Exerciseing device for lower-body

Abstract

A lower body exercise device for use in a sitting position includes a base plate ( 10 ) placed on a floor; pivot frame portions ( 20 a and 20 b ) having first ends which are pivotably coupled to one end of the base plate ( 10 ) and second ends to which pedal portions ( 22 a and 22 b ) are attached; repulsive members ( 30 a and 30 b ) installed between the base plate ( 10 ) and the pivot frame portions ( 20 a and 20 b ) such that a pivot frame composed of the pivot frame portions ( 20 a and 20 b ) can be pressed and pivoted toward the base plate ( 10 ) by external force and the repulsive members ( 30 a and 30 b ) can upwardly bias the pivot frame to an original position when the external force is removed; and pedal force adjustment means ( 40 ) for adjusting pedal force of the pedal portions ( 22 a and 22 b ) by varying elasticity of the repulsive members ( 30 a and 30 b ).

1 . A lower body exercise device for use in a sitting position, comprising:
 a base plate ( 10 ) placed on a floor;   pivot frame portions ( 20   a  and  20   b ) having first ends which are pivotably coupled to one end of the base plate ( 10 ) by a shaft and second ends to which pedal portions ( 22   a  and  22   b ) are attached;   a plurality of repulsive members ( 30   a  and  30   b ) installed between the base plate ( 10 ) and the pivot frame portions ( 20   a  and  20   b ) such that a pivot frame composed of the pivot frame portions ( 20   a  and  20   b ) can be pressed and pivoted toward the base plate ( 10 ) by application of external force and the repulsive members ( 30   a  and  30   b ) can upwardly bias the pivot frame to an original position when the external force is removed; and   pedal force adjustment means ( 40 ) for adjusting pedal force of a pedal composed of the pedal portions ( 22   a  and  22   b ) by varying elasticity of the repulsive members ( 30   a  and  30   b ).   
     
     
         2 . The exercise device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pedal portion ( 22   a ) is moved forward and rearward by a pedal adjustor ( 50 ) so that relative positions of the pedal portions ( 22   a  and  22   b ) can be changed to conform to a size of a user's foot. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a latch ( 60 ) for holding the pivot frame portions ( 20   a  and  20   b ) folded to the base plate ( 10 ).   
     
     
         4 . The exercise device according to  claim 2 , wherein the pedal adjustor ( 50 ) comprises a movable element ( 52 ) flexibly coupled to a lower surface of the pedal portion ( 22   a ), a nut ( 54 ) secured to a lower portion of the movable element ( 52 ) to be open in forward and rearward directions, and a thumb bolt ( 56 ) installed to project out of a rear end of the pivot frame portion ( 20   a ) and threaded into the nut ( 54 ). 
     
     
         5 . The exercise device according to  claim 3 , wherein the latch ( 60 ) has grips ( 62 ) formed on both widthwise ends thereof and an engagement panel ( 64 ) formed on a widthwise middle portion thereof such that an engagement part ( 23 ) formed on a lower surface of the rear end of the pivot frame portion ( 20   a ) can be engaged with the engagement panel ( 64 ), and is installed such that the latch ( 60 ) can be moved in the forward and rearward directions along guide grooves ( 61 ) defined in a lengthwise middle portion of the base plate ( 10 ), and wherein slots ( 66 ) are defined in the base plate ( 10 ) to extend in the forward and rearward directions such that the engagement part ( 23 ) of the pivot frame portion ( 20   a ) can be inserted through the slots ( 66 ). 
     
     
         6 . The exercise device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pedal force adjustment means ( 40 ) comprises a fixing block ( 41 ) into which first ends of the repulsive members ( 30   a  and  30   b ) are fitted, a bolt ( 42 ) which is fastened to a rear end of the fixing block ( 41 ), a guide groove ( 43 ) which is defined on a lower surface of the base plate ( 10 ), a hole ( 45 ) which is perforated through a rear wall ( 44 ) of the guide groove ( 43 ), and a thumb nut ( 46 ) which is threaded with the bolt ( 42 ) outside of the hole ( 45 ), such that the fixing block ( 41 ) having the bolt ( 42 ) fastened thereto is moved in the forward and rearward directions in the guide groove ( 43 ) by rotating the thumb nut ( 46 ). 
     
     
         7 . A lower body exercise device for use in a sitting position, comprising:
 a base plate ( 10 ′);   a fixed shaft ( 20 ′) horizontally supported by a front end of the base plate ( 10 ′) at a raised position;   pivot frames ( 30 ′) pivotably coupled to respective left and right ends of the fixed shaft ( 20 ′); and   torsion springs ( 40   a ′ and  40   b ′) fitted on the fixed shaft ( 20 ′) and having both ends which are supported by the pivot frames ( 30 ′) and the base plate ( 10 ′) such that the pivot frames ( 30 ′) can be held in a lifted state.   
     
     
         8 . The exercise device according to  claim 7 , wherein each of left and right pivot frames ( 30 ′) is composed of a first pivot frame portion ( 30   a ′) which has a relatively long length and a second pivot frame portion ( 30   b ′) which has a relatively short length, a rear pedal portion ( 31 ′) is pivotably coupled to an upper surface of the first pivot frame portion ( 30   a ′) so that a user's rearfoot portion can be placed on the rear pedal portion ( 31 ′), a front pedal portion ( 32 ′) is pivotably coupled to a rear upper surface of the second pivot frame portion ( 30   b ′) so that the user's forefoot portion can be placed on the front pedal portion ( 32 ′), holes ( 34 ′ and  35 ′) are defined through front ends of the first and second pivot frame portions ( 30   a ′ and  30   b ′) such that a shaft bolt ( 22 ′) to be detachably coupled to the fixed shaft ( 20 ′) is inserted through the holes ( 34 ′ and  35 ′), an external thread ( 23 ′) is formed on a distal end of the shaft bolt ( 22 ′), and an internal thread ( 21 ′) is formed in the fixed shaft ( 20 ′). 
     
     
         9 . The exercise device according to  claim 8 , wherein finger-pressure protuberances ( 33 ′) for stimulating acupoints on the sole of a foot are attached onto the rear and front pedal portions ( 31 ′ and  32 ′), and pressing force of the finger-pressure protuberances ( 33 ′) can be adjusted by varying elasticity of springs ( 36 ′). 
     
     
         10 . The exercise device according to  claim 8 , wherein elastic force of the torsion spring ( 40   a ′), which is installed between first pivot frame portions ( 30   a ′) and the base plate ( 10 ′), can be adjusted in a multi-stepwise manner by elastic force adjustment means ( 50 ′) which is arranged in the base plate ( 10 ′) so that a load of exercise can be adjusted. 
     
     
         11 . The exercise device according to  claim 10 , wherein the elastic force adjustment means ( 50 ′) comprises a lever ( 53 ′) which has a handle ( 51 ′) attached to an upper end thereof and a pinion ( 52 ′) secured to a lower end thereof, and a slider ( 56 ′) which has a rack ( 54 ′) formed on one portion thereof to be meshed with the pinion ( 52 ′) of the lever ( 53 ′) and a support part ( 55 ′) formed in the shape of steps on the other portion thereof to support a middle portion of the torsion spring ( 40   a ′). 
     
     
         12 . The exercise device according to  claim 9 , wherein the rear pedal portion ( 31 ′) is composed of an upper plate ( 31   a ′), an intermediate plate ( 31   b ′) and a lower plate ( 31   c ′), protuberance installation grooves ( 31   d ′) are defined in the upper plate ( 31   a ′) such that the finger-pressure protuberances ( 33 ′) and the springs ( 36 ′) are installed in the protuberance installation grooves ( 31   d ′), the upper plate ( 31   a ′) and the intermediate plate ( 31   b ′) are detachably coupled to each other by an engagement shoulder ( 312 ) and an elastic projection ( 311 ), and the upper plate ( 31   a ′) having the intermediate plate ( 31   b ′) coupled thereto is fastened to the lower plate ( 31   c ′) by a bolt ( 31   e ′).