Abstract:
A walking cane includes a length of flexible material forming at least a portion of a closed loop, the loop freestanding above the grip portion of the cane handle when unstressed. The loop has a perimeter defining an opening capable of receiving the hand of a user inserted through the loop to grasp the grip portion of the handle. The end portions of the loop extend below the cane handle and enable the handle to be securely positioned on a surface when the cane is temporarily not in use.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The disclosure relates to a device that enables retention of a walking cane by a user in the event the user loses his or her grip of the cane and positioning of the cane against a surface when the cane is not in use, and related methods. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     A walking cane is an assistive device that provides mobility for the user. The cane includes a handle and an elongate shaft extending from the handle. 
     A significant problem faced by cane users is that of the user losing his or her grip of the cane handle and the cane then falling to the ground. For many users, a fallen cane can be very difficult to retrieve. 
     Wrist straps have been used to enable a user to retain possession of a cane if there is a loss of grip. The strap is typically attached to the handle and hangs below the handle when not in use. Many users, however, find such wrist straps difficult and inconvenient to use. Because the strap extends below the handle, a user is required to insert his or her hand entirely through the strap before the user can start reaching for the handle. This may also require use of the opposite hand to assist with the wrist strap. 
     Another problem faced by many cane users is placing a cane in a position for easy retrieval while the cane is not being used—for example, while sitting or while changing clothing—while at the same time preventing the cane from falling to the ground. Many users hook the curved handle of a “J” or “crook” handled cane on an object and “hang” the cane on the object while the cane is not being used. However, other conventional cane handles, such as “Fritz” handles or “pistol” handles are relatively flat and cannot be readily hooked like “J” handles. 
     Although flat-handled canes are often provided with a loop or cord for hanging, such loops or cords require the user to remove his or her grip from the handle before hanging the cane—thereby increasing the risk that the cane will fall to the ground before it can be securely positioned. It is also known to provide the bottom of a flat-handled cane with adhesive to prevent the cane handle from slipping off a support surface, but adhesive soils easily and may leave residue behind. 
     Thus there is a need for an improved device that enables a user to more easily retain possession of a cane and to enable secure positioning of the cane while the cane is not in use. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Disclosed is a device that better enables a user to retain possession of a cane and better enables secure positioning of the cane while not in use. 
     A walking cane includes a handle and an elongate shaft extending downwardly from the handle. The handle includes an end portion spaced from the shaft, the end portion including a grip portion configured to be gripped by a user of the cane. 
     A walking cane may include a retention device fixedly attached solely to the end portion of the handle. The retention device includes a length of flexible material forming at least a portion of a closed loop, the loop freestanding above the grip portion when unstressed. The loop has a perimeter defining an opening capable of receiving the hand of a user inserted through the loop to grasp the grip portion of the handle. 
     When a user reaches to grasp the handle grip portion, the user&#39;s hand passes through the loop. The loop enables the user to retain possession of the cane even if the grip of the handle grip portion is lost. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the flexible material includes a pair of end portions that extend below the handle. The end portions form part of a traction device that resists slipping of the cane when the handle portion is placed against a support surface such as the top of a table or chair. 
     In yet other embodiments the traction device can be located on an end of the handle opposite the shaft from the grip portion of the handle. 
     In yet further embodiments only the retention device or only the traction device is attached to the cane. 
     The disclosed retention and traction device enables a user to securely retain possession of a cane by reaching for the handle in a conventional manner, without requiring a separate, additional motion to place one&#39;s hand through a strap. The traction device enables even flat-handled canes to be securely positioned on surfaces when temporarily not in use, without the use of adhesives and without the need to hook the cane. 
     The retention and traction device can also be easily and inexpensively retrofitted to existing canes. 
     Other objects and features will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing sheets illustrating multiple embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view illustrating a combination retention and traction device attached to a “Fritz”-type handle of a walking cane; 
         FIG. 2  is a view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates operation of the device shown in  FIG. 1  in securely positioning the cane handle against a surface; and 
         FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 1  but illustrates the device attached to a “J”-type handle of a walking cane. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a retention and traction device  10 . The device  10  is attached to an otherwise conventional cane  12  having a Fritz-type handle  14  and an elongate shaft  16  extending from the handle  14 . The shaft  16  extends along a shaft axis  18 , with the handle  14  located axially above the shaft  16 . For clarity, the shaft  16  is omitted from  FIG. 2 . 
     The handle  14  includes a handle end portion  20  spaced from the shaft  16  and configured to be gripped by the user. The end portion  20  extends to a free end defined by an end surface  22 . The illustrated end surface  22  is oriented parallel with the shaft axis  18 . 
     The retention and traction device  10  is fixedly attached to the handle end surface  22 . The device  10  includes a length of elastomeric, flexible material  24 . The illustrated material  24  is one-quarter-inch diameter plastic tubing. The flexible material  24  has a pair of opposite end portions  26 ,  28 . The end portions  26 ,  28  are placed adjacent one another and slightly spaced apart against the surface  22  to define a freestanding loop  30  of the flexible material  24 , the loop  30  extending axially above and over the handle  14  and defining an opening  32 . The loop opening  32  is preferably substantially wider than the width of the handle  14 ; as seen in  FIG. 2 , the illustrated opening  32  is about four times the width of the handle  14 . The end portions  26 ,  28  extend below the handle  14 . A fastener  34  that includes a screw  36  and a “U”-shaped retainer  38  compresses and holds the end portions  26 ,  28  fixed beneath the retainer  38  and against the handle end surface  22 . The retainer  38  can, in one possible embodiment, be formed by bending opposite side portions of a circular metal washer to wrap around the lateral borders of the tubing portions  26 ,  28 . 
     A user normally grips the handle of the cane  12  by moving the hand towards the cane handle portion  20  from above the handle  14 , this movement of the user&#39;s hand represented by the arrow  39  (see  FIG. 1 ). 
     With the device  10  installed as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the loop  30  is located over and above the handle portion  20 . The loop  30  does not require the user to materially alter or change the normal hand movement  39  in reaching for and gripping the cane handle portion  14  when using the device  10 . The hand moving in the direction  39  passes through the loop opening  32  in reaching for the handle portion  20 . The relatively wide width of the loop opening  32  facilitates entry of the hand through the loop  30  without interference from the loop itself. The loop  30  thereby encircles the user&#39;s wrist after the user grips the cane handle portion  20  in essentially a conventional manner (that is, as if there were no device  10  present). The material  24  has sufficient rigidity such that the loop  30  is spaced away from the handle  14  to allow the user&#39;s hand to readily slip beneath the loop  30  when taking grasp of the handle portion  20 . 
     The loop  30  is sized to comfortably receive the hand of the user through the loop opening  32 . The loop perimeter is preferably between about twelve inches and twenty inches. The applicant has found that a loop perimeter of about fifteen inches satisfactorily receives essentially all hand sizes comfortably. 
     If the user loses his or her grip on the handle portion  20 , the loop  30  surrounding the user&#39;s wrist retains the user&#39;s possession of the cane  12 , preventing the cane  12  from falling to the ground. Furthermore, the user can voluntarily release his or her grip on the handle portion  20  for performing some other task and the loop  30  retains user possession of the cane  12 . Thus the loop  30  and the fastener  34  cooperatively define a retention device  40  that forms part of the retention and traction device  10 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the cane  12  after a user has positioned the cane  12  against a flat, horizontal surface  42  (which surface  42  could be the surface of a countertop, table, or the like), with the handle portion  20  placed over the surface  42 . 
     The material end portions  26 ,  28  projecting from the end of the handle  14  extend sufficiently beyond the handle  14  to engage the surface  42  and space the cane end  22  from the surface  42 . Generally, for most canes, the end portions  26 ,  28  extend from between about one inch to about two inches beyond the bottom of the cane  12  to assure proper engagement against the surface  42 . 
     The user can grip the sides of the handle  14  while placing the handle  14  against the surface  42 . 
     The weight of the cane  12  generates a moment attempting to compress the end portions  26 ,  28 . The end portions  26 ,  28  elastically deform and generate a normal force against the surface  42 . The elastomeric material forming the end portions  26 ,  28  has sufficient non-slip characteristics that a friction force generated between the end portions  26 ,  28  and the surface is capable of preventing the cane  12  from sliding off the surface  42 . 
     Thus the end portions  26 ,  28  and the fastener  34  cooperatively define a traction device  44  (see  FIG. 1 ) that enables stable support of the cane  12  against a support surface  42  by resisting slipping of the cane handle portion  20  off of a support surface  42 . The applicant has found the traction device  44  can stabilize the cane  12  even when the device  44  is placed against sloping surfaces (such as the top of an upholstered chair or the like). 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a retention and traction device  110  similar to the retention and traction device  10  attached to a “J”-handled walking cane  112 . The cane  112  is similar to the cane  12  but includes a curved handle  114  having a handle grip portion  116  spaced from the cane shaft  118  and configured to be gripped by the user. In this embodiment the retention and traction device  110  is attached to a handle surface  120  by a “C”-shaped retainer  121  curved to conform to the outer radius of the cane handle  114 . The retainer  121  is attached to the handle  114  between the handle grip portion  116  and the handle end  122 . The loop  124  of the device  110  extends upwardly above and over the handle grip portion  116  to receive the hand of a user gripping the handle portion of the cane  112  as previously described. The end portions  126  of the device  110  extend below the handle  114  to form part of a traction device as previously described. 
     In alternative embodiments the material  24  may be a different material, and may be a non-tubular material. The material forming the loop  30  may be different than the material forming the projecting members  26 ,  28 . 
     In yet other embodiments, the retention device  40  or the traction device  44  may be eliminated. For example, the traction device  44  could be eliminated when attached to a J-handled cane if hooking the cane is intended as the sole means for positioning. In yet further embodiments, the retention device  40  and the traction device  44  can be attached to different surfaces of the cane. For example, if the end of a non-grip portion of the cane handle is farther from the cane shaft than the end of the grip portion, the traction device  44  can be attached to the end of the non-grip portion since the longer non-grip portion would be placed against the supporting surface. 
     It is intended that the retention and traction device  10 ,  110  (or the separate retention device  40  and traction device  44  in those embodiments in which the devices  40 ,  44  are separate devices) be fixedly attached to the cane  12  while the device  10 ,  110  is in use, that is, it is not desirable that the device  10 ,  110  be able to slide along the handle of the cane (such as a loop of fabric can slide along a handle). The illustrated embodiments illustrate walking canes  12  in which the retention and traction devices  10 ,  110  remain permanently attached to the cane. In other embodiments, portions of the retention and traction devices  10 ,  110  can be removably or detachably attached to a portion of the fastener  34  that remains permanently and fixedly attached to the cane  12 . For example, the permanently attached portion can be a piece of hook-and-loop fastener glued to the outer surface of the cane handle  14 . A cooperating piece of hook and loop fastener could carry the loop portion  30  and the projecting portions  26 ,  28 . 
     In yet other embodiments the fastening structure of the retention and traction devices  10 ,  110  can include a “cup” having a tubular sleeve that fits over the end portion of the cane handle with an interference fit to fixedly attach the devices  10 ,  100  to the cane while the devices are in use. The cup or sleeve is preferably formed of rubber or other high-friction elastic material that prevents slipping of the fastener structure during use of the cane. 
     While one or more embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it is understood that these are capable of modification, and therefore the scope of the disclosure is not limited to the precise details set forth but also includes such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.