DE9316611U1 - Physiotherapy device - Google Patents

Description

ZENZ · HELBER · HOSBACH & LAUFER

Patent attorneys · D-64673 Zwingenberg, Scheuergasse 24, Tel.: 06251/73 008 Fax.: 06251/73 156

Mrs. Elke Piotrowski, Mannheimer Strasse 97,

68519 Viernheim.

Therapeutic gymnastics equipment 15

The invention relates to a device for the therapeutic gymnastics treatment of the human body, in particular for strengthening muscle groups and for making the joints of limbs more mobile.

Today, therapeutic gymnastics exercises are mainly used to strengthen individual muscle groups in people who have degenerated, for example, due to being bedridden for a long time and to make the joints of limbs more mobile, but these require that the patient in question is sufficiently strong and flexible to be able to carry out the exercises independently. Weaker patients, on the other hand, must be treated by physiotherapists.

The invention is based on the object of creating a therapeutic gymnastics device which is also suitable for patients who are too weak to be able to carry out targeted gymnastics of sufficient duration and intensity.

According to the invention, this task is solved by a carrier that is movably mounted in a frame along a predetermined movement path with a holder for the limb(s) to be treated and by a drive motor that is geared to the movable carrier. The movement of the limb to be strengthened through gymnastics is therefore not performed by the patient himself, but is forced upon him by the device or its driven carrier, whereby the movement path and the force of the carrier must of course be adapted to the required gymnastic movement.

The drive motor is preferably a speed-controlled electric motor, which allows the speed or frequency of the movement of the driver to be adjusted.

In addition, the drive motor is also designed to be adjustable in terms of its output torque, so that the maximum force transmitted by the driver to the limbs to be treated can also be adjusted.

Finally, it is also useful to make the movement path of the driver variable in order to adapt to a given mobility, which is initially lower and then increases over the course of training.

The gear coupling of the drive motor with the driver can be designed as a belt or chain drive. In particular, if the driver is guided on a circular path 0, such a rotating belt or chain drive is recommended, which has the advantage of less effort and therefore lower costs compared to a gear transmission, which can also be used in principle.

Alternatively, the gear coupling of the drive motor with the carrier can also be done via a hydraulic or pneumatic gear, for example by

The driver is driven by a piston-cylinder unit, which is actuated by a pressure medium source via suitable control elements in the desired direction of movement of the piston rod. Such drives with pressure medium-operated piston-cylinder units are particularly advantageous for generating oscillating, i.e. back and forth or swivel movements.

On the other hand, reciprocating or swivel movements can also be generated purely mechanically, i.e. by means of articulated gears, in particular four-bar gears.

The device according to the invention can, for example, be designed in such a way that the driver is designed as a crankshaft which is driven to rotate about an axis of rotation and which is provided with at least one receptacle for the limbs to be treated in the region of the rotating crank pin.

If a pair of limbs, for example a pair of legs or a pair of arms, is to be treated, it is recommended to design the crankshaft as a double crankshaft with two crank pins offset by 180°, each of which has a limb holder.

The distance of the crank pin or the crank pins from the rotational axis of the crankshaft is designed to be suitably variable in order to be able to adjust the device to an increasingly greater deflection of the limbs to be treated over the course of the therapy.

The limb holder(s) is/are each rotatably mounted on the carrier and provided with means for detachably connecting the respective limb to the holder. For the treatment of legs, the holders are then designed as treadle plates or pedals that are rotatably mounted on the carrier and are connected to the limb to be held by belt loops or brackets. For the treatment of legs, the holders are designed as treadle plates or pedals that are rotatably mounted on the carrier and are connected to the limb to be held by belt loops or brackets.

For the handling of one arm or both arms, the holder is conveniently designed as a handle(s) that is rotatably mounted on the carrier, whereby belt loops or brackets can also be provided to prevent the hand from slipping off the handle.

The device, which is designed with a double crankshaft, can also be developed as a connective tissue massage device by providing fastening means on the crank pins for attaching one end of a massage belt. The massage belt attached to the crank pins can then be placed around the parts of the patient's body that are to be massaged. When the crankshaft is driven, the massage belt is then pulled back and forth over the part of the body to be treated, thus exerting the desired massage effect.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the device's carrier can have a footrest that is pivotably mounted in a frame. This makes it possible, for example, to train the ankles.

In addition, the footrest can be provided with a cam coating that can be set into vibrating massage oscillations in the area where the feet are to be placed.

The previously mentioned articulated gear for coupling with the drive motor is suitable as a drive for such a device with a pivoting driver. A pivoting 0 footrest can, for example, be set in pivoting movements by attaching a crank-like rotating joint to the output shaft of the drive motor, at the free end of which a coupling rod is articulated, which in turn engages the footrest in an articulated manner. By changing the distance between the articulated linkage of the coupling rod on the footrest and its

The swivel angle can be adjusted very easily using the swivel axis.

Other types of therapeutic gymnastics equipment according to the invention can be created depending on the required training movement, taking into account the basic requirements, whereby the kinematics of these devices can then correspond to the kinematic design of the devices used to build muscle mass in gyms, but in contrast to these sports devices, the patient does not have to exert force to operate the devices, but the devices have an active drive which is transmitted to the limbs to be treated via the drivers.

The invention is explained in more detail in the following description in conjunction with the drawing of several embodiments, namely:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a device according to the invention suitable for the therapeutic gymnastics treatment of both pairs of arms and legs;

Fig. 2 the lower part of the device shown in Figure 1, suitable for the treatment of one pair of legs.

1 shown device in front view with housing opened to illustrate the drive;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a double crankshaft with variable distance of the

Crank pin from the rotary axis as can be used in the device shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view of the double crankshaft, seen in the direction of arrow 4 in Figure 3; and

Fig. 5 is a side view of a second modified embodiment of a device according to the invention, which is intended for treating the ankles.

The device according to the invention shown in Figure 1, designated in its entirety by 10, is intended in the specific case for the therapeutic gymnastics treatment of the joints and/or muscle parts of the legs and/or arms of a person in need of treatment.

The device 10 is practically made up of two sub-devices 12 and 14, of which the lower sub-device 12, in the case shown for the treatment of pairs of legs, can also be used without the sub-device 14 mounted on top in Figure 1. In Figure 2, this lower sub-device 12 is accordingly also shown without the attached sub-device 14. In the following, the lower sub-device 12 is first described in connection with Figures 1 and 2. This device 12 has a frame which consists of a base plate 16 and two spaced-apart housings 18 and 20 mounted on the base plate. The ends of a double-cranked crankshaft 22 are rotatably mounted in the housings 18 and 20. On the two crank sections or crank pins 22a, 22b, which are offset by 180° from each other, there are rotatable tread plates 24 on which the user can place the soles of his feet. Belts or brackets 26 stretched over the tread plates hold the user's feet placed on the tread plates 24 in such a way that they are inevitably moved when the crankshaft is driven.

i.e. the user performs a movement with his legs that is similar to the movement when cycling.

Inside the housing 18 - as shown in Figure 2 - there is a bearing seat for the roller or plain bearing that rotatably supports the associated end of the crankshaft. The crankshaft drive is housed in the right-hand housing 20, which is larger in size than the housing 18, for which the bearing pin is extended in such a way that it can be supported in two bearing seats 30, 32 held on the opposite side walls of the housing 20. Two sliding sleeves 34, 36 are held in a rotationally fixed manner on the straight shaft section 22c of the crankshaft located between the bearing points, but can be moved longitudinally in the direction of the rotation axis of the crankshaft. The sliding sleeves are secured against rotation relative to the crankshaft section 22 by a longitudinal wedge 38. The sliding sleeves each have driver claws 34a, 36a on one side, which protrude in the direction of a pulley 40 or 42, which is mounted between the sliding sleeve in question and the nearest bearing holder 30 on the shaft section 22c so that it can rotate but is fixed in the direction of the crankshaft axis of rotation. As long as the sliding sleeves are in the position shown in Figure 2, the pulleys 40 and 42 can rotate freely. The electric motor 44, which is mounted below the shaft section 22c in the housing 20 and which carries a belt pinion 0 48 which is aligned with the belt pulley 40 and coupled to this belt pulley via a V-belt 46, can therefore rotate without this rotation being transmitted from the belt pulley 40 to the shaft section 22c. By means of a fork (not shown) that spans the sliding sleeve, the shaft of which is guided outwards through a slot in the cover of the housing 20 and is provided with an actuating knob 50, the sliding sleeve 34 can be pushed into positive engagement with claw receptacles (not shown) provided in the belt wheel, whereby

then a positive connection is provided between the sliding claw and the pulley 40. Then the crankshaft 22 is driven by the running drive motor via the belt drive 48, 46. In the same way, the sliding claw 36 can be coupled to the pulley 42 by operating the operating knob 52 (Figure 1), whereby the V-belt 54 placed over the pulley 42 and guided into the upper part of the device 14 is then driven. The V-belt 54 can then be thought of as being guided over another pulley, which is guided on a shaft section of the crankshaft 56 provided there, which is rotatably mounted in the upper part of the housing. The bearing of this crankshaft 56 in the associated housings 18a and 20a placed on the housings 18 and 20 corresponds to the bearing of the crankshaft 22 in the housings 18 and 20.

Since the sliding sleeves 34 and 36 can be adjusted independently of one another via the respective associated knob 50 or 52 in a driving connection with the pulleys 40 or 42, either the lower crankshaft 22 provided with the tread plates or the upper crankshaft 56 or both crankshafts at the same time can be connected to the drive motor 44. Instead of the tread plates 24, the upper crankshaft is provided with handles 58 arranged rotatably on the crank pins or crank sections, whereby straps or brackets 60 are provided which prevent the user's hands from accidentally slipping off the respective associated handle 58.

0 On the cover of the housing 2 0 shown in Figure 1, there is also a main switch 62 for switching the drive motor on and off and thus the device. Signal lamps 64, 66 can be used to display certain operating states. Below the operating knobs 50, 52 for the sliding sleeves 34, 3 6, there are also rotary knobs 68, 70 on the housing cover, which control an electrical or electronic controller for the speed of the motor 44

or the output torque of the motor. The circuit for speed control can, for example, be designed as a so-called "phase control", which enables speed control from 0 to maximum speed.

On the other hand, the output torque of the engine and thus the drive torque in the coupled crankshafts can be controlled by controlling the excitation voltage of the electric motor via resistors or potentiometers.

Eyelets 72 are also shown on the mounting sleeves that rotatably support the tread plates 24 on the crank cranks, into which snap hooks attached to the ends of a massage belt (not shown) can be hooked. When the crankshaft 22 is driven, this belt is set in a back and forth movement when it is placed around a part of the user's body. In this way, a connective tissue massage of individual parts of the body is also possible using a massage belt.

Corresponding eyelets 72 can of course also be provided on the handles 58, so that the massage belt can also be connected to the crankshaft 56 at a different height.

In many cases it can be useful to initially keep the movement imposed on the user by the device small and then increase it over the course of therapy as the training effect increases. It is therefore advantageous if the device's drivers, e.g. the crankshafts in the device described above, are designed in such a way that they can be adjusted in relation to the crankshaft stroke, i.e. the section between the respective crank pin and the crankshaft axis of rotation. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a design option for adjusting the stroke of a crankshaft 80, which can therefore also be used in the device 10.

The outer crank webs 86 and 88 of the crankshaft 80, which support the bearing journals 82 and 84, are designed as elongated metal profiles with a basically rectangular cross-section, which are each provided with a so-called hammer groove 90, i.e. a groove with a narrowed opening, on their side facing away from the bearing journal. A prismatic sliding piece 92 is slidably mounted in each of the grooves 90, but cannot emerge from the groove at a right angle due to the narrowing of the groove opening. Only a threaded shaft 94, which is integrally attached to the sliding piece 92, protrudes through the narrowed groove opening and is screwed into a threaded hole 96 of the respective adjacent crank pin 98. The ends of the crank pins 98 pointing from the outer crank webs 86, 88 to the common middle crank web 100 are also each provided with a threaded hole into which the threaded shaft 94 of a sliding piece 92 is also screwed. The sliding pieces 92 are then in turn held in hammer grooves 92, i.e. the middle crank web 100 is provided with such a hammer groove on opposite sides.

The pitch of the threaded holes 96 in a crank pin and accordingly also the thread of the threaded pin 94 engaging in this threaded hole is now selected in opposite directions, so that when the crank pin 98 is rotated relative to the crank webs 86, 100 or 100, 88, these are screwed onto or unscrewed from the threaded shafts depending on the selected direction of rotation. By briefly rotating the respective crank pin 98 in the unscrewing direction, the tight fit between the front sides of the crank pin and the respective associated crank web can be loosened, whereupon the sliding pieces 92 can then be moved longitudinally in the respective associated groove 90 and the stroke of the respective crank pin can be changed. By subsequently rotating the crank pin 98 in the screwing direction, the threaded bolt is

94 of the sliding pieces 92 are then pulled back into the respective threaded hole 96, whereby the sliding pieces 92 are clamped in the groove 90 and the crank pins 98 are connected to the cheeks in the desired stroke position. 5

In order to transfer the required torque to the crank pins, these are each provided with flat surfaces 102 in their end area, which enable the use of an open-end wrench with a suitable jaw width. In the construction described, the crank pins 98 are released from their clamping system on the crank webs or are pulled towards them by turning them simultaneously at both ends. Alternatively, designs are also conceivable in which the crank pins 58 are released or fixed to the respective crank webs separately.

Figure 5 shows a modified embodiment of a device according to the invention for therapeutic gymnastics treatment purposes, designated in its entirety by 110, which is used in particular to treat the ankle. For this purpose, a footrest 116 - in the case shown, box-like - is provided in a frame formed by a base plate 112 and two supports 114 standing up at a lateral distance from the base plate 112, which is pivotably mounted between the free upper ends of the supports 114. The upper side intended for the feet of the person to be treated is in this case covered in the seating area with a cam rubber 118, which is moved by a vibration unit arranged within the support 116 and - because it is known per se - not described in more detail.

When using the device 110, the soles of the feet of the person being treated can be massaged at the same time as the vibration drive is switched on.
35

The footrest 116 is in turn coupled via a push rod 120 to the outer end of a crank 122, which

is arranged on the output shaft of an electric motor 124. When the crank 122 of the switched-on electric motor 124 rotates, the rotary movement of the outer end of the crank is converted into a pivoting movement of the footrest 116 via the push rod, and this pivoting movement is then inevitably transferred to the soles of the feet of a person to be treated. The drawing shows that the support-side end of the push rod 12 0 can be moved in a sliding guide 12 8 and fixed in selected settings. This means that the lever arm between the pivot axis of the footrest and the articulation point of the push rod 12 0 can be changed and thus the pivot angle of the footrest can also be changed when the electric motor 122 is driven. The device 110 can also be used for a treatment method in which small pivoting movements are initially used, which can then be increased as the treatment duration increases.

0 It is clear that within the scope of the inventive concept, modifications and further developments of the described embodiments are possible. For example, effective therapeutic gymnastics treatment devices can be manufactured in the inventive manner by adopting the kinematic design of the strength machines used in gyms, although the built-in weight or spring accumulators must then be removed and replaced by suitably coupled active drive units. Instead of forces being transferred from the athlete to the strength machine, the devices converted according to the invention then transfer treatment forces to the person being treated, whereby - as mentioned above - sensitive adjustments of the size of the transferred movements as well as the forces exerted must of course be possible.

Claims (19)

Protection claims 1. Device for the therapeutic gymnastics treatment of the human body, in particular for strengthening muscle groups and for making the joints of limbs more mobile, characterized by a carrier (22; 56; 80; 116) mounted in a frame (16, 18, 20, - 112, 114) so as to be movable along a predetermined path of movement, with a receptacle for the limb(s) to be treated, and
by a drive motor (44; 124) coupled to the movable driver. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive motor (44; 124) is a speed-controllable electric motor. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drive motor (44; 124) is designed to be adjustable with regard to its output torque. 5 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the movement path of the driver (80; 116) is designed to be variable. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in 0 is characterized in that a belt or chain drive (40; 46, 48) is provided for the gear coupling of the drive motor (44) with the driver (22; 56). 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a pneumatic or hydraulic transmission is provided for coupling the drive motor (44; 124) to the driver. 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an articulated gear (12 0; 122). 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the driver is designed as a crankshaft (22; 56; 80) which is driven to rotate about an axis of rotation and which is provided in the region of the rotating crank pin with at least one receptacle (24; 58) for the limbs to be treated. 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the crankshaft is designed as a double crankshaft (22; 56; 80) with two crank pins (22a, 22b; 98) offset by 180°, each of which has a limb receptacle. 10. Device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the distance of the crank pin or the crank pins (22a, 22b; 98) from the axis of rotation of the crankshaft (22; 80) is designed to be variable. 11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the limb holder(s) is/are each rotatably mounted on the driver and is/are provided with means for detachably connecting the respective limbs to the holder. 0 12. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the receptacle(s) is or are designed as a treadle plate(s) (24) or pedal(s) rotatably mounted on the driver. 13. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the receptacle(s) is/are designed as a handle(s) (58) rotatably mounted on the driver. 14. Device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the receptacle(s) is or are designed with belt loop(s) (2 6; 60) or bracket(s) as a connecting means for the limbs. 15. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that fastening means (72) for fastening one end of a massage belt are provided on the crank pins. 16. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4 or 6, characterized in that the driver has a footrest (116) pivotably mounted in a frame. 17. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the area of the feet to be placed on the footrest (116) is provided with a cam coating (118) that can be set into vibrating massage oscillations. 18. Device according to claim 16 or 17 and claim 6, characterized in that the articulated gear (120, 123) is designed as a four-bar gear. 19. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that the pivoting angle of the pivotable footrest (116) is designed to be variable by means for changing the length of a joint member.