There are previously known apparatus which can provide movement for the improvement of joint mobility, on which one can stand or sit, and which employ a rhythmic and undulating motion, but to date they have either been too crude for modern use (as in the case of the wobble board) or too expensive for sale to gymnasiums.

The objection of this invention is to obviate the latter problem by the introduction of a machine designed to be produced at a much lower price.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided apparatus for therapeutically exercising parts of the human body, which apparatus comprises a non-rotating support portion for the human body, tilt means for tilting the support portion, drive means for rotating the tilt means so that the support portion undulates in a manner controlled by the tilt means, and control means for controlling operation of the apparatus, charcterised in that the tilt means comprises at least two rollers, each roller being mounted on a mounting member such that each roller rolls around the underside of the support portion when the drive means rotates the tilt means, at least two of the rollers being of a different radial size to each other and/or the mounting members for at least two of the rollers being of a different axial length to each other, whereby the tilt means causes the undulation of the support portion and thereby enables the parts of the human body on the support portion to be exercised.

The use of the rollers of the different radial sizes and/or the support members of the different axial lengths enables the apparatus of the present invention to be economically produced, and at a price which is commercially acceptable, for example to sports clubs and sports organisations.

The apparatus may be one in which there are four of the rollers, the four rollers all being of the same radial size, the four rollers comprising a first pair positioned opposite each other and a second pair positioned opposite each other, and the two mounting members for the first pair of rollers being such that one of the mounting members is axially longer than the other of the mounting members, The two support members for the second pair of rollers will usually be of an equal axial length.

Alternatively, the apparatus may be one in which there are four of the rollers, the rollers comprising a first pair which are positioned opposite each other and of the same radial size as each other, and a second pair which are positioned opposite each other and which are of a different radial size to each other. The rollers in the second pair of rollers will usually both be of a different radial size to the rollers in the first pair of rollers. However, if desired, one of the rollers in the second pair of rollers may be of the same radial size as the rollers in the first pair of rollers.

The apparatus may include a stationery body portion, the tilt means being connected to the stationery body portion by a bearing arrangement which allows the tilt means to rotate around the stationary body portion. The apparatus may thus be one in which the tilt means comprises a carriage which rotates around the stationary body portion, and in which the bearing arrangement is positioned between the carriage and the stationary body portion.

The apparatus may alternatively include a reciprocating body portion which enables the support means to reciprocate.

Preferably the drive means is a variable speed drive means for causing the support portion to undulate at various predetermined speeds. If desired, the drive means may be a constant speed drive means.

The drive means may rotate the tilt means through a gear wheel which contacts the tilt means. Alternatively, the drive means may rotate the tilt means through a drive belt which contacts the tilt means. Other arrangements may be employed.

The apparatus may include a frame member for being held by a person on the support portion and for ensuring that the person does not fall off the support portion during use of the apparatus. When the support portion is for being stood on, then the frame member may be a hand rail or handlebar. The frame member may be a moulded frame member with integrally moulded hand grips.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows first apparatus of the invention in use; Figure 2 is a section through part of the first apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows second apparatus of the invention, Figure 3 being an isometric view of part of the apparatus shown in Figure 2 but with a different type of drive arrangement; Figure 4 is an isometric view like Figure 3 and shows part of third apparatus of the invention; and Figure 5 is an isometric view like Figure 3 and shows part of fourth apparatus of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown apparatus 2 for therapeutical exercising parts such for example as the back 4, hips 6, knees 8, ankles 10 and feet 12 of a human body in the form of a person 14. The apparatus 2 comprises a non-rotating support portion 16 on which the person 14 stands.

The apparatus 2 further comprises tilt means 18 for tilting the support portion 16 and drive means 20 which is housed in a housing 22. The drive means 20 is for rotating the tilt means 18 so that the support portion 16 undulates in a manner controlled by the tilt means 18.

The apparatus 2 further comprises control means 24 for controlling operation of the apparatus 2. As can be seen from Figure 1, the control means 24 includes a control panel 26 in a housing 28. The housing 28 is mounted adjacent a handle bar portion 30 of a frame 32. The frame 32 upstands from the housing 22 and provides the person 14 with something to hold whilst the support portion 16 is undulating. The control panel 26 has a start button 31 and a stop button 33. In an alternative design (not shown), the control panel 26 may have a start button, a stop button, and a further button which is rotated to control speed of operation of the apparatus and which is pressed to give a change of menu. The change of menu may cause the apparatus to operate in a different one of a plurality of pre- programmed modes.

As can be seen from both Figure 2 and Figure 3, the tilt means 18 comprises two rollers 34,36 which are of a different radial size to each other and which roll around the underside 38 of the support portion 16 when the drive means 20 rotates the tilt means 18. The support portion 16 is thus caused to undulate, thereby enabling the above mentioned parts of the person 14 on the support portion 16 to be exercised. As can best be seen from Figure 3, the apparatus has four rollers. Two of the rollers are rollers 40,42 which form a first pair of rollers. These rollers 40,42 are positioned opposite each other and they are of the same radial size as to each other.

The rollers 40,42 are such that their axes will relate to the centre line of the universal joint 43, the top of which is relative to the underside of the platform, see Figure 3. The rollers 34,36 form a second pair of rollers.

These rollers 34,36 are positioned opposite each other and they are of a different radial size to each other. The rollers 34,36 are both of a different radial size to the rollers 40,42.

The apparatus 2 includes a stationary body portion 44 which is mounted by bolts 46 on a frame 48. The frame 48 is bolted by bolts 50 to a floor portion 52 of the housing 22.

The tilt means 18 is connected to the stationary body 44 by a bearing arrangement 54 which allows the tilt means 18 to rotate around the stationary body portion 44. The tilt means 18 comprises a carriage 56 which rotates around the stationary body portion 44. The bearing arrangement 54 is positioned between the carriage 56 and the stationary body portion 44. The bearing arrangement 54 comprises a housing 58 containing ball bearings 60.

The drive means 20 comprises a motor (not shown) which drives a gear wheel 62 mounted on a shaft 64. The motor may be an electric motor.

The shaft 64 rotates in bearings 66,68. A gear wheel 70 is mounted on top of the shaft 64. The gear wheel 70 has teeth 72 which engage teeth 74 on the tilt means 18. Thus rotation of the gear wheel 62, the shaft 64 and the gear wheel 70 causes rotation of the tilt means 18 via the intermeshing gear teeth 72,74.

Figure 3 shows an alternative drive arrangement in which the gear wheel 72 is replaced by a gear wheel 76 which drives a toothed endless belt 78. Teeth 80 on the endless belt 78 engage teeth 82 on the tilt means 18, thereby enabling the endless belt 78 to drive the tilt means 18.

As shown in Figure 2, for ease of construction, the support means 16 is made in various parts which are secured together by screws 84. More specifically, the support means 16 comprises a top plate 86, a bottom plate 88, and a skirt portion 90.

Figures 4 and 5 are both isometric part views like Figure 3. Similar parts as in Figure 3 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of understanding.

In Figure 4, there is an addition which enables the support portion 16 to undulate as in Figure 3 and also to reciprocate. In Figure 4, the universal joint 43 has been replaced by a universal joint 92 mounted on a shaft 94 extending between a pair of upstands 96. As in the case of the universal joint 43, the universal joint 92 has an upper portion 98 permitting pivotal movement one way, and a lower portion 100 permitting pivotal movement the other way. These two types of pivotal movements enable the support means 16 to move about the universal joint with the required undulating action.

In Figure 3, the body portion 44 is stationary. In Figure 4, the comparable body portion 102 reciprocates. This reciprocating action enables the support means 16 to reciprocate. This reciprocating action can be beneficial to joints such for example as ankle and knee joints of a person standing on the support means 16 during use of the apparatus.

The reciprocating action of the body portion 102 is obtained by having the shaft 94 pass through one of the upstands 96 as shown and into a bevel quadrant 104. A pin 106 secures the bevel quadrant 104 to the shaft 94.

Partial rotation backwards and forwards of the shaft 94 is caused by to and fro movement of the lower portion 100 of the universal joint 92. This movement is then transferred to the bevel quadrant 104 which rocks backwards and forwards. The bevel quadrant 104 has teeth 108 which mesh with teeth 110 on a bevel quadrant 112 fixed to the base 114 of the apparatus. Because the bevel quadrant 112 is fixed, the rocking movement of the bevel quadrant 104 causes the body portion 102 to reciprocate. In other respects, the apparatus shown in Figure 4 operates in a similar manner to the apparatus shown in Figure 3.

In Figure 5, all of the rollers 34,36,40,42 are of the same radial size.

However the roller 42 is mounted on a support member 114 which has an axial length greater than a support member 116 on which the roller 40 is mounted. These different axial lengths of the support members 114,116 give the required undulating motion of the support portion 16 during use of the apparatus. The rollers 34,36 are mounted on support members 118, 120 which are both of the same axial length.

As shown in Figures 3,4 and 5, the support means 16 is secured in place on the universal joint 43,92 by a pin 122 and screws 124.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the handle bar portion may be moulded as a pair of hand grips formed as an integral part of a single moulded housing or frame 32. Also, it is possible, and will in some cases be desirable, to substitute the drive motor for drive means in the form of a geared fly wheel or wind paddle, allowing the operator to generate the movement freely as would be in the use of a standard wobble board. In Figure 4, the bevel quadrants 104,112 form part of reciprocating means for providing a reciprocating movement for the support means 16. Other types of reciprocating means may be employed if desired. The shaft 94 can be attached to the bevel quadrant 104 by splines instead of the pin 106. The reciprocating action of the body portion 102 is preferably through 30° but it may be more or less than this if required. The undulating action of the support means in the apparatus of the invention can be achieved with different radially sized rollers and/or different axially sized mounting members since all of the various possible combinations basically utilise undulation-giving means which utilise different distances between the body portion (eg 44,102) and the surfaces of the rollers where they engage the underside of the support means (eg 16). The drive of the apparatus of the invention may be through belts and/or gears. The use of a belt tends to make the apparatus run quieter than if just gears are used. If the apparatus of the invention is pre-programmed for operation, then a program may last for example up to nine minutes. A stop cycle time may last for example from 20-120 seconds. The movement of the support means may be from 20- 60 rpm. The apparatus may also operate on a fixed timer, for example causing changes every 20 seconds or other desired period.

The apparatus of the invention is especially beneficial for giving balance to people, for example elderly people. This is in addition to promoting good joint mobility, and especially in the ankles, knees and hips.

The apparatus of the invention may also be used by athletes in warming up their body and joints prior to undertaking more strenuous exercise. The apparatus of the invention may still further be used in groups, for example all arranged in a circle, with persons on the pieces of apparatus being given instruction on exercise routines. The exercise routines may be in the nature of exercise classes, beautifying classes or dance classes, and the exercise routines may be given with or without accompanying music. Thus people may be taught rhythm with music, whilst simultaneously achieving beneficial exercise. People may also be taught to throw and catch things, eg rings, whilst on the apparatus in order to improve their balance. The exercise afforded by the apparatus of the invention may also help people with brittle bones.