Tent – canopy – umbrella – or cane – Canes – sticks – crutches – and walking aids – Tips
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-19
2004-03-23
Yip, Winnie S. (Department: 3637)
Tent, canopy, umbrella, or cane
Canes, sticks, crutches, and walking aids
Tips
C135S066000, C135S077000, C280S047340, C280S062000, C188S029000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06708705
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
A walking cane having wheels that utilizes an improved braking system.
BACKGROUND
Walking canes are widely used to assist aged and infirm individuals in maintaining balance, as well as to provide support. Typically, a walking cane includes an elongate shaft having a handle on one end, and some sort of support base on the other end. The support base is frequently just the end of the elongate shaft with a cushion tip made of rubber or some other high resistance material.
By broadening the support base, greater stability is imparted to the cane, and thus to the user. However, in broadening the support base, there is a resultant increase in the overall mass of the cane. This mass can make maneuvering the walking cane very cumbersome particularly to aged or infirm individuals. Therefore, a walking cane that provides the added support of a broader base, but is relatively easy for the user to maneuver, would be advantageous.
Additionally, there are available a variety of walkers and canes that are capable of braking under various circumstances. Such braking availability is advantageous, particularly in canes having wheeled motion. For example, if a user is falling, a braking system can stop forward motion of the support base, thus allowing the user to support himself on the cane while regaining his footing. However, in designing a braking system, an important consideration is the complexity of installing the system, and the ease of use. Highly complex braking systems add considerable manufacturing expense that is passed on to the consumer in higher prices. Additionally, complex braking systems may require considerable strength to actuate. For example, a hand-actuated braking system requires a certain threshold of pressure be applied, by the user's hand, to the brake handle. Since walking aids are primarily used by aged and infirm individuals, a braking system that requires significant physical exertion would not be suitable. Therefore, a walking cane having a braking system that is simple to install and relatively easy to actuate would be advantageous.
A number of prior patents disclose walking aids, some of which include braking systems. Examples of these patents, each of which is incorporated by reference for its supporting teachings, are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,953 to Pasulka discloses a walker cart for an ambulatory patient that includes a telescoping rod with a holder at the top end of the rod for holding one or more intravenous solution bags to which the patient is connected, and frame members to which infusion pump elements may be connected for the patient. The cart includes caster wheels for maneuvering the cart and handle elements which may be grasped by the ambulatory patient in several different ways, according to the desiderata or capability of the ambulatory patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,457 to Tartaglia discloses a useful cane assembly for the handicapped for walking and maneuvering with ease, having the person's weight on the cane assembly being continuously supported. The cane is supported by a base which is on wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,651 to Einbinder discloses a controller for wheeled vehicles that includes a mechanism which selectively shifts the vehicle between a mobile and a stable state. The vehicle may be a walker for easing an operator's efforts in walking and includes a selectively actuable stabilizer which fixes the position of the walker or releases it for rolling motion, thus providing a stable state or a mobile state, respectively. An actuator such as a button, pressure sensor, or lever, electrically and/or mechanically actuates a stabilizer brake mechanism to engage or release the brake and thereby allow the walker's mobility to be controlled when the actuator operates the brake to stabilize or to slow the motion of the walker. Preferably, lift applied to the vehicle itself releases the brake and allows mobility. The actuator may control an electrically actuated braking mechanism, in response to a sensor such as a strain gauge that may be adjusted to the needs of the patient; alternatively, lifters may be provided to act in response to the lifting force.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,959 to Hiller et al. discloses a removable tray for a walker including a walker having a pair of spaced upper side bars. Further provided are a pair of walker coupling mechanisms adapted to be coupled to an associated side bar of the walker via clamps. A tray is slidably coupled to the walker coupling mechanism such that only lateral relative movement is allowed prior to use. Finally, at least one flexible strip is coupled at a first end thereof to the tray for coupling about at least one of the side bars of the walker to preclude lateral movement of the tray during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,577 to Gordon discloses a coupler made from cylindrical tubing that has elastically deformable ends. Each end has a bifurcation. The bifurcations are mutually perpendicular. One of the bifurcations has a walker coupling location with an orthogonal projection that includes an arc of a circle that has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of a cylindrical horizontal member of a walker. The other of the bifurcations has an IV stand coupler location with an orthogonal projection that includes an arc of a circle that has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of a cylindrical member of an IV stand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,639 to Einbinder discloses a controller for wheeled vehicles that includes a mechanism which selectively shifts the vehicle between a mobile and a stable state. The vehicle may be a walker for easing an operator's efforts in walking and includes a selectively actuable stabilizer which fixes the position of the walker or releases it for rolling motion, thus providing a stable state or a mobile state, respectively. An actuator such as a button, pressure sensor, or lever, electrically and/or mechanically actuates a stabilizer brake mechanism to engage or release the brake and thereby allow the walker's mobility to be controlled when the actuator operates the brake to stabilize or to slow the motion of the walker. Preferably, lift applied to the vehicle itself releases the brake and allows mobility. The actuator may control an electrically actuated braking mechanism, in response to a sensor such as a strain gauge that may be adjusted to the needs of the patient; alternatively, lifters may be provided to act in response to the lifting force.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,240 to Gairdner discloses a device used by a skater for controlling speed and maintaining balance on wheeled skates. The device includes a molded elongate body with a fork for receiving a wheel at one end and a hand grip at the other end. The body includes a brake assembly for applying a braking force to the wheel or to the ground. The invention also relates to a brake pad and a wheel having corresponding tongues and grooves for frictional contact. The invention also relates to a method for learning to skate using the control device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,100 to Sfeir discloses a vibrational walking apparatus including a frame having flexible projections capable of detecting obstructions to the front or sides of the user. Width projections can extend laterally from the frame to detect a predetermined width of the user. The apparatus can include a height sensor to determine if an object will contact the upper extremities of the user. A vibrator located adjacent a handle is activated by switches coupled to the flexible projections and height sensor in order to provide a different vibrational frequency to the handle when one of the respective flexible projections or height sensor is activated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,487 to Chien discloses a hand brake that includes a mounting frame mounted on a handlebar grip of a wheeled walker and defining a working space with an open side and a closed end wall. A cable pull block is disposed inside the working space, and has an upper part pivoted to the mounting frame by a first pivot, and a lower part serving as a force bearing
Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough
Winder Brent T.
Yip Winnie S.
LandOfFree
Braking cane does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Braking cane, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Braking cane will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3251243