Stair climbing and descending aid device with flexible tension elements

Abstract

A device for assisting in ascending and descending stairs, comprising: a foot platform with a height lower than that of a stair step; and at least one flexible tension element connecting said foot platform to the user's upper body, in particular the hands, shoulders, torso, or neck, wherein the at least one flexible tension element is configured to allow the user to raise and move the foot platform from one step to another.

Description

Stair climbing and descending aid device with flexible tension elements Technical field Going up and down stairs can be challenging for older adults and those with reduced mobility due to factors such as decreased muscle strength, poor balance, joint pain, and reduced stamina. Existing solutions have limitations that make them less practical for everyday use. Description of the state of the art Several devices are known to assist in ascending and descending stairs. Patents WO1996012529A1, EP0768077A1, FR2810211A1, US5907913A, and DE102019001872A1 describe different types of platforms that are attached to the foot using straps and fasteners. However, these solutions have several drawbacks. The user must bend down or lift their foot to place the platform, which is uncomfortable and difficult for people with reduced mobility. If the platform is worn like a slipper, it doesn't require the use of hands, but the fastening may be insecure, which is dangerous when moving up and down stairs. Like footwear, the platform must be adjusted to the user's foot size, which necessitates producing different sizes and increases manufacturing costs. The platform can be heavy, adding extra strain to the foot. If it is made with lightweight and durable materials like those used in athletic shoes, the product's cost increases. US patents US3884327A, US4274430, DE3005482A1, US4844419, US5318057, W09934761A1, and JP2010162304A propose solutions based on walking sticks with a platform approximately half the height of a stair step. These solutions also present several drawbacks. When moving on flat surfaces, the user may not need a walking stick, as pain and discomfort occur primarily when ascending or descending stairs. However, the use of a walking stick in these devices makes them bulky and cumbersome for everyday use. Walking on flat surfaces with a walking stick that has a platform attached to the end is awkward and difficult. When the cane is tilted, the weight of the platform generates significant torque that tends to twist the cane in the user's hand, making it difficult to control and use effectively. If the platform is detachable from the cane and only attached when needed for use on stairs, the user must spend time attaching it each time, which is inconvenient and inefficient. The need for mechanisms to secure the platform to the cane complicates the design and increases the cost of the device. US4113161A and USD845012S1 describe a portable step with several flexible tensioning elements, designed solely for use with a single step and without sequential movement. The role of the flexible tensioning elements in ensuring the platform's stable position during use is not specified. The proposed invention addresses these drawbacks and aims to create a convenient, portable, compact, and cost-effective device for ascending and descending stairs. In our solution, the platform moves sequentially and is guided between the steps by at least one flexible tension element, or several flexible tension elements, which prevent the platform from tipping over or shifting, thus avoiding hindering or preventing the user's movement. We present embodiments for implementing the controlled sequential movement of the platform on stairs. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an axially symmetrical standing platform with a rope fixed to the center of its top panel. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a user holding the standing platform by one end of a flexible tension element. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a user lowering the standing platform to the ground. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a user stepping onto the standing platform. Figs. 5A-5D are a sequence of rear views of a user climbing stairs with an axially symmetrical standing platform with a rope fixed to the center of its top panel. Figs. 6A-6D are a sequence of detailed perspective views of the axially symmetrical standing platform. Figs.7A-7I are a sequence of rear views of a user climbing stairs with two standing platforms, one with a height equal to one third of the step height and the other with a height equal to two thirds of the step height. Fig. 8A is a perspective view of a user with a standing platform with elastic flexible tension elements. Fig. 8B is a perspective view of a standing platform with elastic flexible tension elements. Figs.9A-9C are a sequence of rear views of a user climbing stairs with a standing platform with elastic flexible tension elements. Figs.10A-10D are a sequence of perspective views of the steps for attaching an elastic cord to a plate-shaped piece. Figs. 11A-11C are perspective views of a universal standing platform designed for use with elastic flexible tension elements attached to the sides or with a non-elastic flexible tension element attached to the center of the platform's top panel. Detailed description of preferred embodiments A first preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 1. The height of the platform 1 is approximately half the height of a stair step. The platform 1 has an axis of symmetry 2. At least one flexible tension element 3 is fixed to the center of the upper surface of the platform. The other end of the tension element is held by the user. Anti-slip pads 4 are fixed to the upper panel of the platform 1. Elastic tubes 5 are arranged around the perimeter of the platform to cushion potential impacts with other hard surfaces. The user lifts the platform by holding one end of the flexible tension elements, as shown in Fig. 2, and places it on any horizontal surface, as shown in Fig. 3. The platform, suspended by the flexible tension elements in Fig. 2, can rotate around axis 2, which may be difficult for the user to control. However, the symmetrical shape of the platform and the central attachment of the tension element make this rotation non-critical, as it does not prevent the user from placing the platform in the desired location. After moving the platform, the user slightly lowers the hand holding the free end of the tension elements, reducing the tension, and steps onto the platform. The flexible tension element 3 bends and comes to rest partially under the user's foot, as shown in Fig. 4. The user sequentially moves the platform from one step to the next, stepping onto the platform on the previous step before moving to the next. Each individual movement raises or lowers the user approximately half the height of a step. This movement requires less effort than climbing the full height of a step, significantly reducing the load on the leg muscles and joints, and bending the knee joint less compared to stepping directly up a step. The sequence of actions for climbing stairs is shown in Figs. 5A-5D. The user stands facing the stairs with their right foot on the platform (Fig. 5A). They transfer their weight to their right foot and place their left foot on the first rung (Fig. 5B). Then, pushing off with their left foot, they lift their right foot and place it on the first rung of the stairs (Fig. 5C). With both feet on the first rung, the user moves the platform to the first rung (Fig. 5D). From this position, the user places their right foot back on the platform and repeats the cycle. Figure 6A shows the top of the axially symmetrical platform 1. Figure 6B shows its underside. Figure 6C shows the platform 1 with protective elastic tubes. An exploded view of the platform is shown in Figure 6D. The platform can be made of sheet material, such as plywood. The platform is assembled by inserting the tabs 6 of the side walls 7 into the holes 8 of the base 9 and the top panel 10, and securing the top panel 10 and the base 9 with countersunk screws 11 and nuts 12. To cushion potential impacts with the vertical and horizontal surfaces of the steps, the top panel 10 and the base 9 are provided with protrusions 13, onto which soft elastic tubes 14 are placed. To allow the user to release the free end of the flexible tension member from time to time, this end is attached to the user's upper body to prevent it from falling and to free the user from having to bend down to retrieve it. By releasing the free end, the user temporarily frees their hand to rest it on the stair handrail or the adjacent wall. The free end of the flexible tension members is secured by a wrist strap, a shoulder or neck strap, or another known method. The process of climbing stairs can be further facilitated by using two platforms, one approximately one-third the height of the step and the other approximately two-thirds. By alternately stepping on the lower platform, then the higher platform, and then the next step, the user divides the effort of climbing a step into three steps, with each step raising the body only one-third the height of the step. The left platform 15 (see Fig. 7A) is one-third the height of the step (lower platform), while the right platform 16 (see Fig. 7A) is two-thirds the height of the step (higher platform). In the starting position, the user places their left foot on the lower platform 15 (see Fig. 7A). They then transfer their weight to their left foot and place their right foot on the higher platform 16 (see Fig. 7B).Using the right foot for support, the user steps forward with the left foot onto the first rung (see Fig. 7C), followed by the right foot (see Fig. 7D). The user then reaches the first rung. To begin climbing to the second rung, both platforms must be moved to the first rung. Using tensioning element 17, the user lifts the lower platform 15 with the left hand (see Fig. 7E), steps onto it with the left foot (see Fig. 7F), and then, using tensioning element 18, lifts the upper platform 16 with the right hand and places it to the right of the right foot (see Fig. 7G). The position in Fig. 7G is similar to that in Fig. 7A, except that in Fig. 7G the user is on the first rung instead of the ground. The cycle is then repeated. The user places the right foot on the upper platform to the right (see Fig. 7H). The position in Fig. 7H is the same as in Fig. 7B, but now one step higher. In Fig.71, the user places their left foot on the second step, repeating the position in Fig. 7C at a new height. The user ascends the stairs with minimal effort, each movement raising them only one-third of the height of a step. In the first preferred embodiment of the invention, the user first moves the platform and then their feet. In the second preferred embodiment, the foot platform is attached to one of the user's feet by elastic, flexible tension elements (Figs. 8A-8B) and moves synchronously with the foot. This reduces the number of steps the user needs to take when ascending or descending stairs. The rectangular platform 20 is attached to the sides by two elastic cords 21 and 22, made, for example, of rubber or silicone. Cords 21 and 22 converge and are attached to a handle 23. The length of the cords is chosen so that when the user holds the handle 23 (Fig. 8A) and their foot is on the platform 20, the elastic cords are under tension. The elastic force of these cords presses the platform 20 against the user's foot.Thanks to this force and the anti-slip stickers 25 attached to the top panel 24, friction is generated between the foot and the platform, securing the foot to the platform 20. The handle 23 allows the user to slightly adjust the angle of the ropes 21 and 22 relative to the top panel of the platform and hold them so that this angle is as close to 90° as possible. In this position, the pressure force of the platform against the foot, and therefore the friction, is maximized, allowing the user to move the foot along with the platform as if it were rigidly attached. At the same time, the user barely feels the weight of the platform, as it is offset by the elastic force of the ropes, which is transferred via a shoulder strap 26. In this way, constant contact is maintained between the platform and the user's foot. When ascending stairs with platform 20, in the initial position (Fig. 9A), the user's left foot is on the ground, and the right foot is on the platform, which is also on the ground. The user transfers their weight to the right foot and places the left foot on the first step (Fig. 9B). Then, shifting their weight onto their left foot, the user moves their right foot along with the platform to the first step (Fig. 9C). The cycle is repeated. In this embodiment, the platform moves in sync with the user's foot, unlike the first embodiment, in which the movements were asynchronous. Although Figs.7A-7I and 9A-9C illustrate the process of ascending, the same sequence of actions can be reversed to descend stairs, thus minimizing the height of each descent and the associated physical effort. In other embodiments of the invention, the handle may be absent, and the flexible elastic tensioning elements may be directly attached to a wristband, shoulder strap, or belt. The essential aspect here is that the flexible elastic tensioning elements are tensioned between the platform and some point on the user's upper body, ensuring that the platform is secured to the foot. The platform 20 is also structurally made of sheet material, such as plywood. Elastic tubes 27 protect the platform 20 from impacts, similarly to the tubes 14 in the first embodiment. Elastic cords 21 and 22 are fixed in circular holes in the top panel 24. The fastening principle is illustrated in Figs. 10A-10D. The diameter of the hole in the material 28 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the round elastic cord 29 (Fig. 10A). When a segment of the cord 29 is stretched (Fig. 10B), its diameter decreases so that it can be inserted into the hole 31 through a groove 30 (Fig. 10C). When the tension is released, the diameter increases again (Fig. 10D). As a result, friction is generated between the outer surface of the cord 29 and the inner surface of the hole 31 at the point of contact, ensuring a firm connection.In other embodiments, flat elastic tubes or tapes can also be used as flexible tensioning elements. Figures 11A-11C show an embodiment in which the platform 32 is axially symmetrical and has a hole 33 in the center for attaching an elastic cord 34, similar to the first embodiment, and holes 35 in the top panel for attaching tension elements 36, as in the second embodiment. This allows the user to use the same platform in both the asynchronous movement mode of the first embodiment and the synchronous movement mode of the second. Figures 5A-5D, 7A-7I, and 9A-9C illustrate stair ascent processes. The same platforms can be used similarly for descent. When descending, the user first steps onto the platform and then onto the next lower step, reducing the height of each downward movement. These models are simple to manufacture, compact, convenient to use, and suitable for different user groups. Although certain novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are set forth in the appended claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details mentioned above, since it is understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the illustrated device and in its operation may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. Without further analysis, the above reveals the essence of the present invention in a sufficiently complete manner for others, using current knowledge, to easily adapt it to various applications without losing features that, from the point of view of the state of the art, constitute essential properties of the general or specific aspects of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for assisting in ascending and descending stairs, comprising: a standing platform with a height lower than that of a stair step; and at least one flexible tension element connecting said standing platform to the user's upper body, in particular the hands, shoulders, torso, or neck, wherein the at least one flexible tension element is configured to allow the user to raise and move the standing platform from one step to another.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flexible tension element is connected to the user's upper body by a handle. 3.A device according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of said foot platform has a geometric center, and a single flexible tension element is connected at said geometric center, such that any rotation of the platform about a vertical axis passing through said center does not force the user to change the position of their foot when stepping on the platform.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the flexible tension elements comprises an elastic portion configured to exert a pulling force on the foot platform towards the user's foot, maintaining the foot platform in contact with said foot during movement of the foot.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the flexible tension elements is connected to the user's shoulder by means of a shoulder strap. 6.A device according to claim 1, wherein the foot platform is made of sheet material, such as plywood or plastic, and comprises prefabricated components that can be joined together by means of projections, corresponding holes, and screws.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the inner and, optionally, the upper surface of said foot platform comprises projections on which elastic tubes are placed to cushion the impact of the platform on the steps of the ladder.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one flexible tensioning element comprises a round elastic cord, and wherein said elastic cord is fixed to the upper surface of the foot platform by inserting it through lateral grooves into circular holes of a diameter smaller than that of the cord.