Walking stick with a handle that provides a user with improved grips

Abstract

A walking stick which has a handle with a vertical grip which is offset from the axis of the walking stick's shaft. The walking stick has a length such that when the user grasps the vertical grip, the user's forearm is angled at approximately 10-15° below horizontal. The vertical grip is angled towards the axis of the shaft to accommodate the angle of the hand when the forearm has the above angle. The handle may further have one or more horizontal grips for use in activities such as climbing stairs. The walking stick may also have a forked foot, with the fork being in the same plane as the handle.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present patent application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application 61/176,250, Ronald B. Campbell, Offset walking-stick head and foot therefor, filed May 7, 2009, and incorporates the entire contents of that provisional patent application by reference into the present patent application for all permissible purposes.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The field of the invention is walking-sticks or canes used either as aids in keeping one's balance or for providing support for the body's weight.

2. Description of Related Art

Humans have used walking sticks or canes (termed generically “walking sticks” in the following) since prehistoric times as aids in keeping their balance or providing support for the body's weight. In either application, the walking stick is often used to compensate for weakness in a leg: with the walking stick, the strength of the upper body becomes available to compensate for the leg's weakness.

All walking sticks include at least a shaft; many of them further provide a handle for the shaft. Walking sticks fall into two broad classes: long walking sticks, which the user grasps by curling his hand around the shaft of the walking stick, so that the palm of the hand encloses the shaft of the walking stick, and short walking sticks, which have a knob or handle on top of the shaft and which the user grasps by placing the palm of his hand on the handle or knob. Here the palm of the hand is at right angles to the shaft. In the following, a portion of a walking stick which is meant to serve as a place where the user grasps the walking stick is termed a grip; as may be seen by the foregoing, there are two broad classes of grips: vertical grips, which have the same general orientation as the axis of the walking stick's shaft and are grasped like the shaft of a long walking stick, and horizontal grips, which are oriented perpendicularly to the shaft and are grasped like the handle or knob of a short walking stick. The horizontal grip permits the user to place most of the weight of his or her body over the walking stick and press down on the stick; it is consequently particularly useful for activities like climbing stairs or getting out of chairs.

The long walking sticks are generally used where the primary problem is balance; in hiking or when someone is carrying a heavy load on his or her back. The length of the stick has two advantages:

• • the point at which the long walking stick's tip strikes the ground will generally be a good distance from the user's feet, thus making it easier for the user to keep his or her balance.
  • the user can walk with a generally upright posture.

A disadvantage of the long walking stick is that only its vertical grip is useful; if the long walking stick has a knob or handle on its end, the horizontal grip provided by the knob or handle is too high to be useful in activities like stair climbing.

The short walking sticks are generally used where the primary problem is support for a weak leg. That is why they are short and have a horizontal grip. They are more useful than the long walking sticks for stair climbing and the like, but because the short walking stick is short, the user cannot walk with an upright posture while using the walking stick for support Moreover, the short walking stick's tip strikes the ground relatively close to the user, making it not as good for keeping one's balance. The problems which the short walking stick poses with regard to the user's posture and balance are particularly significant when one considers that the users of the short walking sticks often have issues regarding balance and/or posture. For example, in many cases, a major goal of rehabilitation is that the patient to regain and maintain good posture; use of a short walking stick by the patient works against this goal. Another major goal of rehabilitation is overcoming the patient's fear of falling so that he or she can begin to walk again; the deficiencies of the short walking stick as regards balance walk against this goal as well.

It is an object of the present invention to solve these and other problems of long and short walking sticks by providing a walking stick which combines the advantages of the long and short walking sticks and has the disadvantages of neither.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is attained in one aspect by a walking stick that has a shaft and a handle for its user's hand. The handle is joined to the shaft and provides the user's hand with a vertical grip on the walking stick which is oriented substantially vertically to the axis of the shaft but is offset from the axis.

In another aspect, the handle provides the user's hand with one or more horizontal grips on the walking stick. The horizontal grips are oriented substantially horizontally to the axis of the shaft.

In still another aspect, the vertical grip has an angle with regard to the axis of the shaft. The shaft of the walking stick may have a length such that the user's forearm is angled slightly down when the walking stick is vertical, the user is standing on a plane, the end of the shaft is on the same plane, and the user's hand is holding the walking stick by the vertical grip. The vertical grip's angle is adapted to the angle of the user's hand which results when the user's forearm is so angled.

In a further aspect, the end of the shaft which is opposite from the handle has a forked foot. The forked foot is forked in the plane determined by the handle and the shaft. The horizontal grips may further be oriented substantially at right angles to the plane determined by the handle and the shaft.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the arts to which the invention pertains upon perusal of the following Detailed Description and drawing, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a walking stick with a vertical grip that is offset from the walking stick's shaft and two horizontal grips;

FIG. 2 shows three ways in which a user may grip the walking stick of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 shows a walking stick of FIG. 1 which is has a forked tip, with each branch of the fork ending in a separate elastomeric tip.

Reference numbers in the drawing have three or more digits: the two right-hand digits are reference numbers in the drawing indicated by the remaining digits. Thus, an item with the reference number 203 first appears as item 203 in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Overview of a Preferred Embodiment of the Walking Stick

FIG. 1

FIG. 1A shows a user 100 holding an embodiment of the walking stick. As can be seen from FIG. 1A, the walking stick is longer than the standard short walking stick, but is not as long as the standard long walking stick. The embodiment is made up of handle 103 and shaft 106. Shaft 106 is long enough that when the user is holding the cane by the vertical grip provided by handle 103, the user is upright as shown at 107, and his arm 115 is slightly bent below the horizontal as shown at 111. At this angle, downward force on the walking stick comes from the user's triceps muscles, rather than from the user's biceps, as is the case with long walking sticks that have vertical grips at positions which require a more acute angle between the lower and upper arm.

The vertical grip provided by handle 103 is offset from the axis of shaft 106 at its bottom and is angled towards the axis of the shaft at its top. The angle is chosen to fit the angle of the hand when lower arm 111 is at the angle shown and the hand is gripping the vertical grip. The offset of the handle from the shaft keeps the user's hand from simply sliding down the shaft when the user presses down on the walking stick. The angle of the vertical grip not only increases the comfort of the user but also brings the user's hand closer to the axis 114 of shaft 106. Other features of interest are knob 101 and knob 105, which may be used as horizontal grips. Knob 105 is particularly useful when going up stairs and knob 101 is particularly useful when coming down stairs. FIGS. 2 A, B, and C show the three modes of gripping the walking stick: at 200 is shown gripping the walking stick using the offset vertical grip provided by handle 103; at 210 is shown gripping it using the upper horizontal grip provided by knob 101; at 220 is shown gripping it using the lower horizontal grip provided by knob 105.

Details of a Preferred Embodiment

FIG. 1B provides details of a preferred embodiment of handle 103. Knobs 101 and 105 are located so that when they are employed as horizontal grips, the palm of the hand is over the axis 114 of the walking stick's shaft. As shown at 117, the vertical grip 119 is offset by portion 121 from the axis 114 of the shaft. Grip 119 angles back towards the axis 114 of the walking stick's staff. The angle 113 is chosen to fit the angle of the hand which results from the arm's angle 111, which is 10-15° from the horizontal. The opening between the knobs 101 and 105 is 3 to 4½ inches, depending on the size of the user's hand.

Variations

While embodiments of the invention in which the handle has the configuration shown in FIG. 1B are particularly advantageous, many variations are possible. To give some examples:

• • The handle may only have offset grip 119, without knobs 101 and 105;
  • The handle may have either knob 105 or knob 101, but not both;
  • the walking stick may extend above handle 103;
  • offset grip 119 of the handle may extend further towards axis 114, putting the hand closer to the axis of the shaft when the walking stick is being held using the vertical grip;
  • The handle has the form of a loop, with offset 121 and vertical grip 119 being one side of the loop.

In some embodiments, the offset vertical grip may not be angled back towards the axis of the shaft. In others, the offset vertical grip may be higher on the walking stick and may have the angle required for that position. In still others, there may not be a vertical grip, but solely a structure that serves to separate two horizontal grips in a short walking stick that is particularly adapted to stair climbing. The walking stick shafts and handles may be of course made of any material which has the necessary strength, from wood through synthetic materials to metals. In some embodiments, the shaft may be telescoping, to permit easier adaptation of the walking stick to individuals having different builds. In others, there may be differently-sized handles for differently-sized hands, and a walking stick may be personalized by selecting a handle and a shaft that fit the individual for whom the walking stick is intended and combining them to make the walking stick. The selected handle can also be combined with a telescoping shaft that has been set to the proper length.

A Forked Foot for the Walking Stick

The length of the walking stick and the vertical grip permit the walking stick to have a longer “stride” than a short walking stick. That in turn results in an increased angle from the vertical when the walking stick first makes contact with the ground in a stride or breaks contact with the ground at the end of the stride, and the increased angle increases the probability that the tip of the shaft will slip at the beginning or end of the stride. This problem can be dealt with by means of the forked foot 310 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, which reduces the angle from the vertical. The fork 320 is in the same plane as the handle and has a skid resistant tip 315 on the end of each branch 311 and 312. In a preferred embodiment, there is 1″ between the branches.

When the user is using a horizontal grip and consequently pressing directly down on the shaft, the two skid-resistant tips are simultaneously in contact with the surface the downward pressure is being directed against and consequently increase the skid resistance of the walking stick in that situation as well. This effect is strengthened in the stair-climbing situation when the horizontal grips are arranged in a fashion such that when the user grasps the horizontal grip, the palm of the user's hand is not only horizontal to the axis of the shaft but at right angles to the plane of the handle. Because the fork is in the plane of the handle, the user can place the fork at the point where the step's tread and riser meet and the fork will be parallel to the riser. Other embodiments may have other arrangements to prevent the tip of the shaft from skidding; for example, in some cases, more than two feet may be useful.

CONCLUSION

The foregoing Detailed Description has disclosed to those having the necessary technical skills how to make and use walking sticks embodying the invention and has also disclosed the best mode of making the walking stick presently known to the inventor. As will be apparent to those having the necessary technical skills, walking sticks which embody separate aspects of the invention or combinations of these aspects may be made and they may be made using any of the techniques or materials employed in the past, at present, and in the future for making walking sticks. For all of the foregoing reasons, the Detailed Description is to be regarded as being in all respects exemplary and not restrictive, and the breadth of the invention disclosed herein is to be determined not from the Detailed Description, but rather from the claims as interpreted with the full breadth permitted by the patent laws.

Claims

1. A walking stick, the walking stick comprising:

a shaft; and

a handle for a hand of a user, the handle being joined to the shaft and providing the user's hand with a vertical grip on the walking stick which is oriented substantially vertically to the axis of the shaft but offset therefrom.

2. The walking stick set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the handle further provides the user's hand with a horizontal grip on the walking stick which is oriented substantially horizontally to the axis of the shaft.

3. The walking stick set forth in claim 2 wherein:

the handle provides the user's hand with another horizontal grip on the walking stick which is oriented substantially horizontally to the axis of the shaft.

4. The walking stick set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the handle's vertical grip has an angle with regard to the axis of the shaft.

5. The walking stick set forth in claim 4 wherein:

the shaft has a length such that the user's forearm is angled slightly down when the walking stick is vertical, the user is standing on a plane, the end of the shaft is on the same plane, and the user's hand is holding the walking stick by the vertical grip; and

the vertical grip's angle is adapted to the angle of the user's hand which results when the user's forearm is so angled.

6. The walking stick set forth in claim 4 wherein:

the handle provides the user's hand with a horizontal grip on the walking stick which is oriented substantially horizontally to the axis of the shaft.

7. The walking stick set forth in claim 6 wherein:

the horizontal grip is a protuberance where the handle is offset from the shaft.

8. The walking stick set forth in claim 6 wherein:

the handle has an end; and

at the end, the handle provides the user's hand with another horizontal grip on the walking stick which is oriented substantially horizontally to the axis of the shaft.

9. The walking stick set forth in claim 8 wherein:

the other horizontal grip is another protuberance on the end of the handle.

10. The walking stick set forth in claim 4 wherein:

the handle has an end; and

at the end, the handle provides the user's hand with a horizontal grip on the walking stick which is oriented substantially horizontally to the axis of the shaft.

11. The walking stick set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the handle has the form of a loop and the vertical grip is on a side of the loop.

12. The walking stick set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the end of the shaft which is opposite from the handle has a forked foot.

13. The walking stick set forth in claim 12 wherein:

the forked foot is forked in the plane determined by the handle and the shaft.

14. The walking stick set forth in claim 2 wherein:

the end of the shaft which is opposite from the handle has a forked foot.

15. The walking stick set forth in claim 3 wherein:

the horizontal grip permits the user's hand to be oriented substantially at right angles to a plane determined by the handle and the shaft; and

the forked foot is forked in the plane determined by the handle and the shaft, whereby the forked foot provides lateral support for the shaft when the user is using the horizontal grip.

16. A walking stick comprising:

a shaft; and

a handle for a hand of a user, the handle being joined to the shaft and providing the user's hand with a vertical grip on the walking stick and a plurality of horizontal grips.

17. The walking stick set forth in claim 16 wherein:

one of the horizontal grips is above the vertical grip and another is below the vertical grip.

18. The walking stick set forth in claim 17 wherein:

the vertical grip is offset from the axis of the shaft.

19. The walking stick set forth in claim 18 wherein:

the horizontal grips are less offset from the axis of the shaft than the vertical grip.

20. A handle for a hand of a user of a walking stick, the walking stick having a shaft, the handle being joined to the shaft, and the handle being characterized in that:

the handle provides the user's hand with a vertical grip on the walking stick which is oriented substantially vertically to the axis of the shaft but offset therefrom.