Patent Application
20190365562
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The field of the invention presently disclosed includes a prosthetic heating apparatus the wraps the prosthetic with a sleeve comprising heating elements operated by battery power, which allows the wearer of the prosthetic to participate in cold weather activities and be exposed to cold weather without risking exposure of the limb to the cold temperatures down to the bone, where the prosthetic is attached to the limb.
Prosthetic devices are generally connected directly to the bone by means of a pin and are frequently made of a metallic material. During cold weather, as a conductor, the prosthetic can withdraw body heat from the wearer through the pin and into the prosthetic causing chilling of the body down to the bone. This chilling can prevent a wearer of a prosthetic from participating in cold weather events or being exposed cold weather for more than short periods of time. Rewarming of the limb of the wearer of the prosthetic can take an extended period of time because again, it is not just the body surface that is code, but warmth has been taken from the internal elements including the bone. Traditional prosthetic heating mechanisms operate only on the socket of the prosthetic and do not address the problem caused by heat being drawn through the pin and into the rest of the prosthetic. The present disclosure is a prosthetic heating apparatus that warms the entire prosthetic, rather than just the socket.
The present disclosure reveals a prosthesis heating apparatus for warming the entire prosthesis of the wearer comprising a sleeve with hearing elements and a systems device. The systems device comprises the power storage device and the controllers to operate the prosthesis heating apparatus. The prosthesis heating apparatus is operated by a plurality of controllers that include such functions as a power supply as well as regulating when electricity is supplied to the heating elements and when it is not through either timing mechanisms or temperature parameters.
The switching mechanism can be operated by a cyclical timer switch common to the industry or through a revealed dual switched circuit for controlling how long current is supplied to an electrical device and how long current is prevented from flowing to an electrical device, wherein this sequence can be repeated, with a first switch and a second switch. The timer and switches could be operated mechanically or as an electronic circuit.
The present disclosure reveals a prosthetic heating apparatus 1 for warming all of a prosthetic device 2 while the wearer is exposed to cold temperatures, said prosthetic heating apparatus 1 comprising a sleeve 3 and a systems device 4 attached to the sleeve 3.
The sleeve 3 comprises a length 5 and circumference 6, being capable of sliding over and wrapping the entire prosthetic device 2, and further comprising a plurality of heating elements 7 along the length 5 and circumference 6 of the sleeve 3.
The systems device 4 comprises a power storage device 8, a plurality of controllers 9, wherein the plurality of controllers 9 is at least one controller 9, a switching mechanism 10, and appropriate electrical wiring 37. The power storage device 8 is capable of supplying electricity so that the heating elements 7 of the sleeve 3 can convert said electricity into heat and the power storage device 8 may be rechargeable. The switching mechanism 10 is capable of turning on and off the flow of electricity to the plurality of heating elements 7. The plurality of controllers 9 includes a first controller capable 12 of turning on the prosthetic heating apparatus 1, a second controller 13 capable of controlling the amount of time the switching mechanism 10 allows electricity to be sent to plurality of heating elements 7, and a third controller 14 capable of controlling the length of time between intervals wherein the switching mechanism 10 does not allow electricity to flow to the plurality of heating elements 7.
The power storage device 8 is connected to the switching mechanism 10, the plurality of controllers 9 are each connected to the switching mechanism 10 by appropriate electrical wiring 37, and the switching mechanism 10 is connected to the plurality of heating elements 7 of the sleeve 3. When the first controller 12 is switched on, the power storage device 8 supplies electricity to the switching mechanism 10 and the second controller 12 and the third controller 13 work together to determine when electricity is sent to the plurality of heating elements 7 of the sleeve 3 and when power is not being sent to the plurality of heating elements 7 of the sleeve 3.
The prosthetic heating apparatus 1 may also have a fourth controller 15 of the plurality of controllers 9 wherein said fourth controller 15 is capable of controlling the amount of electricity flowing from the power storage device 8 to the switching mechanism 10.
The plurality of controllers 9 can be combined in several embodiments. In a first embodiment 16 all of the controllers of the plurality of controllers 9 are stand-alone controllers. In the second embodiment 17 of the plurality of controllers 9, the first controller 12 and the second controller 13 are combined into a single controller. In the third embodiment 18 of the plurality of controllers 9 the second controller 13 and the third controller 14 are combined into a temperature sensor 19 wherein the temperature sensor 19 can be turned on and sent an appropriate temperature range such that, when the temperature sensor 19 detects a temperature below the input range electricity is supplied to the plurality of heating elements 7 of the sleeve 3 and when the temperature sensor 19 detects a temperature at the maximum of the desired range, electricity is stopped being delivered to the plurality of heating elements 7 of the sleeve 3. In this embodiment the appropriate temperature range may be designated by indicators such as low, medium and high or otherwise. In the fourth embodiment 20 of the plurality of controllers 9, the first controller 12, the second controller 13, and the third controller 14 are combined into a temperature sensor 19 wherein the temperature sensor 19 can be turned on and sent an appropriate temperature range such that, when the temperature sensor 19 detects a temperature below the input range electricity is supplied to the plurality of heating elements 7 of the sleeve 3 and when the temperature sensor 19 detects a temperature at the maximum of the desired range, electricity is stopped being delivered to the plurality of heating elements 7 of the sleeve 3. In this embodiment the appropriate temperature range may be designated by indicators such as low, medium and high or otherwise. The fifth embodiment 21 of the plurality of controllers 9 comprises the first controller 12 and the fourth controller 15 are combined into a single controller. In this embodiment, the second controller 13 and third controller 14 may be automatically preset or adjustable. These combinations are examples and do not restrict the possibility of other combinations of the plurality of controllers 9.
The switching mechanism 10 of the prosthetic heating apparatus 1 may also have several embodiments. The first embodiment 22 is a type common in the industry is a cyclical timer switch 23. The inventor also discloses a dual switched circuit 24 for the controlling of an electrical device on a timed on-off loop with three embodiments as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/596,493.
In each of the embodiments of the dual switched circuit 24, the dual switched circuit comprises a first switch 29, a second switch 30, a first timer 31, a second timer 32, a first controller 33, and a second controller 34.
In the first embodiment 35 of the dual switched circuit 24, the first switch 29 is located on the line side 36 of the prosthetic heating apparatus 1, comprises the first timer 31 and the first controller 33. The first controller 33 is connected to the first timer 31 by appropriate electrical wiring 37 and the first timer 31 is attached to the first switch 29 by appropriate electrical wiring 37. The first switch 29 is capable of receiving a signal from the first timer 31 that indicates when the first switch 29 should open and wherein the first switch 29 is also able to convey that same signal to the second switch 30 by appropriate electrical wiring 37, whereupon the second switch 30 also opens. The first controller 33 is able to set the interval during which the first timer 31 allows the first switch 29 and the second switch 30 to remain closed and thus allow current to be supplied to the prosthetic heating apparatus 1. The second switch 30 is located on the load side 38 of the prosthetic heating apparatus 1, comprises the second timer 32 and the second controller 34. The second controller 34 is connected to the second timer 32 by appropriate electrical wiring 37 and the second timer 32 is attached to the second switch 30 by appropriate electrical wiring 37. The second switch 30 is capable of receiving a signal from the second timer 32 that indicates when the second switch 30 should close and wherein the second switch 30 is also able to convey that same signal to the first switch 29 by appropriate electrical wiring 37, whereupon the first switch 29 also closes. The second controller 34 being able to set the interval during which the second timer 32 allows the first switch 29 and the second switch 30 to remain open and thus prevent current from being supplied to the prosthetic heating apparatus 1.
In the second embodiment 39 of the dual switched circuit 24, the first switch 29 is located on the load side 38 of the prosthetic heating apparatus 1, comprises the first timer 31 and the first controller 33. The first controller 33 is connected to the first timer 31 by appropriate electrical wiring 37 and the first timer 31 is attached to the first switch 29 by appropriate electrical wiring 37. The first switch 29 is capable of receiving a signal from the first timer 31 that indicates when the first switch 29 should open and wherein the first switch 29 is also able to convey that same signal to the second switch 30 by appropriate electrical wiring 37, whereupon the second switch 30 also opens. The first controller 33 is able to set the interval during which the first timer 31 allows the first switch 29 and the second switch 30 to remain closed and thus allow current to be supplied to the prosthetic heating apparatus 1. The second switch 30 is located on the line side 36 of the prosthetic heating apparatus 1, comprises the second timer 32 and the second controller 34. The second controller 34 is connected to the second timer 32 by appropriate electrical wiring 37 and the second timer 32 is attached to the second switch 30 by appropriate electrical wiring 37. The second switch 30 is capable of receiving a signal from the second timer 32 that indicates when the second switch 30 should close and wherein the second switch 30 is also able to convey that same signal to the first switch 29 by appropriate electrical wiring 37, whereupon the first switch 29 also closes. The second controller 34 being able to set the interval during which the second timer 32 allows the first switch 29 and the second switch 30 to remain open and thus prevent current from being supplied to the electric device 2.
In the third embodiment 40 of the dual switched circuit 24, the first switch 29 is located on the line side 36 of the prosthetic heating apparatus 1, comprises the first timer 31 and the first controller 33. The first controller 33 is connected to the first timer 31 by appropriate electrical wiring 37 and the first timer 31 is attached to the first switch 29 by appropriate electrical wiring 37. The first switch 29 is capable of receiving a signal from the first timer 31 that indicates when the first switch 29 should open and wherein the first switch 29 is also able to convey that same signal to the second switch 30 by appropriate electrical wiring 37, whereupon the second switch 30 also opens. The first controller 33 is able to set the interval during which the first timer 31 allows the first switch 29 and the second switch 30 to remain closed and thus allow current to be supplied to the prosthetic heating apparatus 1. The second switch 30 is located on the line side 36 of the prosthetic heating apparatus 1, comprises the second timer 32 and the second controller 34. The second controller 34 is connected to the second timer 32 by appropriate electrical wiring 37 and the second timer 32 is attached to the second switch 30 by appropriate electrical wiring 37. The second switch 30 is capable of receiving a signal from the second timer 32 that indicates when the second switch 30 should close and wherein the second switch 30 is also able to convey that same signal to the first switch 29 by appropriate electrical wiring 37, whereupon the first switch 29 also closes. The second controller 34 being able to set the interval during which the second timer 32 allows the first switch 29 and the second switch 30 to remain open and thus prevent current from being supplied to the prosthetic heating apparatus 1.
In any embodiment of the dual switched circuit 24, the first timer 31 and the second timer 32 can be either mechanical timers or electronic timers.
