Lower extremity exercise device

Abstract

A portable, compact lower extremity exercise device, suitable for exercising feet and legs of the user while the user is sitting or standing with his/her heels on the floor or ground. The device is adapted and configured to be used where foot space is limited, such as at a desk, a work table, or in an airliner seat. The bottom of the exercise device has first and second sides, and a rocking surface between the sides and proximate the middle of the device. Foot ramps at the top of the device, are spaced from each other and angled downwardly toward the front of the device, thus downwardly toward the user. The working unit can be suspended in a frame, and the frame supported from the floor. The device is used by rocking the device back and forth under the user's feet.

1 . A lower extremity exercise device, comprising:
 a top;   a bottom;   generally opposing front and back sides extending between the top and the bottom; and   opposing ends;   a length, defined between the opposing ends,   a width, defined between the front side and the back side,   a thickness, defined between the top and the bottom,   a middle of said lower extremity exercise device being defined generally mid-way along the length between the opposing ends,   the bottom having first and second sides thereof associated with respective ones of the ends of said lower extremity exercise device,   the first and second sides of the bottom extending toward each other, and defining a rocking surface proximate the middle of said lower extremity exercise device,   and about which said lower extremity exercise device can rock when said lower extremity exercise device is placed on a floor,   first and second foot ramps being defined at the top of said lower extremity exercise device, spaced from each other, foot-receiving surfaces of said foot ramps extending from upper ends thereof, at the back side of said lower extremity exercise device, downwardly toward the front side of said lower extremity exercise device, to lower ends of said ramps.   
   
   
       2 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 1  wherein first and second sides of the bottom extend along generally mirror-image paths toward the rocking surface. 
   
   
       3 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 1  wherein said ramps extend in generally common directions. 
   
   
       4 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 1  wherein said lower extremity exercise device is generally symmetric with respect to the middle of said lower extremity exercise device. 
   
   
       5 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 1  wherein a distance from an underlying floor to said foot ramps, when both said foot ramps are at a common height, is no more than about 7 inches to the lower ends of said foot ramps. 
   
   
       6 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 1  wherein lower ends of said foot ramps extend to the front side and wherein the lower ends of said foot ramps are readily accessible to receive a user's feet thereon. 
   
   
       7 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 1  wherein, when said exercise device is placed on a floor, the lower ends of said ramps are positioned at heights relative to such floor, and said ramps are inclined at corresponding angles relative to such floor, such that a user sitting in a chair adjacent said lower extremity exercise device can place heels of his feet on such floor and rest balls of his feet on said ramps, with bottoms of such user's feet generally extending along extensions of the foot-receiving surfaces defined by said ramps. 
   
   
       8 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 1  wherein said foot ramps define angles β of about 5 degrees to about 15 degrees with respect to a front-to-back definition of the rocking surface. 
   
   
       9 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 1  wherein the length is no more than about 17 inches and each of the width and thickness is no more than about 2.5 inches. 
   
   
       10 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 1  wherein said lower extremity exercise device is made of a plastic shell, and has a central light-weight or hollow interior cavity defined inwardly of said plastic shell, whereby said lower extremity exercise device is light in weight and correspondingly readily portable. 
   
   
       11 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 1  wherein the rocking surface is an arcuate surface, centered at the middle of said lower extremity exercise device, the arcuate surface having an effective rocking radius of at least about 0.13 inch, and extending to planar surfaces which define at least substantial portions of the first and second sides of the bottom. 
   
   
       12 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 11  wherein relatively more remote portions of the planar surfaces of the bottom function as stop surfaces which stop instantaneous rocking motion of said lower extremity exercise device when the corresponding more remote portions of the planar surfaces of the bottom come into contact with an underlying floor. 
   
   
       13 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 11  wherein the planar surfaces of the first and second sides of the bottom define angles α of about 10 degrees to about 20 degrees with respect to the upper ends of said ramps. 
   
   
       14 . A lower extremity exercise device, comprising:
 a top;   a bottom;   generally opposing front and back sides extending between the top and the bottom; and   opposing ends;   a length, defined between the opposing ends,   a width, defined between the front side and the back side,   a thickness, defined between the top and the bottom,   a middle of said lower extremity exercise device being defined generally mid-way along the length between the opposing ends,   the bottom having first and second sides thereof associated with respective ones of the ends of said lower extremity exercise device,   the first and second sides of the bottom generally defining straight-line wedges with respect to the top, and meeting each other proximate the middle of said lower extremity exercise device, and defining an arcuate rocking surface proximate the middle of said lower extremity exercise device, about which rocking surface said lower extremity exercise device can rock when said lower extremity exercise device is placed on a floor,   first and second foot ramps being defined at the top of said lower extremity exercise device, foot-receiving surfaces of said foot ramps extending from upper ends thereof at the back side of said lower extremity exercise device, downwardly toward the front side of said lower extremity exercise device.   
   
   
       15 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 14  wherein the first and second sides of the bottom define angles α of about 10 degrees to about 20 degrees with respect to the upper ends of said ramps. 
   
   
       16 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 14  wherein the straight line wedges of the sides of the bottom define stop surfaces, and wherein a such stop surface stops the rocking motion of said lower extremity exercise device when the respective stop surface comes into contact with an underlying support surface. 
   
   
       17 . A lower extremity exercise device, comprising:
 a top;   a bottom;   generally opposing front and back sides extending between the top and the bottom; and   opposing ends;   a length, defined between the opposing ends,   a width, defined between the front side and the back side,   a thickness, defined between the top and the bottom,   a middle of said lower extremity exercise device being defined generally mid-way along the length between the opposing ends,   the bottom having first and second sides thereof associated with respective ones of the ends of said lower extremity exercise device,   the first and second sides of the bottom extending along generally mirror-image paths toward each other, and defining an arcuate rocking surface proximate the middle of said lower extremity exercise device, and about which said lower extremity exercise device can rock when said lower extremity exercise device is placed on a floor, the arcuate surface having an effective rocking radius of at least about 0.13 inch,   first and second foot ramps being defined at the top of said lower extremity exercise device, spaced from each other, foot-receiving surfaces of said foot ramps extending from upper ends thereof, at the back side of said lower extremity exercise device, downwardly in generally common directions toward the front side of said lower extremity exercise device, to lower ends of said ramps,   said lower extremity exercise device being generally symmetric with respect to the middle thereof, and wherein a distance from an underlying floor to said foot ramps, when both said foot ramps are at a common height, is no more than about 7 inches to the lower ends of said foot ramps.   
   
   
       18 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 17  wherein the first and second sides of the bottom define generally straight-line wedges with respect to the top. 
   
   
       19 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 18  wherein the length is no more than about 17 inches and each of the width and thickness is no more than about 2.5 inches. 
   
   
       20 . A lower extremity exercise device as in  claim 17  wherein the first and second sides of the bottom define angles α of about 10 degrees to about 20 degrees with respect to the upper ends of said ramps and wherein the straight line wedges of the sides of the bottom define stop surfaces, and wherein a such stop surface stops the rocking motion of said lower extremity exercise device when the respective stop surface comes into contact with an underlying support surface.