Patent Publication Number: US-7581556-B2

Title: Crutch-like mobility assist device with rotatable footer assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/743,028, filed Dec. 13, 2005, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference and the priority of which is hereby claimed. 

   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to crutch-like mobility assist devices which can be used by injured and handicapped individuals to assist in their mobility by providing a ground or floor-engaging base that remains parallel to and flat on the ground or flooring surface as the user moves forward. The invention also relates to footer assemblies for such devices. 
   2. The Prior Art 
   Crutch-like mobility assist devices of the foregoing type are well known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,986. Such devices employ footer assemblies that include foot pads for contact with a ground or flooring surface and attachment brackets that mount the foot pad to the lower end of a vertical support assembly having support rods interconnected by spaced connection members. However, such footer assemblies do not provide an ability for the foot pad to rotate laterally relative to the vertical support assembly, and thus if the vertical support assembly is extended laterally of the user, the foot pad will become angled relative to the ground flooring surface. This will reduce the effectiveness of the footer assembly to operate properly. Extending the vertical support assembly of a mobility assist device can be quite advantageous in providing a wide, and thus stable, support base for the user. 
   It is an object of this invention to provide a footer assembly for a crutch-like mobility assist device which can rotate so as to enable its foot pad to come into parallel contact with the ground or flooring surface beneath the user even when the vertical support assembly to which it is attached is angled by the user relative to the ground or flooring surface. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to this invention a crutch-like mobility assist device includes an elongated footer assembly that includes a foot pad for contact with the ground or flooring surface, at least two T-shaped attachment members which are connected to the foot pad and which provide upwardly-extending posts, a U-shaped connection member which includes a floor having openings through which the posts extend, pairs of support blocks within the U-shaped channel on opposite sides of the posts, and pivot shafts which respectively extend between the pairs of support blocks and through bores in the respective posts to enable the posts and thus the foot pad attached thereto to rotate relative to the shafts. Damper pads can be positioned between the posts and side walls of the U-shaped connection member to cushion movement of the posts as they rotate around the shafts, and torsion springs can be positioned around the shafts on opposite sides of each post to bias the posts to a centered orientation within the connection member when the user lifts the footer pad off the ground or flooring surface. 
   A footer plate is advantageously positioned between the attachment members and the foot pad, and damper pads are advantageously position between each attachment member and the footer plate. 
   The invention will now be better understood by reference to the attached drawings, taken in conjunction with the following discussion. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings, 
       FIG. 1  shows a side elevational view of a crutch-like mobility assist device with rotatable footer assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 
       FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view thereof, 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the lower end of the mobility assist device of  FIG. 1  and showing the rotatable footer assembly, 
       FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  but wherein the rods of the vertical support assembly are pivoted in a longitudinal direction relative to the footer assembly, 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the lower end of the mobility assist device as seen along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3 , 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the lower end of the mobility assist device as seen along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 5 , and 
       FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6  but wherein the rods of the vertical support assembly extend at a lateral angle relative to the footer assembly. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A preferred embodiment of a crutch-like mobility assist device with rotatable footer assembly according to the present invention is generally labeled  10  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . It includes a rotatable footer assembly  20 , a vertical support assembly  60 , and an underarm support mechanism  70 . The underarm support mechanism  70  can be constructed in accordance with our concurrently filed application Ser. No. 11/637,929, filed Dec. 13, 2006. 
   The vertical support assembly  60  includes vertical support rods  61  and  62  which are connected at their corresponding upper ends by upper connection member  63 , at their corresponding lower ends by a connection member  26  of the footer assembly  20  (discussed below), and by an intermediate connection member  64  which is located above the connection member  28  about ⅓ the distance to the upper connection member  63 . The connection members  63  and  64  have generally n-shaped cross-sections and are rotatingly connected near their opposite ends to rods  61  and  62  by rivets. Other connection means that enable relative rotation between the connection members and the rods can be used, such as pins, bolts, etc. A spring-rod device  65  is connected between the intermediate connection member  64  and the connection member  28 . A hand grip  66  is rotatingly connected to rods  61  and  62  by rivets (pins or bolts could also be used) at a point above the intermediate connection member  64 , the exact location being determined by the arm length of the intended user of the mobility assist device (custom fit). 
   The rotatable footer assembly  20  includes an elongated, generally rectangular foot pad  21 , an elongated footer plate  22  positioned on the foot pad, and first and second T-block attachment members  25  and  26  longitudinally positioned on the footer plate by way of respective damper pads  23  and  24 . These damper pads buffer impact of the footer pad  21  on a ground or flooring surface. T-block attachment member  25  includes base flanges  25   a  with vertical holes therethrough and a vertical post  25   b  with a horizontal bore therethrough. T-block attachment member  26  includes base flanges  26   a  with vertical holes therethrough and a vertical post  26   b  with a horizontal bore therethrough. Bolts  27  extend through the holes in the base flanges  25   a ,  26   a , and through aligned holes in the damper pads  23 ,  24  and the footer plate  22 , and into the foot pad  21  to connect these elements together. 
   The vertical posts  25   b ,  26   b  extend upwardly through openings in the floor  28   a  of U-shaped connection member  28  that is rotatable attached at its opposite ends to the lower ends of rods  61  and  62  by bolts (pins or rivets could also be used). The lower end of the spring-rod device  65  is connected to the center point of floor  28   a  and between the openings for posts  25   b  and  26   b . The U-shaped connection member includes side walls  28   b  and  28   c . Fixedly mounted within the U-shaped connection member  26  are pairs of support blocks  30 ,  31  and  32 ,  33 , with support blocks  30  and  31  being located on opposite sides of the vertical post  25   b  and support blocks  32  and  33  being located on opposite sides of the vertical post  26   b . The support blocks provide bores therethrough that are aligned with the horizontal bores in the vertical posts. A pivot shaft  34  extends through the bore in the vertical post  25   b  and the aligned bores in the support blocks  30  and  31 , and a pivot shaft  35  extends through the bore in the vertical post  26   b  and the aligned bores in the support blocks  32  and  33 . These shafts are longitudinally fixed in position and coaxially aligned to enable the posts, and thus the foot pad  21 , to be rotated laterally about a longitudinal axis defined by the shafts  34  and  35 . 
   Damper pads  40  and  41  are positioned between the vertical post  25   b  and the side walls  28   b  and  28   c  of the connection member  28 , and damper pads  42  and  43  are positioned between the vertical post  26   b  and the side walls  28   b  and  28   c , to cushion movement of the posts towards the side walls. Torsion springs  45  and  46  are respectively positioned around the shaft  34  on opposite sides of the post  25   b , one end of each being connected to the post and the other abutting the floor  28   a , to apply opposing bias to the post  25   b  and move it back to a centered orientation within the U-shaped connection member  28  after rotational movement around the shaft. Torsion springs  47  and  48  are similarly positioned around shaft  35  to similarly bias the post  26   b.    
   The rotation of posts  25   b  and  26   b  around pivot pins  34  and  35  enables the foot pad  21  to be in full contact with the ground or flooring surface even when the vertical support assembly  60  is laterally oriented (see  FIG. 7 ). 
   Although a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the inventive crutch-like mobility assist device with rotatable footer assembly has been provided, modifications can be made therein and still fall within the scope of the appended claims. For example, more that two attachment members could be used, with accompanying modifications in the U-shaped connection member  28 . Further, the two pivot shafts  34  and  35  could be portions of a single pivot shaft which extends through suitable a hole(s) in the spring-rod device  65 . The attachment members  25  and  26  could be portions of a single attachment member.