초록 ▼

A mobile support system having a central region that allows the legs to move in an unobstructed manner and providing an upper body support assembly where the weight is distributed between the elbow region and hand region of the individual for a desirable weight distribution for assisted bipedal moti

A mobile support system having a central region that allows the legs to move in an unobstructed manner and providing an upper body support assembly where the weight is distributed between the elbow region and hand region of the individual for a desirable weight distribution for assisted bipedal motion such as walking or running.

대표청구항 ▼

Therefore I claim: 1. A mobile support system having a longitudinal, vertical and lateral axis adapted to support an individual having at least one leg, left and right elbows and left and right hands, the mobile support system comprising: a) a base frame comprising a first lateral frame member and

Therefore I claim: 1. A mobile support system having a longitudinal, vertical and lateral axis adapted to support an individual having at least one leg, left and right elbows and left and right hands, the mobile support system comprising: a) a base frame comprising a first lateral frame member and a second lateral frame member, the first and second lateral frame members forming a central unobstructed region adapted to provide free motion of the leg of the individual, b) a wheel assembly attached to the base frame and comprising a longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly and a longitudinal forward wheel subassembly, where the longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly comprises first and second longitudinally rearward wheels each having ground engagement locations, the longitudinally forward wheel subassembly having a ground engagement location that is positioned laterally between the ground engagement locations of first and second longitudinally rearward wheels, the base frame comprising left and right lateral regions which are movably attached to a forward frame member where the left and right lateral regions have an operating orientation where the left and right lateral regions are spaced apart sufficiently to have an individual interposed there between, the left and right lateral regions having a storage orientation where the left and right lateral members are operatively configured to pivot substantially about a vertical axis, reducing an overall volume of the mobile support system, whereby when the mobile support system is in the storage orientation the first lateral frame member is positioned closer in proximity in the lateral direction to the second lateral frame member, c) an upper body support assembly attached to the base frame, the upper body support assembly comprising: i. an elbow support region comprising first and second elbow supports adapted to support the left and right elbows of the individual, ii. a support handle assembly comprising first and second support handles operatively configured to be grasped by left and right hands, iii. where the first and second elbow supports and the first and second handles are connected to the left and right lateral regions respectively, d) whereas the body weight of the individual is operatively configured to be partially supported by the upper body support assembly whereby a portion of the weight is distributed to the elbow support region and a portion of the weight is distributed to the support handle assembly. 2. The mobile support system as recited in claim 1 where the first and second support handles are engaged to the base region by an intermediate locking member, whereby the support handle has a lower region that is threadedly engaged to an open recess of the intermediate locking member's lowermost region of the support handle and engages the outer surface of the base region to fixedly and temporarily position the support handle assembly to the base region. 3. The mobile support system as recited in claim 2 whereby the base region is cylindrical and the intermediate locking member has a substantially longitudinally extending cylindrical cavity whereby the intermediate locking member can rotate about the central axis of the base region. 4. The mobile support system as recited in claim 1 whereby the upper body support assembly comprises an extendable post telescopically engaged to a base post of the base frame whereby a locking mechanism is adapted to fix the extendable post with respect to the base post to adjust the height of the upper body support assembly in relation to the base frame. 5. The mobile support system as recited in claim 1 whereby the upper body support assembly comprises a pitch adjustment system to vary the loads acting thereon between the elbow support region and the support handle assembly the pitch adjustment system configured to vary the angle between the upper body support assembly and the base frame. 6. The mobile support system as recited in claim 5 whereby the pitch adjustment system comprises a pivot location and a partially circular slot and an engagement member having a handle region where the engagement member has a first location that is attached to the base frame. 7. The mobile support system as recited in claim 6 where the handle region is adapted to supply a rotational torque and frictionally engage the perimeter region of the partially circular slot. 8. The mobile support system as recited in claim 1 where the longitudinally rearward wheel assembly is comprised of a laterally inward displacing device that is adapted to reposition the first and second longitudinally rearward wheels laterally inwardly when biased by an external force. 9. The mobile support assembly as recited in claim 8 where the laterally inward displacing device of the longitudinally rearward wheel assembly is comprised of a four bar linkage assembly having a forward linkage and a rearward linkage that are both pivotally attached to the base frame and first and second wheel carriages of the first and second longitudinally rearward wheels, such that when the wheel carriage is repositioned laterally, the first and second wheel axes of rotation remain substantially aligned in the lateral direction. 10. The mobile support system as recited in claim 1 where when the mobile support system is repositioned to the storage orientation only one of the lateral regions of the frame member rotate about a substantially vertical axis relative to the forward frame member about the forward frame member. 11. The mobile support system as recited in claim 1 where the base frame comprises a laterally extending support member having an upper surface that is adapted to support the individual. 12. The mobile support system as recited in claim 1 where the first and second longitudinally rearward wheels have a diameter that is greater than eight inches. 13. A method of transporting an individual having a bodyweight and center of gravity, at least one leg, left and right elbows and left and right hands, the method comprising: a) retrieving a mobile support system having a longitudinal axis and lateral axis adapted to support an individual, the mobile support system comprising a base frame comprising a first lateral frame member and a second lateral frame member, the first and second lateral frame members forming a central unobstructed region adapted to provide free motion of the legs of the individual when the mobile support system is in an open orientation, a wheel assembly attached to the base frame and comprising a longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly and a longitudinal forward wheel subassembly, where the longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly comprises first and second longitudinally rearward wheels each having ground engagement locations, the longitudinally forward wheel subassembly having a ground engagement location that is positioned laterally between the ground engagement locations of first and second longitudinally rearward wheels; an upper body support assembly attached to the base frame, the upper body support assembly having an elbow support region comprising first and second elbow supports adapted to support the left and right elbows of the individual and a support handle assembly comprising first and second support handles adapted to be grasped by left and right hands, b) positioning the body weight of the individual in a manner to be partially supported by the upper body support assembly whereby a portion of the weight is distributed to the elbow support region and a portion of the weight is distributed to the support handle assembly to distribute a portion of the individual's body weight thereon, c) mobile support system being arranged so the first and second lateral frame members further having a storage orientation where the first and second lateral members collapses reducing an overall volume of the mobile support system and when the mobile support system is positioned in a storage orientation following a the transporting of the individual, the first lateral frame member is positioned closer in proximity in the lateral direction to the second lateral frame member by way of relative rotation of the first and second frame members about an axis substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and lateral axis and the total lateral width of the mobile support system is reduced. 14. The method as recited in claim 13 whereby the upper body support assembly is extended by an extendable post telescopically engaged to a base post of the base frame whereby a locking mechanism is adapted to fix the extendable post with respect to the base post to adjust the height of the upper body support assembly. 15. The method as recited in claim 13 whereby the upper body support assembly comprises a pitch adjustment system to vary the loads acting thereon between the elbow support region and the support handle assembly. 16. The method as recited in claim 13 where the longitudinally rearward wheel assembly is comprised of a laterally inward displacing device that is adapted to reposition the first and second longitudinally rearward wheels laterally inwardly when biased by an external force. 17. The method as recited in claim 16 where the laterally inward displacing device of the longitudinally rearward wheel assembly is comprised of a four bar linkage assembly having a forward linkage and a rearward linkage that are both pivotally attached to the base frame and first and second wheel carriages of the first and second longitudinally rearward wheels, such that when the wheel carriage is repositioned laterally, the first and second wheel axes of rotation remain substantially aligned in the lateral direction. 18. The method as recited in claim 13 where when the mobile support system is positioned in a storage orientation following a the transporting of the individual the mobile support system is placed in a vehicle for transporting. 19. A mobile support system having a longitudinal and lateral axes operatively configured to support an individual having at least one leg, left and right elbows and left and right hands, the mobile support system comprising: a) a base frame comprising a first lateral frame member and a second lateral frame member, the first and second lateral frame members forming a central unobstructed region adapted to provide free motion of the leg of the individual when the base frame is in an open orientation, b) a wheel assembly attached to the base frame and comprising a longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly and a longitudinal forward wheel subassembly, where the longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly comprises first and second longitudinally rearward wheels each having ground engagement locations, the longitudinally forward wheel subassembly having a ground engagement location that is positioned forwardly and laterally between the ground engagement locations of first and second longitudinally rearward wheels, c) an upper body support assembly attached to the base frame, the upper body support assembly comprising: i. an elbow support region comprising first and second elbow supports adapted to support the left and right elbows of the individual, ii. a support handle assembly comprising first and second support handles adapted to be grasped by left and right hands, iii. whereby the elbow support region is operatively configured to reposition the first and second elbow supports to fixedly and adjustably rotate about a substantially lateral axis with respect to the base frame so as to modify the angle of the first and second elbow supports to adjust the amount of pressure upon first and second support handles by the individual; d) whereas the body weight of the individual is operatively configured to be partially supported by the upper body support assembly whereby a portion of the weight is distributed to the elbow support region and a portion of the weight is distributed to the support handle assembly and the mobile support system has a storage orientation where the first lateral frame member is positioned closer in proximity in the lateral direction to the second lateral frame member and the first lateral frame member and the second lateral frame member are configured to be repositioned to bring the first and second lateral frame members in closer proximity to one another in a stored orientation. 20. The mobile support system as recited in claim 19 whereby the upper body support assembly comprises an extendable post telescopically engaged to a base post of the base frame to adjust the height of the upper body support assembly in relation to the base frame and vertically spaced regions are positioned on the extendable post to indicate the height of the upper body support assembly with respect to the base frame.