Stride stretcher

Abstract

A unique apparatus designed to facilitate various types of stretches and exercise routines found in yoga, Pilates, fitness, and rehabilitation. The Stride Stretcher™ has a one-size-fits-most design, allowing comfort in operation. The Stride Stretcher™ is designed to increase range of motion of the ankle joint in all three clinical planes of motion, while affecting the muscular walking system of the hips, legs, and lower back. The design allows for adjustment based on the preference of the user via a Velcro strap. The unit has a firm, non-flexible base that prevents the foot from bending, while allowing complete freedom for the ankle joint. The top portion of the foot casing is a soft, flexible material that can accommodate varying foot size comfortably. The pivoting handles allow for a comfortable grip, keeping the muscles relaxed in the upper body, and prevent unwanted torsional forces in the wrist.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to device-assisted stretching to access the muscle groups found in the low back, upper thigh, lower legs, and feet, for the purpose of enhancing the gait pattern of the user.

BACKGROUND

The concept for this design came about during my participation in an exercise class that focused on biomechanical function of the lower body. During that class, the instructor was trying to get foot motion using a strap, but without the ability to stabilize the foot, the stretch wasn't effective. The canvas material of the yoga strap also prevented ease of motion about the wrist and elbows, creating excessive tension in the upper body while trying to do a relaxing stretch. This design maximizes the range of motion of the ankle in all three planes (sagittal, frontal, and transverse), while also allowing the user to keep the shoulders relaxed and the forearms from gripping excessively.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The Stride Stretcher™ is disclosed that better facilitates passive stretching for functional movements of the hips and legs while walking. The end user of this product has the ability to increase range of motion of the ankle, knee, hips, and low back. The Stride Stretcher™ can be used in the home of an individual, in a physical therapy/rehabilitation clinic, or in a fitness-class format.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS

The Stride Stretcher™ is a unique foot support for holding the foot in extended fashion with straps to facilitate manipulation of movement of the foot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the Stride Stretcher™ showing the sole of the unit, front securing strap, front securing hand strap, sole traction pads, sole insert, unit hand strap and the rear ankle strap.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the removable pivoting handles.

FIG. 3 is a top-side view of the small ankle strap and sole insert.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the Stride Stretcher™ without the straps attached.

FIG. 5 is a top-side view of the Stride Stretcher™ without the straps attached.

FIG. 6 is a view of the unit strap ring.

DESCRIPTION OF PARTS

#11 Sole of Unit—The sole of the unit is comprised of a three-sixteenth inch thick plastic, molded material. The length is ten inches. The front width is four and five-eighths inch with the rear heal insert being three inches. The raised sides are one inch in height tapering to two inches at the heal insert.

#12 Unit Hand Strap—The unit hand strap is comprised of a soft, pliable woven material six feet in length, one and one-half inches in width and one-sixteenth inch thickness. The first opening of the hand insert is eighteen inches from the unit to the point of attachment on both sides. The hand insert is five inches long with a two inch spacing between loops for a total of four inserts for the use of hands to articulate unit.

#13 Removable Pivoting Handles—There are two interchangeable handles and are made from a hollow-plastic sleeve that is five inches wide with a three-quarter inch diameter. The hook on the handles attaches to the hand openings of the unit hand strap. The strap of the removable pivoting handles feeds through the plastic sleeves that attach to the housing unit and is one inch thick by fifteen inches in length. The pivoting handles attach to the unit strap using a metal hook that is three inches long and is three-sixteenths in diameter. The mouth of the hook has a one inch opening that feeds the hand opening of the unit straps.

#14 Front Securing Strap—Strap used to secure the foot in the unit and is two inches in width by twelve inches in length.

#15 Front Securing Hold Down—The front securing hold down is a plastic, reticular ring with radius edges that allows the front securing strap to feed through and return over the foot to secure the foot in the unit and is two and three-eights by three quarter inches.

#16 Rear Ankle Strap—A two inch wide by thirteen inch long by three-eights inches thick soft, pliable material used to strap the ankle in place within the unit.

#17 Small Ankle Strap—A six inch long by one inch wide soft, pliable material that seats the heal in the unit.

#18 Sole Insert—The sole insert measures ten inches in length and is one-half inch thick memory foam lining the inside of the hard plastic molded unit.

#19 Sole Traction Pads—The sole traction pads measure eight and three-quarters inches in length and are three and one-quarter wide at the front and two and one-half inches at the rear radius corners for conforming heels.

#20 Unit Strap Ring—The unit strap ring is a metal ring measuring one and three-eighth inches in diameter and is one-eighth inch in thickness and is used to feed the strap through for storing purposes.

STRIDE STRETCHER™ PART NUMBER/DESCRIPTION

• • #11 Sole of Unit
  • #12 Unit Hand Strap
  • #13 Removable Pivoting Handles
  • #14 Front Securing Strap
  • #15 Front Securing Hand Strap
  • #16 Rear Ankle Straps
  • #17 Small Ankle Strap
  • #18 Sole Insert
  • #19 Sole Traction Pads
  • #20 Unit Strap Ring

Claims

1. A stride and leg stretching system for enabling stretching of a user's musculo-skeletal system generally at or below the user's hips, said stride and leg stretching system comprising: a foot-engaging portion for securely engaging a foot, said foot-engaging portion having a front side, a rear side, a left side, and a right side, said foot-engaging portion being detachably attachable to a foot, said foot-engaging portion having a sole adapted to prevent a foot from bending while providing freedom of articulation for the ankle joint, said sole having a lower side for engaging the ground and an upper side for engaging a foot, said sole of resilient material sufficient to support a person's weight and to provide pedal support for said person's footsaid lower side of said sole having at least one side of a hook and loop fastener pair exposed thereon, said sole adapted to provide easier adjustment for various size feet via said at least one side of a hook and loop fastener pair;said sole being approximately three-sixteenth inch thick, being approximately ten inches long, having a front width of approximately four and five-eighths inch, and having a rear heel insert area of approximately three inches;said sole having said left side and said right side raised approximately one inch in height tapering to approximately two inches in height at approximately said heel insert area;said foot-engaging portion further having a harness coupled to said sole and adapted to detachably engage a foot to hold said sole on said foot, said harness further having a rear ankle strap and a front securing strap with said rear ankle strap adapted to secure an ankle upon a heel portion of said sole and said front securing strap adapted to secure a front part of a foot upon a front of said sole;said rear ankle strap approximately two inches wide, approximately thirteen inches long and approximately three-eights inches thick and constructed of soft, pliable material;said front securing strap approximately two inches wide and approximately twelve inches in length;a manual-engagement strap for manual engagement by a person wearing said foot-engaging portion, said manual engagement strap attached on a first side to said left side of said foot-engaging portion and attached on a second side to said right side of said foot-engaging portion said manual-engagement strap including soft, pliable woven material,said manual engagement strap being approximately six feet in length, being approximately one and one-half inches in width, and being approximately one-sixteenth inch in thickness;said manual engagement strap defining a hand insert;said hand insert having a first opening approximately eighteen inches from a point of attachment of said manual engagement strap with said foot-engaging portion, said hand insert being approximately five inches long and having approximately four loops adapted for engagement by a hand, each of said loops separated by approximately two inches whereby a user may use a hand to articulate said manual engagement strap and said foot-engaging portion;a removable handle adapted for engaging an opening in said manual-engagement strap, said removable handle enabling better manual engagement of said manual-engagement strap and resulting flexible articulation of the person's foot;said removable handle further having a hook portion for removably engaging said manual-engagement strap and a handle portion coupled to said hook portion, said handle portion adapted for manual engagement and controlling tension on said hook portion; wherebya person may attach said foot-engaging portion to his foot and subsequently stretch his stride and/or leg associated with his foot by manipulating and engaging said manual-engagement strap either manually or with said removable handle.

2. A stride and leg stretching system, comprising: a foot-engaging portion for securely engaging a foot, said foot-engaging portion having a front side, a rear side, a left side, and a right side, said foot-engaging portion being detachably attachable to a foot; anda manual-engagement strap for manual engagement by a person wearing said foot-engaging portion, said manual engagement strap attached on a first side to said left side of said foot-engaging portion and attached on a second side to said right side of said foot-engaging portion; wherebya person may attach said foot-engaging portion to his foot and subsequently stretch his stride and/or leg associated with his foot by manipulating and engaging said manual-engagement strap.

3. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said foot-engaging portion further comprises: a sole adapted to prevent a foot from bending while providing freedom of articulation for the ankle joint, said sole having a lower side for engaging the ground and an upper side for engaging a foot.

4. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said sole further comprises: said sole of resilient material sufficient to support a person's weight and to provide pedal support for said person's foot.

5. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said sole further comprises: said lower side having at least one side of a hook and loop fastener pair exposed thereon.

6. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said sole further comprises: said lower side adapted to provide easier adjustment for various size feet via said at least one side of a hook and loop fastener pair.

7. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said sole further comprises: said sole being approximately three-sixteenth inch thick, being approximately ten inches long, having a front width of approximately four and five-eighths inch, and having a rear heel insert area of approximately three inches; andsaid sole having said left side and said right side raised approximately one inch in height tapering to approximately two inches in height at approximately said heel insert area.

8. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said foot-engaging portion further comprises: a harness, said harness coupled to said sole and adapted to detachably engage a foot to hold said sole on said foot.

9. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said harness further comprises: a rear ankle strap and a front securing strap;said rear ankle strap adapted to secure an ankle upon a heel portion of said sole; andsaid front securing strap adapted to secure a front part of a foot upon a front of said sole.

10. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said rear ankle strap is approximately two inches wide, approximately thirteen inches long and approximately three-eights inches thick and is constructed of soft, pliable material.

11. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said front securing strap is approximately two inches wide and approximately twelve inches in length.

12. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said manual-engagement strap further comprises: said manual-engagement strap including soft, pliable woven material, said manual engagement strap being approximately six feet in length, being approximately one and one-half inches in width, and being approximately one-sixteenth inch in thickness.

13. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said manual-engagement strap further comprises: said manual engagement strap defining a hand insert.

14. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said manual-engagement strap further comprises: said hand insert having a first opening approximately eighteen inches from a point of attachment of said manual engagement strap with said foot-engaging portion, said hand insert being approximately five inches long and having approximately four loops adapted for engagement by a hand, each of said loops separated by approximately two inches whereby a user may use a hand to articulate said manual engagement strap and said foot-engaging portion.

15. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 2, further comprising: a removable handle adapted for engaging an opening in said manual-engagement strap, said removable handle enabling better manual engagement of said manual-engagement strap and resulting flexible articulation of the person's foot.

16. A stride and leg stretching system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said removable handle further comprises: a hook portion for removably engaging said manual-engagement strap; anda handle portion coupled to said hook portion, said handle portion adapted for manual engagement and controlling tension on said hook portion.