Assistive walker apparatus
AssigneeSteelhead Innovations, LLC
InventorWilliam G. Trout
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assistive walker for assisting a user in going on foot and for reinforcing recommended walker use technique includes a walker frame including opposed leading and trailing ends formed between opposed handled and footed ends and that together define a user-receiving area extending from the trailing end of the walker frame to the leading end of the walker frame, and the walker frame is for supporting a user in the user-receiving area and aiding ambulation thereof. The walker frame is formed with a motion sensor apparatus including a motion sensor assembly to detect user movement at the user-receiving area, and a signal device operatively coupled to the motion sensor assembly to emit the signal in response to a substantial lack of detected user movement at the user-receiving area.
Claims16
An ambulatory device for assisting a user in going on foot, comprising:
- a walker includes opposed leading and trailing ends, and defines a user-receiving area between the opposed leading and trailing ends and an opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area to provide unobstructed user access therethrough to the user-receiving area at the trailing end of the walker, and the walker for supporting and aiding a user in going on foot in the user-receiving area;
- and
- a motion sensor apparatus formed with the walker for detecting user movement at the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area, and for emitting an alerting signal in response to a substantial lack of detected user movement by the motion sensor apparatus at the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area for reinforcing recommended walker use technique.
A method of assisting a user in going on foot, the method comprising:
- providing a walker having opposed leading and trailing ends and that defines a user-receiving area between the opposed leading and trailing ends and an opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area to provide unobstructed user access therethrough to the user-receiving area, the walker for supporting and aiding a user in going on foot in the user-receiving area;
- providing the walker with a motion sensor apparatus for detecting user movement at the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area, and for emitting an alerting signal;
- the user using the walker in going on foot;
- and
- the motion sensor apparatus not detecting user movement at the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area during the user using the walker in going on foot, and the motion sensor apparatus issuing the alerting signal in response thereto reinforcing recommended walker use technique.
An ambulatory device for assisting a user in going on foot, comprising:
- a walker includes opposed leading and trailing ends, and defines a user-receiving area between the opposed leading and trailing ends and an opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area to provide unobstructed user access therethrough to the user-receiving area at the trailing end of the walker, and the walker for supporting and aiding a user in going on foot in the user-receiving area;
- and
- a motion sensor apparatus formed with the walker for maintaining a beam across the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area to detect movement at the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area when the beam is broken in response to user movement at the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area, and for emitting an alerting signal in response to the beam remaining unbroken for a threshold period of time constituting a substantial lack of detected user movement at the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area for reinforcing recommended walker use technique.
A method of assisting a user in going on foot, the method comprising:
- providing a walker having opposed leading and trailing ends and that defines a user-receiving area between the opposed leading and trailing ends and an opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area to provide unobstructed user access therethrough to the user-receiving area, the walker for supporting and aiding a user in going on foot in the user-receiving area;
- providing the walker with a motion sensor apparatus for maintaining a beam across the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area to detect movement at the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area when the beam is broken in response to user movement at the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area, and for emitting an alerting signal;
- the user using the walker in going on foot;
- and
- the beam remaining unbroken for a threshold period of time so as to constitute no user movement at the opening at the trailing end of the walker to the user-receiving area during the user using the walker in going on foot, and the motion sensor apparatus issuing the alerting signal in response thereto reinforcing recommended walker use technique.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.