EP0125188A1 - Massage and traction apparatus for kinesiotherapy treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

The device comprises a plate (4) pivoting about a horizontal axis (22). The plate (4) is provided on its upper face with means for suspension (6) by the feet and, on its lower face, with means for suspension (6) by the head or thorax.

Description

Massage and stretching facility for physiotherapy treatments.

The present invention relates to a massage and stretching installation for physiotherapy care, of the type comprising a plate mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis and provided with suspension means for stretching a patient.

At the present time, various facilities are available which make it possible to apply stretching methods to a patient by more or less complete suspension using the weight of his body, the patient being suspended either by the head or by the chest, using a "helmet" or an appropriate corset.

It has also been proposed to suspend the patient by the feet, moreover moreover within the framework of gymnastic exercises than within the framework of physiotherapy care.

The installations intended for suspension by the head or the thorax are not suitable for suspension by the feet and vice versa.

The object of the present invention is to provide an installation which can be used whatever the mode of suspension and, to this end, it provides an installation of the aforementioned type in which one face of the plate is provided with means for suspending the patient by the head or chest and the other side of the tray is provided with means for suspending the patient by the feet, so that the two sides of the tray are useful.

The upper face is adapted to receive the patient lying on his back, on his stomach or on his side to allow massage or any other treatment (horizontal position of the tray) or to suspend him by the feet (tilted position of the tray) . For suspension by the feet beyond the vertical, the patient is lying face down on the platform.

The underside of the tray is adapted to receive the suspension means for the head or the thorax (inclined position of the tray), the patient being seated under the tray inclined.

In a preferred embodiment, the plate is subjected to pivoting means capable of rotating it by an angle greater than 90 ° from a horizontal position.

In this way, it is possible to completely suspend by the feet a patient initially lying on the tray, the inclination of the tray beyond 90 ° resulting in making the patient take off from said tray.

Preferably, the pivot axis of the plate is mounted on a plate support which makes an angle with the horizontal such that it is parallel to the plate when the latter is at the maximum of its pivoting stroke.

Thus, the support does not interfere with the pivoting of the plate and, at the end of the race, the plate abuts against the support.

We could, of course, have provided that the pivot axis is mounted between two support uprights arranged on either side of the plate so that at the end of the race the plate can pass between the support uprights, but this would have presented various drawbacks: there would have been a risk that the patient could get his fingers caught between the tray and the support uprights if, during the tilting of the tray, he gripped the edges of the latter, and on the other hand, the overflow of the support uprights relative to the plate would have hampered the physiotherapist.

As can be understood, the pivoting means are such that the plate is capable of being immobilized in at least three useful positions on its pivoting stroke, one horizontal for the elongated treatment, one at about 70 ° relative to horizontal for stretching with head or chest suspension and one at about 110 ° to the horizontal for stretching with foot suspension.

Advantageously, the installation according to the invention comprises a seat for the patient substantially perpendicular to the upper end of the tray when it makes an angle of approximately 70 ° with the horizontal.

Thus, the patient can sit just below the suspension means provided for the head or the thorax.

In a preferred embodiment, the suspension means by the feet consist of a pair of anterior half-shells joined together by a first bridge of material and adapted to receive the anterior face of the patient's ankles and a pair of rear half-shells joined together by a second bridge of material and adapted to come and surround the rear face of the ankles, the first and second bridges each extending by an arm, one of which provides an axis of articulation to the 'other so that the second pair of half-shells is secured to the first pair and can be folded over it to trap the ankles of the patient, temporary locking means of the second pair of half-shells in the folded position being provided and the first pair of half-shells being pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis depending directly or indirectly on the plate.

In this way, it is very easy to immobilize the feet of the patient lying on his stomach on the tray by placing his ankles in the pair of anterior half-shells, folding the pair of rear half-shells and locking the together.

In a practical embodiment, the pivot axis of the first pair of half-shells depends on a support bar capable of sliding in a sheath provided for this purpose on the plate and to be immobilized in the desired position relative to to this sheath, said sheath being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plate.

This allows the installation to be adjusted according to the size of the patient.

The support bar is advantageously provided with a bracket carrying pulleys for the installation of means for suspending the patient's head or thorax.

According to the invention, the means for suspending the patient's head include, in particular support means for the nape of the neck consisting of a pair of straps which have one of their ends each connected to a suspension point and the other ends of which are advantageously joined together by a rigid piece with an n-section, leaving a free space between them. same and the patient's neck.

Thus, it is possible for the physiotherapist to access the area of the cervical vertebrae to apply treatment while the patient is in suspension.

Likewise, the means for suspending the thorax comprise a corset provided with suspenders adapted to be each connected to a point of suspension and, according to the invention, part of the wall of the corset is replaced at the level of the patient's spine by a rigid piece with an Ω section, leaving a free space between itself and the patient's spine. Again, this rigid part allows the physiotherapist to access the area of the spine to apply treatment while the patient is in suspension.

• - la figure 1 représente, en perspective, l'installation selon l'invention avec le plateau incliné à environ 70° par rapport à l'horizontale,
• - la figure 2 est un schéma de profil de l'installation selon l'invention avec le plateau incliné à environ 110° par rapport à l'horizontale,
• - la figure 3 représente l'installation selon l'invention avec le plateau en position horizontale,
• - la figure 4 est une vue de dessus du plateau selon l'invention,
• - la figure 5 représente, à l'état ouvert, l'appareil de suspension par les pieds,
• - la figure 6 représente l'appareil de la figure 5, à l'état fermé,
• - la figure 7 est une vue de l'appareil de la figure 6 depuis l'arrière,
• - la figure 8 représente une tablette d'appui équipant l'installation selon l'invention,
• - la figure 9 représente un support d'appareil de traitement équipant l'installation selon l'invention,
• - la figure 10 montre le dispositif de suspension par la tête,
• - la figure 11 montre l'utilisation de l'appareil de suspension de la figure 10,
• - la figure 12 représente l'appareil de suspension par le thorax, et
• - la figure 13 représente un coussin équipant le plateau de l'installation selon l'invention.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 represents, in perspective, the installation according to the invention with the plate inclined at approximately 70 ° relative to the horizontal,
• FIG. 2 is a profile diagram of the installation according to the invention with the plate inclined at approximately 110 ° relative to the horizontal,
• FIG. 3 represents the installation according to the invention with the plate in a horizontal position,
• FIG. 4 is a top view of the tray according to the invention,
• FIG. 5 represents, in the open state, the suspension device by the feet,
• FIG. 6 represents the apparatus of FIG. 5, in the closed state,
• FIG. 7 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 6 from the rear,
• - Figure 8 shows a support shelf fitted the installation according to the invention,
• FIG. 9 represents a support for a treatment apparatus equipping the installation according to the invention,
• FIG. 10 shows the suspension device by the head,
• FIG. 11 shows the use of the suspension device of FIG. 10,
• FIG. 12 represents the apparatus for suspension by the thorax, and
• - Figure 13 shows a cushion equipping the tray of the installation according to the invention.

If we refer to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, we see that the installation according to the invention comprises a base 1 on which are fixed an anterior leg 2 which constitutes a tray support, and a rear leg 3 which constitutes a patient seat support.

The front leg 2 supports a horizontal axis 22 around which the plate 4 is capable of pivoting. For this purpose, there is provided a jack 12 which bears on the base 1 and on the underside of the plate 4. The plate 4 has on its upper face means of suspension by the feet 6 and on its lower face means of suspension by head or chest 6 '. The posterior leg 3 is provided with a seat 31 intended for the patient. In front of the seat are arranged a folding armrest shelf 5 and a footrest 21.

The upper face of the plate 4 is provided with a cushion 42.

There is provided a support for treatment apparatus 7 mounted on the front leg 2 of the installation.

A seat 11 intended for the physiotherapist is placed immediately behind the seat 31.

As can be seen, the front 2 and rear 3 legs are inclined, so that, on the one hand, the leg 2 does not hinder the pivoting of the plate 4 and even constitutes a stop for this plate at the end of the stroke and, d on the other hand, that leg 3 does not bother the physiotherapist when he is seated on seat 11.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the plate 4 has at its end opposite to the suspension means 6 and 6 ′, a central notch 41 which allows the passage of the nose-mouth-chin assembly of the patient lying on his stomach.

The cushion 42 is held by a strap 43 lined with a self-gripping material 44 such as Velcro (see FIG. 13). The means of suspension by the feet 6 and the means of suspension by the head or the thorax 6 'depend on the same support mounted to slide in a sheath 45 provided for this purpose along the longitudinal axis of the plate 4. More precisely, the support of the suspension means 6 and 6 'consists of a bar 61 on which a bracket 65 depends. The bar 61 is adapted to slide in the sheath 45 of the plate 4. It has, on its underside, a series of holes blind 62 capable of coming into correspondence with a spring-loaded stop pin 46 integral with the sheath 45 and which makes it possible to immobilize the bar 61 relative to the sheath 45, which makes it possible to adapt the height of the suspension means 6 and 6 'to the size of the patient.

From the bar 61 depends an axis 63 around which two hollow tubes 64 freely rotate, to each of which is fixed an anterior half-shell 661.

As best seen in Figure 5, the half-shells 661 are joined together by a bridge of material which is extended by an arm 665. A pair of rear half-shells 663 joined by a bridge of material which is extended by an arm 665 ′ is pivotally mounted around an axis 666 journalled in a pair of ears 667 depending on the end of the arm 665. The assembly formed by arms 665 and 665 ′, ears 667 and axis 666 therefore constitute a hinge 664.

It is understood that each anterior half-shell 661 is adapted to receive the anterior face of the patient's ankle and that each posterior half-shell is adapted to cover the posterior face of the ankle. A indentation 662 provided in each of the front half-shells 661 makes it possible to identify the location of the kick.

A grasshopper 668 with an irreversible system is provided to ensure the locking of the pair of rear half-shells 663 on the pair of front half-shells 66 ₁ .

As shown in Figure 7, the half-shells are lined with a shock absorbing coating 669 so as not to injure the patient.

The bracket 65 shown in Figures 6 and 7 consists of a hollow tube in which is housed a sliding bar 67. A stop screw 69 allows to immobilize the bar 67 relative to the bracket 65. Pulleys 66 and 68 respectively fixed on the bracket 65 and the sliding bar 67 make it possible to fix the suspension means by the head or the thorax.

If we refer to Figures 10 and 11, we see the suspension means by the head. These means consist of a chin strap 81 joined by straps 85 to a suspension ring and by a neck support joined by straps 85 'to these same rings. The end of the straps 85 'opposite the rings lead to the ends of a rigid part 82 having a cross-section which is joined to the chin rest 81 by straps 84. As can be seen from FIG. 11, the part 82 makes it possible to access through the opening 83 to the occipital area of the patient's skull while he is stretching.

FIG. 12 represents the means of suspension by the thorax, means which consist of a corset 91 closing with straps 94 and comprising two pairs of straps 95 forming suspenders each joined to a suspension ring. The corset 91 is interrupted at the level of the vertebral column and it is replaced by a rigid part having a section in it 92. As in the case of the suspension means by the head, this rigid part 92 allows access according to 93 to the patient's back area while he is in stretching.

Figures 8 and 9 show accessories fitted to the installation according to the invention.

More specifically, Figure 8 shows the support shelf 5 in the open position. This shelf 5 rests along the distal leaf 53 articulated on the proximal leaves 51 by hinges 54, said proximal leaves being themselves pivotally mounted on the axes 52 depending on the plate 4. Compats 55 mounted between the plate 4 and the leaves proximal 51 limit the pivoting of the latter and a closing clip 56 makes it possible to lock the support shelf in the closed position.

FIG. 9 shows the detail of the support shelf 7 of the treatment apparatus which comprises a shelf 75 supported by a turntable with balls 74 depending on an arm 72 rotatably mounted on a ball bearing 73 in a tube 71 fixed to the leg anterior 2. The arm 72 also carries a support 77 for an infrared lamp. The tablet 75 is provided with a wire guide 76.

• Lorsque le traitement du patient ne comporte pas d'étirement. le plateau de l'installation est utilisé dans la position horizontale (figure 3). Si le patient doit subir un étirement par suspension de la tête ou du thorax, le plateau occupe la position représentée à la figure 1, le patient étant assis sur le siège 31 avec les bras en appui sur la tablette 5 et les pieds reposant sur le repose-pied 31. Selon le cas, le patient est muni du dispositif de suspension par la tête de la figure 10 ou du dispositif de suspension par le thorax de la figure 12 fixé aux poulies 66 et 68 de la potence 65. Le dos du patient est accessible au kinésithérapeute qui peut y appliquer un traitement. Pour ce faire, le kinésithérapeute peut s'asseoir sur le siège 11.

The installation is used as follows:

• When the patient's treatment does not involve stretching. the installation tray is used in the horizontal position (figure 3). If the patient must undergo a stretching by suspension of the head or the thorax, the plate occupies the position represented in FIG. 1, the patient being seated on the seat 31 with the arms resting on the tablet 5 and the feet resting on the footrest 31. Depending on the case, the patient is provided with the suspension device by the head of FIG. 10 or the suspension device by the thorax of FIG. 12 fixed to the pulleys 66 and 68 of the bracket 65. The back of the patient is accessible to the physiotherapist who can apply treatment there. To do this, the physiotherapist can sit on seat 11.

If the patient must be suspended by the feet, he is made to lie face down on the plate 4 so that his feet are on the side of the suspension device 6. After having trapped the patient's feet in the suspension device 6, the plate is pivoted around the axis 22 until the pivot angle is greater than 90 °. The patient then takes off from the plate 4 and is suspended by the feet. Again, the physiotherapist can access the patient's back to apply treatment. It will also be noted that it is much less stressful for a patient to see the plate progressively deviate from its anterior face than to feel it slip away from its dorsal face and that the starting position lying on the belly is by far preferable.

As appears from the above description, the installation according to the invention offers multiple treatment possibilities in the context of physiotherapy care while remaining extremely compact.

Claims (10)

1- Massage and stretching installation for physiotherapy care of the type comprising a plate mounted pivoting about a horizontal axis and provided with suspension means for stretching a patient, characterized in that one face of the plate (4) is provided with means for suspending (6 ') the patient by the head or the thorax and in that the other face of the plate (4) is provided with means (6) for suspending the patient by the feet. 2- Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate (4) is subjected to pivoting means (12) capable of rotating it by an angle greater than 90 ° from a horizontal position. 3- Installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the pivot axis (22) is mounted on a plate support (2) which makes an angle with the horizontal such that it is parallel to the plate (4) when this is at the maximum of its pivoting stroke. 4- Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pivoting means (12) are such that the plate (4) is capable of being immobilized in at least three useful positions on its pivoting stroke , one horizontal for the elongated treatment, one at about 70 ° from the horizontal for the stretch with suspension by the head or the thorax and one at about 110 ° from the horizontal for the stretch with suspension by the feet. 5- Installation according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a seat (31) for the patient substantially perpendicular to the upper end of the plate (4) when it makes an angle of about 70 ° with the horizontal. 6- Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the suspension means (6) by the feet consist of a pair of anterior half-shells (661) joined together by a first bridge of material and adapted to receive the anterior surface of the patient's ankles and a second pair of posterior half-shells (663) joined together by a second bridge of material and adapted to come and surround the rear face of the ankles, the first and second bridges each extending by an arm (665, 665 '), one of which offers one hinge pin (666) to the other, so that the second pair of half-shells (663) is secured to the first pair (661) and can be folded over it to trap the ankles of the patient, means temporary locking (668) of the second pair of half-shells (663) in the folded position being provided and the first pair of half-shells (661) being pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis (63) depending directly or indirectly on the tray (4). 7- Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that the pivot axis (63) of the first pair of half-shells (661) depends on a support bar (61) capable of sliding in a sheath (45) provided for this purpose on the plate (4) and to be immobilized in the desired position relative to this sheath (45), said sheath (45) being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plate (4). 8- Installation according to claim 7, characterized in that the support bar (61) is provided with a bracket (65, 67) carrying pulleys for the establishment of suspension means (6 ') of the head or patient's chest. 9- Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the suspension means (6 ') of the patient's head include in particular neck support means consisting of a pair of straps (85) which have one of their ends each connected to a suspension point and their other ends joined together by a rigid piece (82) with a cross section at S2 providing a free space between themselves and the neck of the patient. 10- Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the thorax suspension means comprise a corset provided with straps adapted to be each connected to a suspension point, characterized in that a part of the wall of the corset (91) is replaced on level of the patient's spine by a rigid piece (92) with an Ω section, leaving a free space between itself and the patient's spine.

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