Balance trainer

Abstract

A balance trainer on which a user can perform various modes of movement that make it possible for the actual environment to simulate an imagined environment, providing an enhanced training effect. The balance trainer comprises a trainer board that has a top surface on which the user stands, and a bottom surface facing the floor, and rollbar that supports the trainer board while allowing the trainer board to yaw, pitch and roll with respect to the floor surface. By changing the position of his center of gravity, the user can perform many types of movement with the balance trainer.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a balance trainer used in balance training that simulates balance sensations in the three dimensions of yawing, pitching and rolling encountered in sports with the aim of improving physical capabilities and concentration, stimulating the brain, and for rehabilitation and the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art

FIGS. 7 (a), (b) and (c) show the plan view, front view and right-end view, respectively, of a conventional balance trainer 2. As shown, the balance trainer 2 comprises a trainer board 10, and a separate round bar 50. The round bar 50 is placed horizontally on a floor surface F, the trainer board 10 is placed on the round bar 50, and a user mounts the top surface 10a of the trainer board 10. The trainer board 10 can be rocked up and down with respect to a reference constituted by a tangent S1 between the trainer board 10 and the round bar 50, and a tangent S2 between the round bar 50 and the floor surface F moves from side to side based on the rolling movement of the round bar 50 in the side-to-side direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7 (b), enabling side-to-side balance training by users.

FIGS. 8 (a), (b) and (c) show the plan view, front view and right-end view, respectively, of a conventional balance trainer 3 disclosed by Unexamined Patent Application No. 2004-305442. As shown, the balance trainer 3 comprises a trainer board 10, and a support member 40 that rockably supports the trainer board 10. A user mounts the top surface 10a with his (or her) left foot L1 on one side of a line m and his right foot L2 on the other side of the line m. The balance trainer 3 can rock up and down about a center in the vicinity of the line m, enabling the user to use that rocking motion for balance training.

The configuration of each of the above balance trainers 2 and 3 limits a user to the relatively-simple, standardized patterns of movements, which are a vertical rocking motion and side-to-side movement. As a result, when the user responds to his actual environment by attempting to move his center of gravity in accordance with an imagined environment, there is a dissociation between the physical and imagined sensations that makes it impossible for the user to effectively attain his objective. Moreover, a user who practices assiduously and becomes used to those limited movements can lose interest in practicing balance training at a higher level, so does not enjoy the benefits of further training.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention was accomplished in light of these circumstances and has as its object the provision of a balance trainer that can provide an improved balance training effect that makes it safe and interesting for all levels of users, from novices to top athletes, to continue with their balance training.

The present invention attains the object by providing a balance trainer, comprising a trainer board having a top surface mounted by a user, and a bottom surface facing a floor surface; and a rollbar disposed between a guide channel on the bottom surface and the floor surface that supports the trainer board so that the trainer board can yaw, pitch and roll with respect to the floor surface, the trainer board having the guide channel formed to extend longitudinally on each side from the center of the bottom surface, and a plurality of stops that are detachably attached at a plurality of attachment locations in the guide channel of the bottom surface.

In the above-described balance trainer, the rollbar is provided as a part that is separate from the trainer board and is laid between the trainer board and the floor surface, the rollbar comprising a flange-shaped center portion and flange-shaped end portions, the center portion and end portions each having the same diameter, with the rollbar being formed with a taper that tapers from the flange-shaped center portion to each of the flange-shaped end portions.

By means of the guide channel provided on the bottom surface of the trainer board, the center portion of the rollbar can be positioned at a desired location along the guide channel.

Preferably, two of the plurality of attachment locations are disposed on a line passing through the center of the bottom surface on opposite sides of the center attachment location of said plurality of attachment locations.

The plurality of attachment locations may each have a female thread, and the plurality of stops may each have a male thread that can be screwed into engagement with the female thread.

In accordance with the balance trainer of the present invention, a user can perform various modes of movement that make it possible for the actual environment to simulate an imagined environment. As a result, everyone from novices to top athletes can continue to train with the balance trainer without losing interest, and the effect of the training is enhanced. The balance trainer also helps to improve balance, provide well-balanced strength, increase the ability to concentrate, move correctly and focus the mind, and can also be applied to vision training, mental training, rehabilitation and nursing care.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 (a) shows a top view, FIG. 1 (b) a front view and FIG. 1 (c) a bottom view of an example of the trainer board used in the balance trainer of the invention.

FIG. 2 (a) shows a front view and FIG. 2 (b) a right-side view of the rollbar of the balance trainer.

FIG. 3 (a) shows a front view and FIG. 3 (b) a top view of a stop used in the balance trainer of the invention.

FIG. 4 (a) shows a front view, and FIG. 4 (b) a bottom view, of an embodiment of the balance trainer of the invention.

FIG. 5 (a) shows a right-side view of the embodiment, and FIG. 5 (b) illustrates the rolling motion of the top surface of the balance board of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 (a) is an enlarged sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 4 (a), and FIG. 6 (b) is an enlarged sectional view along line B-B of FIG. 5 (a).

FIG. 7 (a) shows a top view, FIG. 7 (b) a front view and FIG. 7 (c) a right-side view of a conventional balance trainer.

FIG. 8 (a) shows a top view, FIG. 8 (b) a front view and FIG. 8 (c) a right-side view of a conventional balance trainer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings, in which FIG. 4 (a) shows a front view, and FIG. 4 (b) a bottom view, of a balance trainer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the balance trainer 1 comprises a trainer board 10 that has a guide channel 11 formed to extend longitudinally on each side from the center of its bottom surface 10b, a rollbar 20 having a flange-shaped center portion 20b that can be positioned at a desired location along the guide channel 11, and stops 30 that are detachably attached at attachment locations h2 and h4 out of a plurality of attachment locations h1 to h5 provided along the longitudinal center line of the guide channel 11. The rollbar 20 supports the trainer board 10 so that the trainer board 10 is capable of yawing (Y), pitching (Y) and rolling (Z) motions.

As shown in FIG. 1, the trainer board 10 is a member having a rectangular shape, formed of wood or FRP, for example. The top surface 10a of the trainer board 10 is the surface on which the user stands, for which the surface is made non-slip. On the bottom surface 10b, there is formed guide channel 11, which extends longitudinally on each side from the center of the bottom surface 10b. In the guide channel 11, there are formed a plurality of attachment locations; in the case of this example, there are five attachment locations, h1 to h5, arranged in a row longitudinally along the center line of the bottom surface 10b. Each attachment location has a female thread to allow a stop 20 to be screwed into the location. The attachment locations h1 to h5 are formed directly in the bottom surface 10b, into which they are recessed. When the rollbar 20 is used as shown in FIG. 4, described below, the stops 30 provide safety by ensuring that the flange-shaped center portion 20b of the rollbar 20 does not come out of the guide channel 11.

FIG. 6 (a) is an enlarged sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 4 (a), and FIG. 6 (b) is an enlarged sectional view along line B-B of FIG. 5 (a). In the trainer board 10 shown in these drawings, the guide channel 11 is provided on the bottom surface 10b of the trainer board 10, in opposition to the floor surface F, and the flange-shaped center portion 20b of the rollbar 20 is inserted into the guide channel 11, allowing it to move freely in the direction of the tangent S1 with the point of contact S1 with the bottom surface 10b as the fulcrum. This enables more lively yawing Y, pitching X and rolling Z of the trainer board 10.

With respect to the sectional view along line B-B of FIG. 5 (a), by shifting his center of gravity, a user can cause the ends of the trainer board 10 to pitch relative to the flange-shaped center portion 20b. The configuration is such that movement of the ends of the trainer board 10 caused by the user shifting his center of gravity is contained within the flange-shaped end portions 20a of the rollbar 20.

FIG. 2 (a) is a front view of the rollbar 20, and FIG. 2 (b) a right-side view. As described, the rollbar 20 is formed with a flange-shaped center portion 20b and flange-shaped end portions 20a. While all of these flange-shaped portions have the same diameter, the rollbar itself has a taper t from the flange-shaped center portion 20b to each of the flange-shaped end portions 20a.

The sides of the trainer board 10 are contained within the stepped portions formed between the flange-shaped center portion 20b and the flange-shaped end portions 20a at the end of each taper t.

FIG. 3 (a) shows a front view of a stop 30, and FIG. 3 (b) a top view. Each stop 30 comprises a more or less hemispherical lower portion 30b, a round columnar portion 30a that extends up from the hemispherical lower portion 30b. A male threaded portion 30c projects up from the top end 31 of the columnar portion 30a to enable the stops 30 to be screwed into a desired two of the attachment locations h1 to h5 with which the bottom surface 10b is provided. The stoppers 30 can be readily removed from the trainer board 10 by unscrewing them. Wood, for example, can be used for the columnar portion 30a, and a resilient rubber material for the hemispherical lower portion 30b.

As shown in FIG. 4 (b), in this embodiment, the guide channel 11 provided on the bottom surface 10b opens downwards. The inside surface of the guide channel 11 is treated to reduce friction.

In the balance trainer 1 thus configured, with the line connecting the two stops 30 inserted into the desired two of the attachment locations h1 to h5 provided in the guide channel 11 on the bottom surface 10b of the trainer board 10 constituting the range of movement as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the rollbar 20 rollingly supported in the guide channel 11 makes it possible for the trainer board 10 to yaw, pitch and roll.

Therefore, when a user standing on the top surface 10a of the trainer board 10 moves his center of gravity in a desired direction, the balance trainer 1 rolls about a center constituted by the flange-shaped center portion 20b of the rollbar 20, producing weight displacement that makes it possible to perform yawing Y, pitching X and rolling Z movements. The user can therefore perform balance training by correcting for these motions by adjusting the position of his center of gravity to maintain his balance.

In this embodiment, the stepped portions formed between the tapers t and the flange-shaped end portions 20a increase the depth of vertical movement that can be experienced in the transverse direction.

The center of the rocking motion from the rolling of the rollbar 20 can be changed to various positions, enabling various movement modes by the balance trainer 1. With reference to FIG. 4 (a), for example, the range of rocking motion by the rollbar 20 is decreased by the two stops 30 being inserted in the attachment locations h2 and h4, making the motions of the balance trainer 1 mainly rolling Z (Z1 and Z2) and pitching X (X1 and X2), a reduced range of operation that is suitable for novices to medium-level users.

Inserting the stops 30 in h1 and h5 adds yawing Y (Y1 and Y2) to the range of motion, enabling various combinations of lively motions with steeper up-and-down angles, such as the combinations X1, Z1 and Y2, or X1, Z2 and Y2, and so forth, making it more difficult for a user to keep his balance by moving his weight, making this configuration more suitable for top athletes who can maintain their posture to the front or rear, even at steep board angles. The balance trainer can also be used without any stops 30, in which case the degree of movement and rocking would become even greater, making this a mode suitable for top athletes.

Thus, in accordance with this embodiment, yawing Y (Y1, Y′1, Y′2) can be added to the rolling Z (Z1, Z2, Z′1, Z′2) and pitching X (X1, X2) of the trainer board 10 produced in the area of contact between the guide channel 11 and the flange-shaped center portion 20b of the rollbar 20, enabling various combinations of lively motions with steeper up-and-down angles, such as X1, Z1 and Y2, or X1, Z2 and Y2 and the like. Also, the to-and-fro movement of the rollbar 20 can be changed by appropriately selecting which of the attachment locations h1 to h5 the two stops 30 are inserted into, thereby setting the center of the rocking motion. Thus, the balance trainer 1 is capable of a wide range of settings for safer movement modes.

Claims

1. A balance trainer, comprising: a trainer board having a top surface mounted by a user and a bottom surface facing a floor surface; and a rollbar with a flange-shaped center portion disposed between a guide channel having a plurality of stop attachment locations recessed therein that is provided on the bottom surface and the floor surface that supports the trainer board so that the trainer board can yaw, pitch and roll with respect to the floor surface.

2. The balance trainer according to claim 1, wherein the rollbar comprises a flange-shaped longitudinally center portion and flange-shaped end portions, the center portion and end portions each having the same diameter, with the rollbar being formed with a taper that tapers from the flange-shaped center portion to each of the flange-shaped end portions

3. The balance trainer according to claim 1, wherein a guide channel with an opening that faces the floor surface is provided on the bottom surface of the trainer board and the flange-shaped center portion of the rollbar can be positioned at a desired location along the guide channel.

4. The balance trainer according to claim 1, wherein two of the plurality of attachment locations recessed into the guide channel of the trainer board are disposed on a line passing through the center of the bottom surface on opposite sides of the center attachment location.

5. The balance trainer according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of attachment locations has a female thread portion, and each of the plurality of stops has a male thread portion that can be screwed into engagement with the female thread portion, and a surface of each stop in opposition to the floor surface is substantially hemispherically shaped.