Foldable mobility support device

• US 7,066,484 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Drive Medical Canada Inc. (Drive Medical Design & Manufacturing)
• Original Assignee: Access Product Marketing LLC (Access Products)
• Inventors: Sanders, Christopher D., Willis, Phillip M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swenson, Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US11/129,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20050257819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 280/87.01, 280/87.051, 280/87.021, 280/87.041, 280/47.34, 280/47.38, 280/47.4, 280/639, 280/642, 280/646, 280/647, 280/650, 135/65, 135/67, 135/74
• US Class Current: 280/642
• 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 mobility device includes at least a first front leg and at least a first rear leg connected to the first front leg connected to the first front leg. The first rear leg includes an upper member having a first end a second end and a lower member having a first end and a second end. The first end of the upper member is pivotally connected to the first end of the lower member, and the lower member is preferably pivotal between an extended use position and a folded storage position.

Claims

1. A walker assembly structured to facilitate an individual'"'"'s mobility, said walker assembly comprising:

a frame selectively disposable between an operative orientation and a stored orientation,

said frame including a front leg assembly and a rear leg assembly movably interconnected and disposable relative to one another between said operative and stored orientations,

a front wheel assembly and a rear wheel assembly respectively connected to a lower portion of corresponding ones of said front and rear leg assemblies,

at least one of said front or rear leg assemblies structured to have a variable length when disposed between said operative and stored orientations,

said stored orientation at least partially defined by said frame having a compact configuration of substantially reduced transverse and longitudinal dimensions, and

said stored orientation comprising at least one of said front or rear leg assemblies including a lower portion disposable into a folded storage position and thereby at least partially defining said reduced longitudinal dimension.

2. A walker assembly recited in claim 1 wherein said stored orientation comprises said front and rear leg assemblies disposed in adjacent, substantially aligned relation along a length of said frame and thereby at least partially defining said reduced transverse dimension.

3. A walker assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a handle assembly adjustably connected to at least one of said front or rear leg assemblies.

4. A walker assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said operative orientation comprises said front and rear leg assemblies movably connected and disposed in spaced, angularly oriented relation to one another.

5. A walker assembly recited in claim 1 wherein said one front or rear wheel assembly is connected to said lower portion of a corresponding one of said front or rear leg assemblies and movable therewith into said folded storage position.

6. A walker assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein said stored orientation further comprises the other of said front or rear wheel assemblies removed from the corresponding one of said front or rear leg assemblies.

7. A walker assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a hinge assembly pivotally interconnecting a lower portion and an upper portion of at least one of said front and rear leg assemblies, said hinge assembly structured to facilitate disposition of said lower portion between a folded storage position and an extended use position.

8. A walker assembly recited in claim 7 wherein said hinge assembly comprising a spring biased locking pin disposed to extend through both said upper portion and said lower portion, said lower portion removably secured in said extended use position.

9. A walker assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said stored orientation comprises said front and rear leg assemblies disposed in adjacent, substantially aligned relation along a length of said frame and thereby at least partially defining said reduced transverse dimension.

10. A walker assembly structured to facilitate an individual'"'"'s mobility, said walker assembly comprising:

a frame selectively disposable between an operative orientation and a stored orientation, said frame including a front leg assembly and a rear leg assembly movably connected and relatively disposable between said operable and stored orientations,

said operative orientation comprising said front and rear leg assemblies movably connected and disposed in spaced, angularly oriented relation to one another,

said stored orientation comprising said front and rear leg assemblies disposed in adjacent, substantially aligned relation along a length of said frame,

a front wheel assembly and a rear wheel assembly respectively connected to said front and rear leg assemblies,

said stored orientation at least partially defined by said frame assuming a compact configuration of substantially reduced transverse and longitudinal dimensions,

said stored orientation comprising at least one of said front or rear wheel assemblies disposable into a folded storage position and thereby at least partially defining said reduced longitudinal dimension; and

said one front or rear wheel assembly connected to said lower portion of a corresponding one of said front or rear leg assemblies and movable therewith into said folded storage position.

11. A walker assembly as recited in claim 10 further comprising a seat movably connected to said frame and disposable in a supporting position when said frame is in said operative orientation.

12. A frame assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein said seat is disposed in substantially aligned relation to said front and rear leg assemblies along a length of said frame when said frame is in said stored orientation and thereby at least partially defining said reduced transverse dimension.

13. A walker assembly as recited in claim 12 further comprising a storage compartment connected to said frame and disposable between an expanded position and a collapsed position when said frame is in said operative orientation and said stored orientation respectively.

14. A walker assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein said seat is disposed in substantially covering relation to an interior of said storage compartment when said frame is in said operative orientation.

15. A walker assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein said seat is disposable in confronting relation to said back rest when said frame is in said operative orientation.

16. A walker assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said stored orientation further comprises the other of said front or rear wheel assemblies removed from the other of said front or rear leg assemblies.