Foot Ambulator Apparatus

1. Field of the Invention

The field of invention relates to exercise and therapy apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved foot ambulator apparatus wherein the same is directed to provide for enhanced circulation and muscle stimulating exercise to an individual's feet and associated joint structure.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Prior art directed to exercise and therapy apparatus include U.S. Pat. Nos.:

Regular exercise directed to convalescing patients, invalid individuals, and the like is required in proper treatment and therapy of such individuals in effecting circulation and muscle stimulation through exercise of the lower limb portions of the individual's legs. To this event, the instant invention is specifically directed to ambulatory simulation structure to effect simulated walking directed to an individual's feet for proper stimulation of the muscles, improved circulation, and flexure to the individual's lower limbs and including the arch of the foot. Heretofore, the prior art has directed itself primarily to vibratory devices and heat alone without completely addressing the need to associate such structure with natural movement to the lower limb portions, and more specifically the feet of individuals. To this event, the instant invention attempts to address the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness in construction in providing a foot ambulator apparatus directed to the provision of such therapeutic movement directed to an individual's lower limbs and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of therapy apparatus now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a foot ambulator apparatus wherein the same is directed to simulation of natural walking and associated flexure to an individual's feet. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved foot ambulator apparatus which has all the advantages of the prior art therapy apparatus and none of the disadvantages.

To attain this, the present invention provides an apparatus to simulate typical walking and ambulation of an individual including a housing formed with a drive motor directed through a gear housing, with the gear housing including output shafts mounted in turn fixedly to respective right and left adjustable throw cam flanges that are arranged in a parallel relationship rotatably offset relative to one another one hundred eighty degrees. The adjustable throw cam flanges are linked to rear foot support plates of a pair of foot support members, wherein the rear foot support plates are hingedly mounted relative to forward foot support plates and the forward foot support plates are pivotally mounted through a slotted arrangement relative to the housing, whereupon actuation of the drive motor effects simulation of walking. Spring biased securement bands are provided about each foot plate to secure an individual's feet thereon.

My invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather in the particular combination of all of them herein disclosed and claimed and it is distinguished from the prior art in this particular combination of all of its structures for the functions specified.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved foot ambulator apparatus which has all the advantages of the prior art therapy apparatus and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved foot ambulator apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved foot ambulator apparatus which is of a durable and reliable construction.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved foot ambulator apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such foot ambulator apparatus economically available to the buying public.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved foot ambulator apparatus which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an orthographic side view of the invention, taken in elevation.

FIG. 2 is an orthographic view, taken along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1 in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIG. 3 is an orthographic of section 3, as set forth in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an orthographic view, taken along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 3 in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIG. 5 is an orthographic side view, partially in section, of the instant invention.

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 5 thereof, a new and improved foot ambulator apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

More specifically, the foot ambulator apparatus 10 of the instant invention essentially comprises a housing 14 formed with a housing floor 12 spaced from and parallel a housing top wall 13. A lower continuous side wall 14 is mounted to an upper continuous side wall 15, wherein the lower and upper side walls 14 and 15 intersect at an acute included angle therebetween projecting exteriorly beyond the forward and top wall structure, with a securement band 16 mounted within the housing (or optionally exteriorly thereof) for securement of the housing in an assembled configuration, as illustrated. A right foot support 17 and a left foot support 18 are movably mounted to the housing top wall 13 in a parallel relationship. A drive motor 19 including a vibratory capacity is mounted to the floor 13 of the housing 15 in cooperation with a gear housing 20. A right and left output shaft 21 and 22 respectively that are coaxially aligned project exteriorly of the gear housing 20. A right and left drive shaft sleeve 23 and 24 are respectively mounted fixedly to the right and left output drive shafts 21 and 22, with the right drive shaft sleeve 23 including a right cam flange 25 and the left drive shaft sleeve 24 including a left cam flange 26. The right and left cam flanges 25 and 26 are offset relative to one another one hundred eighty degrees, but wherein as the right and left drive shafts 23 and 24 are mounted utilizing a locking screw configuration such as illustrated in the FIG. 4, may be reoriented if so desired. The right and left foot supports 17 and 18 are of identical construction where it is understood that description of one is directed to description of both. In this vein, a rear foot support plate 27 is hingedly mounted to a forward foot support plate 28 by a foot support hinge 29. The forward foot support plate 28 includes a forward foot plate flange 30 including a forward foot plate flange slot 30a receiving a forward foot plate flange axle 31 therethrough (e.g. note FIG. 5) to effect a sliding connection between the forward foot support plate 28 and a forward foot plate support boss 32 fixedly mounted to the housing top wall 13. A rear foot plate actuator link 33 is adjustably mounted to each cam flange of the right and left cam flanges 25 and 26 and includes an actuator link slot 33a directed therethrough to effect a sliding adjustable relationship relative to the link 33 and a respective cam flange by use of a link fastener 35 that is directed through a bushing structure 36 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) to permit a sliding inter-relationship between the fastener and the link through the slot structure 34 to control the relative lift of the link to the associated rear foot support plate 27 of the right and left foot supports 17 and 18. To accommodate this adjusting relationship, a respective right and left access door 37 and 38 are directed through the upper side wall 15 in adjacency relative to the right and left cam flanges 25 and 26 to permit access to the link fastener 35 of each cam flange. An actuator link upper axle 39 at each actuator link upper end 40 is mounted to each rear foot plate and more specifically to a rear foot plate mounting flange 41 fixedly and orthogonally projecting downwardly relative to each rear foot plate 27. Further, a rear foot plate forward support axle 54 parallel to the foot support hinge 29 mounts the rear foot plate to the forward foot support axle housing boss 55 that is mounted to the housing top wall 13 and to a forward support axle foot plate boss 56. A heel support 57 is further provided in positioning of the foot relative to the support plate structure. The heel support 57 may be provided with longitudinal adjustment about a heel support fastener 57a (see FIG. 5) that may be mounted within an associated slot structure 63 to provide for adjustment of the heel support relative to the rear foot support plate 27 of each foot support 17 and 18. A respective right and left securement band 42 and 43 of flexible construction is mounted overlying each respective rear foot support plate 27 of each right and left foot support 17 and 18, and includes a respective right and left interior band anchor 44 and 45 fixedly mounted to the housing top wall 13, with an outer distal end of each securement band 42 and 43 mounted to a respective right and left spring housing 46 and 47 permitting adjustable securement of each outer distal end of each securement band for the comfortable securement of each foot into a respective right and left foot support 17 and 18 of the structure. The right and left spring housings 46 and 47 are mounted respective right and left pivot junctions 48 and 49, especially at the intersection of the upper and lower side walls 15 and 14 to project the spring housings for clearance relative to the housing structure. A motor control 50 is provided to effect motor speed of the drive motor 19, as well as the use of a heater control 51 to effect operation of heating transformer 59 to effect selective heating of right and left resistance heating coils 52 and 53 within the rear foot support plates 27. Vibratory control 58 is further provided as optional to permit imparting of vibratory energy through vibratory unit. An electrical power supply 60 directs energy to the organization, wherein for further convenience in use of the organization, a transport flange 61 fixedly and orthogonally mounted medially of the right and left foot supports 17 and 18 projects upwardly relative thereto mounted to the top wall 13, with the transport flange 61 including a flange opening 62 for manual grasping of the flange for ease of transport of the organization.

As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same should be apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly no further discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention shall be provided.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.