BALANCE DEVICE WITH PIVOTABLE PLATE

Abstract

A device for evaluating and training ankle joint mobility has a plate for supporting a user's a foot or feet, the plate being oscillatable about at least one axis of rotation and provided with an upper support plane, and a fixed support, configured to oscillatably support the plate with respect to a support surface. The plate has at least one contact member configured to oscillatably support the plate with respect to the fixed support, a toothed sector, integrally movable with the at least one contact member and having teeth facing the plate, a gear member meshing with the toothed sector, and a gearmotor connected to the gear member.

Claims

1. A device for assessing and training ankle joint mobility, balance capacity and imbalance management skills and re-education of proprioceptive reflexes, comprising: a plate, oscillatable about at least one axis of rotation and provided with an upper support plane for supporting a user's a foot or feet; and a fixed support, configured to oscillatably support the plate with respect to a support surface; said plate having at least one contact member, configured to oscillatably support the plate with respect to the fixed support, said at least one contact member having a contact profile in contact with said fixed support in such a way that an instantaneous axis of rotation of the plate is fixed in space and positioned above said upper support plane; wherein the device further comprises: a toothed sector, movable integrally with said at least one contact member and having teeth turned toward the plate; a gear member, rotatable about an axis of rotation (x), said gear member engaging the toothed sector so that a rotation of said gear member causes an oscillation of the toothed sector and of the plate; and a gearmotor, connected to the gear member and configured to rotate said gear member, so that the rotation of the gear member is controllable in speed and/or position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one contact member has a contact profile, at least partially cylindrical, in contact with the fixed support.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said contact profile is at least partially circular cylindrical.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one contact member is slidably supported on rollers rotatably supported by the fixed support about respective axes of rotation, fixed with respect to said fixed support.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the rollers are symmetrically disposed with respect to a longitudinal center plane of the device.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein a pair of contact members are provided, shaped like arches resting in at least one point on the fixed support and/or in at least two points on the rollers.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the fixed support comprises a pair of side members having a profile at least partially complementary to the pair of contact members, said pair of contact members being slidingly supported on the pair of side members.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the toothed sector is a sector of a circular ring gear.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said toothed sector is carried by the at least one contact member.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said toothed sector extends inside an arc-shaped slot, arranged in the at least one contact member, the gear member inserting into said arc-shaped slot to mesh with the toothed sector.

11. The device of 1, wherein said toothed sector is embossed on a side wall of the at least one contact member.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the gear member is a pinion.

13. The device of claim 1, comprising a pair of contact members with cylindrical surface, spaced along the axis of rotation (x).

14. The device of claim 1, wherein lowering of the plate, that is a distance of the upper support plane from an instantaneous center of rotation, is between 20 and 80 mm.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein a distance between the plate and the support surface is less than 110 mm.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the plate is oscillatable, with respect to a rest position, by an angle comprised between ±20° and ±25°.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The functional and structural features of some preferred embodiments of a device according to the invention will now be described. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a balance plate device according to an embodiment of this invention;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the device of FIG. 1, wherein a part of the fixed support is removed, to show one of the contact members which oscillatably support the plate with respect to the fixed support; and

[0034] FIG. 3A and 3B are a longitudinal-sectional and a cross-sectional view respectively of a balance plate device according to an embodiment of the invention, wherein a detail of the contact member, equipped with a toothed profile meshed by a pinion in turn driven by a gear motor, is visible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Before describing in detail a plurality of embodiments of the invention, it should be clarified that the invention is not limited in its application to the construction details and configuration of the components presented in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of assuming other embodiments and of being implemented or constructed in practice in different ways. It should also be understood that the phraseology and terminology have a descriptive purpose and should not be construed as limiting.

[0036] Referring by way of example to the figures, a device 9 for evaluating and training the articular mobility of the ankle, the ability to balance and manage imbalance and for re-educating the proprioceptive reflexes, comprises a plate 4, pivotable about at least one axis of rotation and provided with an upper surface 6 for the support of the foot/feet of a user or while seated.

[0037] The device 9 further comprises a fixed support 16, adapted to support the plate 4 oscillatably with respect to a support plane P (expediently, the floor of a room wherein the exercises are carried out).

[0038] The plate 4 has at least one contact member 10 (expediently, with a circular sector), adapted to support the plate 4 oscillatingly with respect to the fixed support 16, this contact member 10 having a contact profile 10a with said fixed support 16 (and/or with elements rotatably supported by the fixed support 16) such that the instantaneous axis of rotation of the plate 4 is fixed in space and positioned above the upper support plane of the foot/feet 6.

[0039] A toothed sector 18 is provided, movable integrally with the contact member 10 and having all the teeth facing the plate 4. For the sake of greater clarity, the toothed sector 18 is configured in such a way that, ideally extending its teeth in length, said teeth would all be centered either in the center of the circular profile of the toothed sector 18 or in that of the contact member 10.

[0040] A gear member 20 is also provided, which may rotate around an axis of rotation x, which gear member 20 engages the toothed sector 18 in such a way that a rotation of said gear member 20 causes an oscillation of the toothed sector 18 (and, consequently, of the plate 4), and a gearmotor 22, connected to the gear member 20 and adapted to rotate said gear member 20, so that the rotation of the gear member 20 (and consequently also of the plate 4) is controllable in speed and/or position.

[0041] According to a preferred embodiment, the contact member 10 has a cylindrical contact profile 10a with the fixed support 16 (as illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 2 and 3B). Such a configuration allows for a cradle-like oscillation to be imparted to the plate 4.

[0042] Preferably, this cylindrical contact profile 10a is at least partially circular cylindrical.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment, the contact member 10 is slidably supported on rollers 24, in turn rotatably supported by the fixed support 16 about respective axes of rotation, fixed with respect to said fixed support 16.

[0044] Expediently, the rollers 24 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal center plane A of the device 9. The longitudinal center plane A of the device 9 expediently contains the instantaneous axis of rotation of the plate 4.

[0045] The contact member 10 rests in at least one point on the fixed support 16 and/or in at least two points on the rollers 24.

[0046] Expediently, there is a pair of contact members 10, shaped like arches or arched pads.

[0047] According to a preferred embodiment, the fixed support 16 comprises a pair of side members, which, facing each other, define a profile at least partially complementary to the contact member 10 (either this is configured as a single cylinder portion, or arched pads supporting the plate 4 are provided), the contact member 10 is supported slidably on these side members. Expediently, these side members may be configured as vertical uprights shaped so as to form, on the respective faces facing the contact member 10, respective seats in a circumferential arc, wherein the contact member 10 supporting the plate 4 is slidably accommodated.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the toothed sector 18 is a sector of a circular ring gear.

[0049] Preferably, the toothed sector 18 is bound to the contact member 10.

[0050] According to an embodiment, illustrated by way of example in FIG. 3B, the toothed sector 18 extends inside an arc-shaped slot 19, made in the contact member 10, into which the slot 19 is inserted the gear member 20, in such a way as to engage the toothed sector 18.

[0051] According to an alternative embodiment (not shown), the toothed sector 18 is embossed on a side wall of the contact member 10.

[0052] In the illustrated example, the gear member 20 is a pinion.

[0053] According to a further embodiment (not shown), the toothed sector 18 (in the form, for example, of the ring gear sector), is positioned on a plane parallel to the plane of the contact member 10, with its center coinciding with the center of said contact member 10.

[0054] Expediently, instead of the pinion, a worm gear is provided, moved by the gearmotor 22, this worm gear meshing with the toothed sector 18.

[0055] Preferably, a pair of contact members 10 with a cylindrical surface, spaced along the axis of rotation x is provided.

[0056] According to an embodiment, the downward decentering of the plate 4, understood as the distance of the support plane of the user (i.e., the upper surface 6) from the instantaneous center of rotation, is between 20 and 80 mm.

[0057] Preferably, the distance between the plate 4 and the support plane P is less than 110 mm.

[0058] According to an embodiment, the plate 4 is pivotable, with respect to a rest position (that is, a position wherein the plate 4 is in a horizontal configuration), by an angle α between −20° and +20°.

[0059] In order to be able to move and lift the entire device, suitable slots 28, concentric to the axis of rotation, may be provided on the two contact members 10, within which cylindrical pins 26, integral with the fixed walls 16, engage.

[0060] Various aspects and embodiments of a device according to the invention have been described. It is understood that each embodiment may be combined with any other embodiment. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but may be varied within the scope defined by the appended claims.