Artificial ankle joint and prosthetic devices formed therewith
First Claim
1. In a prosthetic leg device adapted to be worn by a human amputee wherein said leg device has a proximal end portion adapted to be secured to the amputee and a distal foot structure, the improvement comprising a pivoting ankle joint disposed between said proximal end portion and said foot structure, said ankle joint including a matable socket and head assembly that includes a shaft secured to said proximal end portion and extending along a central axis to terminate in said head, said matable socket and head assembly interconnecting said proximal end portion and said foot structure for relative pivotal movement about a pivot axis between a first pivot position wherein said foot structure is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the central axis and a second pivot position wherein said foot structure is oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to the central axis, said socket and head assembly including a socket disposed on one of said proximal end portion and said foot structure and a head sized to be matably received by said socket and disposed on another of said proximal end portion and said foot structure, said pivoting ankle joint further including a load-sensitive locking mechanism associated with said socket and head assembly, said locking mechanism operative in response to a triggering compressive force between said socket and head in excess of a threshold magnitude to cause said socket and head assembly to lock at a selected locking position between the first and second pivot positions corresponding to said foot structure being oriented substantially perpendicular to the central axis, thereby to prevent relative pivotal movement of said socket and head and operative in an absence of a triggering compressive force to permit relative pivotal movement of said socket and head between the first and second positions, and including a spring element associated with said socket and head assembly and operative to resiliently bias said socket and head assembly into the first pivot position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic device is provided having a proximal end portion adapted to be secured to an amputee and a distal foot structure. The improvement comprises a pivoting ankle joint disposed between the proximal end portion and the foot structure. This ankle joint includes a matable socket and head assembly interconnecting the proximal end portion and the foot structure for relative movement about a pivot axis between first and second positions. A spring element operates to resiliently bias the socket and head into the first pivot position. A load-sensitive locking mechanism operates, upon the existence of a triggering load which exceeds a predetermined threshold magnitude, to cause the socket and head assembly to lock at a selected locking position, thereby preventing relative pivotal movement. In the absence of the triggering load, relative pivotal movement of the socket and head assembly between the first and second positions is permitted.
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Citations
19 Claims
- 1. In a prosthetic leg device adapted to be worn by a human amputee wherein said leg device has a proximal end portion adapted to be secured to the amputee and a distal foot structure, the improvement comprising a pivoting ankle joint disposed between said proximal end portion and said foot structure, said ankle joint including a matable socket and head assembly that includes a shaft secured to said proximal end portion and extending along a central axis to terminate in said head, said matable socket and head assembly interconnecting said proximal end portion and said foot structure for relative pivotal movement about a pivot axis between a first pivot position wherein said foot structure is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the central axis and a second pivot position wherein said foot structure is oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to the central axis, said socket and head assembly including a socket disposed on one of said proximal end portion and said foot structure and a head sized to be matably received by said socket and disposed on another of said proximal end portion and said foot structure, said pivoting ankle joint further including a load-sensitive locking mechanism associated with said socket and head assembly, said locking mechanism operative in response to a triggering compressive force between said socket and head in excess of a threshold magnitude to cause said socket and head assembly to lock at a selected locking position between the first and second pivot positions corresponding to said foot structure being oriented substantially perpendicular to the central axis, thereby to prevent relative pivotal movement of said socket and head and operative in an absence of a triggering compressive force to permit relative pivotal movement of said socket and head between the first and second positions, and including a spring element associated with said socket and head assembly and operative to resiliently bias said socket and head assembly into the first pivot position.
- 10. In a prosthetic leg device adapted to be worn by a human amputee wherein said leg device has a proximal end portion adapted to be secured to the amputee and a distal foot structure, the improvement comprising a pivoting ankle joint disposed between said proximal end portion and said foot structure, said ankle joint including a matable socket and head assembly interconnecting said proximal end portion and said foot structure for relative pivotal movement about a pivot axis between first and second pivot positions, said socket and head assembly including a socket disposed on one of said proximal end portion and said foot structure and a head sized to be matably received by said socket and disposed on another of said proximal end portion and said foot structure, said pivoting ankle joint further including a load-sensitive locking mechanism associated with said socket and aid head assembly, said locking mechanism operative in response to a triggering compressive force between said socket and head in excess of a threshold magnitude to cause said socket and head assembly to lock at a selected locking position between the first and second pivot positions thereby to prevent relative pivotal movement of said socket and head and operative in an absence of a triggering compressive force to permit relative pivotal movement of said socket and head between the first and second positions, further including a restraining assembly associated with said locking mechanism and operative in a restrained state to disable said locking mechanism so that said head and said socket are permitted to pivot between the first and second pivot positions while by-passing the locking position and in an unrestrained state to enable said locking mechanism, said restraining assembly including an annular first collar connected to and about said shaft in a stationary condition and an annular second collar connected to said locking mechanism and slideably received by and rotatably mounted onto said shaft, each of said first and second collars having a plurality of alternating longitudinally extending teeth and gaps sized so that when said second collar is rotated into a first angular position to orient said restraining assembly in the restrained state, respective ones of said teeth on each of said first and second collars facially contact each other thereby transferring load forces away from said locking mechanism, and when said second collar is rotated to a second angular position different from said first angular position to orient said restraining assembly in the unrestrained state, respective ones of said teeth on each of said first and second collars slideably move into and out of respective ones of said gaps of said first and second collars thereby enabling said locking mechanism to receive the load.
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13. A prosthetic leg device with an artificial ankle joint adapted for use on a human amputee having a residual limb leg portion remaining on an amputated leg of the amputee, comprising:
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(a) a prosthetic socket having a socket sized and adapted to releasably receive and retain the remaining residual limb portion of the amputated leg of the amputee;
(b) a shaft extending along a central axis and having a first end portion connected to said prosthetic socket and a head portion disposed opposite of said first end portion;
(c) a foot structure including a socket having an arcuate sidewall, said socket sized and adapted to pivotally receive and retain said head portion of said shaft along an outer peripheral surface of said head portion, whereby said shaft and said socket can pivotally move about a pivotal axis relative to each other between a first pivot position and a second pivot position; and
(d) a load-sensitive locking mechanism associated with said socket and said head portion and operative to prevent relative pivotal movement of said shaft and said socket at a locking position located between the first and second pivot positions when a triggering load exceeding a predetermined threshold load is exerted upon said locking mechanism as said shaft and said socket pivot relative to each other between the first and second pivot positions and to permit relative pivotal movement of said shaft and said socket between the first and second pivotal positions thereby by-passing the locking position when a load is exerted upon said locking mechanism that is less than the triggering load, said locking mechanism including a recess formed in said arcuate sidewall and a latch assembly carried by said head, said latch assembly operative in response to the triggering compressive force to engage the recess at the selected locking position. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification