Patent Application
20130298953
When an individual becomes injured, undergoes surgery, or experiences pain or inflammation in the joints of the knee or the foot, the individual may make use of a cane or other type of mobility aid. The use of a mobility aid can allow the individual to remain active and thus maintain his or her independence. However, in many instances, despite an individual's best attempts to adjust their lifestyle to accommodate the need for the mobility aid, many individuals find using mobility aids cumbersome and awkward.
In some instances, a mobility aid may feel comfortable when used, for example, as an aid to assist an individual in walking over a short distance. However, when used for walking over longer distances, the individual using the walking aid may experience soreness in the hand manipulating the walking aid, a sore shoulder, or may experience other discomfort brought about by the use of a walking aid that is not quite suitable for the user's activity envelope.
In an embodiment, a walking aid comprises a handle coupled to a first portion of a shaft. A walking aid may also comprise a base that is of a width similar to a width of the shaft and coupled to a second portion of the shaft. A base may comprise a first and a second edge separated by an angle greater than 90 degrees, a lower peripheral arc forming a distal edge of the base, wherein a distal edge maybe removably attached to a slip-resistant surface. A walking aid may further comprise a removably attached pliant material between a slip-resistant surface and a distal edge.
In an embodiment, a base that couples to a shaft of a walking aid, for example, may comprise first and second edges separated by an angle greater than 90 degrees. The base also comprises a slip-resistant surface capable of being removably fastened to a pliant material, wherein the pliant material is capable of being removably fastened to a distal edge of the base. A slip-resistant surface may extend from at least a distal portion of the first edge to at least a distal portion of the second edge. A base may be of a width similar to a width of the shaft.
In an embodiment, a walking aid may comprise a handle coupled to a first end portion of a shaft and a base coupled to a second end portion of the shaft, wherein a base is of a width similar a width of the shaft. A base may comprise a distal edge that subtends an obtuse angle. The walking aid may further comprise means for adjusting the length of the shaft, wherein such adjusting may comprise extending and/or retracting the length of the shaft.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various apparatuses and embodiments of the disclosure. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. In some examples, one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.
Described herein are example apparatuses and mechanisms used in association with walking aids. Embodiments of the invention provide individuals with a walking aid that provides comfortable walking over a variety of flat or uneven surfaces. The walking aid may be removably secured to an individual's hand or wrist using a closed loop fastener of an adjustable length, thus precluding the user from dropping the walking aid during its use. The walking aid may be adjusted in length (e.g. extended or retracted) to accommodate a user's particular height. The walking aid may also comprise a removably attached pliant, slip-resistant surface, which may ensure the user's safe passage over a variety of flat or uneven concrete, asphalt, or indoor surfaces.
In an embodiment, the base of the walking aid is of a width that is comparable or similar to that of a shaft of the walking aid, thus allowing the user to manipulate the walking aid on crowded sidewalks or on uneven surfaces, which may comprise patchy, rough, rocky, or jagged terrain, for example. In an embodiment, the slip-resistant surface as well as the pliant material may comprise a hook and loop fastener system (such as, for example, Velcro™) to bring about the simple removal and replacement of the pliant material and/or the slip-resistant surface. In other embodiments, one or more snaps or any other fastener or fastener system may be used.
With reference to
Wedge-shaped base 60 is shown as being removably attached to a second end portion of shaft 30. Base 60 may comprise a first edge 70 and second edge 80, which may be separated by an angle greater than 90 degrees. In
With the present apparatuses, walking aids usable by a wide variety of individuals are described. In an embodiment, a walking aid comprises an adjustable shaft length, a curved base, a slip-resistant surface, and a pliant material that provides comfort to its user when navigating over flat or uneven surfaces. In addition to a closed loop fastener system to removably secure the walking aid to an object, the walking aid may be folded to reduce the volume consumed by the walking aid when not in use.
The following includes definitions of selected terms employed herein. The definitions include various examples and/or forms of components that fall within the scope of a term and that may be used for implementation. The examples are not intended to be limiting. Both singular and plural forms of terms may be within the definitions.
References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “one example”, “an example”, and so on, indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element or limitation. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it may.
To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is employed in the detailed description or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Use of the terms “coupled” and “connected” and the like herein, along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical contact with each other. “Coupled” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in either direct or indirect (with other intervening elements between them) physical contact with each other, or that the two or more elements cooperate or interact with each other (e.g. as in a cause an effect relationship).
While example systems, methods, and so on have been illustrated by describing examples, and while the examples have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the systems, methods, and so on described herein. Therefore, the disclosure is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.
