Device for postural education

Abstract

The device for postural education comprises: two oscillating elements having respectively: one plantar resting portion for the resting of a foot of a user; one supporting portion opposite to the plantar resting portion and of a substantially convex shape; connection means of the oscillating elements; in which the supporting portion is adapted to allow the oscillation of the respective oscillating element as a result of the resting of the foot of the user.

Claims

1. A device for postural education, comprising: at least two oscillating elements having respectively: at least one plantar resting portion for a resting of a foot of a user; at least one supporting portion that is disposed substantially opposite to said plantar resting portion and of a substantially convex shape; a connection means that connects said oscillating elements, said connection means having an elongated shape and comprising at least one connection element having a first ending part that is coupled at a perimeter of one of said oscillating elements and a second ending part that is coupled at a perimeter of the other of said oscillating elements; wherein said supporting portion is adapted to allow an oscillation of the respective said oscillating element as a result of the resting of the foot of said user and comprising a resting surface having a predefined radius of curvature and a substantially hemispherical shape, wherein the device is configured to allow for mutual orientation of said oscillating elements, and wherein said ending parts are coupled in a sliding manner with said oscillating elements to adjust a distance between said oscillating elements.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising adjustment means for adjusting the distance between said oscillating elements.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said adjustment means comprise at least one elastic element.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein said adjustment means comprise at least one telescopic arm.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said plantar resting portion comprises at least one housing seat of the foot of said user.

6. The device according to claim 2, further comprising containment means of the foot of said user formed at a boarder of said housing seat.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said containment means comprise an adjustable abutment edge.

8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising limiting means of the oscillation of said oscillating elements.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said limiting means comprise a plurality of limiting elements associated in a sliding manner with a substantially sheet-shaped base element.

10. The device according to claim 1, further comprising locking means of the oscillation of said oscillating elements.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said locking means comprise a plurality of retaining elements having a height corresponding to a distance between a base element to which the retaining elements are coupled and said at least one supporting portion.

12. A kit for postural education, comprising: at least one device according to claim 1; a base element on top of which said device is configured to be positioned; a plurality of limiting elements coupled in a sliding manner with the base element; and a plurality of retaining elements having a height corresponding to the distance between said base element and said at least one supporting portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a device for postural education, illustrated by way of an indicative, but non-limiting example, in the attached drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is an axonometric view of the device according to the invention in a first embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 is an axonometric view from below of the device according to the invention in a second embodiment;

(4) FIG. 3 is an axonometric view from above of the device according to the invention in a third embodiment;

(5) FIG. 4 is an axonometric view of the device according to the invention in operating mode;

(6) FIG. 5 is a front view of the device according to the invention in operating mode;

(7) FIG. 6 is a plan view from above of the device according to the invention in a fourth embodiment;

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the device according to the invention in operating mode.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(9) With particular reference to these illustrations, reference numeral 1 globally indicates a device for postural education.

(10) The device 1 comprises two oscillating elements 2.

(11) The two oscillating elements 2 have respectively one plantar resting portion 3 for the resting of a foot 4 of a user 5, and one supporting portion 6 opposite to the plantar resting portion 3 and of a substantially convex shape.

(12) Advantageously, the plantar resting portion 3 comprises one housing seat 7 of the foot 4 of the user 5.

(13) Each housing seat 7 is substantially coaxial to the supporting portion 6, thus allowing an even distribution of the weight of the user 5.

(14) With reference to the particular embodiment shown in the illustrations, the oscillating elements 2 have a substantially circular shape. Alternative embodiments with different shapes, e.g. quadrangular, cannot however be ruled out.

(15) The device 1 also comprises containment means 17 to contain the foot 4 of the user 5 inside the housing seat 7.

(16) The containment means 17 comprise an adjustable abutment edge which extends laterally to the housing seat 7.

(17) In particular, the mutual distance (shown in the figure with the arrow 18) between the abutment edge 17 of one side of the housing seat 7 and the corresponding abutment edge 17 of the other side is variable according to the size of the foot 4 of the user 5.

(18) Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the oscillating elements 2 have a substantially elliptical shape. In this case, the housing seat 7 is formed along the direction of longitudinal extension of each plantar resting portion 3. Specifically, the supporting portion 6 is adapted to allow the oscillation of the respective oscillating element 2 as a result of the resting of the foot 4 of the user 5.

(19) Preferably, the supporting portion 6 comprises a resting surface 8 having a predefined radius of curvature; this means that the supporting portion 6 may have a more or less accentuated protrusion depending on the extension of the radius of curvature itself.

(20) With reference to the particular embodiment shown in the illustrations, the resting surface 8 has a substantially hemispherical shape.

(21) According to the invention, the device 1 comprises connection means 9 of the oscillating elements 2.

(22) The connection means 9 have an elongated shape and comprise one connecting element having a first ending part 10 associated with one of the oscillating elements 2 and a second ending part 11 associated with the other of the oscillating elements 2.

(23) Preferably, the connecting element 9 is of the type of a single monolithic body of elongated shape.

(24) Alternatively, the connecting element 9 is of the type of a universal joint (FIG. 2).

(25) Advantageously, the device 1 comprises adjustment means 12 for adjusting the distance of the oscillating elements 2.

(26) With reference to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the adjustment means 12 comprise an elastic element.

(27) Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein the adjustment means 12 comprise one telescopic arm (FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6).

(28) The device 1 comprises means for the mutual orientation 13 of the oscillating elements 2, schematically shown in the illustrations by means of the arrow 13; the ending parts 10, 11 are associated in a movable manner with the oscillating elements 2.

(29) The mutual orientation means 13 comprise a groove, not shown in detail in the illustrations, formed on the border of each oscillating element 2.

(30) The first ending part 10 and the second ending part 11 are associated in a sliding manner with the groove, so as to permit the free orientation of an oscillating element 2 with respect to the other.

(31) The mutual orientation means 13 allow orienting each oscillating element 2 independently with respect to the other.

(32) In other words, the mutual orientation means 13 allow for the partial rotation of each oscillating element 2 with respect to a central axis 14 passing through these.

(33) Furthermore, the device 1 comprises limiting means 15 of the oscillation of the oscillating elements 2.

(34) The limiting means 15 are adapted to vary the degrees of freedom of the oscillating elements 2; this allows modulating the oscillation of the oscillating elements 2 according to the specific needs of the user 5.

(35) The limiting means 15 comprise a plurality of triangular-based limiting elements of the type of wedges.

(36) The limiting elements 15 have different heights; in other words, the device 1 comprises limiting elements 15 having variable heights and usable in series to adjust the oscillation of each oscillating element 2.

(37) As can be seen in FIG. 4, the limiting elements 15 are associated in a sliding manner with a substantially sheet-shaped base element 16. The base element 16 has four limiting elements 15 arranged radially on the latter and equidistant to one another.

(38) The distance of each limiting element 15 with respect to the relative oscillating element 2 can be modulated according to the degree of oscillation you want to obtain.

(39) Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein the limiting means 15 comprise a plurality of planar elements having a central hole and located below the supporting portion 6. The planar elements can be stacked one on top of the other in such a way to form a shim designed to decrease the degrees of freedom of each oscillating element 2.

(40) The possibility to stop the oscillation of the oscillating elements 2 cannot however be ruled out; in fact, the device 1 comprises locking means of the oscillation of the oscillating elements 2.

(41) Preferably, the locking means comprise a plurality of retaining elements having a height corresponding to the distance between the supporting portion 6 and the base element 16 of the device 1 (FIG. 5).

(42) In addition, it is worth specifying that the present invention also relates to a kit 1, 15 for postural education.

(43) The kit 1, 15 comprises the device 1, the base element 16 on top of which the device itself can be positioned.

(44) Additionally, the kit 1, 15 according to the invention comprises the limiting elements 15 and the retaining elements.

(45) The operation of the present invention is as follows.

(46) The device 1 is positioned on the ground or, alternatively, on the base element 16.

(47) The user 5 places the feet 4 inside the respective housing seats 7.

(48) At this point, the weight of the user 5 is discharged on the supporting portion 6, thus causing the oscillation of each oscillating element 2.

(49) The oscillation of the oscillating elements 2 can be modulated according to the needs of the user 5.

(50) In particular, in the event of the device 1 being positioned on top of the base element 16, the oscillation of the latter can be increased and/or decreased by moving away and/or approaching respectively the limiting elements 15 to the respective oscillating element 2.

(51) Finally, the oscillation can be completely stopped by positioning the limiting elements 15 below the resting surface 8.

(52) It has in practice been found that the described invention achieves the intended objects.

(53) It is emphasized that the particular solution of providing the synergistic combination of two oscillating elements connected together by means of a connecting element and means of reciprocal orientation of the oscillating elements themselves permits making a device for postural education with controlled and adjustable degrees of oscillation.

(54) To this must be added that the fact of providing adjustable degrees of oscillation permits energy absorption and the partial return of same in the form of proprioceptive stimuli, greatly reducing articular and muscular stress.

(55) Furthermore, the fact of increasing personal proprioceptivity allows using this device both in a gymnastic and rehabilitative context.