EP1396280B1 - Exercise apparatus for the coordination of the legs - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has an approximately vertically arranged foot plate (56) that can be moved elastically and horizontally about a rest position and to which a foot (62) can be attached. The foot plate is mounted via spring elements (54) on an intermediate frame (26) that is attached to a fixed base frame (12) so as to be movable elastically and horizontally about a rest position.

Description

The invention relates to a device for training the leg motor.

The inventor believes that people who are under stress through social or physical acceleration gradually lose the ability to regulate their bloodstream differently according to the various demands of the situations in which they are placed. Autogenic training or other relaxation methods recommended for relieving stress require precisely this ability for differential vasoconstriction and vasodilation. Where Accelerated Acceleration hinders this ability, one needs resources to bring it back to self-development.

US-A-3,754,547 describes a therapeutic training device for flexing and extending limbs. The device provides for this purpose a foot plate on which a foot of a seated person can be attached. The foot plate is articulated as a whole vertically attached to a vertical lever and supported on this by a compression spring. The lever, which is vertical in the starting position, is articulated to a lower base and is held in the upright position by a tension spring which is fixed in height to an adjustable point on the vertical lever and with a second point of attachment to the base, the tension spring being relaxed , If the leg bent in the starting position is stretched, the foot plate moves away from the exerciser against the resistance of the two springs. In this case, the foot plate describes a pivoting movement relative to the lever moving away from the upright position of the exerciser. Relieves the exerciser, the foot plate, the device returns by the restoring forces of the springs back to their original position. The requirements for the coordination of movements in the operation of this device are essentially limited to linear movements of the foot in a vertical plane containing the leg of the exerciser.

DE 3529382 A1, which is based on the preamble of claim 1, describes a training device in which a foot is inserted horizontally into a foot shell, which is mounted by means of spring elements on a stationary frame. The foot can be used together with the Foot cup to be moved in all directions against the resistance of the spring elements. Fixed to the stationary frame is an upright support bar with two horizontal handles located at its upper end, to which a person exercising can hold.

The invention has for its object to support the ability of people under stress for self-regulation of the circulatory system.

A solution to this problem is achieved with a device according to claim 1.

The dependent claims 2 to 7 further form the device according to the invention in an advantageous manner, wherein in claim 2, an additional elastically movable mass body is introduced to the in claim 3, a vibrating rod is attached.

The subclaims 8 to 14 further form the device according to claim 1, that the arm motor can be trained simultaneously with the leg motor.

The dependent claim 15 introduces at least one motion sensor with an evaluation unit for controlling the movement sequences.

The invention is explained below with reference to schematic drawings, for example, and with further details.

• Fig. 1 eine Seitenansicht, teilweise im Schnitt, einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Trainieren der Beinmotorik;
• Fig. 2 eine Teilansicht der Fig. 1 in der Ebene II-II der Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 eine Seitenansicht, teilweise im Schnitt, einer Vorrichtung zum Trainieren der Armmotorik; und
• Fig. 4 eine Vorderansicht der Vorrichtung gemäß Fig. 3.

They show:

• 1 is a side view, partially in section, of a device according to the invention for training the leg motor;
• Fig. 2 is a partial view of Figure 1 in the plane II-II of Fig. 1.
• Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, of a device for training the Armmotorik; and
• 4 is a front view of the device according to FIG. 3.

According to FIG. 1, a frame 6 which can be freely erected on a floor (not shown) has a base plate 8, from which a column 10 rises. On the column 10, a rigid base frame 12 is fixed in height adjustable.

The base frame 12 has a top plate 14 and a bottom plate 16 which are rigidly connected to each other by means of a vertical strut 18. 1 left edge of the top plate 14 and the lower plate 16 is a respective pillar 10 encompassing ring 20 is formed in which a locking screw 22 is screwed, with which the respective ring on the column 10 can be fixed. By loosening and tightening the locking screws 22, the base frame 12 is thus held height adjustable on the column 10.

On the base frame 12, an intermediate frame 26 is fixed by means of four spring elements 24, which has a top plate 28, a bottom plate 30 and two lateral struts 32 which connect the top plate with the bottom plate.

On the top plate 28 and the lower plate 30 of the rigid intermediate frame 26 is about four spring elements 34, a base plate 36 attached, which forms a mass body and to which by means of a holder 38 a horizontally arranged oscillating rod 40 is attached. The vibrating rod is for example a bar offered by Haider-Metall under the name Propriomed. Such a vibrating rod 40 has a central rod-shaped core 42 of resilient spring steel, are attached to the weights 44 adjustable longitudinally. A central region of the core 42 has a thickened in diameter sheath 46, which serves alone as a handle when training with the vibrating rod and on which springs 58 are supported on both sides, the voltage by adjusting stops 50 along the core 42 is adjustable. By changing the respective settings of the weights 44 and the stops 50, the frequency and vibration behavior of the vibrating rod 40, whose ends oscillate in the direction of the double arrows, can be adjusted in many ways.

On the top plate 28 and the bottom plate 30 of the intermediate frame 26, a foot plate 56 is further mounted on spring elements 54 having a support 58 and a buckle 60, so that on the base plate 56, a foot 62 can be fastened.

The spring elements 24, 34 and 54 are advantageously constructed, as shown in the section A of Fig. 1 and have a flexible, but not or only slightly extendable cable 64, advantageously steel cable around which a coil spring 66 is disposed. With the formation of the spring elements according to the cutout A is achieved that the intermediate frame 26 relative to the base frame 16 of FIG. 1 from left to right in the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the paper plane also in the horizontal direction elastically back and forth and forth, and that the base plate 36 with the oscillating rod 40 and the foot plate 56 are elastically reciprocable relative to the intermediate frame in a similar manner. It is understood that rotational movements of said components relative to each other about a vertical and horizontal axis are possible. The natural frequencies are determined by the stiffness of the spring elements and the masses of the racks or plates.

So that movements of the foot 62 according to FIG. 1 are supported elastically to the left or right, a sleeve 68 is fixed to the base plate 56, in which a coil spring 70 is applied, which is supported on the base plate 56 and a rod-shaped projection 72 which is formed on the strut 18 and is received with play in the sleeve 68.

On the foot plate 56, an acceleration sensor 74 is mounted, detects the movements of the base plate 56 and the output signal are transmitted via non-illustrated transmission means to an evaluation unit, also not shown.

The device described is a system in which oscillating movements applied to the foot plate 56 by movements of the foot 62 are transmitted via the spring elements 54 to the intermediate frame 26 and from there via the spring elements 34 to the base plate 36 and from there to the spring bar 38 wherein the intermediate frame 26 can additionally oscillate relative to the base frame 12 by means of the spring elements 24, so that the base plate 56 exhibits a complex frequency behavior which can be varied via the respective masses and stiffnesses of the spring elements. Natural frequencies of the foot plate 56 may be at a multiple, for example, six times the natural frequency of the vibrating rod 40, which is for example between six and eight hertz. A 100 meter runner who has to be very awake during the 10 seconds required for the 100m has a Beta frequency of 22 Hertz, a heart rate of 2 Hertz and a pacing rate of 20 Hertz in the EEG. The flight time / support time ratio for such a sprinter increasing its speed from 2.5 m / s to 10 m / s increases from 0.5 to 1.0. The vertical forces acting on the supporting musculature of the pelvis, the legs and the spine are extremely large and the energy provided for this purpose by the interaction of nervous system, blood circulation and musculature must be correspondingly quickly distributed to the places of need. When driving with a transport vehicle, such as a car, truck, train, bus or airplane, the feedforward system between the target motor and the support motor is activated more strongly in both active and passive driving. The nervous system adjusts itself to adequately compensate any unforeseen event by this feedforward system, so that the usual course of the distribution of the energy supply to the need-indicating bodies during and after such events can be compensated immediately.

The invention addresses the activity of the synergists in the legs, such as the interaction of calf and sole muscles in the leg, which is trained by oscillating movement of the footplate 56. The motion can be detected with the acceleration sensor 74 and visualized on a screen, whereby amplitude and frequency can be evaluated to indicate a motor behavior to a person and improvements, for example in the form of a tuning to natural frequencies, to make visible.

In the described device, the pressure forces exerted by the foot are transmitted in two mutually perpendicular directions - in one direction, the moments of force from the ball of the foot to the heel and vice versa are transmitted and in the other direction the acting moments of force are transmitted from the outer to Innenfußkante.

The distribution of forces on the outer or inner edge of the foot is done by the flexors and extensors of the big toe in cooperation with the muscles of the other four toes.

The moments in the other direction create plantar and dorsiflexion in the foot.

These moments of force are generated by different groups of muscles. Plantarflexion is produced by the gastrocnemius (calf) muscle, which connects to the heel bone via the Achilles tendon. The dorsiflexion of the foot is produced by the soleus muscle, which originates in the membrana ossea lying between the tibia and the fibula and runs to the bones in the metatarsus.

The interaction of these muscles in the stance (ie, when the person stands) in case of congenital or dispositional shifting of the weight forward by a stronger musculus gastrocnemius (two-headed calf muscle, which takes its origin from the condylor femoris / thigh bone with two heads and over the popliteal fossa extending to the Achilles tendon), a dorsiflexion in the ankle compared to a weaker soleus muscle (soleus muscle originating at the upper third of both the tibia and the fibula and insertion in the Achilles tendon). The reverse is the case when the weakness in the calf muscle (gastrocnemius muscle) over the stronger soleus muscle (musculus soleus) is noticeable. Accelerating activity in modern mobile homes and workplaces permanently reinforces existing postural imbalances between these two synergists or leg muscle players in their collaboration with the muscles of the foot and toe. The braking process, for example, shifts the weight of the driver forward anyway with a rotation of the right foot and the lower leg inwards in a "left-hand drive driving structure" (European non-English variant), the gas giving first causes a shift of the weight backwards with a simultaneous rotation of the right foot and right lower leg outward. Latent imbalances between the musculus soleus and the gastrocnemius muscle will, according to this treatment, become increasingly noticeable in the posture of the driver due to the acceleration of the vehicle after longer journeys.

The distribution of red and white muscle fibers in these leg muscles is also of concern. The soleus muscle (soleus muscle) has the largest percentage of red muscle fibers. Everyday activities during acceleration in mobile workplaces require the coordination of these legs muscles for the dorsiflexion of the plantar and dorsiflex during clutching, braking and accelerating, and the inner and outer rotation of the lower leg during the execution of these activities while driving. In an analogous manner occurs in the hands and arms a strain on the corresponding muscles of the forearm and the fingers when driving the car.

As is known, the regulation of the differential perfusion of these muscles depends on the particular state of consciousness of the human brain. When sleeping, the blood flow to the extremities is restricted and the blood accumulates in the intestines, lungs, liver and kidneys. But the red muscle fibers are supplied with more blood in the sleep stages.

Relaxation techniques such as yoga, autogenic training and a number of other East Asian and Western meditative movement modes make use of a state of consciousness that has become known since the late sixties of the twentieth century through the work of the neurophysiologist Tomai Hirai as the IV state of consciousness or the second paradoxical waking state of the nervous system is. In this state, it is possible, for example, to control the differential perfusion to the red and white muscle fibers via the response of α1, α2, β1 and β2-adrenergic receptors or cholinergic nicotinic and muscarinic receptors. This normal human trainable ability, which is essentially dependent upon the synchronization of the internal clock in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus, is lost under the influence of the accelerating processes of modern mobility in the workplace and leisure.

The device presented here by the inventor is offered as an opportunity to restore the original ability to obtain the IV. Consciousness of the CNS by the practitioners. The consideration that leads to this assumption came from considering the results of the deviations in the course of the curves in six parameters relevant to the orthostatic circulation regulation - the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the plus rate per minute, the oxygen saturation of the blood in the extremities of the blood Body, the difference between systole and diastole (ΔP), and the ratio of QT to distance in the ECG during a series of yoga postures in sitting and lying in the years 1995 to 2001 in several) series of tests conducted and compared , The deviation of the curve of the circulatory parameters of the drivers in such assumed postures after a 2 to 3 hour drive to their course after a leisure-intensive period indicated a strong sympathetic activity during the ride, even two hours after the ride still stopped. This sympathetic activity results from the activating events of the traffic, which lead to evasive maneuvers, steering, braking and accelerating. These events are not rhythmic, but are included in the rhythmic progression of the motor's feedforward system, i. anticipated, so that when they enter the driver after overcoming the situation immediately resume the usual course of the ride in the speed he wanted. In this view, there is agreement with recent neurophysiology (see the work of KR Mills: Impairment of skilled Human Movement, and the other work of the Bans on Acquired Human Skills, ed. FWCody / Physiological Society of London, Studies in Physiology Vol. 3 , Portland press London 1995).

The skeletal muscles in the pelvic and torso area as well as the said arm and leg muscles are detected by the Feedforwadsystem. However, the feedback information from the pelvic and torso area will remain with the effect of longitudinal, lateral and vertical acceleration as the contact of these areas with braking decelerates. The feedback loop of the fuselage and pelvis is interrupted by increasingly comfortable versions of driver's seat arrangements. The feedback information from the hand, forearm, foot and lower leg are fed back to the dopaminergic coordination system of the cerebral cortex, the basal ganglia and the small, intermediate and midbrain without adequate feedback from the pelvic and midbrain At the same time reach these information processing centers. The Nuclus Accumbens reward system plays a special role here. Successful maneuvers are anchored here in such a way that the joy of driving can increase the decoupling of messages about the durability of the orthostatic blood circulation regulation system by long driving. The result of such a decoupling is noticeable in the long term in an increasing stiffening not only in the torso and pelvic area, but also in the shoulder, hand, elbow, knee and ankle area.

The strained feedback system of the pelvic and torso area is claimed after much suffered acceleration in the head, arm and leg area by exercises with the presented device to complete. The targeted movements of the foot and / or the hand during training are used to set the vibrating bar in motion, whereby only the amplitude of the vibration and not the frequency can be varied by the muscle power and Zielrichtung the fitness of the user's hand or hand , As a result, sympathetically controlled overactivities in the blood supply to the skeletal muscles are slowed down and targeted blood supply, especially of the deep layer of the spinal cord, is achieved with its high proportion of red muscle fibers. It is this process that ensures a revival of the ability to dissociate in the IV state of consciousness and paradoxical wakefulness. While the head sleeps, the body wakes up, the white muscle fibers are gently moved to the task of their activity, while reviving the red muscle fibers. This leads to a recovery and the relaxation of stiffness in the joints.

The following is an example of a short exercise after a stress-stricken practitioner after a day's work:

The practitioner lies down on a mat on the floor and places the device in front of his feet so that his left foot can be comfortably placed on the foot plate while his extended left leg describes an angle of 30 ° to 45 ° to the floor. He pulls his right foot in so that his right leg is bent half-cross-legged. Slowly moving the swinging stick with his left foot, he raises his torso with the help of abdominal muscles without supporting his hands against the ground and slowly moves his hands along the extended leg to grasp the left foot. If right off the hands the foot because of the stiffness of the back is not reach, the flexion of the back should not be driven forward by force. Rather, the practitioner tries to control the amplitude of the oscillation of the vibrating bar, make it bigger or smaller with his eyes closed, turns the trunk to the right leg against the outstretched leg and then to the left to address the autochthonous muscles of the trunk, the position changes of the legs and performs the same movements with the outstretched right leg and right foot leaning against the footplate. The similar exercise sequence he performs with the passive leg in each of the tailor and in the Turkish sitting position. At the end of this series of exercises, he puts one foot on the footplate and with the other foot placed on this foot he tries to perform the same movements with the trunk as before. The execution of this exercise sequence with three basic positions of the legs to the device takes between 15 and 30 minutes.

Movement frequencies of the foot are, for example, a few hertz, preferably between 1 and 8 Hz; For example, forces exerted by the foot amount to between 200 and 600 N.

The described device for training the leg motor is advantageous doubly present, so that a person lying down or sitting on a chair with a foot attached to a foot plate 56 can execute the training.

The device described can be modified in many ways. The spring elements do not have to be designed as length-rigid spring elements, so that a swing in a vertical plane is possible. Furthermore, the spring-mounted components can also be mutually supported in such a way that a suspension takes place in the horizontal direction. This is done, for example, such that the top plate 28 is bent downwards at its free end and in addition to the vertical spring elements between a vertical web thus formed the top plate 28 and the base plate 56 a horizontal spring is arranged. The spring element 54 can then be replaced by a simple rope. The number and arrangement of the spring elements can be varied.

The base plate 36, which is formed in the example shown with a hole for the passage of the sleeve 68 may also be formed as a frame part. On the other hand, the racks 12 and 26 may be formed only as Strebwerke or as flat plate parts be. A plurality of acceleration sensors 74 can be provided which detect accelerations in a targeted manner only in one direction, so that a precise motion analysis of the foot plate 56 and other movable components is possible.

In a highly simplified embodiment, the device may be configured such that the foot plate 56 is suspended resiliently directly on the base frame 12 and both the intermediate frame and the base plate 36 are missing. In a further expansion stage, the foot plate 56 can be suspended via the intermediate frame 26 on the base frame 12.
The base plate 36 and the support via the spring 70 can then complete the device in other stages of construction or embodiments.

It is particularly advantageous if not only the foot or leg motor skills, but also the arm or hand or finger motor skills are trained. For this purpose, a further device is provided, which is explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

The device for training the Armmotorik contains a base 80, the top 82 forms a support for the inner, lower end of an arm and the beginning of the handball. On the base 80 pivotally lever-like components or keys 86 are pivotally mounted about a common axis 84. Each key 86 is individually pivotable and is held by its associated torsion spring 88 in the illustrated rest position. The torsion spring 88 is supported at one end on the base body 80 and at the other end on the key 86.

According to Fig. 4, which is a view from the right of the device of FIG. 3, five keys 86 are advantageously arranged side by side, each key 86 with a finger or the thumb of a hand as shown in FIG. 3 is pivoted to the right when the Hand is bent upwards with resting on the top 82 end of the forearm or handball. The main body 80 is attached via a ball joint 90, which is fixable with a clamping screw 92 and formed at the end of a support arm 94, to a bracket or strut 96, for example, the armrest of a chair or the column of a frame such that the main body 80 in a comfortable position for the support of the arm can be brought.

By pivoting the keys 86 against the forces of the springs 88, the fingers be trained individually or in groups or together.

The device according to FIGS. 3 and 4 can be varied in many ways. For example, a single key need not be provided for each finger and thumb. Middle finger and ring finger can rest on a common, correspondingly wider button. The torsion springs 88 can be replaced by coil springs, which press from an unillustrated, on the base body 80 to the right and above projecting approach against the outside of the keys and their tension is adjustable, for example.

Advantageously, in a training device, two devices according to FIGS. 1 and 2 and two devices according to FIGS. 3 and 4 are mounted such that a person sitting on a chair or a person lying can exercise their feet and hands simultaneously. The invention thus addresses the activity of the synergists in the legs and arms, the interplay of calf and sole muscles in the leg and the interaction of the quadratic inward quadratus and / or the musculus supinator with the long hollow muscle. musculus palmaris longus) with the biceps (musculus biceps brachii) and the upper spinal muscle (musculus brachioradialis) in the arm. The ankle joint in the leg is moved as a hinge joint of the calf with the soleus muscle as an opponent, the knee joint is also moved as a hinge from the calf with the four-headed thigh muscle as an opponent. Of these three muscles of the leg, the soleus muscle has the largest share of red muscle fibers. For the arm, two more muscles are important in most powerful movements, namely, the large and small pectoral muscles (pectoralis maior muscle and pectoralis minor muscle), of which the small pectoral muscle may have the largest proportion of red muscle fibers.

Desynchronized processes in the central nervous system and in the bloodstream are synergistic in the mentioned muscles of the legs as loss of stability, fatigue, heaviness and stiffness in the ankle, knee and hip joints, in synergistic play of the arms as coordination disorders of the finger movements, stiffness of the hand, tiredness, stiffness and stiffness Heavy in the elbow and shoulder joint noticeable. The present invention helps to remedy these phenomena, which are to be regarded as consequences of social or physical accelerations.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

6

frame

8th

baseplate

10

pillar

12

base frame

14

top plate

16

lower plate

18

strut

20

ring

22

locking screw

24

spring element

26

between the frame

28

top plate

30

lower plate

32

strut

34

spring element

36

baseplate

38

bracket

40

vibrating rod

42

core

44

Weight

46

coat

48

feather

50

attack

54

spring element

56

footplate

58

support

60

buckle

62

foot

64

rope

66

coil spring

68

shell

70

coil spring

72

approach

74

accelerometer

80

body

82

top

84

axis

86

button

88

torsion spring

90

ball joint

92

clamping screw

94

Beam

96

strut

Claims (15)

1. Device for exercising the leg motor activity, containing a foot plate (56) elastically movable in a horizontal direction about a rest position, on which foot plate a foot (62) is fastenable, which foot plate (56) is mounted on a support frame (26) by means of spring elements (54) and is inducible to oscillation with at least one characteristic frequency by oscillating movement applied to it, characterized in that the foot plate (56) is disposed approximately vertically and the support frame (26), on which the foot plate (56) is mounted by means of spring elements (54), is an intermediate frame (26) that is, in turn, mounted on a stationary base frame (12) so as to be elastically movable in the horizontal direction about a rest position, so that the intermediate frame (26) is induced to oscillation by oscillating movement applied to the foot plate.
2. Device according to claim 1, wherein a mass body (36) is mounted on the intermediate frame (26) so as to be elastically movable in the horizontal direction about a rest position.
3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the middle area of a horizontal oscillating bar (40) is mounted on the mass body (36), the end areas of the oscillating bar being formed resiliently-deformable transverse to the longitudinal axis of the bar.
4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least some of the spring elements contain an essentially unstretchable cable, which connects the components held together via the spring elements and about which a coil spring (66) is disposed, the ends of the coil spring being supported on the components.
5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the components (12, 26, 36, 56), which are resiliently connected together, are formed in a rectangular manner as a whole and one spring element respectively engages in the area of each corner of the resiliently suspended components.
6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the foot plate (56) is supported on the stationary base frame (12) via a support spring (70) operative in the horizontal direction.
7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the device contains a vertical column (10) for adjusting the height of the foot plate.
8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, containing a device for exercising the arm motor activity having at least two adjacently arranged, resiliently-flexible level-like components (86), each for supporting at least one fingertip of a finger.
9. Device according to claim 8, containing a base body (80) on which the components (86) are pivotably arranged, which base body comprises an upper side (82) for supporting the handside end of an arm, such that the finger tips are in abutment on the components (86) when the arm end lies on the upper side and the hand is bent upwards.
10. Device according to claim 9, wherein five components (86) are arranged adjacent to each other.
11. Device according to one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the level-like components (86) are arranged so as to be pivotable about a common axis (84).
12. Device according to claim 11, wherein the level-like components (86) are each held in a rest position by a torsion spring (88).
13. Device according to one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the base body (80) is held on a support (94, 96) so as to be spatially-adjustable.
14. Device according to one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the at least one foot plate (56) and the at least two adjacently-arranged, level-like components (86), each for supporting at least one fingertip of a finger, are mounted such that they are simultaneously operable by at least one foot and at least one hand of a sitting or laying person.
15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein an acceleration sensor (74) is disposed on at least one of the oscillation-capable components (56), which acceleration sensor is connected with an evaluation unit.

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