Patent Application
20180369063
The present invention relates broadly to motorcycles, and more specifically to massage devices that alleviate or prevent arm pump.
Motocross is a sport that has been enjoyed by millions of motorcycle riders for decades. Motocross is a very physically-demanding sport that requires the constant holding of the handlebars and the use of brake and clutch levers located on the handlebars of a dirt bike. The result of the constant grasping of the brake and clutch results in a painful muscular condition known as arm pump. Arm pump is caused by restricted blood vessels in the forearms. The restriction backs up the blood coming from the heart. While the blood is backing up, more blood continues to be pumped into the forearms. The result is a blood traffic jam. If not for a thin fibrous sheath around the muscles called fascia, the blood would keep pouring in until the forearms are bloated. The reason they don't blow up like a balloon is that the fascia's sheath is inelastic. The forearms can only expand so far before the limits of the fascia are reached, resulting in significant pain.
When arm pump occurs, riders will often slow down because they cannot continue riding with their initial intensity due to the pain. Riding with arm pump can become a safety concern, and can cause riders to crash. One approach to alleviate arm pump is surgery. A fasciotomy is a surgery in which an incision is made in the forearm's fascia to eliminate the constriction of muscles during strenuous activity. With the fascia opened up, more blood can pour in before arm pump occurs. However, there are no guarantees a fasciotomy will be successful, and some incisions close up during the healing process, defeating the purpose of the surgery altogether.
Another mechanical approach to alleviating arm pump is to place clamps on the forearm flexor muscles before riding, in an effort to stretch and expand to create more space in the fascia and delay the onset of arm pump. However, this approach has limited effect once arm pump sets in. Riders normally will not stop during a race and apply forearm clamps while other riders pass them by.
Thus, there is a heartfelt need for a more practical solution to the painful and potentially dangerous condition known as arm pump.
The present invention solves the problems described above by placing a massage device on the crossbar mounted between handlebars of a motorcycle, replacing the typical crossbar pad that is currently on most motorcycle handlebars. Riders can use the massage device to massage their forearms without having to apply a fascia clamp to their arm. Since the massage device is mounted on the handlebar the rider can use the massage device while on the starting line waiting for their race to begin. In one embodiment, the massage device is hollow, and inserted over the crossbar. A rider can place a forearm on the massage device, and move it back and forth to massage the fascia either in a back-and-forth motion or laterally in a side-to-side motion. In another embodiment, the massage device is solid, and attached to the top side of the cross bar. Various shapes and profiles can be used, depending on user preference. Typically, the massage device will have a series of protrusions that are brought into contact with the fascia, and, when the rider exerts downward pressure on the forearm, the protrusions stretch or distend the fascia slightly, thus preventing or delaying the onset of arm pump.
In an embodiment, the massage device is constructed from soft plastic or rubber, or other suitable, compressible material. In another device, the massage device is constructed from a more rigid material, such as ABS plastic.
As the effectiveness of any profile of the massage device will vary from rider to rider, the massage device is also embodied in a kit that allows riders to select individual massage profile elements having desired contours and place them together in series on the cross bar.
Directing attention to
As shown in
While the contours of the massage device have been shown to vary depending on position along the length of a crossbar, contours may also vary depending on position around the axis of rotation of crossbar. As shown in
It is to be understood that various members can be used in different embodiments of the present invention. As riders have varying degrees of arm pump, it is desirable to make the present invention customizable so that the rider can experiment with different massage members until an optimum arrangement is configured by the rider. While a massage device to reduce arm pump has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be understood that numerous modifications can be made to the various embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof.
