US20020068665A1

US20020068665A1 - Blood circulation helper

Info

Publication number: US20020068665A1
Application number: US09/728,873
Authority: US
Inventors: Ho Tran
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-12-04
Filing date: 2000-12-04
Publication date: 2002-06-06

Abstract

With the Blood Circulation Helper, people can exercise in a confined space, mostly needed while having a long trip in automobile, buses, trains, airplanes. Of course, it can be used any where that people can sit.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One Summer morning, we departed from Gilroy to San Diego to attend a wedding. My wife volunteered to be the chauffeur. After sitting in the passenger's seat for 2 hours, my legs began to tingle and feel numb. Thinking of another 6 hours sitting still before we could reach my destination, San Diego, I sighed. My mother-in-law who has slow blood circulation problems complained about her legs hurting. Suddenly, I just moved my feet back and forth hoping the numbness would go away, amazingly, the numbness went away! I told my mom to do the same thing . . . she did, and she felt better. An idea then came—maybe I could create something which we all can use to circulate blood. I came across the Ball Bearing Slide, which they sold to furniture makers to make pocket door, in the Hafele catalog. I bought the slide and tried to use it for my purpose and it worked. Then, I needed to think how and which material can be used to place the feet on and to move comfortably back and forth. Using metal would be too heavy, so I decided to use wood and rubber on top and bottom. I successfully created a product which serves the purpose effectively and would like to present to you my idea and product.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Its name—the Blood Circulation Helper—itself embodies its function. It helps people to circulate their blood by sliding their feet back and forth, anywhere, anytime, as long as they are in sitting position. It also serves as an exercise equipment which does not require a strenuous workout, only gently, rhythmically, moving their feet back and forth while sitting, watching TV, sitting in cars, buses, airplanes etc. This Blood Circulation Helper does not only serve the healthy people, young and old, but it particularly serves people who have problems with their feet and legs, e.g. people with arthritis in their knees, people with slow moving blood (normally old people), pregnant women who experience leg swelling and pain, people who have just recovered from illness, operation etc . . .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

1) [0003] Drawing page 1 showed complete Isomatric Parts Assembly, it showed 5 main parts of the Invention in the top down order:
a) A rubber pad which is glued to the top of the top wooden board (#b below). [0004]
b) A wooden board which is screwed to the top of the Ball Bearing Slide by four screws. [0005]
c) The Ball Bearing Slide which is the steel hardware piece to slide back and forth. This hardware piece movement is very smooth and quiet. It can be bought from: [0006]
Hafele America Co. [0007]
3901 Cheyenne Drive. [0008]
Archdale, N.C. 27263 [0009]
Tel. 1-800-423-3531 [0010]
Catalog number: 408.10.302- 12 inches slide [0011]
408.10.302- 14 inches slide [0012]
408.10.302- 16 inches slide [0013]
408.10.302- 18inches slide [0014]
I used the 16 inches slide to build the model. [0015]
d) A wooden board which is grooved to fit the bottom of the slide. The slide then is placed in the grooved slot and is screwed to the wooden board by four screws. [0016]
e) A rubber pad which is glued to the bottom of the wooden base (#4). [0017]
2) [0018] Drawing page 2 showed the top square portion of the Ball Bearing Slide sliding back and forth.
3) Drawing page [0019] 3 showed the top and the front views of the Blood Circulation Helper.
4) Drawing page [0020] 4 showed the top rubber pad and its front views.
5) Drawing page [0021] 5 showed the top wooden board and its front views.
6) Drawing page [0022] 6 showed the Ball Bearing Slide, its bottom view, its top view, its isometric view and its front view.
7) Drawing page [0023] 7 showed the bottom wooden board top and its front views.
8) Drawing page [0024] 8 showed the bottom rubber pad top and its front views.
9) Drawing page [0025] 9 showed the Isomatric view of the assembled
10) Drawing page [0026] 10 showed the movement of the top wooden board back and forth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

1) Cut, stain and round a wooden board which is used as the top (can be Pine, Oak, Maple etc . . . ) to fit people's feet, use four screws and crew from the 4 holes of the square steel piece (this square steel piece is a part of the ball bearing slide and was soldered to the rest of the slide) up to the middle of the top wooden board (Refer to View [0027] 1)
2) Cut and stain another wooden board which is used as the bottom (same kind of wood as in #1) to fit the bottom of the slide, with some margin in the front and in the back, groove a long rectangular slot, vertically, in the middle of the wooden board to fit the bottom of the slide. Use four screws and screw from the 4 holes (as illustrated in View [0028] 6, the up-side-down view) down to the groove of the bottom wooden board (Refer to View 1).
3) Cut a piece of rubber pad and glue to the top of the top wooden board to keep the foot from sliding off the wooden board. [0029]
4) Cut another piece of rubber pad and glue to the bottom of the bottom wooden board to keep the Blood Circulation Helper in place. [0030]
Make 2 of these. Now, the Blood Circulation Helper is ready to use. [0031]
Usages: [0032]
1. Sit straight on any type of seating, place the 2 Blood Circulation Helpers on floor. Put one foot on each Blood Circulation Helper, slide one foot forward and one backward, and keep going rhythmically, this continuous action will help circulate blood and tone leg and thigh muscles. [0033]
2. Sit on the floor, put one foot on each Blood Circulation Helper, lie half way with hands on the floor, slide one foot forward and one backward. [0034]
3. Same as #[0035] 2, except do sit up while sliding the feet.
Packaging: [0036]
The pair of Blood Circulation Helper is packaged inside a canvas bag which uses a string being drawn at the bag opening to close the bag. It is packaged neatly, safely and conveniently for people to carry this HELPER around. The bag is labeled ‘BLOOD CIRCULATION HELPER’. [0037]

Claims

What I claim as my invention are:

1. Use the Ball Bearing Slide to create the Blood Circulation Helper by attaching the wooden boards, one on the top and one at the bottom of this Slide, together with 2 pieces of rubbers to increase friction and to eliminate slippery.

2. People can use to the Blood Circulation Helper to exercise to help blood circulation in a narrow space by sliding their feet back and forth.

3. The ‘Blood Circulation Helper’ can be used to exercise while people travel in automobiles, buses, trains, airplanes, any way of transportation which they can sit and there is floor beneath, to avoid health problems such as numbness, hurting from poor blood circulation in old people, reducing legs and feet swollen from pregnant ladies or helping people with difficulty in standing and leg lifting to exercise etc . . .

4. With this neat and easy-to-use invention, people can do the feet slide exercise any place where they can sit.