Walking frame provided with seat and backrest

Abstract

Provided is a cantilever wheel type walking frame. A seat is connected to the front portion of the frame through front and back central horizontal beams. The user gets close to the walking frame from the rear, the two legs clamp the horizontal beam, and the buttocks abut against the seat to prevent falling. A front controlled mechanical backrest is also disclosed. The heights of the seat and the backrest can be adjusted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The object of the invention is to relate to a walking frame. More specifically, it has wheels, a height-adjustable seat and a backrest. Background Art

[0002] A walking frame is a common mobility aid for people with limited mobility. To further enhance mobility, existing walking frames are often equipped with casters and some are also equipped with corresponding brake accessories. The walking frame can be made more versatile by installing a seat on the frame, so that when the user feels tired, he can turn or rotate the walking frame to sit on the seat and use the front of the walking frame as a backrest. In addition, since there is still a possibility of falling when using a walking frame, some people use straps, slings and cushions to tie specific parts of the user's body to the device fixed on the walking frame. This often involves the disadvantage of having to use tight and cumbersome straps and slings around the chest and waist. We need a walking frame with an adjustable height seat that can be aligned with the height of the platform on which the user sits (so that he only needs to slide forward and backward to sit on or off the seat), and the frame does not require or only requires a small amount of straps or slings to prevent him from falling when in use. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to fully understand the invention, it is necessary to emphasize that since humans walk on their legs, placing a horizontal beam between the lower limbs (especially between the upper thighs) will not hinder his gait. The present invention provides a wheeled walking frame with a cantilever seat, which is fixed to the frame by a horizontal beam extending from the front of the walking frame. The user sits on the seat approaching the walking frame from the rear and walks with the horizontal beam between his lower limbs. While walking, he can lean his buttocks on the seat at any time, or if he wants, he can sit and walk at the same time (similar to stepping on a pedal). Therefore, the horizontal beam and the seat at an appropriate height can simultaneously support the user with weak lower limbs and allow him to walk with his feet. The height of the seat can be adjusted according to the height of the user for comfortable walking and can also be adjusted to the height of the platform he wants to transfer to. In this way, he only needs to move his buttocks forward to sit on the seat, or move it back and away from the seat. Various height adjustment devices can be used, such as hydraulic jacks, actuators or manual rotating / swinging height adjustment shafts. The present invention also provides a new backrest in the form of a rotating handle on both sides of the walking frame and a bracket at the rear. The handle can be rotated to open the stand, allowing the user to enter or exit the stand, and rotated in the other direction to lock the user into the stand. The stand can have a comfortable cushion or a handle that is easy for the caregiver to push. Although these stand backs are designed specifically for the present invention, they can also be used in other industries, such as personal mobility devices such as scooters or wheelchairs. The rotational movement of the stand can also be driven by other means, such as an electric motor.

[0004] In another embodiment, the walking frame is equipped with large front wheels and corresponding handrails, and the user can push and move. A foot pedal is also provided so that the walking frame can be transformed into a manual or electric wheelchair.

[0005] The horizontal beam, seat and backrest can be used as detachable accessories to the general walking frame to achieve the above advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 A rear perspective view of a preferred embodiment is shown, wherein there is a wheeled cantilevered walking frame 1 and its associated components 2 to 10, attached to a seat 11 and its associated components 12 to 24.

[0007] Figure 1a A front perspective view of the connector 15 between components of the frame 1 and components of the seat 11 is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A front perspective view of the walking frame is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 A rear perspective view of the walking frame is shown with the backrest support 24 closed and the seat 11 and its components 12 to 24 raised.

[0010] Figure 4 A rear perspective view of another preferred embodiment is shown, including large front wheels 32 and corresponding push handles 31 for manual pushing by a user.

[0011] Figure 5 A rear perspective view of a conventional walking frame with a seat 11 and a frame 24 is shown.

[0012] Figure 6 Shows Figure 5 Front perspective view of the middle bracket 24 closed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The present invention provides a novel walking frame 1 having a horizontal beam 12 and a seat 11 that enables a user to sit, walk, or both. This is all done with the horizontal beam 12 sandwiched between the two lower limbs. The present invention also provides a support 24 that surrounds the user's torso. This novel configuration substantially eliminates the risk of falling, as the beam 12 and seat 11 prevent vertical falls, while the support 24 prevents lateral or backward falls, thereby assisting users with weak or unstable lower limbs in their daily routines, gait training, and rehabilitation activities. In addition, the height of the seat 11 (with the support 24) relative to the frame 1 is adjustable to facilitate transfers between platforms of different heights and to optimize the height of the beam 12 between the user's thighs so that he / she can sit and walk comfortably.

[0014] exist Figure 1 , 1a , 2 and 3, a preferred embodiment is disclosed. The walking frame has two main components: a main frame 1 and a seat 11. The components of the main frame 1 include a wheel axle 2 with four wheels, a housing 3 and its built-in height adjustment device (such as an actuator 5) and its corresponding lifting rod 7, a foot pedal 8 and a battery pack 9. The entire seat assembly (11 to 24) is connected to the connector 15 ( Figure 1a ) is connected to the main frame 1. There is a long slit 4 ( Figure 1a and Figure 3 ) for the connector 15 to slide up and down. Since the actuator 5 and its lifting rod 7 are connected 6 and encapsulated in the housing 3, the moving actuator 5 will extend ( Figure 1 and 2 ) and Reclaim( Figure 3 ) lift rod 7, thereby moving connector 15 and seat assembly (11 to 24) accordingly. Vertical rod 14 includes two brackets 24 at the top connected by cross beam 21 and support tube 22, and seat 11 connected to the bottom by horizontal beam 12. The height between the two cross beams 21, 12 can be adjusted by interlocking 13 the horizontal beam 12 to the appropriate slot 16 on the vertical rod 14 to suit the height of the user's torso, so that the backrest 24 is at the level of the user's upper waist to mid-chest. The brackets 24 ( Figure 1 and 2 ) to facilitate the user to enter and exit the bracket 24. The bracket 24 can also choose to use other methods, such as a motor, to open ( Figure 1 and 2 ) and close( Figure 3 ).

[0015] A typical method of using the present invention is as follows: First, connect the lower beam 12 to the appropriate slots 16 on the vertical rod 14 ( Figure 1a ) Adjust the height between the upper cross beam 21 and the lower horizontal beam 12 to match the user's torso. Figure 1 ), lowering the seat 11 to the platform on which the user sits, placing his legs on the seat 11, and then approaching the walking frame 1 from the rear. The cantilevered nature of the seat 11 allows the axle 2 to enter under the platform on which the user sits, so that the seat 11 overlaps or lies flat with the platform, allowing a seamless and safe transfer. Once he is seated on the seat 11, the bracket 24 is closed and the entire seat assembly is raised by retracting the actuator 5, allowing the user to stand up ( Figure 3 The user can then walk or sit safely by placing the horizontal beam 12 between the thighs, with the seat 11 on the hips and the support 24 surrounding the torso. When walking, the footrest 8 can be flipped up ( Figure 3 ), turn down when sitting ( Figure 1 and2 ). When the user wants to exit the walking frame, the process is opposite.

[0016] By replacing the front wheel with a large radius wheel 32 and adding its corresponding push rod 31, the walking frame can be transformed into a hybrid self-propelled wheelchair so that the user can push it by hand ( Figure 4 ). Likewise, electric motors with controllers can be added to the wheels, allowing the user to sit on the seat and place their feet on the footrests 8 to move around.

[0017] In another embodiment ( Figure 5 and 6 ), the horizontal beam 12, the seat 11 and the bracket 24 can be added as accessories to a conventional walking frame with or without wheels. The user only needs to connect the accessories to the front part 18 of the frame and use the locking device 3a to transform the walking frame 1 into a sitting and walking combined walking frame that can prevent accidental falls ( Figure 5 and 6 ). The horizontal beam 12 may be supported by a vertical rod 14, wherein spaced slots 16 are provided for height adjustment between the seat 11 and the backrest support 24, as described above, to accommodate different torso lengths of people. Alternatively, the backrests 21 to 24 may be supported by a vertical rod 14 connected to the horizontal beam 12, such as Figures 1 to 4 The configuration is shown in the figure.

[0018] In another embodiment, the seat 11 can slide along the horizontal beam 12 to accommodate users of different body sizes. All horizontal beams and brackets can have length adjustment devices 25 ( Figure 4 ), such as a telescoping device, to allow the user to customize the frame size and better lock him or her within the frame 1 and bracket 24.

Claims

1. A walking frame, comprising: a.A front-to-rear horizontal beam connected to the frame at one end and to the seat at the other. b. A backrest including two side supports which can be opened or closed by a rotating device.

2. As described in claim 1, the walking frame is a cantilever configuration.

3. A walking frame with wheels as claimed in the preceding claims.

4. As claimed in the preceding claims, the seat and backrest are height adjustable, by using a height adjustment device, to match the height of the tabletop to which the user is moving.

5. As claimed in the preceding claims, the height between the seat and the backrest is adjustable, by means of a height adjustment device, to suit the height of the user's torso.

6. As claimed in the preceding claims, the wheels are provided with manual or electric mobility aids.

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