Vibrational device for stimulating tissue and organs

• US 6,620,117 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2000
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Connextech, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Connextech, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Johnson, Stephen C., Greenwald, Richard M., Rosenberg, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): YU, JUSTINE ROMANG
• Application Number:
  US09/488,081
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 601/49, 601/60-61, 601/27-33, 601/23, 601/24, 601/26, 601/84, 601/89-93, 601/97, 601/98, 601/100-101, 601/104, 472/95, 472/96, 472/102, 472/103, 510/8, 510/9
• US Class Current: 601/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/005 Moveable platforms, e.g. vibrating or oscillating platforms for standing, sitting, laying or leaning
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/006 Apparatus for applying pressure or blows for compressive stressing of a part of the skeletal structure, e.g. for preventing or alleviating osteoporosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1418 Cam
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1635 Hand or arm, e.g. handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/164 Feet or leg, e.g. pedal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1664 linear
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1666 multidimensional
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1678 Means for angularly oscillating massage elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/06 Arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/081 Back
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0254 with rotary motor

Abstract

An apparatus for mechanically stimulating a human user includes in one embodiment a base frame, a rigid plate connected to the base frame and having an area sufficient to support a standing human, a vibrational device attached to the bottom of the horizontal plate whereby the plate is caused to oscillate in both vertical and horizontal directions at a desired frequency with an amplitude of less than 2.0 mm, and a frequency control device whereby the frequency of the vertical and horizontal oscillations may be selectively and independently adjusted. Vertically extending handrails are preferably connected to the device such that vibrations may be transmitted to the arms and upper spinal region of a user'"'"'s body when grasped.

Claims

1. An apparatus for mechanically stimulating a human body comprising:

a base frame designed for placement on a floor surface;

a plurality of support blocks fixedly connected to and extending upwardly from said base frame, said support blocks comprising a top part, cam follower means, and a horizontal shaft receptacle, said cam follower means being disposed below said top part and configured for causing vertical reciprocal motion of said top part when subjected to axial rotation by a horizontal shaft disposed in said horizontal shaft receptacle;

at least two parallel horizontal rotatable shafts having a connection end and a drive end, the connection ends of said shafts being disposed in the horizontal shaft receptacles of said plurality of support blocks;

a first group of at least two horizontally planar parallel rails oriented perpendicular to said horizontal rotatable shafts, said first rails having a bottom surface and a top flange, said bottom surface being fixedly connected to the top part of said support blocks and supported thereby;

a second group of at least two horizontally planar parallel rails disposed above and perpendicular to said first rails, said second rails having a bottom flange, a top surface, and a length greater than the greatest distance between any two of the first rails;

slidable connection means connecting the top flange of said first rails to the bottom flange of said second rails, whereby the first rails and second rails may freely slide in orthogonal horizontal directions relative to each other, said slidable connection means being configured to maintain positive connection between said rails when subjected to rapid vertical reciprocation;

a substantially horizontal rigid plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, and having an area sufficient to support a standing human, the bottom surface of said plate being fixedly connected to the top surface of said second rails;

variable speed rotational drive means connected to the drive ends of said rotatable shafts, whereby rotational motion may be imparted to said shafts so as to cause vertical reciprocation of the top part of said support blocks and attached structure;

variable speed orbital drive means connected to the bottom surface of said rigid plate whereby the plate may be caused to oscillate in an orbital manner by sliding upon said rails;

at least one handrail extending upwardly from the first group of at least two horizontally planar parallel rails for grasping by a user standing on the top of the plate; and

frequency control means attached to said at least one handrail whereby a user may selectively and independently adjust the speed and operation of the rotational drive means and of the orbital drive means.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one handrail is fixedly connected to and extends upwardly from said first rail, whereby vertical oscillation may be transmitted to the upper body of a user when the handrail is grasped.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said cam follower means are configured to produce vertical reciprocation having an amplitude of less than 2.0 mm.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein said vertical reciprocation has an amplitude of from 0.25 to 1.0 mm.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the frequency of the vertical reciprocation and the horizontal oscillations are in the range of from 0 Hz to 100 Hz.

6. The apparatus as described in claim 5, wherein the frequency of the vertical reciprocation is in the range of from 15 Hz to 60 Hz, and the frequency of the horizontal oscillations is in the range of from 0 Hz to 60 Hz.

7. An apparatus for mechanically stimulating a human user comprising:

a base frame;

a support means movably mounted on the base frame for receiving and supporting a human user, said support means comprising a rigid platform, and a rigid handrail having a lower end attached beneath the rigid platform;

horizontal vibration means for causing horizontal vibrational movement of the support means to thereby vibrate a human user supported on the platform;

vertical vibration means for causing vertical vibrational movement of the support means to thereby vibrate a human user supported on the platform;

control means for selectively adjusting a frequency of the horizontal vibrational movement and of the vertical vibrational movement;

wherein the vertical vibration means further comprises push-up means disposed on the base frame for alternately pushing the rigid platform upwardly and bringing said platform downwardly with respect to the base frame;

wherein the horizontal vibration means further comprises;

rotational movement means disposed between the push-up means and the rigid platform for permitting rotational movement of the platform with respect to said vertical vibration means; and

means for rotating the rigid platform with respect to the base frame;

wherein the rotational movement means comprises a first set of rails fixedly attached to the push-up means, and a second set of rails slidably disposed between the first set of rails and the rigid platform such that said second set of rails are slidable relative to the first set of rails and with respect to the platform;

wherein the apparatus further comprises a handrail attached to the first set of rails and extending upwardly therefrom.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the rails in the first set of rails are disposed parallel to each other, and wherein the rails in the second set of rails are disposed parallel to each other.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the platform has a cross-sectional area of less than nine square feet, and wherein an uppermost portion of the handrail resides less than ten feet from the ground when the base frame is on the ground.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the horizontal vibration means and the vertical vibration means each further comprise a fixed-setting means for providing a constant vibrational amplitude and frequency and thus characterized by an absence of feedback control adjustment of said vibrational amplitude and frequency.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the horizontal vibration means further comprises means for imparting horizontal vibration having an amplitude of less than 4.0 mm.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the horizontal vibration means and the vertical vibration means each comprises means for producing vibrational movement at a frequency of less than 500 Hz.