KR20200004646A - Hinge assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a hinge assembly capable of stably supporting both side surfaces of a knee joint. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the hinge assembly comprises: a body frame including a first frame, and a second frame facing the first frame; first and second arms disposed between the first and second frames; a pair of first rotational shafts coupled to the body frame to support the first and second arms, respectively, and including a first guide hole; a first dial disposed on one side of the body frame; a pad frame disposed on the other side of the body frame; a second rotational shaft disposed between the first rotational shafts to be coupled to the first dial and including a second guide hole; a pair of guide pins disposed in the first guide holes of the first rotational shafts, respectively; a bolt disposed in the second guide hole; and a plurality of coupling members fixing the guide pins and the bolt to the pad frame, respectively. The first and second guide holes are extended in the axial direction of the second rotational shaft and a male screw of the bolt is engaged with a female screw of the second rotational shaft to move the pad frame in the axial direction of the second rotational shaft in accordance with rotation of the first dial.

Description

Hinge assembly {HINGE ASSEMBLY}

Embodiments relate to a hinge assembly, and more particularly to a hinge assembly that can be used in the knee brace.

Knee braces are medical aids used in the treatment and rehabilitation of damaged knee joints. The knee joint may be damaged due to degenerative arthritis or various collision accidents.

In general, the knee brace includes a pair of frames fixed to the thigh and the shin, respectively, and a hinge structure connecting them.

However, most hinge structures used in the knee brace can simply connect the pair of frames rotatably, and can not stably support both sides of the knee joint.

In other words, there is a case in which it is necessary to stably support both sides of the knee joint according to the damaged part of the knee joint, but there is a problem that it is difficult to meet this demand.

In addition, the distance between the hinge structure and the knee joint may be different for each individual, it is necessary to vary the compression strength on the knee joint according to the damage site, degree or recovery stage of the knee joint.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1522964 (2015.05.27, knee osteoarthritis relief braces)

The embodiment provides a hinge assembly that stably supports both sides of the knee joint.

The problem to be solved in the examples is not limited thereto, and the object or effect that can be grasped from the solution means or the embodiment described below will be included.

According to an aspect of the invention, the main frame including a first frame and a second frame facing the first frame; First and second arms disposed between the first frame and the second frame; A pair of first rotating shafts coupled to the main frame to support the first arm and the second arm, respectively, and having a first guide hole; A first dial disposed on one side of the main body frame; A pad frame disposed on the other side of the main body frame; A second rotation shaft disposed between the pair of first rotation shafts, coupled to the first dial, and having a second guide hole; A pair of guide pins disposed in the first guide holes of the pair of first rotation shafts, respectively; A bolt disposed in the second guide hole; And a plurality of fastening members respectively fixing the pair of guide pins and the bolt to the pad frame, wherein the first guide hole and the second guide hole extend in an axial direction of the second rotation shaft. A male assembly of the bolt and a female screw of the second rotation shaft may be engaged with each other, such that the hinge assembly may move the pad frame in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft according to the rotation of the first dial.

The first rotation shaft may include a protrusion disposed on an upper outer circumferential surface and a snap ring coupled to the lower outer circumferential surface, and the protrusion and the snap ring may constrain the first frame and the second frame to each other.

And a cover frame coupled to the main body frame, and an accommodation space in which the first dial is disposed is formed between the main body frame and the cover frame, and a side portion of the cover frame protrudes to the outside. Openings may be included.

One surface of the first dial may include a plurality of grooves spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the cover frame may include an elastic protrusion inserted into the groove.

A second dial coupled to a first fixed shaft protruding on one side of the main body frame, the second rotation shaft including a first gear, and the second dial rotating by the first gear Includes, the number of teeth of the first gear may be less than the number of teeth of the second gear.

One of the pair of first rotational shafts may be disposed in the first fixed shaft.

One surface of the second dial includes a plurality of marks indicating information related to a movement distance of the pad frame, and one surface of the cover frame includes a window window to expose at least one mark of the plurality of marks to the outside. can do.

It may include a third gear coupled to the second fixed shaft protruding on one side of the main body frame, connecting the first gear and the second gear.

The guide pin may include a stopper ring protruding from the upper outer circumferential surface of the accommodation space side.

The first guide hole may include a step portion extending from the top opening to the bottom opening side so that the stopper ring can be inserted.

And a stopper disposed between the first frame and the second frame, wherein the stopper includes a first inclined surface that limits the rotation angle of the first arm, and a second inclined surface that limits the rotation angle of the second arm. It may include.

And an elastic member disposed between the body frame and the pad frame, wherein the elastic member includes a plurality of through holes in which the pair of guide pins and the bolt are disposed, respectively, and the elastic member includes the pad frame. It may be compressed or restored according to the movement of the to fill the space between the body frame and the pad frame.

The pair of guide pins and the bolts each include a through hole extending in the axial direction of the second axis of rotation, and the fastening member includes a rivet penetrating the pad frame and inserted into the through hole. The member includes an insertion hole disposed on one end surface located in the through hole, and one end of the fastening member has a radially curved shape toward the side of the through hole with respect to the insertion hole and is disposed on the side of the through hole. The protrusion may be constrained in the through hole.

The hinge assembly according to the embodiment can stably support both sides of the knee joint using a pad frame capable of moving forward and backward toward the knee joint with respect to the body frame.

Various and advantageous advantages and effects of the present invention are not limited to the above description, and will be more readily understood in the course of describing specific embodiments of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of a knee brace,
2 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of FIG. 1, FIG.
3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2;
4 is a cross-sectional view of the first rotating shaft of FIG. 3,
5 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the first rotation shaft of FIG. 3,
6 is a cross-sectional view of the second rotation shaft of FIG. 3,
7 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the second rotation shaft of FIG. 3,
8 and 9 are views showing the operating state of the hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention,
10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of FIG.
11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example of FIG. 6.

The embodiments may be modified in other forms or in various embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

Although matters described in a specific embodiment are not described in other embodiments, it may be understood as descriptions related to other embodiments unless there is a description that is contrary to or contradictory to the matters in other embodiments.

For example, if a feature is described for component A in a particular embodiment and a feature for component B in another embodiment, a description that is contrary or contradictory, even if the embodiments in which configuration A and configuration B are combined are not explicitly described. Unless otherwise, it should be understood to fall within the scope of the present invention.

In the description of the embodiment, when one element is described as being formed "on or under" of another element, it is on (up) or down (on). or under) includes both two elements being directly contacted with each other or one or more other elements are formed indirectly between the two elements. In addition, when expressed as "on" or "under", it may include the meaning of the downward direction as well as the upward direction based on one element.

In addition, the coupling or connection does not mean only the physical direct contact between each component, but when other components are interposed between each component and each component is in contact with the other component, respectively It can be used as a comprehensive concept.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of a knee brace.

Referring to FIG. 1, the knee brace 1 may include a hinge assembly 10 connecting a pair of frames 2 and 3 respectively fixed to the thighs and the shin. In this case, the pair of hinge assemblies 10 may be disposed to face each side of the knee joint. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the knee brace 1 may include only one hinge assembly 10 and not a pair.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of FIG. 1. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, the hinge assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a main frame 100, a first arm 110, a second arm 120, a pad frame 140, and a first dial ( 210, and may further include a cover frame 130 and / or an elastic member 500.

The body frame 100 may include a first frame 101 and a second frame 102 facing the first frame 101.

The first arm 110 and the second arm 120 may be disposed between the first frame 101 and the second frame 102.

The first arm 110 may be connected to the frame fixed to the thigh, and the second arm 120 may be connected to the frame fixed to the shin. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and vice versa.

The cover frame 130 and the pad frame 140 may be disposed to face each other with the main frame 100 interposed therebetween. In exemplary embodiments, the cover frame 130 may be disposed above the first frame 101, and the pad frame 140 may be disposed below the second frame 102. In the present specification, the upper and lower divisions are considered to be set based on the drawings unless otherwise specified.

The cover frame 130 may be coupled to the body frame 100 to form an accommodation space in which the first dial 210 is disposed between the body frame 100 and the cover frame 130.

The side of the cover frame 130 may include an opening 131 so that a part of the first dial 210 protrudes outward.

The pad frame 140 may be disposed to face one side of the knee joint and may move forward or backward toward the knee joint according to the rotation of the first dial 210. For example, the pad frame 140 may move forward when the first dial 210 rotates in the clockwise direction, and move backward when the first dial 210 rotates in the counterclockwise direction.

The elastic member 500 may be disposed between the main body frame 100 and the pad frame 140, and may be elastically compressed or restored according to the movement of the pad frame 140 so that the main body frame 100 and the pad frame 140 may be disposed. You can fill the space between) almost completely. Accordingly, the appearance of the product may be improved by preventing various mechanical parts, for example, guide pins or bolts, disposed between the body frame 100 and the pad frame 140 from being exposed to the outside. The elastic member 500 may include, for example, a sponge, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the first rotation shaft of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the first rotation shaft of FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second rotation shaft of FIG. 3, 7 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the second rotating shaft of FIG. 3.

3 to 7, the hinge assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of first rotating shaft 310, a second rotating shaft 320, a pair of guide pins 330, and a bolt. 340 and a plurality of fastening members 350, and may further include a second dial 220, a third gear 230, and / or a stopper 400.

The first frame 101, the second frame 102, and the pad frame 140 may be, but are not necessarily limited to, an insert injection molding made of plastic with a metal reinforcing plate (not shown) inserted therein.

The lower surface of the pad frame 140 may be concave, and the adhesive member 141 may be disposed on the lower surface of the pad frame 140.

A pad (not shown) may be detachably coupled to the adhesive member 141. The pad may be made of fabric or elastic material to mitigate or attenuate impacts or the like on the knee joint. The adhesive member 141 may include a Velcro, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

The first dial 210 may have a disc shape, and a plurality of first grooves 211 may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first dial 210 to be spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The cross section of the first groove 211 may have an arc shape.

A plurality of second grooves 212 that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction may be formed on the upper surface of the first dial 210. At least one elastic protrusion 133 may be inserted into the plurality of second grooves 212 on the bottom surface of the cover frame 130. The elastic protrusion 133 may be elastically deformed so that it can be separated from the second groove 212 only when a torque of a predetermined magnitude or more is applied to the first dial 210. Thus, unintentional rotation of the first dial 210 can be prevented.

The pair of first rotation shafts 310 may be coupled to the body frame 100 to rotatably support the first arm 110 and the second arm 120, respectively. In exemplary embodiments, the first frame 101 may include a pair of first-first through holes 101a spaced apart from each other, and the second frame 102 may include a pair of first-first through holes. A pair of 2-1 through holes 102a corresponding to 101a may be included, and the first arm 110 and the second arm 120 include third through holes 111 and 121, respectively. can do. The first rotation shaft 310 may be disposed to be simultaneously inserted into the 1-1 through holes 101a, the third through holes 111 and 121 and the 2-1 through holes 102a.

The first rotation shaft 310 has an insertion groove 315 formed in the lower outer circumferential surface to insert the protrusion 311 formed on the upper outer circumferential surface, the first snap ring 313 coupled to the lower outer circumferential surface, and the first snap ring 313. ) May be included. The protrusion 311 and the first snap ring 313 may be disposed at both sides of the main frame 100 to respectively restrain the first frame 101 and the second frame 102 from each other. Therefore, the coupling between the first frame 101 and the second frame 102 can be made by a pair of first rotating shaft 310 without other fastening means.

The first rotation shaft 310 may include a first guide hole 317 extending in the axial direction of the first rotation shaft 310. The first rotation shaft 310 and the second rotation shaft 320 may be disposed in parallel to each other.

The first guide hole 317 may be formed to pass through the first rotation shaft 310. That is, the top and bottom of the first guide hole 317 may be open.

The second rotation shaft 320 may be disposed between the pair of first rotation shafts 310. For example, the first frame 101 may include a 1-2 through hole 101b disposed between the pair of first-first through holes 101a, and the second frame 102 may include It may include a 2-2 through hole 102b disposed between the pair of 2-1 through holes 102a. The second rotation shaft 320 may be disposed to be simultaneously inserted into the 1-2 through hole 101b and the second through hole 102b.

The second rotation shaft 320 may be coupled to the first dial 210. A through hole 213 may be formed at the center of the first dial 210 to which the upper end of the second rotation shaft 320 is coupled. The upper end of the through hole 213 and the second rotating shaft 320 inserted into the through hole 213 may have a rectangular cross-sectional shape so that the second rotating shaft 320 may rotate together with the first dial 210. have. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and may have a cross-sectional shape of a triangular or pentagonal polygon or more.

The second rotation shaft 320 is disposed below the insertion groove 323 formed on the upper circumferential surface to insert the second snap ring 321 coupled to the upper outer circumferential surface, the second snap ring 321, and the insertion groove 323. It may include a first gear 325 spaced apart. The first dial 210 may be disposed between the second snap ring 321 and the first gear 325. Accordingly, the second snap ring 321 and the first gear 325 may be disposed on both sides of the first dial 210 to restrain the first dial 210 to the second rotation shaft 320.

The first gear 325 may be engaged with the second gear 221 of the second dial 220 to transmit the rotational force of the first dial 210 to the second dial 220. In this case, the number of teeth of the first gear 325 may be less than the number of teeth of the second gear 221. Therefore, while the first gear 325 is rotated once, the second gear 221 may rotate by one-nth. For example, N may be 5, 8 or 10, but is not necessarily limited thereto. On one surface of the second dial 220, a plurality of marks 223 representing information related to the moving distance of the pad frame 140 may be displayed by one of various methods such as embossing, engraving, or painting. For example, the mark 223 may indicate the number of rotations of the first dial 210. For example, when N is 5, the plurality of marks 223 may include 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. A window window 135 may be formed on one surface of the cover frame 130 to expose at least one mark of the plurality of marks 223 to the outside. The second dial 220 may be disposed in an accommodation space between the main frame 100 and the cover frame 130 to be rotatably coupled to the first fixed shaft 101c protruding from the upper surface of the first frame 101. have. In addition, the first gear 325 and the second gear 221 may be connected via the third gear 230. The third gear 230 may be disposed in the receiving space between the main frame 100 and the cover frame 130 to be rotatably coupled to the second fixed shaft 101d protruding from the upper surface of the first frame 101. have. The third gear 230 allows the size of the size of the first gear 325 to be sufficiently small. Meanwhile, one of the pair of first rotation shafts 310 may be disposed in the first fixed shaft 101c. That is, the first-first through hole 101a may be formed to penetrate through the first fixed shaft 101c. Therefore, it is possible to improve the space utilization to make the product size smaller.

The second rotation shaft 320 may include a second guide hole 327 extending in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft 320.

The pair of guide pins 330 may be disposed in the first guide holes 317 of the pair of first rotating shafts 310, respectively, and the bolts 340 may be disposed in the second guide holes of the second rotating shafts 320. 327 may be disposed within. The pair of guide pins 330 and the bolt 340 may be fixed to the pad frame 140 by a plurality of fastening members 350, and the male screw of the bolt 340 may be a female screw of the second rotating shaft 320. And can interlock with each other. Accordingly, the pad frame 140 may move forward and backward in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft 320 according to the rotation of the first dial 210. In this case, the guide pin 330 may move forward and backward in the first guide hole 317 and the bolt 340 in the second guide hole 327, respectively.

A stopper ring 331 may protrude from the upper outer circumferential surface of the guide pin 330. The stopper ring 331 may have an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the first guide hole 317 to prevent the guide pin 330 from being separated from the first guide hole 317, and also to prevent the body from the main frame 100. The movement distance of the pad frame 140 may be limited by the height of the accommodation space between the cover frames 130. In addition, the first guide hole 317 may include a stepped portion 317a extending from the top opening to the bottom opening side. The stepped portion 317a may accommodate the stopper ring 331 of the guide pin 330. Therefore, the movement distance of the pad frame 140 may be extended by adding the height of the stepped portion 317a to the height of the accommodation space. That is, the movable range of the pad frame 140 may be increased without increasing the thickness of the cover frame 130. Thus, product size can be improved.

The fastening member 350 may include a rivet coupled to the guide pin 330 and the bolt 340 through the pad frame 140. For example, the guide pin 330 may include a through hole 333 extending in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft 320, and the bolt 340 may extend in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft 320. It may include a through hole 341. The fastening member 350 may be inserted into the through holes 333 and 341.

The stopper 400 may be disposed between the first frame 101 and the second frame 102. In exemplary embodiments, the stopper 400 may be fixed to an upper surface of the second frame 102. The stopper 400 may include a first inclined surface 410 for limiting the rotation angle of the first arm 110 and a second inclined surface 420 for limiting the rotation angle of the second arm 120. Thus, the stopper 400 may limit the maximum bending angle of the knee joint.

The elastic member 500 may include a plurality of through holes 510 in which a pair of guide pins 330 and bolts 340 are disposed.

8 and 9 are views showing the operating state of the hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 and 9, when the first dial 210 is rotated in the first direction, the pad frame 140 may move forward from the main frame 100, that is, toward the knee joint. When the dial 210 is rotated in the second direction, the pad frame 140 may retreat in a direction closer to the main body frame 100, that is, in a direction away from the knee joint. At this time, the elastic member 500 can be confirmed that the compression or restoration according to the movement of the pad frame 140. 8 illustrates a state before the pad frame 140 advances toward the knee joint, and FIG. 9 illustrates a state after the pad frame 140 advances toward the knee joint.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example of FIG. 4, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example of FIG. 6.

10 and 11, the fastening member 350 may include an insertion hole 351 formed on one surface of the guide pin 330 and the through holes 333 and 341 of the bolt 340. One end of the fastening member 350 may have a shape that is radially curved toward the side surfaces of the through holes 333 and 341 around the insertion hole 351. Accordingly, one end of the fastening member 350 may be constrained in the through holes 333 and 341 by the protrusions 333a and 341a formed at the side surfaces of the through holes 333 and 341. The curved shape of one end of the fastening member 350 is a jig (not shown) through the top openings of the through holes 333 and 341 of the guide pin 330 and the bolt 340 to the insertion hole 351 of the fastening member 350. C) can be formed by plastically deforming one end of the fastening member 350 by hitting with a hammer (not shown) after insertion.

Although the above description has been made with reference to the embodiments, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains are not illustrated above without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiments. It will be appreciated that many variations and applications are possible. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiment can be modified. And differences relating to such modifications and applications will have to be construed as being included in the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

1: knee brace 2, 3: frame
10: hinge assembly 100: body frame
101: first frame 101a: first-first through hole
101b: first through hole 101c: first fixed shaft
101d: second fixed shaft 102: second frame
102a: 2-1 through hole 102b: 2-2 through hole
110: first arm 111, 121: third through hole
120: second arm 130: cover frame
131: opening 133: elastic projection
135: window window 140: pad frame
141: adhesive member 210: first dial
211: first groove 212: second groove
213: through hole 220: second dial
221: second gear 223: mark
230: third gear 310: first rotating shaft
311: protrusion 313: first snap ring
315: insertion groove 317: first guide hole
317a: step portion 320: second rotating shaft
321: second snap ring 323: insertion groove
325: first gear 327: second guide hole
330: guide pin 331: stopper ring
333: through hole 333a: protrusion
340: bolt 341: through hole
341a: protrusion 350: fastening member
351: insertion hole 400: stopper
410: first inclined surface 420: second inclined surface
500: elastic member 510: through hole

Claims (13)

A main frame including a first frame and a second frame facing the first frame;
First and second arms disposed between the first frame and the second frame;
A pair of first rotating shafts coupled to the main frame to support the first arm and the second arm, respectively, and having a first guide hole;
A first dial disposed on one side of the main body frame;
A pad frame disposed on the other side of the main body frame;
A second rotation shaft disposed between the pair of first rotation shafts, coupled to the first dial, and having a second guide hole;
A pair of guide pins disposed in the first guide holes of the pair of first rotation shafts, respectively;
A bolt disposed in the second guide hole; And
And a plurality of fastening members respectively fixing the pair of guide pins and the bolts to the pad frame.
The first guide hole and the second guide hole extend in the axial direction of the second axis of rotation,
The male screw of the bolt and the female screw of the second rotation shaft are engaged with each other, such that the pad frame moves in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft according to the rotation of the first dial.
The method of claim 1,
The first rotation axis includes a protrusion disposed on the upper outer circumferential surface, and a snap ring coupled to the lower outer circumferential surface,
And the protrusion and the snap ring constrain the first frame and the second frame to each other.
The method of claim 1,
A cover frame coupled to the body frame,
An accommodation space in which the first dial is disposed is formed between the main body frame and the cover frame.
A side of the cover frame includes an opening such that a portion of the first dial protrudes outward.
The method of claim 3,
One surface of the first dial includes a plurality of grooves spaced apart in the circumferential direction,
The cover frame is a hinge assembly including an elastic protrusion inserted into the groove.
The method of claim 3,
A second dial coupled to a first fixed shaft protruding from one side of the main body frame,
The second rotation axis includes a first gear,
The second dial includes a second gear that is rotated by the first gear,
The number of teeth of the first gear is less than the number of teeth of the second gear.
The method of claim 5,
One of the pair of first rotational shafts is disposed within the first fixed shaft.
The method of claim 5,
One surface of the second dial includes a plurality of marks indicating information related to a movement distance of the pad frame,
One surface of the cover frame comprises a window window to expose at least one mark of the plurality of marks to the outside.
The method of claim 5,
And a third gear coupled to a second fixed shaft protruding from one side of the main body frame and connecting the first gear and the second gear.
The method of claim 3,
The guide pin is a hinge assembly including a stopper ring protruding from the upper peripheral surface of the receiving space side.
The method of claim 9,
And the first guide hole includes a step portion extending from the top opening to the bottom opening side so that the stopper ring can be inserted.
The method of claim 1,
A stopper disposed between the first frame and the second frame,
And the stopper includes a first inclined surface for limiting the rotational angle of the first arm and a second inclined surface for limiting the rotational angle of the second arm.
The method of claim 1,
Further comprising an elastic member disposed between the body frame and the pad frame,
The elastic member includes a plurality of through holes in which the pair of guide pins and the bolt are disposed, respectively,
And the elastic member is compressed or restored according to the movement of the pad frame to fill a space between the main frame and the pad frame.
The method of claim 1,
The pair of guide pins and the bolts each include a through hole extending in the axial direction of the second axis of rotation,
The fastening member includes a rivet penetrating the pad frame and inserted into the through hole.
The fastening member includes an insertion hole disposed on one end surface located in the through hole,
One end of the fastening member has a shape that is radially curved toward the side of the through hole with respect to the insertion hole is constrained in the through hole by a protrusion disposed on the side of the through hole.

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