 Hybrid drive apparatus for vehicle |
| Accordingly, a first object of the invention is to provide a hybrid drive apparatus for a vehicle ... |
|
| Safety lighter with compound finger pad |
| What is claimed is: 1. A safety lighter comprising: a lighter housing having a reservoir for ... |
|
| Starting block |
| According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a starting block which includes a ... |
|
| Concealed wiper system |
| Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a concealed wiper system having ... |
|
| Commutating energy suppression circuit for an electronically commutated DC motor |
| According to the present invention, a voltage surge sensing and control circuit is coupled to the ... |
|
| Cutting process control system for CNC metal cutting machine tools |
| We claim: 1. A cutting process control system for CNC metal cutting machine tools, comprises: an ... |
|
| Feed control method in a numerically controlled machine tool |
| The present invention was accomplished in view of the above situation. It is, therefore, a general ... |
|
|
Apparatus for exercising lower leg muscles
| Details |
Inventors: Kock, Ronald W.;
Assignee:
Primary Examiner: Bahr; Robert
Assistant Examiner: Reichard; Lynne A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Apparatus for lower leg exercise wherein dorsiflexion and plantarflexion movements of the foot, about a machine axis substantially aligned with the axis of the ankle, are resisted by a frictional torque that varies in a predetermined manner with the angular position of the foot. Reducing the extent of friction contact surface overlap and/or reducing the radius to the perimeter of friction contact surface overlap causes torsional resistance to decrease. As the foot rotates about the ankle to either side of its neutral position, the natural leverage of the leg muscles opposing torsional resistance decreases. Corresponding reduction of resistance with reduction of muscle leverage permits the range of motion of lower leg exercise to be increased. In the preferred embodiment the apparatus has a handle and base which permit operation from a supine position on a bed, training table, or floor, with leg extended horizontally. |
|
DETAILED DESCRIPTION In practicing the present invention lower leg exercises are performed by a user preferably in a supine position with legs extended horizontally.
The user may lie on a bed, training table, or the floor, for example.
In a hospital a nurse may strap the footplate to the patient's foot.
However, a healthy individual can strap his or her own foot to the footplate when sitting upright with legs bent.
The neutral or resting position of the foot is its position when no force is exerted to rotate it about the ankle joint.
This position is substantially perpendicular to the lower leg, or vertical when the leg is horizontal.
The normal range of motion of the foot is 15.
degree.
dorsiflexion (rotation toward the body) from neutral and 35.
degree.
plantarflexion (rotation away from the body) from neutral.
The total motion range is therefore 50.
degree.
, although some people have a range as great as 70.
degree.
.
At .
+-.
5.
degree.
from the neutral position, the torsional resistance that can be overcome is approximately 5 times the resistance that can be overcome near the extremes of the motion range.
The leverage drops off rapidly at the range extremes.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the axis of footplate rotation is preferably about 3 inches (7.
6 cm) from the surface of the footplate, substantially aligned with the axis of the user's ankle when the user's foot is properly secured to the footplate.
Thus, when a supine user rotates his foot in a dorsiflexion or plantarflexion motion, only his foot and the footplate move.
The upper leg muscles are effectively isolated from the motion because the leg is straight.
There is no need for kneepads or thighstraps, common with seated position exercisers, to provide this isolation.
The rotation of the footplate against friction resistance exerts a reaction torque that tends to tilt the machine about its base.
In order that the user can exercise without assistance, a handle, preferably about 3 feet (91 cm) long, is extended from the body of the machine so that the user can hold it to prevent rotation of the mechanism about its base
|
|
Exercise Devices 
