Therapeutic exercise apparatus

Abstract

A therapeutic exercise apparatus enables a user to depress a pedal by his or her heel without his or her foot coming off the pedal. The apparatus includes a main body, a link having one end mounted through a rotation shaft on the main body so as to be rotatable around its one end by a predetermined angle, a pedal mounted on the other end of the link so as to be rotatable by a predetermined angle and adapted to be depressed by a user's foot thereby to rotate the link; and a foot restraining member provided on the pedal for restraining the foot. The foot restraining member has a base provided with a heel support portion for supporting a heel of the foot, and the heel support portion is disposed on the pedal such that the direction of a depression force of the foot passes through the rotation shaft.

1 . A therapeutic exercise apparatus comprising:
 a main body;   a link that has a first end portion rotatably mounted on said main body;   a pedal that is mounted through a rotation shaft on a second end portion of said link for rotation relative to said link and, upon depression by a foot of a user, rotates said link; and   a foot restraining member located on said pedal for restraining the foot, wherein
 said foot restraining member has a base including a heel support portion for supporting a heel of the foot; and 
 said heel support portion can be disposed on said pedal in such a manner that direction of a force, which is generated by depression pedal by the foot and has a base point on a bottom of the heel, passes through said rotation shaft. 
   
   
   
       2 . The therapeutic exercise apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , including an attachable and detachable unit located between said pedal and said foot restraining member detachably attaching said foot restraining member to said pedal. 
   
   
       3 . The therapeutic exercise apparatus as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said attachable and detachable unit has
 an engagement portion on said pedal, and   a plurality of engaged portions located on a surface of said base, facing in opposition to said pedal, selectively engaging said engagement portion.   
   
   
       4 . The therapeutic exercise apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said foot restraining member further has an ankle band that surrounds a circumference of an ankle of the foot in cooperation with said base. 
   
   
       5 . The therapeutic exercise apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said foot restraining member further has
 a lower thigh support portion that is integral with said heel support portion and supports a lower thigh of a leg of the user, and   a lower thigh band for surrounding a circumference of the lower thigh in cooperation with said lower thigh support portion.