Method for obviating knee joint injury

A construction and mode of use of an exercise device primarily for extension exercise routines which hold each knee of the exerciser, by a restraint, at an obtuse angle or in an injury-obviating position during repetitive opposite direction bending at the waist during which, the weight-shifting of the upper torso, can cause injury to an unrestrained knee.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in exercise
 devices, the improvements more particularly focusing on lower back
 rehabilitation and specifically on an operational mode of an exercise
 device to prevent knee, gluteal, and lumbosacral strains associated with
 extension exercise routines, all as will be better understood as the
 description proceeds.
 EXAMPLE OF THE PRIOR ART
 Exercise devices for rehabilitation, strengthening goals, and other such
 benefits are already well known and documented in prior patents, as
 exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,513 for "Dual Station Exercise Bench"
 issued to Habing et al. on Mar. 2, 1993. The access to and use of one of
 these exercise devices, however, does not assure that it will result in a
 benefit to the user, since the way it is used could actually cause injury.
 For example, it has been found in practice that performing on extension
 apparatus without providing posterior femoral support could, and often
 does result in severe knee joint injury and injury to lower back muscles,
 i.e., the gluteal, quadratous lumborum, and the hamstrings.
 Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing
 and other shortcomings of the prior art.
 More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an
 exercise device which by its construction dictates, preparatory to its use
 that an injury-obviating position be assumed by the exerciser to thusly
 avoid the occurrence of injury.

Shown in FIG. 1, and documented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,513, is a known
 exercise performed by repetitive opposite direction bending at the waist
 10, in the directions of the arrow 12, by the exerciser 14 using an
 exercise device, generally designated 16, the construction and use of
 which is well known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,513 and is to be understood
 to be incorporated by this reference in this patent application as if
 fully set forth herein.
 Before reverting back to FIG. 1, it is helpful in better understanding the
 invention to refer first to FIG. 2 in which the anatomy, and more
 specifically the femur bone and tibia bone are respectively identified, as
 at 18 and 20, which anatomically are at the juncture of, and articulate at
 the knee 22. Underlying the present invention is the recognition that
 during exercising any knee flexing in the direction 24, if not controlled
 as to extent, will result in serious injury to the knee 22 and/or to the
 user's hamstring (not shown in FIG. 2). Thus to prevent this happenstance,
 the knee 22 is physically restrained in an obtuse angle 26 (see FIGS. 4,
 5) and, at this angle, is in what can aptly be characterized as a safe
 knee position, depicted generally, as at 28, for doing hyperextensions as
 illustrated in sequential FIGS. 4 and 5.
 Except for means for positioning so as to insure a safe knee position 28
 during hyperextensions 12 embodied only in the FIGS. 3-5 exercise device,
 generally designated 30, and not embodied in the '513 device 16 and in all
 other known devices, it will be understood that the construction of device
 16 and of device 30 is similar; thus, it is believed that a complete
 understanding of the invention does not require a detailed description of
 this known similar construction.
 The positioning means which characterize the operating mode of the exercise
 device 30 provide positions of two pairs of adjacent supports 32 and 34
 each of comfort-friendly plush or elastomeric construction material, the
 former support 32 being correlated to the length 36 of the lower torso of
 the exerciser 38 as measured from his sole 40 to his waist 42 and the
 latter support 34 correlated to his foot length 44 also as measured from
 his sole 40 but only up to his knee 22.
 The preferred positioning means for the support 32 consists of a hollow
 support bar 46, rectangular in cross section, mounted on cooperating
 upstanding support brackets 48 and 50 from a base 52 as by welds,
 individually and collectively designated 54, at an angular orientation
 subtending an included angle 56 to the horizontal effective to establish a
 path of movement 58. To this end, a cooperating hollow support bar 60,
 also rectangular in cross section but slightly undersized with respect to
 the hollow core of bar 46, so as to allow for a sliding clearance
 therebetween, has an operative position in telescoped relation to the bar
 46. It will be understood that the bars 46 and 60 respectively have lines
 of openings which, in use, provide a selected pair of openings in
 alignment with each other for receiving in inserted relation therethrough
 a popper pin 62, which establishes a desired position along the path of
 movement 58 of the support 32, such as at the position of movement
 depicted in full line, or at a range of other positions, as depicted in
 phantom perspective in FIG. 3. The referred to cooperating line of
 openings on bars 46 and 60 are similar to the opening, individually and
 collectively designated 64 and 66.
 The preferred positioning means for the support 34 consists of a hollow
 support bar 68, rectangular in cross section, mounted on a cooperating
 support bracket 70 extending from a site of its weld attachment to the bar
 68, at an angular orientation subtending an included angle 72 to the
 horizontal effective to establish a path of movement 74. To this end, a
 cooperating hollow support bar 76, also rectangular in cross section but
 slightly undersized with respect to the hollow core of bar 68, so as to
 allow for a sliding clearance therebetween, has an operative position in
 telescoped relation to the bar 68. The positions of movement of the
 support 34, using the previously referred to aligned openings 64 and 66
 and a popper pin 78, are those along the path of movement and depicted in
 full line and phantom line perspective.
 The staring exercise position of the exerciser 38 is illustrated in FIG. 4.
 In preparation for assuming the FIG. 4 position, the assumed positions of
 the supports 32 and 34 are respectively correlated to the dimensions 36
 and 44 of FIG. 2. In practice, use of the same angles 56 and 72 are
 effective in establishing the paths of movement 58 and 74 in substantial
 parallel relation to each other, which assures that there is sufficient
 clearance in front of support 32 and behind support 34 for the exerciser
 38 to assume the FIG. 4 starting position. To this end, the feet 80 of the
 exerciser 38 straddle the bar 46 having the clearance in front of support
 34 to do so, and positions his lower waist 42 against support 32, as at
 84, and just below his knee 22 has positioned, as at 86, the support 34
 which constrains the knee 22 from moving in the direction 24. The
 exerciser 38 is instructed to position his feet 80 on a foot rest 88
 welded at the end of bar 68 so that there is an obtuse angle 26 flex in
 his feet 22, a condition previously noted as being proper for an exercise
 routine of hypertensions 90.
 In FIG. 5, the exerciser 38 is shown moving through a forward waist bend 90
 which, of course, causes a weight shift of his upper torso 92 in front of
 the support 32. Although this weight shift has a tendency to be a hyper
 condition giving rise to a stress possibility for the knee 22, the
 restraint of the support 34 strategically located behind the knee 22
 obviates any injury occurring to the knee 22.
 In contrast, as shown in FIG. 1, the restraint applied by a stationary
 support 96 at its only position possible, is behind the heel 98 of the
 exerciser 14 and thus ineffective in obviating injury to the exerciser's
 knee 110. The failure to provide this safeguard is believed due to a lack
 of understanding that the noted weight shift induces in the muscular
 anatomy of the exerciser 14 the knee condition of FIG. 1, which is
 significantly vulnerable to knee injury.
 While the apparatus for practicing the within inventive method, as well as
 said method herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of
 attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it
 is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently
 preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended
 to the detail of construction or design herein shown other than as defined
 in the appended claims.