Balance training apparatus, and over and under combination

• US 7,775,952 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Balance 360, LLC
• Original Assignee: Balance 360, LLC
• Inventors: Curran, Kevin P., Curran, legal representative Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAKER, LORI LYNN
• Application Number:
  US12/590,490
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 482/34, 482146-147, 482 79- 80, 482 70- 71, 280/841, 280/600
• US Class Current: 482/146
• 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 26/003 for improving balance or equilibrium balance beams A63B4/00; apparatus for rope dancing A63B7/08; balancing drums, balancing boards or the like A63B22/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/00 Hollow inflatable balls

Abstract

A balance trainer has a board with a notional nose and tail, a rolling fulcrum for the board to perch on, and at least one hold-down link extending between one end anchored to ground and another end secured to the notional tail of the board. The board as perched on the rolling fulcrum would—in the absence constraint—afford free tipping tilt along at least one axis. However, the hold-down link supplies constraint such that free leash is given to the to the notional tail of the board so long as the hold-down link is slack. But when the nose of the board dives furthest against the hold-down link, the board either deadens in a fixed pitch angle against the tautened hold-down link, or else can be swung laterally a bit, in sort of a monkey-swing fashion in inverse, giving a training experience like riding on a long surf board.

Claims

1. Balance training apparatus comprising:

a balance board having an upper footstep surface and lower bearing surface;

a sub-frame framing-in a generally circular framed-in area of the bearing surface;

a generally spherical rolling fulcrum for being crowned by the balance board within the sub-frame as well as for engaging a ground surface at the same time as any part of the framed-in area of the bearing surface, wherein said spherical rolling fulcrum is free to roll sandwiched between said balance board and ground surface unless stopped against any portion of the sub-frame;

wherein the generally circular framed-in area of the bearing surface is characterized by an inside diameter as the generally spherical rolling fulcrum is characterized a nominal outside diameter such that the framed-in area'"'"'s inside diameter encompasses size ratios relative to the rolling fulcrum'"'"'s nominal outside diameter by between about 12½

to 2½ and

6½

to 7.

2. The balance training apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

wherein the rolling fulcrum comprises an inflatable ball and the nominal outside diameter thereof comprises the diameter when inflated to a generally spheric shape.

3. The balance training apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the framed-in area'"'"'s inside diameter encompasses size ratios relative to the rolling fulcrum'"'"'s nominal outside diameter by between about 12½

to 5 and 9½

to 7.

4. The balance training apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the framed-in area'"'"'s inside diameter encompasses size ratios relative to the rolling fulcrum'"'"'s nominal outside diameter by between about 12½

to 2½ and

6½

to 5.

5. The balance training apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the sub-frame comprises a generally cylindrical inside sidewall defining the generally circular framed-in area of the bearing surface; and

the inside sidewall is characterized by a height such that the rolling fulcrum'"'"'s nominal outside diameter encompasses size ratios relative to the inside sidewall'"'"'s height by between about 2½

to 1¾ and

7 to 1¾

.

6. The balance training apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the framed-in area of the bearing surface is either flat or domed.

7. Balance training apparatus comprising:

a balance board having an upper footstep surface and lower bearing surface;

a sub-frame framing-in a framed-in area of the bearing surface;

a generally spherical rolling fulcrum for being crowned by the balance board within the sub-frame as well as for engaging a ground surface at the same time as any part of the framed-in area of the bearing surface, wherein said spherical rolling fulcrum is free to roll sandwiched between said balance board and ground surface unless stopped against any portion of the sub-frame;

wherein the framed-in area of the bearing surface is characterized by either maximum inside either diameter or diagonal as the generally spherical rolling fulcrum is characterized a nominal outside diameter such that the framed-in area'"'"'s maximum inside either diameter or diagonal encompasses size ratios relative to the rolling fulcrum'"'"'s nominal outside diameter by between about 12½

to 2½ and

6½

to 7.

8. The balance training apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

wherein the rolling fulcrum comprises an inflatable ball and the nominal outside diameter thereof comprises the diameter when inflated to a generally spheric shape.

9. The balance training apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the framed-in area'"'"'s maximum inside either diameter or diagonal encompasses size ratios relative to the rolling fulcrum'"'"'s nominal outside diameter by between about 12½

to 5 and 9½

to 7.

10. The balance training apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the framed-in area'"'"'s maximum inside either diameter or diagonal encompasses size ratios relative to the rolling fulcrum'"'"'s nominal outside diameter by between about 12½

to 2½ and

6½

to 5.

11. The balance training apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the sub-frame comprises a generally tubular inside sidewall defining the framed-in area of the bearing surface; and

the inside sidewall is characterized by a height such that the rolling fulcrum'"'"'s nominal outside diameter encompasses size ratios relative to the inside sidewall'"'"'s height by between about 2½

to 1¾ and

7 to 1¾

.

12. The balance training apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the framed-in area of the bearing surface is either flat or domed.