APPARATUS AND METHOD OF GRAVITY-ASSISTED SPINAL STRETCHING
First Claim
1. An apparatus (10) for exercising a user'"'"'s body comprising,a table (20) having a tabletop (22) and a support structure (40) elevating said tabletop above ground level (12), said tabletop having an upper section (24) to receive an upper portion of said user'"'"'s body thereon and a lower section (26) to receive a lower portion of said user'"'"'s body thereon, said tabletop movably coupled to said support structure;
- a first actuator (60) coupled to said lower section of said tabletop, said first actuator arranged and designed to raise said lower section of said tabletop relative to ground level, thereby pivoting said tabletop relative to said support structure and lowering said upper section of said tabletop relative to ground level;
a restraint (80) movably coupled to said lower section of said tabletop, said restraint arranged and designed to restrain said user'"'"'s body to said restraint; and
a second actuator (70) coupled to said restraint, said second actuator arranged and designed to axially move said restraint relative to said lower section of said tabletop and to operate concurrently with said first actuator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for stretching and/or exercising a user'"'"'s body through incremental, controlled inversion and lower body stretching, preferably performed in combination. The user lies atop an exercise table and restrains her lower body to a restraint movably coupled to the exercise table. The user preferably controls the actuation of a first actuator to incrementally pivot the exercise table about a support structure thereby inverting the user'"'"'s body. Before or after actuation of the first actuator, but preferably concurrently therewith, the user controls the actuation of a second actuator to incrementally extend the restraint axially away from the exercise table thereby pulling the user'"'"'s lower body away from the user'"'"'s upper body. This combination of gravity and mechanical decompression produces greater results than either action by itself.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus (10) for exercising a user'"'"'s body comprising,
a table (20) having a tabletop (22) and a support structure (40) elevating said tabletop above ground level (12), said tabletop having an upper section (24) to receive an upper portion of said user'"'"'s body thereon and a lower section (26) to receive a lower portion of said user'"'"'s body thereon, said tabletop movably coupled to said support structure; -
a first actuator (60) coupled to said lower section of said tabletop, said first actuator arranged and designed to raise said lower section of said tabletop relative to ground level, thereby pivoting said tabletop relative to said support structure and lowering said upper section of said tabletop relative to ground level; a restraint (80) movably coupled to said lower section of said tabletop, said restraint arranged and designed to restrain said user'"'"'s body to said restraint; and a second actuator (70) coupled to said restraint, said second actuator arranged and designed to axially move said restraint relative to said lower section of said tabletop and to operate concurrently with said first actuator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus (10) for stretching a user'"'"'s body comprising,
a table (20) having a tabletop (22) and a support structure (40), said tabletop having an upper section (24) to receive an upper portion of said user'"'"'s body thereon and a lower section (26) to receive a lower portion of said user'"'"'s body thereon, said support structure arranged and designed to elevate said tabletop above ground level (12), said tabletop movably coupled to said support structure such that said tabletop pivots about said support structure; -
a first actuator (60) coupled to said tabletop, said first actuator arranged and designed to raise said lower section of said tabletop relative to ground level, thereby pivoting said table top relative to said support structure and lowering said upper section of said tabletop relative to ground level; a rigid restraint (80) movably coupled to said lower section of said tabletop, said rigid restraint arranged and designed to restrain said lower portion of said user'"'"'s body to said rigid restraint; and a second actuator (70) coupled to said rigid restraint, said second actuator arranged and designed to axially move said rigid restraint relative to said lower section of said tabletop, whereby, when said user'"'"'s body is disposed on said tabletop and restrained by said rigid restraint, said second actuator is actuated after said first actuator is actuated. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for exercising a user'"'"'s body comprising the steps of
positioning said user'"'"'s body on top of an exercise table (20), said exercise table having a tabletop (22) and a support structure (40) elevating said tabletop above ground level (12), said tabletop having an upper section (24) receiving an upper portion of said user'"'"'s body thereon and a lower section (26) receiving a lower portion of said user'"'"'s body thereon, said tabletop movably coupled to said support structure; -
restraining said user'"'"'s body to a restraint (80) movably coupled to said lower section of said tabletop; actuating a first actuator (60), coupled to said lower section of said tabletop, to raise said lower section of said tabletop relative to ground level, thereby pivoting said table top relative to said support structure and lowering said upper section of said tabletop relative to ground level; and actuating a second actuator (70) coupled to said restraint, said second actuator moving said restraint relative to said lower section of said tabletop. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification