Patent Document ID: 4743009
Application ID: 06933102
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. Apparatus for training a person to walk with proper pelvic posture comprising: a treadmill having a walking surface; mechanical means for directly and controllably imposing a preselected pelvic posture on a person on said treadmill, including first constraint means for defining the maximum forward position of the abdomen of said person on said treadmill, first vertical support means for supporting said first constraint means and having means for adjusting the vertical position of said first constraint means relative to the vertical position of said walking surface, and first horizontal positioning means for moving said first vertical support means so as to adjust the position of said first constraint means to a selectable horizontal position above said walking surface; and second constraint means for defining the position of the lower buttocks of said person at a position corresponding to said preselected pelvic posture, and means for adjusting the vertical position of said second constraint means relative to the vertical position of said walking surface; and control means coupled to said mechanical means for moving one of said constraint means to impose said preselected pelvic posture on a person on said treadmill for a preselected training time period, and for then moving one of said constraint means so as to release said person's pelvis; whereby a person walking on said treadmill can learn to walk with improved pelvic posture by first walking during said training time period with a preselected pelvic posture, and by thereafter walking without being restrained by said mechanical means while trying to maintain the pelvic posture position learned during said training time period.