Limb prosthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10433985-B2
Application number	US-201715844648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2017
Priority date	Dec 8, 2017
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A limb prosthesis including a palm, a forearm, an upper arm, an elbow joint and a wrist joint is provided. The palm has a first pivot and a first lock set. The upper arm has a socket. The elbow joint connects the forearm to the upper arm. The wrist joint includes a first connecting rod connected to the forearm. The first pivot rotatably penetrates through the first connecting rod. The first lock set is locked to the first pivot. A first wedge surface of the first lock set contacts a second wedge surface of the first connecting rod. By adjusting a distance between the first lock set and the first pivot, a magnitude of a forward force between the first wedge surface and the second wedge surface is adjusted, such that the palm is fixed relative to the first connecting rod or rotatable around an axial direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the forearm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A limb prosthesis, comprising:
a palm, having a first pivot and a first lock set;
a forearm;
an upper arm, having a socket;
an elbow joint, connecting the forearm to the upper arm; and
a wrist joint, connecting the palm to the forearm, wherein the wrist joint comprises a first connecting rod, the first connecting rod is connected to the forearm, the first pivot rotatably penetrates through the first connecting rod, the first lock set is locked to the first pivot, a first wedge surface of the first lock set is used for contacting a second wedge surface of the first connecting rod, and by adjusting a distance between the first lock set and the first pivot, a magnitude of a forward force between the first wedge surface and the second wedge surface is adjusted, such that the palm is fixed relative to the first connecting rod or rotatable around an axial direction, and the axial direction is perpendicular to an extending direction of the forearm.

2. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the forearm has a second connecting rod, the second connecting rod has a connecting-rod wedge surface, the first connecting rod has a contact surface, and the wrist joint further comprises:
an adjusting knob, movably assembled to the first connecting rod, wherein the second connecting rod penetrates through the adjusting knob to contact the contact surface of the first connecting rod via the connecting-rod wedge surface, and by adjusting a distance between the adjusting knob and the first connecting rod, a magnitude of a forward force between the connecting-rod wedge surface and the contact surface is adjusted, such that the first connecting rod is fixed relative to the second connecting rod or rotatable around the extending direction.

3. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the contact surface presents a wedge shape or a ball shape.

4. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the wrist joint further comprises a bearing seat assembled to the adjusting knob, the first connecting rod penetrates through the bearing seat, and the bearing seat and the adjusting knob commonly combine the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod together.

5. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first lock set comprises:
an adjusting screw, locked to the first pivot; and
a wedge ring, sleeving the first pivot and having the first wedge surface, wherein when a distance between the adjusting screw and the first pivot is adjusted, the adjusting screw allows the wedge ring to move forward or retreat.

6. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the elbow joint is fixed to the upper arm and has a second pivot and a second lock set, the second pivot rotatably penetrates through the forearm, the second lock set is locked to the second pivot, a third wedge surface of the second lock set is used for contacting a fourth wedge surface of the forearm, and by adjusting a distance between the second lock set and the second pivot, a magnitude of a forward force between the third wedge surface and the fourth wedge surface is adjusted, such that the forearm is fixed relative to the upper arm or rotatable around the axial direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the forearm.

7. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the second lock set comprises:
an adjusting screw, locked to the second pivot; and
a first wedge ring, sleeving the second pivot and having the third wedge surface, wherein when a distance between the adjusting screw and the second pivot is adjusted, the adjusting screw allows the first wedge ring to move forward or retreat.

8. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second lock set further comprises a tightening ring, a second wedge ring and a third wedge ring sleeving the second pivot, the tightening ring is located between the adjusting screw and the first wedge ring, the second wedge ring and the third wedge ring are located between the tightening ring and the first wedge ring, and a fifth wedge surface of the second wedge ring is used for contacting a sixth wedge surface of the third wedge ring.

9. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the elbow joint further has a rotation pin, the forearm has a sliding slot, one end of the rotation pin is adapted to slide within the sliding slot, and a rotating range of the forearm relative to the upper arm is limited through collaboration of the sliding slot and the rotation pin.

10. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the forearm comprises:
a sleeve, having an opening;
a rod, slidably disposed in the sleeve and having a plurality of positioning slots; and
a positioning pin, penetrating through the opening and engaged to one of the positioning slots.

11. A limb prosthesis, comprising:
a palm, having a pivot and a lock set;
a forearm, having a socket; and
a wrist joint, connecting the palm to the forearm, wherein the wrist joint comprises a first connecting rod, the first connecting rod is connected to the forearm, the pivot rotatably penetrates through the first connecting rod, the lock set is locked to the pivot, a first wedge surface of the lock set is used for contacting a second wedge surface of the first connecting rod, by adjusting a distance between the lock set and the pivot, a magnitude of a forward force between the first wedge surface and the second wedge surface is adjusted, such that the palm is fixed relative to the first connecting rod or rotatable around an axial direction, and the axial direction is perpendicular to an extending direction of the forearm.

12. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the forearm has a second connecting rod, the second connecting rod has a connecting-rod wedge surface, the first connecting rod has a contact surface, and the wrist joint further comprises:
an adjusting knob, movably assembled to the first connecting rod, wherein the second connecting rod penetrates through the adjusting knob to contact the contact surface of the first connecting rod via the connecting-rod wedge surface, and by adjusting a distance between the adjusting knob and the first connecting rod, a magnitude of a forward force between the connecting-rod wedge surface and the contact surface is adjusted, such that the first connecting rod is fixed relative to the second connecting rod or rotatable around the extending direction.

13. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the contact surface presents a wedge shape or a ball shape.

14. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the wrist joint further comprises a bearing seat assembled to the adjusting knob, the first connecting rod penetrates through the bearing seat, and the bearing seat and the adjusting knob commonly combine the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod together.

15. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the lock set comprises:
an adjusting screw, locked to the pivot; and
a wedge ring, sleeving the pivot and having the first wedge surface, wherein when a distance between the adjusting screw and the pivot is adjusted, the adjusting screw allows the wedge ring to move forward or retreat.

16. The limb prosthesis as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the forearm comprises:
a sleeve, having an opening;
a rod, slidably disposed in the sleeve and having a plurality of positioning slots, wherein the socket is located at the rod or the sleeve; and
a positioning pin, penetrating through the opening and engaged to one of the positioning slots.

Assignees

• Ind Tech Res Inst
• Industrial Tech Research Institute Hsinchu

Inventors

• Wu Tzong-Ming
• Horng Ji-Bin
• Liu Sung-Ho
• Tsai Tsung-Wen

Classifications

• A61F2002/5084

  telescopic · CPC title

• A61F2/80

  Sockets, e.g. of suction type · CPC title

• A61F2002/5018

  for adjusting angular orientation · CPC title

• A61F2002/6854

  for locking or unlocking a joint · CPC title

• A61F2/54

  Artificial arms or hands or parts thereof · CPC title