Claims
- 1. A jaw exerciser for application of jaw moving force or resistance for moving the jaw and exercising the jaw muscles and temporo-mandibular joint of a patient comprising:
- (a) an exerciser body being capable of supporting fixed maxillary jaw exercising means and forming curvilinear guide track means capable of receiving movable mandibular jaw means, when said jaw exerciser is being used by a patient said curvilinear guide track means being located in front of the temporo-mandibular joint of the patient;
- (b) maxillary jaw means extending from said exerciser body and having a maxillary jaw engaging member adapted for force transmitting engagement with maxillary tissues of the mouth of the patient;
- (c) mandibular jaw means being movably received by said exerciser body and being located on one side of said curvilinear guide track means, said mandibular jaw means having a mandibular jaw engaging member adapted for force transmitting engagement with the tissues of the mandible of the patient, said mandibular jaw means being received in guided relation with said guide track means;
- (d) said curvilinear guide track means being defined by at least one center of curvature located on the same side of said guide track means as said mandibular jaw engaging means, said guide track means having a configuration establishing predetermined therapeutic exercise movement of the patient's jaw by said mandibular jaw means; and
- (e) a mechanical linkage being connected to said exerciser body and having driving connection with said mandibular jaw means, said mechanical linkage being actuated for inducing movement of said mandibular jaw means relative to said exerciser body and said maxillary jaw means.
- 2. The jaw exerciser of claim 1, wherein said mechanical linkage comprises:
- (a) a lever being pivotally mounted to said exerciser body;
- (b) a push rod interconnecting said lever and said mandibular jaw means and being actuated manually to thus impart movement to said push rod and said mandibular jaw means.
- 3. The jaw exerciser of claim 1, including:
- a motor being supported by said exerciser body and having driving connection with said mechanical linkage for inducing motor controlled movement to said mechanical linkage and said mandibular jaw means.
- 4. The jaw exerciser of claim 1, including:
- (a) a spring support being defined by said exerciser body; and
- (b) a spring being interconnected with said spring support and said mechanical linkage for imparting spring force to said mechanical linkage for selectively moving and resisting movement of said mandibular jaw means.
- 5. The jaw exerciser of claim 1, wherein said guide track means defines a compound curvilinear configuration.
- 6. The jaw exerciser of claim 1, wherein said guide track means is of lateral curvilinear form to induce lateral movement to said mandibular jaw means during movement of said mandibular jaw means along said guide track means.
- 7. The jaw exerciser of claim 1, wherein said guide track means is defined by a plurality of curvilinear guide tracks having differing curvilinear configuration.
- 8. The jaw exerciser of claim 7, wherein said guide elements comprise:
- two guide elements being disposed in spaced relation on the carriage and extending from each side of said carriage member each of said guide elements being received in guided relation with respective ones of said plurality of curvilinear guide tracks and being guided by said curvilinear guide tracks to induced predetermined rotational movement to said carriage member during its force transmitting movement relative to said exerciser body and said maxillary jaw means.
- 9. The jaw exerciser of claim 8, wherein said curvilinear guide track means comprises:
- (a) a first opposed pair of guide tracks of curvilinear form being defined by said exerciser body means;
- (b) a second opposed pair of guide tracks of different curvilinear form than said first opposed pair of guide tracks; and
- (c) said two guide elements of each side of said carriage member being guide pins received in guided relation with respective ones of said first and second guide tracks.
- 10. The jaw exerciser of claim 1, wherein said mandibular jaw means comprises:
- (a) a lever being pivotally mounted to said exerciser body;
- (b) a carriage member being movably supported by said body means and having guide elements thereon establishing guided interfitting relation with said curved guide track means;
- (c) a push rod establishing driving relation between said lever and said carriage member and being manually manipulated to impart driving movement to said carriage member; and
- (d) a jaw engaging member being supported by said carriage member and being adapted to establish force transmitting engagement with predetermined mouth tissues of the patient.
- 11. The jaw exerciser of claim 1, wherein:
- (a) said exerciser body forms guide track receptacle means; and
- (b) a pair of guide track inserts being removably received in substantially immovable relation with said guide track receptacle means, said guide track inserts each forming said curvilinear guide track means.
- 12. A jaw exerciser for application of applied jaw moving force for moving the jaw and exercising the jaw muscles and temporo-mandibular joint of a patient comprising:
- (a) an exerciser body being capable of supporting fixed maxillary jaw exercising means and forming a handle adapted to be grasped by a user and forming guide track means of curvilinear configuration and capable of receiving movable mandibular jaw means, when said jaw exerciser is being used by a patient said curvilinear guide track means being located in front of the temporo-mandibular joint of the patient;
- (b) maxillary jaw means extending in substantially immovable relation from said exerciser body and having a maxillary jaw engaging member adapted for transmitting engagement with the teeth or other maxillary tissues of the mouth of the patient;
- (c) a carriage member being movably received by said exerciser body and defining guide means being received in guided relation with said curvilinear guide track means;
- (d) mandibular jaw means extending from said carriage member and being located on one side of said curvilinear guide track means, said mandibular jaw means being movable along with said carriage member and forming mouth engaging means for selective engagement with the teeth, gingiva or other mandibular mouth tissues of the patient;
- (e) said curvilinear guide track means being defined by at least one center of curvature located on the same side of said guide track means as said mandibular jaw engaging means and having a configuration establishing predetermined therapeutic exercise movement of the patient's jaw by said mandibular jaw means about said temporo-mandibular joint; and
- (f) an operating linkage being connected to said exerciser body and having driving connection with said carriage means, said operating linkage being operated for inducing movement of said carriage means and said mandibular jaw means relative to said exerciser body and said maxillary jaw means.
Parent Case Info
This invention is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/276,695 which was filed on Nov. 28, 1988 by Reinier Beeuwkes, III, et al. and entitled PASSIVE JAW EXERCISER, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,502.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
571057 |
Feb 1933 |
DEX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
276695 |
Nov 1988 |
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