阅读说明：本技术 治疗装置 (Treatment device ) 是由 P.法罗斯特科 于 2018-09-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种治疗装置,包括：基本上为U形的框架构件,其具有非恒定横截面和基本上将U形一分为二的纵向轴线；多个突起,所述多个突起沿着框架构件的内表面成间隔关系,并且布置成相对的对,使得每一对的突起朝向彼此延伸；在框架构件的每一端上的手柄,每个手柄具有基本上横向于纵向轴线延伸的接合表面；以及锁定装置,其用于将手柄锁定在距彼此期望的间距处。(A therapeutic device comprising: a substantially U-shaped frame member having a non-constant cross-section and a longitudinal axis substantially bisecting the U-shape; a plurality of protrusions in spaced relation along the inner surface of the frame member and arranged in opposing pairs such that the protrusions of each pair extend toward each other; a handle on each end of the frame member, each handle having an engagement surface extending substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis; and a locking device for locking the handles at a desired distance from each other.)

1. A therapeutic device comprising:

a substantially U-shaped frame member having a non-constant cross-section and a longitudinal axis substantially bisecting the U-shape;

a plurality of protrusions in spaced relation along an inner surface of the frame member and arranged in opposing pairs such that the protrusions of each pair each extend toward one another;

a handle on each end of the frame member, each handle having an engagement surface extending substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis; and

locking means for locking the handles at a desired distance from each other.

2. A treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusions are provided as removable knobs, knobs or the like, hereinafter referred to as massage balls, and the frame member is provided with attachment means for attaching a pair of massage balls in a substantially fixed arrangement at selected positions along the inner sides of the arms, which are normally the parts of each arm facing each other.

3. A treatment device according to claim 1, wherein one of the protrusions is in the form of a pad or the like having a body engaging surface for spreading a load over an area of the body such that the other protrusion can be applied to the user's body as a single point application of pressure.

4. The therapeutic device of claim 1 wherein the massage ball is provided in the form of a multi-lobe (multilobal).

5. A treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame member follows an undulating profile having a single anticline portion and a single syncline portion reaching along the arm and including a hinge portion.

6. A treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking means is a cord connecting the open ends of the U-shape of the frame or the handles together.

7. The treatment device of claim 6, wherein the cord is secured to a tightening device disposed within one of the arm or handle and is drawable from the tightening device through an access hole.

8. A treatment device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the cord, tightening means and locking means are provided on both arms and/or handle.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a treatment device. The present invention relates generally to a therapeutic device for applying pressure to a selected location on the body. The invention has particular application to applying static pressure, but may also be used to apply non-static pressure, which may be understood to mean a form of massage.

Background

The known treatment device may apply static pressure to the body by means of a clamping mechanism having inwardly directed protrusions. Such devices are typically made of a flexible plastic material or the like and have two or more projections arranged in opposing pairs to engage the body at selected locations, one projection typically being directly opposite the other. Pressure is applied to the protrusion by closing the clamp, the applied pressure being proportional to the force applied to the opposing handle of the clamp. However, such devices are limited to operation as a clamp device, and most of such devices have one relative position for the protrusion between the hinge and the handle of the clamp. Such devices are typically formed for use at a specific location on the body. Such devices are typically sized for use on opposite sides of the upper neck, applying pressure to the upper portion of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, or generally around the area of the mastoid or large occiput.

Such devices have limited flexure, with the result that they cannot be easily applied elsewhere on the body, or to such areas having the same spatial separation from the opposite side of the neck. Such devices are prone to failure or broken protrusions at the hinge, particularly if the user attempts to use them elsewhere on the body. Breakage can also occur if the user attempts to apply pressure to the superior fibers of the trapezius muscle or forward pressure to the mastoid or occipital region of the head when pressure is applied on the opposite side of the neck. Furthermore, for some types of treatments, the user needs to hold the device in the desired position for a long period of time.

In this specification, terms such as horizontal, vertical, up, down and the like may be used for convenience only to describe the relative position of an element of the invention in its normal operating orientation or with respect to a user, or the relative position of a relevant part of a user's body in an upright arrangement, and should not be construed so as to limit the invention to any particular orientation of the device or user.

The present invention aims to provide a treatment device which alleviates the problems of the prior art devices and/or provides a treatment device with a wider range of uses. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the foregoing, one aspect of the present invention resides broadly in a therapeutic device comprising:

a substantially U-shaped frame member having a non-constant cross-section and a longitudinal axis substantially bisecting the U-shape;

a plurality of projections in spaced relation along the inner surface of the frame member and arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the U-shape such that the projections of each pair extend towards each other;

a handle on each end of the frame member, each handle having an engagement surface extending substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis; and

locking means for locking the handles at a desired distance from each other.

The non-constant cross-section is arranged to provide varying degrees of flexibility along the frame member such that the area around the base of the U-shape is relatively more flexible than the remainder of the U-shape. For convenience, the base of the U-shape will be referred to as a hinge portion, and the portions extending from each end of the hinge portion will be referred to as arms. The non-constant cross-section as described herein provides for the fabrication of the frame member from a single material construction as a unitary construction or in a unitary form. As previously mentioned, the handle extends substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis. That is, there is a transverse component to the extension, but preferably it is also a forward component, allowing the user to both pull the treatment device forward and push the distal ends of the arms towards each other.

Preferably, the protrusions are provided as removable knobs, knobs or the like, hereinafter referred to as massage balls, and the frame member is provided with attachment means for attaching a pair of massage balls in a substantially fixed arrangement at selected positions along the inner sides of the arms, which are typically the parts of each arm facing each other. Alternatively, one of the protrusions may be in the form of a pad or the like having a body engaging surface for distributing the load over an area of the body, such that the other protrusion may be applied to the user's body as a single point application of pressure. The pad may be flexible so as to conform to the shape of the body part of the user to which the pad is applied. Thus, it will be seen that the term "pair" should be understood to encompass arrangements in which the pair is made up of non-identical elements.

The massage balls may be provided in the form of double protrusions (bilobal) or multiple protrusions (polylobal). That is, one or both of the massage balls may have two or more rounded protrusions oriented to engage the user's body substantially simultaneously. Suitably, the protrusion has a rounded surface for engagement with the body of the user, and it will be appreciated that the remainder of the form of the protrusion is largely irrelevant, except for the form required to attach to and detach from the frame member.

Preferably, the frame member is not flat, but follows a contoured profile having a single anticline portion and a single syncline portion that reach along the arms and include the hinge portions. That is, the device is curved in one direction and then appears to be somewhat flattened S-shape on the device in another direction, preferably viewed from the side. Thus, the undulating form of the frame member is asymmetric about a transverse plane coincident with the longitudinal axis, but substantially symmetric about a medial plane orthogonal to the transverse plane. The aforementioned longitudinal axis coincides with the transverse plane.

The locking means is preferably a rope, strap or the like connecting the U-shaped open ends or handles of the frame together. In a preferred form, the cord is secured to a tightening device disposed within one of the arms and can be pulled from the tightening device through the access hole. The cord may then be secured to a peg or similar mechanism on the other handle. In a further preferred form, each handle has a tightening device and a cord and a peg or similar mechanism whereby two cords can be used to hold the handles together at a predetermined spacing. Preferably, a cord locking device is provided for locking one or more cords at or near the access opening. Alternatively, the cords are provided with a maximum extent and can be pulled through an access hole and then secured to another handle by engaging one of a plurality of securing devices along a distal portion of each cord.

In another form, the cord is secured by one end to one or both handles and may be secured near or to the other handle at or intermediate the other end to lock the handles at the desired spacing therebetween. For example, the securing means may be in the form of a plurality of regularly spaced knots at least partially along the length of the cord for engagement with a slot or the like in the handle. Alternatively, the slot may be of such a form that engages the cord by a self-ratcheting system or a gripping arrangement.

Drawings

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, two slightly different versions of a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, and in which:

fig. 1 is a schematic orthographic view of a treatment apparatus according to the invention, viewed from the lower rear left-hand side, shown with balls and other engagement elements attached;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the underside of the treatment device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic orthographic view of the treatment apparatus of FIG. 1 with the balls and other engagement elements removed;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the treatment apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the underside of the treatment device of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the treatment apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the treatment apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the right hand side of the treatment apparatus of FIG. 3;

fig. 9 is a schematic orthographic view of an alternative version of the treatment apparatus described with reference to fig. 1 to 8, viewed from the lower rear right hand side;

FIG. 10 is a schematic orthographic view of the treatment apparatus of FIG. 9 from a right hand side looking directly above;

FIG. 11 is a front plan view of the device of FIG. 9, viewed from below;

FIG. 12 is a front projection side view of the apparatus of FIG. 9 from the left hand side;

FIG. 13 is a schematic orthographic view of a portion of the treatment apparatus of FIG. 9 showing details of the spherical protrusion;

FIG. 14 is a schematic orthographic view of a portion of the treatment apparatus of FIG. 9 showing details of the elongated spherical protrusion;

FIG. 15 is a schematic orthographic view of a portion of the treatment apparatus of FIG. 9 showing the rear side of the right handle; and

fig. 16 is a schematic orthographic view of a portion of the treatment apparatus of fig. 9 showing the front side of the right handle.

Detailed Description

In the drawings, references to "front", "rear", "top" or "upper", "bottom" or "lower", "left" or "right" are to be taken in view of the common use of the invention to rest behind the neck with the handle facing towards the front of the user. It should be understood that these terms are merely for convenience in referring to the relationship and arrangement of the various parts of the device and are not intended to limit the use of the device to any particular part of the body or any particular orientation. In the drawings, reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout each of the drawings. However, to avoid obscuring the figures and to help clarify the disclosure, no reference numeral is provided in each figure that illustrates such a part. Additionally, as shown, even if the body and/or the elements are of unitary construction, several lines may appear around or along the body and other elements of the treatment device as illustrated; those skilled in the art will appreciate that such lines are merely illustrative artifacts and should not be considered as indicating any structural demarcation between adjoining portions.

The treatment device 10 shown in fig. 1-8 has a main frame portion 11 (hereinafter referred to as the frame) that is generally U-shaped in configuration, or more particularly, shaped like a horseshoe. Two handle portions are provided, each extending from an end of the frame, the handle portions being a right handle 12 and a left handle 13 respectively. The handle transitions from the main frame portion and is constructed integrally with the frame, the point at which the frame becomes the handle being somewhat arbitrary, which is depicted in the drawings by the transition region at 14. The handle flares outwardly so that the frame and handle together have a shape in plan view reminiscent of the capital omega (i.e., "omega") of the greek alphabet.

As mentioned above, the terms "front and rear of the device" are used arbitrarily, with the handle at the front and the base of the U at the rear, flaring outward to enable the user to push forward. The device as shown in fig. 1 and 2 is in the form in which it is sold or transported with optional attached parts as described below.

Six pairs of mounting lugs, shown typically at 15, are spaced along the inside of the main frame portion, the first five pairs are substantially regularly spaced from each other along the frame, and the rear pair 16 is further spaced from the other pairs. The spacing and arrangement of the mounting lugs affects their orientation. The first five pairs are oriented laterally toward the center of the U, while the last pair are oriented to project forward and laterally inward.

The protrusions described herein are provided in the form of balls or wheels and the arrangements shown in fig. 1 and 2 show different kinds of protrusions, which are envisaged in both their possible forms and possible arrangements, but are particularly envisaged in the forms and arrangements in which the treatment device may be sold or stored. Other arrangements will be useful for particular applications, and other configurations than those shown may be used.

Two spherical balls 17 are shown attached to the rear mounting lugs. Two prolate spheroidal balls 18 are shown attached to an attachment retainer 19 extending between the foremost pair of mounting lugs. The attachment holder is arranged to have six projecting arms, each projecting arm being at 90 ° to the adjacent four arms and in line with the remaining arms opposite thereto. Mounting lugs are provided at the distal ends (distil end) of the four arms, and a connection socket is provided to the remaining two arms, which arms are in line with the connection socket to extend between the opposing mounting lugs. The locking ring 19a securely locks the connection socket onto the mounting lugs to prevent accidental separation, and the attachment retainer also holds the remainder of the treatment device in a fixed shape to prevent deformation during storage or transport.

The pad 20 is mounted to one of the mounting lugs of the attachment holder adjacent one of the long spherical balls and in line with the other mounting lug. The remaining mounting lugs of the attachment holder are free in the illustration shown and are not visible in fig. 1 or 2. The pad may be used in place of one of the balls, particularly for applying the device to the calf muscle at the back of the user's leg, the pad being applied to the tibia and spreading the load over a large part of the pad.

Three oblate spheroidal wheels 21 are shown mounted to a mounting bar arrangement 22 on the left arm of the treatment device and in a corresponding manner three planar wheels 23 are mounted on another mounting bar arrangement 22, one of which is hidden behind the spherical ball in figure 1. The mounting bar arrangements are identical for the oblate spheroid wheels and the wheels, and each mounting bar arrangement comprises two elbow sections, one attached to the forward most mounting lug and the other to the rearward most mounting lug, the second and third mounting lugs being unoccupied in the example shown in fig. 1 and 2. The massage wheels, whether in the form of oblate spheroids or flat surfaces, are able to rotate about their respective centers, allowing use on bodies where rolling motion is required, such as, but not limited to, limbs.

In use, only a pair of massage balls may be installed, the user typically selecting the same massage ball, but of course, the user can also select unmatched massage balls, including other types of protrusions described herein, if desired. The massage balls are connected to the mounting lugs by a snap-fit arrangement, the massage balls being free to rotate about the axis of each mounting lug, although such rotation is not necessary for the function of the treatment device according to the invention.

The frame also has a hinge region 24 extending around a rear portion thereof or partially around a rear portion thereof. The non-constant cross-section of the frame mentioned earlier in this description is advantageous for the hinge portion, which is thinner in relevant dimensions than the rest of the frame. It will be appreciated that the frame is constructed from a rigid but resiliently flexible material.

Each arm further includes a cord aperture or cord aperture 25 opening into the inside or inner surface of the arm for receiving a cord therethrough, the cord aperture being forward of the mounting lug and proximate the transition from the distal end of the respective arm and the proximal end of the respective handle. The cord may be pushed into a cavity provided in the arm and/or handle, the cavity having sufficient capacity to accommodate the cord. Alternatively, the cord may be coiled on a spring-loaded winder or retractor within the handle or arm and when unstressed has a length that exceeds the distance between the handles. The winder or retractor can thus retract the cord through the cord aperture, the cord being wound onto the winder or linearly retracted by a tensile element or the like. A lock and release button 26 is also provided which is biased to lock onto the cord and prevent the cord from being withdrawn or retracted from the storage cavity, or to release the cord if the cord is slack but when the button is pressed, so that the cord is free to move into or out of the cavity.

Each handle typically has a cord locking cavity 27 in the forward and transverse directions and is sized to pass a cord therethrough. The serrated channel or slot generally extends outwardly from the cavity toward the end of the handle. A plurality of serrations, shown typically at 28, are provided along the sides of the slot, the serrations being angled such that tension on the cord extending between the handles pushes the cord further, i.e., deeper into the slot. The side walls are preferably wider at the outer edges so that when the cord or rope is pushed deeper into the slot, i.e., the "locking slot", it is more tightly gripped by the serrations.

With particular reference to the side views of fig. 8 and 12, the frame has a pronounced upwardly convex curvature (referred to as a anticline portion 29 along the rear portion of the frame) and a less pronounced upwardly concave curvature (referred to as a syncline portion 30 along the forward portion of the frame). This arrangement allows the device to be used further down the trapezius muscle than prior devices and also facilitates use of the device on other parts of the body.

The treatment device 10 shown in fig. 9 to 16 is in almost all respects identical to the treatment device shown in fig. 1 to 8. As mentioned above, the terms front and rear of the device are used arbitrarily, with the handle at the front and the base of the U at the rear, flaring outward to enable the user to push forward. The same reference numerals are used for the same parts or elements.

The protrusions described herein are provided by either spherical massage balls 17 or oblong balls 18, both of which are shown in fig. 9 to 11 mounted on fifth and third mounting lugs, respectively, starting at the front.

The right handle further comprises a cord or cord attachment 31 for fixedly attaching a cord thereto, the cord having a length exceeding the distance between the handles when unstressed. The left handle has an aperture 32 therethrough in generally forward and transverse directions and sized to pass a cord therethrough. The serrated channels or slots extend generally outwardly from the aperture toward the end of the handle in an arrangement similar to that shown in fig. 1-8.

It will be seen that the main difference between these two versions (i.e. as shown in figures 1 to 8 compared to that shown in figures 9 to 16) is that an alternative arrangement of cords is provided, the former being two cords retractable and extending from a transition from the arm to the handle, and the latter being a single cord fixed to one of the handles and attachable to the other of the handles.

The treatment device according to the invention can be used by selecting one point position or two opposite point positions where a constant or non-constant application of pressure is required. A long or spherical ball is attached to the or each mounting lug at a suitable location along the length of the frame. For applying a single point of pressure, the pad fitting is attached to the opposing mounting lug. For applying pressure to the opposing points, the protruding elements are attached to the opposing mounting lugs.

Once the pressure point has been located and the appropriate amount of pressure determined, the cord can be secured in the locking slot so that pressure can be maintained without having to apply pressure to the handle. If desired, the device can be moved around, in particular in the case of not too great a pressure being applied, so that the device can also be used at least limitedly as an aid for massage therapy. The orientation of the handle also allows the user to adopt a more natural or comfortable use of the device when using protrusions mounted to the latter pair of mounting lugs, particularly when applying pressure to the portion of the upper fiber bundle of the trapezius muscle or the occipital processes at the back of the head.

The wheel is provided as an assembly and is also secured by means of a locking ring similar to that described with reference to the attachment holder.

Although the projections have been described as being mounted to the mounting lugs along their respective axes of circular symmetry, the invention is not necessarily limited to such an arrangement. Oblate spheroids and other shapes are contemplated by the present invention. What is envisaged is a curvilinear bearing surface disposed distally relative to the mounting lug, and preferably the point at which the distal most side of each projection is located is substantially aligned with the axis of the mounting lug to which it is mounted.

Furthermore, although for most applications it is common to use a pair of identical balls, balls having different forms may be used, or one ball may be matched to more than one ball on the other side of the device. For example, for a neck region application, one type of pair of balls may be mounted to the rear mounting lugs and another type of pair of balls may be mounted to the opposing mounting lugs along the arms of the device and once locked in place by one or more cords, the device is relatively stable in its position on the neck. It will be appreciated that different attachments may be mixed and matched to achieve the desired results when using the treatment device of the present invention.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims.