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US 8,707,975 B2Granted
Crutch
AssigneeMillennial Medical Equipment, LLC
InventorsBrad J. Larson, Ken Lester
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An articulated grip pad is disclosed which includes a vertical supporting member that has a generally spherical bottom end. The crutch also includes a gripping pad having a bore. The generally spherical end of the vertical support is securely received into the bore.
Claims20
A crutch comprising:
- a vertical supporting member of a crutch;
- a semispherical surface fixedly secured to a bottom end of the vertical supporting member;
- and
- a gripping pad having a distal end defining a gripping surface shaped to engage a ground surface, and a proximal end having a socket, wherein the semispherical surface is securely received into the socket to articulate with an abutting surface within the socket such that the abutting surface does not extend outward from the socket into the gripping pad;
- wherein the gripping pad is formed of a flexible material and is shaped to flex during use of the crutch to allow pivoting motion between the distal and proximal ends as the semispherical surface articulates with the abutting surface;
- wherein the vertical supporting member and the semispherical surface have the same diameter and are, within the socket, free of any element that protrudes diametrically into the gripping pad.
3 more elements
A crutch comprising:
- a vertical supporting member of a crutch;
- a semispherical surface coupled to a bottom end of the vertical supporting member;
- a gripping pad having a distal end defining a gripping surface shaped to engage a ground surface, and a proximal end having a socket, wherein the semispherical surface is securely received into the socket to articulate with an abutting surface within the socket to allow pivoting motion between the distal and proximal ends as the semispherical surface articulates with the abutting surface such that a center of the semispherical surface is between the distal and proximal ends;
- and
- a washer on which the abutting surface is located, wherein the abutting surface comprises a substantially hemispherical surface and the washer does not extend outward from the socket into the gripping pad;
- wherein the gripping pad is formed of a flexible material and is shaped to flex during use of the crutch to allow pivoting motion between the distal and proximal ends as the semispherical surface articulates with the abutting surface;
- wherein the vertical supporting member and the semispherical surface have the same diameter and are, within the socket, free of any element that protrudes diametrically into the gripping pad.
4 more elements
A crutch comprising:
- a vertical supporting member of a crutch;
- a semispherical surface coupled to a bottom end of the vertical supporting member;
- and
- a gripping pad having a distal end defining a gripping surface shaped to engage a ground surface, and a proximal end having a socket, wherein the semispherical surface is securely received into the socket to articulate with an abutting surface within the socket to allow pivoting motion between the distal and proximal ends as the semispherical surface articulates with the abutting surface such that a center of the semispherical surface is between the distal and proximal ends;
- wherein the gripping pad is formed of a flexible material and is shaped to flex during use of the crutch to allow pivoting motion between the distal and proximal ends as the semispherical surface articulates with the abutting surface;
- wherein the gripping pad comprises an annular groove disposed on its exterior surface, wherein the annular groove defines a thinner section of the gripping pad between the proximal and distal ends of the gripping pad to facilitate the pivotal motion, wherein the annular groove is closer than the center of the semispherical surface to the distal end of the gripping pad;
- wherein the vertical supporting member and the semispherical surface have the same diameter and are, within the socket, free of any element that protrudes diametrically into the gripping pad.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.