The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 1999
Filed:
Aug. 20, 1997
Alan M Ashby, Weygand, FR;
Declan P Slemon, Limerick, IE;
Melvin Schwartz, Jr, Point Pleasant, NJ (US);
Abstract
A metal backing for inclusion in the manufacture of a prosthetic component having a plastic on an upper surface and has a bottom surface portion with elements for attachment to a bone. The backing has an upper surface portion at least part of which is formed by a grill element having exposed front and rear faces and which is intended to be embedded within the plastic bearing member during construction. The plastic bearing material of the bearing element can be molded so that all the faces thereof exposed to the grill are covered and the grill is embedded within the plastic material of the bearing element. The grill is located on a metal support and is provided with spacers on its front face to space the front face away from the support. The grill is cast integrally into the metal support during manufacture. The casting process includes casting a grill on both outer surfaces of the metal backing with the grill element including cross-members spaced from backing surfaces. The polymeric bearing surface is molded around a first of the grill elements with the mechanical interlock between the bearing and the backing being provided by the molding of the polymeric material underneath the grill cross-members.