ORTHOPEDIC JOINT DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to an orthopedic joint device having an upper part and a lower part which is hinged about a pivot axis to said upper part, having a flexion moment-controlled retainer device that is positioned between the upper part and the lower part, blocks a flexion and releases the flexion when a predefined flexion moment is exceeded, wherein a control element is associated with the retainer device and is coupled to a delaying element.

Claims

1. An orthopedic joint device having an upper part and a lower part which is fastened to the upper part in an articulated manner about a pivot axis, with a flexion-moment-controlled retaining device which is arranged between the upper part and the lower part and which blocks flexion and releases the flexion when a predetermined flexion moment is exceeded, characterized in that the retaining device is assigned a control element which is coupled to a delay element.

2. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the delay element is configured as a mechanical and/or hydraulic delay element.

3. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining device is configured as a mechanical brake or as a pneumatic or hydraulic damper device.

4. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 3, wherein the damper device has a cylinder in which a movable piston is mounted, the piston divides the cylinder into two chambers such that, when the piston is shifted accompanied by a reduction in a chamber volume, fluid from a first chamber flows out of the first chamber through a line, wherein inside the line there is a control valve which is assigned the control element in order to set a flow resistance.

5. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the control element is configured as a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator which is connected in terms of flow to at least one chamber.

6. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the control element is configured to be drivable in opposite directions.

7. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein a return line with a check valve is coupled to the control element.

8. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the line is connected to the other chamber and/or to a compensating volume.

9. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the control element is configured as a slide, lever or rotary locking mechanism.

10. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the delay element is configured as a valve in a fluid line, as a slide mounted in a damped manner, or as a damped motion thread.

11. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the delay element is configured to be adjustable.

12. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the control element is coupled to a force accumulator to counter a reduction in resistance.

13. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 12, wherein the force accumulator is configured to be adjustable.

14. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the control element is configured to be actuable under pressure control and with a time delay.

15. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 1, wherein the orthopedic joint device is configured as an orthotic or prosthetic knee joint or as an orthotic or prosthetic elbow joint or as an orthotic or prosthetic wrist.

16. (canceled)

17. An orthopedic joint device having: an upper part; a lower part which is fastened to the upper part in an articulated manner about a pivot axis with a flexion-moment-controlled retaining device which is arranged between the upper part and the lower part, and which blocks flexion and releases the flexion when a predetermined flexion moment is exceeded; wherein the retaining device is configured as a mechanical brake or as a pneumatic or hydraulic damper device, and wherein the retaining device is assigned a control element which is coupled to a delay element, the delay element being configured as a mechanical and/or hydraulic delay element.

18. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 17, wherein the damper device has a cylinder in which a movable piston is mounted, the piston divides the cylinder into two chambers such that, when the piston is shifted accompanied by a reduction in a chamber volume, fluid from a first chamber flows out of the first chamber through a line, wherein inside the line there is a control valve which is assigned the control element in order to set a flow resistance.

19. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 17, wherein the control element is configured as a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator which is connected in terms of flow to at least one chamber.

20. The orthopedic joint device according to claim 17, wherein the control element is configured to be drivable in opposite directions.

21. An orthopedic joint device having: an upper part; a lower part which is fastened to the upper part in an articulated manner about a pivot axis with a flexion-moment-controlled retaining device which is arranged between the upper part and the lower part, and which blocks flexion and releases the flexion when a predetermined flexion moment is exceeded; wherein the retaining device is configured as a mechanical brake or as a pneumatic or hydraulic damper device, and wherein the retaining device is assigned a control element configured as a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator which is connected in terms of flow to at least one chamber, the control element being coupled to a delay element, the delay element being configured as a mechanical and/or hydraulic delay element.

Description

[0022] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments, in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows an orthopedic joint device with a damper device;

[0024] FIG. 2 shows an orthopedic joint device with a mechanical brake; and

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a variant of FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 1, in a schematic illustration, illustrates a retaining device 40 in the form of a hydraulic damper device. The retaining device 40 is arranged between an upper part 10, not illustrated, and a lower part 30 which is fastened in the upper part 10 in an articulated manner about a pivot axis 20. For reasons of clarity, the upper part 10 and the lower part 30 are shown in FIG. 3. The retaining device 40 in the form of a fluidic damper device, in particular a hydraulic damper device, has a cylinder 100 with a cylinder housing 110 in which a piston 200 is mounted in a longitudinally displaceable manner. The piston 200 divides the cylinder 100 into two chambers 300, 400 which are connected to each other in terms of flow via a line 340. The piston 200 is guided on a piston rod 210 which protrudes out of the housing 110. A bearing or axis receptacle 220 is arranged or formed at that end of the piston rod 210 which faces away from the piston 200. A corresponding bearing or axis receptacle 120 is arranged or formed on the housing 110 at that end of the damper device which is opposite the bearing or the axis receptacle 220. A fluid reservoir can be provided in order to compensate for the different changes in volume in the two chambers 300, 400 due to the retracting or extending piston rod 210. If a piston rod is also arranged in the lower first chamber 300, a reservoir can be dispensed with.

[0027] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the flow line 340 from the first chamber 300 into the second chamber 400 is provided with a control valve 500 which is adjustable in respect of the flow rate and therefore in respect of the flow resistance within the line 340. By changing the flow resistance within the line 340, the resistance against a downward movement or upward movement of the piston 200 and therefore counter to a reduction or increase in volume in one of the two chambers 300, 400 can be set, for example in order to set a flexion resistance or an extension resistance. The resistances can be set differently depending on the direction of movement, for example via a multiway valve with a check valve which, under pressure control or sensor control, block or release a fluid flow in the one or other flow direction.

[0028] A control element 60 which is operated under pressure control is assigned to the control element 500. If the piston 200 is pushed downward by flexion of the joint device, the first chamber 300 is reduced in size, and therefore the fluid, for example hydraulic oil, flows out of the first chamber 300 through the line 340. The control valve 500 is closed here. A pressure line 360 leading to the control element 60 branches off from the line 340. The control element 60 has a piston in a cylinder with a spring-loaded slide or actuator 66. The piston within the control element 60 pushes against the spring 65 as a force accumulator and shifts the slide 66 toward the control valve 500. If the piston 200 is pressed with a sufficient force, there is a correspondingly high compressive force on the piston within the control element 60, and therefore, depending on the setting of the force accumulator 65 or the pretensioning of the spring, from a certain flexion moment and the associated compressive force on the piston a corresponding shifting of the ram 66 takes place. The ram 66 opens the control valve 500 and reduces the flow resistance in the line 340 such that, after an initial blocking of the flexion movement, the volume from the first chamber 300 can be adjusted into the second chamber 400 such that flexion takes place.

[0029] In order to delay the time of the activation of the control element 60 and thus the opening of the line 340 by means of the adjustment of the control valve 500, the pressure line 360 which leads to the control element 60 contains a valve 70 or a throttle via which the flow resistance in the line 360 and thus the buildup of pressure in the control element 60 is delayed. The smaller the amount of fluid which can pass from the lower chamber 300 through the valve 70 or the throttle 70 into the cylinder of the control element 60 in order to act on the piston arranged there, the longer the flexion moment has to be applied in order to shift the slide 66 until the control element 500 is opened.

[0030] In order to reset the slide 66 or in order to deactivate the control element 60, either the force accumulator 65 is sufficient by itself, the force accumulator pushing the piston back within the control element 60 into the starting position, or a return flow line 64 from the upper chamber 400 is connected via a check valve 47 to a piston chamber of the control element 60 such that a resetting force is exerted during an extension movement because of the hydraulic pressure. An outlet valve or another pressure-reducing device is provided within the control element 60 in order to avoid a hydraulic block-age.

[0031] A variant of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 in which the orthopedic joint device is shown as an external knee joint with the upper part 10 and the lower part 30. A joint body 13 in the form of a brake clamp receives the upper part 10 in a pivotable manner. The upper part 10 is mounted pivotably in the joint body 13 with a control axis 12. Analogously thereto, the lower part 30 is mounted pivotably about the pivot axis 20 with a block-able control axis 23. The upper part 10 pivots together with the joint body 13 about the pivot axis 20 if a sufficiently large flexion moment has been applied for a sufficiently long time. The control axis 23 is at the same time a brake axis since the joint body 13 virtually completely circumferentially surrounds the latter, and holds it in a clamping manner, with a gap being left free. If a sufficient flexion moment is applied via the upper part 10 in order to bring about a shifting in the clockwise direction about the control axis 12, the upper part pushes a threaded bushing 72 in the direction of the joint body 13. The bushing 72 is supported on the joint body 13 via a plunger or a rod 71. Also arranged between the joint body 13 and the upper part 10 is a spring 11 or another force accumulator which counteracts a pivoting in the clockwise direction about the control axis 12. The plunger 71 is provided at least with a corresponding thread such that the plunger 71 is screwed into the bushing 72 when the flexion moment is sufficient. Alternatively, the movement of the plunger 71 can be hydraulically damped. The thread within the bushing 72 can be provided with a high-viscosity coating which additionally damps the screwing-in movement, and therefore the plunger 71 is screwed only slowly into the bushing 72. The arrangement of spring 11, bushing 72 and plunger 71 constitutes a delay element 70 which slows down a pivoting in the clockwise direction about the control axis 12. If sufficient pivoting of the upper part 10 is achieved, a bar 61 or a rod 61 is brought into contact with the upper part 10. The rod 61 is arranged on a tilting lever 62 such that, when the upper part 10 is in contact with the rod 61, pivoting about a tilting axis takes place, and therefore the rod end of the tilting lever 62 is shifted downwards. As a result, a second plunger 63 is pivoted upward and pushes against a clamping socket which is part of the joint body 13 and holds the second control axis 320 in a clamping manner by means of a tension spring 65 and prevents a corresponding rotation of the joint body 13 in the clockwise direction about the pivot axis 20. If a sufficiently large force has been applied by means of the second plunger 63 in order to release the brake, when a flexion moment continues to be applied, the upper part 10 pivots in the clockwise direction about the pivot axis 20 relative to the lower part.

[0032] When the flexion moment decreases or an extension moment is applied, renewed clamping takes place in order to secure the second control axis 23. In order to permit a resetting movement, a ratchet mechanism can be provided, and therefore an extension movement is always possible. A resetting mechanism or a resetting spring can be formed within the delay element 70 and, when the flexion moment decreases or an extension moment is applied, brings the plunger 71 into its starting position.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a variant of FIG. 1 having a substantially identical design, and therefore not all of the reference signs are shown. A valve or a throttle is arranged in the connecting line 340 between the two chambers 300, 400. The control valve 500, which is coupled to the control element 60 and to the delay element 70, is arranged in a pressure line 380 which leads to a reservoir 80. If the control valve 500 is opened for a sufficient period of time after application of a sufficient flexion moment, fluid flows from the lower chamber through the pressure line 380 into the reservoir 80 and brings about a flexion movement between the upper part 10 and the lower part 30.