Suit for forcedly modifying a human posture and producing an increased load on a locomotion apparatus

• US 7,744,511 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: State Scientific Center of Russiam Federation-Institute of Bio-Medical Problems of The Russian Academy of Sciences
• Original Assignee: State Scientific Center of Russiam Federation-Institute of Bio-Medical Problems of The Russian Academy of Sciences
• Inventors: Sorokina, Elena Illarionovna, Tihomirov, Evgeniy Petrovich, Grigoriev, Anatoly Ivanovich, Kozlovskaya, Inesa Benediktovna
• Primary Examiner(s): Crow; Steve R
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN
• Application Number:
  US10/598,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20070135278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,315 Days
• Field of Search: 482/121, 482/124, 482/43
• US Class Current: 482/124
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0102 specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0004 Exercising devices moving as a whole during exercise bar bells or dumb bells A63B21/072; on wheels A63B22/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00069 Setting or adjusting the resistance level; Compensating for a preload prior to use, e.g. changing length of resistance or adjusting a valve
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0407 Anchored at two end points, e.g. installed within an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/055 extension element type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0552 Elastic ropes or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0557 Details of attachments, e.g. clips or clamps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4005 to the shoulder
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4007 to the chest region, e.g. to the back chest
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4009 to the waist
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4011 to the lower limbs means for physically limiting movements of body parts A63B69/0057
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4025 Resistance devices worn on the user's body A63B21/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0244 with signalling or indicating means, e.g. of incorrect posture, for deep-breathing exercises

Abstract

The invention relates to medicine and is used for forcedly modifying a human posture and producing an increased load on a locomotion apparatus. The inventive device comprises shoulder, pelvic, knee and foot supports which are connected to each other by loading elements each of which is embodied in the form of an inextansible strip and an avoid of residual deformation elastic rod fixed thereto. Said device also comprises a support arranged on the thoracic surface of the body which is connected to the shoulder supports with the aid of self-fixing buckles, thereby forming a vest which tightly embraces a patient body. The pelvic support is embodied in the form of shorts. Said thoracic and pelvic supports are provided with load strips which are sewed therein and provided with buckles for fixing said thoracic and pelvic supports to each other. The knee supports are embodied in the form of a binder in such a way that it tightly embraces a knee-joint area, the upper quarter of a leg and the lower quarter of a hip.

Claims

1. A device for forced change of a user'"'"'s posture and producing an increased load on the locomotor apparatus, the device comprising:

a pair of shoulder pads, a pelvic pad, a pair of knee pads and a pair of foot pads all interconnected by a plurality of loading elements;

a breast pad arranged on the thoracic part of the trunk and connected to the shoulder pads by use of self-locking buckles, forming a vest tightly fitting on the user'"'"'s body, wherein each loading element is an inextensible adjusting band and elastic tie without residual deformation attached to the band, the tie having an initial length, which, if it is extended, creates a force of at least 4 kg, and where the ratio between the lengths of the adjusting band and elastic tie of each loading element being selected such that the maximum elongation of the elastic tie is at least 50% of the initial length;

wherein both the breast and pelvis pads have sewed-in load-bearing bands with buckles for interlocking of the breast pad to the pelvis pad, the pads designed so that they can be individually fitted on the user'"'"'s body using of additional attachments, the adjusting bands of the loading elements rigidly attached to the front, side and rear surfaces of the breast and pelvis pads and the ends of the adjusting bands are provided with buckles and hooks;

wherein the device is additionally provided with three belts, each belt having two self-tightening locks designed to enable locating the first belt of these belts along the edges of the costal arch, the second belt on the waist and the third belt on the user'"'"'s huckle-bones, each belt also having a fabric fastener on the interior surface of that part of the belt, which is arranged on the back surface of the user'"'"'s body, the mating parts of the fastener located on the breast and pelvis pads;

wherein the pair of knee pads are bandages that can tightly fit around a knee joint, an upper quarter of the shin-bone and a lower quarter of the hip, each knee pad having hinges arranged on the bandage in the plane of the knee joint to accommodate the adjusting band, and where the foot pads are in the form of shoes and a plurality of hinges extend from the shoes, the hinges being capable of attaching to the elastic ties, and the step between the hinges on one side of the shoe is less than 10% of the shoe sole length; and

wherein additional attachments enabling fine individual fitting of the breast and pelvis pads of the device on the user are designed as a lacing arranged on the front and back surfaces of the pads wherein each loading element is provided with a dynamometric tape to check and provide feedback of the pulling force in order to adjust said loading elements to achieve the desired force for exercise therapy.

2. A device of claim 1, wherein additional attachments enabling coarse individual fitting of the breast and pelvis pads around the user are pleats made on the side of the pads corresponding to the back and side surfaces of the trunk and fitted with n zip fasteners (n being not less than 2), which provide, when locked, obtaining n+1 standard sizes of the pads.

3. A device of claim 1, wherein tight fitting of pad around the limb near the knee joint is provided using of stretch-proof adjusting bands, which are rigidly attached to the entire front surface and whose free ends are provided with self-locking fabric fasteners.

4. A device of claim 1, wherein all the pads carry hinges to attach the loading elements.

5. A device of claim 1, wherein the hinges for attachment of the tensioning elements are arranged on two loop bands wherein one of these has the hinges facing up and the other of these—

down.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the shoe is provided with a fabric strip on the perimeter, the fabric strip carrying the show hinges which attach to the elastic ties.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the shoe is a flexible fabric plate capable of embracing the entire sole of the user, the fabric plate carrying the hinges which attach to the elastic ties.

8. A device for forced change of a user'"'"'s posture and producing an increased load on the locomotor apparatus, the device comprising:

a pair of shoulder pads, a pelvic pad, a pair of knee pads and a pair of foot pads all interconnected by a plurality of loading elements;

a breast pad arranged on the thoracic part of the trunk and connected to the shoulder pads by use of self-locking buckles, forming a vest tightly fitting on the user'"'"'s body, wherein each loading element is an inextensible adjusting band and elastic tie without residual deformation attached to the band, the tie having an initial length, which, if it is extended, creates a force of at least 4 kg, and where the ratio between the lengths of the adjusting band and elastic tie of each loading element being selected such that the maximum elongation of the elastic tie is at least 50% of the initial length;

wherein both the breast and pelvis pads have sewed-in load-bearing bands with buckles for interlocking of the breast pad to the pelvis pad, the pads designed so that they can be individually fitted on the user'"'"'s body using of additional attachments, the adjusting bands of the loading elements rigidly attached to the front, side and rear surfaces of the breast and pelvis pads and the ends of the adjusting bands are provided with buckles and hooks;

wherein a coarse individual fitting of the breast and pelvis pads around the user can be made through a series of pleats made on the side of both of the pads corresponding to the back and side surfaces of the trunk of the user, the pleats fitted with n zip fasteners (n being not less than

     2), which provide n+1 standard sizes of the breast and pelvis pad;

wherein the device is additionally provided with three belts, each belt having two self-tightening locks designed to enable locating the first belt of these belts along the edges of the costal arch, the second belt on the waist and the third belt on the user'"'"'s huckle-bones, each belt also having a fabric fastener on the interior surface of that part of the belt, which is arranged on the back surface of the user'"'"'s body, the mating parts of the fastener located on the breast and pelvis pads;

wherein the pair of knee pads are bandages that can tightly fit around a knee joint, an upper quarter of the shin-bone and a lower quarter of the hip, each knee pad having hinges arranged on the bandage in the plane of the knee joint to accommodate the adjusting band, and where the foot pads are in the form of shoes to accommodate the elastic ties; and

wherein each loading element is provided with a dynamometric tape to check and provide feedback of the pulling force in order to adjust said loading elements to achieve the desired force for exercise therapy to check the pulling force.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the shoes further comprise a plurality of hinges extending from each shoe, the hinges being capable of attaching to the elastic ties, and the step between the hinges on one side of the shoe is less than 10% of the shoe sole length.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein additional attachments enabling fine individual fitting of the breast and pelvis pads of the device on the user are designed as a lacing arranged on the front and back surfaces of the pads.