Walking assisting apparatus

• US 6,666,796 B1
• Filed: 09/16/1999
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: MacCready, Paul B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAM M
• Application Number:
  US09/397,266
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 482/51, 482/66, 482/67, 482/74, 482/77, 482/75, 135/65, 135/66, 135/67, 601/35, 602/23, 602/16, 602/26, 602/27, 602/28, 602/29, 623/28, 623/27, 623/30, 623/33, 623/35, 623/38
• US Class Current: 482/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0102 specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/12 Driving means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1215 Rotary drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1238 with hydraulic or pneumatic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1261 combined with active exercising of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1616 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1621 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/163 holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1635 Hand or arm, e.g. handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1642 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1652 Harness
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1676 Pivoting
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5074 using electric pressure transducers with proportional output
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/00 Measuring physical parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/00 Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about apparatus for helping babies to walk A47D13/04 ; applying electrical currents by contact electrodes for stimulating motor muscles, e.g. walking assistance A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/008 using suspension devices for supporting the body in an upright walking or standing position, e.g. harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/043 the engine being operated by expansion and contraction of a mass of working gas which is heated and cooled in one of a plurality of constantly communicating expansible chambers, e.g. Stirling cycle type engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 2280/005 Medical applications, e.g. for prosthesis or artificial hearts

Abstract

Apparatus to assist human walking, incorporating in combination first and second longitudinally extending strut members that are relatively movable, longitudinally, and adapted to transmit body associated loading; the first strut member or members operatively connected to a rack and/or to the user'"'"'s body; the second strut member or members slaved, i.e. operatively connected to the user'"'"'s foot or feet, ankles or shoes, to move therewith; and a control that responds to step-by-step treading to control relative movement of the strut members. Such loading is controllably transferred back and forth between left and right pairs of strut members, in response to treading.

Claims

1. Apparatus to assist human walking, comprising in combination:

a) first and second strut members that are relatively movable, and adapted to support body associated loading,

b) first means to transmit body loading and comprising at least one of the following;

i) a seat,

ii) a rack,

iii) a pack,

iv) an attachment connectable to the human body,

v) a hand grip,

vi) a body support,

c) second means to connect the second strut member to a foot or ankle apparel worn by the human,

d) and third means to alternately block and unblock said relative movement of the strut members in response to step-by-step treading, to assist in transport of loading in the direction of walking,

e) said second means including a plate having hinge connection to the user'"'"'s shoe area, to move up and down with the lower strut member,

f) said third means including a rotary braking latch member operatively connected to respond to ground engagement by the shoe,

g) said third means also including a link connection between a shoe force plate and the latch member.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first means has load transfer association with said first strut member, whereby loading from the body is transferred to the first strut member.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said first means is said attachment which includes a brace connectable to a user'"'"'s torso.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said first means is said attachment which includes a connection between an upper strut member and a backpack frame.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said second means comprises a plate having hinge connection to the user'"'"'s foot area, to hingedly move up and down with the lower strut member.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said third means includes an element to effect alternate blocking and unblocking of relative movement of the strut members in response to said walking.

8. The combination of claim 1 including guides to guide said relative movement of said strut members.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said members have one of the following:

i) a sliding interfit

ii) a pivoted interconnection.

10. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first means is said attachment that is configured to attach to the human torso.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said first means comprises a rack carrying said attachment.

13. The combination of claim 1 including an associated spring carried by the strut members to cushion their relative movement.

14. The combination of claim 1 wherein said third means comprises a coaster brake type mechanism responsive to said treading.

15. The combination of claim 14 including a plate carried by the user'"'"'s shoe, and is movable relative to the shoe, and said third means is operatively connected to said part.

16. The combination of claim 15 including one of the following:

i) a link connected between said third means and said plate

ii) a cable connected between said third means and said part.

6. Apparatus to assist human walking, comprising in combination:

a) first and second strut members that are relatively movable, and adapted to support body associated loading,

b) first means to transmit said loading and comprising at lease one of the following;

i) a seat,

ii) a rack,

iii) a pack,

iv) an attachment connectable to the human body,

v) a hand grip,

vi) a body support,

c) second means to connect the second strut member to a foot or ankle apparel worn by the human, said second means comprising a plate having hinge connection to the user'"'"'s foot area, to hingedly move up and down with the lower strut member,

d) and third means to alternately block and unblock said relative movement of the strut members in response to step-by-step treading, to assist in transport of loading in the direction of walking, said third means including a rotary braking latch member operatively connected to respond to grand engagement of the shoe,

e) and wherein said third means includes an elongated link connection between a shoe sole-plate and said latch member.

12. In combination, a leg-strut assembly that is lengthwise extensible and contractible, and that at its lower extremity transfers loading to the ground adjacent to a shoe sole of a human operator, and at its upper extremity connects to a weight load some of which would otherwise be carried by the human leg, a latch activator that moves at a fraction of the vertical force between shoe sole and ground and a latch in the form of S rotary braking device, for allowing the leg-strut assembly to extend or contract freely as long as the vertical force on the shoe sole is less than a pre-selected amount but otherwise causes the leg-strut assembly to be stopped from contracting, there being a plate having hinge connection to the shoe sole, and also operatively connected to said latch activator by an elongated link connection between a shoe sole plate and said latch activator.

17. Apparatus to assist human walking, comprising in combination:

a) first and second strut members that are relatively movable, and adapted to support body associated loading,

b) first means to transmit said loading and

comprising at least one of the following;

i) a seat,

ii) a rack,

iii) a pack,

iv) an attachment connectable to the human body,

v) a hand grip,

vi) a body support,

c) second means to connect the second strut member to a foot or ankle apparel worn by the human,

d) and third means to connect the second strut member to a foot or ankle apparel worn by the human,

e) said third means comprising a coaster brake type mechanism responsive to said treading,

f) and including a part carried by the user'"'"'s shoe, and which is movable relative to the shoe, and said third means is operatively connected to said part,

g) and including one of the following;

i) a link connected between said third means and said part,

ii) a cable connected between said third means and said part,

h) and wherein said part comprises a plate carried by the shoe and which flexes relative to the shoe.

18. Apparatus to assist human walking, comprising in combination:

a) first and second strut members that are relatively movable, and adapted to support body associated loading,

b) first means to transmit said loading and comprising at least one of the following;

i) a seat,

ii) a rack,

iii) a pack,

iv) an attachment connectable to the human body,

v) a hand grip,

vi) a body support,

c) second means to connect the second strut member to a foot or ankle apparel worn by the human,

d) and third means to alternately block and unblock said relative movement of the strut members in response to step-by-step treading, to assist in transport of loading in the direction of walking,

e) said third means comprising a coaster brake type mechanism responsive to said treading,

f) and including a strap connected between said mechanism and one of said struts that is movable relative to said mechanism, the strap wrapped about a rotary part of said mechanism.

19. Apparatus to aid load transmission by human leg as during leg movement, during walking, comprising in combination

a) upper and lower struts that are relatively extensible and retractable, alongside the leg, the struts adapted when extended to transmit body loading applicable to a surface below the user'"'"'s foot zone, and when retracted to allow leg flexing,

b) a strut extension and retraction control unit connected to the struts, to control their relative positioning,

c) and at least one element operatively connected to a retraction unit to control the portion of the struts in accordance with at least one of the following:

i) user'"'"'s foot position

ii) user'"'"'s foot load transmission

iii) strut load transmission,

d) said element including a plate extending under the user'"'"'s foot position and carried to move downwardly with the lower strut, relative to the user'"'"'s foot position,

e) there being an elongated link connection between a foot force plate and said unit.

f) said retraction control unit includes a rotary braking member.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said control unit includes positioning components that controllably interengage to allow and to limit strut extension and retraction.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said control unit including a strut positioner, and an actuator operatively connected to the positioner.

22. The method of transferring human body associated loading to the ground during walking, that includes

a) providing left and right pairs of struts, and locating upper end portions of the struts to alternately carry said body associated loading, and

b) effecting guided movement of the struts while selectively transferring loading to the ground via the struts, during movement in a travel direction,

c) and controlling such guided movement in response to shoe up and down positioning during human treading, said controlling including providing a plate hingedly carried by the shoe and which flexes relative to the shoe, and providing an elongated link connection between a shoe force sensor and a latch which is caused to block and unblock relative movement of struts of each pair, said controlling also including operating a rotary braking member.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said controlling is effected in accordance with one of the following:

i) mechanically

ii) electrically.