Hip Exercise Device with Rotatable Arm for Joint Protection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing exercise methods and devices for strengthening thigh and hip muscles often damage knee and ankle joints due to direct load transmission, making them unsuitable for individuals with weak joints, such as the elderly or obese.

Innovation Solution

An exercise device with a seat that supports the thigh and hip of one leg while the other leg is on a leg pad, allowing the exercising leg to move backward and reducing the force on the knee and ankle joints, incorporating a rotatable arm with a pivot axis aligned with the user's hip joint and a two-axis mechanism for enhanced motion range.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If existing exercise methods and devices are used to strengthen thigh and hip muscles, then muscle strengthening effect is improved, but knee and ankle joints are damaged due to direct load transmission

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethigh and hip muscle strengthVSAvoidstress on knee and ankle joints

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a seat as an intermediary support structure that contacts the thigh and hip of the non-exercising leg, serving as a mediator to transfer and distribute the load away from the knee and ankle joints. This allows the exercising leg to move through a larger range of motion without transmitting excessive force to the vulnerable joints, thus resolving the contradiction between muscle strengthening and joint protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the exercise dimension by allowing the exercising leg to move backward in addition to the traditional forward motion, creating a two-dimensional movement path. This dimensional change enables the exercise to strengthen muscles while the seat supports the body weight, reducing the load on knee and ankle joints during the exercise motion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a separate seat is provided from the leg pad, then knee and ankle joints are protected, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestress on knee and ankle jointsVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The seat is designed to serve multiple functions: it supports the thigh and hip of the non-exercising leg, provides a stable base for the user's body, and enables the exercising leg to move through a larger range of motion. By making the seat multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for additional separate components, thus managing device complexity while achieving joint protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11660499B2Upper leg and hip exercise method and device to preserve knee and ankle joint while exercising

Publication Date: 2023.05.30 KIM EUN BEE

AI summary

The present invention includes an arm; a leg pad; a long rectangle shaped seat; a seat angle fixing unit on the seat, for adjusting the angle between the seat and the leg pad (when viewed from above) according to his/her purpose so that the seat can be adjusted to be perpendicular or parallel to the leg pad when viewed from above; and thus the to the user is allowed to move the exercising leg of the user to the back of the user or perform a motion for stretching his/her back straight from a starting pose at which the user lie down on his/her back placed on the seat, wherein the leg pad is placed above the user's pelvis.