GB2340786A

GB2340786A - Walking aid

Info

Publication number: GB2340786A
Application number: GB9919612A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin Campbell Martin; Ronald Gault Martin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-08-21
Filing date: 1999-08-19
Publication date: 2000-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2019-08-19
Also published as: GB9919612D0; GB9818202D0; GB2340786B

Abstract

A walking aid 1 in the form of a walking stick comprises an elongate hollow shaft 2, a handle 3 , located at a first end of the shaft 2, gripping means 4 adjacent the handle 3 and hinged thereto, and an actuator member in the form of a lever 5 located adjacent a second shaft 2. A connecting means in the form of a rod 6 connects the gripping means 4 and the lever 5 via the interior of the shaft 2. The actuation of lever 5 can therefore cause the gripping means 4 to grip an object. The walking aid 1 also comprises a biasing means in the form of a spring 7 which is retained within the shaft 2 by a bung 8. The lever 5 is connected to the rod 6 via a slider 9.

Description

2340786 WALKING AID The present invention relates to walking aids and

particularly to walking aids incorporating pick-up devices.

A known combined walking aid and pick-up device is, disclosed in US Patent No 4200322. However, this known device suffers from the drawback that it includes a mechanism outside the main body of the device for actuating the pick-up device. This mechanism is vulnerable to damage and exposed to contamination from foreign bodies affecting the mechanism. The device also includes an actuator located at the handle end of the walking aid, as a result of which the gripping means of the pick-up device is located at the foot of the walking aid. The foot of the walking aid, and therefore the gripping means, tends to be damaged and/or come into contact with contaminants such as dirt and water.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the present invention there is provided a walking aid comprising:- an elongate hollow shaft having a handle adjacent a first end thereof; gripping means provided adjacent said handle; an actuator member adjacent a second end of said shaft; and connecting means interconnecting said gripping means and said actuator member via the interior of said shaft to enable actuation of said actuator member to cause gripping of an object by said gripping means.

By providing connecting means within the interior of the shaft of the walking aid, this provides the advantage that the connecting means can be protected from external damage and contamination, and the appearance of the walking aid as a whole is more aesthetically pleasing as the connecting means is out of view. Also, by providing the actuator member adjacent the foot end of the walking aid (that is the opposite end to the handle) and the gripping means adjacent the handle end of the walking aid, the advantage is provided that the gripping means is kept furthest away from contamination and damage which are most likely to occur at the foot end of the walking aid. It also provides the advantage that the gripping means can be incorporated within the shape of the handle thus producing a more visually attractive walking aid.

In a preferred embodiment, said walking aid further comprises biasing means for urging said gripping means away from a closed position.

In an alternative embodiment, said walking aid furthercomprises biasing means for urging said gripping means towards a closed position.

This provides the advantage that the device can be operated using only one hand.

In a preferred embodiment, said biasing means is maintained in a compressed condition when said gripping means is in a closed position.

In a preferred embodiment, said walking aid further comprises retaining means for holding said actuator member in a closed position.

In a preferred embodiment said connecting means includes a rod.

In a preferred embodiment said actuator member is connected to said connecting means by a rack-and-pinion.

In an alternative embodiment said actuator member is connected to said connecting means by a lever and slide connection.

In a preferred embodiment said walking aid further comprises at least one magnet adjacent the first end of said shaft.

By providing a magnet or magnets adjacent the first end of the walking aid, objects which are attracted to magnets can be picked up without the need for, or at least with only the partial assistance of, the gripping means.

As an aid to understanding the invention, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a side view of a walking aid embodying the present invention, having gripping means and actuator member in a closed position; Figure 2 is an side view of the walking aid of Figure 1, with the gripping means and actuator member in an open position; Figure 3 is an exploded view of the walking aid of Figure 1, the actuator member being connected to a connecting means by a lever and slide connection; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the walking aid of Figure 1, the actuator member being connected to the connecting member by a rack-and-pinion; Figure 5 is a detailed view of the handle and gripping means of the walking aid of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a detailed view of the foot end and actuator member of the walking aid of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, a walking aid 1 in the form of a walking stick comprises an elongate hollow shaft 2, a handle 3, located at a first end of the shaft 2, gripping means 4 adjacent the handle 3 and hinged thereto, and an actuator member in the form of a lever 5 located adjacent a second end of shaft 2.

Referring to Figure 3, a connecting means in the form of a rod 6 connects gripping means 4 and lever 5 via the interior of shaf t 2. The actuation of lever 5 can therefore cause gripping means 4 to grip an object (not shown).

Walking aid 1 also comprises a biasing means in the form of a spring 7 which is retained within shaft 2 by bung 8. Lever 5 is connected to rod 6 via slider 9.

Figure 6 shows the internal end 10 of lever 5 within slider 9. Inner end 10 of lever 5 is able to move within slider 9 to engage upper end 12 and lower end 11 of slider 9 and thereby move rod 6. Lever 5 is pivotally connected to shaft 2 at pivot point 13.

Figure 5 shows gripping means 4 connected to handle 3 at pivot point 14, and rod 6 connected to gripping means 4 at point 15. Figure 4 shows lever 5 connected to rod 6 via rack 16 and pinion 17.

Returning to Figure 3, rings 18 are located around rod 6 and within shaft 2, so as to prevent rod 6 rattling against shaft 2.

In the closed position, shown in Figure 1, internal end 10 of lever 5 is located furthest away from handle 3. It presses against the lower end 11 of slider 9 and therefore pulls rod 6 away from handle 3. Because rod 6 is connected to gripping means 4 at connection point 15, gripping means'4 pivots about point 14 and is pulled against handle 3 to be located in the closed position.

When slider 9 is pushed away from handle 3, it is pushed towards spring 7 which in the closed position becomes compressed against bung 8. To maintain the closed position, a retaining means in the form of a clip (not shown) is hooked over lever 5. An alternative retaining means could comprise a latching mechanism which engages and disengages lever 5 on alternate pressing of lever 5.

To move to the open position, shown in Figure 2, the retaining means (not shown) is removed from lever 5 and lever 5 is therefore free to move. Spring 7 being compressed by slider 9, urges slider 9 towards handle 3 which in turn urges lever 5 by virtue of it pivoting at point 13 towards an open position.

The movement of slider 9 in turn moves rod 6 towards handle 3and pushes gripping means 4 at point 15, and by virtue of it pivoting about point 14 it is urged into an open position.

This position is maintained unless a force is applied to lever 5 or gripping means 4.

In order to grip an object, the retaining means (not shown) for lever 5 is removed so as to allow spring 7 to cause gripping means 4 to move from the closed to the open position. The object which is to be picked up is then placed between gripping means 4 and handle 3 and lever 5 is moved towards a closed position. As a result, the gripping means 4 is urged towards handle 3 (towards the closed position), and the object is there gripped. To release the object, lever 5 is released and as it is naturally urged into an open position and gripping means 4 is also urged towards an open position, the object is therefore dropped.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A walking aid comprising:- an elongate hollow shaft having a handle adjacent a first end thereof; gripping means provided adjacent said handle; an actuator member adjacent a second end of said shaft; and connecting means interconnecting said gripping means and said actuator member via the interior of said shaft to enable actuation of said actuator member to cause gripping of an object by said gripping means.

2. A walking aid according to claim 1, further comprising biasing means for urging said gripping means away from a closed position.

3. A walking aid according to claim 1, further comprising biasing means for urging said gripping means towards a closed position.

4. A walking aid according to claims 2 or 3, wherein said biasing means is maintained in a compressed condition when said gripping means is in a closed position.

5. A walking aid according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising retaining means for holding said actuator member in a closed position.

6. A walking aid according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said connecting means includes a rod.

7. A walking aid according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said actuator member is connected to said connecting means by a rackand-pinion.

8. A walking aid according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said actuator member is connected to said connecting means by a lever and slide connection.

9. A walking aid according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one magnet adjacent the first end of said shaft.

10. A walking aid substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.