A mechanical ankle joint

Abstract

The present invention provides a mechanical ankle joint, including a leg part and a foot part, wherein the leg part is used to be fixed to the patient's leg, and the foot part is used to be fixed to the patient's foot. The leg part and the foot part are movably connected, and the movably connected is a movably connected connection with elastic rebound capability, and the movably connected connection is a rotating connection. The mechanical ankle joint includes a rotating pair, so that the leg part and the foot structure part can rotate with each other after the rotating pair, and the rotating pair has elastic rebound capability. The present invention can lift the ankle and forefoot of the patient's affected side during the patient's walking process, thereby preventing the foot from dragging and some injuries caused by tripping or falling related to the foot dragging; the force generated by the first elastic element acts on the patient's ankle joint, and will not generate any pulling force on the patient's foot position, thereby solving the problem in the background technology that all forces are concentrated on the ankle joint and cause discomfort.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a mechanical ankle joint. Background Art

[0002] Patients with lower limb weakness, such as those who have suffered a stroke, have uncontrollable or poorly controlled movement on one side of their affected limb, which causes their foot to droop naturally around the ankle joint under its own weight when they lift their leg. If the foot drop problem is not addressed, these patients are likely to drag their foot on the ground when walking, or trip and fall, so preventing foot drop is very important.

[0003] A Chinese patent with authorization publication number CN105722490B provides a device that can reliably lift a person's toes during lower limb swinging. The ankle strap is provided with a retractable elastic element, which is connected to the foot through a cable. The cable fixes the ankle in dorsiflexion during lower limb swinging.

[0004] This method can indeed solve the problem of foot drop to a certain extent, but there are also many problems: 1. The cable is directly connected to the foot. During operation, the force generated by dorsiflexion will be concentrated at the ankle position, which may easily cause discomfort in the patient's ankle area; 2. The tension of the cable is controlled by the retractable elastic element, and it is very difficult to control the elastic force of the retractable elastic element, which may easily cause the degree of dorsiflexion to be different during each swing of the lower limb, causing discomfort to the patient; 3. Since the cable fixed on the foot is always exposed, the cable may be easily tripped by other things during the patient's walking, causing the patient to fall. Summary of the invention

[0005] Since the existing technical solutions for solving foot drop have many problems and are not mature, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a mechanical ankle joint to solve the problem of foot drop in patients in the background technology in a new way.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is a mechanical ankle joint, including a leg part and a foot part, the leg part is used to be fixed to the patient's leg, the foot part is used to be fixed to the patient's foot, the leg part and the foot part are movably connected, and the movable connection is a movable connection with elastic rebound capability.

[0007] Furthermore, the movable connection is a rotational connection, and the mechanical ankle joint includes a rotational pair, so that the leg part and the foot structure part can rotate relative to each other through the rotational pair, and the rotational pair has elastic rebound capability.

[0008] Furthermore, the movable connection with elastic rebound ability can make the forefoot position of the patient's foot remain horizontal relative to the rear heel position, or the forefoot position of the patient's foot rise relative to the rear heel position.

[0009] Furthermore, a first elastic element is provided in the revolving pair, one end of the first elastic element is connected to the foot connecting part, and the other end is connected to the leg connecting part;

[0010] When the revolving pair rotates, the foot connecting part and the leg connecting part move relative to each other, and the first elastic element will be stretched or compressed.

[0011] Furthermore, the outer contour of the rotational matching connection part of the leg connection part is circular, a first connection fulcrum is provided outside the outer contour, a second connection fulcrum is provided inside the foot connection part, and the first connection fulcrum and the second connection fulcrum are connected via a first elastic element;

[0012] The two ends of the first elastic element are respectively sleeved on the first connection fulcrum and the second connection fulcrum, and the spring is slidably connected with the contact positions of the first connection fulcrum and the second connection fulcrum, so that the two ends of the spring form two rotating pairs with the first connection fulcrum and the second connection fulcrum respectively.

[0013] Furthermore, the foot connecting part is provided with a side wall, and when the leg connecting part and the foot connecting part rotate relative to each other, the first connection fulcrum on the leg connecting part will abut against the side wall on the foot connecting part; side walls are provided on both sides of the foot connecting part for limiting the two sides of the second rotating pair.

[0014] Furthermore, a connecting rod is provided on the leg connecting part, and the first connecting fulcrum is arranged at the end position of the connecting rod.

[0015] Furthermore, the second connection fulcrum is located at the bottom of the side wall of the foot connection part close to the heel; the spring in the rotating pair is arranged in an inclined manner, with the lower end of the spring biased toward the heel position, and the spring provides thrust.

[0016] When the leg part is in a vertical state, the connecting rod connected to the leg connecting part is offset toward the front sole side.

[0017] Furthermore, the second connection fulcrum is located at the bottom of the side wall of the foot connection part close to the forefoot; the spring in the rotating pair is arranged in an inclined manner, with the lower end of the spring biased towards the forefoot, and the spring provides tension;

[0018] When the leg part is in a vertical state, the connecting rod connected to the leg connecting part deviates toward the rear heel side.

[0019] Further, the leg portion and the foot portion are nested together to form a revolute pair, and the revolute pair is located at the ankle joint;

[0020] The leg connecting part is provided with a hole, the foot connecting part is provided with a shaft, and the shaft on the foot connecting part is inserted into the hole on the leg connecting part to form a rotatable second rotating pair.

[0021] A bearing or a sleeve is provided between the shaft and the hole, and the sleeve is a lubrication-free sleeve;

[0022] Wherein, the first elastic element is a coil spring, or a tension spring, or a spring;

[0023] The mechanical ankle joint also includes a cover plate, the edge of the cover plate matches the side wall of the foot connection part, and the cover plate and the foot connection part can be assembled together. After the assembly is completed, the rotating matching connection part of the leg connection part and the first connection fulcrum, the first elastic element, and the second connection fulcrum can be wrapped therein.

[0024] In summary, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the present invention can lift the ankle and forefoot of the affected side of the patient during walking, thereby preventing the foot from dragging and some injuries caused by tripping or falling related to foot dragging; the force generated by the first elastic element acts on the ankle joint of the patient, and will not generate any pulling force on the sole of the patient's foot, thus solving the problem in the background technology that all forces are concentrated on the ankle joint and cause discomfort; the elastic force of the first elastic element does not need to be controlled, it is determined by the weight of the patient's foot, and the elastic force provided matches the weight of the foot, so that the degree of dorsiflexion during each swing of the lower limb can be controlled. The degrees are the same, which greatly reduces the discomfort of patients. In addition, the technical solution of the present invention replaces the rope-driven technical solution in the prior art, which greatly reduces the possibility of patients being tripped. The mechanical ankle joint position is elastic. When the leg moves, the ankle joint position moves as gently as possible to avoid damage caused by excessive ankle movement speed. The angle between the plane where the bracket is located and the plane where the shoe is located is greater than 90°, making it more comfortable for patients to wear the mechanical foot. The shaft sleeve at the ankle joint position can reduce component wear, reduce the number of maintenance times, and extend the service life of the mechanical foot. The size of the mechanical foot can be adjusted, which enhances the adaptability of the shoe to the patient. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the practical embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only one embodiment of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0026] Figure 1It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a mechanical foot in one direction of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a mechanical foot in another direction;

[0028] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the "A" area in the middle;

[0029] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 An exploded diagram of the layout structure of the mechanopod;

[0030] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the "B" area in the middle;

[0031] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A further exploded schematic of the mechanopod;

[0032] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foot connection part;

[0033] Figure 8 This is the left view of the mechanical foot after the cover is hidden;

[0034] Fig. 9 It is the front view of the mechanical foot;

[0035] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of a patient walking with his legs on the second part and the third part;

[0036] Fig.11 yes Figure 8 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the "C" area in the middle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the embodiments of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be pointed out that the embodiments are only detailed explanations of the present invention and should not be regarded as limitations of the present invention. All features disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, or all steps in the methods or processes disclosed, except for mutually exclusive features and / or steps, can be combined in any way.

[0038] Example 1.

[0039] The present embodiment provides a mechanical ankle joint, which includes a leg part and a foot part, the leg part is used to be fixed to the patient's leg, and the foot part is used to be fixed to the patient's foot. The two parts can be flexibly connected to each other, so as to facilitate people who have lost the function of walking to walk or perform rehabilitation training. It is particularly suitable for patients with hemiplegia or people with lower limb paralysis to perform lower limb rehabilitation training. The lower limb paralysis or hemiplegia here is mainly that the lower limbs are not controlled by the brain nerves, and through rehabilitation training, the patients who can restore nerve control can wear the mechanical foot. In some embodiments, the active connection here is a rotational connection, and the mechanical ankle joint includes a rotation pair so that the leg part and the foot structure part can rotate with each other. In some embodiments, the foot part is fixed to the patient's foot by connecting the rear sole part of the mechanical foot.

[0040] In some embodiments, the rotational connection is not a free rotational connection, but a coordination with an elastic element, that is, the rotational pair has elastic rebound capability. Specifically, the rear sole of the mechanical foot is fixedly connected to the rotatable foot part. When the mechanical foot is worn, the rear sole of the patient contacts the rear sole of the mechanical foot, and the forefoot of the patient contacts the forefoot of the mechanical foot. The rear sole of the mechanical foot is connected to the foot part, and the foot part and the leg part are rotationally connected to each other (ankle joint). Normal people walk with the ankle joint and the sole of the foot. For example, when walking forward, the lower leg first lifts the sole of the foot (the sole of the foot is the area between the heel and the forefoot) off the ground, then or at the same time, the heel lifts off the ground, and then drives the forefoot off the ground. In this process, the movement of the foot is always accompanied by the continuous adjustment of the ankle joint. At the moment when the forefoot is about to leave the ground, the sole of the foot and the ground are at an angle, and the heel is the apex of this angle; then, along with the movement of the patient's legs, the patient's foot also moves in the air; when the patient's foot lands, according to the patient's walking habits, some people land on the forefoot first, and some people land on the heel first. Regardless of the habit, the foot will have a moment of complete landing, so as to carry out the next movement or walking. These movements of the sole of the foot, especially starting and stepping, as well as the angle of movement, are closely adjusted through the rotation of the ankle joint. However, for paralyzed patients, the movement of the ankle joint, the movement of the sole of the foot, including the angle between the sole of the foot and the ground, or the order and adjustment of the heel leaving the ground and touching the ground are almost lost. Normally, when not wearing a mechanical foot, as the leg is lifted, the sole of the foot has gravity, and the foot position will naturally droop around the ankle joint under the action of its own gravity, thereby driving the heel part to be uncontrolledly connected to the ankle joint, showing natural drooping. The movement of the sole of the foot is mainly completed by the movement of the sole or foot driven by the ankle joint.

[0041] After wearing the mechanical foot with the mechanical ankle joint of this embodiment, the revolving pair with elastic rebound ability in the mechanical ankle joint can provide a force to lift the patient's foot from the ankle joint position when the patient lifts his leg. This force can keep the patient's foot position as horizontal as possible, and is used to support the patient's drooping foot, thereby alleviating the patient's drooping foot. Different from "CN105722490B" (hereinafter referred to as the prior art), the force to prevent the foot from drooping in this embodiment is emitted from the patient's ankle joint position, while the force to prevent the foot from drooping in the prior art is emitted from the patient's sole position (especially the forefoot). The mechanical ankle joint of this embodiment will not generate any pulling force on the patient's sole position, and relatively speaking, it has better comfort.

[0042] For details, please refer to the attached Figure 1 The revolute pair is the second revolute pair 40, the leg portion is at position 41, and the foot portion is at position 42. Figure 4 -Attached Figure 6 The mechanical ankle joint includes a leg portion 41 and a foot portion 42, and the leg portion 41 and the foot portion 42 are rotationally connected through a second rotational pair 40, and the second rotational pair 40 is located at the ankle joint. The second rotational pair 40 includes a leg connecting portion 43 and a foot connecting portion 44, wherein the leg connecting portion 43 is connected to the leg portion 41, and the foot connecting portion 44 is connected to the foot portion 42, and the leg connecting portion 43 and the foot connecting portion 44 are nested together to form a rotatable second rotational pair 40. In this embodiment, a hole 46 is provided on the leg connecting portion 43, and a shaft 47 is provided on the foot connecting portion 44. The shaft 47 on the foot connecting portion 44 can be inserted into the hole 46 on the leg connecting portion 43 to form a rotatable second rotational pair 40. Furthermore, in order to reduce the wear of the shaft 47 and the hole 46 during rotation, a bearing or a sleeve 48 is provided between the shaft 47 and the hole 46. The sleeve 48 can be a lubrication-free sleeve, which can reduce the maintenance cost of the mechanical ankle joint. The lubrication-free sleeve includes a brass sleeve or a sleeve made of special materials.

[0043] The second rotating pair 40 is provided with a first elastic element, which enables the second rotating pair 40 to have the ability to return to the initial state after rotation, and also enables the second rotating pair 40 to slow down its movement speed during rotation, so that the movement of the ankle joint position is as gentle as possible, avoiding the ankle joint from moving too fast and causing damage. The first elastic element can be a coil spring, a tension spring, a spring, etc. One end of the first elastic element is connected to the foot connecting part 44, and the other end is connected to the leg connecting part 43. In this way, when the second rotating pair 40 rotates, that is, when the foot connecting part 44 and the leg connecting part 43 move relative to each other, the first elastic element will be stretched or compressed, and the first elastic element accumulates elastic potential energy, so that the second rotating pair 40 has the ability to return to the initial state. At the same time, during the rotation of the second rotating pair 40, due to the deformation of the first elastic element 40 itself, a force that hinders the rotation of the second rotating pair 40 will always be provided to the second rotating pair 40, so that the movement speed of the second rotating pair 40 can be slowed down when the second rotating pair 40 rotates. Specifically, in this embodiment, the outer contour of the rotational matching connection part of the leg connection part 43 is circular, and a first connection fulcrum 90 is provided outside the outer contour, and a second connection fulcrum 91 is provided inside the foot connection part 44. The first connection fulcrum 90 and the second connection fulcrum 91 are connected by a spring 45. As the second rotation pair 40 rotates, the distance between the first direct fulcrum 90 and the second connection fulcrum 91 will continuously change, and at this time, the length of the spring 45 will also continuously change. In this embodiment, the first elastic element provides thrust, not tension.

[0044] Preferably, in order to limit the maximum rotation angle of the mechanical ankle joint, preferably, refer to the attached Figure 6 , Attachment Figure 7 The foot connection part 44 is provided with a side wall 49. When the leg connection part 43 and the foot connection part 44 rotate relative to each other, the first connection fulcrum 90 on the leg connection part 43 will abut against the side wall 49 on the foot connection part 44. When abutting, it means that the second rotational pair 40 has moved to the limit position. The rotatable range of the second rotational pair 40 can protect the patient's ankle. Furthermore, side walls 49 are provided on both sides of the foot connection part 44 to limit the two sides of the second rotational pair 40 to prevent excessive dorsiflexion or excessive dorsiflexion of the patient's foot.

[0045] Preferably, a connecting rod 92 is provided on the leg connecting portion 43, and the first connecting fulcrum 90 is provided at the end position of the connecting rod 92. The setting of the connecting rod 92 can adjust the position of the first connecting fulcrum 90. When the first connecting fulcrum 90 is provided at the end of the connecting rod 92, relative to the first connecting fulcrum 90 provided at the outer contour position of the leg connecting portion 43, since the position of the first connecting fulcrum 90 between the two side walls 49 is changed, the rotatable range of the second rotating pair 40 will also change accordingly. By providing a connecting rod 92 of an appropriate length, the ankle has a suitable maximum dorsiflexion angle and maximum dorsiextension angle.

[0046] Preferably, the two ends of the spring 45 are respectively sleeved on the first connecting fulcrum 90 and the second connecting fulcrum 91, and the spring 45 is slidably connected with the contact position of the first connecting fulcrum 90 and the second connecting fulcrum 91, so that the two ends of the spring 45 form two rotating pairs with the first connecting fulcrum 90 and the second connecting fulcrum 91 respectively. Such a design ensures that during the rotation of the second rotating pair 40, the spring 45 will not be twisted due to the rotation of the first connecting fulcrum 90. If the two ends of the spring 45 are fixedly connected with the first connecting fulcrum 90 and the second connecting fulcrum 91, then with the rotation of the first connecting fulcrum 90, the first connecting fulcrum 90 and the second connecting fulcrum 91 will move relative to each other, and the springs at the connection positions of the two ends of the spring 45 with the first connecting fulcrum 90 and the second connecting fulcrum 91 are very likely to be twisted and broken. The sleeve arrangement solves this problem, and the spring 45 can always provide a pulling force in the direction of the line connecting the first connecting fulcrum 90 and the second connecting fulcrum 91, so as to prompt the second rotating pair 40 to return to its initial position.

[0047] Preferably, the second connection fulcrum 91 is located at the bottom of the side wall 49 near the foot connection part 44, so that the spring 45 in the second rotational pair 40 has sufficient installation space and movement space, and is not easy to interfere with other parts. At the same time, in this embodiment, since the second connection fulcrum 91 is located at the bottom of the side wall 49 near the heel side, the spring 45 in the second rotational pair 40 is arranged in an inclined manner, and this inclined manner is that the lower end of the spring 45 is biased toward the heel position. The setting of this structure cooperates with the thrust provided by the spring 45 to make the forefoot position of the mechanical foot and the rear heel position nearly horizontal; in some other embodiments, the second connection fulcrum 91 is located at the bottom of the side wall 49 near the forefoot side. At this time, the spring 45 in the second rotational pair 40 is still arranged in an inclined manner, but the inclined manner is that the lower end of the spring 45 is biased toward the forefoot position. At this time, the spring 45 needs to provide tension so that the forefoot position of the mechanical foot and the rear heel position are nearly horizontal. According to the different positions of the spring 45, the tension or elastic force provided by it is also different. Relatively speaking, the arrangement of the second connection fulcrum 91 at the bottom of the side wall 49 near the heel side is slightly better than the arrangement of the second connection fulcrum 91 at the bottom of the side wall 49 near the forefoot side, because in the former state, the spring provides thrust, that is, the spring is in a compressed state; in the latter state, the spring provides tension, and the spring is in a stretched state. Since the second rotating pair 40 needs to rotate, the spring will continuously elongate or shorten with the rotational movement, and the spring in the compressed state has better telescopic and elongation characteristics than the spring in the stretched state, because under the same material and the same process, the length of the spring in the compressed state in the natural state is longer than that of the spring in the contracted state. Therefore, during the movement, the spring in the compressed state has better elongation and shortening performance, and is not easy to break after long-term work, which greatly prolongs the service life of the joint position. Furthermore, when the lower end of the spring 45 in the second rotational pair 40 is inclined toward the forefoot position, when the leg portion 41 is in a vertical state, the connecting rod 92 connected to the leg connecting portion 43 is offset toward the forefoot side, so that a longer spring can be accommodated between the first connecting fulcrum 90 and the second connecting fulcrum 91, and a longer spring also has better elongation and contraction performance. Correspondingly, when the lower end of the spring 45 in the second rotational pair 40 is inclined toward the heel position, when the leg portion 41 is in a vertical state, the connecting rod 92 connected to the leg connecting portion 43 is offset toward the rear heel side.

[0048] Preferably, a mechanical ankle joint of this embodiment further includes a cover plate 93, the edge of which matches the side wall 49 of the foot connection part 44, and the cover plate 93 and the foot connection part 44 can be assembled together, and after the assembly is completed, the rotational matching connection part of the leg connection part 43 and the first connection fulcrum 90, the first elastic element, and the second connection fulcrum 91 can be wrapped therein, so that the parts in the second rotational pair 40 are not easy to fall off, and the operation of the second rotational pair 40 is safe and reliable. The first elastic element is not easy to rust, which greatly prolongs the service life.

[0049] When the mechanical ankle joint of this embodiment is not worn, the foot connection part 44 or the foot part 42 is connected to the entire bottom surface of the patient's foot, and the forefoot position of the bottom surface is appropriately tilted relative to the heel position (such as the attached Figure 8 As shown in the figure, or the forefoot position is kept horizontal relative to the heel position, the height of the forefoot position in the upturned state is slightly higher than the heel position, and the height of the forefoot position in the horizontal state is almost the same as the height of the heel position; when the mechanical foot is in use, the patient's foot steps on the bottom surface and the bottom surface is attached to the ground. This is the initial state, and the mechanical ankle joint does not transmit or hardly transmits any force to the patient. When the patient's leg is lifted, the foot droops around the ankle joint under the action of its own gravity. During the drooping process, the bottom surface in contact with the patient's foot rotates together, and the bottom surface rotates the position of the second rotating pair 40 through the foot connecting part 44. The first elastic element in the second rotating pair 40 is deformed relative to the initial state. At this time, the first elastic element has a tendency to restore the initial state, thereby providing the second rotating pair 40 with a reverse torque for lifting the foot. The torque can be reflected as an upward turning force transmitted to the bottom surface stepped by the foot. This force can support the drooping foot, thereby preventing the patient's foot from drooping; at the same time, the first elastic element can also decelerate the rotation process of the ankle joint when the ankle joint rotates, thereby slowing down the movement speed and avoiding damage to the affected foot.

[0050] Example 2.

[0051] The present embodiment provides a shoe with adjustable wearing size, comprising a first part 50 and a second part 51. The first part 50 and the second part 51 constitute the bottom surface stepped on by the foot in the first embodiment. The patient's foot can step on the first part 50 and the second part 51. Since the foot sizes of different patients are different, in order to enhance the adaptability of the shoe to the patient, the first part 50 and the second part 51 are movably connected. By adjusting the relative positions of the movable first part 50 and the second part 51, the length of the bottom surface stepped on by the foot after adjustment matches the patient's foot. Specifically, a slidable connecting plate 52 is provided between the first part 50 and the second part 51. The connecting plate 52 is connected to one of the first part 50 and the second part 51 and embedded in the other. A second locking structure 53 is also provided on the connecting plate 52. The second locking structure 53 can realize that the first part 50 and the second part 51 are locked in the adjusted position and no longer slide.

[0052] In this embodiment, the connecting plate 52 is connected to the second part 51, and the connecting plate 52 is also provided with a second locking structure 53. The second locking structure 53 includes a locking strip 54 provided on the connecting plate 52, and a locking hole 55 is provided on the locking strip 54. The first part 50 includes an upper plate 94 and a lower plate 95, and the upper plate 94 and the lower plate 95 can be assembled together. When the assembly is completed, a sliding groove 96 is formed on the first part 50, and the connecting plate 52 and the locking strip 54 thereon can slide in the sliding groove 96 to realize the active connection between the first part 50 and the second part 51. The second locking structure 53 also includes a press buckle 56, which is provided on the first part 50. After adjusting the position of the first part 50 and the second part 51, the press buckle 56 is pressed to buckle it into the locking hole 55, thereby completing the position locking between the first part 50 and the second part 51.

[0053] Preferably, in order to facilitate the manipulation of the second locking structure 53 to complete the locking operation, the push buckle 56 is provided on the side of the second part 51, and correspondingly, the locking strip 54 is arranged vertically so that the push buckle 56 can be inserted into the locking hole 55. Further, the locking strip 54 is arranged vertically with the connecting plate 52, and the locking strip 54 is provided at the side of the connecting plate 52. The connecting plate 52 and the locking strip 54 thereon are L-shaped as a whole, and correspondingly, the sliding groove 96 is also L-shaped.

[0054] Preferably, in order to facilitate the adjustment of the relative position of the first part 50 and the second part 51, size markings are provided on the connecting plate 52 to facilitate the operator to adjust the size of the shoe.

[0055] Preferably, in order to improve the integrity of the shoe, the first part 50 is movably connected to the second part 51, but this movably connected is inseparable, that is, the first part 50 and the second part 51 cannot be completely separated and cannot become two unrelated parts. In order to achieve this purpose, a slide groove 97 is provided on the connecting plate 52, and the slide groove 97 runs through from top to bottom, and the four walls are annular. A limit block 98 that can be embedded in the slide groove 97 is provided in the slide groove 96. Specifically, there are two limit blocks 98, both of which are arranged on the bottom surface of the upper plate 94. Correspondingly, there are two slide grooves 97 on the connecting plate 52. When the upper plate 94 and the lower plate 95 are installed, the upper plate 94 and the lower plate 95 sandwich the connecting plate 52 in the middle, and the limit block 98 is embedded in the slide groove 97.

[0056] Example 3, refer to the attached Fig. 9 .

[0057] The traditional mechanical foot has a leg portion 41 and a stepping bottom surface 99, wherein the leg portion 41 is used to connect the patient's legs, and the stepping bottom surface 99 is used to fit the sole of the patient's foot. When in use, the leg portion 41 is fixed to the patient's leg, and the patient's foot steps on the stepping bottom surface 99. However, in the traditional mechanical foot, the axis of the leg portion 41 is perpendicular to the plane of the stepping bottom surface 99, which makes the patient feel inward when wearing the mechanical foot, causing discomfort. This embodiment provides a mechanical foot, which also includes a leg portion 41 and a stepping bottom surface 99, wherein the axis of the leg portion 41 is not perpendicular to the plane of the stepping bottom surface 99, which conforms to the ergonomic design, making the patient more comfortable when wearing the mechanical foot. Specifically, the angle between the leg portion 41 and the stepping bottom surface 99 is defined as the maximum value of the angles between the axis of the leg portion 41 and any straight line in the plane where the stepping bottom surface 99 is located. For example, if the angle range between the axis of the leg portion 41 and any straight line in the plane where the stepping bottom surface 99 is located is [88°, 92°], then the angle between the leg portion 41 and the stepping bottom surface 99 is 92°; for another example, if the angle range between the axis of the leg portion 41 and any straight line in the plane where the stepping bottom surface 99 is located is [85°, 95°], then the angle between the leg portion 41 and the stepping bottom surface 99 is 95°. In this embodiment, the angle between the leg portion 41 and the stepping bottom surface 99 is 92°.

[0058] Example 4.

[0059] This embodiment provides a mechanical foot, which includes a portion for receiving the forefoot and a portion for receiving the rear side of the forefoot, wherein the portion for receiving the forefoot and the portion for receiving the rear side of the forefoot have an angle. This angle can be an obtuse angle or a straight angle, for example, the forefoot portion presents an acute angle relative to the horizontal position, such as an angle of 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 55 degrees, and presents an obtuse angle with the rear foot portion that is substantially in the horizontal plane, such as an angle of 170, 160, 155, 160, 165, 135, etc.

[0060] In some methods, this angle can be adjusted. The adjustment here mainly refers to the angle being adjustable due to the different physiological structures and walking habits of the human body. Once adjusted, the angle between the part for receiving the rear side of the forefoot and the part for receiving the forefoot is basically maintained at a fixed angle. Therefore, in some methods, the angle can also be fixed and cannot be adjusted. Therefore, the angle here includes two aspects. The angle is fixed and cannot be adjusted; the other is that the angle can be adjusted to suit different patients and different walking habits, or for the same patient, the angle can be adjusted according to different requirements in the rehabilitation stage.

[0061] In some embodiments, the structure for allowing the portion receiving the rear side of the forefoot to have an angle with the portion receiving the forefoot is varied and may be implemented by any structure, such as a damping structure, a spring structure, or any other suitable structure. In a more extreme implementation example, for example, there is no damping structure, but the forefoot of the mechanical foot itself is fixedly connected to the rear side of the forefoot at a certain angle, for example, by a suitable mechanical structure, such as a hinge.

[0062] In some specific ways, refer to the attached Figure 1 , Attachment Figure 3 , Attachment Figure 4 The mechanical foot includes a third part 83 and a second part 51, and the third part 83 is connected to the second part 51 in a rotational fit. In some embodiments, the rotational fit connection is particularly a rotational fit connection with damping. The rotation here can actually be understood that the damping structure can adjust the angle or the angle between the third part 83 and the second part 51. It can be understood that it can also be a non-rotatable damping.

[0063] It can also be understood that the third part 83 and the second part 51 of the mechanical foot are movably connected. This movably connected is not a natural movably connected connection, but there is a damping structure between the two parts, and the damping structure connects the two parts together. In some ways, the damping structure is set between the forefoot and the rear sole of the foot. Generally, shoes are divided into the rear sole with the rear heel and the forefoot with the toes, and the part between the two is the arch of the foot. This description is only a general description, which is convenient for the following description. The damping structure here can be any elastic or non-elastic element, but it has an element that allows it to be in a certain relative position; for example, the forefoot and the rear sole are in a fixed position relative to each other, and this fixed position has an external force applied to the mechanical foot. For example, the mechanical foot is provided with a damping structure. When a person's foot straps and wears the mechanical foot, the mechanical foot has a second part that receives the forefoot of the human foot and a third part 83 that receives the rear sole, so that the sole of the human foot and the mechanical foot fit together. The mechanical foot of the present invention is worn by people whose feet cannot walk normally, which is essentially different from normal healthy feet. For example, the diseased foot cannot walk normally. In particular, the foot is in a paralyzed state, and the foot is completely or partially controlled by the brain. In this way, during the walking process, the mechanical foot is needed to help the diseased foot walk, and this walking has a rehabilitation effect.

[0064] When a healthy foot walks, the heel of the foot is usually off the ground, driving the forefoot off the ground, and then the forefoot touches the ground first, and then the back foot touches the ground later, completing the walking process. When the foot is a diseased foot, the forefoot and the back foot are not controlled by the brain when walking, and when the calf is lifted to walk, the entire foot is in a natural drooping state. When walking, it cannot move in a similar motion trajectory to a healthy foot. At this time, it is easy to fall. For example, when the diseased foot is in a natural drooping state, when stepping forward, it may be that the toes are currently touching the ground. In the previous process, the movement of the ankle joint is driven to move the foot. Because it cannot cooperate effectively, it is easy to cause a person to fall. At this time, it is hoped that there is an angle between the forefoot and the back foot. This angle can be an obtuse angle. For example, when the sole of the foot is a horizontal plane, the forefoot is in the form of an obtuse angle with the horizontal plane, similar to the form of the forefoot tilting upward relative to the horizontal. When the patient's foot wears the mechanical foot, there is naturally a force, such as pressure, on the forefoot of the mechanical foot. In order to overcome this force, the damping element still keeps the angle between the forefoot and the back of the mechanical foot relatively unchanged or stable, so that the patient's forefoot and the back of the foot also maintain an angle, and when the diseased foot is walking, the forefoot can be kept on the ground, so it is not easy to fall. In particular, for people with hemiplegia, half of the patient, including the entire lower limbs, is paralyzed. When conducting rehabilitation training, the patient needs to walk with the assistance of the mechanical foot, and it is more important to prevent falling. The main function of this damping is to make the forefoot of the patient's foot and the rear part of the forefoot of the foot present a dorsiflexion angle. Of course, there is actually a structural setting to keep an angle between the forefoot and the back of the mechanical foot, such as the dorsiflexion angle. This dorsiflexion angle remains almost unchanged when the patient's foot wears the mechanical foot. On the other hand, the angle can be adjusted, and there is a damping structure. Since the size of each person's foot and walking habits are different, the dorsiflexion angle can be adjusted arbitrarily to meet the walking habits of each patient. This angle can be adjusted arbitrarily between 175-85 degrees, and can be adjusted to 120, 135, or 110 degrees. Therefore, with the existence of damping, once adjusted, the mechanical foot maintains a relatively fixed angle between the forefoot and the rear sole of the mechanical foot. In addition to the damping structure, other methods can also be implemented, but in this implementation method, the dorsiflexion angle is easy to fix, but it is not conducive to arbitrary adjustment. For example, springs, shrapnel. Or, to put it more simply, it is to make the forefoot and the rear sole of the mechanical foot have a dorsiflexion angle, but this angle generally cannot be adjusted arbitrarily.

[0065] In some more specific implementation examples, the second part 51 is located at the forefoot, and the third part 83 is located at the rear side of the forefoot. The two are connected at the junction through a damping shaft 58. An elastic element is provided inside the damping shaft 58. When the patient's affected foot steps on the ground, the gravity of the forefoot acts on the second part 51, so that the third part 83 is always at an angle with the second part 51. The "always" here does not mean always, but makes the forefoot and the rear foot of the patient's foot roughly present an angle, such as making the forefoot tilt upward away from the ground. This angle is always kept stable, and this angle is maintained by relying on the angle between the forefoot and the rear foot of the mechanical foot, and the angle between the forefoot and the rear foot of the mechanical foot can be achieved by a damping structure.

[0066] Specifically, the mechanical foot includes a third part 83 and a second part 51. When wearing the mechanical foot, the patient steps on the third part 83 and the second part 51. The third part 83 is movably connected to the second part. The movably connected surface is divided into two parts. The movably connected surface includes a rotationally matched connection, an elastic connection, and a combination of a rotationally matched connection and an elastic connection. Figure 1 , Attachment Figure 3 , Attachment Figure 4 In this embodiment, the movable connection is a special rotational connection: the third part 83 is rotationally connected with the second part 51, especially a rotational connection with damping. Specifically, the second part 51 is located at the forefoot, and the third part 83 is located at the rear of the forefoot. The two are rotationally connected at the junction through the damping shaft 58. Fig.10 In the ad, when the patient's affected foot steps on the ground, Fig.10 As shown in (a), the gravity of the forefoot acts on the second part 51, and the gravity of the rear part of the forefoot acts on the third part 83, so that the third part 83 is flush with the second part 51; when the patient lifts the affected foot, as shown in the figure, Fig.10 As shown in (b), the patient's heel is off the ground first, and then the forefoot is off the ground. The forefoot of the patient and the rear part of the forefoot are at a dorsiflexion angle. Since the second part 51 and the third part 83 fit the sole of the patient's foot, the third part 83 and the second part 51 rotate relative to each other during this process. When the patient steps out of the affected foot, as shown in the figure, Fig.10 As shown in (c), since the patient's affected foot is in a suspended state at this time, the weight of the patient's foot acts on the patient's leg, including the weight of the patient's forefoot, and rarely falls on the second part 51. At this time, the damping shaft 58 can keep the second part 51 in a dorsiflexed state, that is, the second part 51 (forefoot) no longer sags, thereby solving the problem of being easily tripped during walking; when the patient's affected foot steps on the ground again, refer to the attached Fig.10As shown in (d), the gravity of the foot is no longer borne by the patient's legs, but acts on the second part 51 and the third part 83. Under the action of the downward pressure of the patient's foot, the damping shaft 58 between the third part 83 and the second part 51 rotates relative to each other again, so that the third part 83 is flush with the second part 51 and returns to the initial state.

[0067] Specifically, the third part 83 is connected to the second part 51 through the damping shaft 58. The third part 83 is provided with a first installation station 89, and the second part 51 is provided with a second installation station 88. The first installation station 89 and the second installation station 88 are both provided with a first connecting hole for installing the damping shaft 58. The damping shaft 58 includes a first shaft body 86 and a second shaft body 87. The first shaft body 86 and the second shaft body 87 both include a square section and a cylindrical section. The cylindrical sections of the two are nested together, so that the first shaft body 86 and the second shaft body 87 can rotate relative to each other. , a spring sheet and a gasket are also provided in the damping shaft 58. When there is a tendency for relative rotation between the first shaft body 86 and the second shaft body 87, the spring sheet and the gasket will rub against each other to generate a damping force. When the torque between the first shaft body 86 and the second shaft body 87 is greater than the maximum damping force, relative rotation will occur between the first shaft body 86 and the second shaft body 87. When there is no external force or the torque generated is less than the maximum damping force, the first shaft body 86 and the second shaft body 87 can remain relatively fixed. The square sections of the first shaft body 86 and the second shaft body 87 are both provided with a second connection hole corresponding to the first connection hole. The damping shaft 58 can be installed between the third part 83 and the second part 51 by screws penetrating the first connection hole and the second connection hole. Preferably, there are two second connection holes on the square section, two first connection holes are provided on the first installation position 89 and the second installation position 88, two first installation positions 89 and two second installation positions 88 are provided on the third part 83 and the second part 51, respectively, and two damping shafts 58 are installed between the third part 83 and the second part 51. When the affected foot of the patient is lifted up, a suitable force can be provided to flip the forefoot upward so that the forefoot no longer droops.

[0068] Preferably, a limiting structure is provided at the connection between the third portion 83 and the second portion 51, that is, a limiting structure is provided at the connection between the forefoot portion and the rear part of the forefoot, so that the damping shaft 58 will not be pressed down too much due to gravity, thereby avoiding excessive rotation (flipping down) and causing plantar flexion. Fig.11The second part 51 is provided with a first groove 59 near the first installation position 89, and the first installation position 89 partially extends into the first groove 59, so that when the second part 51 is turned down, the first installation position 89 will abut against the first groove 59, thereby preventing the second part 51 from turning down. Furthermore, in order to allow the second part 51 to turn down appropriately and meet the patient's occasional plantar flexion needs, a second groove 69 is provided on the first installation position 89 near the first groove 59.

[0069] The third part 83 can be a whole part or a component assembled from two or more parts. When the third part 83 is a whole part, just like the attached Fig.10 In the embodiment, the third part 83 always fits with the rear part of the forefoot and cannot be adjusted. When the third part 83 is a component assembled from two or more parts, for example, as in Embodiment 2, the third part 83 includes the first part 50 and the connecting plate 52, and the connecting plate 52 can slide in the first part 50. In this case, the mechanical foot has the advantages of adjustable size and automatic upward turning of the forefoot during walking.

[0070] Example 5.

[0071] This embodiment provides a mechanical foot, including a third part 83 and a second part 51. When wearing the mechanical foot, the patient steps on the third part 83 and the second part 51. The third part 83 is movably connected to the second part. The movably connected surface is divided into two parts. The movably connected surface includes a rotationally matched connection, an elastic connection, and also includes a combination of a rotationally matched connection and an elastic connection. The movably connected surface in this embodiment is an elastic rotationally matched connection: the second part 51 is at the forefoot position, and the third part 83 is at the rear side of the forefoot position. The two are rotationally matched at the junction position through an elastic shaft. A second elastic element is provided inside the elastic shaft. The second elastic element can be a coil spring, a torsion spring, or other parts that can allow the elastic shaft to recover its deformation after rotation. When the mechanical foot is not worn, the second part 51 is appropriately turned up under the action of the second elastic element; when the patient's affected foot is on the ground, the gravity of the forefoot acts on the second part 51, so that the third part 83 is flush with the second part 51; when the patient's affected foot is lifted up, that is, in a walking state, since the gravity of the forefoot at this time almost acts on the patient's legs, the gravity of the forefoot no longer acts on the second part 51, and the second part 51 slowly turns up under the action of the second elastic element in the elastic shaft, driving the forefoot to bend upward, that is, the second part 51 (forefoot) no longer droops, thereby solving the problem of being easily tripped during walking.

[0072] Preferably, the structure of the elastic shaft is similar to the damping shaft 58 in Example 4, the elastic shaft includes a third shaft body and a fourth shaft body, the third shaft body and the fourth shaft body both include a square section and a cylindrical section, the cylindrical sections of the two are nested together, so that the third shaft body and the fourth shaft body can rotate relative to each other, and different from the damping shaft 58, a second elastic element is provided between the third shaft body and the fourth shaft body, and the second elastic element is provided at the nesting position of the cylindrical sections of the third shaft body and the fourth shaft body, so that the third shaft body and the fourth shaft body have the ability to restore deformation after relative rotation. The installation position and installation method of the elastic shaft can be consistent with the installation position and installation method of the damping shaft 58 in Example 4, which will not be repeated here. Preferably, the third part 83 and the second part 51 are connected by two elastic shafts, and there are two second elastic elements in the two elastic shafts, which can provide a suitable force to flip the forefoot upward when the affected foot of the patient is lifted up, so that the forefoot no longer droops.

[0073] Example 6.

[0074] The present embodiment provides a mechanical foot, including a third part 83 and a second part 51. When wearing the mechanical foot, the patient steps on the third part 83 and the second part 51. The third part 83 is movably connected to the second part. The movable connection divides the surface stepped by the patient into two parts. The movable connection includes a rotational fit connection, an elastic connection, and also a combination of a rotational fit connection and an elastic connection. The movable connection in this embodiment is an elastic connection: the second part 51 is located at the forefoot, and the third part 83 is located at the rear side of the forefoot. The two are connected at the junction by a spring sheet. The spring sheet has an arc so that one end of it is tilted upward, or an upward fold is provided on the spring sheet, so that when the mechanical foot is not worn, its second part 51 can be properly turned upward; when the patient's affected foot is on the ground, the gravity of the forefoot acts on the second part 51, so that the third part 83 is flush with the second part 51; when the patient's affected foot is lifted up, that is, in a walking state, since the gravity of the forefoot at this time almost acts on the patient's leg, the gravity of the forefoot no longer acts on the second part 51, and the second part 51 slowly turns up under the action of the spring sheet, driving the forefoot part to bend upward, that is, the second part 51 (forefoot) no longer sags, and the problem of being easily tripped during walking is solved.

[0075] Example 7.

[0076] The present embodiment provides a mechanical foot for being worn on the foot of a patient, comprising a step-in bottom surface 99 and an ankle fixing strap 82 and a back fixing strap 85 arranged on the step-in bottom surface 99. The ankle fixing strap 82 is used to fix the posterior position of the patient's foot, and the back fixing strap 85 is used to fix the dorsum position of the patient's foot. By fixing these two positions, the mechanical foot can be worn on the patient's foot.

[0077] Preferably, when wearing the mechanical foot, the patient's ankle joint rear side is firstly abutted against the ankle fixing belt 82, and then the back fixing belt 85 is fixed, so that the patient's foot fits against the stepping bottom surface 99. When wearing the mechanical foot, the patient can wear the mechanical foot with shoes or without shoes.

[0078] Since the overall length of the instep is relatively long, a single back fixing strap 85 cannot play a good fixing role. Preferably, two back fixing straps 85 are provided to better fix the foot. Furthermore, the back fixing strap 85 includes a shoe tooth strap 79 and a shoe buckle 78. By passing the shoe tooth strap 79 through the shoe buckle 78, a quick connection at the instep position can be completed, that is, the mechanical foot can be quickly put on. At the same time, a button 77 is provided on the shoe buckle 78. By pressing the button 77, the shoe tooth strap 79 and the shoe buckle 78 can be quickly unlocked, which facilitates the removal of the mechanical foot. The shoe tooth strap 79, the shoe buckle 78 and the connection position of the mechanical foot are rotatably connected, so that they can all adjust the wearing angle, so that the mechanical foot is suitable for different people to wear.

[0079] Preferably, a flexible pad 84 is provided on the mechanical foot. The flexible pad 84 can be provided on the upper surface of the step-fitting bottom surface 99 to improve the comfort of the patient when wearing the mechanical foot. The flexible pad 84 can also be provided on the lower surface of the step-fitting bottom surface 99 to reduce the noise of the mechanical foot stepping on the ground, and also play a role in protecting the mechanical foot. The most important thing is that it can prevent slipping and prevent the patient from falling when wearing the mechanical foot, thereby protecting the patient.

[0080] Example 8.

[0081] Example 8 provides a mechanical foot, the technical solution adopted by which is any combination of the above-mentioned examples 1 to 7, and any combination includes a combination of two examples, a combination of three examples, etc.

[0082] For example, the combination of Example 1 and Example 4 can achieve the situation where the forefoot does not sag while the ankle joint does not sag, thereby preventing the patient from falling while walking.

[0083] For example, in the combination of Example 2 and Example 4, a length-adjustable structure is also provided between the forefoot and the rear foot, one end of the structure is connected to the forefoot, and the other end is connected to the rear foot part. Through the length-adjustable structure, the distance between the forefoot and the rear foot can be adjusted, so that the mechanical foot can fit the size of the foot of different patients. It should be noted that the "foot" and "sole" here are interchangeable, both representing the patient's foot or mechanical foot, or a mechanical sole or mechanical foot suitable for the patient to wear, which can also be called a mechanical shoe. The shoe includes a structure of a mechanical sole, and the mechanical shoe, mechanical foot or mechanical sole is used to wear on the patient's foot or foot. A damping structure is provided on the adjustment structure for adjusting the distance between the forefoot and the rear foot, one end of the damping structure is connected to the structure for adjusting the distance, and the other end is connected to the forefoot, so that the angle between the forefoot and the rear foot can be fixed or adjusted. Here, the adjustment structure can be a part of the rear foot, and of course, it can also be a part of the forefoot.

[0084] The above is only a specific implementation method of the invention, but the protection scope of the invention is not limited to it. Any changes or substitutions that are not conceived through creative work should be included in the protection scope of the invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the invention should be based on the protection scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A mechanical ankle joint, comprising a leg portion and a foot portion, wherein the leg portion is used to be fixed to the patient's leg, and the foot portion is used to be fixed to the patient's foot, characterized in that: The leg portion is movably connected to the foot portion, and the movably connected portion is a movably connected portion having elastic rebound capability; The movable connection is a rotation connection, and the mechanical ankle joint includes a rotation pair, so that the leg part and the foot structure part can rotate relative to each other after the rotation pair, and the rotation pair has elastic rebound ability; A first elastic element is provided in the rotating pair, one end of the first elastic element is connected to the foot connecting part, and the other end is connected to the leg connecting part; When the revolving pair rotates, the foot connecting part and the leg connecting part move relative to each other, and the first elastic element will be stretched or compressed; The outer contour of the rotational matching connection part of the leg connection part is circular, a first connection fulcrum is arranged outside the outer contour, a second connection fulcrum is arranged inside the foot connection part, and the first connection fulcrum and the second connection fulcrum are connected by a first elastic element; The two ends of the first elastic element are respectively sleeved on the first connection fulcrum and the second connection fulcrum, and the spring is slidably connected with the contact position of the first connection fulcrum and the second connection fulcrum, so that the two ends of the spring form two rotation pairs with the first connection fulcrum and the second connection fulcrum respectively; The second connecting fulcrum is located at the bottom position of the side wall of the foot connecting part close to the forefoot side; the spring in the rotating pair is arranged in an inclined manner, and the lower end of the spring is biased towards the forefoot position, and the spring provides a pulling force; when the leg part is in a vertical state, the connecting rod connected to the leg connecting part is offset to the rear heel side; or, the second connecting fulcrum is located at the bottom position of the side wall of the foot connecting part close to the heel side; the spring in the rotating pair is arranged in an inclined manner, and the lower end of the spring is biased towards the heel position, and the spring provides a thrust; when the leg part is in a vertical state, the connecting rod connected to the leg connecting part is offset to the front foot side.

2. A mechanical ankle joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The foot connecting part is provided with side walls. When the leg connecting part and the foot connecting part rotate relative to each other, the first connection fulcrum on the leg connecting part will abut against the side walls on the foot connecting part. Side walls are provided on both sides of the foot connecting part for limiting the two sides of the second rotating pair.

3. A mechanical ankle joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: A connecting rod is arranged on the leg connecting part, and the first connecting fulcrum is arranged at the end position of the connecting rod.

4. A mechanical ankle joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The leg part and the foot part are nested together to form a revolute joint, and the revolute joint is located at the ankle joint; The leg connecting part is provided with a hole, the foot connecting part is provided with a shaft, and the shaft on the foot connecting part is inserted into the hole on the leg connecting part to form a rotatable second rotating pair; A bearing or a sleeve is provided between the shaft and the hole; Wherein, the first elastic element is a coil spring, or a tension spring, or a spring; The mechanical ankle joint also includes a cover plate, the edge of the cover plate matches the side wall of the foot connection part, and the cover plate and the foot connection part can be assembled together. After the assembly is completed, the rotating matching connection part of the leg connection part and the first connection fulcrum, the first elastic element, and the second connection fulcrum can be wrapped therein.

5. A mechanical ankle joint according to claim 4, characterized in that: The shaft sleeve is a lubrication-free shaft sleeve.

Images