US2570382A

US2570382A - Leg brace knee joint

Info

Publication number: US2570382A
Application number: US113824A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ruetting William
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-09-02
Filing date: 1949-09-02
Publication date: 1951-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 1968-10-09

Description

w. RUETTING LEG BRACE KNEE JOINT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1949 INVENTOR. MAL/19M FUE 77//V@ BY Oct 9 w. RUETTING 2,570,382

LEG BRACE KNEE JOINT Filed Sept... 2, 1949 Z-Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR. MALI/9M Pusrfms H T TOH/VEYS j rotation;

Patented Oct. 9, 1 951 UNITED'TSTAYTES" PATENT OFFICE LEG BRACE JOINT William Ruetting, Detroit, Mich. 7 Application September 2, 1949, Serial No. 113,824

.This invention relates to orthopedic appliances,

= and 'more particularly to knee joints ,for leg braces.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved leg brace having kneejoints adapted to permit bending of thewearers knee and natural turning of the lower leg and foot around a vertical axis relative to the upper-leg, whereby normal functioning of the muscles of the lower leg is allowed, and whereby the leg brace may be worn without discomfort or soretness. 1 r

- A further object of i the invention is to provide an improved leg bracehaving a knee joint arranged to allow the turning of the-foot of the wearer around a vertical axis relative to the upper ,leg when the knee is bent, in accordance with the natural flexing of the leg muscles, the improved knee joint being very simple in construction, dependable -in operation, and allowing the Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the interinediate portion of an improved leg brace, showing the improved knee joint structure of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the intermediate-portion of the leg brace of Figure 1, showing both of the improved knee joint structures employed in the side portions of the leg ,brace;

, Figure 3 is a top plan View of the jointed portions of theleg brace, the brace being shown in straight bending position with the segments of the knee joint members locked against relative Figure 4 is a top plan view similar to Figure. 3, but showing the knee joint elements in angled kneeebending position, corresponding to a turned position of the wearers foot around a vertical axis, the segments of one of the knee joint members being shown in unlocked position; t

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken. on line 56 of Figure 5;

Figure}? is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the knee joint in bent position; I

' Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective detail view of the ofiset link member employed in the knee joint of Figures 1 to '7.

.Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 2, the leg brace comprises oposed lower bar members H, H adapted to be i 3 Claims (Cl. 128-80) strapped to opposite sides of the wearers leg belowthe' knee, and upper-bar members l2,- l2 adapted'to be strapped to oppositesides of the wearer's leg abovethe knee. The respective up"- per bar members I2 are connected 'to the respec tive lower'bar members H at opposite sides-of the wearers knee 'byrespective symmetricallyopposed knee'joint structures indicated generally atl3,l3. 1 Referring now to Figures 5 'and 6, it will be seen that each lower' bar member II is formed at its top end with'a vertical cylindrical stud M which is spherically recessed at I 5. Designated at 16 is a bracket member'formed with a vertical bore l"| in'whicli stud I4 is received, the upper end of 'the bore being reduced in diameter, as shown at H]; andpbeing formed with a sphericalseat below bore portion [8, in which ispositioned a' ball bearing [9 against which the spherical seat element l5"of stud M abuts. Stud I4' is retained in bore I! by a horizontal pin 20 extending transversely thriough bracket member I6 which'is received in a groove formed in' stud I'M-said groove having oppositely-angled inner wall surfaces 2| 2 l defining clearances whereby vertical stud l4 may rotate" through small'a'ngle's around the vertical axis of bore ll, permitting corresponding angular rotation of lower bar member H with respect to bracket member Each bracketmember IB is formed with a vertically-rising arm 22 at the inner side thereof. Designated at 23 is alink member havinga vertical upper arm 2 l and a vertical lower arm:25 outwardly ofi'set with respect to upper arm 24, and arranged, as shown in Figure 5, withthe upper arm 24 parallel to arm 22, and thelower' arm 25 disposed in a groove 26 formed in the outer lower portion of bracket member l6. Upper arm '24 is pivotally secured to arm 22' by a horizontal bolt 21 threaded into a flanged sleeve 28 carried by arm' 22', the head offthe bolt 2'| bearing on the outer end of the sleeve 28 and overlying the outer "sleeve 33 carried 'by arm 25. The bottom edge of bar member, I2 is inclined, as shown at 34,. and

cooperates with an inclined rib.35, forming the jouter wall of groove 26, tolimit counterclockwise rotation around the axis of bolt 32 of bar member 12 ,with respect to bracket member. [6, as viewed in'Figures l and'7'. The upper end of rib 35 is formed with an outwardly-ofiset upstanding lug ber [2 may pivot only around horizontal bolt 32,

When the locking screws 3| are employed at both sides of the leg brace, as shown in Figure 2;;pivoting of the upper bar members l2, l2 may take place only around the common horizontal axis defined by

bolts

32, 32. Under these conditions, turning around a vertical axis of either foot of the wearer of the brace during knee-bend conditions is substantially prevented, since the lower "leg portions l I, are .preventedfrom turningaround vertical axes to the upper leg portions by the locklngefiect provided by screws. 31. By removing one of the locking screws 34-, as shown in Figure 4, a slight degree of, turning movement of the. lower leg portion around a: vertical axis is permitted, since the. unlocked brace knee. joint; is thereby providedwith .a-swingable, link; connection of its upper bar member I! to its lower bar memher H- instead of having: merely-a purely pivotal connection therewith. This is shown. in Figure 4. wherein. the unlocked link member 23,, at the lower portion of the figure, is: shown rotated around a horizontal axiswith respect to its; adjoining bracket arm 22, due to the-'slightly-turned position of, the wearers foot around a vertical axis, shown in dotted view at 31, relative to the upper leg portion, shown in dotted; view at, 38,. When both locking screws 3!, 3!, are removed, turning movements around vertical axes: of each foot and lower leg-with respect to each upper leg 'of'thewearer are substantiallyunrestrained during knee bending and otherleg conditions, both link members 23,. 2:3 being-now free to pivot around horizontal axes with respect: to their associated' bracket members 15, I 6.1 Underthese latter conditions, the brace-knee joints l3, l3 allow the feet to be turned, naturally around Vertical axes under the operation ot the leg muscles; when the knees arebent. r

When a person makes a normal kneerbend, that is, allows his body to; descendi'by allowing; both knees. to bend, the weight of his body tends to cause hisknees to swing outwardly away from each. other while his feet pivot outwardly to a much lesser degree. v Since the link:

members

23, 23 tend to: rotate opposite: directions as" a resultofL thenormally opposite turning movements of the; foot and lower legportions around vertical axes during knee bends. (-the locking: screws 3|" being removed), the bracket members i6, 16 also-rotate in ope posite directions. around. their vertical studs 14 since oppositely-directed horizontal torques are applied to the respective bracket members-by the respective bar members 12, 1-2.. The requi ed amount of rotation of the bracket members It, 16 around their studs Ill is allowed bytheprovision of the mutually

inclined clearancesurfaces

21,21 in the rear walls of the. horizontal "retaining-pin receiving grooves formed in the studs.

The grooves an. and 2:9 in the arms 24.- and 22 may be employed as passages for-conveying lubricant to the bearing balls 19-.

Although a specific embodiment ofan improved knee joint for legbraces has been disclosed in. the foregoing description, it, will be understood that various modifications within the spirltiof the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

r 1. A flexible leg braceknee joint comprising a pair of upper bar members arranged to be secured on opposite sides of the wearers leg above the knee, a pair of substantially vertical lower bar members arranged to be secured on opposite sides of the wearers leg below the knee, vertically extending pivot means on the upper end of the lower bar members, respective bracket members rotatably secured on said pivot means for rotation around the respective vertical axes of the lower bar members, and respective link bars connecting the topv ends of the respective bracket members-to the lower endsof the respective upper bar members, whereby rotation of the lower leg portion around its rotational axis relative to the upper leg portion may take place with the leg in knee-bending position.

2. A flexible leg brace knee joint comprising a pair of upper bar members arranged to be secured on opposite sides of the wearers'leg above the knee, a pair of substantially vertical lower barmembers arranged to besecured on opposite sides of the wearersleg below the knee, vertically extending pivot means ontheupper ends of the lower bar members, respective bracket members rotatably secured on said pivot means for rotation around the respective vertical axes of the lower bar members, respective link bars connecting the respective bracket members to the lower end of the respective upper bar members, whereby rotation of the lower leg portion around its rotational axis relative to the upper leg portion may take place with the leg in knee-bending position, and means for at times selectively locking the respective link bars against rotation around said rotational axis with'respect to the respective, bracket members;

3. A flexible leg brace knee joint comprising a pair of upper bar members arranged to be secured on opposite sides of the. wearer's leg above the knee, a pair of lower bar members arranged to be secured on opposite sides of the wearer's leg below the kneeea vertically extending bearing member oneach of one of said" pairs of bar members, a bracket. member rotatably 'm'ounted on the bearing member, and respective outwardly offset link bars, the inner and outer portions of, the link bars being respectively pivoted to said bracket member and. to the other of said bar members for rotation about a horizontal axis, whereby thebars are permitted to move. relative to one another about their respective horizontal axes and to rotate about the vertical bearing mem r when the knee is bent.

WILLIAM RUETTING.

Remittances CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Apr. 17,. 1925