Abstract:
Physical therapy walking exercise apparatus is disclosed and includes a gear motor driven V belt sheave a V belt on the V belt sheave and the V belt extending to fit on a driven fly wheel, beams concentrically attached to the axle leg of the driven fly wheel and foot placement shoes mounted on the beams and knee stabilizer attachment pads attached to rods reciprocating on actuation of the apparatus assembly and electrical stimulation leads extending to electrodes for attachment to thighs of the patient.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THIS INVENTION 
   Exercising of the muscle in a human body is of utmost importance to maintain an active life, and those unable to do so, voluntarily, can be enabled to exercise by walking with the aid of physical therapy exercise apparatus of this invention, for re-training a patient to walk. 
   SUMMARY OF THIS INVENTION 
   Physical therapy exercise apparatus of this invention includes a base for mounting the components of a gear motor drive, a V belt sheave attached to the gear motor drive, a V belt on the V belt sheave attached to the gear motor drive and the V belt extending, to a driven fly wheel, and two beams, each hinged on one end, and each beam concentrically attached to the driven fly wheel axle leg, a foot placement shoe mounted on each of the beams, and the hinged ends of each beam attached to a separate pivot mounted lever, and a handle bar attached to each pivot mounted lever. Knee stabilizer attachment pads, attached to reciprocating pivoted rods, on actuation of the apparatus, and a control panel mounted on an upright pillar between handle bars. A back rest mounted on a vertically adjustable height pillar. A gantry crane head mounted on a horizontal beam attached to a vertical adjustable height and the horizontal beam, pivoting or movable, in a horizontal plane, and electrodes attached to the patient/manikin thighs, and leads to the electrodes extending from a monitor to control the electric stimulation frequency and amount of electrical charge. 
   PRIOR ART CONSIDERED (U.S. PATENTS) 
   
       
       U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,801 for EXERCISE APPARATUS WITH ELLIPTICAL MOTION. 
       U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,423 for EXERCISE MACHINE. 
       U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,219 for CYCLIC ERGOMETER. 
       U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,069 for VARIABLE STRIDE ELLIPTICAL STRIDE 
       U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,977 for ELLIPTICAL EXERCISE MACHINE 
       U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,909 for ELLIPTICAL EXERCISE APPARATUS 
       U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,666 for EXERCISING DEVICE ELLIP. FOOT MOVEMENT 
       U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,333 for STATIONARY EXERCISE APPARATUS 
       U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,028 for BODY STIMULATING MECH. JOGGER. 
     
  
   None of the above cited patents either singly or collectively, would anticipate or make obvious the invention of this application. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG.  1 —Elevation right side view of physical therapy exercise apparatus. 
     FIG.  2 —Left side elevation view of physical therapy exercise apparatus 
     FIG.  3 —Side elevation view of foot action contour. 
     FIG.  4 —Side elevation view of manikin in the physical therapy exercise apparatus 
     FIG.  5 —Plan view of physical therapy exercise apparatus. 
     FIG.  6 —Physical therapy exercise apparatus control panel. 
   

   LEGEND 
   
       
         1 —Physical therapy exercise apparatus 
         2 —Motor &amp; gearbox drive unit 
         3 —Gearbox output drive sheave 
         4 —V-belt 
         5 —Driven flywheel/sheave 
         6 ,  6 ′—Drive beams for boot binding mounting brackets 
         7 ,  7 ′—Toe hinged boot bindings 
         8 ,  8 ′—Knee stabilizer attachment pads 
         9 ,  9 ′—Knee stabilizer reciprocating guide rods 
         10 ,  10 ′—Guide rod bearings 
         11 ,  11 ′—Drive beam linkage arms 
         12 ,  12 ′—Vertical handle bars 
         13 ,  13 ′,  13 ″,  13 ′″—Body lift stabilizer 
         14 —Horizontal crane arm (rotating &amp; vertical sliding) 
         15 —Vertical crane pillar 
         16 —Base frame for physical therapy exercise apparatus 
         17 ,  17 ′—Concentric flanged bearing mount 
         18 —Hip stabilizer &amp; back rest pad 
         19 —Horizontal extension &amp; mounting arm for back rest 
         20 —Locking clamp 
         21 —Vertical extension back rest pad mount pillar 
         22 —Vertical back rest pad pillar 
         23 —Control panel 
         24 ,  24 ′—Boot bindings with boot pivot bearings 
         25 —Base frame for crane 
         26 —Vertical extension support for control panel 
         27 —Manikin 
         28 —Power cord with connecting ends 
         29 —Remote motor control switch 
         30 —Rehabilitation session timer, with display g) On/off button r) Program mode button s) Set hours button t) Set minutes button 
         31 —Motor drive control key pad and display g) Program mode button h) Forward reverse button i) Run or start button j) Faster button k) Slower button l) Stop button 
         32 —Main power on/off switch with indicator light 
         33 —Ground fault circuit interrupter u) GFCI test switch v) GFCI reset switch 
         34 —Muscle stimulation units m) Frequency modulation control dial n) Intensity &amp; duration control dial o) On/off switch p) Program selection dial w) Electrodes (W, W′, W″, W′″) 
         35 —Load cell cable connector 
         36 —Load cell display meter a) Alarm-1 set-point adjustment b) Alarm-1 hysteresis adjustment c) Alarm-2 set-point adjustment d) Alarm-2 hysteresis adjustment e) Span adjustment f) Offset adjustment 
         37 —On/off switch for load cell meter 
         38 —Fuse holder 
         39 —Hand held remote keypad and display cable connector 
         40 ,  40 ′—Boot binding mounting bracket 
         41 —Horizontal handle bars (adjustable, stationary) 
         42 —Photoelectric light beam emitter 
         43 —Photoelectric light beam receiver 
         44 —Rehabilitation apparatus support tubes 
         45 —Motor &amp; gearbox adjustable mounting bracket 
         46 —Motor &amp; gearbox cooling fan 
         47 —Load cell 
         48 —Lift bar 
         49 —Vertical crane arm support (adjusts vertically) 
         50 ,  50 ′—Safety switches 
         51 ,  51 ′,  51 ″,  51 ′″—Couplings to join rehabilitation apparatus to floor frame 
         52 —Computer interface female connector 
         53 —Winch assembly 
         54 —Heel cycle travel contour 
         54 ′—Toe cycle travel contour 
         55 ,  55 ′—Drive arms 
         56 ,  56 ′—Apertures in drive arms 
         57 —Axle of driven sheave 
         58 —Electric motor of gearbox drive 
         59 ,  59 ′—Swing bearings for drive beam linkage arms 
         60 ,  60 ′—Apertures in drive beam linkage arms 
         61 —Photoelectric beam pathway 
     
  
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
   The physical therapy exercise apparatus of this invention can be described by reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing this application  1 , and includes a base frame  16  for the apparatus a motor and gearbox drive unit  2 , and gearbox output drive sheave  3 , and V belt  4 , mounted on gearbox output drive sheave  3 , and the driven flywheel sheave  5 . One end of each of drive beams  6 ,  6 ′ are attached to drive arms  55 ,  55 ′, in turn attached to axle  57  of driven flywheel sheave  5 , the opposite ends of each of drive beams  6 ,  6 ′ are connected to drive beam linkage arms  11 ,  11 ′ by means of a flanged bearing mounts  17 . Handle bars  12 ,  12 ′ attached to drive beam linkage arms  11 ,  11 ′ extend upward, and safety switches  50 ,  50 ′ mounted on handle bars  12 ,  12 ′. 
   Boots  7 ,  7 ′ mounted on boot toe bindings  24 ,  24 ′ attached to drive beams  6 ,  6 ′ to allow tilting of the boots  7 ,  7 ′ on actuating of the apparatus  1 , by electric motor  58 , of motor and gearbox drive unit  2  mounted on bracket  45 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 4 , showing manikin  27 , in standing position in apparatus  1 , and the manikin  27  lifted in position by means of body lift stabilizer  13 , extending from horizontal crane arm  14 , attached to vertical crane pillar  49 . Hip stabilizer and back rest pad  18 , is to abut the manikin (patient) as shown in this  FIG. 4  and is adjustable by being mounted on horizontal extension and mounting arm  19 , and this vertical extension arm  19  attached to telescoping vertical extension back rest pillar  21 , telescoping into vertical back rest pillar  22  The feet of the manikin (patient) are to be placed in boots  7 ,  7 ′, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , mounted on toe bindings attached to drive beams  6 ,  6 ′. It is to be noted that boots  7 ,  7 ′ to be mounted on toe bindings are not shown in  FIG. 4 . 
   As noted above, this apparatus is for physical therapy, particularly for re-training the patient, to walk, and includes knee stabilizer attachment pads  8 ,  8 ′ attached to knee stabilizer reciprocating guide rods  9 ,  9 ′, and each reciprocating guide rod  9 ,  9 ′ extending through guide rod bearings  10 ,  10 ′ which prevents side wobble of the patients knees on actuation of the apparatus  1 . The above noted knee stabilizer attachment pads  8 ,  8 ′ are strapped onto the outside of the patients knees, to prevent knee wobble. 
   Body lift stabilizer  13 , hangs downward from winch assembly  53 , attached to horizontal crane arm  14 . The crane arm  14 , mounted on telescoping vertical crane pillar  49 , telescoping into vertical crane arm support  15 , and the vertical crane pillar  15  mounted on base frame  25  for the crane and physical therapy rehabilitation/exercise apparatus  1 . Lift bar  48  attached to body lift stabilizer  13 . 
     FIG. 3  is a side elevation view to show in particular the heel cycle travel contour  54  and toe cycle travel contour  54 ′, of a patients&#39; foot and boot  7 , or  7 ′ on activation of the therapy rehabilitation/exercise apparatus  1 . 
     FIG. 5 , is a plan view of the physical therapy rehabilitation/exercise apparatus  1 , and shows the physical therapy rehabilitation/exercise apparatus  1 , connected to base frame  25 , by means of couplings  51 ,  51 ′,  51 ″,  51 ′″ attached to connector tubes  44 ,  44 ′ for stability  0010 —Control panel  23 , is mounted on telescoping vertical support  26 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , the components are as follows. 
   Rehabilitation session timer  30 , which display includes q—on/off button; r—program mode button; s—set hours button; t—set minutes button. 
   Motor drive control key pad and display  31 , which display includes: g—program mode button: h—forward/reverse button: i—start button: j—faster button: k—slower button: l—stop button. 
   Main power on/off switch with indicator light  32 . 
   Ground fault circuit interrupter  33 , which includes: u—ground fault circuit interrupter test switch: v—ground fault circuit interrupter reset switch. 
   Muscle stimulation units  34 , which includes: m—frequency modulation control dial: n—intensity and duration control dial: o—on/off switch: p—program selection dial. 
   Load cell cable connector  35 . 
   Load cell display meter  36 , which includes: a—alarm—1 set point adjustment: b—alarm—1 hysteresis adjustment: c—alarm—2 set-point adjustment: d—alarm—2 hysteresis adjustment: e—span adjustment: f—offset adjustment. 
   On/off switch for load cell meter  37 , and fuse holder  38 . 
   Power cord  28  with male plug extends from control panel  23 . Remote motor control switch  29  is mounted in control panel  23 . 
   Referring to the physical therapy rehabilitation/exercise apparatus  1 , boot binding mounting brackets  40  for boots to be mounted on boot toe bindings, to allow for raising of the heel on going through the walk step. Horizontal handle bar  41 , connected to vertical extension support for control panel  26 . 
     FIG. 5 , shows the plan view of the physical therapy rehabilitation/exercise apparatus  1 , and braces  44 ,  44 ′ attaching the above mentioned apparatus  1 , to the base frame  25  for stability. 
   The motor and gearbox mounting bracket  45 , is for adjusting the tension of the V-belt  4 . Motor  58 , motor gearbox drive unit  2 , and cooling fan  46 , are mounted as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
   Load cell  47 , mounted on body lift stabilizer  13  adjacent to the lift bar  48  to control the proper weight load to the feet of the patient, in the physical therapy walking exercise apparatus of this invention. 
   Drive arms  55 ,  55 ′ are attached to the axle  57  of driven sheave and apertures  56 ,  56 ′ are provided in the drive arms  55 ,  55 ′ to adjust the stride of the patient in the therapy apparatus. 
   Drive beam linkage arms  11 ,  11 ′ are mounted on swing bearings  59 ,  59 ′ for the drive beam linkage arms, and vertical handlebars  12 ,  12 ′ are attached to the drive beam linkage arms  11 ,  11 ′, to give a natural swing of the arms in opposite direction to foot movement. 
   Electrotherapy is part of this apparatus for walking and on referring to  FIG. 5 , wherein muscle stimulation units  34 ,  34 ′ are shown, which connect to electrode leads W, W′, W″, W′″ that connect to electrodes placed on thighs of manikin/patient as shown in  FIG. 4 . The control of this electrotherapy is through muscle stimulation units  34 ,  34 ′. 
   Photoelectric light beam emitter  42 , mounted on vertical back rest pad mount pillar  22 , aimed at photoelectric light beam receiver  43 , is a safety feature to allow the apparatus to operate only when the photoelectric beam pathway is blocked by the manikin/patient. 
   Apertures  60 ,  60 ′ in drive beam linkage arms  11 ,  11 ′ (see  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ) can be used to adjust the walk step. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , legend  52  is a computer interface female connector for data information recording and tracking, and is mounted on the control panel  23 .