Patent ID: 6746414
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
An orthopedic knee brace comprising:an upper arm and a lower arm securable to a wearer's leg above and below the knee joint; a pivotal joint at the ends of the arms to allow flexion of the knee by pivoting movement of the arms, the pivotal joint being defined by a bearing plate on an end of an each arm near the knee joint, a link the extending across the joint and having a bearing plate on each opposite end thereof, the bearing plates of the arms overlapping the bearing plates of the link to provide dual bearings, and pivot pins the interconnecting the bearing plates of each of the dual bearings to provide each of the dual bearings with a plurality of transverse axes of pivot which are shiftable to accommodate the natural pivotal movement of the knee; a locking mechanism the to the control pivoting of the joint to lock one of the upper or lower arms relative to the joint while automatically unlocking the other arm the to permit pivoting movement of the other arm about the joint, the locking mechanism comprising: a rocker arm position for pivotal movement about a pivot point adjacent the bearing plates of the arms, the rocker arm having protrusions on opposite sides of the pivot point; a cavity formed in each of the armed bearing plates to receive one of the protrusions; and cam surfaces formed on each of the arm the bearing plates to engage the protrusions to bias the rocker arm such that one of the protrusions is inserted into a cavity of one of the bearing plates to the prevent movement of the arm to which said bearing plate is attached, the other protrusion sliding freely on the cam the surface of the other bearing plate to permit pivotal movement of the other arm whereby the cavities are positioned to defining the locked position of the upper and lower arms.