Apparatus for rehabilitation of patients suffering motor dysfunction
View Patent ↗An apparatus for rehabilitation of patients with motor disorders affecting the legs and standing dysfunctions, the apparatus comprising a couple of bars moving along a closed loop representing a walking step for the patient, with each bar including a plate to affix a foot of the patient and the plate being slidably arranged in the bar, with a motor connected to the bars to move the bars along the closed loop, the apparatus also having an harness to support the patient.
1. An apparatus for rehabilitation of patients with motor disorders, particularly patients suffering motor dysfunction in the legs, the apparatus comprising:
a left and right walking bars connected to motor means for moving up and down and back and forth along a closed movement loop;
a left and a right foot retaining means comprising a left and a right foot plate assemblies pivotally connected to the left and right walking bars respectively, for moving with the walking bars along a step distance path;
a patient's supporting means for supporting the patient;
fastening means in the left and right foot plate assemblies for retaining the feet of a patient during a treatment;
a front guide stop in each walking bar, at a front end of the step distance path, and a rear guide stop in each walking bar, at a rear end of the step distance path, to cause the foot plate assemblies move up and down in the ends of the step distance path;
wherein each foot plate assembly comprises a lower foot plate having a front edge hinged to the walking bar and a rear edge hinged to a rear edge of an upper foot plate, forming a rear hinged connection, the upper foot plate having a front curved edge to slidably move onto the front guide stop.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each walking bar has a rear end connected to said motor means and a front end slidably connected to front guide means.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the motor means comprise a crank and connecting rod mechanism.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a chassis with the front guide means for the walking bars being fixed to a front end of the chassis, and with the motor means being mounted at a rear end of the chassis.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a chassis wherein the front guide stop is pivotally connected to the chassis.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rear edge of the lower foot plate has guide followers that are guided in the rear guide stop.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the front guide stop, in each walking bar, comprises a curved front guide stop plate slidably resting onto the walking bar.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the rear guide stop, in each walking bar, comprises two curved rear U-shaped guides facing to each other and pivotally connected to the walking bar, with the rear U-shaped guides being slidably resting onto the walking bar, and with the rear U-shaped guides receiving said guide followers.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fastening means comprise ribbons fixed at the foot plate assemblies for embracing the feet of the patient.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the patient's supporting means comprises a supporting harness pending from a harness motor means, at an upper end of the apparatus, for moving the harness up and down.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus has a side portion for entering patients in a wheel or stretcher.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the upper end of the apparatus and the side portion have a motor guide for moving the harness motor means between a position for receiving a patient at a wheelchair or stretcher, and a position above the walking bars.
13. An apparatus for rehabilitation of patients with motor disorders, particularly patients suffering motor dysfunction in the legs, the apparatus comprising:
a left and right walking bars connected to motor means for moving up and down and back and forth along a closed movement loop;
a left and a right foot retaining means comprising a left and a right foot plate assemblies pivotally connected to the left and right walking bars respectively, for moving with the walking bars along a step distance path;
a patient's supporting means for supporting the patient;
wherein the left and right walking bars have respective rear ends pivotally connected to respective left and right intermediate walking bars moving up and down and back and forth along a closed movement loop;
fastening means in the left and right foot plate assemblies for retaining the feet of a patient during a treatment;
a front guide stop in each walking bar, at a front end of the step distance path, and a rear guide stop in each walking bar, at a rear end of the step distance path, to cause the foot plate assemblies move up and down in the ends of the step distance path, and
wherein each foot plate assembly comprises a lower foot plate having a front edge hinged to the walking bar and a rear edge hinged to a rear edge of an upper foot plate, forming a rear hinged connection, the upper foot plate having a front curved edge to slidably move onto the front guide stop.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein each intermediate walking bar has a rear end connected to motor means and a front end slidably connected to front intermediate guide means.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the front guide stop, in each walking bar, comprises a curved front guide stop plate slidably resting onto the walking bar and the rear guide stop, in each walking bar, comprises two curved rear U-shaped guides facing to each other and pivotally connected to the walking bar, with the U-shaped guides being slidably resting onto the walking bar.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the patient's supporting means comprises a supporting harness pending from a harness motor means, at an upper end of the apparatus, for moving the harness up and down.
17. An apparatus for rehabilitation of patients with motor disorders, particularly patients suffering motor dysfunction in the legs, the apparatus comprising:
a left and right walking bars connected to motor means for moving up and down and back and forth along a closed movement loop;
a left and a right foot retaining means comprising a left and a right foot plate assemblies pivotally connected to the left and right walking bars respectively, for moving with the walking bars along a step distance path;
a patient's supporting means for supporting the patient;
fastening means in the left and right foot plate assemblies for retaining the feet of a patient during a treatment;
a rear guide stop in each walking bar, at a rear end of the step distance path, to cause the foot plate assemblies move up and down in the rear end of the step distance path, and
wherein each foot plate assembly comprises a lower foot plate having a front edge hinged to the walking bar and a rear edge hinged to a rear edge of an upper foot plate, forming a rear hinged connection, with the rear edge of the lower foot plate having guide followers that are guided in the rear guide stop.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein each walking bar has a rear end connected to said motor means and a front end slidably connected to front guide means.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the rear guide stop, in each walking bar, comprises two curved rear U-shaped guides facing to each other and pivotally connected to the walking bar, with the rear U-shaped guides being slidably resting onto the walking bar, and with the rear U-shaped guides receiving said guide followers.
20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the patient's supporting means comprises a supporting harness pending from a harness motor means, at an upper end of the apparatus, for moving the harness up and down.