JP4826930B2 - Self-supporting cane - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cane that can be temporarily independent.

  If you need to use both hands to walk in and out of your wallet while walking with a cane, the cane will always get in the way, and you will be hooked on the edge of the table or standing on an unstable place such as a sofa. As a result, once the cane falls down, picking it up is a daunting task for the elderly and the disabled. Therefore, a cane having a function of temporarily supporting the cane itself directly on the floor or the ground using an auxiliary leg or the like is provided.

  However, among these, those using an electric motor or the like for putting in and out of the auxiliary legs and opening and closing (for example, see Patent Document 1), those using a device such as a spring or a ratchet (for example, see Patent Document 2), etc. However, there is a problem that the weight of the cane and the production cost are greatly increased. In addition, a tripod that can be opened and closed using a slit and a knob provided on the main body of the tripod (for example, see Patent Document 3) is used to keep the cane independent. Since it is necessary to put in and out while deforming, it has been quite difficult for an elderly person with weak power to operate with a fingertip through the outer knob.

  All of these conventional products significantly reduce the essential functions and required conditions as walking sticks, that is, lightness, robustness, style, economy, safety, and ease of use. Most of them have been limited in popularity. In addition, since the cane is usually located at a high center of gravity, in order to ensure stability when it is self-supporting, it is necessary to strengthen the devices such as auxiliary legs, and this contradicts that the original function of the cane is further lost. there were.

JP 2007-143905 A JP 2009-195396 A JP 2003-52428 A

  As mentioned before, light, sturdiness, economy, safety, style and ease of use are required as good cane conditions. On the other hand, in order to make the cane stand on its own, it is necessary to add a strong auxiliary leg and an effective device for opening and closing the cane. There was a contradiction of losing. Therefore, it is lightweight and easy to use as a cane, and the opening and closing operation of the legs to be independent is easy and easy, sufficient stability can be secured when it is independent, and the operation device and the folded auxiliary legs are externally The main challenge was to satisfy the conflicting demands such as not exposing the appearance of the cane to the fullest at a low production cost.

  Attach three self-supporting auxiliary legs through the hole near the tip of the cane that slides and expands the two parts that make up the main body so that only the tip can be stored inside the cane. The auxiliary leg and the upper part of the cane body are internally connected so that the auxiliary leg can be taken in and out in conjunction with the operation of extending and retracting. A stopper is provided to prevent the walking stick from being inadvertently shortened during walking.

  Since the auxiliary legs are molded into a curved shape using a material with moderate elasticity, when the cane is used for walking, it is stored inside the main body slightly in a straight line and protrudes for self-supporting. In this state, it returns to a predetermined curved shape and opens radially to make the cane stand at three points.

  In implementing the present invention, almost no members other than the auxiliary legs are required, so during walking, it is as light and easy to use as a normal cane, and the appearance of the cane is not impaired by unnatural accessories, so it is completely resistant to use. It is possible to make it a stylish cane without feeling. In addition, since the auxiliary legs with moderate elasticity can be put in and out with a light force, even elderly people can make their canes stand anywhere as long as they have a flat floor or ground.

  When standing on its own, the cane body is in a shortened state, that is, with a low center of gravity, so it is easy to stabilize, and the auxiliary leg made of elastic material contacts the floor surface at three points, so even if there are some irregularities, it absorbs this And hold the cane in a self-supporting state. Further, there is no fear that the curved auxiliary leg is pushed into the cane against the user's will due to the upward force received from the floor surface.

  To open the auxiliary leg and make the cane stand alone, press the stopper with your finger and shorten the cane. Can be operated. When walking, simply hold the handle and the main body and extend the cane, the auxiliary leg closes and is housed inside the cane, and becomes a normal cane. When the auxiliary leg is retracted, it is automatically locked by the stopper to prevent the cane from being inadvertently shortened during walking.

It is a front view of the cane which can become independent. (A) is the state when walking (B) is the state when standing independently It is a fragmentary sectional view of the cane which can stand by itself. (A) is the state when walking (B) is the state when standing independently

  Hereinafter, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described in detail with respect to the best mode for carrying out the present invention.

The three auxiliary legs 4 are connected to the upper part of the main body and the inner part through three holes 5 provided radially around the tip of the cane in which the two parts of the upper part 2 and the lower part 3 of the main body are slid and expanded. . As a result, the auxiliary leg 4 protrudes only by performing an operation of shortening the cane using the body weight while holding the handle 1, and is in a state where the cane is stably grounded at three points as shown in FIG. 1 (B). .
Further, the auxiliary leg is pulled into the cane by the operation of extending the cane, leaving only the tip portion 4a, and the cane is a walking cane having an appearance and function almost the same as a normal cane as shown in FIG. It becomes a usable state.

  A stopper 6 made of a spring material is attached to the side surface of the upper part 2 of the main body, thereby extending the cane and preventing the risk of shortening the cane even if the handle 1 is accidentally put on the handle 1 while being used for walking. A safety lock with a structure that can be easily held with your fingertips if necessary.

  The auxiliary leg 4 has sufficient rigidity to make the cane stable and independent, and has moderate elasticity and a curved shape, so that the physical resistance at the time of insertion and removal is small and the operation is easy. Moreover, the auxiliary leg 4 accommodated in the cane has a shape that is slightly close to a straight line as shown in FIG. 2A, and is curved as shown in FIG. The operability can be improved by optimizing the shape of the auxiliary leg 4 and the size and orientation of the hole 6 for taking in and out.

1 Handle 2 Upper body 3 Lower body 4 Auxiliary leg 4a Auxiliary leg tip 5 Auxiliary leg insertion hole 6 Stopper

Claims (2)

The cylindrical upper part and the lower part of the main body are slidably inserted into each other, the base ends of three or more auxiliary legs made of curved elastic bodies are fixed to the upper part of the main body, and the distal end part is inserted through a hole provided in the lower part of the main body. A self-supporting cane characterized by having auxiliary legs that can be taken in and out. When the cane is extended, it leaves the tip of the cane and is stored in a slightly straight state inside the lower part of the cane body for use in walking. The lower part of the main body and the upper part of the main body are fixed to each other by the action of the stopper. The cane according to claim 1, wherein when the length is shortened, the auxiliary leg protrudes from the lower part of the main body and returns to a curved shape so that the cane can stand by itself.

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