Abstract:
A device adapted to be installed on a walker is provided where two of the original adjustable feet are removed from the walker and the device is affixed to the remaining vertical tube portions. The device is affixed to the walker in a similar fashion to the adjustable feet. The device has a platform that moves between a stored position and a use position, the stored position is defined by the platform being up and located between the remaining vertical tube portions and the use position is defined by the step being down, allowing the user to sit or stand on the step. When the platform is up, it allows full access to the space around the walker. A leg is connected to the step where the leg hinges down to support the step.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Walkers and other mobility devices are commonly used for people who have difficulty standing, walking, or transitioning between the two. A walker has handles for the user to hang onto and legs that contact the floor and support the handles. Walkers are frequently foldable to become compact, allowing the user to take it with them. This is especially helpful if the user desires to travel. Also, the foldability of the walker allows the user to store it in a closet if the user only needs the walker periodically, such as recovery from surgery or other rehabilitation. At times, the user needs to have a raised step or other load-bearing platform. The current art requires the user to have a secondary device, such as a separate step stool or chair. The secondary device either needs to remain where the user will need it, or be carried around. For people with limited mobility, where moving themselves is difficult or painful, carrying around another device is out of the question. 
         [0002]    There are other inventions in the market to assist people getting in and out of vehicles such as an RV; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,664,227 and 4,113,161 describe some. There are also canes to assist a person in lifting themselves or to climb stairs. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,131,494, 3,884,327, 7,509,966, &amp; 7,261,113 describe some of these. However, there are no known methods to provide assistance to step higher built into a walker. Other medical devices, including walkers, have folding platforms, but those are used as a seat and are integral to the walker. These folding seats are not a solution to a user that needs to step up, as they are too high of a surface and are not adapted to be used for standing. An improved walker or mobility device with a foldable standing platform is needed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The invention involves an integral step that is built into or capable of being added to a walker. This adds functionality to the walker where a person who needed the step up assistance would not need to have a separate device to do so. This makes it easier for the family and care takers of the individual to assist that person and to move around just one device. The ease of using this encourages outings, thereby improving overall quality of life to the user. The step allows the user of the walker to raise themselves up onto an examining table or into a car, such as an SUV or minivan, while still having the stability of the walker. The step folds into the walker such that it is portable with the walker without interfering with the primary use of it. The folding action of the step brings down a supporting leg portion where a substantial portion of the weight is carried. When the step is moved to the stored position, a linkage moves the supporting portion out of the way. By locating the step to the side and not the front, the step does not interfere with the user&#39;s legs or knees. Further, the location of the step on the side would not interfere with a folding seat, something that is frequently a part of the walker. 
         [0004]    Any person who needs stability when walking and needs to raise themselves about  6 ″ higher than the floor while needing the stability of a walker. This is useful for entering a vehicle with high seats, such as in a SUV or to get a bit higher to sit on an examining table. While an examining table may have a step, the location is often inconvenient at the end of the table, or may be too high for some patients. Also, there typically are no hand rails on an examining table. 
         [0005]    The invention is to provide the ability to step up a bit higher while using a walker. Other inventions have built a raised surface, which can be stepped on, into a cane, but not on a walker. A walker has greater stability for a person who is less ambulatory than a person who is able to use a cane. A person in need of a walker now has one device to step higher as opposed to at least two separate devices, a walker and a portable step. The invention is adapted to be used with different styles of walkers, including those that have wheels on one or all sides. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    A preferred embodiment of this invention has been chosen wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1A  is a front isometric view of the device as installed on a walker and folded down and facing in; 
           [0008]      FIG. 1B  is the same view of the device as shown in  FIG. 1A  with the step partially folded up; 
           [0009]      FIG. 1C  is the same view of the device as shown in  FIG. 1A  with the step completely folded up and stored; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a bottom isometric view of the device as shown in  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exploded isometric view of the device; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the device in the down position; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the device in the down position; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6A  is a top isometric view of the step portion; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6B  is a bottom isometric view of the step portion; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7A  is an isometric view of the device installed in an alternative position on a walker in the down position; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7B  is the same view of the device as shown in  FIG. 7A  with the step partially folded up; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7C  is the same view of the device as shown in  FIG. 7A  with the step folded up; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is the same view of the device as shown in  FIG. 7A  with a bar affixed to the walker; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a front isometric view of the device as installed on the front of the walker and in the down position; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a front isometric view of the device installed on the front of the walker and in the down position. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 1A and 1B , a folding step  10  for a walker  12  is composed of a first leg,  16 , a second leg,  14 , a movable platform  18 , a unified leg,  20 , and a linkage,  22 . The folding step  10  is designed to mate with an existing walker  12 , shown in  FIG. 1A-1C . The existing walker  12  typically has telescopically adjustable legs  24  that adjust the overall height of the handle portions  23 . Specifically, the adjustable legs  24  receive or are received by a front tube portion  26  and a rear tube portion  28 . The left side  30  is substantially a mirror image of the right side  32  and the two sides are connected by a front side  31 . As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 7 , the left side  30  has the original adjustable legs  24  that are telescopically moveable to their respective tube portions  26 ,  28 . The adjustable legs  24  have feet  25  that are designed to securely rest on the ground or other horizontal surface. In  FIGS. 1A-1C , the right side  32  has the folding step  10  installed, but it is contemplated that the folding step  10  is installed on either side. It is further contemplated that the folding step  10  is installed to allow it to fold to the outside as shown in  FIGS. 7A-7C . In  FIGS. 9, 10 , the folding step  10  is attached to the front of the walker  12 . The first and second leg  16 ,  14  have feet  27  that are designed to securely rest on the ground or other horizontal surface. Wheels (not shown) are frequently located on the adjustable legs  24  where the feet  25  are shown. The wheels allow the user to move the walker  12  without having to lift it or drag it along the ground. It is contemplated that wheels (not shown) are located on the bottom of the first leg  16  or second leg  14  (depending on the nature of the walker  12 ) where feet  27  are shown. It is contemplated that the folding step  10  is integrated into the walker  12   
         [0023]    To set the height of the walker  12 , the front tube portion  26  and rear tube portion  28  slide either inside or over adjustable legs  24 . As shown, the walker  12  has a series of holes  34  on both tube portions  26 ,  28 . On a corresponding leg, there is a hole  36  that can receive a bolt or locking pin (not shown) that locks the leg  16 ,  14  to the tube portion  26 ,  28 . Alternatively, the legs  16 ,  14  have a series of holes  34  that receive a button that protrudes from the adjustable legs  24 . The button is spring-loaded, allowing the user to press it in and slide the leg into its respective tube portion  26 ,  28 . When the button passes one of the holes  34 , the button, being urged by the spring, protrudes through, fixing the telescoped position of the leg  16 ,  14  to its respective tube portion  26 ,  28 . To move the leg  16 ,  14  again, the user presses on the button while urging the leg  16 ,  14  in the desired telescoping direction. The folding step  10  is attached to the walker  12  in the same fashion as the adjustable legs  24 , where buttons are spring-loaded and protrude outward from the first  16  and second  14  legs to mate with the holes into its respective tube portion  26 ,  28 . It is contemplated that other methods or mechanical features are used to lock the position of the adjustable legs  24 . These include but are not limited to screws, bolts, clamps, and pins. When other methods or mechanical features are used to lock the adjustable legs  24 , the front tube portion  26  and rear tube portion  28  of the folding step  10  would contain the same features and mating that the adjustable legs  24  would have. 
         [0024]    The first leg  16  and the platform  18  are pivotably connected at a first hinge  40 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , such that the platform  18  may pivot about the axis  42  of the first hinge  40 . The second leg  14  and platform  18  are also pivotably connected at a second hinge  44 , such that the platform  18  may rotate around the axis  42 . As shown in  FIG. 7C , the first hinge  40  and the second hinge  44  are coaxial. The second leg  14  is held relatively parallel to the first leg  16  by the walker  12  when the folding step  10  is installed. It is contemplated that the first and second leg  16 ,  14  are not parallel in order to match the leg orientation of the adjustable legs  24 . The first and second leg  16 ,  14  are further restrained from movement by the first and second hinge  40 ,  44 . The first and second hinge  40 ,  44  keep the legs  16 ,  14  and platform  18  together. Holding these two legs  16 ,  14  to the platform  18  could be accomplished by pins or screws or some other means built into the first hinge  40  and second hinge  44 . 
         [0025]    To install the folding step  10 , the first leg  16  and second leg  14  are mated to the tube portions  26 ,  28  of the walker  12  in place of the leg extensions  24  seen on a traditional walker  12 . These two legs  14 ,  16  would be telescopically and firmly attached to the walker  12  in the same way the normal leg extensions  24  are attached to a walker  12 . The walker  12  as shown in  FIGS. 1A-C ,  2 ,  4 ,  5 , and  7 A-B is a traditional four-legged walker  12 . 
         [0026]    The platform  18  has an upper surface  46  that may contain non-slip areas or an overall anti-slip coating. As shown, the upper surface  46  is flat but other contours are contemplated. Opposite the upper surface  46  is the unified leg  20 . The unified leg  20  is a single tubular member that is an inverted U-shape but the unified leg  20  can take other shapes and still serve the same purpose. It is further contemplated that the unified leg  20  is a single leg that protrudes from the platform  18  when folded down. At terminal ends of the unified leg  20  are feet  21  that are adapted to contact the ground when the platform  18  is folded down. The platform  18  and the unified leg  20  have a third hinge  48  whereby the platform  18  and unified leg  20  may rotate relative to each other on axis  50 . The first hinge  40  and the second hinge  44  rotate about axis  42  which is parallel to the axis  50  of the third hinge  48 . A linkage  22  runs between the second leg  14  and the unified leg  20 . The linkage  22  has a first pivot point  52  on one end and a second pivot point  54  on the opposite end. The first pivot point  52  connects and pivots with respect to the second leg  14  on a first pivot axis  58  at an attachment point  56 . The unified leg  20  and the linkage  22  pivot with respect to each other at the second pivot point  54  on a second pivot axis  60 . The first and second pivot axes  58 ,  60  are shown as parallel to axes  42 ,  50 . These components work in conjunction with each other such that the first leg  16  and the second leg  14  may remain parallel to the unified leg  20 . This is to keep the overall structure of the folding step  10  steady when the weight of a person is on the upper surface  46 . The platform  18  has transverse side walls  68 ,  70  that intersect lateral walls  72 ,  74 . Lateral wall  74  has a first slot  76  and a second slot  78 . An aperture  80  in transverse wall  68  receives a fixed tube  82 . The fixed tube  82  extends outward from the first leg  16 . Similarly, an aperture  84  in transverse wall  70  receives a fixed tube  86 . The fixed tube  86  extends outward from the first leg  16 . Both fixed tubes  82  and  86  are coaxial to axis  42 . 
         [0027]    Shown in  FIG. 6B , a magnet  62  may be provided for holding the folding step  10  in an upright position and is shown as affixed to the underside of the platform  18 . The magnet  62  retains the unified leg  20  when the folding step  10  is folded upright and allows the user to pull the unified leg  20  away from the platform  18  to fold the folding step  10  down. Alternatively, and shown in  FIG. 7B , a clip  64  can be affixed to the underside of the step, roughly where the magnet  62  is shown, where the unified leg  20  is held in place until the user pulls it out of the clip  64 , allowing the platform  18  to fold down. The clip  64  or magnet  62  may be tall enough to keep the folding step  10  from reaching a full 90 degrees up. This will allow the platform  18  to be pushed down by pushing on the top of the step either on or near lateral wall  72  when the platform  18  is upright. The clip  64  or magnet  62  is strong enough to hold the unified leg  20  in place while the walker is used, but weak enough to release the unified leg  20  if the platform  18  is deliberately pushed. It is contemplated that an alternative attaching folding step  10  instead of the clip  64  or magnet  62  may be positioned such that the step does not fold up completely, allowing the user to pull on the platform  18 , near lateral wall  72  to cause the unified leg  20  to disengage and allow the platform  18  to fold down. It is further contemplated that an external release, possibly cable or other linkage driven allows the platform  18  to fold down. It is also further contemplated that a spring force acts on the unified leg  20  or linkage  22  that urges it to pivot away from the platform  18 , such that it could be released and the spring force would assist the unified leg  20  to move away and allow the step to be folded without the need to deliberately pull the step from the clip  64  or magnet  62 . 
         [0028]    The folding step  10  functions such that when folded up has a minimal cross-section. The walker  12  is shown in this configuration in  FIGS. 1C and 7C . The folding step  10  can be unfolded by pulling the unified leg  20  out of the clip  64  until the folding step  10  is approximately in the configuration shown in  FIG. 1A and 7A . ( 1 B and  7 B show the folding step  10  partially unfolded and  1 C and  7 C show it folded for storage.) From the approximate position shown in  FIG. 1B and 7B , the folding step  10  is moved into its functioning position by either pulling the unified leg  20  down or pushing the lateral wall  72  down until the unified leg  20  reaches the ground as shown in  FIG. 1A . At this point a person could put their weight on the upper surface  46  and step up to reach an elevated height. 
         [0029]    While the walker  12  could have wheels on the first leg and/or the second leg  16 ,  14 , the construction and operation of the folding step  10  make it stable when stepping upon the upper surface  46 . This can be accomplished with rubber ends on the feet  21  of the unified leg  20 . The step can be installed on the walker such that it either folds inward or outward. This is demonstrated in  FIGS. 1A-1C  and  FIGS. 7A-7C . 
         [0030]    It is contemplated that other features are included as part of the folding step  10 . Where a normal walker  12  has four legs and three sides, the sides being bars connecting the legs together, and between one set of legs there is no bar and the user of the walker can step within the walker, a removable bar  88  could be added to create a fourth side. An example of the removable bar  88  is shown in  FIG. 8 . In this event, if the folding step  10  was folded to the outside of the walker  12 , as opposed to the inside of the walker, the additional bar, when put in place, would create a stronger and more stable structure. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the bar  88  affixes to the walker  12  at connection points  90 ,  92  to lock the left side  30  to the right side  32 . A person helping the user could hold the walker  12  steady while the user stepped up onto the platform  18  and into an SUV for instance. 
         [0031]    It is understood that while certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subject matter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects. No specific limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. Modifications may be made to the disclosed subject matter as set forth in the following claims.