JP2010104666A - Stepping health appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve problems of a conventional health appliance wherein the posture of a user performing stepping motions is unstable to get stimulation while supporting the weight on the soles because a member to support the weight and a member to stimulate the soles are the same, wherein the burden on the user while performing the stepping motions is heavy because loads are locally applied to the soles, and wherein sufficient effects can not be acquired especially when the health appliance is used by an elderly user because there is a risk of a finger being caught in a movable part when the user changes the posture. <P>SOLUTION: The safe and effective stepping health appliance can be provided by dividing the sole into a section to support the weight and a section to be stimulated, and disposing suitable members in the respective sections. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a stepping health device that can be used as a training device, a rehabilitation device, or the like.

Conventionally, many devices such as bamboo and steppers are known as stepping-type health devices that can exercise without taking up space. For example, a tread is arranged on a base so as to be swingable (see Patent Document 1), and in addition to this, various treads having different shapes are prepared for easy replacement (see Patent Document 2). Etc. are known.

These instruments can be expected to have a massage effect because the treads stimulate the acupoints (springs) on the soles of the feet as well as training the legs and legs.
Japanese Utility Model 04-04-7443 Utility model registration No. 3099281

As aging progresses, the importance of care prevention is recognized. The basic exercise is walking, but there is a tendency for lack of exercise for elderly people who do not go out.
The most important issue is how to prevent the care of elderly people who tend to be short of exercise, but there are other lifestyle-related diseases that contribute to lack of exercise in adults.

Similar to walking, there is a stepping exercise as an exercise that can be done easily even in a small place.
The traditional Aotake tread has been used to stimulate the pressure points on the soles of the feet along with the exercise, so as to obtain a shiatsu effect.
In a conventional instrument, a user rides on a tread board and performs a stepping action. That is, the member that supports weight and the member that stimulates the acupoint are the same.

For this reason, it will get on a movable member and an attitude | position will become unstable. Further, when one leg is lifted like a walking motion, the whole weight is applied to the sole of one foot, so that the sole is painful and the stepping motion cannot be continued for a long time.
Also, if the posture is lost while stepping on, there is a risk of catching the foot on the tread board or pinching a finger under the tread board.

Thus, since there is a problem with the burden on the foot and safety, a sufficient effect cannot be obtained particularly when used by an elderly person. When a handrail or chair is used in combination, the stability increases, but the freedom of the body is limited, and the effect of exercise decreases.

The present invention solves the problems of such a conventional device, and realizes a safe and comfortable health device that can obtain an appropriate massage effect while maintaining a stable posture.

In order to solve the problems as described above, the present invention takes the following measures.
That is, it consists of a tread board and a pressing material arranged so as to be able to swing with respect to the tread board, and when the user stands in a natural posture on the tread board, the front and back and outside surfaces of the soles step on the tread board, The height of the end portion of the pressing material is set so that the end portion presses the arch, and a cover mat that covers both the tread board and the pressing material is provided.

The effects of the present invention with the above configuration are as follows.
In the present invention, the sole is divided into a ground contact surface that supports weight and an arch that receives a stimulus, and members suitable for each portion are arranged.
That is, the ground contact surfaces of the soles are the front and rear and outside portions, and the footboards arranged below support the majority of the weight, thereby stabilizing the posture. The arch is a place that floats from the floor surface, and the weight placed on the pressing material arranged here is not greatly increased. In addition, the acupuncture points (springs) on the soles are on the front edge of the arch, and the acupoints can be held by the ends of the pressing material.

The situation will be explained more specifically as follows.
That is, when the posture becomes unstable in the middle of the stepping motion, the stepping is stopped and both feet are standing. Therefore, in order to ensure safety, it is necessary to obtain the same sense of stability as when standing on the floor in a standing posture with both feet.

According to the configuration of the present invention, when standing in a natural posture on the tread board, the ground contact surface of the sole covers the same range as when standing on the floor, and can maintain a stable posture without difficulty. . In addition, since the end of the pressing member is disposed on the arch and the height thereof is set so as to press the arch, a moderate pressing feeling can be obtained without locally adding weight to the sole.
In addition, when standing on one foot while stepping, the end of the pressing material on the standing foot side falls and fits under the arch, so the same stability as when standing on one foot is obtained. It is done.

The stimulation to the sole of the foot occurs at the timing when the pressing material swings when the treadle is stepped on, and the sole of the foot on the stepping foot side does not continue during one foot standing. A moderate massage effect is obtained by this intermittent stimulation.

In addition, since a cover mat that covers both the tread board and the pressing material is provided, even if the posture is lost while stepping on, a finger is not caught under the tread board.

As described above, since the foot health device of the present invention gives priority to safety, even an elderly person can perform effective foot and waist training, and an effect of preventing care can be obtained. In addition, it is a health device that anyone can use easily, such as prevention of lifestyle-related diseases in adults as well as elderly people.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
The following description is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this example.

The tread board 1 is a plate-like object so that the device can be stably placed on the floor, and when the person stands on this in a natural posture and performs a stepping motion, the entire sole can be covered with a margin. It has a size.
In addition to supporting the weight, the tread 1 prevents the floor from being damaged even in a flexible floor such as a tatami mat or a carpet, maintains the stroke of the pressing material 2, and the posture is unstable due to the pressing material 2 being displaced. To prevent becoming.

The pressing member 2 arranged in the vicinity of the center of the tread board 1 is a plate-like object, and a large hole is provided in the center so that the left and right ends can swing up and down with the lower part of the center as a fulcrum. It is fastened to the tread 1 by screws.
When the person stands on the tread board 1 in a natural posture, the pressing member 2 pushes the acupressure points 6 in which both ends of the pressing member 2 are near the center of both soles, and at the same time, the front and rear and outer sides of the sole, The ground contact surface 4 on the sole is arranged so as to step on the tread board 1.

The cover mat 3 is made of a soft material and has substantially the same size as the tread board 1, is arranged so as to cover both the tread board 1 and the pressing material 2, and the periphery is fastened to the tread board 1.
Since the size of the pressing member 2 is smaller than that of the tread board 1, the movement of the pressing member 2 is not impaired by the cover mat 3.
Since the cover mat 3 gently connects the tread board 1 and the pressing member 2 to eliminate the gap, it is possible to prevent finger filling. In addition, there is an effect of improving the cushioning property of the portion where the foot comes into contact and improving the feel of the sole.

Hereinafter, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
Actually, the cover mat 3 is interposed, but for the sake of explanation, the cover mat 3 will be omitted.

The user puts on bare feet or slippers, stands on the tread board 1 in a natural posture, and touches the end of the pressing member 2 against the arch 5. In this way, the front and back and outer surfaces of the sole, that is, the ground contact surface 4 of the sole steps on the tread board 1.
In this state, almost no weight is applied to the pressing member 2, and the range of the ground contact surface 4 of the sole is not much different from that when standing naturally, so that a large burden is not applied to the sole.
That is, when standing with both feet, it is almost the same as when standing on the floor with both feet, and a stable posture can be maintained forever.
When the user starts stepping and stands on one foot, the end of the pressing material 2 on the stepping foot side is lowered and fits under the stepping foot 5 so that almost no pressing occurs. That is, even when standing on one foot, a sense of stability almost the same as when standing on the floor with one foot is obtained.

The stimulation to the sole of the foot occurs only when the pressing member 2 swings, that is, at the timing when both feet are aligned during stepping, and hardly occurs while one foot is standing.
The acupoint 6 on the sole of the foot is on the front edge of the arch 5 and is called a spring.
A moderate marsurge effect is obtained by the end of the pressing member 2 arranged on the arch 5 being intermittently pressed near the acupoint 6 for stimulation.
Further, the swinging of the pressing member 2 generates a force for pushing up the sole from below, and it feels that the foot has become lighter than when stepping on the floor.

Thus, the stepping health device according to the present invention is:
The sole is divided into the ground contact surface 4 that supports the weight and the arch 5 that receives the stimulus, and the tread board 1 and the pressing material 2 are arranged on each of them, so that an effective stepping exercise can be continued while maintaining a stable posture. . Moreover, since a moderate massage effect is acquired, it can train comfortably.

The specific configuration of each part is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the present embodiment, the tread 1 is a flat plate, but as shown in FIG. 3, a recess 7 may be provided at a location on the tread 1 where the end of the pressing member 2 is disposed. If it does in this way, as shown with the dashed-two dotted line of a figure, when the edge part of the press material 2 falls, it will enter into the dent 7 and will become substantially the same height as the surface of the tread board 1. FIG.
In this case, the pressing member 2 is horizontal when standing on both feet, and the same situation as in the present embodiment is achieved, and when standing on one foot, the end of the pressing member 2 on the foot side and the tread plate 1 are substantially the same height. Since the pressure is 0, the feel is the same as when the pressing material 2 is not provided.

In the present embodiment, the number of the pressing members 2 is one. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the pressing members 2 may be divided into a plurality of pieces and arranged side by side. As a result, the front and rear pressing members 2 can swing individually, and can follow the movement of the sole more flexibly.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, you may make the press material 2 into a cross shape, and let a center be a fulcrum.
If it does in this way, the size of the press material 2 can be changed with the direction of a cross, and the direction to step on according to a user's physique can be selected.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fulcrum of swing is provided at the lower portion of the pressing member 2, but it may be provided on the tread board 1.
In this embodiment, the pressing member 2 is held by the tread board 1, but may be held by being held on the cover mat 3.
A mark may be displayed on the cover mat 3 at a position where a footprint is displayed or the point 6 is pressed.
The pressing member 2 may be thinned to have some spring characteristics, or the fulcrum portion may be made of an elastic material, so that a slight deflection may be added along with the swinging.
The cover mat 3 may be formed in a bag shape, and the tread board 1 and the pressing material 2 may be placed in the bag. Thereby, the cover can be easily removed.
It is also possible to make the tread board 1 slightly tilted so as to walk on the slope.

Further, as a modified example, as shown in FIG. 6, a displacement detecting means 8 for the pressing member 2 may be provided on the tread board 1 so that a stepping operation signal can be input to the personal computer 9.
In this way, by linking with the software on the PC 9, you can add elements of games and amusement such as counting the number of steps, converting to distance, displaying the route, etc., and continue training while having fun Can do.
In addition, by measuring the displacement and inclination of the pressing member 2, it is possible to evaluate changes in balance feeling and physical condition from disturbance of the stepping tempo, and to monitor the health condition of the user from a distance via the Internet. Is possible.

The displacement detection means 8 of the pressing member 2 attached to the tread board 1 can also be used as an interface when a walking motion is input to the computer.
In this case, as an advantage of the cross-shaped pressing member 2 of FIG. 5, the direction of the body while stepping can be detected from the direction in which the pressing member 2 is displaced.
Thereby, it can perform with the feeling close | similar to actual walking, such as changing the advancing direction of the avatar on a personal computer screen.

1 is a plan view of a stepping health device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side view of a stepping health device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the modification of the tread of this invention. The figure which shows the modification of the press material of this invention. The figure which shows the modification of the press material of this invention. The connection diagram of the stepping health instrument which shows the modification of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tread board 2 Pressing material 3 Cover mat 4 Ground contact surface of a foot 5 Ditch 6 Acupoint (spring)
7 Depression on tread plate 8 Displacement detection means 9 Personal computer

Claims (1)

  When the user stands in a natural posture on the tread board, the front and rear and the outer side of the foot step on the tread board and the end of the pressing material The foot health device is characterized in that the height of the end of the pressing material is set so that the arch presses the arch, and a cover mat that covers both the tread board and the pressing material is provided.

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