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US 7,494,138 B2Granted
Bipedal motion assisting method and apparatus
OwnerGary Grahaminventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mobile support system having a central region that allows the legs to move in an unobstructed manner and providing an upper body support assembly where the weight is distributed between the elbow region and hand region of the individual for a desirable weight distribution for assisted bipedal motion such as walking or running.
Claims20
A mobile support system having a longitudinal, vertical and lateral axis adapted to support an individual having at least one leg, left and right elbows and left and right hands, the mobile support system comprising:
- a) a base frame comprising a first lateral frame member and a second lateral frame member, the first and second lateral frame members forming a central unobstructed region adapted to provide free motion of the leg of the individual,
- b) a wheel assembly attached to the base frame and comprising a longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly and a longitudinal forward wheel subassembly, where the longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly comprises first and second longitudinally rearward wheels each having ground engagement locations, the longitudinally forward wheel subassembly having a ground engagement location that is positioned laterally between the ground engagement locations of first and second longitudinally rearward wheels, the base frame comprising left and right lateral regions which are movably attached to a forward frame member where the left and right lateral regions have an operating orientation where the left and right lateral regions are spaced apart sufficiently to have an individual interposed there between, the left and right lateral regions having a storage orientation where the left and right lateral members are operatively configured to pivot substantially about a vertical axis, reducing an overall volume of the mobile support system, whereby when the mobile support system is in the storage orientation the first lateral frame member is positioned closer in proximity in the lateral direction to the second lateral frame member,
- c) an upper body support assembly attached to the base frame, the upper body support assembly comprising:
- i. an elbow support region comprising first and second elbow supports adapted to support the left and right elbows of the individual,
- ii. a support handle assembly comprising first and second support handles operatively configured to be grasped by left and right hands,
- iii. where the first and second elbow supports and the first and second handles are connected to the left and right lateral regions respectively,
- d) whereas the body weight of the individual is operatively configured to be partially supported by the upper body support assembly whereby a portion of the weight is distributed to the elbow support region and a portion of the weight is distributed to the support handle assembly.
4 more elements
A method of transporting an individual having a bodyweight and center of gravity, at least one leg, left and right elbows and left and right hands, the method comprising:
- a) retrieving a mobile support system having a longitudinal axis and lateral axis adapted to support an individual, the mobile support system comprising a base frame comprising a first lateral frame member and a second lateral frame member, the first and second lateral frame members forming a central unobstructed region adapted to provide free motion of the legs of the individual when the mobile support system is in an open orientation, a wheel assembly attached to the base frame and comprising a longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly and a longitudinal forward wheel subassembly, where the longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly comprises first and second longitudinally rearward wheels each having ground engagement locations, the longitudinally forward wheel subassembly having a ground engagement location that is positioned laterally between the ground engagement locations of first and second longitudinally rearward wheels;
- an upper body support assembly attached to the base frame, the upper body support assembly having an elbow support region comprising first and second elbow supports adapted to support the left and right elbows of the individual and a support handle assembly comprising first and second support handles adapted to be grasped by left and right hands,
- b) positioning the body weight of the individual in a manner to be partially supported by the upper body support assembly whereby a portion of the weight is distributed to the elbow support region and a portion of the weight is distributed to the support handle assembly to distribute a portion of the individual's body weight thereon,
- c) mobile support system being arranged so the first and second lateral frame members further having a storage orientation where the first and second lateral members collapses reducing an overall volume of the mobile support system and when the mobile support system is positioned in a storage orientation following a the transporting of the individual, the first lateral frame member is positioned closer in proximity in the lateral direction to the second lateral frame member by way of relative rotation of the first and second frame members about an axis substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and lateral axis and the total lateral width of the mobile support system is reduced.
1 more element
A mobile support system having a longitudinal and lateral axes operatively configured to support an individual having at least one leg, left and right elbows and left and right hands, the mobile support system comprising:
- a) a base frame comprising a first lateral frame member and a second lateral frame member, the first and second lateral frame members forming a central unobstructed region adapted to provide free motion of the leg of the individual when the base frame is in an open orientation,
- b) a wheel assembly attached to the base frame and comprising a longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly and a longitudinal forward wheel subassembly, where the longitudinally rearward wheel subassembly comprises first and second longitudinally rearward wheels each having ground engagement locations, the longitudinally forward wheel subassembly having a ground engagement location that is positioned forwardly and laterally between the ground engagement locations of first and second longitudinally rearward wheels,
- c) an upper body support assembly attached to the base frame, the upper body support assembly comprising:
- i. an elbow support region comprising first and second elbow supports adapted to support the left and right elbows of the individual,
- ii. a support handle assembly comprising first and second support handles adapted to be grasped by left and right hands,
- iii. whereby the elbow support region is operatively configured to reposition the first and second elbow supports to fixedly and adjustably rotate about a substantially lateral axis with respect to the base frame so as to modify the angle of the first and second elbow supports to adjust the amount of pressure upon first and second support handles by the individual;
- d) whereas the body weight of the individual is operatively configured to be partially supported by the upper body support assembly whereby a portion of the weight is distributed to the elbow support region and a portion of the weight is distributed to the support handle assembly and the mobile support system has a storage orientation where the first lateral frame member is positioned closer in proximity in the lateral direction to the second lateral frame member and the first lateral frame member and the second lateral frame member are configured to be repositioned to bring the first and second lateral frame members in closer proximity to one another in a stored orientation.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.