Exercise chair and inferior limb exercise system

Abstract

To provide a technology for performing inferior limb exercise while swinging a trunk right and left in a seating state.SOLUTION: An exercise chair 3 is an exercise chair 3 for a user U to perform inferior limb exercise in a seating state. The exercise chair 3 includes: a seating part 14 on which the user U can seat; a backrest 61 supporting the back of the user U; and a support mechanism 63 supporting the backrest 61. The support mechanism 63 supports the backrest 61 so that the backrest 61 is movable to reciprocate right and left and also flexibly roll and turn.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exercise chair and a lower limb exercise system. [Background technology]

[0002] Moderate exercise is essential to maintain health, but regular exercise requires a certain amount of time, and the busier a person is, the more likely they are to fall into a lack of exercise. However, even if you cannot secure regular time, if you can exercise your lower limbs while sitting, you can still achieve a certain level of exercise. A pedaling exercise machine is known as a lower limb exercise machine that allows you to exercise your lower limbs while sitting. The inventors of the present application focused on the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk in order to enhance the exercise effect obtained by exercising your lower limbs while sitting. If this kinetic chain is created, firstly, it is expected to reduce waist size. Secondly, the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae muscles are trained, making it easier to maintain a posture with the pelvis tilted forward, which will also contribute to the elimination of hunchback and straight neck. Thirdly, if the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk can be realized, the pelvis will be moved busily, which will increase the flexibility of the iliopsoas muscle, and is expected to improve chronic lower back pain.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, the inventors of the present application reported that when exercising the lower limbs while in a seated position, if the seat on which the user sits is fixed, the movement of the pelvis becomes sluggish, thereby inhibiting the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and trunk, and that by deliberately making the seat unstable, it is possible to achieve the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and trunk.

[0004] Specifically, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a pedaling exercise system including a chair with a seat on which a user sits, and a pedaling exercise device for pedaling while seated on the seat. The seat is configured to be rotatable at least in either roll rotation, pitch rotation, or yaw rotation. In this way, the seat on which the user sits is intentionally made unstable to realize a kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk. Patent Document 1 further discloses that the shaking of the user's head and both arms can be effectively prevented by fixing the user's trunk to the backrest with a belt. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-5485 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Meanwhile, as we proceeded with the demonstration of the leg-pedaling exercise using the chair described in Patent Document 1, we found that there were two types of leg-pedaling exercise: Type A, in which the leg-pedaling exercise is performed by swaying the trunk from side to side while using a downward kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs, and Type B, in which the leg-pedaling exercise is performed by yaw rotating the thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, and hip joints around the midline of the trunk.

[0007] When a Type A user sat on the chair of Patent Document 1 and attempted a pedaling exercise, the user was unable to swing the trunk from side to side efficiently in the first place and was therefore unable to perform a pedaling exercise.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for performing lower limb exercises while rocking the trunk from side to side in a seated position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an exercise chair for a user to exercise his / her lower limbs in a seated state, the exercise chair including a seating section on which the user can sit, a backrest supporting the back of the user, and a support mechanism supporting the backrest, the support mechanism supporting the backrest so that the backrest can move back and forth from side to side and can freely roll. With the above configuration, the user can exercise his / her lower limbs while swinging his / her trunk from side to side in a seated state. The pivot axis of the roll rotation of the backrest may be set to pass through the midpoint of a line segment connecting two shoulder blades of the user seated on the seat portion or through the fourth thoracic vertebra. With the above configuration, it is possible to improve the conformity of the backrest to the trunk. The seating portion may be configured to be capable of rolling freely. According to the above configuration, the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be efficiently exerted. The seating portion may be configured to be reciprocatingly movable to the left and right. According to the above configuration, the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be efficiently exerted. The seating portion may be configured so as to be unable to yaw. According to the above configuration, it is possible to efficiently exert the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs. The seat may further include a restraining device for restraining the trunk of the user to the backrest. With the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to prevent the trunk from shifting from the backrest. The support mechanism may include a return mechanism for returning the backrest to a neutral position. According to the above-mentioned configuration, any misalignment between the trunk and the backrest can be easily eliminated. A lower limb exercise system is provided that includes the exercise chair and a lower limb exercise machine. With the above configuration, a person can exercise his / her lower limbs while rocking his / her trunk from side to side in a seated position. The lower limb exercise device may be an exercise device that applies a load to at least the user's hip joint and knee joint during flexion and extension. With the above configuration, efficient lower limb exercise can be achieved for the user. The lower limb exercise device may be a pedaling exercise device or a stepping exercise device. With the above configuration, efficient lower limb exercise can be achieved for the user. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, a user can exercise his / her lower limbs while rocking his / her trunk from side to side in a seated position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lower limb exercise system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a lower limb exercise system (first embodiment). [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a front view of a lower limb exercise system (first embodiment). [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a rear view of the lower limb exercise system (first embodiment). [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a front view of the seat unit (first embodiment). [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support mechanism according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a front view of the lower limb exercise system (second embodiment). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Figures 1 to 4 show a lower limb exercise system 1. As shown in Figure 1, the lower limb exercise system 1 includes a pedaling exercise device 2 and an exercise chair 3.

[0013] (Foot-pedaling exercise machine 2) As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the foot-pedaling exercise device 2 is an example of a lower limb exercise device for a user U to perform foot-pedaling exercise in a seated state. That is, the foot-pedaling exercise device 2 is a specific example of a lower limb exercise device that realizes lower limb exercise involving repeated extension and flexion of the knee joint, hip joint, and ankle joint. As shown in Fig. 1, the foot-pedaling exercise device 2 includes a device body 6, a pair of cranks 7, and a pair of pedals 8. The pair of pedals 8 are respectively provided on the pair of cranks 7 so as to be able to rotate freely in pitch. The pair of cranks 7 are provided on the device body 6 so as to be able to rotate freely in pitch. As shown in Fig. 2, the user U, while sitting on the exercise chair 3, places both feet F on the pair of pedals 8, respectively, and performs so-called foot-pedaling exercise by stepping alternately with the right leg RL and the left leg LL. At this time, the knee joints, hip joints, and ankle joints of the right leg RL and the left leg LL are repeatedly extended and flexed. Typically, when the knee joint of the right leg RL is extended, the knee joint of the left leg LL is flexed. When the hip joint of the right leg RL extends, the hip joint of the left leg LL flexes. When the ankle joint of the right leg RL extends, the ankle joint of the left leg LL flexes. As a result, the pair of pedals 8 rotate around the crank shaft 7a shown in FIG. 1 in opposite phases. In other words, the foot-pedaling exercise device 2 realizes lower limb exercise in which both feet F describe an elliptical orbit centered on the crank shaft 7a. The device body 6 is configured so that the load on the rotation of the crank shaft 7a can be adjusted. By adjusting the load on the rotation of the crank shaft 7a, the user U can perform foot-pedaling exercise with a preferred exercise load.

[0014] The pedaling exercise device 2 is merely one example of a lower limb exercise device. The lower limb exercise device may be any exercise device that alternately applies load to the right and left legs of the user U for bending and extending the hip joint and knee joint. In addition to the pedaling exercise device 2, other examples of lower limb exercise devices include stepping exercise devices. Foot pedaling and stepping are specific examples of lower limb exercise.

[0015] (exercise chair 3) The exercise chair 3 is a chair on which the user U sits during the leg-pedaling exercise. In this embodiment, the exercise chair 3 is separate from the leg-pedaling exercise equipment 2. Therefore, the distance between the leg-pedaling exercise equipment 2 and the exercise chair 3 is adjustable. However, instead of this, the exercise chair 3 may be configured integrally with the leg-pedaling exercise equipment 2.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exercise chair 3 includes a seating unit 50 and a backrest unit 60.

[0017] <Seating Unit 50> As shown in FIG. 5, the seating unit 50 includes a movable part 10, a support part 11, and a restoring unit 12.

[0018] The movable section 10 includes a seat section 14 on which a user U sits.

[0019] The support unit 11 supports the movable unit 10 so that the movable unit 10 can move left and right. Here, "left and right" is defined as left and right as seen from the user U seated on the seat 14. Similarly, "front and back" is defined as front and back as seen from the user U seated on the seat 14.

[0020] The restoration unit 12 biases the movable part 10 toward a neutral position on the left and right. In FIG. 5, the movable part 10 is located in a neutral position. The neutral position is a specific example of a reference position. When the movable part 10 on which the user U is seated is located in a neutral position, the heights of the left and right hip joints of the user U are equal to each other. The support part 11 guides the movable part 10 so that the movable part 10 descends as the movable part 10 moves away from the neutral position to the right or left. Specifically, when the movable part 10 moves away from the neutral position to the right, the right hip joint of the user U becomes lower than the left hip joint. Conversely, when the movable part 10 moves away from the neutral position to the left, the right hip joint of the user U becomes higher than the left hip joint. In this way, when the movable part 10 moves away from the neutral position to the left or right, a difference occurs in the heights of the left and right hip joints of the user U, so it can be said that the movable part 10 rolls.

[0021] A user U performs a pedaling exercise using the pedaling exercise device 2 while seated on the seat 14 of the exercise chair 3. Since the movable part 10 is configured to roll, when the user U performs a pedaling exercise using the pedaling exercise device 2 while seated on the seat 14 of the exercise chair 3, an efficient kinetic chain is generated between the lower limbs and the trunk.

[0022] (Support part 11) The support unit 11 is fixedly installed on the floor surface. The support unit 11 includes a seat frame 21 and two rails 22. The two rails 22 are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 5, so only one of the two rails 22 is drawn in Fig. 5.

[0023] The seating frame 21 is the part that comes into contact with the floor surface on which the exercise chair 3 is placed, and supports two rails 22.

[0024] The two rails 22 define the trajectory of the movement of the movable part 10 in the left and right directions. As described above, the two rails 22 are arranged apart from each other in the front-rear direction. Each rail 22 is curved so as to be convex upward. That is, each rail 22 is inclined so as to descend from the center CE to the end EN in the longitudinal direction of each rail 22. Each rail 22 is inclined so as to approach the floor surface from the center CE to the end EN in the longitudinal direction of each rail 22. In this embodiment, each rail 22 is formed in a V-shape that is convex upward and opens downward. Therefore, the movable part 10 is guided to descend as it moves left and right along the two rails 22 and moves away from the neutral position. In other words, the support part 11 supports the movable part 10 so that the movable part 10 swings left and right around the roll axis 10R extending forward and backward, that is, so as to roll around the roll axis 10R. The roll axis 10R is set lower than the movable part 10 when the movable part 10 is located in the neutral position. The center of gravity of the movable part 10 is guided to descend as it moves away from the neutral position when the movable part 10 moves left and right along the two rails 22. Each rail 22 includes a left rail portion 22c extending leftward from the center of each rail 22 in the longitudinal direction, and a right rail portion 22d extending rightward from the center of each rail 22 in the longitudinal direction.

[0025] In this embodiment, each rail 22 is V-shaped, convex upward and opening downward, but the shape of each rail 22 is not limited thereto. Each rail 22 may be U-shaped, convex upward and opening downward, or may be curved, convex upward and opening downward. Each rail 22 may extend typically in the shape of a circular or elliptical arc, convex upward and opening downward.

[0026] In this embodiment, the left rail portion 22c and the right rail portion 22d that constitute each rail 22 are integrally formed. However, instead, the left rail portion 22c and the right rail portion 22d may be separate bodies and disposed apart from each other.

[0027] (Movable part 10) Continuing to refer to Fig. 5, the movable part 10 will be described. As shown in Fig. 5, the movable part 10 includes a movable part main body 30, a seating part 14, a universal joint 31, two coil springs 32, and two connecting parts 33.

[0028] The seating portion 14 is typically made of a cushioning material such as an open-cell structure such as urethane foam.

[0029] The two connecting parts 33, the movable body 30, and the seating part 14 are arranged in this order in the direction away from the floor surface. The universal joint 31 and the two coil springs 32 are arranged between the movable body 30 and the seating part 14.

[0030] The movable part body 30 is a plate interposed between the support part 11 and the seat part 14. Two connecting parts 33 are provided on the lower surface of the movable part body 30. One of the two connecting parts 33 is slidably connected to the left rail part 22c, and the other is slidably connected to the right rail part 22d. Each connecting part 33 may include a wheel, as shown by the dashed line, that rolls on the corresponding rail, and a bracket that rotatably holds the wheel.

[0031] The seating portion 14 and the movable body 30 are connected by a universal joint 31. As a result, the seating portion 14 is supported by the movable body 30 so as to be tiltable forward and backward with respect to the movable body 30. That is, the seating portion 14 is configured to be pitch rotatable. Pitch rotation means rotation around a pitch axis. Here, the "pitch axis" means an axis extending left and right. The pitch axis passes through the universal joint 31. Therefore, the pitch axis is set below the seating portion 14. Similarly, the seating portion 14 is supported by the movable body 30 so as to be tiltable left and right with respect to the movable body 30. That is, the seating portion 14 is configured to be roll rotatable by the universal joint 31 in addition to being roll rotatable by the movable body 30 and the support portion 11. The roll rotation of the seating portion 14 by the universal joint 31 means rotation around a roll axis passing through the universal joint 31. Here, the "roll axis" means an axis extending forward and backward.

[0032] The two coil springs 32 are disposed between the seating portion 14 and the movable portion body 30. The upper end of each coil spring 32 is fixed to the seating portion 14, and the lower end of each coil spring 32 is fixed to the movable portion body 30. In this embodiment, the two coil springs 32 are disposed so as to sandwich the universal joint 31 in the left-right direction. In other words, the two coil springs 32 are disposed apart from each other in the left-right direction. When the seating portion 14 pitches forward or backward relative to the movable portion body 30, the two coil springs 32 bias the seating portion 14 so as to return the seating portion 14 to the state before the pitch rotation. Similarly, when the seating portion 14 rolls left and right relative to the movable portion body 30, the two coil springs 32 bias the seating portion 14 so as to return the seating portion 14 to the state before the roll rotation. By disposing the two coil springs 32 apart, the yaw rotation of the seating portion 14 with respect to the movable portion body 30 is prohibited. In short, the seating portion 14 is configured to be unable to rotate in yaw. Here, the "yaw axis" refers to an axis extending along the vertical direction in which gravity acts. However, instead of this, the "yaw axis" may be an axis extending along the plate thickness direction of the movable body 30. In addition, the "yaw axis" may be an axis perpendicular to the seat surface 14a of the seating portion 14.

[0033] The user U sits on the seat surface 14a of the seating section 14. The seat surface 14a of the seating section 14 faces the buttocks of the user U. The seat surface 14a is inclined backward so that the pelvis of the user U tilts backward when the user U sits on the seating section 14. In other words, the front portion of the seat surface 14a is higher than the rear portion. Therefore, the user U is supported by the seat surface 14a and a backrest 61 of a backrest unit 60, which will be described later.

[0034] (Restoration Unit 12) The restoring unit 12 is a specific example of a biasing means. The restoring unit 12 biases the movable part 10 toward a neutral position on the left and right. In this embodiment, the restoring unit 12 is an elastic body. That is, the restoring unit 12 includes a pair of restoring coil springs 40. The pair of restoring coil springs 40 are respectively hung between the center CE of each rail 22 and a pair of connecting parts 33. When the movable part 10 moves to the left, the left restoring coil spring 40 expands, and the elastic restoring force of the left restoring coil spring 40 biases the movable part 10 toward the neutral position. Similarly, when the movable part 10 moves to the right, the right restoring coil spring 40 expands, and the elastic restoring force of the right restoring coil spring 40 biases the movable part 10 toward the neutral position.

[0035] In this embodiment, the elastic body constituting the restoring unit 12 is a coil spring, but it may be replaced by another elastic body such as rubber.

[0036] In this embodiment, the restoring unit 12 is configured with a pair of restoring coil springs 40, but instead of this, it may be configured with one coil spring. In this case, typically, one coil spring is hung between a pair of connecting parts 33, and the center in the longitudinal direction of the one coil spring is fixed to the center CE. Instead of being hung between the rail 22 and the movable part 10, the restoring unit 12 may be hung between the seat frame 21 and the movable part 10.

[0037] With the above configuration, when the user U kicks out with his / her left foot, the pelvis moves slightly to the left, causing the movable body 30 to move slightly to the left. At this time, since each rail 22 is inclined downward from the center CE to the end EN, the movement of the movable body 30 to the left is amplified, and the amount of movement of the pelvis is increased. Because the amount of movement of the pelvis is large, the trunk muscles of the user U are activated in conjunction with the stepping out motion of the user U's lower leg, thereby achieving trunk muscle exercise. The same is true when the user U kicks out with his / her right foot.

[0038] Here, the significance of the existence of the restoration unit 12 will be explained. If the restoration unit 12 were omitted, once the movable part 10 deviates from the neutral position to the left or right, it would be difficult to return the movable part 10 to the neutral position. Specifically, even if the user U can instantly release the load on the movable part 10, it is difficult to return the movable part 10 to the neutral position at that timing. In contrast, if the restoration unit 12 is provided, the movable part 10 is urged toward the neutral position by the user U simply by instantly releasing the load on the movable part 10, so that the movable part 10 can be easily returned to the neutral position by utilizing the inertia obtained when the movable part 10 is urged. However, it is preferable that the elastic restoring force of the restoration unit 12 can be changed according to the physique and muscle strength of the user U. That is, when the user U who is not accustomed to using the trunk muscles uses the exercise chair 3, it is preferable to set the spring constant of the restoration unit 12 to be large so that the movable part 10 is actively returned to the neutral position. On the other hand, when the exercise chair 3 is used by a user U who is accustomed to using his / her trunk muscles, it is advisable to set the spring constant of the restoration unit 12 to a small value. If the spring constant of the restoration unit 12 is small, the movable part 10 does not return to the neutral position as much, and activation of the trunk muscles is required every time the movable part 10 is returned to the neutral position. In this way, the load on the trunk muscles can be adjusted by changing the spring constant of the restoration unit 12. Note that the restoration unit 12 can be omitted depending on the user U's level of proficiency.

[0039] In this embodiment, when the movable part 10 moves to the right, the seat surface 14a of the seating part 14 inclines to the right. Similarly, when the movable part 10 moves to the left, the seat surface 14a of the seating part 14 inclines to the left. The inclination angle of the seat surface 14a at this time does not necessarily match the natural inclination angle of the pelvis. Therefore, in this embodiment, the seating part 14 is freely roll-rotatable with respect to the movable part main body 30 by the universal joint 31. Therefore, the inclination angle of the seat surface 14a of the seating part 14 follows the natural inclination angle of the pelvis of the user U, and therefore the comfort of sitting on the seating part 14 during exercise is not impaired.

[0040] <Backrest unit 60> Next, a description will be given of the backrest unit 60. As shown in FIG.

[0041] The backrest 61 supports the trunk, specifically the back, of the user U seated on the seating unit 50. The backrest 61 is typically made of a cushioning material such as an open-cell structure such as urethane foam. The surface of the backrest 61 is covered with a material that can provide strong friction resistance between the backrest 61 and the user U, such as a polyurethane sheet or a rubber sheet. The backrest 61 is inclined backward. Therefore, the seat surface 14a of the seating portion 14 and the contact surface 61a of the backrest 61 form a V shape that opens upward.

[0042] The backrest frame 62 extends obliquely backward from the floor surface on which the exercise chair 3 is placed. The backrest frame 62 is connected to the seating frame 21 of the seating unit 50 shown in FIG.

[0043] Returning to Fig. 2, the support mechanism 63 is provided between the backrest 61 and the backrest frame 62. The support mechanism 63 supports the backrest 61 so that the backrest 61 can reciprocate left and right and can roll. More specifically, the support mechanism 63 supports the backrest 61 so that the backrest 61 can reciprocate left and right relative to the backrest frame 62 and can roll relative to the backrest frame 62.

[0044] 6 is a perspective view of the support mechanism 63. As shown in FIG. 6, the support mechanism 63 includes a horizontal guide portion 70, a guide bracket 71, two compression coil springs 72, a fixing plate 73, and a connecting unit 74.

[0045] The horizontal guide portion 70 includes an upper horizontal guide bar 70a and a lower horizontal guide bar 70b that are vertically spaced apart from each other, and two guide bar connectors 70c that connect the ends of the upper horizontal guide bar 70a and the lower horizontal guide bar 70b. Both the upper horizontal guide bar 70a and the lower horizontal guide bar 70b extend in the horizontal direction. The horizontal guide portion 70 is fixed to the backrest frame 62 shown in FIG. 2.

[0046] Returning to Fig. 6, the guide bracket 71 has two through holes 71a through which the upper horizontal guide bar 70a and the lower horizontal guide bar 70b pass. Both of the two through holes 71a extend in the horizontal direction. This allows the guide bracket 71 to be supported by the horizontal guide portion 70 so as to be freely movable back and forth in the left and right direction.

[0047] The two compression coil springs 72 are disposed between the guide bracket 71 and the two guide bar connecting parts 70c. The two compression coil springs 72 have the same natural length and the same spring constant. As shown in FIG. 6, when the guide bracket 71 is in the neutral position, the two compression coil springs 72 are compressed to the same extent. Here, the guide bracket 71 being in the neutral position means that the guide bracket 71 is located in the center in the longitudinal direction of the upper horizontal guide bar 70a. In this state, when the guide bracket 71 moves horizontally to the right, the right compression coil spring 72 is further compressed, and the guide bracket 71 is urged toward the neutral position by the spring restoring force of the right compression coil spring 72. The same applies when the guide bracket 71 moves horizontally to the left.

[0048] The two compression coil springs 72 are typically provided on the upper horizontal guide bar 70a. In this case, the helical axes of the two compression coil springs 72 and the central axis of the upper horizontal guide bar 70a coincide with each other. However, instead of this, the two compression coil springs 72 may be provided on the lower horizontal guide bar 70b. The two compression coil springs 72 are a specific example of a return means for returning the backrest 61 to the neutral position. As the return means for returning the backrest 61 to the neutral position, two rubber cords may be used instead of the two compression coil springs 72. In this case, the two rubber cords are provided to connect the guide bracket 71 to the two guide bar connecting portions 70c, respectively.

[0049] The fixed plate 73 is fixed to the rear surface of the backrest 61. The fixed plate 73 is typically disposed so as to face the guide bracket 71 in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 61a of the backrest 61 shown in FIG.

[0050] Returning to FIG. 6, the connecting unit 74 connects the guide bracket 71 and the fixed plate 73. The connecting unit 74 connects the guide bracket 71 and the fixed plate 73 so that the fixed plate 73 can roll rotate with respect to the guide bracket 71. Specifically, the connecting unit 74 includes a shaft 74a, a bearing 74b, and a torsion spring 74c. The shaft 74a is fixed to the fixed plate 73 so as to protrude from the fixed plate 73 toward the guide bracket 71. The bearing 74b is provided in the guide bracket 71 and supports the shaft 74a so as to be freely rotatable. This allows the fixed plate 73 to roll rotate with respect to the guide bracket 71. Here, the rotation axis of the roll rotation extends in a direction in which the fixed plate 73 and the guide bracket 71 face each other. In addition, the rotation axis extends in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 61a of the backrest 61 shown in FIG. 2. 3, the pivot axis may be set to pass through the midpoint M of a line segment L connecting the two shoulder blades of the user U seated on the seat 14. Alternatively, the pivot axis may be set to pass through the navel or the fourth thoracic vertebra of the user U seated on the seat 14.

[0051] Returning to FIG. 6, the torsion spring 74c is disposed so as to cover the shaft 74a. One end of the torsion spring 74c is fixed to the fixed plate 73, and the other end is fixed to the guide bracket 71. As a result, when the fixed plate 73 rolls clockwise relative to the guide bracket 71 in the state shown in FIG. 6, the fixed plate 73 is biased counterclockwise by the spring restoring force of the torsion spring 74c. In this sense, the torsion spring 74c can be said to be a specific example of a return means for returning the backrest 61 to a neutral position in the roll direction. The neutral position of the backrest 61 in the roll direction means that the longitudinal direction of the backrest 61 is not inclined left or right when viewed from the front. When the torsion spring 74c is in an unloaded state, the backrest 61 can be said to be located in a neutral position in the roll direction.

[0052] With the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 3, the user U seated on the seating section 14, while pressing his / her back against the backrest 61, moves his / her trunk to the right and steps out with his / her right leg RL. That is, the movement of the trunk supported by the backrest 61 is the trigger for moving the trunk to the right. At this time, the backrest 61 moves horizontally to the right together with the guide bracket 71, the fixed plate 73, and the connecting unit 74 shown in FIG. 6. At this time, the trunk of the user U is inclined to the right as shown in FIG. 3. In order to follow this inclination, the backrest 61 rolls counterclockwise together with the fixed plate 73 shown in FIG. 6. In this way, the backrest 61 can follow the horizontal movement and left / right inclination of the trunk when the user U moves his / her trunk left / right. Therefore, the user U can perform the pedaling exercise while keeping the trunk in close contact with the backrest 61, that is, while pressing the trunk against the backrest 61.

[0053] Furthermore, when the user U performs the pedaling exercise while pressing the trunk against the backrest 61, it is considered that a misalignment will inevitably occur between the backrest 61 and the trunk. In response to this, in this embodiment, the two compression coil springs 72 shown in Fig. 6 urge the backrest 61 to return it to a neutral position in the left-right direction, and the torsion spring 74c urges the backrest 61 to return the fixed plate 73 to a neutral position in the roll direction. Therefore, when the user U wants to eliminate the above-mentioned misalignment, the user U should once move his / her trunk away from the backrest 61. This causes the backrest 61 to automatically return to the neutral position in the left-right direction and the neutral position in the roll direction, and the user U should then press the trunk against the backrest 61 again. In this manner, in this embodiment, the backrest 61 returns to its neutral position in the left-right direction and in the roll direction simply by the user U moving his / her torso away from the backrest 61, so that the above-mentioned misalignment can be eliminated extremely easily.

[0054] 4 shows a state in which a user U seated on the seating section 14 moves his / her trunk to the left while pressing his / her back against the backrest 61. When the user U moves his / her trunk to the left, the backrest 61 can similarly smoothly follow the trunk of the user U as described above.

[0055] The first embodiment has been described above. The first embodiment has the following features.

[0056] That is, as shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 6, the exercise chair 3 is an exercise chair 3 for a user U to exercise his / her lower limbs in a seated state. The exercise chair 3 includes a seating section 14 on which the user U can sit, a backrest 61 that supports the back of the user U, and a support mechanism 63 that supports the backrest 61. The support mechanism 63 supports the backrest 61 so that the backrest 61 can move back and forth from side to side and can roll freely. With the above configuration, the user can exercise his / her lower limbs while rocking the trunk from side to side in a seated state. Therefore, a downward kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be realized.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 3, the rotation axis (the central axis of the shaft 74a) of the rolling rotation of the backrest 61 is set at the midpoint M of the line segment L connecting the two shoulder blades of the user U seated on the seating section 14. With the above configuration, it is possible to improve the ability of the backrest 61 to follow the trunk. Furthermore, the user U, who initiates lower limb movement by rocking his / her trunk from side to side, moves with the midpoint M as the force point. Therefore, with the above configuration, when the user U moves the backrest 61 left and right, the force is used to move the backrest 61 left and right without inducing a rolling rotation of the backrest 61.

[0058] 5, the seat 14 is configured to be freely rollable. With the above configuration, the user U can move his / her trunk from side to side without being hindered, and the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be efficiently exerted.

[0059] 5, the seat 14 is configured to be reciprocatingly movable from side to side. With the above configuration, the user U can move his / her trunk from side to side without being hindered, and therefore the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be efficiently exerted.

[0060] In addition, the seat 14 is configured to be unable to yaw. That is, in a type of movement in which the trunk is slid left and right and the trunk moves from the lower limbs as a main movement, the thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, and hip joints become one mass, and the trunk sways left and right while performing a pedaling motion. Yaw rotation of the seat 14 induces unintended body movements, making it difficult to perform pedaling motion while stabilizing the body. Therefore, with the above configuration, the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be efficiently exerted.

[0061] Furthermore, the support mechanism 63 may have two compression coil springs 72 (returning means) that return the backrest 61 to the neutral position. According to the above configuration, any misalignment between the trunk and the backrest can be easily eliminated.

[0062] Moreover, the lower limb exercise system 1 includes an exercise chair 3 and a pedaling exercise machine 2 (lower limb exercise machine). According to the above configuration, a person can exercise his / her lower limbs while rocking his / her trunk from side to side in a seated position.

[0063] Furthermore, the pedaling exercise machine 2 is an exercise machine that applies a load to at least the flexion and extension movements of the hip joints and knee joints of the user U. With the above configuration, the user U can perform efficient lower limb exercise.

[0064] Furthermore, the lower limb exercise system 1 may include a stepping exercise device instead of the pedaling exercise device 2. In either case, when the lower limb exercise system 1 includes the pedaling exercise device 2 or when a stepping exercise device is provided instead of the pedaling exercise device 2, alternating flexion and extension exercises are performed in the right leg RL and the left leg LL, so that a kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be realized, thereby realizing efficient lower limb exercise for the user U.

[0065] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Below, differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

[0066] In the first embodiment, in order to eliminate misalignment between the trunk of the user U and the backrest 61, as shown in FIG. 6, the backrest unit 60 is provided with two compression coil springs 72 and a torsion spring 74c.

[0067] In contrast, in this embodiment, the two compression coil springs 72 and the torsion spring 74c may be omitted. In this embodiment, the exercise chair 3 is provided with a restraining belt 80 that restrains the trunk of the user U to the backrest 61, as shown in Fig. 7. The restraining belt 80 is a specific example of a restraining device. By restraining the trunk of the user U to the backrest 61 with the restraining belt 80, it is possible to prevent the trunk of the user U from being misaligned with the backrest 61 in the first place. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Lower limb movement system 2. Pedal exercise equipment 3 exercise chair 6. Device body 7. Crank 7a Crankshaft 8 Pedals 10 Moving parts 10R roll axis 11 Support part 12. Restoration Unit 14 Seating area 14a Seat 21 Seating Frame 22 Rail 22c Left rail section 22d Right rail section 30 Movable body 31 Universal joint 32 Coil spring 33 Joint part 40 Return coil spring 50 Seating Unit 60 Backrest unit 61 Backrest 61a Contact surface 62 Backrest frame 63 Support mechanism 70 Horizontal guide section 70a Upper horizontal guide bar 70b Lower horizontal guide bar 70c guide bar connection 71 Guide bracket 71a Through hole 72 Compression coil spring 73 Fixing plate 74 Connecting Unit 74a Shaft 74b Bearing 74c torsion spring 80 Restraint Belt F. Both legs RL right leg LL left leg CE Central EN End L line segment M Midpoint U User

Claims

1. An exercise chair for a user to exercise his / her lower limbs while seated, A seating portion on which the user can sit; A backrest that supports the back of the user; A support mechanism for supporting the backrest; Including, The support mechanism supports the backrest so that the backrest can reciprocate left and right and can roll freely. exercise chair.

2. The rotation axis of the roll rotation of the backrest is set to pass through the midpoint of a line segment connecting the two shoulder blades of the user seated on the seat part or through the fourth thoracic vertebra.

2. The exercise chair of claim 1.

3. The seating portion is configured to be freely roll-rotatable.

2. The exercise chair of claim 1.

4. The seating portion is configured to be reciprocally movable left and right.

2. The exercise chair of claim 1.

5. The seating portion is configured to be unable to yaw.

2. The exercise chair of claim 1.

6. The seat further includes a restraining device for restraining the trunk of the user to the backrest.

2. The exercise chair of claim 1.

7. The support mechanism has a return means for returning the backrest to a neutral position.

2. The exercise chair of claim 1.

8. An exercise chair according to any one of claims 1 to 7; Lower limb exercise equipment; Including, Lower limb movement system.

9. The lower limb exercise device is an exercise device that applies a load to at least the user's hip joint and knee joint flexion and extension movements. The lower limb exercise system of claim 8 .

10. The lower limb exercise device is a pedaling exercise device or a stepping exercise device.

10. A lower limb exercise system according to claim 9.

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