Soft Polymer Head Exercise Device for Injury Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exercise and massage devices, such as Indian Clubs and sledgehammers, are made of hard materials that pose a risk of injury and limit their application in total body exercise routines due to their unforgiving nature.
Innovation Solution
The Hand Held Exercise Device features a lightweight handle and a soft polymer flexible head that can be filled with granular substances, liquid, or urethane foam, providing a safer and more versatile option for swinging and percussive exercises, with an alternate embodiment resembling a sledgehammer for training and muscle stimulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If exercise devices are made of hard materials (wood, metal, hard plastic), then structural strength and durability are improved, but the risk of injury increases and the device becomes less suitable for total body exercise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the club head from hard materials to soft, flexible polymer material. This parameter change maintains the structural integrity needed for exercise while eliminating the injury risk associated with hard materials, allowing the device to be safely used for total body exercise including percussive therapy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction with a lightweight handle material (aluminum, fiberglass, or graphite) combined with a soft polymer head material. This composite approach optimizes both strength-to-weight ratio and safety, creating a device that is durable yet forgiving upon contact with the body.
2Force
If the club head is made heavy to provide resistance for exercise, then exercise effectiveness is improved, but the device becomes less suitable for throwing and catching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating weight in the club head while keeping the handle lightweight. This creates uneven weight distribution optimized for swinging exercises and wrist articulation, while the soft material ensures safety even if the heavy head contacts the body during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the density parameter of the club head material to soft polymer, which provides sufficient resistance for exercise while being forgiving on impact. The flexible nature of the material allows the head to deform upon contact, reducing the harmful effects of the heavy weight during accidental strikes.
3Ease of operation
If the club is designed with even weight distribution for fluid rotation, then juggling performance is improved, but exercise effectiveness for wrist articulation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately employs asymmetric weight distribution with a heavier club head and lighter handle. This asymmetry is optimized for exercise purposes, creating leverage that enhances wrist articulation and shoulder rotation effectiveness, while the soft material compensates for the less fluid rotation compared to evenly balanced clubs.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to Hand Held Exercise and Fitness Devices that deals with exercise, fitness and therapeutic massage that may be held in the hand and used for a wide range of wrist, forearm and shoulder manipulation, massage and fitness exercises. The preferred embodiment will be in the shape of an Indian club with a light weight handle and a soft flexible polymer head that can have a variety of materials in the inner cavity. The second embodiment will have the head in the shape of a sledge hammer with a long handle and constructed in a similar fashion as the preferred embodiment.