Torsion board

• US 6,413,197 B2
• Filed: 10/20/1998
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 563704 BC Limited (563704 B.C.)
• Original Assignee: 563704 BC Limited (563704 B.C.)
• Inventors: McKechnie, Alexander, Ziak, Frantisek
• Primary Examiner(s): DONNELLY, JEROME W
• Application Number:
  US09/175,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20010016544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 482/146, 482/147, 482/80, 482/127, 482/79
• US Class Current: 482/146
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0033 Lower limbs performing together the same movement, e.g. on a single support element
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/18 with elements, i.e. platforms, having a circulating, nutating or rotating movement, generated by oscillating movement of the user, e.g. platforms wobbling on a centrally arranged spherical supporthoop exercising apparatus A63B19/00; eccentric weights put into orbital motion by nutating movement of the user A63B21/0608; pots rotating or rocking by moving the whole body A63G23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children

Abstract

A torsion board comprising a platform for supporting a user, a ground contacting member for maintaining the torsion board generally in a fixed position and orientation with respect to a ground surface and a resilient interconnecting member mounted between the ground contacting member and the platform to permit pivoting of the platform about first, second and third orthogonal axes, said first axis being generally coincident with a gravitational axis along which gravitational forces act upon said user.

Claims

1. A torsion board comprising:

a platform for supporting a user;

a ground contacting member for maintaining the torsion board generally in a fixed position and orientation with respect to a ground surface;

a generally cylindical, resilient interconnecting member between the ground contacting member and the platform having opposed ends formed with integral mounting flanges to receive a plurality of fasteners for fixedly mounting the interconnecting member of the ground contacting member and the platform to permit pivoting the platform about first, second and third orthogonal axes due to twisting or bending of the resilient interconnecting member, said first axis being generally coincident with a gravitational axis along which gravitational forces act upon said user.

2. A torsion board as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient interconnecting member, said platform and said ground contacting member are dimensioned such that said platform contacts said ground contacting member during said rotation of said platform about said second and said third axis to limit said rotation thereabout to a predetermined amount.

3. A torsion board as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient interconnecting member is formed from an elastically deformable material.

4. A torsion board as claimed in claim 3 in which the elastically deformable material is urethane having a hardness in the range of about 50-90 on the Shore Durometer A Scale.

5. A torsion board as claimed in claim 1 wherein said interconnecting member has a hollow inner core defining an annular member with walls of generally uniform thickness.

6. A torsion board as claimed in claim 1 wherein said interconnecting member has a hollow inner core defining an annular member with walls of non-uniform thickness.

7. A torsion board as claimed in claim 1 wherein said interconnecting member is solid.

8. A torsion board as claimed in claim 3 wherein said resilient interconnecting member includes at least one coil spring.

9. A torsion board as claimed in claim 8 wherein said at least one coil spring includes a plurality of generally equal diameter coils coaxially aligned with said first axis.

10. A torsion board as claimed in claim 9 wherein said at least one coil spring is dimensioned to be substantially fully compressed when said user is balanced upon said platform.

11. A torsion board as claimed in claim 10 wherein said at least one coil spring is dimensioned to maintain said platform apart from said ground contacting member by a predetermined amount when said user is balanced upon said platform.