Walking Skates for External Ring Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing walking skate systems coupled to external ring fixation systems lack flexibility and ease of assembly, as they are often personalized and have limited fixing points, making them uncomfortable for patients and difficult to assemble, especially for less experienced personnel.
Innovation Solution
A system of walking skates with a curved bottom profile and a protruding connection body featuring slots, paired with a connecting member that can be easily attached to the external ring fixation system, providing multiple fixing points for flexibility and ease of use during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If personalized skate systems are used to ensure walking comfort, then patient comfort is improved, but device complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The skate system is divided into separate modular components: the skate body, the connecting member with slot, and the fixation system. This segmentation allows each component to be independently manufactured and assembled, reducing overall complexity while maintaining customization capability through selective combination of parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting member with its slot is designed to interface with multiple fixing points on the half-ring, creating a universal connection mechanism that can accommodate different skate configurations. This universal interface simplifies assembly procedures while still allowing personalized positioning for patient comfort.
2Ease of manufacture
If predetermined fixing points are used for coupling skates to the bottom half-ring, then assembly is simplified, but flexibility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system transitions from fixed predetermined points to a dynamic configuration where the connecting member can engage with multiple potential fixing points on the half-ring. The slot in the connecting member allows for adjustable positioning, enabling the system to adapt to different patient needs while maintaining straightforward assembly through the same basic mechanism.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fixing points are provided for the skates on the half-ring, then flexibility of use is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting member acts as an intermediary component between the skate and the half-ring's multiple fixing points. Rather than directly complexifying the skate-half-ring interface, the connecting member with its slot provides a simple mediation mechanism that enables flexible positioning while keeping the overall system design straightforward and manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
Walking skates system removably coupled underneath a bottom half-ring of an external ring fixation system comprising a pair of skates, each skate of the pair of skates having a curved bottom profile from which a protruding connection body provided with at least one slot projects, the system further comprising a connecting member having a first end configured to be connected to an opening in the bottom half-ring of the external ring fixation system and a second end provided with a hole for connection to the slot in the connection body of the skate.