Lower extremity rehabilitation and toning exercise apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A lower extremity exercise apparatus adapted for facilitating movement of the feet and lower legs of a seated person comprising:
- (a) a base,(b) at least one foot contact and support means having a length sufficient to make contact with at least the major portions of the sole of a human foot,(c) said foot contact and support means being pivotally journaled with respect to the base upon a pivot means associated with said base for relative pivotal movement between the base and the foot contact and support means and having a heel position and ball of the foot position,(d) the pivot point of said pivot means being disposed longitudinally of the foot contact and support means approximately from three-sixteenths of the distance from the rear of the heel position to nine-sixteenths of the distance from the rear of the heel position on the foot contact and support means, and(e) the pivot point of the foot contact and support means being disposed with respect to said contact and support means and base such that the angle of the foot contact and support means, when pivoted downwardly toward the base upon one end, will provide an angle of the foot contact and support means such that a seated person may comfortably rest their feet upon the upper surface of the foot contact and support means from an adjacent seated position and can move or rock the far end of the foot contact and support means downwardly with the forward portion of their foot by downward pressure from said forward portion of their foot and(f) wherein the pivot point is comprised of a combination of a substantially semi-cylindrical pivot opening in one of the base and the foot contact and support means and a semi-cylindrical pivotable support member secured to the other of the base and the foot contact and support means by an extension which pivotable support member is accommodated in the pivot opening.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rocking-type foot and lower leg exercising apparatus incorporates one or two centrally pivoted pedals mounted upon a base in a position facilitating the placement of the feet of the user upon such pedals while seated in a chair and rocking of the pedals with the foot positioned upon them to provide a soothing motion that will maintain the tone of the muscles of the legs and encourages blood circulation in the feet and legs. The pivot point of the pedals may be located at any vertical position between the base and the pedal, but is located longitudinally between about one fourth to one half of the distance from the end of the heel position on the pedals.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A lower extremity exercise apparatus adapted for facilitating movement of the feet and lower legs of a seated person comprising:
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(a) a base, (b) at least one foot contact and support means having a length sufficient to make contact with at least the major portions of the sole of a human foot, (c) said foot contact and support means being pivotally journaled with respect to the base upon a pivot means associated with said base for relative pivotal movement between the base and the foot contact and support means and having a heel position and ball of the foot position, (d) the pivot point of said pivot means being disposed longitudinally of the foot contact and support means approximately from three-sixteenths of the distance from the rear of the heel position to nine-sixteenths of the distance from the rear of the heel position on the foot contact and support means, and (e) the pivot point of the foot contact and support means being disposed with respect to said contact and support means and base such that the angle of the foot contact and support means, when pivoted downwardly toward the base upon one end, will provide an angle of the foot contact and support means such that a seated person may comfortably rest their feet upon the upper surface of the foot contact and support means from an adjacent seated position and can move or rock the far end of the foot contact and support means downwardly with the forward portion of their foot by downward pressure from said forward portion of their foot and (f) wherein the pivot point is comprised of a combination of a substantially semi-cylindrical pivot opening in one of the base and the foot contact and support means and a semi-cylindrical pivotable support member secured to the other of the base and the foot contact and support means by an extension which pivotable support member is accommodated in the pivot opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 17, 18)
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8. An apparatus for exercising the lower extremities comprising:
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(a) a ground plane contact and support means, (b) a pair of foot pedals having a pivoting arrangement facilitating forward and backward rocking about an axis disposed in a location within one of the ground plane contact and support means and the pair of foot pedals, (c) the assumable angle of the foot pedals allowed by the pivoting arrangement being variable between an assumed maximum backwardly rocked angle of the foot of a normally supple seated individual and the maximum forwardly rocked angle of the foot of such individual; and
,(d) the pivoting arrangement of the foot pedals comprising; (i) a pivot extension support extending from one of the ground plane contact and support means and the foot pedals, at one end of which pivot extension support there is a transverse at least semi-cylindrical pivot member; (ii) a semicircular pivot groove adapted for receiving the semi-cylindrical pivot member in the opposite of one of the ground plane contact and support means and the foot pedals; (e) whereby the foot pedals are pivotable about the axis which extends longitudinally through the semi-cylindrical pivot member and pivot groove with a rocking motion. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, 24)
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16. A lower extremity exercise apparatus adapted for facilitating movement of the feet and lower legs of a seated person comprising:
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(a) a base, (b) at least one foot contact and support means having a length sufficient to make contact with at least the major portions of the sole of a human foot, (c) said foot contact and support member being pivotally journaled with respect to the base upon a pivot means associated with said base for pivotal movement above the base and having a heel position and ball of the foot position, (d) the pivot point of said pivot means being disposed approximately from three-sixteenths of the distance from the rear of the heel position to nine-sixteenths of the distance from the rear of the heel position on the foot contact and support member in the foot contact and support member, and, (e) the pivot point of the foot contact and support means being disposed with respect to said contact and support means and base such that the angle of the foot contact and support means, when pivoted downwardly toward the base upon one end, will provide an angle of the foot contact and support means such that a seated person may comfortably rest their feet upon the upper surface of the foot contact and support means from a seated position and can move or rock the far end of the foot contact and support means downwardly with the forward portion of at least one of their feet by downward pressure from said forward portion of their foot and can move or rock the near end of the foot contact and support means downwardly with the rear portion of at least one of their feet, (f) the pivot of said foot contact and support means being comprised of a transverse pivot opening effectively in one of the base and the foot contact and support means and a cylindrically configured transverse pivot member adapted to be received in the transverse pivot opening and supported upon an extension from one of the foot contact and support means and the base. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for exercising the lower extremities comprising:
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(a) a ground plane contact and support means, (b) a pair of foot pedals having a pivoting arrangement facilitating forward and backward rocking about an axis disposed in a location within one of the ground plane contact and support means and the pair of foot pedals, (c) the assumable angle of the foot pedals allowed by the pivoting arrangement being variable between an assumed maximum backwardly rocked angle of the foot of a normally supple seated individual and the maximum forwardly rocked angle of the foot of such individual, (d) the pivoting arrangement of the foot pedals comprising; (i) a pivot extension support extending from one of the ground plane contact and support means and the foot pedals, at one end of which pivot extension support there is a transverse at least semi-cylindrical pivot member; (ii) a semicircular pivot groove adapted for receiving the semi-cylindrical pivot member in the opposite of one of the ground plane contact and support means and the foot pedals; (e) whereby the foot pedals are pivotable about the axis which extends longitudinally through the semi-cylindrical pivot member and pivot groove with a rocking motion.
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Specification