JP2009106662A - Passive exercise equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide passive exercise equipment for naturally and efficiently improving firmly-standing force while balancing by mainly stimulating a calf by a physical approach from outside. <P>SOLUTION: The passive exercise equipment includes: support base parts 2 on which a user puts his/her feet; positioning parts 10 for restraining the positions of foot soles of the user; and actuators 15 for performing changeover between the forward extension state of toe parts and the roll-back state to the instep by a vertical movement when abutted onto the toe parts of the foot soles of the user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a passive exercise device that exercises a user's body by physical action from the outside.

  Conventionally, exercise equipment that can easily exercise indoors has been provided. For example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 show a passive exercise device including a stepper on which a user puts his / her foot and a drive mechanism for swinging the stepper.

By the way, in order to prevent falls in elderly people or the like, it is desired to train a struting force (particularly muscle strength such as calves) while maintaining balance. However, the above-described conventional passive exercise equipment is intended only to promote blood circulation by causing the ankle to perform a monotonous flexion and extension movement, and it is possible to exercise the force of struting while maintaining balance without difficulty. Then it is insufficient.
JP 2004-261256 A JP 2004-267724 A

  The present invention has been invented in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to forcibly and efficiently train the force of struting while maintaining balance while mainly stimulating calves by physical action from the outside. It is an object to provide a dynamic exercise device.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is moved up and down by hitting the support base part 2 on which the user puts his / her foot, the positioning part 10 for restraining the position of the user's sole, and the toe part of the user's sole. By doing so, a passive motion apparatus including the actuator 15 that switches between a state in which the toe portion extends forward and a state in which the toe portion warps to the upper side is provided.

  According to this passive exercise device, even for an elderly user who is difficult to exercise rapidly, the actuator 15 is operated while holding the standing posture, and the toe portion warps to the instep side. By switching to the state, it is possible to mainly stimulate the muscles of the calf portion of the user, and it is possible to effectively train the force of stroking and preventing falling. Moreover, the ability to support the whole body flexibly while maintaining balance is improved by forcibly switching between the state in which the toes are stretched and the state in which the toes are warped in the standing posture.

  Further, in this passive motion apparatus, it is preferable that a plurality of the actuators 15 are provided for each place corresponding to the sole, and the actuators 15 are provided so as to be capable of cooperative operation. By doing so, it is possible to provide a variety of passive movements.

  At this time, it is preferable that the plurality of actuators 15 be arranged side by side at each location corresponding to the sole. In this way, it is possible to add an operation that twists the toes if the timings of the operations of the left and right actuators 15 are made different.

  The actuator 15 is preferably an airbag 7. In this way, an external force can be applied elastically to the toes, and it is stored in a compact manner except when inflated, so that it does not get in the way.

  It is also preferable to include a restricting portion 18 that prevents the user's ankle from bending backward. By doing in this way, when the user's toe part is bent to the back side, it is prevented that the ankle falls to the rear side and falls down in conjunction with this. In addition, since the user's lower leg part maintains an upright posture, the warp of the toe part can effectively stimulate the muscles of the calf part.

  The restricting portion 18 is preferably a pressurizing means that hits at least one of the user's ankle and calf. By doing in this way, it can restrain reliably by pressurization.

  At this time, it is preferable that the actuator 15 and the pressurizing unit are operated in a coordinated manner so that the pressure applied by the pressurizing unit is increased when the actuator 15 deflects the toe portion of the user toward the back side. By doing so, it is possible to increase the restraint by pressurization only when the toe part is warped, and to avoid the restraint more than necessary in other cases.

  The pressurizing means is preferably an airbag 19. By doing so, it can be restrained elastically and surely, and since it is stored compactly except during expansion, it does not get in the way.

  Further, in this passive motion apparatus, the support base 2 is formed by using a left foot support 2a and a right foot support 2b on which the left and right feet of the user are respectively placed, and the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b. It is also preferable to dispose the positioning unit 10 and the actuator 15 on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, respectively. In this way, the above-mentioned reciprocating motion of forcing the user's toes to bend toward the instep and stimulating mainly the muscles of the calf part, and forcing the left and right feet in a predetermined locus It can be combined with other passive movements that move and stimulate various muscle groups of the legs.

  The invention according to claim 1 has an effect that the calf is stimulated mainly by an external physical action using an actuator, and the force of stroking while maintaining balance can be trained effortlessly and efficiently.

  In addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1, the invention according to claim 2 has the effect of providing a variety of passive movements.

  In addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 2, the invention according to claim 3 has the effect of adding an operation of twisting the tip of the foot by making the operation timings of the left and right actuators different.

  In addition to the effect of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the invention according to claim 4 can apply an external force elastically to the toe portion and is compact except when inflated. Because it is stored in, it has the effect of not getting in the way.

  In addition to the effect of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the invention according to claim 5 is prevented from falling when the toe part of the user is bent toward the upper side. The warp of the toe portion can effectively stimulate the muscles of the calf portion.

  In addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 5, the invention according to claim 6 has an effect of being able to be reliably restrained by pressurization.

  In addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 5 or 6, the invention according to claim 7 strengthens the restraint only when the toe part is warped, and otherwise it is not restrained more than necessary. There is an effect.

  Further, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 7, the invention according to claim 8 can be restrained elastically and surely, and since it is stored compactly except at the time of expansion, there is an effect that it does not get in the way. Play.

  In addition to the effect of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the invention according to claim 9 forcibly moves the left and right feet along a predetermined trajectory so that the various muscle groups of the legs can be moved. Combined with other passive movements of stimulating, it is possible to provide a variety of passive movements.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. 1 to 3 show a first example of a passive exercise apparatus in an embodiment of the present invention. The passive exercise device of this example is a standing type passive exercise device in which both feet are put in a posture in which the user stands up, and a pair of left and right shoe-shaped housings 5 into which the user inserts one foot at a time. And an air bag 7 disposed on the substantially flat inner surface of the bottom wall 6 of each shoe-shaped housing 5 and a control box 26 incorporating a pump device 8 for supplying and exhausting air to inflate and inflate the air bag 7. is doing.

  In this example, the bottom wall 6 of the shoe-shaped housing 5 forms the support base 2 on which the user puts his / her foot, and the upper cover portion 9 covering the upper portion of the bottom wall 6 of the shoe-shaped housing 5 is the user's The positioning part 10 that restrains the position of the sole is formed. And the said airbag 7 is the structure which comprises the actuator 15 which contacts a toe part of a user's sole and moves up and down. It should be noted that the actuator 15 may have another configuration, that is, a configuration in which a protrusion that can slide up and down is disposed so as to contact the toe portion of the sole, and the protrusion is driven up and down.

  The airbag 7 is disposed on a portion of the sole that is inserted from the opening 16 provided in the upper cover portion 9 and placed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 6 and corresponds to at least one of the toe portion and the root portion of the toe. It is. Thus, if the airbag 7 is held in a contracted state, the user's feet are in a state where the toes are stretched forward along the bottom wall 6, and the airbag 7 is inflated and protrudes upward. If held, the user's foot is in a state where only the toes are bent toward the instep side. That is, by switching the expansion and contraction of the airbag 7, the state of the user's toes in the standing posture is a state in which the toes are extended forward as shown in FIG. .) And a state in which the toe part is warped toward the instep as shown in FIG. 3B (hereinafter referred to as “warped state”).

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the control box 26, in addition to the pump device 8, an electromagnetic valve 27 that switches supply / exhaust from the pump device 8 to each airbag 7, and the pump device 8 and each electromagnetic valve 27 are controlled. The control circuit unit 28 is provided. An operation panel 29 for inputting a command by the user is provided on the outer surface of the control box 26, and the operation circuit unit 28 controls the pump device 8 and each solenoid valve 27 based on the command input to the operation panel 29. The air bag 7 is controlled to supply and exhaust air.

  According to the passive exercise apparatus of the present example, even a user such as an elderly person who is difficult to perform a rapid exercise automatically while inserting a foot into the shoe-shaped housing 5 and holding a standing posture. When the airbag 7 in each shoe-shaped housing 5 is inflated and contracted to forcibly switch the user's toes between the stretched state and the warped state, Stimulates the muscles and effectively trains the force to stride and prevent falls. Moreover, the ability to support the whole body flexibly while maintaining balance is improved by forcibly switching between the stretched state and the warped state of the toes while standing.

  4 to 6 show a second example of the passive exercise apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention. In addition, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure similar to the structure of the above-mentioned 1st example among the structures of this example, and only the characteristic structure different from a 1st example is explained in full detail below.

  In this example, one airbag 7 is not provided for each of the left and right shoe mold housings 5 as in the first example, but a plurality of airbags 7 are provided for each shoe mold housing 5. The air supply / exhaust is controlled so that each airbag 7 causes the user to perform a passive motion while performing a cooperative operation.

  Specifically, a pair of right and left airbags 7a and 7b that contact the toes of the sole are provided for each inner surface of the bottom wall 6 to which each sole of the user hits. That is, an air bag 7a that hits the inner toe portion (thumb, index finger, etc.) and an air bag 7b that hits the outer toe portion (little finger, ring finger, etc.) of the five toes left and right are provided, The inner toe portion and the outer toe portion of the left and right feet can be switched between an extended state and a warped state, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the control box 26, there are an electromagnetic valve 27 for switching supply / exhaust from the pump device 8 to the left and right airbags 7a, 7b, and a control circuit unit 28 for controlling the pump device 8 and each electromagnetic valve 27. The operation circuit unit 28 controls the pump device 8 and each electromagnetic valve 27 based on a command input to the operation panel 29 to supply and exhaust the left and right airbags 7a and 7b.

  According to the passive exercise apparatus of this example, if the expansion and contraction timings of the left and right airbags 7a and 7b are made to coincide with each other, the same passive exercise as in the first example can be performed. When the timings of expansion and contraction of 7a and 7b are made different, it is possible to perform a characteristic passive movement in which the toes are warped toward the instep while twisting the toes.

  For example, the right (inner) airbag 7a disposed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 6 on which the left foot is placed and the left (inner) airbag 7a disposed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 6 on which the right foot is placed. In the case where only the inflated portion is inflated (see FIG. 6), the user can be caused to perform a passive movement in which the toe portion is warped to the instep side while twisting the toes of the left and right feet outward. Further, the left (outer) airbag 7b disposed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 6 on which the left foot is placed, and the right (outer) airbag 7b disposed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 6 on which the right foot is placed. In the case where only the foot is inflated, the user can be caused to perform a passive motion in which the toe part is warped to the instep side while twisting the toes of both left and right feet.

  In addition, when the right side (inner side) airbag 7a on the inner surface of the bottom wall 6 on which the left foot is placed and the right side (outer side) airbag 7b on the inner side of the bottom wall 6 on which the right foot is placed are inflated, Used when only the left (outside) airbag 7b on the inner surface of the bottom wall 6 for placing the left foot and the left (inner) airbag 7a on the inner surface of the bottom wall 6 for placing the right foot are used. The person can be caused to perform a passive motion in which the toes are warped to the instep side while twisting both toes in the same direction.

  Thus, in this example, a plurality of airbags 7 forming the actuator 15 are arranged side by side in a coordinated manner for each place corresponding to the sole (that is, for each bottom wall 6 of the left and right shoe-shaped housings 5). Therefore, the left and right feet are warped, the left and right feet are warped, the left and right feet are warped, and the left and right feet are warped. It is possible to switch to a state in which a twist in the direction is added. Therefore, compared with the thing of a 1st example, a further various irritation | stimulation can be given to a user's calf part, and the force which prevents a fall by straddling can be trained more effectively. Moreover, the ability to support the whole body flexibly while maintaining balance is further improved by forcibly switching the toes to various states while standing.

  In this example, a pair of left and right airbags 7 are arranged for each portion of the inner wall of the bottom wall 6 that contacts the toes. However, three or more airbags 7 may be arranged side by side, May be arranged in parallel.

  FIG. 7 shows a passive exercise device of the third example according to the embodiment of the present invention. In addition, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure similar to the structure of the above-mentioned 1st example among the structures of this example, and only the characteristic structure different from a 1st example is explained in full detail below.

  The shoe-shaped housing 5 of this example is a boot-type housing in which a cylindrical body portion 17 covering the user's lower leg portion is extended from the upper cover portion 9, and the upper end opening of the cylindrical body portion 17 penetrating vertically is used. It is an opening 16 through which a person inserts a foot. At least the rear part of the cylindrical body part 17 is provided with a restricting part 18 made of a hard plate-like member, and if the user's lower leg part hits the inner surface of the restricting part 18, the ankle bends further rearward (that is, Further, the lower leg part is prevented from falling to the rear).

  Therefore, according to the passive exercise apparatus of this example, when the airbag 7 on the inner surface of the bottom wall 6 is inflated and the toe portion of the user is warped to the instep side, the ankle is moved to the rear side in conjunction with this. It is prevented from falling and falling. In addition, since the lower leg part maintains an upright posture with respect to the inner surface of the bottom wall 6, it becomes possible to effectively stimulate the muscles of the calf part by warping of the toe part.

  In the illustrated example, a plate-like member is erected as the restricting portion 18, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the rear portion of the cylindrical body 17 itself is formed of a hard material. The configuration may be the restriction unit 18.

  FIG. 8 shows a passive exercise apparatus of the fourth example according to the embodiment of the present invention. In addition, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure similar to the structure of the above-mentioned 3rd example among the structures of this example, and only the characteristic structure different from a 3rd example is explained in full detail below.

  In the passive exercise apparatus of this example, an air bag 19 that presses against at least one of the user's ankle and calf is used as the restricting portion 18 that prevents the user's ankle from falling backward. The airbag 19 constituting the pressurizing means is connected to the pump device 8 and is disposed on the plate-like member on the inner surface of the cylindrical body portion 17, and cooperates with the airbag 7 disposed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 6. Its expansion and contraction is controlled to do.

  That is, when the airbag 7 is inflated and the toes of the user are warped toward the instep, the airbag 19 constituting the pressurizing means is also inflated to increase the pressure so that the user's lower leg is securely held. Provided. Thus, the airbag 19 can be elastically and reliably restrained from bending the ankle to the rear side, and the airbag 19 is contracted except when the toe part is warped to the instep side. It will not get in the way.

  9 to 18 show a fifth example of the passive exercise apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention. In addition, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure similar to the structure of the above-mentioned 1st example among the structures of this example, and only the characteristic structure different from a 1st example is explained in full detail below.

  In the passive exercise apparatus of this example, the bottom wall 6 of the shoe type housing 5 for the left foot is installed and fixed in parallel to the upper surface of the installation plate 21 of the left foot support 2a described later, and the bottom wall of the shoe type housing 5 for the right foot is fixed. 6 is installed and fixed in parallel to the upper surface of the installation plate 21 of the right foot support 2b described later. In other words, the bottom wall 6 of the shoe-shaped housing 5, the upper cover portion 9 of the shoe-shaped housing 5 that forms the positioning portion 10, and the airbag 7 that forms the actuator 15 are respectively attached to the left foot support 2 a and the right foot support 2 b. It is an arranged configuration. In the case of this example, the bottom wall 6, the left foot support base 2a, and the right foot support base 2b form the support base portion 2 on which the user puts his / her foot.

  As for the shoe-shaped housing 5, the right shoe-shaped housing 5 is shown in FIG. 9, but the illustration is omitted in the other drawings. Also, the pump device 8 is not shown.

  The passive motion apparatus of this example includes a drive device 3 that reciprocates the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b. The left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b cooperate with the expansion and contraction of the airbag 7. It is provided to operate. Therefore, the reciprocating motion shown in the first example in which the user's toes are forcibly bent toward the instep and the muscles of the calf are mainly stimulated, and the left and right feet are reciprocated along a predetermined trajectory. It is possible to combine this with other passive movements of stimulating various muscle groups of the leg. Hereinafter, the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, and the drive device 3 that reciprocates the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b will be described in detail.

  In this example, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, a base plate 1a is provided as a gantry for placing on the floor. Although the base plate 1a has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the outer peripheral shape of the base plate 1a is not particularly limited. Hereinafter, in order to simplify the description, it is assumed that the upper surface of the base plate 1a is parallel to the floor surface in a state where the base plate 1a is placed on the floor. Therefore, the top and bottom in FIGS. 9 and 10 are the top and bottom during use.

  An upper plate 1b is disposed above the base plate 1a, and the housing 1 is formed by joining the base plate 1a and the upper plate 1b. On the base plate 1a, a shoe-shaped housing 5 on which the left and right feet of the user are respectively placed, a left foot support 2a and a right foot support 2b to which the left and right shoe-shaped housings 5 are mounted, a left foot support 2a and a right foot support A driving device 3 for moving the positions 2b is arranged. 9 and 10, the direction of the arrow X is the front, and when the arrow X is also described in other drawings, the direction is the front.

  Two opening windows 11a and 11b that expose the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, respectively, are provided in the upper plate 1b in the thickness direction. Each opening window 11a, 11b opens in a rectangular shape. However, the center windows along the longitudinal direction of each open window 11a, 11b are inclined with respect to the front-rear direction of the housing 1 so that the distance between the center lines is larger on the front end side of the housing 1 than on the rear end side. Is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 11, slide grooves 12 are opened on both sides of the opening windows 11a and 11b in the width direction so as to face the inside of the opening windows 11a and 11b. A flange portion 22b formed on the footrest cover 22 is slidably inserted into the slide groove 12. The foot cover 22 constitutes the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b together with the installation plate 21 for installing the shoe-shaped housing 5, and has a main body portion 22a formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape. The flange portion 22b extends over the entire circumference of the main body portion 22a along one opening surface (upper surface) of the main body portion 22a. A mounting plate 22c is integrally formed at the lower part inside the main body 22a of the footrest cover 22.

  The main body portion 22a has a longitudinal dimension and a width dimension smaller than the opening windows 11a and 11b, and the flange portion 22b has a longitudinal dimension and a width dimension larger than the opening windows 11a and 11b. Furthermore, the distance between the bottoms of the slide grooves 12 is formed to be greater than the distance between the front edges of the flange portion 22b. Therefore, the footrest cover 22 can move in the range of the slide groove 12 in the width direction, and can also move in the longitudinal direction.

  The installation plate 21 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is slightly smaller than the inner peripheral edge of the main body portion 22a in the footrest cover 22, and has a size that allows the entire shoe-shaped housing 5 to be placed thereon. Cover bodies 21a and 21b bent in a U-shape are integrally provided on the lower surface peripheral portion of the installation plate 21, respectively. Furthermore, a pair of bearings 21 c spaced apart in the width direction of the installation plate 21 are provided integrally with the installation plate 21 on the lower surface of the installation plate 21 and surrounded by the cover bodies 21 a and 21 b.

  A bearing plate 23 having a U-shaped cross section opened upward is fixed to the upper surface of the mounting plate 22 c provided on the foot cover 22. The bearing 21 c provided on the installation plate 21 abuts on the outer surface of each leg piece 23 a of the bearing plate 23. Furthermore, the shaft part 24 which passes both the leg pieces 23a and the both bearings 21c of the bearing plate 23 is provided. Accordingly, the shaft portion 24 is disposed along the width direction of the installation plate 21, and the installation plate 21 can be rotated around the shaft portion 24 so that the front and rear in the longitudinal direction move up and down with respect to the foot cover 22. . The cover bodies 21 a and 21 b described above are provided to prevent a gap from being generated between the lower surface of the installation plate 21 and the footrest cover 22 when the installation plate 21 rotates with respect to the footrest cover 22. It has been.

  A carriage 41 having a U-shaped cross section that is open to the lower surface is attached to the lower surface of the mounting plate 22 c provided on the foot cover 22. Two wheels 42 are attached to the outer side surfaces of both leg pieces 41 a of the carriage 41. Two rails 43 are fixed to the upper surface of the base plate 1a with respect to the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, respectively, and the wheel 42 rolls in a rail groove 43a provided on the upper surface of the rail 43. A carriage 41 is placed on the rail 43 so as to move. Further, a derailment prevention plate 44 is fixed to the upper surface of the rail 43 in order to prevent the wheel 42 from falling off the rail groove 43a (see FIG. 12).

  By the way, the longitudinal direction of the rail 43 is different from the longitudinal direction of the opening windows 11 a and 11 b provided in the housing 1. As described above, the opening windows 11 a and 11 b are inclined so that the center line in the longitudinal direction is larger at the front end side of the housing 1 than at the rear end side, and the longitudinal direction of the rail 43 is also relative to the front-rear direction of the housing 1. It is similarly inclined.

  However, in the rail 43, the angle with respect to the front-rear direction of the housing 1 is larger than that of the opening windows 11a and 11b. For example, if the angle of the housing 1 with respect to the longitudinal direction is 30 degrees in the longitudinal direction of the opening windows 11a and 11b, the longitudinal direction of the rail 43 is set to 45 degrees. That is, when the foot is inserted into the shoe-shaped housing 5 installed on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b and the center line of the foot is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the opening windows 11a and 11b, the rail 43 The longitudinal direction of the rail 43 is set in such a direction that no shearing force acts on the knee even if the position of the foot is changed by moving the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b along. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b move along a moving path that combines the front-rear direction and the left-right direction as a desirable operation, but depending on the direction in which the rail 43 is disposed, It is also possible to move the support base 2a and the right foot support base 2b in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

  With the above-described configuration, the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b can reciprocate along the longitudinal direction of the rail 43, and the longitudinal direction of the rail 43 is aligned with the longitudinal center line of the opening windows 11a and 11b. Since it inclines with respect to it, the installation board 21 and the footrest cover 22 will move to the direction which cross | intersected with respect to the longitudinal direction in the opening windows 11a and 11b. That is, the cart 41, the wheels 42, the rails 43, and the anti-wheel removal plate 44 described above function as the guide portion 4 that restrains the movement path of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the drive device 3 that moves the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b transmits a drive source 31 that generates a drive force and the drive force to the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, respectively. Thus, there are a system separation unit 32 that separates into two systems, and a reciprocating drive unit 33 that reciprocates the carriage 41 along the rail 43 using a driving force. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13 (a), the system separation unit 32 separates the driving force and transmits the separated driving force to the reciprocating driving unit 33, but FIG. 13 (b). As described above, the driving force of the reciprocating drive obtained by the reciprocating drive unit 33 can be separated into two systems by the system separating unit 32.

  The drive device 3 will be described more specifically. The drive source 31 employs a rotary motor (hereinafter simply abbreviated as “motor” and uses reference numeral 31), and a system separation unit 32 is connected to the output shaft 31 a of the motor 31.

  The system separation unit 32 includes a worm (first gear) 32a connected to the output shaft 31a of the motor 31 and a pair of worm wheels (second gear) 32b meshing with the worm 32a. The worm 32a and the two worm wheels 32b are housed in a gear box 34 fixed to the base plate 1a. The gear box 34 is formed by a gear case 34a having an opening on the upper surface and a lid plate 34b that is covered by the opening surface of the gear case 34a. A pair of bearings 32c that support both ends of the worm 32a in the longitudinal direction are attached between the gear case 34a and the cover plate 34b.

  The worm wheel 32b is inserted into the rotating shaft 35 held by the gear case 34a and the cover plate 34b, and the rotating shaft 35 rotates with the rotation of the worm wheel 32b. Are combined. A coupling portion 35 a having a non-circular cross section (rectangular shape in the illustrated example) is formed at the upper end portion of the rotating shaft 35.

  The motor 31 is mounted on a mouth receiving portion 34c provided on the gear case 34a and a mouth receiving plate 13a fixed to the base plate 1a, and is coupled to a lid plate 34b and a mouth receiving plate 13a that are covered by the gear case 34a. It is fixed to the base plate 1a by the pressing plate 13b.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the reciprocating drive unit 33 includes a crank plate 36 whose one end is coupled to the coupling portion 35 a of the rotary shaft 35, and a crank rod 38 coupled to the crank plate 36 via a crank shaft 37. Prepare. One end of the crankshaft 37 is fixed to the crank plate 36, and the other end is held by a bearing 38 a held by one end of the crank rod 38. That is, one end of the crank rod 38 is rotatably coupled to the crank plate 36. The other end of the crank rod 38 is coupled to the carriage 41 using a shaft body 38b, and the other end of the crank rod 38 is coupled to the carriage 41 so as to be rotatable.

  As is apparent from the above-described configuration, the crank rod 38 functions as a conversion mechanism that converts the rotational force of the worm wheel 32 b into the reciprocating movement of the carriage 41. The crank rod 38 is provided for each worm wheel 32b, and the carriage 41 is provided separately for the left foot support base 2a and the right foot support base 2b. Therefore, the crank rod 38 applies the rotational force of the worm wheel 32b to the left foot support base, respectively. It functions as a conversion mechanism that converts back and forth between 2a and the right foot support 2b.

  Since the movement path of the carriage 41 is restricted by the wheels 42 and the rails 43 as described above, the carriage 41 reciprocates along the longitudinal direction of the rails 43 as the worm wheel 32b rotates. That is, the rotation of the motor 31 is transmitted to the crank plate 36 via the worm 32 a and the worm wheel 32 b, and the carriage 41 is reciprocated on a straight line along the rail 43 by the crank rod 38 coupled to the crank plate 36. Do it. As a result, the footrest cover 22 coupled to the carriage 41 reciprocates along the rail 43. That is, the left foot support 2 a and the right foot support 2 b reciprocate in the longitudinal direction of the rail 43.

  In the present embodiment, the driving force is separated into two systems by the worm 32a and the two worm wheels 32b and used as the driving force of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b for each system. The left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are driven in association with each other. Here, the position where each worm wheel 32b meshes with the worm 32a is changed by 180 degrees, and therefore when the left foot support 2a is located at the rear end of the movement range, the right foot support 2b is located at the front end of the movement range. . The rear end in the movement range of the left foot support 2a is the right end of the movement range of the left foot support 2a, and the front end in the movement range of the right foot support 2b is the right end of the movement range of the right foot support 2b. The left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b move in the same direction.

  As is clear from the above-described configuration, a phase difference in the movement of the left foot support base 2a and the right foot support base 2b can be appropriately given according to the position where the worm 32a and the worm wheel 32b are engaged with each other. is there. When standing and standing on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, if the phase difference of 180 degrees is given as in the present embodiment, the user moves the center of gravity in the front-rear direction less. Therefore, it can be used even by users who have poor balance function. Alternatively, if there is no phase difference, the center of gravity moves in the front-rear direction of the user, so it is not just a movement of the muscles of the legs, but also muscles such as the back of the back to maintain the balance function Also useful for exercise.

  By the way, the installation plate 21 provided on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b can be rotated around the shaft portion 24 with respect to the foot cover 22, so that the front end of the installation plate 21 as shown in FIG. It is possible to change the height positions of the portion and the rear end portion. That is, by changing the height positions of the toe and the heel of the foot placed in the shoe-shaped housing 5 on the installation plate 21, the ankle joint can be bent and dorsiflexed.

  Here, in order to interlock the rotation of the installation plate 21 around the shaft portion 24 with the reciprocating movement along the rail 43, the base plate 1a has a movement path of the installation plate 21 as shown in FIG. A guide surface 14 having an inclined surface 14 a is formed along at least a part of the guide plate 14, and a copying projection 25 that contacts the guide surface 14 is provided on the lower surface of the installation plate 21. In the illustrated example, an inclined surface 14a that is inclined at a constant angle with respect to the upper surface of the base plate 1a is formed over the entire length of the guide surface 14, but the shape of the guide surface 14 is not particularly limited. It suffices that the part includes the inclined surface 14a. The material and shape of the tip of the copying projection 25 may be selected so that the friction coefficient with respect to the guide surface 14 is small. In this embodiment, the roller 25a that rolls on the guide surface 14 is copied. Provided at the tip of the protrusion 25.

  As described above, by providing the copying projection 25 that contacts the guide surface 14, the copying projection 25 is used when the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b reciprocate as the motor 31 rotates. Is in contact with the inclined surface 14 a provided on the guide surface 14, the installation plate 21 rotates around the shaft portion 24 to change the angle of the installation plate 21 with respect to the base plate 1 a, resulting in an ankle joint. The bottom flexion and dorsiflexion are performed.

  In the above-described example, the guide surface 14 is provided on the base plate 1a and the copying projection 25 is provided on the installation plate 21. However, the guide surface 14 is provided on the installation plate 21 as shown in FIG. Even if it is provided on the base plate 1a, the same operation is performed.

  In the configuration example described above, as the configuration of the system separation unit 32 in the drive device 3, by using the worm 32a and the worm wheel 32b, a right angle axis between the output shaft 31a of the motor 31 and the rotary shaft 35 that rotates together with the worm wheel 32b. Although an example of a configuration in which the transmission between the output shaft 31a of the motor 31 and the rotation shaft 35 is transmitted by a belt may be employed. In this case, instead of the worm wheel 32b, a pulley around which a belt is wound can be used, and the worm 32a can be omitted.

  In the above configuration example, the output shaft 31a of the motor 31 is arranged along the upper surface of the base plate 1a. However, when the output shaft 31a is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the upper surface of the base plate 1a, It is possible to transmit the rotational force and separate the system by a combination of spur gears instead of a combination of 32a and worm wheel 32b. In this configuration, the spur gear can be replaced with a pulley, or a rotational force can be transmitted between the pulleys by a belt.

  By the way, when using the apparatus in a standing position, the left and right feet are respectively placed on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b in the initial position where the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are stopped. It is inserted into the installed shoe-shaped housing 5 and stands to start the operation of the driving device 3. As shown in FIG. 18, the longitudinal direction Dx of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b is arranged so as to form an angle of, for example, about 9 degrees with respect to the front-rear direction (the direction of the arrow X). When the user stands on the right foot support 2b, the user's leg is not twisted and is in a natural standing position.

  In the initial position, the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are located at the same position in the front-rear direction. That is, at the initial position, the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are aligned on a straight line in the left-right direction. Therefore, when the user sits on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b at the initial position, the straight line drawn from the user's center of gravity in the vertical direction is substantially between the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b. Will pass.

  As is apparent from the above-described configuration, when the driving device 3 starts to operate, the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b change their positions in the front-rear direction, and in the left-right direction as the position changes in the front-rear direction. Also change. Here, the left foot support base 2a and the right foot support base 2b reciprocate on a straight line along the rail 43, and the left foot support base 2a and the right foot support base 2b move in a direction different from the front-back direction of the foot. For example, it moves in a direction that forms 45 degrees with respect to the front-rear direction of the housing 1. This moving distance is set to 20 mm, for example.

  Further, as described above, the installation plate 21 rotates around the shaft portion 24 at the same time as the left foot support 2 a and the right foot support 2 b reciprocate along the rail 43. When the installation plate 21 moves forward, the copying projection 25 rises on the inclined surface 14a of the guide surface 14. Therefore, the ankle joint is bent back at the front end positions of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, and the left foot support 2a. In addition, the ankle joint bends at the rear end position of the right foot support 2b. The position of the shaft portion 24 is set in the vicinity of the heel on the sole, and the angle between the bottom flexion and the dorsiflexion is set to about 10 degrees with respect to the reference plane with the upper surface of the base plate 1a as the reference plane.

  The relationship between the front and back positions of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b and the bottom flexion and dorsiflexion can be reversed from the above example, and the bottom flexion and dorsiflexion angles with respect to the reference plane are different. It may be allowed. These operations can be easily realized by appropriately setting the shape of the guide surface 14.

  As described above, in the passive exercise apparatus of this example, the airbag 7 provided in the shoe-shaped housing 5 forcibly deflects the toe portion of the user toward the instep and mainly stimulates the muscles of the calf. The other movement shown in the first example is combined with the other movement in which the left and right feet are forced to reciprocate along a predetermined locus by the driving device 3 to stimulate various muscle groups of the legs. It is possible.

  Various combinations of these passive movements can be considered. For example, the installation plate 21 is inclined at the front end positions of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b that reciprocate in the front-rear direction, causing the ankle joint to bend back (or bottom), and the airbag 7 inflates to the toes. In addition to the combination of warping the part to the back side, and further, the installation plate 21 is inclined at the rear end positions of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b to cause the ankle joint to bend (or back), and the airbag 7 A combination of inflating and bending the toe portion toward the upper side is mentioned, but other combinations can be appropriately set.

  In this example, the case where the shoe-shaped housing 5 of the first example is installed on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b has been described, but the shoe-shaped housing 5 of the second to fourth examples is replaced with the left foot support 2a and Of course, it may be installed on the right foot support 2b.

It is a perspective view which shows the passive exercise apparatus of the 1st example in embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of a passive exercise apparatus same as the above. It is principal part sectional drawing of a passive exercise apparatus same as the above, (a) has shown the state which extended the toe part, (b) has shown the state which bent the toe part to the back side. It is a perspective view which shows the passive exercise apparatus of the 2nd example in embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of a passive exercise apparatus same as the above. It is a principal part front view of a passive exercise apparatus same as the above. It is principal part sectional drawing of the passive exercise apparatus of the 3rd example in embodiment of this invention, (a) is the state which extended the toe part, (b) shows the state which bent the toe part to the back side. ing. It is principal part sectional drawing of the passive exercise apparatus of the 4th example in embodiment of this invention, (a) is the state which extended the toe part, (b) shows the state which bent the toe part to the back side. ing. It is a principal part disassembled perspective view of the 5th example of the exercise equipment in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a principal part top view of a passive exercise apparatus same as the above. It is principal part sectional drawing seen from the back of the passive exercise apparatus same as the above. It is principal part sectional drawing of a passive exercise apparatus same as the above. (A), (b) is function explanatory drawing of the drive device of a passive exercise apparatus same as the above. It is principal part sectional drawing seen from the right side of the passive exercise apparatus same as the above. It is a principal part perspective view of a passive exercise apparatus same as the above. (A), (b) is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of a passive exercise apparatus same as the above. (A), (b) is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the other structural example of the passive exercise apparatus same as the above. It is explanatory drawing which shows the foot position at the time of use of a passive exercise apparatus same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Support base part 2a Left foot support base 2b Right foot support base 3 Drive device 7 Air bag 10 Positioning part 15 Actuator 18 Control part 19 Air bag

Claims (9)

  The support base part on which the user puts his foot, the positioning part for restraining the position of the user's sole, and the toe part extending forward by moving up and down against the toe part of the user's sole And an actuator for switching the state of warping to the back side.   The passive exercise apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the actuators are provided for each place corresponding to a sole, and each actuator is provided so as to be capable of cooperative operation.   The passive exercise apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of actuators are arranged side by side for each place corresponding to a sole.   The passive exercise apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is an airbag.   The passive exercise apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a restriction portion that prevents the user's ankle from bending backward.   The passive exercise device according to claim 5, wherein the restricting portion is a pressurizing unit that hits at least one of a user's ankle and calf.   The actuator and the pressurizing means are cooperatively operated so as to increase the pressure by the pressurizing means when the actuator deflects the toe portion of the user toward the back side. Dynamic exercise equipment.   The passive exercise apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pressurizing unit is an airbag.   The support base is formed by using a left foot support base and a right foot support base on which the left and right feet of the user are respectively mounted, and includes a drive device that moves the left foot support base and the right foot support base, and the left foot support base and the right foot support base. The passive exercise apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a positioning part and an actuator are arranged on each of the support bases.

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