EP0726040A1

EP0726040A1 - Arrangement for attaching a crutch to a user

Info

Publication number: EP0726040A1
Application number: EP96850011A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ake Lindstedt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-02-01
Filing date: 1996-01-26
Publication date: 1996-08-14
Also published as: SE9500354D0; SE510387C2; SE9500354L

Abstract

Persons using crutches (3) with an underarm support (6) have difficulty when they wish to lay aside the crutch (3) which then usually falls to the ground, thereby causing inconvenience. This is avoided by means of an arrangement (7-12) comprising two parts (7-9, 10-11), one part (7-9) being secured to the crutch (3) and the other part (10-11) to the user of the crutch (3).

Description

The present invention relates to an arrangement for support member. A support member may be a walking stick, staff, crutch or the like. The support member to be discussed is a crutch with lower-arm support. When the user wishes to lay aside such a crutch, it then usually has a tendency to fall to the floor or ground, thereby causing a troublesome situation since a person using a crutch is not generally able to bend down.
According to the present invention an arrangement is created which prevents the crutch from falling, i.e. the crutch is under all circumstances within reach of the user. This is practically realized according to the invention by means of an arrangement having two parts, one part being in the form of a sleeve with an axial opening enabling the sleeve to be clamped onto a stick which generally has a cylindrical cross section. The sleeve thus consists of flexible material. The arrangement has a second part which can be attached to the user of the support member. The second part may thus be attached to a belt, pocket, button or the like.
The sleeve is preferably made of plastic shaped so that the free side ends of the sleeve can be bent out and grip a support member with clamping action. The sleeve may also consist of two parts joined by a hinge or the like which are influenced by a spring in order to obtain said clamping action.
The second part of the arrangement may consist of a flap folded down, the inner side of which is opposite said part. The flap enables the first part to be hooked onto a belt, pocket or the like.
The outer surface of said flap may be provided with a Velcro ® strip intended to cooperate with a second Velcro ® strip worn by the user. Said second Velcro ® strip may be applied in one way or another on a belt, and in that case preferably on the outer surface of a sleeve applied on the belt.
Said two Velcro ® strips may be replaced by two units having the ability to achieve locking by means of snap action.
Said one part of the arrangement may be provided with a connecting member such as a string, cord or the like, attachable to the user of the support member. The purpose of the string or connecting member is to enable a user of the support member, when sitting down in a chair, to place the support member a certain distance away from him.
The appended claims define further characteristic features of the invention.
The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

Figure 1: shows a user of the support member as the support member is falling,
Figure 2: shows the user of the support member with an attachment arrangement,
Figure 3: shows both parts of the attachment arrangement,
Figure 4: shows one part of the attachment arrangement,
Figure 5: shows both parts of the attachment arrangement,
Figure 6: also shows both parts of the attachment arrangement, and
Figure 7: shows an alternative embodiment of the attachment arrangement.

The drawings show first a person 2 standing at a counter with a crutch 3 which, due to its construction, has a considerable tendency to fall to the ground, greatly due to the crutch 3 having a lower-arm support 6 causing it to be unbalanced in an attempt to hang the crutch on the surface of the counter by means of the hand-hold 5. The arrangement to prevent a crutch falling down comprises a first part 7 consisting of a sleeve with an axial opening. The sleeve is suitably made of plastic so that it can be pressed onto a stick 3, remaining in place by virtue of its spring properties. The sleeve 7 may also be made of metal, but in that case in two parts joined together in suitable manner, such as by a hinge, the desired clamping action around the stick 3 being obtained by means of a spring. Figure 3 shows that the sleeve 7 has an attachment 8 and to this is attached a strip of metal which has been bent. Thanks to the metal being bent, the flap 9 can be hooked over the edge of a pocket. The outer surface of the folded part can be provided with a Velcro ® strip. In such a situation the Velcro ® strip must cooperate with a Velcro ® strip applied on the user 2. Figure 6 shows an attachment 11 with a second Velcro ® strip. This attachment is suitably arranged on a belt 10 worn by the user. Bringing the two Velcro ® strips into contact with each other will ensure that the crutch is retained sufficiently firmly.
In Figure 4 the flap part is replaced by a Velcro ® strip 9' and said Velcro ® strip is brought directly into contact with, for instance, the Velcro ® strip 11 mentioned earlier, arranged on a belt. Naturally the Velcro ® strip on the belt may be arranged on some other suitable item of clothing worn by the user.
It is advisable to allow the part 7 to be joined by a connecting member such as a chain or a string of some considerable length, which can be secured to the user 2, as shown in Figure 6. The connecting member is designated 12. This string 12 enables the user to sit down in a chair and place the crutch some distance away, but without losing the crutch or having to bend down and try to pick up the crutch from the floor.
Figure 7 shows another alternative for joining the two parts in the arrangement, the two Velcro ® strips having been replaced by a hole 13 and a peg 14 which together form a lock by means of a snap closure.
The present invention thus provides an aid for persons having to use crutches, by means of which the crutch is attached to the user when he/ she desires to lay aside the crutch.

Claims

An arrangement for support member for a person, said member having a handhold and an end portion for cooperation with a surface such as a floor, which arrangement is intended to avoid the support member falling to the surface, said support member consisting of a walking stick, a crutch or the like, but preferably a crutch with lower-arm support,
characterized by an arrangement (7-12) having a first part (7-9) detachably attachable to the support member (3), said part (7-9) preferably being in the form of a sleeve (7) with an axial opening enabling the sleeve (7) to be forced onto the support member by means of a clamping action, and having a second detachably attachable part (10-11) on the user (2) of the support member (3), said part being attachable to an article of clothing, a belt (10) or the like.
An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said first part (7-9) is provided with a flap constituting said second part (7-9), which flap is provided with a button-hole for attachment to a button worn by said user (2).
An arrangement as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said first part (7-9) is provided with a surface of the part (7-9) opposite a folded flange (9), the arrangement thus being able to be hooked onto a pocket or belt (10), for instance, worn by the user (2).
An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the outer surface of said flange (9) is provided with a Velcro ® strip 9' intended to cooperate with a second Velcro ® strip (11) worn by the user (2), said second strip (11) preferably being arranged on a belt (10).
An arrangement as claimed in one or more or the preceding claims, characterized in that said first Velcro ® strip 9' is arranged directly on said first part (7-9) in the arrangement (7-12).
An arrangement as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two Velcro ® strips (9' and 11) are replaced by units (13, 14) able to form a snap closure.
An arrangement as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two parts (7-9, 10-11) in the arrangement (7-12) are joined together by means of a connecting member (12) such as a string so that the parts (7-9, 10-11) may be situated at a distance from each other.