JP2007083060A - Balance training apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a balance training apparatus giving a user a sufficient training effect. <P>SOLUTION: This balance training apparatus has a base 2, a saddle-shaped seat 4 provided on the upper face of the base 2 and allowing a user 20 to sit thereon, a drive unit reciprocatingly rotating and swinging the seat 4 around a right/left shaft relative to the base 2, and stirrup parts 6 provided in the both right/left sides of the seat 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a balance training apparatus used for training a body balance function and a motor function.

  In general, it is known that balancing so as not to fall while riding on a horse is training of the balance function, and also activates the back and back muscles group to prevent back pain. However, the places where you can ride a horse are limited. Therefore, it is considered to use a mechanical device that can realize the same operation as that on a horse so that balance training can be easily performed without being restricted by a place or weather.

As this type of mechanical device (balance training device), a device having a saddle-like seat for a user to sit on and a drive device for swinging the seat is known. By swinging the seat seated in the state by the driving device, effects such as training of the balance function of the user, strengthening of the back and back muscle groups and thighs, and softening of the hip joint were obtained (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-286578 A

  However, in the balance training apparatus, it has not been possible to obtain sufficient training effects such as improving the balance function of the body, strengthening the muscles of the back and back muscles and thighs, and flexing the hip joint. In the balance training device, for example, when the user is a person with long legs, the seat height is low, and the foot may stick to the ground when sitting, which may not provide a sufficient training effect. In the case of a disabled person, there is a problem that the height of the seat is high and it is difficult to get on and off the seat.

  This invention is made | formed in view of said point, and the place made into the objective makes it a subject to provide the balance training apparatus with which sufficient training effect is acquired.

  In order to solve the above problems, the balance training apparatus according to the present invention includes a pedestal 2, a bowl-shaped seat 4 for a user 20 provided on the upper surface of the pedestal 2, and the seat 4 to the pedestal 2. It is characterized by comprising a drive device that rotates and reciprocates around the left and right axes and swings 6 provided on the left and right sides of the seat 2.

  In the balance training apparatus, by swinging the seat 4, the user 20 can obtain training effects such as balance function training, strengthening of the back and back muscles and thighs, and flexibility of the hip joint. The user 20 seated on 4 can place his / her feet on the buttocks 6.

  In the balance training apparatus of the present invention, the user can obtain training effects such as balance function training, strengthening of the back and back muscles and thigh muscle strength, and flexion of the hip joint. You can place your feet on the

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The balance training apparatus 1 is shown in FIGS. Support legs 3 are provided on both ends of the lower end of the pedestal 2 in the width direction (left and right direction in FIG. 2) to be fixed on the pedestal 2 and placed on the floor surface. A bowl-shaped seat 4 for seating 20 is provided.

  On the upper surface of the seat 4 is formed a substantially U-shaped seating surface 5 in plan view in which the buttocks of the seated user 20, the back and inner sides of both thighs, and the inner sides of both knees contact. The front portion of the seating surface 5, that is, the back and inner sides of both thighs, and the portion where the inner sides of both knees are in contact with each other, are inclined so as to be positioned downward in the width direction. On the other hand, the rear portion of the seating surface 5 (the portion where the collar portion contacts) is inclined so as to be positioned higher toward the rear. An operation unit 7 is provided at the center of the front part of the upper surface of the seat 4. In the figure, reference numeral 6 denotes a buttock that is rotatable about a left-right axis extending downward from the lower ends on both sides in the width direction of the seat 4, and a user 20 seated on the seat 4 places a foot on the heel part 6. It can be done. The seat 4 may be provided with a handle 10 as shown in FIG.

  The pedestal 2 is provided with a drive device (not shown) for swinging the seat 4. As this drive device, for example, a motor as a drive source and rotation of the motor are converted into swing of the seat 4. Use one with a motion conversion mechanism. The driving device is connected to the operation unit 7 described above and is set to be operated by the operation unit 7. Note that the driving device in the present embodiment moves the seat 4 straight back and forth in the front-rear direction and rotates back and forth around the front-rear axis and the left-right axis to swing the seat 4 with three degrees of freedom. The direction and the degree of freedom are not limited to this. Further, as the balance training device 1 including the seat 4 and the driving device, it is possible to employ a mechanism that has been conventionally known as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2001-286578.

  And when performing balance training using the balance training device 1, the user 20 sits on the seat surface 5 of the seat 4 as shown in FIG. 3 and operates the operation unit 7. The drive device is driven to swing the seat 4. By swinging the seat 4 in this manner, the user 20 can obtain training effects such as balance function training, lumbar and back muscle group and thigh strength enhancement, and hip joint flexibility.

  By the way, since the size of the seat 4 is determined in the balance training device 1 described above, the size of the seat 4 may not match depending on the physique of the user 20, and the seat 4 during training is swung by the drive device. Therefore, the operation is simple and a sufficient training effect cannot be obtained. Therefore, the balance training apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with an expansion / contraction member on the seat surface 5 of the seat 4 described above, and includes a mechanism for expanding and contracting the expansion / contraction member.

  More specifically, the part corresponding to both thighs and both knees of the user 20 seated on the seating surface 5 of the seat 4, that is, the back side and inside of both thighs which are the front part of the seating surface 5, and the inside of both knees contact each other. The portion is provided with an inflatable / shrinkable air bag 8 shown by the hatched portion in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in the present embodiment, the air bag 8 is used as the inflatable member. That is, both the air bags 8 are inflated and contracted in a direction substantially orthogonal to the front portion of the seating surface 5 indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 2, and the both thighs and knees of the user 20 are It is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 3, that is, the direction in which the hip joint of the user 20 is opened and closed.

  As a mechanism for expanding and contracting the air bag 8 (expansion / contraction member), for example, an air intake / exhaust device (not shown) built in the base 2 is used. This air intake / exhaust device is configured to send air into the air bag 8 to inflate the air bag 8 and to inhale the air in the air bag 8 to contract the air bag 8. The air intake / exhaust device is connected to the operation unit 7 described above and is set to be operated by the operation unit 7.

  As described above, the balance training apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with the expansion / contraction member on the seat surface 5 of the seat 4 and the mechanism for inflating and contracting the expansion / contraction member. By operating the air intake / exhaust device, the expansion / contraction amount of the expansion / contraction member can be adjusted, and the size of the seat 4 can be matched to the physique of the user 20. In training, the expansion and contraction of the expansion / contraction member is repeatedly performed, so that a complex operation combining the swing of the seat 4 itself and the expansion / contraction of the expansion / contraction member can be realized. In this case, further exercise effects can be expected.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the expansion / contraction member is provided in the portion corresponding to the thigh and knee of the user 20 who is seated on the seating surface 5, and therefore the expansion / contraction amount of the expansion / contraction member by operating the operation unit 7. Thus, the size of the seat 4 in the width direction can be adjusted to the physique of the user 20. In training, the expansion and contraction of the expansion / contraction member is repeatedly performed, whereby the thigh of the user 20 is lifted or the hip joint is opened / closed with the shape change of the expansion / contraction member. The muscle strength can be further strengthened, and the hip joint can be further softened.

  In the above embodiment, the air bag 8 is used as the expansion / contraction member, and the air intake / exhaust device is used as a mechanism for expanding and contracting the expansion / contraction member, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  Moreover, in the balance training apparatus 1 as described above, when the height of the seat 4 from the floor surface is determined, for example, when the user 20 is a person with long legs, the height of the seat 4 is low when sitting. The foot may stick to the ground, and this may not provide a sufficient training effect. In addition, in the case of a disabled person, the height of the seat 4 is high, making it difficult to get on and off the seat 4. There is a problem.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the balance training apparatus 1 is provided with a lifting device 9 that lifts and lowers the seat 4 up and down. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the pedestal 2 is provided with a lifting device 9 that expands and contracts in the vertical direction (arrow C in FIG. 4). As the lifting device 9, for example, an electric type using a motor or a hydraulic jack using a gas spring or the like is used. The lifting device 9 is also connected to the operation unit 7 described above and can be operated by the operation unit 7.

  Thus, since the balance training apparatus 1 is equipped with the raising / lowering apparatus 9 which raises / lowers the seat 4 up and down, the operation part 7 is operated, the seat 4 is raised / lowered up and down, and it matches with the state and physique of the user 20 The height of the seat 4 can be adjusted. For example, when the user 20 is a person with long legs, the height of the seat 4 is increased so that the foot does not touch the ground when sitting, or when the user 20 is a disabled person, the height of the seat 4 is increased. It can be lowered to make it easier to get on and off the seat 4. In training, the seat 4 is repeatedly raised and lowered to perform a complicated operation combining the swing of the seat 4, the expansion and contraction of the expansion / contraction member, and the swing due to repeated lifting and lowering of the seat 4. As a result, a further training effect can be obtained, and further exercise effects can be expected in this case.

It is a perspective view of the balance training apparatus which shows an example of embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the balance training apparatus same as the above from the front side. It is the perspective view seen from the front side which shows the state where the user sat down to the balance training apparatus same as the above. It is a partially notched explanatory drawing which looked at the balance training apparatus same as the above from the side.

Explanation of symbols

1 Balance training device 4 Seat

Claims (1)

  A pedestal, a bowl-shaped seat provided on the upper surface of the pedestal for a user to sit on, a drive device that swings the seat by reciprocating and reciprocating about the left-right axis with respect to the pedestal, and left and right sides of the seat A balance training device comprising a provided buttocks.

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