JP3250765U - Exercise equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an exercise machine that enables a user to comfortably and continuously perform various exercises that move the lower limbs in addition to stepping exercises, thereby further supporting the promotion of health of the user.
[Solution] An exercise machine includes a main body 1 whose bottom surface 1a is formed in a downwardly convex arc shape and is configured to be able to swing and rotate horizontally relative to the ground surface, and a pair of foot rests 2 provided on both the left and right sides of the top surface 1b of the main body 1, each foot rest 2 being provided so as to be able to rotate horizontally relative to the main body 1.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

This invention relates to an exercise machine that allows users to perform exercises that move the lower limbs, such as stepping exercises, while sitting on a chair, sofa, etc.

Conventionally, examples of this type of exercise equipment have been proposed, such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 (hereinafter referred to as "conventional examples").

In these conventional examples, the feet are placed on either side of the main body, which has an arc-shaped bottom, and by stepping on it alternately, the main body oscillates relative to the ground surface, allowing the stepping motion to be performed mechanically and continuously.

JP 2016-73597 A Patent No. 7016530 Patent No. 7307982

The purpose of this invention is to further research and development of this type of exercise equipment, and to provide a revolutionary exercise equipment that allows users to comfortably and continuously perform a variety of lower limb exercises in addition to stepping exercises, and that further supports the promotion of health for the user.

The gist of the invention will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.

This exercise equipment includes a main body 1 with a bottom surface 1a formed in a downwardly convex arc shape that can oscillate and rotate horizontally relative to the ground surface, and a pair of foot rests 2 provided on both the left and right sides of the top surface 1b of the main body 1, each of which is provided so that it can rotate horizontally relative to the main body 1.

The exercise equipment described in claim 1 is characterized in that each foot placement section 2 is provided with a foot support wall section 2a that prevents the foot from shifting left and right.

The exercise equipment described in claim 2 is characterized in that the main body 1 and each of the foot rests 2 have a rotation mechanism 3 composed of an axle 3a and a bearing 3b, and each of the foot rests 2 is provided so as to be freely rotatable relative to the main body 1 by the rotation mechanism 3.

The present invention also relates to an exercise machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each foot placement section 2 is provided with a heating means 4 for warming the placed foot, and the main body 1 is provided with a power supply means 5 for supplying power to the heating means 4.

The exercise equipment described in claim 4 is characterized in that the power supply means 5 includes a generator motor 5a, and the generator motor 5a is configured to generate electricity when the main body 1 swings.

As this device is constructed as described above, in addition to stepping exercises, it allows the user to comfortably and continuously perform a variety of leg exercises, making it an unprecedented, revolutionary exercise device that further supports the user's health promotion.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view showing a rotation mechanism of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a rotation mechanism of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a power supply unit of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the state of use of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the present embodiment is used. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the present embodiment is used. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the present embodiment is used. FIG. 11 is an explanatory perspective view showing another example of the present embodiment.

The preferred embodiment of the invention will be briefly explained below, showing the operation of the invention based on the drawings.

This device has a pair of foot rests 2 on both the left and right sides of the main body 1, whose bottom surface 1a is formed in a downwardly convex arc shape and is configured to be able to oscillate and rotate horizontally. By stepping alternately with the feet placed on each foot rest 2 and oscillating the main body 1 left and right, the foot-stepping motion can be mechanically continued.

Furthermore, in this device, each foot rest 2 on which the feet are placed is provided so as to be freely rotatable horizontally relative to the main body 1, so that the feet placed on each foot rest 2 can be thrust forward alternately (the feet can be moved back and forth alternately) and the main body 1 can be rotated horizontally around the apex of the arc-shaped bottom surface 1a as a fulcrum, allowing the movement of the knee joint to be mechanically and continuously performed, or the feet placed on each foot rest 2 can be rotated horizontally in place to mechanically and continuously perform stretching exercises for the ankles and calves.

Moreover, when the user alternately thrusts the feet forward and rotates the main body 1 horizontally (the exercise that moves the knee joints), the orientation of each foot rest 2 does not change even when the main body 1 rotates horizontally, so the feet remain facing straight forward and only the main body 1 rotates horizontally. This means that no undue strain is placed on the legs, such as twisting, and even elderly people can continue to exercise safely and without difficulty.

In this way, this invention is a revolutionary exercise device that allows users to comfortably and continuously perform a variety of leg exercises, in addition to the stepping exercises seen in conventional examples, and is an unprecedented piece of exercise equipment that further supports the promotion of health for the user.

Specific examples of this invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

This embodiment is an exercise machine that allows users to perform stepping exercises while sitting on a chair. It includes a main body 1 with a bottom surface 1a formed in a convex arc shape that can oscillate and rotate horizontally relative to the ground surface, and a pair of foot rests 2 provided on the left and right sides of the main body 1, and each foot rest 2 is attached to the main body via an axle 3 so that it can rotate horizontally.

The components of this embodiment are described in detail below.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the main body 1 has a bottom surface 1a formed in a convex arc shape, and an upper surface 1b located above the bottom surface 1a formed in a horizontal plane. When viewed from above, it has a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction, and when viewed from the front, it has a shape surrounded by an arc and a string.

Specifically, the main body 1 is a solid wooden body in which the bottom surface portion 1a and the bottom surface portion 1a are integrally molded, and the length (the length of the upper surface portion 1b in the long direction) is set to 350mm to 450mm (390mm in this embodiment), the width (the length of the upper surface portion 1b in the short direction) is set to 90mm to 110mm (100mm in this embodiment), the height is 80mm to 100mm (90mm in this embodiment), and the arc radius of the bottom surface portion 1a is set to 400mm to 600mm (approximately 500mm in this embodiment).

The main body 1 is not limited to being made of wood, but can be made of plastic resin, silicone rubber, metal, paper, etc., and can be modified as appropriate.

The main body 1 is not limited to being formed with the bottom surface 1a and the top surface 1b as one unit. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the bottom surface 1a may be formed by fitting a flat plate-shaped material longer than the flat top surface 1b into the flat top surface 1b by elastically deforming it into an arc shape, or a bottom surface portion previously formed into an arc shape may be attached to the flat top surface (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1, each foot rest 2 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape and is provided at both ends of the top surface 1b of the main body 1 in the left-right direction (longitudinal direction) so as to be rotatable and detachable relative to the main body 1.

Specifically, each foot rest 2 has a length (front-rear length) of 100mm to 130mm, a width (left-right length) of 100mm to 130mm (including the foot support wall 2a described below), and is rotatably and detachably attached to the main body 1 by the rotation mechanism 3. The shape and size of each foot rest 2 can be appropriately modified as long as the user's feet can be placed on it and the foot support wall 2a prevents the feet from falling off.

The rotation mechanism 3 is composed of an axle portion 3a and a bearing portion 3b. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the axle portion 3a is provided on each foot rest portion 2, and the bearing portion 3b is provided on both the left and right sides of the upper surface portion 1b of the main body 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, a ball bearing (a single thrust ball bearing is used in this embodiment) is used as the bearing portion 3b. Note that the bearing portion 3b is not limited to this embodiment, and may simply be a bearing hole that engages with the shaft portion. Also, the shaft portion 3a may be provided on the main body 1, and the bearing portion 3b may be provided on each foot rest portion 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, each foot rest 2 is provided with a foot support wall 2a that prevents the foot from shifting left and right.

The foot support wall 2a is formed in an arch shape with a wall height that gradually increases from both ends in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction) toward the center, and is provided along both left and right side edges of the foot placement section 2.

In this embodiment, the foot rest 2 and the foot support wall 2a are made of wood, and the foot support wall 2a is molded integrally with the foot rest 2.

In addition, in this embodiment, a heating means 4 is provided for warming the feet placed on each foot placement section 2, and a power supply means 5 is provided in the main body 1 for supplying power to the heating means 4.

Specifically, the heating means 4 is a Peltier element, and as shown in the figure, it is embedded in the surface side of each foot placement section 2. The placement state of the heating means 4 is not limited to being embedded, and it may be configured to be exposed on the surface of each foot placement section 2. When it is provided in an exposed state on the surface, for example, the heating means 4 (Peltier element) may be configured to be reversible, so that by reversing it, the heating means 4 can be changed from a means for warming the feet to a means for cooling the feet.

The heating means 4 is not limited to a Peltier element, but may be any suitable heating element that generates heat when powered (such as an electric heater).

The power supply means 5 that supplies power to the heating means 4 includes a power generating motor 5a, which is configured to generate power when the main body 1 oscillates.

In other words, the power supply means 5 is configured so that when the user steps on the main body 1 with the feet placed on each foot rest 2 in an alternating manner, the main body 1 rocks, and the rocking of the main body 1 activates the generator motor 5a to generate electricity and supply power to the heating means 4.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the power supply means 5 includes a spring-type movable plate section 5b, a first drive transmission section 5c, a second drive transmission section 5d, and a generator motor 5a. The oscillation of the main body 1 elastically deforms the spring section 5e of the spring-type movable plate section 5b, which in turn actuates the movable plate 5f, which in turn actuates the first drive transmission section 5c that engages with the movable plate 5f, which in turn actuates the second drive transmission section 5d that engages with the first drive transmission section 5c, and which in turn actuates the generator motor 5a that engages with the second drive transmission section 5d, thereby generating electricity.

The power supply means 5 may simply be a battery, or may be configured to use both the generator motor 5a and a battery.

In addition to the above-mentioned heating means 4, a sensor may be provided on the foot placement section 2 and a display section may be provided on the main body 1, and biological information such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood flow rate, and amount of exercise may be acquired via the sensor, and the acquired biological information may be displayed on the display section, or may be viewed on a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or mobile computer via wireless communication means.

The effects of this embodiment configured as described above are explained below.

In this embodiment, the bottom surface 1a of the main body 1 is formed in a downwardly convex arc shape and is configured to be able to sway and rotate horizontally. As in the conventional example, the user can sit on a chair or sofa as shown in FIG. 5, and step alternately with the feet placed on the foot rests 2 in the chair-seated position as shown in FIG. 6, to sway the main body 1 from side to side, mechanically performing a continuous stepping motion.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the foot rests 2 on which the user places his/her feet are provided rotatably relative to the main body 1, so that, as shown in FIG. 7, the user can mechanically and continuously perform the exercise of moving the knee joint by alternately thrusting the feet placed on the foot rests 2 forward in a seated position and horizontally rotating the main body 1 around the apex (longitudinal center) of the arc-shaped bottom surface 1a.

In this embodiment, as described above, the foot rests 2 are rotatably mounted relative to the main body 1, so that the orientation of each foot rest 2 does not change even when the main body 1 is rotated horizontally. This allows the feet to move forward and backward with their feet facing straight ahead, preventing undue strain on the legs, such as twisting, and allowing even elderly people to continue using the device safely and without strain.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, each foot rest 2 is provided rotatably relative to the main body 1, so that in addition to the movement of the foot in the forward and backward directions described above, the foot placed on each foot rest 2 can be rotated horizontally in place as shown in Figure 8, allowing for mechanically continuous stretching exercises of the ankle and calf (ankle twisting exercises).

In addition, in this embodiment, each foot rest 2 is provided with a heating means 4, so that during use, the user's feet are warmed, the constricted blood vessels in the toes are expanded, blood circulation is improved, and the warmed blood circulates throughout the body, warming the entire body.

In addition, this embodiment uses a generator motor 5a as the power supply means 5 that supplies power to the heating means 4, and the operation of this generator motor 5a is achieved by the oscillation of the main body 1, so no power source is required and it can be used anytime and anywhere. Moreover, since heating is possible through exercise, a synergistic effect of exercise and heating can be expected to produce even greater effects.

As described above, in addition to placing the feet on each foot rest 2 to exercise the lower limbs, this embodiment can also be placed on a desk, the left and right arms (e.g. elbows) placed on each foot rest 2, and the arms thrust forward alternately, and the main body 1 rotates horizontally with the top (longitudinal center) of the arc-shaped bottom surface 1a as the fulcrum, allowing for continuous mechanical exercises to move the shoulders and shoulder blades. This is expected to have the effect of improving flexibility, such as increasing the range of motion of the shoulder joint, improving shoulder movement, and loosening the surrounding muscles to relieve stiff shoulders.

In addition, by removing each foot rest 2 and placing the main body 1 with its flat top surface on a chair (a chair with a hard seat or a chair with a flat plate on the seat), sitting on it and swinging your hips from side to side, the main body 1 rotates horizontally around the top (longitudinal center) of the arc-shaped bottom portion 1a, which is a mechanically continuous twisting motion, which helps burn fat around the abdomen and is expected to have the effect of slimming the waist.

In this way, this embodiment allows users to perform a combination of exercises, such as stepping with both feet alternately (stepping exercise), moving both feet alternately back and forth, and twisting ankle exercises, all while sitting in a chair. It can also warm the feet, so that it can be used, for example, when sitting for long periods of time in a small space such as an evacuation shelter or in a car during an earthquake disaster to prevent the onset of economy class syndrome. It can also be used while doing office work or watching television, so users can move their feet on a daily basis, which provides muscle training and helps prevent lifestyle-related diseases. Furthermore, it can be used to exercise the arms and waist (abdomen) in addition to the feet (legs), making it a revolutionary exercise machine with excellent practicality that can be used in a variety of ways to suit the user's needs.

Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the specific configuration of each component can be designed as appropriate.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Main body 1a Bottom surface 1b Top surface 2 Foot placement section 2a Foot support wall section 3 Rotation mechanism 3a Shaft section 3b Bearing section 4 Heating means 5 Power supply means 5a Generating motor

Claims (5)

An exercise machine comprising a main body having a bottom surface formed in a convex arc shape that is downwardly convex and configured to be able to oscillate and rotate horizontally relative to the ground surface, and a pair of foot rests provided on both the left and right sides of the top surface of the main body, each of which is provided so as to be able to rotate horizontally relative to the main body. The exercise equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that each foot rest is provided with a foot support wall that prevents the foot from shifting left and right. The exercise equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that the main body and each of the foot rests have a rotation mechanism composed of an axle and a bearing, and each of the foot rests is provided so as to be freely rotatable relative to the main body by this rotation mechanism. The exercise equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each foot placement section is provided with a heating means for warming the placed foot, and the main body is provided with a power supply means for supplying power to the heating means. The exercise equipment according to claim 4, wherein the power supply means includes a generator motor, and the generator motor is configured to generate electricity when the main body swings.

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