U shaped spring for strengthening the pubococeygeus muscle

Abstract

A U shaped spring designed to accommodate a long resistance path, designed to provide for a large leg squeezing area so that large squeezing resistance may be applied without excessive inner leg pressure, designed to facilitate incremental and great increases of resistance and, designed to employ an arm restraint so that initial movement through the first half of the range of movement will be against substantial and beneficial resistance. The U shaped spring for strengthening the pubococeygeus muscle when squeezed between the upper legs comprises: a resilient strip bent into and held in a U shape, said U shape having spaced opposite arms extending in a same direction, and a central portion connecting the opposite arms; and, an arm restraint extending between the spaced opposite arms holding and preventing the arms from resiliently springing apart beyond their spaced configuration. The arm restraint is generally under a substantial tension load, and is unloaded only when the arms of the U shaped spring are squeezed together between the upper legs thereby strengthening the pubococeygeus muscle. In a preferred aspect of this invention the strip comprises sheet steel and the arm restraint comprises a wire rope extending between and through holes in the opposite arms.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to the problem of incontinence and improving sexual function in both men and women. More particularly this invention relates to strengthening the pelvic floor comprising the pubococeygeus muscle, a figure eight shaped muscle wrapping around the urethra and anus.[0002] U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,186 issued to A. Harding-Randle is for a gynaecology exercise device for women. Squeezable wings extend outwardly only from a rear portion of this device. The problem of limited outward extension of the sqeezable wings and the problem of limited inward proximity of the wings when squeezed together are both inherent to this design. The length of the resistance path is thereby excessively short. This short resistance path not only provides less than optimal muscle strengthening, but additionally prevents thin women from holding the device between their legs and large women from squeezing the wings on a rear portion of the device. Another problem with this device is its mi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004] It is an object of this invention to disclose a design for a pelvic floor strengthening device which accommodates a longer resistance path. A resistance path which begins with arms further apart and end ends with arms closer together. A design which will thereby allow thin women to better hold the device between their legs and large women squeeze the legs closer together. It is yet a further object of this invention to disclose a pelvic floor strengthening device which inherently provides a larger leg contact area so that greater squeezing force can be comfortably applied to its arm without excessive pressure. It is yet a further object of this invention to disclose a design for a pelvic floor strengthening device which provides substantial resistance across the initial and first half of the range of motion. In an application where the range of motion is limited to a few inches it is important to increase and utilize all of the range of motion to maximize muscle strengthening. It is a final object of this invention to disclose a design for a pelvic floor strengthening device which not only accommodates greater squeezing resistance, but additionally facilitates greater incremental variability so that the device can better facilitate maximum muscle development and a maximum rate of muscle growth.

Problems solved by technology

The problem of limited outward extension of the sqeezable wings and the problem of limited inward proximity of the wings when squeezed together are both inherent to this design.

The length of the resistance path is thereby excessively short.

This short resistance path not only provides less than optimal muscle strengthening, but additionally prevents thin women from holding the device between their legs and large women from squeezing the wings on a rear portion of the device.

Another problem with this device is its minimal leg contact squeezing area.

Yet another problem with this device is that the resistance encountered through the first half of the range of motion is too small to be beneficial for muscle strengthening.

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