Ankle Joint Foot Support With Adjustable Angle And Motion Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ankle joint mechanisms lack the ability to adjust the initial angle between the foot support and shank connecting member, leading to potential secondary damage due to improper starting angles and excessive motion range, especially for users with different ankle damage degrees and muscle strength.
Innovation Solution
An ankle joint device with a foot support featuring an adjustable initial angle, incorporating an angle adjusting assembly with a rotation member and anti-rotation member, allowing for adjustable and lockable initial angles, and a buffering assembly to limit excessive rotation and provide ergonomic support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the foot support is rotationally mounted to freely rotate relative to the base, then the user can perform plantarflexion and dorsiflexion movements, but the initial angle between the foot support and shank connecting member cannot be adjusted, causing secondary damage due to improper starting angles
Solution Approach 1:
The foot support system transitions from a static fixed-angle mounting to a dynamic adjustable-angle mounting. The angle adjusting assembly allows the initial angle to be changed according to different user needs and injury conditions, while the foot support remains rotatable during movement. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction between free rotation and adjustable initial angle.
Solution Approach 2:
The initial angle parameter of the foot support relative to the base is made changeable through the angle adjusting assembly. By modifying this geometric parameter, the system adapts to different rehabilitation requirements and user anatomies, eliminating the harm caused by fixed improper starting angles while preserving rotational freedom.
2Ease of operation
If the range of motion of the ankle joint is not limited, then the foot support can move freely during walking, but excessive plantarflexion and dorsiflexion cause secondary damage to the ankle joint
Solution Approach 1:
The range limiting device is pre-configured to prevent excessive plantarflexion and dorsiflexion before harmful movements occur. By setting mechanical limits in advance, the system blocks potentially damaging trajectories while allowing normal walking range, thus preventing secondary damage without restricting necessary motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The range limiting device converts the potential harmful effect of uncontrolled free movement into a beneficial protective function. The mechanical constraints that might seem to limit freedom actually protect the user by preventing excessive motions that would cause injury, transforming a harmful lack of control into a beneficial controlled freedom.
3Device complexity
If the starting angle between the foot support and shank connecting member is fixed at 90°, then the structure is simple, but users with weak leg muscle strength experience discomfort and ankle fatigue because their natural angle is not 90°
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed 90° mounting is replaced with a dynamic angle adjustment mechanism that allows the initial angle to be customized for each user. The angle adjusting assembly provides the necessary complexity to enable adaptation to different anatomies and injury conditions, transforming a static one-size-fits-all design into a flexible user-specific system.
Solution Approach 2:
The angle adjusting assembly serves multiple functions: it accommodates different user anatomies, adapts to various injury conditions, and allows customization for different rehabilitation stages. This multi-functionality justifies the added structural complexity by enabling the device to serve diverse user needs effectively.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the foot support is adjusted to a specific angle and locked, then the initial angle can be maintained, but the foot support cannot freely rotate relative to the base
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is segmented into two independent functional components: the angle adjusting assembly that sets and locks the initial angle, and the rotational joint that enables free movement during operation. This segmentation allows the foot support to be locked at the correct initial angle while still permitting free rotation during plantarflexion and dorsiflexion, resolving the contradiction between stability and mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static locked mounting to a dynamic system with two states: an initial angle setting phase where the foot support is locked at the adjusted angle, and an operation phase where the foot support rotates freely during movement. This dynamic state transition resolves the contradiction by allowing both stability during setup and freedom during use.
Data Source
AI summary
An ankle joint device comprises a base, an angle adjusting assembly, and a foot support member; the angle adjusting assembly comprises a rotation member and an anti-rotation member, wherein the rotation member is rotationally mounted on the base, and the anti-rotation member is slidably and detachably locked to the rotation member along the axial direction defined by the rotation member; the foot support member is mounted to the anti-rotation member, after the anti-rotation member slides away from the rotation member in the axial direction by a predetermined distance, the foot support member is allowed to rotate at a predetermined angle, and the foot support member is locked to the rotation member to rotate with the rotation member relative to the base after the anti-rotation member slides close to the rotation member in the axial direction by a predetermined distance in a state of being maintained at the predetermined angle.