Balance Board

Abstract

To provide a balance board that enables training with a greater load to be carried out and allows training to be carried out more effectively. [Solution] The board has a main body 2 with a platform surface 20 on its upper surface that supports the soles of the feet when standing or the buttocks when sitting, and a support body 27 that is attached to the underside of the main body 2 in the left-right center and comes into contact with a mounting surface F to support the main body 2 so that it can tilt. The main body 2 is configured so that it can tilt at least left and right from a neutral position, with the contact point between the mounting surface F and the support body 27 as a fulcrum. An upper airbag 4 is attached to the top surface of the main body 2, inflating upward from the platform surface 20 to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface 20.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a balance board for training to improve the sense of balance and strength of the trunk muscles. [Background technology]

[0002] A balance board, which is a device for training body balance and core muscles, is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. The balance board exercise equipment (balance board) in Patent Document 1 is composed of a landing board (board body) on which the user stands and a hemispherical portion integrally provided on the underside of the landing board. The landing board is a circular board with rectangular plates integrally provided on opposing edges, and each rectangular plate portion has a groove formed therein. An attachment with a hemispherical portion with a smaller curvature than the previous hemispherical portion can be attached to the underside of the landing board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-290845 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional balance board exercise equipment, as one's sense of balance and trunk muscle strength improve, it becomes easier to maintain a neutral posture, and it is not possible to expect any training effect beyond a certain level.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a balance board that allows training with a greater load to be carried out, thereby enabling more effective training. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The balance board of the present invention comprises a board body 2 on whose upper surface is provided a platform surface 20 for receiving the soles of the feet in a standing position or the buttocks in a sitting position, and a support body 27 provided on the underside of the board body 2 in the left-right center and in contact with a placement surface F to support the board body 2 so that it can tilt. The board body 2 is configured so that it can tilt at least in the left-right direction from a neutral position, with the contact point between the placement surface F and the support body 27 as a fulcrum. An upper airbag 4 is provided on the upper surface of the board body 2, which inflates upward from the platform surface 20 to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface 20.

[0007] The balance board of the present invention is provided with upper airbags 4 on the left and right sides of the platform surface 20. It is equipped with an air pump 5 that generates pressurized air, a distributor 6 that distributes the pressurized air generated by the air pump 5 to the left and right airbags 4, and a control means 7 that controls the air pump 5 and the distributor 6 to control the inflation and deflation of the left and right upper airbags 4. The control means 7 is configured to control the inflation and deflation of the left and right upper airbags 4 simultaneously.

[0008] The balance board of the present invention is provided with upper airbags 4 on the left and right sides of the platform surface 20. It is equipped with an air pump 5 that generates pressurized air, a distributor 6 that distributes the pressurized air generated by the air pump 5 to the left and right airbags 4, and a control means 7 that controls the air pump 5 and the distributor 6 to control the inflation and deflation of the left and right upper airbags 4. The control means 7 is configured to control the inflation and deflation of the left and right upper airbags 4 alternately.

[0009] The balance board of the present invention is provided with upper airbags 4 on the left and right sides of the platform surface 20. It is equipped with an air pump 5 that generates pressurized air, a distributor 6 that distributes the pressurized air generated by the air pump 5 to the left and right airbags 4, and a control means 7 that controls the air pump 5 and the distributor 6 to control the inflation and deflation of the left and right upper airbags 4. The control means 7 is configured to control the inflation and deflation of the left and right upper airbags 4 randomly.

[0010] This balance board has a board body 2 on the upper surface of which is a platform surface 20 that receives the soles of the feet in a standing position or the buttocks in a sitting position, and a support body 27 that is provided on the underside of the board body 2 in the left-right center and contacts a mounting surface F to support the board body 2 so that it can tilt, the board body 2 being configured so that it can tilt at least in the left-right direction from a neutral position, with the contact point between the mounting surface F and the support body 27 as a fulcrum. A lower airbag 3 is provided on the underside of the board body 2 excluding the position where the support body 27 is provided, which inflates downward from the board body 2 to hold the board body 2 in a state close to the neutral position.

[0011] A pair of lower airbags 3, 3 are provided on the left and right sides of the board body 2 with a support 27 sandwiched therebetween.

[0012] An upper airbag 4 is provided on a platform surface 20 of the board body 2, which inflates upward from the board body 2 to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks received on the platform surface 20.

[0013] The lower airbag 3 and the upper airbag 4 are configured so as to be able to inflate and deflate independently of each other.

[0014] The upper airbag 4 is configured to be inflated when the lower airbag 3 is inflated and the board body 2 is held in a position spaced apart from the placement surface F.

[0015] The upper airbag 4 is configured to be inflated while the lower airbag 3 remains deflated.

[0016] An upper half of the lower airbag 3 is configured as an upper airbag 4, and the lower airbag 3 also serves as the upper airbag 4.

[0017] The projection dimension of the upper airbag 4 from the platform surface 20 is set to be smaller than the projection dimension of the lower airbag 3 from the lower surface of the board body 2.

[0018] On the left and right sides of the board body 2, through holes 12 are formed vertically penetrating the board body 2, and inside the through holes 12, the lower airbag 3 is disposed.

[0019] The board body 2 includes an upper case 10 on which the platform surface 20 is provided, and a lower case 11 on which a support 27 is provided. An upper hole wall 18 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the upper case 10, and a lower hole wall 25 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the lower case 11, and the lower hole wall 25 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the lower case 11, and corresponds to the upper hole wall 18. The lower airbag 3 is formed by joining the peripheral portions of a pair of upper and lower sheet bodies 31 and 32, and the joining portion forms a peripheral flange portion 33. The lower airbag 3 is disposed in the through hole 12 with the flange portion 33 sandwiched vertically between the lower end surface 34 of the upper hole wall 18 and the upper end surface 35 of the lower hole wall 25.

[0020] A reinforcing frame 13 for enhancing the structural strength of the board body 2 is provided inside the board body 2 , and the reinforcing frame 13 is sandwiched and fixed between the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 .

[0021] The platform surface 20 is formed so as to slope downward from the left and right ends toward the center, and a valley portion 21 is formed in the center of the left and right sides of the platform surface 20. An operating unit 46 for controlling the inflation and deflation states of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 is disposed in the valley portion 21 of the platform surface 20.

[0022] An operating unit 46 for controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 is provided on the peripheral side surface 28 of the board body 2 excluding the platform surface 20 and the underside of the board body 2 .

[0023] An operating unit 46 for controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 is provided near the left end and / or right end on the underside of the board body 2 .

[0024] The board body 2 is formed into a flattened V-shape when viewed from the front, with the lower part of the bent portion serving as the support body 27. The underside between the left end of the board body 2 and the support body 27, and between the right end of the board body 2 and the support body 27, respectively, serves as a curved concave surface 70 that is curved inwardly. The operating unit 46 is disposed on the curved concave surface 70.

[0025] The board is equipped with an air pump 5 that generates pressurized air, a distributor 6 that distributes the pressurized air generated by the air pump 5 to the upper and lower air bags 3 and 4, and a control means 7 that controls the air pump 5 and distributor 6 to control the inflation and deflation of the upper and lower air bags 3 and 4. The air pump 5, distributor 6, and control means 7 are disposed inside the board body 2 above the support body 27. Effect of the Invention

[0026] In the balance board of the present invention, an upper airbag 4 is provided on the upper surface of the board body 2, which inflates upward from the platform surface 20 and presses against the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface 20. By inflating and deflating the upper airbag 4 to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks, the user's balance can be forcibly destabilized, thereby increasing the intensity of the training.

[0027] In the balance board of the present invention, the contact area between the soles of the user's feet or buttocks and the platform surface 20 can be reduced by simultaneously inflating and deflating the left and right upper airbags 4, forcing the user's balance to become unstable.

[0028] In the balance board of the present invention, by alternately inflating and deflating the left and right upper airbags 4, the contact area between the soles of the user's feet or buttocks and the platform surface 20 can be reduced, while displacing the user's center of gravity from directly above the center of gravity of the balance board 1, forcibly destabilizing the user's balance.

[0029] In the balance board of the present invention, the left and right upper airbags 4 are randomly inflated and deflated to reduce the contact area between the soles of the user's feet or buttocks and the platform surface 20, while displacing the user's center of gravity from directly above the center of gravity of the balance board 1, forcibly destabilizing the user's balance. Since the left and right upper airbags 4 are randomly inflated and deflated, the user's balance can be made more unstable than when the left and right upper airbags 4 are alternately inflated and deflated.

[0030] In the balance board, a lower airbag 3 is provided on the underside of the board body 2 except for the position where the support 27 is disposed, which inflates downward from the board body 2 to hold the board body 2 in a state close to a neutral position. With such a balance board 1, when training is temporarily stopped and the user wishes to take a rest, the lower airbag 3 can be inflated to hold the board body 2 in a state close to a neutral position and unable to swing. Therefore, with the balance board of the present invention, when the user is in a standing position on the platform surface 20, the user can support his / her weight with both legs, and when in a seated position, the user can sit on a non-inclined seat, so that the user can rest comfortably while remaining on the board body 2.

[0031] When a pair of lower airbags 3 / 3 are provided on the left and right sides of the board body 2 with the support body 27 sandwiched between them, the board body 2 can be supported at three points by the support body 27 and the pair of lower airbags 3 / 3 and held without wobbling, allowing the person riding on the board body 2 to rest in a more stable and comfortable state.

[0032] If an upper air bag 4 is provided on the platform surface 20 of the board body 2, which inflates upward from the board body 2 to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks received on the platform surface 20, a massage stimulus can be given to the soles of the feet or buttocks on the platform surface 20 by inflating and deflating the upper air bag 4, thereby providing a high-added-value balance board 1 that can provide massage in addition to training.

[0033] If the lower airbag 3 and the upper airbag 4 are configured to be able to inflate and deflate independently, the inflation and deflation operations of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 can be controlled individually, thereby enabling a wide variety of operational variations of both airbags 3 and 4.

[0034] Furthermore, if the upper airbag 4 is configured to be inflated while the lower airbag 3 is inflated and the board body 2 is held in a position spaced apart from the support surface F, a massage stimulus can be applied to the soles of the feet or buttocks while resting in a stable standing or sitting position.

[0035] Furthermore, if the upper airbag 4 is configured to inflate while the lower airbag 3 remains deflated, the inflation of the upper airbag 4 can forcibly create a training state for the body during training, thereby applying a stronger training load to the body.

[0036] If the upper half of the lower airbag 3 is configured as the upper airbag 4 and the lower airbag 3 also serves as the upper airbag 4, the structure of the entire device can be simplified, and the balance board 1 equipped with an airbag can be provided at low cost. In addition, the lower airbag 3 can hold the board body 2 in a position separated from the placement surface F, and at the same time, provide a massage stimulus to the soles of the feet or buttocks.

[0037] When the projection dimension of the upper airbag 4 from the platform surface 20 is set smaller than the projection dimension of the lower airbag 3 from the underside of the board body 2, the massage stimulation is made mild and the soles of the feet or buttocks can be prevented from being forcibly pressed.

[0038] When the lower airbag 3 is disposed inside the through-holes 12 opened on the left and right sides of the board body 2, the through-holes 12 can regulate the lower airbag 3 from shifting due to the expansion and contraction operation, so that the lower airbag 3 can be held in a specified position.

[0039] When the lower airbag 3 is disposed in the through hole 12 with the flange portion 33 of the lower airbag 3 sandwiched vertically between the lower end surface 34 of the upper hole wall 18 of the upper case 10 constituting the board body 2 and the upper end surface 35 of the lower hole wall 25 of the lower case 11, the lower airbag 3 can be assembled inside the through hole 12 simply by joining the upper and lower cases 10 and 11 in a lid-fitting manner, thereby reducing the effort and time required to assemble the balance board 1. Also, since there is no need to provide a separate structure for fixing the lower airbag 3, the cost of the entire device can be reduced.

[0040] If the main board body 2 is provided with a reinforcing frame 13 for increasing the structural strength of the main board body 2, deformation of the main board body 2 can be suppressed, thereby preventing damage to the balance board 1 due to the deformation. Furthermore, if the reinforcing frame 13 is sandwiched and fixed between the upper case 10 and the lower case 11, the three cases 10, 11, 13 can be integrated simply by joining the upper and lower cases 10 and 11 in a lid-fitting manner, thereby reducing the effort and time required to assemble the balance board 1.

[0041] If the operating unit 46 for controlling the inflation / deflation state of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 is disposed in the valleys 21 of the platform surface 20, which are formed so as to slope downward from the left and right ends toward the center, contact between the operating unit 46 and the soles of the feet or buttocks can be prevented as much as possible, and unintentional inflation / deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 can be suppressed. In addition, direct application of the body weight and impact when sitting on the seat to the operating unit 46 can be prevented as much as possible.

[0042] If an operating unit 46 for controlling the inflation / deflation state of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 is disposed on the peripheral surface 28 of the board body 2 excluding the platform surface 20 and the underside of the board body 2, contact between the operating unit 46 and the soles of the feet or buttocks can be prevented, and unintentional inflation / deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 can be prevented. In addition, since the soles of the feet or buttocks do not come into contact with the peripheral surface 28 of the board body 2, there is also the advantage that the operating unit 46 is prevented from being covered by the soles of the feet or buttocks, improving operability.

[0043] If the operating unit 46 for controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 is disposed near the left and / or right end on the underside of the board body 2, the soles of the feet or buttocks will not come into contact with the operating unit 46, which reliably prevents the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 from unintentionally inflating and deflating. Furthermore, particularly when in a seated position, the operating unit 46 can be operated with the fingertips by grasping both ends of the board body 2 with the left and right hands to stabilize the upper body.

[0044] If the operating part 46 is disposed on the inwardly concave curved concave surfaces 70 provided on the left and right undersides of the board body 2, which is formed in a flattened V-shape when viewed from the front, even if the user loses balance and either the left or right end comes into contact with the mounting surface F, the operating part 46 will not come into contact with the mounting surface F, so that the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 can be more reliably prevented from unintentionally inflating and deflating. Also, damage to the operating part 46 due to load can be avoided.

[0045] If the air pump 5, distributor 6, and control means 7 of the balance board 1 are disposed inside the board body 2 above the support 27, these weight objects can be disposed near the tilting fulcrum of the balance board 1, minimizing the effect of these devices on the left and right weight distribution of the balance board 1. In addition, the board body 2 can reduce sound leakage to the outside, so the operating noise of the air pump 5, etc. can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0046] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical sectional front view showing a main part of a balance board according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an entire balance board according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a vertical sectional side view of a balance board according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating a control system of the balance board according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is a vertical sectional front view of a balance board according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional front view of a balance board according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional front view showing a main part of a balance board according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating a control system of the balance board according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a front view showing an operation part of a balance board according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 11 is a timing chart showing an example of a training mode. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B show a main part of a balance board according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view and (b) is a bottom view. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view of a balance board according to a reference example of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view showing a main part of a balance board according to a reference example. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a block diagram conceptually showing a control system of a balance board according to a reference example. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an operating section of a balance board according to a reference example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0047] (Example 1) Figures 1 to 5 show Example 1 of a balance board according to the present invention. In this example, the front, back, left, right, and up and down refer to the crossed arrows shown in Figures 2 and 3 and the indications of front, back, left, right, and up and down written near each arrow. As shown in Figure 2, the balance board 1 has a generally rectangular shape that is long from left to right in plan view, with the short sides rounded in a curved shape, and is formed into a plate-like shape that has a flattened V-shape when viewed from the front, as shown in Figure 5.

[0048] 2, the balance board 1 comprises a board body 2 made of a plastic molded product, a lower airbag 3 that inflates downward from the board body 2, and an upper airbag 4 that inflates upward. The board body 2 also incorporates an air pump 5 that generates pressurized air to be fed to the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4, a distributor 6 that distributes the pressurized air generated by the air pump 5 to the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4, and a control means 7 that controls the air pump 5 and distributor 6 to control the inflation and deflation states of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5, the board body 2 is a lid-like structure including an upper case 10 and a lower case 11, and a pair of through holes 12 are provided on the left and right sides of the board body 2, penetrating in the vertical direction. A reinforcing frame 13 is installed inside the board body 2. The upper case 10 includes an upper wall 16 having a corrugated cross section that slopes downward from the left and right ends toward the center, an upper peripheral wall 17 extending downward from the peripheral edge of the upper wall 16, and an upper hole wall 18 extending downward from the peripheral edge of the through hole 12 and constituting the upper half of the hole 12, and upper reinforcing ribs 19 are provided in a lattice shape on the inner side of each wall 16, 17, 18 (see FIG. 1). The upper surface of the upper wall 16 of the upper case 10 is a platform surface 20 that supports the soles of the feet in a standing position or the buttocks in a sitting position. The platform surface 20 is a corrugated curved surface, and a valley portion 21 is formed in the center of the left and right sides.

[0050] The lower case 11 has a lower wall 23 that slopes downward from the left and right ends toward the center, a lower peripheral wall 24 that extends upward from the peripheral edge of the lower wall 23, and a lower hole wall 25 that extends upward from the peripheral edge of the through hole 12 and forms its lower half, and a lattice-shaped lower reinforcing rib 26 is provided on the inner surface of each wall 23, 24, 25 (see FIG. 1). A support 27 that protrudes downward from the lower case 11 is provided on the lower surface at the center of the left and right sides of the lower case 11. The support 27 is formed in a partial spherical shell shape, and the support 27 is formed integrally with the lower case 11 so as to smoothly continue with the lower wall 23. The board body 2 in the neutral position is supported by the support 27 in a state where it is separated from the floor surface (placement surface) F, and can swing in all directions with the contact point (contact part) between the support 27 and the floor surface F as a fulcrum.

[0051] When the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are joined together in a bottom cover fitting manner, the upper peripheral wall 17 and the lower peripheral wall 24 form peripheral sides 28 on the front, rear, left and right sides of the board body 2. The reinforcing frame 13 fitted inside the board body 2 is slightly smaller than the planar shape of the board body 2 including the through holes 12 (see FIG. 2), and is made of a metal plate material formed into a corrugated curved shape in a front view along the joining lines of the upper and lower cases 10 and 11. The reinforcing frame 13 is fixed between the upper and lower cases 10 and 11 while being sandwiched between the upper reinforcing rib 19 and the lower reinforcing rib 26. A rectangular mounting hole 29 elongated in the front-rear direction is opened in the center of the left and right of the reinforcing frame 13, into which a component box 43 described later is fitted.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 1, the lower airbag 3 is formed into a rectangular bag shape by welding the peripheral portions of a pair of upper and lower sheet bodies 31 and 32, and the welded portion forms a circumferential flange portion 33. The upper and lower sheet bodies 31 and 32 are formed into a shape that approximately matches the hole shape of the through-hole 12 when the lower airbag 3 is in a contracted state (see Fig. 5). The lower airbag 3 is disposed inside each through-hole 12 with the flange portion 33 sandwiched vertically between the lower end surface 34 of the upper hole wall 18 and the upper end surface 35 of the lower hole wall 25. As a result, the pair of lower airbags 3 are provided on the left and right sides of the board body 2 with the support body 27 sandwiched therebetween.

[0053] In the present embodiment, the upper half of the lower airbag 3 is configured as the upper airbag 4, the lower airbag 3 also serves as the upper airbag 4, the lower sheet body 32 configures the lower airbag 3, and the upper sheet body 31 configures the upper airbag 4. When the lower airbag 3 is inflated by supplying pressurized air generated by the air pump 5, the upper sheet body 31 protrudes upward from the upper opening of the through hole 12, and the lower sheet body 32 protrudes downward from the lower opening of the through hole 12. The lower airbag 3 (lower sheet body 32) protruding downward is inflated to such an extent that it comes into contact with the floor surface F. In this way, since the lower airbag 3 also serves as the upper airbag 4, the distributor 6 is configured to supply pressurized air to either one or both of the left and right lower airbags 3·3.

[0054] The lower sheet body 32 is made of a material more flexible than the upper sheet body 31, and the lower sheet body 32 inflates larger and faster than the upper sheet body 31. Therefore, when comparing the protruding dimension of the lower airbag 3 (lower sheet body 32) from the underside of the board body 2 with the protruding dimension of the upper airbag 4 (upper sheet body 31) from the platform surface 20, the protruding dimension of the upper airbag 4 is smaller than that of the lower airbag 3. Also, the upper airbag 4 inflates after the lower airbag 3 inflates and comes into contact with the floor surface F.

[0055] A cushion sheet 38 made of a stretchable urethane sheet is adhered and fixed to substantially the entire upper surface of the upper case 10 including the through-hole 12 and the platform surface 20 in order to soften the contact of the soles of the feet or buttocks with the platform surface 20, and the upper surface of the cushion sheet 38 is covered with a surface cover 39 made of a stretchable double russell fabric. In addition, the lower opening of the through-hole 12 is covered with an opening cover 40 made of a highly stretchable mesh fabric.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 3, the air pump 5, distributor 6, control means 7, etc. are disposed inside the board body 2 above the support 27, i.e., in the center in the left-right direction. Specifically, the devices 5, 6, 7 are housed inside a rectangular device box 43 that opens upward, and a box lid 44 is attached to the upper opening of the device box 43. The distributor 6 and each lower airbag 3 are connected by an air hose 45 for supplying pressurized air generated by the air pump 5 (see Fig. 4), and the device box 43 is provided with the air hose 45, a power cord (not shown) connected to an external power source, and an opening communicating between the inside and outside for the air sucked into the air pump 5 and exhausted from the distributor 6. The power cord is led out to the outside of the board body 2 from the peripheral side surface 28 between the upper and lower peripheral walls 17 and 24 at the rear of the board body 2. The component box 43 is fitted into the mounting hole 29 and is fixed between the upper and lower cases 10 and 11 while being sandwiched between the upper wall 16 and the lower reinforcing rib 26 .

[0057] An operation unit 46 for sending an operation signal to the control means 7 is integrally provided on the box lid 44, and the operation unit 46 is exposed to the upper surface of the balance board 1, i.e., the valley portion 21 of the platform surface 20, through an exposure window 47 provided toward the front of the left-right center of the upper case 10. A notch 48 is provided in the center of the front edge of the cushion sheet 38 in correspondence with the exposure window 47. As shown in Fig. 2, the operation unit 46 has a power button 51 and both side expansion / contraction buttons 52 provided on the left and right sides of the front row, and a left expansion / contraction button 53 and a right expansion / contraction button 54 provided on the left and right sides of the back row.

[0058] When the power cord is connected to an external power source, the control means 7 starts up in a sleep mode in which it receives an operation signal from the power button 51. When the power button 51 is pressed in the sleep mode, the control means 7 transitions to a control mode in which it receives an operation signal from each of the inflation / deflation buttons 52 to 54. When the control means 7 is in the control mode, the two lower airbags 3·3 can be inflated and deflated by pressing the both side inflation / deflation button 52, the left side lower airbag 3 can be inflated and deflated by pressing the left side inflation / deflation button 53, and the right side lower airbag 3 can be inflated and deflated by pressing the right side inflation / deflation button 54.

[0059] For example, when the 9-side inflation / deflation button 52 is pressed, the control means 7 drives the air pump 5 and controls the distributor 6 to supply pressurized air to both lower airbags 3 and 3 through each air hose 45. In each lower airbag 3 to which pressurized air is supplied, the lower sheet body 32 first inflates and the lower end of the inflated airbag comes into contact with the floor surface F. After the lower sheet body 32 comes into contact with the floor surface F, the upper sheet body 31 inflates. When the both-side inflation / deflation button 52 is pressed while the lower airbag 3 is inflated, the control means 7 stops the air pump 5 and opens the exhaust valve of the distributor 6, causing the lower airbag 3 to contract by the restoring force of the upper and lower sheet bodies 31 and 32. The upper sheet body 31 may be inflated before the lower sheet body 32 comes into contact with the floor surface F. The left-side inflation / deflation button 53 and the right-side inflation / deflation button 54 are operated to inflate or deflate the corresponding airbag 3 on either the left or right side by the above-mentioned operations.

[0060] When the lower airbags 3·3 are inflated by the both side inflation / contraction buttons 52, the board body 2 can be held in a position spaced apart from the floor surface F, i.e., close to a neutral position, at three points, the support body 27 and both lower airbags 3·3 (lower sheet body 32). Furthermore, a massage stimulus can be applied by pressing the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface 20. When either one of the lower airbags 3 is inflated by the left side inflation / contraction button 53 or the right side inflation / contraction button 54, the board body 2 can be held in a position close to a neutral position at two points, the support body 27 and the lower airbag 3 (lower sheet body 32), and further, a massage stimulus can be applied by pressing one of the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface 20.

[0061] According to the balance board 1 of the first embodiment, the lower airbag 3 is provided on the underside of the board body 2 except for the position where the support 27 is disposed, and inflates downward from the board body 2 to hold the board body 2 in a state close to a neutral position, so that when the user wants to temporarily stop training and take a rest, the lower airbag 3 can be inflated to hold the board body 2 in a state close to a neutral position and unable to swing. Therefore, when the user is in a standing position on the platform surface 20, the user can support his / her weight with both legs, and when in a seated position, the user can sit on a seat that is not inclined, so that the user can rest comfortably while remaining on the board body 2.

[0062] A pair of lower airbags 3 / 3 are provided on the left and right sides of the board body 2 with the support body 27 sandwiched therebetween, so that the board body 2 can be supported at three points by the support body 27 and the pair of lower airbags 3 / 3 and held without wobbling, allowing a person to rest comfortably in a more stable state while remaining on the board body 2.

[0063] An upper air bag 4 is provided on the platform surface 20 of the board body 2, which inflates upward from the board body 2 to press the soles or buttocks received on the platform surface 20, so that a massage stimulus can be given to the soles or buttocks on the platform surface 20 by inflating and deflating the upper air bag 4, providing a high-added-value balance board 1 that can provide massage in addition to training.

[0064] Furthermore, the upper airbag 4 is configured to be inflated while the lower airbag 3 is inflated and the board body 2 is held in a position spaced apart from the floor surface F, so that a massage stimulus can be given to the soles of the feet or buttocks while resting in a stable standing or sitting position.

[0065] Since the upper half of the lower airbag 3 is configured as the upper airbag 4 and the lower airbag 3 is configured to also serve as the upper airbag 4, the structure of the entire device can be simplified and the balance board 1 equipped with an airbag can be provided at low cost. In addition, the lower airbag 3 can hold the board body 2 in a position spaced apart from the floor surface F, and at the same time, provide a massage stimulus to the soles of the feet or buttocks.

[0066] The projection dimension of the upper air bag 4 from the platform surface 20 is set smaller than the projection dimension of the lower air bag 3 from the lower surface of the board body 2, so that the massage stimulation is made mild and the soles or buttocks can be prevented from being forcibly pressed.

[0067] The lower airbag 3 is arranged inside the through holes 12 opened on the left and right sides of the board body 2, so that the through holes 12 can regulate the lower airbag 3 from shifting due to the expansion and contraction operation, and the lower airbag 3 can be held in a specified position.

[0068] Since the lower airbag 3 is disposed in the through hole 12 with the flange portion 33 of the lower airbag 3 sandwiched vertically between the lower end surface 34 of the upper hole wall 18 of the upper case 10 and the upper end surface 35 of the lower hole wall 25 of the lower case 11, the lower airbag 3 can be assembled inside the through hole 12 simply by joining the upper and lower cases 10 and 11 in a lid-fitting manner, thereby reducing the effort and time required to assemble the balance board 1. Also, since there is no need to provide a separate structure for fixing the lower airbag 3, the cost of the entire device can be reduced.

[0069] The reinforcing frame 13 that enhances the structural strength of the board body 2 is built into the board body 2, so deformation of the board body 2 can be suppressed, and damage to the balance board 1 caused by such deformation can be prevented. This improves the durability of the balance board 1. In addition, since the reinforcing frame 13 is sandwiched and fixed between the upper case 10 and the lower case 11, the three cases 10, 11, 13 can be integrated simply by joining the upper and lower cases 10 and 11 in a lid-fitting manner, thereby reducing the effort and time required to assemble the balance board 1.

[0070] The operating unit 46 for controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 is disposed in the valleys 21 of the platform surface 20, which are formed so as to slope downward from the left and right ends toward the center, thereby preventing contact between the operating unit 46 and the soles of the feet or buttocks as much as possible and suppressing unintended inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4. In addition, direct application of the body weight and impact when sitting on the seat to the operating unit 46 can be prevented as much as possible.

[0071] The air pump 5, distributor 6, and control means 7 of the balance board 1 are disposed inside the board body 2 above the support 27, so that these weight objects can be disposed near the tilting fulcrum of the balance board 1, minimizing the effect of these devices on the left and right weight distribution of the balance board 1. In addition, the board body 2 can reduce sound leakage to the outside, so the operating noise of the air pump 5, etc. can be suppressed.

[0072] (Example 2) Figures 6 to 9 show Example 2 of the balance board according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, this example is different from Example 1 in that the lower airbag 3 and the upper airbag 4 are provided separately. Also, instead of the through-hole 12, a lower recess 66 for accommodating the lower airbag 3 and an upper recess 67 for accommodating the upper airbag 4 are provided. As shown in Figure 7, the upper airbag 4 is formed in a rectangular bag shape by joining the peripheral portions of a pair of upper and lower sheet bodies 63 and 64 by welding, and the welded portion forms a circumferential flange portion 65. The lower wall 23 of the lower case 11 is formed with a lower recess 66 recessed upward in which the lower airbag 3 is disposed, and the upper sheet body 31 of the lower airbag 3 is adhesively fixed to the bottom surface of the lower recess 66. The upper wall 16 of the upper case 10 is formed with an upper recess 67 recessed downward in which the upper airbag 4 is disposed, and the lower sheet body 64 of the upper airbag 4 is adhesively fixed to the bottom surface of the upper recess 67. The upper and lower sheet bodies 31 and 32 of the lower airbag 3 are made of the same material, and the upper and lower sheet bodies 63 and 64 of the upper airbag 4 are made of the same material, and the material forming the lower airbag 3 is made of a material more flexible than the material forming the upper airbag 4.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 8, the distributor 6 is connected to the lower airbags 3·3 and the upper airbags 4·4 by an air hose 45 so that pressurized air can be supplied to each of them individually. The operation unit 46 is constructed as a separate body from the box lid 44, and is exposed to the front of the board body 2 through an exposure window 47 formed in front of the upper and lower peripheral walls 17·24 across both the upper and lower peripheral walls 17·24 (see FIG. 9). The operation unit 46 is provided with a group of buttons in two rows and three columns, and the center of the upper row is a full inflation / deflation button 55 for inflating / deflating all of the upper and lower airbags 3·4 on the left and right. The upper left is an upper left inflation / deflation button 56 for inflating / deflating the left upper airbag 4, the lower left is a lower left inflation / deflation button 57 for inflating / deflating the left lower airbag 3, the upper right is an upper right inflation / deflation button 58 for inflating / deflating the right upper airbag 4, and the lower right is a lower right inflation / deflation button 59 for inflating / deflating the right lower airbag 3. The center of the lower row is a training button 60. The training button 60 will be described later. When the power cord is connected to an external power source, the control means 7 starts up in the control mode. Since other points are the same as in the first embodiment, the same members are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. The same applies to each of the following embodiments.

[0074] When the full inflation / deflation button 55 is pressed, the control means 7 controls the distributor 6 to first supply pressurized air to the left and right lower airbags 3. When a predetermined amount of pressurized air is supplied to the left and right lower airbags 3, the control means 7 controls the distributor 6 to supply pressurized air to the left and right upper airbags 4. When the full inflation / deflation button 55 is pressed while both airbags 3 and 4 are inflated, the control means 7 stops the air pump 5 and opens the exhaust valve of the distributor 6 to deflate the upper airbag 4 by the restoring force of the upper and lower sheet bodies 63 and 64. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the control means 7 opens the exhaust valve of the distributor 6 to deflate the lower airbag 3 by the restoring force of the upper and lower sheet bodies 31 and 32. When other inflation / deflation buttons 56 to 59 are pressed, the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 corresponding to the buttons are inflated or deflated. This allows only the lower airbag 3 to be inflated, or only the upper airbag 4 to be inflated. Similarly, for the left and right, only the desired upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 can be inflated.

[0075] The balance board 1 according to the second embodiment is equipped with a training mode in which the left and right upper airbags 4 are inflated and deflated to forcibly destabilize the user's balance, and the training mode is activated by pressing the training button 60. In the training mode, the left and right upper airbags 4 are inflated and deflated while the left and right lower airbags 3 are kept in a deflated state, and the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface 20 are pressed to forcibly destabilize the user's balance, thereby increasing the intensity of the training. The training mode has three intensity settings with different training intensities: a weak setting in which the left and right upper airbags 4 are inflated and deflated simultaneously, a medium setting in which the left and right upper airbags 4 are inflated and deflated alternately, and a strong setting in which the left and right upper airbags 4 are inflated and deflated randomly.

[0076] In the training mode, the intensity is changed between weak, medium and strong settings each time the training button 60 is pressed when the mode is stopped, and the mode is stopped by pressing the training button 60 when the mode is at the strong setting. When the training button 60 is pressed to switch from the mode stopped state to the weak setting, the control means 7 outputs a short beep (beep) notification sound from a speaker (not shown), when switching from the weak setting to the medium setting, the control means 7 outputs a double beep (beep beep) notification sound from the speaker, when switching from the medium setting to the strong setting, the control means 7 outputs a triple beep (beep beep) notification sound from the speaker, and when switching from the strong setting to the mode stopped state, the control means 7 outputs a quadruple beep (beep beep beep) notification sound from the speaker.

[0077] In the weak setting, the left and right upper airbags 4 are inflated and deflated simultaneously to reduce the contact area between the soles of the user's feet or buttocks and the platform surface 20, forcibly destabilizing the user's balance. "Simultaneous inflation and deflation" as used here does not only mean that the timing of the inflation or deflation of the left and right upper airbags 4 is completely synchronized, but also means that when one of the left and right upper airbags 4 is inflating or deflated, the other one is also inflating or deflated.

[0078] In the medium setting, the left and right upper airbags 4 are alternately inflated and deflated to reduce the contact area between the soles or buttocks of the user and the platform surface 20, while displacing the user's center of gravity from directly above the center of gravity of the balance board 1, forcibly destabilizing the user's balance. The alternate inflation and contraction mentioned here is not limited to control in which one is inflated and deflated once and then the remaining other is inflated and deflated once, such as left inflation and contraction (inflating and contracting the left upper airbag 4), right inflation and contraction (inflating and contracting the right upper airbag 4), left inflation and contraction, right inflation and contraction, but may be control in which one is inflated and deflated twice (multiple times) and then the remaining other is inflated and deflated the same number of times, such as left inflation and contraction, left inflation and contraction, right inflation and contraction, and the number of inflation and contraction of the left and right upper airbags 4 does not have to be repeated in a one-to-one relationship.

[0079] In the strong setting, the left and right upper airbags 4 are randomly inflated and deflated to reduce the contact area between the soles or buttocks of the user and the platform surface 20, while displacing the center of gravity of the user from directly above the center of gravity of the balance board 1, forcibly destabilizing the balance of the user. In the medium setting, only one of the left and right airbags is controlled to inflate and contract, but in the strong setting, one or both of the left and right airbags are irregularly inflated and contracted, making the balance of the user even more unstable. As an example, the inflation and contraction are controlled as follows: left inflation and contraction, right inflation and contraction, right inflation and contraction, left inflation and contraction, left and right simultaneous inflation and contraction, left inflation and contraction, right inflation and contraction. In addition, the inflation or contraction process of one upper airbag 4 and the contraction or inflation process of the other upper airbag 4 may overlap.

[0080] The control means 7 is configured to execute a preregistered operation for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) when any of the training mode settings is selected. The elapsed time is measured by a timer built into the control means 7. The training mode setting is determined when the training button 60 is pressed to select a desired intensity and the selected state is maintained for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds). Here, an example of an operation related to the weak setting of the training mode will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG. 10. In the training mode, three training operations and a rest operation after each training operation are performed. In the training operations, the control means 7 repeats an operation of inflating the left and right upper airbags 4 for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) and then deflating them for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds). In the rest operation, if the left and right upper airbags 4 are inflated, they are deflated and the left and right lower airbags 3 are inflated simultaneously and then deflated after a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds). Note that the simultaneous inflation and deflation referred to here has the same meaning as in the case of the upper airbag 4 described above.

[0081] When the weak setting is selected and confirmed with the training button 60, the control means 7 outputs a long beep from the speaker to notify the user of the start of the training mode and drives the air pump 5 to start the training operation (time t1). When a predetermined time (e.g., 3 minutes) has elapsed since the start of the training mode, the control means 7 outputs a long beep from the speaker and transitions from the training operation to the resting operation (time t2). When this resting operation ends, the control means 7 transitions to the training operation (time t3), and when a predetermined time (e.g., 6 minutes) has elapsed since the start of the training mode, the control means 7 outputs a long beep from the speaker and transitions again from the training operation to the resting operation (time t4). When this resting action ends, the control means 7 transitions to the final training action (time t5), and when a predetermined time (for example, 9 minutes 30 seconds (30 seconds before the end of the training mode)) has elapsed since the start of the training mode, the control means 7 outputs a two-tone short tone (beep beep) from the speaker and transitions from the training action to the final resting action (time t6). When the end time of the training mode is reached, the control means 7 deflates the lower airbag 3, stops the operation of the air pump 5, and finally outputs two two-tone short tone (beep beep, beep beep) from the speaker to end the training mode (time t8). In this way, in the training mode, a resting action is provided in which the lower airbag 3 is inflated and the board body 2 is held in a state close to a neutral position and unable to swing, a predetermined time before the end of the training mode, so that the user can recognize through a physical sensation that the training mode is about to end.

[0082] During the final resting motion (time t6 to time t8), the left and right lower airbags 3 are inflated and the left and right upper airbags 4 are inflated and deflated multiple times at the same time to provide a massage stimulus to the soles or buttocks, and the soles and buttocks that have become tense during training can be kneaded and relaxed in a stable state. At this time, the upper airbag 4 can be operated at a fast (short) inflation / deflation interval that matches the timing of the user's fast breathing just before the end of training (time t6 to time t7), and then, after a predetermined time (for example, 15 seconds) has passed, it can be operated at a slower (longer) inflation / deflation interval than the above-mentioned inflation / deflation interval (time t7 to time t8). This makes it possible to guide the user on how to breathe after training and induce the user to a relaxed state. The left and right upper airbags 4 can also be inflated and deflated multiple times alternately.

[0083] As described above, the resting motion is performed after the end of each training motion, so the left and right lower airbags 3 can stabilize the balance board 1 and provide a temporary rest period, and the final resting motion is performed before the end of the training mode, so the user can be made aware that the training mode will soon end. In addition, by outputting an alarm sound from the speaker when transitioning to the resting motion, the user can be made aware of the elapsed time since the start of the training mode, and by making the alarm sound when transitioning to the final resting motion different from the alarm sounds when transitioning to the other motions, the user can be made aware that the training mode will soon end.

[0084] The operations related to the medium and strong settings of the training mode differ only in that the left and right upper airbags 4 during the training operation alternate in the medium setting and randomly inflate and deflate in the strong setting, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Note that the above-mentioned predetermined times and notification sounds are merely examples, and other predetermined times and notification sounds may be used.

[0085] According to the balance board 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment 2, the lower airbag 3 and the upper airbag 4 are configured to be able to inflate and deflate independently, so that the inflation and deflation operations of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 can be controlled individually, thereby enabling a wide variety of operational variations of both airbags 3 and 4.

[0086] Furthermore, since the upper airbag 4 is configured to inflate while the lower airbag 3 remains deflated, the inflation of the upper airbag 4 can forcibly create a training state for the body during training, and a more intense training load can be applied to the body.

[0087] An operating unit 46 for controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 is disposed on the peripheral surface 28 on the front side of the board body 2, which prevents contact between the operating unit 46 and the soles of the feet or buttocks, and prevents unintended inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4. In addition, because the soles of the feet or buttocks do not come into contact with the peripheral surface 28 of the board body 2, there is also the advantage that the operating unit 46 is prevented from being covered by the soles of the feet or buttocks, improving operability.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the power button 51 is omitted, but it is also possible to provide a power button 51 as in embodiment 1, so that the control means 7 is first started in sleep mode, and then the control mode is entered by pressing the power button 51.

[0089] The balance board according to the above-mentioned second embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0090] The board has a main body 2 on the upper surface of which is provided a platform surface 20 for receiving the soles of the feet in a standing position or the buttocks in a sitting position; a support 27 provided on the underside of the main body 2 at the left and right center and in contact with a placement surface F to support the main body 2 so as to be tiltable; an upper airbag 4 which inflates upward from the platform surface 20 to press against the soles of the feet or the buttocks received by the platform surface 20; a lower airbag 3 which inflates downward from the platform surface 20 to hold the main body 2 in a position close to a neutral position so as not to swing; and a control means 7 for controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4. The board body 2 is configured to be able to tilt at least in the left and right directions from a neutral position, with the contact portion between the placement surface F and the support body 27 as a fulcrum. the control means 7 is configured to execute a training mode in which the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 are inflated and deflated to forcibly destabilize the balance of the user; In the training mode, the control means 7 controls the inflation and deflation of the upper airbag 4 to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface 20, thereby forcibly destabilizing the user's balance, and after the training action, controls the inflation and deflation of the lower airbag 3 to execute a rest action, which keeps the board body 2 close to a neutral position and unable to swing, at least once. This balance board is configured to execute the following action at least once.

[0091] The balance board configured as above has a resting motion that follows the training motion, that is, the resting motion in which the lower airbag 3 is inflated to hold the board body 2 in a neutral position and unable to swing, so that the balance board 1 is stabilized and the user can rest in a comfortable state. In addition, the resting motion allows the user to recognize through their physical sensation that the training mode is about to end.

[0092] The balance board is configured to inflate the lower airbag 3 and the upper airbag 4 during a resting motion executed near the end of the training mode.

[0093] With the balance board configured as described above, when the training motion and resting motion are performed multiple times, the upper airbag 4 is inflated during the resting motion, allowing the user to clearly recognize that this resting motion is the final resting motion, i.e., that the training mode is about to end. Also, the training mode can be ended after providing a stable stimulus to the soles and buttocks that are tense during training.

[0094] The balance board is configured so that the lower airbag 3 is inflated and the upper airbag 4 is deflated (expanded and contracted) during a resting motion executed near the end of the training mode.

[0095] With the balance board configured as above, when the training motion and resting motion are performed multiple times, the upper airbag 4 is inflated and deflated during the resting motion, allowing the user to more clearly recognize that this resting motion is the final resting motion, i.e., that the training mode is about to end. In addition, the soles of the feet and buttocks, which have become tense during training, can be massaged in a stable state to relieve the tension, and the training mode can be ended in a relaxed state.

[0096] In a resting motion executed just before the end of the training mode, the lower airbag 3 is inflated and the upper airbag 4 is deflated (inflated and deflated), The balance board is set so that the expansion / contraction interval from the start of a resting motion until a predetermined time has elapsed is smaller than the expansion / contraction interval from the elapse of the predetermined time until the end of the resting motion.

[0097] With a balance board configured as described above, during the resting motion, the upper airbag 4 is first inflated and deflated at small (short) intervals that match the timing of the user's rapid breathing just before the end of training, and then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the upper airbag 4 is inflated and deflated at a larger (longer) interval than the previous inflation and deflation interval, thereby guiding the user on how to breathe after training and guiding the user into a relaxed state.

[0098] The board has a main body 2 on the upper surface of which is provided a platform surface 20 for receiving the soles of the feet in a standing position or the buttocks in a sitting position; a support 27 provided on the underside of the main body 2 at the left and right center and in contact with a placement surface F to support the main body 2 so as to be tiltable; an upper airbag 4 which inflates upward from the platform surface 20 to press against the soles of the feet or the buttocks received by the platform surface 20; a lower airbag 3 which inflates downward from the platform surface 20 to hold the main body 2 in a position close to a neutral position so as not to swing; and a control means 7 for controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4. The board body 2 is configured to be able to tilt at least in the left and right directions from a neutral position, with the contact portion between the placement surface F and the support body 27 as a fulcrum. the control means 7 is configured to execute a training mode in which the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 are inflated and deflated to forcibly destabilize the balance of the user; The balance board is configured so that in a training mode, a control means 7 controls the expansion and contraction of the upper airbag 4 to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface 20, thereby forcibly destabilizing the user's balance, and in the middle of the training mode, a resting action is performed by controlling the expansion and contraction of the lower airbag 3 to hold the board body 2 close to a neutral position and unable to swing.

[0099] According to the balance board with the above configuration, the resting motion is performed in the middle of the training motion, so the balance board 1 is stabilized by the left and right lower airbags 3, and the user can rest during training in a comfortable state. Also, if the user knows the time from the start of training to the start of the resting motion, the user can know the elapsed time of training. Note that the balance board with such a configuration can be combined with a configuration in which the resting motion is performed following the training motion.

[0100] (Example 3) FIG. 11 shows Example 3 of the balance board according to the present invention. In this example, the position of the operation unit 46 is different from that of Example 1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the lower surface of the lower case 11 (board body 2) has a curved concave surface 70 with an inwardly concave shape between its left end and the support 27, and between its right end and the support 27, respectively, and the operation unit 46 is provided near the right end of the right curved concave surface 70. The operation unit 46 is provided with a power button 51, both side expansion / contraction buttons 52, left side expansion / contraction button 53, and right side expansion / contraction button 54 from the front side in the order shown. Each of the buttons 51 to 54 is embedded and arranged in a button hole 71 opened in the lower wall 23. The operation unit 46 may be provided near the left end of the left curved concave surface 70, or may be provided separately on the left and right curved concave surfaces 70.

[0101] According to the balance board 1 of the third embodiment, the operation unit 46 for controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 is disposed near the right end on the underside of the board body 2, so that the soles of the feet or buttocks do not come into contact with the operation unit 46, and unintentional inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 can be reliably prevented. Furthermore, particularly when in a seated position, the user can grasp both ends of the board body 2 with the left and right hands to stabilize the upper body and operate the operation unit 46 with the fingertips, improving operability of the operation unit 46.

[0102] Since the operating unit 46 is disposed on the curved concave surfaces 70 that are curved inwardly and provided on the left and right undersides of the board body 2, which is formed into a flattened V-shape when viewed from the front, even if the user loses balance and either the left or right end comes into contact with the floor surface F, the operating unit 46 will not come into contact with the floor surface F, and unintentional inflation and deflation of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 can be more reliably prevented. In addition, direct application of the weight and impact of the user sitting on the seat to the operating unit 46 can be avoided as much as possible.

[0103] The above-mentioned arrangement of the operation unit 46 can also be applied to a balance board 1 in which the lower airbag 3 and the upper airbag 4 are provided separately as in the second embodiment. In this case, the operation unit 46 can be provided with an entire inflation / contraction button 55 for inflating / contracting all of the upper and lower airbags 3 and 4 on the left and right, an upper left inflation / contraction button 56 for inflating / contracting the upper airbag 4 on the left side, a lower left inflation / contraction button 57 for inflating / contracting the lower airbag 3 on the left side, an upper right inflation / contraction button 58 for inflating / contracting the upper airbag 4 on the right side, a lower right inflation / contraction button 59 for inflating / contracting the lower airbag 3 on the right side, and a training button 60 for randomly inflating / contracting the left and right upper airbags 4 to press against the soles or buttocks of the user and forcibly destabilize the balance of the user, thereby increasing the intensity of the training.

[0104] In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the left and right lower airbags 3 are connected to the distributor 6 by the air hoses 45, respectively, but the air hoses 45 extending from the distributor 6 may be branched in the middle and the branched air hoses 45 may be connected to the respective lower airbags 3. The left and right lower airbags 3 may be connected and integrated, and pressurized air may be supplied through a single air hose 45.

[0105] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the lower airbags 3 are positioned on the left and right sides, but since the board body 2 can be held in a state close to the neutral posture with a certain degree of stability using just one of the lower airbags 3 and the support body 27, one of the lower airbags 3 can be omitted.

[0106] (Reference Example) Figures 12 to 15 show a reference example of a balance board according to the present invention. In conventional balance board exercise equipment, the training load can be changed by using different curvatures of the hemispheres or by attaching elastic rubber. However, with conventional balance board exercise equipment, as the sense of balance and the strength of the trunk muscles improve, it becomes easy to maintain a neutral posture, and it is not possible to expect a certain level of training effect. Therefore, the present reference example aims to provide a balance board that allows training with a higher load to be performed more effectively.

[0107] In this reference example, the lower airbag 3 is omitted from the balance board 1 of Example 2, as shown in Fig. 12. Accordingly, the lower recess 66 of the lower case 11 is also omitted, and the configuration of the buttons on the operation unit 46 is different. As shown in Fig. 15, the operation unit 46 has an upper left inflating / deflating button 56 on the top left, an upper right inflating / deflating button 58 on the top right, a both side inflating / deflating button 52 on the bottom left, and a training button 60 on the bottom right. The both side inflating / deflating button 52 in this reference example can be used to inflate and deflate both upper airbags 4·4.

[0108] The balance board according to the above-mentioned Example 2 and Reference Example can be expressed as follows.

[0109] The board has a main body 2 on the upper surface of which is provided a platform surface 20 for receiving the soles of the feet in a standing position or the buttocks in a sitting position, and a support body 27 provided on the lower surface at the center of the left and right of the main body 2, which contacts a placement surface F and supports the main body 2 so as to be tiltable. The board body 2 is configured to be able to tilt at least in the left and right directions from a neutral position, with the contact portion between the placement surface F and the support body 27 as a fulcrum. The balance board has an upper airbag 4 on the upper surface of the board body 2, which inflates upward from the platform surface 20 and presses the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface 20.

[0110] In the balance board 1 configured as described above, an upper airbag 4 is provided on the upper surface of the board body 2, which inflates upward from the platform surface 20 and presses against the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface 20. By inflating and deflating the upper airbag 4 to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks, the user's balance can be forcibly destabilized, thereby increasing the intensity of the training.

[0111] Upper airbags 4 are provided on the left and right sides of the platform surface 20, The vehicle is provided with an air pump 5 for generating pressurized air, a distributor 6 for distributing the pressurized air generated by the air pump 5 to the left and right airbags 4, and a control means 7 for controlling the air pump 5 and the distributor 6 to control the inflation and deflation of the left and right upper airbags 4, The control means 7 is a balance board configured to control the simultaneous inflation and deflation of the left and right upper airbags 4.

[0112] As described above, by simultaneously inflating and deflating the left and right upper airbags 4, the contact area between the soles of the user's feet or buttocks and the platform surface 20 can be reduced, forcing the user's balance to become unstable.

[0113] The control means 7 is configured to control the left and right upper airbags 4 to alternately inflate and deflate the balance board.

[0114] As described above, by alternately inflating and deflating the left and right upper airbags 4, the contact area between the soles of the user's feet or buttocks and the platform surface 20 is reduced, while the user's center of gravity is displaced from directly above the center of gravity of the balance board 1, forcibly destabilizing the user's balance.

[0115] The control means 7 is a balance board configured to control the left and right upper airbags 4 to inflate and deflate randomly.

[0116] As described above, by randomly inflating and deflating the left and right upper airbags 4, the contact area between the soles or buttocks of the user and the platform surface 20 can be reduced, while displacing the user's center of gravity from directly above the center of gravity of the balance board 1, forcibly destabilizing the user's balance. Since the left and right upper airbags 4 are randomly inflated and deflated, the user's balance can be made more unstable than when the left and right upper airbags 4 are alternately inflated and deflated.

[0117] In the above-mentioned embodiments and reference examples, the support 27 may be formed of a long protruding stripe having a V-shaped or downward-projecting arc-shaped cross section, and may be tilted only left and right by being brought into line contact with the floor surface F. The plan view shape and front view shape of the board body 2 are not limited to those of the above-mentioned embodiments. The platform surface 20 may be configured as an upward-projecting arc surface, a downward-projecting arc surface, or a flat surface. Although the upper airbags 4 are provided on the left and right sides, one each may be provided on the left and right sides, as long as the user's balance can be forcibly destabilized by pressing the soles of the feet or the buttocks received by the platform surface 20. Also, the board may be provided with one upper airbag 4 in the center in the left and right direction, or with three or more upper airbags 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1. Balance Board 2. Board body 3 Lower airbag 4 Upper airbag 5. Air Pump 6 distributor 7 Control Means 10 Upper case 11 Lower case 12 Through hole 13 Reinforcement frame 18 Upper hole wall 20. Platform 21 Valley 25 Pilot hole wall 27 Support 28 Circumferential side 31 Upper sheet body 32 Lower seat body 33 Flange section 34 Lower end surface 35 Upper end surface 46 Operation section 70 Curved concave surface F Placement surface (floor surface)

Claims

1. The board has a main body (2) on the upper surface of which is provided a platform surface (20) for receiving the soles of the feet in a standing position or the buttocks in a sitting position, a support (27) provided on the lower surface of the main body (2) in the left-right center and in contact with a placement surface (F) for supporting the main body (2) so as to be tiltable, an upper airbag (4) inflates upward from the platform surface (20) to press against the soles of the feet or the buttocks received by the platform surface (20), a lower airbag (3) inflates downward from the platform surface (20) to hold the main body (2) in a position close to a neutral position so as not to allow it to swing, and a control means (7) for controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper airbag (4) and the lower airbag (3), The board body (2) is configured to be able to tilt at least in the left and right directions from a neutral position with the contact portion between the placement surface (F) and the support body (27) as a fulcrum, the control means (7) is configured to execute a training mode in which the user's balance is forcibly destabilized by controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper airbag (4) and the lower airbag (3); In the training mode, the lower airbag (3) is controlled to inflate and deflate, and a resting action is performed one or more times to hold the board body (2) in a state close to a neutral position and unable to swing, The balance board is configured to inflate the lower airbag (3) and the upper airbag (4) during a resting motion executed near the end of a training mode.

2. A board body (2) having a platform surface (20) on its upper surface for receiving the soles of the feet in a standing position or the buttocks in a sitting position, a support (27) provided on the underside of the board body (2) in the center of the left and right sides and in contact with the placement surface (F) for supporting the board body (2) so as to be tiltable, an upper airbag (4) which inflates upward from the platform surface (20) to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface (20), a lower airbag (3) which inflates downward from the platform surface (20) to hold the board body (2) in a position close to a neutral position and unable to swing, and a control means (7) for controlling the expansion and contraction of the upper airbag (4) and the lower airbag (3), The board body (2) is configured to be able to tilt at least in the left and right directions from a neutral position with the contact portion between the placement surface (F) and the support body (27) as a fulcrum, the control means (7) is configured to execute a training mode in which the user's balance is forcibly destabilized by controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper airbag (4) and the lower airbag (3); In the training mode, the lower airbag (3) is controlled to inflate and deflate, and a resting action is performed one or more times to hold the board body (2) in a state close to a neutral position and unable to swing, The balance board is configured so that the lower airbag (3) is inflated and the upper airbag (4) is deflated during a resting motion executed just before the end of the training mode.

3. A board body (2) having a platform surface (20) on its upper surface for receiving the soles of the feet in a standing position or the buttocks in a sitting position, a support (27) provided on the underside of the board body (2) in the center of the left and right sides and in contact with the placement surface (F) for supporting the board body (2) so as to be tiltable, an upper airbag (4) which inflates upward from the platform surface (20) to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface (20), a lower airbag (3) which inflates downward from the platform surface (20) to hold the board body (2) in a position close to a neutral position and unable to swing, and a control means (7) for controlling the expansion and contraction of the upper airbag (4) and the lower airbag (3), The board body (2) is configured to be able to tilt at least in the left and right directions from a neutral position with the contact portion between the placement surface (F) and the support body (27) as a fulcrum, the control means (7) is configured to execute a training mode in which the user's balance is forcibly destabilized by controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper airbag (4) and the lower airbag (3); In the training mode, the lower airbag (3) is controlled to inflate and deflate, and a resting action is performed one or more times to hold the board body (2) in a state close to a neutral position and unable to swing, In a resting motion executed just before the end of the training mode, the lower airbag (3) is inflated and the upper airbag (4) is deflated, The balance board is set so that the expansion / contraction interval from the start of a resting motion until a predetermined time has elapsed is smaller than the expansion / contraction interval from the elapse of the predetermined time until the end of the resting motion.

4. A board body (2) having a platform surface (20) on its upper surface for receiving the soles of the feet in a standing position or the buttocks in a sitting position, a support (27) provided on the underside of the board body (2) in the center of the left and right sides and in contact with the placement surface (F) for supporting the board body (2) so as to be tiltable, an upper airbag (4) which inflates upward from the platform surface (20) to press against the soles of the feet or buttocks received by the platform surface (20), a lower airbag (3) which inflates downward from the platform surface (20) to hold the board body (2) in a position close to a neutral position so that it cannot swing, and a control means (7) for controlling the expansion and contraction of the upper airbag (4) and the lower airbag (3), The board body (2) is configured to be able to tilt at least in the left and right directions from a neutral position with the contact portion between the placement surface (F) and the support body (27) as a fulcrum, the control means (7) is configured to execute a training mode in which the user's balance is forcibly destabilized by controlling the inflation and deflation of the upper airbag (4) and the lower airbag (3); In the training mode, the lower airbag (3) is controlled to inflate and deflate, and a resting action is performed one or more times to hold the board body (2) in a state close to a neutral position and unable to swing, The lower airbag (3) is formed in a rectangular bag shape by joining the peripheral portions of a pair of upper sheet body (31) and lower sheet body (32) by welding. When pressurized air is supplied to the lower air bag (3), the lower sheet body (32) first expands, and the lower end of the expanded lower sheet body (32) contacts the placement surface (F), and then the upper sheet body (31) expands to hold the board body (2) close to a neutral position and unable to swing, forming a balance board.

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