KR20090101255A - Exercise aid device - Google Patents

Abstract

A housing (1) is provided with a left foot support base (2a) and right foot support base (2b) for placing the left and right feet, respectively, of a user. Movement routes for the left and right support bases (2a, 2b) are restrained by rails (43). A motor (31) is attached to the housing (1), and rotational force of an output shaft (31a) of the motor (31) is separated into two systems by a worm (32a) and two worm wheels (32b). Rotational force of the worm wheels (32b) is transmitted by crank rods (38) to the left and right foot support base (2a, 2b) to be drive force for reciprocating the left and right foot support base (2a, 2b) along the rails (43). The exercise aid device stimulates various muscle groups of the legs by using only one drive source for producing the drive force.

Description

Exercise aids {EXERCISE AID DEVICE}

The present invention mainly relates to an exercise assisting device in which a user stretches leg muscles with the help of external force in a standing posture.

In the past, various passive exercise assisting apparatuses have been proposed in which muscles are stretched with the help of external force applied to the user without effort, thereby obtaining an exercise effect. The device is known to be classified into two types: one is configured to apply flexing force to the user's joints to stretch the muscles associated with the joint, and the other is to stimulate the user's body to stimulate the muscles associated with the reflexes of the nervous system. It is configured to stretch.

The device is also designed to require the user to assume a different posture depending on the muscle to be stretched. One example of such a device is proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2003-290386 and 10-55131 to simulate walking of a user in a standing position, mainly for the purpose of preventing osteoarthritis or walking training. It is. Hereinafter, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2003-290386 and 10-55131 are referred to as Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, respectively.

Patent document 1 includes the training apparatus which includes a pair of steps which hold a user's left and right legs, and provides a skate simulation exercise to a user by interlocking the reciprocating movement of a left and right step.

The device is designed to adjust the phase difference of the left and right steps related to the forward and backward movement and the phase difference of the left and right steps related to the left and right movement in the range of 0 to 360 degrees, initially the phase difference is set to 180 degrees, and the left and right steps move in the same forward and backward directions. It is set to change the phase difference in the direction of increasing the period. Since the steps are driven and moved by the drive unit, the user can enjoy manual exercise simply by placing his feet on the steps, without the need for effort or active exercise.

The apparatus of Patent Document 1 changes the center of gravity of the user from front to back and from side to side to generate reflection of the nervous system to maintain the balance of the user. By this nervous system reflex, the user's muscles are stretched. Therefore, this exercise assisting device is designed to move the steps along the trajectory approximately in parallel so as to simultaneously move the user's steps back and forth and from side to side.

The device of Patent Document 2 is designed for walking training or virtual reality experience, and has a pair of left and right foot plates driven by a horizontal drive unit, and changes position and direction with respect to the front and rear directions, And means for rotating the scaffold in left and right directions to change height and inclination.

By the way, the apparatus of patent document 1 contains the drive mechanism for moving a left-right step left and right, and the drive mechanism for moving a left-right step back and forth. These drive mechanisms are provided in each step. Both drive mechanisms have a servomotor. Therefore, this device requires four server motors. These four server motors allow the step to move freely back, forth, left and right. However, the device faces the problem of requiring four server motors.

On the other hand, the apparatus of patent document 2 is comprised so that a leg muscle of a user may be stretched and contracted by simulating a walking motion. Therefore, the device includes a very complicated component to move the left and right steps. As a result, a plurality of drive units for generating a driving force is essential for this apparatus.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide an exercise assisting device configured to simulate leg muscles and comprising only one driving source for generating driving force.

The exercise assisting device of claim 1 includes a left foot support, a right foot support, a guide, a drive unit, and a frame. The left foot support and the right foot support are configured to support the user's left and right feet. The guide is configured to limit the movement path of the right foot support and the left foot support. The drive unit is configured to move the right foot support and the left foot support in cooperation with each other. The frame carries a left foot support, a right foot support, a guide, and a driving unit. The drive unit includes a drive source, a router, and a reciprocator. The drive source is configured to generate a drive force. The router is configured to provide two paths that distribute the driving force to the right foot support and the left foot support, respectively. The reciprocating drive unit is configured to reciprocate the right foot support and the left foot support in at least one of the front-rear direction and the left-right direction using the driving force.

According to the structure of Claim 1, the driving force of one drive source is distributed to two path | routes. The divided driving force allows the right foot support and the left foot support to reciprocate. On the other hand, the right foot support and the left foot support each have a movement path limited by the guide. Therefore, the exercise assisting device having one drive source can individually stimulate each leg muscle. As a result, the exercise assisting device having one drive source can stimulate each leg muscle by exercise. Further, the right foot support and the left foot support are reciprocated by different paths, respectively. Therefore, one driving source generating the driving force can impart different movements to the right foot support and the left foot support.

In the invention of claim 2, the exercise assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the drive source is a rotary motor, is disclosed. The router includes a first gear and a pair of second gears. The rotary motor has an output shaft. The first gear is mounted to the output shaft of the rotary motor. The pair of second gears meshes with the first gear. The reciprocating drive portion includes a conversion mechanism for converting the rotational motion of the second gear into reciprocating movements of the right foot support and the left foot support, respectively.

According to invention of Claim 2, a 1st gear is attached to the output shaft of a rotating motor. The first gear meshes with the pair of second gears. The pair of second gears are respectively converted to reciprocating movements of the right foot support and the left foot support by the conversion mechanism. Therefore, the phase difference between the right foot support and the left foot support can be imparted only by changing the engagement position of the first gear and the second gear. In addition, since the first gear and the second gear are engaged, the amount of displacement generated by the engagement of the first gear and the second gear is smaller than the amount of slip displacement generated by the belt provided to divide the driving force into two paths. That is, this configuration can move the right foot support and the left foot support as designed. In addition, this configuration can also prevent displacement between the first gear and the second gear due to a change in time.

In the invention of claim 3, the exercise assisting device according to claim 2, wherein the first gear is a worm gear, is disclosed. The second gear is a worm wheel that meshes with the worm gear. The conversion mechanism includes a cramk rod that converts the rotational movement of the worm wheel into reciprocating movement of the left foot support and the right foot support.

According to this configuration, the worm gear and the worm wheel mesh with each other. Therefore, the worm gear generates a turning force divided by the worm wheel. This worm wheel produces a rotation which translates into a reciprocating movement of the right foot support and the left foot support. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the output shaft of the rotating motor along the surface on which the left foot support and the right foot support reciprocate. That is, this configuration makes it possible to miniaturize the exercise assisting device.

In the invention of claim 4, the exercise assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the router is configured to impart a phase difference between the movement of the left foot support and the right foot support.

According to this configuration, the router imparts a phase difference between the reciprocating movement of the left foot support and the reciprocating movement of the right foot support. Therefore, this configuration can impart a phase difference to the reciprocating movement of the left foot support and the right foot support by one drive source. In addition, when using a gear as a router, phase difference can be provided only by adjusting the engagement position of a 1st gear and a 2nd gear.

In the invention of claim 5, further comprising an inclination provider configured to vary the angle of the upper surface of each of the left foot support and the right foot support relative to the reference plane in association with the reciprocating movement of the left foot support and the right foot support. Disclosed is an exercise assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The inclination imparting portion includes a guide face and a follower projection. The guide surface is formed on either of the foot support and the frame so as to have at least an inclined surface inclined with respect to the moving direction of the left foot support and the right foot support, and the follower protrusion is driven while the left foot support and the right foot support are driven to move. It is formed on the other side of the foot support and the frame so as to slide in contact with the surface to change the angle of the upper surface of each of the left foot support and the right foot support relative to the reference plane.

According to this structure, a guide surface is formed in either one of a frame and a foot support, and a follower protrusion is formed in the other of a frame and a foot support. Therefore, this configuration can move the left foot support and the right foot support while inclining the left foot support and the right foot support according to the reciprocating movement of the left foot support and the right foot support. That is, this configuration can not only move the left foot support and the right foot support in the front-back direction and the left-right direction, but can also incline the left foot support and the right foot support with respect to the frame with one driving source. Therefore, this exercise assisting device is configured to stimulate the various leg muscles of the user by applying the above complex movement to the left foot support and the right foot support. This exercise assisting device also has one drive source. Therefore, a low cost exercise assist device can be provided.

In the sixth aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed an exercise assisting device according to claim 5, wherein the inclined portion includes an axle and a bearing. The shaft portion is installed on one of the foot support and the frame, and the bearing is installed on the other side of the foot support and the frame to support the shaft portion. The shaft portion defines a swing of each of the left foot support and the right foot support around the pivot axis as the upper surfaces of the left foot support and the right foot support are inclined along the inclined surface.

 According to this configuration, the positional relationship between the rotating shaft and the two foot supports is kept constant. Therefore, the desired muscle and the desired joint can be exercised intensively.

The invention according to claim 7 discloses an exercise assisting device according to claim 5, comprising a roller for rolling contact with the guide surface at the top of the follower projection.

According to this structure, the roller which comes in rolling contact with a guide surface is provided in the top of the follower projection. Therefore, this configuration can smoothly move the follower projection even when the user load is applied to the left foot support and the right foot support.

1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment.

3 is a sectional view of a main part seen from the rear of the embodiment.

4 is a sectional view of principal parts of the embodiment.

Fig. 5A is a block diagram illustrating the functions of the drive unit of the embodiment.

Fig. 5B is a block diagram illustrating the functions of the drive unit of the embodiment.

6 is a sectional view of the main part seen from the right side of the main part of the embodiment.

7 is a perspective view of an essential part of the embodiment.

Fig. 8A is a side view of the main part of the embodiment.

Fig. 8B is a side view of the main part of the above embodiment.

9 (a) is a side view of an essential part of another embodiment.

9 (b) is a side view of an essential part of another embodiment.

10 is a schematic view showing the position of the foot when using the device.

In this embodiment, the configuration of the present invention will be described using the exercise assisting device installed on the floor. However, the configuration of the present invention can also be applied to an apparatus mounted in the floor. In addition, the exercise assistance apparatus may employ | adopt the structure fixed to a predetermined position, and may employ | adopt a movable structure. 1 and 2 show an exercise assisting device including a base plate 1a defining a frame disposed on the floor. 1 and 2 show a base plate 1a formed in a rectangle. However, the outer circumferential shape of the base plate 1a is not limited to the rectangle. In the following, the upper surface of the base plate 1a is parallel to the bottom surface in a state where the base plate 1a is disposed on the floor. Therefore, the vertical direction in FIGS. 1 and 2 is defined as the vertical direction when using the exercise assisting device.

The upper plate 1b is disposed on the base plate 1a, and the base plate 1a and the upper plate 1b are combined to constitute the housing 1. The base plate 1a is provided with a left foot support 2a and a right foot support 2b respectively configured to support the user's left and right feet. Moreover, the drive unit 3 which moves the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b is arrange | positioned at the base board 1a. Note that the direction of arrow X in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicates the front of the device. This also applies to other figures including arrow X. Also, the arrow X in the other figures likewise indicates the front of the device.

Two openings 11a and 11b extending in the thickness direction are formed in the upper plate 1b to expose the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, respectively. The openings 11a and 11b are each formed in a rectangle. The openings 11a and 11b extend in a longitudinal center line intersecting with respect to the front-rear direction of the housing 1 so that the distance between the centerlines at the front end is greater than at the rear end of the openings. .

As shown in FIG. 3, the openings 11a and 11b are accommodated at the opposite width ends of the openings 11a and 11b so as to accommodate the flange portions 22b formed in the scaffold covers 22, respectively. The slide groove 12 is connected to the installation. Each footrest cover 22, together with the footrest 21, forms a left foot support 2a and a right foot support 2b, and is composed of a rectangular cylindrical body portion 22a, and includes the entire body portion 22a. The flange part 22b extended around an opening surface (upper surface) is formed over the periphery. The mounting plate 22c is integrally formed in the lower end in the main-body part 22a of the footrest cover 22. As shown in FIG.

The main body portion 22a has a longitudinal dimension and a widthwise dimension smaller than that of the openings 11a and 11b, and the flange portion 22b has a longitudinal dimension and a widthwise dimension of the openings 11a and 11b. Bigger than that In addition, the bottom opposite the slide groove 12 is separated by a distance larger than the corresponding distance between the opposite edges of the flange portion 22b. Therefore, the footrest cover 22 can be moved within the range of the slide groove 12 with respect to the width direction, and can also be moved also in the longitudinal direction.

The footrest 21 is a dimension which can support the whole foot of a user, and is formed by the rectangular plate slightly smaller than the inner periphery of the main-body part 22a of the footrest cover 22. As shown in FIG. The footrest 21 is made of a material or a shape having a large coefficient of friction. U-shaped cover members 21a and 21b are formed integrally with the footrest 21 at the periphery of the lower surface of the footrest 21. On the lower surface of the footrest 21 of the site | part enclosed by the cover members 21a and 21b, the pair of bearings 21c which are separated in the width direction of the footrest 21 are formed integrally with the footrest 21. As shown in FIG.

On the upper surface of the mounting plate 22c of the foot cover 22, a bearing plate 23 having a U-shaped cross section with an open end facing upward is fixed, and the leg portions 23a of the bearing plate 23 facing each other are respectively fixed. The outer surface of the bearing 21c of the footrest 21 abuts. The shaft portion 24 extends in the width direction of the footrest 21 through the leg 23a and the bearing 21c of the bearing plate 23. The footrest 21 is capable of swinging around the shaft portion 24 as the front and rear ends of the longitudinal direction move up and down. The cover members 21a and 21b are provided to prevent a gap between the footrest 21 and the footrest cover 22 when the footrest 21 swings with respect to the footrest cover 22.

On the lower surface of the mounting plate 22c of the scaffold cover 22, a truck 41 having a U-shaped cross section whose open end faces downward is fixed, and on the outer surface of the leg 41a of the truck 41. Two wheels 42 are provided respectively. The base plate 1a is formed with two rails 43 for each of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, and the wheels 42 in the rail groove 43a of the upper end of the rail 43. The trolley | bogie 41 is arrange | positioned on the rail 43 so that () rolls. In addition, on the upper surface of the rail 43, in order to prevent the wheel 42 from being separated from the rail groove 43a, a removal prevention plate 44 is provided (refer FIG. 4).

The rail 43 extends in a direction different from the longitudinal direction of the openings 11a and 11b in the housing 1. As described above, the longitudinal center line of each of the openings 11a and 11b is inclined with respect to each other so that the distance at the front end is greater than at the rear end. Moreover, the longitudinal direction of each rail 43 also crosses each other similarly.

However, the rail 43 is inclined at an angle greater than the openings 11a and 11b with respect to the front-rear direction of the housing 1. For example, when the longitudinal direction of the opening parts 11a and 11b is inclined at 30 degrees with respect to the front-back direction of the housing 1, the longitudinal direction of the rail 43 inclines 45 degree | times. In short, with the user's foot placed on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b and the center line of the foot aligned in the longitudinal direction of each of the openings 11a and 11b, the left foot support 2a and Even if the right foot support 2b is moved, the rail 43 is oriented in the direction in which the shear force acting on the knee joint does not increase. In the present embodiment, a preferred example is shown in which the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are moved along respective movement paths for positioning the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b in the front-back direction and the left-right direction. Although it was carried out, the orientation of the rail 43 may be determined so that the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b may be moved to either the front-back direction or the left-right direction.

According to the above structure, the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b can be reciprocated along the longitudinal direction of the rail 43. Since the longitudinal direction of the rail 43 is inclined with respect to each of the center lines in the longitudinal direction of the openings 11a and 11b, the footrest 21 and the footrest cover 22 cross the directions crossing the longitudinal directions of the openings 11a and 11b. As a result, it is possible to move within the openings 11a and 11b. That is, the trolley 41 serves as the guide 4 which restricts the movement path of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b together with the wheel 42, the rail 43, and the anti-leak prevention plate 44. .

As shown in FIG. 5, the drive unit 3 which moves the position of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b is the drive source 31 which generate | occur | produces a driving force, and the drive force of the drive source 31 by the left foot support 2a. ) And a router 32 for transmitting to the right foot support 2b, and a reciprocating drive 33 for reciprocating each of the trolleys 41 along the rails 43 using a driving force. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5A, the driving force is divided by the router 32, and the divided driving force is transmitted to the reciprocating drive unit 33. However, as shown in Fig. 5B, the reciprocating drive unit It is also possible to generate a reciprocating drive force at 33 and divide it at router 32 in the same way at router 32.

The drive unit 3 will be described in detail. The drive source 31 is a rotary motor 31 (hereinafter abbreviated as motor 31). The router 32 is connected to the output shaft 31a of the motor 31.

The router 32 includes a worm gear 32a connected to the output shaft 31a of the motor 31 and a pair of worm wheels 32b. The worm gear 32a is composed of the first gear 32a. The worm wheel 32b is composed of the second gear 32b. The worm gear 32a and the two worm wheels 32b are accommodated in the gear box 34 fixed to the base plate 1a. The gear box 34 is composed of a gear case 34a having an opening on its upper surface, and a lead 34b coupled to the opening of the gear case 34a. Between the gear case 34a and the lead 34b, a pair of bearings 32c are supported to support the positive longitudinal ends of the worm gear 32a.

 The worm wheel 32b and the rotary shaft 35 held by the gear case 34a and the lead 34b extend through the wheel 32b, and the rotary shaft 35 rotates according to the rotation of the worm wheel 32b. The rotating shaft 35 is coupled. At the upper end of the rotating shaft 35, a coupling portion 35a having a non-circular shape (a rectangle in the illustrated example) is formed.

The motor 31 is mounted on a holder member 34c of the gear case 34a and a holder plate 13a fixed to the base plate 1a, and coupled to the gear case 34a. It is fixed to the base plate 1a by a retainer plate 13b coupled to the lead 34b and the holder plate 13a.

As shown in FIG. 6, the reciprocating drive part 33 is coupled to the crank plate 36 by the crank plate 36 by which the one end part is couple | bonded with the engaging part 35a of the rotating shaft 35, and the crank shaft 37. As shown in FIG. Crank rod 38. One end of the crankshaft 37 is fixed to the crank plate 36, and the other end is accommodated in the bearing 38a held at one end of the crank rod 38. That is, one end of the crank rod 38 is rotatably coupled with respect to the crank plate 36, and the other end of the crank rod 38 is coupled to the trolley 41 by the shaft portion 38b, and the trolley 41. Rotatably coupled relative to.

As is apparent from the above configuration, the crank rod 38 functions as a conversion mechanism for converting the rotational movement of the worm wheel 32b into the reciprocating movement of the bogie 41. The crank rod 38 is installed for each worm wheel 32b, and the trolley 41 is installed on each of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, so that the crank rod 38 rotates the worm wheel 32b. It functions as a conversion mechanism which converts into the reciprocation movement of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b.

As described above, since the movement path is limited by the wheels 42 and the rails 43, the trolleys 41 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the rails 43 as the worm wheel 32b rotates. Go back and forth. That is, the rotation of the motor 31 is transmitted to the crank plate 36 by the worm gear 32a and the worm wheel 32b, and the bogie 41 by the crank rod 38 coupled to the crank plate 36. Performs linear reciprocation along the rail 43. As a result, the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are driven to reciprocate along the longitudinal direction of the rail 43, respectively.

In this embodiment, the worm gear 32a and the two worm wheels 32b are responsible for transmitting the driving force to the two paths, respectively, and the drive unit 3 moves the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b to each other. Drive in conjunction. The worm wheel 32b is engaged at different sites 180 degrees apart from the worm gear 32a so that 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. When the left foot support 2a is located at the rear end of the movement range, the left foot support 2a is located at the right end of the movement range, and when the right foot support 2b is located at the front end of the movement range, the right foot support 2b is moved. Since it is located at the right end of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b moves in the same direction along the left and right directions.

As apparent from the above-described configuration, by changing the engagement position of the worm gear 32a and the worm wheel 32b, a desired phase difference can be given to the movement of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b. When the user uses the device in a standing position with the foot on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, the 180 degree phase difference minimizes the center movement in the front and rear directions of the user, so that even if the user has a poor balance function It is effective because it enables. Or, if the phase difference is not provided, since the center of the front and rear direction of the user is required, not only the leg muscle movement of the user, but also helps the muscle movement such as the back of the waist to maintain the balance function.

In this embodiment, since the footrest 21 provided in each of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b becomes swingable about the rotation axis of the shaft part 24 with respect to the footrest cover 22, as shown in FIG. Similarly, it is possible to change the height positions of the front end and the rear end of the footrest 21. That is, by changing the height positions of the toes and heel of the foot placed on the footrest 21, it is possible to enable plantarflexion and dorsiflexion of the ankle joint.

In order to interlock the swing motion of the footrest 21 with respect to the shaft part 24 to the reciprocation movement along the rail 43, the base board 1a is provided with the inclined surface 14a in the site | part along the movement path of the footrest 21. The guide surface 14 which contains is provided. In this connection, the lower surface of the footrest 21 is provided with a follower projection 25 which abuts against the guide surface 14. In the illustrated example, the inclined surface 14a extends at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the base plate 1a over the entire length of the guide surface 14. However, the guide surface 14 is not particularly limited to the illustrated embodiment, and may be a shape having a partial slope along the longitudinal direction. The follower projection 25 is constructed of a material and / or shape such that it has a tip with a small coefficient of friction with respect to the guide surface 14, but as illustrated in the figure, the guide surface (at the front end of the follower projection 25) is illustrated. It is preferable to have the roller 25a in rolling contact with 14).

The follower portion 25 arranged in rolling contact with the guide surface 14 moves the inclined surface 14a while the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are driven by the motor 31 to reciprocate. In this way, the footrest 21 swings around the shaft portion 24 to change the angle of the footrest 21 with respect to the base plate 1a, thereby enabling the ankle joint to flex and flex.

In the illustrated embodiment, the guide surface 14 is installed on the base plate 1a and the follower protrusion 25 is installed on the footrest 21, but the guide surface 14 is installed on the footrest 21 and the follower is installed. The same operation can be achieved even with the configuration of FIG. 9 in which the protrusions 25 are provided on the base plate 1a.

In the above-described embodiment, the worm gear 32a and the worm wheel 32b for transmitting power from the output shaft 31a of the motor 31 to the rotation shaft 35 of the worm wheel 32b while decelerating, The router 32 of the drive unit 3 is configured. However, the belt can also be used to transfer power from the output shaft 31a of the motor 31 to the rotation shaft 35 perpendicular to the output shaft 31a. In this case, instead of the worm wheel 32b, a pulley may be used to accommodate the belt and the worm gear 32a may be omitted.

In the above-described embodiment, the output shaft 31a of the motor 31 extends along the upper surface of the base plate 1a. However, when the output shaft 31a is required to extend perpendicularly to the upper surface of the base plate 1a, a spur gear is adopted instead of the combination of the worm gear 32a and the worm wheel 32b, so that the rotational force is reduced. Determination of delivery and route can be made. In this case, instead of the spur gear, a pulley and a belt can be used to transfer the rotational force between the pulleys.

Instead of using the crank plate 36 and the crank rod 38, there is a grooved cam that is rotationally driven by the motor 31 and a cam follower that is coupled to the groove of the cam. The reciprocating drive part 33 can also be comprised. In this case, instead of the worm wheel 32b, a grooved cam whose rotational axis is arranged in parallel with the output shaft 31a of the motor 31 is used to transmit power from the output shaft 31a to the grooved cam via the pinion. Can be.

In order to transfer power from the output shaft 31a of the motor 31 to the grooved cam, when only one grooved cam is used, the grooved cam and the cam follower cooperate to cooperate with the router 32 as well as the reciprocating drive unit. To function as 33, two cam followers can be used to engage with the cam grooves of the cams, respectively.

When the user uses the exercise assisting device in a standing position, at the initial position where the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are respectively stopped, the user has left and right foot support 2a and right foot support 2b respectively with left and right feet. After standing on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, the operation of the drive unit 3 is started. As shown in FIG. 10, the longitudinal direction Dx of each of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b is arranged to form an angle of 9 degrees along the direction inclined with respect to the front-rear direction defined by the arrow X. As shown in FIG. As a result, when the user stands on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b, there is no possibility of twisting the user's legs, and the exercise assisting device allows the user to stand in a natural posture.

In the initial position, the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are located at the same level along the front-back direction. That is, in the initial position, the representative points of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are aligned on a line extending along the left and right directions. Thus, when the user stands on the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b in the initial position, a straight line descending in the vertical direction from the center of the user passes through the center between the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b. .

As is apparent from the above configuration, the drive unit 3 can be driven such that the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b move in the front-rear direction while interlocking with each other. Each of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b reciprocates linearly along the rail 43, and moves in a direction different from the front-back direction of the foot. For example, the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b move in a direction inclined 45 degrees with respect to the front-rear direction of the housing 1, for example, the movement distance exceeds 20 mm.

As described above, as the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b reciprocate along the rail 43, the footrest 21 is driven to swing around the shaft portion 24. As shown in FIG. When the footrest 21 is moved, the follower 25 moves up and down the inclined surface 14a of the guide surface 14 so that the ankle joint is released when the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are each in the shear position. It causes the ankle joint to be flexed when the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b are each in the rear position. Shaft 24 is located near the heel within the length of the sole. The low buckling and the back buckling are each made at an inclination angle of about 10 degrees with respect to the reference plane defined by the upper surface of the base plate 1a.

The low buckling and back flexing may be made at the rear end position and the front end position of each of the left foot support 2a and the right foot support 2b in the inverse relationship with the above. In addition, the inclination angle with respect to the reference plane may be selected differently from the above-described angle. This deforming operation can be realized by appropriately configuring the shape of the guide surface 14.

Claims (7)

A left foot support and a right foot support configured to support the user's left and right feet, respectively; A guide configured to limit a movement path of each of the right foot support and the left foot support; A drive unit configured to move the right foot support and the left foot support in cooperation with each other; And Frame for mounting the left foot support, the right foot support, the guide, and the drive unit Including, The drive unit, A driving source for generating a driving force; A router configured to provide two paths for distributing the driving force to the right foot support and the left foot support, respectively; And A reciprocator configured to reciprocate the right foot support and the left foot support in at least one of front and rear directions and left and right directions using the driving force. Including, exercise assisting device. The method of claim 1, The drive source is a rotary motor, The router includes a first gear fixed to the output shaft of the rotary motor and a pair of second gears engaged with the first gear, And the reciprocating drive unit includes a conversion mechanism for converting the rotational motion of the second gear into reciprocating movements of the right foot support and the left foot support, respectively. The method of claim 2, The first gear is a worm gear, The second gear is a worm wheel that meshes with the worm gear, The conversion mechanism includes a crank rod for converting the rotational movement of the worm wheel into reciprocating movement of the left foot support and the right foot support. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The router is configured to impart a phase difference between the movement of the left foot support and the right foot support. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, And an inclination provider configured to change an angle of an upper surface of each of the left foot support and the right foot support with respect to a reference plane in association with the reciprocating movement of the left foot support and the right foot support. The inclination providing unit, A guide face formed on at least one of the foot support and the frame to have at least an inclined surface inclined with respect to a moving direction of the left foot support and the right foot support; And Follower projections formed on the other side of the foot support and the frame to slide in contact with the guide surface while the left foot support and the right foot support are driven to move. Including, exercise assisting device. The method of claim 5, The inclination providing portion includes a shaft portion provided on one of the foot support and the frame, and a bearing installed on the other side of the foot support and the frame to support the shaft portion. The shaft portion, as the upper surface of the left foot support and the right foot support inclined along the inclined surface, limiting the swing of each of the left foot support and the right foot support around the pivot axis, Device. The method of claim 5, And a roller in rolling contact with the guide surface at the top of the follower projection.

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