HAND-EXERCISING AND WRIST-MASSAGING PLATFORM

Abstract

A platform (10) allows for hand exercise and wrist massage in self-administration situations. The hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) comprises a base pad (20), a kneadable mound (30) projecting upward from the base pad (20), and a massaging stage (40) located forward of the mound (30). As a person's hands are exercised by kneading mound (30), his/her wrists are massaged by the stage (40). Alternatively, a person can stand above the platform (10) and exercise his/her hands by kneading the mound (30).

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 (e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/400,360 filed on Jul. 27, 2010, the entire disclosure of this provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference. Should any inconsistencies exist between the incorporated provisional patent application and the present disclosure, the latter governs to the extent necessary to resolve definiteness issues.

BACKGROUND

The carpal tunnel is a narrow channel in the wrist formed by ligament and bone. Tendons and nerves pass through the carpel tunnel on route to the hand. When these tendons are stressed, they swell inside the carpel tunnel and compress adjacent nerves. This compression causes numbness and/or weakness in the hand and can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

SUMMARY

A self-administration platform is provided which can be used for the treatment of carpal tunnel and other arm-hand-wrist conditions. The platform allows hand exercising in manner imitating the motions of kneading dough and at the same time massages the wrists in a manner known to relieve discomfort. The hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform can be used conveniently in almost any home setting without a power source and/or without the supervision of medical personnel.

DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-2 show front and rear views of the hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform.

DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, a hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform 10 is shown. The illustrated platform 10 comprises a base pad 20, a kneadable mound 30, and a relatively firm stage 40. The mound 30 is adapted for hand kneading to provide hand exercise and the stage 40 is adapted for wrist engaging to provide wrist massage as the mound 30 is being kneaded. The platform 10 can also comprise raised ridge 50 adapted to angle arm for optimum wrist massaging by the stage.

The base pad 20 has a top surface 21, a front wall 22, a rear wall 23, and lateral walls 24. The kneadable mound 30 projects upward from the base pad 20 (i.e., upward from its top surface 21) and resides on rear region of the base pad 20. The stage 40 is located forward of the mound 30 and resides on mid region of the base pad 20. And the raised ridge 50 is located forward of the stage 40 and resides on a front region of the base pad 20.

The base pad 20 can have a generally rectangular plan shape with rounded rear corners, and a substantially uniform thickness. The pad 20 can be preferably dimensioned for use on standard tables, desks, and other flat surfaces. Additionally or alternatively, a stiff mat 60 can be positioned under the base pad 20 to serve as a sturdy foundation for it and its topographic items.

The mound 30 can comprise any projected mass which allows kneading actions (e.g., pushing, pressing, pulling, pinching, etc.) to be performed thereon. In the illustrated platform 10, the mound 30 has a ramp-like shape with a top wall 31 slanting upward in the rearward direction. A rear wall 32 and side walls 33 connect the top wall 31 to the base pad 20. Other slanted, non-slanted, curved, and/or random mound geometries are possible and contemplated.

The stage 40 comprises, in the illustrated platform 10, a pair of bumpy rostrums 41 situated to receive both wrists. The rostrums 41 can be parabolic in shape, as shown, with their apexes pointed in the forward direction. Depending upon platform design, they may be recessed, raised, and/or flush relative to the top surface 21 of the base pad 20. Ribs 42 can project outward from the rostrums 41 for massaging engagement with the wrists.

Although the stage 40 comprises a rostrum 41 for each wrist, this need not be the case. A single rostrum 41 can be provided to accommodate both wrists of a person using the platform 10. Or the platform 10 can be designed for use with only arm, whereby only one rostrum 41 would be provided. Additionally or alternatively, other types of ribs and non-rib massaging features can be utilized in the rostrum 41.

The illustrated ridge 50 comprises a rounded hill occupying the front edge region of the base pad 20. The ridge's top wall 51 reaches from the pad's front wall 22 to its top surface 21, and the ridge's side wall 52 connects the top wall 51 thereto. The height of the ridge 50 can be greater than that of stage 40 and/or less than that of the kneadable mound 30.

The base pad 20, the kneadable mound 30, the stage 40, and the ridge 50 may be formed in one piece. Specifically, for example, an elastomeric casing, having a configuration corresponding to the platform profile, can surround a core having the desired characteristics of the pad 20, the mound 30, the stage 40, and the ridge 50.

To use the platform 10, a person would situate his/her arm so that the hand is positioned palm-down to knead the mound 30 and the wrist engages the stage 40. With two-handed design, as is illustrated, both hands are positioned palm-down on the mound 30 and both wrists engage the stage 40. The mound 30 is then kneaded with the hand or hands, whereby wrist massaging simultaneously occurs. The kneading motion can entail, for example, the pressing-pushing-pulling actions done when kneading dough for bread baking.

Additionally or alternatively, a person can stand adjacent to the rear wall 23 of the base pad 20 and extend his/her arms downward to the kneading mound 30. The mound 30 can then pressed-pushed-pulled-pinched in a dough-kneading fashion. By standing above the device, the person would be able to exert more pressure and his/her movements would more closely imitate kneading actions.

The platform 10 can be heated or cooled prior to kneading to enhance its therapeutic effects. In a home setting, this heating/cooling can be accomplished with ordinary kitchen appliances. The platform 10 can be heated, for example, in a microwave. And/or it can be cooled, for example, in a food refrigerator.

The platform 10 can be constructed in any suitable manner allowing it to be used in the desired setting. The pad 20, the mound 30, the stage 40, and the ridge 50 can be formed in one piece during platform production. Such a one-piece construction can comprise, for example, a one-piece core surrounded by a one-piece core. Alternatively, multiple core members and/or plural casing parts can be assembled together to form the platform 10.

In any event, the platform core can be constituted non-uniformly so as to have distinct properties depending upon its corresponding component. For example, the pad core portion can have rigid qualities, the mound core portion can have kneadable consistencies, the stage core portion can have a firm feel, and the ridge core portion can have cushioning attributes. This can be accomplished by different core compositions and/or curing techniques being employed.

Additionally or alternatively, core portions can incorporate materials causing or enhancing their desired characteristics. The rigid/firm portions (e.g., the pad/stage portions) can adopt reinforcing beams, rods, or plates. The kneadable portion can adopt pellets, ovoids, balls, or other granular objects that are movable with each other a generally fluidic non-friction fashion. The ridge portion can integrate foam or other cushioning packing.

In some cases, however, the core can comprise the same material throughout the platform 10, as the geometries of the topographic components will result in the desired characteristics. The relatively large mass of the mound 30, for example, would result in it being more compressible or “kneadable” than the thinner stage 40, especially when the pad 20 is supported on a sturdy stratum. For similar reasons, the ridge 50 could be cushionable, but not necessarily kneadable, due to its proportional size.

The casing could be, for example, cloth, latex, nylon, polyester, or other covering that appropriately encases the core. The casing can be elastic and/or resilient to provide or enhance the compliancy of appropriate platform parts (e.g., the mound 30 and/or the ridge 50). Alternatively, the casing can be nonelastic and/or nonresilient whereby the core is relied upon to convey these characteristics.

A single molded structure constituting both the core and the casing is also feasible and foreseeable.

One may now appreciate that the hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform 10 can be used for the treatment of carpal tunnel and other arm-hand-wrist conditions. Although the platform 10, the base pad 20, the kneading mound 30, the massaging stage 40, the ridge 50, and/or the underlay 60 have been shown in described with respect to one or more embodiments, modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) comprising:

a base pad (20);

a kneadable mound (30) projecting upward from the base pad (20) and adapted for hand kneading to provide hand exercise; and

a relatively firm stage (40) located forward of the kneading mound (30) on the base pad (20) and adapted for wrist engaging to provide wrist massage when the kneading mound (30) is being kneaded for hand exercise.

2. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 1, wherein the base pad (20), the kneadable mound (30), and the stage (40) are formed in one piece during platform production, said one-piece production comprising a core surrounded by a one-piece casing or a one-piece core surrounding by a casing.

3. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 1, wherein multiple core members and/or plural casing parts are assembled together to form the base pad (20), the kneading mound (30), the bumpy rostrums (41) and the raised ridge (50) in one piece during platform production.

4. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a raised ridge (50) located on the base pad (20) forward of the stage (40) and adapted to angle an arm for optimum wrist massaging by the stage (40) when the kneading mound (30) is being kneaded for hand exercise.

5. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 4, wherein the base pad (20), the kneading mound (30), the stage (40), and the raised ridge (50) are formed in one piece, said one-piece production comprising a core surrounded by a one-piece casing or a one-piece core surrounding by a casing.

6. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 4, wherein multiple core members and/or plural casing parts are assembled together to form the base pad (20), the kneading mound (30), the stage (40), and the raised ridge (50) in one piece during platform production.

7. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stage (40) comprises at least one bumpy rostrum (41) for engaging receipt of a wrist when the kneading mound (30) is being kneaded for hand exercise.

8. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 6, wherein the bumpy rostrum (41) comprises upwardly protruding massaging ribs (42).

9. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stage (40) comprises two bumpy rostrums (41) for engaging receipt of two wrists when the kneading mound (30) is being kneaded by two hands for hand exercise.

10. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 9, wherein the bumpy rostrums (41) each comprise upwardly protruding massaging ribs (42).

11. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 9, wherein the base pad (20), the kneading mound (30), and the bumpy rostrums (41), are formed in one piece during platform production, said one-piece production comprising a core surrounded by a one-piece casing or a one-piece core surrounding by a casing.

12. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 9, wherein multiple core members and/or plural casing parts are assembled together to form the base pad (20), the kneading mound (30), the bumpy rostrums (41) and the raised ridge (50) in one piece during platform production.

13. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a raised ridge (50) located on the base pad (20) forward of the stage (40) and adapted to angle both arms for optimum wrist massaging by the bumpy rostrums (41) when the kneading mound (30) is being kneaded for hand exercise.

14. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 15, wherein the base pad (20), the kneading mound (30), the bumpy rostrums (41), and the raised ridge (50) are formed in one piece during platform production, said one-piece production comprising a core surrounded by a one-piece casing or a one-piece core surrounding by a casing.

15. A hand-exercising and wrist-massaging platform (10) as set forth in claim 13, wherein multiple core members and/or plural casing parts are assembled together to form the base pad (20), the kneading mound (30), the bumpy rostrums (41) and the raised ridge (50) in one piece during platform production.

16. A method of using the platform (10) set forth in claim 1, said method comprising the steps of situating a person's hand on the kneadable mound (30) and kneading the mound (30) with this hand.

17. A method as set forth in claim 17, wherein said situating step comprises situating both of the person's hands on the kneadable mound and wherein said kneading step comprising kneading the kneadable mound (30) with both hands.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17, wherein said situating step comprises situating the person's arms so that both wrists engage the firm stage (40) whereby both wrists will be massaged during said kneading step.

19. A method as set forth in claim 17, wherein said situating step comprises standing above the platform (10) and extending the person's arms downward to the kneadable mound (30).

20. A method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising the step of heating or cooling the platform (10).