Method for producing an artificial foot

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing an artificial foot, comprising a medial plane (M) in a longitudinal axis, in which a nominal foot length ( 1 ) is defined as a distance from a heel to a foot tip of a natural foot replaced by the artificial foot, and designed having a top side connecting piece ( 4 ) for torsionally rigidly connecting a foot insert ( 2 ) extending substantially over the length of the foot ( 1 ), and contacting two contact surfaces ( 6, 7 ) over the length ( 1 ), of which a first heel side contact surface ( 7 ) is located in the heel area and a second hall side contact surface ( 6 ) is located in the hall area, and designed so that the connecting part ( 4 ) is connected to the contact surfaces ( 6,7 ) of the foot part by means of spring connections.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method for producing an artificial foot that has a medial plane in a longitudinal direction in which a nominal foot length is defined as a distance from a heel to a foot tip of a natural foot replaced by the artificial foot, and that is designed with a top connector piece for a torsionally rigid connection of a foot insert that extends along the length of the foot, and that bears on two contact surfaces of the artificial foot along the length, the artificial foot having a heel-side contact surface that is located in a heel area and a ball-side contact surface that is located in a ball area, and that is designed such that the top connector piece is connected to the contact surfaces of the foot with a spring combination that has a heel spring extending to the heel-side contact surface and a fore foot spring extending to the ball-side contact surface, the springs being connected to each other at the top connector piece, the method comprising:
 designing the contact surfaces to an approximately linear contact surface on a support;   positioning a body vector as a resulting force vector of the ground reaction forces occurring on the contact surfaces in a rest state at a location along the artificial foot in a range between 40% and 48% of the nominal foot length, measured from the heel;   loading the foot with weight loads between 25% of a lower nominal weight and 80% of an upper nominal weight from body weight along a coordinate arranged perpendicular to the support while in a standing position;   adapting a spring hardness of the fore foot spring and a spring hardness of the heel spring in such a way that during the loading the body vector shifts by less than ±4% of the nominal foot length.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the body vector remains at a distance between 42% and 46% of the nominal foot length during the loading. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the springs are connected to each other at the ground side via a further spring, the further spring extending along the length of the foot insert. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the heel spring and the fore foot spring are leaf springs. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the heel spring and the fore foot spring are flexion-elastic springs. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 forming a posterior end of the forefoot spring as an oblique connector surface, the oblique connector surface being attached to the top connector piece.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 forming a corresponding oblique and upwardly directed end of the heel spring to extend in parallel with the forefoot spring, wherein portions of the forefoot spring and heel spring that extend in parallel are connected to other.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 centrally locating a virtual point of force in a lower leg prosthesis part.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 forming the support as a sole spring with a convex curvature to form a bridge between the heel-side contact surface and the ball-side contact surface.   
     
     
         23 . A method for producing an artificial foot, the method comprising:
 defining a medial plane along a longitudinal direction of the artificial foot;   determining a nominal foot length as a distance from a heel to a foot tip of a natural foot replaced by the artificial foot;   providing a heel-side contact surface located in a heel area and a ball-side contact surface located in a ball area;   providing a top connector piece for a torsionally rigid connection of a foot insert extending substantially along the length of the artificial foot, the top connector piece contacting a heel spring extending to the heel-side contact surface and a fore foot spring extending to the ball-side contact surface of the artificial foot, the contact surfaces being approximately linear contact surfaces arranged on a support;   connecting the heel spring and the fore foot spring to each other at the top connector piece;   positioning a body vector as a resulting force vector of the ground reaction forces occurring on the contact surfaces in a rest state at a location along the artificial foot in a range between 40% and 48% of the nominal foot length, measured from the heel;   loading the foot with weight loads between 25% of a lower nominal weight and 80% of an upper nominal weight from body weight along a coordinate arranged perpendicular to the support while in a standing position;   adapting the spring hardness of the fore foot spring and the spring hardness of the heel spring in such a way that, during the loading according to step c), the body vector shifts by less than ±4% of the nominal foot length.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the body vector remains at a distance between 42% and 46% of the nominal foot length during the loading. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the springs are connected to each other at the ground side via a further spring, the further spring extending along the length of the foot insert. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the heel spring and the fore foot spring are leaf springs. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the heel spring and the fore foot spring are flexion-elastic springs. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 forming a posterior end of the forefoot spring as an oblique connector surface, the oblique connector surface being attached to the top connector piece.   
     
     
         29 . A method for producing an artificial foot, comprising:
 providing the artificial foot with a medial plane in a longitudinal direction in which a nominal foot length is defined as a distance from a heel to a foot tip of a natural foot replaced by the artificial foot, the artificial foot having a top connector piece for a torsionally rigid connection of a foot insert that extends along the length of the foot, the foot insert contacting a heel-side contact surface that is located in a heel area and a ball-side contact surface that is located in a ball area, the top connector piece being connected to the contact surfaces with a spring combination that has a heel spring extending to the heel-side contact surface and a fore foot spring extending to the ball-side contact surface, the springs being connected to each other at the top connector piece, the method comprising:   designing the contact surfaces to an approximately linear contact surface on a support;   positioning a body vector as a resulting force vector of the ground reaction forces occurring on the contact surfaces in a rest state at a location along the artificial foot in a range between 40% and 48% of the nominal foot length, measured from the heel;   loading the foot with weight loads between 25% of a lower nominal weight and 80% of an upper nominal weight from body weight along a coordinate arranged perpendicular to the support while in a standing position;   adapting a spring hardness of the fore foot spring and a spring hardness of the heel spring in such a way that during the loading the body vector shifts by less than ±4% of the nominal foot length.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the body vector remains at a distance between 42% and 46% of the nominal foot length during the loading. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the springs are connected to each other at the ground side via a further spring, the further spring extending along the length of the foot insert. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the heel spring and the fore foot spring are leaf springs. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the heel spring and the fore foot spring are flexion-elastic springs.