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AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsW. Neill Myers, Michael D. Shadoan, John C. Forbes, Kevin J. Baker, Darron C. Rice
Estimating the term…
A knee brace for aiding in rehabilitation of damaged leg muscles includes upper and lower housings normally pivotable one relative to the other about the knee joint axis of a patient. The upper housing is attachable to the thigh of the patient above the knee joint while the lower housing is secured to a stirrup which extends downwardly along the patient's leg and is attached to the patient's shoe. An actuation rod is carried within the lower housing and is coupled to a cable. The upper and lower housings carry cooperative clutch/brake elements which normally are disengaged to permit relative movement between the upper and lower housings. When the cable is extended the clutch/brake elements engage and lock the housings together. A heel strike mechanism fastened to the stirrup and the heel of the shoe is connected to the cable to selectively extend the cable and lock the brace in substantially any position when the patient places weight on the heel.
A knee brace for a patient rehabilitating from leg damage, said brace comprising harness means for attachment about the leg of the patient above the knee, articulating brace means positionable at each side of the knee, each articulating brace means having an upper housing and a lower housing, means for securing each upper housing at a respective side of the leg of the patient to said harness, an elongated stirrup secured to each lower housing and adapted to extend lengthwise along a respective side of the leg of the patient below the knee, means for securing each stirrup to the leg of the patient below the knee, journal means for pivotably mounting each lower housing relative to a respective upper housing for relative movement about a lateral axis positionable so as to be substantially aligned with the knee, each upper housing having first clutch surface means, each lower housing having second clutch surface means corresponding to and engageable selectively with the first clutch surface means of a corresponding upper housing for permitting movement of the lower housings relative to the respective upper housing when the first and second surface means are disengaged and for locking the lower housing to the respective upper housings when the first and second surface elements engage, an actuator carried by and movable relative to each lower housing, each actuator having an abutment means moveable in a first direction for forcing the respective upper housing laterally substantially along said axis in one direction for engaging said first and second clutch surface means and moveable in a second direction for forcing the respective upper housing laterally substantially along said axis in a direction opposite to said one direction for disengaging said first and second clutch surface means, and control means adapted to be operable by movement of the leg of the patient connected to each actuator for moving each respective abutment means in said first and second directions selectively to move said upper housings relative to said lower housings for engaging or disengaging said first and second surface means whereby said lower housings may be locked relative to said upper housings or may pivot relative thereto about said lateral axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.