abstract |
The present invention pertains to an articulating joint that delivers a combination of function and structure that permits natural gait in an orthosis and creates unidirectional damping or resistance when exceeding a predetermined angular velocity. The articulating joint of the present invention is autonomous, requiring no external control system to actuate unidirectional resistance to motion. The joint allows free bidirectional motion and impedes joint flexion only when the joint flexes beyond a set angular velocity. |