The present invention generally relates to the field of ambulatory assistive devices for the physically impaired. More particularly, the present invention relates to a knee mobility walker for aiding the disabled in walking.
In situations where an individual has injured, or had a surgical procedure on, a lower portion of the leg, ankle or foot, it is preferred medically to keep weight off of the lower leg or foot while recuperating. Traditionally, this has been achieved by the use of wheelchairs or crutches.
A wheelchair is generally prescribed for patients who do not have the balance, strength or stability to use crutches or a walker. However, medical studies have demonstrated that a wheelchair can contribute to a deterioration of cardiovascular health, strength and overall energy. Doctors and patients alike recognize that the earlier a patient is able to be mobile and stay out of a wheelchair, the more progress a patient makes toward his or her recovery. Moreover, wheelchairs can be undesirable for reasons such as transporting the wheelchair and limited access during use.
Traditionally, doctors have recommended crutches when a patient is required to keep their bearing weight off of a foot or leg. Unfortunately, crutches exhibit a number of requirements and restrictions, including requiring the patient to maintain their balance, hold up the weight of the injured leg, and require the patient to constantly shift their weight back and forth to move forward. Crutches can be difficult to maneuver on uneven or loose ground. Sore or bruised body tissue, sprained and sore wrists and a propensity for falling also typically go hand-in-hand with the use of crutches. Moreover, anyone with a history of shoulder injury or surgery, breast cancer, wrist injury or surgery, or certain other conditions, may be restricted from the use of crutches.
Knee walkers, also referred to as knee scooters or knee rollers, have become increasingly popular in recent years as canes, crutches and the like have been found inconvenient and unstable for certain persons with leg, foot and ankle injuries or ailments. Such knee walkers typically provide more stability and mobility than crutches, a walker or a wheelchair. The knee walker will generally have wheels attached to a frame and a pad supported by the frame intermediate the front and back wheels so as to allow the user to rest his or her injured leg on the pad and use his or her non-injured leg to propel the device across a surface. The knee walker's wheels and user's ability to maintain one leg on the ground during use adds to the stability and mobility of the knee walker. Such knee walkers have been advantageous to assist in easier and safer mobility and for traveling longer distances.
While the benefits of knee walkers are a significant improvement over crutches, walkers and wheelchairs, prior art knee walkers have several shortcomings and drawbacks. Bumps and the like caused by uneven surfaces transmit forces up through the frame and into the user's knee which is rested on the knee pad. This can cause discomfort and even pain over time. Moreover, while the patients using such knee walkers vary significantly in size, prior art knee walkers are limited in their adjustability to accommodate the sizes of such users.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for an improved knee walker which provides suspension between the frame and knee resting pad of the walker and which is easily adjustable to accommodate patients of varying size. The present invention fulfills these needs, and provides other related advantages.
The present invention resides in a knee walker for use as a walking aid by disabled persons. The knee walker generally comprises a frame having at least three wheels comprising front and rear wheels operably coupled to the frame. A steering assembly is operably coupled to at least one of the wheels. The steering assembly comprises a handlebar rotatably disposed within a steering tube of the frame. The at least three wheels may comprise two wheels operably coupled to the steering assembly and a front portion of the frame. A single rear wheel may be coupled to a rear portion of the frame. The frame may be offset such that the rear wheel is generally aligned with the steering tube of the frame.
The knee pad is supported by the frame intermediate the front and rear wheels. The knee pad is configured to support a user's bent knee and lower leg thereon. Typically, the user utilizes his or her other leg and foot to propel the knee walker. The knee pad includes an elongated depression formed in a top portion thereof. The depression is configured to receive a knee and at least a portion of a lower leg of the user.
A suspension assembly is disposed intermediate the knee rest pad and the frame. The suspension assembly in a particularly preferred embodiment comprises a telescopic mechanism having a damper between the knee rest pad and the frame. The suspension assembly may comprise a suspension seat post. The suspension seat post may comprise a hydraulic piston or a pneumatic piston.
The knee walker typically also includes a hand brake assembly for controllably stopping the knee walker. The hand brake assembly includes a brake cable which extends to a brake caliper of a disc brake. Preferably, the brake cable extends through at least a portion of the frame.
The knee walker also preferably includes an adjustment mechanism for selectively adjusting the distance between the knee pad and the frame.
The frame of the knee walker may also include a foot rest platform between the front wheels. The platform is disposed at an angle of approximately ten degrees to thirty degrees towards the user. This enables the user to comfortably rest his or her foot on the foot rest platform when seated on the knee pad, such as when stopped and resting or the like.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
As shown in the accompanying photographs and drawings, for purposes of illustration, the present invention is directed to an improved medical knee walker, referred to generally by the reference number 10. As will be more fully described herein, the knee walker 10 of the present invention overcomes problems and drawbacks of prior medical knee walkers, including providing increased height adjustability and knee pad suspension.
With reference now to
The knee walker 10 includes a frame 12. As illustrated in the various figures herein, the frame 12 may be comprised of generally tubular or hollow members which are operably joined to one another, such as by welding, or the frame may be created by molding techniques or the like. As illustrated, the frame 12 includes an upper frame member 14 and a lower frame member 16.
The knee walker 10 includes a plurality of wheels to support the frame 12 and provide mobility to the knee walker 10. Typically, as illustrated, there are at least three wheels, although the invention contemplates utilizing four wheels. Utilizing three or four wheels provides stability to the knee walker 10 which is important for those utilizing the knee walker 10 who have a medical condition and need the knee walker 10 for support and mobility. The wheels may be inflated with air, enabling rubber to be utilized for the tires and provide sufficient grip and also providing a degree of dampening due to uneven surfaces across which the knee walker 10 is passed.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, as illustrated, the upper and lower frame members 14 and 16 are joined to one another or otherwise adjacent thereto at one end where a rear wheel 18 is attached to the frame 12. Opposite ends of the upper and lower frame members 14 and 16 diverge from one another due to bends within the frame members 14 and 16 so as to connect to a generally vertical steering tube 20 of the frame. A lower end of the steering tube 20 and an end of the lower frame member 16 are coupled to an axle cross member 22 which extends in a generally horizontal plane.
A steering assembly 24 includes a handlebar 26 rotatably disposed within the steering tube 20 of the frame 12. The handlebar 26 typically has hand grips 28 at ends thereof which can be easily and comfortably gripped by the user of the knee walker 10. Pushing or pulling the hand grips 28 causes the handlebar 26 to rotate within the steering tube 20 of the frame 12 and pivot and change the angle of front wheels 30 and 32 which are operably coupled to the steering assembly 24. The front wheels 30 and 32 are typically coupled to generally opposite ends of the crossbar 22 and operably connected to the steering mechanism 24, such as by tie bars, linkages or the like which interconnect the handlebar 26 and the wheels 30 and 32. Axle wheel assemblies 34 and 36 may be utilized which are pivotally attached to the axle crossmember 22 of the frame 12 and the front wheels 30 and 32, and which rotate or pivot as the handlebar 26 is rotated. The wheels 30 and 32 are typically rotatably coupled, such as by an axle or the like, to the axle wheel assemblies 34 and 36. Assemblies and mechanisms for transferring rotational movement of a handlebar to one or more wheels are well known and can be incorporated in the present invention, and thus it will be appreciated that other types of handlebar assembles and steering mechanisms and assemblies can be incorporated into the present invention so as to enable the knee walker 10 to be controllably turned. Preferably, however, there are two wheels 30 and 32 at the front of the knee walker 10 so as to provide stability and support while the user is operating the knee walker 10, such as preventing the knee walker 10 from tipping over easily during use.
With reference now to
A knee supporting or rest pad 42 is attached to the frame 12, such as by a support tube 44. The knee pad 42 is of such a width and length so as to be able to place one's knee and a portion of the lower leg thereon to support, balance and stabilize the individual on the knee walker 10, as illustrated in
Preferably, the knee rest support 42 is comprised of foam or other cushion material so as to provide comfort. As illustrated in
With reference now to
With reference to
As illustrated in
The three-wheeled design of the present invention provides inherent benefits. The braking system is able to be coupled only to a single rear wheel 18, resulting in manufacturing cost savings. In a four-wheel configuration two different sets of brake mechanisms would have to be associated with the rear wheels in order to avoid a sudden pulling movement to the left or right as the walker is stopped, which could cause instability of the walker. Having a single rear wheel 18 enables the overall footprint and size of the knee walker 10 to be smaller. Moreover, the knee walker 10 is able to be manufactured with only three wheels, instead of four wheels.
With reference now to
The knee walker 10 of the present invention is also adjustable to accommodate users of different sizes. Adjustment clamp 38 can be actuated in order to enable the user to raise or lower the handlebar 26, such as by means of the handlebar tube 40 being raised and lowered in a telescopic manner with respect to an outer tube, such as the steering tube 20 or an intermediate tube. Moreover, the knee rest pad 42 may be selectively raised and lowered. As illustrated in
The adjustability of the knee rest pad 42 also enables the knee walker 10 to be moved into a more compact state for transport and/or storage. The knee rest pad 42 would be lowered to its lowermost state. The handlebar 26 would be lowered to its most lowered state and/or folded downwardly, such as by actuating handlebar adjustment clamp 38, as illustrated in
With reference now to
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the suspension is disposed immediately below the knee rest support pad 42, such as being incorporated into the knee rest stem between the knee support pad 42 and the frame 12 of the device 10, such that the forces that would otherwise be transferred directly up into the knee support pad 42 will be dissipated. For example, the suspension assembly 72 may comprise a telescopic mechanism having a damper between the knee rest pad 42 and the frame 12. Preferably, the suspension device is incorporated within the tubing of the stem. Such suspension devices may be spring-based, elastomeric, or in a particularly preferred embodiment pneumatic.
With reference to
As illustrated in
It will be understood that in place of a hydraulic or pneumatic piston arrangement, as illustrated in
It will be appreciated that the knee walker 10 can be used over prolonged periods of time as the individual is using the knee walker 10 in lieu of walking from location to location. This can create stress on the individual's knee and leg as he or she utilizes the walker 10 throughout the course of the day. Moreover, either due to the individual's lower leg, ankle or foot ailment, surgery, or the like forces that would otherwise be transmitted through the knee rest pad 42 could potentially cause pain to the area where the surgery was performed, the ailment or injury is or the like and be felt much more profoundly by such individuals if not dampened by the suspension assembly 72 of the present invention. While suspension devices could be placed associated with the wheels or the handlebar assembly, it is believed that these placements would not be nearly as effective in reducing the forces transmitted to the user's knee and lower leg, foot, etc. as the placement directly below the knee support pad 42, as in the present invention. By placing the suspension in the vertical path of the weight bearing portion of the knee rest pad 42 provides the most relief of discomfort and dampening of stress transmitted at the contact point. This greatly reduces the hot spot sensation that many patients feel as they use other knee walkers for any prolonged period of time.
There are times when the user will sit on the knee rest pad 42, such as when stopped for a period of time and resting, waiting, or the like. It can be uncomfortable for the user to place his injured foot or ankle directly onto the ground or floor, and in many instances the user has a cast, boot, or protective bandaging surrounding the ankle and foot area. Thus, the present invention provides a foot rest platform 80 on top of the axle cross member 22. As can be seen in
Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/267,408, filed Dec. 15, 2016.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62267408 | Dec 2015 | US |