Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
DEVICE WITH ANTI-GRAVITY AND SUSPENSION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of sports fitness
equipment,
more particularly, to a device to be used with other fitness equipment as an
device with
anti-gravity and suspension for rehabilitation correction and sports fitness.
2. The Prior Arts
[0002] The posture of the human torso, like the torso itself, is coupling
elemently
controlled by different systems, each system corresponds to several different
coupling
elements, and the coupling elements indirectly affect different muscles.
Therefore,
directly regulating the system can be more efficient in changing the activity
of multiple
coupling elements and the retraction and release of multiple muscles. However,
how to
regulate and where to start, it should be first understood that each coupling
element is
a combination of nerves (including skin sensory receptors), muscles (including
proprioceptive receptors), and bones. According to the Hilton's Law proposed
by John
Hilton in 1880-1862, the nerves branched from the same nerve trunk not only
innervate
the muscles of the coupling element, but also control the skin covering the
muscle group
and the inside of the coupling element itself. It can be seen that the brain's
output control
of coupling element activity is highly correlated with the input of sensory
information.
Therefore, the rhythm of the torso can be smoothed through continuous feedback
and
adjustment. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that the adjustment and
treatment of
posture must take how to change the output of action information by
controlling or
changing the input of sensory information in account.
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[0003] Torso movement is a combination of a series of movements of different
coupling elements. Therefore, when we treat a single coupling element, it will
affect
other coupling elements. The connection between different coupling elements is
called
coupling element puzzle or coupling element chain. The movement of coupling
elements is controlled by the brain through nerves. Therefore, if the
treatment cannot
change the original setting of the brain through new sensory stimuli so that
the
movement output sent by the brain becomes different, the torso will still stay
the same
as before because of habit. Therefore, an effective treatment must take into
account the
connection between the various coupling elements and the new stimulation of
the
central nervous system.
[0004] The concept of therapy is to decompress and pressurize the system or
coupling elements (i.e., unload & load). Due to aging and various long-term
pressures
in daily life, the torso's sensitivity to receive external information is
reduced or the
receptors becoming rigid, which makes the torso unable to adjust properly. For
example,
after looking at the computer for a long time at work, the eyes gradually get
closer to
the screen, causing the turtle's neck and hunchback "unconsciously".
Therefore, when
we decompress the torso, let the torso first set into a stress-free state,
that is, to relax
the torso's sensory receptors and associated coupling elements, and then
pressurize to
give the brain correct posture information and the ability to the torso to
withstand stress,
so as to improve the low torso self-awareness, which can make the torso
posture in a
more elastic state, able to adapt to different environmental pressures, just
like the
tumbler able to stand back upright after push. As such, the brain that did not
think the
torso is tilted becomes aware of its own tilt and automatically adjust.
[0005] In addition, the human torso is always under the influence of gravity
when
moving. The torso is pulled to the ground, and the coupling elements are
gradually worn
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
away. Therefore, training and treatment to counteract the gravity is very
important. In
addition, according to the theory of Newton's third law of motion "action and
reaction",
when the foot is pulled towards the ground by gravity, the ground will have a
reaction
force on the foot, and then pass through the legs, pelvis, spine, and finally
upload to the
head. When writing or using a computer, the desk will give the supporting arm
a
reaction force upwards. This reaction force will not only give the torso a
sensory signal
from the outside, but also put a pressure on the coupling elements. If this
pressure
cannot be absorbed or dissipated by the torso, it may cause damage to the
place that is
under too much pressure. Therefore, how to train the torso to absorb and
disperse the
pressure efficiently is a very important issue.
[0006] Conventional fitness equipment such as treadmills or corrective
rehabilitation
equipment will be affected by gravity when in use, so that while during
exercising or
correcting rehabilitation, the torso is also pulled to the ground, causing
coupling
elements and other portions. gradually worn away.
[0007] In order to overcome the problem of gravity, US Pat. No. 8,464,716
provides
a differential air pressure system, the air pressure differential system
includes a chamber
for accommodating a portion of the lower torso of the user's torso, and air is
injected
into the chamber, the user's torso accommodated in the chamber is subjected to
the
buoyancy force generated by the air pressure difference, thereby resisting the
effect of
the gravitational force on the human torso. However, US Pat. No. 8,464,716
providing
a differential air pressure system must include elements such as an air
compressor, a
pressure sensor, a regulating valve, an airbag chamber, a seal for sealing the
chamber
to the user's torso, and so on. The structure is complex and the manufacturing
cost is
high.
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
[0008] US Publication No. US 2020/0221975 provides an unweighted gait training
system, and the unweighted system can be a barometric differential unweighted
system
or a non-barometric differential unweighted system. Wherein, the differential
air
pressure unweighted system has the same problem as US Pat. No. 8,464,716. The
non-
air pressure difference unweighted system can use the frame to support the
user's torso,
but its detailed mechanism is not clearly disclosed, and the user is easily
interfered by
the frame when moving in the buoyancy state, which affects the flexibility of
the
movement. Moreover, because there is no sufficient connection means between
the
user's torso and the frame, the user cannot guarantee sufficient safety when
using other
equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a device
with device
with anti-gravity and suspension, which can be used in conjunction with other
fitness
equipment or correction and rehabilitation equipment to reduce the torso
weight load
on the user's lower limbs, so that the lower limbs and coupling elements are
in a state
of less stress and more relaxation, while able to provide the user to with
sufficient safety
when using other equipment.
[0010] The device with anti-gravity and suspension provided by the present
invention includes: a base disposed with two rails erected symmetrically on
two
opposite sides; a torso support unit, connected to the two rails, and movable
up or down
along the rails, and the torso support unit having a torso-holding portion for
accommodating a torso of a user and at least one actuating element, the at
least one
actuating element exerts a force on the torso-holding portion to make the
torso-holding
portion vertically ascending or descending along the rails, the torso-holding
portion
having a first coupling element; and a torso-wearing unit for being worn on
the torso of
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
the user, the torso-wearing unit having a second coupling element, the second
coupling
element being for interconnection with the first coupling element; wherein,
when the
actuating elements are operated, the torso-holding portion is lifted up to an
appropriate
height, so that the human torso is in a suspended state and resists gravity,
thereby
reducing the load on the user's lower limbs. Also, by combining the torso-
wearing unit
with the torso-holding portion, the user is protected to have sufficient
safety when using
other equipment.
[0011] Preferably, the torso support unit in the present invention includes a
beam,
the torso-holding portion is fixedly connected to the beam, both two ends of
the beam
extend into the two rails respectively, and the end extending into the rails
is provided
with at least one roller, and the roller is in rolling contact with the inner
wall of the rail.
The height of the beam can be moved up or down by the rolling contact between
the
rollers disposed at both ends of the beam and the inner wall of the rails, so
as to adjust
the height of the torso support unit.
[0012] Preferably, a counterweight unit connected to the beam is disposed in
the rail
to assist a force to move the torso support unit up or down. Thereby, the user
can move
the beam up or down with less effort, thereby adjusting the height of the
torso support
unit.
[0013] Preferably, the counterweight unit comprises: a pulley, rotatably
arranged in
the rail; at least one cable, around the pulley, one end of the cable
connected to the beam;
and a counterweight, connected to the other end of the cable. As such, when
the beam
moves up, the counterweight moves down through the linkage of the cables to
offset
the weight of the beam, so that the user can lift the beam with less effort;
when the beam
moves down, the counterweight moves upward through the linkage of the cables
to
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
offset the weight of the beam, so as to prevent the beam from falling quickly
and hurting
people.
[0014] Preferably, the torso support unit has a fixing frame on which a
plurality of
the actuating elements is arranged, and the torso-holding portion is connected
to the
actuating elements. Thereby, the height of the torso-holding portion can be
finely
adjusted by the actuating element, so that the torso-holding portion
accommodating the
human torso can be appropriately lifted upward to an appropriate height.
[0015] Preferably, the actuating element is a linear actuator, such as an
electric
cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, and so on.
[0016] Preferably, the torso-holding portion has an annular frame, and a
holding
element is disposed in the annular frame, the holding element has a through
hole for
accommodating the torso, and the circumference of the through hole is provided
with
the first coupling element, the torso of the user is held in the torso-holding
portion by
the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion of the torso-
wearing unit
being connected to each other.
[0017] Preferably, corresponding positions of the fixing frame and the annular
frame
are respectively provided with a gap. Thereby, the user can easily get in and
out of the
torso-holding portion. In addition, the annular frame is divided by four gaps
into four
independent arc-shaped portions, and each of the arc-shaped portions is driven
by a
plurality of actuating elements, so as to adapt to the torso shape of
different users and/or
matching the form of sports equipment or rehabilitation equipment, and through
fine-
tuning of actuating element to adjust the most suitable height of a specific
portion of
the annular frame.
[0018] Preferably, the torso support unit is connected to an extension rod,
the
extension rod is provided with a pivot element, the pivot element is provided
with a
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
display, and the display is rotatable relative to the extension rod through
the pivot
element. When the device with anti-gravity and suspension of the present
invention is
used with fitness equipment or rehabilitation equipment, the angle of the
display
connected to the fitness equipment or rehabilitation and correction equipment
can be
adjusted so that the user can easily obtain the displayed information.
[0019] Preferably, the first coupling element and the second coupling element
are
respectively a first zipper and a second zipper that can be coupled to each
other for easy
connection operation of the torso-wearing unit and the torso-holding portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by
reading
the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with
reference to
the attached drawings, in which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic view showing the appearance of
the
present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the relationship between the user
and the
torso-wearing unit;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a planar view showing that the rail structure of the present
invention
and the beam at a lower position relative to the rail;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a planar view showing that the rail structure of the present
invention
and the beam at a lower position relative to the rail;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a planar view showing the combined relationship between the
rail
structure and the beam of the present invention along the A-A section line of
FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a planar view showing the combined relationship between the
rail
structure and the beam of the present invention along the B-B section line of
FIG. 1;
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
[0027] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the state when the user enters the
torso-
holding portion during use; and
[0028] Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing the user held by the torso-holding
portion
and lifted by the actuating element.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0029] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further
understanding
of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a portion of this
specification.
The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the
description,
serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0030] The terms "first" and "second" described below are for the purpose of
distinguishing components, and are not used to limit the order of arrangement
or
installation of components.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment of the device
with
anti-gravity and suspension of the present invention includes: a base 1, a
torso support
unit 2 and a torso-wearing unit 3; wherein, the base 1 includes a platform 10
on which
equipment such as treadmills, rehabilitators, etc. can be set up; the front
end of the base
1 is used as an entrance for users to enter and exit, and the rear end is
equipped with an
electromechanical box 11, the inside of the electromechanical box 11 is
provided an
electromechanical device configured to control the movement of the torso
support unit
2. Two rails 4 are erected symmetrically on two opposite sides of the base 1,
a U-shaped
side bar 12 is respectively connected between the two rails 4 and the base 1,
and a
handrail 121 is respectively disposed on the opposite surfaces of the two side
bars 12
to assist the user to enter and exit the base 1 safely; the lower side of the
U-shaped side
bar 12 is locked on the side of the platform 10, and the upper end of the U-
shaped side
bar 12 is fixed on the rail 4; therefore, after the side bar 12 is installed,
an L shape is
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
shown above the horizontal plane of the platform 10, so that the handrail 121
is installed
on the upper side of the U-shaped side bar 12. The side bar 12 is not limited
to the shape
of U, and any other suitable shape can also be adopted according to the actual
situation.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the torso support unit 2 is a unit that
is
arranged between the two rails 4 to support the user's torso to suspend above
the
platform 10, and the torso support unit 2 can move up and down along the rail
4 so as
to facilitate the user's torso to enter or move out of the torso support unit
2. After the
user enters the torso support unit 2, the torso support unit 2 can be raised
to a desired
height, so as to lift the user's torso to a proper suspended state.
[0033] Specifically, the torso support unit 2 has a beam 21 for movably
connected to
the two rails 4, and a torso-holding portion 22 for accommodating the torso
and at least
one actuating element 23 are fixedly provided on the beam 21. At least one
actuating
element 23 applies a force to the torso-holding portion 22 to finely adjust
the vertical
direction of the torso-holding portion 22 to ascend or descend.
[0034] More specifically, the torso support unit 2 has a fixing frame 24 on
which a
plurality of actuating elements 23 is arranged, and the torso-holding portion
22 is
connected to the actuating elements 23. For example, a pipe can be bent into a
U shape
to form the fixing frame 24, and a lower gap 241 is disposed at the bent end
of the U
shape; a plurality of the actuating elements 23 is erected on the fixing frame
24, and the
upper ends of the actuating elements 23 are connected to the torso-holding
portion 22,
which is driven by the actuating element 23 to move up or down. The preferred
embodiment of the present invention is to use a linear actuator such as an
electric
cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder as the actuating element 23. When the
electric cylinder
is supplied with electric current, the central axis of the electric cylinder
is controlled to
move vertically, so that the torso-holding portion 22 is controlled to move up
or down.
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
[0035] The torso-holding portion 22 has an annular frame 221, and the inner
periphery of the annular frame 221 is provided with a holding element 222 made
of a
flexible material. For example, the flexible material can be a cloth with
sufficient
toughness, or any similar material. All or part of the periphery of the
holding element
222 is covered and fixed on the annular frame 221; the center of the holding
element
222 has a through hole 223 for accommodating the waist or abdomen of the user,
and
the circumference of the through hole 223 is disposed with a first coupling
element 224.
For example, the first coupling element 224 may preferably be a first zipper.
Similarly,
in the present invention, an upper gap 225 is provided at a position
corresponding to
the lower gap 241 of the fixing frame 24 of the annular frame 221 to
facilitate the user
to enter and exit the through hole 223 of the holding element 222. The annular
frame
221 is arranged above the fixing frame 24, and the central axis of the
electric cylinder
as the actuating element 23 is connected to the bottom of the annular frame
221.
Therefore, when the actuating element 23 is moved upward, the annular frame
221 is
lifted upward with respect to the fixing frame 24, and when the actuating
element 23 is
moved downward, the annular frame 221 is lowered with respect to the fixing
frame 24.
The purpose of the present invention is to use the actuating element 23 to
provide a fine
adjustment of the height of the torso-holding portion 22 relative to the
fixing frame 24,
so as to be used by users with different torso shapes. More particularly, in
the present
invention, the annular frame 221 is divided by four upper gaps 225 into four
independent arc-shaped portions, and each of the arc-shaped portions is driven
by a
plurality of electric cylinders respectively, so as to adapt to the torso
shape and size of
different users, as well as matching the form of the sports equipment or
rehabilitation
equipment. The most suitable height position of the annular frame 221 is fine-
tuned by
the electric cylinder to fine-tune a specific part of the annular frame 221
through the
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
actuating element. For example, when the annular frame 221 is divided into
four parts,
the arc-shaped portions in front, rear, left and right sides of the annular
frame 221 can
be adjusted to different heights.
[0036] The torso support unit 2 is connected with a pair of extension rods 25.
Specifically, one end of each of the pair of extension rods 25 is connected to
the fixing
frame 24, and the opposite end is provided with a pivot element 251. A display
26 is
provided thereon, and the display 26 can be rotated relatively to the
extension rod 25
through the pivot element 251 to adjust the viewing angle of the display 26.
More
specifically, the display 26 is used in conjunction with equipment such as
treadmills,
rehabilitation equipment and the like that are mounted on the platform 10 to
display
information, such as speed, frequency, number of steps, number of times, etc.,
when the
user is using the treadmill, rehabilitation and other equipment.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the rail 4 has a rail groove
extending
in the vertical direction, and a partition plate 41 is used to separate a
first space 42 and
a second space 43 in the rail groove. At least one roller 211 is movably
provided at both
ends of the beam 21, and the two ends of the beam 21 are fitted in the first
spaces 42 of
the two rails 4 respectively, so that the rollers 211 roll and stay in contact
with the inner
wall surface of the rail grooves of the first space 42 or the surface of the
partition plate
41. Preferably, in the present invention, a roller 211 can be respectively
provided above
and below the vertical direction of the end of the beam 21, and the two
rollers 211 are
in contact with the inner wall surface of the rail groove or the surface of
the partition
plate 41 to achieve more stable rolling. In addition, the two ends of the
upper part of
the beam 21 are respectively connected to one end of a cable 45; a pulley 44
is movably
arranged on the upper end of the partition plate 41; the cable 45 connected to
the beam
21 goes around the pulley 44 and the other end of the enters the second space
43, and a
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
counterweight 46 is arranged at the other end of the cable 45 in the second
space 43.
The counterweight 46 can be a metal block or any object with a suitable
weight, and its
weight is substantially equal to the sum of the beam 21 and the torso-holding
portion
22 described below, whereby the user only needs to lift or lower the beam 21
manually
with ease as the weights of the beam 21 and the torso-holding portion 22 are
balanced
by the counterweight 46, which can save the effort and is easy to operate.
More
specifically, when the beam 21 is moved downward (as shown in FIG. 3), the
weight of
the counterweight 46 will at least counteract the weight of most of the beam
21, so as
to prevent the beam 21 from falling rapidly and causing harm to the human
torso.
Similarly, when the beam 21 is moved upward (as shown in FIG. 4), the weight
of the
counterweight 46 will at least counteract the weight of most of the beam 21,
so that the
beam 21 can be easily lifted by manpower.
[0038] In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, a fixing unit 5 is disposed
between
the beam 21 and the rail 4, so that the beam 21 is fixed after being adjusted
to a
predetermined position. The fixing unit 5 includes at least one hole 2121
disposed on
an end plate 212 at the end of the beam 21, and a plurality of positioning
holes 47
disposed at a suitable height on the side wall of the rail 4 in the vertical
direction. The
diameter of the plurality of positioning holes 47 is basically equal to the
hole 2121, and
the trajectory of the beam 21 moving up and down along the rail 4 is
consistent with
the vertical direction of the positioning holes 47. Therefore, when the beam
21 moves
in the vertical direction to a predetermined position and the hole 2121 is
positioned
corresponding to one of the positioning holes 47, a latch (not shown) can be
inserted
into both the hole 2121 and the positioning hole 47, so that the beam 21 is
fixed at the
predetermined position, so as to prevent the beam from moving down or
arbitrarily.
When the height of the beam 21 needs to be adjusted again, the height of the
beam 21
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
is adjusted after pulling out the latch, and then the latch is inserted into
the
corresponding holes and positioning holes after the adjustment to fix the beam
21 in the
aforementioned manner.
10039] Furthermore, to allow the user to easily understand the adjusted height
of the
beam 21, a viewing window 2122 can be further provided on the end plate 212,
and a
height marking portion 48 is provided on the outer side wall surface of the
rail 4. The
height marking portion 48 is a plurality of numbers or symbols arranged along
the rail
4 in the vertical direction, and the numbers or symbols are used to indicate
the height
on the rail 4. The inner diameter of the window 2122 is larger than each of
the plurality
of numbers or symbols, whereby when the beam 21 is moved to a predetermined
position and the window 2122 corresponds to one of the numbers or symbols, the
user
can easily see the number or symbol to know the height at which the beam 21 is
located.
[0040] The torso-wearing unit 3 is a unit that provides for the wearing on the
torse
of the user. As shown in FIG. 2, the torso-wearing unit 3 is a body 30 in a
form of a pair
of trousers or shorts. A relatively rigid ring 31 is disposed at the inner
diameter of the
opening of the body 30, where the bottom of the torso can enter to wear. The
outer side
of the ring 31 is connected with a connecting portion 32, and a second
coupling element
33 is arranged on the periphery of the connecting portion 32, and the second
coupling
element 33 is used for connecting with the first coupling element 224 of the
torso
support unit 2. Preferably, the first coupling element 224 and the second
coupling
element 33 are respectively a first zipper and a second zipper which can be
coupled to
each other.
[0041] The usage mode of the device of the present invention is described as
follows:
as shown in FIG. 2, the user first needs to wear the torso-wearing unit 3 in
the manner
of wearing a pair of trousers, and then the torso support unit 2 is lowered
along with the
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-07-20
beam 21. The user steps into the annular frame 221 of the torso-holding
portion 22 (as
shown in FIG. 7), then lifts the torso support unit 2 to an appropriate height
position
along with the beam 21, and then attaches the first coupling element 224
(i.e., the first
zipper) to the second coupling element 33 (i.e., the second zipper). The
user's torso is
kept in the annular frame 221, and then the cross beam 21 is appropriately
lifted to a
predetermined height depending on the user's height, and the latch is inserted
into the
hole in the end plate 212 of the beam 21 and one of the positioning holes 47
of the rail
4 to fix the beam 21. Finally, the actuating element 23 is activated to lift
the annular
frame 221, so as to lift the user's torso to a proper suspended state (as
shown in IG. 8).
In this state, if the platform 10 is equipped with equipment such as a
treadmill or a
rehabilitation device, the user can perform actions such as running or
rehabilitation in
a suspended state, thereby, reducing the adverse effects of weight load on the
knee joint
of the human torso due to gravity. When the use is completed, the torso
supporting unit
2 can be withdrawn in the reverse procedure of the above-mentioned use
process, and
the torso-wearing unit 3 can be taken off.
[0042] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the
preferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that
a variety of
modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the
present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.
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