U.S. patent application number 09/973880 was filed with the patent office on 2003-04-17 for foot tendon exercising apparatus.
Invention is credited to Hsu, Hank.
Application Number | 20030073550 09/973880 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25521330 |
Filed Date | 2003-04-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030073550 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hsu, Hank |
April 17, 2003 |
Foot tendon exercising apparatus
Abstract
A foot tendon exercising apparatus includes a base, a footplate
pivoted to the base, a driving mechanism installed in the base and
adapted to turn the footplate relative to the base to a desired
tilted position, an upright support upwardly extended from a front
side of the base, and a control switch mounted on the upright
support and adapted to control the operation of the driving
mechanism.
Inventors: |
Hsu, Hank; (Taipei Hsien,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.
624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Family ID: |
25521330 |
Appl. No.: |
09/973880 |
Filed: |
October 11, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/142 ; 601/28;
601/30; 601/70 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2023/006 20130101;
A61H 2205/12 20130101; A61H 23/02 20130101; A63B 23/085 20130101;
A61H 1/005 20130101; A61H 1/0266 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/142 |
International
Class: |
A63B 026/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A foot tendon exercising apparatus comprising: a base; a
footplate mounted on said base, said footplate having a rear side
pivoted to a rear side of said base and a top sidewall for the
positioning of the user's feet; a driving mechanism installed in
said base and adapted to turn said footplate relative to said base
to a desired tilted position; an upright support upwardly extended
from a front side of said base, said upright support having a
handle at a top side thereof; and a control switch mounted on said
upright support and adapted to control the operation of said
driving mechanism.
2. The foot tendon exercising apparatus as claimed in claim 1
wherein said footplate has an upward stop flange upwardly extended
along the rear side of said footplate and adapted to support the
user's feet on the top sidewall of said footplate.
3. The foot tendon exercising apparatus as claimed in claim 2
wherein said upward stop flange has two recessed portions adapted
to receive the user's heel when the user positioned the feet on the
top sidewall of said footplate.
4. The foot tendon exercising apparatus as claimed in claim 1
wherein said driving mechanism comprises an actuating device
pivoted to said base near a front side of said base, a screw rod
coupled to said actuating device, a coupling tube adapted to turn
said footplate relative to said base upon rotary motion of said
screw rod, said coupling tube having a front thereof threaded onto
said screw rod and a rear end thereof pivoted to said footplate,
and a reversible motor coupled to said actuating device and
controlled by said control switch to rotate said screw rod.
5. The foot tendon exercising apparatus as claimed in claim 4
wherein said footplate comprises two bottom lugs bilaterally
disposed near the rear side thereof, and the rear end of said
coupling tube is pivoted to the bottom lugs of said footplate.
6. The foot tendon exercising apparatus as claimed in claim 4
wherein said actuating device is a gear box adapted to transmit
rotary driving force from said reversible motor to said screw
rod.
7. The foot tendon exercising apparatus as claimed in claim 1
wherein said footplate comprises a massaging device adapted to
massage and stimulate the sole of the user's feet.
8. The foot tendon exercising apparatus as claimed in claim 7
wherein said massaging device comprises a vibration plate supported
on the top sidewall of said footplate, said vibration plate having
raised massaging elements, and a driving mechanism installed in
said footplate and adapted to vibrate said vibration plate.
9. The foot tendon exercising apparatus as claimed in claim 8
wherein said upright support comprises a back cushion.
10. The foot tendon exercising apparatus as claimed in claim 7
wherein said massaging device comprises a pad that releases
far-infrared rays.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a foot exercising
apparatus, and more particularly to a foot tendon exercising
apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] FIG. 1 shows a foot tendon exercising apparatus according to
the prior art. According to this design, the foot tendon exercising
apparatus comprises a base 81' defining a plurality of locating
grooves 84', a footplate 83' having a rear side pivoted to the base
81' and a plurality of bottom positioning grooves 85' transversely
disposed at the bottom side of the footplate 83', and a support
plate 82' coupled between the locating grooves 84' of the base 81'
and the bottom positioning grooves 85' of the footplate 83' to
support the footplate 83' in one of a series of tilted
positions.
[0003] FIG. 2 shows another structure of foot tendon exercising
apparatus according to the prior art. According to this design, the
foot tendon exercising apparatus comprises a box-like base 91, a
footplate 92, the footplate 92 having a rear side pivoted to the
base 91, a balance block 94 mounted inside the base 91, two links
95 bilaterally coupled between the balance block 94 and the
footplate 92, and an adjustment screw 93 mounted in the front side
of the base 91 and coupled to the balance block 94. When rotating
the adjustment screw 93, the balance block 94 is moved
forwards/backwards, thereby causing the links 95 to lift/lower the
footplate 92.
[0004] The aforesaid two prior art designs are still not
satisfactory in function. The drawbacks of the aforesaid prior art
designs are numerous as outlined hereinafter.
[0005] 1. It is complicated to adjust the tilted angular position
of the footplate manually, and the user must stop the exercise and
get off the footplate when making an adjustment.
[0006] 2. When exercising, the user must keep the body in balance,
and the user cannot concentrate one's efforts on the exercise if
the body is not kept in balance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention has been accomplished to provide a
foot tendon exercising apparatus, which eliminates the aforesaid
drawbacks. It is therefore the primary objective of the present
invention to provide a foot tendon exercising apparatus, which
enables the user to adjust the tilted angular position of the
footplate without stop the exercise.
[0008] It is another objective of the present invention to provide
a foot tendon exercising apparatus, which has means for the holding
of the hands so that the user can keep the body in balance during
exercising.
[0009] It is still another objective of the present invention to
provide a foot tendon exercising apparatus, which is programmably
controlled to fit different exercise requirements.
[0010] In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the
foregoing objectives of the present invention are attained by a
foot tendon exercising apparatus which is comprised of a base, a
footplate pivoted to the base, a driving mechanism installed in the
base and adapted to turn the footplate relative to the base to the
desired tilted position, an upright support upwardly extended from
a front side of the base, and a programmable control switch mounted
on the upright support and adapted to control the operation of the
driving mechanism.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foot tendon exercising
apparatus according to the prior art.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a foot tendon exercising
apparatus according to another prior art.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a foot tendon exercising
apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a side view of the first embodiment of the present
invention showing an application example of the foot tendon
exercising apparatus.
[0015] FIG. 5 is another side view of the first embodiment of the
present invention showing the tilted position of the footplate
adjusted.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a foot tendon exercising
apparatus according to a second preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a foot tendon exercising
apparatus according to a third preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a foot tendon exercising
apparatus 10 is shown constructed according to a first embodiment
of the present invention. The foot exercising apparatus 10
comprises a base 20, a footplate 30, a driving mechanism 40, an
upright support 50, and a control switch 60.
[0019] The base 20 is a hollow rectangular frame shell for
positioning on the floor, having two posts 21 bilaterally disposed
near the rear side, and a U-shaped coupling plate 22 disposed near
the front side and extended in direction toward the posts 21.
[0020] The footplate 30 is a rectangular plate pivoted with one
side (the rear side) to the posts 21 of the base 20. The top
sidewall of the footplate 30 is a flat sidewall for the positioning
of the user's feet. The footplate 30 comprises two bottom lugs 31
bilaterally disposed near the rear side, and an upward stop flange
32 upwardly extended along the rear side and adapted to support the
user's feet on the flat top sidewall of the footplate 30. The
upward stop flange 32 has two recessed portions 321 adapted to
receive the heels when the user positioned the feet on the
footplate 30.
[0021] The driving mechanism 40 is adapted to tilt the footplate
30, comprising an actuating device, for example, a gear box 41, the
gear box 41 having a coupling plate 45 pivoted to the U-shaped
coupling plate 22 of the base 20, a screw rod 43 coupled to output
side of the gear box 41, a coupling tube 44, the coupling tube 44
having one end threaded onto the screw rod 43 and the other end
pivoted to the bottom lugs 31 of the footplate 30, and a reversible
motor 42 coupled to the input side of the gear box 41 (at the right
side of the gear box 41) and adapted to rotate the screw rod 43
through the transmission gear set (not shown) in the gear box 41.
When rotating the screw rod 43 in one direction, the coupling tube
44 is moved forwards toward the gear box 41 to lower the footplate
30. On the contrary, when rotating the screw rod 43 in the reversed
direction, the coupling tube 44 is moved backwards to lift the
footplate 30.
[0022] The upright support 50 comprises a main rod member 51
upwardly extended from the center area of the front side of the
base 20, a tubular member 52 upwardly extended from the top of the
main rod member 51 and terminating in a loop-shaped handle 53.
[0023] The control switch 60 is mounted on the loop-shaped handle
53, and electrically connected to the reversible motor 42 of the
driving mechanism 40 through a circuit board and an electric line
(not shown). The electric line extends through a hole in the
upright post 50 to the reversible motor 42. Through the control
switch 60, the user can control the direction of rotation and
number of turns of the reversible motor 42.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 4, when in use, the user position the feet
on the footplate 30 with the heels supported in the recessed
portions 321 of the upward stop flange 32 and the toes facing the
upright support 50, and then hold the handle 53 with the hands.
Because the footplate 30 is supported on the posts 21 of the base
20 and the coupling tube 44 of the driving mechanism 40 in an
upwardly tilted position, the tendons of the feet are stretched.
Because the feet are supported on the upward stop flange 32 of the
footplate 30 and the user can hold the handles 53 with the hands
when exercising, the foot tendon exercising apparatus is safe in
use.
[0025] When changing the tilting angle of the footplate 30, the
user can operate the control switch 60 to control the reversible
motor 42 to rotate the screw rod 43 clockwise or counter-clockwise,
so as to move the coupling tube 44 forwards or backwards and to
further tilt the footplate 30 downwards or upwards. FIG. 5 shows
the footplate 30 tilted upwards to a relatively higher angular
position than the position shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, it is not
necessary to adjust the angular position of the footplate 30
manually, and the user can adjust the angular position of the
footplate 30 during exercising.
[0026] In actual practice, the control switch 60 can be made having
a set of buttons adapted to turn the footplate 30 to different
tilted positions (for example, 10.degree., 20.degree., 30.degree.,
and etc.). Alternatively the control switch 60 can be made having
two buttons that control clockwise rotation and counter-clockwise
rotation of the reversible motor 42.
[0027] A sophisticated programmable control circuit may be used to
control the operation of the reversible motor 42. For example, the
control circuit can be set to turn the footplate 30 to a
10.degree.-tilted position at the first minute, and then to turn
the footplate 30 to a 20.degree.-tilted position at the second
minute, and then to turn the footplate 30 to a 30.degree.-tilted
position. Alternatively, the control circuit can be set to turn the
footplate 30 up and down slowly at a constant speed. In general,
the foot tendon exercising apparatus can be an intelligent
exercising apparatus.
[0028] FIG. 6 shows a foot tendon exercising apparatus constructed
according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
According to this embodiment, the foot tendon exercising apparatus
70 comprises a massaging device 72 installed in the footplate 71,
and a back cushion 73 at the upright support. The massaging device
72 comprises a vibration plate 74 and a driving mechanism 75
adapted to vibrate the vibration plate 74. The vibration plate 74
has raised massaging elements 76 adapted to massage the sole of the
feet. When the footplate 30 adjusted to a horizontal position, the
user can sit on the footplate 30 with the back supported on the
back cushion 73, enabling the massaging device 72 to massage the
user's hips and thighs.
[0029] FIG. 7 shows a foot tendon exercising apparatus constructed
according to a third embodiment of the present invention. According
to this embodiment, the foot tendon exercising apparatus 80
comprises a massaging device 82 installed in the footplate 81. The
massaging device 82 is a flexible pad injection molded from a
plastic mixture containing mineral powder that releases
far-infrared rays to stimulate the circulation of blood.
[0030] A prototype of foot tendon exercising apparatus has been
constructed with the features of FIGS. 3.about.7. The foot tendon
exercising apparatus functions smoothly to provide all of the
features discussed earlier.
[0031] Although particular embodiments of the invention have been
described in detail for purposes of illustration, various
modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention
is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
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