BRITISH STANDARD BS EN ISO

24415-1:2009

Tips for assistive

products for walking —
Requirements and test
methods
Part 1: Friction of tips (ISO
24415-1:2009)

ICS 11.180.10,

NO COPYING WITHOUT BSI PERMISSION EXCEPT AS PERMITTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW

BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009

National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN ISO

24415-1:2009.
The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical
Committee CH/173, Assistive products for persons with disability.
A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on
request to its secretary.
This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions
of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity
from legal obligations.

This British Standard Amendments/corrigenda issued since publication

was published under the
authority of the Standards
Policy and Strategy Date Comments
Committee on 30 June
2009.
© BSI 2009

ISBN 978 0 580 56556 4

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN ISO 24415-1
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM April 2009

ICS 11.180.10

English Version

Tips for assistive products for walking - Requirements and test

methods - Part 1: Friction of tips (ISO 24415-1:2009)

Embouts pour produits d'assistance à la marche - Puffer für technische Gehhilfen - Anforderungen und
Exigences et méthodes d'essai - Partie 1: Frottement des Prüfungen - Teil 1: Reibung der Puffer (ISO 24415-1:2009)
embouts (ISO 24415-1:2009)

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 16 March 2009.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the CEN Management Centre or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN Management Centre has the same status as the
official versions.

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CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION

COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels

© 2009 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 24415-1:2009: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
EN ISO 24415-1:2009 (E)

Foreword
This document (EN ISO 24415-1:2009) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 173 "Technical
systems and aids for disabled or handicapped persons" in collaboration with Technical Committee
CEN/TC 293 “Assistive products for persons with disability” the secretariat of which is held by SIS.

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical
text or by endorsement, at the latest by October 2009, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at
the latest by October 2009.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Endorsement notice

The text of ISO 24415-1:2009 has been approved by CEN as a EN ISO 24415-1:2009 without any
modification.

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 BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
ISO 24415-1:2009(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.

The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

ISO 24415-1 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 173, Assistive products for persons with disability.

ISO 24415 consists of the following parts, under the general title Tips for assistive products for walking —
Requirements and test methods:

⎯ Part 1: Friction of tips

The following part is under preparation: ｗｗｗ．ｂｚｆｘｗ．ｃｏｍ

⎯ Part 2: Durability of tips for crutches

© ISO 2009 – All rights reserved iii

BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
ISO 24415-1:2009(E)

Introduction
A frictional performance of the tips attached to the bottom of assistive products for walking is a key concern
ensuring user safety. Friction between the tips and the walking surface is an extraordinarily important factor by
which a user can confirm his/her motion.

The tips are used on many different assistive products for walking, including canes, walking sticks, crutches,
walking frames, rollators and walking tables and are produced in many different sizes and made of many
different materials depending on the assistive products for walking to which they are applied. Tips with a
variety of bottom shapes for a particular kind of assistive product for walking are also available on the market.

In the friction test method found in this part of ISO 24415, tips of original shape are used. In real situations, not
only pure frictional characteristics but also the shape and pattern of the bottom surface against the walking
surface can affect the locomotive performance.

This part of ISO 24415 specifies a test with which the frictional force is measured on tip products themselves
in order to ensure that the tips with necessarily frictional characteristics are used and it helps to exclude the
tips with unacceptably poor frictional characteristics.

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iv © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

 BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 24415-1:2009(E)

Tips for assistive products for walking — Requirements

and test methods —

Part 1:
Friction of tips

1 Scope
This part of ISO 24415 specifies requirements and test methods for the friction between the tips for assistive
products for walking and the walking surface. This part of ISO 24415 is not applicable to tips manufactured for
special purposes. The requirements and test method are based on a usage of tips for ordinary gait on the dry
and flat walking surface.

EXAMPLE 1 Examples of assistive products for walking are walking sticks, elbow crutches, forearm crutches, auxillary
crutches, walking frames, rollators and walking tables.

EXAMPLE 2 An example of special purposes is ice and/or snow.

2 Normative references ｗｗｗ．ｂｚｆｘｗ．ｃｏｍ

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.

ISO 9999, Assistive products for persons with disability — Classification and terminology

3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.

3.1
tip
that part of the assistive product for walking, which is in contact with the walking surface

See Figure 1.

3.2
test track
surface against which the tip is to be tested

3.3
test velocity
relative velocity between the tip and the test track

© ISO 2009 – All rights reserved 1

BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
ISO 24415-1:2009(E)

3.4
frictional force
force required to move the test track and the tip relative to each other

3.5
frictional force to be recorded
value of the frictional force determined from the test

See Annex A.

3.6
axial loading force
force exerted on the tips along the longitudinal axis of the loading shaft

3.7
temperature of test
temperature of the tip, test apparatus and its environment

4 Requirements
The minimum frictional force shall be not less than 25 N when tested in accordance with 6.3.

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Key
1 tip

Figure 1 — Tips

2 © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

 BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
ISO 24415-1:2009(E)

5 Test apparatus

5.1 Test device

The test device consists of a test track, a loading force mechanism, a pulling mechanism and a recording
system. The tip and track shall move relative to each other linearly while the tip is placed on the test track and
an axial load applied. The principle of the test apparatus is shown in Figure 2 and additional information is
given in Annex B.

The whole test apparatus shall be rigid. All linkages shall be made with rods but not with wire.

5.2 Test track

The air side of the float glass shall be used for the test track. The test track shall be moved, relative to the tip,
by the pulling mechanism.

5.3 Loading force mechanism

The loading force mechanism consists of a loading shaft having an outside dimension equivalent to the leg
dimension as specified by the manufacturer and shall be positioned at an angle of (70 ± 2)° to the test track
(see Figure 2). The loading mechanism shall exert an axial loading force of (50 ± 1) N to the tip along the
loading shaft. The mechanism used shall allow for separation of the tip from the test track, while the test track
is reset to its initial position.

5.4 Pulling mechanism

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The pulling mechanism shall give a constant test velocity of (500 ± 25) mm/min regardless of the magnitude of
the pulling force. The test velocity shall be reached within 0,3 s.

5.5 Frictional force measurement

The frictional force shall be recorded by a waveform-viewing device or a data-recording system. The recording
shall be of an accuracy of ± 2 %. The measuring system shall be able to measure at least 200 N.

© ISO 2009 – All rights reserved 3

BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
ISO 24415-1:2009(E)

Key
1 test track
2 tip
3 loading force mechanism

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a Direction of movement.
b Axial loading force.

Figure 2 — Loading geometry

6 Test method

6.1 Preparation

Wash the tip with neutral detergent and rinse with water. Place the tip for at least 3 h in the testing
environment.

Three test samples shall be prepared.

6.2 Testing environment

The test shall be carried out at a temperature of (23 ± 2) °C and a relative humidity of (50 ± 10) %.

6.3 Test procedure

The test procedure shall be as follows:

a) wipe the test track with anhydrous ethanol;

b) fix the sample tip to the shaft;

c) place the sample tip on the test track at an angle of (70 ± 2)°;

d) exert a loading force via and normal to the inside base of the tip;

4 © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

 BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
ISO 24415-1:2009(E)

e) maintain the axial loading force at (50 ± 1) N for the duration of the test;

f) within 5 min, move the sample tip relative to the test track in a linear direction with a speed of
(500 ± 25) mm/min for at least 3 s;

g) when returning the test sample tip to the start position, the test sample shall be lifted clear of the test
track;

h) perform the test described in f) and g) three times without recording the frictional force waveforms;

i) perform the test described in f) and g) five times recording the frictional force waveforms; determine the
value of the frictional force to be recorded for these five latter frictional force waveforms and calculate and
note the average of these five values (see Annex A);

j) repeat a) to i) using the other two samples.

The lowest average value obtained from testing the three samples of each tip model shall be the final result.

7 Test report
The test report shall contain, but not be limited to, the following information:

a) name and address of the manufacturer;

b) name and address of the supplier of the product for test;

c) name and address of the testing institution;

d)

e)
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classification code and name in accordance with ISO 9999;

manufacturer's product type and model identification name and/or number;

f) supplier's product type and model identification name and/or number;

g) maximum outer diameter of the tip measured within 5 mm up from the walking surface when the tip is
perpendicular to the walking surface;

h) inner diameter, internal depth, and photographs to obtain side and bottom shapes;

i) accuracy of the measurement system, frequency range for the analogue system and sampling rate for the
digital system;

j) the lowest value of the three tests described in 6.3;

k) month and year when the test was performed;

l) whether or not the product complies with the requirements of this part of ISO 24415.

© ISO 2009 – All rights reserved 5

BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
ISO 24415-1:2009(E)

Annex A
(normative)

How to determine the frictional force to be recorded

In the friction test, frictional force data need to be recorded by a measurement device, as waveforms.
Characteristics of the friction of tips vary according to their materials, bottom shapes and thickness of bottom,
etc. Some waveforms that could be measured in this test are shown in Figure A.1.

Each frictional force to be recorded is defined by circle ({).

a) b)

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c) d)
Key
X time, in seconds
Y frictional force, in newtons

Figure A.1 — Examples of waveforms

In these measurements, the frictional force is defined as the initial peak, or, when no peak appears within 3 s,
as the value recorded after 3 s (or at 3 s).

6 © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

 BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
ISO 24415-1:2009(E)

Annex B
(informative)

Examples of test apparatus

Models of test apparatus are illustrated in Figures B.1 and B.2.

The apparatuses as shown in Figure B.1 and B.2 consist of a test track, a load cell, a sliding table, a loading
mechanism and a pulling mechanism. The test track is placed on ball bearings and is connected to the load
cell which is installed on the sliding table.

In this mechanism, the horizontal movement of the test track is carried out by the movement of the sliding
table.

Consequently, the frictional force between the test track and sliding table can be minimized.

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Key
1 pulling mechanism
2 load cell
3 lever to lift the tip during return movement
4 frame
5 guide
6 loading mechanism
7 tip
8 test track
9 sliding table

Figure B.1 — Example 1

© ISO 2009 – All rights reserved 7

BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009
ISO 24415-1:2009(E)

Key
1 pulling mechanism
2
3
4
5
load cell
lever to lift the tip during return movements
frame
guide
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6 loading mechanism
7 tip
8 test track
9 sliding table

Figure B.2 — Example 2

8 © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

 BS EN ISO 24415-1:2009

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BS EN ISO
24415-1:2009
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