Walker with retractable wheels

• US 7,992,584 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bernardo Birnbaum
• Original Assignee: Bernardo Birnbaum
• Inventors: Birnbaum, Bernardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hawk; Noah Chandler
• Application Number:
  US12/763,310
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 135/67, 135/84, 135/85, 482/68
• US Class Current: 135/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/046 with braking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/04 Wheeled walking aids for disabled persons A61H3/06 takes precedence

Abstract

A walker with wheels that are retracted upon the application of a force of predetermined magnitude to permit a user to move the walker when he or she partially leans on the walker while providing a solid anchored support if he or she leans with more weight exceeding a predetermined magnitude. The walker includes a structural elongated assembly with a handle and forearm cuff at one end. The other end is rigidly mounted to two base assemblies that are kept at a parallel and spaced apart relationship with respect to each other. The base assemblies have a bottom surface. Retractable wheels are mounted to the base assemblies. The wheels are spring biased to protrude beyond the bottom surface so that they support the walker when at rest and as long as the user does not apply a force that exceeds a predetermined magnitude.

Claims

1. A walker comprising:

A) a structural assembly having first and second substantially straight elongate members each having lower and upper ends and a spacer member for keeping said first and second elongate members at a parallel and spaced apart relationship with respect to each other;

B) first and second supporting elongate base assemblies each including a pad assembly having a bottom surface that selectively comes in contact with a supporting surface, said supporting base assemblies being mounted substantially perpendicularly to said lower ends, each of said base assemblies having forward and rear ends; and

C) first and second wheel assemblies mounted to each of the forward and rear ends, respectively, of said first and second supporting elongate base assemblies, each wheel assembly having at least one wheel with a corresponding centrally disposed axle at a cooperative location for said wheels to protrude beyond said bottom surfaces, each of said wheel assemblies further including a retracting assembly for causing said first and second wheel assemblies to retract upon the application of a force of a predetermined magnitude to said structural assembly to urge said bottom surfaces against said supporting surface and said retracting assembly further including a spring housing coplanarly mounted to said forward and rear ends, each spring housing having two opposite guide slots with cooperative dimensions to receive a slidable bushing with a through hole for journaling said axles transversally disposed with respect to the straight elongate base assemblies and the wheels rotate on the axles passed through said slots and a spring member for biasing said bushing so that when said force is below a predetermined magnitude said first and second wheels provide the support for said walker.

2. The walker set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring biasing assembly includes a bushing member that cooperatively coacts with said axle to transmit the expansion force of said spring member.