MANUALLY OPERATED ROTATIVE LOCKING DEVICE FOR ORTHOPEDIC ORTHOSES OR BRACES

Abstract

A blocking device (20) for fastening orthoses used in the orthopedic-rehabilitation sector to parts of the body of a person comprises a casing (21) housing a cable (40) wound on a reel (23) by the rotation of a knob (27) restrained to the casing (21) during the winding stage and partially releasable from the casing by pushing and/or pulling the knob, in order to operate with respect to a ratchet-type non-return system, wherein the ratchet-type non-return system consists of elastic tabs (32) which are part of the casing (21), and an inner toothed edge (31) of the knob (27). The knob (27) is restrained in a rotating direction and unrestrained in an axial direction with respect to the reel (23) by a pin (25) with a shaped head (25′), whereby the restraint between the knob (27) and the reel is achieved by a shaped axial opening (30) in the knob, which reflects the shape of the head (25′) of the pin (25), wherein maintaining the knob (27) in the gripping/release positions is ensured by the concave profiles (33) present on the shaped head (25′) of the pin (25) and convex surfaces (34) present in the opening (30) of the knob (27), thereby allowing the knob to be moved from a gripping condition with the ratchet-type non-return system in the tightening and blocking stage to a release condition in the opening stage while maintaining control of the cable (40) wound on the reel.

Claims

1. A blocking device for fastening orthoses used in the orthopedic-rehabilitation sector to parts of the body of a person, the device comprising a casing housing a cable wound on a reel by the rotation of a knob restrained to the casing during the winding stage and partially releasable from the casing by pushing and/or pulling the knob, in order to operate with respect to a ratchet-type non-return system, wherein the ratchet-type non-return system consists of elastic tabs which are part of the casing, and an inner toothed edge of the knob, characterized in that the knob is restrained in a rotating direction and unrestrained in an axial direction with respect to the reel by a pin with a shaped head, in that the restraint between the knob and the reel is achieved by a shaped axial opening in the knob, which reflects the shape of the head of the pin, wherein maintaining the knob in the gripping/release positions is ensured by the concave profiles present on the shaped head of the pin and convex surfaces present in the opening of the knob, thereby allowing the knob to be removed from a gripping condition with the ratchet-type non-return system in the tightening and blocking stage to a release condition in the opening stage while maintaining control of the cable wound on the reel.

2. A blocking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing houses a lower grommet and a reel on which the cable is wound.

3. A blocking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the knob is positioned outside the casing and is only restrained rotatably, while it can slide axially, to the shaped head protruding from the pin, by means of a screw.

4. A blocking device according to claim 2, characterized in that the casing also encloses a gear unit, in that the pin is equipped with a toothed ring nut engaging with the gear unit, and in that the real comprises an upper cavity with a toothed inner edge designed to engage with the gears of the gear unit.

5. A blocking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the restraint between the knob and the reel is obtained by a shaped axial opening in the knob which respects the shaping of the head of the pin, thus allowing rotational restraint with the simultaneous possibility of axial sliding of the knob with respect to the reel.

6. A blocking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection between the knob and the reel allows the knob to slide longitudinally to its axis, but does not allow it to rotate independently of the reel, thereby maintaining the radial restraint.

7. A blocking device according to claim 2, characterized in that the knob is positioned outside the casing and is only restrained rotatably, while it can slide axially, to the shaped head protruding from the pin, by means of a screw.

8. A blocking device according to claim 7, characterized in that the casing also encloses a gear unit, in that the pin is equipped with a toothed ring nut engaging with the gear unit, and in that the real comprises an upper cavity with a toothed inner edge designed to engage with the gears of the gear unit.

9. A blocking device according to claim 8, characterized in that the restraint between the knob and the reel is obtained by a shaped axial opening in the knob which respects the shaping of the head of the pin, thus allowing rotational restraint with the simultaneous possibility of axial sliding of the knob with respect to the reel.

10. A blocking device according to claim 9, characterized in that the connection between the knob and the reel allows the knob to slide longitudinally to its axis, but does not allow it to rotate independently of a reel, thereby maintaining the radial restraint.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear on reading the description given below of one embodiment, provided as a non-limiting example, with the help of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] FIGS. 1 to 3 represent schematic horizontal cross-section views of various levels of the locking device by means of the rotatably operated system according to the invention, according to the respective cross-section lines B-B, C-C, D-D, of FIG. 5;

[0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross section view of the rotation device in the raised opening position, according to the plane defined by the line E-E of FIG. 7, with finer lines showing the knob in the gripping position;

[0021] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the locking device according to the invention;

[0022] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross section view of the locking device in the gripping position with the knob lowered, according to the plane defined by the line A-A of FIG. 7, with finer lines showing the knob in the release position;

[0023] FIG. 7 shows the locking device according to the invention in plan view;

[0024] FIG. 8 is a schematic exploded view showing the components of the locking device from the bottom upwards;

[0025] FIG. 9 is a schematic exploded view showing the components of the locking device from the top downwards;

[0026] FIG. 10 shows a schematic cross-section view of the locking device on the vertical central plane, with the knob in the lowered gripping position, with finer lines showing the knob in the release position;

[0027] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-section view of the locking device on the vertical central plane, with the knob in the raised release position, with finer lines showing the knob in the gripping position.

DESCRIPTION OF A FORM OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0028] With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, reference sign 20 denotes in its entirety a locking device according to the invention.

[0029] As can be seen in FIG. 8, the locking device 20 comprises a series of components contained inside a casing 21, consisting from the bottom upwards of a lower retaining ring 22, a reel 23, a set of reduction gears 24, and a pin with a shaped head 25, equipped with a toothed ring nut 26 that can be used with reduction gears.

[0030] According to other embodiments (not shown in the figures), the set of reduction gears 24 and the toothed ring nut 26 are not present.

[0031] A fastening cable 40 is wound around the reel 23 and is held in position on the reel by means of the lower restraining ring 22 and blocked from slipping off the reel by means of screw elements 35 (FIG. 8).

[0032] On the outside of the casing 21 is a knob 27 which can be fixed to the shaped head 25′ protruding from the pin 25 by means of a screw 28.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in which the reduction gears 24 are used, particularly in the case of precision use, the reel 23 comprises an upper cavity whose inner edge is provided with toothing 29 designed to engage with the reduction gears 24.

[0034] The restraint between the knob 27 and the reel is obtained by a shaped axial opening 30 in the knob which respects the shaping of the head 25′ of the pin 25, thus allowing rotational restraint with the simultaneous possibility of axial sliding of the knob with respect to the reel.

[0035] In addition, the knob 27 has a lower cavity whose inner border is provided with a toothed edge 31 engaging with four-sector circular elastic tabs 32 with flexible toothed ends; the toothed edge 31 and the elastic tabs 32 constitute a ratchet which allows the knob 27 to be rotated in one direction only.

[0036] The connection between the knob 27 and the reel 23 allows the knob to slide longitudinally to its axis, but does not allow it to rotate independently of the reel 23, thereby maintaining the axial restraint.

[0037] The movement along its axis thus allows the knob 27 to switch from the “gripping” position to the “free” position with respect to the ratchet 31-32, but maintaining a rotational restraint between the knob and the reel.

[0038] The reel 23 is connected to the knob 27 by means of a reduction system, in this case epicycloidal, which allows greater precision during the screwing down and closing of the fastening, even if direct drive without reduction gears is foreseen.

[0039] The knob shifts from one position to the other by means of pushing down during the gripping step and pulling upwards along its axis in the release step, and is held in the selected position by means of the ratchet system, which constitutes an elastic system that allows the knob to couple in a semi-stable way with the reel (for the system that functions with direct drive).

[0040] A screw 28, or other equivalent system, prevents the knob 27 from uncoupling from the pin 25, acting as a stop in the raised opening step, preventing it from exceeding the limit of the ratchet release position.

[0041] As can be seen in FIG. 11, maintaining the knob 27 in the gripping/release positions is guaranteed by the interface between the concave profiles 33 present on one segment 25′ of the pin 25 and the corresponding convex surfaces 34 present in the cavity 30 of the knob 27. Thanks to their intrinsic elasticity, these convex surfaces 34 allow the knob 27 to shift from the gripping position to the release position (and vice versa) and to maintain the selected position, with the necessary stability.

[0042] In the gripping position, the knob can be turned to wind in the cable, but cannot be turned in the opposite direction to release the cable as it is restrained by the flexible teeth forming part of the casing 21, being positioned on its inner ring-like edge.

[0043] In orthopedic applications, the casing 21 is fixed on a part of the orthosis and the cable 40 partially wound onto the reel is used as a connecting element to a second part of the orthosis.

[0044] When the knob 27 is turned to the gripping position, the cable is tautened and the two parts connected to the ends of the cable are brought together, while when the knob is released from the teeth 32 of the casing by pulling it upwards, the two parts of the orthosis can be moved apart, freeing these parts of the orthosis which were restrained on the body of the person.

[0045] The invention as described above refers to a preferred embodiment. It is nevertheless clear that the invention is susceptible to numerous variations falling within the scope of the disclosure, in the context of technical equivalents.