Artificial Knee Joint Rotational Resistance Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing artificial knee joints struggle to provide optimal rotational resistance control during different phases of walking, leading to inefficiencies and discomfort for users.
Innovation Solution
The artificial knee joint incorporates a thigh joint part, a lower leg part, a thigh part inclination angle acquisition unit, and a rotational resistance control unit that adjusts the rotational resistance of the knee shaft based on the inclination angle and walking phase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the rotational resistance of the knee shaft is increased during the Stance phase to prevent the knee from bending under load, then stability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates because the user experiences difficulty in initiating the swing phase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the rotational resistance of the knee shaft dynamically adjustable based on the detected walking phase. The rotational resistance is increased during the Stance phase to provide stability and decreased during the transition to Swing phase to facilitate easy operation. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between stability and ease of operation by adapting the resistance level to the specific phase of the walking cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from the inclination angle acquisition unit that detects the thigh part's inclination angle to determine the walking phase. This feedback mechanism allows the rotational resistance control unit to automatically adjust the resistance level appropriately - high during Stance phase when the thigh is inclined rearward, and low during Swing phase when the thigh moves forward, thereby resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the rotational resistance of the knee shaft is decreased during the Swing phase to allow knee bending and prevent the prosthetic limb from touching the ground, then the ease of operation is improved, but the stability deteriorates because the knee may become unstable under unexpected loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the rotational resistance of the knee shaft dynamically adjustable based on the detected walking phase. The rotational resistance is decreased during the Swing phase to provide ease of operation for knee bending while maintaining stability through phase-based control. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and stability by adapting the resistance level to the specific phase of the walking cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from the inclination angle acquisition unit that detects the thigh part's inclination angle to determine the walking phase. This feedback mechanism allows the rotational resistance control unit to automatically adjust the resistance level appropriately - low during Swing phase when the thigh is inclined forward to enable easy operation, while maintaining stability through proper phase detection and control.
3Device complexity
If a fixed rotational resistance is applied to the knee shaft throughout the walking cycle, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability deteriorates because the knee joint cannot optimize performance for different walking phases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback from the inclination angle acquisition unit that continuously monitors the thigh part's inclination angle to detect the walking phase. This feedback enables the rotational resistance control unit to automatically adapt the resistance level to different walking phases (Stance, Swing, etc.), providing high adaptability without requiring complex manual adjustment mechanisms. The system adapts automatically based on real-time detection of thigh inclination changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the knee joint to automatically adjust its own rotational resistance based on the detected walking phase through the inclination angle acquisition unit. The system serves itself by using the user's own movement (thigh inclination changes) as the trigger for resistance adjustment, eliminating the need for external control or complex mechanical mechanisms while achieving high adaptability to different walking phases.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B3C
AI summary
A prosthetic limb (10) includes: a socket (11) as a thigh part; a thigh joint part provided on a side of the socket (11); a lower leg part (21) coupled to the thigh joint part and provided to be rotatable around a knee shaft (23); a thigh part inclination angle acquisition unit that acquires an inclination angle Ψ formed by the socket (11) relative to a vertical line passing through the knee shaft (23); and a rotational resistance control unit (100) that weakens a rotational resistance of the knee shaft (23) in accordance with a transition from a positive inclination angle formed when the socket (11) is inclined rearward relative to the vertical line to a negative inclination angle formed when the socket (11) is inclined forward relative to the vertical line.