Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60T—VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
  • B60T1/00—Arrangements of braking elements, i.e. of those parts where braking effect occurs specially for vehicles
  • B60T1/02—Arrangements of braking elements, i.e. of those parts where braking effect occurs specially for vehicles acting by retarding wheels
  • B60T1/04—Arrangements of braking elements, i.e. of those parts where braking effect occurs specially for vehicles acting by retarding wheels acting directly on tread
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
  • A61H3/00—Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about
  • A61H3/04—Wheeled walking aids for patients or disabled persons
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
  • A61H3/00—Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about
  • A61H3/04—Wheeled walking aids for patients or disabled persons
  • A61H2003/046—Wheeled walking aids for patients or disabled persons with braking means
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
  • A61H2201/00—Characteristics of apparatus not provided for in the preceding codes
  • A61H2201/16—Physical interface with patient
  • A61H2201/1602—Physical interface with patient kind of interface, e.g. head rest, knee support or lumbar support
  • A61H2201/1628—Pelvis
  • A61H2201/1633—Seat

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a rollator with walking frame function.
• One object of the present invention is to make it simpler for patients using the walking technique when walking behind the walking frame which is lifted forwards.
• This is put into effect according to the present invention in that the walking frame is provided with wheels and thus may be said to be a combination of a rollator and a walking frame, or in other words a rollator with a walking frame function.
• the expression "rollator” as employed in the description below generally relates to such a rollator of this type with walking frame function.
• the rollator is intended for people who indeed have enough strength to walk, but because of giddiness or other complaint, need to stop and/or rest occasionally.
• the object as set out above is attained according to the present invention in that the rollator has a brake which only acts when there is a loading. This implies that walking takes place in accordance with the following cycle.
• the user first pushes the rollator forward a distance without resting on it.
• the rollator is subjected to load in that the person places weight on the handle of the rollator, the rollator being then braked.
• the user catches up the rollator. Thereafter, a new cycle may be commenced by pushing the rollator forwards.
• the rollator being braked under loading, this implies that it is braked if the user sits and rests on it or if the user stands and rests against it. Moreover, it will be braked if the user is about to lose his balance and thereby supports against the rollator.
• Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of the rollator according to the present invention
• Fig. 2 shows a detailed view from the side of a brake and wheel unit in the rollator according to Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the brake and wheel unit according to Fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the wheel fork provided at the brake and wheel unit according to Figs. 2 and 3.
• the rollator 1 is, in the usual manner, constructed from a frame 16 consisting of different frame sections.
• the rollator 1 further has four wheels 3, two handles 14 and a sit plate 15.
• the present invention does not relate to the general construction of the rollator 1, for which reason this, as such, will not be described in greater detail here.
• the rear wheels 3 are braked and they are included in a wheel and brake unit.
• the brakes are activated when the rollator 1 is subject to loading.
• the wheel and brake unit which constitutes an important part of the present invention, may be employed in many different types of rollators.
• the front wheels also to be included in a brake and wheel unit in the same manner as the rear wheels.
• the sit plate 15 is occasionally employed as a tray for moving objects. Loads which are placed on the sit plate 15 will be taken up for the greater part by the front wheels, which implies that the weight of the load which can be moved on the sit plate 15 will be less if the front wheels 3 are also braked on being subject to loading.
• the respective wheel and brake units of the rollator 1 include a wheel 3, carried by a wheel fork 4.
• the wheel fork 4 is rotatably journal led in a frame section 2.
• the frame section 2 also supports a brake arm 11 which is fixed, i.e. non-rotatably, secured to the frame section 2.
• the brake arm 11 displays a brake surface 12 which lies a relatively slight distance away from the wheel when the brake is not activated.
• the brake surface 12 which is turned to face towards the wheel 3 is also provided with a brake lining or has a friction-increasing surface structure, etc.
• the wheel 44 has a projection 5 directed away from the wheel 3 in normal use.
• This projection 5 displays an accommodation spring anchorage 8 for accommodating a spring 10 whose other end is secured in a spring anchorage 9 on the frame section 2.
• the upper spring anchorage 9 is disposed adjacent an anchorage point 4 securing the brake-arm to the frame section 2.
• the spring 10 acts to rotate the wheel fork 4 around the journal 6 so that the wheel 3 is actuated in a direction away from the brake arm 11.
• spring 10 in the illustrated embodiment is a draw spring
• a person skilled in the art will perceive that, in other embodiments, it is possible to employ other types of springs such as torsion springs or gas springs.
• the wheel fork 4 displays a wheel shaft 7 in the centre of the wheel 3.
• the wheel fork 4 has been adapted to the configuration of the wheel 3 and displays recesses 13 for the "tyre section" of the wheel 3.
• the frame section 2 On loading of the rollator, the frame section 2 is activated in its longitudinal direction, as intimated in Fig. 2 by the arrow F. In this instance, because the wheel fork 4 is rotatably journal led, the wheel 3 is moved up towards the brake-arm 11. The wheel fork 4 rotates around its journal 6 against the action of the spring 10. When the loading F on the rollator 1 ceases, the spring 10 contracts, the wheel 3 once again moving away from the brake-arm 11.
• the loading on the rollator may have various causes, such as that a person is "resting on the handle" 14. That someone is sitting on the sitplate 15 or that someone is stumbling etc, and in such instance grips the rollator so as not to fall.
• the wheel and brake unit makes the rollator a combination of rollator and walking frame. It might also be said that it is a rollator with walking frame function, which in this case means that it has the appearance of a rollator but is used in a manner which normally corresponds to using a walking frame.
• the wheel and brake unit may be adapted relatively simply to va- rious types of rollators, for which reason it is simple to retrocon- struct existing rollators so that they will have a walking frame function.
• a standard rollator may be used as a point of de- parture and the existing brakes and rear wheels can be replaced by the wheel and brake units according to the present invention.
• the brake arm 11 is screwed to the frame-section 2.
• the brake arm may be welded, soldered, glued or riveted to the frame section.
• the brake arm 11 is an integrated part of the frame section 2. Because the brake acts on loading, the advantage will be afforded that the rollator is always braked when a user is sitting on it, i.e. no type of handbrake needs to be employed. If there is a need for a handbrake, a person skilled in the art will readily perceive that it is a simple matter to install one.
• the spring On dimensioning of the spring, the spring must be sufficiently rigid to be able to move the wheel away from the brake-arm when the rollator is in the unloaded state. However, the spring 10 must not be more powerful than that the rollator is braked when the user places it under loading.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Rehabilitation Therapy (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Pain & Pain Management (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Handcart (AREA)
• Rehabilitation Tools (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20414513

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (3)

Citations (3)

• 1999
  • 1999-02-18 SE SE9900548A patent/SE513970C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2000
  • 2000-02-18 WO PCT/SE2000/000337 patent/WO2000048547A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (3)

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