GB2391628A

GB2391628A - Posture-indicating apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2391628A
Application number: GB0217842A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Emily Bouffler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-09-19
Filing date: 2002-08-01
Publication date: 2004-02-11
Also published as: GB0217842D0; GB2379982B; GB0122564D0; GB2379982A

Abstract

A posture-indicating apparatus including a plumb line 119 for indicating departures from the vertical of a person's body, a height-measuring device 117 and means 108, 109 for measuring differences in the vertical positions of nominally corresponding positions on each side of a person's body, eg. the hips.

Description

2391 628

POSTURE INDICATING APPARATUS

The present invention relates to an Is which is capable of gig quantitative indications of skele - 1 iinbalces and Is from ideal posture.

M-y conditions such as beck pam can arise Dam skeletal facts and a fondled or baclcd leaning pole can give an indication of the presence of such faults as cwa of the Anne, mis aligned hips or variations in the lengths of the long bones.

At present medical staffs only judge by dither way or by eye what Jqarbes from a 0 not r be present in an individual, which means that augments of a problem are to a large extent subjective so making the diagnosis of a problem difficult, as dint medical practitioners are likely to produce differing a_ents of any given problem It is an object of the present invention to provide a quantitative indication of the poshest is and/or ikelel features of a patient According to the present invention, there is provided a posindicating aandus compnang an elongated November having fiduciary makings thereon, means for poetic the elongated member vertically, a first telescopically Mendable member 20 adapted to project orthogonally from the elongated member ilom the upper end thereof and including a su_on point for a plumb line, a second telescopically exit Ddable member adapted to project ordoganally Bom the elongated member the second telescopically ectendable member having fiducial mad thereon, mew for enabling the second member to be moved along the elongated member ant mtainot at a tented 25 position thereon, and a third telescopically expendable member attempted to project

orthogonally *tom the expendable member, Me said bird member including means for enabling it to be moved along Me elongated member and repined a desired position thereon and a caliper Ed to engage untie the body of a person whose pole is under examinadon, the caliper being roughly mound on the said third member and 5 including means for initially Bring it horizontal and then indicating Jq from the horizon - 1 when the arias of the caliper are brought into juxtaposition with norniy coneonding positions on restive sides of Me body of the persom Prefeashly the elongated member also is telescopic in form. Also, tibe end of the aims of lo the said calipers may terminate in caliper gauges.

Preferably the said first teleically extdable member is adapted to repute abut the axis ofthe elongated member.

Is The invention will now be described, by way of exile, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a pictorial reprtation of an embodiment of He invention Figure 2 is a schematic front view of a component of the emit of the invention 20 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a schematic front view of a portion of a second embodiment of the invention Referring to Figure 1 a poswe ink apparels 100 embodying the invention 2s consists of a telescopic colmm 101 the upper two sOcdODS 102, 103 of which beve

( 3 reepecve fiduciary scales 104, 105 marked upon em. A collar 106 neutrons the low" section lO2 of the upper two sections 102,103 of Me column 101 and is a sliding fit eon. A mobw 107 moves an amuse member within We collar 106 and so enables Me position of the Collar 106 to be varied and locked at a desired height which 5 may be measured by reference to file scale caulked upon Me section 102 or 103 of the column 101. Projecting borimnbUy Morn the collar 106 is a telescopic ann 108 which carries at its outer end a mooning 109 for two adjustable caliper arms 110. The moue 109 is trouble about the arm 108 and can be locked Hereto by a thumbscrew 111. The caliper anus 110 cony rertico1 scales 112 upon which slide inwardly-pointing 0 indicators 113. A saint levy 114 forms part of the mounting 109 and enables it to be set in a horizontal position.

A second color 115 nmd the upper section 103 of the column 101 and is a sliding fit thereon. The color 115 can be locked in a desired position by a thumbscrew 116.

Projecting horiDy fin the collar 115 is a telescope, graduated meawnng rod 117.

Projecting horioally from the top of the upper socdon 103 of the column 101 is a telescopic arm 118 at Me end of which an attachment point for a plumb line 119. A foot mat 120 indicates a Ace position for a person undergoing ainstion to sand with their back to the plumb line 119 or beside it. The foot. may 120 has scales 121, 122 20 marked upon it and also is provided with adjustable foot position madders 123.

The apparatus can be used for a number of purposes. For example, if a person stands on the reference potion as indicated by the foot mat 120, lhe plumb line 119 gives a ready indication of say overall lean of the person, or of cunahue of the spine If so dewed, 2s the overall lean of the person can be measured dither by ceding Me plumb line 119

bobind the person's head and met the displacement of the bob of the plumb line I 19 Mom the center of the foot mat 120, or by centring We plumb line 119 on the foot mat 120 and then my the movement of the arm 118 required to centre the plumb line 119 behind the head of the person. The gaduad measuring rod 117 enables the 5 person's height to be measured. The aim 108, moundag 109, caliper anus 110 and scales 112 enable a number of meaents to be made on the person's hips. For example, the height of the person's hips can be measured by means of collar 106 and scale 104 on the section 102 of the column 101. Any lack of syrnmeby can be detected by setting the mounding 109 hi by means of the spirit levelll4, brining We lo caliper arms 110 into a position where dopey encompass the person's hips and then bribing the pointers 113 of the scales 112 into contact win equivalent positions on die person's body and noting dummies from the honzon1 of an imaginary line joining those positions, as indicated by We positions of We pointers 113 on the scale 112. A 3 similar procedure can be used in connection with other parts of the body which Is nominally should be at the same height, for example, the shoulders on knees.

Ahemy, the vertical scales 112 "d points 113 An be omitted and the mounting 109 can be provided tenth a clinometer amagod to give an angular reading relative to the hi of the line joining two points on opposite sides of the pon's body.

Refernog to Figure 2 which chows the vertical scales 112 and pointers 113 in more detail. Each pointer 113 is in two parts and which can be moved indquntly so that the pointer 113 also can fimction as a caliper.

a The pointers 113, do not hare to be in two parts, as fiducial maidugs and one single pointer will also wodc adequately to measure dies of one or over of the person's hips fmm a hi deem eslihed by Me position of the other hip.

s Figure 3 shows a 1 - t Mew of a second embodiment of the invention in which Me hinged caliper anns 110 are reps lay igid caliper anus 301. Each of the caliper arms 301 has a first Lsbaped section 302 which can move telescopically within Me mounting 109 and which has a scale 303 matted upon it. The ends of the housing 109 through which fbe first sections of the amp 301 pa -, act as fiduciary Myers. Projechug from lo the first sections 302 of the arms 301 are second sections 304 which have scales 305 madced upon them and which can move telescopically within, forwb- pr<ecng Portions 306 of the first sections 302 of the arms 301. As before, the ends of the portions 306 of do at sections 302 of the arms 301 through which the second portions 304 pass act as fiduciary markers. The second portions 304 of Ibe caliper arms 301 5 Germinate in dowdy poindag seeticas 307 which hare scales 308 medred upon thorn and upon which pointers 309 move. The drainer ofthe Bus is 1hc "me as before.

Claims

1. A postindicng Is, comprising an elongated member haven fiduciary makings thereon, means for poniomag the elongated means vertically, a first telescopically extendable member adapted to project orthogonally Bom the elongated 5 member from die upper end Hereof and including a Pension point for a plant line, a second telescopically extendable member adapted to project orogondly fiom the elongated member and having fiduciary markings thereon, means for enabling Be said second member to be moved along the elf member and refined at a desired position Hereon and a thin telescopically explodable member adapted to lo project orgy mom the elongated member, the said third member including means for enabling it to be moved along the elongated member and retained at a desired position thereon and a caliper adapted to engage wig the boor of a person whose posture is under examination, the caliper bong rotatably mounted on the said third member and including means for initially rendering it horizontal and then is inditing Jeparnnes from the horizontal when the anus of the caliper are brought into juxtaposition with nominally corresponding positions on rejective sidles of the body of the patient.

2. A posaindi appends adding to Claim 1 wherein the elongated maybe'

20 also is telescopic in construction

3. A posh_ appends to Claim 2 wherein the caliper anns ace hinged so as to enable them to be adjusted to suit different positions.

4. A posture-indicating apparatus wherein according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 the caliper arms comprise first and second L-shaped portions, the first portions being oriented in an horizontal plane and adapted to move telescopically within a caliper body member and the second portions being oriented in a vertical plane and adapted to move s telescopically within the first portions of the caliper anns, each portion of the caliper arms being calibrated to indicate the distance it projects from it respective co operating member the vertically oriented sections of the second portions of the caliper also being calibrated and having vertically moving, inwardly-pointing indicators mounted thereon.

5. A postureindicating apparatus according to any of Clanns 1 to 4 wherein the means for initially rendering the caliper horizontal when the arms of the caliper are brought into juxtaposition with nominally corresponding positions on respective sides of the body ofthe person is adapted to do so in angular measure.

6. A postureindicating apparatus according to my preceding claim wherein the said fiat telescopically extendable member is adapted also to rotate about the axis of the elongated member.

zo

7. A posture-indicating apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.