Wearable apparatus for exercising body joints
First Claim
1. A portable appliance for selectively imparting desired levels of resistance to the flexing and extending of a body joint, comprising:
- (a) an articulating frame structure carried by the body, said frame structure comprising;
a first pivot arm;
a second pivot arm; and
,means for pivotally interconnecting the first and second pivot arms to pivot the first and second pivot arms about a pivot axis in a first relative direction and in a second relative direction opposite to the first relative direction;
(b) first means for mounting the frame on the body to attach the first and second pivot arms to respective first and second pivotally connected limbs of the body to place the pivot axis of the first and second pivot arms in approximate alignment with the pivot axis of the body joint;
(c) fluid resistance means to resist the relative pivotal movement between the first and second pivot arms;
(d) second means for mounting the fluid resistance means at a location spaced from and generally parallel with the pivot axis of the body joint; and
,(e) transmission means for transmitting the relative rotational movement of the first and second pivot arms to the resistance means to actuate the resistance means to generate a resistive load to the relative pivotal movement between the first and second pivot arms.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A portable appliance (10) which is worn by the user to exercise a body joint includes an articulating frame (12) composed of a pair of laterally, spaced-apart pivot arms (14a, 14b) connectible to a first limb of the body joint and pinned to a second pair of spaced-apart pivot arms (16a, 16b) connectible to the second limb of the body joint. A rotatably actuated, fluid cylinder assembly (22) is mounted on the first pivot arms (14a, 14b) on the extendible side of the body joint. The cylinder assembly (22) includes a piston (24) threadably engaged within an elongated piston rod (26). A transmission system transmits the relative rotational movement between the frame arms (14a, 14b) and the frame arms (16a, 16b) to the piston rod (26) thereby to actuate the piston (24). Adjustable flow control devices control the flow of fluid within the cylinder assembly (22) to apply isotonic, isokinetic or dynamic resistance to the flexing or extending of the body joint being exercised.
123 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A portable appliance for selectively imparting desired levels of resistance to the flexing and extending of a body joint, comprising:
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(a) an articulating frame structure carried by the body, said frame structure comprising; a first pivot arm; a second pivot arm; and
,means for pivotally interconnecting the first and second pivot arms to pivot the first and second pivot arms about a pivot axis in a first relative direction and in a second relative direction opposite to the first relative direction; (b) first means for mounting the frame on the body to attach the first and second pivot arms to respective first and second pivotally connected limbs of the body to place the pivot axis of the first and second pivot arms in approximate alignment with the pivot axis of the body joint; (c) fluid resistance means to resist the relative pivotal movement between the first and second pivot arms; (d) second means for mounting the fluid resistance means at a location spaced from and generally parallel with the pivot axis of the body joint; and
,(e) transmission means for transmitting the relative rotational movement of the first and second pivot arms to the resistance means to actuate the resistance means to generate a resistive load to the relative pivotal movement between the first and second pivot arms. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A portable appliance for exercising a body joint, comprising:
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(a) a first pivot arm; (b) a second pivot arm; (c) means for pivotally interconnecting the first and second pivot arms about a pivot axis; (d) first means for mounting the first and second pivot arms to respective first and second pivotally connected limbs of the body to place the pivot axis in approximate aligment with the pivot axis of the body joint; (e) fluid resistance means carried by the body to resist relative pivotal movement between the first and second pivot arms; (f) second means for mounting the fluid resistance means at a location spaced from and generally parallel with the pivot axis of the body joint; and
,(g) transmission means for transmitting the relative rotational movement between the first and second pivot arms to the fluid resistance means to actuate the resistance means to generate a resistive load to the relative pivotal movement between the first and second pivot arms and, thus, generating a resistive force against the flexing and extending of the body joint. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification