KNEE JOINT ORTHOSIS
20170196721 ยท 2017-07-13
Inventors
Cpc classification
International classification
Abstract
A knee joint protecting device includes a thigh frame connected to a shank frame by a connection structure, which includes an adjustment mechanism and a connection hinge. The thigh frame is rotatable around a first axis using the adjustment mechanism to perform a first rotation about the shank frame within a first position and a second position. When the thigh frame is in the first position, the knee joint protecting device is fit for the lower limb of a standing posture. The thigh frame performs a second rotation about the shank frame using the connection hinge, the included angle of the first axis and the rotation plane of the second rotation is within the range of 015. By the adjustment mechanism and the connection hinge, the knee protecting device can provide the internal and external rotations between the thigh and the shank, and is more suitable for human engineering and kinesiology.
Claims
1-32. (canceled)
33. A knee joint protecting device, comprising a thigh frame wearable on a thigh of a lower limb of a user and a shank frame wearable on a shank of the lower limb, the thigh frame is connected to the shank frame and rotatable around a first axis to perform a first rotation, which passes a connection position of the two, about the shank frame within a first position and a second position; wherein in the first position of the thigh frame, the knee joint protecting device is configured to fit the lower limb of the user in a standing posture; and wherein the thigh frame is configured to perform a second rotation about the shank frame, an included angle of the first axis and a rotation plane of the second rotation is within a range of 015.
34. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 33, further comprising a connection structure set between the thigh frame and the shank frame, the connection structure comprises an adjustment mechanism and a connection hinge, which are connected with each other; wherein the thigh frame performs the first rotation by the adjustment mechanism and performs the second rotation by the connection hinge; and wherein the connection position is on the adjustment mechanism.
35. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 34, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a groove plate and a sliding block, which can rotate about each other, one of said groove plate and said sliding block is connected to the thigh frame by the connection hinge, and other one is fixed on the shank frame.
36. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 35, further comprising two connection structures; wherein the thigh frame comprises two thigh splints configured to fit the user's thigh, the connection hinges of the two connection structures are respectively connected with the two thigh splints; wherein each connection hinge comprises a first hinge part and a second hinge part, which rotate about each other, the first hinge part is fixed on the thigh frame, the second hinge part is connected to the adjustment mechanism; and wherein in the first position of the thigh frame, an included angle of the first axis and a rotation axis of the first hinge parts of the two connection hinges in the first position of the thigh frame is 9030, and preferably 9020.
37. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 36, wherein one of the two thigh splints is a first thigh splint configured to fit on an inner side of the user's thigh and the other thigh splint is a second thigh splint configured to fit on an outer side of the user's thigh, the two connection structures are configured to fit on two sides of the knee joint, respectively.
38. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 36, wherein each second hinge part is fixed onto its respective adjustment mechanism; wherein, for one thigh splint, an attached connection hinge and an attached adjustment mechanism, the groove plate and the sliding block rotate about each other on a first rotation plane, and the first hinge part and the second hinge part of the attached connection hinge rotate about each other on a second rotation plane; and wherein in the first position of the thigh frame, an included angle of the first rotation plane and the second rotation plane is 9025, and preferably 9010.
39. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 38, wherein said each second hinge part is connected to its respective adjustment mechanism by a rivet or a screw.
40. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 36, wherein each second hinge part is rotatably connected to its respective adjustment mechanism; wherein for one thigh splint, an attached connection hinge and an attached adjustment mechanism, the groove plate and the sliding block rotate about each other on a first rotation plane, and said each second hinge part and its respective adjustment mechanism rotate about each other on a third rotation plane; and wherein in the first position of the thigh frame, an included angle of the first rotation plane and the third rotation plane is 9040, and preferably 9030.
41. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 40, wherein said each second hinge part is connected to its respective adjustment mechanism by a hinge pin, and a relative rotation of said each second hinge part and its respective adjustment mechanism is performed around the hinge pin.
42. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 35, wherein the thigh frame is configured to stretch outwardly using the connection hinge in response to the thigh frame turning to the second position from the first position; and wherein the thigh frame is configured to shrink inwardly using the connection hinge in response to the thigh frame turning to the first position from the second position.
43. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 42, wherein the groove plate and the sliding block rotate about each other on a first rotation plane; wherein the connection hinge comprises a first hinge part and a second hinge part, which rotate about each other on a second rotation plane; wherein the second hinge part is rotatably connected to the adjustment mechanism, the second hinge part and the adjustment mechanism rotate about each other on a third rotation plane; and wherein in the first position of the thigh frame, an included angle of the second rotation plane and the third rotation plane is 9040, and preferably 9030.
44. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 43, wherein an included angle of the first axis and the first rotation plane is 55-75.
45. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 44, further comprising two connection structures; wherein the thigh frame comprises two thigh splints configured to fit the user's thigh; wherein each connection hinge comprises a first hinge part and a second hinge part, the first hinge parts of the connection hinges of the two connection structures are fixed on the thigh frame, respectively; and wherein in the first position of the thigh frame, an included angle of the first axis and a rotation axis, around which the first hinge part rotates about the second hinge part, is 9030, and preferably 9020.
46. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 45, wherein one of the two thigh splints is a first thigh splint configured to fit on an inner side of the user's thigh and the other thigh splint is a second thigh splint configured to fit on an outer side of the user's thigh, the two connection structures are configured to fit on two sides of the knee joint, respectively; and wherein an included angle of two rotation planes where the sliding blocks rotate about the groove plates of the two adjustment mechanisms, respectively, is 30-70.
47. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 46, wherein for one thigh splint, an attached connection hinge and an attached adjustment mechanism in the first position for the thigh frame, an included angle of the first rotation plane and the second rotation plane is 9025, and preferably 9010.
48. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 47, wherein said each second hinge part is connected to its respective adjustment mechanism by a hinge pin, and a relative rotation of said each second hinge part and its respective adjustment mechanism is performed around the hinge pin.
49. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 35, wherein the connection hinge comprises a first hinge part and a second hinge part, which rotate about each other; and wherein the second hinge part is connected to the first hinge part by a second hinge pin, a relative rotation of the first hinge part and the second hinge part is performed around the second hinge pin, and the second hinge pin is perpendicular to a contacting plane of the first hinge part and the respective second hinge part.
50. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 49, wherein the contacting plane is between the first hinge part and the second hinge part, the second hinge pin at least successively penetrates through a part of the first hinge part and a part of the second hinge part.
51. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 49, wherein a plurality of contacting planes are between the first hinge part and the second hinge part, the second hinge pin at least successively penetrates through a part of the first hinge part and a part of the second hinge part.
52. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 35, wherein the connection hinge comprises a first hinge part and a second hinge part, which rotate about each other on a second rotation plane; and wherein one of the first hinge part and the second hinge part comprises a bulge extending along a direction perpendicular to the second rotation plane, and the other hinge part comprises a guiding groove matching the bulge, the guiding groove holds the bulge, and a relative rotation is performed by the bulge rotating inside of the guiding groove.
53. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 35, wherein the thigh frame further comprises two thigh splints configured to fit the user's thigh and a thigh bracket configured to horizontally fit a front surface of the user's thigh; wherein end portions of the two thigh splints, which are away from shank splints of the shank frame, are connected to the thigh bracket, the thigh bracket is a flexible construction with a curving shape; and wherein a curve radius of the thigh bracket is configured to decrease in response to the thigh frame shrinking inwardly and is configured to increase in response to the thigh frame stretching outwardly.
54. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 53, wherein each thigh splint is rotatable around its respective connecting point where said each thigh splint connects to the thigh bracket.
55. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 54, further comprising a cushion pad set on an inner surface of the thigh bracket, a surface of the cushion pad is a layer of net-shaped silicon.
56. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 36, wherein each connection structure further comprises a second adjustment mechanism, set between the first hinge part and its respective thigh splint, configured to adjust and set a relative position of the first hinge part and its respective thigh splint.
57. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 56, wherein each second adjustment mechanism comprises: a first hole set on the first hinge part; a group of second holes configured to match the first hole and set on an end portion of the respective thigh splint; and a connecting piece; and wherein the relative position of the first hinge part and the respective thigh splint is adjustable by selecting and aligning the first hole and one of the second holes, and penetrating the aligned holes with the connecting piece to firmly fix the first hinge part and the respective thigh splint.
58. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 56, wherein each second adjustment mechanism comprises: a first ratchet structure set on the first hinge part; a second ratchet structure, configured to match and engage the first ratchet structure, set on an end portion of the respective thigh splint; and a connecting piece; and wherein the relative position of the first hinge part and the respective thigh splint is adjustable by adjusting a meshing position of the first ratchet structure and the second ratchet structure, and fixing the first hinge part to the respective thigh splint using the connecting piece.
59. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 56, wherein each second adjustment mechanism comprises: a groove set on the first hinge part; a bulge portion, configured to match and engage the groove, set on an end portion of the respective thigh splint; two set screws penetrating the first hinge part from two sides of the groove, respectively; and wherein the relative position of the first hinge part and the respective thigh splint is adjustable by adjusting the two set screws clamping the bulge portion in the groove.
60. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 36, wherein the shank frame comprises a shank bracket configured to fit a middle part of the user's shank horizontally, the shank bracket comprises a first portion and a second portion with a different curvature, both end portions of the first portion and the second portion of the shank bracket are respectively connected to each other, the first portion is less flexible than the second portion, and the first portion is set at outside of the second portion.
61. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 60, wherein the end portions of the first portion and the second portion of the shank bracket are connected by screw posts.
62. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 60, wherein the shank frame further comprises a shank splint, shaped like a butterfly, configured to fit a top part of the user's shank; the shank splint comprises a middle portion and four wing portions extending from the middle portion; two wing portions extend obliquely upward from an upper part of the middle portion and two ends of said two wing portions are connected to two adjustment mechanisms, respectively; two remaining wing portions extend horizontally from a lower part of the middle portion and two ends of said two remaining wing portions are connected with two ends of a first shank belt, respectively; the first shank belt is configured to cross over a back surface of the user's shank at a rhombus sunk area of a posterior region of the user's knee; and wherein the middle portion of the shank splint is connected to the first portion of the shank bracket.
63. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 62, wherein two ends of the second portion of the shank bracket are connected with two ends of a second shank belt, respectively, the second shank belt is configured to cross over the user's calf
64. The knee joint protecting device according to claim 62, further comprising a cushion pad set on an inner surface of the second portion of the shank bracket, a surface of the cushion pad is a layer of net-shaped silicon.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiment
[0068] As shown in
[0069] The working status of the knee joint protecting device of the present invention is divided into a first status and a second status. As the user who wears the knee joint protecting device of the present invention moves the lower limb from the bend status to the straight status, the adjustment mechanism makes the knee joint protecting device to change the working status from the second status to the first status. When the knee joint protecting device is in the first status, the thigh frame binds the thigh tightly, the shank frame binds the shank tightly, the thigh frame performs a force on the thigh along the mechanical axis of the femur and against the shank, and the shank frame performs a force on the shank along the mechanical axis of the tibia and against the thigh. As the user who wears the knee joint protecting device of the present invention moves the lower limb from the bend status to the straight status, the adjustment mechanism makes the knee joint protecting device to change the working status from the first status to the second status. When the knee joint protecting device is in the second status, the thigh frame unbinds the thigh tightly, the shank frame unbinds the shank tightly, the thigh frame releases the force on the thigh along the mechanical axis of the femur and against the shank, and the shank frame releases the force on the shank along the mechanical axis of the tibia and against the thigh. Such working statuses are the same as the knee orthosis described in Chinese patent A nonbearing knee orthosis (application No. CN201310347765.8), and the present invention references the above description of the Chinese patent A nonbearing knee orthosis (application No. CN201310347765.8).
[0070] The adjustment mechanism is the same as the adjustment mechanism in the Chinese patent A nonbearing knee orthosis (application No. CN201310347765.8), including a groove plate and a sliding block. The present invention references the description about the adjustment mechanism in the Chinese patent A nonbearing knee orthosis (application No. CN201310347765.8). For example, in the adjustment mechanism 31 the groove plate and the shank splint are fixed together (same as the fixed connection of the groove plate and the shank splint in the Chinese patent A nonbearing knee orthosis, application No. CN201310347765.8, so the detail is no more described here), and the sliding block 310 is connected to the thigh splint 22 by the connection hinge 41.
[0071] In the present invention, the rotation planes of the adjustment mechanisms 31 and 32 (the plane where the sliding block and the groove plate rotate relatively, or the plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the sliding block and the groove plate; and in the present embodiment the rotation plane is the contact surface of the sliding block and the groove plate) are not parallel with each other, and there is a forward included angle between the two planes. As shown in
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[0075] Despite the above mentioned connection way of the first hinge part and the end portion of the thigh splint, a second adjustment mechanism can be also set between the first hinge part and the thigh splint to adjust the relative position of the first hinge part and the thigh splint. In other words, the connection between the first hinge part and the thigh splint can be a rotatable connection for adjusting the relative position (included angle) between the first hinge part and the thigh splint so as to meet needs of different users.
[0076] As shown in
[0077] As shown in
[0078] Moreover, the second adjustment mechanism can be performed by means of connecting piece and corresponding connecting hole. For example, a first hole set on the first hinge part and a group of second holes corresponding to the first hole respectively can be used, so that the first hole and one second hole can be selected to be aligned and penetrated by a connecting piece to fix the first hinge part and the thigh splint firmly. Therefore different selections can perform the adjustment of the relative position of the first hinge part and the thigh splint.
[0079] As shown in
[0080] The connection points of the thigh splints 22, 23 and the thigh bracket 21 are close to the middle part of the thigh bracket 21, meanwhile the two connection points keep a distance from each other. The distance is 050 mm preferably, and 25 mm in the present embodiment. The cushion pad 26 is an anti-skidding cushion to enhance the bearing function of the thigh bracket 21 and prevent the knee protecting device of the present invention from sliding. It is a composite cushion with a layer of silicon drops arranged as net shape.
[0081] As shown in
[0082] The structure and material of the thigh belts 24, 25 and the shank belts 14, 15 are the same as the description about thigh belts and shank belts in the Chinese patent A nonbearing knee orthosis (application No. CN201310347765.8), and the present invention references these descriptions. The connection way how the thigh belts 24, 25 are connected with the thigh splints 22, 23 and how the shank belts 14, 15 are connected with shank splint 16 and shank bracket 11 is the same as the description about thigh belts and shank belts in the Chinese patent A nonbearing knee orthosis (application No. CN201310347765.8), and the present invention references these descriptions. Moreover, the connection way how the thigh belts 24, 25 are connected with the thigh splints 22, 23 and how the shank belts 14, 15 are connected with shank splint 16 and shank bracket 11 can also be same as the description in the Chinese patent Fast belts of joints orthosis (application No. CN201420149171.6), and the present invention also references these descriptions.
[0083] The embodiment described above is just one preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be known that a normal technician can create many variations without creative steps. So by logical analysis, inference and limited experiment, any art solution created based on the spirit of the present invention is in the protecting scope of the present invention.