Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing frictional force resistance
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-26
2001-06-05
Donnelly, Jerome W. (Department: 3733)
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing frictional force resistance
C482S904000, C482S115000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241642
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is a new type of exercise machine which is used by someone who is bedridden. It has many unique features and permits a person to develop and retain muscle tone of the arms and legs while lying on the back and while eliminating any forces to the back or back muscles. It is ideal for those who are recovering from back surgery. It is also ideal for elderly or bedridden patients with any infirmity which restricts a person's normal movement.
Many kinds of exercise machines which have been sold and used, were generally designed for ambulatory users standing or sitting on or beside the machines. Except for large stationary overhead beams and levers, exercise machines for bedridden patients to permit bending and flexing of the knees and elbows are virtually unknown.
PRIOR ART
The use of a rope wrapped around a rotating drum with a variable resistance mechanism is common on exercise machines for exercising the arms. The rope length is adjustable by wrapping more or fewer turns around the drum. This only allows large increments of eight or nine inches for the length of rope. The drums are not enclosed but since these machines are used for exercise in the standing position and the drum is located at a substantial distance from the user, this is not a problem. A person lying in the supine position requires a device which is enclosed, due to the proximity of the drum to the user, to prevent the drum from pulling the user's hair, and for general safety considerations. If the drum is enclosed, the rope cannot be adjusted by wrapping turns around the drum. Additionally, since the operator's position is restricted, the rope must be adjusted in small increments of about one half inch in order to provide the proper range of exercise motion required. This problem along with many others must be solved if an exercise machine is to be used in the supine position.
There are numerous types of variable resistance mechanisms which are commonly used in exercise machines. Some of these are hysteresis types which use magnets in close proximity to a piece of metal, fluid types which use the fluid's viscosity and a turbine to create resistance, and friction between a piece of metal and a soft pad of leather or cloth. The type of variable resistance device used does not change the principle or spirit of the invention.
The use of friction variable resistance mechanism is old art and has been used on many types of “nordic” exercise machines including the NORDICTRACK® brand for the arms. This device seemed to be unsuitable for such a bed exercise machine initially. Only when it was combined with the feature of adjustable rope mechanisms in small increments by means of the special handles and stirrups could the drum friction resistance device be practically applied to this form of machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention permits bedridden patients or those with any combination of missing limbs to obtain exercise for the remaining limbs while lying in bed. A patient with two or three missing limbs can still use it.
The machine is very light in weight and installed in about one minute. The extremely small size and light weight permit the machine to be easily transportable and packed in a suitcase with other personal luggage. The device typically weighs between 5 and 8 pounds depending on materials used and accessories that are desired. It allows a patient to exercise while lying in a hospital bed without being moved or transported to a physical therapy facility. It is very safe, since it has no stored energy devices such as weights, springs or elastic members.
It permits a patient to exercise without sitting up or changing the normal supine position which one assumes while lying in a hospital bed. It is also ideal for blind people since the force adjustments can be made without visual confirmation.
Since exercise is commonly known to accelerate the healing process, it should save considerable hospital expenses by decreasing the length of stay during convalescence. In addition, people in nursing homes and convalescent homes, who are bedridden can still obtain exercise.
The machine can be used to exercise only the legs or only the arms or all limbs without putting any strain on the back; or it can exercise one leg and both arms or one arm and one leg. It provides substantially horizontal pushing or pulling movement capability in substantially horizontal directions, against adjustable resistance force. By replacing the foot stirrups with adjustable straps, a broken ankle can be bypassed and still allow exercise to the upper parts of the leg. An amputee could even use this to exercise the remaining parts of a limb. The versatility of this design allows almost limitless possibilities for maintaining physical fitness of the patient's remaining limbs.
This machine is specifically designed to allow the range of motion to be easily adjusted in very small increments such as ½ inch, by a bedridden person. All adjustments can be made while lying on the back without moving the body. All adjustments can be made by feel so that no visual feedback is needed to determine accurately the force levels, range settings, or amounts of the adjustments. This is extremely important since a person incapacitated and unable to roll over or change body positions, can make all the necessary adjustments and change the exercise level without assistance.
The range of motion by adjusting the length of the ropes with the unique adjusting devices can be less than one half inch to over 40 inches. This means that bedridden elderly persons who could only lift their arms or legs one or two inches off the bed could still get exercise. Yet by using the maximum range and variability of forces a recovering professional athlete is capable of getting essential exercise to maintain peak muscle tone between time-consuming physical therapy sessions.
The amount of energy used can be measured by the machine for the arms and the legs either individually or cumulatively, and the calories burned can be displayed continuously on an electronic display. The amount of resistance can be set without visually observing the device.
The device can also be installed on a footboard, where the feet are in contact with the machine, and the remaining arm muscles which are not used in the original position of the machine, can be exercised.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is a principal object of the invention to provide an extremely lightweight, portable, safe and effective exercise device for bedridden patients.
A further object of the invention is to provide such an exercise device readily useful to offer exercise to from one to four limbs while the user remains supine.
An easily adjustable range of limb movements, from ½ inch to 40 inches, is achieved by the user's touch alone, with no visual observation required.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 195116 (1877-09-01), Foster
patent: 4750740 (1988-06-01), Lara
patent: 5226866 (1993-07-01), Engel et al.
patent: 5407411 (1995-04-01), Trainor
patent: 5556369 (1996-09-01), Roberts
patent: 5634873 (1997-06-01), Calstrom
Donnelly Jerome W.
Ware Fressola Van der Sluys & Adolphson LLP
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