Brace system
A brace system includes a medial brace and a lateral brace securable via cross members. Each brace has an upper portion, a lower portion, and a hinge assembly between the upper and lower portion configured to allow translation of the lower portion relative to the upper portion.
1. A brace system comprising:
a medial brace and a lateral brace securable via cross members, each brace including:
an upper portion,
a lower portion, and
a hinge assembly between the upper and lower portion including a tendon and at least two intermediate links configured to allow translation of the lower portion relative to the upper portion; and
a force differential actuator subsystem connected to the medial brace and the lateral brace, and including at least one hydraulic actuator coupled to the tendons.
2. The brace system of claim 1 in which each hinge assembly includes a parallelogram linkage.
3. The brace system of claim 1 in which the force differential actuator subsystem includes, for each brace, respective hydraulic actuators coupled to a differential hydraulic circuit.
4. The brace system of claim 1 in which each hinge assembly includes at least sections of pulley wheels associated with the intermediate links, wherein the tendons run over the pulley wheel sections.
5. A brace system comprising:
a medial brace and a lateral brace securable via cross members, each brace including:
an upper portion,
a lower portion, and
a hinge assembly between the upper and lower portions including a mechanical parallel action mechanism with at least one intermediate link; and
a force differential actuator subsystem connected to the hinge assemblies, including a tendon for each hinge assembly and at least one actuator.
6. The brace system of claim 5 in which the cross members are pliable.
7. The brace system of claim 5 in which upper and lower portions of each brace are pivotably connected by two or more intermediate serial links in the hinge assembly.
8. The brace system of claim 5 in which each hinge assembly is configured with at least one non-actuated degree of freedom allowing translation of the lower portion with respect to the upper portion.
9. The brace system of claim 5 in which the tendons for each hinge assembly are interconnected and differentially coupled to the at least one actuator.
10. The brace system of claim 5 in which the force differential actuator subsystem includes, for each brace, a respective actuator coupled to a differential hydraulic circuit.
11. The brace system of claim 5 in which each hinge assembly includes a plurality of serially connected pivoting links, wherein at least some of the links are coupled together by at least a pulley wheel section rotatably coupled between adjacent links.
12. A brace system comprising:
a medial brace and a lateral brace securable via cross members, each brace including:
an upper portion;
a lower portion; and
a mechanical parallel action hinge assembly pivotably coupling the upper and lower portions including at least one intermediate link; and
an actuator subsystem connected to the hinge assemblies, including a tendon and at least one actuator, and configured to apply substantially equal and opposite torque to the upper portions and lower portions while allowing substantially free translation of the lower portions with respect to the upper portions.
13. The brace system of claim 12 in which the mechanical parallel action hinge assemblies each include at least sections of pulley wheels associated with the intermediate links, wherein the tendon runs over the pulley wheel sections.
14. The brace system of claim 12 in which the mechanical parallel action hinge assemblies each include a four bar linkage with at least one link driven by the at least one actuator.
15. The brace system of claim 12 in which the mechanical parallel action hinge assemblies each include gears associated with their respective intermediate links, wherein the intermediate links or at least one of the gears is driven by act the at least one actuator.
16. The brace system of claim 12 wherein the mechanical parallel action hinge assemblies each have at least two serially connected intermediate links.
17. A brace system comprising:
a medial brace and a lateral brace securable via cross members, each brace including:
an upper portion;
a lower portion; and
a hinge assembly pivotably coupling the upper and lower portions and including at least two serially connected intermediate links; and
a torque actuator subsystem connected to the hinge assemblies, including a tendon and at least one actuator, and configured to apply substantially equal and opposite torque to the upper portions and lower portions while allowing substantially free translation of the lower portions in two planar degrees of freedom with respect to the upper portions.
18. The brace system of claim 17 in which the hinge assemblies each include at least sections of pulley wheels associated with their respective intermediate links, wherein the tendon runs over the pulley wheel sections.
19. The brace system of claim 17 in which the hinge assemblies each include a four bar linkage with at least one link driven by the at least one actuator.
20. The brace system of claim 17 in which the hinge assemblies include gears associated with the intermediate links, wherein at least one of the gears is driven by the at least one actuator.
21. A brace system for a joint comprising:
a medial brace and a lateral brace securable via flexible cross members, each brace including:
an upper portion,
a lower portion, and
a hinge assembly between the upper and lower portion including a tendon and at least two intermediate links configured to allow translation of the lower portion relative to the upper portion; and
a force differential actuator subsystem connected to the medial brace and the lateral brace, including at least one hydraulic actuator coupled to the tendons, wherein a first plane is defined by the medial hinge assembly and a second plane is defined by the lateral hinge assembly, wherein the first and second planes are angled nonparallel to each other as the joint approaches full extension.
22. The brace system of claim 21 in which each hinge assembly includes a parallelogram linkage.
23. The brace system of claim 21 in which the force differential actuator subsystem includes, for each brace, respective hydraulic actuators coupled to a differential hydraulic circuit.