Eccentric Weight Headset for Dynamic Neck Muscle Exercise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing neck muscle exercise devices provide a stationary mechanical load that is limited for precise muscle diagnosis and treatment, lacking cyclic stretch and release, and do not challenge the premotor central nervous system with adaptive strategies.
Innovation Solution
A system with a rotatable and extendable weight mounted eccentrically on a headset, adjustable by motors, providing continuous and periodic moments to the head and neck, accompanied by real-time feedback and game-like challenges to enhance muscle exercise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a stationary weight is used on the headset, then the device structure is simple, but the muscle exercise effectiveness is limited due to lack of cyclic stretch and release
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the stationary weight system into a dynamic one by mounting the weight on a rotating arm that can change its radial position. The weight rotates around the user's head, creating dynamic moments that cyclically stretch and release neck muscles, thereby improving exercise effectiveness while maintaining reasonable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating arm with eccentric weight creates periodic motion that applies cyclic moments to the neck muscles. This periodic action enables concentric and eccentric muscle efforts, which are essential for effective muscle exercise and rehabilitation, directly addressing the limitation of stationary weights
2Device complexity
If the moment is fixed throughout treatment, then the device complexity is reduced, but the diagnostic precision is insufficient for precise muscle diagnosis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous adjustment of multiple parameters including the weight mass, radial distance from the rotation axis, and rotation speed. These parameter changes allow therapists to precisely control the applied moments to match specific muscle groups being diagnosed or treated, significantly improving diagnostic precision
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating arm mechanism serves multiple functions: it can adjust radial position to change moment arm length, rotate at variable speeds to control exercise intensity, and accommodate different weight configurations. This multi-functionality allows a single device to address various diagnostic and treatment needs without requiring multiple separate apparatuses
3Ease of operation
If a fixed moment is applied, then the system is simpler to control, but it cannot provide adaptive dynamic strategies to challenge the premotor central nervous system
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamically rotating weight system creates time-varying moments that require continuous adaptive responses from the neck muscles and premotor central nervous system. The rotation speed and radial position can be adjusted to provide progressive challenges, enabling adaptive exercise strategies that fixed moment systems cannot deliver
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors to monitor head position and orientation in real-time, providing feedback to both the user and the control system. This feedback enables closed-loop control where the rotating weight's motion can be adjusted based on user performance, creating adaptive exercise protocols that challenge the nervous system dynamically
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise neck muscle exercise through dynamic moments, improving muscle adaptation and posture correction, suitable for conditions like neck dystonia and other neck pain syndromes.
Implementation Method 1
an inertial measurement unit is electromechanical or solid state or a smartphone that is mounted on the headset using a software application that obtains information from the phone's accelerators and inclinometers
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention may be embodied as a system or method for dynamically exercising a user's neck muscles. The system includes a headset, an arm attached thereto, a weight, and at least one motor to move the weight, for example, about the arm. The weight may be mounted eccentrically on a radial track that is rotatable by one motor and moved linearly by another motor. The direction of the arm, the distance between an apex of the headset and the weight, the eccentricity of the weight on the axis, and the speed of rotation of the motor are all parameters that can be adjusted by the caregiver or user, either manually or via controlling software.