Patent Publication Number: US-9901769-B2

Title: Plural parallel cuff for muscle training by pressurizing limb

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a training tool for pressurizing limb in order to reinforce the muscle of the limb. More particularly, the present invention relates to a plural parallel cuff formed of about three cuffs arranged in parallel. The plural parallel cuff restricts bloodstream when it is wound around a limb portion, which is a compartment for the brachial region between the shoulder and the elbow joint, and the femoral region between the hip joint and the knee joint. In the training method of pressurizing limb portion, a low intensity exercise is performed while the plural parallel cuff pressurizes limb portion broadly and uniformly by pneumatically-inflated cuffs. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The conventional method for training muscular strength is known well as disclosed in the following patent document 1. In this training method, a load is applied to the muscle for causing fatigue in the muscle. A fastening belt is wound around the desired muscles at the proximal part close to the heart. The circumference of this fastening belt is shortened by pulling the belt end for tightening the limb. Thereby, venous return is restricted. 
     And also, another conventional method for training muscular strength is known well as disclosed in the following patent document 2. In this training method, an exercise is performed while the venous return is restricted by an inflatable pneumatic cuff. This inflatable cuff is comprised of a rubber tube and a baffle plate provided along the outside of the tube in the cuff. This cuff is wound around the desired muscle at the part close to the heart for fastening the limb. In this state, air is compressed into the tube until the pressure reaches the desired value. Thus, an accurate compression force can be applied to the muscle. 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Documents 
     [Patent document 1] JP2670421B 
     [Patent document 2] JP2796276B 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Problem to be Solved by the Invention 
     In the conventional muscular training method, a fastening cuff is wound around the limb muscle at the part close to the heart for concentrating the pressure on this part in order to restrict venous return. An exercise is performed under this condition. 
     The fastening cuff for such conventional muscle training method is a belt-like single narrow fastening band. The length of the fastening cuff is designed as to cover almost all the circumference of a limb. Therefore, the user might feel pain when the fastening cuff binds the muscle tight enough to restrict venous return. 
     The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, the sciatic nerve, the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve, the obturator nerve and so on pass at the part near the crotch of the thigh, especially, the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve exists the near epidermis of front thigh, as shown in the sectional view of  FIG. 5 . 
     And, the musculocutaneous nerve, the median nerve, the medial cutaneous nerve of forearm, the medial cutaneous nerve of arm, the ulnar nerve, the radial nerve and so on pass near the axilla of a brachium. Especially, a medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve exists near the inside epidermis, as shown in the sectional view of  FIG. 5 . 
     The rubber bag is wound on entire circumference of a portion of the thigh near the hip joint or the upper arm near the axilla. Then the portion is pressurized by the rubber bag with compressed air. Under this condition, the trainee can exercise only a short time, because a lateral femoral cutaneous nerve or a medial cutaneous nerve of forearm is constricted and the trainee feels gradually a pain. 
     The muscular training method with application of the plural parallel cuff of this invention is based upon the different principle from such conventional muscle training method. 
     When a muscle is activated, the brain emits a command and the command is transmitted through motor nerves to muscle fibers. These muscle fibers are generally categorized into two kinds of fibers, a slow twitch fiber and a fast twitch fiber. What we call a motor unit is a set of a motor nerve and a group of muscle fibers under its control. The motor nerves consist of two kinds of motor units. One is to control slow twitch fibers. Another is to control fast twitch fibers. The light-load training activates slow twitch fibers of small motor units. When those fibers get exhaustion and inactive, fast twitch fibers of large motor units begin to work. Fast twitch fibers are employed for drawing instantaneous power because of their quick contraction. Slow twitch fibers are employed for muscular endurance because of their slow contraction. Fast twitch fibers can work even in the anoxia state, but slow twitch fibers need oxygen for work. 
     Not all motor units in a muscle are activated in a training. Number and kind of working motor units vary according to a situation. In a light-load training, slow twitch fibers of small motor units begin to work at first. When they get exhaustion and stop working, fast twitch fibers of large motor units begin activity. In order to make fast twitch fibers active from the start, a heavy load (65% or more of the repetition maximum) must be applied. This is called the principle of size. 
     However, when muscles are pressed widely, the pressure in muscles goes up and the bloodstream in muscles is limited as in case of compartment syndrome. If light-load training is performed under this condition, at first slow twitch fibers begin activity according to the principle of size. But, limiting the bloodstream in muscles, the aerobic activity of slow twitch fibers reduces the supply of oxygen-abundant blood (arterial blood). Then the inside of muscles lapses fast into a hypoxia (or anoxia) state. As a result, it stops the activity of slow twitch fibers indispensable of oxygen. Instead, it begins the activity of fast twitch fibers unnecessary of oxygen. 
     In order to develop muscles, the muscles are required to work hard. When the training is performed with muscles compressed widely, even a light load can easily activate fast twitch fibers against the principle of size. On the other hand, the usual light-load training can hardly activate fast twitch fibers. Conversely, it is noticed that fast twitch fibers may be atrophied particularly for aged people. 
     The anaerobic activity of fast twitch fibers generates in muscles metabolic products of lactic acid and so on. Since the bloodstream is limited, those metabolic products are accumulated in muscles and the inside of muscles becomes in an inferior state. The brain detects it and secretion of physiologically-active substances, such as growth hormone, is promoted. This also promotes muscular development. 
     Whole muscle is pressed for restricting the bloodstream. Therefore, the bloodstream in muscles can be restricted early and surely, much more than restricting the bloodstream by pressing the muscular portion close to the heart. Then, training can be finished in a short time. 
     In this muscular power training method, a cuff must be rolled tight and broad around the muscle of the brachial region and/or the femoral region. But the upper arm and the thigh do not have fixed diameter like a column and the diameter differs at each region. When a wide cuff is rolled around a muscle tight, compression force concentrates on the portion of large diameter. Uniform compression force cannot be made to act along the muscle. 
     Therefore, the plural parallel cuff of this invention is made. Wide plural parallel cuff can be used for training method of low intensity exercise. The plural parallel cuff provides uniform compression force acting on a muscle when the pneumatically-inflated cuffs are wound broad around the muscle of the brachial region and/or the femoral region as described above. 
     Means to Solve the Problem 
     The plural parallel cuff of this invention is constituted as follows. Plural cloth sleeve bags are connected in parallel at spaced intervals from one another by a connection cloth. A rubber bag shorter than the cloth sleeve bag is inserted into the cloth sleeve bag. Hook-and-loop fasteners form loop cuffs by uniting the both ends of each cloth sleeve bag each other. A plug connects a pneumatic pump detachably to the channel tube that connects all the rubber bags to each other. 
     Advantages of the Invention 
     In the training of light exercise performed while the plural parallel cuff is wound widely around a portion of a muscle of an upper arm and/or a thigh with uniform compression force, the plural parallel cuff of this invention has the following advantages. The fast twitch fibers can get hypertrophy and muscular power can be reinforced. Furthermore, secretion of physiologically active substances, such as growth hormone, is promoted as the metabolic product of lactic acid or so is stored up into muscles. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of three cloth sleeve bags sewn on the connection cloth for constituting the plural parallel cuff of this invention, 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of a rubber bag for inserting into each of three cloth sleeve bags, 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the spread state of the plural parallel cuff of this invention, 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the first embodiment showing the state where the plural parallel cuff of this invention is wound around a thigh, 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the second embodiment showing the state where the plural parallel cuff of this invention is wound around a thigh. 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the principal part showing schematically the state where the plural parallel cuff of this invention is wound around a thigh or an upper arm, 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     The First Embodiment 
     As shown in the plan views of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the plural parallel cuff  1  of this invention for using the muscle training method has three thin cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  and three thin rubber bags  2  for inserting into the cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b  and  11   c , respectively. 
     Three cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  are arranged in parallel at spaced intervals from one another. One end of each of three cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  is sewn to the connection cloth  10  at spaced intervals. Each of these three cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  has a small hole  14  near the seam where each pipe is sewn onto the connection cloth  10 . The other end  15  of the cloth pipe is open. 
     As shown in the plan view of  FIG. 2 , each of three rubber bags  2  has a thin tube  21  for in and out of the air at one end. The other end of it is closed. A rubber bag  2  is inserted into each of three cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  through the open end  15 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a thin tube  21  from the rubber bag  2  is led out of the small hole  14  of each of the cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c . Then, the open end  15  of each of the cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  is closed by sewing. Moreover, the seam  13  is formed by sewing along the line apart a little from the open end  15  of the cloth sleeve bag. Then, the flat part  12  is formed. 
     On the back of this flat part  12 , a loop portion  16   b  of a hook-and-loop fastener, that is Velcro (Registered Trademark) fastener or Magic Tape (Registered Trademark), is attached. It is used for forming a loop cuff by bonding together the both ends of each of cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c.    
     On the surface of the connection cloth  10 , a hook portion  16   a  of the hook-and-loop fastener is attached. It is a counter part of the loop portion  16   b  attached on the back of the flat part  12  of the cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c.    
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the T-joint  22  is connected with the thin tubes  21  out of the small hole  14  of each of the three cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c . Three rubber bags  2  are connected each other via the T-joints  22 . One of the T-joints  22  is connected to a thin tube  23 . The other end of the thin tube  23  is terminated with the plug  41  having a backflow valve. 
     Each of the cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  with a rubber bag  2  forms a cuff. The connection cloth  10  connects three cuffs arranged in equal spaced intervals. The rubber bags  2  are connected to each other for air channel. Thus, plural parallel cuff  1  is formed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , plug  41  and socket  42  are utilized for connecting and disconnecting the pneumatic pump  3 . Air is compressed into the rubber bags  2  via thin tube  23  and T-joints  22 . After that, the plug  41  is disconnected from the socket  42  to remove the pneumatic pump  3 . Then, a light exercise is performed. After the end of the light exercise, the plug  41  is reconnected to the socket  42  to release the air by opening the release valve (not shown) of the pneumatic pump  3 . 
     The pneumatic pump  3  is composed of a pressure gauge  31 , a rubber pumping ball  32  and a release valve (not shown). Compressed air is supplied to the rubber bags  2  by repeating the action of grasping and releasing the pumping ball  32  while the release valve is closed. The air pressure in the rubber bags  2  is shown on the pressure gauge  31 . 
     The plural parallel cuff  1  as constituted above is used for winding around the upper arm or the thigh. The upper arm or the thigh is provided as a limb section. The center cuff of three cuffs connected by the connection cloth  10  is wound around the limb section first and it is fixed by a hook-and-loop fastener. And then, the outer cuffs are wound around the limb section and they are fixed by the hook-and-loop fasteners. 
     Thus, each cuff is wound around the limb section with very adequate length according to the diameter of the limb part to be wound. Each cuff is fixed by uniting the hook portion  16   a  to the loop portion  16   b . Three cuffs are wound around the upper arm or the thigh with adequate strength. 
     And the plug  41  is connected to the socket  42  to compress air into the rubber bags  2  by the pneumatic pump  3 . The jointed three rubber bags  2  can be filled with air compressed in equal pressure. 
     The inner circumference (skin-side part) and the outer circumference (outer part) of each of the cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  is almost equal. Therefore, the outer circumference of the cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  of untouched skin side cannot be extended and its length is restricted. 
     But, there is a margin in the length of the inner circumference of the cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  of the skin side. Therefore, as shown in the cross section of  FIG. 5 , each of the pressurized three rubber bags  2  swells toward inner side. The cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  bind tight and broad the upper arm or the thigh with uniform compression force. 
     In the plural parallel cuff  1  of this invention, the length of the rubber bags  2  is made shorter than that of the cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c . Each of the cloth sleeve bags  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  can be formed to be a loop. Both ends of the pipes can be united by a pair of hook-and-loop fastener. The hook portion  16   a  is attached on the connection cloth  10  and the loop portion  16   b  is attached on the flat part  12 . 
     In  FIG. 6 , the cross section of the upper arm or the thigh is schematically shown. When the plural parallel cuff  1  of this invention is wound on the upper arm or the thigh, there is partially formed a flat part  12  where exist only the connection cloth  10  and a cloth sleeve bag. No rubber bags  2  are there. 
     Then, the connection cloth  10  is adjusted to be placed at the position of the medial cutaneous nerve of the upper arm or the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve near the epidermis. In this way, the rubber bags  2  do not press the nerve near the epidermis. 
     The plural parallel cuff  1  is constituted as above. The bloodstream in muscles is restricted by the plural parallel cuff  1 . The exercises are performed to reinforce the muscles of the upper arm or the thigh. But the nerve is not pressed. Then the trainee can continue the exercises without pain. 
     The Second Embodiment 
     When the inner pressure of the rubber bags  2  into the plural parallel cuff is initially set and arm curls or squats is executed, the cross section areas of fastening the plural parallel cuff to arm or thigh are changed large and small for the muscle compression forces. For example, because of the knot of biceps made by the arm curls. 
     Limb bending movement changes the cross-section area of the limb portion wound by the plural parallel cuff  1  in the training method using it. At that time, the rubber bags are compressed and loosened and their volume changes. Then the air pressure in the rubber bags goes up or descends and the upper arm or the thigh is fastened tight too much or loosened too much. Thus, the compression force is unsteady. 
     Then, the second embodiment of this invention is aimed to enable to reduce the fluctuation of the air pressure in the rubber bags caused by the bending and stretching exercise of the limbs. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , besides the pneumatic pump  3 , the surge tank  5  is connected to all the rubber tubes of the plural parallel cuff  1  through the T-joint  22  (see  FIG. 3 ) and the thin tube  23 . All the rubber tubes  2  and the surge tank  5  are always connected through the thin tube  21 , the T-joint  22 , the thin tube  23  and the T-joint  24 . 
     The pneumatic pump  3  can be connected and disconnected with the plug  41  and the socket  42 . When the pneumatic pump  3  is connected, air is compressed enough into the rubber bags and the surge tank  5  through the T-joint  24  and the thin tube  23 . Then, the plug  41  of the pneumatic pump  3  is removed from the socket  42 . The exercise is started. At the end of the training, the plug  41  is reconnected and the release valve (not shown) of the pneumatic pump  3  is turned open to release the air. 
     The surge tank  5  has a large volume compared to the rubber bags. It is furnished to equalize the pressure by absorbing the excess fluctuation of air pressure in the rubber bags. The surge tank  5  should preferably be lightweight, made of material and shape suitable for training. 
     Compressed air is supplied to the plural parallel cuff  1  while the pressure gauge is showing the pressure. The air pressure in the rubber bags and the surge tank  5  rises. The operation of the pumping ball is stopped when the air pressure reaches the suitable value corresponding to the compression force given to muscles. The plug  41  with backflow valve is removed from the socket  42  to separate the pneumatic pump  3 . The training is started. At this time, the air in the rubber bags and the surge tank  5  does not leak out in training since the plug  41  is equipped with backflow valve. 
     It is supposed that a is the volume of the rubber bags kept at the suitable pressure p before the training, b is the volume of the surge tank  5 , and Δ a is the volume reduction of the rubber bags while training. 
     It is supposed that, without the surge tank  5 , the training is performed with the rubber bags only. Then, the air pressure P 1  in the rubber bags becomes as follows.
 
 P 1 =p×a /( a−Δa )
 
The pressure P 1  rises (P 1 &gt;p) because of the volume reduction Δ a of the rubber bags.
 
     But, the surge tank  5  with volume b much larger than the volume a (b&gt;&gt;a) of the rubber bags is connected to the plural parallel cuff  1  and it is kept at the adequate pressure p. Though the volume a of the rubber bags is reduced by Δ a while training, the air pressure P 2  in the rubber bags and the surge tank  5  becomes as follows.
 
 P 2= p ×( a+b )/( a+b−Δa )
 
Thus, the increase of the air pressure P 2  caused by the reduction of the volume of the rubber bags can be remarkably moderated.
 
     Therefore, the plural parallel cuff  1  does not change its binding condition. Because the air pressure in the rubber bags hardly goes up for the surge tank although the rubber bags are compressed as those volume is decreased when the limb is bent and the muscle under the plural parallel cuff  1  becomes thick. Thus the muscles suffer no injuries and pains because of without increasing of the bag pressure. And also, the bloodstream in the muscles can be restricted enough because the binding force is kept steady condition. 
     The Third Embodiment 
     In the second embodiment as described above, the surge tank  5  is furnished near the body with the plural parallel cuff  1 . But it may be furnished near the pump. And also, the surge tank  5  is not limited to the cylindrical shape. It is allowed to be flat. 
     Other Embodiments 
     In the above-mentioned embodiments, the connection cloth  10  fixes three cuffs in parallel at spaced intervals. The number of the cuffs can be determined as an optimal number according to the size of the limb portion for winding. And also, the connection cloth  10  is not restricted to be located at the edge of the cuffs. It can be located at the center of the cuffs. In this case, the flat parts are formed at both ends of each cuff. A pair of a hook portion  16   a  and a loop portion  16   b  of a hook-and-loop fastener can be attached to those flat parts. 
     REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
         
           1  Plural parallel cuff 
           2  Rubber Bag 
           3  Pneumatic Pump 
           5  Surge Tank 
           10  Connection Cloth 
           11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  Cloth sleeve bag 
           12  Flat Part 
           13  Seam 
           16   a  Hook Portion of Hook-and-Loop Fastener 
           16   b  Loop Portion of Hook-and-Loop Fastener 
           41  Plug 
           42  Socket