US 2011/0034834 A1Published application

Assisting Device For Adopting The Correct Posture Of Lower Limbs And For Pursuing Walking Activity

OwnerEnrico Lapiinventor

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Abstract

A fitness/medical device assisting the movement of the lower limbs during the walking activity is substantially composed of fastening means firmly connected to the shoes, of a set of substantially rigid rods (7, 7A) connecting said fastening means with articulation joints (6, 6A1 8, 8A, 9) of further means for connecting said fastening means, and of elastic means (5) acting between said rods and said connection means. The shape and joints of the various components of the kinematic mechanism allows accumulating the energy produced by one of the lower limbs when getting in contact with the ground, in order to give it back to the other lower limb when lifting from the ground, so producing a great reduction of the energy needed in the walking activity and at the same time promoting the acquisition of a correct posture. Several adjustments in size and hardness can be performed to render the device suitable to users with different characteristics and to make it useful in medical ambit in order to eliminate posture pathologies of the lower limbs.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A device for assisting a user in a walking activity, wherein the device is configured to transfer forces from a lower limb to an other lower limb and promote a correct posture of the lower limbs during the walking activity, comprising:

right and left fastening means (1, 2, 1A, 2A) for connecting to right and left shoes, respectively, configured to create a substantially rigid connection between soles of the shoes and the fastening means themselves;
substantially rigid right and left reaction rods (7, 7A) connected together at one end by joints (8, 8A, 9) configured to stop at least translation degrees of freedom, and further connected to said fastening means (1, 2, 1A, 2A) at an other end by joints (6, 6A) configured to stop at least translation degrees of freedom;
right and left leverage means (3, 3A) connected together at one end by connection means (4, 4A) and to the fastening means (1, 2, 1A, 2A) at an other end, the connection to the fastening means being obtained through hinge means configured to stop at least translation degrees of freedom and rotation about an axis transversally crossing the shoe to which the fastening means are bound;
and
connection means (5) for connecting said right and left reaction rods (7, 7A) to said connection means (4, 4A) connecting said right and left leverage means (3, 3A).

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.