Back to results
US 6,083,141 AGranted
Portable respiratory exercise apparatus and method for using the same
OwnerEverett D. Hougeninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A breathing apparatus having a main body with a generally cylindrical inner cavity. The main body has a main aperture for the user to breath into and at least two sets of outer openings. An inner cylinder is coaxially disposed within the inner cavity of the main body and is adapted to move relative to the main body. The inner cylinder has an open end adjacent the main aperture, and at least two sets of inner openings selectively matable with the openings in the main body upon movement of the inner cylinder with respect to the main body. By selecting the appropriate alignment of openings, either resistive, percussive, or pulsing breathing exercises can be performed.
Claims22
A breathing apparatus comprising:
- an elongated hollow main body having a generally cylindrical inner cavity, a main aperture communicating with said inner cavity, and at least two sets of openings communicating with said inner cavity, said main aperture at one end of said main body and an open opposite end;
- and
- an inner cylinder coaxially disposed within said inner cavity of said main body and adapted to move relative to said main body, said inner cylinder having an open end communicating with said main aperture, and at least two sets of apertures selectively aligned with said openings in said main body upon movement of said inner cylinder with respect to said main body;
- said inner cylinder and said main body having a plurality of grooves divided into at least first and second groups of grooves and a stop member, said first group of grooves having grooves which extend generally circumferentially with respect to said inner cylinder permitting rotational movement of said inner cylinder with respect to said main body, and said second set of grooves extend generally longitudinally with respect to said inner cylinder permitting longitudinal movement of said inner cylinder with respect to said main body;
- said stop member selectively aligned with at least one of said first group of grooves to control the rotational movement of the inner cylinder, said rotational movement permitting percussive exercising, and said stop member matable with at least one groove of said second group of grooves to control the extent of longitudinal movement of the inner cylinder, said longitudinal movement permitting resistive exercising,
- whereby breathing exercises can be selectively performed.
3 more elements
A method for exercising the lungs, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a breathing apparatus having a main body having a generally cylindrical inner cavity, a main aperture communicating with said inner cavity, outer slots extending generally longitudinally along said main body communicating with said inner cavity and an outer opening communicating with said inner cavity and an inner cylinder coaxially disposed within said inner cavity of said main body, said inner cylinder and said main body having a common longitudinal center line, said inner member reciprocable along the common longitudinal center line and rotatable about the common longitudinal centerline with respect to the main body, said inner cylinder having a plurality of inner openings selectively matable with said outer opening, and a plurality of inner slots selectively matable with said outer slots in said main body;
- rotating said inner cylinder with respect to said main body to align either said inner and outer slots or said plurality of inner openings and said outer opening;
- actuating a locking member to restrict further movement of said inner cylinder with respect to said main body after aligning either said slots or apertures;
- inhaling and exhaling into said main body;
- alternatively reciprocating said inner cylinder with respect to said main body to vary the resistance to inhaling and exhaling to provide resistive exercise to the lungs or;
- rotating said inner cylinder with respect to said main body to intermittently restrict the ingress and egress of air into and out of said breathing apparatus to provide bursts of air into the lungs.
3 more elements
A lung exercising device comprising:
- an outer member;
- an inner member reciprocally mounted within the outer member;
- a weight mounted to the inner member, the weight biasing the inner member in the outer member;
- a mouthpiece mounted to the outer member and in communication with the inner member;
- at least one opening in the inner member;
- the inner member reciprocable with respect to the outer member by the user exhaling into the mouthpiece and raising the weighted inner member, the openings being initially covered by the outer member but being exposed as the inner body is raised with respect to the outer body resulting in the inner member dropping back into the outer member to be immediately raised with respect to the outer member as the user continues to exhale;
- whereby the user receives a pulsing effect.
4 more elements
A method for exercising the lungs, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing an outer member having at least one opening;
- providing an inner member reciprocally and rotatably mounted within the outer member the inner member having at least two apertures of different diameter spaced longitudinally along the inner member which are adapted to communicate with the at least one opening in the outer member as the inner member reciprocates within the outer member to selectively define an air passage extending from the mouthpiece through the inner member and out of the main body.
- providing a mouthpiece mounted to the outer member and in communication with the inner member;
- exhaling into the mouthpiece to move the inner member partially out of the outer member and align one of the at least two apertures with the at least one opening in the outer member to provide a first resistance to the user;
- inhaling into the mouthpiece to pull the inner member into the outer member and align the other of the at least two apertures with the at least one opening in the outer member to provide a second resistance to the user;
- whereby the user of the device can exhale and inhale into the mouthpiece to reciprocate the inner member with respect to the outer member and automatically vary the resistance between inhalation and exhalation.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.