Ball joint handle, especially for walking sticks and walking sticks containing it
The walking stick with a ball-joint handle and elastically deformable wrist strap addresses the limitations of traditional walking sticks by maintaining thrust effectiveness and reducing hand and wrist fatigue, enhancing walking efficiency and safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2022012622
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-12-01
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-20
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-12-01
AI Technical Summary
Traditional walking sticks have limitations in thrust effectiveness due to mechanical constraints, primarily the anatomical constitution of the wrists and the angle of rotation of the stick, leading to discomfort and joint pathologies from excessive hand and wrist effort.
A walking stick with a ball-joint handle forming an obtuse angle, featuring an elastically deformable wrist strap and a knob that acts as a ball joint, allowing for a closely-knit unit with the user's wrist and hand, providing permanent elastic return and reducing strain.
The solution enhances walking efficiency and safety by maintaining thrust effectiveness beyond mechanical limits, reducing wrist and hand fatigue, and minimizing discomfort and joint pathologies.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Ball joint handle, in particular for a walking stick and walking stick comprising it
[0001] The present invention relates to a walking stick whose main purpose, when used in pairs, is to tend to propel a user's body forward when exerting a push on them, while accentuating the passive movements of the arms.
[0002] Walking is thus easier, by adding additional driving force, while making walking safer.
[0003] In a known manner, these sticks comprise a rod whose upper end forms a grip and whose lower end forms a support for exerting thrust towards the ground when walking.
[0004] The effectiveness of such poles nevertheless finds its limits by the fact that when the support, generally constituted by a point located at the rear, at the end of a stride and therefore at the end of the stroke, the thrust then becomes zero and the walker must throw the pole forward again to take a new support and take a new stride.
[0005] In fact, traditional walking sticks have a vertical rod to support walking, during a rotary movement around the axis formed by the tip and the morphological limits of the user.
[0006] This movement finds its mechanical limits in the anatomical constitution of the wrists and the angle of rotation of the stick in relation to the axis formed by the tip which is around 45 degrees, beyond which the push becomes ineffective. Furthermore, the verticality of the rod restores the force exerted on the handle without increasing its effectiveness.
[0007] By patent applications FRI800267 and FR1902890 filed by the applicant, these drawbacks have been remedied, but field tests have made it possible to make a certain number of improvements, in particular with regard to the ergonomics of the handle.
[0008] Indeed, according to the prior art, when the handle is associated with a wrist strap, the latter is always fixed on said handle, so that the user's wrist can slide freely thereon while walking.
[0009] This has the disadvantage of transferring all the effort of the hand onto the handle, the strap only playing a role of non-lossability, and the handle of the stick is held by the sole force of the wrist serving both as a joint and a shock absorber, which is the cause of multiple sources of discomfort and joint pathologies.
[0010] The present invention aims to remedy this drawback by protecting the wrist and hand from fatigue.
[0011] For this purpose, it relates to a walking stick comprising a rod, the upper end of which constitutes a gripping handle associated with a wrist strap and the lower end of which constitutes a support for exerting a thrust on the ground by a user during walking, said handle forming an obtuse angle (alpha), directed in the direction of walking and comprising at its upper part a knob intended to be housed in the palm of the user's hand, characterized in that said knob is located at the end of the handle, substantially in the longitudinal axis thereof and in that the wrist strap is constituted by an elastically deformable strap fixed on the handle, close to the knob and positioned so as to form a bracelet secured to the user's forearm at the level of his wrist, and the longitudinal axis of which merges substantially with that of said wrist, so that the knob; the elastic strap forming the wrist strap;the user's wrist and hand form a closely-knit unit, under permanent tension, variable according to the position of the stick while walking, to obtain a permanent elastic return of the latter.
[0012] The following description, given by way of example, will make the invention better understood.
[0013] [Fig.l] schematically represents a walking stick, cited as an example, which could also be made up of a ski stick, equipped with a ball-joint handle according to the invention, and its kinematics broken down into a first forward attack position A on the ground and a second rearward pushing position B, in the direction of walking M.
[0014] The [Fig.2] and
[0015] The [Fig.3]
[0016] represent side views, in perspective, respectively on enlarged scales, of the assembly: pommel, strap, wrist and hand of the user according respectively to positions A and B of [Fig.l],
[0017] [Fig.4] represents a bottom view, in perspective, of the assembly according to [Fig.2] or 3,
[0018] The walking stick 1 designated as a whole in [Fig.l] comprises a rod 2, the upper end of which constitutes a grip handle 3 associated with a wrist strap 4 and the lower end of which constitutes a support 5 for exerting a thrust on the ground “S” by a user during his walk “M”, said handle 3 forming an obtuse angle (alpha), directed in the direction of the walk “M” and comprises at its upper part a knob 6 intended to be housed in the palm 7 of the hand 8 of the user,
[0019] According to the invention, said knob 6 is located at the end of the handle 3, substantially in the longitudinal axis XX' thereof,
[0020] Furthermore, the wrist strap 4 is constituted by an elastically deformable strap fixed on the handle 3, close to the pommel 6 and positioned so as to form a bracelet secured to the forearm 9 of the user at the level of his wrist 10, and whose longitudinal axis YY' coincides substantially with that ZZ' of said wrist 10,
[0021] In this way, the pommel; the elastic strap forming the wrist strap 4; the wrist 9 and the hand 8 of the user, constitute a closely formed unit, under permanent tension, variable according to the position of the stick 1 during the walk "M", to obtain a permanent elastic return of the latter.
[0022] According to another characteristic of the invention, the knob 6 constituting the end of the handle 3 is of a shape adapted to the size of the palm 7 of the user's hand, fingers folded, thus forming a seat in which the knob 6 is able to slide, in the manner of a ball joint.
[0023] According to the present embodiment, the knob 6 is spherical in shape; but it could also be ovoid in shape (not shown).
[0024] Furthermore, the free ends of the bracelet forming the elastic strap, including the wrist strap 4, comprise means 11 for adjusting its length, to make it adaptable to the wrist 10 of the user, according to its morphology,
[0025] These means could be constituted, for example, by self-gripping elements or even by press studs,
[0026] According to a characteristic of the invention, the elastic strap 4 is fixed in a sliding manner in a corresponding slot 12 of the handle 3, oriented so that said strap 4 is positioned flat on the top of the wrist 10 of the user during walking “M”, whatever the position of the stick 1,
[0027] Advantageously, the knob 6 forming a ball joint is covered with a cap (not shown) of corresponding shape and dimensions, with play allowing it to slide relative to said knob 6, said cap forming a body with the palm 7 of the user's hand 8, during walking "M", to allow free movement of the knob 6 in the user's hand 8, without friction.
Claims
Claims
1. Walking stick (1) comprising a rod (2), the upper end of which constitutes a grip handle (3) associated with a wrist strap (4) and the lower end of which constitutes a support (5) for exerting a thrust on the ground (S) by a user during his walking (M), said handle (3) forming an obtuse angle (alpha), directed in the direction of walking (M) and comprising at its upper part a knob (6) intended to be housed in the palm (7) of the hand (8) of the user, characterized in that said knob (6) is located at the end of the handle (3), substantially in the longitudinal axis (XX1) thereof and in that the wrist strap (4) is constituted by an elastically deformable strap fixed and positioned on the handle (3), close to the knob (6), in a sliding manner in a corresponding slot (12) of the handle (3),oriented so that said wrist strap (4) is positioned flat on the top of the user's wrist (10) during walking (M), whatever the position of the stick (1) so as to form a bracelet secured to the user's forearm (9) at the level of his wrist (10), and whose longitudinal axis (YY1) merges substantially with that (ZZ1) of said wrist (10), so that the pommel; the elastic strap forming the wrist strap (4); the wrist (10) and the hand (8) of the user, constitute a closely-knit assembly, under permanent tension, variable according to the position of the stick (1) during walking (M), to obtain a permanent elastic return thereof.
2. Stick according to claim 1, characterized in that the pommel (6) forming a ball joint is covered with a cap of corresponding shape and dimensions, with a clearance allowing it to slide relative to said pommel (6), said cap forming a body with the palm (7) of the user's hand (8), during walking (M), to allow free movement of the pommel (6) in the user's hand (8), without friction.