Balance board

• US 6,705,977 B1
• Filed: 12/02/1999
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tanya Hupka
• Original Assignee: Tanya Hupka
• Inventors: Ziak, Frantisek
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, VICTOR KENNY
• Application Number:
  US09/454,241
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 482/34, 482/79-80, 482/146-148, 472/135, 472/127, 472/108, 472/114, 36/7, 36/8, 361/14
• 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 21/0004 Exercising devices moving as a whole during exercise bar bells or dumb bells A63B21/072; on wheels A63B22/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/026 Bars; Tubes; Leaf springs A63B21/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/028 made of material having high internal friction, e.g. rubber, steel wool, intended to be compressed resistance provided by plastic deformable materials A63B21/00189
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/045 having torsion or bending or flexion element
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0455 having torsion element around its longitudinal axis
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 11/00 See-saws

Abstract

A balance board comprising a platform (4) to support a user, a ground contacting rocker member (8) having a rounded surface (16) to permit pivoting of the platform about a first axis (10), and an interconnecting member (14) extending between the rocker member and the platform to permit pivoting of the platform about a second axis (11) substantially perpendicular to the first axis and about a third axis (12) substantially perpendicular to the first and second axes. The interconnecting member and the rocker member cooperate to define a central pivot region, for pivoting of the platform about the three axes. Preferably, the balance board includes stop members (30) to adjust the pivoting movement of the platform about at least one of the axes to make balancing of the platform adjustable depending on the skill level of the user. The balance board is used as an exercise device to improve and develop the balancing ability of a user.

Claims

1. A balance board comprising:

a platform to support a user;

a ground contacting member having a semi-cylindrical lower surface to permit a first rocking movement of the platform only about a first axis;

a resiliently deformable interconnecting member comprising an elongate block formed with integral mounting flanges to receive fasteners for mounting the block between the ground contacting member and the platform, the interconnecting member being deformable to permit a second rocking movement of the platform that is independent of the first rocking movement about a second axis that is generally perpendicular to the first axis, and the member being deformable to permit rotation of the platform about a third axis that is perpendicular to the first and second axes.

2. A balance board as claimed in claim 1 in which the interconnecting member is formed from urethane having a hardness in the range of about 60-90 on the Shore Durometer A Scale.

3. A balance board as claimed in claim 1 including stop members to vary and limit pivoting of the platform about at least one of the pivoting axes.

4. A balance board as claimed in claim 3 in which the stop member comprise members extending from the platform to engage with the ground when the platform is pivoted to a pre-determined extent to limit further pivoting.

5. A balance board as claimed in claim 4 in which the stop members are positioned at the ends of the platform to limit pivoting about the first axis, the members having rounded lower surfaces to permit pivoting about the second axis.

6. A balance board as claimed in claim 3 in which the stop members comprise members extending from the platform to engage with the ground contacting member when the platform is pivoted to a pre-determined extent to limit further pivoting.

7. A balance board as claimed in claim 6 in which the stop members are positioned adjacent the interconnecting member on opposite sides of the platform to limit pivoting about the second axis.

8. A balance board as claimed in claim 6 in which the stop members are resiliently deformable.

9. A balance board as claimed in claim 6 in which the stop members comprise ring members that are resiliently deformable.

10. A balance board as claimed in claim 9 including a removable insert installable within each ring member to modify the stiffness of the ring member and thereby the extent to which pivoting about the second axis is limited by the ring member.

11. A balance board as claimed in claim 3 in which the stop members are adjustable to vary the extent to which the stop members limit pivoting about at least one of the pivoting axes.

12. A balance board as claimed in claim 11 in which stop members comprise ring members that are resiliently deformable and extend downwardly from the platform to engage with the ground contacting member when the platform is pivoted to a pre-determined extent to limit further pivoting, the ring members including a removable insert installable within each ring member to increase the stiffness of the ring member and thereby decrease the deformability of the ring.

13. A balance board comprising:

a platform to support a user;

a ground contacting member having a semi-cylindrical lower surface to permit a first rocking movement of the platform only about a first axis;

a resiliently deformable interconnecting member comprising an elongate block extending between the ground contacting member and the platform, the interconnecting member being deformable to permit a second rocking movement of the platform that is independent of the first rocking movement about a second axis that is generally perpendicular to the first axis and the member being deformable to permit rotation of the platform about a third axis that is generally perpendicular to the first and second axes; and

stop members to vary and limit pivoting of the platform about at least one of the axes comprising resiliently deformable ring members extending from the platform to engage with the ground contacting member.

14. A balance board as claimed in claim 13 including a removable insert installable within each ring member to modify the stiffness and deformability of the ring member and thereby the extent to which pivoting about at least one of the axes is limited by the ring member.