PROSTHETIC ELBOW WITH RESILIENT LOCKING ASSEMBLY

• US 3,837,010 A
• Filed: 03/05/1973
• Issued: 09/24/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Professional Medical Products, Inc. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Wesley C. Prout
• Inventors: Prout, Wesley C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frinks, Ronald L.
• Application Number:
  US05/338,281
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 3/12-12.8,22-29,2 287/14,99 128/8F
• US Class Current: 623/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/582 Elbow joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6854 for locking or unlocking a joint

Abstract

A prosthetic elbow for an amputee. First and second connector parts are adapted to be connected to an artificial upper arm and an artificial lower arm, respectively, for the amputee. The second connector part is rotatably mounted on the first connector part. A lock is used for selectively stopping the rotation between the first and second connector parts and comprises: a gear assembly having an outer gear part with gear teeth therein; a hub separate from and for the gear part; means rigidly connecting the hub to one of the connector parts; a resilient member connected to the gear part and hub and providing therebetween a resilient mounting; a locking member; means for movably mounting the locking member on the other of the connector parts so as to enable selective engagement between the locking member and gear teeth to thereby stop relative rotation, through the resilient means, of the first and second connector parts. The locking member is selectively moved into and out of engagement with the gear teeth.

Claims

1. A prosthetic elbow for an amputee comprising:

an upper artificial arm connector part;

a shaft rotatably mounted on the upper arm connector part;

a lower artificial arm connector part rigidly connected to the shaft;

means for locking the rotation of the shaft and lower arm connector part comprising;

a gear part mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith and having an outer convex, semi-circular periphery with gear teeth therein, resilient means connected to said gear part and to said shaft providing therebetween a resilient mounting, a locking member, and means for movably mounting the locking member on the upper arm connector part so as to enable selective engagement between the locking member and the gear teeth to thereby stop rotation, through the resilient means, of the shaft and the lower arm connector part; and

cam means for disengaging said movable member from the gear teeth, and means for normally urging the movable member into engagement with the gear teeth.

2. A prosthetic elbow for an amputee comprising:

a first connector part adapted to be connected to an artificial upper arm for the amputee;

a second connector part adapted to be connected to an artificial lower arm for the amputee;

means for rotatably mounting the second connector part on the first connector part;

means for locking the relative rotation of the first and second connector parts comprising;

a gear part having a convex, semi-circular periphery with gear teeth therein, resilient means, means for rigidly affixiNg said resilient means to said second connector part and to said gear part and providing therebetween a mounting, a locking member, means for movably mounting the locking member on the first connector part so as to enable selective engagement between the locking member and the gear teeth to thereby stop rotation, through the resilient means, of the second connector part; and

means for moving the locking member into and out of engagement with the gear teeth.

3. A prosthetic elbow for an amputee comprising:

a first connector part adapted to be connected to an artificial upper arm for the amputee;

a second connector part adapted to be connected to an artificial lower arm for the amputee;

means for rotatably mounting the second connector part on the first connector part;

means for locking the rotation of the second connector part comprising;

a gear assembly comprising an outer gear part having an outer convex, semi-circular periphery with gear teeth therein, a hub separate from and for the gear part, means for rigidly connecting the hub to the second connector part, a resilient member connected to the gear part and to the hub and providing therebetween a resilient mounting, a locking member, means for movably mounting the locking member on the first connector part so as to enable selective engagement between the locking member and gear teeth to thereby stop rotation, through the resilient means, of the second connector part; and

means for moving the locking member into and out of engagement with the gear teeth.

4. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 3 wherein said means for movably mounting the locking member comprises means for rotatably mounting the locking member onto the first connector part.

5. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 3 wherein said outer gear part and said hub each comprise a side facing in substantially the same direction and comprising means for rigidly affixing said resilient member to the sides of the outer gear part and hub.

6. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 5 wherein said outer gear part and hub have spaced apart facing semi-circular edges.

7. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 6 additionally comprising resilient material positioned in between said spaced edges.

8. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 6 wherein said resilient member comprises a portion thereof extending between said spaced edges.

9. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 8 wherein said sides and edges have surfaces juxtaposed to surfaces of said resilient member and said means for affixing comprises a bonding between said juxtaposed surfaces.

10. A prosthetic elbow for an amputee comprising:

a first connector part adapted to be connected to an artificial upper arm for the amputee;

a second connector part adapted to be connected to an artificial lower arm for the amputee;

means for rotatably mounting the second connector part on the first connector part;

means for locking the rotation between the first and second connector part comprising;

a gear assembly comprising an outer gear part having an outer convex, semi-circular periphery with gear teeth therein, a hub separate from and for the gear part, means for rigidly connecting the hub to one of the connector parts, a resilient member connected to the gear part and hub and providing therebetween a resilient mounting, the semi-circular periphery of said gear part being disposed substantially symmetrically about said shaft, a locking member, means for movably mounting the locking member on the other of the connector parts so as to enable selective engagement between the locking member and gear teeth to thereby stop rotation, through the resilient means, of the second connector part relative to the second connector part; and

means for moving the locking member into and out of engagement with the gear teeth.

11. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 10 wherein sAid means for movably mounting the locking member comprises means for rotatably mounting the locking member onto the corresponding connector part.

12. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 10 wherein said outer gear part and said hub each comprise a side facing in substantially the same direction and comprising means for rigidly affixing said resilient member to the sides of the outer gear part and hub.

13. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 12 wherein said outer gear part and hub have spaced apart facing semi-circular edges.

14. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 13 additionally comprising resilient material positioned in between said spaced edges.

15. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 13 wherein said resilient member comprises a portion thereof extending between said spaced edges.

16. A prosthetic elbow according to claim 15 wherein said sides and edges have surfaces juxtaposed to surfaces of said resilient member and said means for affixing comprises a bonding between said juxtaposed surfaces.