Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.

Ryusuke Nakanishi

Hiroyuki Hojo

Izumi Mihara

Tsuyoshi Yamamoto

Minoru Kawamoto

Toshio Nakano

Yuritugu Toyomi

Nozomu Toyama

Hideki Sasaki

Naoto Shirasawa

Kouiti Ishino

Keiko Tsuji

Yoichi Shinomiya

A rocking type exercising apparatus includes a movable unit on which a user rides, a driving unit for causing the movable unit to perform a rocking motion, and a rocking motion changing unit for changing the rocking motion of the movable unit driven to rock by the driving unit. The rocking type exercising apparatus also includes a display unit, responsive to the change in the rocking motion caused by the rocking motion changing unit, for displaying loads to be applied to a plurality of body regions of the user.

Rocking type exercising apparatus

Disclosed is a balance training apparatus for applying an exercise load to a subject, which comprises a seat adapted to allow the subject to sit thereon, a rocking mechanism for rockingly moving the seat, and a phase changer. The rocking mechanism includes a plurality of converters adapted to receive a driving force transmitted from a common driving source so as to operate in an interlocked relationship with each other, and convert the driving force from the driving source to a rocking motion having movement directions intersecting with each other. The phase changer is adapted to selectively connect and disconnect the transmission of the driving force to first converter consisting of a part of the plurality of converter, so as to change a phase relationship in rocking motion between the first converter, and second converter consisting of the rest of the plurality of converter. The seat with a subject thereon can be mockingly moved in a variety of rocking patterns according to variously changed phase relations.

Balance training apparatus

A rocking type exercising apparatus includes a movable unit on which a user rides and a driving unit for causing the movable unit to perform a rocking motion. The driving unit includes a pitch driving part for causing the movable unit to rock in a forward/backward direction, a roll driving part for causing the movable unit to rock in a leftward/rightward direction and a yaw driving part for causing the movable unit to rotate about a vertical axis. When the movable unit is moved forward by the pitch driving part and is tilted to either the left or the right by the roll driving part, the yaw driving part rotates the movable unit in the same direction as the tilted direction of the movable unit.

In a balance exercise machine (), a swing mechanism () that swings a seat () in both of an anteroposterior direction (direction X) and a widthwise direction (direction Y) is rotatably supported on a supporting unit (around a predetermined rotation axis (T). A first inclination mechanism () that stands up or down the rotation axis (T) is provided between the supporting unit () and a pedestal (). A second inclination mechanism () that can compensate the posture of the seat () is provided between the seat () and the swing mechanism (). By driving the swing mechanism (), the first inclination mechanism () and the second inclination mechanism () independently with each other, a stroke of swing motion of the seat can be expanded or contracted. Alternatively, by driving the swing mechanism (), the first inclination mechanism () and the second inclination mechanism () in conjunction with each other, the trace of the motion of the seat () can be varied.

Balance exercise machine

A rocking type exercising apparatus includes a movable unit on which a user rides and a driving unit for causing the movable unit to perform a rocking motion. The driving unit is designed to drive the movable unit to rock in forward/backward directions of the user riding on the movable unit and to move the movable unit forward at a greater acceleration than when the movable unit is moved backward.

A balance practicing machine that provides effective balancing practice through the compound movement of an adjustable seat that comfortably accommodates various body types. The balance practicing machine is equipped with a saddle-shaped seat upon which a user sits, a drive unit that imparts a swinging motion to the seat, expandable and contractible elements on the surface of the seat, and a mechanism to expand and contract the expandable and contractible elements.

Balance practicing machine

In a balance exercise machine, a swing mechanism swings a seat with composition of a swing motion in an anteroposterior direction and a swing motion in a widthwise direction. The swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction is driven faster than, preferably twice as fast, as that in the widthwise direction. The origin of the swing motion of the seat in the widthwise direction is discrepant from origin of the swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction within a half-cycle.

A wedge-shaped tilt provider is attached in contact with the bottom surface of a seat and the upper surface of a seat connection member of a rocking mechanism to set the seat to an initial inclined position relative to a reference position. By setting the seat to a forwardly inclined position from a horizontal position where the seated surface of the seat is set horizontal, the user straddling the seat can increase the amount of muscle activity of his or her rectus muscle of abdomen, or abdominal muscle. Further, by setting the seat to a rearwardly inclined position, the user straddling the seat can increase the amount of muscle activity of his or her back muscle such as paraspinal muscle. With use of a rocking type exercising apparatus having the above construction, a stress of exercise simulating horseback riding is given to the user by changing the position of the seat relative to the reference position by a certain degree of inclination, while rocking the seat which the user straddles, whereby the user is selectively provided with an exercising effect onto a specific site of his or her body.

A rocking exercise apparatus is provided with a motor and a driving unit for translating a torque of an output rotary shaft of the motor into rocking movements of a seat seated by a user. This driving unit includes a first supporter for supporting a movable mount provided on a base such that the movable mount can make reciprocating pivotal movements about a longitudinal shaft inclined with respect to longitudinal direction; a second supporter for supporting a pedestal fixedly attached to the seat such that the pedestal can make reciprocating pivotal movements about transverse shafts provided in the movable mount via connection links; a first driving portion for translating the rotary motion of the output rotary shaft of the motor into reciprocating linear movements of the pedestal along longitudinal direction and reciprocating pivotal movements about a transverse axis via the second supporter; and a second driving portion for translating the rotary motion of the output rotary shaft of the motor into reciprocating pivotal movements of the pedestal about a longitudinal axis and reciprocating pivotal movements about a vertical axis via the first supporter. An angle of inclination of the movable mount with respect to a center axis of the reciprocating pivotal movements in at least either one of the first and second supporters is changeable. Accordingly, the rocking exercise apparatus can give a larger fitness effect by complicating the movements while being small and inexpensive.

Rocking exercise apparatus

A rocking exercise apparatus is provided with a motor and a driving unit for translating a torque of an output rotary shaft of the motor into rocking movements of a seat seated by a user. This driving unit includes a first supporter for supporting a movable mount provided on a base such that the movable mount can make reciprocating pivotal movements about longitudinally inclined shafts; a second supporter for supporting a pedestal fixedly attached to the seat such that the pedestal can make reciprocating pivotal movements about transverse shafts provided in the movable mount via connection links; a first driving portion for translating the rotary motion of the output rotary shaft of the motor into reciprocating linear movements of the pedestal along longitudinal direction and reciprocating pivotal movements thereof about a transverse axis via the second supporter; and a second driving portion for translating the rotary motion of the output rotary shaft of the motor into reciprocating pivotal movements of the pedestal about a longitudinal axis and reciprocating pivotal movements about a vertical axis via the first supporter. Accordingly, the rocking exercise apparatus can give a larger fitness effect by complicating the movements while being small and inexpensive.

A balance practicing machine that offers simplified control, reduced cost, and a compact drive assembly that reduces the space requirement for the machine. The machine includes an output shaft from one side of a power source to impart three movements to the seat in the form of a repetitive linear motion in the longitudinal direction, a repetitive pivoting motion around a longitudinal shaft, and a repetitive pivoting motion around transverse shafts. A seat base is connected to an active frame, through connector links, so as to provide swinging movement of the seat base around transverse shafts. The active frame is connected to a base member so as to allow the repetitive pivoting movement of the active frame around a longitudinal shaft.

A balance training apparatus, which is preferably used for training a body balance function and a locomotive function of a user, and for rehabilitation for lumbago prevention, is provided. This apparatus has a seat for the user and a driving unit for driving the seat. The driving unit comprises a drive source and a power transmission unit for converting an output of the drive source into a horse-riding motion, which is a combination of a rectilinear reciprocating motion in a forward and backward direction (X) of the seat, a first pivotal reciprocating motion (&#x3b8;y) about an axis extending in a horizontal direction substantially perpendicular to the forward and backward direction, and a second pivotal reciprocating motion (&#x3b8;x) about an axis extending in the forward and backward direction, and transferring the horse-riding motion to the seat.

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Nagoya, Japan

Ryusuke Nakanishi