GB2618070A - An improved handle for a walking aid - Google Patents

Abstract

A handle 1 for a walking aid, comprising a first ridge 6 protruding laterally from a proximal end 3 of a central gripping region 2 for supporting, in use, the ulnar edge of a user’s hand, and a second ridge 9 protruding medially from a side of the central gripping region for supporting, in use, the thenar region and thumb of the user’s hand. The first ridge may also protrude rearwardly and have an outer edge that curves, with a gradient that is not constant, proximally from its foremost point (7, fig.6) to its medial-most point (8, fig.6). The foremost edge of the first ridge is preferably perpendicular to the axis of the central gripping region. The second ridge may curve, with a gradient that is not constant, forwardly from the proximal end to a distal end 4 of the central gripping region. The handle may be attached to a walking aid shaft at a section angled relative to the shaft axis.

Description

An improved handle for a walking aid Field of the invention [1] The invention relates to a handle for a walking aid, and more particularly to a walking aid handle shaped to support multiple regions of a user's hand.

Background of the invention

[2] Throughout this specification, where relative height terms such as upper, lower, top and bottom are used, an in-use orientation should be assumed. The proximal end of the handle is the lower end of the handle, that is, the end which is attached to the top of a walking aid in use. Thus, the distal end of the handle is the upper end of the handle.

[3] Relative positional terms such as 'front' and 'rear' should assume an in-use orientation, that is, when a walking aid comprising a handle of the invention is used during walking, the front of the handle will be directed substantially in the direction of walking.

[004] Because handles of the invention may be configured to be held in either the left or the right hand of a user, terms such as 'left' and crig,rhe will be avoided to describe relative positions of features of the invention. Instead, lateral' should be taken to refer to a sideways direction away from the user, and 'medial' should be taken to refer to a sideways direction towards the user. Thus, in a left-handed embodiment, lateral' will refer to the left side, and 'medial' will refer to the right side.

[005] A person may require or desire a walking aid for a variety of reasons. Persons living with disabilities or recovering from injuries may require crutches or walking sticks some or all of the time when walking. Persons who enjoy walking and hiking for exercise and recreation may find that walking sticks or walking poles enhance their experience.

[006] Although they come in a variety of configurations, the principle behind walking aids such as walking sticks, walking poles and crutches (hereinafter collectively referred to as 'walking aids') is to allow the user to exert force on the ground with their arms as they walk.

[007] When walking unaided, the force exerted by the walker on the ground to lift and carry his or her body is provided by the legs and feet. It is therefore the legs and feet which tire first when walking long distances. A walking aid allows the walker to apply some of this force with the arms and hands, so as to reduce the burden on the legs and feet.

[008] Users of walking aids have different needs in different circumstances, and thus the ways in which walking aids are used varies. A user whose legs or feet are weakened by illness, disability or injury may need to apply most of the force necessary for walking with the arms and hands, whereas a recreational walker may choose to apply a smaller force with the arms and hands, both to reduce leg fatigue and to exercise the upper limbs.

[009] Prolonged or heavy use of prior art walking aids typically results in discomfort, especially of the hands and wrists. This is because the hands must hold the walking aid, typically adopting a continuous gripping configuration around a handle, throughout the period of use, and must apply force to the walking aid with every step taken. With many prior art designs, the actual force application contact points between the user's hand and the handle are relatively small compared with the surface of the hand, resulting in high pressure on said contact points. It is not uncommon, for this reason, for regular users of walking aids to suffer repetitive strain injuries and other injuries to the hands and wrists.

[010] In order to reduce discomfort and injury associated with the user of walking aids, considerable effort has been spent on designing new walking aid handles. Some of the factors considered when designing an improved handle for a walking aid will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

[0111 The posture or postures a hand must maintain in order to grip the handle is an important factor in handle design. Some handles admit of only one hand position, which may be useful in therapeutic walking aids, particularly when posture correction is an intended use. Others provide support for a range of hand positions, which may improve user comfort by allowing occasional changes of hand position, and which may make the walking aid handle more versatile by increasing the range of uses for which it is suitable.

[12] The motion of a user's arm and wrist while walking with a walking aid is another important consideration. Some walking aids can be used with only a fixed arm position, which may be preferable for users with limited mobility. Others are suitable for use with a more natural arm swing, or in a variety of ways, which may improve comfort for prolonged recreational use.

[13] The force transfer characteristics of the handle are another important consideration. The goal of a walking aid is to transfer force from a user's hand to the ground. In a walking aid comprising a straight shaft with a handle at or near its proximal end, because of the physical principle of moments, distal force is transferred more efficiently through the shaft if it is exerted at a point close to the axis of the shaft. If force is exerted on the handle by a user's hand, the pressure on the hand is reduced (reducing fatigue and increasing comfort) if the contact area between the hand and the handle is increased.

[14] The angle of the shaft during use is still another important consideration. Some walking aids are designed so that the shaft should be held vertically when in contact with the ground. This maximises the liftm-g-ability of the walking aid by concentrating all of the available force downwards. This is particularly suitable for users with reduced mobility. Others are designed so that the shaft should be angled rcarwardly when in contact with the ground. This provides forward propulsion to the user by splitting the available force into a downward component and a rearward component This is particularly suitable for recreational users, especially those embarking on long walks or hikes.

10151 One contribution to the prior art is disclosed in US10863804 (Urban Poling): a walking aid comprising a shaft with a handle. The handle comprises a 5 grip region which is coaxial with the pole, to be gripped with the palm directed laterally. The grip region is flared at the rear so as to better engage with the thenar region of the palm of a hand gripping it. Significantly, a deep platform protrudes laterally from the base of the handle, to support the ulnar edge of a user's hand. In use, the user exerts a direct downwards force on the platform via the ulnar edge of 10 the hand.

10161 This walking aid is designed for users who need to apply considerable force with their arms in order to reduce the burden on their legs. Because the platform is disposed around the front, rear and lateral (as opposed to medial) edges of the handle, the force is distributed along the ulnar edge of the hand, reducing the pressure experienced by the hand. A small region of the rear of the ridge is angled downwards so that the walking aid can be angled rearwardly in use to aid propulsion as well as lifting, although such use increases the pressure towards the heel of the hand.

10171 The Urban Poles walking aid is designed for use with a constantly bent elbow, which is typically bent at an approximate right angle, so that the ulnar edge of the hand can fully engage with the platform without contortion of the wrist when the shaft is used in its preferred vertical orientation. Thus, a natural arm swing and gait are not possible when using this walking aid, leading to long term discomfort and reduced flexibility in walking style.

10181 Another contribution to the prior art is found in US5287870 (Rhodes): a walking aid comprising an elongate shaft with a handle at its upper end. The handle is inclined at an angle to the axis of the shaft, and, like the Urban Poles handle discussed above, has a platform protruding from its lower portion for supporting the ulnar edge of a user's hand. The angle of the handle with respect to the shaft is designed to allow a more natural arm swing, and a more comfortable wrist and elbow arrangement, during use.

[011 The Rhodes handle further comprises a second platform for supporting the thenar region and thumb. This increases the force transferring contact area between the hand and the handle, reducing pressure and increasing comfort. The thumb's position is relatively fixed between this second platform and an upper ridge, which removes any flexibility with respect to gripping the handle.

1021 There is a need for an improved handle for a walking aid, which allows an entirely natural arm swing for comfortable prolonged use, in a variety of different shaft orientations, and which provides for increased force transferring contact area between the hand and the handle without unduly limiting the gripping positions that may be adopted. The present invention seeks to meet some or all of these needs.

Summary of the invention

10211 The invention provides a handle for a walking aid comprising: a central gripping region having a proximal and a distal end, the proximal end being configured to be attachable to a walking aid; a first ridge protruding laterally from the proximal end of the central gripping region, shaped so as to support, in use, the ulnar edge of the hand of a user gripping the handle; and a second ridge, protruding medially from the side of the central gripping region, shaped so as to support, in use, the thenar region and thumb of the hand of a user gripping the handle.

10221 Providing a first ridge for supporting the ulnar edge of a user's hand, and a 25 second ridge for supporting the thenar region and thumb of a user's hand, increases the contact area between the hand and the handle, which improves force transfer and reduces pressure on the user's hand.

[23] The ridge is preferably a shallow ridge compared with the prior art 'shelves' disclosed in Urban Poling and Rhodes above. The extension of the shelves of the prior art from their respective gripping regions is of the same order as the diameters of their respective gripping regions. In contrast, the ridges of the present invention protrude a relatively small distance compared with the diameter of the gripping region. This provides less support and less contact area between the hand and the handle, but it provides considerably more freedom of movement for the hand during each swing of the walking aid, which increases comfort and versatility. The inventor has found this to be particularly advantageous for recreational walking and hiking.

[24] In some embodiments, the first ridge protrudes laterally and rearwardly from the proximal end of the central gripping region, and has an outer edge which curves proximally from its foremost point to its medial-most point.

[25] As well as following the contours of the ulnar edge of the hand, the curve of first ridge allows a comfortable swing of the pole with each step, allowing the ulnar edge of a user's hand to rock slightly with respect to the ridge, while being well supported along its length throughout. The proximal (or 'downward', in a in-use orientation) curve of the first ridge allows the hand to comfortably grip the gripping region while the axis of the gripping region has a forward slant, so that the arm, wrist and hand of the user can adopt a more natural, comfortable range of positions with each swing.

[26] The shelf at the proximal end of the handle in Urban Poling does have a proximally bent rear section, allowing for increased comfort if the walking aid of that disclosure is being used with a rearward slant to provide forward propulsion.

Because the rest of said shelf remains perpendicular to the axis of the walking aid handle and shaft, contact area between hand and handle is reduced leading to increased pressure and reduced comfort along the ulnar edge of a user's hand.

Freedom of movement and a natural arm swing are not facilitated by the shape of the Urban Poling shelf 10271 The shelf at the proximal end of the handle in Rhodes has a distal (or 'upward') tilt, in order to better support and contain the ulnar edge of a user's hand in one fixed position. Although this may provide a good degree of support in one position, it does not allow for any freedom of movement of the hand with respect to the handle in use.

10281 In some such embodiments, the gradient of the curve of the outer edge of the first ridge is not constant. In some such embodiments, the foremost edge of 10 the first ridge is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the central gripping region.

10291 The varying curve of the first ridge is carefully designed to provide support to the ulnar edge of the hand throughout the swing of the walking aid with each step, while the hand, wrist and arm maintain relatively natural, comfortable positions.

10301 In some embodiments, the second ridge protrudes along the length of the central gripping region, on its medial side, and curves so as to progress forwardly from the proximal end to the distal end. In some such embodiments, the gradient of the curve of the second ridge is not constant 10311 The second ridge is designed to provide comfortable support to the thenar region and thumb of the user's hand, while allowing a greater degree of freedom to the user than the prior art. The second shelf of Rhodes, for supporting the thumb and thenar region, is deep and rigid, and includes a third shelf protruding medially from the distal end of the handle so that the thumb, when in position, is encircled on three sides. Taking hold of the handle disclosed in Rhodes is similar to placing one's hand in a solid glove, which provides a great deal of support but very little freedom of movement. This is not desirable for most uses of a walking aid particularly not for recreational use [32] The invention also provides a walking aid comprising a handle as defined in any preceding claim. Some embodiments further comprise a shaft attached at a first end to the proximal end of the handle. Tn some such embodiments, a section of the shaft at its first end is angled away from the axis of the shaft. In some such embodiments, the angled section of the shaft is offset from the axis of the shaft by 15 degrees.

[33] It is preferable that the axis of the central gripping region of the handle should be offset from the axis of the walking aid shaft, in order to allow for a more natural arm, hand and wrist position in use. An offset of approximately 15 degrees is particularly preferable but by no means essential. Although this offset could be achieved in the design of the handle itself, it is preferable to have the 'top' end of the shaft itself offset from the axis of the main body of the shaft. The structure can be made more secure and sturdy thereby. For example, in some embodiments the upper end of the shaft may be received in a hollow cavity extending most of the way into the handle, which would not be possible in the case of a straight shaft and a bent handle.

[34] I laving an angled central gripping region improves force transfer, since the force to be transferred is a downward or groundward force, and a force exerted on the upper surface of a central gripping region which is not perpendicular to the 20 ground will have a direct downward component.

Brief description of the drawings

[35] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to a preferred embodiment as depicted in the following drawings.

[36] Figure 1 depicts a handle according to the invention, viewed from the 25 proximal end.

[37] Figure 2 depicts the handle of Figure 1 viewed from the distal end.

[038] Figures 3 to 6 depict the handle of Figure 1 viewed from four different sides.

Detailed description

[039] Figures 1 to 6 depict a handle 1 for a walking aid according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[40] The handle 1 comprises a central gripping region 2 extending from a proximal end 3 to a distal end 4.

[41] A hollow cavity 5 extends into the central gripping region from the proximal 10 end. In use, this receives the end of a shaft for a walking aid. The skilled reader will appreciate that there are other suitable ways to connect a walking aid shaft to a walking aid handle.

[42] A first ridge 6 protrudes laterally and rearwardly from the proximal end 3 of the handle 1. As can most clearly be seen in Figure 6, this ridge is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the central gripping region 2 at and close to its foremost edge 7, and it curves proximally towards its medial-most edge 8. The curve from close to the foremost point 7 to the medial-most point 8 is arcuate.

[43] In use, the ulnar edge of a user's hand gripping the handle 1 will rest against this first ridge 6.

[044] A second ridge 9 protrudes medially from the central grip region 2, meandering generally forwardly from the proximal end 3 to the distal end 4 of the central grip region, as can be most clearly seen in Figure 4.

[045] In use, the thenar region and thumb of a user's hand gripping the handle 1 will rest against this second ridge 9.

[46] A pommel 10 (most clearly shown in Figure 4) is formed at the distal end 4 of the handle 1. This helps to prevent the hand of a user slipping from the handle 1 in use.

[47] As best shown in Figure 4, the central gripping region 2 is slightly flared, 5 expanding slightly towards the proximal end 3. This is to more comfortably accommodate the palm and fingers of a user's hand gripping the central gripping region 2.

[0481 The handle may be 31) printed, for example from a photopolymer material. It may also be moulded from any suitable material, which should be selected for 10 durability, frictional engagement with a user's hand, and comfort.

[049] Although the invention has been described in particular with reference to a preferred embodiment, this embodiment is not limiting. The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims.

Claims (10)

1. Claims 1. A handle for a walking aid comprising: a central gripping region having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being configured to be attachable to a walking aid; a first ridge protruding laterally from the proximal end of the central gripping region, shaped so as to support, in use, the ulnar edge of the hand of a user gripping the handle; and a second ridge protruding medially from the side of the central gripping region, shaped so as to support, in use, the thcnar region and thumb of the hand of a user gripping the handle.
2. 2 A handle for a walking aid according to claim 1, wherein the first ridge protrudes laterally and rearwardly from the proximal end of the central gripping region, and has an outer edge which curves proximally from its foremost point to its medial-most point.
3. 3. A handle for a walking aid according to claim 2, wherein the gradient of the curve of the outer edge of the first ridge is not constant.
4. 4. A handle for a walking aid according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the foremost edge of the first ridge is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the central gripping region.
5. 5. A handle for a walking aid according to any preceding claim, wherein the second ridge protrudes along the length of the central gripping region, on its 20 medial side, and curves so as to progress forwardly from the proximal end to the distal end.
6. 6. A handle for a walking aid according to claim 5, wherein the gradient of the curve of the second ridge is not constant.
7. 7. A walking aid comprising a handle as defined in any preceding claim.
8. 8. A walking aid according to claim 7 further comprising a shaft attached at a first end to the proximal end of the handle.
9. 9. A walking aid according to claim 8, wherein a section of the shaft at its first end is angled away from the axis of the shaft.
10. 10. A walking aid according to claim 9, wherein the angled section of the shaft is offset from the axis of the shaft by 15 degrees.