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Drive unit for prosthetic limb

  • US 6,645,252 B2
  • Filed: 01/25/2002
  • Issued: 11/11/2003
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2001
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A drive unit for a prosthetic limb, adapted to bendably and/or stretchably drive first and second prosthetic limb bodies, which are connected to each other via a joint, relative to each other comprising:

  • a Stirling engine including a displacer unit which is not mounted on said prosthetic limb bodies and a power cylinder unit mounted between said prosthetic limb bodies for bending and/or stretching said prosthetic limb bodies relative to each other;

    a compression chamber of said displacer unit operatively connected to an operation chamber of said power cylinder unit via a flexible pressure conduit;

    a combustor for heating an expansion chamber disposed in a displacer cylinder of said displacer unit, said combustor being provided around a head portion of said displacer cylinder;

    fuel supply means operatively connected to said combustor; and

    an actuator for selectively driving a displacer piston of said displacer unit, said actuator being connected to said displacer piston.

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