Patent ID: 9265647
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: A61F

Claim Text:
1. An exoskeletal load bearing shock absorbing knee brace configured to be worn on a leg and designed to support a knee principally by reducing the load on the knee and absorbing peak shock loads when the leg is articulated, the brace coupled to both a thigh and a calf of a user; the knee brace comprising: an upper sleeve assembly having a sleeve configured to engage the thigh, and an upper strut; a lower strut assembly configured to engage the calf; and a pair of shock absorbers moveable between a compressed position and decompressed position, each of the pair of shock absorbers fixedly mounted to opposite sides of the lower strut assembly, each of the pair of shock absorbers having a drive shaft, wherein a distal end of the drive shaft is pivotably mounted to an upper sleeve about a first pivot point, the first pivot point being positioned above and forward of a pivot point of a bent knee so as to actuate the pair of shock absorbers to the decompressed position when the upper sleeve is pivoted relative to lower strut assembly by the articulation of the leg, wherein the drive shaft extends upwardly relative to the lower strut assembly when moving from the decompressed position to the compressed position so as to increase an axial length of the lower strut assembly, and wherein the drive shaft is configured to transmit a load to the thigh through the upper sleeve when moving from the decompressed position to the compressed position.