Patent ID: 7195647

Claim:
An artificial knee joint for connecting a residual thigh of a prosthesis wearer to a prosthetic lower leg, said artificial knee joint comprising: an upper seat, including a seat body, and a movable member connected pivotally to said seat body and adapted to be connected fixedly to the residual thigh, said seat body and said movable member respectively having free ends that are rotatable toward and away from each other; a lower seat disposed under said upper seat and adapted to be connected fixedly to the prosthetic lower leg; a driving device, connecting said seat body of said upper seat to said lower seat and including a rotating shaft journalled within said seat body of said upper seat, wherein said driving device comprises: (A) two aligned front links having upper ends connected respectively and fixedly to two ends of said rotating shaft, and lower ends connected pivotally to said lower seat; (B) a rear link disposed behind said front links and having an upper end connected pivotally to said seat body of said upper seat, and a lower end connected pivotally to said lower seat; and (C) a biasing unit disposed within said lower seat and connected to said rear link so as to bias said lower seat to turn relative to said seat body of said upper seat to a predetermined position, so as to retard rotation of said lower seat away from said predetermined position during walking of the prosthesis wearer; and a gripping member disposed movably on said seat body of said upper seat and movable, when a downward force and an upward force are applied respectively to said movable member and said seat body of said upper seat to turn said free ends of said seat body and said movable member of said upper seat toward each other, to press against said rotating shaft so as to prevent rotation of said rotating shaft within said seat body of said upper seat and thus relative movement of said lower seat and said seat body of said upper seat.