Climbing pinch training machine

Abstract

Methods and devices to strengthen the palm and fingers' pinch ability of a user for rock climbing, physical therapy, and/or other physical activities.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for strengthening the pinch ability of a user's hand; comprising:
 a main body;   movable pinch arms pivotably connected to the main body;   pinch holds removably attached to the movable pinch arms, configured for pinching between user's fingers and thumb;   a rotary axle for each movable pinch arm, allowing rotational movement of the pinch arms;   a mechanism for converting vertical downward force supplied by a weight into horizontal force between the user's fingers and thumb; and   adjustable pinch arms to vary the range of movement of the removable pinch holds.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a tilting mechanism that allows the main body to be tilted at different angles to achieve an ergonomic pinching hand position. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system when mounted to a surface is capable of withstanding and sustaining at least a user's body weight when hanging is free space; when the user is grasping the removable pinch holds, and while the user stays on the ground while training. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the movable pinch arms are adjustable to accommodate different pinch widths, comprising:
 a proximal spacer connected to a rail, adjustable to define the width of the removable pinch holds when under load;   a distal spacer adjustable to define the pinch thickness when the removable pinch holds are not under load.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pulley system including side pulleys and rope or cables that convert the horizontal force applied by the user's removable pinch into vertical force, allowing the user to resist the vertical force via hand removable pinching force.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is mountable at a height or and position to train a user's removable pinch strength in a manner specific to climbing activities, allowing the hand and body to be positioned similarly to how they would be during actual climbing. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a security mechanism including a pin and locking holes to securely lock the system at a selected tilt angle, providing stability during use.   
     
     
         8 . A method for using a system to strengthen the removable pinch ability of a user's hand, comprising the steps of:
 mounting the system on a vertical surface at a desired height;   adjusting the tilt of the system to achieve an ergonomic removable pinching hand position;   setting the narrowness limitation of the removable pinch by adjusting a proximal spacer along a rail;   setting the thickness of the removable pinch when not under load by adjusting a distal spacer along a rail;   attaching a weight to a vertically positioned rope or cable connected to the system;   pinching the removable pinch holds between fingers and thumb and applying a pinching force to displace the movable pinch arms inward, thereby lifting the attached weight via a pulley system.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
 performing isometric pinch training by pinching the removable pinch holds with maximal force while using an assistance handle to reduce the weight resistance, thereby allowing for controlled, high-intensity isometric contractions specific to climbing activities.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a height adjustment mount configured to allow the system to be adjusted vertically on a wall or other rigid surface, providing versatility in training positions.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the removable pinch holds are configured to be adjustable in width, accommodating different hand sizes and training needs. 
     
     
         12 . A system for strengthening a user's palm and finger pinch ability, comprising:
 a main body;   a pair of movable pinch arms mounted on the main body, each arm having a removable pinch hold at a proximal end;   a rotary axle supporting the movable pinch arms, enabling the pinch arms to pivot about the axle;   a spacer mechanism operable to adjust the distance between the removable pinch holds at rest and under load, wherein the spacer mechanism includes a proximal spacer and a distal spacer adjustable along respective rails;   a pulley system configured to convert vertical downward force into horizontal resistance force between the removable pinch holds;   a tilting mechanism operable to adjust the angle of the main body to provide ergonomic positioning for the user's wrist; and   a weight attachment means for applying a removable weight to the pulley system, wherein the weight creates resistance for the user's pinch force.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the system when mounted to a surface is capable of withstanding and sustaining at least a user's body weight when hanging is free space, and the user stays on the ground while training when the user is grasping the removable pinch holds. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the spacer mechanism includes:
 a proximal rail and a distal rail fixed to the main body;   a proximal sliding plate and a distal sliding plate respectively mounted within the proximal and distal rails;   a proximal axle and a distal axle connected to the respective sliding plates;   a proximal spring and a distal spring positioned to allow for adjustment of the spacers; and   numerical indicators along the rails to define the width of the pinch gap.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a lift assistance handle connected to an assistance pulley and rope or cable system, wherein the handle is operable to reduce the resistance on the removable pinch holds by shifting weight resistance from the removable pinch holds to the handle, allowing for maximum effort isometric/eccentric muscle contraction training.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tilting mechanism comprises:
 a rotated hanger mounted on a fixed pivoting axle;   a back fixed plate with stoppers to control the tilting angle between −90 degrees to +90 degrees;   a slew bearing tilting mechanism operable to adjust the tilt of the main body to provide a neutral body position during use.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the pulley system comprises:
 side pulleys mounted to the main body for converting horizontal force applied to the removable pinch holds into vertical force;   a horizontal rope or cable connected to the distal ends of the pinch arms; and   a vertical rope or cable connected to the horizontal rope or cable and extending downward to attach to a removable weight, providing resistance during the pinching motion.