Wheelchair gym
OwnerRandall J. Hochberg, Daniel T. Hayesinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
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.
Claims13
In combination with a wheelchair having a frame, the frame having a front, a back and opposite sides supporting a seat and a backrest, a gym detachably secured to the wheelchair to enable a patient using the wheelchair to perform at least one exercise repeatedly and at patient selected times during the day for strengthening at least one major muscle of the patient in order to supplement and enhance whatever physical therapy the patient is receiving, thereby substantially decreasing the patient's recovery time,
- the gym having a support bar releasably connected to the frame of the wheelchair wherein the wheelchair is rigidly supported in an open position, the support bar having an adapter formed at approximately a midpoint thereof, a vertical post removably connected to the adapter, the vertical post extending upwardly from the support bar in front of the seat, hand grips for exercising the patient's arms attached to the vertical posts, leg supports for exercising the patient's legs attached to the opposite ends of the support bar and extending outwardly from the support bar, resiliently biased foot rests being 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, further wherein the leg supports for exercising the patient's legs may be swung to and fro and may be moved laterally in a splayed manner followed by an inward movement.
A removable attachment to enable a patient confined temporarily or permanently in a wheelchair to exercise his or her legs and/or arms, respectively, comprising a pair of resiliently-biased foot rests on which the patient's feet are adapted to be supported, such that the patient's feet may be moved generally up and down and, alternately, laterally to and fro in a splayed manner, and a pair of resiliently-biased handles which may be gripped, respectively, by the patient's hands for back and forth movement generally forwardly of the patient's head and neck area for exercise of his or her arms.
An exercise attachment for a patient confined to a wheelchair, comprising a substantially leg-exercising structure having a pair of substantially parallel spaced-apart leg portions and further having a support bar adapted to be removably locked to the frame of the wheelchair and generally forwardly of the patient's torso wherein the wheelchair is held in a rigidly open position, a pair of resiliently-biased foot rests, one for each of the leg portions of the leg-exercising structure and slidably mounted for reciprocal movement therein, such that the patient's feet may be supported by the foot rests, respectively, and such that the patient may move his or her feet up and down against the resilient bias thereof for exercise of his or her legs.
An arm exercising attachment to a wheelchair, comprising a support bar adapted to be removably locked to the frame of the wheelchair and generally forwardly of the patient's torso wherein the wheelchair is held in a rigidly open position, a post adapted to be removably connected to the support bar substantially midway thereof and extending upwardly therefrom substantially forwardly of the patient's head and neck areas, and a member attached to the top of the post and extending outwardly therefrom, the member including a pair of spaced-apart resiliently-biased handles mounted for reciprocation on the member, such that the patient may reach up and grip the handles for exercise of his or her arms.
An exercise device for a patient confined to a wheelchair, comprising a first structure removably secured to the wheelchair and including a pair of resiliently-biased reciprocating foot rests on which the feet of the patient may be placed, respectively, thereby providing for the exercise of the patient's legs while in the wheelchair, and a second structure removably secured to the first structure and including a pair of resiliently biased reciprocating handles adapted to be gripped by the patient's hands while in the wheelchair, thereby providing for the exercise of the patient's arms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.