Patent Application
20220031031
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of mobility assistance devices of existing art and more specifically relates to walking canes.
Canes, crutches, and other walking aids may be used. Reaching or grasping tools (commonly called “reachers”) may also be known, and typically consist of an elongate member with a remotely actuable jaw to capture or lift various articles. Combination cane and reaching tools have been developed, and may be used by a person who has temporarily or permanently limited movement of the feet, ankles, legs, knees, hips or back. Such a person may be able to walk with a cane but has difficulty in bending down to pick up or move anything from the floor, ground or knee level. However, known cane-reacher combinations are heavy, complicated mechanisms, and are difficult for the user to manipulate. A suitable solution is desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,160 to Osborn relates to a combination cane and reaching apparatus. The described combination cane and reaching apparatus includes a combination cane and reaching apparatus which includes a cane body having a longitudinal axis and terminating in a pair of ends, a top end having a handle member including a grip portion extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the cane body longitudinal axis, and a bottom end terminating in a cane tip. A trigger portion is secured to the cane body proximate the handle member, and includes a trigger element and a trigger pivot axis. A jaw portion is secured to the cane body proximate the cane tip, and includes a jaw element, a jaw pivot axis, and a spring. A string capture or lock portion is attached to the cane body between the trigger portion and jaw portion. A cable or string segment connects the trigger element and jaw element, with the string segment bearing a bead or knot along its length proximate the string lock portion.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known walking cane art, the present disclosure provides a novel walking cane having integral gripping mechanism. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an efficient and effective walking cane having an integral gripping mechanism.
A walking cane having integral gripping mechanism is disclosed herein. The walking cane having integral gripping mechanism includes a T-shaped walking cane having an elongated hollow cylindrical body, a base, and a handle being positioned opposite of the base. The handle includes a first-section and a second-section, an illumination member positioned at the first-section, a light-activation button, and a trigger hosted on a trigger-axle being positioned proximal to the second-section. The T-shaped walking cane further includes a gripping mechanism actuated by the trigger. The gripping mechanism is comprised of a stationary gripping lever and a mobile gripping lever hosted on an axle configured to move in relation to the stationary gripping lever. The walking cane having integral gripping mechanism provides users with additional independence and mobility.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a walking cane having an integral gripping mechanism, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a walking cane and more particularly to a walking cane having integral gripping mechanism as used to improve the effective use of walking canes.
Generally, the disclosed walking cane having the integral gripping mechanism includes a T-shaped walking cane having a centered and two-sided handle that can be evenly gripped by both hands when using the T-shaped walking cane to stand or sit, thus effectively ensuring even distribution of weight and force on the T-shaped walking cane, and thus also preventing the common slippage that ordinarily occurs with standard walking canes during such cane-assisted standing and sitting procedures.
The T-shaped walking cane features a user-controlled gipping mechanism that can be easily utilized to grasp items without the need for the user to bend, stretch, or extendedly reach for items. The gripping mechanism is trigger actuated by a trigger positioned proximal to the handle. The gripping mechanism comprises a stationary gripping lever and a mobile gripping lever. The stationary gripping lever ends in a flush position to the bottom of the T-shaped walking cane and the mobile gripping lever ends in that same position when the gripping mechanism is in a closed-condition. The levers of the gripping mechanism preferably feature a rubber coating. The rubber coating features pliable ridges which enhance gripping capabilities of the gripping mechanism and ensure it can grasp small and slick items, such as medicine bottles.
An illumination member is further included in preferred embodiments within the handle of the T-shaped walking cane to provide the user with illuminated visibility of the immediate area. Extending from the trigger, and within the interior of the hollow vertical base of the structure, is a cable of an approximate twenty-nine inch (29″) length. The opposite endpoint of the cable attaches to the mobile gripping lever featured at the bottom end of the vertical base of the walking cane having integral gripping mechanism. The cable may be included within a vertical portion of the walking cane having integral gripping mechanism or may be featured outside and attached upon the vertical portion.
In one embodiment, the walking cane having the integral gripping mechanism is made of aluminum alloy with a hollow cylindrical profile, measuring about thirty-four inches in length by about one inch in diameter (34″×1″). The handle of the walking cane having integral gripping mechanism is made of aluminum alloy in a hollow cylindrical format, measuring nine inches in length by one inch in diameter (9″×1″). One side of the handle, upon its bottom area, features an indentation of size to accommodate the trigger when fully retracted. Applied to an endpoint of this horizontal handle is a sealing cap, made of synthetic rubber. Applied to the opposite endpoint of this handle is an illumination member of light-emitting diode (LED) format, which broadcasts at approximately eight hundred lumens (800 lm) in brightness. The LED is powered by battery, contained behind the LED lighting piece, and is accessible by removal of the endcap that hosts the LED. Both a vertical base and horizontal handle of the walking cane having integral gripping mechanism can be made in various lengths and diameters. The walking cane having integral gripping mechanism can be made in versions in which its height is adjustable, and by various means such as spring-loaded tabs and spaced apertures for example. Other suitable means may be used.
A method of use is as follows: A user may grip the walking cane having integral gripping mechanism as they would an ordinary walking cane while using it during mobility. When attempting to sit, the user may hold both ends of the handle to lower him- or herself to a seat, and may then grip both ends of the handle to raise him- or herself when standing from the seat. Gripping both ends of the handle, and which are centered on the base, allows the user to evenly distribute the weight and force of these tasks, thus substantially eliminating risks of falls caused by uneven distribution of weight and force upon an ordinary walking cane during these tasks. Should the user need to retrieve an item, the user can access that object with use of the handle, which eliminates the need for bending, stretching and/or kneeling to complete this procedure, which eliminates the risk of falling during said procedure. The illumination member of the walking cane having integral gripping mechanism can be activated at any time to improve visibility of the area in which the user is moving.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/103,340 filed Aug. 3, 2020, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63103340 | Aug 2020 | US |
