Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
  • A61H3/00—Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about
  • A61H3/02—Crutches

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an English rod for a person with a motor handicap.
• Such a rod conventionally comprises a telescopic tube composed of at least two tube segments which can slide one inside the other, namely an upper tube segment and a lower tube segment and equipped at its upper end with an ergonomic handle comprising a large cylinder part which extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the telescopic tube and which serves as palmar support and a part which extends upwards from the part serving as support palmar, obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the telescopic tube and which serves as antebrachial support.
• the rods in particular the known English rods certainly provide appreciable help in terms of safety to the people who use them, but this help is not always sufficient to make these people completely independent, when they have a relatively heavy handicap, so these must be helped by another person.
• the object of the present invention is therefore to provide an English rod making it possible to give a person with a motor handicap greater autonomy to overcome a difficulty such as getting up from a seat, sitting on it, or tackling obstacles like steps or slopes.
• the present invention relates to an English rod of the type defined in the preamble, characterized in that it is equipped at its internal part with a linear actuator capable of transmitting traction and thrust forces and comprising on the one hand two identical toothed belts respectively provided with regularly spaced studs on their face opposite to the toothed face, and on the other hand drive members located on either side of the two toothed belts and cooperating with actuating means to allow the studs of these belts to engage in each other, so that they are flexible and independent of each other at a first section located on one side or upstream side of the drive bodies then that at a second section located on the opposite side or downstream side of these members, they are joined together and extend along a straight line behaving like a rigid bar in one piece capable of transmitting thrust forces like tensile forces.
• the drive members and the actuating means are housed in a housing fixed to the upper end of the upper tube segment and shaped to serve as an ergonomic handle so that the first section of the two toothed belts s
• the extension in the antebrachial support part of the ergonomic handle while the second section of these belts extends into the upper tube segment and is fixed to the internal part of the lower tube segment by its downstream end.
• the actuation of the drive members causes the sliding of the second section of the notched belts in the internal part of the telescopic tube and the modification of the length of this tube.
• the actuating means preferably comprise an electric motor with two directions of rotation supplied with current by a rechargeable accumulator battery as well as a speed reduction mechanism with gears which is coupled to the motor and comprises two output pins coming from respectively engaged with the two toothed belts and constituting the drive members.
• the linear actuator must of course have a power chosen sufficient to provide a thrust corresponding to a substantial part of the weight of a person leaning on the ergonomic handle.
• the linear actuator comprises control means carried by the ergonomic handle for controlling on / off as well as the direction of rotation of the electric motor.
• control means may include a reversing switch with two unstable closing positions and a stable intermediate cut-off position.
• Such a reversing switch may advantageously include an operating member which projects radially from the large cylinder part serving as palmar support, in the region of the free end of this large cylinder part so that it can be actuated by a thumb from the hand of a cane user holding this large cylinder part.
• the storage battery is preferably electrically connected to an electrical connector accessible from the outside of the housing to allow recharging of this storage battery by means of a battery charger.
• the housing consists of two half shells, in particular made of a molded plastic material, for example polyethylene which have a joint plane corresponding to the vertical median plane of symmetry of the ergonomic handle and are assembled by means of screws. These two half shells preferably each have a rib at the internal part of their part corresponding to the part forming antebrachial support of the ergonomic handle after assembly of the two half shells.
• the housing has, in the connection zone between the part forming the palmar support and the part forming the antebrachial support of the ergonomic handle, a hollow bulged part inside which are arranged. the electric motor, the speed reduction mechanism and the storage battery.
• FIG. 1 is a side view, in vertical section, of a rod according to the invention.
• FIG. 2 is a rear view partly in vertical section, of the cane of Figure 1;
• Figures 3 and 4 are views corresponding respectively to those of Figures 1 and 2, showing the upper part of the rod on a larger scale;
• the rod according to the invention comprises, in a conventional manner, a telescopic tube 1 provided with an ergonomic handle 2 at its upper end and with a non-slip tip 3 in sound rubber lower end.
• the ergonomic handle 2 comprises a part 2a, in a large cylinder, which extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the telescopic tube 1 and which serves as a palmar support, and a part 2b which extends upwards to from part 2a obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the telescopic tube and which serves as antebrachial support.
• the telescopic tube 1 comprises at least two tube segments, preferably three tube segments, namely an upper segment 1a, an intermediate segment 1b and a lower segment 1a, which can slide into one another.
• the tube segments 1a, 1b and 1c can be of light metal or a light metal alloy such as duralumin, or they can be of a composite material based on glass fibers or carbon.
• the rod comprises, in a known manner, means making it possible to adjust the length of the telescopic tube 1 to the size of the person or persons who are likely to use said rod.
• the lower tube segment 1a comprises a pair of diametrically aligned holes 4
• the intermediate tube segment 1b comprises two series of regularly spaced holes 5, each hole 5 of a series being diametrically aligned with hole 5 of the another series, and a dowel 6.
• the rod according to the invention comprises an actuator 7 with reversible linear movement, which is functionally associated with the tube segments 1a and 1b to move them longitudinally relative to each other in both directions.
• the linear actuator 7 comprises an electric motor 8 with two directions of rotation, a speed reduction mechanism 9 with gears which is coupled to the motor, and a thrust chain 10 which is engaged with output pins 11 and 11 'of the speed reduction mechanism 9.
• the speed reduction mechanism 9 comprises a first pinion 12 which is fixed to the output shaft 13 of the motor 8 and which meshes with a toothed wheel 14 secured to a worm 15 which is itself in engagement with two toothed wheels 16 and 16 'carried respectively by two shafts 17 and 17' to which the two output pinions 11 and 11 'mentioned above are respectively fixed, so that each pinion 11 or 11' is rotationally secured to the corresponding gear 1 or 17 '.
• the thrust chain 10 essentially comprises two toothed belts 18 and 18 'which are respectively engaged with the output pinions 11 and 11' of the speed reduction mechanism 9 and which are provided, on their face opposite to the toothed face, with studs 19 and 19 'regularly spaced apart and capable of engaging with each other in the manner of the teeth of a zipper. Upstream of the two output pinions 11 and 11 ′, that is to say above these two pinions in FIGS.
• the two belts 18 and 18 are flexible and independent of one of the other, while, downstream of the two output pinions 11 and 11 ', the two belts 18 and 18' and their studs 19 and 19 'are joined so as to define a chain extending in a straight line and behaving like a rigid bar capable of transmitting thrust forces such as tensile forces.
• Push chains like chain 10 are well known and are described in particular in document FR-A-2 826 422 to which reference may advantageously be made for more details.
• the lower end of the two toothed belts 18 and 18 ' is linked to a connecting member 21 which is rigidly fixed to the upper end of the segment of tube 1b of the telescopic tube 1.
• the connecting member 21 may consist of a plastic block, of generally cylindrical shape, which is produced by overmolding on the lower end of the two toothed belts 18 and 18 ′, in such a way that the lower end of the two belts 18 and 18 ′ is embedded and, therefore, anchored in the block 21.
• the block 21 can have a circular groove in its peripheral surface to allow its fixing to the upper end of the tube segment 1b, for example by crimping, as shown at 22 in FIGS. 3 and 4.
• the pushing chain 10 is dimensioned in such a way that, in the assembled state of the two toothed belts 18 and 18 'and their studs 19 and 19', the chain 10 can slide inside the tube segment la of the tube telescopic 1.
• each of the two lateral faces 23 and 24 of each of the studs 19 and 19 'of the toothed belts 18 and 18 ′ has a curved profile which follows the contour of the inner cylindrical surface of the tube segment 1a as shown in FIG. 7.
• the electric motor, the speed reduction mechanism 9, at least part of the thrust chain 10 and a rechargeable accumulator battery 25 intended for the supply of electric current to the electric motor 8 are housed in a housing 26 which is fixed at the upper end of the tube segment 1a of the telescopic tube I.
• the housing 26 may advantageously be shaped to serve as an ergonomic handle 2.
• the housing 26 may consist of two half shells 26a and 26b, made of a plastic material molded, for example polyethylene, which have a joint plane 27 corresponding to the vertical median plane of symmetry 28 ( Figure 4) of the ergonomic handle 2.
• the two half shells 26a and 26b together form the ergonomic handle 2 with its part 2a serving as palmar support and its part 2b serving as antebrachial support .
• the housing 26 has, in the connection zone between the parts 2a and 2b of the ergonomic handle 2, a hollow bulged part 31 inside which the electric motor are arranged 8, the speed reduction mechanism 9 and the storage battery 25.
• the manner in which the electric motor 8, the worm 15, the shafts 17 and 17 'and the storage battery are supported in the housing 26 n' has not been shown in Figures 3 and 4 for the sake of simplicity and clarity in these figures, but it is obvious that these elements can be supported or maintained in the housing 26 by partitions or by support elements which are molded in one piece with one or the other of the two half shells 26a and 26b.
• the two half shells 26a and 26b each have a rib 32 (FIG. 3) inside their part forming part 2b of the ergonomic handle 2.
• the two ribs 32 together form a partition separating from one another the independent flexible parts of the two toothed belts 18 and 18 'of the thrust chain 10, upstream of the two output pinions 11 and 11'. This avoids any interference between said flexible independent parts of the toothed belts 18 and 18 'which could cause blockage or damage to the linear actuator 7.
• the two ribs 32 comprise a bulged part 32a intended to facilitate the separation of the studs 19 and 19 'of the two toothed belts 18 and 18' when the thrust chain 10 is moved vertically from bottom to top by the output pinions 11 and 11 '.
• a stop member at the end of the stroke not shown in the figures, ensures that a minimum part of the two toothed belts 18, 18 'is maintained upstream of the two output pinions 11, 11' so as to exclude any dismantling. untimely thrust chain 10.
• the two half-shells 26a and 26b form, after their assembly, a cylindrical part 33 which closely surrounds the upper end part of the tube segment 1a of the telescopic tube.
• other fixing screws such as the screws 29, or a clamp may be necessary to firmly tighten the two half shells 26a and 26b, in their cylindrical part 33, against the upper end portion of the tube segment 1a.
• the upper end of the tube segment 1a is preferably shaped so as to have a lip or a collar 34 capable of engaging with raised elements 35 formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical part 33 of the housing 26 to prevent any relative axial displacement in one direction or the other, between the tube segment 1a and the housing 26.
• Control means 36 carried by the ergonomic handle 2 are provided for controlling the on / off and the direction of travel of the linear actuator 7. More specifically, the control means 36 may include a reversing switch 37 (FIGS. 3 , 5 and 8) with two unstable closing positions and a stable intermediate cut-off position.
• the reversing switch 37 is housed inside part 2a of the ergonomic handle 2, and it includes an operating member 38 which projects radially from said part 2a, in the region of the free end of the latter, so that it can be actuated by a thumb of the hand of a user of the cane holding said part 2a of the ergonomic handle 2 in his hand, and this without the user being forced to release his grip on said part 2a.
• the operating member 38 projects radially on the cylindrical surface of the part 2a of the ergonomic handle 2, in a direction which is directed obliquely towards down and to the right side of the user.
• this direction can make an angle about 45 degrees from the vertical when the reversing switch 37 is in its stable intermediate cut-off position.
• the operating member 38 * is guided and can slide in a slot or notch 39 (FIG. 5) which extends in the circumferential direction in the cylindrical wall of the part 2a of the ergonomic handle 2.
• the reversing switch 37 switches to one of its two unstable closing positions and controls the starting of the electric motor 8 in a first direction corresponding to a displacement of the thrust chain 10, for example downwards, that is to say in a direction corresponding to the elongation of the telescopic tube 1.
• the operating member 38 when the operating member 38 is moved upward, in the direction of arrow F2, it switches the reversing switch 37 to its other unstable closed position and controls the starting of the electric motor 8 in the opposite direction of rotation, corresponding to a displacement of the thrust chain 10 upwards, c 'East- ie in a direction corresponding to a shortening of the telescopic tube 1 of the rod.
• the reversing switch 37 may comprise two movable contacts 41 and 42 which are connected to the positive and negative poles of the storage battery 25 respectively by conductors 43 and 44 as shown in FIG. 8.
• the reversing switch 37 also has a first pair of fixed contacts 45 and 46 which are connected to the two terminals of the motor 8 respectively by conductors 47 and 48, so that, when the movable contacts 41 and 42 are in contact with the fixed contacts 45 and 46, the current supplied by the storage battery 25 passes through the engine 8 in a first direction to rotate said engine in the first direction of rotation causing for example the extension of the telescopic tube 1 of the rod.
• the reversing switch 37 comprises a second pair of fixed contacts 49 and 51 which are connected to the terminals of the motor 8 respectively by conductors 52 and 53 so that, when the movable contacts 41 and 42 are in contact with the contacts fixed 49 and 51, the current supplied by the storage battery 25 passes through the engine 8 in the opposite direction to rotate said engine in a second direction of rotation causing for example a shortening of the telescopic tube 1 of the rod.
• the two poles of the storage battery 25 are also connected respectively by conductors 54 and 55 to the contacts 56 and 57 of a connector 58.
• the connector 58 is fixed to the housing 26 and is accessible from the outside of said housing to allow recharging of the storage battery 25 by means of a battery charger (not shown) provided with a power cord terminated by a plug compatible with connector 58.
• the actuator 7, in particular the motor 8 and the speed reduction mechanism 9 are dimensioned so as to be capable of providing a predetermined power sufficient to give a thrust corresponding to a substantial part of the weight of a person s' pressing the ergonomic handle 2.
• - electric motor 8 direct current 17W, 12V, capable of supplying a torque of 0.058 N.m at 2800 rpm with a current of 2.5 A;
• - toothed wheel 14 fourteen teeth, module 0.5;
• - worm 15 a thread having an angle of inclination of 85 degrees and a friction angle of 5 degrees; - two toothed wheels 16 and 16 'each having fifty teeth, module 0.5;
• the speed reducing mechanism 9 has a reduction ratio 1/100 and an overall mechanical efficiency of approximately 0.5. Under these conditions, when the electric motor 8 rotates at 2800 rpm, the thrust chain 10 moves at a speed of 22 mm / s and provides a force of thrust of 350N. In other words, the rod is capable of lifting a weight of 35 kilos at a speed of 22 mm / s.
• the efficiency of the worm 15 is zero when the output pinions 11 and 11 'and the toothed wheels 16 and 16' are driving. This is for example the case when the motor 8 is not supplied with current and the user of the rod presses on the ergonomic handle 2.
• the reaction exerted by the ground on the lower end of the tube telescopic 1 causes the thrust chain 10 to be subjected to a force directed from the bottom up, so that the toothed belts 18 and 18 'tend to drive the pinions 11 and 11' in rotation and consequently also the toothed wheels 16 and 16 '.
• the worm 15 since the worm 15 has under these conditions zero efficiency, it cannot rotate, so that it blocks the toothed wheels 16 and 16 ′ and thus prevents any vertical movement of the thrust chain 10, as well up rather than down.
• the linear actuator 7 is therefore irreversible in the sense that the electric motor 8, when it is powered by current, and the speed reduction mechanism 9 are capable of moving the thrust chain 10 in both directions, towards the up and down, but conversely, the push chain 10 is unable to transmit any movement to the speed reduction mechanism 9 and to the electric motor 8.
• the length of the push chain 10 is preferably chosen so that linear actuator 7 has a total stroke of approximately 30 to 35 cm

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Pain & Pain Management (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Rehabilitation Therapy (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Rehabilitation Tools (AREA)
• Walking Sticks, Umbrellas, And Fans (AREA)
• Control Of Electric Motors In General (AREA)
• Control Of Stepping Motors (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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ID=33443130

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• 2003
  • 2003-06-04 FR FR0306728A patent/FR2855748B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2004
  • 2004-06-02 EP EP04767228A patent/EP1631230B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-06-02 US US10/558,837 patent/US20070023072A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2004-06-02 AT AT04767228T patent/ATE396686T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-06-02 WO PCT/FR2004/001357 patent/WO2004108053A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2004-06-02 DE DE602004014136T patent/DE602004014136D1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-06-02 JP JP2006508349A patent/JP2006526444A/ja active Pending

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