Lower Limb Movement 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] While moderate exercise is essential for maintaining good health, regular exercise requires finding regular time for it, and busier people are more likely to be physically inactive. However, even if one cannot find regular time, a certain level of exercise can be achieved by simply exercising the lower limbs while seated. Pedal exercise machines are known as a type of lower limb exercise device that allows for lower limb exercise while seated. The present inventors focused on the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk to enhance the exercise benefits of seated lower limb exercise. By creating this kinetic chain, first, waist size reduction is expected. Second, by strengthening the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae muscles, it becomes easier to maintain a forward-tilted pelvic posture, contributing to the elimination of hunched backs and straight necks. Third, by creating a kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk, the pelvis moves vigorously, primarily increasing flexibility in the iliopsoas muscle, which 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 sitting, if the seat on which the user sits is fixed, the movement of the pelvis becomes sluggish, thereby inhibiting the movement chain between the lower limbs and trunk, and that by deliberately making the seat unstable, it is possible to achieve the movement 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 exercise while seated on the seat. The seat is configured to be rotatable in at least one of roll, pitch, and yaw directions. By intentionally making the seat on which the user sits unstable in this way, a kinetic chain between the lower limbs and trunk is realized. Patent Document 1 further states that by fixing the user's trunk to the backrest with a belt, shaking of the user's head and arms can be effectively prevented. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-5485 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Meanwhile, as we continued to demonstrate the pedaling exercise using the chair described in Patent Document 1, we discovered that there were two types of pedaling exercise: Type A, in which the pedaling exercise is performed by swaying the trunk from side to side and using a downward movement chain from the trunk to the lower limbs, and Type B, in which the 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 tried to pedal, they were unable to swing their trunks from side to side efficiently, and were therefore unable to actually perform the 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 perform lower limb exercises in a seated state, the exercise chair including a seat portion on which the user can sit, a backrest that supports the user's back, and a support mechanism that supports the backrest so that the backrest can move back and forth from side to side and can roll freely. With the above configuration, the user can perform lower limb exercises while rocking their trunk from side to side in a seated state. The rotation axis of the roll rotation of the backrest may be set to pass through the midpoint of a line segment connecting the two shoulder blades of the user seated on the seating portion or through the fourth thoracic vertebra. With the above configuration, the backrest can be improved in its ability to follow the trunk. The seating portion may be configured to be capable of rolling freely. With 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 from the left to the right. With the above configuration, the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be efficiently exerted. The seating section may be configured to be unable to yaw. With the above configuration, the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be efficiently exerted. The chair may further include a restraining device for restraining the trunk of the user to the backrest. With the above 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-described configuration, 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 device. With the above configuration, a user can exercise their lower limbs while rocking their 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 joints and knee joints during flexion and extension. With the above configuration, the user can efficiently exercise their lower limbs. The lower limb exercise device may be a pedaling exercise device or a stepping exercise device. With the above configuration, the user can exercise their lower limbs efficiently. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, lower limb exercise can be performed while rocking the trunk from side to side in a seated position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a lower limb exercise system (first embodiment). [Figure 2] 1 is a side view of a lower limb exercise system (first embodiment). [Figure 3] 1 is a front view of a lower limb exercise system (first embodiment). [Figure 4] 1 is a rear view of the lower limb exercise system (first embodiment). [Figure 5] 1 is a front view of the seat unit (first embodiment). [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view of a support mechanism (first embodiment). [Figure 7] 10 is a front view of a lower limb exercise system (second embodiment). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[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 machine 2 and an exercise chair 3.

[0013] (pedal exercise equipment 2) As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the pedaling exercise device 2 is an example of a lower limb exercise device that allows a user U to perform pedaling exercise while seated. That is, the 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 joints, hip joints, and ankle joints. As shown in FIG. 1 , the pedaling exercise device 2 includes a device main body 6, a pair of cranks 7, and a pair of pedals 8. The pair of pedals 8 are each attached to the pair of cranks 7 so as to be able to rotate freely. The pair of cranks 7 are also attached to the device main body 6 so as to be able to rotate freely. As shown in FIG. 2 , the user U, seated in the exercise chair 3, places both feet F on the pair of pedals 8 and alternately steps forward with the right leg RL and the left leg LL, performing a so-called pedaling exercise. During this exercise, 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 crankshaft 7a shown in FIG. 1 in opposite phases. In other words, the pedaling exercise device 2 realizes lower limb exercise in which both feet F describe an elliptical orbit centered on the crankshaft 7a. The device body 6 is configured so that the load on the rotation of the crankshaft 7a can be adjusted. By adjusting the load on the rotation of the crankshaft 7a, the user U can perform 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 during flexion and extension of the hip joints and knee joints. In addition to the pedaling exercise device 2, other examples of lower limb exercise devices include stepping exercise devices. Foot pedaling and stepping exercise 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 device 2. Therefore, the distance between the leg-pedaling exercise device 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 device 2.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exercise chair 3 includes a seat unit 50 and a back 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 the user U sits.

[0019] The support part 11 supports the movable part 10 so that it 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 part 14. Similarly, "front and back" is defined as front and back as seen from the user U seated on the seat part 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 the 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 the neutral position, the heights of the left and right hip joints of the user U are equal. 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, since a difference in height occurs between the left and right hip joints of the user U when the movable part 10 moves away from the neutral position to the left or right, it can be said that the movable part 10 performs a roll rotation.

[0021] A user U performs 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 rotate in a rolling manner, when the user U performs 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 depicted 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 left-right movement of the movable unit 10. As described above, the two rails 22 are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each rail 22 is curved to be convex upward. That is, each rail 22 is inclined downward from the center CE toward the end EN in the longitudinal direction of each rail 22. Each rail 22 is inclined toward the floor surface from the center CE toward 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 unit 10 moves left and right along the two rails 22, and is guided to descend as it moves away from the neutral position. In other words, the support unit 11 supports the movable unit 10 so that the movable unit 10 swings left and right about the roll axis 10R extending forward and backward, i.e., so that the movable unit 10 rolls around the roll axis 10R. The roll axis 10R is set lower than the movable unit 10 when the movable unit 10 is 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 it moves left and right along the two rails 22. Each rail 22 includes a left rail portion 22c extending leftward from the center of the rail 22 in the longitudinal direction, and a right rail portion 22d extending rightward from the center of the 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 to this. 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 seat 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 material such as urethane foam.

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

[0030] The movable unit body 30 is a plate interposed between the support unit 11 and the seat unit 14. Two connecting units 33 are provided on the underside of the movable unit body 30. One of the two connecting units 33 is slidably connected to the left rail unit 22c, and the other is slidably connected to the right rail unit 22d. Each connecting unit 33 may include a wheel (shown by a 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 that it can tilt forward and backward relative to the movable body 30. In other words, the seating portion 14 is configured to be pitch rotatable. Pitch rotation refers to rotation around a pitch axis. Here, the "pitch axis" refers to an axis extending left and right. The pitch axis passes through the universal joint 31. Therefore, the pitch axis is set lower than the seating portion 14. Similarly, the seating portion 14 is supported by the movable body 30 so that it can tilt left and right relative to the movable body 30. In other words, the seating portion 14 is configured to be roll rotatable not only by the movable body 30 and the support portion 11 but also by the universal joint 31. Roll rotation of the seating portion 14 by the universal joint 31 refers to rotation around the roll axis that passes through the universal joint 31. Here, the "roll axis" refers to an axis extending forward and backward.

[0032] The two coil springs 32 are disposed between the seat 14 and the movable body 30. The upper end of each coil spring 32 is fixed to the seat 14, and the lower end of each coil spring 32 is fixed to the movable 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 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. When the seat 14 pitches forward or backward relative to the movable body 30, the two coil springs 32 bias the seat 14 to return it to its state before the pitch rotation. Similarly, when the seat 14 rolls left or right relative to the movable body 30, the two coil springs 32 bias the seat 14 to return it to its state before the roll rotation. By disposing the two coil springs 32 spaced apart, yaw rotation of the seat 14 relative to the movable body 30 is prohibited. In short, the seating portion 14 is configured to be unable to yaw. Here, the "yaw axis" refers to an axis extending along the vertical direction, which is the direction in which gravity acts. However, instead of this, the "yaw axis" may be an axis extending along the thickness direction of the movable body 30. Furthermore, the "yaw axis" may be an axis perpendicular to the seating 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 tilted 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 the backrest 61 of the 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 or 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 is respectively suspended between the center CE of each rail 22 and the 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, it may be configured with a single coil spring. In this case, typically, one coil spring is hung between a pair of connecting portions 33, and the center of the one coil spring in the longitudinal direction 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 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, because 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 user U are activated in conjunction with the stepping motion of the lower leg of user U, thereby achieving trunk muscle exercise. The same is true when user U kicks out with his / her right foot.

[0038] Here, the significance of the restoring unit 12 will be explained. If the restoring unit 12 were omitted, it would be difficult to return the movable unit 10 to the neutral position once it deviated from the neutral position to the left or right. Specifically, even if the user U could momentarily release the load on the movable unit 10, it would be difficult to return the movable unit 10 to the neutral position at that timing. In contrast, if the restoring unit 12 is provided, the user U can simply momentarily release the load on the movable unit 10 to urge the movable unit 10 toward the neutral position. This allows the user U to easily return the movable unit 10 to the neutral position by utilizing the inertia gained when urging the movable unit 10. However, it is preferable that the elastic restoring force of the restoring unit 12 be adjustable according to the user U's physique and muscle strength. In other words, when a user U who is not accustomed to using their core muscles uses the exercise chair 3, it is recommended to set the spring constant of the restoring unit 12 to a large value so that the movable unit 10 actively returns to the neutral position. On the other hand, when a user U who is accustomed to using their trunk muscles uses the exercise chair 3, it is advisable to set the spring constant of the restoring unit 12 to a small value. If the spring constant of the restoring unit 12 is small, the movable part 10 will not return to the neutral position as much, and activation of the trunk muscles will be required each time the movable part 10 is returned to the neutral position. In this way, by changing the spring constant of the restoring unit 12, the load on the trunk muscles can be adjusted. Note that the restoring unit 12 can also be omitted depending on the user U's level of proficiency.

[0039] In this embodiment, when the movable unit 10 moves to the right, the seat surface 14a of the seating unit 14 tilts to the right. Similarly, when the movable unit 10 moves to the left, the seat surface 14a of the seating unit 14 tilts to the left. The tilt angle of the seat surface 14a at this time does not necessarily match the natural tilt angle of the pelvis. Therefore, in this embodiment, the universal joint 31 allows the seating unit 14 to freely roll and rotate relative to the movable unit main body 30. Therefore, the tilt angle of the seat surface 14a of the seating unit 14 follows the natural tilt angle of the pelvis of the user U, and therefore, the comfort of sitting on the seating unit 14 during exercise is not compromised.

[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 Figure 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 section 70 includes an upper horizontal guide bar 70a and a lower horizontal guide bar 70b that are 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 horizontally. The horizontal guide section 70 is fixed to the backrest frame 62 shown in Figure 2.

[0046] 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 through-holes 71a extend horizontally. This allows the guide bracket 71 to be supported by the horizontal guide portion 70 so as to be able to move 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 portions 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 degree. Here, the guide bracket 71 being in the neutral position means that the guide bracket 71 is located at the center of the upper horizontal guide bar 70a in the longitudinal direction. In this state, when the guide bracket 71 moves horizontally to the right, the right compression coil spring 72 further compresses, and the spring restoring force of the right compression coil spring 72 urges the guide bracket 71 toward the neutral position. 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 spiral axes of the two compression coil springs 72 coincide with the central axis of the upper horizontal guide bar 70a. 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. Instead of the two compression coil springs 72, two rubber cords may be used as the return means for returning the backrest 61 to the neutral position. 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 relative 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 rotatably supports the shaft 74a. This allows the fixed plate 73 to roll rotate relative to the guide bracket 71. Here, the rotation axis for roll rotation extends in a direction in which the fixed plate 73 and the guide bracket 71 face each other. Furthermore, 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 a 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 spring restoring force of the torsion spring 74c urges the fixed plate 73 counterclockwise. In this sense, the torsion spring 74c can be considered 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 tilted left or right when viewed from the front. When the torsion spring 74c is in an unloaded state, the backrest 61 can be considered to be located in a neutral position in the roll direction.

[0052] With the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 3 , a user U seated on the seating section 14 presses his / her back against the backrest 61 and moves his / her trunk to the right, thereby stepping out with his / her right leg RL. That is, the movement of the trunk supported by the backrest 61 triggers the movement of the trunk to the right. At this time, the backrest 61 moves horizontally to the right together with the guide bracket 71, the fixing plate 73, and the connecting unit 74 shown in FIG. 6 . At this time, as shown in FIG. 3 , the trunk of the user U is tilted to the right. To follow this tilt, the backrest 61 rolls counterclockwise together with the fixing plate 73 shown in FIG. 6 . In this way, the backrest 61 can follow the horizontal movement and lateral tilt of the trunk when the user U moves his / her trunk left and right. Therefore, the user U can perform a pedaling exercise while keeping his / her trunk in close contact with the backrest 61, i.e., while pressing his / her trunk against the backrest 61.

[0053] Furthermore, when the user U performs pedaling exercise while pressing their trunk against the backrest 61, it is conceivable that a misalignment will inevitably occur between the backrest 61 and their 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 its neutral position in the left-right direction, and the torsion spring 74c urges the backrest 61 to return the fixed plate 73 to its neutral position in the roll direction. Therefore, when the user U wants to eliminate the misalignment, the user U should first release their trunk from the backrest 61. This will automatically return the backrest 61 to its neutral position in the left-right direction and the neutral position in the roll direction, after which the user U can simply press their trunk against the backrest 61 again. In this way, in this embodiment, the backrest 61 returns to its neutral position in the left-right direction and the neutral position in the roll direction simply by the user U moving his / her torso away from the backrest 61, so 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 follow the trunk of the user U well, as described above.

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

[0056] That is, as shown in Figures 1 to 6, the exercise chair 3 is an exercise chair 3 for a user U to exercise their lower limbs while seated. 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 also roll freely. With this configuration, the user can exercise their lower limbs while rocking their trunk from side to side while seated. 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 roll 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 exercise by rocking his trunk from side to side, moves with the midpoint M as the point of force. Therefore, with the above configuration, when the user U moves the backrest 61 left or right, the force used to move the backrest 61 left or right is used to move the backrest 61 left or right without inducing a roll rotation of the backrest 61.

[0058] 5, the seating section 14 is configured to be freely rollable. With the above configuration, the user U is not hindered from swaying his / her trunk from side to side, and therefore the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be efficiently exerted.

[0059] 5, the seat 14 is configured to be able to move back and forth from side to side. With the above configuration, the user U is not hindered from swaying his or her trunk from side to side, and therefore the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs can be efficiently exerted.

[0060] Furthermore, the seat 14 is configured to be unable to yaw. That is, in a type of movement where the trunk slides left and right and the trunk moves in tandem with the lower limbs, the thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, and hip joints become one unit, causing the trunk to sway left and right as if pedaling. Yaw rotation of the seat 14 induces unintended body movements, making it difficult to stabilize the body while pedaling. Therefore, the above configuration allows for efficient generation of the kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs.

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

[0062] The lower limb exercise system 1 also includes an exercise chair 3 and a pedaling exercise machine 2 (lower limb exercise machine). With the above configuration, a person can exercise their lower limbs while rocking their 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 efficiently exercise his or her lower limbs.

[0064] Furthermore, the lower limb exercise system 1 may be provided with a stepping exercise device instead of the pedaling exercise device 2. In either case, when the lower limb exercise system 1 is provided with 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, thereby realizing a kinetic chain from the trunk to the lower limbs, 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, the backrest unit 60 is provided with two compression coil springs 72 and a torsion spring 74c as shown in FIG.

[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 restraint belt 80 that restrains the trunk of the user U to the backrest 61, as shown in Fig. 7. The restraint belt 80 is a specific example of a restraining device. By restraining the trunk of the user U to the backrest 61 with the restraint belt 80, it is possible to prevent the trunk of the user U from shifting from 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 22d Right rail section 30 Movable body 31 Universal joint 32 coil spring 33 Joint part 40 restoring 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 feet RL right leg LL left leg CE Central EN End L line segment M midpoint U users

Claims

1. An exercise chair; a pedaling exercise machine for allowing a user seated on the exercise chair to perform flexion and extension exercises of at least the hip joints and knee joints; Including, 1. A lower limb exercise system, comprising: The exercise chair comprises: a seating section 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; The rotation axis of the roll rotation of the backrest is set to pass through the midpoint of a line segment connecting two shoulder blades of the user seated on the seating portion or through the fourth thoracic vertebra, thereby preventing the roll rotation of the backrest from being induced when the user moves the backrest left or right. Lower limb motor system.

2. The seating portion is configured to be freely roll-rotatable. The lower limb exercise system of claim 1 .

3. The seating section is configured to be reciprocally movable left and right. The lower limb exercise system of claim 1 .

4. The seating portion is configured to be unable to yaw. The lower limb exercise system of claim 1 .

5. The seat further includes a restraining device that restrains the trunk of the user to the backrest. The lower limb exercise system of claim 1 .

6. The support mechanism has a return means for returning the backrest to a neutral position. The lower limb exercise system of claim 1 .

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