Knee Joint Manual Lock Mechanism Size Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional manual lock mechanisms for knee joints in artificial legs are complex, require many components, and are difficult to miniaturize, making them unsuitable for size reduction and aesthetically unappealing, especially when attempting to prevent accidental knee bending on uneven or snow-covered surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A simplified manual lock mechanism utilizing an oscillating shaft with an irregular part and a lock member that can be manually switched between locked and unlocked conditions, applying a longitudinal compression load to the lock member, allowing for easy operation and reduced size, while maintaining mechanical strength and resistance to bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional manual lock mechanism is used to prevent accidental knee bending, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases and size reduction becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the manual lock mechanism with the oscillating shaft assembly by making the lock member an integral part of the oscillating shaft structure. The irregular part on the oscillating shaft directly engages with the lock member, eliminating the need for separate locking components. This merging approach maintains reliable locking functionality while significantly reducing device complexity and achieving size reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The oscillating shaft serves multiple functions: it acts as both the oscillating mechanism for the knee joint and as the locking mechanism component. The irregular part on the oscillating shaft provides both the oscillation function and the locking engagement surface, making the structure multi-functional and reducing the overall number of components needed.
2Reliability
If a conventional manual lock mechanism with many components is used, then locking reliability is improved, but the size of the knee joint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the locking function into the oscillating shaft assembly by integrating the irregular part directly onto the shaft. This eliminates the need for separate locking components and reduces the overall volume of the knee joint while maintaining reliable locking through the face-to-face contact between the irregular part and lock member.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock member is positioned within the oscillating shaft assembly structure, with the irregular part nested on the shaft surface. This nesting arrangement allows the locking mechanism to be compact and integrated within the existing knee joint volume, achieving size reduction while maintaining functionality.
3Device complexity
If a simplified manual lock mechanism is used to reduce size, then device complexity is reduced, but the appearance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locking mechanism with the oscillating shaft in a way that creates a compact, integrated structure. This merging approach simplifies the overall design while maintaining aesthetic appeal through the clean, integrated appearance of the reduced-component mechanism.
4Reliability
If a manual lock mechanism with additional fixing mechanisms is used to maintain wire tension, then locking reliability is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the wire tension maintenance function into the lock member and oscillating shaft assembly. The irregular part on the oscillating shaft and the corresponding lock member engagement provide both the locking function and the wire tension maintenance, eliminating the need for separate fixing mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to a technology of a manual lock mechanism for manually switching over the oscillating motion of an upper member and a lower member at a knee joint between a locked condition and an unlocked condition. More particularly, the disclosure aims at a simple structure of the manual lock mechanism and a size reduction of the knee joint or an artificial leg including the manual lock mechanism. For these purposes, one of oscillating shafts for swingingly coupling the upper and lower members is regulated. Therefore, the manual lock mechanism includes an oscillating shaft including an irregular part and a lock member for regulating the movement of the oscillating shaft. The lock member can be switched over between a locked condition where the lock member is in contact with the irregular part of the oscillating shaft and the unlocked condition where it is separate from the irregular part. When the lock member is in the locked condition, force from the oscillating shaft is applied as compression load in the longitudinal direction of the lock member.