Muscle exercise and/or rehabilitation apparatus using linear motion

Abstract

A muscle exercise and/or rehabilitation apparatus includes a fixture against which a force can be applied; a sensor which senses the force applied to the fixture and produces a load signal corresponding thereto; a speed detector which produces a velocity signal corresponding to the speed of the fixture; a servo motor which produces a rotational output of an output shaft thereof; a closed loop servo circuit which controls the motor in response to the load signal and the velocity signal to control rotation of the output shaft of the servo motor; and a conversion device connected between the fixture and the output shaft of the servo motor for translating the rotational output of the output shaft to linear motion of the fixture, the conversion device including a frame formed by a base, two spaced vertical support bars extending upwardly from the base, and an upper cap securing upper ends of the vertical support bars together, two vertical guide rods supported by the frame, a slide movable along the guide rods in such linear motion, an operational pulley rotatably connected with the output shaft of the servo motor, and a rope secured to the slide and wrapped about the pulley for controlling movement of the slide in the linear motion in response to the output shaft of the servo motor.