IP Library Granted Patent US 12667159
Granted Patent B2
US 12667159 · App. 18/884,136 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Walking-aid footwear

Inventor: Chin-Sung Yang (Taipei City, TW)
A43B7/00A61H3/00A61H2003/007
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12667159
App. No.
18/884,136
Filed
Sep 13, 2024
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3732
USPC
36/136
Abstract

The walking-aid footwear has a coupling device installed on a shoe that connects to the lower portion of a cane. The coupling device includes a support plate and a coupling element. The support plate is attached to the sole of a shoe, while the coupling element is rotatably connected to the support plate to attach to the cane. A concealed-type coupling device is installed within a housing space in the sole and includes a casing, a coupling module, and release springs. The release springs are set inside the casing, and the coupling module is placed in the casing. The coupling module has an operation button that controls a latch pin. When the operation button is pressed, the latch pin disengages from the notches in the casing, allowing the release springs to push out the coupling module. The coupling element is then flipped upward to connect with the cane.

Claims (6)

1 . A walking-aid footwear, comprising a main body, wherein the main body comprises a coupling device to connect with a lower portion of a cane, thereby providing upward assistance from a user's hand holding the cane to the main body, the main body is a shoe; the main body comprises a housing space; the housing space has a shoe body opening facing an outer side of the main body; the coupling device is installed within the housing space; the coupling device comprises a casing, a plurality of release springs, and a coupling module; the casing has a housing opening facing the outer side of the main body; the coupling module is slidably installed inside the casing; each release spring is attached to a side of the casing near an inner side of the main body, with a default position of each release spring pushing the coupling module out of the housing opening; the coupling module comprises a box, a latch pin, an operation button, and a coupling element; the operation button is located to an end of a front side of the box; the latch pin is slidably installed within the box and protrudes from the box on one side, either near the front or rear side of the main body; the casing has a plurality of notches arranged at intervals on an inner side corresponding to the latch pin; when the operation button is pressed, the latch pin disengages from one of the notches; at an end of the box, near an outer side of the main body, an axle is configured, and the coupling element is attached to the axle, allowing the coupling element to flip from a horizontal to an upright position; the coupling element corresponds to the lower portion of the cane, enabling the cane to be rotatably and detachably connected to the coupling element.

2 . The walking-aid footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the operation button is located on a side of the box near the front side of the main body; when the operation button is pressed, the operation button moves towards an inner side of the main body; the latch pin protrudes from a side of the box that is near the front side of the main body; a return spring at a rear end of the latch pin is set to push the latch pin out of the box by default; one end of a connecting rod is rotatably connected to the latch pin, and another end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected inside the box, away from the end where the latch pin protrudes, making the connecting rod closer to the operation button than the latch pin and forming a predetermined angle between the operation button and the connecting rod; when the operation button pushes the connecting rod, the latch pin moves inside the box, disengaging from one of the notches; and the operation button is fitted with another return spring, which resets the operation button after the operation button is released.

3 . The walking-aid footwear according to claim 2 , wherein the axle has a hollow structure with an opening at one end and is equipped with a return spring inside; the axle is slidably installed in the box, with the return spring of the axle set to push the axle in a direction towards the rear side of the main body; on an outer side of the axle there is at least one protrusion, and the box has a plurality of slots corresponding to the at least one protrusion; when the coupling element is flipped, the axle rotates so that the at least one protrusion rotates to a position corresponding to a slot; the return spring pushes the axle to the position and the at least one protrusion snaps into at least one of the slots.

4 . The walking-aid footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling element is spherical; the lower portion of the cane has a spherical socket with a plurality of open grooves radially extending outward.

5 . The walking-aid footwear according to claim 4 , wherein an outside of the spherical socket is configured with a vertically movable outer sleeve.

6 . The walking-aid footwear according to claim 5 , wherein the spherical socket has a lateral flange extending outward.