JOINT FOR AN ORTHOPEDIC DEVICE

Abstract

A joint for an orthopedic device, the joint comprising: a first element; a spring support mounted to the first element and having at least one spring element; and a second element, the second element being pivotally mounted to the first element in a first swiveling direction counter to a first force applied by the at least one spring element and in an opposite second swiveling direction counter to a second force applied by the at least one spring element.

Claims

1. A joint for an orthopedic device, wherein the joint comprises a first element, a spring support with at least one spring element mounted on the first element and a second element, wherein the second element is pivotally mounted on the first element in a first pivot direction counter to a first force applied by the at least one spring element and in an opposite second pivot direction counter to a second force applied by the at least one spring element.

2. The joint according to claim 1, wherein the spring support has at least two spring elements, one of which applies the first force and one of which applies the second force.

3. The joint according to claim 2, wherein the two spring elements are arranged one inside the other or one behind the other.

4. The joint according to claim 2, wherein the two spring elements are compression springs.

5. The joint according to claim 2, wherein the at least two spring elements are arranged and configured in such a way that one of the two spring elements is loaded in the tensile direction to apply a force and is preferably a tensile spring element, and one of the two spring elements is loaded in the compression direction to apply a force and is preferably a compression spring element.

6. The joint according to claim 2, wherein a pre-load of at least one of the spring elements, preferably all spring elements, is adjustable, preferably independently of each other.

7. The joint according to claim 6, wherein the pre-load can be adjusted in a mounted state of the joint.

8. The joint according to claim 1 wherein the second element is connected to a force transmission element of the spring support in such a way that tensile forces and compression forces can be transmitted.

9. The joint according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring element comprises a helical spring, a helical disc spring, a stack of disc springs and/or a rubber-elastic element, in particular an elastomer block.

10. The joint according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring element applies the first force to the second element only from a first angle of engagement and/or the second force from a second angle of engagement.

11. The joint according to claim 1, wherein the joint features a hydraulic damping unit by way of which a pivoting of the first element relative to the second element is damped in at least one pivot direction, preferably in both pivot directions.

12. The joint according to claim 10, wherein the damping is adjustable, preferably separately adjustable for both pivot directions.

13. A joint for an orthopedic device comprising: a first element and a second element; and a spring support with at least two adjustable spring elements mounted on the first element; wherein the second element is pivotally mounted on the first element in a first pivot direction counter to a first force applied by a first of the at least two spring elements and in an opposite second pivot direction counter to a second force applied by a second of the at least two spring elements.

14. The joint according to claim 13, wherein the at least two spring elements are arranged one inside the other or one behind the other.

15. The joint according to claim 13, wherein the at least two spring elements are compression springs.

16. The joint according to claim 13, wherein the at least two adjustable spring elements are arranged and configured in such a way that one of the at least two spring elements is loaded in a tensile direction to apply a force and is preferably a tensile spring element, and one of the two spring elements is loaded in a compression direction to apply a force and is preferably a compression spring element.

17. The joint according to claim 13, wherein each of the at least two adjustable spring elements is independently adjustable.

18. The joint according to claim 13, wherein the a pre-load of each of the at least two adjustable spring elements can be adjusted in a mounted state of the joint.

19. The joint according to claim 12, wherein the second element is connected to a force transmission element of the spring support in such a way that tensile forces and compression forces can be transmitted.

20. A joint for an orthopedic device comprising: a first element and a second element; and a spring support with at least two independently adjustable spring elements mounted on the first element; wherein the second element is pivotally mounted on the first element in a first pivot direction counter to a first force applied by a first of the at least two spring elements and in an opposite second pivot direction counter to a second force applied by a second of the at least two spring elements; and wherein the at least two independently adjustable spring elements are arranged and configured in such a way that one of the at least two spring elements is loaded in a tensile direction to apply a force and is preferably a tensile spring element, and one of the two spring elements is loaded in a compression direction to apply a force and is preferably a compression spring element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In the following, some examples of embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail by way of the attached figures: They show:

[0022] FIGS. 1 to 3—a sectional view through a joint according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention in a range of positions,

[0023] FIG. 4—a schematic sectional view through another joint,

[0024] FIG. 5—a sectional view through a joint according to a further example of an embodiment,

[0025] FIGS. 6-8—schematic sectional views through joints according to further examples of an embodiment of the present invention,

[0026] FIGS. 9 to 10—representation of a joint according to another example of an embodiment of the present invention, and

[0027] FIGS. 11 to 13—representations of a part of the joint from FIGS. 9 and 10 in various positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a section view through a joint according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention that features a first element 2 and a second element 4, which are arranged such that they can be pivoted about a pivot axis 6. A spring support 8 is located on the first component 2, said spring support featuring a first spring element 10 and a second spring element 12. The spring support 8 also has a force transmission element 14, at the lower end of which a pin 16 is located that engages in an elongated hole 18 provided on the second element 4, thereby establishing a connection between the force transmission element 14 and the second element 4, through which both compressive forces and tensile forces can be transmitted.

[0029] FIGS. 2 and 3 show the representation from FIG. 1, wherein the joint has now been moved into different positions.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows that the second element 4 has been pivoted in the clockwise direction about the pivot axis 6 relative to the first element 2. As a result, a tensile force is applied via the pin 16 in the elongated hole 18 to the force transmission element 14, which then moves downwards. It features a head 20 with a ring-shaped end stop 22. In FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2, the ring-shaped end stop 22 is in contact with a compression component 24, which extends inside the first spring element 10 and at whose upper end in FIG. 2 a compression head 26 is arranged. If the force transmission element 14 moves downwards as a result of the pivot movement of the second element 4 relative to the first element 2, the compression component 24 and the compression head situated on it also move downwards, thereby compressing the first spring element 10 and applying the first force. Both the force transmission element 12 and the compression component with the compression head can be designed as a single piece or multiple pieces in the form of multiple connected components.

[0031] Compared to the situation in FIG. 1, it is clear in FIG. 2 that the compression head 26 has performed a downward movement and now forms an intermediate space between the compression head 26 and the upper end of a sleeve 28, which is an outer boundary of the spring support.

[0032] FIG. 3 depicts the reverse situation. The second element 4 has been pivoted about the pivot axis 6 in the anti-clockwise direction relative to the first element 2. As a result, a compressive force is applied via the pin 16 in the elongated hole 18 to the force transmission element 14, which is now displaced upwards. It is clear that the end stop 22 of the head 20 of the force transmission element 14 no longer rests on the corresponding compression component 24. Rather, a contact surface 30 of the head 20 has moved the second spring element 12 upwards, thereby compressing it, the second force having been applied.

[0033] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the joint in which two spring supports 8 are arranged on the second element 4. They each support one of the spring elements 10, 12, both of which are designed as compression springs in the example of an embodiment shown. Since the force transmission elements 14 are arranged on the second element 4 in such a way that compressive forces and tensile forces can be transmitted, this embodiment is sufficient. Alternatively, both spring elements 10, 12 could also be designed as tension springs. Of course, it is also possible to used spring supports 8 that have a first spring element 10 and a second spring element 12, which in turn can be designed as tensile elements, compression elements or different elements, i.e. one tensile element and one compression element.

[0034] The eyelets 32 are brought into overlap with bores in the second element 4. A peg or bolt is then pushed through these openings, thereby achieving the connection shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0035] FIG. 5 depicts how a coupling of the force transmission element 14 to the second element 4 can be achieved for another embodiment of the joint with the first component 2, the second component 4 and the pivot axis 6. The force transmission element 14 is hinged to the second element 4 and is thus moved both clockwise and anti-clockwise when the second element 4 is pivoted relative to the first element 2.

[0036] FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 each depict various embodiments of a spring support mounted in a joint with the first component 2 and the second component 4. The representation focuses especially on the attachment of the respective force transmission element 14 to the second element 4. While a connecting rod joint 40 is used in FIG. 6, the embodiment in FIG. 7 has a ball joint 42 and FIG. 8 has a corresponding toothing 44.

[0037] FIG. 9 shows a schematic representation of the joint with the first element 2 and the second element 4. The left-hand area of the joint, depicted in a schematic 3D view in FIG. 9, comprises the spring support 8, where the eyelet 32, which is arranged by means of a pin or peg on an elongated hole of the second element 4, is shown. The sleeve 28 is also depicted, which can contain the spring elements 10, 12 and the other elements and components. A hydraulic damping unit 46 is depicted on the right-hand side of the joint.

[0038] FIG. 10 shows a schematic sectional view of the joint from FIG. 9. The first spring element 10 and the second spring element 12 are shown in the sleeve 28. The hydraulic damping unit 46 features a cylinder 48, in which a piston 50 can move, said piston dividing the interior of the cylinder 48 into a first cylinder chamber 52 and a second cylinder chamber 54. On the piston 50 is a piston rod 56, which is connected to a force transmission element 14. Like the force transmission element 14 on the left-hand side of the joint, which constitutes part of the spring support 8, this force transmission element features an eyelet 32 that is attached to a second elongated hole of the second element 4 via a pin or peg.

[0039] If the second element 4 is pivoted relative to the first element 2, the force transmission element 14 is also moved, causing the piston 50 to be displaced inside the cylinder 48. As a result, a hydraulic medium is pumped from the first cylinder chamber 52 into the second cylinder chamber 54 or vice-versa. To this end, fluidic connections are provided between the two cylinder chambers 52, 54, which are not shown for the sake of clarity. However, in FIG. 9 one can recognize adjustment devices 58, by way of which throttle valves—not depicted—can be opened or closed, so that a flow resistance generated by the throttle valves in the fluidic connections can be adjusted. As a result, the damping for movements of the two elements 2, 4 relative to each other can be adjusted separately in both pivot directions.

[0040] FIGS. 11 to 13 each show a sectional view through the spring support 8 with the sleeve 28 as it is used in the joint according to FIGS. 9 and 10. In the central area is the force transmission element 14, at the end of which the eyelet 32 is located. The force transmission element 14 is attached to a central rod 60, which has a lower compression projection 62 and an upper compression projection 64. An end stop 66 is attached in the central area of the sleeve 28, said end stop preferably being infinitely adjustable. The first spring element 10 extends between the end stop 66 and the lower compression projection 62 and the second spring element 12 is arranged between the end stop 66 and the upper compression projection 64.

[0041] FIG. 11 shows the spring support 8 in a neutral position. Conversely, in FIG. 12 the force transmission element 12 has been displaced upwards along with the central rod 60, i.e. pressure is exerted by the second element 4. As a result, the central rod as well as the upper compression projection 64 attached to it and the lower compression projection 62 are moved upwards. The first spring element 10 is thus compressed between the lower compression projection 62 and the end stop 66, so that a restoring force is exerted. The second spring element 12, on the other hand, remains unchanged and is not pre-loaded, as the distance between the end stop 66 and an upper contact surface 68, on which the second spring element 12 rests, does not change. Only the first spring element 10 is pre-loaded.

[0042] FIG. 13 shows the reverse situation, in which a tensile force is applied downwards on the eyelet 32 and therefore on the force transmission element 14 and the central rod 60. The second spring element 12 is now compressed, since the distance between the end stop 66 and the upper compression projection 64 decreases. The first spring element 10, on the other hand, remains unchanged and is not pre-loaded, as the distance between the end stop 66 and a lower contact surface 70 remains unchanged.

[0043] The spring element 10 can be pre-loaded by displacing the end stop 66. The spring element 12 can be pre-loaded by displacing an upper end stop 72. Depending on the pre-load of the spring element 12 and the lowering of the upper end stop 72, the upper compression projection 64 may have to be readjusted so that it rests on the contact surface 68. The statics and the starting angle of the ankle joint system can be continuously adjusted via the central rod 60 and the force transmission element 14 due to the threaded connection.

REFERENCE LIST

[0044] 2 first element [0045] 4 second element [0046] 6 pivot axis [0047] 8 spring support [0048] 10 first spring element [0049] 12 second spring element [0050] 14 force transmission element [0051] 16 pin [0052] 18 elongated hole [0053] 20 head [0054] 22 end stop [0055] 24 compression component [0056] 26 compression head [0057] 28 sleeve [0058] 30 contact surface [0059] 32 eyelet [0060] 34 compression projection [0061] 36 positive-locking element [0062] 38 opening [0063] 40 connecting rod joint [0064] 42 ball joint [0065] 44 toothing [0066] 46 hydraulic damping unit [0067] 48 cylinder [0068] 50 piston [0069] 52 first cylinder chamber [0070] 54 second cylinder chamber [0071] 56 piston rod [0072] 58 adjustment device [0073] 60 central rod [0074] 62 lower compression projection [0075] 64 upper compression projection [0076] 66 end stop [0077] 68 upper contact surface [0078] 70 lower contact surface [0079] 72 upper end stop