ITMI20070706A1 - HELP OF HELP TO MOVE FOR THE HUMAN BODY. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a garment to aid movement for the human body. More particularly, the invention relates to a garment capable of improving the movement action that is exerted by a human being, both in the context of normal daily activities and in the sports field.

The movements, all the movements of the human body, are realized thanks to the muscular system which, linked to the supporting skeletal system, induces in it, at the articulated joints, angular rotations which, when combined, originate them.

We move by compound rotations, therefore our interface organs being represented by elements that can be decidedly approximated with articulated levers.

Muscles, similar to actuators, provide linear vector forces which, connected to the skeletal system, always give rise to rotational "pairs" at its joints.

Think about how many machines made by man try to reproduce the organs and movements of the human body: let's think, for example, of excavating machines, "peak" cranes, transfers, "arms" of a suspension, to industrial "robots" and so on.

The degrees of freedom, that is the possibilities of movement of the human articulated joints, are really many and provide, in their composition, an even higher quantity of resulting motions: this is perhaps the greatest reason for the difficulties of its "reproduction", of a its "copy".

Just think of the motor possibilities of the wrist, for example, while watching a dancer at work: it is, by itself, capable of describing such complex trajectories as to be almost a form of emotional communication. The "gestures" in fact it is.

Therefore, in the capacity of this amazing machine, endowed with so much motor freedom, the intrinsic problem of stability (the more a system is free, the more unstable it is), is always attributed and resolved by the muscular system which, for each concentration of the "agonist" muscle, that is that of "force" generating a specific movement (joint rotation), induces a signal and a deconcentration to its opposite "antagonist". The work of the latter is always more of control and balance than the former as well as protection of the integrity of the joint which is subjected during movements to almost exclusively states of compression. With this it is understood that, despite everything, and even with a specific preparation for a specific "movement", the distribution of the forces on the muscular apparatus is intrinsically non-uniform, for any type of condition.

The human body is therefore as rich in movement possibilities as it is in possible instability. The controls of the latter are, as occurs in the directional ailerons of the jet, of continuous correction in the small force differentials between the "force" "agonist" and "control" antagonist "muscles" involved, for a given type of condition. of balance. We are therefore now able to understand how all our movements are not at all damped and, for example, the joint compressions are not constant and homogeneous but more similar to continuous "bumps" and detachments in overcoming the obliged ones in one direction and the other. "games" that allow its movement.

As in a non-preloaded spring, due to external intervention forces, the phenomenon of "damping" is induced, i.e. an oscillation that requires long damping times, vice versa, in a spring equipped with preload, this phenomenon in addition to being decidedly reduced, (given the higher rigidity of the system), can only occur for loads higher than the preload itself.

In addition to voluntary acts of force and movement, but not separated from them, the human body is also subject to gravitational forces: we think, for example, during the act of walking, the phase of "lifting" of the leg after the phase of thrust, to the effort of being "careful" for a soldier by forcibly extending his arms along the back, to lifting in addition to his weight also that of the arm for a hammer slab beater, to the difficulty of "opening" the ribcage while we breathe while the curvature of the spine favors its "closure" by "gravity".

For example, in the case of the action carried out by a cyclist, as is known, the pedaling action exerted by a cyclist on the pedals of a bicycle involves a movement that tends to change the angle between the foot and the leg, i.e. the portion of the lower limb comprising the tibia and calf.

In particular, during the pushing phase on the pedals, following the pressure exerted on the pedal, the foot tends to reduce the angle it forms with respect to the tibia. Taking as the reference system the plane in which the cyclist / bicycle system lies and as a positive direction the natural direction of advancement of the bicycle, it is noted that the aforementioned reduction of the foot / leg angle tends to generate a movement of the leg backwards, that is, in the opposite direction to that necessary in this phase of the pedaling, which must see the advancement of the leg. For this reason, the cyclist is forced to exert a maximum effort with the thigh muscles, in particular the vastus medialis, i.e. the muscle immediately above the knee and rectus femoris, in such a way as to counteract the negative moment that would move backwards. tibia and calf affecting the forward rotation of the lower limb.

This involves an effort on the part of the cyclist, precisely exercised through the vast medials above all, which results in a waste of energy, not directly aimed at the action of pedaling, and involves fatigue of the vast, both medial and lateral, and in the long run. period results in a significant reduction in performance and fatigue of the cyclist (lactic acid intoxication).

The above also occurs, specularly, in the shooting phase, i.e. the pedaling phase in which the pedal, after having carried out the stroke from 0 to 90 °, with the point 0 indicated as the top dead center of the pedal and the point of 90 ° as the point where the pedal is in the furthest forward position possible, approaches the bottom dead center and must then rise upwards, finally passing from the rearmost pedal position. Also in this case, the angle between the foot and the tibia tends to vary, inviting the leg to an opposite movement with respect to the movement that must be made, so that the cyclist's muscles must intervene, dissipating energy, to restore the cart. .

The main task of the present invention is to provide a garment to aid in the movement of the body, which allows the individual to perform normal movements, both daily and in sports, with greatly improved effectiveness.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a garment to aid the movement of the human body, which allows it to behave substantially as a "second muscular system integrated in a garment", to the advantage of performing the movements.

Not least object of the present invention is to provide a garment to aid the movement of the human body, which is highly reliable, relatively simple to manufacture and at competitive costs.

This task, as well as these and other purposes that will appear better later, are achieved by a garment to aid movement for the human body, characterized by the fact that it comprises portions suitable for being worn in correspondence with the upper and / or lower limbs of the human body. , said portions being elastically tensionable to create inverse preload torques to the rotational torques of the joints of the human body.

Further characteristics and advantages found will become clearer from the description of preferred, non-exclusive embodiments of the garment according to the present invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting indication in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic front perspective view of the garment according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic rear perspective view of the garment according to the invention, illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the garment according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a rear perspective view of the garment illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 5 illustrates a third embodiment of the garment according to the invention;

Figure 6 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the garment according to the invention, applied to a cyclist;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the garment illustrated in Figure 6.

The garment according to the invention comprises portions suitable for being worn in correspondence with the upper and / or lower limbs of the human body, said portions being elastically tensionable to create inverse couples, ie to provide a preload to the rotational couples of the joints of the human body.

With reference to the figures, the garment according to the invention, globally indicated by the reference number 1 in the first embodiment of figure 1 and figure 2, comprises a sort of trousers 2, partial or complete, made of elastic fabric, suitable for be worn close to the body, and which includes, on the external (or internal) surface, rigid gripping means on the exposed part of the skeletal system of the human body, such as ankle, knee, pelvis, shoulders, elbows, metatarsals and heels of the feet and metacarpals fingers and toes.

In essence, therefore, the garment according to the invention is a sort of trousers, in the first embodiment, made of elastic fabric, and equipped with at least two rigid elements 3, 4, and preferably two pairs of rigid elements 3, 4 and 5, 6, respectively arranged in correspondence with the user's thigh and the rear part of the thigh, and directly hooked to a belt element 7 for fixing the rigid elements 3-6 to exposed lateral and rear parts of the pelvis.

The connection of the rigid elements 3-6 to the belt element 7 is adjustable in position.

The rigid elements 3-6 are suitably connected to respective inserts 8, 9 and 10, 11, respectively located on the front part of the leg and on the back part of the leg.

In this way, the rigid elements are connected to these inserts, generally soft, internal and / or external to the garment.

The rigid elements are provided with adjustment means 15 which allow to adjust the tension of the rigid elements and therefore to bring the inserts in a more or less close position to the belt 7, by virtue of the elasticity of the trousers for individual morphological adaptation.

In correspondence with the lower part of the trousers there are elastic elements, for example a first and a second elastic element for each leg of the trousers, a first elastic element 20 which is connected at the rear insert 10 and which passes under the metatarsus of the foot of the user, with means 21 for adjusting the tensioning of the elastic element, and a second elastic element 22 which is similarly connected at the soft insert 10 and which passes under the heel of the foot and which is also equipped with means adjustment 23 of the voltage.

Therefore, the first and second elastic means 21 and 22, in the form of ribbon-like or membrane-like elements, are fixedly connected to the posterior insert 10, therefore arranged in correspondence with the region overlying the knee, substantially in the vicinity of the hamstring, and they extend under the user's foot, with the possibility of being adjusted in their tension and in the specific position of grip of these on the foot relative to the metatarsal and heel areas.

Basically, it has been seen how, in the previous description, any movement is linked to a contraction of a muscle group stabilized by a "decontraction" in another muscle group, antagonist, and, as such a system is never in a perfect condition. distribution regarding the intensity of the forces involved, is not damped, to the detriment of the rotating "rigid" parts of the joint is not stable since starting from a state of tension close to 0 it needs continuous "modulations" of forces, and, with regard to gravitational phenomena, undergoes them, in some cases, strongly.

With the garment according to the invention, in practice, a second muscular system integrated in a garment is realized, superimposed on the "naked natural" one which, by slightly preloading with inverse pairs (for the muscle group) the rotational pairs of the joint with axial and membrane elements with variable stiffness, makes the muscular system perfectly balanced, with no "rebound" effects on the articulated joints, stable, i.e. stabilized for the motion that belongs to it, and in the case of enslaving, with a low-energy process of triggering, specific movements, shelling them, for the muscular apparatus, of part of the gravitational weights to which the engaged organs are subject.

The preload to the rotational couples corresponds to a preload to the muscle groups which, in the normal activation of these couples, would be activated as "antagonists".

Once preloaded, the muscle groups initially become imposed "agonists", compensating, in motion, for the natural muscle non-uniformity, thus ensuring it. Only small, in a certain interval, preloads, guarantee this result, otherwise the muscular decompensation would be greater and anti-motor.

In the case, for example, of the pant-type garment described above, the rotational torque of the ankle is closely linked, in the movement of walking and running, to the rotational torque of the knee and hip.

The muscle groups involved in this gesture are those that "in front" and "behind" the legs "above" the thigh "in front" and "behind" the pelvis undergo contractions and decontractions. In particular, to open the foot-leg angle, the muscle groups of "strength" are those "in front" of the leg and "below" the thigh while, to close it, those "behind" the leg and "above" the thigh.

By tying the heel and the tarsus of the foot, directly or through a suitable shoe, with two elastic axial elements up above the articulated joint of the knee and, beyond this, rigid up to the exposed posterior and lateral bones of the pelvis, so that the new muscular system is crossed with the previous one: the elastic element connected to the heel (pair of opening the foot-leg angle) passes behind the malleolus, above the knee and from here, above the leg, rigidly, up to the exposed lateral part of the pelvis while the elastic element linked to the tarsus (closing pair of the foot-leg angle) passes in front of the malleolus, below the knee and from here, under the leg, rigidly up to the exposed posterior part of the pelvis.

By slightly loading the elastic traction segment, preloading of the rotational pairs of ankle, knee and hip is thus obtained in the form of an inverse torque with respect to that normally generated by the "naked nature" muscular system.

These rotational couples, induced in the muscular system superimposed on the natural "naked" garment according to the invention, allow, in their slight preload, to resolve all four of the described limits, obtaining perfect distribution of the stresses on all the muscle groups involved, with consequent drastic reduction to their lactate "intoxication" under maximal stresses, integral protection of the ligaments and of the containment and sliding elements of the articulated joints, stability and correctness of posture as well as decisive enslavement and aid of anti-gravity lightening, during the recovery - lifting phases , of the articulated rods.

A second embodiment of the garment according to the invention is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, in which the garment is in this case a sort of jacket, indicated by the reference number 50, which must be worn by the user.

In this case, the garment according to the invention takes into account the condition of the upper limbs which, under the effect of gravity, and articulated, in their three component parts from the shoulder, elbow and wrist, fluctuate moved by the accelerations of the motions, representing in this case masses that need control, or in a state of simple upright posture, due to an internal condition, they tire themselves out in a state of unnatural "relaxation" that requires the continuous search for "support" and multiple changes of position.

In this case, we intervene with elastic tensors which, fixed like a fingerless glove, to the metacarpal protrusions of the back and palm of the hand and elastic up to the elbow and then become, from here, rigid around the scapula, allow the realization of rotational preload couples, inverse to the motions to be privileged and protected, even on the upper limbs.

Therefore, the garment 50 is provided with an elastic portion, 51, which passes, like a fingerless glove, around the user's hand, and which remains elastic up to the elbow joint, with means 52 for adjusting the tension, and then a rigid portion up to the scapula, with the rigid portion indicated by the reference number 53, connected at one end to an insert 54 arranged at the elbow, and, at the opposite end to an insert 55 arranged at the shoulder garment 50.

The above is obviously repeated for each arm of garment 50.

As for the contractions and decontractions of the pectorals and trapezes with regard to the motor act of breathing, rigid elements 56 and 57 are added to the bodice described above, respectively crossed at the front, connecting them to the inserts 55 and 58, arranged at the shoulders, and to inserts 59 and 60 arranged in correspondence with the chest of the bodice, and using a given pair of rigid and crossed elements, 61 and 62, arranged in correspondence with the rear part (back) of the bodice, also connected respectively to inserts 63 and 64 arranged in correspondence of the central region of the back, and to the inserts 55 and 58 present in correspondence of the shoulders.

The calibration of the elastic elements, of the fixing points of the elastic elements and of the rigid elements also depends on any kinematic conditions, as well as the need for particular postures and performances, typical of a highly specialized activity.

Therefore, the garment according to the invention can be limited to the lower part of the trunk, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or it can concern the upper part as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, or it can also be the complete garment that wraps everything the body, thus using the garments of figures 1, 2 and 3, 4.

Figures 5-7 illustrate two further embodiments of the garment according to the invention, specialized for assisting pedaling, and therefore to be used in the cycling field.

With reference therefore to the aforementioned figures 5-7, the pedaling aid garment, generally indicated in this case by the reference number 100, in a third embodiment, comprises a portion of a belt element 200, substantially made by ribbon-like element, adapted to be made to go around the waist of a cyclist, indicated by the reference number 300.

The ribbon-like element 200 is connected, at each thigh of the cyclist, with a second portion 400 which is shaped in such a way as to fit around the knee of the cyclist and ends in a slot configuration 500 which allows to pass around the shoe 600 of the cyclist, in particular for example at the heel of the shoe.

Basically, the portion 400 forms a closed ring around the cyclist's shoe 600, positioning itself around the heel of the shoe or one of its extension appendages, and passing suitably within a U-bolt 700 defined in correspondence with the heel of the shoe 600, and arranged longitudinally along the axis of the shoe itself, or the like.

The connection between the first portion 200 and the second portion 400 of the garment 100 according to the invention is achieved by means of a coupling with buckle 800 and velcro 900 in such a way that it is possible to adjust the tension of the second element 400, arranged around the shoe 600 of the cyclist, with respect to the first element 200 which is arranged as a belt around the cyclist's waist.

In essence, the cyclist wears the garment 100 by inserting the shoe within the slot 500 of the second portion 400 of the garment, with the second portion 400 being inserted within the U-bolt 700 of the shoe 600.

At this point, the cyclist tightens the second portion 400 by acting on the buckle 800 and on the velcro 900, in such a way as to give the right tension to the garment 100, so that during the pedaling action the problem of the tendency of the tibia part is avoided. to lean backwards, and therefore to form an acute angle with respect to the cyclist's foot, applying a reaction force against the movement of the leg which replaces the effort normally carried out by the vast ones.

The tensioning of the garment 100 around the cyclist's foot and leg helps in fact to keep the portion of the tibia substantially always orthogonal to the foot, in such a way as to maintain an angle between the foot and the tibia, during the thrust phase, which is not excessively less than 90 °, and in any case also for smaller angles to guarantee a better distribution of the muscular load thus reducing the overload of the vastus medial and rectus femoris muscles of the cyclist, with the advantage of reducing fatigue due to lactic acid intoxication and thus significantly improving performance .

In a fourth embodiment, indicated by the reference number 110 and illustrated in Figure 6, in which the same elements are matched by reference numbers equal to Figure 5, the garment according to the invention has, in addition to what has been previously described and illustrated in Figure 5, a third portion of garment, 111, which is arranged in a position below the first portion 200 of the garment, and which is connected to the latter.

The third portion 111 of the garment is provided to be arranged below the cyclist's thigh, thus opposing the first portion 200 of the garment itself.

The third portion 11 also ends in a slot 112 which allows the toe of the cyclist's shoe 600 to be inserted.

Basically, in the fourth embodiment the garment according to the invention is arranged both around the heel of the shoe and at the tip of the latter, then extending respectively along the tibia and thigh of the cyclist and along the calf. and the hamstring of the cyclist himself.

Therefore, in this fourth embodiment the cyclist's leg is interposed between two portions of the garment 110, ie between the portion 200 which continues with the second portion 400, and the portion 111 in the opposite position.

The third portion 111 of the garment 1 is equipped with tension adjustment means, suitably constituted for example by a buckle 150 and relative velcro 160 for adjusting the under-leg portion, ie the tensioning of the third portion 111.

Furthermore, the third portion 111 of the garment, adapted to be placed under the cyclist's leg, is equipped with a pair of rings 130 arranged substantially in correspondence with the rear region of the knee, and is connected to the second portion 400 by means of a ribbon-like element or membrane 140 which engages in the rings and is connected, for example by sewing, to the second portion 400 of the garment 110.

The fourth embodiment, by virtue of the presence of the third portion 111, allows the cyclist to obtain, through the reverse preload torques, an optimized distribution both in the thrust phase and in the pull-up phase.

In practice it has been found that the garment according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects, since it allows to exert preloads with inverse torques to the rotational torques of the joints in such a way as to perfectly stabilize the muscular apparatus of the human body. user.

The garment thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; furthermore, all the details can be replaced by other typically equivalent elements.

Thus, for example, the material of which the garment according to the invention is made must be a material with intrinsic elasticity, and therefore it can be made with any of the materials currently known and endowed with elastic properties suitable for direct contact with the Human skin.

Optionally, alternatively, instead of buckle and velcro adjustments, it is possible to provide a ratchet or the like which allows to make a graduated adjustment of the tension of the garment.

Although, for reasons of clarity, the garment has been described and depicted in its fundamental elements for understanding the inventive principle, the person skilled in the art easily understands that the structure described can be easily inserted and / or integrated inside. clothing of a classic sports style, in particular suits, integral or separated in jacket and trousers, cycling shorts, cycling body and so on, so as to give the traditional sports garment the functional characteristics according to the present invention, as well as "classic" clothing not for sporting purposes.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Claims (26)

CLAIMS 1. Movement aid garment for the human body, characterized by the fact that it comprises portions suitable for being worn in correspondence with the upper and / or lower limbs of the human body, said portions being elastically tensionable to create inverse, preloading couples rotatory joints of the human body. 2. Garment according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises portions in elastic fabric suitable for being worn in contact with the limbs of the human body, said portions in elastic fabric being provided with inserts constituting adjustable attachment points for a first end of rigid elements , a second end of said rigid elements being connected to an element able to rest on exposed bony parts of the skeletal system. 3. Garment according to claim 2, characterized in that said limbs are the lower limbs of the human body. 4. Garment according to claim 2, characterized in that said limbs are the lower limbs of the human body. 5. Garment according to claim 2, characterized in that said limbs are the upper and lower limbs of the human body. 6. Garment according to claim 2, characterized in that said rigid elements comprise, for each lower limb, a pair of rigid elements adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of the user's thigh, said inserts being able to be arranged in correspondence with the region of the leg above the knee, frontally and posteriorly, said rigid elements being connected to said inserts and to a belt element adapted to rest on said exposed bony part 7. Garment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said portions suitable for being worn in contact with the lower limbs terminate in a first and a second elastic element passing under the user's foot and can be tensioned with adjustment means. 8. Garment according to claim 2, characterized in that said rigid elements comprise, for each upper limb, a pair of rigid elements able to be arranged in front and rear of the user's arm and to be connected to inserts arranged in correspondence with the region of the joint between forearm and arm, said rigid elements being tensionable at said inserts, said rigid elements being connected to said elastic portion at a region suitable for resting on a protruding bone part. 9. Garment according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a further pair of rigid elements able to be arranged in a crossed position at the user's chest, and connected at one end to a respective pair of inserts and at the end opposite to said portion which rests on the protruding bony portion. 10. Garment according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises two further rigid elements able to be arranged in a crossed position at the user's back, and connected at one end to a respective pair of inserts and at the opposite end to said portion that rests on the protruding bone portion. 11. Garment according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises, for each lower limb, a first substantially ribbon-like or membrane-like portion suitable for being arranged around the waist of a cyclist, said first portion connecting to a second portion suitable for passing around the user's shoe, said first portion extending along the user's thigh and said second portion passing around the user's knee and being tensioned around the shoe. 12. Garment according to claim 1, characterized in that said second portion is adapted to pass under the heel of the shoe to an extension appendix thereof. 13. Garment according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for adjusting the tensioning of said second portion with respect to said first portion of the garment. 14. Garment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tensioning means comprise buckle and velcro adjustment means. 15. Garment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tensioning means comprise a ratchet. 16. Garment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second portion is provided with a slot adapted to allow the insertion of the shoe and the passage of the tibia. 17. Garment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said buttonholes of each portion in the garment are defined by a ribbon-like or membrane-like element adapted to be arranged in a closed development around the heel of said shoe, a U-bolt being provided in correspondence of the heel of said shoe, for the passage and retention of said closed-development ribbon-like element. 18. Garment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a third portion adapted to be arranged under the user's leg, in a position opposite to said first and second portion, said third portion being able to extend around the toe of the shoe and to be connected, after having made a slot, to said first portion and to said second portion. 19. Garment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said third portion is provided with buckle and velcro adjustment means. 20. Garment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said third portion is provided with a pair of rings arranged opposite each other along said slot, said rings being connected by a further ribbon-like element adapted to be connected to said second portion of the garment. 21. Garment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of intrinsically elastic material. 22. Garment according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is integrated or inserted inside a traditional sports garment. 23. Garment according to claim 22, characterized in that said sports garment is selected from the group which comprises: a suit, trousers of a suit, cycling shorts, cycling body, body in general. 24. Cyclist shoe, particularly for use with the garment according to one or more of claims 11 to 23, characterized in that it comprises at least one U-bolt adapted to be arranged in correspondence with the sole of said shoe, in a substantially coincident position with the longitudinal axis called shoe. 25. Shoe according to claim 24, characterized in that said at least one U-bolt is arranged in correspondence with the heel of the shoe to one of its extension appendages. 26. Shoe according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that said U-bolt is arranged at the tip of said shoe.