Ankle Exerciser Maze Board for Rehabilitation Adherence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern living often leads to restricted ankle and foot mobility due to tight calf muscles, necessitating a device that can effectively aid in rehabilitation and mobility improvement.
Innovation Solution
An ankle exerciser device featuring a base component, a jointed foot plate assembly that allows tilting, pivoting, and rotating, and a maze board with a ball that users must navigate by applying forces with their foot, making exercises fun and engaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ankle exercise devices are used, then ankle mobility can be improved, but user adherence and engagement are poor due to repetitive and boring exercises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a maze game board with the ankle exercise device, merging therapeutic exercise with recreational gaming. The foot plate is integrated with a maze board containing pathways and obstacles, allowing users to navigate the maze while performing ankle exercises, thereby improving adherence through enhanced engagement and enjoyment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially boring and repetitive nature of therapeutic exercise into a beneficial and engaging game experience. By transforming the exercise routine into a maze-navigating game with visual feedback and challenge elements, the device turns what could be a monotonous task into an enjoyable activity that promotes consistent use
2Reliability
If a jointed foot plate assembly with multiple degrees of freedom is provided, then ankle exercise effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The foot plate assembly is designed with multiple joints that provide multiple degrees of freedom, allowing the same component to facilitate various ankle exercise movements including dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion. This multi-functional design improves exercise effectiveness without requiring separate devices for each movement type
Solution Approach 2:
The foot plate assembly incorporates dynamic joints that allow controlled movement in multiple directions, adapting to different exercise requirements. The joints enable the foot plate to move dynamically rather than being fixed, providing realistic ankle motion simulation while maintaining structural integrity through controlled degrees of freedom
Data Source
AI summary
An ankle exerciser device is described. The device can include a base component, a jointed foot plate assembly attached to the base component, the jointed foot plate assembly comprising a foot plate and a joint, the joint configured to allow the foot plate to tilt, pivot, and/or rotate relative to the base component, and a maze board attached to the foot plate of the jointed foot plate assembly, the maze board comprising a maze. A method of exercising the ankle can include positioning a ball in the maze of the maze board, and moving the ball through the maze by applying forces to the foot plate with a foot.