Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing frictional force resistance
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-03
2001-07-17
Yu, Mickey (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing frictional force resistance
C482S904000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261212
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to portable exercise devices and more particularly to orthopedic devices having retaining harnesses and handgrips threaded through pulley assemblies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,636 which is owned by the same assignees (Anthony J. and John F. Vallone Sr.) as this invention, discloses a portable exercise orthopedic device which allows prescribed rehabilitative physical therapy regimes to be safely applied and controlled by the patient (user) at home and/or by qualified physical therapists and technicians in a treatment facility.
Weakened muscles attributed to injuries, debilitating illnesses and surgical procedures require rehabilitative isometric as well as progressive and constant isotonic exercise regimens to help restore strength. In the past and currently, the prescribed exercise regimens have been applied using weights, elasticized bands, serial pulley configurations and a variety of other high and low tech devices and exercises to restore strength and an acceptable degree of flexibility and/or range of motion to affected muscles and orthopedic joints..
Currently, no device is known, which may be used conveniently and effectively at home or at a treatment facility by either the patient, the physical therapist or qualified technician for applying a range of predefined measured and controlled isometric and isotonic resistance to afflicted muscles.
PRIOR ART
U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,636 to Vallone et al., provides the portability and adaptability to standard home furnishings/environments, ease of use either in the home or treatment facility, measurement of stresses encountered during isometric and progressive isotonic muscle strengthening exercise regimes and is also applicable to regimes for stretching orthopedic joints.
The basic system disclosed in the '636 patent, however, provided distinct improvements in terms of portability, flexibility and adaptability to the physical therapy rehabilitation processes, as defined in Prior Art in '636 and below, over previous devices which lacked these prime characteristics.
The present invention was designed to satisfy the requirement for an adaptable portable exercise device to facilitate muscle strengthening. The present design allows for inclusion of an adjustable resistance control spooler assembly device to provide repetitive exercise regimens for overloading to strengthen muscles.
Such devices as defined within U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,881 to Djerdjerian employing cables, pulleys and weights, requires a complex door frame assembly to host the exercise device which has primary application to muscle building and toning regimens with little to no defined applications to measurable and controlled orthopedic rehabilitation therapies. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,205 to McFall et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,670 to Zinik primarily focus on muscle building and toning regimens employ elasticized cords to apply stresses required for effective exercise routines. A major drawback to elasticized bands is the variable stresses encountered through a singular cycle of exercise in that as the band is stretched the resistive stresses increase. As such, neither of these two devices have any apparent application to prescribed measurable and controlled resistive isometric and isotonic exercise regimens.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,716 to Mason et al., provides a viable platform for passive suspension and passive range of motion exercises for the hip and knee. However, as such, the device is restrictive to the hip and knee and does not provide the capabilities for predefined and preset measured and controlled application of stress forces on the afflicted leg and/or leg joints, and in the classical sense of portability is not readily adaptable to standard home furnishings/environments.
Other patented devices which were evaluated, and found deficient in terms of portability, adaptability to the physical therapy rehabilitation exercise routines, and in satisfying the predefined and preset measurable and controllable stresses criteria include:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,741 to Hermanson
U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,511 to Francis
U.S. Pat. No. 655,671 to Crooker and McDonald
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principal objective of this invention is to provide a complementary device, fully compatible with components of patent '636 to Vallone et al., to apply iterative cycles of predefined and preset measured and controlled constant stress levels for constant isotonic resistance exercise regimens that involve overloading the muscles to build strength. This invention, however, does not negate the applications of the Portable Exercise Device equipage and employment for exercise regimens programs, as defined within '636.
It is also the objective of this invention to provide an exercise device which is fully portable, is readily adaptable to standard home furnishings as well as treatment facility platforms, is easy to use by lay persons as well as trained therapy technicians, and which can be manufactured and constructed economically.
Accordingly, the present invention includes use of a adjustable resistance control spooler (here-in-after referred to as the ARC spooler) assembly, an harness assembly and clamping devices to provide high degree of adaptability in detachably affixing the device(s) to home and office furnishings as well as treatment facilities exercise platforms. These assemblies augmented by clamps, a pilot pulley, a flexible cord assembly and a plurality of hand grips comprise the embodiment of a portable exercise device which provides a wide spectrum of isometric as well as constant and progressive isotonic exercise regimens. In this respect, the design constraints of the ARC spooler assembly and the channeled ‘U’—clamp are such as to ensure interchangeable mountings of the ARC spooler and/or the pilot pulley assemblies to either the channeled ‘U’ clamp or the ‘O’ clamp assemblies.
In '636, the portable exercise device allows multiple angle isometric strengthening for weakend muscles resulting from post operative surgery. The adjustable resistance rehabilitation exercise device, as defined within this patent, provides for iterative progressive or constant isotonic resistive physical therapy exercise cycles for prescribed rehabilitation therapeutic exercise regimens which involve overloading muscles to build strength.
In either configuration, employment of the precision straight scale allows accurate and consistent measurement and progression, or lack thereof, of muscle strength to verify progress towards established rehabilitation goals. Measurable baseline and verifiable progress of rehabilitative regimens are important not only to the physical therapist in establishing successive exercise goals, but have major ramifications in the insurance aspects of rehabilitative care.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3460392 (1969-08-01), Kolbel
patent: 3550449 (1970-12-01), Henson
patent: 4293127 (1981-10-01), Dudley
patent: 4294446 (1981-10-01), Moore
patent: 4476956 (1984-10-01), Eger
patent: 4728102 (1988-03-01), Pauls
patent: 5038888 (1991-08-01), Varner et al.
patent: 5486149 (1996-01-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5709636 (1998-01-01), Vallone et al.
Vallone Anthony John
Vallone John Frank
Hwang Victor
Yu Mickey
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