KNEE JOINT INCLUDING MANUAL LOCK MECHANISM AND ARTIFICIAL THIGH

摘要

Technology of a manual lock mechanism for manually switching over oscillation of an upper member and a lower member at a knee joint between locked and unlocked conditions. A simple structure of the manual lock mechanism and size reduction of the knee joint or an artificial leg are aimed at in particular. For these purposes, one of oscillating shafts for swingably coupling the upper member and the lower member is regulated. Therefore, the manual lock mechanism includes the oscillating shaft including an irregular part and a lock member for regulating the movement of the oscillating shaft. The lock member can be switched over between the locked condition of being in contact with the irregular part of the shaft and the unlocked condition of being separate from the irregular part. When locked, force from the oscillating shaft is applied as compression load in the longitudinal direction of the lock member.