GB2468900A

GB2468900A - Support for a walking stick, cane, pole or the like

Info

Publication number: GB2468900A
Application number: GB0905193A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nikki Brand
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-03-26
Filing date: 2009-03-26
Publication date: 2010-09-29
Also published as: GB0905193D0

Abstract

A device 3 for releasably securing a walking stick, cane, pole or the like to another object when the walking stick, cane, pole or the like to is not in use, comprises a bendable arm 4. The arm 4 extends away from the pole and can be bent upwards and downwards by user action or manipulation whilst substantially retaining its shape. The arm is preferably substantially flat in profile and may be integral with the walking stick, cane, pole or the like or may be releasably attached there to. In use, the arm may be bent so that its shape conforms substantially to the thickness of an underlying surface, for example a chair back, so as to form a hook there over or the arm may be arranged so that it extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pole so that, for example, the device can support the walking stick, cane, pole or the like on a table surface 7 with the underside surface of the arm sitting flat on the table surface and the pole forming a cantilever hanging down beside it.

Description

Pole Support The invention relates to a pole support, and particularly, though not exclusively, to a pole support for a walking cane or other pole-like member such as the handle of a broom or mop.

Walking canes are used by elderly or disabled people to assist with walking. When such a user wishes to sit down, for example when waiting for a bus or sitting in a restaurant, the person will ordinarily lean their cane against an object such as a table or adjacent chair where, unfortunately, it is susceptible to being knocked to the ground and therefore difficult to retrieve without the assistance of others. Some canes have a hooked upper-part allowing it to be placed over the back of a chair or supported on the surface of a table. However, the relatively wide diameter of the hooked part means the cane is still susceptible to being knocked from the chair or table surface by minimal contact.

The present invention provides a support for a pole comprising a bendable arm.

Such a support provides a means of supporting the pole on a wide range of underlying surfaces, such as a table or the back of a chair, in a more secure and stable fashion by virtue of the fact that the arm can be bent to conform, at least substantially, with said underlying surface. For example, where the underlying supporting surface is the back of a chair, the bendable arm can be bent over to form a hook or loop. Where the pole is a walking cane, this substantially reduces the chance of knocking the cane to the ground.

Where the pole is the handle of a broom or mop, the bendable arm enables the broom or mop to be supported on a wide variety of hooks and/or supporting bars regardless of size, shape or orientation.

The term pole' is intended to mean any longitudinal member and is not limited to poles having a circular circumference.

The support can be formed integrally with the pole, or can be provided as a separate attachment for fixing to a pole or a range of different poles, e.g. poles having different diameters.

The arm may extend substantially away from the longitudinally axis of the pole and may be bent at least upwards and downwards relative to the longitudinal axis of the pole. The arm may also be bent in other orientations, for example to enable the arm to be wrapped around the pole in a spiral-like manner for when the pole is in use, e.g. as a walking stick. The arm may be stored in a recess of the pole and released therefrom when required for use, e.g. by pushing a button or switch on the pole. In this sense, the arm may be spring-loaded within the recess.

The arm may have a lower support surface formed so as to grip an underlying surface. To this end, the lower support surface may be formed of a non-slip material, for example a non-slip plastics material such as rubber. Alternatively, or additionally, the lower support surface may comprise ribs, dots or undulations which provide the gripping surface.

The arm may be bendable by virtue of a metal rod or wire which substantially retains its shape following manipulation by a user. This rod or wire can be provided wholly or partially within the main body of the arm if said body is formed using a different material. In the first embodiment described herein, the support comprises a rubber arm having a bendable metal rod formed wholly within.

The arm may have a substantially flat profile. This reduces the chance of accidentally knocking the support and therefore the pole from the underlying surface. It also enables the support to be secured to, for example, the back of chair such that the user can sit with their back against the chair without discomfort from the arm digging into the user's back.

There may be provided at least one tab extending from the arm, preferably at or near the free-end of the arm. Said at least one tab may extend outwards from the longitudinal axis of the arm and therefore provide additional grip, e.g. at or near the free-end. Extra grip is provided by the additional surface area. The underside of the or each tab may also comprise a gripping surface in the manner indicated above. The or each tab may extend downwards from the arm when viewed towards the free end. In the first preferred embodiment, two gripping tabs are provided at the free-end of the arm and extend outwards and downwards from the end to provide gripping wings. When viewed towards the free-end of the arm, the tabs have a U or V -shape.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a support for attachment to a pole comprising attachment means and a bendable arm.

The support is, in this case, a separate device for attachment to a variety of pole-type members. The attachment means may be provided at one end of the support with the bendable arm extending away therefrom. The attachment means may comprise a loop or ring through which a pole is passed with the attachment means further comprising means arranged to secure it to the pole. This may be by means of a tightening means which reduces the size of the loop or ring. For example, the tightening means may be a tightening screw. Alternatively, the tightening means may be a clamp or clip which can be forced over the loop or ring to reduce its size.

The support may comprise a hinge positioned between seperate attachment means and arm portions.

According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a pole support comprising forming a bendable arm by providing a metal wire or rod extending from an attachment means of the support.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows schematic representations of a walking cane using a support member according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a support member according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figures 3-5 are perspective views of respective different types of attachment part of the support member of Figure 2; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the support member of Figure 2 in alternative positions; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a support member according to a second aspect; and Figures 8a-b are perspective views of, respectively, a support member according to a third aspect and said support member shown in the stowed position with respect to a pole.

Referring to Figure 1 a, a walking cane 1 is shown together with a support member 3 according to the invention. The support member 3 comprises a longitudinal arm 4 that can be bent upwards and downwards by user action or manipulation and substantially retains its shape. The general principle of operation is indicated in Figures lb and ic. In Figure Ib, the cane I and support member 3 are shown in the situation where the user wishes to attach the cane to the back of a chair 5. Here, the arm 4 of support member 3 is bent so that its shape conforms substantially to the thickness of the chair back, in effect forming a hook thereover. If the chair back is not solid, the arm 4 can be bent further backwards to pass under the top of the chair back thereby to form a loop. The arm 4 is preferably substantially flat in profile, i.e. when viewed from the side as in Figure ib, so that the user can sit on said chair without the arm 4 digging into the user's back; indeed, the user's weight will serve to provide further security against the cane being inadvertently knocked from the chair 1. In Figure ic, the arm 4 of support member 3 is arranged to support the cane 1 on a table surface 7. Here, the arm 4 of support member 3 is arranged so that it extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cane 1; the underside surface of the arm 4 sits flat on the table surface 7 and, together with the weight of the cane 1, forms a cantilever support.

A first embodiment of the support member 3 will now be described with reference to Figure 2. The support member 3 is provided as a separate attachment that can be used with a variety of poles. The support member 3 comprises, at one end, an attachment ring 11 and, extending therefrom, the longitudinal bendable arm 4. The longitudinal axis of the arm is indicated by the dotted line. At the free end 12 of the arm 4 is provided a pair of tabs or wings 13 which extend slightly outwards of the arm's longidudinal axis and downwards to form a U or V-shape. The wings 13 provide additional surface area and a shape that provides grip on an underlying surface. The wings 13 can be made of a resilient material or can themselves be bendable so as to narrow or widen the U or V-shape. It will be seen that the profile of the arm 4 is substantially flat, although its thickness can taper slightly. In this sense, flat means that the thickness of the arm is substantially smaller than its width.

In this embodiment, the support member 3 is formed of a plastics material, for example rubber. The bendable arm 4 portion comprises a metal rod or wire (not shown) which enables the arm to be bent in a range of directions and orientations. Here, the rod or wire is wholly enclosed within the arm 4. The underlying surface 15 of the arm 4 provides a gripping surface; this may be due to the plastics material from which the arm is formed (rubber having particular advantages in this regard) and/or the shape of this underlying surface can be arranged to provide grip, for example by having ribs, dots or undulations.

The inner surface of the wings 13 can also have such a gripping surface.

Figure 3 indicates one arrangement by which the attachment ring 11 can be secured to a pole (not shown). A threaded screw or bolt 17 is attached to a first side 19 of the ring 11 and passes through a threaded aperture 20 in the second, opposing side 21 of the ring. After passing the pole through the attachment ring 11, the screw or bolt 17 is turned such that the first side 19 is drawn towards the second side 21, thereby reducing the diameter of the ring.

Figure 4 indicates an alternative securing arrangement. Here, a clamp 23 is provided which, in use, can be moved over the attachment ring 11 along the longitudinal axis and is effective to reduce the diameter of the ring thereby securing the pole 1 in place. The clamp has a tight-fitting engagement with the outer surface of the attachment ring 11 and so will not slide backwards without user force in the reverse direction. In this case, the clamp 23 is a figure-of-eight clamp having two rings through which separate sides of the attachment ring pass.

S The separation of the clamp rings is arranged such as to clamp the pole 1 in place securely.

Figure 5a indicates a yet further alternative securing arrangement. Here, the arm 4 is provided on a collar 25 which slides over the pole 1. The collar 25 can be formed of a resilient material so that it can be opened to allow the pole I to pass through whereafter it closes to grip the pole securely. Figure 5b shows how the arm 4 is arranged with a bendable underside that, in the storage position, is folded under itself. It may have a tacky or sticky coating to aid storage and grip.

Figures 6a and 6b indicate how the bendable arm 4 can be arranged when the pole 1 is in use. As well as the arm 4 being bendable in upwards and downwards directions, it can be arranged to be bent in other directions and orientations, for example to form a spiral whereby the arm is wrapped around the cane 1 to which it is attached. In Figure 6b, the U or V -shaped tabs 13 are shown gripping the pole 1.

The above-described support member 3 can be used with a wide range of pole-like members of varying diameters/thicknesses. In the case of a walking cane, it enables the user to stow the cane on a wide range of support surfaces such as table tops, chair backs, wall hanging bars and so on. The bendable arm 4 part is able to conform with all manner of underlying surface regardless of shape or orientation. For example, the arm 4 may be bent to support the member 3 on flat or sloped surfaces and/or to form a hook or loop for use with chair backs or wall hanging bars of different diameters. Further grip is provided by the underlying gripping surface and the wings. Alternative uses include attaching the support member 3 to the handle of brooms, mops and the like enabling their attachment to a variety of support members.

A second embodiment will now be described with reference Figure 7. In this case, a support member 27 is provided which forms an integral part of the pole-like member with which it is to be used. The arm 4 of the support member 27 is substantially the same as that described above but, in this case is attached, at one end, to the pole 1. This is by means of a hinge.

The arm 4 can be stowed within a recess 29 of the pole 1 and spring-loaded against a biasing means such as a coil-spring (not shown). A catch retains the arm 4 in place against the biasing means and is releasable upon user activation of a button or switch 31.

Figure 8a shows a third embodiment support member 31 which is bendable by virtue of a hinge 33 connecting separate arm and attachment member parts 4, 11. The arm 4 can also be bendable as with the previous embodiment and likewise may comprise end wings 13 and an underlying gripping surface. Figure 8b shows this third embodiment member 31 in the stowed position in which it bent about the hinge to sit substantially parallel with the pole 1.

Claims

Claims 1. A support for a pole comprising a bendable arm.
2. A support according to claim I formed integrally with a pole.
3. A support according to claim 1 provided as a separate attachment for fixing to a pole or a range of different poles and comprising means to enable said attachment.
4. A support according to any preceding claim, wherein the arm extends substantially away from the longitudinally axis of the pole and may be bent at least upwards and downwards relative to the longitudinal axis of the pole.
5. A support according to claim 4, wherein the arm is arranged to be bent in other orientations, for example to enable the arm to be wrapped around the pole in a spiral-like manner for when the pole is in use, e.g. as a walking stick.
6. A support according to any preceding claim, wherein the arm is arranged to be stored in a recess of the pole and released therefrom when required for use.
7. A support according to claim 6, wherein the arm is spring-loaded within the recess.
8. A support according to any preceding claim, wherein the arm has a lower support surface formed so as to grip an underlying surface.
9. A support according to claim 8, wherein the lower support surface may be formed of a non-slip material, for example a non-slip plastics material such as rubber.
10. A support according to claim 9, wherein the lower support surface comprises ribs, dots or undulations which provide the gripping surface.
11. A support according to any preceding claim, wherein the arm includes a metal rod or wire which substantially retains its shape following manipulation by a user.
12. A support according to claim 11, wherein the support comprises a rubber arm having a bendable metal rod formed within.
13. A support according to any preceding claim, wherein the arm has a substantially flat profile.
14. A support according to any preceding claim, wherein there is provided at least one tab extending from the arm, preferably at or near its free-end, thereby to provide additional grip.
15. A support according to claim 14, wherein two gripping tabs are provided which, when viewed towards the free-end, have a U or V shaped profile.
16. A support for attachment to a pole comprising attachment means and a bendable arm.
17. A support according to claim 16, wherein the attachment means is provided at one end of the support with the bendable arm extending away therefrom.
18. A support according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the attachment means comprises a loop or ring through which a pole is passed with the attachment means further comprising means arranged to secure it to the pole.
19. A support according to claim 18, wherein the attachment means comprises a tightening means arranged to reduce the size of the loop or ring.
20. A support according to claim 19 further comprising a hinge positioned between seperate attachment means and arm portions.
21. A method of making a pole support comprising forming a bendable arm by providing a metal wire or rod extending from an attachment means of the support.
22. A support for a pole constructed and arranged substantially as herein shown and described with reference to the accompanying drawings.