Orthopedic knee crutch

Abstract

A self-standing, orthopedic knee crutch includes an ambidextrous cushioned knee pad attached to an upper end of a vertical support member that employs centerline distribution loading to transfer the weight of a user onto a plurality of horizontal legs that distribute a user's weight. Each horizontal leg includes an elastomer tip for increasing a coefficient of friction between the knee crutch and the ground surface to minimize sliding or slipping. An adjustable, rotatable handle extends upward and away from the vertical support member to aid in supporting the weight of the user.

1 . An adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch comprising: 
 an upper vertical riser support assembly that includes an upper inner tubing inserted into an upper outer tubing, one end of the upper inner tubing including two bends, a first bend being offset and the second bend forming a handle that includes a grip;    a first adjustment means that couples the upper inner tubing to the upper outer tubing and that adjusts a height of the grip;    a lower vertical riser support assembly that includes a detachable knee pad affixed to a support flange plate mounted atop a lower inner tubing that is inserted into an upper end of a lower outer tubing;    a second adjustment means that couples the lower inner tubing to the lower outer tubing and that adjusts a height of the knee pad;    a plurality of feet attached to a lower end of the lower vertical riser, said plurality of feet including both symmetrical and asymmetrical feet.    
   
   
       2 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 1  wherein said grip is one of rubber, silicon, or molded plastic.  
   
   
       3 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 1  wherein one of the first and second adjustment means comprises a compression fitting that secures an internal support member to an external support member  
   
   
       4 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the upper outer tubing and the lower outer tubing comprises a plurality of through holes; and, 
 at least one of the upper inner tubing and the lower inner tubing comprise a spring tensioned dual locking snap that couples the at least one of the upper inner tubing and the lower inner tubing to the at least one of the upper outer tubing and the lower outer tubing to the outer tubing.    
   
   
       5 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first and second adjustment means includes a compression nut that couples to threads arranged on one of the upper or lower outer tubing.  
   
   
       6 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 1  wherein the upper outer tubing includes an offset bend.  
   
   
       7 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 1  wherein each of said feet includes an elastomer tip that increase friction between the feet and a ground surface upon which the feet rest.  
   
   
       8 . An adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch comprising: 
 a plurality of symmetrical feet;    an asymmetrical foot attached to said symmetrical feet;    a first vertical riser assembly comprising an outer tube having a plurality of paired openings, an upper end and a lower end, said lower end of the outer tubing being affixed to the plurality of symmetrical feet and the asymmetrical foot, an inner tube comprising a pair of openings and a spring tensioned dual locking snap having a pair of protuberances that extend through the pair of openings of the inner tube and into a pair of the plurality of paired openings to adjustably affix the inner tube to the outer tube, a flange plate affixed to an upper end of inner tube;    a removable knee pad affixed to the flange plate;    a second vertical riser assembly comprising an outer tube having a plurality of paired openings, an upper end and a lower end, said lower end of the outer tubing being affixed to the outer tubing of the first vertical riser assembly, an inner tube comprising a pair of openings and a spring tensioned dual locking snap having a pair of protuberances that extend through the pair of openings of the inner tube and into a pair of the plurality of paired openings to adjustably affix the inner tube to the outer tube; and,    an adjustable handle affixed to an upper end of the inner tube of the second vertical riser assembly.    
   
   
       9 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 8  wherein said second vertical riser assembly comprises an inner tube that includes two bends that form a handle.  
   
   
       10 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 9  further comprising a grip that is attached to said handle.  
   
   
       11 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 8  wherein said knee pad comprises a raised front and sides and an open back.  
   
   
       12 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 8  wherein said upper vertical riser assembly includes a compression nut that couples to threads arranged on the upper outer tubing.  
   
   
       13 . The adjustable, ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 8  wherein said lower vertical riser assembly includes a compression nut that couples to threads arranged on the lower outer tubing.  
   
   
       14 . An ambidextrous knee crutch that comprises: 
 an adjustable, upper riser assembly that includes a handle affixed at an upper end thereof;    an adjustable, lower riser assembly that includes a removable knee pad arranged at an upper end of the lower riser assembly; and,    a plurality of symmetrical feet and an asymmetrical foot arranged at a lower end of the adjustable, lower riser assembly.    
   
   
       15 . The ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 14  wherein said adjustable, upper riser assembly includes an inner tube and an outer tubing; 
 said inner tube having a handle formed at an upper end thereof and a pair of openings;    said outer tube having a plurality of paired openings;    a spring tensioned dual locking snap having a pair of protuberances that extend through the pair of openings in the inner tube and into a pair of the plurality of paired openings to adjustably affix the inner tube to the outer tube.    
   
   
       16 . The ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 14  wherein said adjustable, lower riser assembly includes an inner tube and an outer tubing; 
 said inner tube having a flange formed at an upper end thereof for receiving the knee pad and a pair of openings formed in said inner tube;    said outer tube having a plurality of paired openings;    a spring tensioned dual locking snap having a pair of protuberances that extend through the pair of openings in the inner tube and into a pair of the plurality of paired openings to adjustably affix the inner tube to the outer tube.    
   
   
       17 . The ambidextrous knee crutch of  claim 14  wherein said upper riser assembly includes a bend arranged in the lower vertical riser assembly that transfers a load placed on the handle into a center line load distribution of the lower vertical riser assembly.