LONG LEG BRACE WITH LOAD BRAKE

摘要

A long leg brace for smoothening transition from a stance phase to a swing phase. More specifically, a long leg brace for locking the knee surely at an arbitrary angular position by a load due to the weight of a patient, and allowing transition to unlocked knee immediately after removal of the load without requiring any extra operation. As shown on Fig. 1, rotation of a knee shaft gear (23) for transmitting rotation of a knee shaft (21) is increased by a factor of 8 by a speed increasing gear train (25) and transmitted to a brake drum (41). A wire (31) passed around the brake drum (41) is coupled with a load detection member, i.e. first and second levers (27, 28). When a foot holding portion (18) lands and a first lever (27) is stepped on, the wire (31) is pulled downward by its weight load to apply brake. Brake torque is amplified by a factor of 8 and transmitted to the knee shaft (21). Consequently, the long leg brace is locked surely by a brake system even with a small force by the load of the weight and giving-way of the knee can be eliminated. Furthermore, transition to unlocked state is smoothened because of the brake system.