GB2440313A

GB2440313A - A walking support incorporating an alarm

Info

Publication number: GB2440313A
Application number: GB0614587A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edward John Cowell
Original assignee: ALEXANDRA PATRICIA WHITE
Current assignee: ALEXANDRA PATRICIA WHITE
Priority date: 2006-07-22
Filing date: 2006-07-22
Publication date: 2008-01-30
Also published as: GB0614587D0

Abstract

The invention provides a walking support such as a walking stick comprising a shaft 2 a handle 4 and a ground engaging tip 6. A lamp 10 is mounted on the shaft by means of a bracket 8 having a pivot 12 to enable the position of the lamp to be adjusted. The lamp is powered from a battery pack 16 mounted to the shaft by a bracket 14 and connected to the lamp by means of wires. An alarm 18 accompanies the stick and may be secured to the shaft by a bracket or it may be separate from the stick and held to it by wrapping the strap around the handle (fig 1). The alarm is activated by a release pin 20 which is at the end of a strap 22.

Description

EJCI (GB)

A WALKING SUPPORT

This invention relates to an improved walking support such as a walking stick or crutch.

Background of the Invention

It is known that existing walking supports are usually used by infirm or physically disabled persons as a mean of assisting mobility. Such persdns using supports are often at risk of falling over and may experience difficulty in picking themselves up off the ground if they fall over. In addition, infirm or physically disabled persons can be vulnerable to physical attack and may have difficulty in defending themselves in such situations. It may also be difficult for such persons to attract the attention of passers-by in the event of an attack or if they fall to the ground or have difficulty getting up.

In addition to the above, a person using a walking stick, a crutch or the like may be at an additional disadvantage when navigating in the dark and may not be readily visible to other persons, for example motorists, resulting in the risk of a collision or an accident occurring.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a walking support that addresses the aforementioned problems.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a walking support having mounted thereon an alarm and a lamp.

Particular and preferred aspects and embodiments of the invention are set out below and are as defined in the claims appended hereto.

The alarm provides a means of attracting attention in the event of an incident.

EJCI (GB) Furthermore, the lamp provides the user with a further means of attracting attention in the event of an emergency. For example, the lamp can be configured such that it flashes on and off when the alarm is activated thereby providing an addition means of attracting the attention of passer-by.

The walking support of the invention may take any of several different forms. For example, the walking support can be a walking frame, a walking stick, a crutch or the like.

In one embodiment, the walking support is a walking stick and comprises a handle, a shaft and a ground engaging tip.

In another embodiment, the walking stick is a walking frame. The walking frame may comprise two or more downwardly oriented frame members linked by one or more lateral frame members. The lateral frame members may be formed integrally with the downwardly oriented frame members (e.g. by virtue of being formed from a common piece of bent tubing) or may be formed separately and then secured together by means of screws, bolts or the like. The walking frame may have one or more handles or handle regions (e.g. a pair of handle regions). The downwardly oriented frame members walking frame may be provided at the lower ends thereof with wheels or with ground engaging tips or a combination of wheels and ground engaging tips. The ground engaging tips are provided with means for gripping the ground to prevent slipping and, as such, can be formed from a high friction material such as a natural or synthetic rubber.

The walking support may be of fixed length or may be variable in length. In one preferred embodiment, the walking support is adjustable in height (i.e. length).

The walking support can be formed of wood, metal or a plastics material or a combination of two or more such materials. The shaft or frame members making up the support may either be solid or hollow in cross section. The support is typically sufficiently rigid and strong enough to support the full weight of an adult male human being.

EJCI (GB) The walking support is provided with an alarm and a lamp. The lamp and/or alarm may each have their own power supply or may share a common power supply. The power supply typically comprises one or more batteries which may, for example, be rechargeable.

The alarm may have means for releasable attachment to the support stick. The releasable attachment means can take several forms. For example, in one embodiment it can take the form of a flexible handle for attachment to the handle of the support stick which can then be threaded around the hand of the user of the support stick, thus enabling the user readily to access and activate the alarm with ease and in a short period of time in the event of an emergency.

In another embodiment, the alarm is fixedly mounted on the support stick.

The alarm may be provided with an activation means that activates the alarm in response to a violent movement such as a fall or an attack. For example, an activation pin can be provided, removal of which sets off the alarm. The activation pin can be connected to a strap or like device for wrapping around the wrist or arm of the user so that if the user falls, the violent motion results in the activation pin being pulled out of the alarm to set it off. For example, in the embodiment where the alarm is fixedly mounted on the support stick, the user falling over will typically result in the activation pin being pulled out.

The lamp can be attached to the support frame via a movable linkage that enables the angle of the lamp to be adjusted. The linkage may have a moveable joint, allowing the lamp to be configured to provide movement in a single plane or in more than one plane, or about one or more than one axis of rotation. In one embodiment, the linkage can take the form of a simple pivot allowing rotation about a single axis. In another embodiment, the linkage can take the form of a ball joint or a universal joint allowing rotation about more than one axis.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of a walking support according to one embodiment of the invention.

EJCI (GB) Figure 2 is a side view of a walking support according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will now be illustrated in greater detail by reference to the specific embodiments described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

A walking support in the form of a walking stick according to one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 1.

The walking stick comprises a shaft 2 which in this embodiment, is formed from wood although it could alternatively be formed from a tubular or solid section plastics or metal material. As is conventional, the walking stick has a handle 4 at one end. In the walking stick shown, the handle 4 is integral with the shaft 2 and the two are formed from the same bent length of stick. At the other end of the shaft 2 is a tip 6 which is formed from a rubber material and provided a means of gripping the ground so as to avoid slipping.

Secured to the shaft 2 near to the handle 4 is a mounting bracket 8 which carries a lamp 10. The mounting bracket 8 is provided with a pivot 12 which allows the user to vary the angle at which the lamp is set. In the embodiment shown, the mounting bracket is fastened to the shaft 2 of the walking stick by means of a pair of screws.

However, instead of being mounted at a fixed location on the shaft 2 by means of screws, a clamping mechanism can be provided so that the lamp can be mounted at any location along the shaft 2.

The lamp 10 is powered by means of a battery pack 16 which is attached via mounting 14 to the shaft 2. In this embodiment, the mounting 14 takes the form of a cranked metal strip which is fixed to the shaft 2 by means of screws (not shown).

The cranked metal strip engages a slot or loop extending from the body of the battery pack. The mounting 14 enables the battery pack to be removed for recharging or changing the batteries. A power cable 16 connects the battery pack 12 with the lamp 10.

EJCI (GB) The walking stick is also provided with an alarm 18. The arm 18 is typically a standard personal security alarm which emits a loud noise when activated by the user, thereby attracting the attention of persons nearby. The alarm has an activation pin 20, removal of which sets off the alarm. The activation pin 20 is attached to a flexible woven fabric strap 22 which in turn is attached to a spring loaded connector 24. The strap 22 can be wrapped around the handle 4 of the walking stick or otherwise as the user deems appropriate.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 2. In this embodiment, the alarm 18 is secured to the stick for example by means of a bracket and screws (not shown). As with the alarm shown in Figure 1, an activation pin 20 is provided and this is attached to a strap 24 formed of a woven textile material that the user can wrap around his or her hand. In the event of a fall, the violent movement may result in the activation pin being pulled out to set off the alarm. Alternatively, if the activation pin remains in place after a fall, the alarm should still be attached to the user via the strap 24 and hence the user can simply pull out the pin to activate the alarm.

The walking sticks of the invention provide a means of signalling for help either when a user is walking outside the house or even when the user falls within his or her house. In the latter case, the alarm is typically loud enough to be heard by passers by outside the house.

In a further refinement of the invention, the alarm can be provided with a radio link so that activation transmits an alarm signal to a remote location, for example to a warden or hospital or to a neighbour, friend or family member. In another refinement, the walking support can be provided with a location indicator (e.g. a GPS device) to assist the user to be located in the event of a fall outside the house.

Equivalents It will readily be apparent that numerous modifications and alterations may be made to the specific embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the principles underlying the invention. All such modifications and alterations are intended to be embraced by this application.

Claims

EJCI (GB)

CLAIMS

1. A walking support having mounted thereon an alarm and a lamp.

2. A walking support according to claim I in the form of a walking frame or a walking stick.

3. A walking support according to claim 2 which is a walking stick.

4. A walking support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the alarm has means for releasable attachment to the walking support.

5. A walking support according to claim 4 wherein the means for releasable attachment to the walking support comprises a strap.

6. A walking support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the alarm is fixedly mounted on the support stick.

7. A walking support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the alarm has an activation pin that can be pulled out to activate the alarm.

8. A walking support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the alarm is an audible alarm.

9. A walking support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the alarm is provided with means for transmitting an alarm signal to a remote location.

10. A walking support substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings Figures 1 and
2.