JPH10137274A - Knee fracture preventing device for prosthetic leg - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a knee fracture preventing device for prosthetic leg with which walking is facilitated and knee fracture hardly occurs. SOLUTION: On the lower surface of a socket 3 for housing the cut end part of a thigh, an upper attachment base 20 is fixed and above a knee part 90, a lower attachment base 70 is fixed. The upper end parts of linking members 41 and 42 are attached to slide members 30 and 31, which are fixed on the upper attachment base 20, so as to be respectively freely turned up and down and the lower end parts of linking members 41 and 42 are attached to the lower attachment base 70 so as to be respectively freely turned up and down. An elastic member 80 is interposed between the slide members 30 and 31 and the lower attachment base 70, and one end of a coil spring 50 is attached to the linking member 41. Then, since the linking members 41 and 42 are turned down when load is applied to the upper attachment base 20, the socket 3 is displaced in walking direction and the load applied to an upper prosthetic leg 6 is moved in walking direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a knee prosthesis for a prosthesis in which a thigh and a lower leg of a prosthesis are flexibly connected at a knee.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a prosthetic limb shown in FIG. 7 is known (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-146). This includes a socket 200 for accommodating the stump of the thigh and a lower leg pipe 202. A rotation stopper 204 provided at a lower portion of the socket 200, a mounting member 206 provided at an upper portion of the lower leg pipe 202, Are connected by a connecting member 208. The upper end of the connecting member 208 is
10, is rotatably attached to the front side of the rotation stopper 204. The lower end of the connecting member 208 is
12, it is rotatably mounted in front of the mounting member 206. That is, the thigh 200 and the lower leg pipe 2
02 is rotatable via the connecting member 208, whereby the knee is bent.

[0003] A compression spring 214 is interposed between the rear part of the rotation stopper 204 and the rear part of the mounting member 206. The compression spring 214 is compressed when the knee is bent and the thigh 200 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow F1 in the figure when the prosthesis is taken and kicked back, and is expanded by the restoring force when the kickback is completed. Then, the knee returns to the stretched state.

[0004]

However, in the above-described conventional apparatus, when the compression spring 214 is extended, that is, when the knee is extended, the weight applied to the rotation stopper 204 is
Since the compression spring 214 is hung in the compression direction, there is a problem that the knee is easily broken.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a knee buckling prevention device for a prosthetic limb that is unlikely to cause knee buckling.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a prosthesis (1) including a thigh (3) above a knee (90) and a knee. Department (90)
Of the prosthesis (1), in which the lower leg (2) of the prosthesis (1) is flexibly connected at the knee (90), from above the predetermined part (71) of the prosthesis (1) The upper prosthesis (6) and the lower prosthesis (7) below the predetermined part (71) are connected at the predetermined part (71), and the thigh (3) is put on the prosthesis (1) while applying weight. ) Is in a predetermined posture with respect to the lower leg (2), the upper prosthesis (6) is moved to the predetermined portion (71).
A load moving means (20 to 48, 60 to 7) for causing the lower prosthesis (7) to start displacing in the walking direction with respect to the lower prosthesis (7) and to start moving the load applied to the upper prosthesis (6) in the walking direction.
9) and return means (50, 80) for returning the upper prosthesis (6) displaced in the walking direction to the position before the displacement by the load moving means. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the knee prosthesis preventing device for a prosthesis according to the first aspect, the predetermined portion is located above the knee portion. Employ strategic means.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the knee prosthesis preventing device (10) according to the first or second aspect, the load moving means (20-48, 60-79).
Has an upper end attached to a lower part of the upper prosthesis (6) so as to be rotatable in a vertical direction, and a lower end of the lower prosthesis (7).
A connecting member (41, 41, 42, 42) attached to the upper part of the housing so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.
By rotating the upper end of (1, 41, 42, 42) downward, the upper prosthesis (6) starts displacing in the walking direction,
Technical means is adopted in which the load applied to the upper prosthesis (6) is started to move in the walking direction.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the knee prosthesis preventing device for a prosthesis according to any one of the first to third aspects, the load moving means (20 to 48,
60 to 79) are provided with first fixing members (20, 30, 31) fixed to the lower part of the upper prosthesis (6), and the first fixing members (20, 30, 31) are provided. The front part (30) and the rear part (31) of the connecting member (41,
At the upper end of (41, 42, 42), a technical means of being mounted so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction is adopted.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the knee prosthesis prevention device for a prosthesis according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the connecting members (41, 41, 4) are provided.
Technical means that the upper end mounting position of (2, 42) is closer to the walking direction than the lower end mounting position.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the knee prosthesis preventing device (10) according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, the load moving means (20 to 48,
60-79) are provided with a second fixing member (70) fixed to the upper part of the lower prosthesis (7), and the connecting members (41, 41, 42, 42) are provided in a pair. A first connecting member (41, 41) and a pair of second connecting members (42, 42), and the upper end of each of the first connecting members (41, 41) is Opposing side surfaces (36, 3) of the first fixing member (20, 30, 31).
6, 37, 37) are attached to the front part (36, 36) so as to be vertically rotatable, and the lower end of each of the first connecting members (41, 41) is connected to the second fixed member (41, 41). The member (70) is vertically rotatably attached to the front part of the opposite side surfaces (71b, 71b) of the member (70), and the upper end of each of the second connecting members (42, 42) is the The first fixing member (20, 30, 31) is attached to the rear portion (37, 37) of the opposite side surface (36, 36, 37, 37) of the first fixing member (20, 30, 31) so as to be vertically rotatable, and The lower ends of the connecting members (42, 42) of the second fixing member (70) are opposed to opposite side surfaces (71, 72) of the second fixing member (70).
b, 71b) A technical means is adopted which is mounted on the rear part so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the knee prosthesis prevention device (10) of the sixth aspect, the return means (50, 80) includes the first fixing member (20,
An elastic member (80) interposed between the second fixing member (70) and the second fixing member (70) is provided.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the device for preventing knee fracture of a prosthesis according to the sixth or seventh aspect, the first and second connecting members (41, 41, 4) are provided.
2, 42) employs a technical means of being attached to the first and second fixing members (20, 30, 31, 70) so as to be rotatable in conjunction with each other.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the knee prosthesis preventing device for a prosthesis according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, the first and second connecting members (41, 42) are provided. 41, 42, 42) are rotatable at different angles from each other with the first and second fixing members (20, 30,
31 and 70).

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the knee prosthesis prevention device for a prosthesis according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, at least the return means (50, 80) includes One coil spring (50, 50)
Are provided, and the coil springs (50, 5) are provided.
Technical means is adopted in which one end of (0) is attached to the connecting member (41, 41), and the other end is attached to an attaching member (76a) provided at a predetermined location (76). I do.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the knee prosthesis preventing device (10) according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, the displacement start position of the upper prosthesis (6) is adjusted. Technical means that adjusting means (76, 79, 79) are provided.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the eleventh aspect provides
In the knee prosthesis prevention device (10) for an artificial leg according to (1), the adjusting means (76, 79, 79) is provided with the connecting member (4).
(41, 42, 42) to adjust the vertical rotation angle.

[0018] According to the invention of claim 13, in claim 12,
In the knee buckling prevention device (10) for an artificial leg described in (1), the rotation angle is adjusted by an adjustment screw (79) provided to be able to advance and retreat with respect to a rear surface (47, 47) of the connecting member (42, 42). , 79) and an adjusting screw mounting member (76) to which the adjusting screws (79, 79) are attached to be able to move forward and backward.

The symbols in the parentheses correspond to the symbols used in the embodiments of the invention described later. The above-mentioned vertical direction means a direction from the foot to the head (upward) and a direction from the head to the foot (downward) when walking.

[0020]

According to the invention as set forth in claims 1 to 13,
When walking while wearing a prosthesis, when the thigh is in a predetermined posture with respect to the lower leg while applying weight to the prosthesis,
The upper prosthesis above a predetermined portion of the prosthesis can be started to be displaced in the walking direction with respect to the lower prosthesis below the predetermined portion, and the load applied to the upper prosthesis can be started to move in the walking direction. That is, for example, as described in an embodiment of the invention described later, as the stepped prosthesis approaches the upright posture, the load applied to the upper prosthesis starts moving in the walking direction, so that the knee bending load vector The components can be reduced. Therefore, occurrence of knee break can be suppressed. In addition, the upper prosthesis displaced in the walking direction is returned to the position before the displacement by the return means.

In particular, as in the second aspect of the present invention, the predetermined portion is located above the knee, so that a load applied to a portion above the knee is moved in a walking direction. Knee break can be suppressed.

Further, in the invention according to claim 3, the load moving means has an upper end attached to a lower part of the upper prosthesis so as to be rotatable in a vertical direction, and a lower end attached to an upper part of the lower prosthesis in a vertical direction. Since the upper prosthesis can be displaced in the walking direction by rotating the upper end of the connection member downward, the load applied to the upper prosthesis is reduced. The movement can be started in the walking direction.

In particular, in the invention according to claim 6, the connecting member comprises a pair of first connecting members and a pair of second connecting members, and the upper end of each of the first connecting members is The first fixing member fixed to the lower part of the upper prosthesis is attached to the front of opposing both side surfaces so as to be vertically rotatable, and the lower end of each of the first connecting members is connected to the lower part by the lower part. The second fixing member fixed to the upper part of the prosthesis is attached to the front part of both opposing side surfaces so as to be vertically rotatable. The upper end of each of the second connecting members is rotatably mounted in the vertical direction at the rear of the opposing side surfaces of the first fixing member, and the lower end of each of the second connecting members is The second fixing member is attached to rear portions of both opposing side surfaces so as to be vertically rotatable. That is, the upper prosthesis and the lower prosthesis are connected by the first and second connection members, and the upper ends of the first and second connection members rotate downward in the walking direction, thereby walking the upper prosthesis. Since it can be displaced in the direction, the load applied to the upper prosthesis can be moved in the walking direction and knee breakage can be suppressed.

Further, according to the present invention, the load moving means includes a first fixing member fixed to a lower portion of the upper prosthesis, and a front portion of the first fixing member. The rear part is attached to the upper end of the connecting member so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, so that the upper prosthesis fixed to the first fixing member can be rotated in the vertical direction. Therefore, for example, as described in an embodiment of the invention described later, when the stepped prosthesis moves to the upright posture after touching the ground, in a state where the upper prosthesis is parallel to the lower prosthesis, the upper prosthesis is walked. Although it is difficult to displace in the direction, since the first fixing member is rotatable, the upper prosthesis can be angled with respect to the lower prosthesis, so that the load applied to the upper prosthesis can be easily moved from the heel to the toe. Therefore, the load applied to the upper prosthesis can be easily moved in the walking direction.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the mounting position of the upper end of the connecting member is closer to the walking direction than the mounting position of the lower end thereof. , It is easy to generate a rotational moment that causes the shaft to rotate downward. Therefore, it is easy to move the load applied to the upper prosthesis in the walking direction.

In the invention described in claim 7, the return means is provided with an elastic member interposed between the first fixing member and the second fixing member. By the elastic force, the impact force applied to the first fixing member lowered by the downward rotation of the connecting member can be buffered. In addition, the first fixing member can be returned to the position before descending by the restoring force of the elastic member compressed by the lowered first fixing member. That is, the upper prosthesis can be returned to the position before the displacement.

In the invention described in claim 8, the first and second connecting members are rotatably attached to the first and second fixing members in conjunction with each other.
And the rotation of one of the second connecting members,
Because the other connecting member can be turned, that is, both connecting members are linked and turned, by turning one connecting member and turning the other connecting member, the upper prosthesis is lifted. It can be displaced in the walking direction.

In the ninth aspect, the first and second connecting members are attached to the first and second fixing members so as to be rotatable at mutually different angles.
The first fixing member to which the upper ends of both connecting members are attached can be set in a state where the first fixing member is tilted in the vertical direction. For example,
As described in an embodiment of the invention described later, the connecting members 42, 42 serving as the second connecting members can rotate downward at a larger angle than the connecting members 41, 41 serving as the first connecting members. Therefore, the rear part of the upper mounting base 20, which is the first fixing member, that is, the heel side can be lowered. Therefore, the load applied to the heel can be easily moved to the toe side, and the upper prosthesis can be easily displaced in the walking direction. Moreover, it is easy to kick back.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, one end of at least one coil spring is attached to the connecting member, and the other end is attached to an attaching member provided at a predetermined position. The connecting member can be returned to the position before the rotation by the contracting force or the expanding force of the coil spring. That is, the upper prosthesis can be returned to the position before the displacement.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since the adjusting means for adjusting the displacement start position of the upper prosthesis is provided, the displacement of the upper prosthesis can be adjusted. In other words, the position where the upper prosthesis starts to be displaced depends on the weight and the stride of the person wearing the prosthesis.
By adjusting according to the individual differences, the most effective knee break prevention can be performed.

Further, when the rotation angle of the connecting member changes, the amount of displacement of the upper prosthesis also changes. By adjusting the distance, the displacement amount of the upper prosthesis can be adjusted.

The adjustment of the rotation angle is defined in claim 1.
As in the invention described in Item 3, the adjustment can be performed by using an adjusting screw provided to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the rear surface of the connecting member, and an adjusting screw mounting member to which the adjusting screw is attached so as to be able to advance and retreat. .

[0033]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory left side view of a prosthetic limb equipped with a knee prosthesis preventing device (hereinafter, abbreviated as a device) of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the device.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus, and FIG. 4 is a rear view of the apparatus. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the prosthesis is mounted on a prosthesis using a uniaxial knee joint. Further, in FIG. 1, the left side of the paper is the front direction of the artificial leg, and the right side of the paper is the rear direction.

First, the main structure of the prosthesis to which the present device is attached will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper part of the prosthesis 1 is provided with a socket 3 for accommodating the stump of the thigh, and the lower part of the prosthesis 1 is provided with a foot module 4. The lower part of the lower leg pipe 2 is attached to the foot module 4 by a shaft 5, and the foot module 4 is rotatable up and down about the shaft 5. A lower leg pipe joint 91 is attached to an upper portion of the lower leg pipe 2, and opposed bearing portions 92, 92 are formed at a rear end of an upper end of the lower leg pipe joint 91. This bearing 9
A rear end portion of the joint member 94 is rotatably mounted between the two members 92 by a knee shaft 93. The knee shaft 93 is mounted on the bearing 9.
The brake drum is inserted through a brake drum (not shown) provided between the brake drums 2 and 92, and a sudden knee break is prevented by a frictional force generated between the brake drum and the knee shaft 93.

As shown in FIG. 2, behind the knee shaft 93,
An upper end of a U-shaped rod 103 is rotatably attached to a shaft 102 inserted in the bearings 101 facing each other, and the lower end of the rod 103 is vertically expandable and contractible to the lower leg pipe 2. A piston 104 is mounted on the upper end of a coil spring (not shown) built in the motor. Thereby, when shifting from kickback to stepping-out, the restoring force of the coil spring
Since the rod 103 is pushed up, the bent knee can be extended.

Collar 91a at the front of lower leg pipe joint 91
A stopper 95 formed of an elastic material is interposed between the joint member 94 and the front part 96 of the joint member 94 to prevent the knee from bending forward and absorb the shock when the knee is extended. I have. A fixing member 97 for fixing a lower mounting base 70 described later is fixed to an upper portion of the joint member 94.
An edge-shaped rail 98 is formed at one side end of the upper portion of the fixing member 97, and a rail 98 facing the rail 98 is formed at the other side end facing the rail 98. The mounting plate 99 is fixed by screws 100,100. The lower leg pipe joint 91 and the bearing portions 92 and 9
2. The knee joint 90 is constituted by the knee shaft 93, the joint member 94, the bearings 101, 101, the shaft 102, the rod 103, the piston 104, and the drum brake.

Next, the configuration of the apparatus 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the present apparatus 10 is provided with an upper mounting base 20 which is mounted below the socket 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper mounting base 20 is formed in an elliptical plate shape when viewed from a plane, and an upper guide portion 21 is formed on the upper surface thereof as shown in FIG. On the lower surface, a lower guide portion 22 is formed. Also, on both side surfaces thereof, the collar portion 23 and the collar portion 2 are provided.
4 are formed. The boundary between the upper guide 21 and the lower guide 22 and the brim 23 and the brim 24 is V
The grooves 25 are formed in a letter shape.

A slide member 30 and a slide member 31 are fitted and fixed to the lower guide 22 of the upper mounting base 20. Edges 32, 32 each having a V-shaped tip are formed opposite to each other on the upper portions of the slide members 30, 31, and the edges 32, 3 are formed.
2 is slid from one end of the lower guide 22 along the grooves 25, 25 so that the two slide members 30,
31 is fitted into the lower guide 22. Also, from the bottom surface of the slide members 30 and 31 to the top surface, screw holes 3 are formed.
Screws 60 are screwed into the screw holes 33, 33 via washers 61 and washers 62, and the tips of the screwed screws 60 are provided on the bottom surface of the lower guide 22. Press. Thus, the slide members 30 and 31 are fixed to the lower guide 22. Note that the upper mounting base 20 and the two slide members 30, 31 correspond to a first fixing member of the present invention.

Both side surfaces 36, 36 of the slide member 30,
Bolts 4 are provided on both side surfaces 37 of the slide member 31.
The bolt insertion holes 34 for inserting the “0” are formed through the respective holes. A female screw portion 44 for screwing the screw 43 is formed on the inner surface of the tip of each bolt 40. The bolt 40 is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 3 of the slide member 30 from the bolt insertion hole 45 formed through the upper end of the right connection member 41 formed in an oval plate shape.
4, the bolt 40 is inserted into a bolt insertion hole 45 of the left connecting member 41, and a screw 43 is screwed into the female screw portion 44 at the tip of the bolt 40. That is, the upper end portions of the connecting members 41, 41 serving as the first connecting members are attached to the both side surfaces 36, 36 of the slide member 30 so as to be vertically rotatable. Also, both side surfaces 37 of the slide member 31,
At 37, upper ends of connecting members 42, 42 which are second connecting members having the same shape as the connecting member 41 are attached by bolts 40 and screws 43 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.

The apparatus 10 is provided with a lower mounting base 70 as a second fixing member to be mounted on the fixing member 97. A plate-shaped horizontal member 71 is formed on the upper surface of the lower mounting base 70, and a guide 72 is formed on the lower surface thereof. In addition, a brim portion 73 and a brim portion 74 are formed on both side surfaces thereof. On the rear surface of the horizontal member 71, a plate-shaped vertical member 76 is formed with its upper part protruding from the horizontal member 71. On the front surface of the vertical member 76, a plate-shaped stopper 77 is provided.
6 are fixed by screws 78, 78 screwed in from the rear surface. Guide 72, collar 73 and collar 74
Is formed in a V-shape. That is, guide 7
The lower mounting base 70 is fixed to the fixing member 97 by sliding the fitting 2 from the ends of the rails 98 and 98 and turning the screws 100 and 100 to move the mounting plate 99 forward.

A bolt 40 (not shown) is inserted through a bolt insertion hole 46 formed through the lower end of the right connecting member 41, and the inserted bolt 40 is
The bolt 40 is inserted through the bolt insertion hole 75 formed through the front part of both side surfaces 71b, 71b into the bolt insertion hole 46 of the left connecting member 41. The female screw portion 44 at the tip of the bolt 40 has a screw. 43 is screwed. That is, the lower ends of the connecting members 41, 41 are attached to the front portions of both side surfaces 71b, 71b of the horizontal member 71 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The lower ends of the connecting members 42, 42 are attached to the rear portions of both side surfaces 71b, 71b of the horizontal member 71 by bolts 40 and screws 43 so as to be vertically rotatable. In addition, as shown in FIG.
The mounting position of the upper end portion is closer to the walking direction than the mounting position of the lower end portion. For this reason, a downward (counterclockwise in FIG. 1) rotational moment about the lower end thereof acts on the connecting members 41 and 42 against a load from above.

An elastic member 80 is interposed between the upper surface 71a of the horizontal member 71 of the lower mounting base 70 and the bottom surface 35 of the slide members 30 and 31 (see FIG. 4).
At the center of the elastic member 80, both slide members 30, 3
Four heads 63 of four screws 60 screwed into the bottom of one
Is formed therein. That is, the impact force applied to the slide members 30 and 31 from above can be buffered by the elastic member 80. In this embodiment, the upper mounting base 20, the lower mounting base 70, the slide members 30, 31, and the connecting members 41, 42 are formed of an aluminum alloy, and the elastic member 80 is formed of urethane rubber. . Also, the lower mounting base 70
The position of the horizontal member 71 corresponds to a predetermined portion of the present invention.

The vertical member 76 of the lower mounting base 70
Adjusting screws 79, 79, the ends of which abut against the rear surface 47 of the connecting member 42, are screwed into both end portions so as to be able to advance and retreat. In other words, when the adjusting screws 79, 79 are advanced, the forward inclination angle of the connecting members 42, 42 when there is no load increases, and accordingly, the return position after the displacement of the upper prosthesis 6 becomes forward with respect to the knee 90. Since the setting is made closer, the movement of the load applied to the upper prosthesis 6 in the walking direction is earlier. Conversely, when the adjusting screws 79, 79 are retracted, the forward inclination angle of the connecting members 42, 42 when no load is applied becomes smaller, and accordingly, the return position after the displacement of the upper prosthesis 6 becomes the knee 90.
, The movement of the load applied to the upper prosthesis 6 in the walking direction becomes slower. That is, by moving the adjusting screws 79, 79, the displacement start timing of the upper prosthesis 6 can be adjusted. Therefore, since the displacement start timing of the upper prosthesis 6 can be adjusted according to the weight and the stride of the person wearing the device 10, it is possible to optimally prevent knee breaks corresponding to individual differences.

A bolt insertion hole (not shown) is formed substantially at the center of the plate surface of the left connecting member 41, and a bolt 48 is screwed into the bolt insertion hole via a nut 64. The front hook 51 of the left coil spring 50 is hooked on the shaft of the bolt 48, and the rear hook 52 is hooked on a mounting screw 76 a screwed into the left side surface of the vertical member 76. . A bolt hole 48 is provided substantially at the center of the plate surface of the right connecting member 41.
Is formed, and the nut 6 is inserted into the bolt hole 48.
4. Bolts 67 are screwed through washers 65 and washers 66, respectively. Nut 64 and washer 65
The hook 51 in front of the right coil spring 50 is hooked on the bolt 67 between
2 is hooked on a mounting screw (not shown) screwed into the right side surface of the vertical member 76. Thereby, a force that rotates clockwise acts on the connecting members 41, 41 that have rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1 due to the restoring force of the coil springs 50, 50. That is, a force that returns to the position before the displacement is applied to the upper mounting base 20 that has been displaced in the walking direction. Therefore, when the load on the upper prosthesis 6 is removed after the prosthesis 1 has been kicked back, the upper prosthesis 6 displaced in the walking direction can be returned to the position before the displacement.

Next, the operation and action of each member when walking while wearing the artificial leg 1 to which the device 10 is attached will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 shows the prosthesis 1
FIG. 6 is an explanatory left side view showing a state where the user has stepped on.
FIG. 3 is a vector diagram in which a longitudinal component force and a vertical component force of a floor reaction force acting on the prosthesis 1 are combined, the horizontal axis indicates the length from the heel of the foot to the toe, and the vertical axis indicates the load applied to the foot. Indicates the size.
In addition, the diagram on the left is a vector diagram on the healthy foot side, and the diagram on the right is a vector diagram on the prosthesis side. FIG. 2A is a vector diagram when the device 10 is not mounted, and FIG.
A vector diagram when the present device 10 is set to the parallel forward movement setting, and FIG. 10C shows the present device set to be movable forward and the rear portion of the upper mounting base 20 can sink downward. FIG. 10 is a vector diagram when 10 is mounted.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the present apparatus 10, the distance between the upper end of the connecting member 41 and the upper end of the connecting member 42 is set to the lower end of the connecting member 41. And the lower end of the connecting member 42 is narrower than the distance between the lower end and the mounting position of the connecting member 42, so that the forward tilt angle of the connecting member 42 is larger than the forward tilt angle of the connecting member 41. It is assumed that the rear is set in a state of slightly sinking in the heel direction. The displacement of the upper mounting base 20 is 5 mm to 15 mm, and the change in height is about 10 mm.

First, when the prosthesis 1 is stepped on and the heel 4a of the foot module touches the ground, the load applied to the upper prosthesis 6 is:
It acts on the connecting members 41 and 42 via the upper mounting base 20 as a moment for rotating the connecting members 41 and 42 downward (counterclockwise in FIG. 5).
By the rotation of 2, the upper mounting base 20 starts to be displaced in the walking direction. That is, the upper prosthesis 6 starts displacing in the walking direction. At this time (X = 0 cm), the floor reaction force is as shown in FIG.
As shown in (C), it appears as a vector having almost no backward inclination. Therefore, since there is almost no component that causes the prosthetic leg 1 to break the knee, the knee break hardly occurs. In addition, since the impact force at the time of touching the ground can be absorbed by the elastic member 80, the stump is easy.

Subsequently, as the prosthesis 1 approaches the upright posture, the load applied to the prosthesis 1 starts to move from the heel 4a to the toe 4b, and when the prosthesis 1 moves over the upright posture and kicks back, the arch 4c is formed. The maximum load is applied to the vicinity, and the amount of displacement of the upper mounting base 20 becomes maximum. At this time, prosthesis 1
The socket 3
Is set slightly inclined backward, so it is easy to kick back when taking off.

Since the load applied to the upper mounting base 20 at the time of kickback is reduced, the upper mounting base 20 is restored by the lowering of the upper mounting base 20 by the restoring force of the elastic member 80 and the connecting members 41, 41. Due to the restoring force of the coil springs 50, 50 extended by the rotation of 41, the coil spring 50 returns to the position before the displacement. As described above, by mounting the device 10 on the prosthesis, the component of the load of the grounded prosthesis that moves rearward can be almost eliminated, so that knee breakage during walking can be prevented. Moreover, it is desirable to use the present device 10 for a single-axis knee joint that is lighter and smaller than a prosthesis using a four-axis knee joint, as in the above-described embodiment, in order to prevent an increase in the weight and size of the artificial leg. However, it is also possible to attach it to a prosthesis using another knee joint.

In the above embodiment, the slide member 3
Although the configuration in which 0 and 31 are fixed to the upper mounting base 20 has been described, a configuration in which the slide member 31 is slidably provided in the front-rear direction along the lower guide 22 may be employed.
According to this configuration, the rear portion of the upper mounting base 20 can be moved up and down according to the load. Further, the slide members 30, 31 can be provided so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction along the lower guide 22.

Further, in the above embodiment, the connecting member 4
The configuration in which the load applied to the upper prosthesis 6 is displaced in the walking direction by rotating the first and second legs 42 has been described. For example, the upper mounting base is slidably fitted to the lower mounting base via a bearing. In addition, other configurations may be used as long as the load applied to the upper prosthesis 6 can be displaced in the walking direction, such as a configuration in which one end of a return coil spring is attached to the rear end of the upper mounting base. .

Further, in the above embodiment, urethane rubber is used as the elastic member 80. However, a coil spring may be used, or the upper mounting base 20 and the lower mounting base 7 may be used.
0, connecting members 41 and 42 and sliding members 30 and 31
Can be formed of a material other than an aluminum alloy, such as iron or stainless steel. And further in the above embodiment,
Although the configuration in which the device 10 is mounted on the knee 90 has been described, it can be mounted on other parts such as below the knee 90.

[0053]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize an apparatus for preventing knee breakage of a prosthesis which hardly causes knee breakage.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory left side view of a prosthetic leg to which an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory left side view showing a state in which a prosthesis on which the device of the embodiment of the present invention is mounted is stepped on.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are vector diagrams in which a longitudinal component force and a vertical component force of a floor reaction force acting on a prosthesis are combined. FIG. 6A is a vector diagram when the present device is not mounted, and FIG. FIG. 9C is a vector diagram when the present apparatus set is set, and FIG. 10C is a vector diagram when the present apparatus is set so that the rear part of the upper mounting base is sunk downward while being movable forward. .

FIG. 7 is a right side explanatory view of a conventional prosthesis.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Prosthesis 2 Lower leg pipe 3 Socket 4 Foot module 6 Upper prosthesis 7 Lower prosthesis 10 Device 20 Upper mounting base 41 Connection member 42 Connection member 50 Coil spring 70 Lower mounting base 80 Elastic member 90 Knee 93 Knee axis

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Tokuhisa Ohashi 3-4-3, Izumi, Higashi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inside Matsumoto Prosthetics Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takahiro Kagawa 3--4, Izumi, Higashi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Prefecture No. 3 Inside Matsumoto Prosthesis Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for preventing knee breakage of a prosthesis in which a thigh above the knee of the prosthesis and a lower leg from the knee are flexibly connected at the knee, wherein the knee of the prosthesis is above a predetermined part of the prosthesis. The upper prosthesis and the lower prosthesis below from a predetermined site are connected at the predetermined site, and when the thigh is in a predetermined posture with respect to the lower thigh while applying weight to the prosthesis, A load moving unit that starts displacing the upper prosthesis from the predetermined portion with respect to the lower prosthesis in the walking direction, and starts moving a load applied to the upper prosthesis in the walking direction; And a return means for returning the upper prosthesis displaced to the position before the displacement, and a knee breaking device for the prosthesis. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined portion is above the knee. 3. A connection wherein the load moving means has an upper end rotatably mounted on a lower part of the upper prosthesis and a lower end rotatably mounted on an upper part of the lower prosthesis. A member, wherein the upper end of the connecting member is pivoted downward to start displacing the upper prosthesis in the walking direction and start moving the load applied to the upper prosthesis in the walking direction. The device for preventing knee prosthesis of a prosthesis according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The load moving means includes a first fixing member fixed to a lower portion of the upper prosthesis, and a front portion and a rear portion of the first fixing member are connected to an upper end of the connecting member. The device for preventing knee breakage of a prosthesis according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the device is attached so as to be rotatable in a vertical direction. 5. The prosthetic foot according to claim 1, wherein an attachment position of an upper end of the connecting member is closer to the walking direction than an attachment position of a lower end thereof. Knee break prevention device. 6. The load moving means includes a second fixing member fixed to an upper portion of the lower prosthesis. The connecting member includes a pair of a first connecting member and a pair of a first connecting member. A second connecting member is provided, and an upper end of each of the first connecting members is attached to front portions of both opposing side surfaces of the first fixing member so as to be vertically rotatable. At the same time, the lower end of each of the first connecting members is attached to the front part of the opposing side surfaces of the second fixing member so as to be rotatable in the up-down direction, and each of the second connecting members is An upper end of the second fixing member is attached to a rear portion of each of opposite side surfaces of the first fixing member so as to be vertically rotatable, and a lower end of each of the second connecting members is connected to the second fixing member. Vertically rotatable at the rear of both sides facing each other Prosthetic knee bending prevention apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5 is characterized by comprising. 7. The knee of a prosthesis according to claim 6, wherein the return means includes an elastic member interposed between the first fixing member and the second fixing member. Break prevention device. 8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first and second connecting members are rotatably attached to the first and second fixing members in conjunction with each other. 5. The knee buckling prevention device for a prosthesis according to item 1. 9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first and second connecting members are attached to the first and second fixing members so as to be rotatable at different angles from each other. The knee prosthesis prevention device for a prosthesis according to any one of the above. 10. The return means includes at least one coil spring. One end of the coil spring is attached to the connection member, and the other end is an attachment provided at a predetermined position. The knee prosthesis prevention device for a prosthesis according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the device is attached to a member. 11. The knee prosthesis preventing device for a prosthesis according to claim 1, further comprising an adjusting means for adjusting a displacement start position of the upper prosthesis. 12. The knee prosthesis prevention device for an artificial leg according to claim 11, wherein the adjusting means adjusts a turning angle of the connecting member in a vertical direction. 13. The adjusting of the rotation angle is performed by using an adjusting screw provided to be able to advance and retreat with respect to a rear surface of the connecting member, and an adjusting screw attaching member to which the adjusting screw is attached so as to be able to advance and retreat. The knee prosthesis prevention device for a prosthesis according to claim 12, characterized in that: