Passive motion exerciser

Apparatus for passively exercising a human leg having a hip joint, a knee joint, an ankle joint, an upper leg portion extending between said hip joint and said knee joint, and a lower leg portion extending between said knee joint and said ankle joint, said apparatus comprising:

• a base portion;
• first support means for extending along and supporting said lower leg portion;
• connecting means for connecting a portion of said first support means to said base portion for movement relative thereto in opposite directions generally parallel to a line extending through said ankle joint and said hip joint;
• second support means for extending along and supporting said upper leg portion, said first support means and said second support means being pivotally interconnected at a location positionable adjacent said knee joint;
• and
• means for translationally and pivotally driving said second support means to cause said first support means and said second support means to simultaneously flex said hip joint and said knee joint in a manner maintaining a predetermined correlation between the degree of flexure of said hip joint and said knee joint which is substantially independent of the length of said human leg,
• said means for translationally and pivotally driving said second support means including a drive member movably connected to said base portion, drive means selectively operable to translate said drive member in first and second opposite directions relative to said base portion, and linking means interconnected between said drive member and said second support means for causing simultaneous translation and pivoting of said second support means in response to translational movement of said drive member relative to said base portion,
• said second support means having a portion positionable adjacent a longitudinally intermediate section of said upper leg portion,
• said linking means functioning to simultaneously move said portion of said second support means in an arc generally centered about a line extending transversely through said hip joint and pivot said second support means in a manner causing a line extending through said portion of said second support means generally parallel to said upper leg portion to continuously extend generally transversely through said portion of said second support means said line extending transversely through said hip joint, said linking means including:
• torque arm means pivotally carried by said drive member for movement therewith,
• first linking arm means pivotally connected at a first end portion thereof to said torque arm means and having a second end portion,
• pivot means secured to said portion of said second support means and pivotally connected to said second end portion of said first linking arm means,
• second linking arm means pivotally connected at a first end portion thereof to said torque arm means and having a second end portion pivotally connected to said pivot means,
• first cam means for pivoting said first linking arm means relative to said torque arm means in response to translational movement of said drive member relative to said base portion, and
• second cam means for pivoting said torque arm means in response to translational movement of said drive member relative to said base portion.

Apparatus for passively exercising a human leg having a hip joint, a knee joint, an ankle joint, an upper leg portion extending between said hip joint and said knee joint, and a lower leg portion extending between said knee joint and said ankle joint, said apparatus comprising:

• first support means securable to said lower leg portion;
• second support means securable to said upper leg portion, said second support means being pivotally connected to said first support means at a location positionable adjacent said knee joint;
• means for translationally and pivotally driving said first support means and said second support means in a manner causing simultaneous flexure of said hip joint and said knee joint;
• and
• means for maintaining a predetermined correlation between the degree of flexure of said hip joint and said knee joint regardless of the overall length of said human leg, said means for maintaining a predetermined correlation including means, responsive to translational and pivotal movement of said first support means and said second support means, for causing said ankle joint to move in a substantially linear path along a line transversely intersecting a line extending transversely through said hip joint, and for causing said second support means to travel in a circular arc generally centered about said line extending transversely through said hip joint.

Apparatus for passively exercising a human leg having a hip joint, a knee joint, an ankle joint, an upper leg portion extending between said hip joint and said knee joint, and a lower leg portion extending between said knee joint and said ankle joint, said apparatus comprising:

• first support means securable to said lower leg portion;
• second support means securable to said upper leg portion, said second support means being pivotally connected to said first support means at a location positionable adjacent said knee joint;
• means for translationally and pivotally driving said first support means and said second support means in a manner causing simultaneous flexure of said hip joint and said knee joint;
• and
• means for maintaining a predetermined correlation between the degree of flexure of said hip joint and said knee joint regardless of the overall length of said human leg, said means for maintaining a predetermined correlation including means, responsive to translational and pivotal movement of said first support means and said second support means, for causing said ankle joint to move in a substantially linear path along a line transversely intersecting a line extending transversely through said hip joint,
• said means for translationally and pivotally driving said first support means and said second support means comprising:
• a drive member movable in opposite directions generally parallel to said linear path,
• drive means for sequentially driving said drive member in said opposite directions, and
• linking means, interconnected between said drive member and said second support means, for causing simultaneous pivotal and translational motion of said second support means in response to driven movement of said drive member in said opposite directions,
• said linking means functioning in a manner causing said second support means to travel in a circular arc generally centered about a line extending transversely through said hip joint, said linking means including:
• torque arm means pivotally carried by said drive member for movement therewith,
• first linking arm means pivotally connected at a first end portion thereof to said torque arm means and having a second end portion,
• pivot means secured to said second support means and pivotally connected to said second end portion of said first linking arm means,
• second linking arm means pivotally connected at a first end portion thereof to said torque arm means and having a second end portion pivotally connected to said pivot means,
• first cam means for pivoting said first linking arm means relative to said torque arm means in response to translational movement of said drive member, and
• second cam means for pivoting said torque arm means in response to translational movement of said drive member.

A passive motion exerciser for simultaneously flexing the hip and knee joints of a human leg having an ankle joint, an upper leg portion extending between said hip joint and said knee joint, and a lower leg portion extending between said knee joint and said ankle joint, said passive motion exerciser comprising:

• an elongated leg support frame structure adapted to extend along and be connected to said human leg, said support frame structure having:
• a first outer end portion positionable adjacent said ankle joint,
• a second outer end portion positionable adjacent a longitudinally intermediate section of said upper leg portion, and
• a pivotable, longitudinally intermediate section positionable adjacent said knee joint;
• a guide member positionable generally parallel to an essentially straight line extending through said ankle joint and said hip joint;
• a connecting member interconnected between said first outer end portion of said leg support frame structure and said guide member and being movable along said guide member in response to movement of said leg support frame structure;
• a drive member supported for movement relative to said guide member;
• a drive system operable to selectively drive said drive member in opposite directions relative to said guide member;
• and
• linking means, interconnected between said drive member and said second outer end portion of said leg support frame structure, and responsive to driven motion of said drive member, for moving said second outer end portion of said leg support frame structure in an arc generally centered about a line extending transversely through said hip joint, and for causing pivoting of said leg support frame structure about said longitudinally intermediate section thereof in a manner maintaining a predetermined, aligned relationship between said second outer end portion of said leg support frame structure and said line extending transversely through said hip joint and simultaneously causing said first outer end portion of said support frame structure, and thus said ankle joint, to travel in an essentially straight line which at all times passes through said hip joint.

A passive motion exerciser for simultaneously flexing the hip and knee joints of a human leg having an ankle joint, an upper leg portion extending between said hip joint and said knee joint, and a lower leg portion extending between said knee joint and said ankle joint, said passive motion exerciser comprising:

• an elongated leg support frame structure adapted to extend along and be connected to said human leg, said support frame structure having:
• a first outer end portion positionable adjacent said ankle joint,
• a second outer end portion positionable adjacent a longitudinally intermediate section of said upper leg portion, and
• a pivotable, longitudinally intermediate section positionable adjacent said knee joint;
• a guide member positionable generally parallel to a line extending through said ankle joint and said hip joint;
• a connecting member interconnected between said first outer end portion of said leg support frame structure and said guide member and being movable along said guide member in response to movement of said leg support frame structure;
• a drive member supported for movement relative to said guide member;
• a drive system operable to selectively drive said drive member in opposite directions relative to said guide member;
• and
• linking means, interconnected between said drive member and said second outer end portion of said leg support frame structure, and responsive to driven motion of said drive member, for moving said second outer end portion of said leg support frame structure in an arc generally centered about a line extending transversely through said hip joint, and for causing pivoting of said leg support frame structure about said longitudinally intermediate section thereof in a manner maintaining a predetermined, aligned relationship between said second outer end portion of said leg support frame structure and said line extending transversely through said hip joint, said linking means including:
• first and second cam plate members positioned on opposite sides of said guide member, each of said first and second cam plate members having formed therethrough a first cam slot extending generally parallel to said guide member and a second cam slot having a curved configuration,
• first and second torque arm members respectively positioned adjacent said first and second cam plate members,
• first connecting means, received in said said first cam slots for movement therealong, for pivotally connecting first portions of said first and second torque arm members to said drive member for movement therewith,
• second connecting means secured to second portions of said first and second torque arm members and received in said second cam slots for movement therealong,
• first and second elongated arm members positioned on opposite sides of said guide member, said first and second arm members having inner end portions connected to said first connecting means for movement therewith, and outer end portions;
• first and second pivot members pivotally connected to said outer end portions of said first and second arm members, respectively, and secured to said second outer end portion of said leg support frame structure;
• third and fourth elongated arm members positioned on opposite sides of said guide member, said third and fourth arm members having outer end portions pivotally connected to said first and second pivot members, respectively, and inner end portions pivotally connected to third portions of said first and second torque arm members, respectively;
• and
• cam means for causing pivotal motion of said first and second arm members in response to motion of said drive member, and
• said cam means including cam members carried by said first and second arm members, and roller means engageable by said cam members.

Passive motion exercising apparatus comprising:

• support means for supporting a human leg, said support means being cyclically drivable to cause cyclic flexing and unflexing of the hip and knee joints of said human leg supported thereby;
• means, connected to a first portion of said support means, for cyclically driving said support means;
• and
• means for maintaining a predetermined, essentially linear correlation between the hip joint flexure angle and the knee joint flexure angle of said human leg regardless of the length thereof, said means for maintaining including means, connected to a second portion of said support means, for causing the ankle joint of said human leg to move in opposite directions generally along an essentially straight line extending at all times through the hip and ankle joints of said human leg during said cyclic flexing and unflexing of the hip and knee joints of said human leg, and means for causing said first portion of said support means to travel in a circular arc generally centered about a line passing transversely through said hip joint during said cyclic flexing and unflexing of the hip and knee joints of said human leg.