Wrist Exercise Device With Universal Joint And Biasing Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current physical therapy rehabilitation machines are limited in their ability to effectively exercise multiple muscle groups without requiring reconfiguration, focusing primarily on a single muscle or muscle group.
Innovation Solution
A wrist and forearm exercise device with a base, vertically extending post, and rotatable shaft, equipped with a biasing member and universal joints, allowing for simultaneous flexion-supination and extension-pronation movements, providing resistance that mimics natural muscle strength curves and enabling comprehensive muscle engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rehabilitation machine is designed to focus on a single muscle or muscle group, then it can provide specialized exercise for that specific muscle, but it cannot effectively exercise multiple muscle groups without reconfiguration
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates a universal joint mechanism that allows the shaft to rotate freely in multiple directions (supination-pronation and radial-ulnar deviation), enabling a single device to exercise multiple wrist and forearm muscle groups simultaneously without requiring reconfiguration. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction by making the device adaptable to various exercise needs while maintaining a fixed, simple structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a rehabilitation machine provides resistance for a single direction of movement, then it can effectively target specific muscles, but it cannot provide comprehensive muscle engagement through compound movements
Solution Approach 1:
The device merges supination-pronation rotation and radial-ulnar deviation movements into a single integrated shaft mechanism. The universal joint combines these two degrees of freedom, allowing the user to perform compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This merging of movement types into one mechanism achieves comprehensive muscle engagement without requiring multiple separate mechanisms or complex reconfiguration systems.
3Reliability
If a rehabilitation device uses fixed resistance, then it provides stable exercise conditions, but it cannot mimic natural muscle strength curves throughout the range of motion
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs a spring-based biasing member that provides dynamic, variable resistance rather than fixed resistance. The spring force naturally varies throughout the range of motion, offering lighter resistance at the beginning and end of movements and greater resistance in the middle positions. This dynamic resistance profile mimics natural muscle strength curves, achieving adaptability while maintaining reliable, consistent exercise conditions through the predictable elastic properties of the spring.
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 effective exercise of multiple muscle groups, including the hand, wrist, and forearm, through compound movements that thoroughly work muscles throughout their range of motion, enhancing rehabilitation outcomes by allowing adjustable resistance and versatile user positioning.
Implementation Method 1
A biasing member has a first end attached to the shaft and a second end attached to the base, such that rotation of the shaft extends the biasing member.
Implementation Method 2
The shaft has a proximal end and a distal end. A universal joint has a first element, a second element, and a third element.
Data Source
AI summary
A wrist and forearm exercise and rehabilitation device is disclosed. The device includes a base, a post extending vertically from the base, and a shaft rotatably inserted into the shaft. The shaft has a proximal end and a distal end. A biasing member has a first end attached to the shaft, such that rotation of the shaft exerts a force on the biasing member. A method of using the device is also disclosed.