry, the mold interior surface configured to form the uncured shape as an elongated hollow shape that follows a not-straight path corresponding to a longitudinal centerline of the shape, the not-straight path sweeping an angular change between any two points located on the path, the angular change measured by projecting the path onto any plane fixed in space with respect to the foot; curing the uncured shape by heating the female mold to form a cured shape; removing the cured shape from the mold and removing portions of the cured shape that were not formed directly against the cavity surfaces to form the tubulous composite prosthetic foot member.
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Specification