KR102215338B1 - Balance training device - Google Patents

Abstract

Balance training apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a frame having an upper surface, a lower surface and a front surface, the user's feet are accommodated; A support protruding upwardly from the lower surface of the frame; An intermediate member supported by the support on a first axis perpendicular to the front and rear direction of the frame and horizontal from the lower surface in the rear portion of the user's foot, and connected to be rotatable; A first elastic support body for supporting the intermediate member by applying an elastic force by connecting the intermediate member and the upper surface in a region of the front part of the user's foot; A second elastic support for supporting the intermediate member by applying an elastic force by connecting the intermediate member and the lower surface in an area of the front of the user's foot; And a footrest configured to rotate relative to the intermediate member based on a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis in a rear region of the user's foot and inclined with a front-rear direction of the intermediate member, wherein the intermediate member includes the first It is characterized in that the inclination from the lower surface in a state in which the force is balanced is determined according to the magnitude of the elastic force of the elastic support and the second elastic support.

Description

Balance training device {BALANCE TRAINING DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a balance training device, and more particularly, to a balance training device configured to perform a balance exercise based on the actual anatomical movement of the ankle.

In general, the balance training device mainly uses a force plate to limit input from a specific sensory system or when an external force interferes with balance maintenance, body displacement, movement of the center of pressure (COP), and posture maintenance. It is a training device that applies biofeedback for patients who have difficulty in balance, along with research that measures the action potential of the muscles that act upon time.

For example, in the case of stroke, which is one of the central nervous system diseases, most patients support 61-80% of the total body weight with the non-injured lower limb, indicating asymmetric postural alignment and deterioration in balance ability. Abnormal gait patterns after stroke include stiff-knee gait during swing phase, genu recuvatum during stance phase, decrease in dorsiflexion in stance phase, and excessive plantar flexion during swing phase ( plantar flexion). In addition, the walking speed, cadence, and stride length decrease, the double stance period increases, and the stance period on the injured side is shorter than on the non-injured side. For rehabilitation of stroke walking, functional electrical stimulation, short-leg braces, etc. are applied, or joint motion range exercise by therapist, stretching exercise, resistance band, passive ankle trainer, weight bearing resistance exercise in an upright position, etc. It is used as an enemy, and balance training that requires careful reaction skills is also being performed.

As such, it is essential for the elderly or patients with various diseases to improve the balance ability that is directly connected to walking, and for this reason, many balance training devices have been actively developed.

In this regard, most of the conventional balance training devices are in the form of a circular scaffold on a hemisphere (see Patent Document 1), or in a form having a certain degree of freedom through a plurality of rotating links formed on the lower surface (see Patent Document 2). .

However, the actual movement of the ankle directly involved in the balance movement can be summarized as a movement occurring in the sagittal plane, the frontal plane, and the transverse plane, and the ankle joint or talocrural joint), the transverse tarsal joint, and the subtalar joint, so these conventional balance training devices actually move the ankle along the anatomical subtalar joint axis. There is a problem that it does not reflect.

US 8678985 B2 KR 10-1790945 B1

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a balance training apparatus configured to perform a balance exercise based on an actual anatomical movement of an ankle, as devised to solve the conventional problem.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a balance training apparatus that enables a user to conveniently perform balance training in a situation having a certain slope, such as an uphill or downhill road, as well as on a flat ground.

Balance training apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a frame having an upper surface, a lower surface and a front surface, the user's feet are accommodated; A support protruding upwardly from the lower surface of the frame; An intermediate member supported by the support on a first axis perpendicular to the front and rear direction of the frame and horizontal from the lower surface in the rear portion of the user's foot, and connected to be rotatable; A first elastic support body for supporting the intermediate member by applying an elastic force by connecting the intermediate member and the upper surface in a region of the front part of the user's foot; A second elastic support for supporting the intermediate member by applying an elastic force by connecting the intermediate member and the lower surface in an area of the front of the user's foot; And a footrest configured to rotate relative to the intermediate member based on a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis in a rear region of the user's foot and inclined with a front-rear direction of the intermediate member, wherein the intermediate member includes the first It is characterized in that the inclination from the lower surface in a state in which the force is balanced is determined according to the magnitude of the elastic force of the elastic support and the second elastic support.

In the balance training apparatus according to an embodiment, the intermediate member may include a guide portion having a concave shape so that the footrest portion can be supported along the second axis and rotated.

In the balance training apparatus according to an embodiment, at least one of the first elastic support and the second elastic support may be formed of a spring.

In the balance training apparatus according to an embodiment, at least one of the first elastic support and the second elastic support may be formed of a plurality.

In the balance training apparatus according to an embodiment, a front surface of the frame may have a curved shape with respect to the first axis.

In the balance training apparatus according to an embodiment, a prevention unit configured to limit the rotation of the intermediate member with respect to the first axis to a range of a predetermined angle may further include a front surface of the frame.

In the balance training apparatus according to an embodiment, the prevention unit may be formed in plural according to the inclination of the intermediate member that can be determined.

The balance training apparatus according to the present invention implements the movement of Inversion and Eversion moving from the heel of the foot to the subtalar axis moving from the heel of the foot and the movement with the degree of freedom of Dorsi-plantar flexion moving to the Talocrural axis, and balances based on the actual ankle movement. There is an effect that can perform exercise.

In addition, the balance training apparatus according to the present invention, by adjusting the magnitude of the elastic force of the first elastic support and the second elastic support, by adjusting the inclination of the intermediate member to balance the force, balance movement in the state of the slope There is an effect that can be performed easily.

1 is a side cross-sectional conceptual diagram illustrating a balance exercise device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a front cross-sectional conceptual diagram of the balance exercise device of FIG. 1.
3 is an enlarged view of area "A" of FIG. 1.

With respect to the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the text, specific structural or functional descriptions are exemplified only for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in various forms, It should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in the text.

Since the present invention can apply various changes and have various forms, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific form of disclosure, it is to be understood as including all changes, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

The terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of a set feature, number, step, action, component, part, or combination thereof, and one or more other features or numbers It is to be understood that the possibility of addition or presence of, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not preliminarily excluded.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms as defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning of the context of the related technology, and should not be interpreted as an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in this application. .

Meanwhile, when a certain embodiment can be implemented differently, a function or operation specified in a specific block may occur differently from the order specified in the flowchart. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed at the same time, or the blocks may be executed in reverse depending on a related function or operation.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used for the same elements in the drawings, and duplicate descriptions for the same elements are omitted.

1 is a cross-sectional side view conceptual diagram illustrating a balance exercise device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a front cross-sectional conceptual diagram of the balance exercise device of FIG. 1. 3 is an enlarged view of area "A" of FIG. 1.

1 to 3, a balance exercise device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a frame 100, a support 150, an intermediate member 200, a footrest 300, a first elasticity It includes a support 400 and a second elastic support 500.

The frame 100 includes a lower surface 110, a front surface 120, and an upper surface 130, and is configured to accommodate a user's foot (f). The lower surface 110 is a surface corresponding to the ground, and the front 120 is configured to protrude upward from the lower surface 110 to cover the user's foot f from the front. Specifically, the front surface 120 may have a curved shape to enable rotation of the first axis (x1) of the intermediate member 200 to be described later, and the front surface 120 may have a shape with a ground initially set by the user. A prevention unit 190 for limiting the rotation of the intermediate member with respect to the first axis to a range of a predetermined angle may be formed so that the balance movement can be performed within a range of a predetermined angle at the inclination. This will be described in detail together with the description of the intermediate member 200.

In addition, the upper surface 130 protrudes from the front surface 120 and is formed shorter than the lower surface 110 so that the user's foot can come and go through the upper surface when viewed from the side. For example, the upper surface 130 may protrude from the front surface 120 to be parallel to the lower surface 110. Meanwhile, although not shown, the frame 100 may further include both side surfaces, and in this case, the frame 100 may have a shape of a housing that entirely surrounds the user's feet. A first elastic support 400 and a second elastic support 500 for elastically supporting the intermediate member 200 to be described later are mounted on the lower surface 110 and the upper surface 130. This will be described later.

The support 150 protrudes upward from the lower surface 110 of the frame 100. The support 150 is composed of a rigid material with a configuration in which a strong load of the user's foot (f) is applied in the balance training device 1000, and is configured to be firmly coupled to the lower surface 110 through one end. do. The other end of the support 150 is disposed to be adjacent to the heel area of the user's foot f accommodated in the frame 100, and the other end is perpendicular to the front and rear direction of the frame 100, and the lower surface 110 A horizontal first axis x1 is formed from.

The first axis (x1) is a rotation axis of the intermediate member 200 to be described later that rotates with respect to the support member 150, that is, the support member 150 and the intermediate member 200 are the first axis (x1) It is connected via the first rotating element 170 of the. For example, the first rotating element 170 may be a hinge, and accordingly, the intermediate member 200 may perform a pitch motion along the first axis x1. have.

Therefore, when the user's foot (f) is mounted on the intermediate member (200) and placed on the footrest (300) to be described later and is rotated based on the first axis (x1), the foot is rotated upward based on the ankle joint (dorsiflexion). ) Since it can be rotated downward (plantarflexion), it is possible to help rehabilitation by inducing a change in the angle of the ankle for the balance movement required when walking due to paralysis of the lower extremities or muscle strength.

In the present embodiment, the support 150 has been described as protruding upward from the lower surface 110 of the frame 100, but is not limited thereto. For example, the support 150 may be formed integrally with the frame 100 and may correspond to the rear surface of the frame.

The intermediate member 200 is supported by the support 150 and is connected to be rotatable with respect to the first axis x1. Specifically, one end of the intermediate member 200 is connected to the support 150 through the first rotating element 170. Accordingly, the user's foot f may rotate upward or downward through the first axis x1 together with the intermediate member 200.

In addition, the intermediate member 200 is configured to be elastically supported by the first elastic support 400 and the second elastic support 500 to be described later at the front part of the user's foot, and the lower surface It is configured such that the slope from 110 is determined. For example, the intermediate member 200 may be set to have a certain inclination from the lower surface 110 or parallel to the lower surface 110 according to the magnitude of the elastic force of the first elastic support and the second elastic support. May be. This will be described later.

The other end of the intermediate member 200 extends toward the front surface 120 of the frame, and is disposed to be spaced apart from the front surface 120 to enable smooth rotation. For example, the front surface 120 has a curved shape curved with respect to the first axis x1 so as to maintain a constant distance from the other end of the intermediate member 200 rotating along the first axis x1. Can have.

In addition, a prevention part 190 configured to limit the rotation of the intermediate member 200 toward the first axis x1 to a range of a predetermined angle may be further formed on the front surface 120. For example, the prevention part 190 may be formed to protrude from the front surface 120 toward the first axis x1, and configured as a pair to limit the rotation of the intermediate member 200 up and down, respectively. Can be. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of the intermediate members 200 may be arranged to correspond to the inclination of the intermediate member 200 that is initially set.

That is, the prevention unit 190 of the balance training apparatus 1000 according to the present embodiment limits the rotation of the intermediate member 200 to a range of a predetermined angle, and thus the central nervous system such as stroke, in which the sense of balance is greatly impaired. In the balance exercise of a patient with a disease, it can perform the function of a safety device.

The footrest part 300 is a place where the user's foot is raised, is disposed on the upper surface of the intermediate member 200, and is configured to rotate relative to the intermediate member 200 based on the second axis x2 do. The second axis x2 is inclined by a predetermined angle θ from the front-rear direction of the intermediate member 200. For example, the predetermined angle may be about 42 degrees. That is, the footrest part 300 is configured to rotate obliquely with respect to the intermediate member 200 along the inclined second axis x2. Accordingly, the upper surface 200 of the intermediate member has a concave shape corresponding to the trajectory of the footrest part 300 as shown in FIG. 2 so that the footrest part 300 can be supported and rotated along the second axis. It may further include a guide portion of.

Specifically, the second axis (x2) is a rotation axis of the footrest part 300 that rotates relative to the intermediate member 200, that is, the footrest part 300 is the intermediate member 200 And the second rotation element 180 of the second axis x2. For example, the second rotating element 180 may be a hinge, and accordingly, the footrest part 300 may perform an approximate roll motion.

In particular, the second shaft (x2) may be arranged so that the user's subtalar joint (subtalar joint) is placed in the axial direction. Therefore, when the user's foot (f) is placed on the footrest part 300 and rotated based on the second axis (x2), the foot can be rotated to the left or to the right with respect to the subtalar joint (inversion-eversion). ), it is possible to help rehabilitation by inducing a change in the angle of the ankle for the balance movement required during walking to a patient who cannot smoothly generate the movement of the ankle required during walking due to paralysis of the lower extremities or decreased muscle strength.

The first elastic support 400 is configured to elastically support the intermediate member 200 by connecting between the intermediate member 200 and the upper surface 130 of the frame 100 at the front portion of the user's foot. In addition, the second elastic support 500 is configured to elastically support the intermediate member 200 by connecting between the intermediate member 200 and the lower surface 110 of the frame 100 at the front portion of the user's foot. That is, the first elastic support 400 and the second elastic support 500 are disposed to face each other with the intermediate member 200 interposed therebetween, and are configured to elastically support the intermediate member 200 from both sides. For example, at least one of the first elastic support 400 and the second elastic support 500 may be a spring.

Meanwhile, the intermediate member 200 has a slope from the lower surface 110 in a state in which the force is balanced according to the magnitude of the elastic force of the first elastic support 400 and the second elastic support 500 Is determined.

Specifically, when the elastic force of the first elastic support 400 is stronger than the elastic force of the second elastic support 500, the force is balanced when the intermediate member 200 is inclined upward. In this case, The uphill length is implemented by the intermediate member 200. In addition, on the contrary, when the elastic force of the first elastic support 400 is weaker than the elastic force of the second elastic support 500, the force is balanced when the intermediate member 200 is inclined downward, In this case, a downhill road is implemented.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the first elastic support 400 may be configured in plural, and for example, may be disposed one by one on the left and right sides 410 and 430. Likewise, as shown in FIG. 2, the second elastic support 500 may be formed in a plurality, and may be disposed one by one on the left and right sides 510 and 530 at a position corresponding to the first elastic support 400. have. However, it is not limited thereto. For example, the inclination of the intermediate member 200 may be determined through the number of the first and second elastic supports 400 and 500 to be mounted. That is, when the number of the first elastic supports 400 to be mounted is greater than the number of the second elastic supports 500, the force is balanced in a state in which the intermediate member 200 is inclined upward. When the number of the first elastic supports 400 is less than the number of the second elastic supports 500, the force is balanced while the intermediate member 200 is inclined downward.

That is, the balance training apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention has an effect that the user can conveniently perform balance training not only on a flat ground, but also in a situation having a certain slope such as an uphill road or a downhill road.

Although the above has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art or those of ordinary skill in the art will not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the claims to be described later. It will be appreciated that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention within the scope.

1000: balance training device
100: frame
110: if
120: front
130: upper surface
150: support
170: first rotating element
180: second rotation element
190: prevention part
200: intermediate member
300: footrest
400, 410, 430: first elastic support
500, 510, 530: second elastic support

Claims (7)

As a balance training device,
A frame having an upper surface, a lower surface and a front surface, and accommodating a user's foot;
A support protruding upwardly from the lower surface of the frame;
An intermediate member supported by the support on a first axis perpendicular to the front and rear direction of the frame and horizontal from the lower surface in the rear portion of the user's foot, and connected to be rotatable;
A first elastic support body for supporting the intermediate member by applying an elastic force by connecting the intermediate member and the upper surface in a region of the front part of the user's foot;
A second elastic support body for supporting the intermediate member by applying an elastic force by connecting the intermediate member and the lower surface in the front region of the user's foot, and
And a footrest configured to rotate relative to the intermediate member with respect to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis in a rear region of the user's foot and inclined with a front-rear direction of the intermediate member,
The intermediate member is a balance training apparatus, characterized in that the inclination from the lower surface of the intermediate member is determined in a state in which the force is balanced according to the magnitude of the elastic force of the first elastic support and the second elastic support. The method of claim 1,
The intermediate member includes a guide portion having a concave shape so that the footrest portion is supported along the second axis to rotate. The method of claim 1,
At least one of the first elastic support and the second elastic support is a balance training apparatus, characterized in that composed of a spring. The method of claim 1,
At least one of the first elastic support and the second elastic support is a balance training apparatus, characterized in that consisting of a plurality. The method of claim 1,
Balance training apparatus, characterized in that the front surface of the frame has a curved shape curved with respect to the first axis. The method of claim 1,
And a prevention unit configured to limit the rotation of the intermediate member with respect to the first axis to a range of a predetermined angle on the front surface of the frame. The method of claim 6
The balance training apparatus, characterized in that formed in a plurality according to the inclination of the intermediate member that can be determined.

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