US20090145470A1

US20090145470A1 - Cane and Walking Stick Management System

Info

Publication number: US20090145470A1
Application number: US12/138,525
Authority: US
Inventors: John Roy Couper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-06-15
Filing date: 2008-06-13
Publication date: 2009-06-11

Abstract

The invention is a cane or walking stick system, which is comprised of four members that can be removably attached to a cane or walking stick, and a fifth member which can be separately attached to a wall or other vertical objects away and apart from the first four members. The present invention is comprised of the first and second members of the invention being removably attached to a cane or walking stick, and the third and fourth members of the invention being carried and stored on the first and second members of the invention until put to use. This provides a variety of means and methods to hang or store a cane or walking stick from a plurality of objects and surfaces, when not in use for walking or support.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to devices or apparatus, which provide various methods and means to hang or store a cane or walking stick, when not in use for walking or support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Historically canes and walking sticks when not in use for walking or support are laid on floors, across chairs, benches and car seats, on tables, stood in corners, and leaned against a wall or a piece of furniture, and often times must be hand held when not in use for walking or support. Canes having a crook for a handgrip are sometimes hung on the backs of chairs and coat racks, but this method usually ends up with the cane on the floor or out of easy reach of the user.
Various tabletop cane holders are known and have been in use, however most such devices such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,330 by Richard F. Anstead, Jan. 23, 1990 refer only to a cane holder for attaching and detaching a cane from a table top or other generally planar surface. In examination of this patent it is apparent that the device is rather bulky, and may have sharp edges making it risky to carry always attached to a cane. This means that the cane holder must be carried separately to the point of use, or be installed and carried on a cane or installed on a tabletop or other planar surface to be available for use.
Another cane holder being marketed by several retail stores, namely The American Drug Supply Store, The Vermont Country Store, and CaneMart, which are on the Internet, is another source of prior art. The cane holder described is for canes up to ⅞ in. diameter, attaches to the cane by means of compressive spring tension, and then the cane holder is placed on the edge of a table, desk, or other generally planar surface, which allows the cane to balance from the edge of the aforementioned surfaces.
One may also use the cane holder under the table: placing the cane tip on the ground, then pushing the cane holder up the shaft of the cane, until it meets the bottom of the table, thereby creating tension between the floor and the table, which enables the cane to remain in an upright position under the table. The patent status or number for this “cane holder” has not been able to be determined at this time. These and other prior art on the subject matter are generally restricted to a single method or purpose of hanging a cane from: planar surfaces like a tabletop or countertop.

SUMMARY OF PRESENT INVENTION

The novelty of the present invention is that it provides a plurality of means and methods to perform the single purpose of hanging or storing a cane or walking stick, when its not in use for walking or support, from a plurality of objects and surfaces. The invention is comprised of five members: members one and two are removably attached to the cane or walking stick. Member three, the magnetic mount, is stored and carried on member two the moveable collar. Member four, the suction cup mount, is stored and carried on the vertical platform of member one a large inverted hook. Member five is a formed ferric metal plate that can be attached to vertical surfaces upon which member three, the magnetic mount, can be placed. This represents the most compact and readably accessible configuration of the present invention. The present invention provides two different methods and the means to hang or store a cane or walking stick from generally horizontal surfaces, rods, or rails such as: the back of a chair or wheelchair, a walker, clothes rod, coat rack, or handrail. This is accomplished by utilizing the inverted hooks of members one or two to engage and hang the cane or walking stick from the aforementioned objects. The invention also provides two different methods and the means to hang or store a cane or walking stick from a generally planar surface of varying thicknesses and textures such as: a conventional table, a wood grained or concrete picnic table, or a shelf or ledge. This is accomplished by utilizing the inverted hooks of members one or two of the invention to hang the cane or walking stick from the edge of said planar surface, or by using members one and two to capture said planar surface between members one and two. The present invention finally provides two methods and the means to hang or store a cane or walking stick from generally fixed vertical objects (ferric or non-ferric) such as: a wall, desk, stove, refrigerator, or motor vehicle. This is accomplished by means of utilizing the slotted portion of the inverted hook of member one to engage the head of a screw, nail, other suitably sized protrusions from said vertical objects, or the molded button portion of member three of the invention. Which is a removably attached magnetic member that can be placed on member five, a formed ferric metal plate, or independently of the ferric metal plate on any other ferric metal object.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of first four members of the invention as they might be arranged on a cane or walking stick, comprising FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 12;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fifth member of the invention, wherein detail 17 is a formed ferric metal plate with a bent lip at the bottom, detail 18, and two mounting holes, detail 19, as a means of attachment to a ferric or non-ferric vertical or near vertical surface;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first member of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second member of the invention, which is a composite drawing consisting of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.

Details

11 and 13 show the third member of the invention, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, a magnetic mount, which is stored magnetically in the channel of FIG. 5, by means of detail 10;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a movable collar, with an inverted hook and a channel opposite the inverted hook, and a formed ferric metal plate, detail 10, to be attached within said channel illustrated in detail 9 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the third member of the invention, a magnetic mount, with detail 11, a molded channel and detail 13, a molded button;

FIG. 7 is a back view of FIG. 6, the third member of the invention, illustrating a molded channel, detail 11, with a circular opening to receive detail 12 a circular magnet;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and FIG. 12 as they might be configured on a cane or walking stick, and illustrating the third member of the invention, the magnetic mount, FIG. 6, being removed from the channel of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the third member of the invention, FIG. 6, being magnetically attached to FIG. 2, a formed ferric metal plate;

FIG. 2 is a formed ferric metal plate, which can be secured to a vertical or near vertical object such as a non-ferric wall, or other object. FIG. 2, on the same page as FIG. 8, is another view of FIG. 2 as it would be mounted separately without the magnetic mount, FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of FIG. 1, on the shaft of a cane or walking stick with FIG. 4, raised to receive a planer surface, such as a table top, shelf, ledge, or some other planar surface, then lowered to capture and hold said planar surface between figures FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, holding the cane or walking stick suspended from the said planar surface;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, with FIG. 12 removed from its storage on FIG. 1, to be attached by means of a suction cup, detail 14, and applied to a smooth planar surface, and said suction cup having an arm extending outward from the suction cup, detail 15, and having a molded button means, detail 16, on the exposed end of the arm to engage a slotted portion, detail 5, of FIG. 3 to suspend a cane or walking stick therefrom;

FIG. 12 on the same page as FIG. 11 is another perspective view of FIG. 12, not being attached to a planar surface or to detail 1 of FIG. 1.

A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view comprising the first four members of the invention as they might be configured on the shaft of a cane, or a walking stick. FIG. 1 is comprised of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG. 12 of the drawings.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fifth member of the invention, comprising a formed ferric metal plate, detail 17, with a lip on the bottom bent at 90 degrees, detail 18, and two holes, detail 19, to provide a means of attachment of the ferric metal plate, FIG. 2, to ferric or non-ferric vertical or near vertical surfaces. The object and useful purpose of FIG. 2 is that it can be attached to most vertical or near vertical objects (e.g. walls, furniture, appliances, and machinery) and provides a means to magnetically hold and prevent the slipping downward of FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a third member of the invention, a magnetic mount, that provides a molded button, detail 13 of FIG. 6, as a means of hanging a cane or walking stick, by means of the slotted portion, detail 5, of FIG. 3.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first member of the invention, being molded of a resilient plastic, such as polypropylene or another resilient plastic, comprising first a platform, detail 1, and having two resilient members, detail 2, partially surrounding the shaft of a cane or walking stick, to provide a movable griping means of attachment of an inverted hook, detail 3 of FIG. 3, it further provides a receiver,
detail 4 of FIG. 3, to receive detail 8, the inverted hook of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. Detail 3 of FIG. 3, the large inverted hook, provides several methods and the means to hang a cane or walking stick from the back of a chair, wheelchair, clothes rack, rod, or rail of varying thicknesses from one to two inches. When FIG. 12 remains attached to detail 1 of FIG. 3, the cane or walking stick can be hung from a chair, rod, or rail up to one inch thick. When FIG. 12 is removed from detail 1 of FIG. 3, a cane or walking stick can be hung from a chair, rod, or rail up to two inches in thickness. FIG. 12, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is conveniently stored within the crook of the large hook of FIG. 1, being attached and held in place on the first platform, detail 1 of FIG. 3, by means of a suction cup, detail 14 of FIG. 12. FIG. 3, detail 3, further provides a slotted portion, detail 5, on the exposed end of detail 3, to engage the protruding head of a screw or a molded button such as: details 13 of FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 and detail 16 of FIG. 12 to provide other means to hang a cane or walking stick therefrom.
FIG. 4 is a composite perspective view of the second member of the invention comprising FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a magnetic mount, magnetically attached and stored in a channel, detail 9 of FIG. 5. FIG. 4, comprising FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, being movable up or down and rotatable on the shaft of a cane or walking stick, above FIG. 1. FIG. 4 can be raised from FIG. 3, detail 4, then lowered to capture the straps of a handbag, grocery bag, or other items with straps, by means of detail 8 of FIG. 4, to secure the aforementioned items to a cane or walking stick; thereby, leaving one hand free to grasp hand rails, open doors, or shop. FIG. 4 when used with FIG. 1 also provides a means of attachment to a planar surface as further described in FIG. 10.
FIG. 5, is the second member of the invention wherein detail 6 illustrates a movable collar that encircles the shaft of a cane or walking stick, with an opening detail 7, which is movable up or down, and rotatable on the shaft of a cane or walking stick, and provides an inverted hook, detail 8 of FIG. 5, and further provides a molded channel, detail 9, of FIG. 5. Detail 8 of FIG. 5, provides an inverted hook which provides another method and the means to hang a cane or walking from the back of a chair, rod, or rail having a thickness of one inch or less. When FIG. 4 has been raised enough to clear detail 4 of FIG. 3, and rotated to one side or the other allowing the inverted hook, detail 8 of FIG. 4, to provide the means to hang a cane or walking stick from the back of a chair, rod, or rail with a thickness of one inch or less. The method of rotating FIG. 4 to one side or the other, also provides another means to hang a cane or walking stick from a planar surface, such as table top, by means of the foot of detail 8 of FIG. 4, being placed near the edge of said planar surface with a cane or walking stick being balanced from the edge of said planar surface. FIG. 5 further provides a horizontally molded channel, detail 9, and a formed ferric metal plate detail 10, which is to be attached within the formed channel, detail 9, of FIG. 5, and to magnetically attach and store the third member of the invention, FIG. 6, within the formed channel, detail 9 and 10 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 6 is a perspective front view of the third member of the invention, a magnetic mount. Comprising, a vertical molded channel of plastic detail 11, having a molded button means, detail 13, to engage detail 5, of the slotted portion of detail 3, in FIG. 3. The object and purpose of which is to hang or store a cane or walking stick from the molded button means detail 13 of FIG. 6.
FIG. 7 is a perspective back view of the third member of the invention, a magnetic mount, comprising a plastic channel, detail 11, with an opening to receive a circular magnet, detail 12, to be fastened in the opening of detail 11, providing a means of magnetically attaching said magnetic mount to a ferric metal plate, detail 10, fastened within the molded channel of detail 9 of FIG. 5, and providing a means of attaching said magnetic mount, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, to FIG. 2 a formed ferric metal plate that can be fastened to a vertical or near vertical ferric or non-ferric surface. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 comprising the magnetic mount, also provides a means to attach said magnetic mount to vertical ferric metal objects, such as vehicles, appliances, metal furniture, or machinery.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of FIG. 3 the first member of the invention, with FIG. 5 the second member of the invention, and FIG. 12 the fourth member of the invention: as they might be configured on the shaft of a cane or walking stick.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of FIG. 6 the third member of the invention, a magnetic mount, which is magnetically attached to FIG. 2 a formed ferric metal plate, as detailed in the descriptions of FIG. 2.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the first member and the second member, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, of the invention as they might be configured on a cane or walking stick. FIG. 4 is raised above FIG. 3 on the cane or walking stick, to place a planar surface (e.g. a tabletop, countertop, ledge, or edge), between the first member and the second member of the invention. The first member being under the second member, with said planar surface between said first and second members, then the second member need only be lowered to secure said planar surface between the first and second members of the invention.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the first member, FIG. 1, and the second member, FIG. 4 of the invention, as they might be configured on a cane or walking stick, with FIG. 12 removed from detail 1 of
FIG. 3. FIG. 12 has been attached to a smooth planar surface (e.g. a tabletop, countertop, ledge, or edge) by means of a suction cup, detail 14 of FIG. 12, which has an arm extending therefrom, detail 15, and a molded button, detail 16, of FIG. 12, that engages a slotted end, detail 5 of detail 3, of FIG. 3 the first member of the invention, which provides a means to hang a cane or walking stick from said planar surface.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of FIG. 12, not attached to a planar surface or detail 1 of FIG. 3, comprising a suction cup, detail 14, with an arm extending therefrom, detail 15, and a molded button means on the exposed end, detail 16, which can engage the slotted end, detail 5 of detail 3, of FIG. 1 the first member of the invention.
While the invention has been described by reference to a particular embodiment, there is no intent to limit the spirit and scope of the invention to the precise details so set forth except as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a cane or walking stick, comprising five members of the apparatus, for use to hang and store a cane or walking stick from a plurality of objects and surfaces comprising:

A first member comprising a platform, which is removably attached to a cane or walking stick by means of a portion of said platform, formed to partially encircle the shaft of a cane or walking stick, which can be attached or detached from a cane or walking stick by means of a resilient material such as polypropylene or a similar material, used in the construction of the first member, which provides a griping means of said shaft, and said first member of the apparatus having an inverted hook with a slotted portion at the exposed end of the inverted hook, and a raised portion on the topside of the inverted hook to receive a inverted hook of the second member of the apparatus;

A second member comprising a movable collar encircling the shaft of a cane or walking stick, which is moveable up or down and rotatable on said shaft, and includes an inverted hook and a horizontally molded channel with a formed ferric metal plate attached within said channel;

A third member comprising a molded plastic channel with a magnet contained within said channel and said channel sized to fit and to be magnetically attached within the channel of the second member and be removable from the channel of the second member, and having a molded button means to engage the slotted portion of the inverted hook of the first member;

A fourth member comprising a suction cup with an arm extending therefrom with a molded button means on the exposed end of said arm to engage the slotted portion of the inverted hook of the first member;

A fifth member comprising a formed ferric metal plate bent at the bottom at a 90 degree angle and two punched holes in said ferric metal plate as a means of attachment to an object;

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

Said first member comprising a platform, which is removably attached to a cane or walking stick and comprises an inverted hook as a means to hang a cane or walking stick;

And said inverted hook further comprises a receiver on the topside of said inverted hook to receive a second inverted hook of a second member of the apparatus;

And said inverted hook also comprises a slotted portion on the exposed end of said inverted hook as a means to engage a suitably sized protrusion or molded button as a means to hang a cane or walking therefrom;

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

Said second member comprising a movable collar which encircles the shaft of a cane or walking stick and is movable up and down and is rotatable on said shaft and further comprises an inverted hook, which can be raised to receive the strap or handle of an object, then lowered to capture and secure said handle or strap between said inverted hook of the second member, and the raised portion on the topside of the inverted hook of the first member, which receives the end portion of said inverted hook of the second member;

And said second member being movable up and down and comprising an inverted hook which can be raised to accept a planar surface of varying thickness then lowered to capture said planar surface between said inverted hook of the second member and the inverted hook of the first member releasable clamping said planar surface to hang a cane or walking stick from said planar surface;

And said second member being movable up and down and rotatable on the shaft of a cane or walking stick, and comprising an inverted hook, and said inverted hook raised above the receiver member of the inverted hook of the first member and rotated 90 degrees to one side or the other, allows the foot of the inverted hook of the second member to be placed near the edge of a planar surface to hang a cane or walking stick from said planar surface;

And said second member comprising a movable collar on the shaft of a cane or walking stick and further comprising a molded channel with a ferric metal plate attached within said channel and said channel sized to hold and store a third member.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

Said third member comprises a molded plastic channel sized to fit and to receive the slotted portion of the inverted hook of the first member and having a molded button means to engage said slotted portion of the first member, as a means to hang a cane or walking stick therefrom, and further comprising an opening on the backside of said channel, of the appropriate size to accommodate a circular or rectangular magnet to be secured in said opening;

And the third member comprising a molded channel, a molded button means and a secured magnet within said molded channel to provide a means to magnetically attach said third member to any ferric metal surface or a formed ferric metal plate as described in claim 1, and sized to be magnetically attached and stored, when not in use, in the channel provided by said second member.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

Said fourth member comprising a suction cup with a arm extending therefrom and having a molded button means on the exposed end of said arm to engage the slotted portion of the inverted hook of the first member;

Said suction cup being applied by suction to a smooth planar surface with an arm extending therefrom, which is extended beyond the edge of said planar surface and having a molded button means on the exposed end of said arm to engage the slotted portion of the inverted hook of the first member, thereby providing a means to hang a cane or walking stick from a planar surface;

And said fourth member comprising a suction cup means of attachment to a planar surface can use such means of attachment to carry and store said fourth member, when not in use, on the vertical planar surface of said platform of said first member;

6. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

Said fifth member comprising a formed ferric metal plate having a 90 degree bent portion at the bottom thereof and one or more holes as a means of attachment, from screws or other means, to a vertical or near vertical ferric or non-ferric surface;

And said fifth member comprising a formed ferric metal plate having a 90 degree bend at the bottom of said ferric metal plate to be magnetically and removably attached to said third member and prevented from sliding downward while attached to said ferric metal plate by means of a 90 degree bend at the bottom of the formed ferric metal plate;

And said ferric metal plate with the third member magnetically attached providing a molded button means to engage the slotted portion of the inverted hook of the first member providing a means to hang a cane or walking stick from a vertical or near vertical ferric or non-ferric surface.

7. A cane and walking stick management system for use with canes and walking sticks providing a plurality of methods and means to hang and store a cane or walking stick from a plurality of objects and surfaces comprising;

A cane and walking stick management system comprised of claims 1 through claim 6 of the present invention, to provide a plurality of methods and means to hang and store a cane or walking stick from a plurality objects and surfaces;

A cane and walking stick management system comprised of claims 1 through claim 6 of the present invention, which provides removable attachment of the first and second members of the present invention to a cane or walking stick, and provides removable attachment of the third and fourth members of the invention to the first and second members of the invention, to provide the most compact and accessible configuration of the present invention.

And provides a fifth member of the invention, a formed ferric metal plate being attachable to other objects, apart from the cane or walking stick, and capable of receiving the third member of the invention by means of magnetic attachment.

8. An apparatus comprising a platform, which is removably attached to a cane or walking stick by means of a portion of said platform, formed to partially encircle the shaft of a cane or walking stick, which can be attached or detached from a cane or walking stick by means of a resilient material, such as polypropylene or a similar material used in the construction of the first member, to provide a griping means of said shaft. And said first member of the apparatus comprising an inverted hook with a slotted portion at the exposed end of the inverted hook and further comprising a raised portion on the topside of the inverted hook formed to provide a hooking means on the topside of the inverted hook.

9. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein:

Said apparatus comprising a platform, which is removably attached to a cane or walking stick and comprises an inverted hook as a means to hang a cane or walking stick.

10. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein:

Said apparatus comprising a platform, which is removably attached to a cane or walking stick and comprises an inverted hook with a slotted portion at the exposed end of the inverted hook to provide a means to engage a protruding head of a screw or molded button as a means to hang a cane or walking stick therefrom

11. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein:

Said apparatus comprises a platform, which is removably attached to a cane or walking stick and comprises an inverted hook and further comprises a hooking means on the topside of said inverted hook as a means to hang a object with straps or handles from said inverted hook of the apparatus.

12. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein:

Said apparatus comprises a platform which is removably attached to a cane or walking stick and comprises an inverted hook and further comprises a suction cup means of attachment to said platform within the crook of said inverted hook, and further provides an arm extending outward from said suction cup with a molded button means on the exposed end of said arm to engage the slotted portion of the inverted hook of the first member, when removed from its storage area within the crook of the inverted hook, to be attached by suction cup means to a smooth planar surface as a means to hang a cane or walking stick from a planar surface;

13. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

Said second member comprises a movable collar encircling the shaft of a cane or walking stick, which is movable up and down and rotatable on the said shaft. And comprises an inverted hook, and said movable collar and inverted hook being made of a resilient plastic material such as polypropylene or a material having a similar resilient character, to provide a snug fit on the shaft of a cane or walking stick, to provide only intentional movement of said collar and inverted hook up or down or be rotated on said shaft;

And said collar with an inverted hook can be intentionally moved up or down or rotated on the shaft of a cane or walking stick to provide a means to hang a cane or walking stick;

And said collar with an inverted hook can be rotated as suited to place the foot of the inverted hook near the edge of a planar surface, to balance a cane or walking stick from said planar surface.