JP7623099B2 - Stretching Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a stretching device.

Conventionally, there is known a stretching device that is installed on a support surface, is used with the user lying on the upper surface, and is formed long along the user's spine. For example, the stretching device described in the following Patent Document 1 has a first support surface on which the user's back is placed, a second support surface on which the user's buttocks are placed, and a third support surface on which the user's head is placed. Valleys are formed between the first and second support surfaces, and between the first and third support surfaces. When the user lies on his/her back on the upper surface of the stretching device and maintains a straight back posture, the muscles are effectively stretched and the stretching effect is enhanced.

Utility Model Registration No. 3177725

In recent years, an increasing number of people are suffering from poor posture and hunched backs due to long periods of time spent using smartphones and PCs. When people hunch their backs, they are prone to a condition known as a straight neck, where the normal curvature of the cervical vertebrae is lost and the cervical vertebrae become straight. When the cervical vertebrae become straight, it becomes difficult to support the head, which can cause various ailments such as headaches and stiff shoulders. For this reason, there is a demand for stretching devices that can stretch the cervical vertebrae into a curved state and improve the condition of a straight neck.

However, with a stretching device configured as described above, the user's cervical vertebrae are located in the valley between the first and third support surfaces, making it difficult to straighten the cervical vertebrae into a curved state. In addition, even if the cervical vertebrae are straightened into a curved state, there is a problem that if the slouching posture is not improved, the neck tends to become straight again. For this reason, there has been a demand for a stretching device that can straighten the cervical vertebrae into a curved state and also straighten the thoracic vertebrae to improve the slouching posture and improve the straight neck condition.

The present invention was developed based on the above circumstances, and aims to provide a stretching device that can improve the condition of a straight neck by stretching the cervical and thoracic vertebrae.

The stretching device of the present invention is used with a user lying on his/her back on the upper surface, and is long in the direction along the user's spine. The device has an upper back rest on which the user's upper back is placed, and a neck rest on which the user's neck is placed, and the upper surface of the neck rest is located higher than the upper surface of the upper back rest, and by placing the user's neck on the upper surface of the neck rest, the back of the user's head is lowered below the upper surface of the neck rest. In the present invention, the upper back is the upper part of the upper body in an upright position, located at the height of the thoracic vertebrae, and includes the back of the body. The neck is the thin part that connects the head and torso, and located at the height of the cervical vertebrae in an upright position. In other words, the upper back is the thoracic vertebrae and the surrounding area, and the neck is the cervical vertebrae and the surrounding area.

According to the present invention, when a user lies on the upper surface of the stretching device and places the neck on the upper surface of the neck rest, the back of the head drops below the upper surface of the neck rest and the cervical vertebrae are stretched, so that the cervical vertebrae can be stretched into a curved state. Also, because the upper surface of the neck rest is located higher than the upper surface of the upper back rest, excessive strain on the cervical vertebrae (neck) can be prevented. Furthermore, by placing the upper back on the upper surface of the upper back rest, the thoracic vertebrae can be stretched. Therefore, the cervical and thoracic vertebrae can be stretched, improving the condition of a straight neck.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the stretching device according to the present embodiment is used. A perspective view showing a stretching device Side view showing stretching equipment Bottom view showing stretching equipment FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the stretching device, which corresponds to the cross-section taken along the line A-A in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the stretching device, which corresponds to the cross section taken along the line B-B in FIG. 5 . FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the stretching device, which corresponds to the cross section taken along the line CC in FIG. 5 . FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the stretching device, which corresponds to the cross section taken along the line D-D in FIG. 5 . FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the stretching device, which corresponds to the cross-section taken along the line E-E in FIG. 5 . Plan view showing the device body

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below.
The stretching device of the present invention may have a recess formed between the upper surface of the upper back rest and the upper surface of the neck rest, which recesses downward. With this configuration, the user's back is supported around the upper surface of the upper back rest, causing the thoracic vertebrae to bend, allowing for more effective stretching.

The stretching device of the present invention may also have a lumbar support portion on which the user's lumbar region is placed. Here, in order to enhance the stretching effect of the stretching device, it is desirable that the height dimension from the support surface to the upper surface of the upper back support portion is large. This is because, when the height dimension from the support surface to the upper surface of the upper back support portion is large, the user's scapular range of motion is large, making it easier for the user to move both arms. When the stretching device does not have a lumbar support portion, the user's lumbar region is placed on the support surface on which the stretching device is installed. In such a case, if the height dimension from the support surface to the upper surface of the upper back support portion is large, a large difference in height occurs between the placement position of the user's lumbar region and the placement position of the upper back, making it difficult to use the stretching device. On the other hand, if the height dimension from the support surface to the upper surface of the upper back support portion is small, the user's scapular region is more likely to come into contact with the support surface, the range of motion of the scapular region is reduced, and it is difficult for the user to move both arms. However, with the configuration of the present invention, the user's lower back is placed on the upper surface of the lower back support part, which is higher than the support surface, so the height dimension from the support surface to the upper surface of the upper back support part can be increased. This increases the range of motion of the user's shoulder blades and improves the stretching effect.

In addition, in the stretching device of the present invention, the upper surface of the neck rest portion may be configured so that the center portion in the direction intersecting with the length direction is located lower than both ends in the intersecting direction. With this configuration, it is easy to place the neck at the center portion in the width direction (direction intersecting with the length direction) of the neck rest portion, making it easy to use the stretching device.

In the stretching device of the present invention, the neck rest may be located at an end in the longitudinal direction of the stretching device. With this configuration, the head can be lowered to a height range from the top surface of the neck rest to the support surface, allowing the cervical vertebrae to be sufficiently stretched. In addition, since the stretching device does not have a portion located on the longitudinal end side of the neck rest, the longitudinal dimension of the stretching device can be made compact.

The stretching device of the present invention may also be one in which the width dimension of the upper back rest portion is smaller than the width dimension of the neck rest portion. With this configuration, the range of motion of the shoulder blades can be increased compared to a case in which the width dimension of the upper back rest portion is larger than the width dimension of the neck rest portion, thereby enhancing the stretching effect.

In addition, in the stretching device of the present invention, the underside of the stretching device may have a curved portion that curves away from the support surface from the center toward both ends in the width direction. With this configuration, the stretching device can be swung in the width direction to relieve muscle tension.

In the stretching device of the present invention, the lumbar support portion may have a cushion, and the cushion of the lumbar support portion may have a thickness dimension in the vertical direction greater than that of the cushion of the neck support portion. With this configuration, the user's lumbar region is supported by the cushion, preventing the lumbar region from becoming painful during use.

<Example>
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
The stretching device S in this embodiment is installed on a support surface M as shown in FIG. 1, and is used with the user 60 lying on the upper surface. The stretching device S is long in a direction along the spine 65 of the user 60. In the following, the longitudinal direction of the stretching device S in each component is referred to as the front-rear direction, and the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction is referred to as the left-right direction. In addition, the side where the head of the user 60 is placed (right side in FIG. 1) is referred to as the front, the side where the buttocks of the user 60 are placed (left side in FIG. 1) is referred to as the rear, and the upper side (upper side in FIG. 1) in the state where the stretching device S is placed on the support surface M is referred to as the upper side, and the lower side (lower side in FIG. 1) is referred to as the lower side. In addition, the side where the right arm of the user 60 lying on his back is placed (left rear side in FIG. 2) is referred to as the right side, and the side where the left arm is placed (right front side in FIG. 2) is referred to as the left side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the stretching device S comprises, in order from one end in the longitudinal direction, a neck rest 10, an upper back rest 30, a waist rest 40, and a buttock rest 50. The neck of the user 60 is placed on the top surface 11 of the neck rest 10. The upper back of the user 60 is placed on the top surface 31 of the upper back rest 30. The waist of the user 60 is placed on the top surface 41 of the waist rest 40. The buttocks of the user 60 are placed on the top surface 51 of the buttock rest 50. The stretching device S is symmetrical with respect to the center in the left-right direction.

The upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10 is located at the highest position on the stretching device S when the stretching device S is placed on the support surface M. The upper surfaces of the stretching device S are in decreasing height positions in the order of the neck rest 10, the upper back rest 30, the lower back rest 40, and the buttocks rest 50.

As shown in FIG. 5, the stretching device S comprises an equipment body 70, a cushion 71, and a cover 72. The equipment body 70 constitutes almost the entire stretching device S. The cushion 71 constitutes a part of the stretching device S. The cushion 71 is provided on the lower back support portion 40. The cover 72 covers the entire equipment body 70 with the cushion 71 provided. The equipment body 70 is made of a hard and light material, such as expanded polystyrene (EPS). The cushion 71 is made of an elastic material, such as soft urethane foam (polyurethane foam). The cover 72 is made of a soft and thin material, such as jersey. The materials of the equipment body 70, cushion 71, and cover 72 can be changed as appropriate.

The neck rest 10 is located at the end of the stretching device S in the longitudinal direction. When the neck of the user 60 is placed on the top surface 11 of the neck rest 10, the head of the user 60 is located forward of the neck rest 10. The back of the user 60's head is lowered below the top surface 11 of the neck rest 10.

The upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10 protrudes upward. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10 is mountain-shaped with a top (referred to as the first top 12) in a side view. The upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10 has a neck first surface 13 extending from the front end surface (referred to as the first end surface 73) of the stretching device S to the first top 12, and a neck second surface 14 extending from the end on the upper back rest 30 side to the first top 12. The neck first surface 13 is curved so as to bulge outward from the first end surface 73 to the first top 12. The neck second surface 14 extends diagonally upward in a straight line from the end on the upper back rest 30 side to the first top 12. In addition, below the first end surface 73 of the stretching device S, a first curved surface 74 is formed that has a rounded curved shape in side view.

As shown in FIG. 6, the left-right center of the first apex 12 is located lower than both left-right ends. That is, a recess 15 is formed in the left-right center of the first apex 12, and raised portions 16 are formed at both left-right ends. This positions the neck of the user 60 between the left and right raised portions 16, preventing the neck (head) from falling to the left or right from the first apex 12. In addition, the cover 72 is floating above the appliance body 70 at the recess 15.

In the neck mounting portion 10, on the upper surface of the appliance body 70, inclined surfaces 18 are formed on both the left and right sides of a first groove portion 17 described later. The two inclined surfaces 18 rise from the first groove portion 17 toward the left and right ends of the neck mounting portion 10, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 6, the left and right side surfaces 19 of the neck rest portion 10 stand substantially vertically.

As shown in FIG. 6, the underside of the neck rest 10 is curved from the left end to the right end. That is, the underside of the neck rest 10 is a first curved portion 21 that curves from the center in the left-right direction toward both ends in the left-right direction so as to move away from the support surface M. The first curved portion 21 has different curvatures at the center and both ends in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the center in the left-right direction of the first curved portion 21 is an arc surface with a radius of R138 mm, and both ends in the left-right direction of the first curved portion 21 are arc surfaces with a radius smaller than the radius of the center.

As shown in FIG. 10, the neck rest 10 has a shape that bulges out on both the left and right sides in a plan view. The left side 19 of the neck rest 10 is curved so that the center in the front-to-back direction is located at the leftmost end. The right side 19 of the neck rest 10 is curved so that the center in the front-to-back direction is located at the rightmost end.

The upper surface 31 of the upper back rest 30 protrudes upward as shown in FIG. 3. In a side view, the upper surface 31 of the upper back rest 30 is mountain-shaped with a peak (referred to as the second peak 32) that is lower than the first peak 12. The upper surface 31 of the upper back rest 30 has an upper back first surface 33 that extends from the end on the neck rest 10 side to the second peak 32, and an upper back second surface 34 that extends from the end on the waist rest 40 side to the second peak 32. The second peak 32 has a gently curved shape in a side view.

As shown in FIG. 7, the second apex portion 32 of the upper back rest portion 30 has substantially horizontal surfaces formed on both the left and right sides of a second groove portion 35 which will be described later.
The left and right side surfaces 36 of the upper back support portion 30 are inclined from the top surface 31 toward the lower end so as to open slightly outward on both sides in the left-right direction.

The central portion in the left-right direction of the underside of the upper back rest portion 30 is generally horizontal. At both ends in the left-right direction of the underside of the upper back rest portion 30, second curved portions 37 are formed that curve away from the support surface M from the central portion in the left-right direction toward both ends. The second curved portions 37 are curved with a smaller curvature than the first curved portion 21 of the neck rest portion 10.

The width dimension (left-right dimension) of the upper back rest 30 is smaller than the width dimension of the neck rest 10, as shown in FIG. 10. The left and right side surfaces 36 of the upper back rest 30 have a gently curved shape with the center in the front-to-rear direction recessed slightly inward (towards the center in the left-right direction) in a plan view. The width dimension of the upper back rest 30 is smaller than the left-right dimension between a person's shoulder blades 66, as shown in FIG. 7. This allows a wider range of motion for both arms of the user 60 lying supine on the stretching device S.

The upper surface 41 of the lower back support portion 40 protrudes upward as shown in FIG. 3. In a side view, the upper surface 41 of the lower back support portion 40 is mountain-shaped with a top portion (referred to as the third top portion 42) lower than the second top portion 32. The upper surface 41 of the lower back support portion 40 has a lower back first surface 43 extending from the end portion on the upper back support portion 30 side to the third top portion 42, and a lower back second surface 44 extending from the end portion on the buttock support portion 50 side to the third top portion 42. In a side view, the third top portion 42 is curved with a curvature larger than that of the second top portion 32. The protruding portion (mountain-shaped portion) of the lower back support portion 40 is formed by a cushion 71. The cushion 71 is fixed to a base surface 45 (see FIG. 5) formed on the device body 70. The front-to-rear dimension of the lower back rest 40 is smaller than the front-to-rear dimension of the upper back rest 30.

As shown in FIG. 8, the third apex portion 42 has a surface that is generally horizontal in the left-right direction.
10, the width of the lower back support portion 40 is greater than the width of the upper back support portion 30. Since the lower back support portion 40 has a greater width, the stretching device S is stable and comfortable to use.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cushion 71 is mountain-shaped with the third peak 42 in the center in the front-rear direction. In a plan view, the cushion 71 has the same shape as the base surface 45. As shown in FIG. 8, the left and right side surfaces 46 of the cushion 71 hang down obliquely from both the left and right sides of the third peak 42 downward so as to open slightly outward in the left-right direction. The side surfaces 46 of the cushion 71 form the upper portions of the side surfaces 49 of the hip rest portion 40.

As shown in FIG. 10, the base surface 45 is generally rectangular in plan view. The base surface 45 is a flat surface that spans the entire width of the hip rest 40 in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 5, protrusions 45A protrude from the front and rear edges of the base surface 45. As shown in FIG. 8, arc-shaped surfaces 48 are formed on the left and right edges of the base surface 45, which are continuous with the left and right side surfaces 47 of the instrument body 70 of the hip rest 40. The left and right side surfaces 47 of the instrument body 70 of the hip rest 40 stand generally vertically. The left and right side surfaces 47 of the instrument body 70 form the lower portions of the side surfaces 49 of the hip rest 40.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface 51 of the buttocks placement portion 50 slopes gently from the rear end of the lower back placement portion 40 toward the longitudinal end surface (referred to as the second end surface 75) of the stretching device S in a side view. The upper surface 51 of the buttocks placement portion 50 has a gentler slope than the second lower back surface 44 of the lower back placement portion 40. The thickness dimension of the buttocks placement portion 50 in the vertical direction gradually decreases from the rear end of the lower back placement portion 40 toward the second end surface 75. The second end surface 75 is curved in an arc shape in the vertical direction as a whole in a side view.

As shown in FIG. 10, the left and right side surfaces 52 and the second end surface 75 of the buttocks resting portion 50 are entirely curved in plan view.
8 and 9, the central portion in the left-right direction of the lower surface of the hip resting portion 40 and the buttock resting portion 50 is generally flat. Both left-right ends of the lower surface of the hip resting portion 40 and the buttock resting portion 50 are third curved portions 53 that are curved upward from the central portion in the left-right direction toward both ends.

The left and right side surfaces 49 of the waist rest portion 40 and the left and right side surfaces 52 of the buttock rest portion 50 bulge outward in the left-right direction and are gently curved, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The left and right side surfaces 49, 52 of the waist rest portion 40 and the buttock rest portion 50 have a narrower width toward the top.

As shown in FIG. 3, two downwardly recessed portions (referred to as a first recessed portion 76 and a second recessed portion 77) are formed on the upper surface of the stretching device S. The first recessed portion 76 is formed between the upper back rest portion 30 and the neck rest portion 10. The second recessed portion 77 is formed between the upper back rest portion 30 and the waist rest portion 40. The height position of the lower end of the first recessed portion 76 is located higher than the height position of the lower end of the second recessed portion 77.

The first recess 76 is formed by the second neck surface 14 of the neck rest 10 and the first upper back surface 33 of the upper back rest 30. The second neck surface 14 has a steeper slope than the first upper back surface 33.

The second recess 77 is formed by the upper back second surface 34 of the upper back rest 30 and the waist first surface 43 of the waist rest 40. The upper back second surface 34 has a gentler slope than the waist first surface 43.

As shown in FIG. 10, two grooves (referred to as the first groove 17 and the second groove 35) that extend long in the front-rear direction are formed on the top surface of the instrument body 70. The first groove 17 and the second groove 35 are located in the center of the instrument body 70 in the width direction.

The first groove portion 17 and the second groove portion 35 are shallow grooves (depth of about 4 mm). The depth dimension of the first groove portion 17 and the second groove portion 35 is generally constant in the longitudinal direction. The first groove portion 17 and the second groove portion 35 extend linearly in the longitudinal direction of the instrument body 70. The length dimension of the second groove portion 35 is greater than the length dimension of the first groove portion 17. The width dimension of the first groove portion 17 is generally equal to the width dimension of the second groove portion 35.

The first groove 17 is formed in the neck rest 10. The first groove 17 extends over substantially the entire length of the upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10. The second groove 35 is formed in the upper back rest 30. The second groove 35 extends over substantially the entire length of the upper surface 31 of the upper back rest 30.

The formation of the first groove portion 17 and the second groove portion 35 prevents the spine 65 of the user 60 from strongly abutting against the upper surface of the device body 70 (see FIG. 7). This reduces the pain felt by the spine 65 of the user 60 from strongly abutting against the device body 70.

The stretching device S is formed, for example, in the following sizes. As shown in FIG. 3, the total length (longitudinal dimension from the first end surface 73 to the second end surface 75) L1 of the stretching device S is 814 mm. The longitudinal dimension L2 from the first end surface 73 to the second apex 32 of the stretching device S is 298 mm. The height dimension H1 from the support surface M to the top end of the raised portion 16 (maximum thickness dimension of the neck placement portion 10) when the stretching device S is placed on the support surface M is 221 mm. The height dimension H2 from the support surface M to the cover 72 of the recessed portion 15 when the stretching device S is placed on the support surface M is 208 mm. The height dimension H3 from the support surface M to the second apex 32 when the stretching device S is placed on the support surface M is 181 mm. The height dimension H4 from the support surface M to the third apex 42 when the stretching device S is placed on the support surface M is 175 mm. As shown in FIG. 6, the distance B1 between the upper ends of the left and right raised portions 16 of the stretching device S in the left-right direction is 200.5 mm.

In the stretching device S described above, the device body 70 is formed to have the following dimensions. As shown in FIG. 10, the total length L3 of the device body 70 is 806 mm. The maximum dimension B2 in the left-right direction of the neck rest 10 of the device body 70 is 222 mm. The minimum dimension B3 in the left-right direction of the upper back rest 30 of the device body 70 is 136 mm. The maximum dimension B4 in the left-right direction of the buttock rest 50 is 200 mm. As shown in FIG. 6, the vertical dimension H5 from the bottom surface of the device body 70 to the top end of the protuberance 16 (the maximum thickness dimension of the device body 70 at the neck rest 10) is 216 mm. As shown in FIG. 5, the height dimension H6 from the bottom surface of the device body 70 to the bottom end of the recess 15 (the top end of the first groove 17) is 201 mm. As shown in FIG. 7, the height dimension H7 from the bottom surface of the device body 70 to the second top portion 32 (the maximum thickness dimension of the device body 70 at the upper back support portion 30) is 175 mm.

In the above-described stretching device S, the cushion 71 is formed to have the following dimensions: As shown in Fig. 8, the thickness dimension (the vertical dimension from the lower surface to the upper end) H8 of the cushion 71 is 52 mm.
These dimensions allow many people of different body types to perform the stretches described below.

Next, an example of how to use the stretching device S in this embodiment will be described.
1, a user 60 places the stretching device S on a support surface M and lies supine on the upper surface of the stretching device S. In this case, the user 60 first places his/her buttocks on the buttocks support portion 50 and then leans his/her upper body backward. In the stretching device S of this embodiment, the buttocks support portion 50 is the lowest, followed by the waist support portion 40, the upper back support portion 30, and the neck support portion 10 in that order, so that the user 60 can easily lie on his/her back.

The user 60 places his/her neck on the upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10. The back of the user's 60 head is positioned forward of the neck rest 10 and lower than the upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10. This stretches the cervical vertebrae 67 of the user 60 and relieves tension in the neck muscles. Because the upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10 is at the highest position in the stretching device S, the cervical vertebrae 67 of the user 60 are fully stretched. The cervical vertebrae 67 of the user 60 are then stretched into a curved state.

The user 60 places the upper back on the top surface 31 of the upper back rest 30. This causes the upper back of the user 60 to be supported around the top surface 31 of the upper back rest 30, and the thoracic vertebrae 68 to bend. Both the cervical vertebrae 67 and the thoracic vertebrae 68 are stretched, providing effective stretching and improving the condition of the hunched back and straight neck.

The user 60 places his/her lower back on the upper surface 41 of the lower back support portion 40. The lower back of the user 60 is supported by the cushion 71 of the lower back support portion 40. Since the lower back of the user 60 does not come into contact with the device body 70, pain in the lower back during use can be prevented.

The user 60 places the buttocks on the upper surface 51 of the buttocks support portion 50. While lying on their back, the user 60 can rock the stretching device S from side to side to relieve muscle tension. The user 60 can stretch the pectoral muscles and rectus abdominis muscles by moving both arms. At this time, the stretching device S can be prevented from tipping over during use because the areas excluding the upper back support portion 30 (the neck support portion 10, the waist support portion 40, and the buttocks support portion 50) are wide.

In this way, the user 60 lies on his/her back on the stretching device S, stretches, and stands up when the stretching is finished. At this time, the height of the top surface of the stretching device S is highest at the neck rest 10, followed by the upper back rest 30, the lower back rest 40, and the buttocks rest 50, in that order, so the user 60 can easily stand up.

Next, the operation and effects of the embodiment configured as above will be described.
The stretching device S of this embodiment is used with a user 60 lying on his/her back on the upper surface side, and is long in a direction along the spine 65 of the user 60. The stretching device S has an upper back rest 30 on whose upper surface 31 the upper back of the user 60 is placed, and a neck rest 10 on whose upper surface 11 the neck of the user 60 is placed. The upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10 is located above the upper surface 31 of the upper back rest 30. By placing the neck of the user 60 on the upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10, the back of the head of the user 60 is lowered below the upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10.

According to this configuration, when the user 60 lies on the upper surface of the stretching device S and places the neck on the upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10, the back of the head drops below the upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10, stretching the cervical vertebrae 67, and the cervical vertebrae 67 can be stretched into a curved state. In addition, because the upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10 is located above the upper surface 31 of the upper back rest 30, excessive strain on the cervical vertebrae 67 (neck) can be prevented. Furthermore, by placing the user's upper back on the upper surface 31 of the upper back rest 30, the thoracic vertebrae 68 can be stretched. Therefore, the cervical vertebrae 67 and thoracic vertebrae 68 can be stretched, improving the condition of a straight neck.

In addition, a first recess 76 is formed between the top surface 31 of the upper back rest 30 and the top surface 11 of the neck rest 10, recessing downward. With this configuration, the back of the user 60 is supported around the top surface 31 of the upper back rest 30, causing the thoracic vertebrae 68 to bend, allowing for more effective stretching.

The device also has a waist rest 40 on which the waist of the user 60 rests on the upper surface 41. If the waist rest 40 were not provided, the waist of the user 60 would rest on the support surface M, making it difficult to increase the height of the upper back rest. If the height of the upper back rest is small, the shoulder blades 66 of the user 60 would be more likely to come into contact with the support surface M, reducing the range of motion of the shoulder blades 66. However, according to the configuration of the present invention, the waist of the user 60 rests on the waist rest 40, so the height of the upper back rest 30 from the support surface M can be increased. This increases the range of motion of the shoulder blades 66 of the user 60, enhancing the stretching effect.

The upper surface 11 of the neck rest 10 has its left-right center located lower than both left-right ends. This configuration makes it easy to place the neck on the left-right center of the neck rest 10, making it easy to use the stretching device S.

The neck rest 10 is located at the end of the length of the stretching device S. With this configuration, the head can be lowered to a height range from the top surface 11 of the neck rest 10 to the support surface M, allowing the cervical vertebrae 67 to be fully stretched. In addition, the stretching device S does not have a portion located on the longitudinal end side of the neck rest 10, allowing the length dimension of the stretching device S to be made compact.

In addition, the left-right dimension of the upper back rest portion 30 is smaller than the left-right dimension of the neck rest portion 10. With this configuration, the range of motion of the shoulder blades 66 can be increased compared to when the left-right dimension of the upper back rest portion is larger than the left-right dimension of the neck rest portion, thereby enhancing the stretching effect.

The underside of the stretching device S has a first curved portion 21, a second curved portion 37, and a third curved portion 53 that curve from the center toward both ends in the left-right direction so as to move away from the support surface M. With this configuration, the stretching device S can be rocked left-right to relieve muscle tension.

The lower back support section 40 is also provided with a cushion 71 that is thick in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the lower back of the user 60 is supported by the cushion 71, preventing the lower back from becoming painful during use.

<Other Examples>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) In the above embodiment, the stretching equipment S is placed on the support surface M, but it may be provided with a hook or ring so that the stretching equipment can be hung on a wall when not in use. This prevents the stretching equipment from getting in the way when not in use.
(2) In the above embodiment, the first recess 76 is provided on the top surface of the stretching equipment S, but this is not limiting, and the top surface of the stretching equipment does not necessarily need to have a first recess. In other words, the top surface of the stretching equipment may be configured as an inclined surface without a recess from the upper back rest portion to the neck rest portion.
(3) In the above embodiment, the stretching device S has the lumbar support portion 40, but the stretching device does not necessarily have to have a lumbar support portion. In other words, the stretching device may have only an upper back support portion and a neck support portion.
(4) In the above embodiment, a recess 15 is formed in the first apex 12 of the neck rest 10, but this is not limited thereto. The first apex 12 may be flat in the left-right direction, or conversely, the central portion in the left-right direction may be raised higher than both ends.
(5) In the above embodiment, the neck rest 10 is located at the longitudinal end of the stretching device S, but this is not limited thereto, and the stretching device may have a portion that extends longitudinally beyond the neck rest.
(6) In the above embodiment, the left-right dimension of the upper back rest portion 30 is smaller than the left-right dimension of the neck rest portion 10, but this is not limited to the above, and the left-right dimension of the upper back rest portion may be equal to or larger than the left-right dimension of the neck rest portion.
(7) In the above embodiment, the underside of the stretching device S has the first curved portion 21, the second curved portion 37, and the third curved portion 53, but this is not limited thereto, and the underside of the stretching device does not have to have any curved portions. In other words, the underside of the stretching device may be composed of only a flat surface.
(8) In the above embodiment, the curved portion is formed over substantially the entire length of the underside of the stretching equipment S. However, this is not limited to this, and the curved portion may be formed over only a portion of the length of the stretching equipment.
(9) In the above embodiment, the first curved portion 21, the second curved portion 37, and the third curved portion 53 formed on the underside of the stretching device S are curved with different curvatures, but this is not limited thereto, and curved portions with equal curvatures may be formed on the underside of the stretching device.
(10) In the above embodiment, the first curved portion 21 is formed across the entire left-right surface of the underside of the stretching equipment S, and the second curved portion 37 and the third curved portion 53 are formed only at both left-right ends of the underside of the stretching equipment S. However, this is not limited to the above, and it is sufficient that the curved portions of the underside of the stretching equipment are formed at least at both left-right ends, and the range in which the curved portions are formed can be changed as desired.
(11) In the above embodiment, the stretching equipment S has the cushion 71, but this is not limiting and the stretching equipment does not have to have a cushion. In other words, the stretching equipment may be composed of only the equipment body and the cover. The cover is not necessarily provided.
(12) In the above embodiment, only the waist rest portion 40 has the cushion 71, but this is not limiting, and a cushion may be provided on the neck rest portion, the upper back rest portion, or the buttocks rest portion. The position where the cushion is provided and the thickness of the cushion can be set as appropriate.
(13) In the above embodiment, specific values were given for the sizes of the stretching equipment S, the equipment body 70, and the cushion 71. However, the dimensions of the stretching equipment S, the equipment body, and the cushion can be changed as appropriate.

S: Stretching device 10: Neck rest portion 11: Upper surface of neck rest portion 30: Upper back rest portion 31: Upper surface of upper back rest portion 40: Waist rest portion 60: User 65: Spine 76: First recessed portion

Claims (4)

A stretching device that is used with a user lying on his/her back on the upper side and is long in a direction along the user's spine,
An upper back support portion on which the upper back of the user is placed;
A neck support portion on which the neck of the user is placed,
The upper surface of the neck rest is located above the upper surface of the upper back rest,
By placing the neck of the user on the upper surface of the neck rest portion, the back of the user's head is lowered below the upper surface of the neck rest portion,
This stretching device has a curved portion that curves from the central portion of the lower surface toward both ends in the left-right direction so as to move away from the support surface on which the stretching device is placed, when the central portion of the lower surface is in contact with a support surface. The stretching device according to claim 1, wherein the left-right dimension of the upper back rest is smaller than the left-right dimension of the neck rest. A recess is formed between the upper surface of the upper back rest and the upper surface of the neck rest, the recess being recessed downward;
3. The stretching device according to claim 1, further comprising a waist support portion on which the waist of the user is placed. The stretching device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the center of the upper surface of the neck rest in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction is located lower than both ends in the intersecting direction.

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