Standing Aid with Spring-Legs for Kneeling Transitions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobility aids do not effectively assist individuals in transitioning between standing and kneeling positions, as they fail to distribute body load efficiently, leading to increased strain and instability during these movements.
Innovation Solution
A standing aid comprising a stanchion, a plurality of supporting legs, and a handle, which forms a load path to transfer body weight, utilizing spring-like supporting legs with a non-skid pedestal to maintain stability and facilitate easier movement between standing and kneeling positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing mobility aids are used, then basic support is provided, but they fail to distribute body load efficiently, leading to increased strain and instability
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting surface is divided into multiple discrete support points (feet of the supporting legs) rather than a single contact point. This segmentation distributes the body load across multiple locations, improving both stability and ease of movement by reducing pressure concentration and allowing better balance control during transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting legs incorporate springs that allow dynamic adjustment of support characteristics. The spring mechanism adapts to the user's movement phase, providing appropriate support stiffness during different stages of the transition from standing to kneeling, thereby improving both stability and ease of operation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid supporting structure is used, then stability is improved, but strain during movement transitions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting legs change their mechanical parameter (stiffness) dynamically through the spring mechanism. During static phases, the structure maintains high stability, while during movement transitions, the springs allow controlled deformation to reduce strain on the user's body, effectively decoupling structural stability from movement comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring elements in the supporting legs provide preemptive cushioning by absorbing impact forces before they reach the user's body during transitions. This beforehand cushioning reduces the strain experienced by the user while maintaining overall structural stability.
3Device complexity
If load is concentrated on a single point, then device complexity is reduced, but strain and instability increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into multiple supporting legs with multiple feet, distributing the load across several contact points rather than a single point. This segmentation improves stability and reduces strain while maintaining relatively simple individual leg structures, balancing complexity and performance.
4Ease of operation
If spring-like supporting legs are used, then load distribution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The springs change the mechanical parameters of the supporting legs, allowing dynamic adaptation to load and movement phase. This parameter change improves ease of movement by providing appropriate support characteristics throughout the transition, while the modular spring-leg design keeps the overall structure relatively simple.
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 standing aid enables efficient load distribution, reducing strain and improving stability during transitions by using a stanchion and spring-like supporting legs, allowing users to more easily move between standing and kneeling positions.
Implementation Method 1
spring-like supporting legs
Implementation Method 2
non-skid pedestal
Data Source
AI summary
The standing aid is a mobility assistance device. The standing aid is configured for use with a person. The person is further defined with a knee. The knee is further defined with a patella. The standing aid assists a person as the person moves in a manner selected from the group consisting of: 1) moving from a standing position to a kneeling position; and, 2) moving from a kneeling position to a standing position. The standing aid allows a person to transfer some of the load of their body to the supporting surface through a load path created by the standing aid. This transfer allows a person to more easily move in the selected manner. The standing aid comprises a stanchion, a plurality of supporting legs, and a handle. The plurality of supporting legs and the handle attach to the stanchion.