Energy returning prosthetic foot
The present invention relates to a prosthetic foot comprising a rear foot portion having an attachment platform and a heel strike, and a front foot portion having a momentum interrupter and a toe plate. As the foot approaches toe-off, the toe plate flexibly deflects upwards and the momentum interrupter compresses. The amount of returned energy at toe-off is comprised from stored flexural energy of the toe plate and stored expansive energy of the momentum interrupter. The toe plate of the present invention can have a split toe design. Further, mechanically adjustable stiffeners can be incorporated into the design if desired.
1 . A prosthetic foot comprising:
a rear foot portion deflectably contactable against a surface and connectable to a prosthetic component; and
a front foot portion connected to said rear foot portion, said front foot portion comprising:
a momentum interrupter that is compressible; and
a toe plate that is flexible,
wherein during toe-off conditions, said momentum interrupter compresses and said toe plate flexes.
2 . The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said rear foot portion comprises:
a riser panel;
an attachment platform depending rearward from said riser panel;
a heel strike depending rearward from the riser panel, said heel strike being located below said attachment platform.
3 . The prosthetic foot of claim 2 further comprising a stiffener, said stiffener being located between said attachment platform and said heel strike.
4 . The prosthetic foot of claim 3 wherein said stiffener is selectably adjustable.
5 . The prosthetic foot of claim 2 wherein said riser panel has a riser panel top and a riser panel bottom, wherein said riser panel top is located forward of said riser panel bottom.
6 . The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said momentum interrupter comprises a momentum interrupter back and a momentum interrupter front, and during toe-off conditions, said momentum interrupter front compresses towards said momentum interrupter back.
7 . The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said prosthetic foot is made from carbon epoxy composite material.
8 . The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said toe plate comprises a plurality of toes.
9 . The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein:
said rear foot portion comprises:
a heel strike for deflectably contacting against a surface;
an attachment platform for being connectable to a prosthetic component;
said toe plate and said heel strike being integral parts of a base plate; and
said attachment platform and said momentum interrupter being integral parts of a momentum interrupting component that is located above said base plate.
10 . The prosthetic foot of claim 9 wherein said momentum interrupting component further comprises a toe reinforcement component located above said toe plate.
11 . The prosthetic foot of claim 10 wherein:
said toe plate comprises a plurality of toes; and
said toe reinforcement component comprises a plurality of toe reinforcement members located above said plurality of toes.
12 . The prosthetic foot of claim 9 wherein said rear foot portion further comprises a vertical shock absorption component attached to said attachment platform and spaced a predetermined distance from said heel strike.
13 . A prosthetic foot comprising:
a riser panel;
an attachment platform depending rearward from said riser panel;
a heel strike depending rearward from the riser panel, said heel strike being located below said attachment platform;
a momentum interrupter having a momentum interrupter front and a momentum interrupter back, said momentum interrupter back being connected to said riser panel; and
a toe plate being connected to said momentum interrupter and extending forward there from.
14 . The prosthetic foot of claim 13 wherein:
said riser panel has a riser panel top and a riser panel bottom;
said attachment platform depends rearward from said riser panel top; and
said heel strike depends rearward from said riser panel bottom.
15 . The prosthetic foot of claim 14 wherein said riser panel is a forward leaning riser panel, such that said riser panel top is located forward of said riser panel bottom.
16 . The prosthetic foot of claim 13 wherein during toe-off conditions, said momentum interrupter front compresses towards said momentum interrupter back, and said toe plate flexes.
17 . The prosthetic foot of claim 13 wherein:
said attachment platform is integrally connected to said riser panel;
said heel strike is integrally connected to said riser panel;
said momentum interrupter is integrally connected to said riser panel; and
said toe plate is integrally connected to said momentum interrupter.
18 . The prosthetic foot of claim 17 wherein said prosthetic foot is made from carbon epoxy composite material.
19 . The prosthetic foot of claim 13 wherein said toe plate comprises a plurality of toes.
20 . The prosthetic foot of claim 13 further comprising a stiffener, said stiffener being located between said attachment platform and said heel strike.
21 . The prosthetic foot of claim 20 wherein said stiffener is selectably adjustable.
22 . A prosthetic foot comprising:
a rear foot portion having:
a riser panel;
an attachment platform located rearward of said riser panel;
a heel strike located below said attachment platform; and
a front foot portion connected to said rear foot portion, wherein said front foot portion has a length with a first part and a second part, and is compressible at said first part of said length and is flexible at said second part of said length.
23 . The prosthetic foot of claim 22 wherein:
said riser panel has a riser panel top and a riser panel bottom;
said attachment platform depends rearward from said riser panel top; and
said heel strike depends rearward from said riser panel bottom.
24 . The prosthetic foot of claim 22 wherein said front foot portion comprises is an integrally formed front foot portion, and:
a momentum interrupter is located in said first part of said length, said momentum interrupter having a momentum interrupter front and a momentum interrupter rear; and
a foot plate located in said second part of said length,
wherein during toe-off conditions, said momentum interrupter front compresses towards said momentum interrupter back, and said toe plate flexes.
25 . The prosthetic foot of claim 24 wherein said prosthetic foot is made from carbon epoxy composites.
26 . The prosthetic foot of claim 24 wherein said toe plate comprises a plurality of toes.
27 . The prosthetic foot of claim 22 further comprising a stiffener, said stiffener being located between said attachment platform and said heel strike.
28 . The prosthetic foot of claim 27 wherein said stiffener is adjustable.
29 . The prosthetic foot of claim 22 wherein said riser panel is a forward leaning riser panel.
30 . The prosthetic foot of claim 22 wherein said momentum interrupter is integrally connected to said riser panel.
31 . The prosthetic foot of claim 22 further comprising:
a momentum interrupting component with a momentum interrupting component front and a momentum interrupting component rear, wherein said attachment platform is located in said momentum interrupting component rear, said momentum interrupting component further comprising a momentum interrupter located at said first part of said front foot portion; and
a base plate comprising a base plate rear and a base plate front, wherein said heel strike is located at said base plate rear, said base plate further comprising a toe plate at said second end of said front foot portion.
32 . The prosthetic foot of claim 31 further comprising a vertical shock absorbing component, wherein said riser panel is a front component of said vertical shock absorbing component, said vertical shock absorbing component further comprising a top connected to said attachment platform and a bottom spaced a predetermined distance above said heel strike.
33 . The prosthetic foot of claim 31 wherein said momentum interrupting component further comprises a toe reinforcement component above said toe plate.
34 . The prosthetic foot of claim 31 wherein said base plate further comprises an arch between said heel strike and said toe plate.
35 . A prosthetic foot comprising:
a base plate comprising:
a heel strike; and
a toe plate forward of said heel strike; and
a momentum interrupting component comprising:
an attachment platform located over said heel strike; and
a momentum interrupter forward of said attachment platform and rearward of said toe plate.
36 . The prosthetic foot of claim 35 wherein said base plate further comprises an arch between said heel strike and said toe plate.
37 . The prosthetic foot of claim 35 wherein said momentum interrupting component further comprises a toe reinforcement component above said toe plate.
38 . The prosthetic foot of claim 37 wherein said toe plate comprises a plurality of toes and said toe reinforcement component comprises a plurality of toe reinforcement components.
39 . The prosthetic foot of claim 35 further comprising a vertical shock absorbing component connected to said attachment platform and being a predetermined distance above said heel strike.