GB2061118A

GB2061118A - Walking aids

Info

Publication number: GB2061118A
Application number: GB8034405A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: King L M
Current assignee: King L M
Priority date: 1979-10-25
Filing date: 1980-10-24
Publication date: 1981-05-13
Also published as: GB2061118B

Abstract

A walking aid comprises a pair of handles 17, a pair of ground wheels 16 and a pair of retarding stops 21. The handles 17 are spaced laterally by a distance greater than the breadth of a user's shoulders, and are as high or higher than the user's shoulders. The user is therefore encouraged to adopt an extended, upright position when using the aid. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Walking aids This invention relates to walking aids adapted to assist a user to adopt and maintain a substantially upright and extended stance and to walk in this posture, and more particularly to aids for use in the therapeutic treatment of cerebral palsied persons. In the case of persons suffering from cerebral palsy, a condition which is caused by a failure of the brain to co-ordinate and control limb function, there is a natural tendency for the body to adopt a flexed posture identified as a scissor-like inward flexing of the arms and legs.

It has been found that it is beneficial for the cerebral palsied person if his body is maintained in an upright and extended position. Moreover, it is considered that the positioning of the hands of the person so that he can easily see them when in an upright and extended position may have a therapeutic effect on brain function and coordination so that, in due course, the user gains confidence and his body may naturally adopt a more natural stance.

Walking aids are known for persons disabled by the partial loss of the use of their legs, one particular form of aid comprising a walking frame which is placed on the ground and is provided with a transverse gripping rail at approximately the waist-height of the user. The frame is constructed so that the user may thrust downwardly on the frame and thus support some of his weight whilst walking.

Such aids are not particularly suitable for cerebral palsied persons, since the user is not encouraged to adopt an upright and extended position, and his body tends to hunch over the aidd. In addition, the user cannot easily see his hands without adopting a hunched position.

It is an aim of this invention to provide a walking aid which overcomes at least some of the above disadvantages.

According to this invention, there is provided a walking aid adapted to assist a user to adopt and maintain a substantially upright and extended stance and to walk in this posture, which aid comprises a pair of handles, a support structure, and ground engaging means, the handles upstanding from the support structure with their gripping axes generally upright, spaced laterally by a distance greaterthan the breadth ofthe user's shoulders, spaced vertically such that in use they are as high, or higher than, the height of the user's shoulders, and located so that the user can easily see his hands when gripping the handles, the support structure including a base region which carries the ground engaging means, the ground engaging means including wheel means and retarding means which in use engage the ground forward and aft of the handles respectively, both the support structure and the ground engaging means being shaped to clearthe locus of movement of a user's feet.

It will be appreciated that the lateral and vertical location of the handles encourages a user to adopt an extended, upright position whilst walking. The location of the hands of the user so that he can easily see them provides a therapeutic effect, giving the user confidence and encouraging him to walk in an upright position. Moreover, the location of the handles with respect to the wheel means and the retarding means provides a walking aid for the user which is relatively stable and readily controllable.

By the term "generally upright" is meant within 45" of the vertical direction.

The handles are preferably located at approximately the eye level of the user.

Advantageously the support structure includes adjustment means to allow both the height and the angular disposition of the handles to be varied to suit the needs of a particular user. The handles may be cranked so that angular adjustment thereof varies the lateral spacing of the handles with a corresponding change in disposition of the gripping axes. Each handle preferably extends generally forwardly in a quadrant defined by the forward direction and the lateral direction away from the other handle.

In a preferred embodiment, the support structure comprises a pair of side portions bridged by a transverse portion, and the base region of the transverse portion may carry the wheel means whilst the base regions of the side portions carry the retarding means. In order to ensure that the support structure clears the locus of movement of the user's legs and feet, the transverse portion may extend forwardly of the handles, at an acute angle to the vertical. The transverse portion advantageously comprises a pair of parallel side members connected by a plurality of horizontal cross-members, the cross-members enabling a person to haul himself from a crawling position to an upright and extended position.

In the above preferred embodiment the side portions conveniently are connected to the transverse portions by means allowing the side portions to be folded across the transverse portion, there being means to lock the side portions in a substantially parallel disposition when the walking aid is in use.

This allows the aid to be folded flat for storage or transportation.

By way of example only, one specific embodiment of apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention will be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa side view of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a front view taken on arrows A-A of Figure 1 and, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a child using apparatus of this invention; Referring to the Figures, the walking aid 10 comprises a tubular support structure defined by a transverse portion 11 and a pair of side portions 12 mounted one to each side of the transverse portion and extending rearwardly therefrom. The transverse portion 11 comprises a pair of parallel side members 13 extending at an acute angle to the vertical and spaced apart by a number of horizontal cross members 14.Additional cross-bracing ofthe support structure is provided by an horizontal axle 15 provided at the base region of the transverse portion 11, which axle carries a pair of ground wheels 16.

The upper bore of each side member 13 slidably receives a cranked handle 17 and a pinch clamp 18 is provided on each side member to lock each handle 17 in a required position. The lateral spacing of the handles is greater than the breadth of the user's shoulders, whilst the height of the handles is adjustable to be greater than the height of the user's shoulders. An adjustable horizontal cross-member extends between the handles 17 and is mounted for vertical adjustment by means of a pair of pinch clamps 18'. The handles 17 are cranked so that they may be positioned with their gripping axes substan tiallyvertical, as shown in Figure 1, although other angular positions may be selected.

Each side portion 12 is substantially V-shaped and is mounted on the associated side member 13 of the transverse portion buy a pair of sleeves 19. In normal use, quick-release locking collars 20 lock the side portions 13 in a parallel disposition, generally per pendiculartothetransverseportion 11, but on release allow the support structure to be folded flat for storage or transport. Each side portion carries on its lower limb a rubber retarding stop 21 adjacent the mergence with the upper limb.

It will be seen from Figure 7 that the wheels 16 lie forward of the handles 17 whilst the rubber retarding stops 21 lie rearward thereof.

Referring in particularto Figure 3, in use, the handles 17 are adjusted so that when the user is gripping the handles, he can easily see his hands, and also so that they are as high or higher than the user's shoulders. Thus, when the user grips the handles 17, he will be in an extended, upright position, whilst at the same time receiving lengthwise support through the support structure.

The user may then walk using the aid, and by increasing or decreasing the downward thrust on the handles 17, he can respectively increase or decrease the retardation effect of stops 21. The user thus has a significant degree of control over the movement of the walking aid. In addition, should the user collapse whilst gripping the handles, the aid will remain stationary and stable.

In addition, a person may haul himself from a crawling position to an upright and extended position by using the horizontal cross-members 14 of the walking aid without outside assistance. When the user is hauling himself up the structure, the aid will remain stationary, by virtue of the retarding stops 21.

in addition to being adjustable vertically, the cranked handles 17 are also adjustable angularly, to allow the lateral separation to be varied, together with a corresponding change in the disposition of the gripping axes.

In orderto make the pinch-clamps 18,18' for the various adjustable members tamper-proof, each clamp may be locked and released by means of a bolt having a hexagonal driving recess. In this case, a correspondingly hexagonal driving key may be releasably attached to the support structure by suitable means.

The walking aid of this invention has been designed with particular attention to the requirements of a child suffering from cerebral palsy. When such a child has been shown, and has understood, howto use the aid he may use it without outside assistance thereby demonstrating an important degree of independence, whilst at the same time gaining confidence in walking. After a period of using the aid, and thus being encouraged without constant supervision to adopt an upright and extended posture whilst the eyes and the hands are in communication, it is believed that a child will adopt a more natural stance when not using the aid.

Claims

1. A walking aid adapted to assist a user to adopt and maintain a substantially upright stance and to walk in this posture, which aid comprises a pair of handles, a support structure and ground engaging means, the handles upstanding from the support structure with their gripping axes generally upright, spaced laterally by a distance greater than the breadth of the user's shoulders, spaced vertically such that in use they are as high, or higher than, the height of the user's shoulders and located so that a user can easily see his hands when gripping the handles, the support structure including a base region which carries the ground engaging means, the ground engaging means including wheel means and retarding means which in use engage the ground forward and aft of the handles respectively, both the support structure and the ground engaging means being shaped to clear the locus of movement of a user's feet.

2. Awalking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handles are located at approximately the eye level of the user.

3. Awalking aid as claimed in claim 1, or claim 2 wherein the support structure includes adjustment means to allow both the height and the angular disposition of the handles to be varied.

4. A walking aid as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each handle is cranked, so that on angular adjustment thereof the lateral spacing of the handles is varied, together with a corresponding change in disposition of their gripping axes.

5. Awalking aid as claimed in claim 4 wherein each handle extends generally forwardly of the support structure, in a quadrant defined by the forward direction and the lateral direction away from the other handle.

6. Awalking aid as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the support structure comprises a pair of side portions bridged by a transverse portion.

7. A walking aid as claimed in claim 6 wherein the base region of the transverse portion carries the wheel means and the base region of each side portion carries the retarding means.

8. Awalking aid as claimed in claim 7 wherein the wheel means comprise a pair of wheels, one mounted at each side respectively of the transverse portion.

9. Awalking aid as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the transverse portion extends forwardly of the handles at an acute angle to the vertical.

10. A walking aid as claimed in any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the transverse portion comprises a pair of parallel side members connected by a plurality of horizontal cross-members, said cross-members enabling a person to haul himself from a crawling position to an upright and extended position.

11. Awalking aid as claimed in any of claims 6 to 10, wherein the side portions are connected to the transverse portion by means allowing the side portions to be folded across the transverse portion, there being locking means to lock the side portions in a substantially parallel disposition when the aid is in use.

12. A walking aid as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the aid is adapted to be used by a child.

13. A walking aid substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.