# US 7,608,017 B2 · Balance exercise machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,017 B2 - Document ID: US7608017B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/763,066 - Filed: 2007-06-14 - Published: 2007-12-20 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2006-06-15 - Assignees: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ryusuke Nakanishi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608017B2 ## CPC - A63B 69/04: simulating the movement of horses (toy animals for riding A63G19/00) - 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)} - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract In a balance exercise machine, a swing mechanism swings a seat with composition of a swing motion in an anteroposterior direction and a swing motion in a widthwise direction. The swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction is driven faster than, preferably twice as fast, as that in the widthwise direction. The origin of the swing motion of the seat in the widthwise direction is discrepant from origin of the swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction within a half-cycle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A balance exercise machine comprising: a seat on which a trainee sits; a swing mechanism that swings the seat with a swing motion in an anteroposterior direction and a swing motion in a widthwise direction; a controller that controls the swing mechanism, wherein moving speed in the swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction is twice as fast than that in the widthwise direction; and origin of the swing motion of the seat in the widthwise direction is set from a position discrepant within a quarter-cycle or a half-cycle from origin of the swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction to a position coinciding with the origin of the swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction; an extendable and contractible mechanism that varies a distance between the seat and the swing mechanism by extension or contraction thereof so as to vary a stroke of a swing motion of the seat, wherein said controller further controls the extendable and contractible mechanism; a supporting unit that supports the swing mechanism rotatably around a predetermined rotation axis; a pedestal that is to be established on a floor and supports the supporting unit rotatably around a first horizontal axis, and wherein the extendable and contractible mechanism comprises: a first inclination mechanism that is provided between the pedestal and the supporting unit, and varies an inclination angle of the rotation axis of the swing mechanism in a vertical plane; and a second inclination mechanism that is provided between the swing mechanism and the seat, and varies an inclination angle of the seat around a rotation axis of the seat. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the swing mechanism is comprised of a motor, a first driving gear and a second driving gear which are respectively driven by a driving force of the motor; the first driving gear has an eccentric shaft which generates a displacement in a first vertical plane including an anteroposterior direction of the balance exercise machine and a vertical direction, and thereby, the seat is swung in the first vertical plane; and the second driving gear has an eccentric shaft which generates a displacement in a second vertical plane including a widthwise direction of the balance exercise machine and the vertical direction, and thereby, the seat is swung in the second vertical plane. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 2, wherein the gear ratio of the first driving gear to the second driving gear is set to 1:2; and the phase 0° of the eccentric shaft of the second driving gear is discrepant from the phase 0° of the eccentric shaft of the first driving gear within a minus quarter-cycle or coinciding with each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 2, wherein the swing mechanism has a mechanism to convert the displacement in the first vertical plane to a movement of the seat to trace an elliptic orbit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 2, wherein the controller varies a rotation speed of the motor slower while the seat is lifted up relative to the rotation speed while the seat is lifted up in a continuous swing motion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller controls to drive the first inclination mechanism and the second inclination mechanism in conjunction with each other to compensate at least a part of inclination of the seat due to extension or contraction of the first inclination mechanism by extension or contraction of the second inclination mechanism. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller controls to drive the first inclination mechanism to vary the inclination angle of the rotation axis of the swing mechanism in a range from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller controls to drive the first inclination mechanism and the second inclination mechanism in conjunction with each other to vary the inclination angle of the rotation axis of the swing mechanism so as to vary the swing motion of the seat between a swing motion around a horizontal axis and a swing motion around a vertical axis with compensating at least a part of inclination of the seat due to extension or contraction of the first inclination mechanism by extension or contraction of the second inclination mechanism. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: an offset mechanism that offsets the swing mechanism around the rotation axis. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the origin of the swing motion of the seat in the widthwise direction coincides (0 degree) with the origin of the swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction so that the center of the seat traces an orbit of a figure of infinity symbol, which is traced from inside to outside. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the origin of the swing motion of the seat in the widthwise direction is discrepant a half-cycle (180 degrees) from the origin of the swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction so that the center of the seat traces an orbit of a figure of infinity symbol, which is traced from outside of inside. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the origin of the swing motion of the seat in the widthwise direction is discrepant a quarter-cycle (90 degrees) from the origin of the swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction so that the center of the seat traces an orbit of a figure of reverse V-shape. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The balance exercise machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the origin of the swing motion of the seat in the widthwise direction is discrepant a minus quarter-cycle (90 degrees) from the origin of the swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction so that the center of the seat traces an orbit of a figure of V-shape.