Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20080006314A1/en
Timestamp: 2020-03-31 14:10:20
Document Index: 131321215

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 14', 'art 12', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 14', 'art 48', 'art 36', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art.\n13', 'art.\n16', 'art 2006', 'art 2006', 'art 2006']

US20080006314A1 - Mobility device - Google Patents
Mobility device Download PDF
US20080006314A1
US20080006314A1 US11/804,286 US80428607A US2008006314A1 US 20080006314 A1 US20080006314 A1 US 20080006314A1 US 80428607 A US80428607 A US 80428607A US 2008006314 A1 US2008006314 A1 US 2008006314A1
US11/804,286
US7610926B2 (en
Peak Degrees LLC
Adams Michael E
2006-05-17 Priority to US29259942 priority Critical
2006-05-17 Priority to US29259951 priority
2006-05-17 Priority to US29259943 priority
2007-05-17 Priority to US11/804,286 priority patent/US7610926B2/en
2007-05-17 Application filed by Adams Michael E filed Critical Adams Michael E
2008-01-10 Publication of US20080006314A1 publication Critical patent/US20080006314A1/en
2009-01-22 Assigned to STRONGARM INC. reassignment STRONGARM INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: ADAMS, MICHAEL E.
2009-11-03 Publication of US7610926B2 publication Critical patent/US7610926B2/en
2019-02-18 Assigned to ADAMS, MICHAEL E. reassignment ADAMS, MICHAEL E. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: STRONGARM INC.
2019-11-04 Assigned to PEAK DEGREES LLC reassignment PEAK DEGREES LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: ADAMS, MICHAEL E, ADAM
2020-03-31 Application status is Active - Reinstated legal-status Critical
210000000245 Forearm Anatomy 0 claims abstract description 35
A mobility device to provide ambulatory support includes a tubular body having upper and lower parts. The upper part has at least four, and preferably five, bends and includes a manually graspable handle portion between two of the bends, and a hook-shaped bend for engaging the user's forearm on three sides adjacent the elbow. An intermediate portion is located between two other bends, and is positioned between the handle portion and the bend located adjacent the user's elbow. The lower part includes a floor-engaging free end and defines an axis, preferably a generally vertical axis. The bends and other features of the upper part cooperate to provide improved support for a user's forearm. Also disclosed is a rocker-type end member either fixedly or slidably fitted to the lower part.
This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. Design patent application Ser. Nos. 29/259,942 filed May 17, 2006, 29/259,943 filed May 17, 2006 and 29/259,951 filed May 17, 2006.
Disabilities suffered by different parts of the body can cause difficulties in walking, climbing stairs and otherwise negotiating impediments to foot traffic encountered in a modem lifestyle. A wide variety of disabilities, whether temporary or longer lasting, can significantly impair a person's ability to acquire and maintain stability, whether at rest or in motion. While some physical conditions may be temporary, lasting only certain parts of the day or for a defined period of time such as a few weeks or months, more permanent disabilities cause a drastic change in lifestyle, requiring a person to develop new coping skills. Oftentimes, throughout an adaptation process, progress is slow and one set of physical problems and limitations are often substituted for, or augmented by, another.
The need for providing mobility devices with improved support characteristics will be met by a mobility device commercially available under the trade designation “STRONGARM Support Cane,” soon to be offered for sale by the assignee of the present invention. This mobility device includes a tubular body with a plurality of bends for engaging a user's forearm while providing a graspable handle and a lower portion with a tip for engaging a floor, parking lot or other support surface. Despite the substantial improvements offered by the STRONGARM Support Cane, further advances, particularly in user-perceived support, stability and control are being sought.
In a separate field of endeavor, utility handles have been proposed for a variety of purposes, such as lifting or supporting a power tool or a tool which is manually operated, such as a shovel or rake. U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,429, by the inventor of the present invention provides a utility handle including a tubular body with bends for engaging a user's forearm and a handle graspable by the user. The utility handle is useful for lifting or otherwise supporting portable objects in a raised position, but is not intended for supporting a user's weight, as with a crutch or cane.
In one example, the present invention provides a novel and improved mobility device which includes a tubular body having an upper part and a lower part. The lower part includes a floor-engaging free end and defines an axis which, preferably, is generally vertical. The upper part has at least four, and preferably five bends, one comprising an upper arm retainer providing lateral as well as rearward support, along with a manually graspable handle portion and an intermediate portion. Together, the bends and portions of the upper part confine a user's forearm to a vertical plane that is generally aligned with the axis of the lower part and is only slightly offset therefrom when viewed from the side, in the sense that the forearm of the human anatomy has an inherently limited range of motion.
In another example, the present invention provides a novel and improved mobility device which includes a tubular body having an upper part and a lower part. The lower part includes a floor-engaging free end and defines an axis which, preferably, is generally vertical. The upper part has at least five bends, preferably planar, that is, single plane, not compound. One bend comprises an upper arm retainer, along with a manually graspable handle portion disposed between two of said bends and a hook-shaped free end comprising one of said bends, and the manually graspable handle portion is disposed above, and intersecting the axis of the lower part. A pair of bends on either side of said handle portion orient the handle portion in a generally horizontal direction and one of the bends comprises an alignment bend aligning the first and the second axes.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view from on e side thereof;
Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-7, a mobility device is generally indicated at 10. Included is a tubular body having an upper portion 12 and a lower portion 14. Body portions 12, 14 are preferably formed from one-piece hollow metallic tubing such as aluminum and most preferably “aircraft grade” aluminum. For example, 6000 series alloys have been found to undergo substantial “work hardening” after forming bends of the type described herein. This work hardening provides a substantial increase in strength for the upper body member 12, providing an enhanced feeling of stability and alignment of a user's forearm with the lower body part 14. If desired, other types of metallic and non-metallic materials could be used, as well. Preferably, body portions 12, 14 are telescopically interfittable, one within the other. In the illustrated embodiment, upper body part 12 is fitted within lower body part 14 and recesses generally to a point adjacent the bottom free end of lower body part 14, thus exhibiting maximum shortening adjustment.
A fifth bend 44 forms a generally U-shaped rounded receptacle or retainer portion 48 located at the upper free end of body part 12. Bend 44 is dimensioned to accommodate users in short sleeve shirts as well as users wearing coats. At critical points during a step, when the user is off balance, considerable pressure may be applied by the user's triceps area at the back of the arm. If bend 44 were not large enough and smoothly rounded as in the preferred embodiment, pain experienced in the user's arm may cause the user to lighten pressure against the bend, thus compromising support as well as stability. The straight “legs” on either side of the fifth bend give the bend its “U” shape to provide both lateral and rearward stability to the user's forearm. In other words, the integral tubular forearm cradle of the present invention provides the user's forearm with solid support both to the rear and side-to-side.
Referring additionally to the upper end of FIG. 4, an end cap 50 closes the open free end of body part 12. If desired, upper body part 12 can be formed of a solid material and accordingly end cap 50 can be omitted. A cushion 52 covers a cradle, or retainer portion, 48. Cushion 52 is preferably made from a material similar to that of hand grip cushion 32, although virtually any available material can be employed, if desired. It should be understood that cushions 32, 52 are not necessary for functioning of the mobility device 10 although, when provided, they can significantly increase the user's comfort, in certain instances, and lead to increased confidence.
The above-described features cooperate together to form a unified system that provides heretofore unattainable advantages over prior art mobility devices. For example, the preferred one piece construction of upper body part 12 provides a sleek attractive form while avoiding joinder problems with more complex multi-component assemblies, or attendant arrangements such as those using large plastic “cuffs”. The U-shaped retainer portion 48 provides a forearm-cradling support that solidly braces the forearm on three sides to stabilize a user's wrist so that the mobility device feels like a solid extension of the user's arm. With the bends and construction elements described herein, the retainer portion 48 has improved centering with respect to the line of force experienced by a user whether static or mobile, and insures a neutral wrist position for the same “feel” in either hand.
For example, when viewing a user from the side, the user's forearm is positioned more towards vertical than in prior designs, but while keeping the user's arm within a comfortable range of motion, so as to reliably transfer substantial body weight to device 10, when needed. Also, when viewing from the front (FIG. 4) or the rear (FIG. 5) the axis of the user's forearm is now aligned in the vertical plane P (defined by the bends and portions between the bends) that passes through body part 14 as well as the fifth bend covered by cushion 52 (see for example, plane P in FIGS. 6 and 7). With the present invention, the bends 28, 34 located at either ends of handle portion 30 can be made with a relatively small radius, allowing a longer grip region in less space further contributing to force alignment in a sleek, more compact design. Further, with the present invention, the handle portion 30 is centered over the ground-and engaging tip 58 to provide improved stability when the mobile device is placed at a user's side.
Together, the handle portion 30 and the retainer portion 48 together shift loads from a user's wrist to the forearm, providing substantially improved support. Also, the retainer portion 48 cooperates with other features of the mobility device that tie lower shaft movements to a stabilized forearm, rather than transferring loads to an unsupported, flexible wrist joint. It is generally preferred in this regard that handle portion 30 be made straight, and removed from bend 28 so that a user is encouraged to avoid grasping bend 28 since that might compromise stability. Accordingly, the end of cushion 32 adjacent bend 28 is given a stop in the form of an hourglass shape (see for example the right-hand end of FIG. 6) to prevent a user's hand from slipping beyond, or inadvertently reaching past the handle portion 30.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 6, in use, a user grasps cushion 32, with retainer part 48 and the protrusion of bend 40, adjacent stabilizer part 36 (see FIG. 1) confining the user's wrist and lower forearm so as to maintain the forearm as close as possible in alignment with the central longitudinal axis of lower body part 14, and lower portion 24. This alignment allows a user to place the tip 58 with confidence, and to lean against the mobility device with assurance that the support afforded the user will be stable and secure. With the arrangement according to principles of the present invention, the aforementioned stability and secure support are maintained for users in the widest population segment as the users negotiate walking and climbing movements. To further improve support provided for a user's forearm, bend 40 is extended toward handle portion 30. Thus, this portion of device 10 is opened to better accommodate a user wearing a medical alert bracelet, or a coat with a pronounced sleeve, for example.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, it is important that a user continuously feel confident when trusting the mobility device to provide balancing support during movements that would otherwise have deprived the user of balance, leading to a fall or other mishap. It is also important that the “learning curve” for new users be kept as short as possible. Accordingly, it is important that the mobility device is not only strong and well made, but that it also conform to a user's intuition, without requiring special skills, or requiring the user to divert concentration from the task at hand. With the present invention, users, even those seriously debilitated, will experience stability at their forearm, while naturally, or intuitively, grasping the mobility device in a natural posture, even during demanding movements such as walking over uneven terrain or climbing. In particular, arrangements according to principles of the present invention have been found to relieve pressure from a user's wrist, which is otherwise present with other devices. Accordingly, when the user has sufficient control and is not off-balance, the user's forearm is placed in near-coaxial alignment with the axis of the lower body part 14.
Moreover, as will be appreciated by experienced users and those skilled in the art, the very act of walking and climbing tends to briefly put the user slightly off-balance for a brief moment during each stride. Contact with a support surface during these moments may tend to displace the user's forearm from the desired precise coaxial alignment with the lower body part of the mobility device. Accordingly, there is provided in the mobility device, an upper stabilizing structure comprising the third bend 34, the intermediate portion 36 including bend 40, and the forearm-retaining portion including bend 44. The stabilizing structure limits excursion of the user's forearm to only a slight deviation away from the desired near-coaxial alignment, ensuring that the user's forearm is maintained at an optimum alignment with the lower portion of the mobility device.
With mobility devices according to principles of the present invention, support, stability and control are readily and intuitively achieved with a relatively short learning period. Accordingly, mobility devices according to principles of the present invention provide multiple points of support for various body parts, which when combined, allow the mobility device to feel like a solid extension of the arm, with the lower body part being intuitively perceived as being in line with the user's forearm. These advantages are achieved even for users with small hands. With other types of mobility devices, considerable fatigue has been experienced when the users assume a non-neutral position. With the present invention, not only is such fatiguing eliminated, but even users with small features find the reliable support offered by the mobility device of the present invention to be readily achieved without undue strain on various body parts such as the hand and wrist. With the present invention, comfort is readily achieved even for users who must assume otherwise difficult stances, such as standing relatively still for long periods of time.
a tubular body having an upper part with a hook-shaped free end and a lower part;
the upper part having at least five spaced-apart bends and a manually graspable handle portion disposed between two of said bends, defining a vertical plane that includes an axis of the user's forearm when the user's arm is placed in one of the bends comprising the hook-shaped free end; and
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the five bends each lie in a single plane.
6. The device of claim 4 further wherein the first and the second interengaging parts cooperate to define a detent for selectable adjustable positioning of one part inside the other.
one of the bends comprises a U-shaped hook at the upper free end of the upper part;
one of the bends comprises a non-vertical forearm-engaging stabilizing bend;
two of the bends, placed on either side of the handle portion, orient the handle portion in a generally horizontal direction; and
another of the bends comprising an alignment bend aligning the vertical plane and the axis.
a tubular body having an upper part interengaged with a lower part;
the lower part defining an axis;
the upper part having at least five spaced-apart bends, a manually graspable handle portion disposed between two of said bends and a hook-shaped free end comprising one of said bends; and
the manually graspable handle portion is disposed above, and intersecting the axis of the lower part.
a pair of bends on either side of said handle portion orient the handle portion in a generally horizontal direction; and
one of the bends comprises an alignment bend aligning the first and the second axes.
12. The device of claim 10 wherein the device, without substantial modification, supports either of the user's right and left arms, maintaining the user's forearms in substantial coaxial alignment with the axis of the lower part.
13. The device of claim 10 wherein at least three of the five bends support and guide the forearm of the user, limiting excursion of the user's forearm away from the axis of the lower part, so as to maintain approximate alignment therewith.
14. The device of claim 10 wherein the upper and the lower parts are movable toward and away from one another.
15. The device of claim 10 wherein the upper part is telescopically movable with respect to the lower part.
16. The device of claim 10 further comprising a rocker member at the floor-engaging free end, having a convex downwardly facing surface.
17. The device of claim 10 wherein the rocker member is slidably mounted to the floor-engaging free end.
18. A mobility device for providing ambulatory support for a user, comprising:
the upper part having at least five bends defining a vertical plane, with one of the bends engaging the forearm of the user;
the upper part including a manually graspable handle portion disposed between two of said bends;
the lower part defining an axis in the vertical plane;
19. The device of claim 18 wherein the upper part and the lower parts are telescopically engageable one in the other.
20. The device of claim 18 wherein the upper and the lower parts form portions of a one-piece monolithic body member.
21. The device of claim 18 further comprising a rocker member at the floor-engaging free end, having a convex downwardly facing surface.
22. The device of claim 21 wherein the rocker member is slidably mounted to the floor-engaging free end.
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PCT/US2008/063928 WO2008144533A1 (en) 2007-05-17 2008-05-16 Mobility device
US29259942 Continuation-In-Part 2006-05-17
US29259951 Continuation-In-Part 2006-05-17
US29259943 Continuation-In-Part 2006-05-17
US20080006314A1 true US20080006314A1 (en) 2008-01-10
US7610926B2 US7610926B2 (en) 2009-11-03
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Owner name: STRONGARM INC., ILLINOIS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ADAMS, MICHAEL E.;REEL/FRAME:022138/0740
Owner name: ADAMS, MICHAEL E., ILLINOIS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:STRONGARM INC.;REEL/FRAME:048362/0172
2019-10-28 PRDP Patent reinstated due to the acceptance of a late maintenance fee
2019-10-31 FEPP Fee payment procedure
2019-10-31 STCF Information on status: patent grant
Owner name: PEAK DEGREES LLC, ILLINOIS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ADAMS, MICHAEL E, ADAM;REEL/FRAME:050902/0216