EP1190739A2

EP1190739A2 - Pedaling device for improving blood circulation

Info

Publication number: EP1190739A2
Application number: EP01122952A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Asher Ben-Nun
Original assignee: MEGO AFEK INDUSTRIAL MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
Current assignee: MEGO AFEK INDUSTRIAL MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
Priority date: 2000-09-25
Filing date: 2001-09-25
Publication date: 2002-03-27
Also published as: EP1190739A3; JP2002102384A

Abstract

A pedaling device for improving blood circulation in sitting position of a user, comprises a pair of pedals each associated with a base and each having a length that is about half the length of the foot of an average user. Each pedal has a rear portion hingedly attached to the base and a front portion on which pressure is to be exerted downwardly by the foot to displace the pedal from its raised position where the pedal is inclined upwardly from the rear to the front portion of the pedal, to its lowered position where the pedal flatly covers the base. The pedals have a displacing arrangement which ensures that lowering one of the pedals raises the other pedal.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a pedaling device for improving blood circulation in sitting position.

BACKGROUNG OF THE INVENTION

A pedaling device of the kind to which the present invention refers has a pair of elongated pedals operated by the feet of a user to alternately displace the pedals between their raised position when the corresponding foot is inclined upwardly from the heel to the toes and lowered position when the foot is oriented substantially horizontally. The pedals have a displacement arrangement therebetween, which ensures that lowering one of the pedals raises the other pedal. Such a pedaling device is shown, for example, in Des. 397,746 where, similarly to other different pedaling devices, pedals have lengths that are equal or at least not less than that of an average length of the foot of a grown-up user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to provide a novel compact pedaling device.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a pedaling device for improving blood circulation in sitting position of a user, comprising a pair of pedals wherein each pedal's length is about half the length of the foot of an average user. Each pedal has its associated base, a rear portion hingedly attached to the base and a front portion on which pressure is to be exerted downwardly by the foot to displace the pedal from its raised position where the pedal is inclined upwardly from the rear to the front portion of the pedal, to its lowered position where the pedal flatly covers the base. The pedals have a displacement arrangement therebetween which ensures that lowering one of the pedals raises the other pedal.
The present invention is based on the inventor's having realized the fact that, for improving blood circulation in sitting position, it is sufficient to provide support on the pedal for the foot's plantar area which exerts pressure on the pedal, whilst the arch and heel areas of the foot, do not need to be supported by the pedal, but rather the heel may rest on the surface, on which the pedaling device is located. For this reason, the pedals of the pedaling device of the present invention do not exceed half the length of the foot of an average user, i.e. are substantially shorter than pedals of existing devices. This enables the pedaling device of the present invention to have a length only slightly longer, if at all, than its width, which makes its design very compact. In addition, all components of the pedaling device according to the present invention may be made of plastics, and this, together with its compact design, makes the device light and portable which is particularly advantageous for use by travelers such as air-passengers.
The pedaling device according to the present invention has a central axis, the pedals being disposed on two sides thereof and being preferably foldable in a book-like manner along said axis with outer surfaces of either the pedals or the bases facing each other.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the displacement arrangement of the pedaling device comprises a carrier member attached to the bases of the pedals and an elongated rigid swinging member that is detachably fixed on the carrier member so that the swinging member's two ends bear against inner surfaces of the pedals at an area remote from their rear portion. To enable folding of the pedaling device, the swinging member is detached from the carrier member. The latter may have such a design that, when folded, it may accommodate the swinging member therein.
According to other embodiments of the present invention, the displacement arrangement may be in the form of inflatable members such as bellows or bladders each attached at their bottom and top ends to the respective base and inner surfaces of the pedals at least at the front portions thereof. The inflatable members are in flow communication with each other and may be provided with a valve enabling the intake and outlet of air into and out of the inflatable members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, a preferred embodiment will now be described, by way of a non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figs. 1A and 1B are respective top and front views of a pedaling device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 1C is a pictorial side view of the pedaling device of Figs. 1A and 1B, when in use;
Fig. 2 is pictorial view of a pedaling device according to another embodiment of the present invention, when in use;
Fig. 3A is a pictorial view of a pedaling device according to still another embodiment of the present invention when in use; and
Fig. 3B is a plan view of an inflatable member of the device in Fig. 3A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In all embodiments of the present invention described below and shown in Figs. 1A-1C, 2 and 3A, respective pedaling devices 1, 2 and 3 are shown that are designed for improving blood circulation in sitting position of a user. Each of the pedaling devices 1, 2 and 3 has the following main components: right and left pedals 4 and 6 designed symmetrically relative to a central axis X (shown only in. Figs. 1A, 1B) of the device; bases 8 and 10 associated with respective pedals 4 and 6 which may be formed integrally or as two separate elements; each pedal 4, 6 having a rear portion 4A, 6A hingedly attached to the respective base 8, 10 and a front portion 4B, 6B on which pressure is to be exerted downwardly by the user's foot to displace the pedal 4, 6 from its raised position where the pedal is inclined upwardly from. the rear to the front portion of the pedal, to its lowered position where the pedal flatly covers the base; and a displacement arrangement 16 between the pedals which ensures that lowering one of the pedals raises the other pedal.
As seen in Figs. 1C, 2 and 3A, in the respective pedaling devices 1, 2 and 3, the pedals 4 and 6 have a length that is about half the length of the foot of an average user. Thus, the length of the pedaling devices 1, 2 and 3 may be only slightly longer, if at all, than its width. Preferably, the length of the pedaling devices does not exceed their width to more than 20%. One example of these dimensions is 150mm for length and 130 mm for the width of the pedaling device. Due to such a design, in operation the pedals 4 and 6 support only the foot's plantar area P and, possibly, the toes, whilst the arch and heel areas H of the foot are not supported by the pedals but rather rest on a surface, on which the pedaling device is disposed.
The pedaling devices 1, 2 and 3 are foldable along their central axis X so that either outer surfaces 18 and 20 of the pedals 4 and 5 (in pedaling device 3) or outer surfaces 22 and 24 of the bases 8 and 10 (in pedaling device 1) face each other.
The pedaling devices 1, 2 and 3 may have a non-slip design of the outer surfaces 22, 24 of their bases 8 and 10, to prevent slipping of the pedaling devices along the surfaces on which they are disposed. Depending on the kind of these surfaces, the outer surfaces 22 and 24 of the bases may be rough or be otherwise processed or formed or, for carpeted floors, the outer surfaces may have Velcro-type attachments.
In the pedaling devices 1, 2 and 3, the pedals 4 and 6 may be provided with any suitable fastening means to fix the feet thereon in a position comfortable for the user.
Whilst, as follows from the above, the pedaling devices 1, 2 and 3 have many common features, their design differs, and this mostly with respect to their displacement arrangement 16, as will now be described in more detail below.
In the pedaling device 1 of Figs. 1A, 1B and 1C, the displacement arrangement 16 comprises an elongated rigid swinging member 100 having an axle 101 oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal extension of the member 100, and having pedal supporting ends 102 and 103 (Fig. 1B), and a carrier member 104 having a central spine portion 105 with a bend 107 and two wings (not sccn) fixedly attached to the bases 8 and 10. To prepare the pedaling device 1 for use, the swinging member 100 is attached to the carrier member 104 by means of its axle 101, and locked therein by a snap, so that the swinging member's pedal supporting ends 102 and 103 bear against respective inner surfaces 26 and 28 of the pedals 4 and 6 at the front portions 4B and 6B thereof. Thereby, the swinging member 100 is ready for swinging around the axle 101 upon cyclic alternate depressing of the pedals 4 and 6 by the user. This design of the displacement arrangement enables the pedals, in operation, to be kept in position by the swinging member 100. When the swinging member 100 is detached from the carrier member 104, the folding of the carrier member 104 and of the entire pedaling device 1 is facilitated by the bend 107 of the central spine portion 105. Preferably, this portion has such a design that, when folded, it may accommodate the swinging member 100.
In the pedaling device 2 shown in Fig. 2, the displacement arrangement 16 is in the form of a pair of inflatable bellows 204 and 206 each attached at their bottom and top ends 208 and 210 to respective inner surfaces 30, 32 of the respective base 8, 10 and inner surfaces 26, 28 of the respective pedals 4, 6, at least at the front portion 4B, 6B of the pedal. The inflatable bellows 204 and 206 are provided with a pipe 212 which in use is connected to both bellows, enabling flow communication therebetween. For this purpose, the bellows may both be formed with suitable openings to receive the pipe's ends or rather only one of the bellows has such an opening whereas the other one is formed integrally with the pipe. The pipe may be rigid or flexible and may have a length enabling the two pedals 4 and 6 together with their bases 8 and 9 to be spaced from each other to any desired distance. The bellows 204 and 206 are designed to be deflated and to lie flatly under their associated pedals 4 and 6, when the pedaling device is folded. To prepare the device 2 for use, one bellow 204 is inflated by raising its associated pedal 4 and thereby intaking air via its opening, whilst the other bellow 206 should be left in its deflated state with the pipe 212 connected thereto. Subsequently, the pipe 212 is connected to the inflated bellow 204, whereby the pedaling device 2 is ready for use by cyclic alternate depressing of its pedals 4 and 6 causing alternate inflating of the respective bellows 206 and 204.
In the pedaling device 3 of Fig. 3A, the displacement arrangement 16 is in the form of displacement member 303 (Fig. 3B), which is shown separately in Fig. 3B and which comprises elongated inflatable bladders 304 and 306 in flow communication via a web 307 with an extension 308 extending between the bladders, and provided with a scalable valve 310. The bladders 304 and 306 have opposite end flaps 304A, 304B and 306A, 306B, respectively, and are provided with opposite welds 314 and 316, respectively, midway therealong for delimiting restricted waist portions 324 and 326, respectively, for facilitating their folding during operation of the device 3. A pipe 325 internally extending across the end flaps 304B and 306B via the web 307 maintains flow communication between the bladders 304 and 306 during operation of the device 3.
As shown in Fig. 3A, the displacement member 303 is installed in the pedaling device by the attachment of the bladders' end flaps 304A and 306B to the inner surfaces 30 and 32 (not shown) of the respective pedals' front portions 4B and 6B and the bladders' end flaps 304A and 306A to the inner surfaces 26 and 28 of the corresponding areas of the bases 8 and 10. The pedals 4 and 6 can each be displaced to a raised position when the bladders 304 and 306 are extended and inclined towards their associated pedals' rear portions 4A and 6A. The bladders 304 and 306 are arranged to inwardly fold over about their waist portions 324 and 326 to lie flatly under their associated pedals 4 and 6 when the pedals 4 and 6 are displaced from their raised position to their flat position.
In the pedaling device 3, the bases 8 and 10 have a flexible spine section 327 interdisposed therebetween, whereby the device 3 can be inwardly folded in a book-like fashion with the displacement member 303 and the pedals 4 and 6 contained therewithin. To prepare the device for use, one of the pedals 4 and 6 should be held down and the bladder 304 or 306 associated with the other pedal should be inflated with a quantity of air sufficient to raise this pedal to its raised position, whereupon the pedaling device 3 is ready for use by cyclic alternate depressing of its pedals 4 and 6.
While the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention can be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

A pedaling device for improving blood circulation in sitting position of a user, comprising a pair of pedals each associated with a base and having a rear portion hingedly attached to the base and a front portion on which pressure is to be exerted downwardly by the foot to displace the pedal from its raised position where the pedal is inclined upwardly from the rear to the front portion of the pedal, to its lowered position where the pedal flatly covers the base, the pedals having a displacing arrangement which ensures that lowering one of the pedals raises the other pedal, wherein each pedal's length is about half the length of the foot of an average user.
A pedaling device according to Claim 1, further having a central axis, the pedals being disposed on two sides of said axis so as to enable the device to fold in a book-like manner along said axis with outer surfaces of either the pedals or the bases facing each other.
A pedaling device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein said displacement arrangement comprises a carrier member attached to the bases of the pedals and an elongated rigid swinging member that is detachably fixed on the carrier member so that the swinging member's two ends bear against inner surfaces of the pedals at an area thereof remote from their rear portion.
A pedaling device according to Claim 3, wherein said carrier member is foldable, upon the detachment of the swinging member therefrom, and is capable, when folded, to accommodate the swinging member therein.
A pedaling device according to any one of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein said displacement arrangement is in the form of inflatable members, each attached at its bottom and top ends to the respective base and inner surface of one of the pedals at least at the front portion thereof, the inflatable members being provided with a valve enabling the intake and outlet of air into and out of the inflatable members.
A pedaling device according to Claim 5, wherein said inflatable members are in flow communication with each other.
A pedaling device according to Claim 6, wherein said inflatable members are bellows.
A pedaling device according to Claim 6, wherein said inflatable members are elongated bladders each attached at its opposite end flaps to the base and inner surface of one of the pedal.
A pedaling device according to Claim 8, wherein said bladders each have an intermediate waist portion for facilitating their folding about their midportions.
A pedaling device according to Claim 8, wherein said bladders are formed in a unitary inflatable member.
A pedaling device according to Claim 8, wherein said inflatable members further comprise a scalable valve for enabling the intake and outlet of fluid.
A pedaling device according to Claim 8, wherein the bases of said pedals are formed as a unitary base foldable into a book-like configuration with said pedals and bladders contained therewithin.