Foam Roller With Transverse Handles For Spinal Decompression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Therapeutic foam rollers compress the spine, preventing relaxation of back muscles and unfavorable pressure distribution on the legs and feet, as they require engagement of core and back muscles to roll over them.

Innovation Solution

A foam roller with rigid transverse handles allows the torso to pass over it while relaxed, using arm handles to create spinal decompression by separating vertebrae rather than compressing them, featuring a rigid interior section surrounded by compressible foam and portals for attaching arms that prevent full rotation on a planar surface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a traditional foam roller is used for spinal decompression, then the roller can provide cushioning and support, but it compresses the spine and prevents relaxation of back muscles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespinal compressionVSAvoidmuscle relaxation

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of having the user actively roll over the foam roller using muscle force, the handles are pulled toward the user, causing the roller to passively move under the torso. This inverts the force direction and muscle engagement pattern, allowing back muscles to relax while still achieving spinal decompression through the rolling motion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The handles serve as an intermediary mechanism that transfers force from the user's arms to the roller, enabling indirect control of the rolling motion. This mediator allows the user to apply force through the arms rather than directly through the back muscles, facilitating muscle relaxation during the exercise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If a foam roller without handles is used, then the structure is simple, but the user cannot pull the roller to create spinal decompression

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespinal decompression capabilityVSAvoidstructure with handles and portals

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The handles serve multiple functions: they provide grip points for pulling the roller, act as structural reinforcement elements, and enable the spinal decompression motion. By integrating these multiple functions into a single component, the design achieves enhanced functionality without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The roller is segmented into distinct functional components: the cylindrical foam body for cushioning, the rigid handles for force application, and the portals for structural integration. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If the foam roller allows full rotation on a planar surface, then it moves freely, but it cannot provide controlled spinal decompression motion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrolled rolling motionVSAvoidrotation constraint

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The cylindrical shape of the roller combined with the transverse handles creates a geometric constraint that limits rotation to approximately 180 degrees on a flat surface. This curvature-based constraint naturally guides the rolling motion in one direction while preventing uncontrolled full rotations, providing stable and controlled spinal decompression.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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

This design relieves pressure on spinal discs by decompressing the spine, allowing for effective spinal decompression therapy and reducing muscle tension during use.

Implementation Method 1

A compressible (resilient) foam section surrounds some, at least a majority of, or substantially all of the rigid section

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 2

The foam can be any material which is compressible and resilient including rubber, plastic, and other materials

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12257202B2Exercise roller with handles

Publication Date: 2025.03.25 MARKOWSKI JOHN

AI summary

A foam roller includes a cylindrical main body having a hollow interior extending in a first direction. The foam roller further includes a first portal and a second portal extending into said cylindrical main body in a second direction transverse to said first direction and inline with each other. The foam roller further includes a first arm and a second arm. The first arm is sized to fit within said first portal and the second arm sized to fit within the second portal. The foam roller can be rolled by way of the arms while a torso is held against the roller. The arms are fixedly or removably connected to the roller portion thereof and prevent the roller from rolling fully around which being rollable by way of pulling the arms. The foam roller may also include end caps on the roller to attach the arms thereto.