Walking Cane With Motorized Armrest and Deployable Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional canes do not adequately support users who need to lean on them for extended periods, as they lack a stable armrest and deployable legs, making them unsafe for prolonged use, especially in poorly lit areas where visibility is an issue.
Innovation Solution
A cane with a motorized armrest and deployable legs featuring uniquely configured feet and LED/reflective tape for enhanced visibility, allowing users to safely lean on the armrest and distribute their body weight, with a reversible motor for easy operation and adjustable height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional cane is used, then it is simple and easy to use, but it cannot adequately support a person's weight when leaning
Solution Approach 1:
The cane employs deployable legs that transition from a retracted state during walking to an extended support configuration when the user needs to rest. The legs are pivotally attached to a collar that slides on the central shaft, allowing the structure to dynamically adapt between single-point contact and multi-point support modes, thereby providing weight-bearing capability only when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The support function is divided into separate deployable leg components rather than being integrated into the main shaft. Each leg can be independently deployed and positioned, with the knee brace mechanism controlling their extension. This segmentation allows the cane to maintain simplicity during normal use while providing distributed support when required.
2Strength
If a walker-type cane with four legs is used, then it can support a person's weight, but it is bulky and cumbersome to use
Solution Approach 1:
The cane transitions between a compact single-point contact configuration during walking and an extended multi-point support configuration when resting. The deployable legs remain retracted during normal use, maintaining ease of operation, and are only deployed when the user needs to lean on the armrest, thereby eliminating the bulkiness of traditional walkers during active use.
Solution Approach 2:
The support legs are nested within or alongside the central shaft when not in use, similar to a telescoping structure. The legs pivotally attach to a collar that slides on the shaft, allowing them to be stored compactly along the length of the cane rather than extending outward permanently, thus reducing bulk during normal operation.
3Strength
If manually deployable knee brace is used, then it can provide support, but it is difficult to deploy particularly for elderly or infirm users
Solution Approach 1:
The manual knee brace mechanism is replaced with an automated motorized system that senses when the user leans on the armrest and automatically deploys the support legs. This substitution eliminates the need for the user to manually operate complex deployment mechanisms, making the cane accessible to elderly or infirm individuals who lack the strength or dexterity for manual deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cane performs the deployment action automatically in response to the user's weight shift onto the armrest. The motorized system detects the leaning motion and independently executes the leg deployment without requiring user intervention, thereby serving itself to provide support rather than requiring the user to activate the support mechanism.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional cane without visibility features is used, then it is simple in design, but passersby often collide with it in poorly-lit areas
Solution Approach 1:
The cane incorporates LED lights and reflective tape on its structure, particularly on the deployable legs and armrest. These optical elements change the cane's visual properties by emitting light or reflecting ambient light, making the cane highly visible in dark or poorly-lit areas without fundamentally altering its mechanical structure or functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A cane includes an elongated shaft having an upper end and a lower end. The shaft is formed of at least two telescoping, adjustable sections that allow the height of the shaft to be selectively varied. Near the upper end of the shaft is a motorized armrest that can be raised to a horizontal position to support a user's arm or elbow. Slidably mounted on a lower portion of the shaft is a deployable leg assembly for firmly bracing the cane when a user leans on the armrest. Accordingly, if a user wishes to rest, he or she deploys the leg assembly and raises the armrest allowing the cane to easily support the user's body weight. When the armrest and leg assembly are collapsed, the cane may be used in a conventional fashion.