Ankle/Foot Orthosis With Medial Spring Hinge for Stable Walking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ankle/foot orthoses lack ease of fitting and insertion into shoes while maintaining high functionality and stability, particularly in preventing unwanted foot movements.
Innovation Solution
Ankle/foot orthosis with a spring hinge area that allows anterior-posterior movement, designed to avoid spring material pressing against the ankle or shin, and featuring a medial spring course to prevent catching during walking, with varying elastic properties to support stable foot orientation and prevent pronation/supination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring connects the shin part and foot part, then the orthosis provides stability and prevents unwanted foot movements, but the spring material may press against the ankle or shin causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is extracted from its traditional position behind the ankle and relocated to a medial course that bypasses the ankle area entirely. The spring connects the shin part to the foot part via a plantar arch region, removing the harmful pressure point while preserving the stabilizing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring transitions from a posterior-anterior orientation (behind the ankle) to a medial-lateral orientation (through the plantar arch). This dimensional change allows the spring to maintain its structural support function while avoiding contact with the ankle joint area.
2Ease of operation
If the spring is positioned to allow movement, then the orthosis permits natural walking motion, but the spring may catch on objects during walking
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is repositioned from a lateral or posterior location to a medial course through the plantar arch. This new trajectory keeps the spring embedded within the shoe structure and away from external objects, eliminating the catching problem while preserving movement freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring is nested within the shoe structure, with its medial course allowing it to be positioned inside the shoe rather than extending outward. This nesting prevents the spring from contacting external objects during walking.
3Ease of operation
If the spring allows anterior-posterior movement, then the orthosis facilitates natural walking motion, but the foot orientation may become unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is designed with non-uniform elastic properties along its length. The section in the plantar arch region has different stiffness characteristics than other portions, allowing controlled movement in specific directions while maintaining stability in others. This local variation in quality enables selective freedom of movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring's elastic parameters are varied along its length, with specific sections having different stiffness values. This parameter change allows the spring to permit anterior-posterior movement for natural walking while resisting movements that would compromise foot orientation stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates easy fitting and insertion into shoes while maintaining high functionality, preventing unwanted foot movements, and ensuring stable foot orientation during walking.
Implementation Method 1
the spring, behind an ankle area, forms a hinge area that allows a movement of the shin part relative to the foot part in the anterior-posterior direction
Implementation Method 2
with varying elastic properties to support stable foot orientation and prevent pronation/supination
Data Source
AI summary
An ankle/foot orthosis with a foot part, which has a sole for receiving a foot, and with a shin part which, when fitted in place, bears on the frontal aspect of a shin and is connected to the foot part via a medially extending spring, wherein the spring, behind an ankle area, forms a hinge area that allows a movement of the shin part relative to the foot part in the anterior-posterior direction.