Spring-Loaded Support Frame for Adjustable Joint Load Relief

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Solution Overview

Problem

Individuals with arthritis in weight-bearing joints face significant pain and mobility challenges that discourage physical activity, exacerbating their condition and limiting quality of life, despite the benefits of regular exercise for rehabilitation.

Innovation Solution

A support frame that adjusts to bear a percentage of a user's weight, using preloaded springs to reduce joint load, allowing pain-free movement and rehabilitation through adjustable precompression.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If regular physical activity is engaged in to promote joint rehabilitation, then joint health improves, but joint pain increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejoint rehabilitationVSAvoidjoint pain

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The support frame applies a counteracting force to offset the user's body weight, reducing the load on afflicted joints. The spring mechanism generates an upward force that counterbalances gravity's pull on the user's body, thereby reducing joint compression and pain during movement while still allowing necessary physical activity for rehabilitation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

Solution Approach 2:

The spring mechanism is pre-compressed to store elastic potential energy that acts as a cushioning force. This pre-loaded spring provides beforehand cushioning by continuously exerting an upward force that reduces joint impact during weight-bearing activities, protecting the joints from excessive stress while enabling movement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If weight loss is pursued to reduce joint burden, then joint pain decreases, but mobility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejoint painVSAvoidmobility

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The support frame provides an external counterweight mechanism that offsets the user's body weight, reducing joint burden without requiring actual weight loss. This allows the user to maintain their current weight while experiencing reduced joint pain through the spring mechanism's counteracting force, thereby preserving mobility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

Solution Approach 2:

The support frame acts as an intermediary between the user's body weight and the joints. Instead of directly reducing weight through diet or exercise, the support frame intermediates by providing a mechanical counterforce that reduces the effective load on joints, allowing movement without the need for weight loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If support frame precompression is increased to reduce joint load, then joint pain decreases, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejoint painVSAvoidspring adjustment mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The spring mechanism is pre-compressed during manufacturing or initial setup to establish the counteracting force. This preliminary action sets up the support frame with the appropriate pre-load condition, eliminating the need for complex adjustment mechanisms during use. The pre-compressed spring automatically provides the necessary counterforce without requiring user intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The spring mechanism is designed to self-adjust to the user's weight and movement patterns. The spring naturally compresses and expands in response to applied loads, automatically providing the appropriate counterforce without requiring external adjustment mechanisms. This self-service capability simplifies the overall device while maintaining effective joint load reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 users to engage in daily activities and exercises promoting joint rehabilitation by reducing joint pain and discomfort, facilitating long-term management and improvement of afflicted joints.

Implementation Method 1

The support frame is designed to bear a percentage of the a user's weight... By adjusting the precompression of the springs, a critical value of the percentage of displaced user weight can be established

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpring compression: Spring

Implementation Method 2

preloading or pre-compressing springs that are part of the support frame, thereby increasing the amount of weight required to begin compressing the spring

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS20260034014A1Adjustably Controlling the Percentage of a Users' Weight to be Borne by a User's Afflicted Weight bearing Joints Facilitates Substantially Pain Free Movement While Promoting Rehabilitation Thereof

Publication Date: 2026.02.05 QASSEM FAHMI

AI summary

A support frame is designed to bear a percentage of a user's weight and thereby reduce by that amount the remaining weight that must be borne by the user's joints. The adjustment can be made by preloading or pre-compressing springs that are part of the support frame, thereby increasing the amount of weight required to begin compressing the spring as a function of its initial spring rate. By adjusting the precompression of the springs, a critical value of the percentage of displaced user weight can be established for a user that will permit the user to move afflicted joints with a satisfactory reduction of pain and discomfort that is acceptable to the user at that moment in time.