HK1173405B - Step platform for slow step exercise - Google Patents

Description

Pedal table for slow pedal exercise

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a pedal stage for slow pedal movement (pedal み stage) which can reduce the weight and size of the pedal stage used in slow pedal movement (スローステップ < ANGSTROM >.

Background

In response to the strong desire of people who want to be healthy for life against the arrival of an aging society, health classrooms which are held in a collective manner in places with wide floor areas, such as gymnasiums located in various regions, are prevalent. On the other hand, there is a demand for development of a simple health promoting instrument for personal health management, which is used in a work break and is flexibly used at any place such as a house or a passage of a work unit having a narrow floor area, and commercialization and popularization thereof are demanded. In this case, recent reports include, for example, a television program "approved after trial" (ためしてガッテン) of 8/5 th NHK in 2009, which can be retrieved and downloaded via the internet, and a central edition (2/15 th 2010) of a civic message in fuggan. Examples of the step table for slow pedal exercise used in the present slow pedal exercise include a plastic product called "ステップウェル · 2 (stepfel · 2) (コンビウェルネス Corporation (Combi wells Corporation))" and a wooden product called "スローステップ 500" which are sold in the internet museum market. Among them, an example of the product specification of ステップウェル · 2 is: the material adopts plastics (PP + ABS), and horizontal width is 800 millimeters, and the depth is 300 millimeters, has from 100 millimeters to 200 millimeters can carry out the height control piece annex of five stages of height control at 25 millimeter intervals, and the weight is about 3.6 kilograms, and the restriction of user's weight is 100 kilograms. In japanese laid-open patent publication 2007-205146, a step base is used for work at a high place in order to prevent damage to an object even if a collision occurs at an indoor construction site. The problem to be solved in such a field is to provide a lightweight step table in which an anti-slip rubber is attached to the surface of a solid block of styrofoam, but there is no idea of using it as a step table for slow step exercise. Further, japanese laid-open patent publication 2007-051484 aims to provide a step base having a layered frame for height adjustment for the purpose of strengthening foot strength for use in homes.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2007-205146

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2007-

Patent document 3: japanese patent laid-open publication No. Hei 10-131282

Patent document 4: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2000-248706

Patent document 5: japanese patent laid-open publication No. Hei 10-231672

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

The weight and size of the entire slow pedal exercise step platform sold as a commercial product as described above are inconvenient for the elderly who are to maintain and promote health and for the use of the relatively weak people who need to strengthen their foot strength (for example, to carry the platform to a place of exercise, set a height, etc.). Further, in order to use the pedal platform as a simple health appliance for personal health management, which flexibly applies work intermittency in a narrow space such as a home or a work unit, it is necessary to solve the problems of weight reduction, miniaturization, easy height adjustment, and easy installation at an arbitrary place. Patent document 1 describes a lightweight step base in which an anti-slip rubber is attached to a solid block of foamed polystyrene. Further, the purpose of attaching the step anti-slip rubber to the solid block is not to put through the step, and there is no description about how to use the styrofoam in a cubic shape as it is and attempt to disperse the load by the step, or the like, because it is recognized that the load-bearing strength is small. Further, as for the height of the step base, it is considered to use a step base having a cubic shape so as to be overlapped with the step base with a higher height, and other descriptions are omitted. As described above, it has been conventionally considered that a conventional step base using a polystyrene foam having an expansion ratio of 60 times that of a conventional one cannot carry a person unless it has a solid structure. Further, the conventional step base using styrofoam is not used as an instrument having an extremely large number of times of loading and unloading the step base.

In the prior art described below, the problem of a step table with a hollow body or with a hollow space is explained. In japanese patent laid-open publication No. 10-131282, an upper opening including a water tank is enlarged because a hollow body of a substantially box shape with an upper opening of a step base for a rear door is used as a water dispersing device. Therefore, when the material of the step base is a normal foam, the load-bearing strength is considered to be insufficient. Therefore, in this case, a glass fiber reinforced polyurethane foam is exemplified as the foam. In japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2000-248706, the step for the rear door is made of a synthetic resin foam, and both the step and the step are hollow cases having an open lower end, and reinforcing ribs, reinforcing walls, and the like for improving the load resistance are formed on the inner side thereof. Further, the base net is interposed between the coating surface on the upper side of the step and the foam to enhance the load strength. In Japanese patent laid-open publication No. Hei 10-231672, a resin foam block mounted in a step structure portion of a stepped step for a rear door is made of 30 to 45 times polystyrene or the like, and the resin foam block is tightly filled in the step structure portion. In this case, the opening of the hollow body is also large, and the step floor is reinforced by the inner and outer annular ribs, the lattice rib, and the reinforcing metal pipe.

From the above publications it is believed that: in a step base having a hollow body or a hollow space with a large opening, it is essential to reinforce the step base to some extent. Therefore, it has been found that in a step base using a normally used expanded polystyrene having an expansion ratio of 60 times, in order to satisfy the load bearing strength, it is necessary to limit the opening to a small opening that is equal to or smaller than a predetermined opening corresponding to the magnitude of the load. In this case, it is necessary to solve the problem that sufficient durability can be achieved even when the pedal device is used as a tool for lifting and lowering the pedal plate as many times as possible.

In this case, it is necessary to solve the problem of developing a small-sized step table for slow pedal exercise which is light in weight, has a certain load resistance and durability, and has a function of height adjustment. Further, it is necessary to develop a small-sized step table for slow pedal exercise having a function of displaying the number of times of getting on and off the step table, and it is considered that the function of displaying the number of times of getting on and off the step table is essential for improving so-called stimulation (インセンティブ) which is an encouragement for a user.

In view of the problems of the conventional commercial products, an object of the present invention is to newly develop a small-sized step platform for slow pedal exercise, which can carry a person even if a cavity is formed in the step platform using a solid block of styrofoam which has been generally used in the related art, and which has durability enough to withstand repeated use. Further, the present invention provides a step table for slow pedal exercise, which has a feature of making full use of styrofoam as a light-weight material, and which, when reduced in weight, achieves performance of easy height adjustment and easy transportation and installation as essential functions for a step table for slow pedal exercise used as an instrument with a large number of steps up and down, and further achieves optimization of shape and structure in consideration of convenience for a user of the step table.

Technical scheme for solving technical problem

The present invention provides a step table for slow step exercise, which is first characterized in that the step table includes a basic structure portion including: a basic structure block which uses a solid block made of a lightweight styrofoam material as a constituent material and has a plurality of first recesses formed in a bottom surface of the styrofoam by using a plurality of first cavities of a predetermined shape and size, the first cavities being through holes that vertically penetrate from the bottom surface of the styrofoam to an upper surface or cavities that have a part of a portion that does not penetrate inside the through holes; and a predetermined step plate which is adhered (adhered) or stuck ( り - け) to the upper surface of the basic structure block and is used for dispersing the load to make the step plate have the load-bearing performance.

In addition to the first feature, a second feature of the slow pedal movement pedal stage is that the slow pedal movement pedal stage further includes a height adjustment block that is capable of adjusting a height, the height adjustment block being made of the same material as the solid block of styrofoam, the height adjustment block having a plurality of convex portions on an upper surface thereof for insertion and connection with the plurality of first concave portions, respectively, and a plurality of second concave portions on a bottom surface thereof, the plurality of second concave portions being formed by a plurality of second hollow holes that do not penetrate from the bottom surface to a predetermined depth at respective positions located directly below the plurality of convex portions.

In addition to the first and second features, a third feature of the slow pedal movement step base is that the slow pedal movement step base having different heights is configured by inserting and connecting a plurality of projections provided in each of the one or more height adjustment blocks into the corresponding first or second recesses, and the plurality of projections are capable of corresponding connection to the plurality of first recesses or the plurality of second recesses and connect the one or more height adjustment blocks and the basic structure portion in multiple layers.

The fourth characteristic of the step base for slow pedal movement is to optimize the area, thickness and material of the step, the number of holes for forming the plurality of first or second cavities and the first or second recessed portions, the size of the holes, the shape of the holes, and the positions of the holes of the step base for slow pedal movement, which are provided in the basic structure section, as much as possible, to maximize the load-bearing performance of the step base when a person gets on the step base for slow pedal movement of the present invention, and to prevent the deterioration (e.g., cracking, shrinkage, etc.) of the styrofoam due to repeated application of load.

The fifth feature of the step table for slow pedal exercise is that an anti-slip rubber sheet or an anti-slip mat is adhered or stuck to the bottom surface of each of the base structure portion and the height adjusting block as necessary.

In addition to the first feature, a sixth feature of the slow pedal movement pedal stage according to the present invention is that corresponding pressure sensors or piezoelectric sensors are disposed in portions of the pedal (hereinafter referred to as "first pedal") that receive loads applied by the left and right feet, and the pedal stage further includes a display device having a display unit that detects signal levels of the sensors through an electronic circuit, adjusts waveform amplitudes, counts the number of times, and displays a count value on the display unit so that the slow pedal movement pedal stage has a function of counting the number of times a person moves up and down and displaying the number of times. For this purpose, the following structure may also be adopted: in addition to the first step, a second step and a third step are provided corresponding to the load portions of the left and right feet, respectively, and a new second step and third step formed after the pressure sensor or the piezoelectric sensor is adhered or attached to the bottom surfaces of the second step and the third step are overlapped on the steps. In this case, in order to count a series of up and down operations performed in a slow pedal movement described later as one time, the following method may be adopted: the count value is validated only when a state in which the second pedal and the third pedal are not loaded continues for a certain period continuously.

The solution to the problem of the basic structure portion having the first characteristic can achieve weight reduction and size reduction by distributing load and optimizing the arrangement of the cavities even when a general-purpose polystyrene foam for containers or cushioning materials having an expansion ratio of about 60 times is used, taking into consideration the characteristics of the polystyrene foam that it has high compression resistance and low tensile resistance. When the load-bearing performance is insufficient, a styrofoam having an expansion ratio of 50 times or 40 times may be used, but in this case, the styrofoam is harder, and therefore, the cushioning performance is deteriorated. The size and shape of the uneven portion used when connecting to the cavity need not necessarily be the same.

The height adjustment block having the second feature can be connected in a plurality of layers by forming a predetermined shape having a convex portion and a second concave portion made of styrofoam in a direction of a vertical line directly below the plurality of first cavities that do not receive a load. As a result, even when the height adjusting blocks are connected to each other, the load can be received to the maximum extent at the solid portions other than the plurality of convex portions and the plurality of second concave portions.

As a height adjusting block for solving the problem of constituting the step table for slow pedal exercise having the third feature and different in height, the building blocks are stacked in multiple layers in the same manner as the building blocks sold in the market, so that the height adjustment of the shape in which the same height adjusting blocks are connected in multiple layers can be realized, and a structure that can withstand repeated use, can prevent deterioration of styrofoam due to load, and can realize stable and close connection in one body is adopted. In this case, the total structure of the slow pedal movement pedal table can be simplified and the slow pedal movement pedal table can be easily used by limiting the types of height of the required pedal table that can be set to three.

In the problem solving means of the slow pedal movement step having the fourth feature, it is sufficient that the pedal has a depth width at least shorter than the length of the human foot by making the area of the pedal sufficiently large as required for the slow pedal movement step, and the depth width of the pedal is not necessarily equal to or longer than the length from the heel to the toe, and the lateral length of the pedal is substantially equal to the shoulder width of the human.

Further, the thickness of the step is set to a thickness that can sufficiently withstand the normal weight of a person, and the thickness is set to a thickness that unnecessarily increases the rigidity, and the cushioning performance that is the characteristic of the styrofoam material is weakened.

The material of the step plate can be made of inexpensive wood, and in terms of flatness which is likely to cause uncomfortable feeling of the sole of a person who steps on the step plate, it is preferable to use a wood material for the step plate which does not cause so-called plane warpage when it is dried and has sufficient flatness to be closely attached without a gap when the basic structure portion is adhered, and therefore, plywood having excellent flatness can be used.

As a result of examining several kinds of test products prepared by using two commercially available styrofoam blocks (for example, 39 cm in width, 19 cm in depth, and 10 cm in height) and bonding them together with a double-sided tape, the number of cavities, the positions of the cavities, the sizes of the cavities, and the shapes of the cavities were found to be preferable: the number of holes and the position of the holes are at least two or more, and the number is eight or less, and further, it is found that: the pedal table can be made to have an effect of reducing impact when stepping on the pedal and an excellent feeling of close contact of the sole by slightly bending the pedal by overlapping the entire or a part of the hole with the sole of the user through the pedal and combining the same with a cushioning property which is a characteristic of a styrofoam material, and thus the above-described positional relationship is adopted. As an example, in the test results of the test pieces described below, plywood having a thickness of 6 mm was used for a person weighing 70 kg. Here, the number of first holes and the number of second holes obviously need not be exactly the same. In a specific example of the present invention, the number of first holes is set to 6, and the number of second holes is also set to 6. The shape of the portion of the cavity in contact with the step is a laterally elongated shape when viewed from the front, but it is obvious that a longitudinally elongated shape formed by turning the shape by 90 degrees may be employed. In this case, the overlapping portion between the sole and the cavity which is stepped on the step base becomes harder and wider, and the feeling of the sole being in close contact is enhanced, but the force in the direction of expanding the cavity in the lateral direction becomes large, so that the size of the hole and the shape of the hole are selected within a range which does not adversely affect the durability.

In order to distribute the load and provide the load-bearing performance in the area of the portion in contact with the pedal, it is considered that the area of the solid portion other than the hollow styrofoam constituting portion is required to be sufficient, and it is considered that the plurality of convex portions and the corresponding plurality of first concave portions or the plurality of second concave portions can be easily inserted and connected, respectively, and as a result, when safety is evaluated, a product is adopted in which the size of the hole and the shape of the hole are not larger than those of the test product and are substantially the same. In the present invention, the size of the opening of the cavity is, for example, about 5 cm × 8 cm. Therefore, the load can be sufficiently dispersed by using the pedal without deterioration of the styrofoam due to the load applied to the opening of the cavity. In addition, the structure of the step table is simple and easy to manufacture without using a special reinforcing wall, a reinforcing rib, or the like.

Further, the height types of the required step table that can be set are limited to three, and thus the overall structure of the step table for slow pedal movement can be simplified and the step table for slow pedal movement can be easily used. In this case, it is obvious that the height of the basic structure block and the height adjusting block made of styrofoam can be freely combined, and thus a desired height of the step table can be set. Here, it is naturally easy to achieve a sufficient height (for example, generally about 18 to 24 cm) only by using the basic structure portion without using the height adjusting block, and manufacturing cost can also be reduced. Further, it is known that cracking and chipping of the styrofoam can be prevented and protection can be enhanced as necessary by subjecting the surfaces of the concave and convex portions of the styrofoam to a so-called urethane treatment.

The solid portion other than the hollow portion is not narrower than the smallest width portion of the surface of the pedal receiving the load from the block than a test piece (the smallest width is 15 mm) made of a commercially available styrofoam block, and on the condition that the size and shape are substantially the same as those of a test piece made of a commercially available low-cost product, a structure which is light in weight, small in size, and has a required sufficient load-resisting performance can be realized. Specifically, the minimum width is 25 mm.

The anti-slip rubber sheet or the anti-slip mat adhered or attached to the respective bottom surfaces of the basic structure portion having the fifth feature and the height adjusting block as needed can improve the stability when the step table for slow pedal movement is used, and can prevent or reduce disadvantages due to weight reduction, for example, can prevent or reduce the deviation of the installation position of the step table in the case of repeatedly moving up and down the step table; the pedal table can be prevented or reduced from being kicked away carelessly under the condition that the foot is tired due to continuous slow pedal movement. Meanwhile, the anti-slip rubber sheet or the anti-slip mat can play the following roles: when the first concave part or the second concave part is connected with the convex part, the change of the adhesion of the connecting part caused by repeated use or the degradation of the foam polystyrene caused by load can be prevented. Further, it is also easy to use a non-slip rubber sheet or the like on each bottom surface of the basic structure portion or the height adjusting block, and to attach or detach the non-slip rubber sheet or the non-slip mat to or from the bottom surface of the first concave portion or the second concave portion, which is in contact with the floor surface, by adhesion after the height adjustment. According to the test results of the test article, it was confirmed that: if the non-slip mat is adhered, not only the non-slip effect of the mat can be obtained, but also the mutual adaptability of the non-slip mat and the styrofoam is excellent, so that the cushioning effect can be improved.

In the slow pedal exercise step table having the sixth feature and having the display function of counting and displaying the number of times a person gets on and off, it is preferable that the pressure sensor or the load sensor used in the step table be as small as possible and be as thin as possible in thickness when installed. Therefore, as an example, a button sensor sold by Nitta Corporation under the trade name "フレキシフォース (FlexiForce)" is used. The sensor is a film-like sensor which is thin like paper, rich in flexibility and durability, and excellent in responsiveness of detecting a load signal. A piezoelectric thin film sensor may be used as the same sensor.

Further, since the order of the up-down steps of the slow pedal movement is special, a later-described method has been studied and devised. That is, in the left and right feet, the step table is first placed on one foot and then the other foot is placed on the step table, and at this time, the entire weight of the person placed on the step table is applied to the step table. Then, the one foot that has first reached the step table is placed on the ground in front of the step table, and finally the other foot that has remained is placed on the ground in front of the step table, and the series of up-and-down operations are alternately repeated by the left and right feet, thereby constituting a slow step movement.

Therefore, in order to detect the series of up and down operations as a count value once, the magnitude of the load applied to the left and right legs is detected by the sensor circuits, the waveform amplitude is adjusted, and thereafter, the amplitude is compared with a predetermined value, and after a load of a predetermined value or more is detected by the two sensor circuits, when a state in which no load is applied is detected continues for a predetermined period or more, one count pulse is generated. As an example of a circuit which does not malfunction even when a short-time no-load state occurs, for example, an electric pulse signal in which a load is detected is input to a retriggerable monostable multivibrator IC so that a pulse waveform having a constant time width or less is not generated. This is because there is a possibility that a short-time no-load state may occur. Although an example in which the sensors correspond to the left and right legs has been described here, it is obvious that one or more load detection sensors may be used, and the sensors do not need to correspond to the left and right legs. By performing such an operation, the count pulse is generated without causing a malfunction even in a short (several microseconds to several hundreds milliseconds) no-load period. In addition, when the load detection sensors do not correspond to the left and right feet, the count value can be obtained without using the second pedal or the third pedal and by providing one or more load detection sensors at the interval between the first pedal and the base structure block, thereby preventing the deterioration of the cushioning performance due to the overlapping of a plurality of pedals. Since the count value displayed can be correctly known, there are advantages in that: the number of times of ascending and descending can be managed as the goal of the user's exercise amount, and the user himself/herself can easily perform the goal management for improving health.

Effects of the invention

As described above, the conventional foamed polystyrene for a container or a cushioning material having an expansion ratio of about 60 times has a low load bearing performance and is not used for a step base where a person repeats up and down, whereas the foamed polystyrene for a container or a cushioning material having an expansion ratio of about 60 times can be used in the present invention, and therefore, the entire weight of the step base for slow pedal exercise can be made to be as light as about 1 kg or less as a breakthrough as compared with the weight (about 3.6 kg) of a product on the market.

Further, by creating a test product and performing a confirmation test, a structure for distributing a load is created by using styrofoam and the structure is optimized, and as a result of introducing this technique, it is possible to achieve downsizing of the pedal base for slow pedal exercise having sufficient load bearing performance and durability required for use.

Further, the present invention is configured by using a lightweight styrofoam, but the load-bearing performance is not deteriorated, and the height of the step base can be adjusted in the same manner as the conventionally sold step base for slow pedal exercise, and the minimum step base structure required is limited to three-step height by the research on test products, thereby making it possible to simplify the entire structure of the step base for slow pedal exercise and to facilitate the use of the step base for slow pedal exercise.

Further, by optimizing the pedal area, the pedal thickness, the cavity, and the like as much as possible, the pedal area can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional products, and as a result, the size of the slow pedal exercise pedal can be reduced, and the slow pedal exercise can be performed even when the place where the slow pedal exercise is performed is a narrow space such as a home or a work unit. Further, at both side surfaces of the step table (side surfaces of the basic structure block and the height adjusting block), substantially semi-cylindrical through portions where styrofoam does not exist are provided, respectively, whereby the step table can be grasped with one hand to be carried. Therefore, the step table for slow pedal exercise having both the easy transportability and the easy selection of the execution place can be provided.

Further, by setting the plate thickness of the pedal to a predetermined thickness and using the non-slip mat so as not to impair the cushioning effect of the styrofoam used as a constituent material, it is possible to provide a pedal table for slow pedal exercise which is excellent in the sole-to-foot feeling and can reduce the burden on the knees.

Further, since the foamed polystyrene, the anti-slip rubber sheet, and the anti-slip mat are used as constituent members in the portion that contacts the floor surface, it is possible to reduce the problem that the installation position is easily moved due to the reduction in weight and weight of the step base due to the reduction in size. As a result, the step base can be stably fixed at the installation position, and therefore, the step base can be used without worrying about the deviation of the installation position. Further, the floor of a room in which the step table for slow pedal movement is installed and used is not damaged. Further, the following effects are obtained: other objects such as a floor, a grass mat, a linoleum floor, and a tile are laid on the floor of a board such as a floor without the need for maintenance and anti-slip. Therefore, the following effects are obtained: the floor member is not limited to a floor member provided as long as the floor is flat.

Further, since the step table has a shape in which the dimension width and depth are uniform, the step table for slow step exercise having different heights can be realized by a structure in which the same height adjusting blocks are connected in multiple stages, and therefore, when the basic structure portion and the plurality of height adjusting blocks are connected, the entire multi-stage connection is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. This provides an effect that packaging, transmission, and conveyance can be easily performed in a state of multi-layer connection, but the other step tables do not have this effect.

The pedal table for slow pedal exercise with a display function has an effect that a user can easily manage a health-promoting goal by himself/herself. Further, the number of times the step table is moved up and down for each slow step exercise per day is plotted for self-management (for example, calculation of the amount of heat consumed), and thus the present invention has an additional effect of improving so-called stimulation for promoting the exercise of the user.

Drawings

Fig. 1 (a) is a front view of a basic structure of a slow pedal movement step table according to the present invention, fig. 1 (b) is a plan view of a basic structure block of the step table, and fig. 1 (c) is a front view of a modification of the basic structure of the step table.

Fig. 2 (a) is a front view of a height adjustment block of the step table for slow pedal movement according to the present invention, and fig. 2 (b) is a plan view of the height adjustment block.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a block made of styrofoam on the market.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the slow pedal exercise step table of the present invention in three layers.

Fig. 5 (a) is a front view of a basic structure portion of a slow pedal movement pedal stage with a display function, fig. 5 (b) is a plan view of the basic structure portion of the pedal stage, and fig. 5 (c) is a circuit configuration diagram of a display device of the pedal stage.

Fig. 6 (a) is a front view of a modification of the basic structure of the slow pedal movement pedal stage with a display function, fig. 6 (b) is a plan view of the modification of the basic structure of the pedal stage, and fig. 6 (c) is a circuit configuration diagram of a display device of the modification of the pedal stage.

Detailed Description

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to fig. 1 (a), 1 (b), and 1 (c). Since the drawings are bilaterally symmetrical to each other with the same configuration provided on the left side surface, the center portion, and the right side surface, the description will be given only for the right side surface unless otherwise noted, and the other descriptions will be omitted. The same applies to fig. 2, 5, and 6 below.

In fig. 1 (a), the pedal 101 is processed to: the sharp edge line part of the cuboid is cut into smooth, so that the contact condition of the cuboid with the human body is suitable. In the figure, a basic structure block 102, a first cavity 103 and a first recess 104 are shown. The anti-slip mat 110 is also shown in the figure. Here, a case where the first cavity is formed by a through hole is illustrated as an example.

In fig. 1 (b), there is shown a basic structural block 102, which shows the case where there are six of the first hollows in a solid block of styrofoam. In the entire fig. 1, the step base for slow pedal movement in the lowest height is formed, that is, a basic structure portion is formed. Here, the positions, sizes, and shapes of the plurality of first cavities 103 and first recesses 104 are shown, respectively, and a predetermined portion 105 is formed on the right side surface, the predetermined portion 105 being formed by removing a substantially semi-cylindrical portion from styrofoam to facilitate the transportation of the step floor. The predetermined portion 105 is similarly formed on the left side surface. In addition, as an example, the cross-sectional shape of the hollow is a shape in which straight line portions of both right and left side surfaces of a rectangle are replaced with substantially semicircular curved line portions. In addition, as a modified application example of the step table, it is easy to add a display device having a display function of counting the number of steps of the slow step movement of the present invention by the conventional technique, but since the order of steps of the step movement is special, a method is required for displaying an accurate count value. For example, it is conceivable to detect a load when a pedal is depressed and count the load, and this will be described separately with reference to fig. 5 and 6.

Fig. 1 (c) shows a basic structure block 102, a first cavity 103, and a first recess 104. Here, as an example, the first cavity has a portion that does not penetrate through the through hole, and is a modification of fig. 1 (a). Fig. 1 (c) shows the above-described anti-slip mat 110.

Fig. 2 (a) shows a height adjustment block 201, a convex portion 202 and a concave portion 203, the convex portion 202 is a portion inserted into and connected to the first concave portion or the second concave portion, the height adjustment block 201 has a plurality of convex portions 202, the concave portions 203 correspond to the convex portions 202, the height adjustment block has a plurality of concave portions 203, the corner line portion at the tip of the convex portion of the height adjustment block is smoothly cut for easy insertion, and protection for preventing surface damage is enhanced by performing urethane treatment. The predetermined portion 204 is a portion corresponding to the predetermined portion 105 of fig. 1, and is formed by removing a substantially semi-cylindrical portion from styrofoam, and fig. 2 shows an example of a height adjustment block for realizing multi-layer connection as a whole. Here, the height adjusting block of the step base for slow pedal movement according to the present invention does not need to be made of the same material as the basic structure portion. For example, a styrofoam material having an expansion ratio smaller than that of styrofoam constituting the basic structural portion (an example of the material is a material having an expansion ratio of 50 times). This is because the cushioning performance and the like, which are advantages of the styrofoam as a material, are not impaired in this case, and the basic structure portion to be connected can be made to sufficiently exhibit the cushioning performance. The predetermined portion 204 is not necessary, and the predetermined portion 204 is not necessary for the purpose of forming the predetermined portion 105, but the same portion is formed at a position corresponding to the predetermined portion 105 in order to unify the aesthetic appearance of the entire step base when the height adjusting block is connected. Fig. 2 (a) shows a non-slip mat 210.

Fig. 2 (b) is a plan view of the height adjustment block 201 shown in fig. 2 (a), and corresponds to a diagram of the cavity of the basic configuration block in fig. 1 (b).

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a block made of styrofoam which is commercially available. Two of the blocks were stacked up and down, and adhered with a double-sided adhesive tape to form a test piece, and when a person weighing 70 kg performs about forty thousand slow pedal movements, cracks were locally generated in the shortest portion (the width of the cross section was about 15 mm) of the walls constituting the space between the adjacent cavities. Therefore, a pedal stage having a sample made of the same block rotated 90 degrees to substantially correspond to the basic structure portion of fig. 1 was manufactured in a test, and the load-bearing performance was tested, and it was confirmed that the pedal stage had sufficient load-bearing performance and durability. From this result, in designing a step deck using styrofoam, the minimum cross-sectional width of the load-receiving portion is 40 mm or more in the center portion and 25 mm or more in the peripheral portion in order to have a sufficient margin for safety. Fig. 1 (b) and 2 (b) show the above-described example.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the slow pedal exercise pedal base of the present invention in three layers. Here, the following are shown: a basic structure portion 401 of the slow pedal movement step base of the present invention described in fig. 1 (a); the height adjustment block 402 is illustrated in fig. 2 (a) and 2 (b). Further, another height adjustment block 403 identical to the height adjustment block 402 is shown. With this configuration, fig. 4 shows the step table for slow pedal movement in the case where the height of the entire structure is the highest.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an embodiment in which a display device having a function of displaying the number of times of slow pedal motions, that is, the number of times of a series of up-and-down motions, is performed on the slow pedal motion pedal base according to the present invention is added.

Fig. 5 (a) shows the first step 501, the basic structure block 502, the second step 503, and the third step 504. Here, fig. 5 (a) also shows a space 505 for inserting a film-like pressure sensor between the pedals as needed. Fig. 5 (a) shows three first cavities 506, 507, and 508 at predetermined positions among the plurality of first cavities. Fig. 5 (a) shows a non-slip mat 510.

Fig. 5 (b) is a plan view of a basic structure of a slow pedal movement step base to which a display device having a function of displaying the number of times is added. Here, the second step 503, the third step 504, and the display unit 601 of the display device are shown, and the display unit 601 is the same as that of an electronic calculator or a pedometer. As an example of the number of displayed digits of the number of times, three digits from 0 to 999 are possible. Fig. 5 (b) shows a power supply unit 602, and the power supply unit 602 is constituted by a battery or the like. Fig. 5 (b) shows membrane-like pressure sensors 603 and 604 incorporated in the gap as load sensors for the left and right feet, respectively. Fig. 5 (b) shows a push switch 605 used to reset the display to zero. Fig. 5 (b) shows a display device circuit board 606 of a display device, and the display device circuit board 606 constitutes a display device together with the display portion 601. Here, when the distance between the second step and the third step cannot be increased, the display device may be mounted in a portion other than the display portion in the empty space of the first cavity located directly below the first step.

Fig. 5 (c) is a circuit configuration diagram of a display device having a function of generating a pulse signal for counting the number of times by detecting loads applied to the left and right feet by the respective sensors, and displaying the count value in a stable manner. Here, fig. 5 (c) shows: pressure sensors 603 and 604 for detecting loads applied to the left and right feet, respectively; a first waveform amplitude adjustment operational amplifier 607 and a second waveform amplitude adjustment operational amplifier 608; the first comparator IC609 and the second comparator IC610 react only to a signal having a predetermined magnitude or more, and can prevent malfunction due to noise or the like. Fig. 5 (c) shows a NOR circuit 611 and a retriggerable monostable multivibrator (リトリガブルモノマルチ) IC612, and when the load applied to the left and right legs is not applied at all, the retriggerable monostable multivibrator IC612 is triggered by a signal edge in which the output of the NOR circuit is inverted, and generates an electric pulse signal having a predetermined set time width (for example, from several tens milliseconds to several hundreds milliseconds). Fig. 5 (c) shows a counter IC613, and the counter IC613 counts the number of pulses on the last edge of the electric pulse signal. Fig. 5 (c) shows a seven-segment decoder IC614, which converts the output signal of the counter IC into a seven-segment drive signal for display. Fig. 5 (c) shows the display unit 601, and the display unit 601 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or the like similar to the display unit of the pedometer. Fig. 5 (c) shows a push switch 605 for resetting the count value. Further integration of the IC into a so-called single-chip IC may also be used. In addition, when the display device circuit board is mounted in a space sandwiched by the first step, the second step, and the third step, a protection process for conforming the thickness of the display device circuit board to the thickness of the second step and the third step is required in order to protect the display device circuit board against a load. Here, it is obvious that a plurality of pressure sensors for load detection may be unified into one, and the second pedal and the third pedal may be integrated into one pedal, and such a configuration is also possible to match the purpose of detecting the load. Further, by inputting the output signal of the retriggerable monostable multivibrator IC612 as a count pulse signal to a display portion of a pedometer sold on the market, a small display device can be configured at low cost.

Fig. 6 is a view showing a modification of a basic structure portion of a slow pedal movement pedal base with a display function. Fig. 6 shows another example of the embodiment in the case where a display device having a function of displaying the number of times of the slow pedal movement performed on the slow pedal movement pedal table of the present invention, that is, the number of times of the series of up-and-down operations performed on the slow pedal movement pedal table of the present invention is added.

Fig. 6 (a) shows the first step 701, the basic structure block 702, and a space 705 for placing a film-like pressure sensor between the steps as needed. Fig. 6 (a) shows two first cavities 703 and two first recesses 704 at predetermined positions among the plurality of first cavities and the plurality of first recesses. Fig. 6 (a) shows an anti-slip mat 710.

Fig. 6 (b) is a plan view of a basic structure portion of the step base for slow pedal movement to which a display device having a function of displaying the number of times is added. Here, fig. 6 (b) shows a display unit 801 of a display device, and the display unit 801 is the same as a display unit of an electronic calculator or a pedometer. The number of displayed digits of the number may be, for example, a four-digit number from 0 to 9999. Fig. 6 (b) shows a power supply portion 802, and the power supply portion 802 is constituted by a battery or the like. Fig. 6 (b) shows a film-like pressure sensor 803 incorporated as a load sensor. In this case, the case of one load sensor and one pedal is shown. That is, the load sensor 803 is disposed at a substantially central portion of the upper surface of the basic structure block of the step table, and the load sensor 803 is used to detect a load generated by one step by dispersing a load applied to left and right feet of a slow step movement. Fig. 6 (b) shows a push switch 805 for resetting the display to zero. Fig. 6 (b) shows a display device circuit board 806 of the display device, and the display device circuit board 806 constitutes the display device together with the display portion 801. Here, when the installation space of the display device cannot be enlarged, a portion other than the display portion of the display device may be installed in the empty space of the first cavity directly below the first step.

Fig. 6 (c) is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a display device, which has a function of detecting by the load sensor 803, generating a pulse signal for counting the number of times, and displaying the count value in a stable manner. Here, as in the case described in fig. 5 (c), fig. 6 (c) shows a waveform amplitude adjustment operational amplifier 807; the comparator IC809 can prevent malfunction due to noise or the like by reacting only to a signal having a predetermined magnitude or more. Fig. 6 (c) shows that the retriggerable monostable multivibrator IC812 is provided, and when the distributed load applied to the pedal is not applied at all, the retriggerable monostable multivibrator IC812 is triggered by the edge of the output signal of the comparator IC to generate an electric pulse signal having a predetermined set time width (for example, from several tens of milliseconds to several hundreds of milliseconds), and even if a no-load state occurs in a period at least smaller than the set time width, no malfunction occurs. Fig. 6 (c) shows a counter IC813, and the counter IC813 counts the number of the last edges of the electric pulse signal. Fig. 6 (c) shows a seven-segment decoder IC814, and the seven-segment decoder IC814 converts the output signal of the counter IC into a seven-segment drive signal to display the output signal. Note that fig. 6 (c) shows the display unit 801, and the display unit 801 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or the like similar to the display unit of the pedometer. Fig. 6 (c) shows a push switch 805 for resetting the count value. This case is an example of a structure in which the installation position is integrated with the display portion 801, as in a commercially available pedometer. In the case of comparison with fig. 5, the case of one load sensor is exemplified in fig. 6, but in the case of using a plurality of load sensors, it is obvious that a NOR circuit can be used as in the case of fig. 5. In addition, when the output signal of the load sensor 803 can be stably obtained, the output of the waveform amplitude adjustment operational amplifier 807 may be directly input to the counter IC 813.

Claims (12)

1. A step platform for slow step sports, comprising a base structure portion, the base structure portion comprising:

a basic structure block which uses a solid block made of a lightweight styrofoam material as a constituent material and has a plurality of first recessed portions formed on a bottom surface of the styrofoam by using a plurality of first hollow holes of a predetermined shape, the first hollow holes being through holes which vertically penetrate from the bottom surface of the styrofoam to an upper surface or hollow holes which have a part of a portion which does not penetrate inside the through holes; and

one or more pedals are provided, which are adhered or stuck to the upper side surface of the basic structure block, and are used for dispersing the load to enable the pedal platform to have the load-bearing performance.

2. The slow pedal exercise pedal table according to claim 1, further comprising a height adjustment block, the slow pedal exercise pedal table being capable of height adjustment,

the height-adjusting block is made of the same material as the solid block of styrofoam,

the height adjustment block has a plurality of projections on an upper surface thereof for insertion connection with the first recesses,

the height adjustment block has a plurality of second recessed portions on a bottom surface, and the plurality of second recessed portions are formed by a plurality of second hollow holes that are not penetrated and that extend from the bottom surface to a predetermined depth at respective positions located directly below the plurality of protruding portions.

3. The slow pedal movement step table according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of convex portions of one or more height adjustment blocks are inserted into and connected to the corresponding first concave portion or second concave portion, thereby forming the slow pedal movement step table having different heights,

the plurality of projections may be connected to the plurality of first recesses or the plurality of second recesses, respectively, for connecting one or more of the height adjusting blocks and the basic structure portion in multiple layers.

4. A slow pedal movement pedal platform as set forth in claim 1,

one or more load detection sensors are disposed on the bottom surface of the first step,

or one or more additional pedals are provided on the first pedal, one or more load detection sensors are disposed between the first pedal and the one or more additional pedals,

the step table for slow pedal movement further includes a display device having a display unit on which the number of times of the slow pedal movement is made up and down is displayed by processing the electric signals output from the one or more load detection sensors.

5. A slow pedal movement pedal platform as set forth in claim 2,

one or more load detection sensors are disposed on the bottom surface of the first step,

or one or more additional pedals are provided on the first pedal, one or more load detection sensors are disposed between the first pedal and the one or more additional pedals,

the step table for slow pedal movement further includes a display device having a display unit on which the number of times of the slow pedal movement is made up and down is displayed by processing the electric signals output from the one or more load detection sensors.

6. A slow pedal movement pedal platform as set forth in claim 3,

one or more load detection sensors are disposed on the bottom surface of the first step,

or one or more additional pedals are provided on the first pedal, one or more load detection sensors are disposed between the first pedal and the one or more additional pedals,

the step table for slow pedal movement further includes a display device having a display unit on which the number of times of the slow pedal movement is made up and down is displayed by processing the electric signals output from the one or more load detection sensors.

7. A step platform for slow pedal movement according to claim 1, wherein a non-slip rubber sheet or a non-slip mat is adhered or pasted to the bottom surface of the basic structure portion to prevent the basic structure portion or the height-adjusting block from slipping.

8. A step platform for slow pedal movement according to claim 2, wherein a non-slip rubber sheet or a non-slip mat is adhered or stuck to the bottom surface of the basic structure portion or the height-adjusting block to prevent the basic structure portion or the height-adjusting block from slipping.

9. A step platform for slow pedal movement according to claim 3, wherein a non-slip rubber sheet or a non-slip mat is adhered or stuck to the bottom surface of the basic structure portion or the height-adjusting block to prevent the basic structure portion or the height-adjusting block from slipping.

10. A slow-motion pedal platform as claimed in claim 4, wherein a non-slip rubber sheet or non-slip mat is adhered or bonded to the underside of the base structure portion to prevent the base structure portion or the height-adjustment block from slipping.

11. The slow pedal exercise pedal table according to claim 5, wherein a non-slip rubber sheet or a non-slip mat is adhered or stuck to a bottom surface of the basic structure portion or the height adjusting block to prevent the basic structure portion or the height adjusting block from slipping.

12. The slow pedal exercise pedal table according to claim 6, wherein a non-slip rubber sheet or a non-slip mat is adhered or stuck to a bottom surface of the basic structure portion or the height adjusting block to prevent the basic structure portion or the height adjusting block from slipping.