This disclosure relates to a latch assembly for adjustable legs used in such devices as walkers, safety seats, chairs, transfer benches and other medical assistance devices.
Devices such as walkers or seats often incorporate legs that are adjustable in length to enable selection of a desired height for the device. One type of adjustable leg configuration includes fixed and adjustable leg portions that are telescopically received relative to one another. In one example, the adjustable leg portion includes multiple adjustment holes that each correspond to a particular height. The adjustable holes enable this adjustable leg portion to be selectively moved relative to the fixed leg portion. In one example, the adjustable leg portion has a larger diameter than the fixed leg portion and is received over the fixed leg portion. An end of the adjustable leg portion includes a foot that engages the floor when the device is in use.
A compression spring is arranged within an inner diameter of the fixed leg portion. A detent is supported by the spring and extends through a hole in the fixed leg portion into one of the adjustment holes to provide the desired height. In order to adjust the length of the legs, a user must depress the small detent to force it out of the adjustment hole. This can be quite difficult because the forces must be concentrated on the very small area provided by the detent, which can be difficult for users with limited strength. In particular, those with rheumatoid arthritis and similar ailments have difficulty operating such prior art adjustment mechanisms. What is needed is a latch assembly for adjustable legs that requires less strength and is easier to operate.
An adjustable leg for a device includes first and second legs telescopically received relative to one another. The second leg has multiple adjustment holes. An externally located lever is supported relative to the first leg. The lever cooperates with a detent received in one of the adjustment holes in a latched position in which the first and second legs are fixed relative to one another. The lever includes an area spaced from the detent that is rotatable about a pivot from the latch position to an unlatched position in which the detent is disposed outside one of the adjustment holes. In the unlatched position, movement of the first and second legs in an axial direction relative to one another is permitted.
In one example, the latch assembly includes a body having a pocket. The first leg is received in the pocket in one example. The lever is pivotally supported by the body and rotatable between the latched and unlatched positions about a pin. A spring biases the detent to the latched position. The detent extends into the pocket in the latched position and is disposed outside of the pocket in the unlatched position.
These and other features of the disclosure can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
A device 10 that utilizes adjustable legs 12 is shown in
Referring to
The second leg portion 16 includes multiple adjustment holes 24. The overall height of the leg 12 is achieved by axially aligning one of the adjustment holes 24 with the hole 22 to achieve a desired height. A detent 34 is used to affix the first and second leg portions 14, 16 to one another when in a latched position, shown in
With continuing reference to
The detent 34 is secured to a spring 36 by a rivet 38, for example, as shown in
The lever 48 includes first and second exterior surfaces 52, 54 that are offset or uneven with one another. In one example, the first exterior surface 52 is at a greater radial distance from the first leg 14 than the second exterior surface 54. The detent 34 is arranged radially beneath the second exterior surface 54. The first exterior surface 52 includes a depression 56 corresponding to an area at which an operator can apply force to the lever 48 to rotate the detent 34 between the latched and unlatched positions. The large area makes it easy for an operator to apply the needed force to move the lever 48.
Although example embodiments have been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of the claims. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine their true scope and content.