WO2013043058A2

WO2013043058A2 - Training apparatus for the disabled

Info

Publication number: WO2013043058A2
Application number: PCT/NO2012/050179
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ånund OLSEN
Original assignee: Made For Movement
Priority date: 2011-09-21
Filing date: 2012-09-19
Publication date: 2013-03-28
Also published as: WO2013043058A3

Abstract

Training apparatus for the disabled, comprising a number of rods with attachments for foot, where one end of the rod is includes a slidable bearing for linear movements, and the other end is connected to an arm being attached to a shaft, characterized by that it further comprises a device that can connect/release the shafts to/from each other, and an operational device being connected to one of the shafts to rotate the shafts.

Description

TRAINING APPARATUS FOR THE DISABLED

Area of invention

The present invention is related to an apparatus for training of disabled persons. Background Various training equipment has been designed to make it easier with different training in movements. Examples comprise treadmills enabling walking or running at the spot; stepping machines enabling climbing or do step movements at the spot; bicycles enabling bicycling movements at the spot; and other apparatus enabling skating or skiing movements at the spot. Another type of apparatus makes it possible to do more complicated movements and simulate more realistic walking movement, e.g. an apparatus with elliptical movement.

In Norwegian patent N0326332, a device is known for training of disabled persons, comprising a frame that possibly may be equipped with wheels, to which frame there is a device for standing, comprising rods with foot or shoe holders, which pro- vide elliptical back-and-forth movements of the user's legs. The apparatus is arranged to be used by individuals that basically is incapable of doing the required movements at all, or can only do a part of such complicated movements, or do not have the sufficient strength for such movements even if the nerve pulses of the muscles are in normal function. The movement patterns themselves, in this appa- ratus, are intended to promote natural movements of legs and body.

However, the disadvantage of this apparatus is that, when the user is going to have rest in his movements, he will remain standing in that position when the apparatus stops, with the legs at different heights. Hence, there is a need of disengaging, to achieve the same height for the legs when rest is required. When the user is to en- ter the product, it is also decisive that the legs are standing in the same position. In this manner it will be easier to take into account and detect possible differences in leg lengths and angulations of the user.

In this connection, the meaning of "disabled" is directed towards movement of the limb (the legs), that takes place by means of normal nerve signals being supplied from the brain, and that act on muscles the moves the skeleton, where the muscles have sufficient strength (have sufficient mass of muscles) for intentional movement of moving the relevant limb, as well as possibly support the bodyweight.

Summary of invention

The present invention has a purpose of solving the above mentioned needs, and to provide an improved apparatus for training of the disabled. This is being solved by providing a movement apparatus with disengagement.

One advantage of a training exercise with elliptical movements is that the user's foot goes both up and down and back and forth during one training cycle. Otherwise, it is an object of the device according to the present invention, preferably to provide the best possible natural walking movements for the legs. As mentioned above, one of the many purposes of the present invention is to provide the possibility of gradual familiarization of the relevant movement patterns, by being able to vary the movement strokes for the relevant movements, from a relatively small stroke to a natural stroke. This is advantageous since new movements for the disa- bled may be associated with anxiety and mental distress, and a gradual familiarization will then be favorable.

In motorized movement apparatus, it is of large significance that the user does not experience any slack or looseness during operation, as this may cause great discomfort and may cause adverse patient spasms. For use at institution it is also a particular need for a swift readjustment of the apparatus, so that it may be adapted from one user to another. This also implies a particular need for efficient disengagement of the movements in the apparatus, without having such disengagement to provide slack during normal operation, and without having the assistant of the user to spend much effort in releasing the dis- engagement, while the disengagement easily shall automatically return to locked position when the apparatus is to be operated again.

This is being solved by a training apparatus and a coupling device as stated in the subsequent patent claims. Brief description of drawings

The invention is now to be described in detail by referring to the appended drawings, in which :

Figure 1 shows a drawing in perspective of the invention, comprising a training ap- paratus for disabled.

Figure 2 shows a drawing in perspective of the disengagement, according to the invention.

Figure 3 shows a section of the disengagement, according to the invention. Detailed description of the preferred embodiment With reference to the figures, a detailed description of a motorized training apparatus for disabled persons according to the invention will now be presented. The whole apparatus is being assembled onto a frame 11, with details that follow with reference numerals to the figures. The frame 11 supports at least one chair comprising an adjustable seat 12 with support 13 for the back, motor 14 for operation of two eccentric rods 15,16 for each of the legs. The eccentric rods 15,16 comprise each of its first end 17 and second end, where the first end includes a slidable bearing for linear movements, and the other end is connected to an arm 21,22, each being connected to individual shafts 31,32 for rotation around a pivotal center. The eccentric rods 15, 16 form rails that have attached fastening means 18 for feet/shoes. The rods 15,16 run underneath the seating arrangement (described above) to its second end. By fastening the shoes/feet to the rods 15,16, the feet will be moved in a controlled manner together with the rods 15,16 in the relevant movement patterns.

A central element of the invention is the disengagement, and with reference to fig- ure 2 a detailed description of the disengagement according to the invention will now be provided. The purpose of the disengagement is to realease the arms from each other, so that the user may remain standing with the legs parallel in the lowermost position. This is a convenient feature of the apparatus when you have to rest during training, or when it is desirable to only use the apparatus as a standing stillage when, for some reason or other, it is not desirable with leg movements. It is a challenge to make a disengagement to work in a manner that does not give any slack during operation, - slack that actually may trigger spastic reactions for some users.

At the same time it is a common experience that there is a large load on the arms when they are released. The user will often stand with his full weight on the shoe/foot fasteners, and hence these forces from the weight will be transferred to the arms. It should not be necessary for the user's assistant to use much effort in releasing the disengagement. The arms must have a correct angle to each other when the disengagement is to be locked again. The disengagement may be released by an actuation device being associated with the frame 11. The disengagement itself comprises, inter alia, use of the actuating device, e.g. by pulling a wire which at its end has attached a ball 19 fastened onto a releasing arm 23. Bothe the arm, where the wire is attached to, and the release arm 23 is spring loaded against the back frame. This causes the wire with the ball to retract into the frame 11 when it is released, while the release arm 23 of the disengagement 23 goes back into position first when you again start operation of the arms.

Hence, the disengagement device comprises disengagement and locking of two sleeve formed shafts 31,32 enclosing e common supporting shaft 33, in locked en- gagement to each other, where the first internal sleeve formed shaft 31 is equipped with a rotating operational connection, e.g. a chain wheel 24, and is connected to the supporting shaft 33 at the outside with an intermediate first set of ball bearings 34, and the other outer sleeve formed shaft 32, comprising a number of holes 40 an locking balls 36 arranged to be laid in said holes 40, are also connected the sup- porting shaft 33 at the outside with an intermediate second set of ball bearings 35; the first and the second sleeve formed shafts 31,32 do also during operation have a mutual bearing with a number of intermediate locking balls 36 laid into recesses 39 in the first internal sleeve formed shaft 31, and which then provide a mutual rotational locking of the first and the second sleeve formed shaft 31,32, and being characterized by that the locking balls 36 during operation are kept at place, such that they are locked, by a spring loaded and ball-beared outer locking ring 37 which completely or partially enclose the second sleeve formed shaft 32, the outer locking ring 37 can be moved axially on the shafts and is equipped with a groove 38 that will wedge the balls towards the recesses 39 in the internal sleeve formed shaft or, if the locking ring 37 is situated such, allow the locking balls 36 to move radially outwards and then release the mutual rotational locking of the first and the second sleeve formed shaft 31,32.

Further the disengagement device has, where both the first inner sleeve formed shaft 31 at its end and the second outer sleeve formed shaft 32 at its end, respec- tively, which are placed opposite to the end of the first shaft 31, each of the arms 21,22n attached the respective shaft ends in order to provide fastening points 25 for attachment of almost horizontally projecting rods 16 of a certain length which also has the attachment 18 for feet or shoes. Hence, the fastening points 25 will be allowed to follow a circular path or an elliptical path by rotation of the shafts 31, 32.

The disengagement is conducted by an action with an actuation device on a spring loaded release arm 23, which then pushes the outer locking ring 37 such that the locking balls 36 move radially outwards in relation to the shafts 31,32, and hence carry out the locking by that they again are in mutual engagement between inner and outer sleeve formed shaft 31,32.

As mentioned, the actuating device may comprise a wire-like connection between the spring loaded release arm and a release ball or button 19. The wire-like connection may comprise a wire, chain, rope, cable, rod, elastic band, or similarly that may provide an actuation. A dancer is also arranged on the release arm 23 to allow the release ball 19 to return to the starting position when it is released.

Even though this inventive coupling essentially here has been described in connection with an apparatus for training of movements, the coupling may naturally also be used in whatever other contexts where it could be useful with an efficient disengagement.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. Training apparatus for disabled persons, comprising a first rod (15) and a second rod (16) with attachments (18) for foot, wherein the first rod (15) comprises a first end (17) and a second end, the first end (17) includes a slidable bearing for linear movements, and the other end is connected to a first arm (21) being attached to a shaft (31), and the second rod (16) comprises a first end and a second end (18), the first end includes a slidable bearing for linear movements, and the other end is connected to a first arm (22) being attached to a shaft (32); c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it further comprises:

• a device that can connect/release the shafts (31,32) to/from each other, and

• an operational device (24) being connected to one of the shafts

(31,32) to rotate the shafts (31,32).

2. Device for rotational connection of a first shaft (31) and a second shaft (32), c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the first shaft (31) comprises a number of recesses (39) around the circumference of this, and where at least a portion of the second shaft (32) forms a sleeve enclosing the first shaft, said sleeve shaped portion comprises a number of holes (40) and a number of locking balls (36) arranged to be laid in said holes (40), and where the device further comprises a locking ring (37), which completely or partially encloses the second shaft (32), such that the locking ring (37) in a first position is arranged to wedge the locking balls (36) into the said recesses (39), hence connecting the first (31) and second shaft (32) to each other, while the locking ring (37) in a second position is arranged to let the locking balls (36) move radially outwards and be received in grooves of the locking ring (37), and hence release the first (31) and the second shaft (32) from each other.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the first shaft (31) is sleeve shaped and encloses an internal bearing shaft (33), since a portion of the second shaft (32) has bearing around the supporting shaft (33).

Device according to claims 2-3, further comprising a spring loaded triggering arm (23) pushing on the locking ring (37) against the said second position, such that the locking balls (36) move radially outwards relative to the shafts (31,32), hence implementing the release; and which also comprises a spring that pushes the locking ring (37) back towards said first position such that the locking balls (36) again come out from the recesses (39) and then implement locking by that the balls (36) again are brought in mutual engagement between the first (31) and second sleeve shaped shaft (32).

Device according to claim 4, further comprising an actuating device connected to a dancer, which again is hinged to the triggering arm (23).

Abstract

Training apparatus for the disabled, comprising a number of rods with attachments for foot, where one end of the rod is includes a slidable bearing for linear movements, and the other end is connected to an arm being attached to a shaft, charac- terized by that it further comprises a device that can connect/release the shafts to/from each other, and an operational device being connected to one of the shafts to rotate the shafts.