Hydraulic controller, especially for the movement of a prosthetic joint

• US 4,958,705 A
• Filed: 10/28/1988
• Issued: 09/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OTTO BOCK Orthopadische Industrie Besitz und Verwaltungs KG
• Original Assignee: OTTO BOCK Orthopadische Industrie Besitz und Verwaltungs KG
• Inventors: Horvath, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US07/264,213
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 188/313, 188/318, 188/322.15, 188/314, 188/281, 188/298, 188/322.22, 92/8, 92/52, 623/26, 623/37, 623/39, 280/714
• US Class Current: 188/314
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/68 Operating or control means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/74 fluid , i.e. hydraulic or pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/748 Valve systems
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/44 Means on or in the damper for manual or non-automatic adjustment; such means combined with temperature correction F16F9/53, F16F13/26 take precedence; temperature correction only F16F9/52
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/60 hydraulic only

Abstract

A hydraulic controller for the motion of a prosthetic joint has a piston--cylinder unit whose working chambers on opposite sides of the piston are connected to each other by a connecting passage and to a compensating chamber which stores a volume of hydraulic fluid to compensate for the difference in the volumes of the cylinder chambers resulting from the fact that the piston rod passes through one of them. Regardless of the direction of movement of the piston in the cylinder, utilizing checkvalves and adjustable throttle elements, the flow is controlled between the chambers so that separate throttle elements can effectively control the opposite movements while check valves permit filling of chambers.

Claims

1. A hydraulic controller, especially for the movement of a prosthetic joint, comprising:

a piston-and-cylinder unit having a cylinder, and a piston displaceable in said cylinder and having a piston rod extending ut of one end of said cylinder, said piston defining within said cylinder and on opposite sides of said piston a first cylinder chamber free from said rod and a second cylinder chamber through which said rod extends, said cylinder chambers communicating with one another;

a compensation chamber adapted to receive hydraulic fluid from said first chamber in excess of that required by said second chamber upon displacement of said rod into said cylinder and corresponding to a volume of said rod in said second chamber;

a first check valve communicating between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and oriented to block flow from said first chamber to said compensation chamber but permitting flow from said compensation chamber to said first chamber;

a bypass connected across said first check valve between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and provided with a first throttle element throttling flow of said fluid therebetween;

means forming a passage connecting said second chamber with said compensation chamber and provided with a further throttle element for throttling flow of said fluid therebetween; and

a further check valve connected between at least one of said first and compensation chambers and said second chamber and oriented to block flow of said fluid from said second chamber but permitting flow into said second chamber and filling of said second chamber upon said displacement of said rod, said further check valve being provided in a flow passage communicating between said first and second chambers and connected to said first and second chambers between said throttle elements and first and second said chambers, respectively, said check valves and throttle elements being provided directly in said piston and said rod.

2. A hydraulic controller, especially for the movement of a prosthetic joint, comprising:

a piston-and-cylinder unit having a cylinder, and a piston displaceable in said cylinder and having a piston rod extending out of one end of said cylinder, said piston defining within said cylinder and on opposite sides of said piston a first cylinder chamber free from said rod and a second cylinder chamber through which said rod extends, said cylinder chambers communicating with one another;

a compensation chamber adapted to receive hydraulic fluid from said first chamber in excess of that required by said second chamber upon displacement of said rod into said cylinder and corresponding to a volume of said rod in said second chamber;

a first check valve communicating between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and oriented to block flow from said first chamber to said compensation chamber but permitting flow from said compensation chamber to said first chamber;

a bypass connected across said first check valve between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and provided with a first throttle element throttling flow of said fluid therebetween;

means forming a passage connecting said second chamber with said compensation chamber and provided with a further throttle element for throttling flow of said fluid therebetween; and

a further check valve connected between at least one of said first and compensation chambers and said second chamber and oriented to block flow of said fluid from said second chamber but permitting flow into said second chamber and filling of said second chamber upon said displacement of said rod, said further check valve being provided in a flow passage communicating between said first and second chambers, said further check valve being a changeover valve having one side connected to said first chamber and to said bypass, an opposite side connected to said further throttle element, and a port between said sides of said changeover valve connected to said second chamber.

3. A hydraulic controller, especially for the movement of a prosthetic joint, comprising:

a piston-and-cylinder unit having a cylinder, and a piston displaceable in said cylinder and having a piston rod extending out of one end of said cylinder, said piston defining within said cylinder and on opposite sides of said piston a first cylinder chamber free from said rod and a second cylinder chamber through which said rod extends, said cylinder chambers communicating with one another;

a compensation chamber adapted to receive hydraulic fluid from said first chamber in excess of that required by said second chamber upon displacement of said rod into said cylinder and corresponding to a volume of said rod in said second chamber;

a first check valve communicating between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and oriented to block flow from said first chamber to said compensation chamber but permitting flow from said compensation chamber to said first chamber;

a bypass connected across said first check valve between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and provided with a first throttle element throttling flow of said fluid therebetween;

means forming a passage connecting said second chamber with said compensation chamber and provided with a further throttle element for throttling flow of said fluid therebetween;

a further check valve connected between at least one of said first and compensation chambers and said second chamber and oriented to block flow of said fluid from said second chamber but permitting flow into said second chamber and filling of said second chamber upon said displacement of said rod; and

at least one pressure-controlled throttle element connected in parallel to and cross one of said first and further throttle elements and closing upon an increase in pressure.

4. The hydraulic controller defined in claim 3, further comprising at least one additional pressure-controlled throttle element connected in parallel to and across said one of said first and further throttle elements and opening upon a still-further increase in pressure.

5. The hydraulic controller defined in claim 4, wherein said additional pressure-controlled throttle element is spring-loaded for resetting to a normally closed position.

6. A hydraulic controller, especially for the movement of a prosthetic joint, comprising:

a piston-and-cylinder unit having a cylinder, and a piston displaceable in said cylinder and having a piston rod extending out of one end of said cylinder, said piston defining within said cylinder and on opposite sides of said piston a first cylinder chamber free from said rod and a second cylinder chamber through which said rod extends, said cylinder chambers communicating with one another;

a compensation chamber adapted to receive hydraulic fluid from said first chamber in excess of that required by said second chamber upon displacement of said rod into said cylinder and corresponding to a volume of said rod in said second chamber;

a first check valve communicating between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and oriented to block flow from said first chamber to said compensation chamber but permitting flow from said compensation chamber to said first chamber;

a bypass connected across said first check valve between said first chamber an said compensation chamber and provided with a first throttle element throttling flow of said fluid therebetween;

means forming a passage connecting said second chamber with said compensating chamber and provided with a further throttle element for throttling flow of said fluid therebetween;

a further check valve connected between at least one of said first and compensation chambers and said second chamber and oriented to block flow of said fluid from said second chamber but permitting flow into said second chamber and filling of said second chamber upon said displacement of said rod; and

at least one pressure-controlled throttle element connected in parallel to and across each of said first and further throttle elements and closing upon an increase in pressure.

7. The hydraulic controller defined in claim 6, further comprising at least one additional pressure-controlled throttle element connected in parallel to and across said each of said first and further throttle elements and opening upon a still-further increase in pressure.

8. The hydraulic controller defined in claim 7 wherein each of said additional pressure-controlled throttle elements is spring-loaded for resetting to a normally closed position.

10. The hydraulic controller defined in claim 8 wherein said additional pressure-controlled throttle element is spring-loaded for resetting to a normally closed position.

11. The hydraulic controller defined in claim 10, further comprising at least one additional pressure-controlled-throttle element connected in parallel to and across at least each of said first and further throttle elements and opening upon an increase in pressure supplied thereto.

12. The hydraulic controller defined in claim 11 wherein each of said additional pressure-controlled throttle elements is spring-loaded for resetting to a normally closed position.

9. A hydraulic controller, especially for the movement of a prosthetic joint, comprising:

a piston-and-cylinder unit having a cylinder, and a piston displaceable in said cylinder and having a piston rod extending out of one end of said cylinder, said piston defining within said cylinder and on opposite sides of said piston a first cylinder chamber free from said rod and a second cylinder chamber through which said rod extends, said cylinder chambers communicating with one another;

a compensation chamber adapted to receive hydraulic fluid from said first chamber in excess of that required by said second chamber upon displacement of said rod into said cylinder and corresponding to a volume of said rod in said second chamber;

a first check valve communicating between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and oriented to block flow from said first chamber to said compensation chamber but permitting flow from said compensation chamber to said first chamber;

a bypass connected across said first check valve between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and provided with a first throttle element throttling flow of said fluid therebetween;

means forming a passage connecting said second chamber with said compensation chamber and provided with a further throttle element for throttling flow of said fluid therebetween;

a further check valve connected between at least one of said first and compensation chambers and said second chamber and oriented to block flow of said fluid from said second chamber but permitting flow into said second chamber and filling of said second chamber upon said displacement of said rod; and

at least one additional pressure-controlled throttle element connected in parallel to and across at least one of said first and further throttle elements and opening upon an increase in pressure supplied thereto.

13. A hydraulic controller, especially for the movement of a prosthetic joint, comprising:

a piston-and-cylinder unit having a cylinder, and a piston displaceable in said cylinder and having a piston rod extending out of one end of said cylinder, said piston defining within said cylinder and on opposite sides of said piston a first cylinder chamber free from said rod and a second cylinder chamber through which said rod extends, said cylinder chambers communicating with one another;

a compensation chamber adapted to receive hydraulic fluid from said first chamber in excess of that required by said second chamber upon displacement of said rod into said cylinder and corresponding to a volume of said rod in said second chamber;

a first check valve communicating between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and oriented to block flow from said first chamber to said compensation chamber but permitting flow from said compensation chamber to said first chamber;

a bypass connected across said first check valve between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and provided with a first throttle element throttling flow of said fluid therebetween;

means forming a passage connecting said second chamber with said compensation chamber and provided with a further throttle element for throttling flow of said fluid therebetween; and

a further check valve connected between at least one of said first and compensation chambers and said second chamber and oriented to block flow of said fluid from said second chamber but permitting flow into said second chamber and filling of said second chamber upon said displacement of said rod, a throttle communicating between said first and second chambers and another bypass is connected across said further throttle element and is provided with said further check valve which blocks flow from said second chamber to said compensation chamber.

14. A hydraulic controller, especially for the movement of a prosthetic joint, comprising:

a piston-and-cylinder unit having a cylinder, and a piston displaceable in said cylinder and having a piston rod extending out of one end of said cylinder, said piston defining within said cylinder and on opposite sides of said piston a first cylinder chamber free from said rod and a second cylinder chamber through which said rod extends, said cylinder chambers communicating with one another;

a compensation chamber adapted to receive hydraulic fluid from said first chamber in excess of that required by said second chamber upon displacement of said rod into said cylinder and corresponding to a volume of said rod in said second chamber;

a first check valve communicating between said first chamber an said compensation chamber and oriented to block flow from said first chamber to said compensation chamber but permitting flow from said compensation chamber to said first chamber;

a bypass connected across said first check valve between said first chamber and said compensation chamber and provided with a first throttle element throttling flow of said fluid therebetween;

means forming a passage connecting said second chamber with said compensation chamber and provided with a further throttle element for throttling flow of said fluid therebetween; and

a further check valve connected between at least one of said first and compensation chambers and said second chamber and oriented to block flow of said fluid from said second chamber but permitting flow into said second chamber and filling of said second chamber upon said displacement of said rod, said further check valve being provided directly in a passage between said second chamber and the compensation chamber and said further throttle element is located in a further bypass connected across said further check valve.