US 12,622,837 B2Granted

Stair navigation assist system

AssigneeUniversity of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education

InventorsAlexandra Delazio, Alton E. James, III, David M. Brienza, Jonathan L Pearlman, Paulina M. Villacreces, MD Rayhan Afsar, Todd Hargroder

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Abstract

A system for assisting a user with navigating a set of stairs includes a pulley system positioned adjacent to the stairs, the pulley system including a first pulley, a second pulley, and an elongated member coupled to and looped around the first pulley and the second pulley. The system further includes a motor coupled to the first pulley, a sensing assembly operatively coupled to the pulley system, the sensing assembly being structured and configured to sense that a force is being applied to or that is about to be applied to the elongated member by the user, and a controller coupled to the motor and the sensing assembly. The controller is structured and configured to, responsive to the sensing assembly sensing the force, turn the motor on to drive the first pulley.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system for assisting a user with navigating a set of stairs, comprising:

a pulley system positioned adjacent to the stairs, the pulley system including a first pulley, a second pulley, and an elongated member coupled to and looped around the first pulley and the second pulley;
a motor coupled to the first pulley;
a sensing assembly operatively coupled to the pulley system, the sensing assembly being structured and configured to sense that a force is being applied to or that is about to be applied to the elongated member by the user;
and
a controller coupled to the motor and the sensing assembly, wherein the controller is structured and configured to, responsive to the sensing assembly sensing the force, turn the motor on to drive the first pulley, wherein the sensing assembly comprises a switch assembly having a number of switches coupled to the pulley system, the switch assembly being structured and configured to sense that the force is being applied to the elongated member by the user, wherein the switch assembly is positioned adjacent to the first pulley, wherein the elongated member is received through an aperture provided in the switch assembly, and wherein one or more of the number of switches of the switch assembly are structured and configured to be closed in response to the force being applied to the elongated member by the user, wherein the first pulley and the switch assembly are housed within a first shroud member, and wherein the second pulley is housed within a second shroud member, wherein the first and second shroud members are coupled to the controller, wherein the first shroud member is structured and configured to sense that the user is touching the first shroud member and responsive thereto the controller is structured and configured to turn the motor off, and wherein the second shroud member is structured and configured to sense that the user is touching the second shroud member and responsive thereto the controller is structured and configured to turn the motor off.

2 more elements

A system for assisting a user with navigating a set of stairs, comprising:

a pulley system positioned adjacent to the stairs, the pulley system including a first pulley, a second pulley, and an elongated member coupled to and looped around the first pulley and the second pulley;
a motor coupled to the first pulley;
a sensing assembly operatively coupled to the pulley system, the sensing assembly being structured and configured to sense that a force is being applied to or that is about to be applied to the elongated member by the user;
and
a controller coupled to the motor and the sensing assembly, wherein the controller is structured and configured to, responsive to the sensing assembly sensing the force, turn the motor on to drive the first pulley, wherein the first pulley is housed within a first shroud member coupled to the controller and the second pulley is housed within a second shroud member coupled to the controller, wherein the first shroud member is structured and configured to sense that the user is touching the first shroud member and responsive thereto the controller is structured and configured to turn the motor off, and wherein the second shroud member is structured and configured to sense that the user is touching the second shroud member and responsive thereto the controller is structured and configured to turn the motor off.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/460,971Filed 5 Sep 2023 · us provisional application
Priority: 8 Sep 2022
Published: US 2024/0099924 A128 Mar 2024
Granted: 12 May 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A61H 3/00
Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about
E04F 11/1808
Handrails mounted on walls, e.g. on the wall side of stairs: handrail members; Connections between handrail members
E04F 11/1863
Balustrades; Handrails: built-in aids for ascending or descending stairs
A61H 2003/001
Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about: on steps or stairways