Multi-axial knee flexion safety manual lock pneumatic prosthetic knee

Abstract

The utility model discloses a multi -axle knee -bending safety manual lock air pressure artificial limb knee joint, including lower body, the pressure block is connected with lower body rotation, first connecting rod, first connecting rod is connected with lower body rotation, upper body, upper body rotation is connected on first connecting rod, second connecting rod, second connecting rod is connected with upper body and pressure block rotation, air cylinder, air cylinder sets up on upper body and first connecting rod, help stretching jar, help stretching jar sets up on pressure block and second connecting rod, the rotation is connected with the limit ring on upper body, first connecting rod upper end is provided with the stop groove. First connecting rod free rotation, gait stability, when first connecting rod locking, has improved stability and security greatly, is applicable to the old people of weak motion control ability. The polyurethane block buffering absorbs impact force, and the buffering capacity of the polyurethane block is adjusted. Two manually adjusted adjusting needle valves realize the adjustment of the swing speed of the knee joint.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of prosthetics technology, and in particular relates to a multi-axis flexion safety manual locking pneumatic prosthetic knee joint. Background Technology

[0002] The prosthetic knee joint is a key component of lower limb prostheses, used to replace the function of the human knee joint and help amputees regain their ability to walk. Depending on the amputee's needs and the usage scenario, the design and function of prosthetic knee joints vary. With advancements in medical technology and materials science, the design and function of prosthetic knee joints have been continuously optimized, evolving from early simple mechanical structures to today's intelligent, multi-axis control systems. While traditional mechanical prosthetic knee joints are simple in structure and low in cost, their limited functionality makes them unsuitable for complex terrain or varying walking speeds, resulting in unnatural gait and high energy consumption for amputees. Hydraulic and pneumatic prosthetic knee joints improve gait smoothness and stability through damping adjustment. By integrating sensors, microprocessors, and artificial intelligence algorithms, they achieve real-time control of knee joint movement, significantly enhancing the adaptability and functionality of the prosthesis.

[0003] Chinese patent document CN208447858U discloses a prosthetic knee joint with a damper. The key technical points of the solution include an upper joint assembly, a lower joint assembly hinged to the upper joint assembly via a knee joint axis and a first connecting axis, a self-locking assembly hinged between the upper and lower joint assemblies, and a hydraulic damper hinged between the upper and lower joint assemblies. When the upper or lower joint assembly is subjected to force, the self-locking assembly rotates around the knee joint axis, and the hydraulic damper provides damping for the movement of the upper and lower joint assemblies, helping amputees achieve a good gait. This allows for elastic knee flexion when the prosthesis is standing, stepping, or bending, making the prosthesis movement more stable and the gait more natural.

[0004] The prosthetic knee joint in the aforementioned patented solution allows for free movement, providing a better user experience. However, this is only suitable for users with strong mobility and motor control. For amputees or elderly individuals with poor motor control, a large range of motion in the prosthetic knee joint can actually reduce stability and significantly lower safety. Therefore, this patented solution is only suitable for users with strong mobility and motor control. Utility Model Content

[0005] To overcome the technical problem that existing prosthetic knee joints that allow free movement are only suitable for users with strong mobility and motor control, and that applying them to elderly people with poor motor control would reduce stability and safety, this invention aims to provide a multi-axis flexion safety manual-locking pneumatic prosthetic knee joint. By setting a limiting ring on the upper body to restrict the rotation of the first link, the degree of freedom of the prosthetic knee joint is reduced, increasing its stable support and providing greater safety for elderly people with poor motor control.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model employs the following technical solution: a multi-axis flexion safety manual locking pneumatic prosthetic knee joint, comprising a lower body; a pressure block, one end of which is rotatably connected to the lower body; a first connecting rod, the lower end of which is rotatably connected to the lower body; an upper body, which is rotatably connected to the upper end of the first connecting rod; a second connecting rod, both ends of which are rotatably connected to the other ends of the upper body and the pressure block, respectively; a cylinder, both ends of which are respectively disposed on the upper body and the first connecting rod; and an extension cylinder, both ends of which are respectively disposed on the pressure block and the second connecting rod; wherein, a limit ring is rotatably connected to the upper body; a stop groove is provided at the upper end of the first connecting rod; and the limit ring can be selectively located within the stop groove to restrict the rotation of the first connecting rod.

[0007] When the limiting ring is located within the stop groove, the first link cannot rotate, meaning the prosthetic knee joint cannot swing freely. This reduction in freedom improves the stability of the prosthesis, making it suitable for amputees or elderly people with poor motor control. When the limiting ring leaves the stop groove, the first link can rotate freely, allowing the prosthetic knee joint to swing freely. This increased freedom makes the gait more closely match the body's movement, providing a better user experience and making it suitable for young people with stronger control.

[0008] Furthermore, an adjustment plate is longitudinally slidably connected to the lower body; a polyurethane block is provided between the upper end of the adjustment plate and the lower end of the pressure block; an adjustment knob is rotatably connected to the lower end of the lower body; the adjustment knob is threadedly connected to the lower end of the adjustment plate.

[0009] When the extension movement ends and the heel of the prosthetic foot contacts the ground, the body's inertia will greatly increase the force on the foot. If the ankle joint does not have time to react, the knee joint will cushion the force, and the polyurethane block will absorb part of the impact force. When the force ends, the polyurethane block will release the impact force to achieve part of the extension force.

[0010] The polyurethane block provides cushioning for the pressure block, which in turn provides cushioning for the movement of the human body. The longitudinal sliding of the adjustment plate adjusts the distance between the adjustment plate and the pressure block, thereby adjusting the compression state of the polyurethane block and thus adjusting the cushioning force.

[0011] Furthermore, the extension cylinder includes an extension tube whose upper end is rotatably connected to the middle of the second connecting rod and an extension rod that is axially slidably connected to the lower part of the extension tube; the lower end of the extension rod is provided with a ball head; the upper end of the pressure block is provided with a ball chamber, and the ball head is rotatably connected in the ball chamber.

[0012] The extension cylinder further enhances the cushioning force, providing freedom of movement for the prosthetic knee joint.

[0013] Furthermore, the cylinder includes a cylinder body, a piston rod slidably connected to the cylinder body, and two adjusting parts disposed on the cylinder body; each adjusting part includes an upper connecting hole disposed on the upper end of the inner wall of the cylinder body, a lower connecting pipe disposed on the cylinder body and communicating with the lower end of the inner wall of the cylinder body, and an adjusting needle valve slidably connected to the cylinder body; the upper end of the lower connecting pipe communicates with the upper connecting hole; the adjusting needle valve is used to adjust the communication area between the upper connecting hole and the lower connecting pipe.

[0014] Specifically, the outer wall of the regulating needle valve is provided with a first conical surface, which is directly opposite to the upper connecting hole; the end of the regulating needle valve is provided with a second conical surface, the middle of which is located at the upper end of the lower connecting pipe; the regulating needle valve is threadedly connected to the cylinder body.

[0015] Specifically, the adjustment unit includes a branch pipe disposed on the cylinder wall and a ball bearing disposed inside the branch pipe; one end of the branch pipe is connected to the lower end of the lower connecting pipe, and the other end is connected to the outside of the cylinder.

[0016] The cylinder's main function is to control the speed of joint swing. It has two manually adjustable needle valves to control the flexion and extension of the knee joint respectively. The cylinder's inner wall has an air passage and a controller. When the piston moves, the driving gas passes through the air passage, through the controller, and through the regulating valve to throttle, thereby increasing or decreasing the cylinder pressure and thus controlling the swing speed of the knee joint.

[0017] Furthermore, the upper end of the first connecting rod is provided with a rotating shaft that is rotatably connected to the upper body; the stop groove is provided in the middle of the outer wall of the rotating shaft; the outer wall of the limiting ring is provided with a notch, and the notch cannot contact the rotating shaft.

[0018] Specifically, the outer wall of the limiting ring is provided with a stop protrusion; when the limiting ring is located in the stop groove, the stop protrusion abuts against the outer wall of the rotating shaft.

[0019] Furthermore, a sliding groove is provided on the upper body; a lever is slidably connected in the sliding groove; one end of the lever is located on the outside of the upper body, and the other end is disposed on the limiting ring.

[0020] Furthermore, the pressure block is provided with an oblong through hole; the rotation shaft at the lower end of the first connecting rod is located inside the oblong through hole.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0022] 1. When the prosthesis joints are integrated with the human body, the damage to the residual limb is reduced. The knee joint function is increased to two degrees of freedom of the ankle joint, which replaces part of the impact force overflow of the ankle joint; the stability is improved and the impact of the prosthesis on the human body is reduced.

[0023] 2. When the first link rotates freely, the prosthesis has more degrees of freedom, the gait is more stable and better matches the normal gait, and the user experience is better. It is suitable for young people with strong motor control ability. When the first link is locked, although the degrees of freedom are reduced, it can provide more stable support for the body, greatly improving stability and safety. It is suitable for elderly people with weaker motor control ability.

[0024] 3. Polyurethane blocks not only cushion and absorb impact, but their cushioning capacity can also be easily adjusted, allowing users to flexibly apply them according to their own experience and usage scenarios.

[0025] 4. Two manually adjustable needle valves can adjust the connection area of ​​the venting pipe to adjust the gas flow rate, thereby controlling the joint swing speed. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the components of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the limiting ring and the upper part of the first connecting rod of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the lower body of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the cylinder of this utility model.

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Upper body; 11. Slide groove; 2. First connecting rod; 21. Rotating shaft; 22. Stop groove; 3. Second connecting rod; 4. Pressure block; 41. Waist-shaped through hole; 42. Ball chamber; 51. Lower body; 52. Polyurethane block; 53. Adjusting plate; 54. Adjusting knob; 6. Cylinder; 61. Cylinder body; 611. Upper connecting hole; 612. Lower connecting pipe; 62. Piston rod; 63. Adjusting needle valve; 631. First conical surface; 632. Second conical surface; 64. Branch pipe; 65. Ball; 71. Extension tube; 72. Extension rod; 721. Ball head; 8. Limiting ring; 81. Stop protrusion; 82. Pulley; 83. Notch. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0034] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the directional terms such as "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of this utility model.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features. Thus, the use of "first" and "second" to define a feature may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In this description of the utility model, "a number" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0036] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "set" and "install" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can also refer to a mechanical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or a connection through an intermediate medium; or they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] See Figures 1-6A multi-axis flexion safety manual locking pneumatic prosthetic knee joint includes a lower body 51, a pressure block 4 rotatably connected at one end to the upper end of the lower body 51, a first connecting rod 2 rotatably connected at the lower end of the lower body 51, an upper body 1 rotatably connected to the upper end of the first connecting rod 2, and a second connecting rod 3 rotatably connected at both ends to the upper body 1 and the pressure block 4, respectively. The rotation axes of the pressure block 4, the first connecting rod 2, and the second connecting rod 3 are parallel and do not coincide.

[0038] A cylinder 6 is provided between the upper body 1 and the lower part of the first connecting rod 2; the two ends of the cylinder 6 are rotatably connected to the upper body 1 and the first connecting rod 2 respectively; the cylinder 6 includes a cylinder body 61, a piston rod 62 that is slidably connected to the cylinder body 61, and two adjusting parts provided on the cylinder body 61; the adjusting parts include an upper connecting hole 611 provided on the upper end of the inner wall of the cylinder body 61, a lower connecting pipe 612 provided on the cylinder body 61 that communicates with the lower end of the inner wall of the cylinder body 61, and an adjusting needle valve 63 that is slidably connected to the cylinder body 61; the upper end of the lower connecting pipe 612 communicates with the upper connecting hole 611.

[0039] The outer wall of the adjusting needle valve 63 is provided with a first conical surface 631, which is directly opposite to the upper connecting hole 611; the end of the adjusting needle valve 63 is provided with a second conical surface 632, the middle of which is located at the upper end of the lower connecting pipe 612; the adjusting needle valve 63 is threadedly connected to the cylinder 61, and the adjusting needle valve 63 is used to adjust the communication area between the upper connecting hole 611 and the lower connecting pipe 612.

[0040] The adjustment unit includes a branch pipe 64 disposed on the wall of the cylinder 61 and a ball bearing 65 disposed in the branch pipe 64; one end of the branch pipe 64 is connected to the lower end of the lower connecting pipe 612, and the other end is connected to the outside of the cylinder 61.

[0041] An extension cylinder is provided between the pressure block 4 and the second connecting rod 3; the extension cylinder includes an extension tube 71 whose upper end is rotatably connected to the middle of the second connecting rod 3 and an extension rod 72 slidably connected to the lower part of the extension tube 71 along the axis; a ball head 721 is provided at the lower end of the extension rod 72; a ball chamber 42 is provided at the upper end of the pressure block 4, and the ball head 721 is rotatably connected in the ball chamber 42.

[0042] A limiting ring 8 is rotatably connected to the upper body 1; a rotating shaft 21 rotatably connected to the upper body 1 is provided at the upper end of the first connecting rod 2; a stop groove 22 is provided on the outer wall of the rotating shaft 21; a notch 83 is provided on the outer wall of the limiting ring 8, and the notch 83 cannot contact the rotating shaft 21; the limiting ring 8 can be selectively located in the stop groove 22 to restrict the rotation of the first connecting rod 2.

[0043] The outer wall of the limiting ring 8 is provided with a stop protrusion 81; when the limiting ring 8 is located in the stop groove 22, the stop protrusion 81 abuts against the outer wall of the rotating shaft 21. The upper body 1 is provided with a sliding groove 11; a lever 82 is slidably connected in the sliding groove 11; one end of the lever 82 is located on the outside of the upper body 1, and the other end is provided on the limiting ring 8.

[0044] The pressure block 4 is provided with an oblong through hole 41; the rotation shaft at the lower end of the first connecting rod 2 is located inside the oblong through hole 41.

[0045] An adjusting plate 53 is longitudinally slidably connected to the lower body 51; a polyurethane block 52 is provided between the upper end of the adjusting plate 53 and the lower end of the pressure block 4; an adjusting knob 54 is rotatably connected to the lower end of the lower body 51; the adjusting knob 54 is threadedly connected to the lower end of the adjusting plate 53.

[0046] The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present utility model, but the technical features of the present utility model are not limited thereto. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present utility model are covered by the patent scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A multi-axis flexion safety manual locking pneumatic prosthetic knee joint, characterized in that: It includes a lower body; a pressure block, one end of which is rotatably connected to the lower body; The first link, the lower end of which is rotatably connected to the lower body; The upper body is rotatably connected to the upper end of the first connecting rod; The second connecting rod has its two ends rotatably connected to the other ends of the upper body and the pressure block, respectively; the cylinder has its two ends respectively disposed on the upper body and the first connecting rod; An extension cylinder, the two ends of which are respectively disposed on the pressure block and the second connecting rod; The upper body is rotatably connected to a limiting ring; the upper end of the first connecting rod is provided with a stop groove; the limiting ring can be selectively located within the stop groove to restrict the rotation of the first connecting rod.

2. The prosthetic knee joint as described in claim 1, characterized in that: An adjusting plate is longitudinally slidably connected to the lower body; a polyurethane block is provided between the upper end of the adjusting plate and the lower end of the pressure block; an adjusting knob is rotatably connected to the lower end of the lower body; the adjusting knob is threadedly connected to the lower end of the adjusting plate.

3. The prosthetic knee joint as described in any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that: The extension cylinder includes an extension tube whose upper end is rotatably connected to the middle of the second connecting rod and an extension rod that is axially slidably connected to the lower part of the extension tube; the lower end of the extension rod is provided with a ball head; the upper end of the pressure block is provided with a ball chamber, and the ball head is rotatably connected in the ball chamber.

4. The prosthetic knee joint as described in any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that: The cylinder includes a cylinder body, a piston rod that is slidably and sealed on the cylinder body, and two adjusting parts disposed on the cylinder body. Each adjusting part includes an upper connecting hole disposed on the upper end of the inner wall of the cylinder body, a lower connecting pipe disposed on the cylinder body and communicating with the lower end of the inner wall of the cylinder body, and an adjusting needle valve slidably connected on the cylinder body. The upper end of the lower connecting pipe communicates with the upper connecting hole. The adjusting needle valve is used to adjust the communication area between the upper connecting hole and the lower connecting pipe.

5. The prosthetic knee joint as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The outer wall of the regulating needle valve is provided with a first conical surface, which is directly opposite to the upper connecting hole; the end of the regulating needle valve is provided with a second conical surface, the middle of which is located at the upper end of the lower connecting pipe; the regulating needle valve is threadedly connected to the cylinder body.

6. The prosthetic knee joint as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The adjustment unit includes a branch pipe disposed on the cylinder wall and a ball bearing disposed inside the branch pipe; one end of the branch pipe is connected to the lower end of the lower connecting pipe, and the other end is connected to the outside of the cylinder.

7. The prosthetic knee joint as described in any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that: The upper end of the first connecting rod is provided with a rotating shaft that is rotatably connected to the upper body; the stop groove is provided in the middle of the outer wall of the rotating shaft; the outer wall of the limiting ring is provided with a notch, and the notch cannot contact the rotating shaft.

8. The prosthetic knee joint as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The outer wall of the limiting ring is provided with a stop protrusion; when the limiting ring is located in the stop groove, the stop protrusion abuts against the outer wall of the rotating shaft.

9. The prosthetic knee joint as described in any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that: The upper body is provided with a sliding groove; a lever is slidably connected in the sliding groove; one end of the lever is located on the outside of the upper body, and the other end is located on the limiting ring.

10. The prosthetic knee joint as described in any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that: The pressure block is provided with an oblong through hole; the rotation shaft at the lower end of the first connecting rod is located inside the oblong through hole.

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