AU679727B2 - Walking frame - Google Patents

Description

44023 GEH:KLS P/00/0i1I Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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*0 no C a Name of Applicant: ~Ali~l.urI icARKiI M0i fir A111 LiPi- 6r Y br Actual Inventor: Q-y~ijc- -flns 7/21 1, MICHAEL JOHN LESLIE Address for Service: COILLISON C0.,1 17 King Williamn Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: WALKING FRAME Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Application No PL8590 dated 4th May 1993 The fe.Uowing statement is a full description of this invention, inclu'ing the best method of performing it known to us: This invention relates to a walking frame, more particularly to a walking frame for invalids, disabled people or for post operative use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Units which assist a person having limited mobility to walk are commonly known as "walkers", and various types of such units are known. United States Patent No's, 4187169, 4341381, 5158313 and AU 55439/86 show examples of walkers which have adjustment for height of the handles, arm rests or shoulder support members. It is also known to incorporate a seat on such units.

1 0 However, many pationts have difficulty in raising from a seating position to a standing position and vice versa, and it is often necessary for a helper to assist the patient to rise or sit down. US Patent No 4443902 illustrates a walker in which the supporting arts can be power lifted and lowered so that the patient can by the use of appropriate controls, raise and lower themselves 1 5 from sitting to standing positions as desired. The arms are pivoted to a single vertical post and an upwardly extending screw jack engages the arms intermediate their length to thus raise and lower the arms in an arcuate manner. While this walker would be satisfactory in some respects, the degree of lift appears to be limited, and also all the forces applied to the arms are 0 transmitted to the central supports, and if in the event that all the lifting forces are applied to one arm, severe stresses are applied to the central supports.

o° US Patent No 4968050 describes a mobile stander in the form of a wheel chair having power means whereby a patient can be raised from a reclining position to a standing position. However this unit is not adapted to be used as. 25 a walker.

It is an object of this invention to provide a mobile walker having means to assist the patient being raised and lowered from a seating position to a standing position. I A further object of the invention is to provide a mobile walker which is robust in 3 0 con3truction and in which undue stresses are not applied to the raising and lowering mechanism.

BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION Thus there is provided according to the invention a mobi!ol walker comprising a base, a pair of legs extending from said base, wheels on said base and a wheel on each leg to support said walker, a central column extending upwardly from the base and including a pair of spaced channel members, a carriage movable in the spaced channel members and carrying at its upper end support arms, and power means for moving said carriage in the central column, whereby a person by being supported on the arms may be raised from a seating position to a walking position, use the walker as an aid to walking, and then be lowered to a seating position, first hinge means to fold said legs upwardly and second hinge means to fold said arms downwardly for 1 0 storage and transport purposes.

Preferable the carriage has roller bearings engaging in tha channel members so that the carriage is freely movable in the channel members, and is constrained to move only up and down in the channel members.

Furthermore it is preferred that the power means comprise a pair of screw members each operable in a respective nut on the carriage, said screw members being driven by a battery powered electric motor.

Also it is preferred that a pair of caster wheels are provided on the base, and the base is further supported by a pair of legs extending rearwardly of the S: 2 base, a wheel being positioned at the end of each leg.

2 0 Preferably also the legs are pivoted to the base by a vertical hinge, the legs being locked in the rearward position and being able to be swung outwardly to allow a wheel chair to be accommodated therebetween.

BRIF STATEMENT OF THE DRAWINGS In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to the 25 accompanying drawings in which:- FIG 1 is a perspective view of the walker according to the invention, *FIG 2 is a view of portion of the walker with a cover panel removed, FIG 3 is a view with portions cut-away to more clearly show the lifting carriage, 3 0 FIG 4 shows detail of one of the supporting legs, and FIG 5 shows the addition of a lifting sling or seat.

kIT DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The walker 1 comprises a base 2, column 3, lifting arms 4 and supporting legs.

The base 2 has caster wheels 6 at the forward end thereof, and the end of each leg has a further caster wheel 7.

The arms 4 are attached to the upper end of a lifting carriage 8 which can be raised and lowered within the column 2. The column 2 includes a pair of spaced channels 9, and the lifting carriage 8 has mounted thereon a pair of spaced rollers 10 which engage in the respective channel 9, the rollers being mounted on axles 11 fixed in the lifting carriage 2.

On each side of the lifting carriage 8 there is provided a drive nut 12 througl which a screw jack 13 passes, each screw jack passing up the side of the lifting carriage 2 in a respective housing 14. On the lower portion of each screw jack 13 there is keyed pulley 14a around which passes a drive belt driven by a drive pulley 16, the lower end of each screw jack 13 being 1 5 mounted in a thrust bearing.

The drive pulley is driven by an electric motor contained in motor housing 17, a battery 18 supplying electrical energy to the motor through a speed controller 19 and controlled by reversing switch or control buttons On the upper end of the housing there are provided forward and rearward handgrips 21 and 22, and the arms 4 are pivoted to the ends of the forward hand grip 21 by a universal type coupling 23 so that each arm can be swung downwardly to a folded position. When raised to the operative position, the arms are be moved towards the columns and engage arm rests. Each of the arms is so shaped that the ends 24 of each arm are stepped downwardly, so 25 that on inverting each arm a further working height is available.

Each of the legs 5 is attached to the base 2 by a pivot pin 25 and a locking pin 26. On releasing the locking pin the legs can be folded up to lie against the side of the column for transport and storage purposes. When the leg is pivoted down, the locking pin 26 will automatically engage. The pivot pin 3 0 and the locking pin 26 are on a leg swivel plate 27, and the leg 5 is pivoted to: the swivel plate by a hinge 28, the leg being locked in the extended walking position by a leg iock 29. When the walker is to be positioned adjacent a EsT wheel chair for the transfer of a patient, it may be necessary to increase the rleg width to allow the legs to pass either side of the wheel chair, and in these circumstances the leg locks are released, the legs swung outwardly.

Immediately after the transfer of the patient, the legs must be returned to and locked in the walking position.

While the invention is used for the raising and lowering of a patient from and to a seating position, the invention can also be used to transfer a patient while in a seating position. Thus as shown in FIG 5 a sling 30 having a seat portion 31 and a back portion 32. The sling 30 is fastened to the arms by clips and the back portion 32 can also be removably fastened to the sling portion by clips on both portions. The sling can be positioned to face the patient towards or 1 0 away from the operator.

Suitable, limit switches are positioned at the extreme up and down positions of the carriage.

The construction is preferably from suitable high-strength low-mass materials such as aluminium and or plastic or fibreglass. A person with a mobility disability in a seated position may orientate the frame in front of themselves to such a position that the lifting arms are beneath the armpits. Then by operation of the control, may bodily lift themselves into a standing position with little or no exertion whatsoever.

The controls are then moved to the down position and the person is then free to move about normally with the aid of the walker for support and balance, by holding onto the rear hand grip. For a person to be seated from the standing position the support arms are first raised and then a controlled descent is achieved by operation of the controls. At any point between fully raised and fully lowered the horizontal arms are securely and immediately halted by moving the controls to the off position.

While the above has been described with reference to the walker being electrically operated, it is to be realised that pneumatic actuators could be used and actuated from a supply of pressurised gas such as air or nitrogen or other inert gas. Also the actuators could be hydraulic, the electric motor driving i u small positive pressure pump to provide the desir, d actuating pressure.

The walker can be used in any situation, in hospitals, nursing homes, aged care homes and other auxiliaries or in the private home. Also other S attachments can be made, such as a rigid seat, or an attachable horizontal S f z table for prone patients. The lifting and handling of persons with disabilities is 3 5 handled by nurses, orderlies and helpers, and this is at great cost and ;i physical risk to themselves from resultant back injuries which are prevalent.

Thus the present invention will provide a means whereby the above 'will be substantially overcome.

Although various forms of the invention have been described in some detail it is to be realised that the invention is not to be limited thereto, but can include variations falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

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