Single hydraulic cylinder multi-axis prosthetic knee joint

Abstract

The present invention provides a single hydraulic cylinder multi-axis prosthetic knee joint, comprising: an upper swivel seat; a front swivel arm; a rear fork frame; a lower fixed seat having a through slot extending in the front-to-back direction on the upper part, and a long strip-shaped protrusion extending in the left-right direction on the bottom surface of the through slot; a rotatable limiting mechanism arranged in the through slot, comprising an inverted L-shaped outer limiting block and an inverted L-shaped inner limiting block, both of which have a lower hook extending downward at the front end; the inner limiting block is rotatably arranged in a space surrounded by two limiting plates and a connecting portion; the telescopic limiting mechanism comprises a rotating rod rotatably connected to the lower fixed seat and a sleeve portion sleeved on the rotating rod and movable up and down relative to the rotating rod; when the knee joint is in the upright position, the rear end faces of the lower hooks of the outer limiting block and the inner limiting block are both against the protrusion, and when the knee joint is in the dead point position during the swing period, the rear end face of the lower hook of the outer limiting block is against the protrusion. The knee joint provided by the present invention can provide better stability and flexibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of prostheses, and in particular to a single-hydraulic-cylinder multi-axis prosthetic knee joint. Background Art

[0002] Prosthesis is an artificial prosthesis specially designed, manufactured and assembled by means and methods of engineering technology to compensate for the limbs of amputees or incomplete limb defects, also known as "prosthetic limbs". Its main function is to replace some of the functions of the lost limbs, so that amputees can restore a certain degree of self-care and work ability. It is suitable for amputees due to diseases, traffic accidents, industrial accidents, sports injuries and other reasons. Prostheses are divided into upper limb prostheses and lower limb prostheses according to the amputation site. Lower limb prostheses are the only means for lower limb amputees to restore walking function, and lower limb prostheses can basically compensate for the normal life functions of the missing limbs of lower limb amputees.

[0003] Among them, the knee joint is one of the core components of lower limb prostheses, and its performance plays a decisive role in the patient's gait and comfort.

[0004] In the process of implementing the present invention, the inventors found that there are at least the following problems in the prior art:

[0005] At present, most of the related knee joint products developed in China are simple four-bar linkage mechanical structures, and their stability and flexibility in use still need to be improved. In addition, the current knee joint products also have certain defects in stability during the support period and in preventing bending during the swing period.

[0006] Therefore, a single hydraulic cylinder multi-axis prosthetic knee joint is needed to at least partially solve the above technical problems. Summary of the invention

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention provides a single hydraulic cylinder multi-axis prosthetic knee joint, wherein the knee joint can provide better stability and flexibility and can prevent bending during walking.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a single hydraulic cylinder multi-axis prosthetic knee joint, the knee joint comprising:

[0009] An upper swivel mount for connection to the prosthetic thigh;

[0010] A front rotating arm, the top rear end of which is pivotally connected to the middle position of the upper rotating seat via a horizontal first connecting shaft;

[0011] A rear fork frame, the top of which is pivotally connected to the bottom rear end of the upper swivel seat via a second connecting shaft; wherein the second connecting shaft is located at a rear and lower position of the first connecting shaft;

[0012] A lower fixing seat for connecting with the prosthetic shank, wherein the top front end of the lower fixing seat is pivotally connected to the bottom of the front rotating arm via a third connecting shaft; the lower fixing seat is an L-shaped seat body structure and has a through slot extending in the front-to-back direction at the upper portion, and a long strip-shaped protrusion extending in the left-right direction and protruding upward is provided at the middle position of the bottom surface of the through slot;

[0013] The rotatable limiting mechanism arranged in the through groove comprises an inverted L-shaped outer limiting block and an inverted L-shaped inner limiting block, both of which have a lower hook portion extending downward at the front end; the rear end of the outer limiting block is pivotally connected to the bottom of the rear fork frame via a fourth connecting shaft, and the top front end of the outer limiting block is pivotally connected to the third connecting shaft; the inner limiting block is rotatably arranged in a space connected up and down in the outer limiting block, the rear end of the inner limiting block is pivotally connected to the connecting rod via a fifth connecting shaft, the top of the connecting rod is pivotally connected to the lower part of the rear fork frame above the fourth connecting shaft via a sixth connecting shaft, the top front end of the inner limiting block is pivotally connected to the third connecting shaft, the top middle end of the inner limiting block is pivotally connected to the top of the telescopic limiting mechanism via a seventh connecting shaft, and the bottom of the telescopic limiting mechanism is rotatably connected to one side of the lower fixed seat in front of the protrusion;

[0014] Wherein, the telescopic limiting mechanism comprises a rotating rod rotatably connected to the lower fixed seat and a sleeve portion pivotally connected to the seventh connecting shaft and sleeved on the rotating rod and movable up and down relative to the rotating rod, and the rotating rod is provided with an abutment column protruding radially outwardly and capable of abutting upward against the sleeve portion; and

[0015] A hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic cylinder comprising a cylinder body, a piston rod and a connecting head arranged at the bottom of the cylinder body, the top of the piston rod is pivotally connected to the position of the upper swivel seat between the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft via an eighth connecting shaft, and the connecting head is pivotally connected to the top front end of the lower fixed seat;

[0016] Wherein, when the knee joint is in the upright position during the gait cycle, the rear end surfaces of the lower hooks of the outer limit block and the inner limit block both abut against the protrusion, and when the knee joint is in the dead point position during the swing period, the rear end surface of the lower hook of the outer limit block abuts against the protrusion and the abutment column abuts upward against the sleeve portion;

[0017] Among them, the first to eighth connecting axes are all pivot axes extending along the left-right direction.

[0018] The knee joint according to the present invention, compared with the existing four-bar structure, adopts the form of an upper swivel seat, a front rotating arm, a rear fork frame, a lower fixed seat and a limiting mechanism, and the overall structural stability is better. At the same time, the limiting mechanism adopts a combined structure including a specially designed outer limit block and an inner limit block. In addition, a hydraulic cylinder is used, which is more in line with the movement characteristics of the human knee joint and better simulates the natural gait characteristics of the human body, so that the mechanism has better flexibility; wherein, in the upright position or the dead point position of the swing period in the gait cycle, at least one of the rear end faces of the lower hooks of the outer limit block and the inner limit block rests backward against the protrusion, which can prevent bending during walking.

[0019] Optionally, the lower fixing seat is further fixed with a support block on one side behind the protrusion, the support block being upwardly pressed against the connection portion of the outer limit block, and the support block is a rubber block;

[0020] The support block of the knee joint always presses upward against the connection part of the outer limit block during the gait cycle.

[0021] Optionally, a concave groove is further provided at the position of the protrusion and / or the lower hook of the inner limit block corresponding to the telescopic limit mechanism, so as to prevent interference when the telescopic limit mechanism rotates.

[0022] Optionally, a hemispherical rotating block is further provided at the bottom of the rotating rod of the telescopic limiting mechanism where it is connected to the lower fixed seat, and a corresponding ball groove is provided at the lower fixed seat.

[0023] Optionally, the outer limit block includes two inverted L-shaped limit plates arranged in the same manner along the front-to-back direction and a connecting portion between the bottom rear ends of the two limit plates, and the inner limit block is rotatably arranged in the space enclosed by the two limit plates and the connecting portion.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a lower limb prosthesis of a knee joint including the above technical solution.

[0025] By utilizing the technical solution according to the embodiment of the present invention, the beneficial effects that can be obtained are at least:

[0026] 1. The knee joint of the embodiment of the present invention adopts the form of an upper swivel seat, a front rotating arm, a rear fork frame, a lower fixed seat and a limit mechanism, and the overall structural stability is better. The limit mechanism adopts a combination structure including a specially designed outer limit block and an inner limit block, and also adopts a hydraulic cylinder, which is more in line with the movement characteristics of the human knee joint, so that the mechanism has better flexibility; and in the upright position or the dead point position of the swing period in the gait cycle, at least one of the rear end surfaces of the lower hooks of the outer limit block and the inner limit block is back against the convex block, which can prevent bending during walking;

[0027] 2. In the knee joint of the embodiment of the present invention, a support block is fixedly arranged on one side of the rear of the protrusion on the lower fixed seat, which is pressed upward to the connection part of the outer limit block. The support block is squeezed during movement and always provides upward support and corresponding resilience, which ensures safety and saves effort for the user.

[0028] Additional advantages, purposes, and features of the present invention will be described in part in the following description, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art after studying the following, or may be learned from the practice of the present invention. The purposes and other advantages of the present invention may be achieved and obtained by the structures specifically indicated in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the objectives and advantages that can be achieved with the present invention are not limited to the above specific description, and the above and other objectives that can be achieved by the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention, constitute a part of this application, and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention. The components in the drawings are not drawn to scale, but are only for illustrating the principles of the present invention. In order to facilitate the illustration and description of some parts of the present invention, the corresponding parts in the drawings may be enlarged, that is, they may become larger relative to other components in the exemplary device actually manufactured according to the present invention. In the drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 is an overall schematic diagram of a knee joint according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the knee joint is in an upright position and part of the structure is made transparent;

[0032] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the knee joint is shown, wherein some of the structures are made transparent;

[0033] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Another angle diagram of the knee joint shown;

[0034] Figure 4 is an overall schematic diagram of a knee joint according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the knee joint is at a dead point during the swing phase;

[0035] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a limiting mechanism in a knee joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 for Figure 5 An exploded schematic diagram of the limiting mechanism shown;

[0037] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an outer limiting block in a limiting mechanism of a knee joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a middle and lower fixing seat of a knee joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of another angle of the lower and middle fixing seat of the knee joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a front rotation arm in a knee joint according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0041] Fig.11 Schematic diagram of a rear fork frame in a knee joint according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Description of reference numerals:

[0043] 100. Knee joint;

[0044] 110, upper turntable;

[0045] 120, front swing arm;

[0046] 130, rear fork frame;

[0047] 140, lower fixing seat; 141, through groove; 142, convex block; 143, groove; 144, protruding portion;

[0048] 150, limit mechanism; 151, outer limit block; 152, limit plate; 153, connection part; 154, inner limit block; 155, connecting rod; 156, telescopic limit mechanism; 157, rotating rod; 158, sleeve joint; 159, abutment column;

[0049] 160, hydraulic cylinder; 161, cylinder body; 162, piston rod; 163, connector;

[0050] 170, support block;

[0051] MA, lower hook; MB, rear end face;

[0052] R1, the first connecting axis; R2, the second connecting axis; R3, the third connecting axis; R4, the fourth connecting axis; R5, the fifth connecting axis; R6, the sixth connecting axis; R7, the seventh connecting axis; R8, the eighth connecting axis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] By referring to the exemplary embodiments, the objects and functions of the present invention and the methods for achieving these objects and functions will be explained. However, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed below; it can be implemented in different forms. The essence of the description is only to help those skilled in the relevant art to comprehensively understand the specific details of the present invention.

[0054] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should also be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0055] Ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" cited in the present invention are merely identifications and do not have any other meanings, such as a specific order, etc. Moreover, for example, the term "first component" itself does not imply the existence of the "second component", and the term "second component" itself does not imply the existence of the "first component".

[0056] It should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "inside", "outside" and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting.

[0057] The present invention provides a single hydraulic cylinder multi-axis prosthetic knee joint 100. The knee joint 100 can be applied to the field of prosthetic technology, such as lower limb prostheses, to solve the deficiencies of existing knee joints in terms of stability, flexibility and anti-bending.

[0058] The present invention provides a single hydraulic cylinder multi-axis prosthetic knee joint. In a preferred embodiment, Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of a knee joint according to an embodiment of the present invention. At this time, the knee joint is in an upright position and part of its structure has been made transparent. Figure 4 FIG. 4 is an overall schematic diagram of a knee joint according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the knee joint is at a dead point during the swing phase.

[0059] The knee joint 100 may include an upper swivel seat 110, a front rotating arm 120, a rear fork frame 130, a lower fixed seat 140, a limiting mechanism 150 and a hydraulic cylinder 160. As a component of the knee joint 100, the upper swivel seat 110 may be used to connect the front rotating arm 120, the rear fork frame 130 and the artificial limb thigh (not shown). As another component of the knee joint 100, the front rotating arm 120 may be used to rotate and connect the upper swivel seat 110 and the lower fixed seat 140. Similarly, the rear fork frame 130 may be used to rotate and connect the upper swivel seat 110 and the limiting mechanism 150. The lower fixed seat 140 may be used to connect the front rotating arm 120, the limiting mechanism 150 and the artificial limb (not shown). As an important component of the knee joint 100, the limiting mechanism 150 may be used to connect the rear fork frame 130 and the lower fixed seat 140, and play a role in improving flexibility and safety in use. The two ends of the hydraulic cylinder 160 are respectively used to rotatably connect the upper swivel seat 110 and the lower fixed seat 140, which can play a role in buffering and adjusting the swing speed of the prosthetic shank.

[0060] First, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 , Figure 3 for Figure 1 Another angle diagram of the knee joint 100 is shown. Figure 1 The side where the front rotating arm 120 is located is defined as the front, and the side where the rear fork frame 130 is located is defined as the rear. The side facing the observer is defined as the left side, and the side facing away from the observer is defined as the right side.

[0061] Specifically, the upper swivel seat 110 can be used to connect with the prosthetic thigh. The upper swivel seat 110 is a basic prior art component in a lower limb prosthesis (not shown), and can generally be connected with the prosthetic thigh through a thigh connection block (not shown).

[0062] The top rear end of the front rotating arm 120 can be pivotally connected to the middle position of the upper rotating seat 110 or somewhere near the front half of the front end via a horizontal first connecting shaft R1. The first connecting shaft R1 can be extended in the left and right directions. The specific type of the front rotating arm 120 is not limited. Fig.10 The front rotating arm 120 can be, for example, a U-shaped rotating arm or an H-shaped frame structure bent toward the rear fork frame 130.

[0063] The top of the rear fork frame 130 can be pivotally connected to the bottom rear end of the upper swivel seat 110 via the second connecting shaft R2. The second connecting shaft R2 can be located at a rear lower position of the first connecting shaft R1. The specific type of the rear fork frame 130 is not limited, and reference is made to Fig.11 , which can be an H-shaped frame structure.

[0064] The lower fixing seat 140 can be used to connect with the prosthetic shank. Generally, the lower fixing seat 140 can be connected to the prosthetic shank (not shown) through the shank connecting block (not shown). Like the aforementioned thigh connecting block, the shank connecting block is also a common prior art component in lower limb prostheses. The lower fixing seat 140 can be an L-shaped seat structure (the front end is high and the rear end is low) and the upper part has a through groove 141 that runs through in the front-to-back direction. The middle position of the bottom surface of the through groove 141 has an upwardly protruding long strip convex block 142 extending in the left-right direction. The top front end of the lower fixing seat 140 can be pivotally connected to the bottom of the front rotating arm 120 via the third connecting shaft R3.

[0065] The rotatable limiting mechanism 150 is arranged in the through groove 141. The limiting mechanism 150 spans over the two ends (front end and rear end) of the protrusion 142. The limiting mechanism 150 may include an inverted L-shaped outer limiting block 151 and an inverted L-shaped inner limiting block 154, both of which have a lower hook MA extending downward at the front end. The lower hook MA may be a long plate-like or block-like structure. The shape of the rear end surface MB (the surface in contact with the protrusion 142) of the lower hook MA may be designed to be adapted to the contact portion of the protrusion 142, for example, it may be a plane, or an arc surface, or a plane with a depression, etc., and there is no specific limitation. The inner limiting block 154 is rotatably arranged in a space that is connected up and down in the outer limiting block 151. Among them, there is no limitation on the specific types of the outer limiting block 151 and the inner limiting block 154. Reference Figures 5 to 9 The outer limit block 151 may include two inverted L-shaped limit plates 152 arranged in the same manner along the front-back direction and a connecting portion 153 between the bottom rear ends of the two limit plates 152. The inner limit block 154 is rotatably arranged in a space enclosed by the two limit plates 152 and the connecting portion 153.

[0066] The two limit plates 152 and the connecting portion 153 may be an integrated structure or a split structure. The connecting portion 153 may be a sheet-like plate structure, and its shape is determined by the bottom rear end extension shape of the limit plate 152, such as a curved panel, a bent plate or a straight plate.

[0067] Further, the rear end of the outer limit block 151 can be pivotally connected to the bottom of the rear fork frame 130 via the fourth connecting shaft R4. The top front end of the outer limit block 151 can be pivotally connected to the third connecting shaft R3. The rear end of the inner limit block 154 can be pivotally connected to the connecting rod 155 via the fifth connecting shaft R5. The top of the connecting rod 155 can be pivotally connected to the lower part of the rear fork frame 130 above the fourth connecting shaft R4 via the sixth connecting shaft R6. The top front end of the inner limit block 154 can be pivotally connected to the third connecting shaft R3. The top middle end of the inner limit block 154 can be pivotally connected to the top of the telescopic limit mechanism 156 via the seventh connecting shaft R7. The bottom of the telescopic limit mechanism 156 can be rotatably connected to the side of the lower fixed seat 140 in front of the protrusion 142.

[0068] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The telescopic limiting mechanism 156 may include a rotating rod 157 rotatably connected to the lower fixing seat 140 and a sleeve portion 158 pivotally connected to the seventh connecting shaft R7 and sleeved on the rotating rod 157 and movable up and down relative to the rotating rod 157. The rotating rod 157 may be provided with an abutment column 159 protruding radially outwardly and abutting upwardly against the sleeve portion 158. The sleeve portion 158 may be in the form of a sleeve. The top surface of the abutment column 159 may contact the bottom surface of the sleeve.

[0069] The hydraulic cylinder 160 may include a cylinder body 161, a piston rod 162, and a connection head 163 provided to the bottom of the cylinder body 161. The top of the piston rod 162 may be pivotally connected to the upper swivel seat 110 at a position between the first connection axis R1 and the second connection axis R2 via an eighth connection axis R8. The connection head 163 may be pivotally connected to the top front end of the lower fixed seat 140.

[0070] In addition, the hydraulic cylinder 160 can be a hydraulic cylinder 160 that can adjust the damping size to control the swing speed of the prosthetic shank. The hydraulic cylinder 160 can adopt the existing technical device in the field, for example, see the Chinese invention patent application No.: 2016107121665, title: A swing speed adjustment device for a prosthetic joint, which will not be repeated here.

[0071] Like the first connecting shaft R1, the second to eighth connecting shafts are all pivot shafts extending in the left-right direction. A pivot hole for installing the connecting shaft is provided on the corresponding structure.

[0072] It can be understood that the specific forms of the first to eighth connecting shafts are not limited, and they can be, for example, connecting rods, connecting pins or connecting bolts, etc.

[0073] In the gait cycle, when the knee joint 100 is in the upright position, the rear end surfaces MB of the lower hooks MA of the outer limit block 151 and the inner limit block 154 abut against the protrusion 142. When the knee joint 100 is in the dead point position during the swing phase, the rear end surface MB of the lower hook MA of the outer limit block 151 abuts against the protrusion 142, and the abutment column 159 abuts upward against the sleeve 158.

[0074] In a preferred embodiment, reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4A support block 170 can be fixedly arranged on one side of the lower fixing seat 140 behind the protrusion 142, and the support block 170 is pressed upward against the connection part 153 of the outer limit block 151. The support block 170 is preferably made of a block having a certain elastic material. For example, the support block 170 can be a rubber block. The support block 170 always presses upward against the connection part 153 of the outer limit block 151 during the gait cycle of the knee joint 100. When the knee joint 100 is in an upright position, the elastic force applied upward by the support block 170 is the largest.

[0075] Specifically, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the knee joint 100 is shown, wherein part of the structure is made transparent. Figure 1 The figure shows the state when the knee joint 100 is in an upright position, and the user is in a standing position. At this time, the rear end surfaces MB of the lower hooks MA of the outer limit block 151 and the inner limit block 154 are both back against the protrusion 142, and the outer limit block 151 and the inner limit block 154 are respectively formed with the protrusion 142 (or the lower fixing seat 140) to provide a reliable support force for the user to prevent him from kneeling or falling, and the support block 170 can also assist in providing an upward buffer force, assist in supporting and making the user feel more elastic and more comfortable.

[0076] Continue to see Figure 4 , Figure 4 The knee joint 100 is shown in the swing dead center position. Figure 1 When the standing posture shown in the figure enters the swinging posture, the outer limit block 151 and the inner limit block 154 both start to move and unlock the limit, the upper swivel seat 110 deflects backward, and the limit mechanism 150 is driven to rotate via the rear fork frame 130, and the outer limit block 151 and the inner limit block 154 deflect forward. When reaching the dead point position of the swinging period, the inner limit block 154 stops rotating, and the lower hook MA of the outer limit block 151 will have a reverse hook movement and form a rigid limit with the protrusion 142, providing a reliable support force for the user to prevent him from kneeling or falling. At the same time, in the above process, the sleeve 158 of the telescopic limit mechanism 156 approaches the abutment column 159 on the rotating rod 157 and finally abuts against the abutment column 159, and the telescopic limit mechanism 156 is used to achieve auxiliary limit, which again ensures the safety of the user. Among them, the support block 170 still assists in providing an upward buffering force, assists in supporting and makes the user feel more elastic and more comfortable.

[0077] According to the knee joint 100 of the present invention, an upper swivel seat 110, a front rotating arm 120, a rear fork frame 130, a lower fixed seat 140 and a limiting mechanism 150 are adopted, and the overall structural stability is better. The limiting mechanism 150 adopts a combined structure including a specially designed outer limiting block 151 and an inner limiting block 154, and also adopts a hydraulic cylinder 160, which is more in line with the movement characteristics of the human knee joint, better simulates the natural gait characteristics of the human body, and makes the mechanism have better flexibility. Among them, in the upright position or the dead point position of the swing period in the gait cycle, at least one of the rear end faces MB of the lower hook part MA of the outer limiting block 151 and the inner limiting block 154 is backed against the protrusion 142, which can prevent bending during walking.

[0078] refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 In a preferred embodiment, a protrusion 144 for pivotally connecting with the connecting head 163 may be further provided at the top front end of the lower fixing seat 140 on one side of the opposite rear fork frame 130. The protrusion 144 is provided with a pivot hole for connecting with the connecting head 163. The protrusion 144 may be a block structure, which may be provided at a cross-section extending along the left-right direction at the top front end of the lower fixing seat 140. The protrusion 144 and the lower fixing seat 140 may be an integrated structure or a split structure. In addition, the protrusion 144 and the convex block 142 may be substantially at the same vertical position.

[0079] In a specific embodiment, a recessed groove 143 may be further provided at the position of the protrusion 142 and the lower hook portion MA of the inner limit block 154 corresponding to the telescopic limit mechanism 156 so as to prevent interference when the telescopic limit mechanism 156 rotates.

[0080] refer to Figure 5 and Fig. 9 The bottom of the rotating rod 157 of the telescopic limiting mechanism 156 can also be provided with a hemispherical rotating block at the connection to the lower fixed seat 140. The lower fixed seat 140 is provided with a matching ball groove. When the telescopic limiting mechanism 156 moves, the rotating block fits in the ball groove and rotates, playing a certain auxiliary limiting role.

[0081] During use, the maximum bending angle of the knee joint 100 can reach more than 150 degrees, so the user can squat and use the toilet conveniently.

[0082] In summary, the knee joint 100 according to the present invention adopts the form of an upper swivel seat 110, a front rotating arm 120, a rear fork frame 130, a lower fixed seat 140 and a limiting mechanism 150, and the overall structural stability is better. In addition, the limiting mechanism 150 adopts a combined structure including a specially designed outer limiting block 151 and an inner limiting block 154, combined with a hydraulic cylinder 160, which is more in line with the movement characteristics of the human knee joint, so that the mechanism has better flexibility. Moreover, in the upright position or the dead point position of the swing period in the gait cycle, at least one of the rear end faces MB of the lower hook portion MA of the outer limiting block 151 and the inner limiting block 154 rests backward against the protrusion 142, which can prevent bending during walking. At the same time, the lower fixed seat 140 is also fixed with a support block 170 on one side behind the protrusion 142, which is upwardly pressed against the connecting part 153 of the outer limit block 151. The support block 170 is squeezed during the movement and always provides upward support and corresponding rebound force, which ensures safety and saves effort for the user.

[0083] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a lower limb prosthesis (not shown), comprising the knee joint 100 of the above embodiment. Therefore, the lower limb prosthesis according to the present invention includes all the features and effects of the knee joint 100 according to the present invention, which will not be described in detail here.

[0084] Other embodiments of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The description and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present invention are to be limited by the claims.

Claims

1. A single hydraulic cylinder multi-axis prosthetic knee joint, characterized in that: The knee joint comprises: An upper swivel mount for connection to the prosthetic thigh; A front rotating arm, the top rear end of which is pivotally connected to the middle position of the upper rotating seat via a horizontal first connecting shaft; A rear fork frame, the top of which is pivotally connected to the bottom rear end of the upper swivel seat via a second connecting shaft; wherein the second connecting shaft is located at a rear and lower position of the first connecting shaft; A lower fixing seat for connecting with the prosthetic shank, wherein the top front end of the lower fixing seat is pivotally connected to the bottom of the front rotating arm via a third connecting shaft; the lower fixing seat is an L-shaped seat body structure and has a through slot extending in the front-to-back direction at the upper portion, and a long strip-shaped protrusion extending in the left-right direction and protruding upward is provided at the middle position of the bottom surface of the through slot; The rotatable limiting mechanism arranged in the through groove comprises an inverted L-shaped outer limiting block and an inverted L-shaped inner limiting block, both of which have a lower hook portion extending downward at the front end; the rear end of the outer limiting block is pivotally connected to the bottom of the rear fork frame via a fourth connecting shaft, and the top front end of the outer limiting block is pivotally connected to the third connecting shaft; the inner limiting block is rotatably arranged in a space connected up and down in the outer limiting block, the rear end of the inner limiting block is pivotally connected to the connecting rod via a fifth connecting shaft, the top of the connecting rod is pivotally connected to the lower part of the rear fork frame above the fourth connecting shaft via a sixth connecting shaft, the top front end of the inner limiting block is pivotally connected to the third connecting shaft, the top middle end of the inner limiting block is pivotally connected to the top of the telescopic limiting mechanism via a seventh connecting shaft, and the bottom of the telescopic limiting mechanism is rotatably connected to one side of the lower fixed seat in front of the protrusion; The lower fixing seat is also fixed with a support block on one side behind the protrusion and abuts upward against the connection part of the outer limit block; Wherein, the telescopic limiting mechanism comprises a rotating rod rotatably connected to the lower fixed seat and a sleeve portion pivotally connected to the seventh connecting shaft and sleeved on the rotating rod and movable up and down relative to the rotating rod, and the rotating rod is provided with an abutment column protruding radially outwardly and capable of abutting upward against the sleeve portion; and A hydraulic cylinder, the top of the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder is pivotally connected to the upper swivel seat at a position between the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft via an eighth connecting shaft, and the connecting head at the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder is pivotally connected to the top front end of the lower fixed seat; Wherein, when the knee joint is in the upright position during the gait cycle, the rear end surfaces of the lower hooks of the outer limit block and the inner limit block both abut against the protrusion, and when the knee joint is in the dead point position during the swing period, the rear end surface of the lower hook of the outer limit block abuts against the protrusion and the abutment column abuts upward against the sleeve portion; Among them, the first to eighth connecting axes are all pivot axes extending along the left-right direction.

2. The knee joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top front end of the lower fixing seat is also provided with a protrusion for pivotally connecting with the connecting head on the side facing the rear fork frame, and the protrusion is provided with a pivot hole for connecting with the connecting head.

3. The knee joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support block is a rubber block; The support block of the knee joint always presses upward against the connection part of the outer limit block during the gait cycle.

4. The knee joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: A concave groove is also provided at the position of the lower hook of the protruding block and / or the inner limiting block corresponding to the telescopic limiting mechanism, so that no interference occurs when the telescopic limiting mechanism rotates.

5. The knee joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: A hemispherical rotating block is also arranged at the bottom of the rotating rod of the telescopic limiting mechanism where it is connected to the lower fixed seat, and a corresponding ball groove is arranged at the lower fixed seat.

6. The knee joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer limit block comprises two inverted L-shaped limit plates arranged in the same manner along the front-rear direction and a connecting portion between the bottom rear ends of the two limit plates, and the inner limit block is rotatably arranged in a space enclosed by the two limit plates and the connecting portion.

7. The knee joint according to claim 6, characterized in that: The two limit plates and the connecting portion are an integrated structure or a split structure; and / or The front rotating arm is a U-shaped rotating arm bent toward the rear fork frame.

8. The knee joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydraulic cylinder is a hydraulic cylinder capable of adjusting the damping size so as to control the swinging speed of the prosthetic shank.

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