A foldable anti-fall crutch

Abstract

The present invention relates to a foldable anti-fall crutch, comprising a column, a folding mechanism, a driving device, and a switch; the upper end of the folding mechanism is slidably connected to the column, and the lower end is fixed to the lower end of the column; the folding mechanism is provided with a plurality of support points, which are arranged around the column; the folding mechanism has a folded state and an unfolded state, in which the folding mechanism slides upward to fold and wrap around the column, and in the unfolded state, the folding mechanism slides downward to unfold, and the plurality of support points respectively abut against the ground; the driving device is drivably connected to the folding mechanism, and is used to drive the folding mechanism to convert from the folded state to the unfolded state. In the folded state, the foldable anti-fall crutch does not affect the user's normal walking; in the unfolded state, the folding mechanism slides downward to unfold, and the plurality of support points respectively abut against the ground, greatly increasing the support area between the user and the ground without interfering with the user's standing position, thereby improving the effectiveness and safety of fall protection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of mechanisms, and in particular relates to a foldable anti-fall crutch. Background Art

[0002] Falls are common among the elderly, often leading to serious consequences such as limited mobility and impaired function, severely impacting the physical and mental health and quality of life of the elderly and their families. Ensuring the quality of life of the elderly, preventing falls, and reducing the risk of injury are becoming increasingly important issues.

[0003] Existing fall protection devices primarily include airbag-type devices, which deploy an airbag to mitigate the impact of a fall. However, these devices have a limited range of protection, making them difficult to effectively protect against falls. Furthermore, airbag-type devices are difficult to fold back after deployment, making them disposable and less cost-effective.

[0004] Some studies have proposed anti-fall shoes with tracks or damping-driven crutches with universal wheels to prevent falls in the elderly. However, because falls are rapid and violent, these two devices require high acceleration to prevent falls, which can easily cause impact on the body and exacerbate imbalance, making fall prevention less effective and safe. Furthermore, if the crutch chassis requires a motor, the entire device is heavy, affecting the user's normal walking and making it difficult to put into practical use. Currently, research on anti-fall devices is limited and immature, leaving significant room for development. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the technical problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a foldable anti-fall crutch with a large protection range, improved effectiveness and safety of fall protection, no impact on the user's normal walking, can be used repeatedly, and is economical.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A foldable anti-fall crutch, comprising a column, a folding and unfolding mechanism, a driving device and a switch;

[0008] The upper end of the folding and unfolding mechanism is slidably connected to the column, and the lower end is fixed to the lower end of the column;

[0009] The folding and unfolding mechanism is provided with multiple support points, which are arranged around the pillars;

[0010] The folding and unfolding mechanism has a folded state and an unfolded state. In the folded state, the folding and unfolding mechanism slides upward and folds and wraps around the column. In the unfolded state, the folding and unfolding mechanism slides downward and unfolds, and multiple support points respectively contact the ground.

[0011] The driving device is drivingly connected to the folding and unfolding mechanism and is used for driving the folding and unfolding mechanism to be transformed from a folded state to an unfolded state.

[0012] Furthermore, the column is slidably connected to a slider, and the upper end of the folding and unfolding mechanism is fixed to the slider.

[0013] Furthermore, the driving device includes a motor and a spring, and the column is provided with an upper fixed block, which is located above the slider; the spring is sleeved on the column, and its two ends are respectively in contact with the upper fixed block and the slider; the motor is fixed to the column and the driving connection is connected to a limiting device, which is slidably connected to the slider for limiting or releasing the slider.

[0014] Furthermore, the folding mechanism includes a plurality of folding units, which are evenly arranged around the column, each folding unit includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod, a fourth connecting rod, a fifth connecting rod and a sixth connecting rod, the first connecting rod, the third connecting rod and the fifth connecting rod are parallel to each other, the second connecting rod, the fourth connecting rod and the sixth connecting rod are parallel to each other; the second connecting rod and the fourth connecting rod are equal in length;

[0015] One end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the lower end of the support, and the other end is hinged to the fourth connecting rod;

[0016] One end of the sixth connecting rod is hinged to the slider, and the other end is hinged to the middle part of the first connecting rod;

[0017] One end of the fourth connecting rod is hinged to one end of the third connecting rod;

[0018] Two ends of the fifth connecting rod are hinged to the other end of the fourth connecting rod and the sixth connecting rod respectively;

[0019] One end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the fifth connecting rod, and the other end is hinged to the other end of the third connecting rod;

[0020] The plurality of supporting points are correspondingly arranged at the other ends of the third connecting rods of the plurality of folding and unfolding units.

[0021] Furthermore, there are four folding and unfolding units, which are arranged in a cross shape around the pillar.

[0022] Furthermore, the support points are provided with anti-skid discs.

[0023] A handle is provided at the top of the column, and the handle is located between two adjacent folding and unfolding units.

[0024] Furthermore, the handle is provided with an extension portion extending downward, and the motor is fixedly connected to the extension portion.

[0025] Furthermore, the handle, the extension portion and the column together form an annular hanging portion.

[0026] Furthermore, the handle is provided with a switch button, which is connected to the motor and is used to control the start of the motor.

[0027] Furthermore, the handle is provided with a wireless communication device and a control panel. The wireless communication device is used to receive a trigger signal and send it to the control panel to control the start of the motor. The trigger signal is generated by a fall prediction algorithm based on the user's activity data.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0029] When the foldable anti-fall crutch is in the folded state, the folding mechanism slides upward, folds, and wraps around the column. The structure is compact and does not affect the user's normal walking. In the expanded state, the folding mechanism slides downward and expands, and multiple support points are respectively in contact with the ground, which greatly increases the support area between the user and the ground without interfering with the user's standing position, thereby improving the effectiveness and safety of fall protection. The process of changing from the folded state to the expanded state is powered by a pre-compressed spring, and the driving part has a small mass and a fast response. The entire foldable anti-fall crutch has a large folding and expansion ratio, is light in weight, and has two singular configurations, which can be realized in both folded and expanded states. It can be used repeatedly and is economical. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the folding and unfolding unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a folding and unfolding unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention in a folded state.

[0034] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention in a fully expanded state.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the handle installation position of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Description of reference numerals:

[0037] 1-handle, 2-upper fixing block, 3-motor sleeve, 4-hook, 5-slider, 6-bottom fixing block, 7-folding unit, 8-spring, 9-column, 10-first connecting rod, 11-second connecting rod, 12-third connecting rod, 13-fourth connecting rod, 14-fifth connecting rod, 15-sixth connecting rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] According to the zero-moment point theory, the relationship between the position of a person's zero-moment point during an activity and the support area between the person and the ground can reflect the person's state of balance. In a normal walking state, the zero-moment point is always located near the center of the support area; when a fall occurs, the zero-moment point will approach or exceed the boundary of the support area. Based on this, the present invention provides a foldable anti-fall crutch, which is used to quickly increase the contact area between the user and the ground by unfolding a folding mechanism at the moment of a fall, so that the zero-moment point of the user when unbalanced can return to the support area, thereby effectively preventing falls.

[0039] The present invention is described in further detail below.

[0040] like Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, a foldable anti-fall crutch includes a handle 1, an upper fixing block 2, a motor sleeve 3, a hook 4 (limiting device), a slider 5, a bottom fixing block 6, a folding mechanism, a spring 8 and a column 9.

[0041] The upper fixing block 2 is fixed on the column 9, and its position is determined by the upper limit position of the slider 5 and the minimum length of the spring 8 being compressed.

[0042] The bottom fixing block 6 is fixed to the bottom of the column 9. The slider 5 cooperates with the guide groove on the column 9 and can slide linearly on the column 9. The slider 5 and the bottom fixing block 6 are evenly distributed on the outside of the four bosses, each with an inner hole that cooperates with the folding and unfolding mechanism to form a rotational connection.

[0043] The folding and unfolding mechanism is located between the slider 5 and the bottom fixed block 6 and includes four folding and unfolding units 7 . The four folding and unfolding units 7 are evenly distributed around the column 9 in a cross shape.

[0044] Each folding unit 7 includes a first connecting rod 10, a second connecting rod 11, a third connecting rod 12, a fourth connecting rod 13, a fifth connecting rod 14 and a sixth connecting rod 15. The first connecting rod 10, the third connecting rod 12 and the fifth connecting rod 14 are parallel to each other, and the second connecting rod 11, the fourth connecting rod 13 and the sixth connecting rod 15 are parallel to each other. The second connecting rod 11 and the fourth connecting rod 13 are of equal length.

[0045] One end of the first connecting rod 10 is hinged to the bottom fixed block 6, and the other end is hinged to the fourth connecting rod 13;

[0046] One end of the sixth connecting rod 15 is hinged to the slider 5, and the other end is hinged to the middle of the first connecting rod 10;

[0047] One end of the fourth connecting rod 13 is hinged to one end of the third connecting rod 12;

[0048] Both ends of the fifth connecting rod 14 are hinged to the other end of the fourth connecting rod 13 and the sixth connecting rod 15 respectively;

[0049] One end of the second connecting rod 11 is hinged to the fifth connecting rod 14, and the other end is hinged to the other end of the third connecting rod 12;

[0050] The other end of the third connecting rod 12 of each folding unit 7 is provided with a support point.

[0051] The first connecting rod 10, the sixth connecting rod 15, the slider 5, the bottom fixing block 6 and the column 9 constitute a crank slider mechanism.

[0052] The first connecting rod 10 , the fourth connecting rod 13 , the tail end portion of the sixth connecting rod 15 and the fifth connecting rod 14 form a first parallelogram mechanism.

[0053] The tail end portions of the second connecting rod 11 , the third connecting rod 12 , the fourth connecting rod 13 and the fifth connecting rod 14 form a second parallelogram mechanism.

[0054] The folding unit 7, the slider 5, the bottom fixing block 6 and the column 9 form a complete folding whole, which has one crank slider mechanism and two parallelogram mechanisms. The degree of freedom of the folding whole is 1.

[0055] Each folding unit 7 has two singular positions: a fully folded state and a fully extended state. In the singular positions, the four sides of the two parallelogram mechanisms are collinear. For example, in the folded state, the first to sixth links 10, 15 are all vertical and parallel to the axis of the column 9. However, in the singular position, the mechanism is at a dead point and cannot transmit force. Therefore, the foldable anti-fall crutch in the actual folded state slightly deviates from the singular position.

[0056] The position of the hook 4 matches the position of the slider 5 in the folded state. The movement of the slider 5 drives the entire folding unit 7 to move. When the upper surface of the hook 4 is coplanar with the lower surface of the boss on the slider 5, the hook 4 hooks the slider 5 and restricts the slider 5 from falling, thereby determining the folding shape of the entire crutch. That is, the height of the hook 4 determines the folding shape of the foldable anti-fall crutch.

[0057] Spring 8 acts as the drive for the foldable anti-fall crutch. In the folded state, spring 8 is compressed. When hook 4 rotates a certain angle and disengages slider 5, spring 8 releases, exerting a downward thrust on slider 5. Once fully released, spring 8 returns to its original length, with the distance between slider 5 and upper fixing block 2 being the original length of spring 8. The foldable anti-fall crutch is in its second singular configuration, the fully expanded state. At this point, the first link 10 and the fifth link 14 overlap, and the second link 11 and the fourth link 13 overlap, stabilizing the folding mechanism and preventing further downward movement, thereby enhancing the safety of the foldable anti-fall crutch.

[0058] The handle 1 is connected to the column 9 in a transverse direction. A rectangular boss is provided in the handle 1 to match the guide groove of the column 9, thereby determining the orientation of the handle 1 and the relative position between the handle 1 and the folding mechanism. Preferably, the handle 1 is located in the middle of the two folding units 7, ensuring that the user's standing position is in the middle of the two folding units 7. Figure 6 As shown, when the crutch is converted from a folded state to an unfolded state, it will not interfere with the user's position, thereby improving the effectiveness and safety of fall protection.

[0059] The handle 1 is provided with an extension portion extending downward, the motor sleeve 3 is connected to the extension portion by bolts, the motor is installed in the motor sleeve 3, the motor shaft is fixedly connected to the hook 4, and the rotation of the motor shaft drives the hook 4 to rotate.

[0060] The handle 1, the extension portion, and the upright 9 together form an annular hanging portion. A user can carry the foldable anti-fall crutch by passing their forearms through the annular hanging portion, freeing up their hands. The annular hanging portion can also be used to hang the foldable anti-fall crutch on a hook for storage or transportation. Since the annular hanging portion is a closed structure, the foldable anti-fall crutch will not fall out even if it shakes during transportation.

[0061] The motor of the foldable anti-fall crutch can be started by a switch button, which is set on the handle 1. When the user feels that he is about to fall, the switch button is pressed to start the motor and quickly expand the folding mechanism; the fall prediction algorithm of the existing technology can also be used to automatically trigger it without manually pressing the switch button.

[0062] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0063] The folding and unfolding mechanism designed in this invention has two unique configurations, achieving two stable forms: folded and unfolded. In the folded state, the foldable and unfoldable anti-fall crutch is very compact, taking up little space and not affecting normal walking. In the unfolded state, the foldable and unfoldable anti-fall crutch's contact area with the ground is increased, thereby expanding the contact area between the user and the ground. This allows the user's center of gravity to quickly return to the support area in the event of an imbalance, effectively preventing falls. The foldable and unfoldable anti-fall crutch achieves a large fold-to-expand ratio, a compact overall structure, and is lightweight, making it easy to carry.

[0064] 2. The present invention adopts a pre-compressed spring 8 to provide power, and drives the hook 4 through a small DC motor to release the pressure of the spring 8 and push the slider 5 to move. This driving method has a fast response, compact structure and light weight.

[0065] 3. The present invention ensures the relative position between the user and the foldable anti-fall crutch by controlling the orientation of the handle 1, ensuring that the foldable anti-fall crutch will not collide with the user during the process of converting from the folded state to the unfolded state, thereby ensuring effectiveness and safety during use.

[0066] The steps for realizing the mutual conversion between the folded state and the unfolded state of the present invention are as follows:

[0067] 1. In the fully folded state, the slider 5 is at the theoretical upper limit position on the column 9, and the spring 8 is located between the upper fixed block 2 and the slider 5 and is compressed to its shortest length. All the rods in the folding mechanism are retracted toward the column 9 and are in a position nearly parallel to the axis of the column 9. The folding limit that the folding mechanism can reach is: the direction of all rods is parallel to the column 9, that is, all rods are in a vertical state. At this time, the space occupied by the entire foldable anti-fall crutch is minimal. However, in the fully folded state, the vertical force acting on the slider 5 cannot be transmitted to the various rods in the folding mechanism, thereby preventing the folding mechanism from unfolding. Therefore, the actual upper limit position of the slider 5 on the column 9 is lower than the theoretical upper limit position. The hook 4 is used to hook the upper boss of the slider 5 to prevent the slider 5 from sliding down due to the force of the spring 8, so that the foldable anti-fall crutch is in the folded state, which is convenient for the user to use during normal walking.

[0068] 2. The foldable anti-fall crutch is combined with the fall prediction algorithm of the existing technology. The user's activity data is monitored in real time by a gyroscope sensor worn by the user and sent to the host computer. The host computer uses the fall prediction algorithm to predict whether the user will fall in the next moment. When it is predicted that a fall is about to occur, a trigger signal is generated, and the trigger signal is transmitted to the control panel through the wireless communication device of the foldable anti-fall crutch. After receiving the signal, the control panel starts the motor to rotate the hook 4, release the limit on the slider 5, and release the pre-compressed spring 8. Under the action of the spring 8, the foldable anti-fall crutch is driven to move, that is, the folding mechanism of the crutch is converted from the folded state to the unfolded state. According to the zero-torque point theory, the reason for a person's imbalance is that their zero-torque point exceeds the support area between the person and the ground. Therefore, falls can be prevented by increasing the support area between the person and the ground. After detecting a sign of a fall, the motor of the foldable anti-fall crutch rotates 90°. Since hook 4 is fixedly connected to the motor shaft, hook 4 also rotates 90°, offsetting the position of slider 5. After losing the restraint of hook 4, slider 5 slides downward along column 9 under the action of spring 8 until spring 8 returns to its natural length. At this point, slider 5 reaches the lower limit position, and the four folding units 7 are fully deployed. The third connecting rod 12 at its end contacts the ground. The contact point is equipped with an anti-slip disc, further increasing the contact area and improving the anti-slip coefficient, thereby enhancing safety. During this process, the downward sliding of slider 5 drives the movement of the crank slider mechanism. The crank slider mechanism shares the first connecting rod 10 and the sixth connecting rod 15 with the first parallelogram mechanism, so the first parallelogram mechanism moves accordingly. Similarly, the second parallelogram mechanism shares the fourth connecting rod 13 and the fifth connecting rod 14 with the first parallelogram mechanism. Therefore, the falling of slider 5 drives the folding mechanism downward to expand. When slider 5 is at the lower limit, both parallelogram mechanisms are in singular positions, and the foldable anti-fall crutch is in a stable state. At this point, the contact area between the person and the ground increases to the area of ​​the largest circumscribed quadrilateral of the crutch's contact points with the ground after it is unfolded, and the crutch's area fold-to-expand ratio reaches 22.07.

[0069] 3. To retract the folding mechanism, fold the rods of folding unit 7 toward column 9, allowing slider 5 to overcome the elastic force of spring 8 and drive folding unit 7 upward and wrap around column 9. Rotate the motor shaft counterclockwise, causing hook 4 to rotate counterclockwise and then return to the lower end of slider 5, limiting its downward movement.

[0070] The above embodiments are preferred implementation modes of the present invention, but the implementation modes of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments. Any other changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, and simplifications that do not deviate from the spirit and principles of the present invention should be considered as equivalent replacement methods and are included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A foldable anti-fall crutch, characterized by: It includes a column, a folding and unfolding mechanism, and a driving device; The upper end of the folding and unfolding mechanism is slidably connected to the column, and the lower end is fixed to the lower end of the column; The folding and unfolding mechanism is provided with multiple support points, which are arranged around the pillars; The folding and unfolding mechanism has a folded state and an unfolded state. In the folded state, the folding and unfolding mechanism slides upward and folds and wraps around the column. In the unfolded state, the folding and unfolding mechanism slides downward and unfolds, and multiple support points respectively contact the ground. The driving device is drivingly connected to the folding and unfolding mechanism, and is used to drive the folding and unfolding mechanism to transform from a folded state to an unfolded state; The column is slidably connected to a slider, and the upper end of the folding and unfolding mechanism is fixed to the slider; The driving device includes a motor and a spring. The column is provided with an upper fixed block, which is located above the slider. The spring is sleeved on the column, with its two ends respectively abutting against the upper fixed block and the slider. The motor is fixed to the column and driven by a limit device, which is slidably connected to the slider for limiting or releasing the slider. The folding and unfolding mechanism includes a plurality of folding and unfolding units, which are evenly arranged around the column. Each folding and unfolding unit includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod, a fourth connecting rod, a fifth connecting rod, and a sixth connecting rod. The first connecting rod, the third connecting rod, and the fifth connecting rod are parallel to each other, and the second connecting rod, the fourth connecting rod, and the sixth connecting rod are parallel to each other. The second connecting rod and the fourth connecting rod are equal in length. One end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the lower end of the support, and the other end is hinged to the fourth connecting rod; One end of the sixth connecting rod is hinged to the slider, and the other end is hinged to the middle part of the first connecting rod; One end of the fourth connecting rod is hinged to one end of the third connecting rod; Two ends of the fifth connecting rod are hinged to the other end of the fourth connecting rod and the sixth connecting rod respectively; One end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the fifth connecting rod, and the other end is hinged to the other end of the third connecting rod; Multiple support points are provided at the other ends of the third connecting rods of the multiple folding and unfolding units in a one-to-one correspondence; The first connecting rod, the sixth connecting rod, the slider, the bottom fixed block and the column constitute a crank slider mechanism; The first connecting rod, the fourth connecting rod, the tail end portion of the sixth connecting rod and the fifth connecting rod form a first parallelogram mechanism; The second connecting rod, the third connecting rod, the fourth connecting rod and the tail end portion of the fifth connecting rod form a second parallelogram mechanism; The folding unit, the slider, the bottom fixed block and the column form a complete folding whole, which has a crank slider mechanism and two parallelogram mechanisms. The degree of freedom of the folding whole is 1; Each folding unit has two singular configurations, namely the fully folded state and the fully unfolded state. In the singular configuration, the four sides of the two parallelogram mechanisms are collinear. The handle is equipped with a wireless communication device and a control panel. The gyroscope sensor worn by the user monitors the user's activity data in real time and sends it to the host computer. The host computer uses a fall prediction algorithm to predict whether the user will fall in the next moment. When a fall is predicted to occur, a trigger signal is generated and transmitted to the control board through the wireless communication device of the foldable anti-fall crutch. The control board starts the motor after receiving the signal.

2. A foldable anti-fall crutch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support points are equipped with anti-slip discs.

3. The foldable anti-fall crutch according to claim 1, characterized in that: A handle is provided at the top of the column, and the handle is located between two adjacent folding and unfolding units.

4. A foldable anti-fall crutch according to claim 3, characterized in that: The handle is provided with an extension portion extending downward, and the motor is fixedly connected to the extension portion.

5. The foldable anti-fall crutch according to claim 4, characterized in that: The handle, the extension part and the column together form an annular hanging part.

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