EP0293383A1

EP0293383A1 - Support foot for stick-like walking aids.

Info

Publication number: EP0293383A1
Application number: EP87901431A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Thomas Ostermeyer
Original assignee: SCHILLING-OSTERMEYER MASCHINENBAU GmbH; SCHILLING OSTERMEYER MASCHINEN
Current assignee: SCHILLING-OSTERMEYER MASCHINENBAU GmbH; SCHILLING OSTERMEYER MASCHINEN
Priority date: 1986-02-12
Filing date: 1987-02-12
Publication date: 1988-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 2007-02-12
Also published as: WO1987004920A1; JPH01501523A; DE3604414A1; EP0293383B1; ATE68338T1; DE3773917D1; US5088513A

Abstract

A support leg for a canelike walking aid includes an adapter part to which a support tube of the walking aid may be fitted, a sole body which can bear on the ground, and a joint device connecting the adapter part and the sole body for permitting elastic swivelling in a direction of support between the adapter part and the sole body. The joint device is formed of a composite body including an elastic body within which are embedded stiffener components respectively connected to the adapter part and the sole body.

Description

Support foot for stick-like walking aids

The invention relates to a support foot for stick-like walking aids such as, for. B. for crutches, according to the preamble of claim 1.

A support foot of the type described above has already become known, in which a ball joint is provided between a cylindrical shaft-shaped adapter part and a support arrangement in the form of a mounting plate for a sole body. With this support foot it is possible to improve the safety of locomotion by ensuring that the sole body remains in flat contact with the ground from the time the walking aid is put on until it is lifted again. The rotatability of the joint device additionally improves the transmission of force from the support foot to the ground, since in this way there is no longer any relative movement between the sole body and the ground _l can, even if the support tube of the walking aid at

Sequence of movements is rotated about the longitudinal axis. This has the additional advantage that even on sensitive floors, such as. B. on parquet flooring, no

5 sinewy prints of the support foot remain.

This well-known support foot has now proven itself in practice. So it is for example, no particular difficulty beson¬ more, with this known walking aids _Q larger distances and in particular to cover outdoors. It turned out, however, that the known support foot is not particularly gentle on the joints. A certain amount of shock absorption is possible via the sole body. However, because the sole body in

, e is optimized with regard to good adhesion to the surface and minimal abrasion, this damping is perceived as too weak.

Especially for younger disabled people who have been walking for decades

20 are dependent on such walking aids, there is a great need to create a walking aid with which one can move quickly and at the same time in such a way that the arm and shoulder joints are protected as much as possible to rule out late complications from the start.

25

The invention has for its object to provide a support foot for walking aids with which the handicapped can still move safely, but at the same time more joint-friendly and fatigue-free.

30

This task is carried out in the characterizing part of the

Features specified claim 1 solved.

*

According to the support foot of the walking aid

35 an articulation device that is elastic at least in the support direction direction equipped. As a result, it is not only possible to reduce the force peak in the support tube caused by the residual swing when the auxiliary is put in place, but also to compare the steep increase in load with the maximum support force, so that an approximately constant force increase gradient of the load curve can be achieved. Walking with walking aids equipped with the support foot according to the invention is not only less tiring in this way, but also effectively prevents the risk of damage to the joints, even if the disabled person regularly travels long distances with the walking aids.

A particular additional advantage of the subject of the application can be seen in the fact that the joint device itself provides the shock-absorbing elasticity. In this way, the number of components required to form the support foot can be reduced to a minimum. It is a further advantage that the weight of the support foot can also be kept very small, so that the handicapped person is not burdened by unnecessary weights and additionally fatigued.

Due to the shock-absorbing function of the joint device, the sole body can also be optimized so that it ensures optimal traction and thus a high degree of safety for the disabled. The joint device itself, or the elastic member of the joint device, can be optimized with regard to optimal damping and absorption of relative movements between the support tube and the sole body, regardless of the task assigned to the sole body. This division of functions means that no compromises have to be made in the choice of material for the sole body and the joint device, which has advantages in terms of construction. sees leads, because now each functional element can be designed and designed according to special criteria.

It has been shown that elastic deformation paths of the joint device in the range between 10 and 15 mm are sufficient to equalize and control the force increase curve with respect to the supporting force in the tube in such a way that it affects the movement and support apparatus of the disabled person Impacts that act on the palm of the hand, the wrist, the elbow joint and the shoulder joint are considerably alleviated, so that not only the joints themselves but also tendons and muscles can be spared and permanent damage can be effectively prevented.

An advantageous further development results from the features of patent claim 2. According to this further development it is further ensured that the articulation device can have a relative rotational movement between the support tube and the sole body or the support arrangement provided therefor, whereby a during the entire step optimal interlocking of the sole body with the ground can be maintained and at the same time the abrasion of the sole body on the ground and the contamination of sensitive floors can be avoided. The rotationally elastic design of the joint device also ensures that when the support tube rotates relative to the sole body, a restoring force that increases with the relative angular position, ie with the torsion angle, is generated, which preferably increases for as long until the torsion angle is approximately 35 °. From this relative torsion angle, either the limit of the elasticity of the joint device is preferably reached or stop bodies come into operation which hold the support tube relative to the sole body l fix. This results in additional advantages for the disabled with regard to his safety. With free rotation between the adapter part and the support arrangement or between the support tube and the sole body, the disabled person 5 is, for example, unsettled, for example, when he only supports himself on a stick-like walking aid when opening a door, by being hand, arm and shoulder muscles must keep the walking aid in an unstable equilibrium by counteracts a tilting ₀ moment, that is by acting on the walking aid forces in the area of the handle and the Ellbo¬ genstütze strives to pivot the walking aid to the stable equilibrium position. The measures according to the application according to claim 2 result in a

₁₅ improved subjective feeling of security, which generally benefits the operational safety of the walking aid.

The elastic design of the joint device also advantageously opens the possibility of reducing the noise development of the support foot despite the pivotable and rotatable arrangement of the sole body on the walking aid, or of avoiding the noise development entirely. An advantageous solution in this respect, ₂₅ is obtained with the further development according to claim third Here the bendable and compressible elastic body, as a compact component, takes on all of the above-mentioned functions which increase safety and protect the joints. This results in advantages not only characterized in layer _n Hin production engineering. Much more, this design also opens up the possibility of minimizing the weight of the support foot and completely eliminating its noise development through the integral design of the articulated device. In addition, this o _ 5_ design of the support foot also extends the lifespan of the joint device raised because no more fitting surfaces are required in the area of the joint.

The design of the joint device according to the application advantageously opens up the possibility of forming or accommodating the adapter part for the support tube in the elastic body. The number of components for producing a functional walking aid is further reduced in this way.

Similarly, the support arrangement for the sole body with the elastic body can be combined to form an integral unit, which further advantageously opens up the possibility of forming the support arrangement - as known per se - with a universal plug-in socket for different sole body designs .

The group of people who rely on walking aids described above is not limited to people of a certain weight class. The support foot must therefore be designed so that it can be used and produced economically so that it can be adapted to various boundary conditions with regard to weight loading and loading dynamics. This adaptability is achieved in an advantageous manner by the development according to claim 5. This design allows targeted control of the deformation behavior of the joint device in two respects. On the one hand, the natural damping of the support system can be varied via the choice of material for the elastic mass and the stiffer components. On the other hand, by suitable variation of the geometric position assignment of the harder components to one another or by targeted control of the flow of force from the support surface in the area of the support arrangement A suitable movement and deformation behavior of the support foot can be achieved in the force transmission area in the region of the adapter part. In this way, it is possible to adapt to different groups of users of the walking aid while maintaining the basic concept by simple variations of geometric and / or material-technical parameters.

This is most easily achieved with the development according to claim 7, with this arrangement having the additional advantage that the stiffer components can be used to restrict the freedom of movement of the support tube with respect to the sole body to permissible ranges. A kind of safety package is integrated in the support leg, which supports the handicapped in safe movement.

The development according to claim 8 has additional advantages in terms of manufacturing technology. With this development, one of the stiffer components as an adapter part for the support tube and a further stiffer component can be formed in one piece with the support arrangement, which additionally results in a weight saving.

Particularly advantageous developments of the support foot are the subject of claims 9 and 14. With this embodiment, the articulation device is given sufficient freedom of movement with respect to tilting or swiveling to provide a sufficient step angle as well as freedom from torsion between the support tube and the sole body. On the other hand, this design leaves a very large scope for designing the shear section or the elastic body, by means of which an adjustment of the damping path meets the respective requirements. _l changes are possible accordingly. It is particularly advantageous that, despite the relatively large damping path, the lower end point of the support tube can be brought relatively close to the bottom surface, so that even

₅ at extreme contact angles, which occur, for example, when the disabled person is running downhill in the terrain, the sole body cannot tip over around its front edge line.

I _Q The embodiment according to claim 10 advantageously opens up the possibility of changing the volume of the shear section determining the damping properties by simply varying the length of the circumferential collar, without the manufacturing process thereby being affected.

, c should be changed.

If the adapter part is designed according to claim 15, the support force of the support tube can be transmitted very evenly to the support foot, with the additional

The advantage is that no intermediate adapter is required and the standardized support tube can be connected directly to the support foot. In addition, the variation in the extent to which the hollow cylinder is covered by the elastic body can influence the deformation behavior of the

- Composite body can be controlled.

With the development according to claim 11 or 19, it is ensured in a simple manner that the interior of the adapter part remains reliably shielded from dirt. As a result, not only is the abrasion between the contact surfaces of the support tube and adapter part minimized, but the noise development in this area is also kept as small as possible. The manufacture of the ring beads or the surface design of the 3 _5-. inner coating layer means no additional effort since these are formed integrally with the elastic mass or with the elastic body.

Advantageously, the deformation behavior of the support foot is set individually according to claim 12, in order thereby to be able to individually take into account the conditions of use of the auxiliary means and the requirements of the disabled.

The design according to claim 13 can also have an influence on the maximum critical angle of the relative pivoting between the support tube and the sole body. By simultaneously influencing the volume of the foot section, it is also possible to act on the limit torsion angle between the support tube and the sole body.

If the support plate is formed by an annular plate according to claim 16, on the one hand the weight of the support foot can be further reduced, furthermore the adapter part in the form of the hollow cylinder can be given a relatively large axial range of motion, so that the point of force application of the support tube at the lower end of the Adapter¬ can sometimes be pulled even lower.

If the support foot in the embodiment according to claim 14 is given an outer lateral surface which essentially follows a paraboloid shape, the result is an extremely favorable course of forces, i.e. Stress conditions which are essentially constant over the cross section of the elastic body. This increases the lifespan and improves the operational reliability of the support leg.

If the cylindrical section of the adapter part is completely men is embedded in the elastic body, there is on the one hand a power transmission over the largest possible area and moreover the additional advantage that the adapter part is reliably protected against corrosion. At the same time, the inner recess of the adapter part is automatically sealed in the form of a hollow cylinder at the upper end region of the support foot, as a result of which the connection between the support tube and the adapter part, once established, is reliably maintained.

If the adapter part has a thin covering layer on the inside, into which are formed longitudinal grooves which are evenly distributed over the circumference and which preferably end in front of the upper edge of the elastic body, the elastic material is obtained when pressed in or pressed in pressing the support tube the possibility to dodge in the longitudinal grooves. In this way, manufacturing tolerances no longer have a disadvantageous effect on the fit or the pull-off strength of the support foot from the support tube. Since the longitudinal grooves are not guided up to the upper edge of the elastic body, this edge can fulfill an extremely intensive sealing function, effectively preventing signs of corrosion.

The development according to claim 20 protects the support plate from damage, without the production engineering effort would have to be increased.

The elastic mass forming the components of the elastic body is preferably formed by a vulcanizable rubber mixture. This measure opens up the possibility of attaching the elastic mass together with the stiffening inserts, supporting bodies, stiffening surfaces on the one hand and with the subsequent supporting surfaces Vulcanize adapter part and on the support arrangement on the other hand, which results in a very firm connection which can withstand the shear stresses occurring in these areas. By suitable pretreatment of the parts to be connected with the elastic mass, e.g. B. by sandblasting these components, the connection can be further improved, further special aids such. B. solvents, can be used to for additional micro toothing

-i _Q to worry between the individual components. This not only means that the lifespan of the joint device can be kept very long. This further training is also advantageous from a manufacturing point of view, since even with the most varied design of the reinforcement

, _ body and / or the connecting parts for the adapter part on the one hand and the support arrangement on the other hand in principle does not change the manufacturing process. This enables the economical production of a range of support legs for a wide variety of requirements with regard to use

20 areas or the ideas of the disabled.

If the stiffer components of the elastic joint device are made of aluminum, the weight of the support foot can be reduced further and thus the disabled person

25 are also relieved. It is an additional advantage that the material aluminum is well suited for pressure contact with the sole body on the one hand or with the support tube of the walking aid on the other hand, so that only two materials have to be used in the production of the support foot, which is production-technical advantages

30 parts with it.

It has been shown that the articulation device can fully meet the requirements imposed by the disabled in all movement phases if the limit

35 _l Swivel angle is limited to approx. 30 °. This limit angle is sufficient even if the disabled person moves relatively quickly on a downhill street. At the same time, this definition of

5 limit swivel angle greatly reduces the risk of the support foot tipping over, as a result of which the operational safety of the walking aid can be increased.

The limit swivel angle can either be selected or

• _Q setting of the spring characteristic of the joint device or be determined by additional stop bodies, as is the subject of claim 35. This further development has the advantage that in this case the limit angle is independent of the weight of the disabled person.

, c nated can be set.

The support foot according to the invention is designed in such a way that the deformation path of the articulation device has no effect in an area in which the sole body is provided

20 is seen. This opens up the possibility of continuing to design the support foot in the region of the support arrangement with a bezel for receiving various sole bodies, the bezel then functioning as a universal plug-in socket for the sole body. This Einfas¬

The edge of the solution is then preferably integral with the articulation device and the upper and lower connecting parts, i.e. formed with the support assembly embedded in the elastic body. In this way, with the exception of the sole body, in a single operation

30 the entire support foot can be produced, which results in advantages in economic terms. The small number of parts also eliminates connection and fitting surfaces, which can further reduce the noise level of the support leg.

35 Like the relative swivel angle, the maximum torsion angle between the support tube and the sole body can also be defined in a defined manner, a limitation to approximately 35 ° having proven to be optimal here. Through this

5 Limitation of the angle ensures, on the one hand, that the ground contact of the sole body is maintained unchanged throughout the entire step. On the other hand, this critical angle is still small enough to give the disabled person the subjective feeling of security ₍ - ₎ mentioned above, for example when he is supported by a walking aid when opening a door.

Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the remaining subclaims. 5

Several exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with the aid of schematic drawings. Show it:

1 shows a diagram to show the load profile of the stick-shaped walking aid in the longitudinal direction of the stick during a walking cycle,

2 shows a diagram to illustrate the angle of rotation of the support tube about the longitudinal axis which occurs in a step 5,

3 shows a schematic diagram to show the load condition of the stick-like walking aid and the destabilizing tilting moment caused thereby,

4 shows a first embodiment of the joint device of the support foot, shown partly in section,

5 is a radial sectional view of a second embodiment form of the articulation of the support leg,

6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of a third embodiment of the articulation device of the support foot,

7 shows a schematic representation of the support foot area of the walking aid to clarify the load condition in the event that the axis of the stick-like walking aid includes a relative pivoting angle with the underground normal, the embodiment according to FIG. 6 being used as the basis for this force analysis, and

8 shows, on a larger scale, a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 6 of a fourth embodiment of the joint device of the support foot.

Figure 1 shows the load profile for a stick-shaped walking aid of conventional design in the longitudinal direction of the tube. On the abscissa, the inclination β of the stick-like walking aid is plotted with respect to the surface normal passing through the base of the base. The ratio of the supporting force acting in the tube to the maximum loading force of the walking aid is plotted on the ordinate.

The diagram according to FIG. 1 shows three curves, curve 1 representing the load case that applies to a leg-amputated disabled person or to a gypsum wearer. Curve 2 shows the load curve that applies to the disabled person who only needs the walking aid as support, since both legs cannot or cannot be fully loaded, in which case "the left leg and the right crutch are moved simultaneously. Curve 3 finally represents an exposure course to be aimed for, which corresponds to that in the following l support leg to be described in more detail can be reached.

The curve 1 shown in FIG. 1 shows that three load areas are to be differentiated into 5 during a step cycle. In load area a, the force curve results from the fact that the walking aid is placed on the floor with a residual swing after the forward swing and is then immediately loaded. This results in a first force peak, which already accounts for 60% of the maximum support tube force _Q. In load area b, the load increases steadily as the disabled person shifts his weight more and more to the walking aid. Finally, in the load area σ the stick of the walking aid or the support tube absorbs the total weight plus the acceleration forces which are caused by the swing when walking.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the anatomy of the handicapped person simultaneously results in a predetermined angle of rotation O1 of the walking aid about the pole axis. In a first approximation, this angle of rotation increases linearly with the change in the angle of inclination β. Due to these conditions, it is obvious that the stress curve occurring with a conventional stick-like walking aid results in a considerable load on the entire support apparatus of the disabled person, which increases wear not only on joints, but also on tendons and muscles get abandoned. In the course of the load according to curve 2, the load is considerably reduced. However, this load profile can only set 0 if the disabled person can still load both legs with 25% of the body weight. In addition, it has been found that, in particular, the increase in load when the crutch is put on, ie in the load area a, permanent damage in the area of the joints, and muscles, which occurs especially when the disabled person relies on such walking aids at a relatively early stage and does sports.

5

FIG. 4 shows a first embodiment of the support foot with which a load curve corresponding to curve 3 shown in FIG. 1 can be achieved. This load curve is characterized by a force increase that is as uniform as possible up to the maximum force, so that impact stresses on the movement and support apparatus of the disabled are largely excluded. Furthermore, an articulation device is integrated in the support foot, which is freely pivotable under the support of a sole body

15 of the support tube of the walking aid in the range of + 25 to 30 ° to the support surface normal and a relative rotatability of the support tube about the longitudinal axis with respect to the support surface in the ^" range of + 25 ° is guaranteed. The walking aid equipped with the support foot according to the invention

Therefore, medium is still able to provide optimal frictional contact with the ground throughout the entire walking cycle, even if the disabled person is moving on sloping ground.

25 In FIG. 4, the lower end of a support tube 1 of a stick-shaped walking aid is indicated by chain-dotted lines. This support tube 1 is connected in a rotationally and displaceably fixed manner to a support foot 2 which receives a sole body 4 on the bottom side, which can have different shapes and, for example - as in FIG. 4

30 shown - is designed as a cylindrical disk body. The sole body 4 can be designed, for example, as a reversible body, which has a particularly grippy structure on one surface and steel pins on its other surface, which are bonded to an icy surface.

35 can claw. The sole body 4 is supported in the axial direction on a preferably flat support arrangement, which is described in more detail below. The sole body 4 is fixed laterally by a border 6, which can be formed, for example, in one piece with the support arrangement for the sole body 4. The border is preferably designed as a universal plug-in socket for an assortment of sole bodies of different designs, so that the disabled person can quickly change the sole body, depending on the nature of the terrain, and thus create optimal safety conditions.

The support leg 2 is designed such that the Stutz¬ to Rohr 1 relative to the sole body 4 by a maximum inclination angles _maχ of about 25 to 30 degrees relative to a support surface normal N to all sides pivot and at the same time relative to the sole body 4 to can rotate an axis A by a maximum angle of rotation O ^ π _i a. The arrangement is such that both the pivotability by the angle (^) and the twistability by the angle erfolgt takes place elastically.

In addition to the free rotation and pivotability of the support tube 1 relative to the sole body 4, the support foot is designed such that the joint device integrated in it is designed to be R-elastic in the support direction in order to give the support foot a shock-absorbing characteristic with the load peaks shown in FIG Load curve can be reduced reliably.

For this purpose, the support foot consists essentially of an elastic composite body, the elastic mass 8 of which is connected to stiffer components 10 and 12 to form an integral unit. In this embodiment, the one more rigid component 10 forms an adapter part for the lower end of the support tube 1. For this purpose, this adapter part 10 is essentially cup-shaped and has in the lower region a radial shoulder 14 on which the lower end face of the support tube 1 is supported. The adapter part 10 fits into the support tube in order to prevent relative movements between the adapter part 10 and the support tube 1. Above the adapter part 10, the elastic mass 8 forms a pair of annular beads 16, via which a firm frictional contact between the elastic mass 8 and the support tube 1 can be established. In this way, the interior of the adapter part 10 is reliably protected from the effects of dirt.

The second stiffer component 12 is an integral part of the above-mentioned support arrangement for the sole body 4, which in the embodiment according to FIG. 4 is formed by a plate or ring plate 18. This ring plate can in turn be formed in one piece with the aforementioned rim 6. However, this is not absolutely necessary for the function of the support foot. Rather, it is also conceivable that a border for the sole body 4 is attached to the support arrangement in the form of the plate 18, but is non-rotatable and non-rotatable.

On the side facing away from the sole body 4, the ring plate 18 has a stabilizing collar arrangement which extends in the direction of the axis A of the support tube 1 and is formed by a circumferential stabilizing collar 20. The stabilizing collar 20 is arranged at a radial distance A _{R from} the outer surface of the adapter part 10 and is completely embedded, preferably vulcanized, in the elastic mass 8. The ring plate 18 is shown l moreover by an axial offset M _v to the lower

Edge of the adapter part 10 is offset so that a shear section 22 of the elastic mass 8 is provided between the stiffer components 10 and 12, via which the character

5 teristics of the joint integrated in the support leg 2 can be controlled. The shear section 22 continues on the side facing away from the support foot 4 into a sealing section 24 in which the annular beads 16 are formed.

The effectiveness of the shear section 22 provided between the more rigid components 10 and 12 also depends on the relationship between the dimensions of the stabilizing collar 22 and the adapter part 10. Here in particular is the ratio of the axial

, ~ Length L20 of the stabilizing collar 20 to the height H ^ Q of the adapter part is important. By suitable coordination of the geometries and position assignments of the more rigid components 10 and 12 to one another and with respect to the locations, initiated to the supporting force or further to the supporting tube 1

20 conducts, the deformation behavior of the support leg 2 can be varied within wide limits by adjusting the above-mentioned characteristic values to the physical properties of the elastic mass 8. This coordination enables the axial damping path W _{D to be} optimal

25 can be set, according to the individual needs of the disabled person.

In FIG. 4, the fictional fulcrum of the articulated device integrated in the support foot is shown with reference numeral 26. This pivots in a step cycle

30 support tube 1 substantially around this hinge point 26 at an angle of up to 40 °. First, as shown in FIG. 1, there is a positive inclination angle f3 of up to 25 °. This angle then becomes smaller and smaller in the course of the step cycle and becomes the maximum at the time

35 l zero load and eventually takes negative

Values in the range up to -15 °, whereupon the walking aids are lifted off the floor.

5 It has been found that it is advantageous to limit the maximum relative pivoting _angle l ' _maχ to a suitable limit value in order to prevent the support tube 1 from being placed at such a large angle of inclination with respect to the sole body and to the ground,

! 0 that the base body 4 tilts when the support tube 1 is loaded. The swiveling angle / 3max ^{can be} limited ^, for example, by the fact that the joint device receives a progressive spring characteristic. The critical angle can also be controlled

, e that the axial length L20 of the stabilizing collar 20 is selected accordingly, so that this collar 20 can act as a stop from a certain pivoting angle.

As already explained above, the anatomy of the human body causes a torsional movement of the support tube 1 during a step cycle with the aid of the walking aids, by a rotation angle θ of approximately 30 °. With firm clamping of the lower end of the support tube 1 in

25 adapter part 10 and when the sole body 4 is non-rotatably connected to the ring plate 18 of the support arrangement, the elastic composite body is able to absorb this relative displacement with elastic deformation of the shear section 22. For this purpose, it can be advantageous to suitably dimension the shear section in the circumferential direction

30 ren or to design in order to specifically control the flexibility in the circumferential direction. The torque opposed to the rotary movement by the shear section 22 becomes greater and greater as the twist angle increases. The section 22 is preferably designed such that from a maximum

35 paint angle of rotation Q of the further rotation is opposed to a considerable moment of resistance, which additional support body in the elastic mass 8 can be supported. This measure leads to the advantageous effect explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B:

In Figure 3A, the load state of a crutch-like walking aid is shown in the event that the

10 Support the disabled laterally, for example if he is doing an activity with the other hand, for example opening a door. In this case, the upper part of the walking aid is loaded by the pair of forces F _S1 and F _κ , where F _κ represents the support force introduced into the crutch, p-handle via the palm, and F-- _j _ represents the reaction force in the elbow area. This moment caused by the supporting force F _κ and the reaction elbow force F _s induces a pair of forces F _B and F _S 2 in the area of the supporting surface, through which a static balance of forces in the

20 plane shown in Figure 3A is maintained by the stick axis and perpendicular to the ground. It can be seen from the representation according to FIG. 3A that the forces F- and Fjζ occurring in this load _state only in perfect equilibrium with the supporting forces F _B and

25 F ~ 2 stand when all the forces lie in the drawing plane of FIG. 3A spanned by the support tube sections 1a and 1b. The axis 28 shown in dashed lines also lies in this plane through the upper and lower support points of the walking aid. As soon as the walking aid is slightly out of the plane of Figure 3A

30 is pivoted out, which occurs, for example, when the walking aid is loaded somewhat obliquely, the support tube 1 a and 1 b tries to move from the unstable position shown in FIG. 3A around the axis 28 (as indicated by the arrow C θ) into the one in FIG 35 shown in FIG. 3B i twist stable position. To prevent this, the

Disabled people with conventional walking aids that have a freely rotatable ball joint in the area of the support foot, this tilting moment by suitable loading of the hand

₅ handles and elbow support, ie by variation of the

Counteract the direction of the forces F _s ^ and F _κ , whereby the subjective sense of security of the disabled is impaired. With the embodiment of the support foot according to FIG. 4, the handicapped person is characterized in that the rotational movement by the angle Q against an increasingly larger one

Counterforce occurs, assisted in the application of this Gθgenmo ent, whereby the uncertainty described above can be switched off.

5 The elastic mass 8 is preferably formed from a vulcanizable rubber, in which the stiffer components 10 and 12 are vulcanized. These last components 10 and 12 are advantageously made of aluminum in order to keep the weight of the support foot 2 as small as possible. With the support foot shown, it is possible on the one hand to ensure optimal conditions with regard to the adhesion between the support foot and the subsurface, by optimizing the material for the sole body 4 in this regard and maintaining constant, flat contact with the subsurface through the articulation device 5 integrated in the support foot 2 . The damping behavior in the axial direction can also be adjusted by the suitable coordination of the geometry of the composite body parts an to the force flow in the support foot and / or to the physical properties of the elastic mass 8 and can thus be individually adapted to the requirements of the disabled.

In a departure from the illustrated embodiment, the adapter part 10 can also be designed as a shaft part, the fifth can be used inside the support tube 1. In a further modification it can be provided that the border 6 is not formed in one piece with the ring plate 18, but is part of a separate component that can be attached to the more rigid component 12.

In a further modification it can be provided that a lower edge 30 of the shear section 22 does not taper conically upwards in a straight line, but rather runs according to a precalculated curve to the lower end of the upper, more rigid element 10. In this way, the deformation behavior of the elastic body can also be influenced.

Finally, additional stop element may be in the ELA STIC mass 8 are embedded to the maximum supply Nei¬ angle ß ^{ax, and} to define ^the maximum angle 0i- _ax defined.

A further embodiment of the support foot is described in FIG. 5, which has a deformation behavior similar to that of the support foot according to FIG. 4. The sole body 4 and the border 6 are not shown in detail in FIG. The border can preferably be releasably attached to a support plate 34 of the support foot 32. In this embodiment, the attachment to the support tube 1 takes place via an adapter part 36, which has a hollow cylindrical shaft 38, which is pressed into the interior of the support tube 1.

The support foot 32 is in turn designed as an elastic composite body, an elastic mass 40 absorbing a V-oil number of stiffer components 42 to 50. These stiffer components are formed by stiffening plates which are aligned parallel to the support plate 34 and are arranged at a distance from one another. The stiffening plates 42 to 50 are graduated in diameter. The diameter preferably decreases steadily from bottom to top. The thickness D of the more rigid components 42 to 50 is also greater in the lower part of the support foot 32 than in the upper "region, in order to control the deformation behavior of the support foot 32 in this way.

The adapter part 36 has a base-side end with a widening 52 which runs all the way into the elastic one

10 mass 40 is embedded, so that the adapter part 36 is an integral part of the support foot 32.

Both the widened lower section 52 of the adapter part 36 and the stiffening plates 42 to 50 ₍ like the support plate 34 have central recesses, not identified in detail, which are formed concentrically to the axis A in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5) At least one tensioning and centering core 54 runs through these recesses and is located on its upper surface

20 end an anchoring head 56 and at its lower end a threaded portion 58 carries or is connected to this tensile. This threaded section is in functional engagement with a clamping nut 60 with which the composite body 32 can be compressed in the supporting direction g.

25 The tensioning of the tensioning and centering shaft 54 can influence the deformation behavior of the support foot 32, so that the damping behavior can be adapted to the individual requirements of the disabled person.

As in the embodiment according to FIG. 4, it is preferred

3.0 pulled elastic mass 40 in turn vulcanizable rubber is provided, in which the stiffer components 42 to 50, as well as the support plate 34 and the adapter part 36 are vulcanized. The more rigid components can in turn be made of aluminum or also of plastic bθ-

35 stand.

The tensioning and centering core 54 is preferably made of steel, so that a flexible core is created which can easily adapt to the joint deformations of the support foot 32.

This embodiment is also capable of angles of rotation on the order of 25 to 35 ° between the support tube 1 and support plate 34 and angle of inclination (2 between the axis A of the support tube 1 and the normal on the support plate 34 in the order of + 30 ° By suitably matching and adapting the thickness D and the diameter grading of the more rigid components 42 to 50 to the geometry of the support plate 34 and the widening 52 of the adapter part 32, taking into account the physical properties of the elastic mass 40, the damping behavior can be influenced and controlled.

The embodiment described above, according to which the elastic body is divided into a plurality of elastically deformable individual sections, is particularly advantageous for certain mixtures of the elastic mass. The state of tension occurring in the elastic mass can be compensated for over the entire height of the support foot, as a result of which good material utilization takes place while simultaneously increasing the service life of the support foot. If the bottom end of the hollow cylinder shaft 38 has a widening 52, in which the elastic mass 8 is embedded, there are additional advantages in terms of production technology in that contamination of fit surfaces can be prevented. It is advantageous here to insert the adapter part into the interior of said stick-shaped l assistant to impress ittβls.

By damping the centering core more or less strongly, the damping behavior can be changed both in the axial direction and in the circumferential direction, as a result of which an adaptation to the weight of the user or to the nature of the surface can be carried out. By adapting the geometry of the stiffening plates to the physical material properties of the θlasti mass, the deformation behavior can also be influenced in a targeted manner, which means that optimum deformation and damping values on the one hand and sufficient fatigue strength on the other hand can be achieved.

A particularly advantageous embodiment is described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. This support leg is identified by reference number 62. It is again designed as a composite body, in which an elastic mass 68 is provided between two stiffer components 64 and 66, which in turn is preferably formed from 0 vulcanizable rubber. The upper, more rigid component 64 as an adapter part and the lower, more rigid component 66 in the form of a support plate are vulcanized onto this elastic mass 68. A dashed edge 5 70 for a sole body 72, which is also only indicated, is again indicated in the dash-dotted lines. The border edge 70 can either be integrally formed with the support plate 66 or can be attached to it in a detachable manner in a rotationally and displaceably fixed manner. 0

The upper, more rigid component 64 represents an adapter part for a lower end of the support tube 1. For this purpose, a central cylindrical recess 74 is provided, into which the lower end of the support tube 1 is fitted. In the upper area of the adapter part 64, 5 l elastic sealing rings are provided in order to seal the fitting surfaces to the outside, as in the embodiment according to FIG. 4.

5 In this embodiment too, a joint device is integrated in the support foot 62, which in turn is essentially frustoconical, which is not only elastic in terms of torsion and bending, but also elastic in the support direction R _s . To provide the joint function is

I _Q the surface 76 of the adapter part 64 facing the sole body 72 is of concave design, in such a way that it is part of a spherical cap. The surface 7 ^′ 8 of the support plate facing away from the sole body 72 and toward the surface 76 of the adapter part 64 is correspondingly

^ g 66 convex and also formed as part of a spherical cap surface. The elastic mass 68 is accommodated between the two spherical cap surfaces 76 and 78. As a result of the vulcanization of the elastic mass 68, the elastic mass 68 in turn functions as

20 pressure, tension and shear stressed spring body, which enables the adapter part 64 and thus the support tube 1 to pivot with respect to the support surface normals Ng in all directions by angle of inclination fZ and to rotate relative to the support plate 66 by angle of rotation O, whereby

25 these angles QL and | S move in the areas described above. The elastic mass 68 simultaneously ensures that the force curve in the support tube 1 is as close as possible to curve 3 according to FIG. 1, to peak loads that tire the disabled

30 and could overload its support apparatus in the long run. The integral design of the support foot 62 in combination with the fixed fit connection of the adapter part 64 with the lower end of the support tube 1 also ensures that the joint and shock absorption

__ the function of the support leg is completely quiet, l where again - as with those already described

Embodiments - the possibility is opened of the support foot both with regard to the contact between the sole body 72 and the ground and with regard to the impact

5 optimize sorption capacity.

The spherical cap design of the surfaces of the adapter part 64, on the one hand, and the support plate 66, on the other hand, which encloses the elastic mass, not only results in a relatively simple design of the elastic body 68, which can be formed in this way with an essentially constant thickness Dgg . Due to the spherical cap shape, which is preferably designed such that the spherical cap surfaces 76 and

15 78 are essentially concentric, if the support foot 62 is designed as a rotationally symmetrical body, there is a special effect which is explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 7:

2, o: FIG. 7 schematically shows the deformation behavior of the support foot according to FIG. 6 in the event that the support tube 1 is placed on the ground, for example at the beginning of the step cycle, at an angle of inclination>. The reference numeral 80 is a component

25 indicated that in the embodiment according to FIG. 6 corresponds to the unit consisting of support plate 66, border edge 70 and sole body 72. The adapter part 64 is omitted in the illustration according to FIG. 7 and reduced to a support dome surface 82. Between the support dome

3.o: surface 82 and a further support dome surface 84 corresponding to the dome surface 78 according to FIG. 6, an elastic block 86 is provided which is firmly connected to the dome surfaces 84 and 82.

Figure 7 shows the case that the support tube 1 with a

35 _l force F _{κ is} loaded. This load causes the shell surfaces 82 to shift while deforming the elastic mass 86 such that the axis A of the support tube 1 essentially runs through the center of the support of the sole body 80. The shell surfaces 84 and 82 center in their common center, which is preferably chosen so that it coincides with the center 38 of the support surface. As a result, the stick force also runs through the center 88, which results in a uniform vertical force distribution over the entire circumference of the sole body 80, which is indicated in FIG. 7 by the two vertical force components F _A and F _B. Thanks to this even distribution of the share of the force, even with the largest swiveling

. r- no S does not occur if the sole body 80 tilts around the front support point 90 of the sole body 80, which could be the case with conventional support feet.

Also in the description in relation to FIGS. 6 and 7

In one embodiment, it is possible to adjust or vary the joint and damping characteristics by influencing the geometry of the spherical surfaces 76 and 78, taking into account the physical properties of the elastic mass 68. It is under modification

25 of the exemplary embodiment shown, it is possible to embed further stiffening components in the elastic mass 68 or to provide cavities in a targeted manner and at certain points, via which the deformation behavior is controlled. It is also possible to provide stop bodies which - as in the previously described embodiments - for this

30 ensure that the angle of inclination [2 and / or the angle of rotation 0 remains limited to the limit values discussed above.

Also in this embodiment, as well as in the

35 5, can be used as material for the adapter part 64, for the support plate 66 and possibly for the stiffening body inside the elastic mass 68 aluminum. However, it is also possible to use plastics here, which advantageously opens up the possibility of integrally forming the rim 70 with the support plate 66 and thereby further reducing the number of components of the support foot 62.

10

The particular advantage of the embodiment described above is that the elastic body always ensures that the adapter part with the spherical shell on the bottom centers itself at any relative pivoting angle between the support tube and the sole body when loaded. Even at the largest step angles or relative swivel angles between the support tube and the sole body, there is therefore no tilting moment around the front edge line of the sole body. As a result, the elastic body can be somewhat thicker

2D are formed, so that an increased scope for varying the damping characteristics of the articulation device remains.

If the elastic body 68 seen in axial section one

25 has a substantially constant thickness Dgg, the above-mentioned self-centering effect of the support tube occurs even more reliably. Furthermore, it is possible to greatly even out the loads on the elastic body over the cross section. It is advantageous here that the edge surfaces of the elastic body are in direct contact with

30 are the two support surfaces, which have the shape of Kugelka¬ lotten, which have a common center of the ball essentially. In this embodiment, too, the thickness and / or the edge configuration of the elastic body is advantageously matched to the physical one

35 Adapted properties of the elastic mass. The shape of the support surfaces and / or the edge surfaces of the elastic body can influence the state of tension in the body under the various load conditions and thereby optimize the service life of the joint device. The deformation behavior of the elastic body can be changed with stiffening inserts. In addition, the limit, swivel and twist angles between the support tube and the sole body can be defined in a defined manner.

If the adapter part 64 has a recess 74 for receiving the support tube 1, the lower support point of the support tube can be brought as close as possible to the sole body, which benefits the stability of the support foot.

FIG. 8 shows a further preferred embodiment of the support foot for stick-shaped auxiliary means. The support leg of this embodiment is identified by reference number 92. 8 differs from that described above in that a somewhat different sectional view has been chosen. The views on both sides of the center line are obtained by cutting planes that are perpendicular to each other.

As in the previously described embodiments, the support foot 92 represents a joint device that is elastic in the support direction R _s . In addition, it is torsionally elastic and is flexible in all radial planes. Here too, the support foot has a composite body in which an elastic mass 98 is connected to stiffer components 94 and 96. The elastic mass 98 is in turn preferably formed from vulcanizable rubber, on which the more rigid components are preferably vulcanized. The stiffer components can preferably consist of aluminum or plastic.

Similar to the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the upper, more rigid component 94 in FIG. 8 is designed as a hollow cylindrical body which is open on the upper side and has a radial shoulder 95 on the side facing the floor. The component 94 thus has a cup shape, with a ventilation opening 97 being provided on the bottom side 0. The further stiffer component 96 forms the support plate for an enclosure (not shown) of a sole element body (also not shown). To couple the border, the support plate 96 has an axial extension 99, via which the actual support body 100 is fixed for the sole body.

In accordance with the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the hollow cylinder 94 forms the adapter part for the support tube 1, which is indicated by dash-dotted lines. For this purpose, the cylindrical section of the element 94 extends upward by a relatively large axial distance. The elastic mass 98 of the joint device 92 extends between the cylindrical section and the annular surface 96A, which is offset both in the axial and in the radial direction from the cylindrical section 94A 5. The axial distance between the radial shoulder 95 and the annular surface θ 96A lies in the range between 8 and 15 mm, so that a sufficient damping path is provided. 0

In order to equalize the stresses occurring in the elastic mass 98, the latter has an outer contour 98A, which essentially has the shape of a hyperboloid. The elastic mass also surrounds to form a 5th Edge protector 98B an outer surface of the support plate 96.

To produce a twist-proof and pull-off connection between the support tube 1 and the support foot 92, the elastic mass 98 is also drawn into the interior of the hollow cylinder 94. The cylindrical inner surface 94B is thus provided with a thin coating 98C which is connected in one piece to the remaining part of the elastic mass 98 by means of a butt collar 98D.

The cover 98C has a plurality of circumferential evenly spaced longitudinal grooves 102 which end in front of the upper edge 104 and preferably in front of the lower edge of the cover 98C. When the support tube 1 is pressed in, the elastic mass 98 in the region of the coating 98C can thus escape into these grooves, as a result of which tolerance problems are counteracted. Because the grooves 102 end in front of the upper edge 104, a sealing section 106 remains closed, which effectively prevents the ingress of contaminants.

The connection between the elastic mass 98 and the more rigid components 94 and 96 can be further improved by roughening the more rigid components before the connection, for example by a sandblasting process. In addition, solvents with elastic mass and / or adhesive can be used.

For pressing in the support tube 1, it is advantageous to apply a lubricant to the coating 98C. Excess lubricant can then be displaced into the longitudinal grooves 102. This results in a very intimate connection between the support foot 92 and the support tube 1, in particular with a suitable choice of the lubricant. It has been found that with an elastic damping path W _D of 5 to 15 mm, an optimal compromise can be achieved with regard to the damping characteristics on the one hand and the shape stability of the support foot on the other. However, it is also possible to set specific focal points by varying this damping path if this is advantageous for the specific case of the disability.

The above-described embodiments of the support foot according to the invention all have in common that they are very quiet with a very high level of safety for the disabled and by varying the geometry and the material properties of the components used while coordinating these parts with one another to suit the particular needs of the person the handicap instructed disabled can be adjusted. For example, in the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the stabilizing collar 20 can be varied not only with regard to the length, but also with respect to the inclination and shape in the circumferential direction in such a way that the deformation behavior changes in a targeted manner in accordance with a specific pattern in the movement cycle. The axial damping dimension W _D is controlled in that a more or less deep recess is provided in the sole body 4 or in the support plate 18.

The invention thus creates a support foot for stick-like walking aids, such as for crutches, the support tube of which is connected to an adapter part which is coupled to a support arrangement for a sole body via a pivotable and rotatable articulated connection. The articulation device is integrated in the support foot and is designed to be elastic, at least in the support direction, but preferably also rotationally elastic. The articulation is preferably Direction formed by a composite body, in the elastic mass stiffer components for transmitting the support forces from the sole body to the support tube of the walking aid are embedded. In this way, the support foot is composed of very few components, is low in noise and protects the entire support apparatus of the disabled person by effectively removing stress spits from the support foot.

Claims

1. Support foot for stockför ige walking aids, such as. B. for crutches, with an adapter part for the support tube and an I _Q joint device, on the pivotable and rotatable to the

A support arrangement for a sole body is articulated in the adapter part, characterized in that the articulation device (2; 32; 62, 92) is elastic in the support direction (Rg).

15

2. Support foot according to claim 1, characterized in that the articulation device (2; 32; 62, 92) is formed in a torsionally elastic manner.

3. Support foot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the articulation device is formed by a bendable and compressible elastic body (10, 22, 20; 40 to 52; 64 to 68; 94 to 98).

25 4. Support foot according to claim 3, characterized in that the adapter part (10; 52; 64; 94, 98C) for the support tube (1) is formed and / or recorded in the elastic body.

30 5. support foot according to claim 3 or 4, characterized gekennzeich¬ net that the support arrangement (18; 34; - 66, 96) is included in the elastic body.

6. Support foot according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the elastic body by a ver

35 _l is formed in the elastic mass (8;

40; 68; 98) more rigid components (10, 12; 34, 42 to 52; 64, 66; 94, 96) for the transmission of the supporting and / or shear forces are embedded.

5

7. Support foot according to claim 6, characterized in that the stiffer components are embedded and arranged in such a way that they can be pivoted relative to one another while deforming the elastic mass (8; 40; 68; 98),

10 are displaceable and preferably rotatable.

8. Support foot according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one of the stiffer components (10; 52; 64, 94) is rotationally and displaceably fixed with the adapter part (10; 36; 74)

, e and at least one further stiffer component (12; 34; 66; 96) is at least rotatably connected to the support arrangement (18; 34; 66).

9. support foot according to claim 8, wherein the adapter part of

20 is formed in a cylinder body and the support arrangement has a support plate, characterized in that the adapter part (10) is arranged axially offset to the support plate (18), which is aligned substantially perpendicular to the support plate (18) and on one opposite the

25 cylinder body (10) of larger diameter arranged stabilizing collar arrangement (20) which is embedded in a shear section (22) of the elastic mass (8) which extends from the bottom end of the stabilizing collar arrangement (20) to the bottom end of the cylinder

30 body (10) extends.

10. Support foot according to claim 9, characterized in that the stabilizing collar arrangement (20) is formed by a ring-shaped circumferential collar.

35 11. Supporting foot according to claim 10, characterized in that a sealing collar (24) of the elastic mass (8) adjoins the hollow cylinder (10) on the side facing away from the floor, which preferably runs around the inside with

5 the ring beads (16) is provided.

12. Support foot according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the amount of axial displacement (M _v ) to the physical properties of the elastic mass (8) 0 and / or to the radial thickness (A _R ) of the shear section (22nd ) is adjusted.

13. Support foot according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the adapter part of a hollow cylinder, _. is formed, the height (HJ_Q) of the

Height (L20) of the stabilizing collar arrangement (20) and / or the physical properties of the elastic mass (8) and / or the axial displacement (M _M ) between the adapter part (10) and the support plate (18) is adapted. 0

14. Support foot according to claim 8, in which the adapter part is formed by a cylinder body, and the support arrangement has a support plate, characterized in that the adapter part (94, 98C) is arranged axially offset to the support plate (96) 5, the inner diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the adapter part (96), so that a rotationally symmetrical elastic body (98) is enclosed between the outer cylinder surface (94A) of the adapter part (94) and the surface (96A) of the support plate (96) facing away from the sole body. 0

15. Supporting foot according to one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that the adapter part is formed by a hollow cylinder (10; 94, 94A, 94B) which preferably has an inner shoulder (14; 95) on the bottom side. 5

16. Support foot according to one of claims 8 to 15, characterized in that the support plate is formed by an annular plate (18; 96).

17. Support foot according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the rotationally symmetrical elastic body has an outer circumferential surface (98A) which has essentially a paraboloid shape.

18. Support foot according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the cylindrical section (94A, 94B) of the adapter part is completely embedded in the elastic body (98).

19. Support foot according to claim 18, characterized in that the adapter part (94) carries on the inside a thin coating layer (98C) into which a plurality of longitudinal grooves (102), preferably uniformly distributed over the circumference, are formed, which are preferably end in front of the upper edge (104) of the elastic body (98).

20. Support foot according to one of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that the ring plate (96) for forming an edge protector (98B) is bordered on the circumferential side by the elastic mass (98).

21. Support foot according to one of claims 6 to 20, characterized in that the elastic mass (8; 40; 68; 98) is formed by a vulcanizable rubber mixture.

22. Support foot according to claim 21, characterized in that the stiffer components (10, 12; 34, 42 to 52; 66; 64; 94; 96) of the joint device with the elastic mass are vulcanized together.

23. Support foot according to claim 21 or 22, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the stiffer components consist of aluminum.

24. Support foot according to one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that the adapter part (10; 36; 64; 94, 98C) and / or the support arrangement (12; 34; 66, 96) consist of plastic or aluminum.

25. Support foot according to one of claims 1 to 24, gekenn¬ characterized by a limit inclination angle (f ^ _max ) of approximately

30 ¹ "

26. Support foot according to one of claims 1 to 25, gekenn¬ characterized by an elastic damping path (W _D ) of the joint device (2; 32; 62; 92) in the range between and 15 mm.

27. Support foot according to one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that the support arrangement (18; 34; 66; 96) has a rim (6; 70) for receiving various sole bodies (4; 72).

28. Support foot according to one of claims 1 to 27, gekenn¬ characterized by a maximum angle of rotation (Od _r na ^ ^< - ^er joint device of about 35 °.

29. Support foot according to one of claims 2 to 28, characterized in that the angle of rotation (CL) is limited by abutment body.