Prosthetic foot with adjustable heel height

1. A prosthetic foot having an adjustable height heel, said foot comprising:

a frame portion;

an ankle link which is pivotally supported by said frame portion at a first pivot axis;

a detent rod which is pivotally connected to said ankle link at a second pivot axis; and

a detent member pivotally affixed to said frame portion at a third pivot axis so that said detent rod passes through and extends between said second pivot axis and said third pivot axis, said detent member further includes a biasing mechanism and is selectively activatable to receive and releasably retain said detent rod so that the length of a portion of the detent rod extending between said second and third pivot axes may be selectively adjusted;

whereby when said length is changed, the angular relationship of said frame portion and said ankle link is changed.

2. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 , wherein said detent rod includes at least one groove formed thereupon and said detent member includes at least one corresponding groove which may be selectively engaged with at least a portion of said at least one groove of the detent rod.

3. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said detent rod includes an elongated length portion, and said detent member includes a housing having a slidable member disposed therein, said slidable member including a passage which is configured to allow a segment of said elongated length portion of said detent rod to pass therethrough, said biasing mechanism is selectively activatable to exert a biasing force on said slidable member so as to urge a portion of a wall of said passage into contact with a segment of said elongated length portion, whereby said detent rod is selectively retained thereby.

4. The prosthetic foot of claim 3 , wherein said elongated length portion of said detent rod includes a groove formed thereupon, and said wall of said passageway which is urged into contact with the segment of the rod includes a groove which engages at least a portion of the groove on the elongated portion of the rod.

5. The prosthetic foot of claim 3 , wherein said biasing mechanism includes a spring.

6. The prosthetic foot of claim 3 , wherein said detent member has a fluid chamber therein which is in fluid communication with a fluid inlet, said fluid chamber being in mechanical communication with said slidable member so that the introduction of fluid into said chamber exerts a force on said slidable member so as to overcome said biasing force.

7. The prosthetic foot of claim 6 , wherein said prosthetic foot further includes a pump operable to deliver a pressurized fluid to said fluid chamber.

8. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 , wherein said detent member includes an actuator for activating said detent member to selectively release and retain said detent rod, said actuator being selected from the group consisting of: fluidic actuators, solenoids, linear actuators, shape memory actuators, mechanical actuators, and combinations thereof.

9. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 , further including a resilient sole plate coupled to said frame portion.

10. The prosthetic foot of claim 9 , wherein said foot further includes a cosmetic shell which is simulative of a human foot and which encloses and retains at least a part of the sole plate.

11. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 , wherein said ankle link is configured to engage a prosthetic leg.