Walker Having Automatically Activated Protective Dynamic Padding
First Claim
1. A walker having automatically activated protective cushions which improves the quality of life and longevity of a person in spite of at least one limitation that interferes with unassisted walking, comprising:
- vertical legs coupled with a plurality of side and front bars to form a walking aid;
dynamic padding coupled to and supported by said walking aid and defining a region protected by said dynamic padding;
means for detecting a fall; and
means to deploy said dynamic padding responsive to said means for detecting a fall, to thereby cushion a person within said protected region in the event of a fall.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A walking aid has been configured with static padding and air bags to protect the user in case of a fall. The air bags are generally not deployed. However, the walking aid has a tilt sensor which, when a fall is detected, triggers air bag ignitors. In one embodiment, the tilt sensor may comprise one or an array of sensors, and may further be coupled through microprocessor control to a dynamic active suspension that controls both the height of the walker and the height of individual legs such that the walker will land softly, while adjusting individual leg heights where necessary or appropriate to stabilize the user to reduce the chance of a fall. In addition to providing more extensive protection for the user, the walking aid has several additional options which increase the comfort and convenience it offers. Such options can include locking hinges, allowing the walking aid to fold up; rubber on the end of the legs where they contact the ground; wheels on the legs; brakes for the wheels; height adjustable legs; a water bottle holder; a basket; a removable or folding seat; a dashboard including various communications devices such as cellular telephones, emergency call buttons, locators, and the like; and audio-video devices.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A walker having automatically activated protective cushions which improves the quality of life and longevity of a person in spite of at least one limitation that interferes with unassisted walking, comprising:
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vertical legs coupled with a plurality of side and front bars to form a walking aid; dynamic padding coupled to and supported by said walking aid and defining a region protected by said dynamic padding; means for detecting a fall; and means to deploy said dynamic padding responsive to said means for detecting a fall, to thereby cushion a person within said protected region in the event of a fall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of improving the quality of life and longevity of a person in spite of at least one limitation that interferes with unassisted walking, comprising the steps of:
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providing a walking aid suitable for structurally supporting said person and having dynamic padding defining a protected region; enabling said dynamic padding to be deployed during use and disabling said dynamic padding when not in use; detecting a fall of at least one of said person and said walking aid; and deploying said dynamic padding responsive to said detecting step. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A walker, comprising:
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two vertical rear legs, two vertical front legs, and a plurality of side and front bars to form a three sided, u-shaped walking aid; dynamic padding adjacent to each of said two vertical rear legs and a front bar defining a protected region; a means for detecting a fall; a means for detecting the presence of an individual within said protected region; said dynamic padding deployed when said means for detecting a fall detects a fall and said means for detecting the presence of an individual within said protected region detects the presence of an individual within said protected region, whereby said dynamic padding cushions said individual in the event of a fall; a means to adjust a height of at least one of said two vertical rear legs and two vertical front legs responsive to a magnitude of compressive load applied thereupon, and to further adjust said height responsive to said means for detecting a fall, to reduce tilt that might otherwise undesirably lead to a fall; a communications device; a heart rate monitor; and a blood pressure monitor.
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Specification