John T Horne

US Patent:

20200323656, Oct 15, 2020

Filed:

Dec 20, 2018

Appl. No.:

16/956434

Inventors:

- Newark DE, US
Claire PADDOCK - Washington MO, US
Sean WALKER - Newark DE, US
John HORNE - Wilmington DE, US

International Classification:

A61F 2/64

Abstract:

A prosthetic knee () for a transfemoral amputee has a monocentric rotational joint () that rotatably attaches an upper housing () attachable to the amputee's residual limb to a lower housing () attachable to a below-the knee prosthesis. A locking mechanism () disposed in the lower housing () has a piston () biased in a locked position releasably engaging the upper housing () preventing rotation of the rotational joint (). An unlocking mechanism () having a trigger () attached to a posterior side of the lower housing () by a pair of spaced-apart trigger links () is configured to unlock the locking mechanism (). A piston rod () having a first piston-rod end () pivotably attached to one of the trigger links () has a second piston-rod end () pivotably attached to the piston (). A force applied to the trigger () causes the first piston-rod end () to pivot counterclockwise driving the piston rod () downwardly disengaging the piston () from the locked position, allowing rotation of the rotational joint ().