Prosthetic foot device

Abstract

A prosthetic foot device having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and comprising a base spring blade, an ankle spring blade being made from a composite material comprising glass fibers and a heel spring blade, the base spring blade and the ankle spring blade being connected in a forefoot region of the prosthetic foot device, the base spring blade and the heel spring blade being connected in a heel region of the prosthetic foot device and the ankle spring blade and the heel spring blade being connected in an ankle region of the prosthetic foot device.

1 . A prosthetic foot device having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and comprising a base spring blade, an ankle spring blade and a heel spring blade, said base spring blade and said ankle spring blade being connected in a forefoot region of said prosthetic foot device, said base spring blade and said heel spring blade being connected in a heel region of said prosthetic foot device and said ankle spring blade and said heel spring blade being connected in an ankle region of said prosthetic foot device, said ankle spring blade being made from a composite material comprising glass fibers, wherein said ankle spring blade comprises a forward section, a medial section and a rear section in said longitudinal direction of said prosthetic foot device, said forward section having a first thickness, said medial section having a second thickness and said rear section having a third thickness, wherein said first thickness is smaller than said second thickness and smaller than said third thickness and wherein said second thickness is smaller than said third thickness said ankle spring blade being divided into said forward section, said medial section and said rear section along dividing lines extending across said ankle spring blade from a first side edge to a second side edge of said ankle spring blade and wherein a change in thickness between said sections of said ankle spring blade takes place abruptly at said dividing lines. 
     
     
         2 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein said first thickness is from 2-6 mm, said second thickness is from 3-9 mm, and said third thickness is from 5-10 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein said dividing lines extend in said transverse direction, perpendicular to said longitudinal direction of said prosthetic foot device. 
     
     
         4 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein said heel spring blade is made from a composite material comprising glass fibers and wherein said base spring blade is made from a composite material comprising carbon fibers. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein said forward section of said ankle spring blade comprises a widened toe portion, wherein a maximum width of said widened toe portion of said ankle spring blade is smaller than a maximum width of said base spring blade in said forefoot region of said prosthetic foot device. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein said medial section of said ankle spring blade has a width in said transverse direction of said prosthetic foot device, said width of said medial section of said ankle spring blade decreasing in a direction from said rear section of said ankle spring blade to said forward section of said ankle spring blade. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein said ankle spring blade comprises a laminate comprising stacked layers of glass fiber web material and binder material. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein said prosthetic foot device comprises a connecting device, said connecting device being attached to said ankle spring blade within said ankle region of said prosthetic foot device. 
     
     
         13 . A prosthetic foot device having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and comprising a base spring blade, an ankle spring blade and a heel spring blade, said base spring blade and said ankle spring blade being connected in a forefoot region of said prosthetic foot device, said base spring blade and said heel spring blade being connected in a heel region of said prosthetic foot device and said ankle spring blade and said heel spring blade being connected in an ankle region of said prosthetic foot device, said ankle spring blade being made from a composite material comprising glass fibers, wherein said ankle spring blade comprises a forward section, a medial section and a rear section in said longitudinal direction of said prosthetic foot device, said forward section having a first thickness, said medial section having a second thickness and said rear section having a third thickness, wherein said first thickness is smaller than said second thickness and smaller than said third thickness and wherein said second thickness is smaller than said third thickness said ankle spring blade being divided into said forward section, said medial section and said rear section along dividing lines extending across said ankle spring blade from a first side edge to a second side edge of said ankle spring blade and wherein a change in thickness between said sections of said ankle spring blade takes place abruptly at said dividing lines, wherein said ankle spring blade and said heel spring blade are connected by a spacer element that is arranged between said ankle spring blade and said heel spring blade in said ankle region, and wherein the spacer element is formed of a fiber composite material. 
     
     
         14 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A prosthetic foot device having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and comprising a base spring blade, only one ankle spring blade and only one heel spring blade, said base spring blade and said ankle spring blade being connected in a forefoot region of said prosthetic foot device, said base spring blade and said heel spring blade being connected in a heel region of said prosthetic foot device and said ankle spring blade and said heel spring blade being connected in an ankle region of said prosthetic foot device, said ankle spring blade being made from a composite material comprising glass fibers, wherein said ankle spring blade comprises a forward section, a medial section and a rear section in said longitudinal direction of said prosthetic foot device, said forward section having a first thickness, said medial section having a second thickness and said rear section having a third thickness, wherein said first thickness is smaller than said second thickness and smaller than said third thickness and wherein said second thickness is smaller than said third thickness said ankle spring blade being divided into said forward section, said medial section and said rear section along dividing lines extending across said ankle spring blade from a first side edge to a second side edge of said ankle spring blade and wherein a change in thickness between said sections of said ankle spring blade takes place abruptly at said dividing lines. 
     
     
         21 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein the glass fibers are formed as woven or nonwoven webs. 
     
     
         22 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 21 , wherein the webs have an adjustable fiber directionality to obtain a predetermined elasticity of the ankle spring blade. 
     
     
         23 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein the glass fiber content in the composite material comprising glass fibers is at least 50% of a total volume of the composite material. 
     
     
         24 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein the forefoot region is formed as a laminate of the ankle spring blade and the base spring blade. 
     
     
         25 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein the ankle spring blade includes a slit. 
     
     
         26 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 25 , wherein the slit extends in the longitudinal direction from a front end edge of the ankle spring blade through the forward section and into the medial section of the ankle spring blade. 
     
     
         27 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 26 , wherein the slit extends through a full length of the medial section of the ankle spring blade and/or through the forefoot region of the base spring blade. 
     
     
         28 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 10 , wherein the glass fiber web material is impregnated by or embedded in the binder material. 
     
     
         29 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 28 , wherein the binder material is applied as coatings or layers between the stacked layers of glass fiber web material to form a consolidated composite material comprising the glass fiber web material and the binder material. 
     
     
         30 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein a length of the front section is between 15% and 30% of a total length of the ankle spring blade, a length of the medial section is from 40% to 70% of the total length of the ankle spring blade, and a length of the rear section is from 15% to 35% of the total length of the ankle spring blade, wherein the rear section is longer than the front section. 
     
     
         31 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the medial section and the ankle spring blade has a tapered thickness. 
     
     
         32 . The prosthetic foot device according to  claim 1 , wherein the ankle spring blade has a constant width along a full longitudinal extension of the ankle spring blade.