Prosthetic foot

Abstract

A prosthetic foot with a structural component having a proximal attachment member for fastening the prosthetic foot to a below-knee tube, a below-knee shaft or a prosthetic knee joint, with a forefoot portion secured or formed on the structural component, and with a heel-side spring-damper system which is assigned to the structural component and which is compressed at a heel strike and bears on a sole-side guide element. The structural component is designed as a leaf spring which extends in a posterior direction from the proximal attachment means, and forms an arch and is guided in an anterior and distal direction, wherein the arch protrudes posteriorly beyond the guide element.

22 . A prosthetic foot, comprising:
 a base spring having a toe end portion extending to a toe end of the prosthetic foot and a heel end portion extending to a heel end of the prosthetic foot;   a top spring assembly, comprising:
 a first spring member having a distal end and a proximal end; 
 a second spring member spaced apart from the first spring member, the second spring member having a distal end and a proximal end; 
 a first connection configured to secure the distal ends of the first and second spring members to each other; 
   a second connection provided between the distal end of at least the second spring member and the base spring, the first and second connections overlapping at a common location along an anterior portion of the base spring, the top spring assembly being connected to the base spring only at the second connection;   a prosthetic pyramid connector connected to a proximal end of the top spring assembly, the prosthetic pyramid connector configured to connect the prosthetic foot to a lower limb prosthesis.   
     
     
         23 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 22 , wherein the second spring member is spaced apart from the first spring member along an entire length of the second spring member. 
     
     
         24 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 22 , wherein further comprising a spacer between the first and second spring members. 
     
     
         25 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 22 , wherein at least a portion of the first connection is positioned proximal of the toe end of the prosthetic foot. 
     
     
         26 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 22 , wherein at least a portion of the second connection is positioned proximal of the toe end of the prosthetic foot. 
     
     
         27 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 22 , wherein the first and second spring members each have a C-shaped construction. 
     
     
         28 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 22 , wherein the first and second spring members are spaced apart a different distance from each other at the first connection than the base spring is spaced apart from the second spring member at the second connection. 
     
     
         29 . A prosthetic foot, comprising:
 a toe end and a heel end;   a base spring having a toe end portion extending to the toe end, a heel end portion extending to the heel end, and opposed top and bottom surfaces;   a top spring assembly positioned above the top surface of the base spring and comprising:
 a first spring member having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end extending toward the toe end and the proximal end extending away from the top surface of the base spring; 
 a second spring member spaced apart from the first spring member, the second spring member having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end of the second spring member extending toward the toe end and the proximal end of the second spring member extending away from the top surface of the base spring; 
 the distal end of the first spring member being connected to the distal end of the second spring member, and the second spring member being connected to the toe end portion of the base spring, wherein forces are transferred between the base spring and the top spring assembly only at a location anterior of a midpoint along the length of the base spring; 
   a prosthetic pyramid connector connected to a proximal end of the top spring assembly, the prosthetic pyramid connector configured to connect the prosthetic foot to a lower limb prosthesis.   
     
     
         30 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 29 , wherein the first spring member is arranged in parallel with the second spring member. 
     
     
         31 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 29 , wherein the top spring assembly has a C-shaped construction. 
     
     
         32 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 29 , wherein the base spring has a contoured shape along its length. 
     
     
         33 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 29 , wherein the first and second connections overlap at a common location along a length of the base spring. 
     
     
         34 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 29 , further comprising a spacer between the first and second spring members at a location where the first and second spring members are connected to each other. 
     
     
         35 . A prosthetic foot, comprising:
 a base spring having a toe end portion extending to a toe end of the prosthetic foot, and a heel end portion extending to a heel end of the prosthetic foot;   a contoured top spring assembly mounted to the base spring at a location spaced forward of a midpoint along a length of the base spring and comprising:
 a first spring member having a distal end, a proximal end, and a vertically oriented portion; 
 a second spring member having a distal end, a proximal end, and a vertically oriented portion positioned between the distal and proximal ends, the distal end of the second spring member connected to the distal end of the first spring member; 
 a spacer positioned between and spacing apart the distal ends of the first and second spring members, the spacer providing a gap between the first and second spring members; 
   at least one connection between the distal ends of the first and second spring members and the base spring;   a prosthetic pyramid connector connected to the proximal ends of the first and second spring members, the prosthetic pyramid connector configured to connect the prosthetic foot to a lower limb prosthesis.   
     
     
         36 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 35 , wherein the distal end of the first spring member extends toward the toe end and the proximal end extending away from a top surface of the base spring. 
     
     
         37 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 35 , wherein the distal end of the second spring member extends toward the toe end and the proximal end of the second spring member extends away from the top surface of the base spring in parallel with the first spring member. 
     
     
         38 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 35 , wherein the top spring assembly has a C-shaped construction. 
     
     
         39 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one connector include a first connector portion securing at least the first and second spring members together, and a second connector portion connecting the base spring to at least one of the first and second spring members. 
     
     
         40 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 35 , wherein the base spring is contoured along its length. 
     
     
         41 . The prosthetic foot of  claim 35 , wherein forces are transferred between the base spring and the top spring assembly only at the at least one connector.