Foldable Invalid Walker Convertible From Fixed To Swingable Walker

Abstract

A foldable invalid walker is provided with a pair of locking keys each of which is mounted within a leg of the walker for movement into either a narrow slot for use of the walker as a fixed walker, or into a wide slot for use of the walker as a swingable striding walker. When the keys are positioned in their respective narrow slots, the associated legs are held against relative movement with respect to the rest of the walker. When the keys are positioned in their respective wide slots, the associated legs are pivotally mounted to the rest of the walker, thus converting the walker to a swingable walker. The walker can further be folded for storage.

Description

This invention relates to a foldable invalid walker, and more particularly to a foldable invalid walker that is selectively operable as a fixed walker or as a swingable walker.

Foldable invalid walkers are now well established in the hospital supply art; although the folding means of prior art walkers are generally more complex than desirable. Most prior art foldable walkers are of the fixed type, wherein the spaced legs and the cross braces are fixed in relation to one another during use of the walker; although the prior art means for locking the members to assure the fixed relationship generally provide less than the desired degree of stability. Swingable walkers permit the spaced legs to be alternately advanced as the patient seeks to regain his normal walking motion; although prior art swingable walkers generally employ massive braces to limit the advancement of the leg members.

It is an object of this invention to provide a foldable invalid walker that is selectively usable as both a fixed walker and as a swingable walker. Another object is the provision of a walker having unitary simple means for folding the walker and for converting the walker to either fixed or swingable use. A further object is the provision of unitary means for alternately establishing stability for a fixed walker and for establishing limits for a swingable walker and for establishing compactness for a folding walker.

In accordance with this invention a foldable invalid walker capable of use as both a fixed and swingable walker is provided by unitary locking means having an unlocked position for folding the walker, a locked position for stabilizing the walker as a fixed walker, and another locked position for limiting the movement of the legs of the walker as a swingable walker.

In general, the walker of this invention employs a spring urged key mounted within a leg of the walker for movement into either a narrow slot for use as a fixed walker, or into a wide slot for use as a swingable walker. Whenever the key is not within either the narrow slot or the wide slot, the legs of the walker can be folded against the cross-brace for compact storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the walker of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of one of the legs of the walker of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view partially in section along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the structure of FIG. 2 in another locked position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross section in expanded form taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a top view of the walker of FIG. 1 in folded position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The drawing shows the walker 10 of this invention having a pair of substantially U-shaped leg members 12 joined by cross-brace 20.

Each of the legs 12 has adjustable feet 14 at both of its ends. A spring urged button 15 secured near the bottom of each leg 12 is selectively engaged in one of spaced holes 16 in foot 14 according to the height of the user of the walker 10 of this invention. Each of feet 14 has a conventional non-slip cap, preferably of rubber or other material acceptable to the hospital supply art, covering the ends of feet 14.

Legs 12 are preferably of one inch anodized aluminum tubing to provide strength at low weight. The legs 12 are substantially U-shaped, and are slightly more spaced at the feet 14 than at the bight portion at hand grips 13. The grips 13 are slotted or knurled in conventional manner to prevent the user from losing his gripping position while shifting his weight during use of the walker. The grips 13 are secured by rubber cement or the like at the generally flat portion of the bight or bottom of the U.

The U-shape of legs 12 is maintained by stretchers 18 which are secured to legs 12 about three-quarters of the distance from grips 13 to feet 14. Stretchers or braces 18 are also preferably of anodized aluminum tubing which is flattened at its ends and half rounded to snugly engage legs 12 and impart rigidity thereto. The stretchers 18 are secured to legs 12 by steel rivets 19 or other known securing means.

Cross-brace 20 as shown is made up of two broad V-shaped members 22 and 24 joined at their mid-point 26. Members 22 and 24 are preferably of chrome plated steel tubes for strength. The use of steel also facilitates making connections thereto, such as the joint 26, by welding. The inverted V-shape of member 24 provides cross-brace 20 with a design that is convenient for use over a standard height toilet.

The ends of brace members 22 and 24 are joined to tubular bearing sleeves 23 and 25, respectively. Again, the use of steel permits welding the members to the sleeves; however, other known metal working joints may be used with other metals if desired. Cross-brace 20 is positioned on legs 12 by sliding the brace onto the legs before adding feet 14 and spreader 18. Cross-brace 20 is fixed in position on legs 12 by split sleeves 28 which are pinned to legs 12 by through rivets 29 which are substantially parallel to joint 26 of members 22 and 24.

Legs 12 are each provided with longitudinal openings or slots, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 to accommodate locking key 30 substantially normal to rivet 29. Key 30 is provided with a notch 32 which fits around rivet 29 to fix key 30 against vertical movement within leg 12. Springs 34 urge key 30 outwardly of the slot in leg 12 through the split in split sleeve 28 and into either narrow slot 40 or wide slot 42 in both of bearing sleeves 23 and 25 into a stop provided by collars 36 which are fixedly joined to bearing sleeves 23 and 25. Collars 36 serve to restrain key 30 from loss through expulsion from leg 12 by the action of springs 34 as shown in FIG. 3. Key 30 is made of any rigid material that permits easy machining such as plastic or metal.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, slot 40 is of approximately the width of key 30 to provide a snug fit therebetween, so that engagement of key 30 in slot 40 locks leg 12 against rotation, and thereby provides the fixed walker position of the walker 10 of this invention. Slot 42 is substantially wider than key 30 so as to permit limited arcurate rotation of leg 12 within the limits set by slot 42, and thereby provides the swingable walker position of walker 10.

The extension of key 30 beyond collar 36 serves as a push button to disengage key 30 from either of the slots 40 and 42 in sleeves 23 and 25. With key 30 disengaged from slots 40 and 42 the legs 12 may be folded against cross-brace 20, which is the folded position of walker 10. As shown in FIG. 6, folding one leg 12 on one side of cross-brace 20 and the other leg 12 on the other side of cross-brace 20 provides compact storage of the walker of this invention. The constant pressure maintained on key 30 by springs 34 causes key 30 to snap into either slot 40 or slot 42 when the legs 12 are unfolded from the storage position.

Slots 40 in bearing sleeves 23 and 25 should be of approximately the same width as key 30 so as to afford rigidity to walker 10 when legs l2 are in the fixed walker position. However, slots 42 in bearing sleeves 23 and 25 may be of any desired width depending on the stride action that is to be afforded the user. It is important that overstriding by the user be restrained by limiting slots 42 to about one-third of the circumference of sleeves 23 and 25.

This description has disclosed the preferred arrangement of the key 30 in a leg and the slots 40 and 42 in the bearing sleeves 23 and 25 of cross-brace 20. However, it should be understood that other arrangements of the key and slot elements may be employed to attain several of the advantages of this invention. For example, the key may be mounted on the cross-brace and urged into slots in the legs for usage where the rigidity and stability of the preferred embodiment is not demanded.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable invalid walker usable as fixed walker and as a swingable walker, said walker comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped leg members, a cross-brace joining said leg members, at least one locking means having key and slot elements, one of said elements on at least one of said leg members and the other of said elements on said cross-brace, said slot elements including a narrow slot to snugly engage said key to lock said cross-brace and the associated leg member against relative movement to provide a fixed walker and a wide slot to provide for relative pivotal movement between said cross-brace and the associated leg member to permit limited movement of said key to provide a swingable walker.

2. The walker of claim 1 wherein said cross-brace includes at least one bearing sleeve at each end, and said leg members are rotatably mounted in said bearing sleeves.

3. The walker of claim 2 wherein one of said keys is mounted in each of said pair of leg members, and each of said bearing sleeves contains said narrow slot and said wide slot.

4. The walker of claim 3 wherein each of said keys is mounted within an opening in said leg and selectively urged into engagement with one of said slots in said bearing sleeves.

5. The walker of claim 4 wherein each of said keys is restrained from loss by a collar on said bearing sleeves.

6. The walker of claim 5 wherein each of said keys includes a push button extending beyond said bearing sleeves for selectively disengaging said keys from said slots.

7. The walker of claim 6 wherein each of said wide slots is so dimensioned as to limit the rotation of said legs to provide a stride limiting swingable walker.

8. The walker of claim 7 wherein said cross-brace includes a pair of V-shaped members joined at their mid-points, said V-shaped members being terminated at both ends by one of said bearing sleeves.

9. The walker of claim 8 wherein said cross-brace is retained on said leg members by a split sleeve fixed thereto and positioned between said bearing sleeves.

10. The walker of claim 9 wherein said push button of said key extends through the split in said split sleeve.