Bi-directional Ankle Exercise Machine with Progressive Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exercise machines fail to provide progressive resistance training for the complex muscle groups responsible for ankle stability, which are essential for maintaining balance and dynamic stability, particularly as people age, as they primarily offer unidirectional resistance training.
Innovation Solution
A bi-directional ankle exercise machine that uses a U-shaped sub-frame and pivotally mounted pedal members to provide adjustable resistance for both inversion and aversion movements, allowing for progressive strengthening of the muscles involved in ankle stability through multi-directional exercises.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If unidirectional weight training machines are used, then simple muscle groups can be exercised, but complex ankle muscle groups requiring multi-directional movement cannot be effectively trained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from unidirectional (single plane) resistance training to bidirectional (multi-plane) resistance training by adding rotational capability around a vertical axis. The ankle exercise machine allows movement not only in the sagittal plane (dorsiflexion/plantarflexion) but also in the transverse plane (inversion/eversion), enabling comprehensive training of all ankle muscle groups including the invertors and evertors that cannot be exercised with traditional unidirectional machines.
2Force
If floor exercises are used for ankle rehabilitation, then some strengthening can be achieved, but progressive resistance training cannot be provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a weight stack system with selectable weights that provides progressive resistance training. Users can incrementally increase the resistance force by changing the weight parameter, allowing systematic strengthening of ankle muscles. The machine maintains ease of operation through guided movement paths and footrest constraints that ensure proper exercise form while the user focuses on generating force against the adjustable resistance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If single-plane ankle exercises are performed, then specific muscle groups can be targeted, but the compound muscle groups with bidirectional functionality cannot be effectively developed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the ankle exercise machine to simultaneously engage multiple muscle groups through compound movements. The mechanism allows the foot to move in both sagittal and transverse planes, enabling exercise of the tibialis anterior (dorsiflexion and inversion), peroneus longus and brevis (eversion and plantarflexion), and other compound-function muscles in a single integrated exercise apparatus, maximizing muscle engagement efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for bi-directional ankle exercise movements has a main frame with a seat and upwardly extending columns at either side to support a “U” shaped sub-frame, mounted so that it pivots about a horizontal axis passing very nearly through the ankles of a seated user and interconnecting linkages simultaneously enforcing ankle inversion, with plantarflexion and then ankle aversion, with dorsiflexion, about perpendicularly intersecting axes, while resisting such movements, so as to provide bidirectional ankle exercises according to a progressive resistance program, thus strengthening the ankle muscle groups for enhanced balance and dynamic stability.