Cord coordinator

Abstract

A prosthetic limb lanyard cord retainer spool is provided, which may be mounted onto the side of a prosthetic limb socket to retain slack or excess cord from a lanyard locking system. After the limb has been locked into place, excess cord from the lanyard system may be pressed into a seam formed between the outer wall of the prosthetic limb socket and a radially outer flexible sealing flange of the cord spool to enter a circumferential channel of the cord spool (radially between the outer flexible sealing flange and an inner stem), and may be manually wrapped around the stem of the spool in a circular motion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cord retainer spool associated with a lanyard suspension system, comprising:
 a cap, having a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface;   a stem extending axially from the inner surface of the cap;   a toroid channel defined by the inner surface of the cap and the stem; and   a coupling adapted to couple the stem to an outer wall of a prosthetic limb socket component.   
     
     
         2 . The retainer spool of  claim 1 , where the retainer spool is formed from an elastomer with a durometer of between 50 A and 100 A. 
     
     
         3 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 1 , where the stem is substantially cylindrical. 
     
     
         4 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 1 , where the perimeter of the stem is at least 25% the perimeter of the cap. 
     
     
         5 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 1 , where the coupling includes a hole extending axially through the stem. 
     
     
         6 . The retainer spool of  claim 1 , further comprising a substantially flexible, a circumferential flange extending axially inwardly from the cap. 
     
     
         7 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 6 , wherein the flange tapers as it extends from the cap. 
     
     
         8 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 6  where an inner edge of the flange and an inner end of the stem are substantially flush. 
     
     
         9 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 6  where the stem extends slightly further than the edge of the flange. 
     
     
         10 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 1  further comprising venting so that a first air pressure within the toroid channel is substantially similar to a second air pressure surrounding the cord retainer. 
     
     
         11 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 9  wherein the distance between an inner end of the flange and an inner end of the step is less than a diametrical thickness of a lanyard cord. 
     
     
         12 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 6  where the flange contains at least one V-shaped notch, the at least one V-shaped notch extending through a partial height of the flange, the point of the at least one V-shaped notch pointing towards the cap. 
     
     
         13 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 1  where the stem is adapted to have a lanyard cord manually wound there-around. 
     
     
         14 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 5  where a through-hole extends the length of the stem and includes a counter-bore. 
     
     
         15 . A cord retainer spool associated with a lanyard suspension system, comprising:
 a substantially flexible elastomer body;   a convex cap, having an inner surface and an outer surface, where the edges of the cap curve inwardly to define the inner surface;   the inner surface of the cap contains a beveled flange around the circumference;   a stem extending from the inner surface of the cap;   a toroid channel defined by the inner surface of the cap and the stem; and   the cord retainer spool is adapted for use with a prosthetic lanyard device.   
     
     
         16 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the flange contains at least one V-shaped notch, the at least one V-shaped notch extending through a partial height of the flange, the point of the at least one V-shaped notch pointing towards the cap;   the edge of the flange is of a slightly smaller circumference than the circumference of the cap;   the flange and the stem extend substantially a similar distance from a line tangent to the cap; and   the flange is flexible.   
     
     
         17 . The cord retainer spool of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the stem has a diameter at least 25% the diameter of the cap;   the stem contains a channel to receive a binding barrel.   
     
     
         18 . A method for retaining excess cord from a lanyard locking system, the method comprising:
 mounting a flexible retainer spool to an outer wall of a prosthetic limb socket, the spool and socket forming a toroid shaped cavity therebetween and a flexible seam between the outer periphery of the spool and the outer wall of the prosthetic limb socket;   manually pressing the excess cord tangentially against the seam, to deflect the flexible seam and allow the cord to pass within the toroid shaped cavity, and manually winding the cord around the toroid shaped cavity.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of:
 securing an end portion of the cord outside the retainer.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of securing the cord includes the step of:
 registering an end portion of the cord within a V-shaped notch cut into the outer circumstantial periphery of the flexible retainer spool.