Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
  • A61H3/00—Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about
  • A61H3/02—Crutches
  • A61H3/0244—Arrangements for storing or keeping upright when not in use
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
  • A61H3/00—Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about
  • A61H3/02—Crutches
  • A61H3/0244—Arrangements for storing or keeping upright when not in use
  • A61H2003/0266—Arrangements for storing or keeping upright when not in use with magnetic fixing

Definitions

• the present invention concerns an accessory to a crutch or the like in the form of a muff-like accessory designed to be temporarily slipped-on or off the handle of a crutch. More specifically the present invention regards a muff-like accessory which is designed to be slipped-on and slipped-off a handle to a crutch, said invention containing a magnetic body in accordance with the claims.
• crutches can easily fall over when the user temporarily places the crutches against a wall, a table, the side of a car, a refrigerator, at the cashier in a store or the like.
• a crutch after it has fallen over, may be difficult if not impossible to retrieve.
• the user can fall and in the worst case be left lying on the floor in their attempt to get hold of the crutch.
• crutches A further problem with crutches is that it is common for crutches to be lent to the user during the time that the user needs to use them.
• the user of the loaned crutch can, at worst, be liable for alterations made to the borrowed crutch.
• a number of designs have been developed to solve the problem of crutches easily falling over when they are put aside. For example, accessories to crutches have been developed which can be fitted on the lower end of a crutch, the part that comes into contact with the ground, providing the technical effect of the crutch remaining upright when it is put aside. Examples of this are found in patent documents US6651684 and US4091828.
• the design allows the crutch to stands upright but has the disadvantage of allowing the crutch to easily tip over. Furthermore, the design also adds extra weight to the crutch.
• One objective of the present invention is to achieve a considerable improvement in the above mentioned drawbacks. This is achieved by using a device in accordance with the patent claims' characteristic parts.
• Another aim of the present invention is to achieve a crutch sleeve which in a simple way can temporarily be attached to the handle of a crutch or the like.
• a further objective of the present invention is to achieve a crutch sleeve with which the crutch can temporarily be attached, for example, to a coated metal surface without the coated surface becoming scratched.
• Figure 1 shows the present invention attached to a crutch.
• Figures 2 and 3 show in two views a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 4 shows a cross-section of the present invention slipped onto a crutch handle.
• Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
• the muff-like accessory 1 includes a sleeve-like body 4 with an inner chamber 5.
• the sleeve-like body is preferably produced of an elastic material.
• the inner chamber 5 is defined by an open-end 6 and a closed-end 7.
• the closed-end 7 is equipped with at least one attachment organ 8.
• the attachment organ 8 consists preferably of at least one magnetic body 9.
• the crutch can temporarily be attached with a magnetic material or a material that is attracted by the magnet.
• the magnetic body 8 can be integrated into the material in the closed-end 7 or, alternatively, be fixed to the outside or the inside of the closed-end 7.
• the magnetic body 9 is molded into the material in the muff-like accessory's 1 closed-end 7 in connection with the manufacture of the muff-like accessory 1. Molding has the technical effect of reducing the risk of the surfaces with which the crutch is temporarily attached to by way of the magnetic body 9 being scratched by the material of the magnetic body 9.
• the magnetic body 9 may, in alternative embodiments, be attached on the inside or the outside of muff-like accessory's 1 closed-end 7 by gluing, vulcanization or other suitable for the purpose known method or procedure. If the magnet is attached to the outside of the muff-like accessory's closed-end 7, the magnet's surface (surfaces), which is not attached to the end of the sleeve 7, must be provided with a layer of material which prevents scratching of surfaces that the crutch is attached to.
• the muff-like accessory can much easier be mounted on the handle of the crutch, if the muff-like accessory in its open-end has an angle of 15 to 60 degrees in relation to the muff-like accessory's axial center. An optimum has been shown to exist at an approximately 26 degree angle.
• the edge of the open-end 6 can also be fitted with an internal bevel (not shown in the figure) to facilitate the attachment of the muff-like accessory 1 to the handle 2. Furthermore, the edge of the open-end 6 can be equipped with a bevel (not shown in the figure) to facilitate a smoother transition between the handle's surface and the sleeve-like body's 4 surface in the muff-like accessory 1.
• Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
• the embodiment differs from the first embodiment essentially only by the length of the sleeve-like body 4. Because the muff-like accessory's sleeve covers a large portion of the handle's 2 length, a further improved attachment (fixation) of the muff-like accessory against the handle 2 in relation to the first embodiment is achieved.
• the shorter length of the sleeve-like body 4 of the first embodiment facilitates the threading of the sleeve onto the handle 2.
• a material with a higher friction than the rest of the material in the sleeve-like body 4 can be applied or molded into the entire, or a partial part of, the outer surface of the sleeve-shaped body 4.
• the friction material on the outside of the sleeve-like body 4 improves the ability of a person with weak muscles in the hand and/or the forearm to hold the handle (crutch) without the hand sliding against the sleeve-like body 4.
• a heat reflecting or heat emitting material such as a conductive polymer (with PCT properties) can be used in the muff-like accessory.
• a heat emitting material such as a conductive polymer (with PCT properties)
• the muff-like accessory is preferably manufactured in accordance with the second embodiment that is to say with a longer sleeve-like body 4.
• Obvious design details for providing and storing energy for operation of the conductive polymer are part of this embodiment.
• the heat emitting material is valuable for persons with impaired movement in their hands as in the case of certain types of rheumatic diseases and the like.
• the main advantage is that the crutch with the applied muff-like accessory can easily be put aside without the crutch falling over. This is achieved by the magnetic body being temporarily fixed with a second magnet or against a material that is attracted by the magnet.
• An additional advantage of the present invention is that the magnetic body is molded into the muff-like accessory (alternatively, the magnetic body is fitted with a protective layer), which prevents scratching of surfaces that the crutch is temporarily attached to with the magnetic body. For example, temporary fixation against a coated surface such as a painted car, the outside of a refrigerator or other painted surface without the painted surface being scratched is possible.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Pain & Pain Management (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Rehabilitation Therapy (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Rehabilitation Tools (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=39248210

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 2007
  • 2007-05-29 SE SE0701361A patent/SE530243C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2008
  • 2008-05-27 WO PCT/SE2008/000357 patent/WO2008147285A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-05-27 AU AU2008257649A patent/AU2008257649A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-05-27 EP EP08753974A patent/EP2155137A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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