TRANS-FEMORAL PROSTHESIS HYDRAULIC KNEE COUPLING

摘要

PPROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a trans-femoral prosthesis hydraulic knee coupling for preventing knee bending at the time of standing, and allowing a user to easily walk and to alternately walk up and down in stairs and slopes. PSOLUTION: The knee coupling includes a slide mechanism to be slidable forward/backward between a femoral region upper block 4 to which a socket for storing a tans-femoral amputation end part is fixed on the upper surface and a knee axis; and a four-axle link mechanism to be movable forward/backward by, for example, connecting via a connection member 9 the femoral region upper block 4 to a femoral region lower block 5 which is connected to a lower thigh part 8 so as to be bendable via the knee axis 6. The adjustment of a flow rate control valve 3 is performed, by which a flow rate from a hydraulic cylinder 7, which adjusts the bending/extending resistance of the knee axis arranged at a prescribed position in response to the displacement of the slide mechanism, is controlled. The hydraulic cylinder 7 is controlled in response to the displacement of the slide mechanism by the extending/bending of a knee joint. Then the fixing of a knee (lock), the adjustment of the bending resistance (yielding), and unlock (free) are voluntarily controlled. PCOPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI