Foldable invalid walker

Claim 2

In an invalid walker, the combination of: first means providing a pair of spaced forward legs; second means providing a pair of spaced rearward legs; said two means being pivotally interconnected on a transverse axis for relative rotation of the two pairs of legs for folding of the walker from extended operating state to inoperative contracted state; one of said two means comprising a frame of generally U-shaped configuration forming one of the two pairs of legs with the legs of the pair interconnected by a transverse bar at an elevation above said axis; one of said two means forming an elevated pair of rearwardly extending handles to be gripped by the user, said handles being positioned forward of the points of contact of the rearward legs with the ground when said walker is in its extended operating state; said walker being open from the rear to permit the user to enter the walker from the rear and to walk between the rearward legs while grasping the handles in the use of the walker; brace means connecting each of the forward legs to the corresponding rearward leg; said brace means being normally locked in extended position to keep the walker in extended operating state, said brace means being retractable to permit folding of the walker to inoperative state.

Claim 3

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the brace is collapsible.

Claim 4

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the brace is foldable.

Claim 5

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said U-shaped frame forms the rearward pair of legs, and the U-shaped frame is inclined forward to position said elevated transverse bar forward to avoid interfering with forward leg movements by the user.

Claim 6

A combination as set for th in claim 4 in which the means forming the handle is telescopically and adjustably extendable to vary the height of the handles.

Claim 7

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the legs of one of said two means straddles the other of the two means.

Claim 8

A combination as set forth in claim 6 in which said one of the two means is a one-piece U-shaped member.

Claim 9

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the rearwardly extending handles is on the oNe of the two means that provides the forward pair of legs, whereby the user may unfold the folded walker by grasping the handles and exerting a downwardly and forwardly directed force on the rear pair of legs.

Claim 10

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said foldable braces is unfoldable to a past-center position to make the brace non-responsive to contracting force across its extended length.

Claim 11

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said first means that forms the forward pair of legs forms the pair of rearwardly extending handles for use by the operator in moving the walker forward; in which the overall fore-and-aft dimension of the walker is substantially less than the width dimensions; in which said second means that forms the rearward legs comprises said frame and said transverse bar of the frame is at least approximately of the elevation of the handles, and said second means is longer than said first means such that the rear legs are longer than the front legs and extend beyond the front legs when said walker is in its contracted state.

Claim 12

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which one of said two means straddles the other of the two means; in which the two means intersect each other at points on opposite sides of the walker; in which the two means are pivotally interconnected at the two intersection points, and in which the two brace means are foldable and interconnect the forward and rearward legs on the opposite side respectively of the walker in regions below the points of intersection of the two means.

Claim 13

In an invalid walker, the combination of: first means providing a pair of spaced forward legs; second means providing a pair of spaced rearward legs; said two means being pivotally interconnected on a transverse axis for relative rotation of the two pairs of legs for folding of the walker from extended operating state to contracted state; one of said two means comprising a frame of generally U-shaped configuration forming one of the two pairs of legs with the legs of the pair interconnected by a transverse bar at an elevation above said axis; one of said two means forming an elevated pair of rearwardly extending handles to be gripped by the user, said handles being positioned forward of the points of contact of the rearward legs wtih the ground when said walker is in its extended operating state; said walker being open from the rear to permit the user to enter the walker from the rear and to walk between the rearward legs while grasping the handles in the use of the walker; each of the forward legs being connected to the corresponding rearward leg by a corresponding brace means which is normally locked in its extended operating position; said brace means being releasable to permit folding of the walker, and the walker being open from below with sufficient clearance to clear a toilet seat whereby the user may advance the walker into a position with the walker straddling the seat and then the user may turn around to sit on the seat.

Claim 14

In an invalid walker, the combination of: first means providing a pair of spaced forward legs; second means providing a pair of spaced rearward legs; said two means being pivotally interconnected on a transverse axis for relative rotation of the two pairs of legs for folding of the walker from extended operating state to contracted state; one of said two means comprising a frame of generally U-shaped configuration forming one of the two pairs of legs with the legs of the pair interconnected by a transverse bar at an elevation above said axis; one of said two means forming an elevated pair of rearwardly extending handles to be gripped by the user, said handles being positioned forward of the points of contact of the rearward legs wtih the ground when said walker is in its extended operating state; said walker being open from the rear to permit the user to enter the walker from the rear and to walk between the rearward legs while grasping the handles in the use of the walker; each of the forward legs being connected to the corresponding rearward leg by a corresponding brace means which is normally locked in its extended operating position; said brace means being releasable to permit folding of the walker, and the walker being open from below with sufficient clearance to clear a toilet seat whereby the user may advance the walker into a position with the walker straddling the seat and then the user may turn around to sit on the seat.

Claim 15

A combination as set forth in claim 12 in which an upper portion of each of the two rear legs of the walker is inclined rearwardly and downwardly of the walker to serve as means to be gripped by the user to assist the user to rise to a standing position from said toilet seat.

Claim 16

In a invalid walker, the combination of: first means providing a pair of spaced forward legs; second means providing a pair of spaced rearward legs; said two means being pivotally interconnected on a transverse axis for relative rotation of the two pairs of legs for folding of the walker from extended operating state to contracted state; one of said two means comprising a frame of generally U-shaped configuration forming one of the two pairs of legs with the legs of the pair interconnected by a transverse bar at an elevation above said axis; one of said two means forming an elevated pair of rearwardly Extending handles to be gripped by the user, said handles being positioned forward of the points of contact of the rearward legs with the ground when said walker is in its extended operating state; said walker being open from the rear to permit the user to enter the walker from the rear and to walk between the rearward legs while grasping the handles in the use of the walker; each of the forward legs being connected to the corresponding rearward leg by a corresponding brace means which is normally locked in its extended operating position; said brace means being releasable to permit folding of the walker; the said means which forms an elevated pair of handles being the means which provides the forward pair of legs; the second means being longer than the first menas such that the rear legs are longer than the front legs and extend beyond the front legs when said walker is in its contracted state, and the walker being open from below with sufficient clearance to clear a toilet seat whereby the user may advance the walker into a position with the walker straddling the seat and then the user may turn around to sit on the seat.

Claim 17

In a invalid walker, the combination of: first means providing a pair of spaced forward legs; second means providing a pair of spaced rearward legs; said two means being pivotally interconnected on a transverse axis for relative rotation of the two pairs of legs for folding of the walker from extended operating state to contracted state; one of said two means comprising a frame of generally U-shaped configuration forming one of the two pairs of legs with the legs of the pair interconnected by a transverse bar at an elevation above said axis; one of said two means forming an elevated pair of rearwardly Extending handles to be gripped by the user, said handles being positioned forward of the points of contact of the rearward legs with the ground when said walker is in its extended operating state; said walker being open from the rear to permit the user to enter the walker from the rear and to walk between the rearward legs while grasping the handles in the use of the walker; each of the forward legs being connected to the corresponding rearward leg by a corresponding brace means which is normally locked in its extended operating position; said brace means being releasable to permit folding of the walker; the said means which forms an elevated pair of handles being the means which provides the forward pair of legs; the second means being longer than the first menas such that the rear legs are longer than the front legs and extend beyond the front legs when said walker is in its contracted state, and the walker being open from below with sufficient clearance to clear a toilet seat whereby the user may advance the walker into a position with the walker straddling the seat and then the user may turn around to sit on the seat.

Claim 18

A combination as set forth in claim 14 in which an upper portion of each of the two rear legs of the walker is inclined rearwardly and downwardly of the walker to serve as means to be gripped by the user to assist the user to rise to a standing position from said toilet seat.