Adjustable instability apparatus for exercising, balancing, recreation and physical rehabilitation activities

Abstract

The invention ( 49 ), an adjustable instability apparatus for exercising, balancing, recreation and physical rehabilitation activities, is described comprising an air spring assembly ( 48 ), a bleeder valve with seal assembly ( 46 ), a bearing assembly ( 66 ) and flanged button head cap screws ( 38 ). The air spring assembly ( 48 ) consists of a molded rubber resilient inflatable bladder ( 22 ) that can be selectively inflated or deflated, and is surrounded by a girdle hoop ( 80 ) filled with multiple strands of wire ( 24 ) which are molded into the resilient rubber bladder ( 22 ). A substantially round, flat and rigid top plate ( 20 ) equipped with multiple threaded blind nuts ( 28 ) is crimped and sealed to the top portion of the bladder ( 22 ). A substantially round, rigid bottom plate ( 26 ) with the central portion concaved inward having a threaded open nut ( 88 ) with multiple threaded blind nuts ( 28 ) is crimped and sealed to the bottom portion of the bladder ( 22 ).

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An adjustable instability apparatus for exercising, balancing, recreation and physical rehabilitation activities comprising: 
 a rotating rigid top for said exercising, balancing, recreation and physical rehabilitation activities;    an inflatable bladder having a top portion and a bottom portion;    a flow regulating device for selectively inflating and deflating said bladder;    a rigid top plate connected and sealed to said top portion of said bladder; and    a rigid bottom plate connected and sealed to said bottom portion of said bladder.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 means for securing devices to top side of said rigid top plate and bottom side of said rigid bottom plate, generally using multiple threaded fasteners and multiple threaded nuts.  
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said rigid top plate and said rigid bottom plate are generally comprised of metal.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said bladder may be comprised of multiple sections.  
     
     
         5 . The bladder of  claim 4 , wherein said bladder possess means, usually a girdle hoop, to maintain shape, stability and integrity of said multiple sections.  
     
     
         6 . The bladder of  claim 5 , wherein said bladder is generally cylindrical in shape.  
     
     
         7 . The bladder of  claim 6 , wherein said bladder bellows upward toward said rigid top plate and downward toward said rigid bottom plate when inflated.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 means for connecting flow regulating device, usually a threaded regulating valve, is generally threaded into said rigid bottom plate.  
 
     
     
         9 . The flow regulating device of  claim 8  is usually threaded into a central cavity located on the bottom side of said rigid bottom plate.  
     
     
         10 . The flow regulating device of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 means for sealing flow regulating device, generally a seal ring between said flow regulating device and said central cavity on said bottom side of said rigid bottom plate.  
 
     
     
         11 . The flow regulating device of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 means for regulating the volume and rate of flow, generally a threaded regulating valve threaded into said central cavity on said bottom side of said rigid bottom plate.  
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said rotating rigid top is rotated by a rotating device.  
     
     
         13 . The rotating device of  claim 12  is usually a bearing and generally connected to the bottom side of said rigid bottom plate of said apparatus.  
     
     
         14 . The rotating device of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 means for securing said rotating device, usually to said bottom side of said rigid bottom plate, generally comprising multiple threaded fasteners and multiple threaded nuts.