Cushioning adjustment structure for a knee joint

Abstract

A cushioning and adjustment structure for a knee joint includes: a knee seat, a hydraulic cylinder, and a buffer body. The knee seat has a first connecting hole. The hydraulic cylinder has a second connecting hole on its upper side, a third connecting hole on its lower side, and a connecting rod through hole disposed between the second and third connecting holes. The first connecting hole is disposed inside the second connecting hole for connection. The hydraulic cylinder has a hydraulic chamber inside, in which a piston assembly passes through the hydraulic cylinder cover to form an upper oil chamber and a lower oil chamber. When the knee seat tilts forward, it causes the lower oil chamber in the hydraulic cylinder to cooperate with the forward tilting oil circuit for cushioning. When the knee seat tilts backward, it causes the upper oil chamber in the hydraulic cylinder to cooperate with the backward tilting oil circuit for cushioning. After the buffer body is connected to the hydraulic cylinder, the upper side of the buffer body has a buffer body through hole for a push rod to be connected to the bottom of the piston assembly. The side edge of the buffer body has a buffer body pin hole for a fixing pin to pass through and restrict the push rod. Together with the hydraulic cylinder and the push rod, a safe cushioning angle that can tilt forward and backward is formed, making the cushioning and shock absorption effect more significant.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of prosthetics, and in particular to a cushioning and adjustment structure for a knee joint. Background Technology

[0002] Knee joint cushioning and adjustment technologies have been continuously developing and improving. For example, Chinese patent CN112334095B describes a valve and a prosthetic knee joint with the same valve. The valve has an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet. The valve body can move into the first and second positions along the direction of movement. A first fluid connection extends from the inlet to the first outlet, and a second fluid connection extends from the inlet to the second outlet. The hydraulic assembly includes one or more fluid channels that allow fluid leaving the first and second outlets to flow into the extension chamber. The innovation lies in the construction and arrangement of the inlet, which allows the fluid to exert a resultant force on the valve body when the valve body is in the first position, with the force acting upwards at least in the vertical direction of movement. When the valve body is in different positions, the connection of the first fluid can be controlled, thus improving the overall sensitivity and reliability of the knee joint. However, please refer to Chinese patent CN105873546B for a prosthetic knee joint, whose main structure consists of an upper part, a lower part, a fixation device, and a four-part joint system. It can provide more flexible force through the joint system and has the ability to resist bending through the orientation of spring force.

[0003] In summary, the main improvement goals are to make the control of fluid flow by restricting the movement of the valve body easier and more convenient, and to improve the structural restrictions on the bending of the relative joint. Under these premises, the knee joint structure is believed to be more flexible, which is also the main goal of this invention. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to provide a cushioning and adjustment structure for a knee joint, comprising: a knee seat having a first connecting hole and a connecting rod; a hydraulic cylinder having a second connecting hole on its upper side, a third connecting hole on its lower side, and a connecting rod through hole disposed between the second and third connecting holes; the first connecting hole being disposed inside the second connecting hole and engaging with a fixed shaft for connection; the connecting rod being connected to the connecting rod through hole; and a hydraulic chamber being disposed inside the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic chamber is equipped with a piston assembly that passes through a hydraulic cylinder cover to form an upper oil chamber and a lower oil chamber. The knee seat tilts forward, causing the lower oil chamber in the hydraulic cylinder to cooperate with a forward tilting oil passage for buffering. The knee seat tilts backward, causing the upper oil chamber in the hydraulic cylinder to cooperate with a backward tilting oil passage for buffering. A buffer body has a buffer body through hole on its upper side for a push rod to be connected to the bottom of the piston assembly. The side edge of the buffer body has a buffer body pin hole for a fixing pin to pass through and restrict the push rod, so that the hydraulic cylinder and the push rod have a safe buffer angle for tilting forward and backward.

[0005] Furthermore, a pair of valve needles are provided on the side edge of the hydraulic cylinder. The positions of the valve needles are respectively adjusted by rotating them through the forward tilting oil passage and the backward tilting oil passage to regulate the flow rate in the oil passage.

[0006] Furthermore, the forward-tilting oil passage and the backward-tilting oil passage are each equipped with at least one check valve to stabilize the flow direction in each oil passage.

[0007] Compared with traditional knee joint cushioning and adjustment structures, this invention has the following advantages: 1. Wider buffer range: Because a push rod and a buffer body are set between the knee seat and the hydraulic cylinder, a buffer range with a certain angle can be obtained for both forward and backward tilting, which is more flexible than the single-direction buffer of the traditional structure. 2. Better buffering effect: The hydraulic cylinder is equipped with a valve needle on the side edge, which can adjust the flow rate of the internal fluid through the oil circuit by rotation. Therefore, whether tilting forward or backward, the strength of the buffering can be effectively adjusted. In addition, each oil circuit is also equipped with a check valve, which, together with the aforementioned oil circuit flow rate, can better ensure the relative flow direction of the oil circuit. Therefore, it is more stable and will never cause backflow due to pressure. Third, the structure is more compact: In addition to the hydraulic cylinder, the auxiliary buffer mechanism also extends through the push rod to effectively transmit the force to the bottom buffer body. Therefore, the overall structure is relatively compact, which also makes the overall buffer response of the knee joint relatively fast. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the initial state of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the present invention in a forward-tilted state.

[0011] Figure 4 This invention is based on Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the forward-tilting oil circuit.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the present invention in a backward tilted state.

[0013] Figure 6 This invention is based on Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the backward tilting oil circuit.

[0014] Reference numerals: 10 Knee seat; 11 First connecting hole; 12 Connecting rod; 20 Hydraulic cylinder; 21 Second connecting hole; 22 Connecting through hole; 23 Third connecting hole; 24 Hydraulic chamber; 241 Piston assembly; 242 Hydraulic cylinder cover; 243 Upper oil chamber; 2431 Forward tilting oil passage; 244 Lower oil chamber; 2441 Reverse tilting oil passage; 245 Push rod; 246 Valve needle; 247 One-way valve; 25 Fixed shaft; 30 Buffer body; 31 Buffer body through hole; 32 Elastic element; 33 Buffer body pin hole; 34 Fixed pin. Detailed Implementation

[0015] To further explain the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0016] See Figures 1-6 The present invention is a cushioning and adjustment structure for a knee joint, comprising: a knee seat 10 having a first connecting hole 11 and a connecting rod 12; a hydraulic cylinder 20 having a second connecting hole 21 on its upper side and a third connecting hole 23 on its lower side, and a connecting rod through hole 22 disposed between the second connecting hole 21 and the third connecting hole 23. The first connecting hole 11 can be disposed inside the second connecting hole 21 for connection. The connection method mentioned here is a common fixing method in this field. The details of using a pair of fixed shafts 25 for fixing will not be elaborated here. Only the connection of fixed shafts 25 will be described. The same content will not be marked repeatedly in the drawings to avoid confusion. The connecting rod 12 is connected to the connecting rod through hole 22. The hydraulic cylinder 20 is provided with a hydraulic chamber 24. The hydraulic chamber 24 is provided with a piston assembly 241 passing through a hydraulic cylinder cover 242 to form an upper oil chamber 243 and a lower oil chamber 244. Please see as follows Figures 3 to 4 As shown, when the knee seat 10 tilts forward, it will drive the fluid in the lower oil chamber 244 inside the hydraulic cylinder 20 to flow in accordance with the arrow symbol of the forward tilting oil passage 2431, thereby buffering the force generated by the forward tilting action. Please refer to the following: Figures 5 to 6 As shown, when the knee seat 10 tilts backward, it drives the fluid in the upper oil chamber 243 inside the hydraulic cylinder 20 to flow in accordance with the arrow symbol in the figure through a tilting oil passage 2441, thereby buffering the force generated by the tilting action. Furthermore, a pair of valve needles 246 are provided on the side edge of the hydraulic cylinder 20. The positions of these valve needles 246 are respectively connected to the forward tilting oil passage 2431 and the backward tilting oil passage 2441. Therefore, by rotating the valve needles 246, the flow rate of the two oil passages can be further controlled to adjust the strength of the buffer. In the forward tilting oil passage 2431 and the backward tilting oil passage 2441, at least one one-way valve 247 is provided to ensure the stable flow direction in each oil passage and to make the buffering effect more stable.

[0017] A buffer body 30 is connected to the hydraulic cylinder 20 via a fixed shaft 25. The upper side of the buffer body 30 has multiple elastic elements 32 to provide buffering for the force generated by the hydraulic cylinder 20. The upper side of the buffer body 30 is also provided with a buffer body through hole 31. This buffer body through hole 31 is mainly for the placement of a push rod 245 connected to the bottom of the piston assembly 241. The side edge of the buffer body 30 is provided with a buffer body pin hole 33, which is used to provide a fixed pin 34 to pass through the buffer body pin hole 33 and the push rod 245, and further limit the displacement range of the push rod 245. When the hydraulic cylinder 20 and the push rod 245 are used together, there is a buffer range with a certain angle of forward tilt and backward tilt that can be adjusted accordingly. Specifically, in this embodiment, the angle is 5 degrees forward tilt or 5 degrees backward tilt, making the knee joint more flexible in terms of buffering and shock absorption adjustment.

[0018] In summary, the knee joint cushioning adjustment structure of the present invention not only increases structural stability through the connecting rod 12, but also allows for adjustment of the cushioning strength provided by the hydraulic cylinder 20 through the forward tilting oil passage 2431 and backward tilting oil passage 2441 in conjunction with the valve needle 246. Furthermore, the force generated by the movement of the hydraulic chamber 24 through the push rod 245 can be fully transmitted to the buffer body 30 for offsetting, allowing the hydraulic cylinder 20 and the buffer body 30 to move within a 5-degree forward and backward tilt range under structural constraints. This also ensures that the force generated by the movement is cushioned smoothly and stably, providing better feedback and adaptation for the user during forward and backward walking.

[0019] The above is merely one embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cushioning and adjustment structure for a knee joint, comprising: a knee seat having a first connecting hole and a connecting rod; a hydraulic cylinder having a second connecting hole on its upper side, a third connecting hole on its lower side, and a connecting rod through hole disposed between the second and third connecting holes, the first connecting hole being disposed inside the second connecting hole to be connected to a fixed shaft, and the connecting rod being connected to the connecting rod through hole, the hydraulic cylinder having a hydraulic chamber inside, characterized in that: The hydraulic chamber is equipped with a piston assembly that passes through a hydraulic cylinder cover to form an upper oil chamber and a lower oil chamber. The knee seat tilts forward, causing the lower oil chamber in the hydraulic cylinder to cooperate with a forward tilting oil passage for buffering. The knee seat tilts backward, causing the upper oil chamber in the hydraulic cylinder to cooperate with a backward tilting oil passage for buffering. A buffer body has a buffer body through hole on its upper side for a push rod to be connected to the bottom of the piston assembly. The side edge of the buffer body has a buffer body pin hole for a fixing pin to pass through and restrict the push rod, so that the hydraulic cylinder and the push rod have a safe buffer angle for tilting forward and backward.

2. The cushioning and adjustment structure of the knee joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydraulic cylinder is equipped with a pair of valve needles on its side edge. The positions of the valve needles are respectively adjusted by rotating them through the forward tilting oil passage and the backward tilting oil passage to regulate the flow rate in the oil passage.

3. The cushioning and adjustment structure of the knee joint according to claim 2, characterized in that, The forward-tilting oil passage and the backward-tilting oil passage are each equipped with at least one check valve to stabilize the flow direction in each oil passage.

Images