ES2212475T3 - HELP DEVICE FOR WALKING. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention proposes a foot-like device for a crutch or crane that provides the required degree of usefulness and simplicity at an economic outlay. More specifically, the invention suggests, for use with a walking aid, a ground-engaging device which is like a shin-ankle-foot combination; it has a shin-like mounting member (16), to be carried by or adapted to be mounted on the shank (11) of the aid, and a terminal gound-engaging foot-like member (17) connected to the shin (16) by a ball-and-socket coupling (21,22) that will permit a limited degree of flexing of the foot (17) about the axis of the shank (11), the coupling's ball (21) being fixedly secured to the shin (16) and being retained within a socket (22) in the foot (17) in which there is a ball-supporting plunger (25) resiliently biassed (26) towards the ball (21) so as to provide a degree of shock absorbency. <IMAGE>

Description

Walking aid device.

The present invention is about a device of walking aid and, in particular, refers to an object with foot shape that can be installed on the end of a cane, a crutch or similar object to provide the older user Stability and security

In its most basic form, a help device to walk, like a cane or a crutch, it's just a body stick-like elongated with a padded area or a support circular shape at the upper end, or proximal, that is placed under the arm, and perhaps with some kind of tip at the end lower, or distal. Even the walkers (Zimmer walkers) are, basically the same. These devices may be manufactured. with a wide variety of materials (the most common are wooden or aluminum canes with rubber tips), but the favorite combination for a crutch / cane is an aluminum tube rigid with a rubber washer on the end that attaches to the ground, and a fixed handle at the opposite end (which is normally bifurcated to be able to incorporate a pad that is placed in the armpit or has a semicircle on top that is placed around the upper arm of the user).

The basic type of cane or crutch help for walking is not always easy for the user to use, especially if you walk on uneven ground, with a surface full of angles that are not horizontal. Unless I grab it with care and skill, it is very easy for the tip of the crutch or the walking stick on the floor, which could cause the user. In the past, many people have recognized the existence of this problem, because there are a large number of descriptions of previous patents describing devices (such as a combination of pimple, angled joint and foot) that can be secure to the distal end of the crutch or cane so that the user I can walk more safely. Such subjection to the ground is described in the document US-A-2453742. These attempts previous to solve the problem have not been totally satisfactory; frequently, they are very difficult to manufacture and not they are very good from a practical or engineering point of view, whereby the present invention proposes a new device with foot shape much simpler, offering the level of utility and Appropriate simplicity with an economical design. More specifically, The invention suggests, for use in an assistive device for walking, a device that holds the ground like a combination of shin, ankle and foot; owns a member of pimple-like installation (which is worn or adapted for be installed on the device stem) and a terminal member of ground support with the shape of a foot that is connected to the shin by means of a patella coupling that will allow a limited degree of foot flexion on the shaft of the stem, being fixed the patella of the coupling to the shin and being retained in a cavity of the foot in which there is a plunger holding the kneecap inclined elastically towards the kneecap, in order to provide some degree of shock absorption.

In a certain aspect, therefore, the present invention provides a ground clamping device that is install on the bottom of a crutch or any other walking aid for a disabled person, being the crutch or the assistive device of a type that has a stem extended longitudinally towards the distal end, in the which device can be installed to the ground, and whose device comprises:

an installation member that can be installed on the stem, and a ground clamp member connected to the installation member by a coupling means that, during its use, allows flexing the clamping member to the ground on the shaft stem length; Y

in which:

the floor holding member incorporates a cavity, and the coupling means is a ball joint, whose kneecap is fixed to the installation member and is retained from rotational manner in the cavity of the floor clamping member;

the elastic tilt means is placed in the cavity in order to join the kneecap and provide a shock absorption measure; Y

the ground member and / or the member of installation include means to limit the extent of flexion of the member holding the ground in relation to the member of installation.

The invention concerns a clamping device to the ground that is installed at the end of a crutch or any other walking aid device for a disabled person. This walking aid device can be of any type, as long as it has a lengthwise extended stem the distal end, in which the device can be installed subject to the ground, but in general it will be a cane or a crutch.

The device attached to the floor of the invention includes an installation member that can be installed in the rod of the walking aid device. The members of similar ground fasteners known in the art can be fixed in various ways: as an adjustment cap outside the end of the stem, or as an adjustment rod inside the rod end; for the invention, it is preferable that the member of installation consists of a bushing member and, although this cap member can be screwed on or otherwise fitted into the rod, preferably a pressure fixation is used, is say, a "friction" fixation.

In the device of the invention, the member of installation includes a coupling means in the form of kneecap joint, whose kneecap is fixed to the member of installation and is retained in a rotating manner in the cavity of the floor fixing member, that is, the installation member includes a kneecap that protrudes distally and is held as a fixation imprisoned in a corresponding cavity in the proximal end of the floor clamping member. A way of retaining the kneecap in the cavity is by means of a plug split retention, which can be attached to the clamping member to the soil using any suitable means, such as screws or retaining bolts. However, there is one more method comfortable which consists of the whole ground clamping member being formed by two halves with the appropriate form, being "divided" the member from top to bottom (longitudinally), and then those halves come together so that the kneecap is imprisoned between them. It is desirable that both halves include placement means (for example, pins that protrude on one side, with the corresponding holes in the other), by which you can correctly place some with respect to the others, and they can be glued, screwed or, preferably welding (plastics such as nylon are most suitable [NYLON is a registered trademark] that can be welded as is required here). Alternatively, the two halves can be held each other with one or several small retaining washers.

The device attached to the floor of the device of the invention contains, in the retention cavity of the kneecap, a means of inclination, which is usually a cooperating dock with a piston / piston in effective contact with the ball joint for guarantee the frictional support of the patella in the cavity. East tilt means also provides a damping measure of the blows when the clamping member touches the ground I usually.

Although actually the member subject to soil is not attached directly to the floor, it is preferable that in its distal end there is a rubber or similar pad to provide a friction surface to hold it to the ground with security.

In the device of the invention, the member of subject to the ground or the installation member (or both), have a means to limit the extent of flexion of a member in relationship with the other. The means to limit the extent of the relative flexion or rotation can be of one or several types. By for example, they can be interconnected chamfers or conical holes in opposite faces of the installation member and the member of subject to the ground. Alternatively, the opposite faces of these members may include handles that protrude axially over which twists the other member while the clamping member on the ground it turns or flexes. In another alternative, the member of ground fastening may include a bushing that extends from axial way to cover at least part of the installation member and / or the rod, and the space between the inner wall of the bushing and the outer wall of the stem or the installation member allows flex or rotate the clamping member to the floor until the Bushing attaches to the stem or installation member.

Preferably, the device of the invention it has a radial symmetry, and the ground clamping member can bend or rotate at an angle of 5 to 20 degrees above the axis Longitudinal shank in all directions.

It will be noted that the attachment device to the floor of the invention is one that, thanks to its flexible coupling of ball joint, it is always flat to the surface of the ground on which it rests, even at a compound angle, and that, thanks to its spring load, it has a damping function of hits.

Next, an embodiment of the invention by means of illustrations and in reference to drawings of attached diagrams, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates, in a lateral perspective, an example of a walking aid device that includes a ground clamping device of the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a cross section of the own device; Y

Figure 3 illustrates a cross section of a alternative ground clamping member that can be used in the invention.

The walking aid device in Figure 1 is a crutch of the type that has an elongated rod (11) in the upper end, or proximal, is a support (12) in the form of semicircle for the arm, under which there is a fixed handle (13), and at the lower end, or distal, it has a clamping device to the ground (generally 14) of the invention.

The rod is "telescopic", that is, it is divided into two parts (upper: 11 u and lower: 11 l ), which are installed so that the lower one is inside the upper one, and can be fixed by pins ( which are not illustrated) through the corresponding holes (such as 15).

The ground clamping device 14, which is shown in detail in Figure 2, has an installation member similar to a bushing (16) installed in a clamping member to the floor (17) by means of a flexible articulation coupling of kneecap (see Figure 2).

The walking aid device that Illustrate is touching the ground (18: at an angle), and the image of strokes (19) indicates how much the crutch can be tilted while still Being in contact with the ground.

The details of the ground clamping device of the invention.

The device has an installation member similar to a socket 16 in which the end can be inserted distal stem of the walking aid device (which is not illustrates) and at the distal end of whose sleeve is the kneecap (21) of a kneecap joint. The kneecap fits into a cavity (22) of the proximal end of a floor holding member 17, and is held therein by means of a split retaining cap (23) that is fixed in place by means of screws (such as 24).

In the cavity there is a piston / piston shaped (25) to which a spring (26) located in an extension (27) of the cavity 22 forces to join by friction with the kneecap 21. As it is note, the plunger 25 can be pushed against the spring 26 to achieve the degree of elasticity and shock absorption necessary.

At the effective distal end of the member of subject to the floor 17 is a support pad to the non-slip floor (28).

Figure 3 shows the details of a alternative form of the ground clamping member that can be use in the device of the invention.

The floor-holding member (37) is "divided" from top to bottom (horizontally, as illustrated here) into two equal parts (37 u , 37 l ), which fit together using a series of pins / positioning holes (such as 39) to define a retention cavity of the kneecap (22) at the proximal end. Here the two halves are welded together.

As in the version of Figure 2, in the cavity 22 is a piston / piston shaped 25 to which a spring 26 located at an extension 27 of the cavity 22 forces join by friction with the kneecap 21 (not shown in the Figure 3), and at the effective distal end of the clamping member to the floor 17 there is a pad to support the floor non-slip 28.

Claims (9)

1. A ground clamping device (14) that it is installed at the end of a crutch or any other device walking aid for a disabled person, providing the Crutch or any other assistive device for walking from a stem (11) extended longitudinally to the distal end, in which can be installed the ground clamping device (14), whose device comprises: an installation member (16) that can be install on the stem (11), and a ground clamping member (17) connected to the installation member with a coupling means (21) which, during use, it allows flexing the clamping member to the ground on the longitudinal axis of the rod (11); the clamping member to the ground (17) and / or the installation member (16) include means to limit the extension of the flexion of the clamping member to the floor with respect to the installation member; the ground clamping member (17) incorporates a cavity (22), and the coupling means (21) is a joint ball joint, whose ball joint (21) is fixed to the installation member (16) and is rotatably retained in the cavity (22) of the member subject to the ground (17); and characterized because: the elastic tilt means (26) is placed in the cavity (22, 27) in order to join the kneecap (21) and provide a measure of shock absorption. 2. A ground clamping device, according to the claim 1, wherein the installation member (16) comprises a cap member. 3. A ground clamping device, according to the claim 2, wherein the bushing member (16) is a pressure setting located on the rod (11). 4. A floor clamping device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the floor clamping member (17, 37) is formed by two longitudinal halves of the appropriate shape (37 u , 37 l ), which then join together to imprison the kneecap (22) between them. 5. A ground clamping device according to claim 4, wherein the two halves (37 u , 37 l ) are welded together. 6. A ground clamping device, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the medium of inclination (25, 26) of the kneecap retention cavity (22) it is a spring (26) that cooperates with a piston / piston (25) in contact effective with the kneecap (21). 7. A ground clamping device, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the member subject to the ground (17) has a rubber or a similar pad (28) to provide a friction surface so that the ground grip is safe. 8. A ground clamping device, according to the claim 1, wherein the means for limiting the extent of the relative flexion of the ground clamping member (17) and the member Installation (16) takes the form of interconnected chamfers or conical holes on opposite faces of the installation member and the member holding the ground. 9. A ground clamping device, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the member can be flexed or rotated at an angle of ground (17) 5 to 20 degrees above the longitudinal axis of the stem (11) in all the directions.