초록 ▼

A segmented adaptable mobility aid device is disclosed that has length-adjustable front and rear legs, a handle, and a knee support platform coupled to the legs and the handle, the legs being adjustable within a range of lengths suitable to straddle steps for ascending and descending stairways, as w

A segmented adaptable mobility aid device is disclosed that has length-adjustable front and rear legs, a handle, and a knee support platform coupled to the legs and the handle, the legs being adjustable within a range of lengths suitable to straddle steps for ascending and descending stairways, as well as to function on the level, or on a ramp. The lengths of the legs can be adjusted in tandem via single-hand operability of an adjustment mechanism. The knee support platform provides support for an impaired lower leg of a user, not requiring the leg to contact the stairs, and also not requiring the leg to be held mid-air in a hopping motion. The handle enables one-handed use of the segmented adaptable mobility aid device. In some embodiments, spring loaded pins or a pull bar to activate the pins, enable the single-hand operability of the adjustment mechanism.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A segmented adaptable mobility aid device that is easily adjusted by a user to accommodate variations in elevation of a surface on which it is deployed comprising: a first of at least three segments comprising: a handle extending upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation; anda top portion

1. A segmented adaptable mobility aid device that is easily adjusted by a user to accommodate variations in elevation of a surface on which it is deployed comprising: a first of at least three segments comprising: a handle extending upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation; anda top portion of a pair of vertically oriented back legs; anda second one of the at least three segments comprising: a bottom portion of the back pair of legs configured to slideably engaged with the top portion of the back pair of legs of the first segment, the bottom portion having a first footer coupled to the end of each of the pair of back legs; anda middle portion of a front pair of legs being slideably engaged with the bottom of the handle;a third one of the at least three segments comprising a bottom portion of the front pair of legs that is configured to be slideably engaged with the middle portion of the front pair of legs of the second segment, the bottom portion having a second footer commonly coupled to the end of each of the pair of front legs;means for establishing a relative position between the second and first footers using the force of gravity, the relative position stably accommodating the relative variations in elevation of the surface, the means for establishing comprising: a first means for conjointly adjusting and fixing a relative position between the slideably engaged top and bottom portions of each of the back pair of legs;a second means for conjointly adjusting and fixing a relative position between the slideably engaged handle and the middle portion of each of the front pair of legs; anda third means for conjointly adjusting and fixing a relative position between the slideably engaged middle and bottom portions of the front pair of legs to establish the accommodating relative position, the third means including a lever coupled proximately to the handle, the lever, when actuated, permitting the bottom portions of the front pair of legs to extend or retract as necessary to establish the accommodating relative position using gravity, the relative position being determined when the force of gravity has caused both the front and back feet to be in contact with the surface. 2. The segmented adaptable mobility aid device of claim 1, wherein the means for establishing permits the handle to be raised and lowered without affecting the relative position between the first footer and the second footer. 3. The segmented adaptable mobility aid device of claim 2, wherein: the first, second and third means for conjointly adjusting and fixing includes a set of pins and a plurality of apertures, each of the at least three segments being slideably adjustable when the segment's set of pins are withdrawn from the apertures and refrained from sliding when the segment's set of pins is engaged in any of the apertures, andthe lever of the third means is coupled to the set of pins off the third segment by a cable. 4. The aid apparatus of claim 1 wherein: the first segment further comprises a platform disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the handle, and the front and back pairs of legs; andthe platform is configured to be height adjusted, by raising and lowering the first segment relative to the second and third segments, to facilitate support of the user at the knee in lieu of the user's foot. 5. A segmented adaptable mobility aid device comprising: a first of at least three segments comprising: a handle extending upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation; anda top portion of a pair of vertically oriented back legs;a second one of the at least three segments comprising: a bottom portion of the back pair of legs configured to slideably engage with the top portion of the back pair of legs of the first segment, the bottom portion having a first footer coupled to the end of each of the back pair of legs; anda middle portion of a front pair of legs being slideably engaged with the bottom of the handle;a third one of the at least three segments is slideably engaged with the second segment comprising a bottom portion of the front pair of legs that is configured to be slideably engaged with the middle portion of the front pair of legs of the second segment, the bottom portion having a second footer commonly coupled to the end of each of the front pair of legs;a first pin and aperture adjustment mechanism for conjointly adjusting and fixing a relative position between the slideably engaged top and bottom portions of each of the back pair of legs;a second pin and aperture adjustment mechanism for conjointly adjusting and fixing a relative position between the slideably engaged handle and the middle portion of each of the front pair of legs; anda third pin and aperture adjustment mechanism for conjointly adjusting and fixing a relative position between the slideably engaged middle and bottom portions of the front pair of legs to establish a relative position between the second and first footers that stably accommodates a surface,wherein the first and second pin and aperture adjustment mechanisms adjust the height of the handle to accommodate a user independent of the accommodating relative position between the second and first footers, andwherein the third pin and aperture adjustment mechanism is configured to allow the user to permit the bottom portions of the front pair of legs to extend or retract as necessary to establish the accommodating relative position using gravity, the third pin and aperture adjustment mechanism further being configured to fix the bottom portions of the front pair of legs once the accommodating relative position is established. 6. The segmented adaptable mobility aid device of claim 5, wherein the third pin and aperture adjustment mechanism includes a cable coupled between a set of pins and a lever mechanism, the each of the set of pins configured to be retractably received by a set of apertures disposed in each of the pair of front legs, andthe lever mechanism is configured to retract each of the set of pins from the apertures when actuated to permit the bottom portion of the front pair of legs to slide until both the second and first footers are stably resting on the surface to establish the accommodating position, the lever mechanism being further configured to fix the front pair of legs at the accommodating relative position when the lever mechanism is released by allowing each of the set of pins to engage with apertures accessible at the accommodating relative position. 7. The aid apparatus of claim 5 wherein: the first segment further comprises a platform disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the handle, and the front and back pairs of legs; andthe platform is configured to be height adjusted, by raising and lowering the first segment relative to the second and third segments, to facilitate support of the user at the knee in lieu of the user's foot. 8. A segmented mobility aid apparatus operable to accommodate level and non-level surfaces comprising: a first segment forming: a handle; anda top portion of a back pair of legs;a second segment forming: a bottom portion of the back pair of legs configured to slideably cooperate with the top portion, the bottom portion of the pair terminating with a first footer for contacting a surface upon which said apparatus is to be deployed; anda middle portion of a front pair of legs configured to slideably cooperate with the handle;a third segment forming a bottom portion of the front pair of legs, the bottom portion of the pair co-terminating to form a second footer for contacting the surface upon which said aid device is to be deployed, the bottom portion configured to be slideably engaged with the middle portion of the front legs;first and second pin and aperture adjustment mechanisms for conjointly adjusting and fixing the first segment with respect to the second segment; anda third pin and aperture adjustment mechanism for conjointly adjusting and fixing the third segment with respect to the second segment,whereby: raising and lowering the first segment with respect to the second segment raises and lowers the handle without affecting a relative position between the first footer and second-footer; andraising and lowering the third segment with respect to the second segment retracts or extends respectively, the front pair of legs using gravity to establish a relative position between the second and first footers to stably accommodate for unevenness in the surface. 9. The aid apparatus of claim 8 wherein: the first segment further comprises a platform disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the handle, and the front and back pairs of legs; andthe platform is configured to be height adjusted, by raising and lowering the first segment relative to the second and third segments, to facilitate support of the user at the knee in lieu of the user's foot. 10. The aid apparatus of claim 9 wherein the platform is configured to be height adjusted, by raising and lowering the first segment relative to the second and third segments, to support the user in a sitting position. 11. The aid apparatus of claim 9 wherein the top portion of the back pair of legs formed by the first segment includes a first pair of tubular members that are configured to be slideably received by the bottom portions of each of the back pair of legs formed by the second segment, the platform being supported by the first segment at, and substantially perpendicular to, the top of the pair of tubular members of the top portion. 12. The aid apparatus of claim 11 wherein the middle portion of the front legs formed by the second segment comprises a pair of tubular members, and the handle of the first segment is formed of a pair of tubular members that are configured to slideably receive the tubular members off the middle portion of the front legs formed by the second segment. 13. The aid apparatus of claim 12 wherein: the first pin and aperture adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of apertures in at least one of the pair of tubular members of the top portion formed by the first segment, alignable with a plurality of apertures in the tubular members of the bottom portion of at least one of the back pair of legs; andat least one pin that can be actuated to engage and disengage from at least one pair of the aligned apertures to fix the relative position between the pair of tubular members of the top portion and the pair of tubular members of the bottom portion of at least one of the back pair of legs when engaged. 14. The aid apparatus of claim 12 wherein: the second pin and aperture adjustment mechanism comprises: a plurality of apertures in at least one of the pair of tubular members formed by the handle, alignable with a plurality of apertures in the middle portion of at least one of the front pair of legs; andat least one pin that can be actuated to engage and disengage from at least one pair of the aligned apertures. 15. The aid apparatus of claim 12 wherein: the third pin and aperture adjustment mechanism comprises: a plurality of apertures in at least one of the pair of tubular members of the bottom portion of the front legs, alignable with a plurality of apertures in the tubular members of the middle portion of at least one of the front pair of legs; andat least one pin that can be actuated to engage and disengage from at least one pair of the aligned apertures. 16. The aid apparatus of claim 8 wherein the handle is configured to be height adjusted, by raising and lowering the first segment relative to the second and third segments, to a position that facilitates lifting and placing of said aid apparatus on the surface by a user. 17. The aid apparatus of claim 8 wherein the lower portion of the front legs formed by the third segment comprises a pair of tubular members and are configured to be slideably received by the tubular members of the middle portion of the back legs formed by the second segment.