Importance

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Abstract

A robotic knee for mounting on an upper leg stump of an allows movement from a standing position to a normal walking position and then to a kneeling position and return to a standing position. A mounting plate receives the upper leg stump of an amputee. The knee includes a housing having a drive motor which can be rotated in one direction to bend the knee and then reversed to straighten the knee. The drive motor turns a worm gear which engages a main drive gear. A pair of extension pulleys is mounted on a main drive gear shaft attached to the main drive gear. A pair of extension cables is attached at a first end to the extension pulleys and wrapped thereon. A second end of the extension cables is attached to a front portion of a mounting plate. A pair of flexion pulleys is also attached to the main drive gear. A pair of flexion cables is attached at a first end to the flexion pulleys and wrapped thereon. A second end of the flexion cables is attached to a rear portion of the mounting plate. On a bottom of the mounting plate is disposed a rack with rack teeth. The rack teeth engage a walking gear segment, thereby allowing the mounting plate to be moved up and down in a rocking motion by the extension and flexion cables, the rack teeth rock on the walking gear segment allowing the knee to simulate a natural rocking motion.

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First Claim