TWI860847B - Retractable walking stick - Google Patents

Abstract

A retractable crutch includes a support unit, a control mechanism, and a leg unit. The support unit includes two sleeve groups spaced left and right, and a support base located at the top of the sleeve groups. Each of the sleeve groups includes an inner tube and an outer tube that are connected inside and outside. The control mechanism includes an operating unit disposed in the support base, and two control units that are respectively located in the inner tubes and connected to the operating unit. The operating unit can be operated to drive the control units so that each of the control units allows or restricts the extension and retraction movement of a respective inner tube relative to a respective outer tube. The leg unit is assembled at the bottom end of the outer tubes. The support unit can be shortened when the present invention is not in use, so the present invention has the characteristics of being convenient for carrying, transporting or storing.

Description

Retractable walking stick

The present invention relates to an assistive device for injured patients, in particular to a foldable crutch.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a conventional crutch includes two support tubes 11 extending vertically and arranged horizontally, a support base 12 extending horizontally and disposed on the support tubes 11, a handle tube 13 extending horizontally and connected between the support tubes 11, and a support foot 14 integrally connected to the bottom of the support tubes 11.

The support base 12 is suitable for supporting a user's armpit and being held between one of the user's arms and a trunk. The grip tube 13 is suitable for being held by the user's hand, so that the user can apply force and then support the whole body through the support foot 14 to support the ground, so as to replace the injured foot to stand on the ground.

Although such existing crutches can assist the user with a foot injury to walk, they have the disadvantages of taking up more space and being inconvenient to carry, transport or store, and need to be further improved.

The purpose of the present invention is to improve at least one disadvantage of the prior art.

The retractable crutch of the present invention comprises a support unit, a control mechanism, and a leg unit. The support unit comprises two sleeve groups spaced left and right, and a support seat located at the top end of the sleeve groups. Each of the sleeve groups comprises an inner tube and an outer tube which are coupled inside and outside. The top end portions of the inner tubes cooperate to support the support seat. Each of the inner tubes can move relative to a respective one of the outer tubes and extend out or retract into a respective one of the outer tubes. The control mechanism comprises an operating unit disposed in the support seat, and two control units respectively located in the inner tubes and connected to the operating unit. The operating unit can be operated to drive the control units so that each of the control units allows or restricts a respective one of the inner tubes from moving relative to a respective one of the outer tubes. The foot unit is assembled at the bottom end of the outer tubes.

The utility of the present invention is that the sleeve assemblies are innovatively used to replace the supporting tubes of fixed length in the past, so that the overall length of the present invention can be extended and changed. Therefore, the overall length of the present invention can be shortened when not in use, so the present invention has the characteristics of being convenient for carrying, transporting or storing.

2, 3, and 4, an embodiment of the retractable crutch of the present invention comprises a support unit 2, a control mechanism 3 disposed in the support unit 2, a foot unit 4 installed at the bottom of the support unit 2, two arm units 5 pivotally connected between the support unit 2 and the foot unit 4, and a handle unit 6 connected to the support unit 2.

The support unit 2 includes two sleeve assemblies 21 spaced apart from each other, a support base 22 disposed at the top ends of the sleeve assemblies 21, and a connecting member 23 connected between the top ends of the sleeve assemblies 21 (see FIG. 2 ).

Each of the sleeve sets 21 includes an inner tube 211 and an outer tube 212 which are connected inside and outside.

Each inner tube 211 is in the shape of a round tube, and a radially penetrating insertion hole 211a is formed at the bottom end opposite to the other inner tube 211 (see FIG. 4 , and because of left-right symmetry, only the insertion hole 211a of one of the inner tubes 211 is shown as a representative). Each inner tube 211 is inserted into a respective outer tube 212 with a slightly loose fit, and can move relative to a respective outer tube 212 to extend out of or retract into a respective outer tube 212.

Each outer tube 212 is in the shape of a round tube, and has a diameter larger than that of each inner tube 211 and is inserted outside the inner tube 211. A side of each outer tube 212 opposite to the other outer tube 212 is formed with a plurality of insertion holes 212a spaced vertically and extending radially inwardly and outwardly (see FIG. 4 , and because of left-right symmetry, only the insertion holes 212a of one of the outer tubes 212 are shown as a representative).

The connecting member 23 is integrally connected to the top end of the inner tubes 211, so that the inner tubes 211 move together up and down (see FIG. 2 ).

The supporting seat 22 includes a seat body 221 integrally connected to the top ends of the inner tubes 211, and a seat cover 222 openably covered on the seat body 221.

The seat body 221 is supported by the top end of the inner tubes 211 and can move up and down together with the inner tubes 211. The seat body 221 is formed with a button hole 221a that passes through from top to bottom.

The control mechanism 3 includes an operating unit 31 disposed in the support seat 22 , and two control units 32 respectively located in the inner tubes 211 of the sleeve assemblies 21 and connected to the operating unit 31 .

The operating unit 31 includes a pressing member 311 disposed in the supporting seat 22 and capable of being pressed, and two elastic members 312 disposed in the supporting seat 22 and capable of pushing the pressing member 311 to return to its original position after the pressing member 311 is pressed (see FIG. 3 ).

The top end of the pressing member 311 is in the shape of a block, inserted into the button hole 221a of the base 221, and protrudes upward from the base 221. The bottom end of the pressing member 311 is in the shape of a bar extending horizontally.

The elastic members 312 are located between the pressing member 311 and the connecting member 23 of the supporting unit 2, and are supported by the connecting member 23 to push the pressing member 311 upward (see FIG. 3 ).

3, 4, and 5, each of the control units 32 includes a base 321 fixed to the bottom end of a respective inner tube 211, a connector 322 installed in the base 321 and inserted into one of the plug holes 212a of a respective outer tube 212, an elastic member 323 providing elastic force for the connector 322 to be inserted into the respective plug hole 212a, and a connecting rod 324 located in a respective inner tube 211 and connected between one end of the pressing member 311 and the connector 322.

Because each base 321 is fixed to the bottom end of each inner tube 211, it can move up and down with the inner tube 211. In practice, each base 321 can be fixed to each inner tube 211 by bonding, tight fitting, or welding.

Each of the plug-in components 322 includes an insert shaft portion 322a and a slider portion 322b. Each of the insert shaft portions 322a is inserted into the insertion hole 211a of each of the inner tubes 211, and is inserted into one of the insertion holes 212a of each of the outer tubes 212. Each of the slider portions 322b is integrally connected to each of the insert shaft portions 322a, is located in each of the bases 321, and abuts against each of the elastic members 323. Each of the slider portions 322b is formed with two front-to-rear opposite slide grooves 322c (due to front-to-rear symmetry, only one of them is shown as a representative in the figure). Each of the slide grooves 322c extends obliquely from top to bottom toward the direction of each of the insert shaft portions 322a.

Each of the connecting rods 324 includes two block-shaped inserting portions 325 located at the bottom and spaced apart from each other. The inserting portions 325 of each of the connecting rods 324 are respectively inserted into the slide grooves 322c of the slide block portion 322b of each of the plug-in components 322.

2 and 3 , the support leg unit 4 includes two pivot arms 41 pivotally connected to the bottom ends of the outer tubes 212 of the support unit 2 , and a support leg 42 mounted on the bottom ends of the pivot arms 41 .

The pivot arms 41 extend downwardly from the outer tubes 212. Each pivot arm 41 includes a first end 411 pivoted to the bottom end of each outer tube 212, a second end 412 opposite to the first end 411, and a connecting arm 413 connected between the first end 411 and the second end 412.

Each of the second end portions 412 is in the shape of a semicircular sheet and has an outer thread formed on its outer surface, so that the second end portions 412 can be screwed into the top portion of the supporting leg 42. Each of the connecting arm portions 413 is also in the shape of a semicircular sheet.

The top portion of the supporting foot 42 is formed with an internal thread, and can be detachably threaded with the second end portions 412 of the pivot arms 41, thereby positioning the second end portions 412 together.

Each of the arm units 5 is hinged between a respective outer tube 212 and a respective hinge arm 41. Each of the arm units 5 includes two hinged sheet-shaped support arms 51. One of the support arms 51 of each of the arm units 5 is hinged to the middle portion of a respective outer tube 212, and the other support arm 51 is hinged to the bottom end of the connecting arm portion 413 of a respective hinge arm 41.

The handle unit 6 is in the shape of a round tube and is extended horizontally to the left and right sides and connected between the outer tubes 212 of the sleeve assemblies 21.

3, 6, 7 and 8, the support unit 2 of this embodiment can be switched between an extended state as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, and a shortened state as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

3 and 6 , in the extended state, the inner tube 211 of each sleeve assembly 21 mostly protrudes out of a respective outer tube 212. The connecting member 23 of the support unit 2 is spaced apart from the handle unit 6 in the upper and lower parts.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the seat cover 222 is opened relative to the seat body 221, so that the pressing member 311 of the operating unit 31 is exposed and can be pressed by a user. When the pressing member 311 is pressed, the plug block portions 325 of each of the connecting rods 324 of the control unit 32 are driven to move downward, and the respective plug connectors 322 are driven to move, so that the plug shaft portion 322a of each of the plug connectors 322 is separated from one of the plug holes 212a at the top of the respective outer tube 212 as schematically shown from the left to the right in Fig. 5.

At this time, since each of the outer tubes 212 is no longer restricted by the insertion shaft portion 322a of each of the plug connectors 322, each of the inner tubes 211 and each of the outer tubes 212 can move up and down relative to each other. In this state, the support seat 22 is pushed toward the handle unit 6 so that the support seat 22 abuts against the handle unit 6 and each inner tube 211 is almost completely retracted into a respective outer tube 212, and then the pressing piece 311 is released so that the insertion shaft portion 322a of each connector 322 is again inserted back into the other connector hole 212a at the bottom end of the respective outer tube 212 from the right side to the left side of the figure in FIG. 5, and the seat cover 222 of the support seat 22 is again covered on the seat body 221 to cover the pressing piece 311, so that the support unit 2 can be transformed into the shortened state as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

7 and 8 , in the shortened state, the inner tube 211 of each sleeve assembly 21 is almost completely retracted into a respective outer tube 212. The connecting member 23 of the support unit 2 abuts against the handle unit 6.

When the present embodiment is used, the support unit 2 is in the extended state as shown in Figures 3 and 6. In the extended state, the user can use the armpits to support the support seat 22 and hold the handle unit 6 with the hand to use the present embodiment as a general crutch.

When there is no need to use this embodiment, the support unit 2 can be changed to the shortened state as shown in Figures 7 and 8 as described above, and then the support leg 42 of the support leg unit 4 can be screwed off relative to the pivot arms 41 as shown in Figure 8. After separating the support leg 42, since the connecting arm portion 413 of each pivot arm 41 is in the shape of a semicircular sheet, each pivot arm 41 can be folded outside a respective one of the outer tubes 212 as shown in Figure 8. Accordingly, this embodiment can be separated into two parts with greatly reduced lengths as shown in Figure 8, so that it can be put into a bag, which is convenient for carrying, transporting or storing.

3 and 6 , the advantage of the present embodiment including the arm units 5 is that they can assist in supporting and stabilizing the pivot arms 41 of the foot unit 4 .

In summary, the function of the retractable crutch of the present invention is that the operating unit 31 can be operated to drive the control units 32, so that each control unit 32 allows or restricts the movement of a respective inner tube 211 relative to a respective outer tube 212 to extend or retract. By replacing the conventional support tubes of fixed length with the sleeve sets 21 of controllable extension length, the overall length of the present invention can be shortened when not in use. Therefore, the present invention has the characteristics of being convenient for carrying, transporting or storing.

The above is only an embodiment of the present invention, and cannot be used to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. In addition, simple equivalent changes and modifications according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention and the patent specification should also be covered by the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

2: Support unit 21: Sleeve assembly 211: Inner tube 211a: Insert hole 212: Outer tube 212a: Plug hole 22: Support seat 221: Seat body 221a: Button hole 222: Seat cover 23: Connector 3: Control mechanism 31: Operation unit 311: Pressing member 312: Elastic member 32: Control unit 321: Base 322: Plug-in member 322a: Plug shaft 322b: Slider 322c: Slide groove 323: Elastic member 324: Connecting rod 325: Plug-in member 4: Support unit 41: Anchor arm 411: First end 412: Second end 413: Connecting arm 42: Support foot 5: Support arm unit 51: Support arm 6: Handle unit

Other features and functions of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating an existing crutch; FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating an embodiment of the retractable crutch of the present invention, and a support unit of the embodiment is in an extended state; FIG. 3 is an incomplete and partially cut-away cross-sectional view illustrating the support unit of the embodiment in the extended state; FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional exploded view illustrating an inner tube and an outer tube of a set of tubes of the embodiment, and a control unit; FIG. 5 is an incomplete and partially cut-away cross-sectional view illustrating the actuation change of the control unit; FIG. 6 is an incomplete and partially cut-away cross-sectional view illustrating the support unit of the embodiment in the extended state; FIG. 7 is an incomplete and partially cutaway cross-sectional view illustrating that the support unit is in a shortened state; and FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view illustrating that the support unit of the embodiment is in the shortened state, and the two armatures of the leg unit are folded.

2: Support unit

21: Casing set

211: Inner tube

212: External control

22: Support seat

221: Seat

221a: Button hole

222: Seat cover

23: Connectors

3: Control mechanism

31: Operation unit

311: Pressing parts

312: Elastic parts

32: Control unit

321: Base

322: Connector

323: Elastic parts

324: Connecting rod

4: Leg unit

41: Articulated arm

411: First end

412: Second end

413: Connecting arm

42: Support your feet

5: Arm unit

51: Support arm

6: Grip unit

Claims (9)

A foldable crutch comprises: a support unit, including two sleeve groups spaced apart from each other, and a support seat located at the top ends of the sleeve groups, each of the sleeve groups comprising an inner tube and an outer tube connected inside and outside, the top ends of the inner tubes cooperate to support the support seat, and each of the inner tubes can move relative to a respective one of the outer tubes to extend or retract into a respective one of the outer tubes; a control mechanism, including an operating unit disposed in the support seat, and two control units respectively located in the inner tubes and connected to the operating unit, the operating unit can be operated to drive the control units so that each of the control units allows or restricts a respective one of the inner tubes from moving relative to a respective one of the outer tubes; and a foot unit, Assembled at the bottom end of the outer tubes; wherein each outer tube is formed with a plurality of plug holes spaced up and down and connected inside and outside, the operating unit includes a pressing member arranged in the support seat and can be pressed, and at least one elastic member arranged in the support seat and capable of pushing the pressing member to reset after the pressing member is pressed, each control unit includes a base fixed to the bottom end of each inner tube, a plug-in member installed in the base and inserted into one of the plug holes of each outer tube, an elastic member providing elastic force for the plug-in member to be inserted into each of the plug holes, and a connecting rod member located in each inner tube and connected between one end of the pressing member and the plug-in member. The foldable crutch as described in claim 1, wherein the support seat includes a seat body connected to the top ends of the inner tubes, and a seat cover that can be opened and covered on the seat body, the seat body can be provided with the pressing member and at least one of the elastic members, and the seat cover can be opened relative to the seat body or covered on the seat body to expose or cover the pressing member. As described in claim 1, the retractable crutch, wherein each of the plug-in parts comprises an insert shaft part inserted into a respective one of the plug-in holes, and a slide block part connected to the insert shaft part and abutting against a respective one of the elastic parts, each of the slide blocks is formed with at least one slide groove, and at least one of the slide grooves extends obliquely from top to bottom toward a respective one of the insert shaft parts. As described in claim 3, the retractable crutch, wherein each of the slide block parts is formed with a plurality of the slide grooves, and each of the connecting rods includes a plurality of inserting block parts located at the bottom and respectively inserted into the slide grooves of the slide block parts of a respective one of the inserting parts. A retractable crutch as described in claim 1, wherein the support leg unit includes two pivot arms respectively pivoted to the bottom ends of the outer tubes of the support unit, and a support leg mounted on the bottom ends of the pivot arms, the pivot arms respectively extending downward from the outer tubes toward each other, and the support leg can detachably position the bottom ends of the pivot arms together. A retractable crutch as described in claim 5, wherein each of the pivot arms includes a first end pivotally connected to a respective one of the outer tubes, a second end opposite to the first end, and a connecting arm portion connected between the first end and the second end, and each of the connecting arms is in the shape of a semicircular sheet. A retractable crutch as described in claim 6, wherein each of the second ends is in the shape of a semicircular plate and has an external thread formed on the outer surface, and the second ends are screwed into the supporting leg in a matching manner. The retractable crutch as described in claim 5 further comprises two arm units, each of which is pivotally connected between a respective outer tube and a respective pivot arm. A retractable crutch as described in claim 8, wherein each of the support arm units includes two support arms pivotally connected to each other and respectively pivotally connected to a respective outer tube and a respective pivot arm.

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