EMS EXERCISE DEVICE, EMS ELECTRODE, EMS GARMENT, EMS STIMULUS GENERATING UNIT, EMS SIGNAL CABLE, AND EMS UNDERGARMENT FOR AN EMS EXERCISE DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE EMS EXERCISE DEVICE

Abstract

An EMS exercise device is provided which includes EMS electrodes and at least one sacrificial anode, preferably a dedicated sacrificial anode for each EMS electrode. The at least one sacrificial anode is connected to the EMS electrodes in an electrically conductive manner in order to protect the EMS electrodes and/or other elements in the electrically conductive connections from corrosion. In addition, an EMS electrode with a sacrificial anode, an EMS garment a sacrificial anode, an EMS signal cable a sacrificial anode, an EMS pulse generating unit a sacrificial anode, and an EMS undergarment with a sacrificial anode for an EMS exercise device are provided, and a method for operating an EMS exercise device, for which a sacrificial anode is provided.

Claims

1. An electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) garment comprising: at least one EMS electrode configured for transmitting EMS stimuli from a connected EMS stimulus generating unit to a living body, wherein the at least one EMS electrode is at least one of a plane pad configured to he applied flexibly to the living body and an electrically conductive textile layer containing metallic or metallized threads, the EMS stimuli including at least one of current pulses and an alternating current, the alternating current having predefined values, the predefined values including a predefined amplitude value and a predefined frequency value; and at least one sacrificial anode connected electrically conductively to the at least one EMS electrode and consisting of a material having a negative standard electrode potential in an electrochemical electromotive series or including the material having the negative standard electrode potential in the electrochemical electromotive series.

2. The EMS garment of claim 1, wherein the EMS garment is at least one of a suit, a jacket, a belt, a shirt, a pair of pants, a wristband, and a leg band.

3. The EMS garment of claim 1, wherein: the at least one EMS electrode supports the at least one sacrificial anode, and the at least one sacrificial anode is connected electrically conductively to the electrically conductive textile layer of the at least one EMS electrode.

4. The EMS garment of claim 3, wherein: the at least one EMS electrode supporting the at least one sacrificial anode is at least one of a sewn-on EMS electrode and an EMS electrode incorporated into the EMS garment, the at least one EMS electrode is incorporated into the EMS garment by a textile plane production process, and the textile plane production process includes knitting, crocheting weaving, and nonwoven material production.

5. The EMS garment of claim 1, further comprising an EMS signal line, wherein: the at least one EMS electrode supporting the at least one sacrificial anode includes at least one of a crimp plug, a snap, and a press connection bushing, the electrically conductive textile layer of the at least one EMS electrode is at least one of: being pressed into the at least one of the crimp plug, the snap and the press connection bushing in an electrically conductive manner, being welded to the at least one sacrificial anode, and being sewn onto the at least one sacrificial anode, the EMS signal line is at least one of being clamped, soldered, sewn, and, via a matching plug, plugged into the at least one of the crimp plug, the snap and the press connection bushing, the at least one sacrificial anode is configured as at least one of a metal plate and a metal strip, and the at least one of the metal plate and the metal strip is attached to the at least one of the crimp plug, the snap, and the press connection bushing.

6. The EMS garment of claim 1, wherein: the at least one sacrificial anode and the electrically conductive textile layer are integrated in a piece, the piece is a textile piece, the textile piece has metallic or metallized conductive threads and metallic or metallized sacrificial threads, the metallic or metallized conductive threads make the electrically conductive textile layer electrically conductive, and the metallic or metallized sacrificial threads form the at least one sacrificial anode.

7. The EMS garment of claim 1, further comprising a cover layer which covers the electrically conductive textile layer on a side facing away from the living body, wherein: the at least one sacrificial anode is configured as at least one of a patch, a metal plate and a strip, the patch is made of at least one of a textile fabric, a crocheted fabric, and a knitted fabric having metallic or metallized sacrificial threads, and the at least one sacrificial anode is fastened on the electrically conductive textile layer by at least one of: being sewn onto the electrically conductive textile layer, and being sewn in between the electrically conductive textile layer and the cover layer.

8. The EMS garment of claim 1, further comprising at least one electrical terminal and at least one EMS signal cable configured for connecting the EMS garment to the EMS stimulus generating unit, wherein: the at least one electrical terminal is connected to the at least one EMS electrode via the EMS signal line, the at least one electrical terminal is configured as at least one of a crimp plug, a snap, and a press connection bushing, the EMS signal line is connected to the at least one electrical terminal by at least one of being pressed therein, sewn, soldered, and welded thereto, the at least one EMS signal cable is connected to the at least one electrical terminal, and the at least one sacrificial anode is connected electrically conductively to the at least one electrical terminal.

9. The EMS garment of claim 8, wherein: the EMS signal line, which connects the at least one electrical terminal with the at least one EMS electrode, is configured as conductor tracks, and the conductor tracks are integrated into the EMS garment by being knitted or woven into the EMS garment.

10. The EMS garment of claim 5, wherein the at least one sacrificial anode is adhesively bonded on the snap of the EMS electrode.

11. The EMS garment of claim 8, wherein the at least one sacrificial anode is mounted on the at least one electrical terminal in a textile manner by being embroidered or sewn on.

12. The EMS garment of claim 1, wherein: the at least one sacrificial anode has a shape of a plate, and the at least one sacrificial anode is riveted by one or more rivets on the EMS garment.

13. The EMS garment of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial anode is formed as a rivet and is riveted onto the EMS garment.

14. The EMS garment of claim 1, further comprising a pocket which is closable via a fabric hook and loop fastener, wherein: the pocket is provided on the at least one EMS electrode, the at least one sacrificial anode is configured as a metal plate, the metal plate is inserted into the pocket, and the metal plate is connected electrically conductively to the electrically conductive textile layer of the at least one EMS electrode at least upon wetting of the at least one EMS electrode or via textile-integrated conductors which are in contact with the at least one sacrificial anode.

15. The EMS garment of claim 1, wherein: the material having the negative standard electrode potential in the electrochemical electromotive series, of which the at least one sacrificial anode is made or which the sacrificial anode includes, is magnesium or a magnesium alloy, and the material is free of nickel.

16. (canceled)

17. An electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) exercise system comprising: an EMS garment having at least one EMS electrode configured to be attachable to a living body and configured for applying a plurality of EMS stimuli to the living body, the at least one EMS electrode being at least one of a plane pad configured to be applied flexibly to the living body and an electrically conductive textile layer containing metallic or metallized threads, the EMS stimuli including at least one of current pulses and an alternating current, the alternating current haying predefined values, the predefined values including a predefined amplitude value and a predefined frequency value; at least one EMS stimulus generating unit connected electrically conductively to the at least one EMS electrode, the at least one EMS stimulus generating unit generating the plurality of EMS stimuli, the plurality of EMS stimuli following a predefined excitation scheme and being distributed chronologically and with respect to the electrodes, from a current acquired from a current source, the EMS stimuli including at least one of current pulses and an alternating current, the alternating current having predefined values, the predefined values including a predefined amplitude value and a predefined frequency value, and the predefined values being applied to the at least one EMS electrode to conduct the current through the living body, the current having a predefined amplitude and a predefined frequency pattern; and an EMS undergarment for wearing under the EMS garment, the EMS undergarment having at least one sacrificial anode consisting of a material having a negative standard electrode potential in an electrochemical electromotive series or including the material having the negative standard electrode potential in the electrochemical electromotive series, the at least one sacrificial anode being integrated into the EMS undergarment at a predefined location so as to be connected electrically conductively to the at least one EMS electrode when the EMS undergarment is fitted to the living body.

18. (canceled)

19. A method for ensuring a functionality of EMS electrodes or EMS garments used in an EMS exercise device over a predetermined period of time, the EMS exercise device being configured to close a current circuit, the current circuit being formed by a current flowing from an EMS stimulus generating unit via an EMS signal cable, a first EMS electrode, and a sweat located on a skin in surface a living body of an exercising person, through the skin surface, an interior of the living body and back out of the interior of the living body through the skin and the sweat being located on the skin to a second EMS electrode and from the second EMS electrode via a corresponding EMS signal line back to the EMS stimulus generating unit, the method comprising: providing at least one sacrificial anode on one side or on both sides of the living body; and wetting at least one of the first and second EMS electrodes by using a liquid before an EMS exercise is carried out, wherein: the liquid contains particles, the particles form the at least one sacrificial anode, the particles consist of a material having a negative standard electrode potential in an electrochemical electromotive series or the particles include the material having the negative standard electrode potential in the electrochemical electromotive series, the particles contained in the liquid are dissolved, the material includes magnesium or magnesium alloys, and the material is free of nickel.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: coating the at least one of the first and second EMS electrodes by using a gel.

21. The EMS garment of claim 8, wherein the at least one sacrificial anode is configured as a metal plate or a metal strip and is adhesively bonded on the at least one electrical terminal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an EMS exercise device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a detail from FIG. 1 in an enlarged illustration;

[0036] FIG. 3 shows an EMS signal cable according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of an EMS stimulus generating unit and a corresponding EMS signal cable according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0038] FIG. 1 shows an EMS garment 2 designed as a pair of shorts, which is equipped with four EMS electrodes 1 respectively grouped into two pairs of EMS electrodes, wherein each pair of EMS electrodes is assigned to one thigh, and wherein each EMS electrode 1 is connected via an EMS signal cable 4 to an EMS stimulus generating unit which is installed in a control unit 3 in the form of a control panel. The EMS electrodes 1 have snaps 5 into which the EMS signal plugs 4 are plugged using corresponding plugs.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows one of the EMS electrodes 1 viewed outward from the interior of the pants leg, wherein an electrically conductive layer facing toward the body has been removed, so that the rear side of the snap 5 can be seen, onto which a sacrificial anode 6 in the form of a magnesium strip is adhesively bonded.

[0040] In an alternative or additional exemplary embodiment of the invention, instead of a standard EMS signal cable 4, an EMS signal cable 4 shown in FIG. 3 is used, which is provided with a sacrificial anode 6. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the sacrificial anode 6 is integrated in this case into a plug 7, which can be plugged into one of the snaps 5 or a corresponding snap of an EMS electrode, to connect the EMS electrode to the EMS stimulus generating unit 3.

[0041] In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, an EMS stimulus generating unit 3, which is schematically illustrated in FIG. 4, is provided, which is also installed in an external formation like a control panel, but in contrast to the EMS stimulus generating unit 3 shown in FIG. 1, has a socket 9 for each of the EMS signal cables or the end thereof is provided with a plug 8, in which a sacrificial anode 6 is arranged, preferably replaceably arranged.

[0042] It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the exemplary embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.