Audible warning and visual enhancing walking stick

• US 6,933,855 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gladys P. Preston
• Original Assignee: Gladys P. Preston
• Inventors: Preston, Gladys
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Application Number:
  US10/609,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20040263345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 340/691.1, 340/393.3, 340/825.19, 135/66
• US Class Current: 340/4.13
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/00 Sticks combined with other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources

Abstract

An audible warning and visual enhancing walking stick. Audible warning and visual enhancing assemblies are attached to a cane and electrically communicate with a power source interface within the cane. The audible warning assembly provides an audible warning by a user and the visual enhancing assembly provides a visual enhancement for the user. The audible warning assembly includes a sound device attached to the cane and a button extending outwardly from a handle of the cane for easy activation by the thumb of the user while the hand is grasping the handle. The visual enhancing assembly includes a switch and a lamp/lens angled 30° towards the cane for illuminating a path in front of the user.

Claims

1. An audible warning and visual enhancing walking stick, comprising:

a) a cane;

b) an audible warning assembly;

c) a visual enhancing assembly; and

d) a power supply interface;

wherein said audible warning assembly is attached to said cane;

wherein said audible warning assembly electrically communicates with said power source interface;

wherein said audible warning assembly is for providing an audible warning by a user;

wherein said visual enhancing assembly is attached to said cane;

wherein said visual enhancing assembly electrically communicates with said power source interface;

wherein said visual enhancing assembly is for providing a visual enhancement for the user

wherein said power supply interface is contained within said cane;

wherein said power supply interface is for interfacing with a power supply for powering said audible warning assembly and said visual enhancing assembly;

wherein said cane comprises a body;

wherein said body of said cane has a distal end;

wherein said visual enhancing assembly comprises a lamp/lens; and

wherein said lame/lens of said visual enhancing assembly is angled 30 degrees towards said distal end of said body of said cane for illuminating a path in front of the user.

2. The walking stick as defined in claim 1, wherein said cane comprises a handle.

3. The walking stick as defined in claim 2, wherein said body of said cane is slender;

and

wherein said body of said cane is elongated.

4. The walking stick as defined in claim 2,

wherein said body of said cane has a proximal end.

5. The walking stick as defined in claim 2, wherein said handle of said cane is slender.

6. The walking stick as defined in claim 4, wherein said handle of said cane extends laterally from said proximal end of said body of said cane.

7. The walking stick as defined in claim 4, wherein said handle of said cane has a bore;

and

wherein said bore in said handle of said cane extends coaxially with said body of said cane.

8. The walking stick as defined in claim 7, wherein said audible warning assembly comprises a sound device;

and

wherein said audible warning assembly comprises a button.

9. The walking stick as defined in claim 8, wherein said sound device of said audible warning assembly is attached to said body of said cane, in proximity to said proximal end thereof;

wherein said sound device of said audible warning assembly electrically communicates with said button of said audible warning assembly and said power supply interface; and

wherein said sound device of said audible warning assembly is one of a bell, a buzzer, and a horn.

10. The walking stick as defined in claim 8, wherein said button of said audible warning assembly is contained in, and extends outwardly from, said bore in said handle of said cane for being easily activated by the thumb of the user while the hand of the user is grasping said handle of said cane;

wherein said button of said audible warning assembly electrically communicates with said sound device of said audible warning assembly and said power supply interface; and

wherein said button of said audible warning assembly is a momentary switch.

11. The walking stick as defined in claim 8,

wherein said visual enhancing assembly comprises a switch.

12. The walking stick as defined in claim 11, wherein said lamp/lens of said visual enhancing assembly extends angularly outwardly from said body of said cane, in proximity to said distal end thereof;

and

wherein said lamp/lens of said visual enhancing assembly electrically communicates with said switch of said visual enhancing assembly and said power supply interface.

13. The walking stick as defined in claim 11, wherein said switch of said visual enhancing assembly extends outwardly from said body of said cane, between said proximal end of said body of said cane and said sound device of said audible warning assembly;

wherein said switch of said visual enhancing assembly electrically communicates with said sound device of said audible warning assembly and said power supply interface; and

wherein said switch of said visual enhancing assembly is a slide switch.

14. The walking stick as defined in claim 11, wherein said visual enhancing assembly comprises a cover;

and

wherein said cover of said visual enhancing assembly extends replaceably over said lamp/lens of said visual enhancing assembly so as to allow replacement of said lamp/lens of said visual enhancing assembly, and in order to do so, said cover of said visual enhancing assembly forms an appropriately positioned portion of said body of said cane.

15. The walking stick as defined in claim 8, wherein said power supply interface comprises a pair of electrical contacts;

and

wherein said power supply interface comprises padding.

16. The walking stick as defined in claim 15, wherein said pair of electrical contacts of said power supply interface are disposed within said body of said cane;

wherein one electrical contact of said power supply interface is disposed in proximity to said sound device of said audible warning assembly; and

wherein the other electrical contact of said power supply interface is disposed downstream from said one electrical contact of said power supply interface, a distant sufficient for snugly accommodating the power source between itself and said one electrical contact of said power supply interface.

17. The walking stick as defined in claim 16, wherein said padding of said power supply interface is disposed within said body of said cane;

wherein said padding of said power supply interface extends from said one electrical contact of said power supply interface to said other electrical contact of said power supply interface; and

wherein said padding of said power supply interface is for capturing and maintaining said power supply within said body of said cane.

18. The walking stick as defined in claim 2, wherein said power supply interface comprises a cover;

and

wherein said cover of said power supply interface is for extending replaceably over the power supply so as to allow replacement of the power supply, and in order to do so, said cover of said power supply interface forms an appropriately positioned portion of said body of said cane.