WO2013102250A1

WO2013102250A1 - Gravity assisted spine decompressing apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2013102250A1
Application number: PCT/CA2012/000001
Authority: WO
Inventors: Benoit Launier
Original assignee: Benoit Launier
Priority date: 2012-01-03
Filing date: 2012-01-03
Publication date: 2013-07-11

Abstract

Commonly referred to as a back stretcher and/or a neck stretcher, the present invention pertains to an apparatus designed to relax the user's back muscles as gravity safely and smoothly decompresses his/her thoracic and lumbar vertebrae while lying chest side on the apparatus; and same said apparatus being made reconfigurable to safely and smoothly decompress the user's cervical vertebrae while lying back side on the apparatus. When configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, the apparatus is equipped with armrests or arm-harnesses to retain the user in place against the down-pull of gravity; said armrests or arm- harnesses made adjustable to fit the user's body length and chest width. Furthermore, the apparatus is equipped with a facial support with opening allowing the user to see through and perform other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus; said facial support made adjustable to fit the user's facial physical features as well as his/her neck and head lengths. The apparatus is also made adjustable for distinct curvatures, allowing the user to emphasize the effect of the down-pull of gravity to act on his/her thoracic and/or lumbar vertebrae. The apparatus also comprises an abdomen surface adjustment enabling a user who has a medium size or a large size abdomen to obtain as close as possible to the ideal configuration for best spinal decompression geometry which provides enhanced blood circulation within the intervertebral fibrocartilage (discs) and other tissues between his/her vertebrae. The apparatus is also equipped with an adjustable shelf allowing the user to perform other task(s) while lying chest side on the apparatus. When configured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae, the apparatus comprises an adjustable head-harness to hold the user's head in place while gravity smoothly pulls on the remainder of his/her body. The apparatus is also equipped with an ankle support and an extendable surface to deter the user from using his/her feet to retain position on the apparatus against the down-pull of gravity. The apparatus is further equipped with adjustable legs which can be lengthen or shorten to obtain the desired level of efficiency/comfort relationship.

Description

Gravity Assisted Complete Spine Decompressing Apparatus

Inventor: Benoit LAUNIER

SPECIFICATIONS

It is well known and documented that when a person's spine becomes compressed, due to injury or natural wear with age and/or abuse, blood circulation within the intervertebral fibrocartilage (discs) and other tissues between his/her vertebrae is hindered, inhibiting proper nourishment to reach the affected cells. As a result, these cells can no longer reproduce themselves adequately, leading to an accelerated and more permanent deterioration of said discs and tissues. By decompressing the user's spine, blood is permitted to circulate more freely and substantially within the discs and tissues between his/her vertebrae, carrying with it vital nour- ishment to the affected cells. Proper nourishment of the affected cells hastens the regeneration and recovery of the damaged discs and tissues.

Description of Prior Arts:

A number of spine decompressing devices have been invented as typified by: US Pat. No. 4,350,152 issued Sep. 21 , 1982 to Joseph Strakowski; US Pat. No. 5,007,414 issued Apr. 16, 1991 to Charles D. Sexton; US Pat. No. D312,694 issued Dec. 4, 1990 to Ronald T. Yanazaki; US Pat. No. D398,399 issued Sep. 15, 1998 to Rodney Vincent and Herrera Parrales; US Pat. No. 6,634,999 issued Oct. 21 , 2003 to Barry Herbst; and US Pat. No. D614,308 issued Apr. 20, 2010 to Neil Summers. These inventions require the user to lie back side on such devices and to perform specific movements and exercises to obtain localized stretching of the spine. In certain instances, the pressure points, exerted on the user's back, may induce additional injuries.

There are other back stretching device inventions such as: US Pat. No. D273.983 issued May 22, 1984 to Wayne H. McGowen; US Pat. No. 4,531 ,731 issued July 30, 1985 to Denny B. Law; US Pat. No. 7,063,652 issued June 20, 2006 to Roger C. Teeter; and US Pat. No. 7,112,167 issued Sep. 26, 2006 to Hyung Jun Kim. Such inverting tables flip the user upside down while his/her feet or ankles are secured to the device. In a matter of seconds, the user feels the discomfort of the blood rushing to his/her head. Any extended use of such body inverting apparatuses, more than a couple of minutes at a time, may lead to cerebral aneurysm(s) or even provoke the bursting of cerebral blood vessels. There are also other inventions such as: US Pat. No. D320.663 issued Oct. 8, 1991 to William A. Brann; and US Pat. No. D626.655 issued Nov. 2, 2010 to John Rambo and Vincent Chang. These inventions may be more closely related to the present invention, since the user lies chest side on the apparatus for decompressing his/her thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, but they are significantly different in use and performance. For decompressing a user's cervical vertebrae, other inventions were made as typified by: US Pat. No. 2,831 ,482 issued April 22, 1958 to G. Cobb; US Pat. No. 3,060,925 issued Oct. 30, 1962 to C.C. Honsaker et al; US Pat. No. 4,033,339 issued July 5, 977 to Roberts et al; and US Pat. No. 5,662,597 issued Sept. 2,

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91.1) 1997 to R.M. Chitwood. These inventions, although closely related to one another, offer different advantages and/or disadvantages as well as different performances.

Where the present invention differs from prior arts, is primarily the safety with which the user's spine is being decompressed, as well as the manner in which the user secures his position against the down-pull of gravity using armrests or arm-harnesses while lying chest side on the apparatus, when said apparatus is used to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae; and, same said apparatus further being made reconfigur- able to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae with a head-harness which differs from other head/neck harnesses in the manner in which it espouses the user's head/neck physical features as well as in the manner in which it is made laterally adjustable to fit different widths of users' head and/or neck, and also in the manner in which said head-harness is secured to the apparatus. Furthermore, the apparatus of the present invention provides means to deter the user from using his/her feet to retain position on the apparatus against the down- pull of gravity. Additionally, the present invention pertains to the adjustability of the apparatus to adequately fit the user's bodily configurations such as: the lengths of his/her torso, legs, arms, neck and head, as well as the width of his/her chest, head, and neck, and the size of his/her abdomen. Furthermore, the apparatus is made adjustable to achieve the desired level of efficiency/comfort relationship; and to allow the user to emphasize the decompressing effect, produced by the down-pull of gravity, to act on specific areas of his/her spine. Moreover, said armrests or arm-harnesses, in conjunction with a facial support with opening, and also in combination with an adjustable shelf, free the user's sight, forearms, and hands, enabling him/her to per- form other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus when used to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The overall object of the present invention is to provide a comfortable relief to the back and/or neck sufferer while his/her spine is safely being decompressed, enabling less obstructed blood circulation within the discs and tissues between the user's vertebrae. Since blood is what brings nutrients to the cells, an increase in blood circulation provides more adequate nourishment to the cells of the discs and tissues between the user's vertebrae, promoting accelerated regeneration, thus more rapid healing of the affected cells. The more com- fortable the user feels, and the more things he/she can do while lying on the apparatus, the longer in time he/she can benefit from the ideal spinal rejuvenation configuration the apparatus provides at the location of his/her spine.

It is a specific object of the present invention to provide safety, comfort, and versatility to the user for ex- tended use of the apparatus. In order to achieve an adequate level of comfort and efficiency, the apparatus offers an extensive array of adjustable features, as well as wide ranges thereof, to fit almost any body size of users. While lying chest side on the apparatus, in order to deter any tendency the user may have to retain himself/herself in place on the apparatus with his/her feet, which wouid counteract the down-pull of gravity on the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, the apparatus is equipped with an ankle support which keeps the user's toes off the ground. When the apparatus is reconfigured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae, an extendable surface or a heel/ankle support may be used to support the user's feet when he/she is taller than the apparatus is long.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means of performing other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus, such as: reading a book, using a laptop or computer keyboard, performing paperwork, viewing a monitor or television screen, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A: is a side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment using armrests to retain the user in place against the down-pull of gravity, illustrating the user lying chest side on the apparatus, to decompress his/her thoracic T and lumbar L vertebrae, while performing another task.

FIG. IB: is a side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment using armrests, illustrating the different assemblies of components that make up the apparatus while configured to decompress the user's thoracic & lumbar vertebrae.

FIG. 1 C: is a sectional side view of the lower leg surface assembly LL's adjustability to emphasize the down-pull of gravity to act on specific areas of the user's spine.

FIG. 2A: is a side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment using arm-harnesses instead of armrests to retain the user in place against the down-pull of gravity, illustrating the user lying chest side on the apparatus, to decompress his/her thoracic T and lumbar L vertebrae, while performing another task.

FIG. 2B: is a sectional side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment using arm-harnesses, illustrating that the armrests assembly AR of FIG. IB has been removed and replaced by the arm- harnesses assembly AH.

FIG. 3A: is a side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment, reconfigured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae C, illustrating the user lying back side on the apparatus while the standard head-harness assembly HH-S retains the user's head in place, as gravity pulls on the remainder of his/her body.

FIG. 3B: is a sectional side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment reconfigured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae, illustrating the user lying back side on the apparatus where a more ergonomic (deluxe) head-harness assembty HH-D retains the user's head in place, while gravity pulls on the remainder of his/her body.

FIG. 4: is a side view of the different torso surface assemblies TS made to fit different users' abdomen sizes.

FIG. 5: is a side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment, illustrating the apparatus in its collapsed configuration for storage or transport.

FIG. 6: is a perspective view of the main body assembly MB, shown along with a perspective view of the standard torso surface assembly TS-S, illustrating their components.

FIG. 7 A: is a perspective view of the armrests assembly AR illustrating its components. FIG. 7B: is a side view of the armrests assembly AR illustrating its adjustability on a front sectional side view of the main body assembly MB.

FIG. 7C: is a sectional rear view of the armrests assembly AR illustrating the armrests' lateral adjustability to adequately fit the user's chest width.

FIG. 7D: is a side view of the preferred embodiment's armrest stays.

FIG. 8: is a perspective view of the forelegs assembly FL illustrating its components.

FIG. 9: is a perspective view of the rear legs assembly RL illustrating its components.

FIG. 10: is a perspective view of the lower leg surface assembly LL illustrating its components.

FIG. 11 : is a perspective view of the auxiliary legs assembly AL illustrating its components.

FIG. 12: is a perspective view of the ankle support assembly AS illustrating its components.

FIG. 13A: is a perspective view of the deluxe facial support assembly FS-D1 illustrating its components.

FIG. 13B: is a side view of the deluxe facial support assembly FS-D1 illustrating its adjustability to adequately fit the user's facial physical features.

FIG. 14A: is a side view of the deluxe facial support assembly FS-D2 illustrating its components.

FIG. 14B: is a top view of the deluxe facial support assembly FS-D2 illustrating its components.

FIG. 15: is a perspective view of the standard facial support assembly FS-S made non-adjustable, illustrating its components.

FIG. 16: is a perspective view of the facial cushion assembly FC illustrating its components.

FIG. 17: is a perspective view of the head surface assembly HS, shown along with the standard head- harness assembly HH-S, illustrating their components.

FIG. 18A: is a side view of the deluxe head-harness assembly HH-D illustrating its components.

FIG. 18B: is a top view of the deluxe head-harness assembly HH-D illustrating its components.

FIG. 19: is a perspective view of the arm-harnesses assembly AH illustrating its components.

FIG. 20: is a perspective view of the shelf assembly SH illustrating its components.

FJG. 21 A: is a side view of the present invention, as a variant of the preferred embodiment, using armrests to retain the user in place against the down-pull of gravity, illustrating the user lying chest side on the apparatus, to decompress his/her thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, while performing another task.

FIG. 21B: is a side view of the present invention, as a variant of the preferred embodiment using armrests, illustrating the different assemblies of components that make up the apparatus.

FIG. 21C: is a sectional side view of the present invention, as a variant of the preferred embodiment, using arm-harnesses instead of armrests to retain the user in place against the down-pull of gravity, illustrating the user lying chest side on the apparatus, to decompress his/her thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, while performing another task.

FIG. 21D: is a side view of the present invention, as a variant of the preferred embodiment, illustrating the apparatus in its collapsed configuration for storage or transport.

FIG. 22: is a perspective view of the ankle support assembly AS, as a variant of the ankle support assembly of the preferred embodiment, illustrating its components. FIG. 23: is a perspective view of the rear legs assembly RL, made to fit a variant of the preferred embodiment, illustrating its components.

FIG. 24: is a perspective view of the main body assembly MB, as a variant of the preferred embodiment, illustrating its components.

FIG. 25A: is a perspective view of the armrests assembly AR, as a variant of the preferred embodiment, illustrating its components.

FIG. 25B: is a sectional rear view of the armrests assembly AR, as a variant of the preferred embodiment, illustrating the armrests' lateral adjustability.

FIG. 26A: is a side view of the abdomen assembly AB-R, on a sectional view of the main body assembly MB, as a variant of the preferred embodiment, illustrating its adjustability to fit users who have different sizes of abdomens.

FIG. 26B: is a side view of the abdomen assembly AB-F, on a sectional view of the main body assembly MB, as a variant of the preferred embodiment, using a semi-rigid membrane for surface, illustrating its adjustability to fit users who have different sizes of abdomens.

FIG. 27: is a side view of the present invention, as a variant of the preferred embodiment, where the user lays back side on the apparatus to decompress his/her cervical vertebrae C.

FIG. 28A: is a side view of the present invention, as another variant of the preferred embodiment, made simpler using armrests, where the torso and the upper leg surfaces of the apparatus are made non- adjustable using average convex curvature, illustrating the user lying chest side on the apparatus, to decompress his/her thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, while performing another task.

FIG. 28B: is a sectional top frontal view of the present invention, as said another variant of the preferred embodiment made simpler using armrests and a fixed convex curvature, illustrating a cut section of the standard facial support assembly FS-S revealing its opening as well as the front bridge surface opening which allow the user to see through and perform other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus.

FIG. 28C: is a sectional front view of the present invention, as said another variant of the preferred embodiment made simpler using armrests and a fixed convex curvature, illustrating the right armrest and its lateral adjustability, as well as the left armrest stay upon which the left armrest would be secured.

FIG. 28D: is a side view of the present invention, as said another variant of the preferred embodiment made simpler using armrests and a fixed convex curvature, illustrating the different assemblies of components that make up the apparatus.

FIG. 28E: is a side view of the present invention, as said another variant of the preferred embodiment made simpler with a fixed convex curvature, using arm-harnesses instead of armrests to retain the user in place against the down-pull of gravity, illustrating the user lying chest side on the apparatus, to decompress his/her thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, while performing another task.

FIG. 29A: is a side view of the present invention, as yet another variant of the preferred embodiment, here made non-collapsible and using armrests to retain the user in place against the down-pull of gravity, illustrating the user lying chest side on the apparatus, to decompress his/her thoracic and lumbar ver^¬ tebrae, while performing another task.

FIG. 29B: is a side view of the present invention, as said yet another variant of the preferred embodiment made non-collapsible and using armrests, illustrating the different assemblies of components that make up the apparatus.

FIG. 29C: is a side view of the present invention, as said yet another variant of the preferred embodiment made non-collapsible, using arm-harnesses instead of armrests to retain the user in place against the down-pull of gravity, illustrating the different assemblies of components that make up the apparatus.

FIG. 30A: is a side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment, made out of other materials such as: metals, plastics, composites, or other, or combinations thereof including wood, using armrests to retain the user in place against the down-pull of gravity, illustrating the user lying chest side on the apparatus, to decompress his/her thoracic T and lumbar L vertebrae, while performing another task.

FIG. 30B: is a sectional top frontal view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment made out of said other materials, illustrating the components of the armrests assembly AR.

FIG. 30C: is a sectional side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment made out of said other materials, using arm-harnesses instead of armrests to retain the user in place against the down- pull of gravity, illustrating the user lying chest side on the apparatus, to decompress his/her thoracic T and lumbar L vertebrae, while performing another task.

FIG. 30D: is a side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment made out of said other materials, illustrating the user lying back side on the apparatus here reconfigured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae C.

FIG.30E: is a sectional side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment made out of other materials, illustrating the front support member assembly FM which has been raised from its previous position, where the apparatus was configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, to its new position forming a collinear surface alignment with the main body assembly's inclined planar surface of the apparatus' configuration to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae.

FIG. 30F: is a side view of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment made out of said other materials, illustrating the apparatus in its collapsed configuration for storage or transport.

FIG. 31A: is a side view of a slightly altered version of the deluxe head-harness assembly HH-D, here designated as HH-D2, adapted to fit the preferred embodiment made out of said other materials.

FIG. 31B: is a front view of the deluxe head-harness assembly H-D2 made to fit the preferred embodiment made out of said other materials, illustrating how it opens to for installation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

N.B.: In the following descriptions the term "apparatus" implies the embodiment of the present invention as a complete unit. Suffixes "R" and "I" following numerals respectively pertain to reciprocal components of the apparatus on the right-hand side and left-hand side of the apparatus or of one of its assemblies; especially to describe said reciprocal components when only one is made visible on the drawing(s). Said right-hand and left-hand sides of the apparatus are considered from the point of view of the user while lying chest side on the apparatus. Here, the term "assembly" pertains to a section of the apparatus which is made up of multiple parts and has a specific purpose. Assemblies are indicated by two capital letters with one or more lead lines ending with an arrow(s). When an assembly comes in different configurations, the two said capital letters may be followed by a hyphen and one or two other capital letter(s), or by a hyphen and another capital letter and a numeral, to identify the different configurations. The front of the apparatus pertains to locations in the vicinity of the user's head, as he/she lies on the apparatus, while the rear of the apparatus pertains to locations in the vicinity of the user's feet. The term "affix" means that a part or an assembly is attached permanently as an integral part of another part or assembly. The term "secure" means that a part or an assembly is attached to another part or assembly, but is made detachable if the user whishes to do so. When referring to a hole-pair, this implies a hole on the right-hand side of the apparatus, or of one of its components, which matches or mirrors a hole on the left-hand side of the apparatus or of one of its components. Additionally, when referring to a bolt, it implies a nut and bolt combination with washer(s) being optional.

Referring now in general to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1A, IB, 1C, 10, & 11 (drawing sheets 1 , 2, & 4), the novel apparatus of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment, is shown in FIG. 1A with a user lying chest side on the apparatus while his/her sight, forearms, and hands are free to perform other tasks. FIG. 1A also illustrates the user s thoracic T and lumbar L vertebrae. The preferred embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. IB, comprises a main body assembly MB, a standard torso surface assembly TS-S, an armrests assembly AR, a facial support assembly FS, a forelegs assembly FL, a rear legs assembly RL, a lower leg surface assembly LL, an auxiliary legs assembly AL, an ankle support assembly AS, and a shelf assembly SH. The torso surface section , in the standard configuration of the apparatus while used to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the upper leg surface sec- tion /, together form a convex curvature progressing downward in regards to the direction of the down-pull of gravity and toward the rear of the apparatus. Said convex curvature, along with the down-pull of gravity, effectively decompress the user's thoracic T and lumbar L vertebrae, allowing increased blood circulation within the intervertebral fibrocartilage (discs) and other tissues between said vertebrae. The lower leg surface assembly LL, as illustrated in FIG. 1C, may be raised or lowered by relocating the pivot attachments 56 (FIG. 11) of the auxiliary legs assembly AL into one of the selection hole-pairs 53 (FIG. 10) of the lower leg surface assembly LL, to respectively reduce or increase the down-pull of gravity acting on the lumbar vertebrae of the user's spine. Said lower leg surface assembly LL hinges at corresponding pivot bolts/holes 52 (FIG. 10) of the structural members 49R & 49L of the lower leg surface assembly LL and pivot bolts/holes 0 (FIG. 6, drawing sheet 3) of the main structural members 1R & L of the main body assembly MB. Raising the bottom of the lower leg surface assembly LL (FIG. 1C) reduces the decompressing effect, produced by the convex curvature and the down-pull of gravity, exerted on the lumbar vertebrae of the user's spine; which emphasizes, percentage-wise, said decompressing effect acting on the user's thoracic vertebrae; whereas lowering the bottom of the lower leg surface assembly LL emphasizes the decompressing effect exerted on the lumbar vertebrae of the user s spine. The main surface 45 (FIG. 10), of the lower leg surface assembly LL, has a hole/handle 46 for ease of lifting, especially when unfolding the apparatus when collapsed for storage or transport. The auxiliary legs assembly AL (FIG. 11) is composed of two legs 54R & 54L, affixed to one another by a brace 55, and can be secured closed with a dowel/pin inserted through one of the holes 53 (FIG. 10) of the lower leg surface assembly LL which aligns with hole 57 (FIG. 11) of the auxiliary legs assembly AL when collapsed. The main body cushion 121 (FIG. IB) extends from the forward edge of the torso surface section t to the bottom edge of surface 45 of the lower leg surface assembly LL.

Referring now in general to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 2A, 2B, & 19 (drawing sheets 1 , 2, & 6), the novel apparatus of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment, may also be used with arm- harnesses, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, instead of armrests to retain the user in place against the down-pull of gravity. When using arm-harnesses instead of armrests, all parameters of the preferred embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 1A & IB, remain identical; except that the armrests assembly AR has been removed and replaced by the arm-harnesses assembly AH, and a dowel rod 22 (FIG. 6, drawing sheet 3) has been in- serted into holes 13 of the front support members 2R & 2L, of the main body assembly MB, around/to which straps 117 (FIG. 2B) of said arm-harnesses assembly AH are secured. Said arm-harnesses assembly AH (FIG. 19) comprises two arm-harnesses 1 16, two retainer straps 117 made adjustable with buckles 118 to fittingly position the user on the apparatus according to the user's body length between his/her underarms and hips (the user's hips positioned closest possible to the hip reference h (FIG. IB) indicated by a large dot on each side of the torso surface assembly TS-S), and a dorsal strap 119 made adjustable with buckle 120 to fit the user's upper torso width.

Referring now in general to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 3A, 3B, 6, 17, 18A & 18B (drawing sheets 1 , 2, 3, & 6), the novel apparatus of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment, may also be reconfig- ured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae C. In this configuration, the torso surface assembly TS-S, illustrated in FIG. IB, is removed and the lower leg surface assembly LL is raised to extend surface 4 (Fig. 6), of the main body assembly MB, to form a continuous flat surface as illustrated in FIG. 3A. With the addition of the head surface assembly HS (FIG. 17), secured with dowels/pins inserted through corresponding holes 95 of said head surface assembly HS and through holes 12 (FIG. 6) of the front support members 2R & 2L of the main body assembly MB, the entire surface of the apparatus is rendered flat (FIG. 3A) and inclined downward in regards to the direction of the down-pull of gravity and toward the rear of the apparatus. The head surface assembly HS (FIG. 17) comprises a surface 92 affixed orthogonally to the structural members 93R & 93L in turn affixed to one another by a brace 94. Said brace 94 and the rear bottom edge of surface 92 rest upon the surfaces 3R & 3L (FIG. 6) of the front support members 2R & 2L of the main body assembly MB. In this configuration, the user lays back side on the apparatus, his/her neck well fitted into the head-harnesses 97R & 97L (FIG. 17) of the standard head-harness assembly HH-S which retains the user's head in place on the apparatus against the down-pull of gravity, as illustrated in FIG. 3A. Said head-harnesses 97R & 97L are each respectively affixed to a slider 98 and are made laterally adjustable between guides/retainers 99 each with a dowel/pin 101 inserted through one of the selection holes 100 of sliders 98 and through a corresponding hole in surface 96 of the standard head-harness assembly HH-S. A mere half a centimeter narrower or wider between the head-harnesses 97R & 97L is often the difference between said head-harnesses being painful or comfortable at the mastoid region of the temporal bones of the user's head. The standard head-harness assembly HH-S also comprises a head cushion 102 for comfort, and is secured to the head surface assembly HS with a wide hook 103 hooked onto the front edge of surface 92. If the user is taller than the surface of the apparatus is long, a surface 47 (FIG. 10, drawing sheet 4) may be extended to support the user's feet for added comfort and to deter the user from using his/her feet to retain position on the apparatus against the down-pull of gravity. Said extendable surface 47 also has a hole/handle 48 which matches the hole/handle 46 of the lower leg surface 45 when said extendable surface 47 is fully retracted. The novel apparatus of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment, may also be used with a deluxe head-harness assembly HH-D (FIG. 18A & 18B). The deluxe head-harness assembly HH-D comprises a main surface 104 on which are mounted the two head-harness halves 107R & 107L with pivot-bolts 114 at the front end of the assembly; and said head-harness shells 107R & 107L are kept vertically aligned with a retainer 105 which sandwiches the lips 109, of the head-harness shells 107R & 107L, flat onto the main surface 104 at the lower end of the assembly. A cushion 106 is affixed to the main surface 104 on which the occipital bone region of the user's head rests centered. The cushions 108 are made up of different layers of cellular foams having different densities and cover the inner surfaces of the head-harness shells 107R & 107L. Said cushions 108 are made to economically espouse the user's neck, jaws, and mastoid region of his/her temporal bones for maximum comfort. In order to adequately fit the widths of the user's neck, jaws, and mastoid regions of his/her temporal bones, the pivot-bolts 114 may be relocated into the appropriate selection hole-pair 1 15 of the main surface 104. To install the user's head and neck into the deluxe head-harness assembly HH-D, the two head-harness halves 107R & 107L are rotated outward on said pivot-bolts 114 and then pivoted inward until light pressure is exerted onto the user's jaws and mastoid regions of his/her temporal bones. The head-harness halves 107R & 107L are secured in their in-use position with a hook & loop strap 112 fitted through the slots 110, of the head-harness shells 107R & 107L, where said strap 112 is kept aligned into the cavities 111 and inserted into ring 113, from underneath, then folded over to hook-loop onto itself. In this version of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus, the deluxe head-harness assembly HH-D is likewise secured to the apparatus with a wide hook 103 hooked at the front end of the apparatus as illustrated in FIG. 3B.

Referring now to FIG. 4 (drawing sheet 2), the surface of the torso surface assembly TS-S is that of the ideal convex curvature for users who have flat to normal size abdomens. Said convex curvature is designed, along with the down-pull of gravity, to comfortably and evenly space (decompress) the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, allowing proper circulation of the blood within the discs and other tissues between said vertebrae, thus enabling the regenerative nutrients to reach the affected cells. But when the user has a medium size or a large size abdomen, said convex curvature becomes compromised. Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to reach as close as possible to the ideal configuration for best spinal decompression geometry, at the location of the user's spine, a user who has a medium size or a large size ab- domen may use other configurations of the torso surface assembly TS such as: the torso surface assembly TS-M or the torso surface assembly TS-L respectively.

Referring now to FIG. 5 (drawing sheet 2), the novel apparatus of the present invention, in its preferred em- bodiment, may be collapsed for storage or transport.

Referring now in general to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 6, 8, & 9 (drawing sheets 3 & 4), the main body assembly MB (FIG .6), of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprises two main structural members 1 R & 1 L upon which all other components of the main body assembly MB are affixed or se- cured to. T e main body assembly MB also comprises a right front support member 2R and a left front support member 2L braced to one another by a surface plane 5 with opening which permits the user to see through and perform other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus. Said surface plane 5 is affixed slightly lower than, and parallel to, the upper surfaces 3R & 3L of the front support members 2R & 2L so as to form longitudinal guides 6R-H & 6L-H which keep the facial support assembly FS (FIG. 2B, drawing sheet 2) laterally centered when the apparatus is used with arm-harnesses. Also, when the apparatus is used with arm-harnesses, a dowel-rod 22 is inserted into holes 13 of the front support members 2R & 2L around/to which the straps 117 (FIG. 2B) of the arm-harnesses assembly AH are secured. The Main body assembly MB has a main flat surface 4 upon which the torso surface assembly TS-S is secured with dowels/pins 14 inserted into holes 7 of the main body surface 4. The forelegs assembly FL is secured to the main body assembly MB with bolts inserted through corresponding holes 30 (FIG. 8) in the forelegs 26R & 26L, and through holes 8 (FIG. 6) in the main structural members 1 R & L, and may be pivoted on said bolts to collapse the apparatus for storage or transport. The forelegs 26R & 26L are affixed to one another by a lower brace 28 and an upper brace 29. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, said forelegs assembly FL is also equipped with two leg extensions 27R & 27L which may be lowered or raised to alter the overall inclination of the apparatus, and are secured by inserting bolts into corresponding selection holes 33 of the leg extensions 27R & 27L, and through selection holes 32 of said forelegs 26R & 26L respectively; two said bolts and nuts combinations for each leg extension. Lowering the leg extensions 27R & 27L, on the forelegs 26R & 26L, raises the front end of the apparatus which increases the down-pull of gravity exerted on the user's spine; but doing so also increases the pressure on the user's underarms lessening his/her level of comfort. Conversely, raising the leg extensions 27R & 27L, on the forelegs 26R & 26L, lowers the front end of the apparatus which reduces the down-pull of gravity exerted on the user's spine, as well as reduces the pressure on the user's underarms enhancing his/her level of comfort. Additionally, the increments between said leg extensions 27R & 27L's differential height levels, at the location of the forelegs 26R & 26L, are made to reciprocally match the increments between the auxiliary legs 54R & 54L's (FIG. 11) differential height levels, at the rear end of the lower leg surface assembly LL, when the apparatus is reconfigured into a flat surface to increase or decrease the down-pull of gravity acting on the user's cervical vertebrae while lying back side on the apparatus. Two struts 36, one on each side of the apparatus, secure the forelegs assembly FL in its in-use position with bolts inserted through either holes 37A or 37B in struts 36 and through holes 31 in the forelegs 26R & 26L, and bolts inserted through the other holes 37A or 37B in struts 36 and through holes 9 in the main structural members 1 R & 1 L of the main body assembly MB. The rear legs assembly RL and the lower leg surface assembly LL, both are secured to the main body assembly MB with bolts inserted through corresponding holes 10 in the main structural members 1 R & 1 L, through holes 40 in the rear legs 38R & 38L (FIG. 9), and through holes 52 (FIG. 10) in the structural members 49R & 49L of the lower leg surface assembly LL; and may be pivoted on said bolts to collapse the apparatus for storage or transport. The rear legs assembly RL comprises two legs 38R & 38L (FIG. 9) affixed to one another by a brace 39, and is secured in its in-use position with bolts inserted through holes 43 in struts 42 and through holes 41 in the rear legs 38R & 38L, and bolts inserted through holes 44 in struts 42 and through holes 11 in the main structural members 1 R & 1 L of the main body assembly MB.

Referring now in general to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 7A, IB, 7C, & 7D (drawing sheet 3), the armrests assembly AR comprises two rails 17R & 17L on which are respectively affixed armrest stays 16R & 16L to which the armrests 15R & 15L are secured. Said rails 17R & 17L are affixed to one another by a bridge surface 18 with opening 19 which allows the user to see through and perform other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus. On said bridge surface 18, two longitudinal guides 6R & 6L are affixed to keep the facial support assembly FS (FIG. IB, drawing sheet 2) laterally centered when displaced forward or rearward to fit the user's neck length. The dowel-rod 22 may also be inserted through holes 21 of rails 17R & 17L to help the user pull himself/herself in position on the apparatus and/or to simply rest his/her hands. In order to adequately fit the user's torso length, between his/her underarms and hips, the armrests assembly AR may be displaced forward or rearward upon support surfaces 3R & 3L (FIG. 6) of the front support members 2R & 2L respectively. This is done by aligning the user's hips closest possible to the reference hip position h (large dot) on the torso surface assembly TS-S (FIG. IB, drawing sheet 2). To secure the position of the armrests assembly AR, on the main body assembly MB, dowels/pins are inserted through one of the selection hole-pairs 20 in rails 17R & 17L and through holes 2 (FIG. 6) in the front support members 2R & 2L of the main body assembly MB. The armrests 15R & 15L are secured to their respective armrest stays 16R & 16L each with a bolt and wing-nut in pivot bolt/hole 23 (FIG. 7C), and may be adjusted to laterally fit the user's chest width by loosening said wing-nuts to relocate the dowels/pins 24 (FIG. 7D), affixed to the armrest stays 16R & 16L, into one of the selection holes 25 (FIG.7C) on the back side of each armrest 5R & 15L, then retightening said wing-nuts at pivot bolts/holes 23.

Referring now in general to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15, & 16 (drawing sheet 5), the deluxe facial support assembly FS-D1 (FIG. 13A & 13B), of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprises a forehead cushion 72 and a chin cushion 69; both secured to a surface plane 67 with opening 68 allowing the user to see through and perform other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus. In order to better fit the user's facial physical features, the chin cushion 69 is mounted onto a block 70 made adjustable forward or rearward by securing said block 70 to surface plane 67 with screws into one of the hole-pairs 71 of block 70. The forehead cushion 72 is made adjustable up or down following a predetermined angle made to fit the user's forehead. Two vertical braces 74, one on each side, are

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91.1) affixed to surface plane 67, and are equipped with front and rear guides 75 to keep inline the main support member 73, of the forehead cushion 72, when said forehead cushion 72 is raised or lowered to fit the user's facial physical features. Dowels/pins are inserted through holes 76 in the vertical braces 74, extending into one of the selection hole-pairs 77 of the main support member 73. In a variation of the facial sup- port assembly FS, the deluxe model FS-D2 (FIG. HA & 14B) is made out of other materials and comprises three main parts, two sub-assemblies and β, and a base 84 on which said sub-assemblies are secured and pivot on dowels/pins 85 to longitudinally conform to the user's facial angular positioning. The subassembly a comprises a frame 79 on which is affixed a molded surface 78 to which in turn in affixed the chin cushion 69. The sub-assembly β comprises a frame 81 on which is affixed a molded surface 80 to which in turn is affixed the forehead cushion 72. Said frame 81 is made to snugly fit inside frame 79 and is made adjustable with a pair of spring-pins 82 inserted into one of the selection hole-pairs 83, of frame 79, to adequately fit the distance between the user's chin an forehead. The sub-assemblies a and β combination may be adjusted height-wise by inserting the dowels/pins 85 in the selection hole-pairs 86 of base 84, and may further be adjusted forward or rearward by inserting said dowels/pins 85 into one of the selection hole-pairs 87, of frame 79, to even out the pressure exerted on the user's chin and forehead. In less sophisticated models of the apparatus, a standard facial support assembly FS-S [FIG. 15) is supplied where the forehead cushion 72 and the chin cushion 69 are affixed to surface plane 67 without adjustability. Said standard model FS-S has the same opening 68 allowing the user to see through and perform other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus. When the user is lying on the apparatus for its thoracic and lumbar spinal rejuvenation benefits, but whishes to simply rest, a facial cushion assembly FC (FIG. 16) is provided. The facial cushion assembly FC comprises a cushion 88 economically configured at an angle and with a chin cavity 91 for enhanced comfort. Said cushion 88 has an opening 90 and is affixed to surface plane 89 also with opening for better breathing. The user may rest his face on the right or on the left side of the facial cushion 88. All four, the deluxe facial support assemblies FS-D1 and FS-D2, the standard facial support assembly FS-S, and the facial cushion assembly FC are kept laterally centered by the longitudinal guides 6R-H & 6L-H of the front support members 2R & 2L (FIG. 6, drawing sheet 3), when the apparatus is used with arm-harnesses, or by the longitudinal guides 6R & 6L of the front bridge surface 18 (FIG. 7 A, drawing sheet 3) when the apparatus is used with armrests. To avoid straining the user's neck while lying on the apparatus, the facial support assemblies FS-D1, FS-D2, & FS-S, and the facial cushion assembly FC are let free to be sled forward or rearward to automatically adjust to the user's neck length and head angular positioning.

Referring now in general to the drawings and in particular to FIG. IB, 10, 11 , & 12 (drawing sheets 2 & 4). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ankle support assembly AS (FIG. 12) comprises an up-riser 58, an ankle cushion 59, a longitudinal adjustment member 60, a dowel/pin stopper 61 , and an ankle cushion forward limit 63 on which said up-riser 58 and ankle cushion 59 lean slightly inclined forward from the vertical as illustrated in FIG. IB. The longitudinal adjustment member 60 is inserted in the cavity 50C (FIG. 10) below lip 51 of the rear brace 50 of the lower leg surface assembly LL. In order to adequately fit the user's leg length between his/her hips and ankles, his/her hips placed closest possible to

RECTIFIED SHEET RULE 91.1 the reference hip position h {FIG. IB), the dowel/pin stopper 61 is inserted into one of the selection hole- pairs 62 of the longitudinal adjustment member 60; said dowel/pin stopper 61 butted against lip 51 (FIG. 10) of the rear brace 50 of the lower leg surface assembly LL. The up-riser 58 and the ankle cushion 59 remain free to be pivoted rearward on hinge 66, deterring the user from retaining himself/herself in place on the apparatus, with his/her feet, against the down-pull of gravity. The ankle cushion forward limit 63 is made removable for storage or transport with two dowels/pins 64 inserted into hole-pair 65 of the longitudinal adjustment member 60. When the auxiliary legs 54R & 54L (FIG. 11) are adjusted to raise the lower leg surface assembly LL, said longitudinal adjustment member 60 is inserted in the cavity 55C below brace 55 of the auxiliary legs assembly AL, dowel/pin stopper 61 butted against brace 55.

Referring now in general to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 8 & 20 (drawing sheets 4 & 7), the shelf assembly SH comprises a shelf surface 122, a front border stopper 124 to prevent objects from sliding off surface 122 when the shelf assembly SH is placed in one of its ergonomic inclined positions, and a retaining hook (or hooks) 123 to secure the shelf assembly SH when the shelf retaining dowel-rod 125 is in- serted into one of the selection hole-pairs 34 (FIG. 8) of the forelegs assembly FL. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shelf assembly SH may be inserted between the lower brace 28, of the forelegs assembly FL, and the upper shelf support 35; or between the upper shelf support 35 and the upper brace 29, depending on the user^'s preference and/or arms length. If the user prefers to use an external mouse 129 instead of the laptop's mouse pad, when working on a laptop while lying chest side on the appa- ratus, a mouse pad surface 126 may be secured to shelf surface 122 with a bolt inserted through bolt/hole 127 of shelf 122 and mouse pad surface 126. The mouse pad surface 126 is equipped with a retainer (or retainers) 128 to keep the external mouse 129 from sliding off the mouse pad surface 126 when not being used. Description of Other Variants of the Preferred Embodiment

The preferred embodiment of this invention, being my fourteenth prototype, originated from the development of a multitude of designs where some of these designs were just as successful in performance as separate units; that is: one unit for decompressing the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and another unit for de- compressing his/her cervical vertebrae. In the following, we will briefly describe a few of the most successful of these variants, but only describe their differences from the preferred embodiment to avoid needless duplications.

N.B.: For ease of recognition and to simplify the following description of said variants of the preferred em- bodiment, parts and assemblies which serve the exact same purpose and are used in the same manner as those of the preferred embodiment, will bear the same designations (numbers and/or letters) even though, at times, some of these parts or assemblies may seem different in appearance from those of the preferred embodiment. We are now referring in general to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 22, 23, 24, 25A, 25B, 26A, & 26B (drawing sheets 7, 8, & 9). This variant, of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is my eleventh and final prototype designed to solely decompress the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae of the user's spine. This apparatus (FIG. 21A & 21B) similarly comprises a main body assembly MB, a forelegs assembly FL, a rear legs assembly RL, an armrests assembly AR, a facial support assembly FS, an abdomen assembly AB, an upper leg surface assembly UL, an ankle support assembly AS, and a shelf assembly SH. Even though the structural members 1 R & 1 L (F/G. 24), of the main body assembly MB of this embodiment, seem significantly dissimilar to those of the preferred embodiment, the convex curvature produced at the location of the user's spine is identical to that of the preferred embodiment. In this embodi- ment, in order to adequately fit the user's abdomen size, the torso surface section / (FIG. 21B) is made adjustable, with an abdomen assembly AB, instead of exchanging torso surface assemblies TS as is the case for the preferred embodiment. Said abdomen assembly AB-R (FIG. 24 & 26A) comprises a lower abdomen surface 136 affixed to the main body MB with a hinge 144 (FIG. 26A), an upper abdomen surface 137 affixed to the lower abdomen surface 136 with a hinge 145, and a cam 138 which can be rotated with handle 139 to adjust the abdomen surfaces 136 & 137 to the desired configuration. Said cam 138 and hinges 144 & 145 extend the entire width between structural members 1 R & 1 L of the main body assembly MB. A stopper 143 is affixed to the bottom surface of the lower abdomen surface 136 to insure that both surfaces 136 & 137 rest evenly onto cam 138 in any of their raised positions. When the abdomen surfaces 136 & 137 are adjusted to their most concave position, they rest directly onto the structural members 1 R & 1 L of the main body assembly MB. Two guides 146 are affixed to the bottom surface of the upper abdomen surface 137, in front, and are made to fit reasonably snug against the inner surfaces of the structural members 1 R & 1 L of the main body assembly MB. In the preferred embodiment of the abdomen assembly AB-F (FIG. 26B), the abdomen surface 147 is made out of a semi-rigid membrane which can be bent to the desired curvature by rotating cam 148 with handle 149. Said surface 147 can be adjusted to a variety of curvatures by inserting a dowel/pin through a hole in handle 149 and into one of the selection holes 50 of the structural member 1 R. The semi-rigid membrane 147 is affixed to the main body with a hinge 144 at its rear end, and with a double hinge 151 at its front end. The semi-rigid membrane 147 does not adopt a concave curvature by simply rotating cam 148 below the semi-rigid membrane's flat configuration; it is only when the user lies on the apparatus that the semi-rigid membrane 147 adopts, under the user's weight, any of its concave curvatures. In this embodiment, it is the upper leg surface assembly UL (FIG. 21B) that is made adjustable, instead of the lower leg surface assembly LL (FIG. 1C, drawing sheet 2) of the preferred embodiment, to alter the emphasis of the down-pull of gravity to act on the lumbar vertebrae of the user's spine. The upper leg surface assembly UL, of this embodiment, comprises an upper leg surface 133 which can be adjusted by rotating cam 134 with handle 135. The apparatus can be used with armrests or arm- harnesses alike by simply replacing one assembly for the other as previously described in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and illustrated in FIG. 21A & 21C. The armrests assembly AR of this embodiment is entirely made out of wood where the armrest stays 16R and 16L require being strengthen each with a brace 142 from behind (FIG. 21B, 25A, & 25B). Said armrests assembly AR of this embodiment

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91.1) also comprises a cover surface 141 affixed to the rear of bridge surface 18 in order to cover the gap that would otherwise form between surface 140 (FIG. 24) of the main body assembly MB and the bridge surface 18 of the armrests assembly AR when said armrests assembly AR is displaced to any of its adjustable positions except its most rearward position. The up-riser 58 (FIG. 22), of the ankle support assembly AS of this embodiment, is affixed orthogonally to the longitudinal member 60 and extends toward the ground with two legs 132R & 132L rounded at their bottom allowing the ankle support assembly AS to easily be displaced rearward deterring the user from using his/her feet to retain himself/herself in place on the apparatus against the down-pull of gravity. Said longitudinal member 60, of this ankle support assembly AS, is inserted into slot 130 (FIG. 23) of brace 39 of the rear legs assembly RL, dowel/pin stopper 61 (FIG. 22) butted against said brace 39. The rear legs assembly RL of this embodiment is secured to the main body assembly MB with bolts inserted through corresponding pivot holes 40 in the rear legs 38R & 38L, and through pivot holes 10 (FIG. 24) in the main structural members 1 R & 1 L of the main body assembly MB; and is secured in its in- use position with bolts inserted through corresponding holes 131 in the rear legs 38R & 38L, and through holes 11 in the main structural members 1 R & 1 L of the main body assembly MB The apparatus, here mentioned, is also made collapsible for storage or transport (FIG. 21D).

We are now referring in general to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 27 (drawing sheet 9). Here the variant to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is the second and final prototype designed to solely decompress the user's cervical vertebrae C. It consists of a flat surface inclined downward, in regards to the down-pull of gravity and toward the rear of the apparatus, and a head-harness HH-S hooked at the forward edge of the apparatus. Said flat table is made sufficiently long to support the user's feet deterring the user from using his/her feet to hold position against the down-pull of gravity. In this apparatus, the rear legs assembly RL is made adjustable with struts 153 ending into a dowel-rod 154 at their upper ends; said dowel- rod 154 extending widthwise to the outer surfaces of the structural members 152R & 152L of the lower leg surface assembly LL. Said dowel-rod 154 can be inserted into any of the selection cavity pairs 155 of the structural members 52R & 152L to increase or decrease the inclination of the apparatus in order to respectively increase or decrease the down-pull of gravity acting on the user's cervical vertebrae. This embodiment is also made collapsible for storage or transport. We are now referring in general to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D, & 28E (drawing sheets 9 & 10). Here we are regressing even further in the sequence of events to another variant of the preferred embodiment of the present invention solely design to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. In this variant, the armrests' longitudinal positioning is made non-adjustable; only their lateral configuration is made adjustable, to fit the user's chest width, by pivoting said armrests 15R & 15L on pivot bolt/holes 23 (FIG. 28B & 28C), and securing them in place with screws inserted from behind into screw/holes 24 of the armrest stays 16R & 16L made permanently affixed as an integral part of the main body assembly MB. In this embodiment, the torso surface t and the upper leg surface / (FIG. 28D) consist of a single surface membrane 156 affixed to the structural members 1 R & 1 L of the main body assembly

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91.1) MB, and is also made non-adjustable. In this variant of the preferred embodiment, the armrests 15R & 15L (FIG. 28A) may be removed and replaced by the arm-harnesses assembly AH (FIG. 28E . The standard facial support assembly FS-S, the ankle support assembly AS, the leg extensions 27R & 27L, and the shelf assembly SH of this version of the apparatus are made adjustable as previously described in the preferred embodiment and other variants of the present invention. This embodiment is also made collapsible for storage or transport.

We are now referring in general to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 29A, 29B, & 29C (drawing sheet 11). Regressing yet even further in the sequence of events, in this variant of the preferred embodiment of the pre- sent invention, the apparatus is designed to solely decompress the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae of the user's spine, but it is made non-collapsible. In this embodiment, the armrests assembly AR consists of two independent assemblies, one right AR-R and one left AR-L (FIG. 29A). Each armrests assembly comprises an armrest 15R or 15L affixed to an armrest stay 16R or 16L respectively. Said armrest stays 16R & 16L, along with their respective armrest stay braces 142 are affixed to armrest stay mounting plates 157. The armrests 15R & 15L may be adjusted longitudinally, to fit the user's torso length between his/her underarms and hips, by securing the armrest stay mounting plates 157 with bolts inserted, in triplets, into selection holes 158 of the main structural members 1 R & 1 L of the main body assembly MB. As in all other embodiments made to decompress the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae of the user's spine pertaining to this invention, the armrests are made laterally adjustable to fit the user's chest width. Additionally, in this variant of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the leg assembly LG comprises an upper leg surface 159 hinged at its front edge to the main body, and a lower leg surface 160 hinged at its front edge to the rear edge of said upper leg surface 159; both made simultaneously adjustable by rotating cam 161 with handle 162 to reduce or increase the down-pull of gravity acting on the user's lumbar vertebrae. When the leg assembly LG is raised to its upper position, said cam 161 is made to lean against stopper 163. Two guides 164 are affixed to the bottom surface of the lower leg surface 160 at its rear end, and are made to fit reasonably snug against the inner surfaces of the structural members 1 R & 1 L, of the main body assembly MB, to keep surfaces 159 & 160 well centered laterally in any of the leg assembly LG's positions. The apparatus, here described, also comprises an independent cushion 165, upon which the user rests his ankles in order to avoid retaining himself/herself in place on the apparatus, with his/her feet, against the down-pull of gravity. In this embodiment of the present invention, the forelegs assembly FL and the rear legs assembly RL are made integral parts of the structural members 1 R & 1 L of the main body assembly MB. The leg extensions 27R & 27L may be lowered or raised to respectively increase or decrease the overall down-pull of gravity acting on the user's spine. In this embodiment, the standard facial support assembly FS-S and the shelf assembly SH remain adjustable as described in the preferred embodiment and other variations of the present invention. As in all other embodiments of the present invention made to decompress the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae of the user's spine, in this variant, the armrests assemblies AR-R & AR-L (FIG. 29A) may be removed and replaced by the arm-harnesses assembly AH (FIG. 29C). We are now referring in general to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, 30F, 31A, & 31B (drawing sheets 12 & 13). The preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1A, 2A, & 3A, may also be made out of other materials such as: metals, plastics, composites, or other, or combinations thereof including wood. In this embodiment, made out of said other materials, the torso surface as- sembly TS-S is likewise made removable leaving the torso surface 4, of the main body assembly MB, flat {FIG. 30D); this permits the apparatus to be reconfigured into a flat surface inclined downward, in regards to the down-pull of gravity and toward the rear of the apparatus, to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae C. When configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae (FIG. 30A), the embodiment comprises a main body assembly MB, a torso surface assembly TS-S, a front support member assembly FM (see FIG. 30E), an armrests assembly AR, a facial support assembly FS-D2, a forelegs assembly FL, a rear legs assembly RL, a lower leg surface assembly LL, an auxiliary legs assembly AL, an ankle support assembly AS, and a shelf assembly SH. In this embodiment made out of said other materials, the foreleg extensions 27R & 27L are made to fittingly slide inside the forelegs 26R & 26L respectively; and are secured in place with a pair of spring-pins 166, affixed to each foreleg extension 27R & 27L, inserted into one of the selection hole-pairs 167 of each foreleg 26R & 26L. The armrests assembly AR is made adjustable to fit the user's torso length, between his/her underarms and hips, by inserting dowels/pins through one of the selection hole-pairs 20, in rails 17R & 17L, and through holes 12 (see FIG. 30E) in the front support members 2R & 2L of the front support member assembly FM. The armrests 15R & 15L (FIG. 30B), of the armrests assembly AR, are made laterally adjustable, to fit the user's chest width, by sliding the armrest stay sleeves 168 on the armrest stay receiver members 170; said armrest stay sleeves 168 being affixed behind the armrests 15R & 15L, and said armrest stay receiver members 170 being affixed orthogonally at the rear of rails 17R & 17L of the armrests assembly AR. The armrests 15R & 15L are secured laterally by inserting dowels/pins into selection holes 169 of the armrest stay sleeves 168 and through selection holes 171 of the armrest stay receiver members 70; one said dowel/pin per each armrest 15R & 15L. The arm- rests 15R & 15L, of this embodiment made out of said other materials, may also be removed and replaced by an arm-harnesses assembly AH hooked around/to dowel-rod 22 with straps 1 17 (FIG. 30C); said dowel-rod 22 being affixed to the armrests assembly AR in front. The armrests assembly AR also comprises a surface 18 (FIG. 30B) with opening 19 allowing the user to see through and perform other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus; said surface 18 made slightly lower than rails 17R & 17L to form longitudinal guides 6R & 6L to keep the facial support assembly FS-D2 centered laterally when displaced forward or rearward to fit the user's neck length and facial physical features. The facial support assembly FS- D2 also has an opening 68 permitting the user to see through and perform other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus. As previously described in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lower leg surface assembly LL may be raised or lowered, to respectively reduce or increase the down-pull of gravity acting on the user's lumbar vertebrae, by relocating the pivot attachment holes 56 of the auxiliary legs assembly AL to align with one of the selection hole-pairs 53 of the lower leg surface assembly LL. When reconfigured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae, as illustrated in FIG. 30D, said pivot attachment holes 56 of the auxiliary legs assembly AL are made to align with the most rearward hole pair 53 of the

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91.1) structural members 49R & 49L of the lower leg surface assembly LL. In this configuration, surface 4 of the main body assembly MB and surface 45 of the lower leg surface assembly LL form a continuous flat surface inclined downward in regards to the down-pull of gravity and toward the rear of the apparatus. When configured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae, the embodiment additionally comprises a slight varia- tion of the deluxe head-harness assembly H-D, here designated as H-D2, secured to the front support member assembly FM with dowels/pins inserted through hole-pair 173 in the surface base 104 {FIG. 31A) of the head-harness assembly HH-D2, and through hole-pair 172 in the front support members 2R & 2L of the front support member assembly FM (FIG. 30D & 30E). The head-harness assembly H -D2 opens widthwise by pivoting on two longitudinal hinges 179 {FIG. 31 A & 31B), one affixed at the base of each head- harness half 107R & 107L, offering ample room for installation. The two hinges 179 are secured to surface base 104 of the head-harness assembly HH-D2 with screws 180 inserted into selection hole-pairs 181 according to the widths of the user's neck, jaws, and temporal bone regions; one said hole-pair 181 at the front end, and one said hole-pair 181 at the rear or lower end of surface base 104. A hook-loop tape 112 secures closed the two head-harness halves 107R & 107L on the user's head and neck when in-use. The front support member assembly FM {FIG. 30E) is made to pivot on the main body assembly MB concentrically at the pivotal axis indicated by the crosshair 174, and is secured to brace 176 of the main body assembly MB in either position; that is: in the horizontal position with dowels/pins inserted through holes 177 when configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, as illustrated by the front support member assembly FM drawn as hidden lines, or in the inclined position with dowels/pins inserted through holes 178 to extend surface 4 of the main body assembly MB into a continuous flat surface toward the front end of the apparatus, when said apparatus is configured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae. In this embodiment made out of said other materials, the ankle support assembly AS is similar in function to that of the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12 (drawing sheet 4); but additionally, said ankle support assembly AS is also made to support the user's heels or ankles when he/she is lying back side on the appa- ratus, and he/she is taller than the apparatus is long, when said apparatus is configured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae as illustrated in FIG. 30D. The up-riser 58 and the cushion 59 of the ankle support assembly AS, of this embodiment made out of said other materials, can likewise be folded backward on hinge 66 to deter the user from using his/her feet to hold position on the apparatus against the down-pull of gravity; said up-riser 58 and cushion 59 normally held upward, slightly inclined forward, by the ankle cush- ion forward limit 63, as previously described in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment of the present invention, made out of said other materials, is also made collapsible for storage or transport {FIG. 30F), by folding the lower leg surface assembly LL and the rear legs assembly RL on the main body assembly B's pivotal axis 175, and by folding the forelegs assembly FL and the front support member assembly FM on the main body assembly MB's pivotal axis 174.

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91.1)

Claims

The embodiments of the invention entitled: "Gravity Assisted Complete Spine Decompressing Apparatus", in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed, are defined as follows:

1. ) An apparatus which uses gravity to decompress the user's entire spine; said apparatus made config- urable to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, as he/she lies chest side on the apparatus, and same said apparatus made reconfigurable to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae as he/she lies back side on the apparatus.— When configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, the apparatus takes on the shaped of a convex curvature beginning reasonably close to horizontal, at the location of the user's shoulders, and progressing downward in regards to the down-pull of gravity and toward the rear of the apparatus; said apparatus further comprising means such as armrests to retain the user in place on the apparatus against the down-pull of gravity; said apparatus also comprising other means such as an ankle support to deter the user from using his/her knees or feet to hold position on the apparatus against the down- pull of gravity; said apparatus additionally comprising a facial support with opening, to see through, and a shelf enabling the user to perform other tasks while lying chest side on the apparatus.— When configured to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae, the apparatus takes on the shape of a flat surface inclined downward in regards to the down-pull of gravity and toward the rear of the apparatus; said flat surface being sufficiently long enabling the user to comfortably lie full length on the apparatus so that his/her legs and/or feet do not interfere with the down-pull of gravity decompressing his/her cervical vertebrae; said apparatus also comprising a head-harness assembly secured at the upper end of the apparatus to hold the user's head in place while gravity pulls on the remainder of his/her body; said head-harness assembly made laterally adjustable to comfortably fit the widths of the user's head and neck.

2. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , where said means to retain the user in place on the apparatus, against the down-pull of gravity, is done with arm-harnesses instead of armrests, when said apparatus is configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

3.) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , where the torso surface of the apparatus is made adjustable to better fit the user's abdomen size in order to reach the most favorable decompressing geometry at the location of the user's spine, when said apparatus is configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

4. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , where said convex curvature is made adjustable allowing the user to distinctively select the emphasis of the down-pull of gravity to act on his/her thoracic and/or lumbar vertebrae, when said apparatus is configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

5. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , where the overall inclination of the apparatus may be adjusted by altering the apparatus' forelegs to rear legs or auxiliary legs height relationship.

6. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 or claim 2, where said armrests or arm-harnesses are made adjustable to better fit the user's body length, from his/her underarms down to his/her hips, as well as better fit the user's upper torso width, when said apparatus is configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

7. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , where said facial support is made adjustable to better fit the user's neck and head lengths, as well as better fit the user's facial physical features, when said apparatus is configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

8. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , comprising a facial cushion instead of a facial support when the user whishes to simply rest while lying chest side on the apparatus, when said apparatus is configured to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

9. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , where said ankle support is made adjustable to better fit the user's legs length, from his/her hips down to his/her ankles, when said apparatus is used to decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

10. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , where said apparatus is made to solely decompress the user's thoracic and lumbar vertebrae; thus made non-reconfigurable to decompress the user's cervical vertebrae.

11. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , where said apparatus is made to solely decompress the user's cervical vertebrae; thus made non-reconfigurable to decompress the user's thoracic and/or lumbar vertebrae.

12. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , claim 10, or claim 1 1 , where said apparatus is made collapsible for storage or transport.

13. ) An apparatus as described in claim 1 , claim 10, or claim 1 1 , where said apparatus is made out of other materials such as: metals, plastics, composites or a mixture thereof including wood.