# US 11,298,247 B2 · Prosthetic knee joint > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,298,247 B2 - Document ID: US11298247B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/377,057 - Filed: 2019-04-05 - Published: 2019-08-01 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2014-01-03 - Assignees: Ottobock SE & Co. Kgaa - Applicants: Herman Boiten - Inventors: Herman Boiten - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298247B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/644: {of the single-bar or multi-bar linkage type} - A61F 2/642: {Polycentric joints, without longitudinal rotation} - A61F 2002/5003: {having damping means, e.g. shock absorbers} - A61F 2002/5007: {having elastic means different from springs, e.g. including an elastomeric insert} - A61F 2002/5009: {having two or more elastomeric blocks} - A61F 2002/5087: {Sound-damping or noise-reducing means} - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract A prosthetic knee joint includes an upper part, a lower part which is arranged pivotably to the upper part, a fastening device arranged on the upper part for a proximal prosthetic element, a fastening device arranged on the lower part for a distal prosthetic element, a four-limbed joint system with four linkages articulatedly fastened to each other, which are each pivotable to each other around a pivot axis, wherein the upper part is arranged on the joint system. The joint system may be mounted pivotably on the lower part from a starting position counter to a spring force during a stance phase flexion, and the action line of the spring force may be aligned such that a moment acting against an inflexion of the joint system is present. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A prosthetic knee joint comprising: an upper part; a lower part, which is arranged on the upper part in a manner pivotable thereto; a fastening device arranged on the upper part and provided for a proximal prosthetic element; a fastening device arranged on the lower part and provided for a distal prosthetic element; a four-member joint system with four joint members, which are fastened to one another in an articulated manner and are pivotable with respect to one another about respective pivot axes; a multi-link system to which the four-member joint system is mounted, the multi-link system having pivot axes that are noncoincident with the pivot axes of the joint system, the multi-link system including a multi-link system spring element; wherein the upper part is arranged on the four-member joint system, the four-member joint system is mounted on the lower part so as to be pivotable from a starting position counter to a spring force generated by the multi-link system spring element during a stance phase flexion such that as the stance phase flexion increases, an action line of the spring force tilts in the anterior direction such that an increasing moment acting against a buckling of the four-member joint system is present and the positions of the four joint members with respect to one another remain unchanged; and wherein the four-member joint system has a mechanical extension stop. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The prosthetic knee joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the momentum acting counter to the buckling is increased as the angle of pivoting of the four-member joint system with respect to the lower part increases. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The prosthetic knee joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the four joint members of the four-member joint system each have a fixed length. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The prosthetic knee joint as claimed in claim 3, wherein the four-member joint system has a distal joint member which is mounted on the lower part about an anterior pivot axis, which is arranged distally in relation to an anterior pivot axis of the four-member joint system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The prosthetic knee joint as claimed in claim 3, wherein the four-member joint system has a posterior joint member which is continued beyond a distal pivot axis and, in the continuation, has a proximal pivot axis for the multi-link system spring element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The prosthetic knee joint as claimed in claim 5, wherein the multi-link system spring element has a distal bearing point, and a connecting line between the distal bearing point and the proximal pivot axis extends anteriorly with respect to the distal pivot axis of the posterior joint member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The prosthetic knee joint claim 5, wherein the four-member joint system is supported on the lower part via the multi-link system, and the fastening points of the multi-link system do not coincide with the pivot axes of the four-member joint system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The prosthetic knee joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein a four-member joint system spring element is arranged on a distal joint member of the four-member joint system, is supported on a proximal joint member of the four-member joint system, and is compressed during movement of the four member joint system during a swing phase. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The prosthetic knee joint as claimed in claim 8, wherein the four-member joint system spring element is designed as a compressible elastomer element. ### Claim 10 A prosthetic knee joint, comprising: an upper part; a fastening device on a top side of the upper part; a multi-member joint system comprising: a first joint member proximate a lower portion of the upper part; an anterior joint member pivotably coupled to an anterior of the first joint member; a posterior joint member pivotably coupled to a posterior of the first joint member; a distal joint member pivotably coupled to the anterior joint member at a distal end of the anterior joint member and the distal joint member pivotably coupled to the posterior joint member at a distal end of the posterior joint member; a lower part positioned distal the upper part and pivotably coupled to the multi-member joint system; and a distal fastening device coupled to the lower part at a distal end of the lower part; a multi-link system comprising pivot axes that are separate from pivot axes of the multi-member joint system, the multi-link system including a multi-link system spring element; wherein the upper part is arranged on the multi-member joint system, the multi-member joint system is mounted on the lower part so as to be pivotable from a starting position counter to a spring force generated by the multi-link system spring element during a stance phase flexion such that as the stance phase flexion increases, an action line of the spring force tilts in the anterior direction such that an increasing moment acting against a buckling of the multi-member joint system is present and the positions of the first joint member, the anterior joint member, the posterior joint member, and the distal joint member with respect to one another remain unchanged; and wherein the multi-member joint system has a mechanical extension stop, the mechanical extension stop positioned to limit joint member displacement in an extension direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The prosthetic knee joint of claim 10, the multi-member joint system further comprising: an anterior pivot axis coupling the first joint member and the anterior joint member; a posterior pivot axis coupling the first joint member and the posterior joint member; a distal pivot axis coupling the anterior joint member and the distal joint member; a fourth pivot axis coupling the posterior joint member and the distal joint member; wherein the distances between the pivot axis are fixed and the joint members are able to rotate with respect to one another. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The prosthetic knee joint of claim 11, further comprising: a multi-member joint system spring element arranged inside the multi-member joint system, the multi-member joint system spring element coupled to a proximal end of the upper part and a distal end of the distal joint member; a distal bearing point located on the distal joint member between the distal pivot axis and the fourth pivot axis, the distal bearing point coupling the multi-member joint system spring element to the distal joint member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The prosthetic knee joint of claim 10, further comprising: a proximal pivot axis located on the lower part, the proximal pivot axis coupling the distal joint member of the multi-member joint system to the lower part, wherein the multi-link system spring element is pivotally coupled to the posterior joint member of the multi-member joint system at a proximal end of the multi-link system spring element and the multi-link system spring element is further coupled to the lower part at a lower pivot axis on a distal end of the multi-link system spring element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The prosthetic knee joint of claim 13, wherein the proximal pivot axis is spaced distally apart from the distal pivot axis such that the multi-member joint system is pivotally coupled to the lower part. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The prosthetic knee joint of claim 13, wherein the multi-link system spring element comprises an elastomer element, wherein the starting position is prior to simulating a bending position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The prosthetic knee joint of claim 10, wherein the joint members of the multi-member joint system each have a fixed length. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The prosthetic knee joint of claim 10, wherein the first joint member is formed on the upper part and is substantially horizontally oriented. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The prosthetic knee joint of claim 10, wherein displacement of the multi-member joint system enables pivoting of the upper part to the lower during a swing phase of the prosthetic knee joint.