阅读说明：本技术 膝关节刺激装置 (Knee joint stimulation device ) 是由 塚迫喜久宪 于 2018-01-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供能够对膝关节施加有效刺激的膝关节刺激装置。一种膝关节刺激装置(1),其中,利用曲柄(6)将在底座(2)上竖立设置的框架(4)的上部所设置的中心轴(5)、与马达(3)之间连结,利用由马达(3)的旋转来驱动的曲柄(6)使中心轴(5)能够转动,从中心轴(5)垂下有能够调节长度的摆动臂(7),在摆动臂(7)的下端部设置有在端坐姿态下能够载置使用者(9)的脚底(91)的支承板部(8),支承板部(8)形成为,通过在将使用者(9)的脚底(91)载置于该支承板部(8)上的状态下调节摆动臂(7)的长度以使该使用者(9)的膝关节(92)的转动中心(92a)与中心轴(5)一致,从而能够利用摆动臂(7)的摆动来使载置于支承板部(8)上的脚底(91)以膝关节(92)为中心而沿弯曲方向或伸展方向进行动作。(The invention provides a knee joint stimulation device capable of applying effective stimulation to a knee joint. A knee joint stimulation device (1) is provided with a central shaft (5) provided on the upper part of a frame (4) vertically provided on a base (2) and a motor (3) connected by a crank (6), the central shaft (5) is rotatable by the crank (6) driven by the rotation of the motor (3), a swing arm (7) capable of adjusting the length is hung from the central shaft (5), a support plate part (8) capable of placing the sole (91) of a user (9) in an end-sitting posture is provided at the lower end part of the swing arm (7), the support plate part (8) is formed so that the length of the swing arm (7) is adjusted in a state where the sole (91) of the user (9) is placed on the support plate part (8) to make the rotation center (92a) of the knee joint (92) of the user (9) coincide with the central shaft (5), and the swing of the swing arm (7) can be used to make the sole (91) placed on the support plate part (8) coincide with the swing of the central shaft (5) ) The knee joint (92) is moved in the flexion direction or the extension direction.)

1. a knee joint stimulation device is characterized in that,

The knee joint stimulation device is configured such that a central shaft provided on an upper portion of a frame erected on a base is connected to a motor by a crank, the central shaft is rotatable by the crank driven by rotation of the motor,

A swing arm formed to be adjustable in length and suspended from the central shaft, a support plate portion on which a sole of a user can be placed in an end-on position being provided on a lower end portion of the swing arm,

the support plate portion is formed so that the length of the swing arm is adjusted so that the center of rotation of the knee joint of the user coincides with the central axis in a state where the sole of the user is placed on the support plate portion, whereby the sole placed on the support plate portion can be operated in the flexion direction or the extension direction around the knee joint by the swing of the swing arm, and the support plate portion is provided so as to be pivotable with respect to a support shaft extending in the horizontal direction from a lower end portion of the swing arm, whereby the support plate portion can be pivoted so as to follow the sole even when the sole placed on the support plate portion is operated in the plantarflexion direction and the dorsiflexion direction around the knee joint.

2. The knee joint stimulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support plate portion is formed in a size that enables placement of soles of one foot of the user or soles of both feet in parallel.

3. a knee joint stimulation device is characterized in that,

The knee joint stimulation device is configured such that a central shaft provided on an upper portion of a frame erected on a base is connected to a motor by a crank, the central shaft is rotatable by the crank driven by rotation of the motor,

swing arms formed to be adjustable in length are respectively suspended from both sides of the central shaft and sandwiching the motor, a support plate portion on which a sole of a user can be placed in an end-on posture is provided at a lower end portion of the swing arms,

The support plate portion is formed so that the length of the swing arm is adjusted so that the center of rotation of the knee joint of the user coincides with the central axis in a state where the sole of the user is placed on the support plate portion, whereby the sole placed on the support plate portion can be operated in the flexion direction or the extension direction around the knee joint by the swing of the swing arm, and the support plate portion is provided so as to be pivotable with respect to a support shaft extending in the horizontal direction from a lower end portion of the swing arm, whereby the support plate portion can be pivoted so as to follow the sole even when the sole placed on the support plate portion is operated in the plantarflexion direction and the dorsiflexion direction around the knee joint.

4. The knee joint stimulation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support plate portion is configured to be fixed to the swing arm or the support shaft at a mounting angle perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the swing arm so as to be maintained in a horizontal state with respect to the swing arm in a suspended state, and the support plate portion is formed to be swingable in an arc shape about the central axis.

5. The knee joint stimulation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support plate portion is mounted with respect to the support shaft at a mounting angle perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the swing arm, and a stabilizer that overcomes a change in the mounting angle to maintain the mounting angle is provided between the support plate portion and the support shaft.

6. The knee joint stimulation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the center shaft protrudes so that the center shaft is in contact with a rotation center of the knee joint of the user in a state where the sole of the user is placed on the support plate portion, and the sole can be moved in a flexion direction or an extension direction around the knee joint in a state where the center shaft is aligned with the rotation center of the knee joint.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a knee joint stimulation device capable of stimulating a knee joint without applying a self-weight.

Background

the present inventors have proposed a knee joint stimulation apparatus configured to: a motor provided on a base and a slider sliding on a guide rail provided adjacent to the base are coupled to each other by a crank, and the slider is slid along the guide rail by the crank driven by the rotation of the motor, so that a sole provided on a support plate portion on the slider is moved forward and backward, and the knee joint is extended and bent from a 90 ° sitting posture (for example, see patent document 1).

In this knee joint stimulation device, the guide rail is curved in an arc shape, so that the sole of the foot follows the extension and flexion of the knee joint from the 90 ° sitting position.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the case of the above-described conventional knee joint stimulation device, if the knee joint is not used near the virtual center point of the arc in the guide rail curved in the arc shape, the position of the knee is unstable, and the position of the knee joint is unstable in the vertical and horizontal directions during use.

therefore, it is difficult to set the correct setting for use of the device, and an elderly person whose joints of the lower limbs such as the hip joint and the knee joint become hard with age is likely to use the device with the correct setting being mistaken. When the device is used by mistake in this way, the knee joint moves up, down, left, and right, and bad habits such as distortion and torsion are given to the knee joint in addition to the original bending and stretching actions of the knee joint, and effective stimulation cannot be applied to the knee joint.

Similarly, when the above-described conventional apparatus is used for the purpose of rehabilitation to stimulate the knee joint which has become hard after recovery from injury or after surgery, the user may get wrong settings and use the apparatus, which may result in a bad habit of the knee joint.

therefore, it is conceivable that the user receives guidance from a mentor, a trainer, or the like in a bone setting yard, an exercise facility, or the like and sets the device by the guidance. In addition, the user needs to reset every time the user is different, so that the alternate use among the family is difficult and complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a knee joint stimulation apparatus capable of applying accurate effective stimulation to a knee joint with simple settings.

Means for solving the problems

The knee joint stimulation device according to the present invention for solving the above-described problems is configured such that a central shaft provided on an upper portion of a frame vertically provided on a base is connected to a motor by a crank, the central shaft is rotatable by the crank driven by rotation of the motor, a swing arm formed to be adjustable in length is suspended from the central shaft, a support plate portion on which a sole of a user can be placed in an end-on posture is provided at a lower end portion of the swing arm, the support plate portion is formed such that a rotation center of the knee joint of the user is aligned with the central shaft by adjusting a length of the swing arm in a state where the sole of the user is placed on the support plate portion, and the sole placed on the support plate portion can be moved in a flexion direction or an extension direction around the knee joint by swinging of the swing arm, further, the support plate portion is provided so as to be pivotable with respect to a support shaft extending in a horizontal direction from a lower end portion of the swing arm, so that the support plate portion can pivot following the sole even when the sole placed on the support plate portion moves in a plantar flexion direction and a dorsiflexion direction about the knee joint.

in the knee joint stimulation apparatus, the support plate portion may be formed in a size that enables placement of soles of one foot of the user or a size that enables placement of soles of both feet in parallel.

The knee joint stimulation device according to the present invention for solving the above-described problems is configured such that a central shaft provided on an upper portion of a frame vertically provided on a base is connected to a motor by a crank, the central shaft is rotatable by the crank driven by rotation of the motor, swing arms formed to be adjustable in length are respectively suspended from the central shaft and from both sides sandwiching the motor, a support plate portion capable of placing a sole of a user in an end-on posture is provided at a lower end portion of the swing arms, the support plate portion is formed such that the length of the swing arms is adjusted in a state where the sole of the user is placed on the support plate portion so that a rotation center of the knee joint of the user coincides with the central shaft, and the sole placed on the support plate portion can be operated in a flexion direction or an extension direction around the knee joint by the swing of the swing arms, further, the support plate portion is provided so as to be pivotable with respect to a support shaft extending in a horizontal direction from a lower end portion of the swing arm, so that the support plate portion can pivot following the sole of the foot placed on the support plate portion even when the sole of the foot moves in a plantar flexion direction and a dorsiflexion direction about the knee joint.

In the knee joint stimulation apparatus, the support plate portion may be fixed at a mounting angle perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the swing arm so as to maintain a horizontal state with respect to the swing arm in a suspended state, and the support plate portion may be formed to be swingable in an arc shape about the central axis.

In the knee joint stimulation apparatus, the support plate portion may be attached to the support shaft at an attachment angle perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the swing arm, and a stabilizer may be provided between the support plate portion and the support shaft to maintain the attachment angle against a change in the attachment angle.

in the knee joint stimulation apparatus, the center shaft may be projected so as to be in contact with a rotation center of the knee joint of the user in a state where the sole of the user is placed on the support plate portion, and the sole may be moved in a flexion direction or an extension direction around the knee joint in a state where the center shaft is aligned with the rotation center of the knee joint.

Effects of the invention

As described above, according to the present invention, the pivot center of the knee joint of the user can be aligned with the center axis of the pivot center of the swing arm by a simple operation of adjusting only the length of the swing arm, and therefore, it is possible to prevent the knee joint from moving unstably in the vertical and horizontal directions when the sole of the foot placed on the support plate section is moved in the flexion direction or the extension direction about the knee joint. Therefore, it is possible to apply an accurate and effective stimulation to the knee joint without giving bad habits to the knee joint by a simple setting.

Drawings

fig. 1 is a side view showing an outline of an overall configuration of a knee joint stimulation device according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing an outline of the entire configuration of the knee joint stimulation device according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view schematically showing the entire configuration of the knee joint stimulation apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a side view showing a use state of the knee joint stimulation apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are a bottom view and a side view showing another embodiment of the state of attachment of the support plate portion of the knee joint stimulation device according to the present invention.

fig. 6 (a) and 6 (b) are schematic front views showing other embodiments of the knee joint stimulation device according to the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a front view showing another embodiment of the knee joint stimulation apparatus according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 to 3 show a knee joint stimulation device 1 according to the present invention, and fig. 4 shows a use state of the knee joint stimulation device 1.

In the knee joint stimulation apparatus 1, a motor 3 and a frame 4 are provided on a base 2, a center shaft 5 provided on an upper portion of the frame 4 and the motor 3 are connected by a crank 6, the center shaft 5 is rotatable by the crank 6 driven by rotation of the motor 3, a swing arm 7 formed to be adjustable in length is formed to hang down from the center shaft 5, and a support plate portion 8 is provided at a lower end portion of the swing arm 7. The support plate portion 8 is formed so that the length of the swing arm 7 is adjusted so that the center of rotation 92a of the knee joint 92 of the user 9 coincides with the center axis 5 in a state where the sole 91 of the user 9 is placed on the support plate portion 8 in an end-to-end posture, whereby the sole 91 placed on the support plate portion 8 can be moved in the flexion direction or the extension direction around the knee joint 92 by the swing of the swing arm 7.

the base 2 is formed in a plate shape having a size capable of stably installing the motor 3, and the motor 3 is fixed to a central portion thereof.

A rotating plate 61 is provided on the rotating shaft 31 of the motor 3, and one end of a crank shaft 62 is fixed to the rotating plate 61 so as to be rotatable at an eccentric position near the outer diameter of the rotating plate 61.

The frame 4 is made of a square steel material having a rectangular cross section and is erected at the center of one side of the base 2. From the remaining three sides of the base 2, a housing 41 formed as a lip-shaped section is provided to protect the frame 4. A lid 42 is provided at the upper end of the case 41. The lid 42 is welded and fixed to the upper end of the frame 4, and the frame 4 is protected by the case 41 and the lid 42 on the base 2. The bottom surface of the base 2 is reinforced by a rectangular frame 43, and an コ -shaped support frame 44 for supporting the swing of a swing arm 7 described later is provided at a position adjacent to the frame 43. A leg 45 for making the height the same as that of the support frame 44 is provided on the bottom surface of the frame 43. Further, a cover member 46 that closes the inside of the housing 41 is provided between the housing 41 and the swing arm 7.

the center shaft 5 is provided to horizontally penetrate the frame 4 at an upper portion of the frame 4, and is configured to be rotatable with respect to the frame 4. The center shaft 5 is formed such that one end thereof protrudes into a space inside covered with the case 41, the lid 42, and the cover member 46, that is, a space directly above the motor 3 provided on the base 2. The other end of the center shaft 5 is formed to protrude outside the space covered by the case 41, the lid 42, and the cover member 46.

The crank 6 is provided between the motor 3 and the center shaft 5, and is configured to convert a rotational motion of the motor 3 into a rotational motion of the center shaft 5. That is, the center shaft 5 is provided with a rotating plate 63. The rotating plate 63 is formed in a shape in which an arm portion extends from the outer peripheral edge, and a long hole 63a is provided in the extending arm portion. One end of the crank shaft 62 is fixed to the eccentric position near the outer diameter of the rotating plate 61 of the motor 3 so as to be rotatable with respect to the rotating plate 61, and the other end is fixed so as to be rotatable with respect to the rotating plate 63. Accordingly, the crank shaft 62 moves up and down by the rotation of the motor 3, and the up and down movement of the crank shaft 62 rotates the rotating plate 63 via the arm portion, thereby rotating the center shaft 5.

At this time, since the arm portion is provided with the elongated hole 63a, the other end of the crank shaft 62 can be fixed to the rotating plate 63 so as to be rotatable at an appropriate position where the center shaft 5 can obtain a desired rotational motion, while responding to a change in phase of the one end of the crank shaft 62 that follows the rotation of the rotating plate 61. When the other end of the crank shaft 62 is fixed to the side of the elongated hole 63a closer to the center shaft 5, the pivotal movement of the center shaft 5 increases, and as a result, the swing width of the swing arm 7, which will be described later, increases, and when the crank shaft is fixed to a position away from the center shaft 5, the pivotal movement of the center shaft 5 decreases, and the swing width of the swing arm 7 decreases. The pivotal motion of the central shaft 5 is preferably an angular change equivalent to an angular change of about 15 ° corresponding to the angular change of the knee joint 92 during walking. In the case of the present embodiment, in order to obtain an angular change of the knee joint 92 of 15 °, it is preferable to obtain an operation angle α of about 15 ° such that the knee joint is stretched to 97.5 ° in one direction from the 90 ° sitting upright posture, and is bent to 82.5 ° in the other direction from the 90 ° sitting upright posture, and thereafter, the stretching and bending operations are repeated.

however, the angle change is not particularly limited to about 15 degrees corresponding to the angle change of the knee joint 92 during walking, but when the knee joint 92 is operated to some extent such as during rehabilitation, the operation angle α may be further increased by increasing the rotational motion by bringing the other end portion of the crank shaft 62 attached to the elongated hole 63a closer to the central axis 5 side.

The swing arm 7 is formed to hang downward with its upper end fixed to the other end of the center shaft 5. The swing arm 7 is made of a pair of steel materials inserted into and received from each other, and a plurality of holes 71a for adjusting the length of the swing arm 7 are provided in the insertion member 71 at predetermined intervals. The receiving member 72 of the swing arm 7 is provided such that the pin member 72a that is inserted into the hole 71a of the insertion member 71 is biased in the direction of the hole 71a of the insertion member 71 from the outside of the receiving member 72. When the length of the swing arm 7 is adjusted, the length adjustment is performed by: the pin member 72a is pulled against the urging force of the pin member 72a, the pin member 72a inserted into the hole 71 of the insertion member 71 is disengaged from the hole 71a and adjusted to a predetermined length, and then the pulled pin member 72a is released and the pin member 72a is inserted into the hole 71a of the insertion member 71. A support shaft 80 is provided at the lower end of the swing arm 7 so as to project in the horizontal direction on the side opposite to the side on which the center shaft 5 is provided.

The swing arm 7 is formed to be adjusted by inserting the pin member 72a of the receiving member 72 into the hole 71a of the insertion member 71, but is not particularly limited to such a configuration, and may be configured to have a general configuration in which, for example, the hole 71a of the insertion member 71 is not present and the tip end portion of the pin member 72a is pressed against the insertion member 71, so that the length can be adjusted to a desired length regardless of the position of the hole 71a, or may be configured to have such an adjusted length.

The support plate section 8 is formed in a long plate shape on which the sole 91 of the user 9 can be placed, and is provided on the support shaft 80 so as to be rotatable so that the support shaft 80 passes across the entire width direction through the center portion of the bottom surface of the support plate section 8. Thereby, the support plate portion 8 swings about the center axis 5 as a fulcrum at a swing radius corresponding to the length of the swing arm 7. Therefore, by adjusting the length of the swing arm 7 so that the center of rotation 92a of the knee joint 92 coincides with the center axis 5 in a state where the sole 91 of the user 9 is placed on the support plate portion 8, the lower leg portion of the user 9 can be moved in the flexion direction or the extension direction about the knee joint 92 by the swing of the support plate portion 8. At this time, the knee joint 92 is aligned with the central axis 5 of the swing arm 7, and therefore, unstable operation along the vertical and horizontal directions can be prevented.

The knee joint stimulation apparatus 1 configured as described above is configured such that the power supply of the motor 3 is connected to a socket (not shown), and the motor 3 is driven by switching the start switch 32 of the motor 3 provided outside the housing 41, whereby the support plate portion 8 can be swung by transmitting drive from the center shaft 5 to the swing arm 7 via the crank 6.

Next, a method of using the knee joint stimulation apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described.

As shown in fig. 4, the user 9 sets the chair 90 of the user 9 so that the sole 91 is placed on the support plate portion 8 of the knee joint stimulation apparatus 1 in the 90 ° sitting posture. Further, the length of the swing arm 7 is adjusted so that the pivot center 92a of the knee joint 92 of the user 9 coincides with the central axis 5 of the swing arm 7 in a state where the sole 91 is placed on the support plate portion 8 in the 90 ° end-on posture.

After this state is established, the start switch 32 is pressed to operate the motor 3 and start the movement. When the motor 3 is operated, the swing arm 7 and the support plate portion 8 swing about the central axis 5 via the crank 6, and after the sole 91 of the user 9 placed on the support plate portion 8 is caused to extend from the 90 ° sitting posture and then return to the original 90 ° sitting posture and further bend, the stretching and bending operations are repeated within the range of the predetermined operation angle α about the 90 ° sitting posture, thereby applying a stimulus based on the passive motion of the motor 3 to the knee joint 92.

At this time, since the length of the swing arm 7 is adjusted so that the pivot center 92a of the knee joint 92 of the user 9 coincides with the central axis 5 of the swing arm 7 in a state where the sole 91 is placed on the support plate portion 8 in the 90 ° end-seating posture, it is possible to prevent the knee joint 92 of the user 9 from moving up and down, left and right, and causing unstable operation. Therefore, the present invention can be used for rehabilitation for restoring the original bending and stretching movements of the knee joint 92 without giving the knee joint 92 bad habits such as distortion and twisting. This effect can be achieved by a simple operation of adjusting the length of the swing arm 7 to fit the pivot center 92a of the knee joint 92 to the center shaft 5. Further, since the support plate portion 8 is attached to be rotatable with respect to the support shaft 80, even in a user 9 whose foot joints are hard and cannot smoothly perform plantarflexion and dorsiflexion, or whose foot joints cannot be plantarflexion and dorsiflexion in accordance with the bending and extending actions of the knee joint 92, the knee joint 92 can smoothly be bent and extended by placing the foot bottoms 91 on the support plate portion 8.

however, if the support plate portions 8 are easily rotated with respect to the support shaft 80, conversely, the support plate portions 8 may be unnecessarily stressed in the plantar flexion direction or dorsiflexion direction to avoid movement of the support plate portions 8 in the plantar flexion direction or dorsiflexion direction when the knee joint 92 is flexed or extended, which may cause stress. Therefore, the support plate portion 8 may be directly fixed to the swing arm 7 without the support shaft 80 depending on the user 9, or may be fixed so as not to rotate with respect to the support shaft 80. In this case, although the angle of the foot joint is limited in accordance with the flexion and extension of the knee joint 92, the foot joint can be prevented from becoming unstable and causing tension.

As shown in fig. 5, a stabilizer 81 may be provided, which maintains a surface of the support plate portion 8 of the support shaft 80 on which the sole 91 is placed at an attachment angle perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the swing arm 7 in a state where the swing arm 7 is suspended (i.e., a state where the stabilizer 81 is horizontal in the suspended state), and when the foot joint of the user 9 on which the sole 91 is placed is operated in the plantar flexion direction or dorsiflexion direction to change the attachment angle, the stabilizer 81 exerts a resistance action to return the surface of the support plate portion 8 on which the sole 91 is placed to the original attachment angle. The stabilizer 81 may be configured such that a spring as the stabilizer 81 is wound around a support shaft 80 fixed to the swing arm 7, one end of the spring is fixed to the support shaft 80, and the other end of the spring is fixed so as to be supported from the bottom surface of the support plate portion 8. In addition, the stabilizer 81 may be configured by providing a hydraulic damper, an air damper, or an elastic body (such as a spring or an elastic body) between the swing arm 7, the support shaft 80, and the support plate portion 8.

By providing the stabilizer 81, the angle of the foot joint is not limited in accordance with the flexion and extension of the knee joint 92 as in the case where the support plate portion 8 is directly fixed to the swing arm 7, and the foot joint is not stressed by the force wasted on the rotation of the support plate portion 8. Thus, the user 9 can relax and smoothly perform the passive motion of bending and extending the knee joint 92.

In the present embodiment, the knee joint stimulation device 1 is configured to be used with one foot placed thereon, but may be configured such that the support plate sections 8 are formed in a size that enables both feet to be placed thereon as shown in fig. 6 (a), or may be configured such that the swing arms 7 and the support plate sections 8 are provided on both sides of the grip motor 3, respectively, as shown in fig. 6 (b), and the feet are placed thereon, respectively, so that both feet can be used at one time. In the latter case, the foot may be bent and extended simultaneously in synchronization with each other, or alternatively bent and extended in synchronization with each other. In the case of the knee joint stimulation apparatus 1 shown in fig. 6 (a), the support plate section 8 may be supported by one swing arm 7 in a cantilever manner, or the swing arm 7 may be provided on the free side to support the knee joint stimulation apparatus from both sides. In the case of the configuration in which the swing arm 7 is supported from both sides of the support plate portion 8, the configuration may be performed from both sides or from one side by the drive transmission of the motor 3.

The stimulation of the knee joint 92 by the knee joint stimulation device 1 is performed by passively moving the lower part of the knee joint 92 placed on the support plate 50 in the sitting-up posture, and the total weight of the user 9 is not applied to the knee joint 92 as in walking. Therefore, even the elderly with the knee joint 92 becoming hard, the rehabilitation patient after the operation, the patient with the knee joint deformity, and the like can smoothly perform the passive movement of the knee joint 92.

Further, since the passive motion by the motor 3 can be performed at a certain rhythm, a massage effect can be expected.

the motor 3 may be provided with an adjustment switch (not shown) for controlling the rotation of the motor 3 in place of the start switch 32, so that the speed of the swing of the swinging arm 7 and the support plate portion 8 can be adjusted.

In the present embodiment, even when the sole 91 of the user 9 is placed on the support plate section 8, if the position of the knee joint 92 is too far inward or too far outward from the position directly above the support plate section 8, there is a concern that pain may be generated in the knee joint 92 due to the abnormal Q coefficient. Therefore, as shown in fig. 7, in order to position the knee joint 92 at a correct position directly above the sole 91, the central axis 5 may be projected so that the inner side of the knee joint 92 abuts against the projected portion, and the right and left positions of the knee joint 92 may be also correctly set. In order to prevent pain in the knee joint 92 due to Q-factor abnormality, the knee joint stimulation device 1 shown in fig. 6 (a) is preferably formed with support plate sections 8 having a size such that both feet can be placed at intervals corresponding to the width of the hip joint of the user 9. Specifically, it is sufficient that a size substantially equal to the width of the seating surface of the chair 90 can be secured.

The present invention can be embodied in other various forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the above embodiments are merely examples in any respect and should not be construed as limiting. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims, and is not limited in any way by the text of the specification. Further, variations and modifications falling within the scope of the equivalent of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals

1: a knee joint stimulation device;

2: a base;

3: a motor;

4: a frame;

5: a central shaft;

6: a crank;

7: a swing arm;

8: a support plate portion;

80: a support shaft;

81: a stabilizer;

9: a user;

91: the sole of the foot;

92: a knee joint;

92 a: a center of rotation.