L-Shaped Mobility Aid Leveraging Offset Section for Standing Assistance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobility aids for persons with difficulty standing from a seated position or vice versa often require significant effort and can cause instability, particularly for heavier or more immobile individuals, leading to potential falls and injuries for both the user and the helper.
Innovation Solution
A lifting/assisting device with a rigid elongated member featuring an offset section and lateral grasping members, allowing the helper to pivot and apply force efficiently, providing lateral stability and reducing the risk of injury through ergonomic design and distribution of force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a straight cane-like device is used for assisting persons to stand or sit, then the device structure is simple, but the device provides insufficient lifting force for heavy or very immobile persons and causes instability
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs an asymmetric L-shaped configuration where a vertical shaft provides structural support while a horizontal offset section creates mechanical leverage. This asymmetric design allows the device to generate sufficient lifting force for heavy or immobile persons by positioning the grasping member at a distance from the pivot point, creating a lever arm that multiplies the assisting force without requiring complex mechanical systems
2Reliability
If a two-person assist device is used to facilitate standing or seating, then the device can assist persons who cannot move alone, but the helper experiences difficulty lifting heavy persons and the person being assisted experiences instability
Solution Approach 1:
The device provides more than minimal assistance by creating a mechanical advantage that amplifies the helper's force. The L-shaped geometry with its offset section acts as a lever, allowing the helper to apply force at one end while generating greater lifting force at the grasping member, thereby providing excessive action that ensures both stability and ease of operation for all users
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid L-shaped device serves as an intermediary between the helper and the person being assisted. It transmits and transforms the helper's force through its lever arm, converting a manageable force applied by the helper into sufficient lifting force while simultaneously providing a stable grasping point for the assisted person, thus mediating the interaction and ensuring safety for both parties
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device facilitates safe and stable transitions between seated and standing positions by leveraging mechanical advantages and ergonomic design, reducing the risk of falls and lower back injuries for both the helper and the person being assisted.
Implementation Method 1
the helper exerting a force to move the elongated member in a direction away from the seated person and pivoting about the first proximal end of the device; wherein continued movement of the elongated member raises the seated person from a seated position to a standing position
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus that is configured to assist a helper to move a seated person from a first, seated position to a second, standing position, includes a lifting/assisting device, the lifting/assisting device being comprised of: a rigid elongated member, the elongated member having a longitudinal axis, a first proximal end and a second distal end, the first proximal end being adapted for being positioned on a floor; an offset section, the offset section being offset from the longitudinal axis a distance X and being located along the elongated member between the first proximal end and the second distal end; and, a lateral grasping member for the person, the grasping member being positioned distally of the offset section; a second offset member, the second offset member being of a dimension to approximately match the first offset section; and, a grab member positioned distally of the second offset member for use by the helper.