WO2005011817A1

WO2005011817A1 - Equipment for muscle training

Info

Publication number: WO2005011817A1
Application number: PCT/SE2004/001160
Authority: WO
Inventors: Conny HÅKANSSON; Glenn HÅKANSSON; Kenneth Riggberger; Björn REIDHAV
Original assignee: Haakansson Conny; Haakansson Glenn; Kenneth Riggberger; Reidhav Bjoern
Priority date: 2003-08-04
Filing date: 2004-08-04
Publication date: 2005-02-10
Also published as: SE0302172L; SE0302172D0

Abstract

The invention is designed to create a correct movement pattern for the ankle in connection with calf and leg muscle training due to injury, or for the purpose of increasing individual performance. Due to the low weight of the equipment, the invention can be moved to other training equipment and consequently be combined with the activities of these. The individual settings of the maximum rotation angle render a calf and leg muscle training which is individually optimum.

Description

Equipment for muscle training

The invention at hand is intended to create a correct movement pattern for the ankle in connection with calf and leg muscle training due to injury, or for the purpose of increasing individual performance.

Technical positioning

Previously known mobile calf training products, e.g. Nordic Gym 408, are characterized by a horizontally fixed, elevated foot platform, supporting the forefoot while the back of the foot (heel) has a mid-air position. During a training session you start from a point high up on the forefoot and then lower the heel below the horizontal plane and then return to the starting point, high up on the forefoot. While under the horizontal plane, with the aforenamed, products, the foot is bent incorrectly due to the fixed platform, which supports the forefoot. At the same time, the foot moves backwards during movement repetitions, causing the risk of the foot sliding off completely and. consequently possible severe injuries.

Existing stationary calf training machines with accompanying weight stacks and flexible platforms, e.g. Nordic Gym 204, are designed to prevent the foot from being bent incorrectly. But the flexible foot support in these machines only supports the forefoot and follows the new angel of the foot (in relation to the lower leg), when the heel is lowered under the horizontal plane.

Notably, both product categories have a foot support, which only supports the forefoot. Furthermore, the foot support decides the movement of both feet. During training, especially after injury, over-extension to the ankle ligaments and calf muscles (hyperflexion) can render healing difficulties or even aggravation of injury. Furthermore, there is nothing in existing equipment that prevents the foot from sliding off the platform. The invention at hand talce these elements into consideration and is equipped with a complete slide-safe foot platform as well as a heel stop, preventing the foot from sliding off the platform. In addition to this, there is a separate lever for angel setting of the platform axis rotation, to avoid ankle and calf hyperflexion. Also, the risk of machine tilting, when high up on forefoot, is thereby eliminated.

The design description below facilitates such a low- weight equipment that it effortlessly can be carried by an individual and moved or transported to particular location or training equipment of choice.

Figure description

Figure 1 : The equipment from the side. Figure 2: The design of a foot platform. Figure 3: A cross-section of the ankle angle lever and mechanism.

Invention description

The invention at hand, see figure 1, consists of a stand (1) and an axis (2) in the upper part. Around this axis (2), a foot platform (3) can be rotated. The length of the stand is approx. 40 cm and the depth 30 cm. The height is approx. 18 cm. The stand material is preferably steel, but aluminium can also be used. The platform (3), which is approx. 35 cm long and 17 cm wide, has a horizontal starting position to facilitate mounting. The horizontal position is accomplished by a balance weight (4) placed at the front brim of the platform. At the back, a heel stop is located (5) to prevent the foot from sliding off the platform. Furthermore, the upper surface of the platform is covered by some kind of anti-sliding material (6), preferably rubber or plastic. This cover can consist of a sliding-preventing tablet, which is glued to the platform. The sliding protection can of course also be a pre-coated platform. To set the maximum platform angel rotation, an eccentric wheel (7) is attached to an axis (8) in the stand (1), parallel to the upper axis (2). The preferred position of the eccentric wheel (7) is set through the lever (9). The position is locked when the spring-attached pin (13) on the lever (9) is interlocked with the hole-punched disc (10) on the side of the stand (1). The front part (11) of the stand (1) is constructed in a way that even if the load is only put on the front (12) of platform (3), the stand cannot tilt forward.

In the present design, the equipment is provided with a stand and two foot platforms, where the one maximum platform rotation angle can be set separately from the other, with the mechanism (7, 8, 9, 10) on each side of the stand. The equipment can also be designed with a separate stand and rotation angle setting for each foot. In figure 2, the position of the rotation axis (2) related to the platform (3) length, is shown. It also shows how the heel stop (5) is designed to prevent the foot from sliding off the platform (3). On another version of the equipment, the heel stop (5) has been made variable, so it can be adjusted according to size of feet. In figure 3, a cross-section of the lock mechanism for the rotation angle setting is shown. To set the hole disc (10), the pin (13) is pulled and the lever (9) is placed in front of preferred hole. Figure 3 shows the passive position of the pin (13) and is kept in this position by the tension spring (14). A lock washer (15) can be used to prevent the pin colliding with the lever (9). The equipment in its present design is manufactured out of metal such as steel, stainless steel, brass, or aluminium. There is a desire to manufacture the equipment in a portable size, facilitating transport between various training machinery. This has been accomplished through recesses in stand, angel discs, and platform. Steel- constructed, the equipment weighs approx. 15 kg. It is also possible to manufacture the entire piece of equipment, or parts of it, out of plastic or processed or coated fibre-reinforced plastic, which would result in a weight reduction.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Equipment for training of leg muscles consisting of a platform turnable around an axis, characterized by the fact that each foot is placed on a separate platform covering the entire foot and that the maximum rotation angle of each foot platform can be set in a preferred angle through a mechanism consisting of an eccentric wheel (7), a lever (9), and a lock pin (13).

2. Mechanism according to claim 1 , characterized by the fact that the maximum rotation angle of each foot platform can be set separately from the other by an eccentric wheel each.

3. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the foot platform (3) has a horizontal position as starting point and includes a stop preventing the platform from tilting forward.

4. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the foot platforms are equipped with one heel stop (5) each.

5. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the heel stop (5) is variable.

6. Mechanism according to claim 1 , characterized by a tilt protection attained through the fact that the stand (1) is equipped with a front part (11) extending beyond the foot platform (3), consequently placing the individual centre of gravity behind the front part of the stand.

7. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that due to the mechanism material recesses, a weight of less than 15 kg is attainable.

8. Mechanism according to claim 1 , characterized by the fact that the mechanism mainly is manufactured out of metal.