Walker and wheel assembly therefor
OwnerTroy A. Heieninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A walker includes a frame with downwardly extending front and rear legs. An obstacle traversing wheel assembly is disposed at the lower end of each front leg, and a wheel having a brake that is engaged by a downward force on the walker frame is disposed at the lower end of each rear leg. The obstacle traversing wheel assembly is arranged with a primary wheel that is rotatable about a central axis. At least four secondary wheels of equal diameter, but smaller than the primary wheel, are arranged at fixed locations around the circumference of the primary wheel. The secondary wheels are arranged to freely rotate independently of each other and of the primary wheel.
Claims20
A walker comprising:
- a walker frame, said frame having a left side member and a right side member, said left and right side members each having a downwardly extending front leg and a downwardly extending rear leg, said side members held rigidly spaced apart by a front frame member;
- and
- an obstacle traversing wheel assembly, that is arranged to roll on a surface, disposed at the lower end of each of said front walker legs, said wheel assembly comprising a primary wheel that is independently rotatable about a central axis, and an even number, but at least four, secondary wheels of equal diameter mounted at fixed locations on said primary wheel whereat at least two of said secondary wheels are in rolling contact with said surface, said fixed locations being equidistant from said central axis and angularly equidistant one from the next, the diameter of each said secondary wheel being greater than the distance between axes of angularly adjacent wheels, said adjacent wheels offset one to another whereby adjacent wheels follow separate but parallel paths, each of said secondary wheels arranged to freely rotate independently of any other secondary wheel and independently as well of said primary wheel.
A wheel assembly that is arranged to roll on a surface comprising:
- a generally planar primary wheel that is rotatable about a central axis, said primary wheel comprising a generally circular planar member having a plurality of, but at least six, stub axles at fixed locations extending outwardly therefrom, said locations being angularly equidistant apart and equidistant as well from the central axis, said stub axles arranged so that angularly adjacent axles extend outwardly from opposite sides of said planer member;
- and
- an even number of secondary wheels, one wheel mounted on each stub axle, said secondary wheels being of equal size and configured as a generally cylindrical disk having a diameter greater than the distance between angularly adjacent stub axles, said axles and wheels arranged such that at least two angularly adjacent wheels are in rolling contact with said surface at any one time, each of said secondary wheels arranged to freely rotate independently of any other secondary wheel, and independently as well of said primary wheel whereby each wheel of an angularly adjacent pair of wheels that is in rolling contact with said surface rolls in a separate and parallel track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.