Machine and method for head, neck and, shoulder stretching

[0001] This application is based upon provisional application 60/880,162, filed on Jan. 12, 2007, the priority of which is claimed.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to a device or machine for stretching and exercising the human body. Specifically, the invention relates to a device or machine which incrementally moves, positions, and stretches the head, neck and upper shoulder region (i.e., the occipital region) of the human body.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Prior art devices for stretching the head, neck, and upper shoulder region of the human body have included both medical and non-medical devices. Purely medical devices typically include over-the-door and power-controlled traction devices. Non-medical devices have typically included gym-type stretching equipment including, but not limited to, gravity balls and Pilates machines. However, Pilates equipment, MedX exercise equipment, and other fitness-oriented exercise and stretching units are often uncomfortable, cumbersome, and/or difficult to operate.

[0006] The complexity in applying any of the aforementioned devices for stretching and unloading the head, neck and shoulders is that, while the user's position of comfort may be obtained by movement of the occipital region by only a few degrees, these prior art devices provide movement of the occipital region which cannot be precisely controlled. Thus, the movement is either less than the movement that provides the maximum benefit or greater than the movement required. The latter may actually exacerbate the discomfort of or even cause injury to the user. Furthermore, conventional physical therapy devices, which often require prescription, are also not arranged and designed for intricate movements. Instead, these conventional physical therapy devices typically incorporate an arbitrarily selected de-compressive force at a “one position-fits-all” angle.

[0007] The foregoing illustrates a few of the shortcomings of the prior art. As previously described, prior art stretching devices for physical therapy and/or conditioning have not provided multiple positional options for the user prior to application of stretching movement. Thus, a machine for stretching the head, neck and upper shoulders region of the human body is desired which provides precise and comprehensive control of occipital positioning to the user during use and application thereof.

[0008] 3. Identification of Objects of the Invention

[0009] An object of the invention is to accomplish one or more of the following:

[0010] Provide a machine for stretching the head, neck, and upper shoulders region of the human body which moves and adjusts the user's head, neck, and upper shoulders in multiple directions relative to the user's torso;

[0011] Provide a machine for stretching the head, neck, and upper shoulders region of the human body which permits the user to precisely control the movement and adjustment of the user's head, neck, and upper shoulders while the user is using the machine; and

[0012] Provide a machine for stretching the head, neck, and upper shoulders region of the human body which permits the user to precisely control the movement and adjustment of the user's head, neck, and upper shoulders relative to each other using three actuators that operate independently of each other.

[0013] Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the following specifications and drawings.

[0014] An exercise machine and method are disclosed for stretching and unloading compressed components of the human frame, particularly compressed components of the head, neck, and upper shoulders region, for the purpose of relaxation and stress reduction. The machine of a preferred implementation has three separate user-controlled actuators that allow the user to move and adjust the user's head, neck, and upper shoulders in multiple directions and with utmost precision, thereby effectively exercising and stretching the user's occipital region to achieve the desired comfort level. Because the user is in control of the machine's precise actuator movements, and hence the exact positioning of her occipital region, the machine is much easier and safer to operate and more effective than other exercise and physical strengthening devices.

[0020] As generally shown in FIG. 1, a preferred implementation of the invention is a machine 10 which has three separate user-controlled actuators that allow the user to move and adjust the user's head, neck, and upper shoulders in multiple directions relative to her torso and with utmost precision, thereby effectively exercising and stretching the user's occipital region to achieve the desired comfort level. By moving and adjusting the user's head, neck, and upper shoulders relative to the user's torso and at a position angle that is most comfortable to the user, the machine 10 relaxes the user thereby reducing stress and providing a sense of well being. The machine 10 is much safer to operate than prior art devices, because the machine 10 is user-controlled and self-actuated and does not rely upon complicated computer controls, sophisticated motorization, and/or control by someone other than the user.

[0021] In a preferred implementation of the invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the machine 10 comprises a table 25, chair, bed, platform, or other rigid apparatus for supporting the human body in a supine position. The table 25 or other rigid apparatus is supported by two main frame sections, an upper frame section 20 and a lower frame section 22. The table 25 or other rigid apparatus has upper 24 and lower 26 table sections which are positioned above the upper 20 and lower 22 frame sections of the machine, respectively. Preferably, the upper 24 and lower 26 table section have cushions placed thereon or have cushioning to provide comfort to the user while the user is being supported by the machine in the supine position. The upper 20 and lower 22 frame sections of the machine provide structural support for the upper 24 and lower 26 table cushions/sections. An optional knee wedge 28 or similar device is positionally adjusted atop the lower table cushion/section 26 for supporting the lower half of the human body and to provide additional relaxation to the user while operating the machine 10. The user orients her body on top of the machine 10 with the upper half of her body atop the upper table cushion/section 24 of the machine and with the lower half of her body (i.e., her legs) draped over the optional knee wedge 28 positioned atop the lower table cushion/section 26 of the machine 10. The upper table cushion/section 24 has a head rest 30 or head cushion mounted thereon and provides the user with a place to rest her head while lying atop the machine 10. The head rest 30 or head cushion is positioned atop a head/occipital repositioning palate 34, which is an independently moveable portion of the upper table cushion/section 24. The user also wears a head harness, chin strap, or similar restraining device 32 about the head, as shown in FIG. 2C, which is capable of restraining the user's head without slippage. The head harness 32 is arranged and designed with an attachment device 38, such as a hook, eyelet, or grommet, disposed thereon so as to permit the user to operate the machine 10 in a supine position. While in operation, a strap, climbing clip, rope, chain or similar device 12 extends and connects between the head harness attachment device 38 and an upright projection 40 perpendicularly disposed above the upper end of the upper table cushion/section 24. The upright projection 40 is similar in shape to the tail of scorpion and has several hooks, eyelets, or similar devices 42 disposed at select intervals thereon for receiving and attaching the strap, climbing clip, rope, chain or similar device 12. The upright projection 40 is independently moveable from the upper table cushion/section 24 and is user-actuated to extend longitudinally outward and inward relative to the upper cushion/section 24. After the user's occipital region is fully restrained, the user may then adjust the upright projection 40 and/or the head/occipital repositioning palate 34 (and hence her occipital region relative to her torso) using a user-manipulated control, such as a joystick control or push button control (not shown). The user-manipulated control is preferably connected to three separate actuators 50, 52, 54 (FIGS. 2A-2C) which move and adjust the upper table cushion/section 24, head/occipital repositioning palate 34, and upright projection 40.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2A, a table actuator 50 controls the tilt, pivot, or elevation of the upper table cushion/section 24 relative to the lower table cushion/section 26 to relieve positional stress and gravity on the pressure points in the head, neck, and upper shoulders. Actuators and other powered mechanisms which move and manipulate physical objects relative to each other are well known in the art and thus will not be discussed at length herein. Likewise, control interfaces for actuators and similar mechanisms, which are operable by the user, are also well known in the art and include, but are not limited to, remote control devices, hard-wired devices, wireless devices, and voice command systems. The upper table cushion/section 24 is independently moveable and has an interior edge which attaches to and pivots about either the upper 20 or lower 22 frame sections of the machine 10. Alternatively, the upper table cushion/section 24 is independently moveable and has an interior edge which attaches to and pivots about the lower cushion 26. The table actuator 50 controls the pivot angle or tilt of the upper cushion 24. The table actuator 50 is arranged and designed to elevate the upper table cushion/section 24 above a purely horizontal position, thereby elevating the user's head, neck, and upper shoulders within a range of between 0 to 30 degrees above the user's horizontally-positioned lower body. The precise positioning of the upper table cushion/section 24 relative to the upper/lower frame sections 20, 22 (or the lower table cushion/section 26) is completely controlled by the user.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2B, a palate actuator 52 controls the tilt, pivot, or elevation of the head/occipital repositioning palate 34 (i.e., the head rest 32 or head cushion) to relieve positional stress and gravity on the pressure points in the head, neck, and upper shoulders. As previously described, the head/occipital repositioning palate 34, upon which the head rest 32 or head cushion is disposed, is an independently moveable portion of the upper table cushion/section 24 that has an interior edge which attaches to and allows the head/occipital repositioning palate 34 to pivot about the upper table cushion/section 24. The palate actuator 52 controls the pivot angle or tilt of the head/occipital repositioning palate 34 (i.e., head rest 32 or head cushion). The palate actuator 52 is arranged and designed to elevate the head/occipital repositioning palate 34 above the surrounding upper table cushion/section 24 thereby elevating the user's head, neck, and upper shoulders within a range of between 0-90 degrees above the surrounding upper table cushion/section 24. The precise positioning of the head/occipital repositioning palate 34 (i.e., head rest 32 or head control) relative to the upper table cushion/section 24 is completely controlled by the user.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2C, an upright projection actuator 54 controls the longitudinal outward or inward extension of the upright projection 40 beyond the upper table cushion/section 24. If the user's head is securely restrained to the upright projection 40 using the head harness 32 and strap 12, the user's head, neck, and upper shoulders are pulled away from the user's torso when the upright projection 40 is extended. As the upright projection 40 continues to be extended beyond the upper cushion 24, the user's head, neck, and upper shoulders are thus comfortably stretched and exercised. The precise extension and positioning of the upright projection 40 relative to the upper table cushion/section 24 is completely controlled by the user.

[0025] Thus, in a preferred implementation of the invention, the user is able to easily control the machine using three actuators 50, 52, 54 such that: (1) the user's upper body is moved and adjusted relative to the user's lower body, (2) the user's neck is moved and adjusted relative to the user's shoulders, and (3) the user's neck and upper shoulders are pulled and stretched away from the user's torso. The three actuators 50, 52, 54 are arranged and designed to each move and adjust the different components 24, 34, 40 of the machine 10 independently of each other and with minute precision. Therefore, the machine may be used to manipulate the head, neck, and upper shoulders to an extremely large number of positions for user-controlled unloading/stretching. In fact, the number of differing occipital positions that may be achieved using a preferred embodiment of the invention has been estimated to exceed 4,000 possible position combinations. Furthermore, self-actuation of the occipital stretching machine permits the user to self position her head, neck, and upper shoulders in such a way as to provide the greatest comfort and relaxation to the occipital region and to conduct the appropriate level of unloading/stretching thereof.

[0026] The Abstract of the disclosure is written solely for providing the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the public at large with a means by which to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure, and it represents one implementation of the invention and is not indicative of the nature of the invention as a whole.

[0027] While some embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in detail, the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown; modifications and adaptations of the above embodiments may occur to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and adaptations are in the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth herein: