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  Balance fitness machineUSPTO Application #: 20080103034Title: Balance fitness machine Abstract: This balance fitness machine has a platform 1 capable of carrying a user H mounting thereof in a standing posture, a rocking mechanism 2 for rocking this platform 1 in front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions, and a drive motor 20 for driving this rocking mechanism 2. The platform 1 has a long-by-narrow shape and is linked to the rocking mechanism 2 through support members 48 formed of resilient bodies. A balance fitness machine is provided which is capable of automatically and stably and also uniformly effecting muscle exercise and stretch exercise and exercise for increasing sense of balance. (end of abstract) Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch - Falls Church, VA, US Inventors: Teruo Mihara, Satoru Shiraishi, Zhenhai Zhang USPTO Applicaton #: 20080103034 - Class: 482146000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Exercise Devices, Support For Entire Body Of User (e.g., Bench, Slant Board, Etc.), Swivelled Foot Platform The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080103034. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This invention relates to a balance fitness machine for contributing to improvement of the fitness of a user by promoting muscle exercise and stretch exercise of the user as well as developing the sense of balance of the user. BACKGROUND ART [0002] Along with the fitness boom of recent years, various fitness machines have been developed and marketed. For example, an exercise-assisting device provided with a forwardly and backwardly rotatable circular plate on which a user (person) mounts in a standing posture so that the user can perform an exercise of twisting the hips to the left and right alternately is known (see for example Patent Document 1). [0003] This exercise-assisting device is one that promotes twisting movement and stretching movement of the user's lower back. Consequently, exercising other parts such as for example thigh muscle and abdominal muscle with it has been difficult. [0004] Examples of activities that involve exercising the whole body including the thigh muscles and the abdominal muscles include swimming and skiing. In particular, with skiing and the like it is possible to move the whole body about the lower body and to develop the sense of balance. And, as exercises similar to skiing, there are snowboarding and surfing, and skateboarding, which is popular among young people, and so on. With these exercises it is possible to obtain an exercise effect similar to that of skiing (muscle strengthening and stretch exercise of the whole body). [0005] A along with the above-mentioned fitness boom, there have been growing needs for the development of a fitness machine with which it is possible to obtain at home the exercise effects that can be gained through snowboarding and surfing. [0006] In Patent Document 2, a snowboard training apparatus is disclosed which would seem to be able to meet the above needs. This training apparatus has an arch-shaped rail, a turning part consisting of a pair of elastic bodies positioned at the length-direction ends of this rail, a snowboard having a rear end engaged with the rail, a support part for rotatably and rockably supporting a front end of this snowboard, and a handle provided in the vicinity of this supporting part. [0007] By using this training apparatus, it is possible to learn basic turns necessary in snowboarding, an effect of exercising the whole body about the lower body can be obtained, and the sense of balance can be developed. [0008] Patent Document 1: JP-A-55-26946 [0009] Patent Document 2: JP-A-2001-149518 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention [0010] However, when ordinary users use the snowboard training apparatus of Patent Document 2, it is expected that most of them do not know how to glide with a snowboard, and it is quite conceivable that they will have difficulty due to not knowing how to use the apparatus. [0011] And, this snowboard training apparatus is operated by moving the snowboard with intent and movements of the user himself or herself. Consequently, there is no predetermined individual movement, and exercise rate and exercise duration time of the different parts of the body may differ every time. [0012] For above reasons, users may fail to do whole body exercise and stretch exercise effectively, resulting in not only failure of achieving targets for dieting, shaping-up and the like, but also damages in muscles of the users themselves. [0013] The present invention was made in view of the circumstances described above, and an object of the invention is to provide a balance fitness machine capable of automatically and stably and also uniformly effecting muscle exercise and stretch exercise and exercise for increasing sense of balance, so that a user can obtain an intended effect (diet effect, shape-up effect, effect of resolving a lack of exercise) without excess or deficiency. Means for Solving the Problems [0014] To achieve the above-mentioned object, in the invention the following technological means were devised. [0015] That is, a balance fitness machine according to the invention is characterized in having: [0016] a platform capable of carrying a user mounting thereon in a standing posture; [0017] a rocking mechanism for rocking this platform in a front-rear or left-right direction; and [0018] driving means for driving this rocking mechanism. [0019] With this arrangement, when the driving means is driven, the platform undergoes complex rocking motion via the rocking mechanism. Since the rocking motion causes the user mounting on the platform in a standing posture to lose balance, the user tries to maintain the balance by moving the muscles of all parts of the body so as to resist the imbalance. Consequently, the user's sense of balance is developed, and muscle exercise and stretch exercise is effected. As a result, the user can obtain various effects such as a dieting effect, a shape-up effect, and a resolution of a shortage of exercise. Continue reading... Full patent description for Balance fitness machine Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Balance fitness machine patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Balance fitness machine or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Automobile exercises and method and apparatus for performing the same Next Patent Application: Paper roll with pre-cut windows Industry Class: Exercise devices ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Balance fitness machine patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.45547 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Novartis , Pfizer , Philips , Polaroid , Procter & Gamble , |
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