Exercise chair and lower limb exercise system

Abstract

To provide a technique stabilizing a trunk without inhibiting a kinematic chain between the lower limb and the trunk when performing lower limb exercise in a seated state.SOLUTION: An exercise chair 3 is for a user U to perform lower limb exercise in his / her seated state. The exercise chair 3 includes: a seating part 14 allowing the user U to seat; a first stable part 4 coming in contact with the user U seated on the seating part 14 at a position facing a first specific part which is either one of a fifth thoracic spine or a ninth thoracic spine of the thoracic spines of the user U to suppress the movement of the first specific part. The exercise chair 3 is structured not to suppress movements of parts other than the first specific part of the thoracic spines of the user U.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wheelchair and a lower limb exercise system.

Background Art

[0002] Although moderate exercise is essential for maintaining health, in order to exercise regularly, it is necessary to secure regular time for exercise, and busy people are more likely to suffer from lack of exercise. However, even if regular time cannot be secured, if it is possible to move the lower limbs even while sitting, it can be said that a certain degree of exercise has been achieved. A foot pumping exercise device is known as a lower limb exercise device that enables movement of the lower limbs while sitting. The inventors of the present application focused on the movement chain between the lower limbs and the trunk in order to enhance the exercise effect obtained by moving the lower limbs while sitting. By causing this movement chain, first, an effect of reducing the waist size can be expected. Second, since the rectus abdominis muscle, the transverse abdominis muscle, and the erector spinae muscle are exercised, it becomes easier to maintain a posture with the pelvis tilted forward, which will also contribute to eliminating hunchback and straight neck. Third, if the movement chain between the lower limbs and the trunk can be realized, the pelvis will be moved restlessly, so mainly the flexibility of the iliopsoas muscle will increase, and improvement of chronic low back pain can also be expected.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, the inventors of the present application state that when moving the lower limbs while sitting, if the seat on which the user sits is fixed, the movement of the pelvis becomes dull, which inhibits the movement chain between the lower limbs and the trunk, and that by deliberately making the seat unstable, the movement chain between the lower limbs and the trunk can be realized.

[0004] Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses a foot pumping exercise system including a chair having a seat on which a user sits and a foot pumping exercise device for performing a foot pumping exercise while sitting on the seat. The seat is configured to be rotatable at least in any one of roll rotation, pitch rotation, or yaw rotation. By deliberately making the seat on which the user sits unstable in this way, the movement chain between the lower limbs and the trunk is realized.

[0005] Patent Document 1 further states that by fixing the user's neck (the joint between the 7th cervical vertebra and the 1st thoracic vertebra) and shoulder blades to the backrest with a belt, the user's head and arms can be effectively prevented from shaking. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-5485 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] By the way, in order to efficiently exert muscle power during exercise, it is necessary to stabilize the trunk. One way to stabilize the trunk is to fix it to the backrest with a belt, as described in Patent Document 1 above. However, when the trunk is fixed to the backrest with a belt, there is a risk that the flexibility of the trunk and the coordination between the lower limbs and the trunk will be lost. In other words, there was a trade-off between the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk and stabilizing the trunk.

[0008] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a technology that stabilizes the trunk without disrupting the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk when performing lower limb movements while seated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] From the perspective of the present invention, an exercise chair is provided for a user to perform lower limb exercises while seated, comprising: a seating portion on which the user can sit; and a first stabilizing portion that contacts the user seated on the seating portion at a position facing the first specific portion, which is either the 5th or 9th thoracic vertebra of the user's thoracic vertebrae, in the front-to-back direction, thereby suppressing the movement of the first specific portion, and configured not to suppress the movement of any other part of the user's thoracic vertebrae. With this configuration, when performing lower limb exercises while seated, the trunk can be stabilized without hindering the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk. The first stabilizing part is configured to contact the user seated on the seating part from the ventral side. The exercise chair further includes a support part that holds the first stabilizing part so that the first stabilizing part can switch between a contact position and a retracted position, and a restricting part that restricts the first stabilizing part from switching from the contact position to the retracted position, wherein the contact position is a position in which the first stabilizing part can contact the user seated on the seating part when it is facing the first specific part in the front-rear direction, and the retracted position is a position different from the contact position, which may be a position in which the user retracts to sit on the seating part. With the above configuration, it becomes easier for the user to sit on the seating part. The device may further include a second stabilizing part that contacts the user seated on the seat at a position facing the user's head or either the first or fourth cervical vertebra of the user's cervical spine in the front-to-back direction, thereby suppressing the movement of the second specific part, while the device may be configured not to suppress the movement of the user's head or the parts of the user's cervical spine other than the second specific part. With the above configuration, when performing lower limb movements in a seated position, the trunk can be stabilized without hindering the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk. When the first stabilizing part contacts the user from the ventral side, the second stabilizing part may contact the user from the dorsal side. With the above configuration, the first stabilizing part and the second stabilizing part can stably contact the user. When the first stabilizing part contacts the user from the dorsal side, the second stabilizing part may contact the user from the ventral side. With the above configuration, the first stabilizing part and the second stabilizing part can stably contact the user. The first stabilizing portion may be configured to be convex toward the user. With the above configuration, it is possible to realize a configuration that does not restrict the movement of the user's thoracic vertebrae other than the first specific portion. The seating portion may be configured to perform at least one of the following rotations: roll rotation, pitch rotation, or yaw rotation. With this configuration, the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk can be effectively realized. A lower limb exercise system is provided, including the exercise chair and lower limb exercise equipment described above. With this configuration, a lower limb exercise system is realized that allows for lower limb exercises to be performed in a seated position without disrupting the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk, and without stabilizing the trunk. The lower limb exercise device may be an exercise device that applies load to the flexion and extension movements of the user's hip and knee joints. With the above configuration, effective lower limb exercise can be achieved. The lower limb exercise device may be a pedaling exercise device or a stepping exercise device. With the above configuration, effective lower limb exercise can be achieved with a simple configuration. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, when performing lower limb movements while seated, the trunk can be stabilized without disrupting the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a front view of the lower limb movement system. (First embodiment) [Figure 2] This is a side view of the lower limb movement system. (First embodiment) [Figure 3] This is a front view of the exercise chair. (First embodiment) [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of a partial cutout in the yaw joint. (First embodiment) [Figure 5] This is a frontal view of the human skeleton. (First embodiment) [Figure 6] This is a side view of the human skeleton. (First embodiment) [Figure 7] This is a side view of the human skeleton. (Second embodiment) [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] (First Embodiment) Figures 1 and 2 show the lower limb exercise system 1. As shown in Figure 1, the lower limb exercise system 1 includes a foot-powered exercise device 2, an exercise chair 3, a first stabilizing unit 4, and a second stabilizing unit 5. The foot-powered exercise device 2, the exercise chair 3, the first stabilizing unit 4, and the second stabilizing unit 5 will be described in detail below in that order.

[0013] (Foot-powered exercise equipment 2) The foot-pedaling exercise device 2 is an example of a lower limb exercise device for a user U to perform foot-pedaling exercises while seated. Specifically, the foot-pedaling exercise device 2 is a concrete example of a lower limb exercise device that realizes lower limb movements involving repetitive extension and flexion of the knee, hip, and ankle joints. The foot-pedaling exercise device 2 includes a device body 6, a pair of cranks 7, and a pair of pedals 8. The pair of pedals 8 are each mounted on a pair of cranks 7 so as to be able to rotate by pitch. The pair of cranks 7 are mounted on the device body 6 so as to be able to rotate by pitch. The user U sits on the exercise chair 3, places both feet F on the pair of pedals 8, and performs so-called foot-pedaling exercises by alternately stepping with the right leg RL and the left leg LL. At this time, extension and flexion of the knee, hip, and ankle joints of the right leg RL and the left leg LL are repeated. Typically, when the knee joint of the right leg RL extends, the knee joint of the left leg LL flexes. When the hip joint of the right leg (RL) extends, the hip joint of the left leg (LL) flexes. When the ankle joint of the right leg (RL) extends, the ankle joint of the left leg (LL) flexes. As a result, the pair of pedals 8 rotate around the crank axis 7a in opposite phases. In other words, the pedaling exercise device 2 enables lower limb movement in which both feet F trace a circular orbit around the crank axis 7a. The device body 6 is configured to allow adjustment of the load on the rotation of the crank axis 7a. By adjusting the load on the rotation of the crank axis 7a, the user U can perform pedaling exercises with their preferred exercise load.

[0014] Note that the pedaling exercise device 2 is merely one example of a lower limb exercise device. Any lower limb exercise device that applies alternating loads to the flexion and extension movements of the user U's hip and knee joints using the right and left legs is acceptable. In addition to the pedaling exercise device 2, other examples of lower limb exercise devices include stepping exercise devices. Pedaling and stepping are specific examples of lower limb exercises.

[0015] (Exercise chair 3) FIG. 3 shows a front view of the exercise chair 3. The exercise chair 3 is a chair whiche the user U sits on during leg pressing exercise. In this embodiment, the exercise chair 3 is separate from the leg pressing exercise device 2. Therefore, the distance between the leg pressing exercise device 2 and the exercise chair 3 is adjustable. However, instead of this, the exercise chair 3 may be integrally formed with the leg pressing exercise device 2.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, the exercise chair 3 includes a movable part 10, a support part 11, and a restoring unit 12.

[0017] The movable part 10 includes a seating part 14 on which the user U sits.

[0018] The support part 11 supports the movable part 10 so as to be movable left and right. Here, "left and right" is defined as the left and right as viewed from the user U. Similarly, "front and back" is defined as the front and back as viewed from the user U.

[0019] The restoring unit 12 biases the movable part 10 toward the neutral position in the left - right direction. In FIG. 3, the movable part 10 is located at 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 sitting is located at the neutral position, the heights of the user U's left and right hip joints are equal to each other. And the support part 11 supports the movable part 10 such 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 user U's right hip joint becomes lower than the left hip joint. Conversely, when the movable part 10 moves away from the neutral position to the left, the user U's right hip joint becomes higher than the left hip joint. Thus, when a difference occurs in the heights of the user U's left and right hip joints when the movable part 10 moves away from the neutral position to the left and right, it can be said that the movable part 10 rolls and turns.

[0020] User U sits on the seat 14 of the exercise chair 3 and performs pedaling exercises using the pedaling exercise device 2. Since the movable part 10 is configured to roll, a kinetic chain is generated between the lower limbs and trunk when user U performs pedaling exercises using the pedaling exercise device 2 while seated on the seat 14 of the exercise chair 3. In addition, a kinetic chain between the lower limbs and trunk can also be generated if the movable part 10 performs yaw rotation or pitch rotation instead of roll rotation.

[0021] (Support part 11) The support section 11 is fixedly installed to the floor surface. The support section 11 includes legs 20, a frame 21, and two rails 22. Since the two rails 22 are arranged perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 3, only one of the two rails 22 is shown in Figure 3.

[0022] The leg portion 20 is the part that contacts the floor surface on which the exercise chair 3 is placed.

[0023] The frame 21 is supported by the legs 20 and supports two rails 22.

[0024] The two rails 22 define the trajectory of the left-right movement of the movable part 10. As previously mentioned, the two rails 22 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. Each rail 22 is curved so as to be convex upwards. That is, each rail 22 is inclined to descend from the center CE in the longitudinal direction of each rail 22 towards the end EN. Each rail 22 is inclined to approach the floor surface from the center CE in the longitudinal direction of each rail 22 towards the end EN. In this embodiment, each rail 22 is formed in a V-shape that is convex upwards and opens downwards. Therefore, the movable part 10 is guided to descend as it moves away from the neutral position by moving left and right along the two rails 22. In other words, the support part 11 supports the movable part 10 so that it swings left and right around a roll axis 10R that extends in the front-rear direction, that is, to roll around the roll axis 10R. The roll axis 10R is set lower than the movable part 10 when it is in the neutral position. The center of gravity of the movable part 10 is guided to descend as the movable part 10 moves from the neutral position along the two rails 22. Each rail 22 includes a left rail section 22c extending to the left from the center in the longitudinal direction of each rail 22, and a right rail section 22d extending to the right from the center in the longitudinal direction of each rail 22.

[0025] In this embodiment, each rail 22 is V-shaped, convex upwards and opening downwards, but the shape of each rail 22 is not limited to this. Each rail 22 may be U-shaped, convex upwards and opening downwards, or it may be curved so as to be convex upwards and opening downwards. Each rail 22 may extend in a typical circular arc or elliptical arc shape so as to be convex upwards and opening downwards.

[0026] In this embodiment, the left rail portion 22c and the right rail portion 22d constituting each rail 22 are formed integrally. However, alternatively, the left rail portion 22c and the right rail portion 22d may be separate and arranged apart from each other.

[0027] (Movable part 10) The movable part 10 will now be explained with reference to Figure 3.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the movable part 10 includes a movable part body 30, a seating part 14, a universal joint 31, a coil spring 32, and a pair of connecting parts 33.

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

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

[0031] The seating portion 14 and the movable portion body 30 are connected by a universal joint 31. Therefore, the seating portion 14 is supported by the movable portion body 30 so as to be able to pivot around the yaw axis relative to the movable portion body 30. In other words, the seating portion 14 is configured to be yaw-rotatable. Yaw rotation means rotating around the yaw axis. Here, "yaw axis" means an axis that extends along the vertical direction, which is the direction in which gravity acts. However, instead, the "yaw axis" may be an axis that extends along the plate thickness direction of the movable portion body 30. Similarly, the seating portion 14 is supported by the movable portion body 30 so as to be able to tilt forward and backward relative to the movable portion body 30. In other words, the seating portion 14 is configured to be pitch-rotatable. Pitch rotation means rotating around the pitch axis. Here, "pitch axis" means an axis that extends left and right. The pitch axis passes through the universal joint 31. Therefore, the pitch axis is set below the seating portion 14. Similarly, the seating portion 14 is supported by the movable body 30 so as to be able to tilt left and right relative to the movable body 30. That is, in addition to being able to roll and rotate by the movable body 30 and the support portion 11, the seating portion 14 is also configured to be able to roll and rotate by the universal joint 31. Roll rotation of the seating portion 14 by the universal joint 31 means rotating around a roll axis passing through the universal joint 31. Here, "roll axis" means an axis that extends in the front-to-back direction.

[0032] A coil spring 32 is positioned between the seating portion 14 and the movable portion body 30 to suppress the tilting of the seating portion 14 relative to the movable portion body 30. The upper end of the coil spring 32 is in contact with the seating portion 14, and the lower end of the coil spring 32 is in contact with the movable portion body 30. In this embodiment, the coil spring 32 is positioned coaxially with the universal joint 31. In other words, the coil spring 32 is positioned to house the universal joint 31 within the spiral structure of the spring. For example, when the seating portion 14 tilts forward relative to the movable portion body 30, the upper end of the coil spring 32 elastically displaces forward in the same manner, and the elastic restoring force of the coil spring 32 attempts to return the seating portion 14 to its state before tilting. Note that the upper end of the coil spring 32 is not fixed to the seating portion 14 and is designed not to hinder the rotation of the seating portion 14 around the yaw axis relative to the movable portion body 30.

[0033] User U sits on the seating area 14. The seating area 14 has a seat surface 14a that faces the user U's buttocks. The seat surface 14a is inclined forward so that the user U's pelvis tilts forward when the user U sits on the seating area 14. That is, the front part of the seat surface 14a is lower than the rear part.

[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 the neutral position on the left and right. In this embodiment, the restoring unit 12 is an elastic body. That is, the restoring unit 12 includes a pair of restoring coil springs 40. The pair of restoring coil springs 40 are respectively stretched between the center CE of each rail 22 and a pair of connecting parts 33. When the movable part 10 moves to the left, the left restoring coil spring 40 extends, 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 extends, 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 restoration unit 12 is a coil spring, but other elastic bodies such as rubber may be used instead.

[0036] In this embodiment, the restorer unit 12 is said to consist of a pair of restorer coil springs 40, but it may instead consist of a single coil spring. In this case, typically, one coil spring is stretched between a pair of couplings 33, and the longitudinal center of the single coil spring is fixed to the central CE. The restorer unit 12 may be stretched between the frame 21 and the movable part 10 instead of stretched between the rail 22 and the movable part 10.

[0037] With the above configuration, as shown in Figure 1, when user U kicks out with their left foot, the pelvis moves slightly to the left, causing the movable part body 30 to move slightly to the left. At this time, since each rail 22 is inclined to descend from the center CE to the end EN, the movement of the movable part body 30 to the left is amplified, and the amount of pelvic movement increases. Because the amount of pelvic movement is large, the trunk muscles of user U are activated in conjunction with the stepping motion of user U's lower leg, thereby achieving trunk muscle exercise. The same is true when user U kicks out with their right foot.

[0038] Furthermore, when user U kicks out with their left leg, the pelvis rotates clockwise around the yaw axis in a plan view. Since the seating portion 14 is configured to rotate around the yaw axis relative to the movable portion body 30, this rotational movement of the pelvis is performed smoothly. The same is true when user U kicks out with their right leg. In this way, the pelvis moves from side to side and rotates around the yaw axis, which encourages anterior pelvic tilt and can serve as a catalyst for developing good posture with an upright pelvis as a habit.

[0039] Here, we will explain the significance of the restoration unit 12. If the restoration unit 12 were omitted, it would be difficult to return the movable part 10 to the neutral position once it deviated to the left or right from the neutral position. Specifically, even if user U can momentarily release the load on the movable part 10, it would be difficult to return the movable part 10 to the neutral position at that moment. In contrast, if the restoration unit 12 is provided, the movable part 10 is biased toward the neutral position simply by user U momentarily releasing the load on the movable part 10, so the movable part 10 can be easily returned to the neutral position by utilizing the inertia gained when the movable part 10 was biased. However, it is preferable that the elastic restoring force of the restoration unit 12 be adjustable according to the user U's physique and muscle strength. That is, when user U, who is not accustomed to using their trunk muscles, uses the exercise chair 3, it is advisable to set a larger spring constant for the restoration unit 12 so that the movable part 10 actively returns to the neutral position. On the other hand, if user U, who is accustomed to using their core muscles, uses the exercise chair 3, it is advisable to set a smaller spring constant for the restorative unit 12. A smaller spring constant for the restorative unit 12 will cause the movable part 10 to return less to the neutral position, requiring the activation of the core muscles each time the movable part 10 is returned to the neutral position. In this way, the load on the core muscles can be adjusted by changing the spring constant of the restorative unit 12. Depending on the user U's skill level, the restorative unit 12 may also be omitted.

[0040] In this embodiment, when the movable part 10 moves to the right, the seat surface 14a of the seating part 14 tilts to the right. Similarly, when the movable part 10 moves to the left, the seat surface 14a of the seating part 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 seating part 14 is made able to tilt left and right relative to the movable part body 30 by the universal joint 31. Consequently, the tilt angle of the seat surface 14a of the seating part 14 follows the natural tilt angle of the user U's pelvis, thereby ensuring that the comfort of sitting on the seating part 14 during exercise is not compromised.

[0041] (1st stable part 4) Returning to Figures 1 and 2, the first stabilizing part 4 contacts the user U, who is seated on the seating part 14, at a position facing the first specific part, which is either the 5th or 9th thoracic vertebra of the user U's thoracic spine, in the anterior-posterior direction, thereby suppressing the movement of the first specific part.

[0042] The first stabilizing section 4 is supported by the frame 21 of the exercise chair 3 via a support section 50. The support section 50 is provided with a yaw joint 51. The support section 50 includes a movable support section 50a that is closer to the first stabilizing section 4 than the yaw joint 51, and a fixed support section 50b that is further from the first stabilizing section 4 than the yaw joint 51. The movable support section 50a is configured to be yaw-rotatable relative to the fixed support section 50b via the yaw joint 51.

[0043] As shown in Figure 4, the movable support portion 50a has a movable shaft 50c that protrudes upward. The fixed support portion 50b has a bracket 50d that rotatably supports the movable shaft 50c. The yaw joint 51 is composed of the movable shaft 50c and the bracket 50d. Due to the presence of the yaw joint 51, the movable support portion 50a is able to yaw-rotate relative to the fixed support portion 50b.

[0044] The yaw joint 51 is provided with a restricting section 52. The restricting section 52 includes a positioning hole 52a provided in the movable support section 50a, a positioning hole 52b provided in the bracket 50d, and a positioning pin 52c. When the positioning pin 52c is inserted into the positioning holes 52a and 52b while the positioning holes 52a and 52b are aligned with each other, yaw rotation of the movable support section 50a relative to the fixed support section 50b is prohibited. Conversely, when the positioning pin 52c is removed from the positioning holes 52a and 52b, yaw rotation of the movable support section 50a relative to the fixed support section 50b is permitted.

[0045] In this embodiment, the support portion 11 holds the first stabilizing portion 4 so as to be switchable between a contact position and a retracted position. The restricting portion 52 restricts the first stabilizing portion 4 from switching from the contact position to the retracted position. The contact position is the position in which the first stabilizing portion 4 can make contact with a user U seated on the seating portion 14, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the first stabilizing portion 4 faces the first specific portion in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the retracted position is a position different from the contact position, where the user U retracts to sit on the seating portion 14.

[0046] In Figures 1 and 2, the first stabilizing part 4 is in the contact position. The yaw joint 51 in this position is shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, by inserting the positioning pin 52c into the positioning holes 52a and 52b while the first stabilizing part 4 is in the contact position, the state in which the first stabilizing part 4 is in the contact position can be maintained. That is, even if an external force is applied to the first stabilizing part 4 while it is in the contact position, the first stabilizing part 4 will not move.

[0047] In contrast, in the state shown in Figure 4, the first stabilizing part 4 can be moved by removing the positioning pin 52c from the positioning holes 52a and 52b. That is, in the state shown in Figure 2, by removing the positioning pin 52c, the first stabilizing part 4 can be moved to the right as seen from the user U, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1. This allows the user U to sit down smoothly on the seating part 14.

[0048] The following will explain in detail how the first stabilizing part 4 suppresses the movement of the first specific part, which is either the 5th or 9th thoracic vertebra of the user U, by contacting the user U, who is seated on the seating part 14, at a position facing the first specific part in the anterior-posterior direction.

[0049] In other words, the way people move their bodies is unique to each individual, and the way they prioritize moving certain joints differs depending on that individuality, as known by the 4-stance theory. For example, when sitting down, there are two types: those who sit with their knees forward (posterior pelvic tilt type) and those who sit with their waist bent (bowing) and their buttocks sticking out (anterior pelvic tilt type). The posterior pelvic tilt type often has their center of gravity towards the rear, and when sitting with their knees forward, they predominantly use the quadriceps femoris, tibialis anterior, and gluteus maximus to maintain a stable standing posture. On the other hand, the anterior pelvic tilt type often has their center of gravity towards the front, and to maintain a stable standing posture, they use the hamstrings, gastrocnemius, and iliopsoas muscles.

[0050] Humans, with their skeletons composed of multiple degrees of freedom and redundant joints, can choose from several movements when performing the function of sitting. Furthermore, the muscle groups that are predominantly used are those that are most efficient at generating muscle strength, which is why it is said that there are differences in everyday movements between those with anterior pelvic tilt and those with posterior pelvic tilt.

[0051] Figure 5 shows a frontal view of the human skeleton. In Figure 5, the areas enclosed in squares represent the sternum, elbow joint, knee joint, and tarsometatarsal joint, while the areas enclosed in circles represent the hip joint, shoulder joint, talocrural joint, and sternoclavicular joint. Individuals with an anterior pelvic tilt tend to move the areas enclosed in squares as joints and the areas enclosed in circles as abdomen. In other words, individuals with an anterior pelvic tilt tend to move the areas enclosed in circles actively, while keeping the areas enclosed in squares still.

[0052] Therefore, when a user U with an anterior pelvic tilt type performs lower limb exercises while seated, fixing the sternum is effective in stabilizing the trunk without disrupting the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk.

[0053] Figure 6 shows a side view of the human skeleton. As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, the first stabilizing part 4 is specifically positioned opposite the ninth thoracic vertebra in the anterior-posterior direction and is positioned to contact the user U seated on the seating part 14. The first stabilizing part 4 is in contact with the user U seated on the seating part 14 from the ventral side. Since it is not possible to directly fix the position of the ninth thoracic vertebra, the first stabilizing part 4 indirectly fixes the position of the ninth thoracic vertebra by contacting the user U at a position opposite the ninth thoracic vertebra in the anterior-posterior direction.

[0054] However, instead of the first stabilizing part 4 contacting the user U at a position opposite to the ninth thoracic vertebra in the anterior-posterior direction, the first stabilizing part 4 may contact the user U at a position opposite to the fifth thoracic vertebra in the anterior-posterior direction. This is because, even among people with the same anterior pelvic tilt type, some have the ninth thoracic vertebra as the joint during movement, while others have the fifth thoracic vertebra as the joint during movement. In short, the aforementioned first specific part will be either the fifth thoracic vertebra or the ninth thoracic vertebra.

[0055] Furthermore, the exercise chair 3 is configured not to restrict the movement of the user U's thoracic vertebrae other than the first specific part. In other words, there is nothing that comes into contact with the user U at a position that is opposite to the user U's thoracic vertebrae other than the first specific part in the anterior-posterior direction. As a result, the twisting movement of the thoracic vertebrae with the first specific part as a joint is not hindered during leg-paddle exercise.

[0056] The first stabilizing part 4 is made of a cushioning material. Typically, the first stabilizing part 4 is formed to be convex toward the user U. This makes it possible to achieve a simple configuration that does not restrict the movement of parts of the user U's thoracic spine other than the first specific part.

[0057] (Second stable part 5) Returning to Figures 1 and 2, the second stabilizing part 5 contacts the user U, who is seated on the seating part 14, at a position facing the second specific part, which is either the user U's head or either the first or fourth cervical vertebra of the user U's cervical spine, in the front-to-back direction, thereby suppressing the movement of the second specific part.

[0058] As shown in Figure 2, the second stabilizing part 5 is supported by the frame 21 of the exercise chair 3 via the second support part 55.

[0059] As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, the second stabilizing part 5 contacts user U, who is seated on the seating part 14, at a position facing user U in the anterior-posterior direction relative to user U's first cervical vertebra, thereby suppressing the movement of the first cervical vertebra. That is, a person with the aforementioned pelvic anterior tilt type moves using either user U's head or either the first or fourth cervical vertebra of user U's cervical vertebrae as a joint. The second stabilizing part 5 is configured not to suppress the movement of user U's head or parts of user U's cervical vertebrae other than the second specific part. In other words, the exercise chair 3 does not have a configuration that suppresses the movement of parts other than the second specific part. Therefore, when the second stabilizing part 5 contacts user U, who is seated on the seating part 14, at a position facing user U in the anterior-posterior direction relative to user U's head or either the first or fourth cervical vertebra of user U's cervical vertebrae, the position of the head can typically be stabilized without hindering user U's movement. By stabilizing the head position, user U's gaze can be suppressed, and user U's ability to perform desk work will not be impaired.

[0060] The second stabilizing part 5 is made of a cushioning material. Typically, the second stabilizing part 5 is formed to be convex toward the user U. As a result, the second stabilizing part 5 has difficulty restricting the movement of the user U's head and the parts of the user U's cervical spine other than the second specific part.

[0061] In this embodiment, the second stabilizing part 5 contacts the user U, who is seated on the seating part 14, from the rear. By configuring the first stabilizing part 4 to contact the user U from the front and the second stabilizing part 5 to contact the user U from the rear, the first stabilizing part 4 and the second stabilizing part 5 sandwich the user U from the front and back, so that the first stabilizing part 4 and the second stabilizing part 5 can make stable contact with the user U.

[0062] Furthermore, it is desirable that, in a side view of the human body, the foot when the knee joint is extended lies on the line connecting the second and first specified parts mentioned above. This allows for effective use of the trunk muscles during pedaling exercises.

[0063] The first embodiment has been described above, and the above embodiment has the following features.

[0064] The exercise chair 3 is designed for user U to perform lower limb exercises while seated. The exercise chair 3 includes a seating section 14 on which user U can sit, and a first stabilizing section 4 that contacts user U, who is seated on the seating section 14, at a position facing either the 5th or 9th thoracic vertebra of user U's thoracic spine in the front-to-back direction, thereby suppressing the movement of the 1st specific section. The exercise chair 3 is configured not to suppress the movement of any part of user U's thoracic spine other than the 1st specific section. With this configuration, when performing lower limb exercises while seated, the trunk can be stabilized without hindering the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk.

[0065] Furthermore, the first stabilizing part 4 is configured to contact the user U, who is seated on the seating part 14, from the ventral side. The exercise chair 3 further includes a support part 11 that holds the first stabilizing part 4 so that it can switch between a contact position and a retracted position, and a restricting part 52 that restricts the switching of the first stabilizing part 4 from the contact position to the retracted position. With the above configuration, it becomes easier for the user U to sit on the seating part 14.

[0066] Furthermore, the exercise chair 3 further includes a second stabilizing part 5 that contacts the user U seated on the seating part 14 at a position facing the user U in the front-to-back direction, thereby suppressing the movement of the second specific part, which is either the user U's head or one of the first or fourth cervical vertebrae of the user U's cervical spine. The exercise chair 3 may also be configured so as not to suppress the movement of the user U's head or the parts of the user U's cervical spine other than the second specific part. With the above configuration, when performing lower limb exercises while seated, the head can be stabilized without hindering the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk.

[0067] Furthermore, the first stabilizing part 4 is in contact with the user U from the ventral side, and the second stabilizing part 5 is in contact with the user from the dorsal side. With this configuration, the first stabilizing part 4 and the second stabilizing part 5 can stably contact the user U.

[0068] Furthermore, the first stabilizing part 4 may be configured to be convex toward the user. With the above configuration, it is possible to realize a configuration that does not restrict the movement of parts of the user U's thoracic spine other than the first specific part.

[0069] Furthermore, the seating portion 14 may be configured to perform at least one of the following rotations: roll rotation, pitch rotation, or yaw rotation. With the above configuration, the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk can be effectively realized.

[0070] The lower limb exercise system 1 includes the exercise chair 3 described above and a foot-pedaling exercise device 2 as a lower limb exercise device. With this configuration, a lower limb exercise system 1 is realized that allows for lower limb exercises in a seated position without disrupting the kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk, and without stabilizing the trunk.

[0071] Furthermore, the pedal-powered exercise device 2 is an exercise device that applies load to the flexion and extension movements of the user's hip and knee joints. With this configuration, effective lower limb exercise can be achieved.

[0072] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment, omitting any redundant explanations.

[0073] In the first embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 6, the first stabilizing portion 4 is configured to contact the user U from the ventral side, and the second stabilizing portion 5 is configured to contact the user U from the dorsal side.

[0074] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the first stabilizing part 4 is configured to contact the user U from the dorsal side, and the second stabilizing part 5 is configured to contact the user U from the ventral side. Even in this case, the first stabilizing part 4 and the second stabilizing part 5 can stably contact the user U. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Lower Limb Motor System 2. Pedal-powered exercise equipment 3 exercise chair 4 1st stable part 5 Second stable part 6. Main unit 7 Crank 7a Crank axle 8 pedals 10 Moving parts 10R Roll Axis 11 Support part 12 Restoration Units 14. Seating area 14a Seat 20 Legs 21 frames 22 rails 22c Left rail section 22d Right rail section 30 Movable body 31 Universal Joint 32 Coil Springs 33 Joint part 40 Restoration coil springs 50 Support part 50a Movable support part 50b Fixed support part 50c movable axis 50d bracket 51 Yaw joint 52 Regulatory Department 52a Positioning hole 52b Positioning hole 52c Positioning pin 55 Second support part

Claims

1. An exercise chair for users to perform lower limb exercises while seated, The aforementioned seating area where the user can sit, A first stabilizing part that suppresses the movement of a first specific part, which is either the fifth or ninth thoracic vertebra of the user's thoracic spine, by contacting the user seated on the seat at a position facing the first specific part in the front-to-back direction, A second stabilizing part that contacts the user seated on the seat at a position facing the user's head or one of the first or fourth cervical vertebrae of the user's cervical spine in the front-to-back direction, thereby suppressing the movement of the second specific part, Includes, The system is configured not to restrict the movement of the user's thoracic spine in any part other than the first specific part. The system is configured not to restrict the movement of the user's head and cervical vertebrae, except for the second specified part. exercise chair.

2. The first stabilizing portion is configured to contact the user seated on the seating portion from the ventral side, The aforementioned exercise chair further, A support portion that holds the first stabilizing portion so that the first stabilizing portion can be switched between a contact position and a retracted position, A restricting unit that restricts the first stabilizing unit from switching from the contact position to the retracted position, Includes, The contact position is a position in which the first stabilizing portion faces the first specific portion in the front-rear direction and is capable of contacting the user seated on the seating portion. The aforementioned retraction position is a position different from the aforementioned contact position, and is the position to which the user retracts in order to sit on the seating area. The exercise chair according to claim 1.

3. When the first stabilizing part contacts the user from the ventral side, the second stabilizing part contacts the user from the dorsal side. The exercise chair according to claim 1.

4. When the first stabilizing part contacts the user from the dorsal side, the second stabilizing part contacts the user from the ventral side. The exercise chair according to claim 1.

5. The first stabilizing part is configured to be convex toward the user. The exercise chair according to claim 1.

6. The seating portion is configured to perform at least one of the following rotations: roll rotation, pitch rotation, or yaw rotation. The exercise chair according to claim 1.

7. An exercise chair according to any one of claims 1 to 6, Lower limb exercise equipment, including, Lower limb motor system.

8. The lower limb exercise device is an exercise device that applies load to the flexion and extension movements of the user's hip and knee joints. The lower limb exercise system according to claim 7.

9. The aforementioned lower limb exercise equipment is a foot-pedaling exercise device or a foot-stepping exercise device. The lower limb exercise system according to claim 8.

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