EP3094299B1 - Stretching apparatus for stretching the back - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a stretching apparatus for autonomous stretching of the own back. Many people suffer from back pain and stretching their back on a stretch bed brings relief. However, conventional stretched beds are not very user-friendly and often can not be operated alone, so that a person to be treated can not effectively use the stretched bed alone, but a therapist or a helper is necessary.

An example of a known stretching apparatus is in US 4,915,101 disclosed.

The object of this invention is therefore to provide a stretching apparatus for stretching the back, which is extremely easy and pleasant to use, variably adjustable for different body sizes, and by means of which the extension of the back from the user himself during application is very finely dosed ,

The object is achieved by a drafting apparatus consisting of a base plate with a height-adjustable mast, at the upper end of a couch is mounted, characterized in that the bed is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis, that on the bed adjustable retention means for the shoulder and the feet are present and are connected to one another in such a way that, as a result of the pivoting of the bed around the horizontal position, they are movable apart and, vice versa, movable toward one another again.

In the drawings, this stretching apparatus and its individual parts is shown and described below, and the function of the stretching apparatus is explained and explained.

Fig. 1

Den Streckapparat in perspektivischer Ansicht mit seinem funktionellen Aufbau für das Schwenken der Liege, für das gegenseitige Verfahren der darauf verschiebbar angeordneten Schlitten, sowie für das Verändern der Länge der Liege für verschieden grosse Personen;

Fig. 2

Den kompletten Streckapparat in perspektivischer Ansicht mit den Polstern auf der Liege, die auf den beiden längs verschiebbaren Schlitten angebracht sind;

Fig. 3

Den Streckapparat von der Seite her gesehen, bereit für die Benützung;

Fig. 4

Den Streckapparat von der Seite her gesehen, nach dem Aufsteigen einer Person zu dessen Benützung;

Fig. 5

Den Streckapparat von der Seite her gesehen, beim Schwenken der Liege in die Horizontallage, auf halbem Schwenkweg;

Fig. 6

Den Streckapparat von der Seite her gesehen, beim Wippen der Liege um die Horizontallage herum, und dadurch beim wohldosierten Strecken und Entlasten des Rückens;

Fig. 7

Eine verfeinerte Konstruktion des Streckapparates mit Blick ins Innere, d.h. ohne Deckplatten bzw. Schlitten;

Fig. 8

Die verfeinerte Konstruktion des Streckapparates nach Figur 7 mit den beiden Schlitten 11,15;

Fig. 9

Die verfeinerte Konstruktion des Streckapparates nach Figur 7 und 8 mit Brustpolster, und Polstern auf den Schlitten sowie mit Fusspolstern;

Fig. 10

Die verfeinerte Konstruktion des Streckapparates nach Figur 9 mit Verschalungen der Mechanik, der Bodenplatte und der höhenverstellbaren Füsse.

It shows:

Fig. 1

The stretching apparatus in a perspective view with its functional structure for the pivoting of the deck, for the mutual process of slidably arranged carriage, as well as for changing the length of the deck for different sized people;

Fig. 2

The complete drafting apparatus in perspective view with the cushions on the couch, which are mounted on the two longitudinally displaceable carriage;

Fig. 3

The stretching apparatus seen from the side, ready for use;

Fig. 4

The stretching apparatus seen from the side, after the rise of a person to use it;

Fig. 5

The stretching apparatus seen from the side, when pivoting the couch in the horizontal position, on half pivoting path;

Fig. 6

The stretching apparatus seen from the side, when rocking the couch around the horizontal position, and thereby the well-dosed stretching and relieving the back;

Fig. 7

A refined construction of the stretching apparatus with a view into the interior, ie without cover plates or slides;

Fig. 8

The refined construction of the stretching apparatus after FIG. 7 with the two carriages 11,15;

Fig. 9

The refined construction of the stretching apparatus after FIG. 7 and 8th with chest pad, and padding on the sled and with foot pads;

Fig. 10

The refined construction of the stretching apparatus after FIG. 9 with cladding of the mechanism, the base plate and the height-adjustable feet.

The FIG. 2 shows the basic structure of this stretching apparatus. It includes a bottom plate 9 with height-adjustable feet 10, so that they can be adjusted for not quite flat floors for a rich support, so that the extensor is absolutely wobble-free on the floor. On the bottom plate 9 is a mast, which consists of two square sections here. The larger inside square profile forms a lower mast part 8, and the smaller inner square profile forms the upper mast part 6, which is inserted in the lower mast part 8 and guided therein and from these upwards telescopically extendable. At the upper end of the upper mast part 6, a large deflection wheel 3 is mounted with two cable grooves. Its axis 42 is supported by two legs 41, which are here obliquely attached to the upper mast part 6 at this. The couch consists of a base plate 14, as well as two on this base plate 14 in the longitudinal direction to the couch slidably guided slide 11,15. The lower carriage 11 here runs on the rollers 18 and is intended for the legs, the upper carriage 15 rolls on the carriage rollers 2 and is intended for the upper body. The base plate 14 is articulated via two rigid, perpendicular from her downwardly projecting leg 36 on the axis 42 of the large deflection wheel 3. Thus, the bed with its base plate 14 and with its two carriages 11,15 pivotally about the axis of the guide wheel 3 and can thus be pivoted from the shown here, approximately vertical position in a horizontal position and slightly beyond. At the described elements of the stretching apparatus, there are a number of other components that serve that the height adjustment of the bed, the pivoting of the bed and the synchronous movement of the carriage 11,15 each other or away with little force and can be smooth. This purpose is a cable with a steel cable 5, which from a rope clamp 7 at the upper mast part 6 first down and then leads to a guide roller 19, which is also mounted on the upper mast part 6. From this guide roller 19, the steel cable 5 leads upwards to a guide roller 4, which is mounted at the upper end of the upper mast part 6, and from there in the view shown clockwise around the large guide wheel 3 around and from this to the lower Carriage 11, on the underside of a pulley 12 is mounted. To this pulley 12 around the steel cable 5 is guided, and afterwards to a cable clamp 13 and then to the cable clamp 1 on the upper carriage 15. On the other side of this cable clamp 1, the steel cable 5 continues to a deflection roller 16 on the upper slide 15, and then back over the big diverter wheel 3 with its two rope grooves. To this guide wheel 3, the steel wire 5 is guided from the viewing angle shown in a clockwise direction and then passed to a small pulley 4 on the rear side of the upper mast part 6 in the picture, and around this in the view shown in the counterclockwise direction around, and finally down there in the lower mast part 8, to which the cable end of the steel cable 5 is attached via a cable tensioner 20.

The adjustment of the height of the bed is carried out by the telescopic extension of the mast with its two mast parts 8,6, which is supported by a gas spring 21, such as those are installed on the tailgates of cars. Thus, the weight of the lounger is virtually neutralized and the mast can be with little effort and retract. In a set height, the lounger is secured, as the basis of the FIG. 2 is shown. The picture in FIG. 1 So only shows the skeleton for the height adjustment and pivoting of the deck in the horizontal position, and the rollers 2,18 for the storage of the sliding carriage 11,15 at the bottom and top of the bed. The cable with its steel cable 5 and its two tightly clamped ends is designed and performed so that the carriages 11,15 always move synchronously to each other, so are moved together against each other, or are moved away together from each other. As will be explained later, they are postponed in the sense that the bed can be easily adapted to the size of a specific person. This set once for a person positions of the carriage 11,15 remain after that, even if the entire couch is pivoted about the axis of the diverter wheel 3, and they are maintained, no matter how the height of the lounger was adjusted by adjusting the mast before.

The FIG. 2 goes into more detail and shows that special pads 33,34 are mounted on the slide. On the lower carriage a two-piece pad 33 is mounted for the two legs, and on the upper carriage a pad 34 for the upper body, which continues in the middle down between the leg pad 33. The opposite edges of the pads 33,34 are bevelled with respect to the longitudinal direction of the deck. When moving the carriage against each other, the pads 33,34 are pushed together accurately, and when moving apart of the carriage they come into the situation as in the FIG. 2 shown. At the lower end of the couch this is formed in a base 31 and a running board, which can be entered in the position shown, the couch. Above this standing surface 31, the retaining elements in the form of foot pads 32 for the ankles can be seen. Each foot is a pair of padded wheels. For example, the user first enters with his first foot from the outside between the two rollers or foot pad 32 and places his foot on the standing surface 31. Afterwards the same thing follows with the other foot. Both feet are then standing on the floor 31 and the two padded roles enclose the lower leg just above the ankle. At the upper end of the bed, a Oberarmpolster 22 is arranged in the form of a cross member to the bed, which is connected to the upper slide and therefore a total of the bed in the longitudinal direction of the bed is displaced. Below this cross member, two pipe bends protrude on the couch upwards, similar to forks, whereby these are also upholstered. These forks form the underarm support pads 35, as will become clear as the use of the extensor is explained below. The two armpit support pad 35 can be moved on the cross member of the upper arm pad 22 to the outside thanks to a synchronous mechanism 27 with return spring 28 to each other in the opposite direction to set different torus widths can.

Both the upper arm pad 22 and the armpit support pad 35 are therefore displaceable on the couch together with the upper slide 15 in the longitudinal direction of the couch, their displacement thanks to the sophisticated cable connection the exactly complementary, oppositely directed displacement of the lower carriage 11 with the retaining elements or Footpad 32 for the ankles causes or enforces. Next you can see from this FIG. 2 two gas springs 17 disposed between the upper portion of the upper mast portion 6 and the deck. These gas springs 17 support the pivoting of the couch about the axis of rotation 42 of the deflection wheel 3, so that almost a torque compensation is ensured and the pivoting and pivoting back of the couch with little effort or with a small applied torque.

On the left side of the upper part of the mast 6, that is, the front of the upper mast part 6, a handle bar 23 is articulated. On this curved handle bar 23, a slider 25 is slidably mounted, and he carries the both sides projecting handles 24, and the handle bar 23 is supported by a gas spring 26, so that their weight is neutralized. At the opposite rear side of the lower mast part 8, a toothed rail 30 is mounted, on which a locking lever 29 engages with its front latching tooth. In rest position, when no user is standing on the base 31, this locking lever 29 is pivoted away from the toothed rail 30. It is only engaged in the moment via a mechanism when the tilting or tilting the couch is initiated, as will be described below.

The FIG. 3 shows the stretching apparatus seen from the side in starting position. It can be seen that the locking lever 29 is released. in this position, the extensor is climbed by the user. He approaches in the picture from the right and steps with a first foot on the base 31, where he pushes his shackles from the outside between the foot pad 32 for this purpose. These are thus pushed apart. Then the user sets the other foot in the same way on the floor space 31 Next, it is best considered the FIG. 4 , The user opens the Armpit support pad 35 by pushing the two tines formed by them apart horizontally, which is done with a mechanism that ensures the synchronous movement of the two tines until the user just fits with his upper body between them and can lean with his chest on the upper slide 15 , Then he raises by hand the crossbar with the Oberarmpolster 22 until the armpit support pad 35 come to lie directly under his armpits, like that in the FIG. 4 is shown. Simultaneously with the raising of the crossbar with the upper arm pad 22 thereby the upper mast part 6 is pulled out of the lower mast part 8 in a certain ratio, which is given by the cable, so that the entire stretching device is automatically adapted to the body size of the user. A big user needs a swivel axis that is higher than a small user.

In the next step, as in FIG. 5 shown, the user grasps the handles 24 on the handle bar 23 and pulls himself together with the couch on which he now leaning against the handle bar 23 down. The Oberarmpolster 22 come to lie under the upper arms, directly following the shoulder, and thereby is locked by a mechanical connection of the locking lever 29 with his tooth on the toothed rail 30. When pulling on the handlebar 23 is used in the result, the bed tilted and pivots controlled against their horizontal position, as the FIG. 5 shows where half the swing has already been covered. However, the entire pivoting movement is not shown here by the two gas pressure springs 17 (FIG. Fig. 1 . 2 ) attenuated between the lounger and the upper mast part 6 and can therefore be done very gently, under 100% control of the user. He controls the pivoting with the handles 24 on the handlebar 23. The more he pushes these handles 24 on the handlebar 23 forward, the faster the pivoting takes place in the horizontal position and at the same time in the mass of this pivoting in the horizontal position, the two carriages 15th , 11 moved apart.

Finally, the user reaches the horizontal position on the couch as in FIG. 6 shown. At the same time, the handles 24, which are attached to a slider the handle bar 23 are slidable, pushed against the end of the handle bar 23. In this position now takes place the actual stretching of the back, namely by the user, by holding on to the handles 24, bobbing a bit forward and backward with the couch. When he teeters forward, the two carriages 11,15 are pushed apart as a result of the pivoting of the lounger around the mast by the cable in the mass of the rocking motion in the forward direction. The foot pad 32 on the one hand and the armpit support pad 35 and the upper arm pad 22 on the other hand increase their distance from each other - the back of the user is stretched. The upper arm cushions 22 form a restocking for the armpits, which is necessary so that the back between the armpits and the foot cushions 32 can be stretched by moving apart of the two carriages 15,11. Conversely, when the user pushes away from the handles 24, this causes a pivoting of the couch in the opposite direction, ie in the clockwise image. This pivoting of the couch around the mast has due to the cable connections the effect that the two carriages 11,15 are pushed with the armpit support pad 35 and the foot pad 32 to each other, resulting in a relief of the back. The user can therefore stretch his back in quick succession by very light and very well controllable rocking movements, just as he feels comfortable doing. He is fully in control of the stretch at all times and can immediately relax at any time if stretching is too much for him. Some rocking movements are sufficient in many cases, to bring about a very significant relief and to solve a spasm in the back well.

The FIG. 7 shows a refined construction of the stretching apparatus without slide, upholstery and formwork. It recognizes the important structural features, namely the base plate 14 of the deck, on which the two not yet mounted carriages are then stored rolling. On the base plate 14, the pulleys 12,16 are arranged lying for the cable guide of the steel cable 5. The entire base plate 14 is connected via the two legs 36 with the axis 42 of the large deflection wheel 3 and pivotable about this axis 42. Further visible is the base 31 with the two brackets for the feet or the lower leg just above the ankles. On the mast is the gas spring 21 visible for the support of the extension of the mast. Next you can see the cable clamp 7 for attachment of one end of the rope 5 on the upper mast part 6, and the guide roller 4 and the large guide wheel 3 on the upper mast part 6. Instead of a single handle bar 23 (FIGS. Fig. 2 ) with movable there to handle bar 24 serve here only two curved handle bars 23, the ends of which directly form handles 43. These are aligned at an angle of 80-100 ° to each other, so that they are ergonomically designed to grip. The handle bars 23 are also connected by means of a gas spring 26 to the upper mast part 6. The stretching apparatus stands on a base plate 9 with height-adjustable feet 10.

The FIG. 8 is the stretching apparatus with the now mounted two carriages 15,11 shown. These two carriages 15,11 are synchronously or against each other from rolling away and again synchronized to each other rollable, which is ensured by the guidance of the built-in cable around the arranged under the two carriages 11,15 pulleys. In the stretching apparatus as in FIG. 9 shown are the upholstery and interconnections attached. First, the upper carriage is provided with a padding 34, which here also contains an inlying construction at its upper end, which is formed into a Oberarmpolster 22. The upper end of this Oberarmpolster 22 therefore comes to rest on the upper arms of the user, directly below his armpits when he takes over these two Oberarmpolster 22, the two curved handle bars 23 at their front ends or handles 43. The lower carriage is also provided with a padding 33, wherein the padding 34 of the upper carriage can be pushed into a central recess in the padding 33 of the lower carriage when the two carriages are pushed together. The holders for the feet are provided with cylindrical foot pads 32. Between these pair of pairs of footpads, the lower legs are clamped close to the ankles, after which the user has stepped onto the base 31 and placed his legs between these pairs of footpads. At the mast parts can be seen the steel cable 5, the gas spring 21 to support the upward extension of the mast and thus to support the lifting of the base plate or the couch together with the guide roller 4 and the large Guide wheel 3 for guiding the steel cable 5 of the cable. In FIG. 10 the stretching apparatus is shown in complete condition. The entire mechanical construction inside the mast and the mast itself are covered with shuttering parts 37,38,39. Also, the bottom plate is completely enclosed with a shuttering 40.

digits directory

1

Rope clamp on top

2

Sled roller above

3

Large diverter wheel

4

idler pulley

5

steel cable

6

Mast part above

7

Rope clamp on the mast

8th

Mast part below

9

baseplate

10

Height-adjustable feet

11

Sled down, on the foot side of the lounger

12

Pulley on the carriage below

13

Rope clamp down

14

Base plate of the lounger

15

Sled on top, on the head side of the lounger

16

Deflection pulley slide above

17

Damper base plate

18

Sled roller below

19

idler pulley

20

tensioner

21

Gas spring for extending the mast

22

Upper arm pads

23

Grab bars

24

handle

25

pusher

26

Gas spring for handlebar

27

Mechanism width adjustment

28

Return spring for mechanism 27

29

locking lever

30

dental splint

31

footprint

32

foot pads

33

Upholstery on the foot sled

34

Upholstery on the head carriage

35

Armpit support cushion

36

Leg perpendicular from base plate 14 projecting

37

Cladding upper mast part

38

Shuttering mast

39

Interconnection at the front of the mast

40

All-around shuttering of the bottom plate 9

41

Thighs on upper part of the mast

42

Axle of the large deflection wheel 3

43

Handles on the handlebars 23

Claims (15)

1. A stretching appliance, consisting of a floor pate (9) with a mast (6, 8) thereon, at the upper end of which mast a rest is assembled, the rest is pivotably mounted about a horizontal axis (42), characterized in that the mat is adjustable in hight and that adjustable restraining means for the shoulders and feet are present on the rest and are connected to one another such that they can be moved apart and conversely can be moved again towards one another, in a coupled manner, by way of pivoting the rest about the horizontal position.
2. A stretching appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that the restraining means for the shoulders are connected to a carriage (15) which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the rest, and the restraining means for the feet are connected to a carriage (11) which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the rest, and that the two carriages are connected to one another such that they can be rolled or displaced apart and conversely can be moved again towards one another, in a coupled manner, by way of pivoting the rest about the horizontal position.
3. A stretching appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rest is pivotably mounted on the height-adjustable mast (6, 8) about a horizontal axis (42), that adjustable restraining means in the form of upper arm pads (22) which run transversely to the rest and are for the two regions of the upper arms of the user, said regions being close to the shoulder, are built on a displaceable carriage (15) at the head side of the rest, and the restraining means for the feet are built on a displaceable carriage (11) at the foot side of the rest, and a standing surface (31) which runs perpendicularly to the rest is formed on this rest, at the foot end of the rest, and at least one grip bar (23) for the manually controlled pivoting of the rest is articulated on the front side of the upper mast part (6), wherein the displaceable carriages (15, 11) together with the restraining means (2, 19, 4, 12, 16) for the upper arms and the feet, by way of cable pulls and deflection rollers on the carriages (15, 11) and on the mast (6, 8), on the rest can be moved apart and conversely can be moved again towards one another, in a coupled manner, by way of the pivoting of the rest about the horizontal position.
4. A stretching appliance according to claim 3, characterised in that the adjustable restraining means additionally to the upper arm pads (22) also include armpit support pads (35) for the armpits, on the upper carriage (15), in the form of arched and padded tubes which extend upwards from the plane of the carriage (15) with its pad (34), essentially roughly perpendicularly to this plane.
5. A stretching appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the restraining means for the shoulder and those for the feet are connected to one another via a cable pull with a cable (5) of a fixed length via several deflection rollers (19, 4, 3, 12, 16), such that they can be moved apart and conversely can be moved again towards one another, in a coupled manner, by way of the pivoting of the rest about the horizontal position.
6. A stretching appliance according to one of the claims 4 to 5, characterised in that the armpit support pads (35) are adjustable in their distance to one another synchronously to the middle line of the rest, by way of a synchronisation mechanism (27).
7. A stretching appliance according to one of the claims 2 to 6, characterised in that the mast consists of a lower mast part (8) and of an upper mast part (6) which is telescopically guided therein, and the rest can be pivoted about a horizontal pivot (42) comprising a deflection pulley (3) with two cable grooves, and the cable leading of the steel cable (5) from a cable clamp (7) on the upper mast part (6) firstly leads downwards, is then led round a deflection roller (19) on the lower end of the upper mast part (6), then around a deflection roller (4) on the upper end of the upper mast part (6), from there around the side of the deflection pulley (3) which is directed to the head side of the rest, to the deflection roller (12) on the foot-side side carriage (11), around this and then to the cable clamp (1) on the head-side carriage (15), from there further around the deflection roller (16) on the head-side carriage (15) and afterwards around the side of the large deflection pulley (3) which is directed to the foot side of the rest, and around a deflection roller (4) on the upper mast part (6) and from there to a cable tensioner (20) on the lower mast part (8).
8. A stretching appliance according to one of the claims 3 to 7, characterised in that the carriages (11, 15) are roller-mounted on the rest in the longitudinal direction of the rest, by rollers (2, 28).
9. A stretching appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pivot mechanism and thus the pivot movement of the rest on the mast is damped by way of gas compression springs (17) which are installed in a manner acting between the base plate (14) of the rest and the upper mast part (6).
10. A stretching appliance according to one of the claims 3 to 9, characterised in that the grip bar (23) is curved forwards and is provided with a slide (25), on which two grips (24) project to the left and right, wherein the grip bar (23) is connected to the upper mast part (6) by way of a gas compression spring (26), for force neutralisation and for force damping.
11. A stretching appliance according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterised in that two arcuate grip bars (23) are articulated on the upper mast part (6) and their ends are designed as grips (43) for ergonomic gripping and end at an angle of 80-100° to one another, wherein the grip bars (23) are connected to the upper mast part (6) by way of a gas compression spring (26), for force neutralisation and for force damping.
12. A stretching appliance according to one of the claims 2 to 11, characterised in that the carriages (15, 11) are provided with pads (34, 33) which can be positively displaced or pushed into one another.
13. A stretching appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a locking lever (29) which can be engaged with its locking tooth into a toothed rail (30) on the lower mast part (8) is articulated on the upper mast part (6), wherein the locking can be activated by way of a mechanism, by way of pivoting the rest.
14. A stretching appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one gas compression spring (21), for receiving the weight of the upper mast part (6) and of the rest constructed thereon, is installed between the upper mast part (6) and the lower mast part (8), so that the height adjustment of the rest can be carried out in a largely weight-neutralised manner.
15. A stretching appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the complete mechanical construction in the inside of its mast as well as the mast itself and the floor plate are covered with casing parts (37, 38, 39, 40), so that the mechanical construction cannot be seen.

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