Pedal adjusting apparatus and thereof method and gait training device with foot pedal adjusting apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pedal adjusting structure, and a stepping training device with the pedal adjusting structure. The pedal adjusting structure includes a body for fixing the foot pedals adjusting structure on the stepping training device, a pedal, an adjusting structure connected between the body and the pedal. Via the adjusting structure, the relative angle and/or the relative height between the pedal and the body can be adjusted. Thus, the gait pattern induced in the stepping training device can mimic the normal gait pattern.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pedal adjusting apparatus, comprising:
 a base, to couple to a gait training device;   a pedal; and   an adjusting module, to couple to the base and the pedal, to adjust at least one of a related angle and a related height between the base and the pedal when the gait training device is operation.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting module is operation such that the gait training device is to induce a near-normal angle of change in a gait cycle. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a detector, to generate a detecting signal according to a related position of the pedal; and   a control module, to control the an adjusting module according to the detecting signal.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a gait pattern of the gait training device comprises two dorsiflexions and two plantarflexions in a gait cycle. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the base further comprising:
 a fastening module, to fasten the base to the gait training device.   
     
     
         6 . the apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting module further comprises:
 at least one sliding bar, to adjust at least one of the related angle and the related height between the base and the pedal, wherein a length of the at least one sliding bar is adjusted according to a control signal.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the angle between the pedal and the base is adjusted in a first part of the gait cycle and fixed in a second part of the gait cycle. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a storage unit, to store a predetermined gait data; and   a control module, to control the adjusting module according to the predetermined gait data.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the control module controls the adjusting module according to the predetermined gait data from the storage unit and an un-adjusted gait data of the gait training device. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the un-adjusted gait data of the gait training device is obtained from the storage unit. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a control module has different adjusted height amounts and selects one of the adjusted height amounts according to a speed (or the operated mode) of the gait training device to control height of the adjusting module. 
     
     
         12 . A method of gait adjusting for a gait training device comprising a pedal, the method comprising:
 obtaining an gait adjusting data, wherein the gait adjusting data is corresponding to a gait pattern of the gait training device; and   adjusting at least one of an angle and a height of the pedal according to the gait adjusting data when the gait training device is operation.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the angle of the pedal is adjusted such that the gait training device is to induce a near-normal angle of change in a gait cycle. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the gait pattern of the gait training device comprises two dorsiflexions and two plantar flexions in a gait cycle. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the angle of the pedal is adjusted in a first part of the gait cycle and fixed in a second part of the gait cycle. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of obtaining the gait adjusting data further comprises:
 retrieving a predetermined gait data from a storage unit; and   obtaining an un-adjusted gait data of the gait training device; and   generating the gait adjusting data according to the a difference between the predetermined gait data and the un-adjusted gait data.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the un-adjusted gait data of the gait training device is obtained from the storage unit. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 generating a detecting signal corresponding to a relative position of the pedal; and   wherein at least one of the angle and the height of the pedal is adjusted according to the detecting signal.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the gait training device has different adjusted height amounts and the method further comprises:
 selecting one of the adjusted height amounts according to a speed of the gait training device; and   wherein the height of the pedal is adjusted according to the selected adjusted height amount.