Orthopedic Hinge Structure With Tunable Flexion Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lightweight orthopedic device hinges lack sufficient motion control and adaptability to the user's limb shape, particularly between flexion and extension, while providing needed strength and cooperation with other device elements.
Innovation Solution
A monolithic hinge body made from a flexible polymeric material that adapts to the user's limb shape, offering angular control and minimal interference, with an insert to modify stiffness and a rib for reinforcement, allowing for a snug fit and dynamic support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a robust hinge with multiple parts and structural elements is used, then joint guidance and support are improved, but weight, cost, bulk, and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple hinge components (bar, uprights, connection elements) into a single monolithic polymeric structure. This integration maintains the structural support and joint guidance functions while eliminating the weight and complexity of multiple discrete metal parts, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible polymeric material that can bend and articulate while providing structural support. This flexible yet supportive structure achieves joint guidance without the rigid, heavy metal construction, resolving the contradiction between providing adequate support and minimizing weight.
2Weight of moving object
If a lightweight hinge is used, then weight is reduced, but motion control and guidance capability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The monolithic polymeric hinge structure incorporates varying material densities and structural thicknesses at different locations. The connection elements and uprights have optimized local geometries that provide enhanced motion control and guidance where needed, while maintaining overall lightweight construction, thus resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and motion control.
3Strength
If a fixed rigid structure is used, then strength is improved, but adaptability to different limb shapes and activity levels is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The polymeric hinge structure is designed with inherent flexibility and articulation capability, allowing it to dynamically adapt to different limb shapes, sizes, and movement ranges. The material and geometry enable the hinge to maintain strength while conforming to varying user characteristics and activity levels, resolving the contradiction between strength and adaptability.
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
The hinge provides dynamic support and stability to the joint, conforming to changing limb dimensions and cooperating with other device components without sacrificing functionality, while minimizing interference and weight.
Implementation Method 1
The single material structure may be compliant and adapted to flexibly bend not just within an angular range, but also transversely relative to a neutral longitudinal axis of a leg or joint in extension to contour longitudinally end to end to a variable radius of a user's limb
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge has a hinge body forming an articulating section extending between a first end and a second end of the hinge. The articulating section is adapted to bend from a neutral axis when the first and second ends are parallel to an angular range in which the first end is arranged among a plurality of angles within the angular range relative to the second end. The hinge body may define a receptacle along the articulating section, and an insert may be provided for insertion into the receptacle. The insert can modify the stiffness of the hinge in the angular range and is arranged parallel to the neutral axis.