Slide Connector

Abstract

To provide a slide connector that can reduce the burden on a user when adjusting the axial position of a prosthetic limb, reduce the labor required for adjusting the axial position, and achieve a thin design. [Solution] A central part (40) has a first convex portion (43) formed on its upper surface (41) extending in a first horizontal direction (21), and a second convex portion (44) formed on its lower surface (42) extending in a second horizontal direction (22) perpendicular to the first horizontal direction (21). An upper part (30) has a first recessed portion (35) formed on its lower surface (32) that fits into the first convex portion (43) to allow the central part (40) to slide in the first horizontal direction (21). A lower part (50) has a second recessed portion (55) formed on its upper surface (51) that fits into the second convex portion (44) to allow the central part (40) to slide in the second horizontal direction (22).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slide connector that is provided between an upper prosthetic leg including a socket and a lower prosthetic leg including a lower leg pipe. [Background technology]

[0002] A known prosthetic leg (transfemoral prosthesis) is one in which the stump of the thigh is stored in a socket. This type of prosthesis is equipped with a slide connector that connects the upper prosthesis to the lower prosthesis. In other words, the arrangement is upper prosthesis / slide connector / lower prosthesis from top to bottom. The slide connector is equipped with an axial position adjustment mechanism that has a sliding member. Axial position adjustment refers to adjusting the front-to-back and left-to-right position of the upper prosthesis relative to the lower prosthesis when in a standing position. If this axial position adjustment is not performed properly, it can be difficult to walk and the patient may be more susceptible to knee buckling (falling).

[0003] In axial position adjustment, the sliding member is moved back and forth and left and right, and then fixed in the appropriate position. The user is then asked to walk with the adjusted prosthetic leg, and if there are any problems, the sliding member is moved again. In this way, by repeating the cycle of adjusting the sliding member → fixing the sliding member → having the user walk many times, the optimal prosthetic leg for the user is completed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-137274 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in conventional slide connectors, the slide member is made slidable or fixed using screws that are inserted in the vertical direction (see, for example, paragraph 0038 of Patent Document 1), which has resulted in the following problems.

[0006] A. When using screws that go through vertically, the tool is inserted above the slide connector, so the upper prosthesis, which is located above the slide connector, gets in the way, and the user of the prosthesis has to move the thigh stump in and out of the socket. This makes axial position adjustment a big burden for the user, and it takes a lot of time and effort.

[0007] B. Because screws are inserted vertically, the height dimension of the slide connector increases, leading to an increase in size. In particular, if the gap between the upper and lower prostheses is narrow, the slide connector cannot be used as is.

[0008] C. Most conventional slide connectors are primarily unidirectional, meaning they can only be adjusted in one direction, either the frontal or sagittal plane. Improved versions include those that allow sliding in all directions by adopting a coupling system, and those that allow sliding in multiple directions by adopting a structure in which conventional slide connectors are stacked, but both of these result in increased weight and thickness. Furthermore, while the sliding range of such improved connectors was approximately 30 mm for conventional connectors, the sliding range of the improved connectors was limited to 18 mm for coupling connectors, and 25 mm in one direction (e.g., the frontal plane) and 15 mm in the other direction (e.g., the sagittal plane). This narrower sliding range sometimes made it difficult to adjust the axis.

[0009] Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a slide connector that allows the user of a prosthetic limb to adjust the axial position while the femoral stump is still in the socket, and that has a wide sliding range equivalent to that of conventional products that can slide in multiple directions but only in one direction, thereby reducing the burden on the user when adjusting the axial position and the effort required for adjusting the axial position, and that can also be made thinner and lighter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the slide connector according to the present invention is for connecting an upper prosthesis including a socket to a lower prosthesis, and comprises: a central part having an upper surface and a lower surface, on whose upper surface a first convex portion extending in a first horizontal direction is formed, and on whose lower surface a second convex portion extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction is formed; an upper part having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a side surface, on whose lower surface a first concave portion is formed, which fits into the first convex portion to allow the central part to slide in the first horizontal direction, and on whose upper surface an upper attachment portion for attaching the upper prosthesis is provided; and a front part having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a side surface, which fits into the second convex portion to allow the front part to slide. The prosthetic limb is characterized by comprising: a lower part having a second recess formed on its upper surface that allows the central part to slide in a second horizontal direction, and a lower mounting part for mounting the lower prosthesis provided on its lower surface; a first screw hole that penetrates from the side of the upper part to the first recess in the second horizontal direction; a first fixing screw that screws into the first screw hole and presses the first convex part to fix the sliding of the upper part; a second screw hole that penetrates from the side of the lower part to the second recess in the first horizontal direction, and a second fixing screw that screws into the second screw hole and presses the second convex part to fix the sliding of the lower part.

[0011] This configuration allows for sliding in two directions, such as the frontal and sagittal planes, allowing the upper and lower prostheses to be adjusted to the appropriate positions. Furthermore, by using horizontally inserted fixing screws, the upper prosthesis located above the slide connector does not get in the way during axial position adjustment, allowing the user to adjust the axial position even while the femoral stump is still in the socket. This reduces the burden on the user during axial position adjustment and the effort required for axial position adjustment. Furthermore, by using horizontally inserted fixing screws, this configuration allows for a thinner slide connector, resulting in a smaller, more compact, and lighter slide connector, compared to using vertically inserted fixing screws. Furthermore, the thinner design reduces the height dimension occupied by the slide connector, allowing it to be used even when the gap between the upper and lower prostheses is narrow. Furthermore, this configuration allows for sliding in two directions while achieving a sliding range equivalent to that of conventional slide connectors that can only slide in one direction.

[0012] In one embodiment of the slide connector according to the present invention, the first recess may be a trapezoidally recessed first dovetail groove, the first protrusion may be a trapezoidally protruding first dovetail groove that fits into the first dovetail groove, the second recess may be a trapezoidally recessed second dovetail groove, and the second protrusion may be a trapezoidally protruding second dovetail groove that fits into the second dovetail groove. This configuration has the advantages of easy manufacturing of the recess and protrusion, high durability, etc.

[0013] In addition, in one embodiment of the slide connector according to the present invention, the lower end of the socket may be a female connector, and the upper mounting portion may be a male connector that can be connected to the female connector. With this configuration, by directly connecting the female connector and the male connector, parts such as female and male pyramids (conical or pyramidal connectors) can be omitted, thereby achieving a thinner and lighter connector.

[0014] In one embodiment of the slide connector according to the present invention, the distal end surface of the first fixing screw may be perpendicular to the axial direction, the pressed surface of the first dovetail pressed by the first fixing screw may be parallel to the distal end surface of the first fixing screw, the distal end surface of the second fixing screw may be perpendicular to the axial direction, and the pressed surface of the second dovetail pressed by the second fixing screw may be parallel to the distal end surface of the second fixing screw. With this configuration, the dovetail can be more firmly fixed by the surface contact between the distal end surface of the fixing screw and the pressed surface of the dovetail. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The slide connector of the present invention achieves the same sliding range as a conventional one-way slide connector, while being able to slide in both directions, and by using a fixing screw inserted horizontally, the user of the prosthesis can adjust the axial position even while the femoral stump is still in the socket, thereby reducing the burden on the user when adjusting the axial position and the effort required for adjusting the axial position. Furthermore, compared to using fixing screws inserted vertically, the slide connector can be made thinner, and therefore more compact and lightweight, and the thinner design allows the height dimension of the slide connector to be reduced, so it can be used even when the gap between the upper and lower prostheses is narrow. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a slide connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10 is a perspective view of a slide connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 3] 3[A] is a part of a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3[B] is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a slide connector according to a first modified example. [Figure 4] 1 is a 3D image showing a sliding connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] 1 is a perspective view showing a slide connector 20 of the first embodiment. The configuration of the slide connector 20 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0018] The prosthetic leg 10 is composed of an upper prosthetic leg 12 including a socket 11, a lower prosthetic leg 14 including a lower leg pipe 13, and a slide connector 20 that connects the upper prosthetic leg 12 and the lower prosthetic leg 14. In other words, the prosthetic leg 10 is composed, from top to bottom, of upper prosthetic leg 12 / slide connector 20 / lower prosthetic leg 14. In this specification, down refers to the vertical direction, up refers to the direction opposite to the vertical direction, and horizontal refers to the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0019] The slide connector 20 comprises, from top to bottom, an upper part 30, a central part 40, and a lower part 50. The upper part 30 has an upper surface 31, a lower surface 32, and side surfaces 33, 34, a first recess 35 extending in a first horizontal direction 21 is formed in the lower surface 32, and an upper mounting part 60 for mounting the upper prosthetic leg 12 is provided on the upper surface 31. The lower part 50 has an upper surface 51, a lower surface 52, and side surfaces 53, 54, a second recess 55 extending in a second horizontal direction 22 perpendicular to the first horizontal direction 21 is formed in the upper surface 51, and a lower mounting part 56 for mounting the lower prosthetic leg 14 is provided on the lower surface 52. The central part 40 has an upper surface 41 and a lower surface 42, and a first convex portion 43 is formed on the upper surface 41, which fits into the first recess 35 to allow the upper part 30 to slide in the first horizontal direction 21, and a second convex portion 44 is formed on the lower surface 42, which fits into the second recess 55 to allow the lower part 50 to slide in the second horizontal direction 22.

[0020] The sliding directions of the central part 40, the upper part 30, and the lower part 50 are relative to each other, so they can be expressed as follows: The central part 40 has a first convex part 43 formed on its upper surface 41, extending in the first horizontal direction 21, and a second convex part 44 formed on its lower surface 42, extending in a second horizontal direction 22 perpendicular to the first horizontal direction 21. The upper part 30 has a first recessed part 35 formed on its lower surface 32, which fits into the first convex part 43 to allow the central part 40 to slide in the first horizontal direction 21. The lower part 50 has a second recessed part 55 formed on its upper surface 51, which fits into the second convex part 44 to allow the central part 40 to slide in the second horizontal direction 22.

[0021] The slide connector 20 further includes a first screw hole 37, a second screw hole 57, and a first fixing screw 38 and a second fixing screw 58. The first screw hole 37 penetrates in the second horizontal direction 22 from the side surfaces 33, 34 of the upper part 30 to the first recess 35. The second screw hole 57 penetrates in the first horizontal direction 21 from the side surfaces 53, 54 of the lower part 50 to the second recess 55. The first fixing screw 38 screws into the first screw hole 37 and presses the first protrusion 43, thereby fixing the sliding of the upper part 30. The second fixing screw 58 screws into the second screw hole 57 and presses the second protrusion 44, thereby fixing the sliding of the lower part 50.

[0022] 1 shows a state in which the first fixing screw 38 is threaded into the first screw hole 37. Two first screw holes 37 are formed in the side surface 33 in the first horizontal direction 21, but only one is labeled with a reference numeral. Two first screw holes 37 are similarly formed on the opposite side surface 34. The second screw hole 57 and the second fixing screw 58 are similar to the first screw hole 37 and the first fixing screw 38.

[0023] With the above-described configuration, the slide connector of the present invention can slide for example 30 mm in both the frontal and sagittal planes. Furthermore, the slide connector of the present invention can have a combined thickness of 20 mm for the upper, middle, and lower parts. This means that the total thickness, including the standard upper mounting portion 60 and lower mounting portion 56, is 52 mm, which is significantly thinner and lighter than the 83 mm thickness of a conventional two-way slide connector when the same upper and lower mounting portions are attached.

[0024] Next, each component will be described in more detail.

[0025] The socket 11 is a component that houses the femoral stump and transmits force to the prosthetic leg 10. The upper mounting part 60 is also called a socket mounting block, and has a rectangular plate-shaped base 61 on the bottom and a cylindrical socket mounting opening 62 on the top. The four corners of the base 61 are fixed to the upper part 30 by mounting screws 63. The socket 11 is fixed to the upper mounting part 60 by mounting screws 64 arranged on all four sides of the socket mounting opening 62. In this way, the upper prosthetic leg 12 including the socket 11 is attached to the slide connector 20. Note that in Figure 1, only one of the four mounting screws 63 is labeled. The same applies to the mounting screws 64.

[0026] The lower mounting portion 56 is fixed to the lower part 50 with mounting screws 591 at the four corners, and the lower leg pipe 13 is fixed to the lower mounting portion 56 with mounting screws 592 on all four sides. In this way, the lower prosthesis 14 including the lower leg pipe 13 and knee joint (not shown) is attached to the slide connector 20. The lower mounting portion 56 is also called a socket adapter or a torsion adapter. In FIG. 1, only one of the four mounting screws 591 is labeled. The same applies to the mounting screw 592.

[0027] The slide connector 20 is made of a lightweight metal material such as an aluminum alloy or a titanium alloy. The upper part 30, central part 40, and lower part 50 that make up the slide connector 20 are each rectangular plate-shaped. A first recess 35 extending in a first horizontal direction 21 is formed on the lower surface 32 of the upper part 30, and a first protrusion 43 extending in the first horizontal direction 21 is formed on the upper surface 41 of the central part 40. The first recess 35 and the first protrusion 43 are fitted together with a certain gap between them, allowing the upper part 30 and the central part 40 to slide relatively in the first horizontal direction 21. Similarly, the central part 40 and the lower part 50 to slide relatively in a second horizontal direction 22. As a result, the slide connector 20 allows the upper prosthetic leg 12 and the lower prosthetic leg 14 to slide relatively forward, backward, left, and right. Note that in this embodiment, the first horizontal direction 21 is the left-right direction and the second horizontal direction 22 is the front-back direction. However, the first horizontal direction 21 may be the front-back direction and the second horizontal direction 22 may be the left-right direction.

[0028] The upper part 30 has two opposing side surfaces 33, 34, and a first screw hole 37 is formed in each of the side surfaces 33, 34, and a first fixing screw 38 is threaded into the first screw hole 37 to press the first protrusion 43 from both side surfaces 33, 34. Similarly, the lower part 50 has two opposing side surfaces 53, 54, and a second screw hole 57 is formed in each of the side surfaces 53, 54, and a second fixing screw 58 is threaded into the second screw hole 57 to press the second protrusion 44 from both side surfaces 53, 54.

[0029] The first recess 35 is a trapezoidally recessed first dovetail groove, and the first protrusion 43 is a trapezoidally protruding first dovetail groove that fits into the first dovetail groove. Similarly, the second recess 55 is a trapezoidally recessed second dovetail groove, and the second protrusion 44 is a trapezoidally protruding second dovetail groove that fits into the second dovetail groove.

[0030] Here, we will explain how to use the slide connector 20. The slide connector 20 is used to adjust the axial position of the upper prosthesis 12 relative to the lower prosthesis 14 in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and right-to-left directions. Specifically, the first fixation screw 38 is loosened to allow the upper prosthesis 12 to slide left and right, and the second fixation screw 58 is loosened to allow the upper prosthesis 12 to slide forward and backward. Once the appropriate position is determined in this state, the first fixation screw 38 and the second fixation screw 58 are tightened to fix the upper prosthesis 12. Since the first fixation screw 38 and the second fixation screw 58 are loosened and tightened horizontally using a tool, the user of the prosthesis 10 can leave the femoral stump in the socket 11. The user is then asked to walk with the adjusted prosthesis 10, and if there are any problems, the axial position is adjusted again. This cycle is repeated several times to complete the prosthesis 10 that is optimal for the user.

[0031] Next, the operation and effects of the slide connector 20 will be described.

[0032] (1) By using the first and second fixing screws 38 and 58 that are inserted horizontally, the upper prosthesis 12 above the slide connector 20 does not get in the way during axial position adjustment, so the user of the prosthesis 10 can adjust the axial position even with the femoral stump in the socket 11. This reduces the burden on the user during axial position adjustment and the effort required for axial position adjustment. Furthermore, by using the first and second fixing screws 38 and 58 that are inserted horizontally, the slide connector 20 can be made thinner, and therefore more compact and lightweight, compared to when fixing screws that are inserted vertically are used. In addition, the thinner design reduces the height dimension occupied by the slide connector 20, so it can be used even when the space between the upper prosthesis 12 and the lower prosthesis 14 is narrow.

[0033] (2) When the first recess 35 of the upper part 30 is a trapezoidal dovetail groove and the first protrusion 43 of the central part 40 is a trapezoidal dovetail groove that fits into the dovetail groove, the first recess 35 and the first protrusion 43 are easy to manufacture and have high durability. The same applies to the lower part 50.

[0034] (3) When the first screw holes 37 are formed in the two opposing side surfaces 33, 34 of the upper part 30 and the first fixing screws 38 are used to press the first protrusion 43 from both the side surfaces 33, 34 so as to sandwich the first protrusion 43, the first protrusion 43 can be fixed more firmly. The same applies to the lower part 50.

[0035] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a slide connector 20a of a second embodiment. The slide connector 20a will be described below with reference to Figure 2. Note that in Figures 2 and 3, parts that are substantially the same as those in Figure 1 are given the same reference numerals as in Figure 1, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0036] The prosthetic leg 10a comprises an upper prosthetic leg 12 including a socket 11, a lower prosthetic leg 14 including a lower leg pipe 13, and a slide connector 20a that connects the upper prosthetic leg 12 and the lower prosthetic leg 14. In the second embodiment, the upper mounting part 36 differs from the upper mounting part 60 of the first embodiment. That is, the lower end of the socket 11 is a female connector (socket mounting block 15), and the upper mounting part 36 is a male connector that can be connected to the female connector.

[0037] Specifically, the socket mounting block 15 is screwed to the screw-type upper mounting portion 36. This allows the upper prosthesis 12 including the socket 11 to be attached to the slide connector 20. Since a ready-made female connector (socket mounting block 15) is often attached directly below the socket 11, by making the upper mounting portion 36 a male connector, these female connectors can be directly connected to male connectors. This makes it possible to omit parts such as female and male pyramids (conical or pyramidal connectors), thereby enabling a thinner and lighter product.

[0038] The first screw holes 37 are formed in the first horizontal direction 21 in the order of first, second, third, and fourth, a total of four, with the distance between the second and third being wider than the distance between the first and second and the distance between the third and fourth. The second screw holes 57 are formed in the second horizontal direction 22 in the order of first, second, third, and fourth, with the distance between the second and third being wider than the distance between the first and second and the distance between the third and fourth.

[0039] In this way, when a total of four first screw holes 37 (first, second, third, and fourth) are formed in the upper part 30 in the first horizontal direction 21, and the distance between the second and third screw holes is wider than the distance between the first and second screw holes and the distance between the third and fourth screw holes) in the upper part 30, the following action and effect are achieved. When the upper part 30 is slid significantly relative to the central part 40, the first protrusion 43 is fixed using two of the four first screw holes 37 (the first and second screw holes 37) or two of the first screw holes 37 (the third and fourth screw holes). Therefore, the first protrusion 43 can be fixed more firmly than when only one first screw hole 37 is used. The same applies to the lower part 50.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3[A], the tip surface 39 of the first fixing screw 38 is perpendicular to the axial direction, and the pressed surface 45 of the first convex portion 43 (first dovetail) pressed by the first fixing screw 38 is parallel to the tip surface 39 of the first fixing screw 38. Although not shown, the tip surface of the second fixing screw 58 is also perpendicular to the axial direction, and the pressed surface of the second convex portion 44 (second dovetail) pressed by the second fixing screw 58 is also parallel to the tip surface of the second fixing screw 58. The tip surface 39 of the first fixing screw 38 has a normal shape and does not require any special machining. The pressed surface 45 of the first convex portion 43 (first dovetail) can be obtained, for example, by chamfering the two vertices of a trapezoidally protruding dovetail. Note that FIG. 3[A] shows the vertical direction enlarged compared to the horizontal direction, and the first screw hole 37 and the threads of the first fixing screw 38 are not shown.

[0041] In this way, when the tip surface 39 of the first fixing screw 38 is perpendicular to the axial direction and the pressed surface 45 of the first convex portion 43 (first dovetail) pressed by the first fixing screw 38 is parallel to the tip surface 39 of the first fixing screw 38, the first convex portion 43 (first dovetail) can be more firmly fixed by the surface contact between the tip surface 39 of the first fixing screw 38 and the pressed surface 45 of the first convex portion 43 (first dovetail). The same is true for the second convex portion 44 (second dovetail).

[0042] The first recess 35 and the first protrusion 43 are not limited to a trapezoidal dovetail groove and dovetail fitting structure, but may be polygonal first recess 35a and first protrusion 43a as shown in Fig. 3[B]. The same applies to the second recess 55 and the second protrusion 44.

[0043] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Various modifications that would be understood by those skilled in the art may be made to the configuration and details of the present invention, and such modified configurations and details are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. For example, a configuration in which part of one embodiment is incorporated into another embodiment is also included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10,10a Prosthetic Leg 11 sockets 12 Upper prosthesis 13 Lower leg pipe 14 Lower limb prosthesis 15 Socket mounting block 20,20a slide connector 21 First horizontal direction 22 Second horizontal direction 30 Upper part 31 Top side 32 Bottom surface 33,34 Side 35, 35a First recess 36 Upper mounting part 37 First screw hole 38 First fixing screw 39 Tip surface 40 Central part 41 Top surface 42 Bottom surface 43, 43a First convex part 44 Second convex part 45 Pressed surface 50 Lower parts 51 Top side 52 Bottom surface 53,54 Side 55 Second recess 56 Lower mounting part 57 Second screw hole 58 Second fixing screw 591,592 Mounting screws 60 Upper mounting part 61 Foundation 62 Socket mounting port 63,64 Mounting screws

Claims

1. A slide connector that connects an upper prosthetic leg including a socket and a lower prosthetic leg, a central part having an upper surface and a lower surface, the central part having a first convex portion formed on the upper surface and extending in a first horizontal direction, and a second convex portion formed on the lower surface and extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction; An upper part having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a side surface, a first recess formed on the lower surface that allows the central part to slide in a first horizontal direction by fitting into the first convex portion, and an upper mounting portion for mounting the upper prosthesis provided on the upper surface; A lower part having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a side surface, a second recess formed on the upper surface that allows the central part to slide in the second horizontal direction by fitting into the second convex portion, and a lower mounting portion for mounting the lower prosthesis provided on the lower surface; a first screw hole extending in a second horizontal direction from a side surface of the upper part to the first recess; a first fixing screw that is screwed into the first screw hole and presses the first protrusion to fix the sliding of the upper part; a second screw hole extending in a first horizontal direction from a side surface of the lower part to the second recess; a second fixing screw that is screwed into the second screw hole and presses the second protrusion to fix the sliding of the lower part; A slide connector comprising:

2. the first recess is a first dovetail groove recessed in a trapezoidal shape, the first protrusion is a first dovetail that protrudes in a trapezoidal shape and fits into the first dovetail groove, the second recess is a second dovetail groove recessed in a trapezoidal shape, the second protrusion is a second dovetail that protrudes in a trapezoidal shape and fits into the second dovetail groove; 2. The slide connector according to claim 1.

3. The lower end of the socket is a female connector, and the upper mounting portion is a male connector connectable to the female connector.

3. The slide connector according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A tip end surface of the first fixing screw is perpendicular to the axial direction, and a pressed surface of the first dovetail that is pressed by the first fixing screw is parallel to the tip end surface of the first fixing screw, The tip surface of the second fixing screw is perpendicular to the axial direction, and the pressed surface of the second dovetail pressed by the second fixing screw is parallel to the tip surface of the second fixing screw.

3. The slide connector according to claim 1 or 2.

Images