Gymnastic machine

Abstract

Gymnastic machine ( 1 ) provided with a frame ( 10 ) and with a support device ( 20 ) carried by the frame ( 10 ) to support, in use, a user's body portion ( 100 ) through respective bearing means ( 21 ) suitable to deform under the action of said body portion ( 100 ); the bearing means ( 21 ) comprise an interface ( 21 ) provided to couple to said respective body portion ( 100 ) in a substantially conjugate manner in order to minimise the specific pressure exchanged in all reciprocal contact points.

1 . A gymnastic machine ( 1 ) provided with a frame ( 10 ) and with a support device ( 20 ) carried by the frame ( 10 ) to support, in use, a user's body portion ( 100 ) through respective bearing means ( 21 ) suitable to deform under the action of said body portion ( 100 ); characterised in that said bearing means ( 21 ) comprise an interface ( 21 ) provided to couple to said body portion ( 100 ) in a substantially conjugate manner in order to minimise a specific pressure exchanged in all reciprocal contact points. 
   
   
       2 . A machine according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said interface ( 21 ) is designed to exert, in use, a substantially hydrostatic action on said body portion ( 100 ) in such a way as to make an intensity of the specific pressure exchanged constant in all reciprocal contact points between said interface ( 21 ) and said body portion ( 100 ) and to actively follow postural variations and/or movements of said body portion ( 100 ) in a substantially matching fashion in order to support it continuously during progress of a gymnastic exercise. 
   
   
       3 . A machine according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said interface ( 21 ) comprises at least a first material ( 26 ) of the elastic type to be suitable to deform through compression in a progressive manner and continuously under the action of said body portion ( 100 ). 
   
   
       4 . A machine according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said interface ( 21 ) comprises at least a first material ( 26 ) of the viscoelastic nature to be suitable to deform through compression in a progressive manner and continuously under the action of said body portion ( 100 ). 
   
   
       5 . A machine according to  claim 3 , characterised in that the deformation degree of said first material ( 26 ) is substantially proportional to the compression load to which it is subjected. 
   
   
       6 . A machine according to  claim 4 , characterised in that the deformation degree of said first material ( 26 ) is substantially proportional to the compression load to which it is subjected. 
   
   
       7 . A machine according to  claim 4 , characterised in that said first material ( 26 ) is a slow shape memory material so that, once deformed in use by the action of said body portion ( 100 ), and when relieved of the action of said body portion ( 100 ), said interface ( 21 ) is suitable to exhibit a substantially constant residual deformation with no load for a given first time interval of greater duration than a second time interval necessary to acquire this deformation. 
   
   
       8 . A machine according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said interface ( 21 ) is dimensioned so as to contain, in use, said body portion ( 100 ) in a bilateral manner along a given direction to stabilise said user with respect to actions acting along this given direction. 
   
   
       9 . A machine according to  claim 3 , characterised in that said interface ( 21 ) presents a multi-layer structure ( 24 ). 
   
   
       10 . A machine according to  claim 9 , characterised in that said multi-layer structure ( 24 ) comprises at least a first layer ( 22 ) produced with said first material ( 26 ), and at least a second layer ( 23 ) produced with a second material ( 27 ) of a given nature, suitable, in use, to stiffen under the load of said body portion ( 100 ) to attenuate mechanical interactions between said body portion ( 100 ) and said frame ( 10 ). 
   
   
       11 . A machine according to  claim 10 , characterised in that said first layer ( 22 ) is interposed between said body portion ( 100 ) and said second layer ( 23 ) and is suitable to interact directly with said body portion ( 100 ). 
   
   
       12 . A machine according to  claim 3 , characterised in that said first material ( 26 ) comprises at least flexible polyurethane foam and/or gel. 
   
   
       13 . A machine according to  claim 10 , characterised in that said interface ( 21 ) comprises polyurethane foam and/or rubber foam and/or latex. 
   
   
       14 . A machine according to  claim 13 , characterised in that said second material ( 27 ) comprises polyurethane foam and/or rubber foam and/or latex. 
   
   
       15 . A machine according to  claim 6 , characterised in that said interface ( 21 ) is suitable to exhibit said residual deformation with no load for a said first time interval in the order of seconds; said second time interval being in the order of hundredths of a second. 
   
   
       16 . A support device ( 20  for a gymnastic machine ( 1 ) provided with a frame ( 10 ); said support device ( 20 ) being carried by said frame ( 10 ) and being suitable to support, in use, a user's body portion ( 100 ) through respective bearing means ( 21 ) suitable to deform under the action of said body portion ( 100 ); characterised by comprising an interface ( 21 ) provided to couple to said body portion ( 100 ) in a substantially conjugate manner in order to minimise said specific pressure exchanged in all reciprocal contact points. 
   
   
       17 . A device according to  claim 16 , characterized in that said interface ( 21 ) comprises at least a first material ( 26 ) of viscoelastic nature to be suitable to deform by compression in a progressive manner and continuously under the action of said body portion ( 100 ). 
   
   
       18 . A device according to  claim 17 , characterised in that said first material ( 26 ) is a slow shape memory material so that, once deformed in use by the action of said body portion ( 100 ), and when relieved of the action of said body portion ( 100 ), said interface ( 21 ) is suitable to exhibit a substantially constant residual deformation with no load for a given first time interval of greater duration than a second time interval necessary to acquire said deformation. 
   
   
       19 . A device according to  claim 16 , characterised in that said interface ( 21 ) is dimensioned so as to contain, in use, said body portion ( 100 ) in a bilateral manner along a given direction to stabilise said user with respect to actions acting along this given direction.