Training device for muscle activation patterns

• US 8,257,284 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Original Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Inventors: Gruben, Kreg G., Schmidt, Matthew W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh, Loan
• Assistant Examiner(s): GANESAN, SUNDHARA M
• Application Number:
  US11/231,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20070066451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,540 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 8, 600/587, 600/592, 600/595, 601/23, 601/27, 601/32, 601/33, 601/34, 601/35, 601/36, 601/40
• US Class Current: 601/33
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0252 supine
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/03508 For a single arm or leg, A63B21/0726 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0417 with guided foot supports moving parallel to the body-symmetrical-plane by translation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances

Abstract

A training device isolates muscular force direction from force magnitude to provide improved feedback to a user over conventional exercise equipment which implicitly conflates magnitude and force direction in producing purely kinematic feedback.

Claims

1. A training apparatus comprising:

a support for supporting a user;

a limb-engaging surface receiving a limb of the user when the user is supported in the user support;

a multi-axis force sensor holding the limb engaging surface with respect to the user support; and

a controller communicating with the multi-axis force sensor to measure a direction of applied force over a range of different angles applied by the user on the limb-engaging surface in response to instruction to the user to use the limb to apply force in an instructed direction, the controller outputting to the user an indication of the direction of applied force.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indication output to the user is a difference between the instructed direction and the direction of the applied force.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller outputs the indication of the direction of applied force via a visual display.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the visual display shows the instructed direction and the direction of applied force.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the controller provides instruction to use the limb to apply force in an instructed direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the controller further outputs to the user an indication of deviation between the instructed direction and of the direction of applied force via a controlled movement of the limb-engaging surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein a property of movement of the limb-engaging surface is controlled to be a function of a difference between the instructed direction and the direction of applied force.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the property is resistance to movement.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the property is speed of movement.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 further including an input means communicating with the controller for varying a function of a difference in angle between the instructed direction and the direction of applied force to increase a required user accuracy.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller further outputs an indication of a magnitude of applied force on the limb-engaging surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller further outputs to the user an indication of deviation between the instructed force direction and of the direction of applied force via a controlled movement of the limb-engaging surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a property of movement of the limb-engaging surface is controlled to be a function of a difference in angle between the instructed direction and the direction of applied force.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the property is resistance to movement.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the property is speed of movement.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 further including an input means for varying the function of the difference in angle between the instructed direction and the direction of applied force to increase a required user accuracy.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the movement is along a track whose orientation is adjusted to indicate the instructed direction.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user support holds the user in a recumbent position.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user support holds the user in an upright position.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the multi-axis force sensor detects force in perpendicular axes in a plane.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the limb-engaging surface is a foot stirrup.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the limb-engaging surface is a hand stirrup.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein an angle of the plane with respect to the user support is adjustable.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a center position of the limb-engaging surface is adjustable with respect to the user support.