Lockable Castor Mechanism for Controlled Walker Gait Training
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of walking support apparatuses face difficulty in producing controlled leg movements and gait patterns, especially those with disabilities, due to the challenge of managing the frame and maintaining an unnatural gait, which can lead to detrimental physiological effects.
Innovation Solution
A castor with a direction lock mechanism that allows swiveling in one state and inhibits swiveling in another, enabling the user to train specific muscle groups by restricting movement to pre-defined directions, such as forward and side-to-side, through a locking mechanism comprising a resiliently biased pin and apertures on a swivelable wheel assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the castor allows free swiveling movement, then the user can move in different directions easily, but the user cannot train specific muscle groups or control gait pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The castor incorporates a locking mechanism that can dynamically switch between two states: unlocked (allowing free swiveling for easy movement) and locked (restricting swivel to predefined directions for gait training). This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction by allowing the same castor to serve both mobility assistance and therapeutic gait training purposes
2Adaptability or versatility
If the castor body is locked in fixed orientation, then the gait pattern is controlled and muscle groups are trained, but the user cannot move in different directions freely
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism enables dynamic control where the castor can switch between fixed orientation (for gait training) and free swiveling (for directional movement). This resolves the contradiction by making the level of constraint adjustable based on therapeutic needs
3Adaptability or versatility
If a locking mechanism is added to the castor, then the gait pattern can be controlled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is implemented locally within the castor body using a pin and aperture system, rather than requiring complex external locking devices. The pin can engage with multiple apertures positioned at different orientations, providing directional control through a relatively simple local modification to the castor structure
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-contained within the castor assembly, with the pin and aperture system forming an integrated solution that does not require external complex mechanisms or additional power sources
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 castor's locking mechanism allows for controlled movement in desired directions, aiding in muscle training and reducing the risk of unnatural gait patterns, thereby improving user mobility and physiological outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
The pin might comprise a resiliently biased pin
Data Source
AI summary
A castor might comprise a castor body for coupling the castor to an apparatus, at least one wheel coupled to the castor body, wherein said wheel is operable to rotate about a wheel axis. The castor body might be configured to swivel about a swivel axis which is substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis such as to rotate the orientation of the wheel with respect to the swivel axis. A locking means might be configured to adopt at least first state and a second state. In the first state, the locking means might be configured to allow swivelling motion of the castor body about the swivel axis and in the second state the locking means might be configured to inhibit the swivelling motion of the castor body about the swivel axis such that the orientation of the castor wheel is locked relative to the swivel axis.