Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FOOT EXERCISING DEVICE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a foot exercising device
of a simple and economic construction which enables a user
while seated and while carrying out other activities to gain
effective and valuable exercise of the foot and lower body
area.
Devices of this general type have been proposed
previously and are shown for example in U.S. Patent No.
3,967,820 (Harper); 1,509,793 (Thompson); 3,984,100
(Firster); 3,361,427 (Paves) and 1,497,243 (Martin). The
above devices have achieved little success and have not
widely been accepted. In some cases the device is too
complex. In other cases the device provides a single point
contact with the ground which renders it unstable and does
not properly define or control the required movement of the
user's feet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It i8 one object of the present invention,
therefore, to provide an improved device of a simple and
economic nature which allows the user while seated to
comfortably obtain a low impact exercising activity.
According to a first aspect of the invention there
is provided a foot exercising device comprising an integral
unitary body defining a substantially flat upper surface
having a first rib at a front edge and a second rib at a rear
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edge thus defining a confined area therebetween for receipt
of the feet of the user, the confined area be.ing of
longitudinal and transverse dimensions sufficient to receive
and support the whole of the underside of both feet of a
user, an under surface of the body including a straight
transverse rib parallel to said front and rear edges which
can rest directly upon a ground surface and which provides a
single straight pivot axis for the body transverse -to the
body and approximately at a mid point between front and rear
edges of the body so that the upper surface can pivot
relative to the ground about the single transverse pivot axis
and is prevented from lateral pivotal movement.
According to the second aspect of the invention
there is provided a foot exercising device comprising an
integral unitary body defining a subs-tantially flat upper
surface of longitudinal and transverse dimensions sufficient
to receive and support the whole of the underside of both
feet of a user, an undersurface of the body including a
transverse rib which can rest directly upon a ground surface
and which provides a pivot axis for the body transverse to
the body and approximately at a mid point between front and
rear edges thereof so that the upper surface can pivot
relative to the ground about the pivot axis, and a stop
member mounted on the underside at a position spaced from the
pivot axis and on the side of the rib adjacent the rear edge,
the stop member being formed of a resilient material and
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extending downwardly from the underside to engage the ground
surface to li.mit rearward pivotal movement.
According to a third aspect of the invention there
is provided a foot exercising device comprising an integral
unitary body defining an upper surface of longitudinal and
transverse dimensions sufficient to receive and support the
whole of the underside of both feet of a user, the upper
surface having a first transverse rib across the full extent
of a front edge thereof forwardly of the toes of the user and
a second transverse rib across a full extent of a rear edge
rearwardly of the heels of the user and being flat between
said first and second ribs, an under surface of the body
including a straight semi-cylindrical rod permanently fixed
across the under surface so as to rest directly upon a ground
surface to provide a single straight pivot axis for the body
transverse to the body and approximately at a midpoint
between front and rear edges of the body so that the upper
surface can pivot relative to the ground about the single
transverse pivo-t axis and is prevented from lateral pivo-tal
movement, a pair of hemispherical stop members mounted on the
underside of the body at a position spaced from the pivot
axis and on the side of the rib adjacent the rear edge, the
stop members extending downwardly from the underside to
engage the ground surface to limit rearward pivotal movement
of the upper surface and being formed of a resiliently
compressible material such -that force from the legs of the
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user while seated at the device can compress -the material,
the upper surface including a recess, a T-shaped handle piece
having a leg at a lower end which is freely insertable into
the recess to stand upwardly from the upper surface for
manual assistance of the rocking action, -the leg having a
forwardly extending portion adjacent a lower end thereof such
that a main portion of the leg is positioned forwardly of the
recess and a carrying handle mounted on the front edge and
extending forwardly therefrom.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as
will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which
this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the
invention is herein described by reference to the
accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a
description of the best mode known to the applicant and of
the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the
present invention, in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
Figure l is an isometric view of an exercising
device according to the invention.
Figure 2 is cross sectional view along the lines
2-2 of Figure 1 with the addition of an extra handle piece.
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device of Figure
2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The device comprises a substantially flat board 10
the upper surface of which is recessed at ll to define front
and rear ribs respectively 12 and 13. The front to rear
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dimension of the board is sufficient so that it can receive the
length of the fe&t of a user with the heels within the rear rib
13 and the toes rearwardly of the front rib 12. The side to
side d~mension of the device is sufficient so that it can
receive the feet of the user in side by side position on ~he
upper surface.
On the undersurface of the board 10 is an
integral rib member 14 which extends across the full width of
the board at a position midway between the front and rear edges
so as to define a pivot axis 15 which is a straight line
directly transverse to the board about which the device can
pivot in a forward to rearward direction.
On the front edge of the device is mounted a
handle 16 which projects outwardly from the front edge
indicated at 17 so that the device can be grasped by the
fingers of the user passing through the open portion of the
handle and the board carried thsreby suspended from the handle.
On the underside of the device adjacent the rear
edge 13 is provided a pair of stop members 19. Each is formed
from a hemispherical portion of a sponge rubber material which
is thus of a resilient nature and is compressed partially onto
the underside of the board by a screw 20 and washer 21 which
pass symmetrically through the centre of the hemispherical body
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and hold it against the undersurface. Each of the stop members
therefore acts to restrict the amount of pivotal movement in a
rearward direction and to stop that pivotal movement in a
gentle manner by a slight compression action on the stop member
as the user tends to press down on the stop member at the
rearward extent of the pivotal movement.
Centrally of the upper surface is provided a
blind hole 22 which as shown in Figures 2 and 3 can removably
receive a handle piece 23. The handle piece comprises a
cross-bar 24 which can be grasped by both hands of a user,
particularly one of a handicapped or infirm nature. The
cross-bar attaches to a vertical support strut 25, a horizontal
extension piece 26 and a connection pin 27 which is a press fit
in the hole 22. ~
In operation with the handle piece removed, the
simple and inexpensive device is carried by the user to a
position where it is intended for use and placed on the floor
with the rear edge 13 adjacent the front of the feet of the
user while in a seated position. The user then places the feet
upon the upper surface within the recessed area so that the
pivot axis 15 is transverse to the feet of the user and
positioned approximately midway beneath the feet of the user.
The user can then act to pivot the device back and forth in a
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gentle pivoting action with the stop members acting to restrict
the rearward pivotal movement and to ensure that it is of a low
impact nature. The device will only pivot about the single
straight pivot axis 15 and will not pivot from side to side and
hence provides a stable construction which generates the best
exercising effect with little or no concentration by the user.
The handle piece can be inserted for manual assistance of the
rocking action by inform or handicapped patients.
Since various modifications can be made in my
invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely
different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope
of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it
is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying
specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not
in a limiting sense.
