FOREARM SYNERGY TRAINING DEVICE

A forearm synergy training device includes a support swingable on a base and having an arcuate sliding rail portion, a sliding unit movable on the arcuate sliding rail portion, and a synergistic assembly connected to the base, the support and the sliding unit for driving the sliding unit to slide along the arcuate sliding rail portion when the support is swung. A wearable unit is removably disposed on the support and the sliding unit, and is sleeved on a hand and a forearm of a user. When the user's elbow bends, the support is swung by the forearm through the wearable unit, so that the hand and the forearm are driven by the sliding unit to rotate along the arcuate sliding rail portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Taiwanese Patent Application No. 111105048, filed on Feb. 11, 2022.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a training device, and more particularly to a forearm synergy training device.

BACKGROUND

In occupational therapy, rehabilitation of a patient's forearm relies on an assistive device for training hand muscles. However, the current forearm rehabilitation device on the market can only assist a patient to bend the patient's forearm for training. The patient is unable to simultaneously rotate the forearm while bending the forearm in association with exercising other fine hand movements such as scooping and picking up.

A wearable forearm active rehabilitation training exoskeleton device, as disclosed in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN108524192A, includes an exoskeleton support, an elbow flexion-extension mechanism, a forearm rotation mechanism, a driving motor unit, and a myoelectric signal acquisition device.

The exoskeleton support is used for fixing a patient's upper limb and for supporting the elbow flexion-extension mechanism and the forearm rotation mechanism. The myoelectric signal acquisition device is buried within the exoskeleton support to detect myoelectric signals generated from muscular tension of the patent's upper limb. The driving motor unit includes a first driving motor and a second driving motor. The first driving motor is used for supplying electric power to the elbow flexion-extension mechanism. The second driving motor is used for supplying electric power to the forearm rotation mechanism. Thus, by virtue of the electric power provided by the driving motor unit, the elbow flexion-extension mechanism and the forearm rotation mechanism drive stretching and rotating exercises of the patient's upper limb.

However, the wearable forearm active rehabilitation training exoskeleton device has to rely on the electric power provided by the driving motor unit to drive the stretching and rotating exercises of the patient's upper limb, and the overall structure thereof is complicated. In addition, without electric power supply, the wearable forearm active rehabilitation training exoskeleton device is inoperable, thereby causing inconvenience in use.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a forearm synergy training device that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

According to the disclosure, the forearm synergy training device includes an assistive unit and a wearable unit.

The assistive unit includes a base, a support, a sliding unit, and a synergistic assembly. The support is swingable in a front-rear direction relative to and disposed on the base, and has an arcuate sliding rail portion. The sliding unit is movably disposed on the arcuate sliding rail portion. The synergistic assembly is connected to the base, the support and the sliding unit. The synergistic assembly drives the sliding unit to slide along the arcuate sliding rail portion when the support is swung relative to the base.

The wearable unit is removably disposed on the support and the sliding unit, and is adapted to be sleeved on a hand and a forearm of a user. When the user's elbow bends, the support is swung by the forearm through the wearable unit, so that the hand and the forearm are driven by the sliding unit to rotate along the arcuate sliding rail portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS.1and2, a forearm synergy training device according to an embodiment of the disclosure is wearable on a hand91and a forearm92of a user, and includes an assistive unit1, a wearable unit2, and a supporting frame3.

The assistive unit1includes a base11, a support12, a sliding unit13, a synergistic assembly14, and an adjustment belt15. The base11has a cord guiding plate111and a base plate112. The cord guiding plate111has a first arcuate cord slot101formed in a bottom side thereof. The base plate112has a second arcuate cord slot102formed in a top side thereof.

The support12is swingable in a front-rear direction relative to and disposed on the base11, and has an arcuate sliding rail portion121, a supporting portion122, a connecting portion123, and a fixing portion124. The arcuate sliding rail portion121has a movable cord guide slot103formed in a bottom surface thereof, and two slide slots104respectively formed in front and rear sides of the arcuate sliding rail portion121. The supporting portion122is rotatably connected to the base11. The connecting portion123is connected between the arcuate sliding rail portion121and the supporting portion122. The fixing portion124is disposed on an end of the connecting portion123opposite to the support portion122. In this embodiment, the fixing portion124has an adjustment perforated hole105and a fixing slot106(seeFIG.5).

The sliding unit13is movably disposed on the arcuate sliding rail portion121, and has a sliding block131, a cord reel132, a first fixing member133, and a plurality of wheels134. The sliding block131is slidably sleeved on the arcuate sliding rail portion121, and has a main body1310. The main body1310has a top wall1311on which the wearable unit2is disposed, two spaced-apart side walls1312extending respectively and downwardly from two opposite sides of the top wall1311, and a bottom wall1313connected between the side walls1312and disposed under the top wall1311. The cord reel132is disposed on the bottom wall1313. The first fixing member133is disposed on the top wall1311of the sliding block131. The wheels134are rotatably disposed on inner surfaces of the side walls1312and abut against the arcuate sliding rail portion121. In this embodiment, the number of the wheels134is four. Two wheels134are rotatably disposed on the inner surface of one of the side walls1312and are engaged with one of the slide slots104. The other two wheels134are rotatably disposed on the inner surface of the other one of the side walls1312and are engaged with the other one of the slide slots104.

The synergistic assembly14is connected to the base11, the support12and the sliding unit13, and includes a fixed cord141and a pulley-and-cord unit142. The fixed cord141is connected between the cord guiding plate111and the pulley-and-cord unit142. When the support12is swung relative to the base11, the fixed cord141is disposed around the first arcuate cord slot101and generates a pulling force pulling the pulley-and-cord unit142together with the sliding unit13to move toward the base11.

The pulley-and-cord unit142is disposed movably on the support12. An end of the pulley-and-cord unit142distal from the fixed cord141is fixed to the sliding unit13. In this embodiment, the pulley-and-cord unit142has a movable pulley member143connected to the fixed cord141, a first fixed pulley member144disposed on a bottom side of the connecting portion123, a second fixed pulley member145disposed on a bottom end of the arcuate sliding rail portion121distal from the connecting portion123, and a movable cord146connected between the connecting potion123and the sliding unit13. The movable pulley member143has a pulley seat1430disposed on the connecting portion123of the support12, a movable pulley1431rotatably disposed on the pulley seat1430, and a movable cover1432covering the pulley seat1430. The first fixed pulley member144has a first fixed pulley seat1440disposed on the connecting portion123of the support12, a first fixed pulley1441rotatably disposed on the first fixed pulley seat1440, and a first fixed cover1442covering the first fixed pulley seat1440. The sliding unit13is disposed between the first fixed pulley member144and the second fixed pulley member145. The movable cord146is disposed around the movable pulley1431, the first fixed pulley member144, and the second fixed pulley member145. One end of the movable cord146is fixed to the connecting portion123, and the other end of the movable cord146is connected to the cord reel132of the sliding unit13. The movable cord146moves the sliding unit13toward the second fixed pulley member145through the pulling force generated by the fixed cord141when the support12is swung relative to the base11. When the pulling force is applied to move the sliding unit13, the movable cord146is wound resiliently on the cord reel132. The cord reel132prevents the movable cord146from loosening and disengaging from the movable cord guide slot103of the arcuate sliding rail portion121during self-rotation of the hand91and forearm92of the user.

One end of the adjustment belt15is fixed to the base plate112of the base11. The adjustment belt is disposed around the second arcuate cord slot102of the base plate112, extends through the adjustment perforated hole105of the fixing portion124, and is fixed into the fixing slot106of the fixing portion124at the other end thereof. As such, the adjustment belt15is connected between the base11and the fixing portion124of the support12under tension. The adjustment belt15is operable to adjust an initial inclination angle of the support12relative to the base11, thereby adjusting swing amplitude of the user's forearm92.

The wearable unit2includes a protective body21, a first strap set22, and a second strap23. The protective body21is removably disposed on a top side of the sliding unit13for being sleeved on the hand91and the forearm92. The wearable unit2further includes a second fixing member211that is disposed on the protective body21and that is engaged with the first fixing member133of the sliding unit13. In this embodiment, the first fixing member133is a pin, and the second fixing member211is a perforated hole.

Referring toFIG.3, the first strap set22has four straps221,222,223,224for fixing the protective body21to the hand91and the forearm92. The second strap23fixes the forearm92to the supporting portion122of the support12. The strap221is fastened to and around the index, middle, and ring fingers of the hand91. The strap222is fastened to the palm of the hand91. The strap223is fastened to a front portion of the forearm92. The strap224is fastened to the thumb of the hand91. In this embodiment, each of the straps221,222,223,224and the second strap23as exemplified, but not limited to, is a hook-loop strap.

Noteworthily, the number and arrangement of the first strap set22and the second strap23may vary in other embodiments.

When the user's elbow bends, the support12is swung by the forearm92through the wearable unit2, so that the hand91and the forearm92are driven by the sliding unit13to rotate along the arcuate sliding rail portion121.

The supporting frame3has a bottom seat31and a moving member32rotatably disposed on the bottom seat31. The base11is fixed to the moving member32. The bottom seat31is, but not limited hereto, fixed to a table. The moving member32can be, but not limited to, a multiple-joint assembly.

FIGS.4to7illustrates the use of the forearm synergy training device. To clearly illustrate connection between the assistive unit1and the wearable unit2, the first strap set22, the hand91, the forearm92are omitted from theFIGS.4and6.

In this embodiment, the forearm synergy training device of the disclosure is exemplarily used by the left forearm, whereas it can also be designed to be used by the right forearm. As shown inFIGS.3,4and5, the first strap set22fixes the protective body21to the hand91and the front portion of the forearm92. The second fixing member211of the wearable unit2is fixedly engaged with the first fixing member133of the sliding unit13. The rear portion of the forearm92is fixed to the supporting portion122(seeFIG.1) of the support12by the second strap23. When the user's elbow is not bent, the user's palm faces downwardly and abuts against the sliding block131, and the sliding unit13is located below the arcuate sliding rail portion121and away from the second fixed pulley member145.

Referring toFIGS.6and7, when the user's elbow bends so that the forearm92moves toward the user's body and drives the support12to be swung relative to the base11, the synergistic assembly14drives the sliding unit13to slide upwardly along the arcuate sliding rail portion121, and the hand91and the forearm92are driven by the sliding unit13to rotate along the arcuate sliding rail portion121. After the sliding unit13slides to the uppermost of the sliding rail portion121, the forearm92is moved downwardly by straightening the user's elbow to drive the support12to be swung forwardly and downwardly. As such, the fixed cord141is disengaged from the first arcuate cord slot101, the pulling force is gradually diminished, and the sliding unit13moves toward the first fixed pulley member144. The hand91and the forearm92are driven by the sliding block131to return to the state as shown inFIGS.4and5. Therefore, when the user repeats elbow bending and straightening, the forearm synergy training device of the disclosure assists not only the forearm in flexion and extension, but also the forearm and the hand in rotation.

In summary, the forearm synergy training device of the disclosure assists the user in practicing rotation of the forearm and the hand while training flexion and extension of the forearm, thereby facilitating the user to practice more fine hand movements such as scooping and picking up. Further, the overall structure of the forearm synergy training device of the disclosure is relatively simple. The forearm synergy training device requires no power supply and is easy to use.