Walking Aid Bellows Foot for Slip and Floor Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing walking aids, such as crutches and canes, face challenges in providing adequate ground engagement to prevent slipping without damaging surfaces and in maintaining comfort by minimizing twisting resistance, while also requiring resilience to absorb axial loads and lateral bending, which is often compromised by complexity and susceptibility to wear and dust penetration.
Innovation Solution
A walking aid with a pleated bellows section at its ground-engaging end, which is axially compressible and laterally bendable, providing a high degree of stability and damping through a sealed design that allows for vertical movement and rotation, and can be integrated with a tread pattern for enhanced grip, constructed from materials like rubber or plastics for durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a small ground-engaging surface such as a spike or narrow ferrule is used, then the engagement between the base of the walking aid and the ground surface is adequate to prevent slipping, but it may cause damage to floors, carpets or the like
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and parameters of the foot material from rigid to resilient/compliant. The foot is made of elastomeric material that can deform under load, distributing pressure over a larger area and time period, thereby preventing floor damage while maintaining adequate ground engagement force.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient foot material acts as a cushioning element that absorbs and distributes the concentrated force before it reaches the ground surface. This beforehand cushioning prevents the harmful effect of floor damage while preserving the necessary gripping force.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a high friction surface, larger area pad is used, then floor damage is prevented, but the degree of grip depends very strongly on the angle between the support surface and the longitudinal axis of the cane or stick
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic capability through the resilient foot that can deform and adapt to different angles of application. The foot's compliance allows it to maintain effective ground engagement across a range of angles, making the walking aid adaptable to various user positions and ground conditions.
3Force
If the greater resistance of the foot slipping is provided, then the greater resistance of the cane to twisting is achieved, but it makes for discomfort in use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the foot into multiple lobes that can independently deform and rotate. This segmentation allows the foot to provide slipping resistance through friction while permitting controlled twisting rotation, reducing discomfort during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient material properties allow the foot to change its effective friction characteristics during rotation. The material can maintain high friction for slipping prevention while allowing controlled rotational movement, balancing grip and comfort.
4Strength
If resilient feet with telescoping arrangement and internal spring are provided, then axial load absorption is achieved, but the constructions are complex and susceptible to failure on account of wear and tear, or the penetration of dust and grit into moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex internal spring mechanism from the resilient foot design and replaces it with a simpler elastomeric material solution. The resilient material inherently provides axial load absorption through its material properties without requiring moving parts, eliminating wear and dust penetration issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric foot is designed as a simple, maintenance-free component that can be easily replaced if worn, rather than a complex mechanical assembly requiring maintenance. This approach prioritizes reliability and simplicity over long service life of individual components.
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 pleated bellows section effectively absorbs axial loads, reduces slipping risk, and maintains stability across various angles, while the sealed design and materials used enhance durability and resistance to wear and dust penetration, providing a comfortable and reliable walking aid experience.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient section which is both axially compressible and laterally bendable
Implementation Method 2
absorb resiliently an axial load applied to the shaft
Implementation Method 3
The bellows section is sealed and is located intermediate a socket designed to fit on to the shaft
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
Walking aids are described which are of simple construction but which allow for both resilience, i.e. the part of the walking aid which is gripped by the user and the ground-engaging end (3) can be resiliency pressed together, as well as a degree of angular flexibility so that the end (3) stays aligned with the ground even if the stick, crutch or the like (1) is angled relative thereto. This is achieved in particular by the use of a bellows structure (2) between the shaft (1) of a walking aid and a ground-engaging foot (3).