NL2002847C2 - Exercise-apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

Exercise-apparatus

The invention relates to an exercise-apparatus embodied as a tool with dimensions selected to allow a person's hand to substantially grip around said tool.

Such an exercise-apparatus is known from the prior art 5 and for some time for sale in the form of a so-called 'Wii'.

'Wii' is a registered trademark of the company Nintendo.

In medical circles there is a need to improve the treatment facilities for patients with rheumatic hand and finger complaints. Such patients generally have restrictions in co-10 ordination and balancing the power of hand and finger movements. Picking up a plastic cup of coffee or using a keyboard of a personal computer may become cumbersome for such patients and the underlying problem appears to be a disbalance between the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the hand and fingers.

15 Experience has shown that exercise and training can im prove the ability of patients to accurately apply their hand and finger function. Tools that are used for this purpose are plastic toys or sticks to exercise the grip.

It is an object of the invention to provide such an ex-20 ercise apparatus embodied as a tool, which allows a patient to exercise the handgrip wherein the use of this tool will improve the results of the exercise.

As an additional objective it is intended to provide such an exercise apparatus which can also be used by healthy 25 people to generally improve the handgrip, which may be beneficial for sporting activities like tennis or golf. Still another objective is to provide such an exercise apparatus which may as-

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According to the invention an exercise apparatus and a method of its use is proposed in accordance with the features of one or more of the appended claims.

The exercise-apparatus of the invention is primarily 35 characterized by the feature that at least a part of said tool's superficial area is provided with pressure detection means. This feature allows that a measurement becomes possible of the way a person's handgrip works out in exerting a pressure on the tool.

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This basic information can be used to provide feedback to the user of the tool.

To promote the provision of feedback to a user it is desirable that the pressure detection means are connected or 5 connectable to a data-collection and/or monitoring system for registering pressure-data and/or providing feedback to a user. The registering functionality of such a data collection system is useful for analysing the way a person develops his handgrip. The monitoring system is a preferred option for providing feed-10 back.

The invention is in connection with the just-mentioned features of the exercise-apparatus also embodied in a method of its use, which method comprises that a person places its hand on the apparatus so as to grip around it while exerting a pressure 15 with the hand gripping said apparatus, which pressure is measured as a pressure-distribution exerted on said apparatus, which pressure distribution is displayed in order to allow said person to adjust his handgrip with reference to the displayed pressure-distribution .

20 A beneficial further feature can then be that the dis played pressure distribution is shown in comparison with a preselected desired pressure-distribution.

In order to provide optimal results with the exercise-apparatus of the invention it is preferred that the pressure de-25 tection means are arranged to monitor pressure exerted by at least part of a hand's fingers and a hand's thumb.

The level of comfort in using the exercise-apparatus of the invention is promoted by having the tool shaped as a part of a cone or as a cone. Best results are then attained by having 30 the cone placed with the base on top.

The level of comfort is further promoted by arranging that the pressure detection means are covered by a layer of foam-material.

It accordance with the prior art the exercise-apparatus 35 may have a wireless connection with the data collection and/or monitoring system. It is however also possible to provide a wired connection without departing from the scope of the invention. Particularly this last embodiment may also require that the tool of the exercise-apparatus is placed on a table and hav-40 ing the top of the cone pointing downwards and the base of the cone on top.

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The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated with reference to the drawing.

In the drawing: - Fig. 1 shows the tool of the exercise-apparatus of 5 the invention; - Fig. 2 shows a cross-section through the tool of Fig.

1, and - Fig. 3 shows the exercise-apparatus of the invention while in use.

10 Wherever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts.

The most basic concept of the exercise-apparatus of the invention is shown in Fig. 1 and is indicated with reference numeral 1. This exercise-apparatus 1 is shaped as a part of a cone 15 having its top cut off. This apparatus 1 is intended to be held with the base 2 on top to allow a person to comfortably exercise its handgrip. For this purpose the tool 1 is further designed with dimensions in order to allow a person to place his hand substantially around the tool.

20 At its superficial area 3 the tool 1 is provided with pressure detection means, for instance in the form of a sensor-matrix embodied with crossing electrodes having pressure sensitive material in between said electrodes, which material has electrical properties that are depending on the amount of pres-25 sure exerted thereon.

Fig. 2 shows the tool 1 of Fig. 1 in cross-section and shows that such a sensor-matrix 4 may be provided on a wall 5 of the tool 1 whereby a further preferable feature is to provide the sensor-matrix, or in general the pressure detection means 4, 30 with a foam cover layer 6.

Fig. 2 further shows that in order to allow the wireless use of the tool 1, at the inside of the wall 5 said tool 1 may be provided with read-out electronics 7 for the sensor-matrix, and electronics for supporting a wireless interface with 35 an external pc, which may act as a data-collection and/or monitoring system for registering pressure data and/or providing feedback to the user. Said electronics 7 are connected through wiring 8 with the pressure detection means 4 at the outer circumference of the wall 5 of the tool 1.

40 Fig. 3 provides a picture of the exercise-apparatus of the invention while in use by a person 9 having his right hand placed on the tool 1 of the exercise-apparatus, while exerting a 4 pressure with said hand gripping the tool. With the hereinabove discussed features of the tool 1 this pressure is measured and collected in a computer system (not shown) to which a monitor 10 is connected displaying the pressure distribution 11 exerted on 5 the tool 1 by the person 9. This pressure distribution 11 provides feedback that allows said person 9 to adjust his handgrip with reference to the displayed pressure distribution 11. This measured pressure distribution 11 is shown in the left part of monitor 10. Fig. 3 further shows that there is a right picture 10 12 displayed by the monitor 10 showing a preselected desired pressure distribution which the person 9 can use to aim at by manipulating his hand to cause that the measured pressure distribution 11 provides a best fit with the desired pressure distribution 12 .

Claims (9)

Exercise device (1) designed as a tool (1) with dimensions selected such that a person's hand can grip substantially around the tool (1), characterized in that at least a part of the surface area tool (3) provided with pressure detection means (4). 2. Exercise device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure detection means (4) are adapted to record a pressure exerted by at least a part of the fingers and a thumb of a hand. Exercise device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the tool (1) is formed as a part of a cone or as a cone. 4. Exercise device according to claim 3, characterized in that the cone (1) has its base (2) on the top. Exercise device according to claim 3, characterized in that the pressure detection means (4) are adapted to measure a pressure distribution as exerted by a hand engaging the tool (1). 6. Exercise device according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the pressure detection means are provided with a covering layer of foam material. 7. Exercise device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the pressure detection means (4) are connected or connectable to a data collection and / or registration system for recording pressure data and / or for providing feedback to a user (9). A method of using an exercise device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that a person (9) places his hand on the device (1) to grip around it while applying pressure to the device. hand engaging the device (1), which pressure is measured as a pressure distribution applied to said device (1), which pressure distribution is shown (11), in order to enable this person to adjust his handle with respect to the pressure distribution shown (11). A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the pressure distribution (11) shown is shown in comparison with a predetermined desired pressure distribution (12).