Patent Application
20180347206
The present invention relates to a stair assistance device for assisting people to walk and climb stairs.
U.S. Publication Number 2016/0090743 discloses a stair assistance device and comprises a handle, a saddle for engagement with a guide rail mounted alongside the stairs. The saddle is connected to the handle and arranged for sliding motion along the guide rail. A braking rail for mounting alongside the stairs is parallel to the guide rail, and a bracket is connected to the saddle. The bracket is used to selectively engage with the braking rail to prevent motion of the handle and saddle along the guide rail. The bracket and the braking rail together form a releasable ratchet that, when engaged, prevents movement of the handle in a downstairs direction and allows movement of the handle in an upstairs direction. The handle may be coupled to the pawl of the ratchet such that a predetermined movement of the handle will disengage the pawl from the ratchet. Nevertheless, operation of the braking rail and the ratchet generate noise, and the ratchet needs to be specially manufactured which increases manufacturing cost.
Another assistance device is disclosed in
The present invention intends to provide a stair assistance device to eliminate the shortcomings mentioned above.
The present invention relates to a stair assistance device and comprises a rail unit having a toothed rail which has a teeth row. A base movably is engaged with the toothed rail and includes a pulley unit and a brake unit. The pulley unit is movable relative to the rail unit. The brake unit includes a roller which is engaged with the teeth row. A brake member is movably engaged with or disengaged from the roller. A grip unit is movably connected to the base and drives the brake member. The grip unit includes a grip which extends outward relative to the rail unit. The users hold the grip unit to control the brake member to be disengaged from the roller. The stair assistance device moves the users by the cooperation between the roller and the teeth row.
The present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Referring to
When in use, the user holds the grip 61 and alternatively move his/her legs. During movement, the grip 61 drives the base 3 forward, and the pulley unit 4 moves along the toothed rail 21, and the roller 51 is rotatably engaged with the teeth row 211. The user does not need to swing his/her two hands, his/her two hands hold the grip 6 in a horizontal position so that the body can keep balance during movement. The base 3 is moved by the user and the roller 51 is rotatably engaged with the teeth row 211, so that the user moves steadily.
The roller 51 includes first gear 511, and the brake member 52 includes teeth which are engaged with the first gear 511.
As shown in
The brake unit 5 includes a bottom board 57 and a spring 58 which is mounted to the cable 56. The bottom board 57 includes a recess 571 defined in the first side thereof. The roller 51 is pivotably connected to the first end of the recess 571, and a portion of the roller 51 is exposed beyond the recess 571 and engaged with the teeth row 211. The brake member 52 is slidably connected to a second end of the recess 571. The release block 55 is located on the second side of the bottom board 57. Bolts extend through the release block 55, the bottom board 57 and the brake member 52, so that the release block 55 is co-movable with the brake member 52. The spring 58 is biased between the release block 55 and the bottom board 57. The release block 54 compresses the spring 58b when pulling the cable 56. When not in use, the spring 58 releases the release block 55 which drives the brake member 52 to be engaged with the first gear 511 of the roller 51. It is noted when no force is applied to the grip unit 6, the first gear 511 of the roller 51 does not rotate by the engagement between the brake member 52 and the roller 51. The first gear 511 does not move along the teeth row 211. When the user is stationary, the grip 61 does not move randomly.
The brake unit 5 includes a frame 59, a cover 50 mounted to the frame 59, and a release spring 501. The release shaft 54 has the first end thereof horizontally and pivotably connected between the frame 59 and the cover 50. The second end of the release shaft 54 is exposed beyond outside of the frame 59. The handle lever 53 is pivotably connected to the release shaft 54. The release spring 501 is biased between the release shaft 54 and the cover 50. As shown in
As shown in
The folding seat 63 includes a lug 631 extending toward the recessed area 68. The link 65 extends through the lug 631 and includes a front section 651 and a rear section 652 which is pivotably connected to the front section 651. A pivotal point between the front and rear sections 651, 652 is located within the recessed area 68. The front section 651 is pivotably connected to the eccentric end 641, and the rear section 652 is connected to the mounting member 66. When the handle 64 is pivoted, the handle 64 pivots the front section 651 toward the mounting member 66 so that the rear section 652 moves axially toward the mounting member 66. The mounting member 66 and the rear section 652 both are moved and do not restrict the fixed part 62 and the folding seat 63, such that the folding seat 63 pivots an angle about the pin relative to the fixed part 62. In this embodiment, the pivotal direction is counter clockwise.
The rail unit 2 includes a guide rail 22 which is located at a distance from the toothed rail 21 and parallel to the toothed rail 21. The base 3 is movably engaged between the guide rail 22 and the toothed rail 21. The pulley unit 4 includes a first pulley unit 41 and a second pulley unit 42. The first pulley unit 41 includes multiple top pulleys 411 and each top pulley 411 has an annular groove defined in an outer periphery thereof. The annular groove faces the guide rail 22. The top pulleys 411 are located on different radial directions of the guide rail 22. The second pulley unit 42 includes multiple bottom pulleys 421 which are movably along the toothed rail 21.
The base 3 includes a housing 30 in which the first pulley unit 41, the second pulley unit 42 and the brake unit 5 are accommodated. The housing 30 includes two side panels 31, a top panel 32, a bottom panel 33, a connection panel 34 and a room 35. The two side panels 31 are located apart from each other. The top panel 32 and the bottom panel 33 are connected between the two side panels 31. The connection panel 34 is connected to one side of the top panel 32 and located between the two side panels 31. The room 35 is defined between the two side panels 31, the top panel 32, the bottom panel 33 and the connection panel 34.
The rail unit 2 is located horizontally to provide the users to walk during rehabilitation. The rail unit 2 can also be arranged along stairs to allow the users to climb the stairs as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
