Patent Application
20090143197
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a dual-shaft hinge module for mainly applied to a training apparatus providing exercise or rehabilitation functions, wherein, the hinge module allows a swinging member of the training apparatus to be controlled by a user to tilt and restore.
2. Description of Related Art
Examples of known training apparatuses with swinging members may be referred to the disclosure of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,613,690 and 4,509,743.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,690 provides a balance training machine that has a balance platform placed atop a base platform. The base platform may have either a spherically shaped convex support or a spherically shaped concave depression, with the balance platform having the complementary configuration to the base platform so that when the two platforms are combined, a low friction interface is formed therebetween. Further, a plurality of displacement sensors is provided on the base platform to determine a direction of the balance platform. The sensors are connected to a computer so that the computer can present a tilt angle of the balance platform at a display device through a suitable software for a user to easily access.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,743 comprises a base and a foot plate mounted in spaced relation above the base. The foot plate and base are interconnected by a plurality of springs disposed in a circular arrangement around the center of the foot plate so as to permit tilting of the foot plate relative to the base in all directions. Drive means is also provided for imparting a continuous irregular tilting movement to the foot plate so as to allow a user to stands on the foot plate and use the tilting movement to train his balance ability.
While the above prior arts are both related to training apparatuses allowing users to stand on swinging members thereof for training the users' balance ability, the present discloses a dual-shaft hinge module that is controlled by a swinging member of a training apparatus providing exercise or rehabilitation functions.
It is one objective of the present invention to provide a dual-shaft hinge module for being applied to a training apparatus providing exercise or rehabilitation functions, wherein the dual-shaft hinge module permits a swinging member of the training apparatus to be controlled by a user to tilt and restore.
It is another objective of the present invention to link the above dual-shaft hinge module to an interactive device so that the training apparatus can transmit signals about tilt angles and tilt directions of the swinging member to the interactive device in a wire or a wireless way. Then the interactive device processes the signals with a suitable software so that the suitable software can instantly present an interactive screen on a display device for the user's reference. The signals about the tilt angles and the tilt directions of the swinging member can be processed by the software to be presented as an object in the interactive screen so that the user can successively control the swinging member according to a situational presentation of the interactive screen so as to realize an interesting operational experience. The software and the interactive screen may function for providing gaming entertainment, exercise evaluation or training results.
To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the swinging member is supported by a swinging-member supporting unit to be positioned on a substantial surface of a training apparatus wherein the swinging-member supporting unit allows the swinging member to maintain balance in a static state thereof and tilt toward a direction where a downward deflecting force acting thereto and restore when the downward deflecting force is released. Further, when the swinging member tilts, a main post of a hinge module is driven to swing. Then a sensing unit senses a swinging direction and a swinging angle of the main post and converts them into a signal representing the tilt direction and the tilt angle of the swinging member. Afterward, the signal is transmitted to an interactive device in a wire or a wireless way. The interactive device at least comprises a computer, a display device, and a software stored in the computer for performing a specific function. The software receives and processes the signal output by the sensing unit and instantly presents an interactive screen through the display device. Further, after being proceeded by the software, the signal is presented as an object in the interactive screen.
The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
As the drawings recited in the following embodiments are provided for illustrating the concept of the present invention as described above, it is to be understood that the deformation and displacement of the components in these drawings are made for better explanation and need not to be made in scale.
The dual-shaft hinge module is mainly applied to an interactive training apparatus. Hereinafter, an interactive balance training device is described in company with the dual-shaft hinge module for explaining effects of the hinge module and a training device equipped with the disclosed hinge module. However, it is to be understood that the application of the disclosed hinge module is not limited to the balance training device while any exercise or rehabilitation apparatus having swinging members can also adopt the disclosed subject matter.
Referring to
The post 11 and a first shaft assembly 12 as well as a second shaft assembly 13 controlled by the main post 11, wherein the first shaft assembly 12 and the second shaft assembly 13 are perpendicular to each other and positioned at a shaft seat 20 such that the swingable main post 11 can rotate the first shaft assembly 12 and the second shaft assembly 13 clockwise or anticlockwise against axes thereof, respectively; and
a first sensing unit 30 and a second sensing unit 31, which are fixed at the shaft seat 20 and settled at one ends of the first shaft assembly 12 and the second shaft assembly 13, respectively, for sensing rotational directions and rotational angles of the first shaft assembly 12 and the second shaft assembly 13, respectively, so as to generate a signal that can be converted by a particular system circuitry or program and transmitted to the computer 452 of the interactive device 45 in a wire or a wireless way.
A stem 121 of the first shaft assembly 12 has two ends thereof equipped with anti-wear components and then positioned in a first shaft recess set 22 of a lower positioning seat 21 of the shaft seat 20. The main post 11 has a lower end thereof pivotably fastened to the stem 121 by a pivot 23 so that the main post 11 can swing against the pivot 23 along a first swinging direction and can also swing against the stem 121 along a second swinging direction.
The second shaft assembly 13 of the hinge module 10 comprises a driven member 14 embracing the main post 11. The driven member 14 provides a pair of touching rods 141 across the first rotational direction. Each two corresponding ends of the touching rods 141 are combined by a swinging plate 142. Each of the swinging plates 142 is connected to a shaft 15. The shaft 15 is equipped with an anti-wear component and then positioned in a second shaft recess set 24 of a lower positioning seat 21. Thereby, when swinging along the first swinging direction, the main post 11 presses one of the touching rods 141 so that the swinging plates 142 tilt against the shafts 15 accordingly and then the shafts 15 are driven to rotate.
Though the first swinging direction and the second swinging direction of the main post 11 are described above for illustrating movements of the first and second shaft assemblies 12, 13, it is to be stated that the main post 11 may swing in other directions in addition to the first and second shaft assemblies 12, 13. Actually, according to the present embodiment, the main post 11 may swing in all directions and despite the direction the main post 11 swings along, the first sensing unit 30 and/or the second sensing unit 31 can accordingly generate signals about the swinging direction and swinging angle of the main post 11. The sensing units 30, 31 of the present invention may employ conventional technology to sense the rotational angles and directions of the first and second shaft assemblies 12, 13. In the present embodiment, a variable resistance module is adopted to realize the sensing units 30, 31.
In addition to the lower positioning seat 21, the shaft seat 20 further comprises an upper positioning seat 25 axially aligned to the lower positioning seat 21. Another first and a second shaft recess sets 26, 27 are provided on the upper positioning seat 25 to be positionally corresponding to the first and second shaft recess sets 22, 24 of the lower positioning seat 21 so as to jointly position the first and second shaft assemblies 12, 13.
In
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It can be inferred that when the main post 11 moves along a direction between the first and second swinging directions, the stem 121 of the first shaft assembly 12 and the shafts 15 of the second shaft assembly 13 are synchronously driven to rotate for determined angles. Then the first sensing unit 30 and the second sensing unit 31 sense the rotational directions and angles to output processed signals to the computer 452 of the interactive device 45 in a wire or wireless way. The computer 452 then receives and processes the signals with the suitable software and the software instantly present an interactive screen in the display device 451 for a user's reference. The signals about the tilt angle and direction of the balance board 43 can be processed by the software to be presented as an object in the interactive screen. Therefore, the user can successively control the balance board 43 according to a situational presentation of the interactive screen so as to achieve an interesting operational experience. The software and the interactive screen may function for providing gaming entertainment, exercise evaluation or training results.
Although the particular embodiments of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations will be possible to the disclosed embodiments without going outside the scope of the invention as disclosed in the claims.
