Exercise for users with limb differences
AssigneeToyota Mobility Foundation
InventorsWilliam Chernicoff, Christopher Eugene Cloud, Benjamin C. Johnston-Leamon, Seth D. Orsborn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A brace can be used to make it easier for people with lower limb differences to engage in an active lifestyle. The brace can have a body that is sized to wrap around a portion of a human limb (e.g., a residual limb). The body can have an undulating shape. When the brace is wrapped around a human limb, lateral end regions of the body can overlap and can be connected to each other. In this configuration, the brace can have a substantially conical shape. The brace can be a part of a system and/or a kit.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a brace including:
- a body sized to wrap around a portion of a human limb, the body having a proximal side and a distal side, the proximal side and the distal side being spaced from and opposite each other, the body having an undulating shape, where the proximal side and the distal side undulate in substantially the same direction;
- a first connector provided in a first end region of the body;
- and a second connector provided in a second end region of the body, when the first connector and the second connector are attached, the brace is held in a closed configuration in which the brace has a substantially conical shape;
- a control unit;
- and a resistance member having a first end operatively connected to the brace and a second end operatively connected to the control unit, the resistance member being a strap that does not stretch or exhibits minimal stretch, the control unit being configured to measure a force exerted on the resistance member by a user.
A brace comprising:
- a body sized to wrap around a portion of a human limb, the body having a proximal side and a distal side, the proximal side and the distal side being spaced from and opposite each other, the body having an undulating shape where the proximal side and the distal side undulate in substantially the same direction;
- a first connector provided in a first lateral end region of the body;
- and
- a second connector provided in a second lateral end region of the body,
- the body having an open configuration and a closed configuration,
- when the first connector and the second connector are connected, the brace is held in the closed configuration where the brace has a substantially conical shape.
A kit comprising:
- a brace including a body sized to wrap around a portion of a human limb, the body having a proximal side and a distal side, the proximal side and the distal side being spaced from and opposite each other, the body having an undulating shape, where the proximal side and the distal side undulate in substantially the same direction, the brace including a first connector and a second connector provided in opposing lateral end regions of the body, when the first connector and the second connector are connected, the brace is held in a closed configuration in which the brace has a substantially conical shape;
- a resistance member being a strap that does not stretch or exhibits minimal stretch;
- and a control unit including a generator for generating electrical energy to power the control unit, the control unit not having a battery, the control unit being configured to cause a resistance to be applied to the resistance member, the resistance member having a first end configured for operative connection to the brace and a second end configured for operative connection to the control unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.