WO2007058180A1 - Ferrule of safety walking stick for blind - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] A ferrule of a safety walking stick for a blind person. The ferrule is less likely to be caught by a road surface, allowing the person to handle the stick easily and walk faster without getting tired. [MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS] The ferrule (3) has a mounting member (4) fitted to a rod part (2) of the safety walking stick (1) for a blind person, a disc-like elastic member (5) with a center hole forming part (5a) fitted in an hourglass-shaped part (4a) of the mounting member, and a shell member (7) secured to the outer surface of the elastic member (5) with an adhesive agent (8). Because the shell member (7) can be displaced and rotated in all directions, the ferrule can be avoided from being caught by a road surface.

Description

 Specification

 Blind safety cane stick

 Technical field

 [0001] The present invention relates to a stabbing of a blind safety cane used by a visually impaired person for walking.

 Background art

 [0002] Conventionally, as a butt for a blind safety cane, a butt made of a hard plastic lump at the end of a buttock made of light metal or fiber reinforced plastic is often used. Blind and other visually impaired users are walking while checking safety by repeatedly hitting the left and right feet with the blind safety cane on the road where the left and right feet are to land. It is important to lift quickly and walk slowly after hitting quickly to avoid striking the road surface. The main reason is that both the heel and the stone butt are rigid, and the axial force of the heel enters the unevenness of the road surface.

[0003] A conventional stabbing of a blind safety cane has a ball bearing that rotates in the axial direction of the buttocks, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-290433. The user meanders and moves forward while rolling the stone thruster left and right on the road surface. When the road surface is known continuously, there is an IJ point.

 [0004] Conventional blind safety canes include an example of Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-153127 in which a shaft and a stone butt are connected by a panel and wheels are combined. Such a blind safety cane has the advantage of softening the impact from the road surface and the advantage of a stable hitting of the stone.

 Disclosure of the invention

 Problems to be solved by the invention

 [0005] However, high technology and strong power are required to quickly move the blind safety cane. For this reason, the operation may be cumbersome and obscured, leading to a fall or fall accident. There was also a problem that he couldn't walk fast.

[0006] The direction of the rotation is determined by the stamen of the blind safety cane described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-290433. There was a problem! Because it rolls to the left and right to produce a rolling effect, it must be a wide road. There was also a problem of being unable to use and walking fast.

 [0007] The blind safety cane described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-153127 does not solve the problem that the direction of rotation is fixed. In addition, there was a problem with the stone thrusting in the direction of the thrusting force.

 [0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a stone thruster that realizes a blind safety cane that is easy to use, and can walk quickly without getting tired, because it is difficult to hit the road surface.

 Means for solving the problem

[0009] The stone thrusting according to the present invention, or the function or mechanism of the stone thrusting is a stone thrusting of the blind safety cane, an attachment member attached to the tip of the buttocks, an elastic member attached to the tip of the attachment member, And a shell member attached to the outer surface of the elastic member.

 The invention's effect

 [0010] The stone thruster according to the present invention is less likely to hit the road surface! /, Which has the effect of being able to realize a blind safety cane that is easy to use, can walk quickly without getting tired.

 BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

 FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the stone bump 3 according to the present invention. Blind safety cane 1 is used at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to road surface G. Since each part has a symmetric configuration with respect to the central axis of the collar 2 having a pipe shape, the description of the symmetric part is omitted. The flange 2 is fitted to the socket-type mounting member 4. A constricted portion 4a is formed at the tip of the mounting member 4, a stop portion 4b is formed at the tip, and a drain hole 4c is formed at the central axis. The mounting member 4 is made of a light plastic with strong elongation, such as nylon. A center hole forming portion 5 a at the center of the disk-like elastic member 5 is fitted into the constricted portion 4 a of the attachment member 4 and fixed with an adhesive 6. That is, the elastic member 5 is formed so as to be attached to the attachment member 4 and project around. The attachment 4 can be removed from the elastic member 5 by the stop 4b. The elastic member 5 is made of a soft and light material such as sponge-like chloroprene rubber.

The outer surface of the elastic member 5 is fixed to the inner surface of the shell member 7 with an adhesive 8. The shell member 7 is made of a light plastic, such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, which is less likely to wear and has less friction. Shoulder 7a hitting road surface G at an angle of 45 degrees is expected to decrease due to wear. Out. The tip force of the shell member 7 The center 7c on the central axis, which is half the length of the outermost diameter, substantially coincides with the position of the mounting member 4 to which the elastic member 5 is attached. Precisely, the elastic member 5 is configured to coincide when it is displaced by being pushed. In the unlikely event that water enters the inside of the shell member 7, a drain hole 7b is provided at the tip.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view for explaining the operation of the stone bump 3 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 (a) shows a case where the component of the force F is applied in the direction within the plate surface of the elastic member 5, that is, in the direction orthogonal to the central axis of the flange 2. Since the force F is the compression direction of the plate, the elastic member 5 is not easily deformed. For this reason, the position of the stone bump 3 with respect to the heel part 2 is unlikely to change, so the direction to know does not become inaccurate.

 FIG. 2 (b) shows a case where a component of force F is applied in the direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the elastic member 5, that is, in the bending direction of the plate. A plate protruding around the elastic member 5 or the like is easily deformed by a bending force. For this reason, the elastic member 5 can be bent and deformed, and the force in the axial direction of the flange 2 connected to the thrust force can be reduced. Furthermore, after the force F is lost, there is also an effect that the operation of raising the blind safety cane 1 can be facilitated by the recoil when the deformation returns. As the impact is reduced, wear of the shell member 7 is reduced, and the life of the heel part 2 is also increased. In addition, since the interior is hollow, it can be configured lightly, so there is also an effect that it can be operated easily and quickly.

 [0015] FIG. 2 (c) shows that when the shell member 7 is pushed by a stronger force in the direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the elastic member 5, for example, in the case of a moment, the user puts weight on the road surface G. The operation is shown. Since the elastic member 5 is greatly deformed and the stop portion 4b hits the shell member 7, the weight can be supported firmly.

[0016] FIG. 2 (d) shows a case where the shell member 7 protrudes from the protrusion P of the road surface G. In this case, a force that twists and deforms the elastic member 5 is applied through the shell member 7 around the center 7c, that is, the constricted portion 4a of the mounting member 4. A plate protruding around the elastic member 5 or the like is easily deformed by a twisting and rotating force. For this reason, the shell member 7 is temporarily rotated, and the portion of the outer surface of the shell member 7 that extends the shaft of the flange 2 moves to a position higher than the protrusion P. Can be diverted. After that, the torsional deformation is released at the moment when the force is loosened by reaction or the like, and can be prepared for the next protrusion. Each member is symmetrical about the central axis Therefore, since the same operation can be performed in all directions, there is no inconvenience for the user to worry about the direction. You can also use it by sliding on the road.

 FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining how to hold the blind safety cane 9 with the stone bump 3 according to the present invention. At the upper end of the heel part 2, a grip part 10 made of rubber that is strong against sliding is provided. The length of the heel part 2 is set so that it hits the road surface G at approximately 45 degrees when the user U holds it. The heel part 2 is provided with another grip part 11 made of soft and sponge rubber at a position where the user U can reach the hand with the blind safety cane 9 standing. Holding the grip 11 makes it easy to use the blind safety cane 9 as an upright, so it can be used even in crowded places.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of the stone bump 12 according to another embodiment. Since each part has a symmetric configuration with respect to the central axis of the collar part 2, description of the symmetric part is omitted. A center hole forming portion 13 a of the elastic member 13 is fitted into the tip of the mounting member 4 similar to that in FIG. 1 and fixed with an adhesive 14. The elastic member 13 has a folded portion 13b so as to be easily deformed. The outer peripheral portion 13 c is fixed to the inner surface of the shell member 15 with an adhesive 16. The elastic member 13 is made of a soft and light material such as dense chloroprene rubber. The shell member 15 is made of the same material as the shell member 7 of FIG. Since the structure in which the elastic member 13 projects to the periphery and the structure of the center 15a position of the shell member 15 are the same as those of the stone thrust 3 in FIG. Since the elastic member 13 has high strength, the elastic member 13 can be fixed by the adhesive 16 having a small area, and the shell member 15 can be shortened and lightened accordingly.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the stone bump 17 according to another embodiment. Since each part has a symmetric configuration with respect to the central axis of the collar part 2, description of the symmetric part is omitted. The center hole forming portion 18 a of the massive elastic member 18 is fitted into the tip of the mounting member 4 similar to FIG. 1 and fixed with the adhesive 19. The outer peripheral portion 18 b is fixed to the inner surface of the shell member 20 with an adhesive 21. The elastic member 18 is made of a very soft and light material, such as a dense styrene elastomer. The shell member 20 is the same material as the shell member 7 of FIG. Since the configuration in which the elastic member 18 projects from the mounting member 4 to the periphery and the configuration of the position of the center 20a of the shell member 20 are the same as those of the stone bump 3 in FIG. 1, the operation is the same. When the elastic member 18 is pressed very softly, it expands and deforms to the surroundings. Even if they are bonded, the operation is the same. Since there is no cavity, there is an advantage that there is no worry that the water inside freezes and does not move in a cold region where water does not enter inside.

 [0020] The shell member can be made of a strong metal such as thin stainless steel or a hard and tough ceramic such as zirconia, and can have a longer life. It is convenient to sell the stone thruster according to the present invention in a state where it is attached to a blind safety cane. It can also be configured to be attached to the buttock with a screw type or hook type only by the socket type in the embodiment. Furthermore, the function or mechanism of the stone thruster according to the present invention can be directly integrated with the blind safety cane. In the embodiment, the configuration is symmetric with respect to the central axis of the eaves portion. However, if the eaves portion can be held in a fixed direction, a member can be formed only on the side in contact with the road surface to reduce the weight. Applications such as the addition of a rotation function such as a ball bearing introduced in the previous examples are also possible, and in that case, further improvement in performance can be expected.

 Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a stone bump according to the present invention.

 FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of a stone bump according to the present invention.

 FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining how to hold a blind safety cane with a stone bumper according to the present invention.

 FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a stone bump according to another embodiment.

 FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a stone bump according to another embodiment.

 Explanation of symbols

 [0022] 1 Blind safety cane 2 Buttocks 3 Stone bump 4 Mounting member 4a Constriction 4b Stop 4c Drain hole 5 Elastic member 5a Center hole forming part 6 Adhesive 7 Shell member

7a Shoulder part 7b Drain hole 7c Center 8 Adhesive 9 Blind safety staff 10 Grip part 11 Grip part 12 Stone thrust 13 Elastic member 13a Center hole forming part 13b Folding part 13c Outer part 14 Adhesive 15 Shell member 15a Center 16 Adhesive 17 Stone bump 18 Elastic member 18a Center hole forming part 18b Outer part 19 Adhesive 20 Shell member 20a Center 21 Adhesive

Claims

The scope of the claims  [1] A stone thruster characterized by comprising a mounting member attached to the tip of the buttocks of a blind safety cane, an elastic member attached to the tip of the mounting member, and a shell member attached to the outer surface of the elastic member .  [2] The stone thrust according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member projects in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the mounting member. [3] The positional force of the attachment member to which the elastic member is attached The distance to the tip of the shell member is formed so that the central axial force of the attachment member substantially coincides with the distance to the outermost surface of the shell member. Ishizuchi as described in item 1 or 2. [4] In the first aspect of claim 3, the hole is formed in the elastic member, the constricted portion is formed in the mounting member, and the constricted portion of the mounting member is attached to the hole of the elastic member. The stone bump according to any one of the items.