Knee Brace

Abstract

The invention relates to a knee orthosis with a lower leg part that extends in a lower leg direction, and an upper leg part that extends in a lower leg direction, and at least one locking device, wherein the lower leg part and the upper leg part are connected to each other by at least one swivel joint such that they can be swiveled, the lower leg part and/or the upper leg part comprise a lateral rail and a medial rail, and the lower leg direction encloses a knee frontal angle with the upper leg direction, wherein the knee orthosis has a first accommodation element and a second accommodation element which can be fixed in different positions with different knee frontal angles relative to one another by means of the at least one locking device.

Claims

1. A knee orthosis with a lower leg part that extends in a lower leg direction, and an upper leg part that extends in a upper leg direction, and at least one locking device, wherein the lower leg part and the upper leg part are connected to each other by at least one swivel joint such that they can be swiveled, the lower leg part and/or the upper leg part comprise a lateral rail and a medial rail, and the lower leg direction encloses a knee frontal angle with the upper leg direction, characterized in that the knee orthosis has a first accommodation element and a second accommodation element which can be fixed in different positions with different knee frontal angles relative to one another by means of the at least one locking device.

2. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the first accommodation element is attached to the lateral rail and the second accommodation element to the medial rail.

3. The knee orthosis according to claim 2, wherein the first accommodation element and the second accommodation element each are attached to the lateral rail and the medial rail, preferably such that they can be swiveled.

4. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the first accommodation element and the second accommodation element each comprise at least one positive-locking element, which are designed to correspond with one another.

5. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the positive-locking elements is a slot, in which the other positive-locking element is mounted such that it can be moved, the slot preferably being designed in such a way that an orientation of the first accommodation element relative to the second accommodation element remains constant.

6. The knee orthosis according to claim 5, wherein the first accommodation element and/or the second accommodation element comprises multiple positive-locking elements arranged at an offset to each other.

7. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the at least one locking device is configured to fix the first accommodation element to the second accommodation element or vice-versa.

8. The knee orthosis according to claim 7, wherein the locking device is designed in the form of a velcro element, preferably arranged on one of the accommodation elements, and at least one velcro counter-element, preferably arranged on the other accommodation element.

9. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the lateral rail (8) and/or the medial rail (10) comprises at least two components (12), which are connected to each other by a frontal joint (14).

10. The knee orthosis according to claim 9, wherein the least one locking device is configured to fix the frontal joint (14).

11. The knee orthosis according to claim 9, wherein the frontal joint features an adjustment device with which an angular position of the frontal joint can be adjusted.

12. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the medial rail and/or the lateral rail are designed to be elastic, for example made from a metal, especially a spring steel.

13. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the medial rail and/or the lateral rail are designed such that they are not variable in length.

14. A knee orthosis comprising: a lower leg part that extends in a lower leg direction; an upper leg part that extends in a upper leg direction; at least one locking device; and a first accommodation element and a second accommodation element, each of the first and second accommodation elements comprising at least one positive-locking element; wherein the lower leg part and the upper leg part are connected to each other by at least one swivel joint such that they can be swiveled, the lower leg part and/or the upper leg part comprising a lateral rail and a medial rail, and wherein the lower leg direction encloses a knee frontal angle with the upper leg direction, and wherein the first accommodation element is attached to the lateral rail and the second accommodation element is attached to the medial rail, and wherein the first and second accommodation elements can be fixed in different positions with different knee frontal angles relative to one another by means of the at least one locking device.

15. The knee orthosis of claim 14, wherein the first accommodation element and the second accommodation element are attached to the lateral rail and the medial rail, respectively, in a manner such that they can be swiveled.

16. The knee orthosis according to claim 14, wherein the positive locking elements of the first and second accommodation elements are designed to correspond with each other.

17. The knee orthosis of claim 16, wherein at least one of the positive-locking elements is a slot, in which the other positive-locking element is mounted such that it can be moved, the slot preferably being designed in such a way that an orientation of the first accommodation element relative to the second accommodation element remains constant.

18. The knee orthosis according to claim 14, wherein the locking device is designed in the form of a velcro element arranged on one of the accommodation elements and at least one velcro counter-element arranged on the other accommodation element.

19. The knee orthosis according to claim 14 wherein the lateral rail and/or the medial rail comprises at least two components connected to each other by a frontal joint, and wherein the frontal joint includes an adjustment device to allow an angular position of the frontal joint to be adjusted.

20. A knee orthosis comprising: a lower leg part that extends in a lower leg direction; an upper leg part that extends in a upper leg direction; at least one velcro locking device; and a first accommodation element and a second accommodation element, each of the first and second accommodation elements comprising at least one positive-locking element, the positive-locking elements being designed to correspond with each other; wherein the lower leg part and the upper leg part are connected to each other by at least one swivel joint such that they can be swiveled, the lower leg part and/or the upper leg part comprising a lateral rail and a medial rail, and wherein the lower leg direction encloses a knee frontal angle with the upper leg direction, and wherein the first accommodation element is attached to the lateral rail and the second accommodation element is attached to the medial rail, and wherein the first and second accommodation elements can be fixed in different positions with different knee frontal angles relative to one another by means of the at least one locking device.

Description

[0029] In the following, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be explained in more detail by way of the attached figures: They show:

[0030] FIGS. 1 to 8 a knee orthosis according to an example of an embodiment of the present invention in various positions,

[0031] FIGS. 9 to 11 a knee orthosis according to a further example of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] The knee orthosis depicted in FIGS. 1 to 8 has a lower leg part 2 and an upper leg part 4 which are connected to each other by two swivel joints 6 in the example of an embodiment shown. When the knee orthosis is mounted, the lower leg part 2 is arranged on the lower leg of the wearer and the upper leg part 4 on the upper leg of the wearer. The swivel joints 6 allow a swivelling of the lower leg part 2 relative to the upper leg part 4 and are preferably aligned in such a way that the swivel axis of the two swivel joints 6 coincides with the knee axis of the wearer.

[0033] In the example of an embodiment shown, the upper leg part 4 comprises a lateral rail 8 and a medial rail 10, each of which has two components 12 in the example of an embodiment shown that are connected to each other by a front joint 14 such that they can be swivelled.

[0034] The lateral rail 8 also features a first accommodation element 16 and the medial rail 10 a second accommodation element 18. The first accommodation element 16 is arranged on the lateral rail 8 and features a positive-locking element in the form of a slot 20, in which a second positive-locking element in the form of a pin 22, which is arranged on the second accommodation element 18, is arranged such that it can be displaced. The second accommodation element 18 is arranged on the medial rail 10. The pin 22 is arranged in one of two available holes 24 in the example of an embodiment shown and guided through the slot 20. It is therefore possible to design a width of the upper leg part 4 to be adjustable. FIGS. 5 to 8 depict the knee orthosis, wherein the pin 22 is now arranged in the second of the two holes 24. Of course, more than two holes 24 may be provided to make the width of the upper leg part 4 adjustable in several steps. Additionally or alternatively, multiple slots 22 may be provided, which preferably run parallel to one another. This also renders the width of the upper leg part 4 adjustable.

[0035] FIGS. 1 to 4 depict the same knee orthosis, wherein the pin 22 is arranged in different positions in the slot 20. This causes the two frontal joints 14 to swivel, so that an angle between the upper leg part 4 and the lower leg part 2 changes. The first accommodation element 16 can be fixed to the second accommodation element 18, for example, via a locking device, not depicted here. Alternatively or additionally, a locking device may be be provided that prevents a further swivelling of one of the frontal joints 14.

[0036] In the figures, it can be seen that the medial rail 10 and the lateral rail 8 extend parallel to each other in each position, so that the angle between them does not change. This is achieved by the special shape of the slot 20, in that an orientation of the two accommodation elements (16,18) relative to each other also remains constant. The displacement of the two accommodation elements is collinear.

[0037] FIG. 9 depicts a part of a knee orthosis according to a further example of an embodiment of the present invention. Only the upper leg part 4 is shown. In each of the three representations in FIG. 9, the upper leg part 4 with a lateral rail 8 and a medial rail 10 is depicted, each of which comprise a frontal joint 14 via which the respective two components 12 are connected to each other. The first accommodation element 16 and the second accommodation element 18 can be seen between the components 12 depicted above the respective frontal joints 14. In contrast to the example of an embodiment shown thus far, both the first accommodation element 16 and the second accommodation element 18 are arranged on both the lateral rail 8 and the medial rail 10. The connections between two of these components are swivel connections, as can be clearly seen in the different representations in FIG. 9.

[0038] The first accommodation element 16 has a projection 26 that extends upwards, with which it engages in a locking element 28. It can be seen that, in the left-hand representation of FIG. 9, the projection 26 is arranged in the right-hand section of the locking device 28, while in the right-hand representation of FIG. 9 it is arranged in the left-hand section of the locking device and in the middle section of the locking device in the middle part of the representation. This changes not only the position of the first accommodation element 16 relative to the second accommodation element 18, but also the angle between the two components 12, which are connected by the two accommodation elements 16, 18, and thus also a frontal knee angle of the knee orthosis.

[0039] FIG. 10 depicts the part of the device from FIG. 10 in an oblique view from above. The first accommodation element 16 with the projection 26 as well as the second accommodation element 18 can be seen, both of which are connected to the components 12, respectively, which are connected to further components via frontal joints 14 and, together with said components, form the lateral rail 8 and the medial rail 10. The locking device 28 is shown in particular detail in this representation. It features a threaded rod 30 which interacts with an inner thread on a connecting piece 32 that is arranged on the projection 26. The threaded rod 30 can be rotated by way of two knurled wheels 32, whereby the connecting piece 32 and thus also the projection 26 and the first accommodation element 16 are displaced relative to the locking device 28 and thus also relative to the second accommodation element 18, whereby the three positions shown in FIG. 9 as well as all intermediate positions can be reached.

[0040] FIG. 11 shows the representation in FIG. 10 from a different perspective. Again, the components 12 can be seen which form the medial rail 10 and the lateral rail 8 and which are each connected to each other by a frontal joint 14. The first accommodation element 16 and the second accommodation element 18 are attached to the medial rail 10 and the lateral rail 8, respectively.

[0041] To ensure that the device can be swivelled into the position shown in FIG. 9, it is advantageous if the pivot points, at which the various components are connected to each other, are designed to be variable on at least one side, for example in the form of an elongated hole. This applies particularly for at least one attachment of the first accommodation element 16 to one of the components 12. Preferably, the locking device 28 or at least a part of it, for example the threaded rod 30, which is already designed to be rotatable, is configured on a side with a variable pivot point. It is advantageous if this is the same side on which the pivot point between the first accommodation element 16 and the respective component 12 is also designed as a variable pivot point.

REFERENCE LIST

[0042] 2 lower leg part

[0043] 4 upper leg part

[0044] 6 swivel joint

[0045] 8 lateral rail

[0046] 10 medial rail

[0047] 12 component

[0048] 14 frontal joint

[0049] 16 first accommodation element

[0050] 18 second accommodation element

[0051] 20 slot

[0052] 22 pin

[0053] 24 hole

[0054] 26 projection

[0055] 28 locking device

[0056] 30 threaded rod

[0057] 32 connecting piece

[0058] 34 knurled wheel