Training apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a training apparatus, which comprises a seat unit 30 including a seat 35 allowing a user M to sit thereon, a foot plate 42 adapted to allow the user M sitting on the seat 35 to keep his/her feet bottoms in contact therewith, a displacement mechanism unit 38 adapted to apply to the user M a load against a straining force generated when the user M sitting on the seat 35 while keeping the feet bottoms in contact with the foot plate 42 strains his/her legs, and a base board 20 mounting thereon the above components. The foot plate 42 is adapted to be changed in posture between a horizontal posture T1 where it protrudes approximately horizontally and outwardly from a pair of footrest frames 41 mounted on the base board 20, and a vertical posture T2 where it protrudes approximately vertically and upward from the footrest frames 41 at approximately the same height level as a that of the seat 35. The present invention can provide a training apparatus capable of allowing a user to readily sit on the seat 35 in the same manner as that for sitting on a chair, and friendly to elderly persons.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a training apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are assembly perspective views of the training apparatus in FIG. 1, respectively, viewed from the right front side thereof, and viewed from the left rear side thereof, wherein a foot plate is set in a vertical posture, and an outer cover is detached from the training apparatus.

FIGS. 3A to 3C are assembly perspective views of the training apparatus in FIG. 1, which has the outer cover attached thereto, wherein: FIG. 3A shows a state after the foot plate is set in a horizontal posture (hereinafter also referred to as “inactive posture”) and a seat is set at a home position; FIG. 3B shows a state after the foot plate is set in the vertical posture and the seat is set at a front position; and FIG. 3C shows a state after the foot plate is set in the vertical posture and the seat is set at a rear position.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are side views of the training apparatus, wherein FIG. 4A shows a state after the foot plate is set in the vertical posture and the seat is set at the home position, and FIG. 4B shows the state after the foot plate is set in the vertical posture and the seat is set at the rear position.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are explanatory fragmentary perspective views showing one example of a reclining-angle adjustment mechanism of the training apparatus, wherein FIG. 5A shows a state after a reclining posture of a backrest is locked by the reclining-angle adjustment mechanism, and FIG. 5B shows a state after the locked state of the reclining posture of the backrest is released by a given action of the reclining-angle adjustment mechanism.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory block diagram showing an operational control of the training apparatus based on a control unit.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing one example of a layout of an operation panel.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an initial stage in one example of a control process of the training apparatus.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an intermediate stage in the example of the control process of the training apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a last stage in the example of the control process of the training apparatus.

Claims

1. A training apparatus comprising: a seat arranged at a given height position;a foot plate provided on a frontward side of and in spaced-apart relation to said seat by a specified distance;a displacement mechanism for allowing said seat and said foot plate to be relatively displaced away from and close to each other;a load-applying device for applying a prescribed load between said seat and said foot plate due to a relative movement therebetween; anda posture change mechanism for changing the posture of said foot plate between an inactive posture where said foot plate is in a posture such that a user's feet can be placed thereupon from the above and an active posture where the foot plate is in an upright posture so that a user can initiate an exercise with this training apparatus.

2. The training apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an operation unit which is externally operated; anda control unit for controlling said load-applying device and said posture change mechanism,wherein said posture change mechanism is operable, in response to a signal generated from said control unit based on the operation of said operation unit, to change said foot plate from said inactive posture to said active posture.

3. The training apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said posture change mechanism includes: an arm supporting said foot plate with respect to said seat; anda rotation mechanism which rotates said arm by about 90 degrees so as to change said foot plate between said inactive posture and said active posture.

4. The training apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said displacement mechanism is operable to allow said seat to be displaced in a frontward/rearward direction of said apparatus.

5. The training apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said load-applying device is operable to apply the load against a rearward displacement of said seat.

6. The training apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said load-applying device is an electrical load generator which is operable to immovably lock said seat at a frontmost position thereof until said foot plate starts being moved from said inactive posture in response to a signal generated from said control unit based on the operation of said operation unit and to release said locked state when said foot plate is moved in response to a signal generated from said control unit based on the operation of said operation unit.

7. The training apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said load-applying device is an electrical load generator which is operable, just after said foot plate starts being moved from said inactive position toward said active position in response to a signal from said control unit, to start applying the load in such a manner that said seat is biased in a frontward direction of said apparatus.

8. The training apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said load-applying device is an electrical load generator which is operable, in response to a signal from said control unit, to increase the load in a vicinity of a rear end of a displaceable range of said seat in such a manner that it becomes larger as said seat is displaced closer to said rear end.

9. The training apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said operation unit is adapted to allow body information of a user to be input therefrom; and said control unit is operable, based on the body information input from said operation unit, to set at least either one of a level of the load to be applied from said load-applying device and a displaceable range of said seat.

10. The training apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said foot plate is oriented in a horizontal posture when in said inactive posture so that the user can step on said foot plate while the user sits on said seat in an ordinary sitting manner and said foot plate is oriented in a vertical posture when in said active posture so that the user's feet can abut against the foot plate in a horizontal direction.

11. A training apparatus comprising: a seat arranged at a given height position;a foot plate provided on a frontward side of and in spaced-apart relation to said seat by a specified distance;a displacement mechanism for allowing said seat and said foot plate to be relatively displaced away from and close to each other;a load-applying device for applying a prescribed load between said seat and said foot plate due to a relative movement therebetween; anda posture change mechanism for changing the posture of said foot plate between a horizontal posture at a lowermost position with respect to the seat so that a user's feet can be placed thereupon while the user is in an ordinary sitting posture and a vertical posture at a frontal end position with respect to the seat so that a user's feet can abut against said foot plate in a horizontal direction.

12. The training apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said foot plate is rotatably supported at the frontal end of the seat by an arm and said arm is in about a vertical position when said foot plate is in the horizontal posture and said arm is in about a horizontal position when said foot plate is in the vertical posture.