Orthopedic Brace Hinge Reducing Axial Thickness and Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional orthopedic brace hinges have a significant axial thickness due to the placement of lateral heads and suffer from wear-related damage from the contact between the leaf spring and pivotal connector during rotation.
Innovation Solution
A hinge design featuring a pivot shaft, lower and upper leg plates, catch plates with a toothed peripheral edge, and position adjusting units with rotatable limiting seats and slider bodies that guide rotation and adjust the rotational range without increasing thickness and eliminating direct contact with the pivot shaft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lateral heads are disposed at outer sides of rotation plates along the axial direction, then the hinge can achieve rotation limiting functionality, but the overall thickness of the hinge in the axial direction is considerably increased
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a conventional axial arrangement (lateral heads extending along the axial direction) to a radial arrangement (limiting teeth and engagement surfaces oriented radially). This dimensional change allows the rotation limiting mechanism to function effectively while significantly reducing the axial thickness of the hinge assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation limiting mechanism is nested within the rotation plates themselves, with limiting teeth formed directly on the peripheral edges of the rotation plates. The engagement faces are integrated into the stop posts, eliminating the need for separate lateral heads extending axially. This nesting approach consolidates the rotation limiting functionality within the existing structural footprint.
2Reliability
If the leaf spring is frictionally sleeved on the pivotal connector, then the hinge can provide elastic retention, but rotation of the leaf spring about the pivotal connector causes wear type damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the leaf spring from direct contact with the pivotal connector. Instead of the leaf spring being frictionally sleeved on the connector, the retention mechanism uses engagement between limiting teeth on the rotation plates and corresponding engagement faces on the stop posts. This separation eliminates the frictional wear between the leaf spring and pivotal connector while maintaining elastic retention functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The limiting teeth and engagement faces serve as intermediaries between the rotation plates and the retention mechanism. Rather than the leaf spring directly contacting and rotating with the pivotal connector, the engagement between teeth and faces mediates the retention function, eliminating direct frictional contact and associated wear damage.
Data Source
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AI summary
A hinge for an orthopedic brace includes: a pivot shaft (223); a lower leg plate (5) pivoted to the pivot shaft (223); an upper leg plate (3); a catch plate (22A, 22B) having a toothed peripheral edge (221); and two position adjusting units (9A, 9B), each of which includes a rotatable limiting seat (91), a limiting pin (921), and a slider body (922). The rotatable limiting seat (91) defines a housing chamber (916) therein, and is formed with a wall slot (913). The slider body (922) is slidably disposed in the housing chamber (916). The limiting pin (921) extends from the slider body (922) through the wall slot (913) for engaging and disengaging the toothed peripheral edge (221). The catch plate (22A, 22B) is formed with a guiding groove (224A, 224B). The rotatable limiting seat (91) has a tongue (917A, 917B) protruding into the guiding groove (224A, 224B).