JP4030114B2 - Artificial leg - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a prosthetic leg that is mounted on a leg cut proximally from a knee as a substitute for the leg and is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder that adjusts the resistance of flexion and extension of the knee joint, and in particular, below the knee joint. By using the vertical displacement of the shock absorber provided between the lower leg and the foot, the knee prosthesis is locked and prevented by the toes of the prosthetic leg, and the knee prosthesis is resisted by the prosthetic heel. It is related to a prosthetic leg that can be walked without breaking a knee on a staircase, a slope, or a flat ground by making the knee bend slowly.

A prosthetic leg that is attached to a leg cut proximal to the knee as a substitute for the leg, is equipped with a pneumatic cylinder or hydraulic cylinder, and adjusts the flexion and extension resistance of the knee joint using a pneumatic cylinder or hydraulic cylinder For example, JP-A-11-19105 and JP-A-2001-218778 are known.
JP-A-11-19105 JP2001-218778

  By the way, in the inventions of JP-A-11-19105 and JP-A-2001-218778, the contraction movement of the muscle at the stump portion of the cut leg is detected by a sensor, whereby the variable valve in the hydraulic cylinder is controlled. By adjusting the degree of restriction, the knee bending resistance of the prosthetic leg in use can be adjusted arbitrarily, and it has the feature that it can walk without breaking the stairs, slopes and flat ground.

This invention was devised to control the bending and stretching resistance of the knee of the prosthetic leg in use without detecting the contraction movement of the muscle at the stump of the amputated leg. Using the up-and-down rotational displacement of the shock absorber provided between the lower leg part and the foot part below the knee joint part, one valve is closed by the toe grounding of the artificial leg, and the liquid moves in the cylinder chamber with the piston in between. Prosthetic knee break resistance by locking the prosthetic knee and preventing the knee prosthesis from being locked, and closing the other valve with the prosthetic heel contact, and sandwiching the piston to move the fluid in the cylinder chamber through the flow control valve The purpose of this invention is to provide a prosthetic leg that can be walked on the stairs, hills, and flat ground without breaking the knees by raising the knees slowly.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder which is attached to a leg cut proximally from the knee as a substitute for the leg and adjusts the resistance of flexion and extension of the knee joint. In the above-mentioned prosthetic leg, a cushioning device is provided between the lower leg part and the foot part below the knee joint part so that the toe grounding of the foot part and the heel grounding of the foot part are respectively turned upside down. When the piston in the cylinder chamber of the pressure cylinder moves in the direction of extending the prosthetic leg, an extension passage is provided through which the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes through the second cylinder chamber across the piston. A check valve that allows movement through the cylinder chamber and prevents movement in the opposite direction is provided in the extension passage, and the piston moves when the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of bending the prosthesis. A bent passage is provided through which the liquid in the second cylinder chamber moves and passes into the first cylinder chamber, and the bent passage is branched into two on the way and connected to the first cylinder chamber side. A heel-grounding lock valve that closes the bent passage by the heel-contact of the foot of the prosthetic leg is provided in the middle, and a flow control valve is provided in the middle of the other bent passage after branching. It is composed of a means that is connected by a wire and transmits the vertical rotation displacement of the shock absorber by the heel contact of the foot portion of the artificial leg by the heel contact transmission line to operate the heel contact lock valve in the closing direction.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a prosthetic leg that is mounted as a leg substitute on a leg that is cut proximally from the knee and is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder that adjusts the resistance to flexion and extension of the knee joint. A shock absorber is provided between the lower leg part and the foot part of the hydraulic cylinder so that the foot part touches the toes of the foot part and the heel part of the foot part. An extension passage is provided through which the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes through the piston when the piston moves in the direction of extending the prosthetic leg, and the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes into the second cylinder chamber. A check valve is provided in the extension passage to allow movement of the cylinder in the opposite direction, and when the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of bending the artificial leg, the second cylinder is sandwiched between the pistons. A bent passage through which the liquid inside moves in the first cylinder chamber is provided, and a toe grounding lock valve is provided in the middle of the bent passage to close the bent passage by the toe grounding of the foot of the prosthesis. A flow control valve is provided in the middle of the bending path, and the shock absorber and the toe grounding lock valve are connected by a toe grounding transmission line, and the vertical rotation displacement of the shock absorber due to the toe grounding of the foot of the artificial leg is transmitted by the toe grounding transmission line. It comprises means for operating the toe grounding lock valve in the closing direction.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a prosthetic leg which is mounted as a leg substitute on a leg cut proximally from the knee and is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder for adjusting resistance to flexion and extension of the knee joint part. A shock absorber is provided between the lower leg part and the foot part of the hydraulic cylinder so that the foot part touches the toes of the foot part and the heel part of the foot part. An extension passage is provided through which the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes through the piston when the piston moves in the direction of extending the prosthetic leg, and the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes into the second cylinder chamber. A check valve is provided in the extension passage to allow movement of the cylinder in the opposite direction, and when the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of bending the artificial leg, the second cylinder is sandwiched between the pistons. A bent passage through which the liquid inside moves in the first cylinder chamber is provided, and a toe grounding lock valve is provided in the middle of the bent passage to close the bent passage by the toe grounding of the foot of the prosthesis. Provide a flow control valve in the middle of the bent passage, and bypass the bypass passage where the liquid in the second cylinder chamber moves toward the first cylinder chamber until the piston moves in a direction that bends the prosthetic leg that has been stretched by about 20 to 30 degrees. One end of the bypass passage is connected to an intermediate portion of the inner side surface of the cylinder chamber, the other end of the bypass passage is connected to a bent passage between the toe grounding lock valve and the flow control valve, and the shock absorber and the toe grounding lock Connect the valve with the toe grounding transmission line and transmit the vertical rotation displacement of the shock absorber due to the toe grounding of the foot of the prosthetic leg with the toe grounding transmission line to operate the toe grounding lock valve in the closing direction So are those consisting of means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a prosthetic leg that is mounted as a leg substitute on a leg that is cut proximally from the knee, and is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder that adjusts the resistance of flexion and extension of the knee joint part. A shock absorber is provided between the lower leg part and the foot part of the hydraulic cylinder so that the foot part touches the toes of the foot part and the heel part of the foot part. An extension passage is provided through which the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes through the piston when the piston moves in the direction of extending the prosthetic leg, and the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes into the second cylinder chamber. A check valve is provided in the extension passage to allow movement of the cylinder in the opposite direction, and when the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of bending the artificial leg, the second cylinder is sandwiched between the pistons. A bent passage is provided for the liquid inside to move into the first cylinder chamber, and the bent passage is divided into two in the middle and connected to the first cylinder chamber side. A toe grounding lock valve is provided that closes the bent passage by toe grounding, and a saddle grounding lock valve that closes the bent passage by grounding the foot of the prosthetic leg is provided in the middle of one of the bent passages after branching. A flow control valve is provided in the middle of the bending path, and the shock absorber and the toe grounding lock valve are connected by a toe grounding transmission line, and the vertical rotation displacement of the shock absorber due to the toe grounding of the foot of the artificial leg is transmitted by the toe grounding transmission line. Operate the toe grounding lock valve in the closing direction, connect the shock absorber to the heel grounding lock valve with the heel grounding transmission line, and transmit the vertical rotation displacement of the shock absorber due to the heel grounding of the foot of the artificial leg through the heel grounding transmission line.踵 Close the grounding lock valve Those composed of means for actuating the direction.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a prosthetic leg that is mounted as a leg substitute on a leg that is cut proximally from a knee and is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder that adjusts the resistance of flexion and extension of the knee joint part. A shock absorber is provided between the lower leg part and the foot part of the hydraulic cylinder so that the foot part touches the toes of the foot part and the heel part of the foot part. An extension passage is provided through which the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes through the piston when the piston moves in the direction of extending the prosthetic leg, and the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes into the second cylinder chamber. A check valve is provided in the extension passage to allow movement of the cylinder in the opposite direction, and when the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of bending the artificial leg, the second cylinder is sandwiched between the pistons. A bent passage is provided for the liquid inside to move into the first cylinder chamber, and the bent passage is divided into two in the middle and connected to the first cylinder chamber side. A toe grounding lock valve is provided that closes the bent passage by toe grounding, and a saddle grounding lock valve that closes the bent passage by grounding the foot of the prosthetic leg is provided in the middle of one of the bent passages after branching. Provide a flow control valve in the middle of the bent passage, and bypass the bypass passage where the liquid in the second cylinder chamber moves toward the first cylinder chamber until the piston moves in a direction that bends the prosthetic leg that has been stretched by about 20 to 30 degrees. One end of the bypass passage is connected to an intermediate portion of the inner side surface of the cylinder chamber, the other end of the bypass passage is connected to a bent passage between the toe grounding lock valve and the flow control valve, and the shock absorber and the toe Connect the ground lock valve with the toe grounding transmission line, transmit the vertical rotation displacement of the shock absorber due to the toe grounding of the toe of the prosthetic leg with the toe grounding transmission line and operate the toe grounding lock valve in the closing direction, It consists of a means to operate the 踵 grounding lock valve in the closing direction by connecting the 踵 grounding lock valve with the 踵 grounding transmission line and transmitting the vertical displacement of the shock absorber by the 踵 grounding of the foot of the artificial leg by the 踵 grounding transmission line Is.

As is clear from the above description, according to the prosthetic foot according to the invention of claim 1, in the case of the heel contact of the foot portion of the prosthetic foot, the knee bending resistance can be increased and the knee bending can be performed slowly.
In addition, because the knee joint can be bent slowly by increasing the resistance of the knee joint at the heel contact with the heel of the prosthetic leg, when you go down the stairs, it is temporarily applied to the prosthetic leg that has increased resistance to the knee fold. Even if you put your weight on the prosthesis, the knee will bend slowly and will not break. For this reason, the weight can be temporarily applied to the prosthetic leg, and the other healthy leg can be raised and lowered to the staircase position one step lower than the staircase position of the prosthetic leg. At this time, the prosthetic leg slowly bends while lowering the raised healthy leg to the lower stairs position, so that the healthy leg is closer to the lower stairs position and easier to lower by the amount the prosthetic leg is broken. In this way, when walking down the stairs, alternate walking is possible unlike the conventional case, and the walking down the stairs can be performed smoothly like a normal person.

In addition, according to the prosthetic limbs according to the second and third aspects of the present invention, in the case of the toe grounding of the foot portion of the prosthetic foot, the lock mechanism works to prevent the knee joint portion from being bent.
Moreover, because the toe of the foot of the prosthetic leg can be locked and stopped at the knee joint, the knee joint can be locked and stopped. The prosthetic leg does not break the knee. For this reason, the weight can be temporarily applied to the prosthetic leg, and the other healthy leg can be raised and raised to the staircase position one step higher than the staircase position of the prosthetic leg. Thus, when walking up the stairs, it is possible to walk alternately, unlike the conventional case, and ascending walking up the stairs can be performed smoothly like a normal person.
Furthermore, since the knee joint of the knee joint portion is locked and stopped by the toe grounding of the leg portion of the prosthetic leg, the standing work can be performed with the knees of both the prosthetic leg and the healthy leg slightly bent.
In addition, in the case where the bypass passage is provided, even when the toes touch the ground when walking on a flat ground, knee bending up to 20 degrees to 30 degrees is not locked, so a smooth ground walking can be performed.

In addition, according to the prosthetic limbs according to the inventions of claims 4 and 5, in the case of the heel contact of the leg portion of the prosthetic leg, the knee fold resistance can be increased and the knee fold can be performed slowly. In the case of the toe grounding, the lock mechanism works to prevent the knee joint from being broken. As a result, it is possible to walk on the stairs, hills and flat ground without breaking the knee.
Moreover, because the knee joint resistance can be increased by increasing the knee resistance of the knee joint by the heel contact of the foot of the prosthetic leg, it can be temporarily applied to the prosthetic leg with increased resistance to the knee fold when going down the stairs. Even if you put your weight on the prosthesis, the knee will bend slowly and will not break. For this reason, the weight can be temporarily applied to the prosthetic leg, and the other healthy leg can be raised and lowered to the staircase position one step lower than the staircase position of the prosthetic leg. At this time, since the prosthetic leg is slowly knee-folded while lowering the raised healthy leg to the lower stairs position, the healthy leg is closer to the lower stairs position and easily lowered by the amount of the knee prosthesis. In this way, when walking down the stairs, alternate walking is possible unlike the conventional case, and the walking down the stairs can be performed smoothly like a normal person.
In addition, because the toe of the foot of the prosthetic leg can be locked and stopped at the knee joint, the knee joint can be locked and stopped. The prosthetic leg does not break the knee. For this reason, the weight can be temporarily applied to the prosthetic leg, and the other healthy leg can be raised and raised to the staircase position one step higher than the staircase position of the prosthetic leg. Thus, when walking up the stairs, it is possible to walk alternately, unlike the conventional case, and ascending walking up the stairs can be performed smoothly like a normal person.
Furthermore, since the knee joint of the knee joint portion is locked and stopped by the toe grounding of the leg portion of the prosthetic leg, the standing work can be performed with the knees of both the prosthetic leg and the healthy leg slightly bent.
In addition, in the case where the bypass passage is provided, even when the toes touch the ground when walking on a flat ground, knee bending up to 20 degrees to 30 degrees is not locked, so a smooth ground walking can be performed.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically based on the best mode for carrying out the invention described in the drawings.

[Best Mode-1]
Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a prosthetic leg, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the main part of the prosthetic leg, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the main part of the prosthetic leg when the toe is grounded, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a main part of the prosthetic leg when the heel is touched, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a main part of another example of the prosthetic leg when the heel is touched.

  In the figure, a prosthetic leg 1 includes a thigh socket 2 attached to a stump of a cut leg, a crus part 4 movably connected to a lower side of the thigh socket 2 by a knee shaft 3 in the front-rear direction, and a crus part 4. It consists mainly of a lower foot 5, a shock absorber 6 provided between the lower leg 4 and the foot 5, a hydraulic cylinder 7 that resists flexion and extension of the knee shaft 3, and the like. The knee joint portion 8 comprising the pressure cylinder 7 can bend and extend like a knee of a healthy person's leg.

  The upper half side of the thigh socket 2 is a hollow portion, and the upper end of the thigh socket 2 that is the upper end side of the hollow portion is opened. A stump is inserted and attached.

  The shock absorber 6 performs a cushioning function between the thigh socket 2, the knee shaft 3 and the crus 4 and the foot 5, while the toe 5a of the foot 5 is grounded and caused by a reaction force from the ground surface, In addition, since the heel 5b of the foot 5 is grounded and the reaction force from the ground surface causes the respective vertical rotation displacements in the opposite directions, it can also be used as a sensor for detecting each grounding of the toe 5a and the heel 5b of the foot 5. It functions.

  The shock absorber 6 causes a vertical rotation displacement in opposite directions by the grounding of the toe 5a and the heel 5b of the foot portion 5, and causes the lower leg portion 4 and the foot portion 5 to move relative to each other about the rotation shaft 61. It functions to rotate vertically. In the shock absorber 6, an upper plate 62 to which the lower end of the lower leg 4 is connected and a lower plate 63 to which the upper end of the foot 5 is connected are connected to each other by the rotating shaft 61 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.

  The rotation shaft 61 of the shock absorber 6 is provided so as to be positioned between the toe 5a of the foot 5 of the artificial leg 1 and the heel 5b. The rotation shaft 61 is provided at the front ends of the upper board 62 and the lower board 63. The upper board 62 and the lower board 63 are opened up and down around the rotation shaft 61, and the vertical distance is narrowed.

Therefore, when the toe 5a of the foot 5 is grounded, in the example shown in the drawing, the upper board 62 and the lower board 63 of the shock absorber 6 are caused by the clockwise rotational moment due to the reaction force acting on the toe 5a from the grounding surface. Is configured to open up and down about a rotation shaft 61. Conversely, when the heel 5b of the foot 5 is grounded, in the example shown in the drawing, the upper board 62 and the lower board 63 of the shock absorber 6 are caused by the counterclockwise rotational moment caused by the reaction force acting on the heel 5b from the ground surface. The upper and lower sides are narrowed around the rotation shaft 61.

  Further, in the example shown in the drawing, the upper board 62 extends straight rearward from the rotation shaft 61, and the lower board 63 extends a little downward from the rotation shaft 61 and then bends and extends rearward. A gap is formed between the upper board 62 and the lower board 63. Between the upper board 62 and the lower board 63, an elastic member 64 and a spring 65 are provided as an elastic body that performs a cushion function, that is, a buffer function. Either the elastic member 64 or the spring 65 may be omitted as necessary.

  The elastic force of the elastic member 64 functioning as an elastic body and the spring 65 acts in the direction of contraction when the upper panel 62 and the lower panel 63 rotate in the opening direction, and conversely the direction in which the upper panel 62 and the lower panel 63 contract. When it rotates, it works in the direction of opening, and works in the direction of returning the upper board 62 and the lower board 63 to the original state, that is, the unloaded position.

  The hydraulic cylinder 7 adjusts the resistance of the knee for flexion and extension of the knee axis 3, and is provided inside the lower leg part 4 below the knee axis 3. A cylinder chamber 71 is provided inside the hydraulic cylinder 7, and a piston 72 is slidably mounted in the cylinder chamber 71.

  One end of a piston rod 73 is fixed to the piston 72, and the other end side of the piston rod 73 extends to the outside of the hydraulic cylinder 7. In this best mode, the hydraulic cylinder 7 is mounted vertically, the piston rod 73 extends upward, and the upper end of the piston rod 73 that is the other end is slightly behind the rotational center of the knee shaft 3. In addition, the prosthetic leg 1 is rotatably connected to a shaft attached in the left-right width direction.

  In addition, the hydraulic cylinder 7 mounted vertically in the crus 4 is rotatable about a shaft attached in the left-right width direction of the artificial leg 1 with its lower end on the lower side inside the crus 4. It is connected.

  The inside of the cylinder chamber 71 of the hydraulic cylinder 7 is divided into both chambers with the piston 72 interposed therebetween. That is, it is divided into a first cylinder chamber 71A that is a chamber above the piston 72 and a second cylinder chamber 71B that is a chamber below the piston 72 in the drawing. A piston rod 73 passes through the first cylinder chamber 71A.

  Inside the cylinder chamber 71 divided into both chambers with the piston 72 in between, a liquid such as oil is sealed. An extension passage 74, a bent passage 75, and a bypass passage 76 are provided in the hydraulic cylinder 7 so that the liquid in both chambers of the piston 72 flows in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the piston 72 as the piston 72 moves. It has been.

  The extension passage 74 is a passage through which the internal liquid passes when the piston 72 moves in the direction in which the prosthetic leg 1 is extended. Both ends of the extension passage 74 are connected to both ends of the cylinder chamber 71. That is, one end of the extension passage 74 is connected and opened to the end portion side of the first cylinder chamber 71A, and the other end of the extension passage 74 is connected and opened to the end portion side of the second cylinder chamber 71B.

  The extension passage 74 allows the liquid to move from the first cylinder chamber 71A to the second cylinder chamber 71B, and vice versa, that is, a check that prevents the liquid from moving from the second cylinder chamber 71B to the first cylinder chamber 71A. A valve 74a is provided.

  The bent passage 75 is a passage through which the internal liquid passes when the piston 72 moves in the direction of bending the prosthetic leg 1, and both ends of the bent passage 75 are connected and opened to both ends inside the cylinder chamber 71. That is, one end of the bent passage 75 is connected and opened to the end portion side of the second cylinder chamber 71B, and the other end of the bent passage 75 is connected and opened to the end portion side of the first cylinder chamber 71A.

  The bent passage 75 is branched into two portions, a bent passage 75A and a bent passage 75B, at the flow rate adjusting valve 78 described later, and is connected and opened to the end portion side of the first cylinder chamber 71A. In addition, even when the piston 72 moves in the direction in which the artificial leg 1 is extended, a part of the liquid passes through the bent passage 75.

  In the middle of the bent passage 75, a toe grounding lock valve 77, a flow control valve 78, and a heel grounding lock valve 79 are provided in this order from the second cylinder chamber 71B to the first cylinder chamber 71A. The bent passage 75 is branched into two at a location in front of the flow control valve 78, and the saddle grounding lock valve 79 is provided in the middle of one branched bent passage 75A.

  When the toe 5a of the foot 5 of the prosthetic foot 1 is grounded and the upper panel 62 and the lower panel 63 of the shock absorber 6 are rotated in the opening direction by the reaction force from the ground surface, the toe grounding lock valve 77 is Is a valve that blocks the liquid passage from the second cylinder chamber 71B to the first cylinder chamber 71A by actuating and closing the bent passage 75.

  In the toe grounding lock valve 77, the toe 5a of the foot 5 of the prosthetic foot 1 is grounded, and the upper panel 62 and the lower panel 63 of the shock absorber 6 are vertically moved around the rotation shaft 61 by the reaction force from the grounding surface. A toe grounding transmission line 77a made of, for example, a wire is stretched between the toe grounding lock valve 77 and the lower panel 63 of the shock absorber 6 in order to detect this when it rotates in the opening direction.

  One end of the toe grounding transmission line 77 a is connected to the toe grounding lock valve 77, and the other end is connected to the lower board 63. When the lower board 63 moves in the opening direction, the toe grounding transmission line 77a moves as a whole downward in the figure, and one end of the toe grounding transmission line 77a that moves as a whole pulls the toe grounding lock valve 77 in the direction to close the bent passage 75. Thus, the bent passage 75 is locked.

  Thereby, the movement of the liquid from the second cylinder chamber 71B to the first cylinder chamber 71A is prevented, and the piston 72 moves in the direction of bending the prosthetic leg 1, that is, in the drawing, moves to the lower second cylinder chamber 71B side. To stop doing.

  In the figure, the direction of the toe grounding transmission line 77a is changed by a roller 77b provided on the way. The toe grounding lock valve 77 is provided with, for example, a spring spring type valve adjusting tool 77c that biases the valve pulled in the closing direction by the toe grounding transmission line 77a in the opening direction. The valve adjusting tool 77c is adjusted. By doing so, the valve pressure of the toe grounding lock valve 77 pulled by the toe grounding transmission line 77a can be adjusted.

  The flow rate adjusting valve 78 is a valve that adjusts the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the bent passage 75B by adjusting the area of the passage section of one of the bent passages 75B branched in two at the location before the flow rate adjusting valve 78. . For example, a needle valve is used as the flow rate adjusting valve 78. The flow rate adjusting valve 78 increases the bending resistance of the prosthetic leg 1 by reducing the flow rate of the flowing liquid when the heel 5b of the foot part 5 is grounded, so that the knee of the prosthetic leg 1 bends slowly.

  In the heel contact locking valve 79, the heel 5b of the foot portion 5 of the prosthetic foot 1 contacts the ground, and the upper panel 62 and the lower panel 63 of the shock absorber 6 are narrowed vertically around the rotation shaft 61 by a reaction force from the ground surface. Valve that senses and actuates this to close the bent passage 75A and flows through the bent passage 75A to block the flow of liquid moving from the second cylinder chamber 71B to the first cylinder chamber 71A. It is.

  In the heel contact locking valve 79, the heel 5b of the foot portion 5 of the prosthetic foot 1 contacts the ground, and the upper panel 62 and the lower panel 63 of the shock absorber 6 are narrowed vertically around the rotation shaft 61 by a reaction force from the ground surface. In order to detect this when it rotates in a certain direction, a saddle grounding transmission line 79 a made of, for example, a wire is stretched between the saddle grounding lock valve 79 and the upper panel 62 of the shock absorber 6.

  One end of the heel ground transmission line 79 a is connected to the heel ground lock valve 79, and the other end is connected to the upper panel 62. When the upper board 62 moves in the direction of narrowing down about the rotation shaft 61, the heel contact transmission line 79a moves downward in the figure, and one end of the entire heel contact transmission line 79a moves to the heel contact lock. The bent passage 75A is locked by pulling the valve 79 in a direction to close the bent passage 75A.

  This prevents the liquid from flowing from the second cylinder chamber 71B to the first cylinder chamber 71A through the bent passage 75A and increases the resistance of the piston 72 to move in the direction of bending the prosthetic leg 1, that is, in the figure, The resistance to move toward the second cylinder chamber 71B on the side is increased and moved slowly.

  In the figure, the direction of the heel-ground transmission line 79a is changed by a roller 79b provided in the middle. Further, for example, a spring spring type valve adjusting tool 79c for urging the valve pulled in the closing direction by the heel-grounding transmission line 79a to open the valve is attached to the heel-grounding lock valve 79. By doing so, the valve pressure of the saddle grounding lock valve 79 pulled by the saddle grounding transmission line 79a can be adjusted.

  The bypass passage 76 is a passage through which the internal liquid passes until the piston 72 moves in a direction that bends the stretched prosthesis 1 by 20 degrees to 30 degrees. One end of the bypass passage 76 is located at an intermediate portion of the inner side surface of the cylinder chamber 71. The other end of the bypass passage 76 is connected to the bent passage 75 between the toe grounding lock valve 77 and the flow rate adjusting valve 78. The position of the intermediate portion of the inner side surface of the linder chamber 71 where one end of the bypass passage 76 is connected and opened is the seal of the piston 72 that moves to the second cylinder chamber 71B side when the extended artificial leg 1 is bent about 20 to 30 degrees. This is where the surface reaches.

  Even if the toe grounding lock valve 77 is actuated to close the bent passage 75 and the bypass passage 76 is in a locked state, the bypass passage 76 is internally formed until the piston 72 moves in a direction to bend the extended artificial leg 1 by about 20 to 30 degrees. Of liquid is allowed to pass through. That is, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 71B enters the bypass passage 76, flows through the bent passage 75 and the bent passage 75A between the toe grounding lock valve 77 and the flow rate adjusting valve 78, and moves into the first cylinder chamber 71A. It can be done.

  The bypass passage 76 allows the liquid to move from the second cylinder chamber 71B to the first cylinder chamber 71A, and vice versa, that is, a check that prevents the liquid from moving from the first cylinder chamber 71A to the second cylinder chamber 71B. A valve 76a is provided.

Next, the operation based on the configuration of the best mode for carrying out the invention will be described below.
When walking with the thigh socket 2 of the prosthetic leg 1 attached to the stump of the amputated leg, when going up the stairs, the toe 5a of the foot part 5 of the prosthetic leg 1 that has been lifted is lowered to the upper step and grounded. When the weight is moved to the prosthetic leg 1 side, a counterclockwise rotating moment acts on the toe 5a around the rotating shaft 61 of the shock absorber 6 due to the reaction force from the ground contact surface of the staircase. The upper board 62 and the lower board 63 of the shock absorber 6 open in the vertical direction around the rotation shaft 61.

  That is, the lower board 63 rotates downward relative to the upper board 62, so that the toe grounding transmission line 77a having the other end connected to the lower board 63 moves downward and moves as a whole. The toe grounding lock valve 77 connected to one end of the toe grounding transmission line 77a is pulled. The pulled toe grounding lock valve 77 moves to close the bent passage 75. As a result, the bending passage 75 is locked, and the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 71B is prevented from flowing through the bending passage 75 and moving to the first cylinder chamber 71A.

  In this case, when the prosthetic leg 1 is in a straightly extended state, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 71B remains in the bypass passage 76 until the prosthetic leg 1 is bent about 20 degrees to 30 degrees about the knee axis 3. Since the piston 72 can move toward the second cylinder chamber 71B because it can flow into the first cylinder chamber 71A through the bent passage 75 and the bent passage 75A between the toe grounding lock valve 77 and the flow rate adjusting valve 78. As a result, even when the toe grounding lock valve 77 is in the locked state, the piston rod 73 can be slightly contracted by the movement of the piston 72, and the artificial leg 1 can be bent about 20 to 30 degrees around the knee axis 3 in this way. it can.

  When the prosthetic leg 1 bends about 20 to 30 degrees around the knee axis 3, the sealing surface of the moving piston 72 closes one end of the bypass passage 76 that opens to the side surface of the cylinder chamber 71. Thereby, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 71B is completely prevented from moving to the first cylinder chamber 71A. As a result, the piston 72 is completely prevented from moving to the second cylinder chamber 71B, that is, the knee of the artificial leg 1 is bent, and the knee can be prevented from being bent.

  With the whole weight applied to the prosthetic leg 1 that has been prevented from breaking the knee, pull up the leg that was placed on the lower stage and touch it to the stage one level higher than the stage on which the prosthetic leg 1 was placed. Put the total weight, pull up the prosthetic leg 1, and ground the toe 5a of the foot part 5 of the prosthetic leg 1 to the level one higher than the level where the healthy leg is placed. Thereafter, by repeating the same operation alternately, it is possible to smoothly climb the stairs by carrying the same leg as that of a healthy person without causing the knee prosthesis 1 to bend.

  Also, when going down the stairs, if the heel 5b of the foot 5 of the prosthetic leg 1 that has been pulled up is lowered to the lower stairs and the weight is moved to the prosthetic leg 1 side, the heel 5b will come off the ground surface of the stairs. Due to the reaction force, a counterclockwise rotational moment acts around the rotation shaft 61 of the shock absorber 6 in the drawing, and the upper plate 62 and the lower plate 63 of the shock absorber 6 cause the rotation shaft 61 to move. As a center, the vertical interval is narrowed.

  That is, the upper board 62 rotates downward relative to the lower board 63, so that the saddle grounding transmission line 79a having the other end connected to the upper board 62 moves downward as a whole in the drawing and moves as a whole. The heel contact lock valve 79 connected to one end of the heel contact transmission line 79a is pulled. The pulled saddle grounding lock valve 79 moves to close the bent passage 75A. As a result, the bending passage 75A is locked, and the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 71B passes through the bending passage 75 and the flow rate adjusting valve 78, flows through the bending passage 75B, and moves to the first cylinder chamber 71A.

  屈曲 When the bent passage 75A is locked by the grounding lock valve 79, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 71B passes through the flow rate regulating valve 78 in which the flow rate is restricted. The movement resistance toward the chamber 71B increases, that is, the bending resistance of the prosthetic leg 1 increases, and the bending of the prosthetic leg 1 is performed slowly, so that sudden knee bending is prevented.

  With the whole weight applied to the prosthetic leg 1 where the knee is slowly bent, the healthy leg on the upper stage is pulled down. During this time, the prosthetic leg 1 slowly breaks the knee. After touching the prosthetic leg 1 to the next step, place the whole weight on the healthy leg, pull down the prosthetic leg 1, and place the leg 1 on the step one lower than the step on which the healthy leg is placed. Ground 5b of section 5 is grounded. Thereafter, by repeating the same operation alternately, it is possible to smoothly go down the stairs by carrying the same leg as that of a healthy person without causing the knee prosthesis to be broken.

On the other hand, when extending the bent prosthetic leg 1, even if the toe grounding lock valve 77 or the heel grounding lock valve 79 is locked, the extension passage 74 is connected to the toe grounding lock valve 77 or the heel grounding lock valve. 79, so that the liquid in the first cylinder chamber 71A can flow to the second cylinder chamber 71B through the extension passage 74 even when the toe 5a or the heel 5b of the foot 5 is in a grounded state. The prosthetic leg 1 can be stretched.

[Best Mode-2]
Here, FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of a prosthetic leg, FIG. 8 (A) is a cross-sectional side view of the main part of the prosthetic leg, FIG. 8 (B) is a partial view, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of a main part of another example of a prosthetic leg when the toe is grounded, FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of a main part of the prosthetic leg when the heel is grounded, and FIG. It is.

  In the figure, a prosthetic leg 11 includes a thigh socket 12 to be attached to a stump portion of a cut leg, a lower leg portion 14 movably connected to a lower side of the thigh socket 12 by a knee shaft 13 in the front-rear direction, and a lower leg portion 14. It is mainly composed of a lower foot 15, a shock absorber 16 provided between the lower leg 14 and the foot 15, a hydraulic cylinder 17 that resists flexion and extension of the knee shaft 13, and the like. The knee joint portion 18 formed of the pressure cylinder 17 can bend and extend in the same manner as a knee of a healthy human leg.

  The upper half side of the thigh socket 12 is a hollow portion, and the upper end of the thigh socket 12 that is the upper end side of the hollow portion is opened. A stump is inserted and attached.

  The shock absorber 16 performs a cushioning function between the thigh socket 12, the knee shaft 13 and the crus part 14 and the foot part 15, while the toe 15 a of the foot part 15 of the crus part 14 contacts the grounding surface. And the heel 15b of the foot portion 15 is grounded, and the reaction force from the grounding surface causes reverse vertical rotation displacements. The grounding of the toe 15a and the heel 15b of the foot portion 15 It also functions as a sensing sensor.

  The shock absorber 16 causes vertical rotation displacements in opposite directions due to the grounding of the toes 15a and the heels 15b of the foot portion 15, and the lower leg portion 14 and the foot portion 15 about the virtual rotation center 161 of the link structure. The function of rotating the frame up and down relatively is achieved. The shock absorber 16 is provided between the upper board 162 to which the lower end of the lower leg part 14 is connected, the lower board 163 to which the upper end of the foot part 15 is connected, and the upper board 162 and the lower board 163 to constitute a link structure. And a first link plate 165 and a second link plate 166.

  The board 164 is formed obliquely downward from the lower part on the rear side of the upper board 162, and the upper part of the first link plate 165 is pivotally connected to the upper side of the board 164 by the upper link shaft 165a. The lower part of 165 is pivotally connected to the front side of the lower board 163 by a lower link shaft 165b. The upper portion of the second link plate 166 is pivotally connected to the lower end portion of the substrate 164 by the upper link shaft 166a, and the lower portion of the second link plate 166 is rotatable to the rear side of the lower panel 163 by the lower link shaft 166b. It is pivoted to. In the drawing, the first link plate 165 has a length about twice that of the second link plate 166.

  The virtual rotation center 161 of the shock absorber 16 includes a straight extension line connecting the upper link shaft 165a and the lower link shaft 165b of the first link plate 165, and the upper link shaft 166a and the lower link shaft 166b of the second link plate 166. Is located at the point where the extension line of the straight line connecting In the case of the link structure, the link structure does not protrude to the front side even if the virtual rotation center 161 is located near the front side of the foot part 5. A link structure is provided so that the virtual rotation center 161 of the shock absorber 16 is located between the toe 15a of the foot 15 of the artificial leg 11 and the heel 15b. The upper board 162 and the lower board 163 are opened up and down with the virtual rotation center 161 as the center, and the vertical gap is narrowed.

For this reason, when the toe 15a of the foot 15 is grounded, in the example shown in the drawing, the upper panel 162 and the lower panel 163 of the shock absorber 16 are caused by the clockwise rotational moment due to the reaction force acting on the toe 15a from the grounding surface. Is configured to open up and down around a virtual rotation center 161. On the contrary, when the heel 15b of the foot 15 is grounded, in the example shown in the drawing, the upper panel 162 and the lower panel 163 of the shock absorber 16 are caused by the counterclockwise rotational moment due to the reaction force acting on the heel 15b from the ground surface. Is narrowed up and down around the virtual rotation center 161.

  Further, between the upper board 162 and the lower board 163, for example, a cylinder device 167 is provided as an elastic body that performs a cushion function, that is, a buffer function. The cylinder device 167 is attached obliquely downward toward the rear, and the front end side of the piston rod 167a of the cylinder device 167 is rotatably connected to the rear side of the lower panel 163. The upper end side of the cylinder device 167 is rotatably connected to the lower portion of the upper panel 162.

  The elastic force of the cylinder device 167 functioning as an elastic body acts in a direction in which the piston rod 167a contracts when the upper panel 162 and the lower panel 163 are rotated in the opening direction, and conversely, the upper panel 162 and the lower panel 163 When the piston rod 167a is rotated in the contracting direction, the piston rod 167a works in the extending direction, and works in the direction in which the upper board 162 and the lower board 163 are returned to the original state, that is, the unloaded position.

  The hydraulic cylinder 17 adjusts the resistance of the knee for flexion and extension of the knee axis 13, and is provided inside the lower leg 14 below the knee axis 13. A cylinder chamber 171 is provided inside the hydraulic cylinder 17, and a piston 172 is slidably mounted in the cylinder chamber 171.

  One end of a piston rod 173 is fixed to the piston 172, and the other end side of the piston rod 173 extends to the outside of the hydraulic cylinder 17. In this best mode, the hydraulic cylinder 17 is mounted vertically, the piston rod 173 extends upward, and the upper end of the piston rod 173 that is the other end is slightly rearward of the center of rotation of the knee shaft 13. In addition, the prosthetic leg 11 is rotatably connected to a shaft attached in the left-right width direction.

  In addition, the hydraulic cylinder 17 attached in the vertical direction inside the crus 14 is rotatable on an axis attached in the left-right width direction of the artificial leg 11 with its lower end side on the lower side inside the crus 14. It is connected.

  The inside of the cylinder chamber 171 of the hydraulic cylinder 17 is divided into both chambers with the piston 172 interposed therebetween. That is, it is divided into a first cylinder chamber 171A which is a chamber above the piston 172 and a second cylinder chamber 171B which is a chamber below the piston 172 in the drawing. A piston rod 173 is inserted into the first cylinder chamber 171A.

  A liquid such as oil is sealed in the cylinder chamber 171 divided into both chambers with the piston 172 interposed therebetween. An extension passage 174, a bending passage 175, and a bypass passage 176 are provided in the hydraulic cylinder 17 so that the liquid in both chambers of the piston 172 flows in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the piston 172 as the piston 172 moves. It has been.

  The extension passage 174 is a passage through which the internal liquid passes when the piston 172 moves in the direction of extending the prosthesis 11, and both ends of the extension passage 174 are connected and opened to both ends inside the cylinder chamber 171. That is, one end of the extension passage 174 is connected and opened to the end of the first cylinder chamber 171A, and the other end of the extension passage 174 is connected and opened to the end of the second cylinder chamber 171B.

  The extension passage 174 allows the liquid to move from the first cylinder chamber 171A to the second cylinder chamber 171B, and vice versa, that is, a check that prevents the liquid from moving from the second cylinder chamber 171B to the first cylinder chamber 171A. A valve 174a is provided.

  The bent passage 175 is a passage through which the internal liquid passes when the piston 172 moves in the direction in which the artificial leg 11 is bent, and both ends of the bent passage 175 are connected and opened to both ends of the cylinder chamber 171. That is, one end of the bent passage 175 is connected and opened to the end portion side of the second cylinder chamber 171B, and the other end of the bent passage 175 is connected and opened to the end portion side of the first cylinder chamber 171A.

  The bent passage 175 is branched into two portions, a bent passage 175A and a bent passage 175B, at the location of a flow rate adjusting valve 178, which will be described later, and is connected to the end of the first cylinder chamber 171A. Further, even when the piston 172 moves in the direction in which the artificial leg 11 is extended, a part of the liquid passes through the bent passage 175.

  In the middle of the bent passage 175, the toe grounding lock valve 177, the flow rate adjusting valve 178, and the eaves grounding lock valve 179 are provided in this order from the second cylinder chamber 171B toward the first cylinder chamber 171A. The bent passage 175 is branched into two at a location in front of the flow control valve 178, and the saddle grounding lock valve 179 is provided in the middle of one branched bent passage 175A.

  The toe grounding lock valve 177 is provided when the toe 15a of the foot 15 of the prosthetic leg 11 is grounded and the upper panel 162 and the lower panel 163 of the shock absorber 16 are rotated in the opening direction by a reaction force from the grounding surface. Is a valve that blocks the liquid passage from the second cylinder chamber 171B to the first cylinder chamber 171A by actuating and closing the bent passage 175.

  The toe grounding lock valve 177 has a toe 15a on the foot 15 of the prosthetic foot 11 grounded, and the upper panel 162 and the lower panel 163 of the shock absorber 16 are vertically moved around the virtual rotation center 161 by a reaction force from the grounding surface. In order to detect this when it rotates in the direction of opening, the toe grounding made of, for example, a wire between the toe grounding lock valve 177 and the connecting plate 167b attached to the piston rod 167a of the cylinder device 167 of the shock absorber 16 A transmission line 177a is stretched.

  One end of the toe grounding transmission line 177a is connected to the toe grounding lock valve 177, and the other end is connected to the connecting plate 167b of the piston rod 167a. When the lower plate 163 moves in the opening direction, the piston rod 167a of the cylinder device 167 extends, the connecting plate 167b of the piston rod 167a moves downward, and the toe grounding transmission line 177a moves downward in the figure. One end of the toe grounding transmission line 177a that moves as a whole pulls the toe grounding lock valve 177 in a direction to close the bent passage 175, thereby locking the bent passage 175.

  Thereby, the movement of the liquid from the second cylinder chamber 171B to the first cylinder chamber 171A is prevented, and the piston 172 moves in the direction in which the artificial leg 11 is bent, that is, moves to the lower second cylinder chamber 171B side in the drawing. To stop doing.

  In the figure, the direction of the toe grounding transmission line 177a is changed by a roller 177b provided in the middle. Further, for example, a spring spring type valve adjustment tool 177c is attached to the toe grounding lock valve 177 to bias the valve pulled in the closing direction by the toe grounding transmission line 177a, and this valve adjusting tool 177c is adjusted. By doing so, the valve pressure of the toe grounding lock valve 177 pulled by the toe grounding transmission line 177a can be adjusted.

  The flow rate adjusting valve 178 is a valve that adjusts the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the bent passage 175B by adjusting the area of the cross section of one of the bent passages 175B branched in two at the location before the flow rate adjusting valve 178. . For example, a needle valve is used as the flow rate adjusting valve 178. The flow rate adjusting valve 178 increases the bending resistance of the prosthetic leg 11 by reducing the flow rate of the flowing liquid when the heel 15b of the foot part 15 is grounded, so that the knee of the prosthetic leg 11 bends slowly.

  The heel contact lock valve 179 is configured such that the heel 15b of the foot portion 15 of the prosthetic foot 11 contacts the ground, and the upper panel 162 and the lower panel 163 of the shock absorber 16 are vertically moved around the virtual rotation center 161 by a reaction force from the ground surface. When it rotates in a narrowing direction, this is sensed and actuated to close the bent passage 175A and prevent the flow of the liquid flowing through the bent passage 175A from the second cylinder chamber 171B to the first cylinder chamber 171A. It is a valve.

  The heel contact lock valve 179 is configured such that the heel 15b of the foot portion 15 of the prosthetic foot 11 contacts the ground, and the upper panel 162 and the lower panel 163 of the shock absorber 16 are vertically moved around the virtual rotation center 161 by a reaction force from the ground surface. In order to detect this when it is rotated in a narrowing direction, a saddle grounding transmission line 179 a made of, for example, a wire is stretched between the saddle grounding lock valve 179 and the upper panel 162 of the shock absorber 16.

  One end of the ground contact transmission line 179a is connected to the ground contact lock valve 179, and the other end is reversed 180 degrees by the reverse roller 167c on the front side of the connection plate 167b of the piston rod 167a and then returned to the rear side and connected to the connection plate 167b. Has been. When the upper panel 162 moves in the direction of narrowing downward about the virtual rotation center 161, the piston rod 167a of the cylinder device 167 contracts, and the connecting plate 167b of the piston rod 167a moves to the upper cylinder device 167 side. However, since the other end side of the heel-grounding transmission line 179a is reversed upward by the reversing roller 167c, the heel-grounding transmission line 179a moves entirely downward except for the reversing side in FIG. One end of the grounding transmission line 179a pulls the saddle grounding lock valve 179 in a direction to close the bending passage 175A to lock the bending passage 175A.

  Accordingly, the liquid is prevented from moving from the second cylinder chamber 171B to the first cylinder chamber 171A through the bending passage 175A, and the resistance of the piston 172 to move in the direction of bending the prosthesis 11 is increased. The resistance to move toward the second cylinder chamber 171B on the side is increased and moved slowly.

  In the drawing, the direction of the heel-ground transmission line 179a is changed by a roller 179b provided in the middle. Further, for example, a spring spring type valve adjustment tool 179c that biases the valve pulled in the closing direction by the saddle contact transmission line 179a to open the valve is attached to the saddle contact lock valve 179, and this valve adjustment tool 179c is adjusted. By doing so, the valve pressure of the saddle grounding lock valve 179 pulled by the saddle grounding transmission line 179a can be adjusted.

  The bypass passage 176 is a passage through which the internal liquid passes until the piston 172 moves in a direction in which the stretched artificial leg 11 is bent by about 20 to 30 degrees, and one end of the bypass passage 176 is at an intermediate portion on the inner side surface of the cylinder chamber 171. The other end of the bypass passage 176 is connected to and communicated with a bent passage 175 between the toe grounding lock valve 177 and the flow rate adjustment valve 178. The position of the intermediate portion of the inner side surface of the linder chamber 171 to which one end of the bypass passage 176 is connected and opened is the seal of the piston 172 that moves to the second cylinder chamber 171B side when the extended prosthetic leg 11 is bent about 20 degrees to 30 degrees. This is where the surface reaches.

  Even if the toe grounding lock valve 177 is actuated to close the bent passage 175 and the bypass passage 176 is in a locked state, the bypass passage 176 is not provided until the piston 172 moves in a direction to bend the extended artificial leg 11 by about 20 to 30 degrees. Of liquid is allowed to pass through. That is, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 171B enters the bypass passage 176, flows through the bent passage 175 and the bent passage 175A between the toe grounding lock valve 177 and the flow rate adjusting valve 178, and moves into the first cylinder chamber 171A. It can be done.

  The bypass passage 176 allows the liquid to move from the second cylinder chamber 171B to the first cylinder chamber 171A, and vice versa, that is, a check that prevents the liquid from moving from the first cylinder chamber 171A to the second cylinder chamber 171B. A valve 176a is provided.

Next, the operation based on the configuration of the best mode for carrying out the invention will be described below.
When walking with the thigh socket 12 of the prosthetic leg 11 attached to the stump of the amputated leg, when going up the stairs, the toe 15a of the leg 15 of the prosthetic leg 11 that has been lifted is lowered to the upper step and grounded. When the weight is moved to the prosthetic leg 11 side, a clockwise rotational moment acts on the toe 15a around the virtual rotation center 161 of the shock absorber 16 in the figure due to the reaction force from the ground contact surface of the staircase. Thus, the upper panel 162 and the lower panel 163 of the shock absorber 16 are opened in the vertical direction around the virtual rotation center 161.

  That is, when the lower board 163 rotates downward relative to the upper board 162, the piston rod 167a of the cylinder device 167 extends, the connecting plate 167b of the piston rod 167a moves downward, and the piston rod 167a is connected. The toe grounding transmission line 177a whose other end is connected to the plate 167b moves downward in the drawing, and pulls the toe grounding lock valve 177 to which one end of the toe grounding transmission line 177a that moves as a whole is connected. The pulled toe grounding lock valve 177 moves to close the bent passage 175. Accordingly, the bent passage 175 is locked, and the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 171B is prevented from flowing through the bent passage 175 and moving to the first cylinder chamber 171A.

  In this case, when the prosthetic leg 11 is in a straightly extended state, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 171B is bypassed by the bypass passage 176 until the prosthetic leg 11 bends about 20 to 30 degrees about the knee axis 13. The piston 172 moves toward the second cylinder chamber 171B because it can move through the bent passage 175 and the bent passage 175A between the toe grounding lock valve 177 and the flow rate adjusting valve 178 and move into the first cylinder chamber 171A. Thereby, even when the toe grounding lock valve 177 is in the locked state, the piston rod 173 can be slightly contracted by the movement of the piston 172, and the artificial leg 11 can be bent about 20 to 30 degrees around the knee axis 13 in this way. it can.

  When the prosthetic leg 11 bends about 20 to 30 degrees about the knee axis 13, the sealing surface of the moving piston 172 closes one end of the bypass passage 176 that opens to the side surface of the cylinder chamber 171. Thereby, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 171B is completely prevented from moving to the first cylinder chamber 171A. As a result, the piston 172 moves to the second cylinder chamber 171B, that is, the knee of the prosthetic leg 11 is completely prevented from bending, and the knee can be prevented from being bent.

  With the whole weight applied to the prosthetic leg 11 that has been prevented from breaking the knee, the leg that was placed on the lower stage is pulled up and grounded one level above the stage on which the prosthetic leg 11 was placed. Put the total weight, pull up the prosthetic leg 11, and ground the toe 15a of the foot 15 of the prosthetic leg 11 on the level one higher than the level where the healthy leg is placed. Thereafter, by repeating the same operation alternately, the stairs can be smoothly climbed by carrying the same leg as that of a healthy person without causing the knee prosthesis to bend.

  Also, when going down the stairs, if the heel 15b of the foot portion 15 of the prosthetic leg 11 that has been pulled up is lowered to the lower stage and the weight is moved to the prosthetic leg 11 side, the heel 15b is moved from the ground surface of the stairs. Due to the reaction force, a counterclockwise rotation moment acts around the virtual rotation center 161 of the shock absorber 16 in the drawing, and the upper plate 162 and the lower plate 163 of the shock absorber 16 cause the virtual rotation center to move. An interval in the vertical direction is reduced with 161 being the center.

  That is, when the upper board 162 is rotated downward relative to the lower board 163, the piston rod 167a of the cylinder device 167 contracts, and the connecting plate 167b of the piston rod 167a moves to the upper cylinder device 167 side. Since the other end side of the heel-grounding transmission line 179a is inverted upward by the reversing roller 167c, the heel-grounding transmission line 179a moves in the lower side except for the inverting side in FIG. The saddle grounding lock valve 179 connected to one end of the 179a is pulled. The pulled ground contact lock valve 179 moves to close the bent passage 175A. As a result, the bending passage 175A is locked, and the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 171B flows through the bending passage 175B through the bending passage 175 and the flow rate adjusting valve 178, and moves to the first cylinder chamber 171A.

  屈曲 When the bent passage 175A is locked by the grounding lock valve 179, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber 171B passes through the flow rate regulating valve 178 whose flow rate is restricted, so that the second cylinder of the piston 172 The resistance to movement toward the chamber 171B is increased, that is, the bending resistance of the prosthetic leg 11 is increased, and the bending of the prosthetic leg 11 is performed slowly, so that sudden knee bending is prevented.

  With the whole weight applied to the prosthetic leg 11 where the knee is slowly bent, the healthy leg placed on the upper stage is pulled down. During this time, the prosthetic leg 11 slowly breaks the knee. After touching the prosthetic leg 11, the ground is placed one level below the stage where the prosthetic leg 11 is placed, and then the whole weight is placed on the healthy leg, the prosthetic leg 11 is pulled down, and the leg of the prosthetic leg 11 is placed one level below the stage where the healthy leg is placed. The flange 15b of the part 15 is grounded. Thereafter, by repeating the same operation alternately, the stairs can be smoothly lowered by carrying the same leg as that of a healthy person without causing the knee prosthesis to be broken.

  On the other hand, when extending the bent prosthetic leg 11, even if the toe grounding lock valve 177 and the heel grounding lock valve 179 are locked, the extension passage 174 is connected to the toe grounding lock valve 177 and the heel grounding lock valve. 179, so that even if the toe 15a or the heel 15b of the foot 15 is in a grounded state, the liquid in the first cylinder chamber 171A can flow to the second cylinder chamber 171B side through the extension passage 174, and therefore bends. The prosthetic leg 11 can be stretched.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the best mode for carrying out the invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, either the toe grounding lock valve or the heel grounding lock valve may be omitted as necessary. When the toe grounding lock valve is omitted, the toe grounding lock valves 77 and 177, the toe grounding transmission lines 77a and 177a, the rollers 77b and 177b, the valve adjusters 77c and 177c, the bypass passages 76 and 176, and the check valve 76a. , 176a is omitted. In the case of omitting the saddle grounding lock valve, the saddle grounding lock valves 79 and 179, the saddle grounding transmission lines 79a and 179a, the rollers 79b and 179b, the valve adjusters 79c and 179c, the reverse roller 167c, and the bending passage 75A, 175A is omitted. Furthermore, when having a toe grounding lock valve, the bypass passages 76 and 176 and the check valves 76a and 176a may be omitted as necessary.

It is a schematic side view of the artificial leg which shows the best form-1 for implementing this invention. It is principal part side sectional drawing of the artificial leg which shows the best form-1 for implementing this invention. It is principal part side sectional drawing of the artificial leg at the time of toe grounding which shows the best form-1 for implementing this invention. It is principal part side sectional drawing of the other example of the artificial leg at the time of toe grounding which shows the best form-1 for implementing this invention. It is principal part side sectional drawing of the artificial leg at the time of heel contact | grounding which shows the best form-1 for implementing this invention. It is principal part side sectional drawing of the other examples of the artificial leg at the time of heel contact | grounding which shows the best form-1 for implementing this invention. It is a schematic side view of the artificial leg which shows the best form-2 for implementing this invention. (A) is principal part side sectional drawing of the artificial leg which shows the best form-2 for implementing this invention. (B) is a partial view showing the best mode-2 for carrying out the present invention. It is principal part side sectional drawing of the artificial leg at the time of toe grounding which shows the best form-2 for implementing this invention. It is principal part side sectional drawing of the other example of the artificial leg at the time of toe grounding which shows the best form-2 for implementing this invention. It is principal part side sectional drawing of the artificial leg at the time of heel contact | grounding which shows the best form-2 for implementing this invention. It is principal part side sectional drawing of the other example of the artificial leg at the time of heel contact | grounding which shows the best form-2 for implementing this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Prosthetic leg 2 Thigh socket 3 Knee axis 4 Lower leg part 5 Foot part 5a Toe 5b 踵 6 Shock absorber 61 Rotating shaft 62 Upper panel 63 Lower panel 64 Elastic material 65 Spring 7 Hydraulic cylinder 71 Cylinder chamber 71A First cylinder chamber 71B Second cylinder chamber 72 Piston 73 Piston rod 74 Extension passage 74a Check valve 75 Bending passage 75A Bending passage 75B Bending passage 76 Bypass passage 76a Check valve 77 Toe grounding lock valve 77a Toe grounding transmission line 77b Roller 77c Valve adjuster 78 Flow rate Control valve 79 踵 Grounding lock valve 79a 踵 Grounding transmission line 79b Roller 79c Valve adjustment tool 8 Knee joint part 11 Prosthetic leg 12 Thigh socket 13 Knee axis 14 Lower leg part 15 Foot part 15a Toe 15b １６ 16 Shock absorber 161 Virtual rotation center 162 Upper panel 163 Lower panel 164 Board 65 First link plate 165a Upper link shaft 165b Lower link shaft 166 Second link plate 166a Upper link shaft 166b Lower link shaft 167 Cylinder device 167a Piston rod 167b Connecting plate 167c Reverse roller 17 Hydraulic cylinder 171 Cylinder chamber 171A First cylinder chamber 171B Second cylinder chamber 172 Piston 173 Piston rod 174 Extension passage 174a Check valve 175 Bending passage 175A Bending passage 175B Bending passage 176 Bypass passage 176a Check valve 177 Toe grounding lock valve 177a Toe grounding transmission line 177b Roller 177c Valve 177c Flow control valve 179 踵 Grounding lock valve 179a 踵 Grounding transmission line 179b Roller 179c Valve adjuster 18 Knee joint

Claims (5)

In a prosthetic leg that is mounted as a leg substitute on a leg that is cut proximal to the knee and is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder that adjusts the resistance to flexion and extension of the knee joint, the lower leg and foot below the knee joint When a shock absorber is installed in which the toe of the foot and the heel of the foot are turned upside down in opposite directions, and the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of extending the artificial leg An extension passage is provided through which the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes into the second cylinder chamber with the piston interposed therebetween, and the liquid in the first cylinder chamber is allowed to move and pass into the second cylinder chamber, and vice versa. A check valve is provided in the extension passage, and when the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of bending the artificial leg, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber is sandwiched between the piston and the first cylinder. A bent passage that moves and passes through the room is provided, and the bent passage is branched into two on the way and connected to the first cylinder chamber side. A grounding lock valve that closes the passage is provided, a flow control valve is provided in the middle of the other bent passage after branching, and the shock absorber and the grounding lock valve are connected by a grounding transmission line. A prosthetic leg characterized in that the vertical rotation displacement of the shock absorber is transmitted by a ground contact transmission line to actuate the ground contact lock valve in the closing direction. In a prosthetic leg that is mounted as a leg substitute on a leg that is cut proximal to the knee and is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder that adjusts the resistance to flexion and extension of the knee joint, the lower leg and foot below the knee joint When a shock absorber is installed in which the toe of the foot and the heel of the foot are turned upside down in opposite directions, and the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of extending the artificial leg An extension passage is provided through which the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes into the second cylinder chamber with the piston interposed therebetween, and the liquid in the first cylinder chamber is allowed to move and pass into the second cylinder chamber, and vice versa. A check valve is provided in the extension passage, and when the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of bending the artificial leg, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber is sandwiched between the piston and the first cylinder. A bent passage that moves through the room is provided, and a toe grounding lock valve that closes the bent passage when the toe of the foot of the prosthesis is grounded is provided in the middle of the bent passage, and the flow rate is adjusted in the middle of the bent passage on the downstream side of the toe grounding lock valve. Provide a valve, connect the shock absorber and the toe grounding lock valve with the toe grounding transmission line, transmit the vertical displacement of the shock absorber due to the toe grounding of the foot of the prosthetic leg through the toe grounding transmission line, and close the toe grounding lock valve A prosthetic leg that is actuated in a direction. In a prosthetic leg that is mounted as a leg substitute on a leg that is cut proximal to the knee and is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder that adjusts the resistance to flexion and extension of the knee joint, the lower leg and foot below the knee joint When a shock absorber is installed in which the toe of the foot and the heel of the foot are turned upside down in opposite directions, and the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of extending the artificial leg An extension passage is provided through which the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes into the second cylinder chamber with the piston interposed therebetween, and the liquid in the first cylinder chamber is allowed to move and pass into the second cylinder chamber, and vice versa. A check valve is provided in the extension passage, and when the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of bending the artificial leg, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber is sandwiched between the piston and the first cylinder. A bent passage that moves through the room is provided, and a toe grounding lock valve that closes the bent passage when the toe of the foot of the prosthesis is grounded is provided in the middle of the bent passage, and the flow rate is adjusted in the middle of the bent passage on the downstream side of the toe grounding lock valve. A valve is provided, and a bypass passage is provided through which liquid in the second cylinder chamber moves toward the first cylinder chamber until the piston moves in a direction in which the extended artificial leg is bent by about 20 to 30 degrees, and one end of the bypass passage is provided. Is connected to the intermediate part of the inner side of the cylinder chamber, the other end of the bypass passage is connected to the bent passage between the toe grounding lock valve and the flow control valve, and the shock absorber and the toe grounding lock valve are connected to the toe grounding transmission line. The toe grounding lock valve is actuated in the closing direction by transmitting the vertical rotation displacement of the shock absorber due to the toe grounding of the foot of the prosthetic leg through the toe grounding transmission line. . In a prosthetic leg that is mounted as a leg substitute on a leg that is cut proximal to the knee and is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder that adjusts the resistance to flexion and extension of the knee joint, the lower leg and foot below the knee joint When a shock absorber is installed in which the toe of the foot and the heel of the foot are turned upside down in opposite directions, and the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of extending the artificial leg An extension passage is provided through which the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes into the second cylinder chamber with the piston interposed therebetween, and the liquid in the first cylinder chamber is allowed to move and pass into the second cylinder chamber, and vice versa. A check valve is provided in the extension passage, and when the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of bending the artificial leg, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber is sandwiched between the piston and the first cylinder. A bent passage that moves and passes through the room is provided, and the bent passage is branched into two on the way and connected to the first cylinder chamber side. The bent passage is connected to the toe of the foot portion of the artificial leg in the middle of the bent passage before the branch. A closed toe grounding lock valve is provided, a grounding lock valve is provided in the middle of one bent passage after branching to close the bent passage by grounding the foot of the artificial leg, and the flow rate is adjusted in the middle of the other bent passage after branching. Provide a valve, connect the shock absorber and the toe grounding lock valve with the toe grounding transmission line, transmit the vertical displacement of the shock absorber due to the toe grounding of the foot of the prosthetic leg through the toe grounding transmission line, and close the toe grounding lock valve The shock absorber and the heel grounding lock valve are connected by the heel grounding transmission line, and the vertical displacement of the shock absorber caused by the heel grounding of the foot of the artificial leg is transmitted by the heel grounding transmission line. Specially operated in the closing direction Prosthetic limb to. In a prosthetic leg that is mounted as a leg substitute on a leg that is cut proximal to the knee and is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder that adjusts the resistance to flexion and extension of the knee joint, the lower leg and foot below the knee joint When a shock absorber is installed in which the toe of the foot and the heel of the foot are turned upside down in opposite directions, and the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of extending the artificial leg An extension passage is provided through which the liquid in the first cylinder chamber moves and passes into the second cylinder chamber with the piston interposed therebetween, and the liquid in the first cylinder chamber is allowed to move and pass into the second cylinder chamber, and vice versa. A check valve is provided in the extension passage, and when the piston in the cylinder chamber of the hydraulic cylinder moves in the direction of bending the artificial leg, the liquid in the second cylinder chamber is sandwiched between the piston and the first cylinder. A bent passage that moves and passes through the room is provided, and the bent passage is branched into two on the way and connected to the first cylinder chamber side. The bent passage is connected to the toe of the foot portion of the artificial leg in the middle of the bent passage before the branch. A closed toe grounding lock valve is provided, a grounding lock valve is provided in the middle of one bent passage after branching to close the bent passage by grounding the foot of the artificial leg, and the flow rate is adjusted in the middle of the other bent passage after branching. A valve is provided, and a bypass passage is provided through which liquid in the second cylinder chamber moves toward the first cylinder chamber until the piston moves in a direction in which the extended artificial leg is bent by about 20 to 30 degrees, and one end of the bypass passage is provided. Connect the other end of the bypass passage to the bent passage between the toe grounding lock valve and the flow control valve, and connect the shock absorber to the toe grounding lock valve. Connected with the transmission line, the vertical displacement of the shock absorber caused by the toe grounding of the foot of the prosthetic leg is transmitted with the toe grounding transmission line to operate the toe grounding lock valve in the closing direction. A prosthetic foot that is connected by a grounding transmission line and transmits the vertical rotation displacement of the shock absorber by the grounding of the foot portion of the prosthetic leg through the heeling grounding transmission line to operate the heeling grounding lock valve in the closing direction.

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