Claims
- 1. In a device including:
- a frame supporting a plurality of wheels;
- a support extending generally upwardly from the frame and arranged to engage the leg of a user, the support being articulated for forward and rearward pivotal movement relative to the frame about a first axis,
- a braking element positioned generally rearwardly of the support and movable generally upwardly and downwardly relative to the frame, and
- actuator having a first end adjacent and arranged to engage the support at a point above the first axis, and a second end adjacent and arranged to engage the braking element,
- the support, braking element and actuator being arranged such that rearward pivotal movement of the support relative to the frame results in movement of the actuator causing the braking element to move downwardly towards a braking position and forward pivotal movement of the support relative the frame permits movement of the actuator that results in the braking element being allowed to move upwardly and away from the braking position,
- that improvement wherein:
- at a point intermediate the first end and the second end of the actuator, the actuator is connected relative to the frame for pivotal movement about a second axis such that pivotal movement of the support about the first axis causes pivotal movement of the actuator about the second axis,
- portions of the actuator on different sides of said intermediate point form generally an L-shape, and
- the actuator is elastic such that rearward pivoting of the support causes the actuator to elastically deform.
- 2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustor attached to the actuator between the second axis and the first end of the actuator, the adjuster being arranged to engage the support and to vary the relative pivotal position of the actuator relative to the support when the adjuster is in engagement with the support, thereby permitting adjustment of the braking element relative to the braking location.
- 3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the adjustor comprises a threaded member, and a complementary threaded hole defined by the actuator, the threaded member engaging the support.
- 4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the actuator includes a pair of actuator elements each of which has a first end adjacent the point above the first axis, and a second end adjacent the braking element, the actuator elements being spaced transversely of the frame and including a cross-member connecting the actuator elements.
- 5. A device according to claim 4, wherein each of the actuator elements has a vertex, an upper portion extending from the first end of the respective element to the vertex thereof, and a lower portion extending from the second end of the respective element to the vertex thereof, the upper portion of the element moving towards said lower end of said support in response to an rearward pivotal movement of the support when the braking element is in its braking location.
- 6. A device according to claim 5, further comprising a member interposed between an upper portion and a lower portion of an actuator element for adjusting the deformation of the actuator element in response to rearward pivoting of the support.
- 7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the member comprises an adjustable member having one end thereof attached to the upper portion of an actuator element between the vertex and first end thereof and another end thereof attached to the lower portion of the actuator element between the vertex and second end thereof.
- 8. A device according to claim 6 wherein the member is a spring.
- 9. A device according to claim 6, wherein the member comprises a flexible member removably placed in a complementary shaped seat formed at the vertex of said upper and lower portions of the actuator element.
- 10. A device according to 2, wherein the actuator has first, second, third and fourth wings, the third and fourth wings having upper and lower ends, the first wing and the third wing defining a first vertex, the third wing and the fourth wing defining a second vertex, the fourth wing and the second wing defining a third vertex, the first wing extending from the first end of said support to the first vertex, the third wing extending from the first vertex to the second vertex, the fourth wing extending from the second vertex to the third vertex, the second wing extending from the third vertex to the second end of said support.
- 11. A device according to claim 10, further comprising a longitudinally-extending member interposed between two of the wings.
- 12. A device according to claim 1 including an elastic element connected to the support adjacent the first end of the actuator, the elastic element elastically engaging the first end of the actuator and acting as an elastic contrast element upon backward rotation of the support.
- 13. A device according to claim 12 wherein the elastic element defines a pocket and the first end of the actuator is positioned within the pocket.
- 14. A device according to claim 12 wherein the elastic element comprises a flexible wall connected in a cantilever manner to the support, the first end of the actuator engaging the elastic element.
- 15. A device according to claim 12 further comprising a pair of shoulders extending from the actuator to the elastic element, the shoulders being approximately parallel to each other, and the distance between the shoulders being greater than the width of the first end of the actuator.
- 16. In a device including:
- a frame supporting a plurality of wheels;
- a support extending generally upwardly from the frame and arranged to engage the leg of a user, the support being articulated for forward and rearward pivotal movement relative to the frame about a first axis,
- a braking element positioned generally rearwardly of the support and movable generally upwardly and downwardly relative to the frame, and
- an actuator having a first end adjacent and arranged to engage the support at a point above the first axis, and a second end adjacent and arranged to engage the braking element,
- the support, braking element and actuator being arranged such that rearward pivotal movement of the support relative to the frame results in movement of the actuator causing the braking element to move downwardly towards a braking position and forward pivotal movement of the support relative the frame permits movement of the actuator that results in the braking element being allowed to move upwardly and away from the braking position,
- that improvement wherein:
- at a point intermediate the first end and the second end of the actuator, the actuator is connected relative to the frame for pivotal movement about a second axis such that pivotal movement of the support about the first axis causes pivotal movement of the actuator about the second axis, and
- an elastic element is connected to the support adjacent the first end of the actuator, the elastic element elastically engaging the first end of the actuator and acting as an elastic contrast element upon backward rotation of the support.
- 17. A device according to claim 16 wherein the elastic element defines a pocket and the first end of the actuator is positioned within the pocket.
- 18. A device according to claim 16 wherein the elastic element comprises a flexible wall connected in a cantilever manner to the support, the first end of the support engaging the elastic element.
- 19. A device according to claim 16 further comprising a pair of shoulders extending from the actuator to the elastic element, the shoulders being approximately parallel to each other, and the distance between the shoulders being greater than the width of the first end of the actuator.
- 20. In a device including:
- a frame supporting a plurality of wheels;
- a support extending generally upwardly from the frame and arranged to engage the leg of a user, the support being articulated for forward and rearward pivotal movement relative to the frame about a first axis,
- a braking element positioned generally rearwardly of the support and movable generally upwardly and downwardly relative to the frame, and
- an actuator having a first end adjacent and arranged to engage the support at a point above the first axis, and a second end adjacent and arranged to engage the braking element,
- the support, braking element and actuator being arranged such that rearward pivotal movement of the support relative to the frame results in movement of the actuator causing the braking element to move downwardly towards a braking position and forward pivotal movement of the support relative the frame permits movement of the actuator that results in the braking element being allowed to move upwardly and away from the braking position,
- that improvement wherein:
- at a point intermediate the first end and the second end of the actuator, the actuator is connected relative to the frame for pivotal movement about a second axis such that pivotal movement of the support about the first axis causes pivotal movement of the actuator about the second axis,
- portions of the actuator on different sides of the second axis form essentially an L-shape,
- the actuator is elastic such that rearward pivoting of the support causes the actuator to elastically deform,
- the actuator includes a pair of actuator elements each of which has a first end adjacent the point above the first axis, and a second end adjacent the braking element, the actuator elements being spaced transversely of the frame and including a cross-member connecting the actuator elements, and
- the cross-member is arranged at an adapted pocket formed to the rear of the support, the pocket being suitable to support the actuator elements, which can pivot freely about the second axis, so that the braking element is positioned away from the braking location.
- 21. The device of claim 20 including an adjuster for adjusting the position of the braking element with respect to the braking location, the adjuster being constituted by an adapted screw which is rotatably associated at a second cross-member connecting the actuator elements, the screw having a head that can be accessed by a user and a stem that interacts by abutment with a facing surface of the support.
- 22. In a device including:
- a frame supporting a plurality of wheels;
- a support extending generally upwardly from the frame and arranged to engage the leg of a user, the support being articulated for forward and rearward pivotal movement relative to the frame about a first axis,
- a braking element positioned generally rearwardly of the support and movable generally upwardly and downwardly relative to the frame, and
- an actuator having a first end adjacent and arranged to engage the support at a point above the first axis, and a second end adjacent and arranged to engage the braking element,
- the support, braking element and actuator being arranged such that rearward pivotal movement of the support relative to the frame results in movement of the actuator causing the braking element to move downwardly towards a braking position and forward pivotal movement of the support relative the frame permits movement of the actuator that results in the braking element being allowed to move upwardly and away from the braking position,
- that improvement wherein:
- at a point intermediate the first end and the second end of the actuator, the actuator is connected relative to the frame for pivotal movement about a second axis such that pivotal movement of the support about the first axis causes pivotal movement of the actuator about the second axis,
- portions of the actuator on different sides of the second axis form generally an L-shape,
- the actuator is elastic such that rearward pivoting of the support causes the actuator to elastically deform,
- a plurality of pairs of lugs protrude from the actuator between the second axis and the first end of the actuator,
- for controlling or adjusting the deformation of the actuator to vary the graduality of the braking action, a first sleeve and a second sleeve are selectively associated respectively at one of the a plurality of pairs of lugs and at a pivot adjacent the braking element and the second end of the actuator.
- 23. A device according to claim 22 wherein the first and second sleeves have right-hand and left-hand threaded stems or vice versa, a complementary threaded bush interacting with the stems, the rotation of the bush allowing the mutually spacing or approach of the first and second sleeves.
- 24. A device according to claim 22 wherein the pairs of lugs are arranged longitudinally with respect to the actuator.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
TV9440050 |
May 1994 |
ITX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 08/433,118, filed May 3, 1995, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 568 878 A1 |
Jun 1928 |
EPX |
0567948 |
Nov 1993 |
EPX |
0585764 |
Mar 1994 |
EPX |
0594080 |
Apr 1994 |
EPX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
433118 |
May 1995 |
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