Patent Application
20180104538
This disclosure relates generally to exercise devices and more particularly to an apparatus for strengthening and stretching a user's forefoot. Skilled dancers, for example, ballet dancers rely a great deal on the strength and flexibility of their feet to perform. Much care is given to ensure that the dancer's feet are properly warmed and ready before dancing. Conventional devices for strengthening and stretching the foot are large and bulky. They are typically stored in one room for shared use by various dancers. Some facilities, for example dance studios, may not have such devices. As may be imagined, these devices cannot be conveniently carried and taken with a dancer to the studio or event of their choice. Therefore there is a need for a simple, compact device that a user such as a dancer may transport and utilize to stretch her forefoot and strengthen her overall foot conformation.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus that can be conveniently carried for strengthening and stretching the foot. An apparatus for stretching and strengthening the foot comprises a pair of leg members coupled together by a curved barrel that bridges the pair of leg members and fastens the leg members together in spaced parallel relation. The barrel may be positioned intermediate the first and second end of each leg member. The barrel provides support for the arch of the foot as the forefoot is flexed and bent over the barrel. An elastic band may be positioned intermediate the first end of the apparatus over the leg members and over the user's forefoot and toes to hold the toes of the foot during flexing of the foot. The barrel shape is preferably asymmetric about its axis between the leg members so that it conforms to the shape of a user's arch so that proper leg to foot alignment is maintained while the forefoot is being stretched.
An apparatus for stretching and strengthening the forefoot of a user in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes a pair of parallel leg members having first and second ends, a curved barrel bridging the pair of leg members and positioned intermediate the first and second end of each leg member, the barrel providing a support for the arch of a user's forefoot for flexing and strengthening the forefoot over the barrel; and a removable elastic band positionable over the leg members intermediate the first end and the barrel to hold the toes of the user's forefoot over the barrel during flexing of the foot. The barrel has a first diameter at a base end of the barrel and a smaller second diameter at an opposite end of the barrel. The barrel diameter preferably expands from the first diameter before reducing to the smaller second diameter at the opposite end of the barrel.
A pair of extenders each adapted to attach to and extend from one of the leg members are preferably included for a user to grasp while using the apparatus. Each leg member may be a hollow tube having a cross bore at each first and second end and each extender adapted to fit within the hollow tube and extend therefrom. Each of the extenders is preferably sized to fit within one of the cross bores.
One exemplary apparatus for stretching and strengthening the forefoot of a user in accordance with the disclosure includes a pair of parallel leg members each having first and second ends, a curved barrel bridging and joining the pair of leg members and positioned intermediate the first and second end of each leg member, the barrel providing a support for the arch of a user's forefoot for flexing and strengthening the forefoot over the barrel, a pair of extenders each adapted to attach to and extend from one of the leg members, and a removable elastic band positionable over the leg members intermediate the first end and the barrel to hold the toes of the user's forefoot over the barrel during flexing of the forefoot. Each leg member preferably is a hollow tube having a cross bore adjacent each of the first and second ends. Each extender is a rod having a plurality of spaced clevis bores each for receiving a clevis pin to retain the extender in one of the leg members, and each extender is sized to fit into one of the leg members and through one of the cross bores. Each extender can be positioned within one of the leg members or at a right angle to the one of the leg members.
An embodiment of the apparatus for stretching and strengthening the forefoot of a user in accordance with the present disclosure may be viewed as including a pair of parallel hollow tubular leg members each having a first and second end and having a cross bore adjacent each of the first and second ends, a barrel bridging and joining the pair of leg members and positioned intermediate the first and second end of each leg member, the barrel providing a support for the arch of a user's forefoot for flexing and strengthening the forefoot over the barrel, a pair of extenders each adapted to removably attach to and extend from one of the leg members, and a removable elastic band positionable over the leg members intermediate the first end and the barrel to hold the toes of the user's forefoot over the barrel during flexing of the forefoot. Preferably the barrel is fastened to each leg member via screws to maintains the leg members in parallel relation. The barrel has a large end fastened to one of the leg members and a narrower end each fastened to the other of the pair of leg members. The cross bores are sized to receive one of the extenders therethrough. Each extender has a plurality of clevis bores for receiving a clevis pin to removably fasten the extender to the leg member.
Further features, advantages and characteristics of the embodiments of this disclosure will be apparent from reading the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawing figures.
Broadly, embodiments of the subject technology provide an apparatus for stretching and strengthening the foot. The apparatus supports the arch of the foot while permitting the user to stretch the foot and adjacent leg muscles, fascia, and tendons through a wide range of motion.
Referring now to
Each leg 110 is a straight hollow tube about 12 inches long made of metal or plastic having a through cross bore 122 adjacent each end and a clevis pin bore 124 positioned 90° to the cross bore 122 . This cross bore 122 has a diameter approximately equal to the internal cross section of the leg 110 such that an extender rod 150 may be easily inserted either axially into the tube 122 or through the cross bore 122. Legs 110 are generally arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart by the barrel 120. An elastic sleeve or band 130 is wrapped around the legs 110 and positioned intermediate the distal end of the legs 110 and the barrel 120.
Referring now to
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The optional strap 160 may be made of a cotton canvas or nylon strap material. Also, a Theraband elastic sheet material may be used. The band 130 is preferably made of a stretchable elastic sheet material such as a natural rubber or synthetic rubber. However, any flexible fabric or sleeve material may be utilized to produce the band 130. The apparatus 100 may be utilized by athletes, dancers and others desiring to strengthen their forefeet as well as exercise the user's ankles. Furthermore, the apparatus 100 may be used by physical therapists in a rehab clinic environment to create improved range of motion to a patient's ankle joint as well as metatarsals, and may be utilized to address problems like Achilles tendonitis or planter fasciitis, for example, and may be used by fitness trainers and anyone desiring to improve flexibility of the foot.
Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. For example, although in the figures shown, the extenders 150 are positioned within the proximal ends of the legs 110 the extenders may alternatively be inserted into the distal end openings of the legs 110 for a different amount of stretch. Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments described above. Also, the addition of powered sub-woofers to augment an embodiment will not invalidate the claims of this invention.
Therefore, all such changes, alternatives and equivalents in accordance with the features and benefits described herein, are within the scope of the present disclosure. Such changes and alternatives may be introduced without departing from the spirit and broad scope of this disclosure as defined by the claims below and their equivalents.
