GB2110081A - Walking stick - Google Patents

Abstract

A walking stick especially for use by debilitated persons, comprises a handle (A) having a substantially V-shaped body with asymmetrical arms, the shorter of which extends from the upper end of the stick rod (B) in such a way that the axis (X) of the latter is substantially aligned with the user arm, during strolling about, the longer arm (2) of the handle V-shaped body sloping downwardly to the elbow of the V at an angle slightly smaller than a right angle with respect to the stick axis (X). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Walking sticks The present invention relates to walking sticks provided with anatomic handles and especially suitable for use by debilitated people.

The standard type of simple walking stick, either made of wood or of a metal has disadvantages, even for able bodied persons. For example, it is impossible to adjust the length of such sticks to suit the user's needs. Moreover, the resting force put on such a stick by a recooperating person is comparatively high, and because of the type of handle, the user's hand can become tired and thus the user lessens their grip on the handle.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a walking stick, particularly for debilitated persons, characterized in that the handle thereof consists of a substatially V-shaped body, having asymmetrical arms, the shorter whereof is effective to hold at one end thereof said stick body or rod in such a way that the axis of the latter is substantially aligned with the user arm, during the strolling about.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a walking stick, espe ciaily one suitable for debilitated users, wherein the stick has a handle which is generally V-shaped with asymetrical arms of the V, the shorter arm of the V extending from the stick to the elbow of the V and the handle being configured such that, with the longer arm of the V grasped in a user's hand for use when walking, the stick is substantially aligned with the user's arm.

The walking stick of the present invention can be made lightweight and has good balancing characteristics. The handle may have a large surface effective to prevent high concentration of pressures on the user's palm.

The stick may be made adjustabie in length in order to facilitate the strolling about.

The stick may include fittings such as lighting, reflecting and/or phosphorescent means effective both to allow the user to see and be seen. The stick may include a multiple use ferrule or metal point effective to provide a firm grip on the ground.

An example of a walking stick according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a partially sectioned side view of the walking stick according to the invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinally-sectioned fragmentary side view of the stick, as provided with a removable ferrule or metal point; Figure 3 illustrates, on an enlarged scale, the stick handle as seen from the left in Fig.

1; Figure 4 is a vertically sectioned side view of the stick handle; and Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are cross-section views of the handle taken respectively along the lines V-V; VI-VI; VII-VII; VIII-VIII; and IX-IX of Fig. 4.

With reference the drawings wherein like elements are indicated by like reference characters, at A there is illustrated the walking stick handle, holding, as it will be described in a more detailed way hereinafter, the stick rod B.

The handle A is advantageously made of a molded material and consists of a substantially V-shaped body having asymmetrical arms, the longer of which, indicated at 2, is of trapezium-like cross-section with convex faces, with the base of the trapezium forming the top of the handle on which the user's palm rests. This surface with the stick vertical, is slanted downwardly, toward the front portion of the handle, and forms with the axis x-x of the rod B an angle a which is slightly less than 90 , and preferably approximately 75'. On the end portion 6 there is a reflecting surface which makes stick user visible to vehicles at night. The handle may be attached to a strip for securing the stick to the user wrist.

The body of the handle A consists of two substantially mirror image halves, preferably made of a moulded plastics material, and which when coupled together define a plurality of recesses effective to house removably a light source 8 which is downwardly oriented and a battery for energizing the light. The battery is housed in a suitable recess formed in the arm 2 of the handle.

The light source 8 is fixed on a bushing 10 which is force resiliently engaged, or screw engaged, in a related opening transversely formed with respect to the shorter arm of the handle body and which is held by a spring biased cover member 12, slidingiy engaged with said bushings on the opposite side to the lamp 8 and operating a switch provided by said bushing.

The shorter arm 1 4 of the stick handle A holds the end 1 6 of a metal guiding tube 1 8 which latter engages with ribs 20 in the inside of the arm 1 4 of the handle A. A second tube 22, which forms the rest of the stick, is telescopically engaged with the guiding tube 18.

In the Fig. 26 indicates a sleeve for locking the telescopic rods 18-22 together after they have been set the desired length by means of the engaging holes 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 and blade spring 30 and pin 32 and indicated at 28 is a ferrule or metal point force fitted on the lower end of the rod 22.

With this end is a rigid perforated small cylinder 62. The lower end thereof 66 is notched in such a way as to provide a firm grip on the ground, especially if the latter is frozen.

In Fig. 2 the metal guiding tube 1 8 slidin gly houses in the inside thereof the second tube 22 which latter, in the inner cavity or recess thereof, includes a blade spring 30 to one end of which pin member 32 is affixed effective to be inserted, depending on the needs, into any one of the holes 34, 36, 38 formed in the rod 22. There are preferably three such holes which are arranged helically on the wall of the tube, evenly spaced from one another by axial pitch N.

The rod 1 8 comprises a plurality of holes 40, 42, 44... which are aligned on a generating line and are generally indicated at 24 in Fig. 1.

These holes, being spaced from one another by a pitch M which is a multiple of N, allow for coarse and fine adjustment of the length of the stick to be performed by amounts equal to M or fractions N of M, by suitably combining the coupling of the holes respectively formed on the mentioned portions 18-22 of the stick.

Upon having selected the most suitable length the tubular portions 18-22 are fixed to one another by screwing on the sleeve 26 which engages with threads 50 formed at the end of the rod 1 8 and acting in such a way as to clamp the split ring gasket 52 by means of the slanted seat 54.

On the sleeve 26 there is moreover provided a ring of several phosphorescent dots 56, effective to allow for the stick to be easily seen in the dark.

The tube 22 has at its lower end an inside thread with which a threaded cylindrical block 62 engages which in turn holds a ferrule or metal point 64 provided with teeth 66 for providing a good grip on the ground, and which is screwed on the thread 68 of said block. Finally, on the metal point or ferrule, it is possible to apply by a force fitting the rubber removable ferrule 28, having an enlarged base including a concavity 29 to provide a good adhesion on smooth surfaces or in the presence of small unevenesses.

In Figs. 3, the number 4 indicates the upper or top face of the stick handle A (see also Fig. 1), which is of greater dimension at the rear portion in order to provide a resting zone not tearing the user hand palm, and which is tapering at the front zone 5 in order to provide an efficient and sure grip.

The shorter arm of the handle A which, in this Fig., vertically extends, is tapering downwardly for engaging the end 1 6 of the rod 1 8 of the telescopic stick B; 8a indicates the opening downwardly facing of the light source 8.

Fig. 4 illustrates the inside of one of the two plastics material shells which form the handle A; these shells are stiffened internally by ribs 7 which suitably form also the seats for housing the mentioned fittings, such as the light source 8, held by a bushing 10 force fitted into or screwed on a corresponding seat and provided, at one end thereof, with a flange 1 2 therein an annular groove 1 3 is formed effective to receive a rubber sealing gasket for preventing moisture from penetrating; this same thing is obtained on the opposite side by means of a gasket 15, therein there is force fitted the periphery of the lamp 8.

The power source for the lamp 8 is located in a suitable tube 3, located within the hollow of the longer arm of the handle A; more specifically the batteries can be introduced from the rear of the handle by removing the cover 6 force engaged with teeth 9 and provided, on the outer face thereof, with a reflecting surface, as described. In the shorter arm of the handle the ribs 20a form a seat 21 acting as an abutment and effective to hold the end 1 6 of the tube 18 of the stick B, said seat being provided with a notch 23 inserted into a corresponding tooth 25 formed on said ribs and effective to prevent rotation; said end 1 6 is further affixed by means of a side screw 17.

The upper or top face 4 of the handle is downwardly slanted towards the front portion of the stick and forms an angle a less than 90 with the axis of said stick, said angle being preferably of 75 .

This suitably designed inclination causes the axis of the stick B to be substantially aligned with the user arm during the strolling about.

Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 illustrate in succession the variations of the shape of the handle A, at the mentioned cross-section positions.

in these Figs. it is possible to note the two shells 70-72 forming the handle, which are coupled to one another by means of an adhe sive, at diametrically opposite positions, thereby providing a fixed joint 74-76.

In particular in Fig. 5 the number 1 6a indicates the portion of the end of the rod 1 8 fixed to the vertically extending shorter arm of the handle; in Fig. 6 the number 80 indicates the seats for the lamp bearing bushing and 82 indicates the bushing head flange; in Fig.

7 the section is of trapezoid shape which is preserved in the subsequent Figs. 8 and 9 wherein the greater side is the upper one, thereon the user rests; this side is the greater at the end section of Fig. 9 at the user hand palm position.

Claims (16)

1. A walking stick, particularly for debili tated persons, characterized in that the handle thereof consists of a substantially V-shaped body, having asymmetrical arms, the shorter whereof is effective to hold at one end thereof said stick body or rod in such a way that the axis of the latter is substantially aligned with the user arm, during the strolling about.

2. A walking stick, especially one suitable 'for debilitated users, wherein the stick has a handle which is generally V-shaped with asymmetrical arms of the V, the shorter arm of the V extending from the stick to the elbow of the V and the handle being configured such that, with the longer arm of the V grasped in a user's hand for use when walking, the stick is substantially aligned with the user's arm.

3. A walking stick as claimed in either of Claims 1 or 2, wherein with the stick vertical, the longer arm of the V slopes downwardly towards the elbow so as to form an angle slightly smaller than a right-angle with the vertical.

4. A walking stick as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, in which said longer arm of the V has a generally vertically symmetrical trapezium cross-section but with convex faces, the small base thereof being generally downwardly directed.

5. A walking stick as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the handle portion is adapted to house a light source arraged so as to be able to light the user's path when the stick is in use.

6. A walking stick as claimed in Claim 5 in which the handle portion comprises a pair of substantially mirror image halves which are joined together so as to form one or more recesses for removably housing a power source and the light source, said light source being carried by one end of a bushing which is removably engaged in a respective opening provided transversely through the shorter arm of said handle and being secured on the latter by a cover member slidingly engaged at the other end of said bushing to operate a switch effective to switch on and off said light source.

7. A stick according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the longer arm of said handle removably houses a supporting member for supporting and coupling power sources to one another and to said light source, said longer arm being provided, at one end thereof, with a reflecting surface, preferably of the catadioptric type, effective to provide a warning reflector.

8. A walking stick, according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the stick is at least partially tubular and comprises two or more members telescopically engaging one another and means for locking the telescopic members together adjustably so that the length of the stick can be varied to suit the user's needs.

9. A walking stick as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the locking means comprises a pin spring-loaded by a blade spring and insertable into any of a number of holes arranged in a spiral fashion through the inner telescopic member with a pitch N between the holes in the axial direction of the stick.

1 0. A walking stick as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the outer telescopic member is formed with a plurality of holes, aligned along the member, the pin being engaged in any one of said holes in the outer member said holes being spaced from one another by a pitch M which is preferably a multiple of said pitch N.

11. A walking stick as claimed in Claim 10, wherein said outer member is threaded at that end thereof from which the inner member projects, the locking means further including a sleeve threadedly engaging the outer member and operable to clamp the telescopic members of the stick after the length of the stick has been adjusted.

1 2. A walking stick as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the sleeve clamping the telescopic members is provided, at the top thereof, with a ring member provided with light emitting portions effective to allow for the stick to be seen in the dark.

1 3. A walking stick as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 1 2 wherein telescopic members are made of a light metal.

14. A walking stick as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lower end of the stick is provided with a radially notched metal block effective to grip on frozen surfaces by means of metal points.

1 5. A walking stick as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 1 3 further including a cap member made, at least in part, of a resilient material force fitted on the lower end of the stick to improve grip with the ground.

16. A walking stick substantially as here it before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.