초록 ▼

A crutch-like mobility assist device includes a vertical support assembly, an underarm support mechanism, and a rotatable footer assembly, the rotatable footer assembly including an elongated ground-engaging foot pad, attachment members connected to the foot pad and having vertical posts, and an elo

A crutch-like mobility assist device includes a vertical support assembly, an underarm support mechanism, and a rotatable footer assembly, the rotatable footer assembly including an elongated ground-engaging foot pad, attachment members connected to the foot pad and having vertical posts, and an elongated connection member with openings through which the vertical posts extend. The connection member includes respective pairs of support blocks on opposite sides of the vertical posts with bores therethrough for shafts that also extend through the posts to enable the posts (and thus the foot pad) to laterally rotate around the shafts. The foot pads can come into parallel contact with the ground even when the vertical support to which it is connected is laterally oriented by the user. Torsion springs connected to the posts will return the posts to a central orientation relative to the connection member when the foot pad is lifted off the ground by the user.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A rotatable footer assembly for a crutch-like mobility assist device which comprises: an elongated foot pad for contact with ground or a flooring surface, first and second attachment members longitudinally positioned on said foot pad, said first and second attachment members including

We claim: 1. A rotatable footer assembly for a crutch-like mobility assist device which comprises: an elongated foot pad for contact with ground or a flooring surface, first and second attachment members longitudinally positioned on said foot pad, said first and second attachment members including respective first and second posts which vertically extend away from said foot pad and respectively include horizontal bores therethrough, an elongated connection member which includes a floor having two holes therein through which said first and second posts respectively extend, first and second support blocks on opposite sides of said first post and having bores therethrough aligned within the bore in said first post, and third and fourth support blocks on opposite sides of said second post and having bore therethrough aligned with the bores in said second post, and first and second shafts extending through the bores in said first and second posts respectively and the respective bores in the first and second support blocks and the third and fourth support block, to enable the posts to rotate relative to the connection member about the shafts. 2. The rotatable footer assembly as defined in claim 1, including torsion springs positioned around said first and second shafts on opposite sides of said first and second posts and connected to said posts to apply opposite bias to said posts and bias said posts to a centered positioned relative to the connection member. 3. The rotatable footer assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said connection member has a generally U-shaped cross section with side walls, and including damper pads located between each of said first and second posts and said side walls to cushion rotation of said posts relative to said side walls. 4. The rotatable footer assembly as defined in claim 1, including a footer plate between said first and second attachment members and said foot pad. 5. The rotatable footer assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein each of said first and second attachment members comprises a T-block having a base flange, and including respective damper pads between said first and second attachment members and said footer plate. 6. The rotatable footer assembly as defined in claim 5, including bolts which extend through aligned holes in each base flange, the footer plate and into the footer pad, and which extend into said foot pad. 7. A crutch-like mobility assist device which comprises: a vertical support assembly having two support rods and an upper connection member, an underarm support mechanism attached to said upper connection member, and a footer assembly attached to a lower end of said vertical support assembly, said footer assembly comprising an elongated foot pad for contact with a ground or flooring surface, a connection member defining a longitudinal axis, and a spring-loaded attachment means connecting the foot pad to said connection member and enabling the food pad to be rotatable around said longitudinal axis, wherein said vertical support assembly includes two rods and said connection member of said footer assembly is rotatingly connected at opposite ends thereof to lower ends of said respective rods, wherein said connection member of said footer assembly is generally U-shaped and said attachment means comprises posts which extend upwardly through openings in a floor of said U-shaped member, and including at least one pivot shaft mounted in said U-shaped member and said posts are rotatingly mounted on said at least one pivot shaft. 8. The crutch-like mobility assist device according to claim 7, including torsion springs connected to said posts bias said post into a center orientation relative to said U-shaped connection member.