U.S. patent application number 12/468527 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-10 for exercising air footboard and buffer for air footboard.
This patent application is currently assigned to Equibic Product Company, LLC. Invention is credited to Hee-Sun Park.
Application Number | 20090227427 12/468527 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27350476 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090227427 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Park; Hee-Sun |
September 10, 2009 |
Exercising Air Footboard and Buffer for Air Footboard
Abstract
Disclosed herein is an exercise step and an air-cushioning leg
for the exercise step. The exercise step (1) includes a
plate-shaped panel (10), and air-cushioning legs (30). Each of the
air-cushioning legs is provided under the panel to support the
panel, and absorbs a load applied to the panel by air cushioning
effect. The exercise step has a high air cushioning effect, thus
protecting a user's knees from injury, allowing the user to
exercise in comfort and safety, and minimizing noise generated
during a cushioning operation. Further, the exercise step prevents
the panel from being deformed due to a load applied to the
panel.
Inventors: |
Park; Hee-Sun; (Goyang-si,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GLENN L WEBB;REILLY PURCELL & LEWIS
1120 LINCOLN ST, SUITE 1500
DENVER
CO
80203
US
|
Assignee: |
Equibic Product Company,
LLC
|
Family ID: |
27350476 |
Appl. No.: |
12/468527 |
Filed: |
May 19, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11603248 |
Nov 22, 2006 |
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12468527 |
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10491968 |
Sep 21, 2004 |
7160229 |
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PCT/KR02/01979 |
Oct 23, 2002 |
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11603248 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
482/52 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2071/0063 20130101;
A63B 23/0458 20130101; A63B 2220/17 20130101; A63B 2225/62
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/52 |
International
Class: |
A63B 26/00 20060101
A63B026/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 29, 2001 |
KR |
20-2001-33045 |
Feb 18, 2002 |
KR |
10-2002-8484 |
Oct 7, 2002 |
KR |
20-2002-29872 |
Claims
1-16. (canceled)
17. An air-cushioning leg provided under a support unit to absorb a
load applied to the support unit, said air-cushioning leg
comprising: a main body having a two- or more-layered structure;
and an air control unit functioning to discharge a part of
cushioning air from the main body to an outside, when the load is
applied to the support unit.
18. An air-cushioning leg provided under a support unit to absorb a
load applied to the support unit, said air-cushioning leg
comprising: a main body, including: a plurality of tubular bulged
parts having different capacities, said bulged parts being arranged
to form a layered structure; a closed base part coming into contact
with a support surface; and an upper end partially opened to define
an air passage; an air control unit seated in the open part of the
upper end to control an amount of air which flows in and out the
main body; and a cover member covering the upper end of the main
body in which the air control unit is seated.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates, in general to an exercise
step and an air-cushioning leg for the exercise step and, more
particularly, to an exercise step which is designed to have an
excellent air cushioning effect, thus protecting a user's knees
from injury and allowing the user to exercise in comfort and
safety, and which is designed to minimize noise generated during a
cushioning operation.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional exercise
step. As shown in the drawing, the conventional exercise step 100
includes a rectangular panel 110, and four legs, 130. The legs 130
are provided at four corners of the panel 110 under the panel 110,
and are made of elastic materials. A foot contact plate 120 is
provided at a top surface of the panel 110. Actually, a user's feet
are in contact with the foot contact plate 120 of the panel
110.
[0003] When one desires to exercise using the exercise step 100,
the exercise step 100 having such a construction is placed on a
flat surface, that is, a floor. Thereafter, a user repeatedly steps
onto and off of the foot contact plate 120 of the panel 110. Or,
the user jumps on the foot contact plate 120. At this time, a load
of the user is transmitted from the foot contact plate 120 and the
panel 110 through the legs 130 to the support surface.
[0004] In this case, the legs 130 are elastically deformed to
absorb a load applied to the panel 110, thus preventing a shock
from being transmitted to the user's knees. That is, such an
exercise step 100 prevents a user's knees from being injured, when
the user repeatedly steps onto and off of the foot contact plate
120 or jumps on the foot contact plate 120 of the exercise step
100.
[0005] However, the conventional exercise step 100 has a problem
that only the legs 130 are made of a cushioning material, such as
polyurethane, so a cushioning capacity of the exercise step 100 is
insufficient to prevent a shock from being transmitted to a user's
knees. Thus, the conventional exercise step 100 does not
sufficiently prevent a shock from being transmitted to a user's
knees and allow the user to exercise safely and comfortably.
[0006] Further, the conventional exercise step 100 has another
problem that only the legs 130 have a cushioning capacity, so the
foot contact plate 120 and the panel 110 may be undesirably
deformed when the exercise step 100 is used for a lengthy period of
time. The conventional exercise step 100 has a further problem that
the cushioning capacity of the legs 130 is not controlled, so a
different exercise step must be purchased according to a user's
weight.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in
mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object
of the present invention is to provide an exercise step with
air-cushioning legs, which has an excellent air cushioning effect,
thus protecting a user's knees from injury and allowing the user to
exercise in comfort and safety.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
exercise step with air-cushioning legs, which is designed to
minimize noise generated during a cushioning operation and have an
excellent cushioning effect.
[0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide an
exercise step with air-cushioning legs, which is designed to
prevent a panel from being undesirably deformed due to a user's
load.
[0010] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
an exercise step with air-cushioning legs, which is designed to
allow a user to check the number of steps and an exercise time
while exercising.
[0011] In order to accomplish the above object, the present
invention provides an exercise step, including a plate-shaped
panel, and an air-cushioning leg provided under the panel to
support the panel and absorbing a load applied to the panel by an
air cushioning effect.
[0012] Further, in order to accomplish the above object, the
present invention provides an air-cushioning leg for an exercise
step, which is provided under a support unit to absorb a load
applied to the support unit, and which includes a main body having
a double- or more-layered structure and an air control unit
functioning to discharge a part of cushioning air from the main
body to the outside, when a load is applied to the support
unit.
[0013] In order to accomplish the above object, the present
invention provides an air-cushioning leg for an exercise step,
which is provided under a support unit to absorb a load applied to
the support unit, and which includes a main body having a plurality
of tubular bulged parts having different capacities, the bulged
parts arranged to form a layered structure, a closed base part
coming into contact with a support surface, and an upper end
partially opened to define an air passage, an air control unit
seated in the open part of the upper end to control an amount of
air which flows in and out the main body, and a cover member
covering the upper end of the main body in which the air control
unit is seated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The above and other objects, features and other advantages
of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional exercise
step;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exercise step according
to a primary embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an air-cushioning
leg shown in FIG. 2;
[0018] FIGS. 4a to 4c are a plan view, a side sectional view, and a
bottom view of the air-cushioning leg shown in FIG. 3,
respectively;
[0019] FIG. 5a is a perspective view of an air control unit
included in the air-cushioning leg of the primary embodiment of the
present invention;
[0020] FIG. 5b is a perspective view of an air control unit
according to a modification of the primary embodiment of the
present invention;
[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exercise step according
to a second embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a part of the
exercise step shown in FIG. 6, in which air-cushioning legs are
removed from a panel;
[0023] FIGS. 8a and 8b are perspective views of one of the
air-cushioning legs included in the exercise step shown in FIG. 6,
respectively;
[0024] FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of an air-cushioning leg
according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of an air-cushioning leg
according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] FIGS. 11a and 11b are plan views of air-cushioning legs
according to fifth and sixth embodiments of the present invention,
respectively;
[0027] FIG. 11c is a bottom view of an air-cushioning leg according
to a seventh embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an exercise step according
to an eighth embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of one of
air-cushioning legs included in the exercise step shown in FIG. 12;
and
[0030] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a sub-support leg included
in the exercise step shown in FIG. 12.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0031] Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the
same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings
to designate the same or similar components.
[0032] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exercise step according
to a primary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the
drawing, an exercise step 1 according to the primary embodiment of
the present invention includes a plate-shaped panel 10 and four
air-cushioning legs 30. The air-cushioning legs 30 are mounted to
four corners of the panel 10 under the panel 10.
[0033] A plurality of embossments 20 are formed on a top surface of
the panel 10. The embossments 20 prevent a user from slipping and
falling on the panel 10 during an exercise, in addition to
functioning to massaging the sole of the user's foot. The
embossments 20 may be separately manufactured and mounted to the
top surface of the panel 10. Preferably, the embossments 20 are
integrated with the panel 10 to form a single structure.
[0034] The panel 10 is a kind of laminated compressed wood, and is
fabricated by processing multi-layered sheets to which a synthetic
resin is added, under high temperature and high pressure. When the
panel 10 is manufactured in this way, the panel 10 is somewhat
hard, and has excellent elasticity and elastic strain, so the panel
10 is not easily damaged or deformed.
[0035] A plurality of air-cushioning legs 30 are provided at four
corners of the panel 10 under the panel 10 to absorb the load
applied to the panel 10. The air-cushioning legs 30 may be glued to
the panel 10 under the panel 10. Alternatively, the air-cushioning
legs 30 may be screwed to the panel 10 under the panel 10.
[0036] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4a to 4c, each of the air-cushioning
legs 30 includes a main body 31, an air control unit 35, and a
cover member 34. The main body 31 has a plurality of tubular bulged
parts 31b and 31c which have different capacities and are arranged
to form a layered structure. The main body 31 also has a base part
31 and an upper end 31d. The base part 31 is closed and comes into
contact with a support surface. The upper end 31d is partially
opened to define an air passage. The air control unit 35 is seated
in an open part 33 of the upper end 31d to control an amount of air
which flows in and out the main body 31. The cover member 34 covers
the upper end 31d of the main body 31 in which the air control unit
35 is seated.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 4a, the open part 33 of the upper end 31d
of the main body 31 includes a central opening 33a, and a plurality
of radial slits 33b. The central opening 33a is formed at the
center of the upper end 31d of the main body 31. The radial slits
33b are provided along the circumference of the upper end 31d of
the main body 31 at predetermined intervals in such a way as to
communicate with the central opening 33a. A single radial slit may
be formed, but it is preferable that a plurality of radial slits
are formed, like the primary embodiment of the present
invention.
[0038] That is, when a user steps onto or jumps on the panel 10,
air is discharged from the main body 31 through the central opening
33a and the radial slits 33b to the outside. Subsequently, the
bulged parts 31b and 31c are compressed to absorb the load applied
to the panel 10.
[0039] In the case where only the open part 33 is formed at the
upper end 31d of the main body 31, air excessively easily flows in
and out the main body 31, so the load applied to the panel 10 is
not effectively absorbed. Thus, according to the present invention,
the air control unit 35, which is made of a porous material, such
as a sponge, is seated in the open part 33.
[0040] As shown in FIG. 5a, the air control unit 35 includes a
control body 35a, and a plurality of flanges 35b. The control body
35a is seated in the central opening 33a. The flanges 35b outwardly
extend from the control body 35a in a radial direction to be seated
in the radial slits 33b.
[0041] When a user steps onto or jumps on the panel 10 after the
air control unit 35 is seated in the open part 33 of the upper end
31d of the main body 31, air is discharged from the main body 31
through the control body 35a seated in the central opening 33a and
the flanges 35b seated in the radial slits 33b to the outside.
Simultaneously, the bulged parts 31b and 31c are compressed to
absorb the load applied to the panel 10. According to the present
invention, since the air control unit 35 is made of a porous
material, noise is not generated even when air flows in and out the
main body 31, thus allowing a user to exercise in comfort and
safety.
[0042] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5b, an air control unit 35' may
have a shape different from the air control unit 35 of FIG. 5a.
That is, a plurality of through holes 35c are provided in the
control body 35a to additionally control the amount of air which
flows in and out the main body 31. In this case, the shape and
number of the through holes 35c may be changed.
[0043] The air control unit 35' having a plurality of the through
holes 35c in the control body 35a as shown in FIG. 5b, has a higher
cushioning effect in comparison with the air control unit 35 of
FIG. 5a. Thus, the air-cushioning leg 30 equipped with the air
control unit 35 of FIG. 5a is suitable for heavy adults, whereas
the air-cushioning leg 30 equipped with the air control unit 35' of
FIG. 5b is suitable for light adults and children.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 4b, the bulged parts 31b and 31c comprise a
first bulged part 31b and a second bulged part 31c. The first
bulged part 31b is provided adjacent to the base part 31a of the
main body 31. The second bulged part 31c is placed on the first
bulged part 31b to form a layered structure.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 4b, it is preferable that the radius R1 of
the first bulged part 31b is larger than the radius R2 of the
second bulged part 31c to maintain a high cushioning effect and
stability. Further, it is preferable that junctions between the
base part 31a, the first and second bulged parts 31c and 31d, and
the upper end 31b are constricted and inwardly rounded (see, "A"),
thus allowing the main body 31 to be smoothly compressed. Of
course, the radius R1 of the first bulged part 31b, the radius R2
of the second bulged part 31c, and the capacities of the first and
second bulged parts 31b and 31c must be properly determined
according to the size of the panel 10 and the magnitude of the
load, but such variations are not described herein in detail.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 4c, a plurality of foot parts 32 are
projected from a bottom surface of the base part 31a of the main
body 31, thus preventing the base part 31a of the main body 31 from
being compressed due to the load. According to the primary
embodiment of the present invention, the foot parts 32 each have a
rectangular block shape. However, the foot parts 32 may have a
different shape without being limited to the rectangular block
shape.
[0047] The use of the exercise step 1 constructed in this way will
be described in the following.
[0048] First, the exercise step 1 is placed on a flat surface, that
is, a floor. Next, when a user repeatedly steps onto and off of the
panel 10 or jumps on the panel 10, the load applied to the panel 10
is transmitted to the support surface through the panel 10 and the
air-cushioning legs 30.
[0049] At this time, the load applied to the panel 10 is absorbed
by the panel 10 to some extent, but the load is mostly absorbed by
the air-cushioning legs 30. That is, when the user compresses the
panel 10, air is discharged from the main body 31 through the
control body 35a seated in the central opening 33a and the flanges
35b seated in the radial slits 33b to the outside. Simultaneously,
the second bulged part 31c is downwardly compressed toward the
first bulged part 31b, thus absorbing the load applied to the panel
10.
[0050] In this case, each of the air-cushioning legs 30 is provided
with the air control unit 35 which is made of a porous material,
thus preventing noise from being generated even when air is
discharged from the main body 31 to the outside, therefore allowing
a user to enjoy exercising in comfort and safety.
[0051] Of course, as described above, the air-cushioning leg 30
equipped with the air control unit 35 of FIG. 5a is suitable for
heavy adults, whereas the air-cushioning leg 30 equipped with the
air control unit 35' of FIG. 5b is suitable for light adults and
children.
[0052] As such, the exercise step 1 equipped with the
air-cushioning legs 30 minimize noise generated during a cushioning
operation, and has an excellent cushioning effect, thus protecting
a user's knees from injury and allowing the user to exercise in
comfort and safety.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 6, an exercise step 1 according to a second
embodiment of the present invention includes a rectangular
plate-shaped panel 10 and a plurality of air-cushioning legs 30.
The air-cushioning legs 30 are mounted to four corners of the panel
10 under the panel 10. A rectangular foot contact plate 20 is
provided on a top surface of the panel 10. The foot contact plate
20 is made of an elastic material, such as rubber, thus giving
comfort to a user and having some cushioning effect.
[0054] The panel 10 is a kind of laminated compressed wood, and is
fabricated by processing multi-layered sheets to which a synthetic
resin is added, under high temperature and high pressure. Thus, the
panel 10 is somewhat hard, and has excellent elasticity and elastic
strain, so the panel 10 is not easily damaged or deformed.
[0055] A display unit 14 is provided at a predetermined portion of
the panel 10. The display unit 14 is connected to a control unit
(not shown), and displays at least one of the number of steps and a
time. Thus, a user may set the number of steps and a time as
desired when exercising.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of bolts 10a are provided at
four corners of the panel 10 under the panel 10. Each
air-cushioning leg 30 is provided with a bolt receiving part 30a so
that the bolt 10a is tightened into the bolt receiving part 30a
(see, FIG. 8a). That is, by tightening the bolts 10a of the panel
10 into the bolt receiving parts 30a of the air-cushioning legs 30,
the air-cushioning legs 30 are easily mounted to the panel 10.
[0057] Although not shown in the drawings, the positions of the
bolts 10a and the bolt receiving parts 30a may be changed. That is,
the bolts 10a may be provided on the air-cushioning legs 30, while
the bolt receiving parts 30a may be provided on the bottom surface
of the panel 10.
[0058] The air-cushioning legs 30 are provided under the panel 10
to support it, and absorb the load applied to the panel 10. Each of
the air-cushioning legs 30 includes a main body 40 and an air
control unit 50. The main body 40 is made of a material, such as
polyurethane. The air control unit 50 functions to discharge a part
of cushioning air from the main body 40 to the outside, when the
load is applied to the panel 10.
[0059] The main body 40 may have a two-layered structure having two
bulged parts or a multi-layered structure having four or more
bulged parts. However, according to the second embodiment of the
present invention, the main body 40 has three bulged parts 40a,
40b, and 40c, which are layered in a vertical direction.
[0060] As shown in FIG. 8b, the air control unit 50 according to
the second embodiment of the present invention includes a cover
part 51 and a control part 52. The cover part 51 covers an open
part of the main body 40. Air flow holes 51a and 51b of different
sizes are formed in the cover part 51. The control part 52 is
rotatably mounted to the cover part 51 to selectively open or close
the air flow holes 51a and 51b. Preferably, the control part 52 is
provided with a handle 52a.
[0061] When a heavy adult uses the exercise step 1 of the present
invention, the control part 52 is rotated to open a smaller air
flow hole 51a. On the contrary, when a light child uses the
exercise step 1 of the present invention, the control part 52 is
rotated to open a larger air flow hole 51b. Thus, the exercise step
1 of the present invention allows a cushioning effect to be
controlled according to the user's load.
[0062] The use of the exercise step 1 according to the second
embodiment of the present invention will be described in the
following.
[0063] First, the exercise step 1 is placed on a flat surface, that
is, a floor. Next, when a user repeatedly steps onto and off of the
foot contact plate 20 of the panel 10 or jumps at a fixed position
on the foot contact plate 20, the load applied to the panel 10 is
transmitted to the support surface through the panel 10 and the
air-cushioning legs 30.
[0064] At this time, the load applied to the panel 10 is absorbed
by the panel 10 and the foot contact plate 20 to some extent, but
the load is mostly absorbed by the air-cushioning legs 30. That is,
the load is primarily absorbed when the bulged parts 40a, 40b, and
40c of the main body 40 are compressed. Secondarily, the load is
absorbed when air is discharged from the main body 40 through at
least one of the air flow holes 51a and 51b to the outside.
[0065] When a heavy adult uses the exercise step 1, the control
part 52 is rotated to open a smaller air flow hole 51a. Meanwhile,
when a light child uses the exercise step 1, the control part 52 is
rotated to open a larger air flow hole 51b. Thus, the exercise step
1 of the present invention allows an air-cushioning effect to be
controlled according to the user's load.
[0066] In the exercise step 1 according to the second embodiment of
the present invention, a cushioning operation is effectively
carried out by the air-cushioning legs 30, thus reducing a shock
transmitted to the user's knees, allowing the user to exercise in
comfort and safety, and preventing the panel 10 from being deformed
by the load. Further, the user may set and confirm a time and the
number of steps during exercise.
[0067] Further, it is not necessary to provide the air control unit
50 shown in FIG. 8b.
[0068] According to a third embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a main body
40' of each air-cushioning leg 30' is designed such that two cover
parts 42 and 43 are provided at an open lower part of the main body
40'. In this case, the two cover parts 42 and 43 partially overlap
with each other to form an overlapping part. An adjusting bolt 44
is tightened into the overlapping part in such a way that the cover
parts 42 and 43 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined
interval, thus controlling the amount of air which flows out of the
main body 40'.
[0069] According to a fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 10, an air
flow opening 45 is provided at a side of a main body 40'', and a
sliding door 46 is mounted to the air flow opening 45 to control an
opening ratio of the air flow opening 45. The main bodies 40' and
40'' according to the third and fourth embodiments also have foot
parts 32 at the bottom surfaces of the main bodies 40' and
40''.
[0070] Although not shown in the drawings, several through holes
having a predetermined size may be provided in a side of the main
body 40 to accomplish a higher cushioning effect.
[0071] Further, according to a fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 11a,
a plurality of air flow holes 151a are bored through a cover part
151 which is provided at the upper portion of the main body 140.
When a control part 152 is rotated, one or more air flow holes 151a
are opened. Alternatively, the main body of each air-cushioning leg
may be designed to have a structure shown in FIG. 11b. In FIG. 11b,
the reference numerals designate components corresponding to those
shown in FIG. 11a. The components similar to those shown in FIG.
11a are not described herein in detail.
[0072] According to the fifth and sixth embodiments of FIGS. 11a
and 11b, the air flow holes 151a and 252a are provided at the upper
portions of the main bodies 140 and 240, respectively. However, air
flow holes may be formed as shown in FIG. 11c, to accomplish the
same effect as the air flow holes 151a and 252a of FIGS. 11a and
11b. That is, according to a seventh embodiment of FIG. 11e, a
plurality of air flow holes 353a are provided in the bottom surface
of a main body 340, and a sliding door 346 is provided to
selectively open or close the air flow holes 353a, thus controlling
an opening ratio of the air flow holes 353a. Further, foot parts
342 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention
are radially arranged on the bottom surface of the main body 340,
differently from the above embodiments.
[0073] FIG. 12 shows an exercise step according to an eighth
embodiment of the present invention. The exercise step 401 includes
a panel 410. A foot contact plate 420 is provided on a top surface
of the panel 410. A handle 470 is provided on the top surface of
the panel 410 around the foot contact plate 420. A plurality of
air-cushioning legs 430 are provided on four corners of the panel
410 under the panel 410.
[0074] As shown in FIG. 13, each of the air-cushioning legs 430
includes a body 431 and an air cushioning tube 433. The body 431 is
made of an elastic material, such as thermoplastic polyurethane.
The air cushioning tube 433 is installed in the body 431. A recess
431b is provided at a side of the body 431. A plurality of air
cushioning holes 431a are vertically formed in the body 431 to
accomplish a higher air cushioning effect.
[0075] The air cushioning tube 433 is installed in the recess 431b
to absorb a load applied to the panel 410, in cooperation with the
body 431. The air cushioning tube 433 may be fabricated in the form
of a sealed tube with which air is filled. Further, the air
cushioning tube 433 may be made of transparent thermoplastic
polyurethane, thus allowing people to see an advertising member 432
which will be later described herein. Two or more air cushioning
tubes may be installed in the recess of the body, differently from
the air-cushioning leg 430 shown in FIG. 13.
[0076] The advertising member 432 is provided between the inside
wall of the recess 431b and the air cushioning tube 433. The
advertising member 432 comprises a notice for advertising an
article. However, the air-cushioning leg 430 may not be provided
with the advertising member 432.
[0077] Sub-support legs 460 are provided between the air-cushioning
legs 430 to elastically absorb the load applied to the panel 410,
in cooperation with the air-cushioning legs 430 (see, FIG. 14).
Each sub-support leg 460 is made of an elastic material, such as
thermoplastic polyurethane. Air cushioning holes 460a are formed at
each sub-support leg 460 to accomplish a higher air cushioning
effect.
[0078] Each sub-support leg 460 is shorter in length than each of
the air-cushioning legs 430. Thus, when the exercise step 401
according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention is
placed on a flat surface, the air-cushioning legs 430 are in
contact with the support surface, but the sub-support legs 460 are
spaced apart from the support surface.
[0079] When a strain of the panel 410 exceeds a reference level due
to an excessive load, the sub-support legs 460 come into contact
with the support surface, thus preventing the strain of the panel
410 from exceeding an elastic limit. Meanwhile, the air cushioning
holes 460a formed in each sub-support leg 460 function to increase
the elastic strain of the panel 10.
[0080] The exercise step 401 according to the eighth embodiment of
the present invention is provided with the body 431, the air
cushioning holes 431a formed on the body 431, the air cushioning
tube 433, the sub-support legs 460, and the air cushioning holes
460a formed on the sub-support legs 460, thus enhancing an air
cushioning effect, therefore preventing a shock from being
transmitted to a user's knees, and allowing the user to exercise in
comfort and safety, like the exercise steps according to the
above-mentioned embodiments.
[0081] According to the above-mentioned embodiments of the present
invention, each air-cushioning leg 30 includes the main body 40 and
the air control unit 50. In this case, since the main body 40 has a
three-layered structure and is made of thermoplastic polyurethane
having a relatively high elastic force, a sufficient cushioning
effect is accomplished using only the main body 40 of each
air-cushioning leg 30. However, when each air-cushioning leg 30
includes the air control unit 50 as well as the main body 40, the
cushioning effect of the exercise step 1 is maximized.
[0082] According to the above-mentioned embodiments, the panel 10
is made of a laminated compressed wood. However, the panel 10 may
be made of wood having elasticity or other elastic materials.
Further, the panel 10 has a rectangular or circular shape, but the
panel may have other shapes.
[0083] According to the above-mentioned embodiments, the foot
contact plate 20 is provided on the top surface of the panel 10.
But, the panel 10 may not be provided with the foot contact plate
20.
[0084] According to the above-mentioned embodiments, the
air-cushioning legs 30 are provided under the panel 10 to support
the panel 10, and function to absorb a load applied to the panel 10
during an exercise. However, the air-cushioning legs 30 are not
necessarily provided at the panel 10. That is, the air-cushioning
legs may be mounted to support legs (not shown) of a bed or a chair
to achieve a cushioning effect. Since the air-cushioning legs
mounted to the support legs have the same construction as the
air-cushioning legs 30 of the above-mentioned embodiments, the
air-cushioning legs are not described in the following.
[0085] Although not shown in the drawings, in place of the air
control unit according to the above-mentioned embodiments, an air
inlet port and an air outlet port may be provided at both sides of
the main body and a damper may be provided at the air outlet port
to control an opening ratio of the air outlet port, thus having the
same effect as the air control unit of the above-mentioned
embodiments.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0086] As described above, the present invention provides an
exercise step, which has an excellent cushioning effect, thus
preventing a shock from being transmitted to a user's knees and
allowing the user to exercise in comfort and safety.
[0087] Further, the present invention provides an exercise step,
which is capable of minimizing noise generated during a cushioning
operation, and has an excellent cushioning effect. The exercise
step of the present invention has a more excellent cushioning
effect, in comparison with a conventional exercise step, thus
preventing a panel from being deformed and thereby having a long
life-span.
[0088] The present invention provides an exercise step, which is
provided with a display unit, thus allowing a user to confirm the
number of steps and a time during an exercise.
[0089] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention
have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the
art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and
substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and
spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying
claims.
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