BODY BALANCE CORRECTING APPARATUS AND BODY BALANCE CORRECTING METHOD

Abstract

This body balance correcting apparatus is capable of improving blood circulation, skeletal balance and the like from the inside of the body by oscillating the body of a user, and includes an oscillation panel which supports the user in a recumbent position, a support device which supports the oscillation panel so as to enable the oscillation panel to oscillate in the in-plane direction, a drive device which oscillates the oscillation panel in the axial direction of the body of a user, and a controller which controls the acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation by the drive device. The oscillation panel can be adjusted to oscillate at an amplitude in the horizontal direction with respect to the support device in a range of about 0 to 6 cm and within 15 cm and with a cycle in a range of about 0.5 to 2.0 seconds, and by adjusting the acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation of the oscillation panel by the control order from the controller, blood circulation and skeletal balance can be improved from the inside of the body of the user.

Claims

1. A body balance correcting apparatus comprising an oscillation panel for supporting a user in a recumbent position, a support device for supporting said oscillation panel so as to enable said oscillation panel to oscillate in the in-plane direction, a drive means for oscillating said oscillation panel with respect to said support device, and an oscillation control means for controlling oscillation caused by said drive means, wherein said oscillation control means is equipped with an amplitude adjustment means capable of adjusting an amplitude A of the oscillation of said oscillation panel in the horizontal direction with respect to said support device at least in a range of 0 to 6 cm and within 15 cm, a cycle adjustment means capable of adjusting a cycle T of the oscillation of said oscillation panel at least in a range of 0.5 to 2.0 seconds, and an acceleration adjustment means for making adjustment of acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation of said oscillation panel, and wherein the amplitude, cycle and repetition between acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation of said oscillation panel are controlled by said oscillation control means, thereby allowing a force equivalent to the acceleration from said drive means to act on the whole body of the user including one's skeletal, muscular and blood circulatory systems.

2. The body balance correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a restraint means for suppressing the movement of the body of said user is provided on the upper surface side of said oscillation panel.

3. The body balance correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support device is provided with an upper load measurement means for making measurement of an upper load inclusive of a mass of said oscillation panel.

4. The body balance correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said oscillation panel is divided into a plurality of oscillation panel units as seen from a plane, and a drive means is provided every oscillation panel unit to oscillate each respective oscillation panel unit with respect to said support device.

5. A body balance correcting method characterized by using a body balance correcting apparatus comprising an oscillation panel for supporting a user in a recumbent position, a support device for supporting said oscillation panel so as to enable said oscillation panel to oscillate in the in-plane direction, a drive means for oscillating said oscillation panel with respect to said support device, and an oscillation control means for controlling oscillation caused by said drive means, said oscillation control means being equipped with an amplitude adjustment means capable of adjusting an amplitude A of the oscillation of said oscillation panel in the horizontal direction with respect to said support device at least in a range of 0 to 6 cm and within 15 cm, a cycle adjustment means capable of adjusting a cycle T of the oscillation of said oscillation panel at least in a range of 0.5 to 2.0 seconds, and an acceleration adjustment means for making adjustment of acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation of said oscillation panel, wherein the amplitude, cycle and repetition between acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation of said oscillation panel are controlled by said oscillation control means, thereby allowing a force equivalent to the acceleration from said drive means to act on the whole body of the user including one's skeletal, muscular and blood circulatory systems.

6. The body balance correcting method according to claim 5, wherein said oscillation control means controls said oscillation panel to oscillate at an amplitude in a range of 2 to 6 cm and with a cycle in a range of 0.8 to 1.5 seconds.

7. A body balance correcting apparatus comprising an oscillation panel for supporting a user in a recumbent position, a support device for supporting said oscillation panel so as to enable said oscillation panel to oscillate in the in-plane direction, a drive means for oscillating said oscillation panel with respect to said support device, and an oscillation control means for controlling oscillation caused by said drive means, said oscillation panel being divided into a plurality of oscillation panel units as seen from a plane, and the drive means being provided every oscillation panel unit to oscillate each respective oscillation panel unit with respect to said support device, wherein said oscillation control means is equipped with an amplitude adjustment means capable of adjusting an amplitude A of the oscillation of said each respective oscillation panel unit in the horizontal direction with respect to said support device, a cycle adjustment means capable of adjusting a cycle T of the oscillation of said each respective oscillation panel unit, and an acceleration adjustment means for making adjustment of acceleration of the oscillation of said each respective oscillation panel unit, and wherein the amplitude, cycle and repetition between acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation of said each respective oscillation panel unit are controlled by said oscillation control means, thereby allowing a force equivalent to the acceleration from said drive means corresponding to said each respective oscillation panel unit to act on the whole body of the user including one's skeletal, muscular and blood circulatory systems.

8. A body balance correcting method characterized by using a body balance correcting apparatus comprising an oscillation panel for supporting a user in a recumbent position, a support device for supporting said oscillation panel so as to enable said oscillation panel to oscillate in the in-plane direction, a drive means for oscillating said oscillation panel with respect to said support device, and an oscillation control means for controlling oscillation caused by said drive means, said oscillation panel being divided into a plurality of oscillation panel units as seen from a plane, the drive means being provided every oscillation panel unit to oscillate each respective oscillation panel unit with respect to said support device, said oscillation control means being equipped with an amplitude adjustment means capable of adjusting an amplitude A of the oscillation of said each respective oscillation panel unit in the horizontal direction with respect to said support device, a cycle adjustment means capable of adjusting a cycle T of the oscillation of said each respective oscillation panel unit, and an acceleration adjustment means for making adjustment of acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation of said each respective oscillation panel unit, wherein the amplitude, cycle and repetition between acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation of said each respective oscillation panel unit are controlled by said oscillation control means, thereby allowing a force equivalent to the acceleration from said drive means corresponding to said each respective oscillation panel unit to act on the whole body of the user including one's skeletal, muscular and blood circulatory systems.

9. The body balance correcting method according to claim 8, wherein at least part of the mutually adjacent oscillation panel units is subjected to oscillation in the opposite direction.

10. The body balance correcting method according to claim 8, wherein said oscillation control means controls said each respective oscillation panel unit to oscillate at an amplitude in a range of 0 to 6 cm and with a cycle in a range of 0 to 1.5 seconds.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0072] FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a force generated inside the body of a user with a body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 1(a) being a cross-sectional view showing the direction of the force generated inside the body when an oscillation panel is accelerated in the left direction in FIG. 1(a), FIG. 1(b) being a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1(a), FIG. 1(c) being a cross-sectional view showing the direction of the force generated inside the body when the oscillation panel is accelerated in the right direction in FIG. 1(c), and FIG. 1(d) being a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1(c).

[0073] FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a force applied to the body of the user through the oscillation panel with the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2(a) being a cross-sectional view showing the direction of the force applied to the body through the oscillation panel at the moment that the oscillation panel is decelerated on the left side in FIG. 2(a) so that the accelerating direction is reversed, and FIG. 2(b) being a cross-sectional view showing one instance of the direction of the force applied to the body through the oscillation panel at the moment that the oscillation panel is decelerated on the right side in FIG. 2(a) so that the accelerating direction is reversed.

[0074] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the direction of oscillation of the oscillation panel with respect to a support device in the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention.

[0075] FIG. 4 is an explanatory view planarly showing the oscillation panel in the form of being divided into two, namely right and left oscillation panel units in the body direction of the user, as another embodiment of the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention.

[0076] FIG. 5 is an explanatory view planarly showing the oscillation panel in the form of being divided into two, namely front and rear oscillation panel units in the body direction of the user, as still another embodiment of the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention.

[0077] FIG. 6 is an explanatory view planarly showing the oscillating panel in the form of being divided into four, namely the front, rear, right and left oscillation panel units, as still more another embodiment of the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention.

MODE FOR EMBODYING THE INVENTION

[0078] Hereinafter will be described the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

[0079] FIG. 3 shows one instance of the direction of oscillation of an oscillation panel 3 with respect to a support device 2 in a body balance correcting apparatus 1 of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the direction of an arrow which indicates reciprocation is the direction of oscillation of the oscillation panel 3, and shall be the axial direction of the body of a user. As far as the support device 2 is of a type capable of installation of a drive means, it may be possible also for the support device to take a thin panel form without being limited to a support base-like form. Alternatively, a hollow box-type support device having a reinforcing rib therein is available as well, for instance.

[0080] FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a force generated inside the body of a user H when the oscillation panel 3 is subjected to oscillation, in regard to one embodiment of the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 1, a broken line part represented by a reference numeral 4 indicates a linear servo motor or like drive device as the drive means, and this embodiment assumes that the drive device should be interposed between an inner upper part of the support device 2 and a central part of a lower surface of the oscillation panel 3 to apply a drive force in the linear direction. Reference numeral 5 represents a controller equipped with a microcomputer as a control means.

[0082] The number of drive device 4 is not limited to one, and accordingly, a plurality of drive devices may be arranged in a decentralized manner to perform driving in synchronization with each other. Further, it may be possible also for the drive device to be installed between a side surface of the support device 2 and a peripheral edge of the oscillation panel 3, for instance.

[0083] The upper surface of the support device 2 and the lower surface of the oscillation panel 3 shall constitute a structure in which the oscillation panel is supported to the support device through a slide surface formed using a low frictional material or alternatively, through a plurality of rollers or ball rollers, for instance, thereby allowing the oscillation panel 3 to oscillate with a smaller drive force.

[0084] In regards to FIG. 1, FIG. 1(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the force generated inside the body of the user H when the oscillation panel 3 is accelerated in the left direction in FIG. 1(a), and FIG. 1(b) is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1(a). FIG. 1(c) is a cross-sectional view showing the force generated inside the body of the user H when the oscillation panel 3 is accelerated in the right direction in FIG. 1(c), and FIG. 1(d) is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1(c).

[0085] The oscillation panel 3 can be adjusted to oscillate at an amplitude A in the horizontal direction with respect to the support device 2 at least in a range of 0 to 6 cm and within 15 cm and with a cycle T at least in a range of 0.5 to 2.0 seconds, and hence, acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation of the oscillation panel 3 shall be adjusted in response to a control order from the controller 5.

[0086] An appropriate range for the amplitude A to be controlled by the controller 5 after start of the oscillation of the oscillation panel 3 is from about 2 to 6 cm, and an appropriate range for the cycle T to be controlled as described the above is from about 0.8 to 1.5 seconds. Application of the acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation or that of the rapid acceleration and rapid deceleration thereof in the above amplitude range and in the above cycle range allows the force or impact equivalent to the acceleration to be imparted to the whole body of the user, thereby resulting in relaxing the user mentally, while enabling amelioration of blood circulation, correction of skeleton and joint correction and consequently, correction of body balance over the wide range of the body of the user to be achieved by the interaction caused by the difference in constitution and/or form of the body tissues between the internal tissues of the whole body of the user including one's skeletal, muscular and blood circulatory systems.

[0087] In principle, the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention makes use of a drive energy generated by the drive device 4 as a force for oscillation of the body of the user H through the oscillation panel 3, and is to enable amelioration of blood circulation, correction of skeleton and joint positions and consequently, correction of body balance to be achieved by the interaction caused by the difference in constitution and/or form of the body tissues between the internal tissues of the whole body of the user H including one's skeletal, muscular and blood circulatory systems during the time that the body of the user is being subjected to oscillation, unlike a conventional type of massaging apparatus which is to directly apply a force to the human body in the form of a massaging and/or pressing or stimulation-imparting force with an energy generated by the drive source.

[0088] Namely, the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention shall allow the direction of even a force acting on blood flowing through blood vessel to be changed alternately during repetitive reciprocation of the oscillation panel 3, because the user H is laid in the recumbent position on the oscillation panel 3. The acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation inclusive of the rapid acceleration and rapid deceleration thereof are repeated during the time that the body of the user is being subjected to oscillation together with the oscillation panel 3, and accordingly, the blood circulation comes to be ameliorated even though there is a frictional force being generated between the inner wall of the blood vessel and the blood flow.

[0089] Likewise, in regards to the tissues of the skeletal and muscular systems and the like, the acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation are repeated so that a mutually massaging force shall be imparted during the time that the body of the user is being subjected to oscillation in a situation where the user is relaxed with one's body stretched in the recumbent position, and accordingly, an effect of body balance correction inclusive of the skeletal correction can be obtained.

[0090] FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a force applied to the body of the user through the oscillation panel 3 with the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2(a) being a cross-sectional view showing the direction of the force applied to the body through the oscillation panel 3 at the moment that the oscillation panel is decelerated on the left side in FIG. 2(a) so that the accelerating direction is reversed, and FIG. 2(b) being a cross-sectional view showing the direction of the force applied to the body through the oscillation panel 3 at the moment that the oscillation panel is decelerated on the right side in FIG. 2(a) so that the accelerating direction is reversed.

[0091] In addition to the function as described with reference to FIG. 1, according to the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention, when the acceleration and deceleration of the oscillation are repeated during the time that the body of the user is being subjected to oscillation together with the oscillation panel 3 by the drive device 4, there is a frictional resistance force being imparted even in a position of contact between the oscillation panel 3 and the body part of the user H so that the user may have a sense of inertia force, in which case, however, the frictional resistance force in the position of contact therebetween at that time is allowed to act as a pressing force against the body part of the user, and accordingly, the massage effect can be obtained.

[0092] When the user H wants to get the massage effect on one's specific body part, it is possible for the user to obtain the massage effect on that specific body part by taking a posture in which the user presses one's specific body part against the oscillation panel 3, or alternatively, by using an exclusive pad and the like in accordance with the user's preference.

[0093] FIG. 4 planarly shows the oscillation panel 3 in the form of being divided into two, namely right and left oscillation panel units in the body direction of the user, as another embodiment of the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention.

[0094] In contrast to the above configuration of the body balance correcting apparatus 1 comprising the oscillation panel 3 for supporting the user in the recumbent position, the support device 2 for supporting the oscillation panel 3 so as to enable the oscillation panel 3 to oscillate in the in-plane direction, the drive device 4 for oscillating the oscillation panel 3 with respect to the support device 2, and the controller 5 for controlling the oscillation caused by the drive device 4 as shown in FIG. 1, an embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is to provide the body balance correcting apparatus configured such that the oscillation panel 3 is in the form of being divided into the right and left oscillation panel units in the body direction of the user H.

[0095] In this case, when the directions of oscillation of the respective oscillation panel units 3a, 3b are controlled to be reversed to each other, a massage action can be imparted in the form of application of periodic twist between a right half and a left half of the body of the user. It is to be noted that it may be possible also for the right and left oscillation panel units 3a, 3b to oscillate in synchronization with each other in the same direction.

[0096] FIG. 5 planarly shows the oscillation panel 3 in the form of being divided into two, namely front and rear oscillation panel units in the body direction of the user, as still another embodiment of the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention.

[0097] In this case, when the directions of oscillation of the respective oscillation panel units 3a, 3b are controlled to be reversed to each other, the massage action can be also imparted in the form of application of periodic twist between an upper half and a lower half of the body of the user. It is to be noted that it may be possible also for the oscillation panel units 3a, 3b to oscillate in synchronization with each other in the same direction.

[0098] FIG. 6 planarly shows the oscillation panel in the form of being divided into four, namely the front, rear, right and left oscillation panel units, as still more another embodiment of the body balance correcting apparatus of the present invention.

[0099] In this case, for instance, when the left-sided front and rear oscillation panel units 3a, 3c are subjected to oscillation in synchronization with each other in the longitudinal direction, while the right-sided front and rear oscillation panel units 3b, 3d are subjected to oscillation in synchronization with each other in the direction opposite to the left-sided two oscillation panel units, the same motion as the oscillation panel 3 in the form of being divided into the right and left oscillation panel units can be obtained.

[0100] Likewise, when the front-sided right and left oscillation panel units 3a, 3b are subjected to oscillation in synchronization with each other in the horizontal direction, while the rear-sided right and left oscillation panel units 3c, 3d are subjected to oscillation in synchronization with each other in the direction opposite to the front-sided two oscillation panel units, the same motion as the oscillation panel 3 in the form of being divided into the front and rear oscillation panel units can be obtained.

[0101] Further, the four pieces of oscillation panel units 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d resulting from division of the oscillation panel 3 into the front, rear, right and left oscillation panel units can be controlled so as to make these oscillation panel units move independently of each other as well.

[0102] An elastic body 6 and the like capable of following each uncoordinated motion of the four pieces of oscillation panel units 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d resulting from division of the oscillation panel into the front, rear, right and left oscillation panel units can be interposed between these oscillation panel units so as to produce no clearance therebetween.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0103] H . . . User, 1 . . . Body balance correcting apparatus, 2 . . . Support device, 3 . . . Oscillation panel, 4 . . . Drive device, 5 . . . Controller, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d . . . Oscillation panel unit, 6 . . . Elastic body