Wheelchair Gym Attachment for Portable Exercise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elderly individuals confined to wheelchairs often lack sufficient strength due to insufficient rehabilitation time, leading to balance problems and a cycle of weakness, falls, and prolonged wheelchair dependency, as current exercise solutions are inadequate for daily strengthening and are not easily portable for use in assisted living facilities.
Innovation Solution
A portable exercise attachment system for wheelchairs that allows patients to perform exercises like bilateral leg press, hip abduction, rowing, chest press, and arm bike by modifying the wheelchair's leg rests and adding an arm rest framework, providing adjustable and resiliently biased foot rests and hand grips for comprehensive muscle strengthening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional rehabilitation therapy is provided, then patient strength gains are achieved, but rehabilitation time is constrained by insurance protocols and is insufficient for safe wheelchair independence
Solution Approach 1:
The exercise system is divided into multiple independent exercise stations (leg press, arm press, rowing, cycling) that can be used separately or together, allowing patients to perform targeted exercises throughout the day without requiring comprehensive rehab therapy hours
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables continuous exercise throughout the day by allowing patients to perform multiple exercise stations sequentially, replacing the discontinuous nature of scheduled therapy sessions with ongoing self-directed exercise
2Strength
If patients exercise throughout the day, then muscle atrophy is prevented and strength is maintained, but no simple portable exercise system exists for daily use
Solution Approach 1:
The exercise system is designed to attach to standard wheelchair frames and provides multiple exercise functions (leg press, arm press, rowing, cycling) through a single unified structure, eliminating the need for separate exercise equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed for patient self-use with simple controls and no professional therapist intervention required, allowing patients to independently perform exercises throughout the day without carrying complex equipment
3Adaptability or versatility
If physical therapists carry equipment to patient rooms, then comprehensive exercise options are provided, but this is logistically difficult in assisted living facilities with patients far apart
Solution Approach 1:
Each patient has their own stationary exercise system in their room that they can use independently, eliminating the need for therapists to travel between rooms and allowing patients to exercise at their own convenience throughout the day
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 patients to strengthen major muscle groups throughout the day, reducing recovery time and preventing falls by converting a standard wheelchair into a portable exercise gym, promoting muscle atrophy prevention and independence from the wheelchair.
Implementation Method 1
Resiliently biased foot rests are movably connected to each of the leg supports wherein the foot rests may be moved up and down conjointly and may be moved up and down opposite to one another
Implementation Method 2
A respective hydraulic cylinder is connected to each foot rest providing resilient biasing force thereto. A respective hydraulic pump is connected to each hand grip providing resilient biasing force thereto
Implementation Method 3
As the lever arm is moved, the frame of the wheelchair is engaged in the concave channel to lock the support bar between the opposite sides of the wheelchair to rigidly maintain the wheelchair in an open position
Implementation Method 4
The leg supports are pivotally connected to the support bar by pivot pins. The upper portion is pivotably connected to the vertical post by at least one pivot pin
Implementation Method 5
A respective hydraulic pump is connected to each hand grip providing resilient biasing force thereto
Data Source
AI summary
A wheelchair gym having a support bar releasably connected to the frame of the wheelchair. A vertical post is attached to the support bar and hand grips are slidably mounted on the vertical post. The hand grips are resiliently biased and may be moved conjointly or opposite to one another to provide arm exercise for a patient in the wheelchair. The gym also has leg supports on which resiliently biased foot rests may be moved conjointly or opposite to one another. The leg supports may be moved up and down or may be splayed laterally.