| CPC A61F 2/80 (2013.01) [A61F 2/5044 (2013.01); A61F 2002/802 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |
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1. A prosthetic socket comprising:
a rigid, structural and load-bearing socket body in a form of a closed-ended cup defining an open-ended proximal end area and a closed-end distal end area, the socket body forming an inner volume adapted to receive a residual limb, the socket body defining a wall thickness from an inner wall surface bordering the inner volume to an outer wall surface, the socket body forming an opening extending through the wall thickness;
at least one vent element communicating the inner wall surface to the outer wall surface and extending therebetween in the opening along the socket body to thereby permit a transfer of air from the inner volume to outside of the prosthetic socket through the opening, the at least one vent element spanning across the wall thickness from the inner wall surface to the outer wall surface;
wherein the at least one vent element is separately formed from the socket body and discretely insertable into the opening and secured against the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface;
wherein the at least one vent element includes an exterior part and an interior part securable to one another within the opening and adapted to extend over adjacent portions of the inner and outer wall surfaces of the socket body, respectively, the interior part having a first locking element extending into the opening toward the outer wall surface and spaced apart from a periphery of the opening, and the exterior part having a second locking element extending into the opening toward the inner wall surface and spaced apart from the periphery of the opening, the first locking element locking with the second locking element within a thickness defined by the wall thickness within the opening; wherein the exterior part has a saddle, or hyperbolic paraboloid shape such that the exterior part tracks a geometric shape of the outer wall surface;
wherein a surface of the exterior part coupling to with the interior part defines a concavely curved portion along a first cross-sectional line bisecting the exterior part defines a convexly curved portion along a second cross-sectional line perpendicular extending in a same direction to the first cross-sectional line, the concavely curved portion of the exterior part tracks a horizontal geometric cylindrical curvature of the outer wall surface while the convexly curved portion of the exterior part tracks a vertical geometric shape of the outer wall surface;
wherein the at least one vent element includes a plurality of vent elements;
wherein the interior part includes a cylinder secured to a boss defined by the exterior part by a snap connection with cooperating prongs, the cylinder and the boss are defined along a central axis of the at least one vent element, the cylinder has a height corresponding to the wall thickness;
wherein the interior part defines a circumferential rim protruding towards the exterior part to engage therewith and concentric with the cylinder, the circumferential rim fitting against an inner periphery of and within the opening, wherein the circumferential rim is radially spaced a predetermined distance from the cylinder and central axis;
wherein each of the interior part and the exterior part defines a rigid ventilated structure permitting a transfer of air from the inner volume to outside the socket body, the ventilated structure is formed by a grid structure defining a plurality interstices.
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