Core Exercise Equipment With Semi-Spherical Base
The present invention relates to an apparatus that has the specific feature of acting as an abdominal and lower back muscles workout device that is structured in the shape of a semi-sphere with a flat top seat and side handle bars that can be attached on each side to the flat top seat and rotated around to various positions or pulled outward or upward to any desired width or height as well as a single handle bar that has a head rest on one side and can be attached to the semi-sphere base. The semi-sphere base prevents the floor from being scratched.
This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/883,192 filed on Sep. 27, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a core exercise equipment and more particularly to a portable exercise equipment that has the specific features for working and strengthening abdominal and lower back muscles.
2. Description of Related Art
Exercise devices provide muscle building benefits in a variety of ways. Some exercise devices require repetitive body motion and use pulley or lever assemblies to simulate exercises done with free weights. Others use isometric principles, or utilize resilient devices such as springs or elastic cords.
To balance oneself on a device also adds to the exercise process. In addition a device can be created that will assist with certain exercises to facilitate the exercise itself.
Generally, these devices are designed to promote muscle building and are not designed to specifically strengthen the abdominal and lower back muscles or to be used as part of a universal program by both men and women.
Yet the current abdominal and lower back exercising device have their flaws and can be improved upon.
Such a muscle building mechanism is described herein along with its rather unique features.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn exercise ball assists in a natural rocking motion that assist in the user crunching the abdominal or flexing the lower back muscles. Furthermore, the user has to balance oneself on an exercise ball which adds to the exercise process giving the user those additional benefits of working small stabilizer muscles in additional to the main abdominal muscles. The core is truly strengthened when the small stabilizer muscles are also strengthened along with the main abdominal muscles. Strengthening small stabilizer muscles also decreases the chance of injury to the core muscles. But, a regular exercise ball does not support a user's head and there is no place for the hand to grip.
When doing the abdominal crunch exercise, the user crunches their abdominal muscles to lift their shoulder and back off the ground. This isn't easy to do. An abdominal rocker has a hand bar in the center for the user to grip and a headrest that supports the user's head. When using the abdominal rocker to do the abdominal crunch exercise, while the user crunches their stomach the user can push the hand bar forward with their arms to rock the abdominal rocker forward which moves the supported neck off the ground and in turn moves the upper body off the ground. This additional rocking motion generated by the arm to the upper body makes it easier and more comfortable to do an abdominal crunch then with no abdominal exercise device. It also prevents tweaked & stiff necks. However, even a regular abdominal rocker can be hard to use. The rocking motion brought forth by the arms may not be enough assist in the crunching of the abdominal muscle.
A regular abdominal rocker cannot be used to exercise the lower back. When using an exercise ball to do lower back exercises, the user has no place to grip to stabilize himself or herself better.
Therefore, there is a need for an all in one abdominal and lower back exercising device that use hand bars and/or headrest to support the upper body and assist in the crunching of the abdominal muscle or lower back muscle while having a semi-spherical base that allows for an even more natural rocking motion along with some instability to work the small stabilizer muscles.
The object of the disclosed invention is to provide a device to work out the abdominal muscles.
The object of the disclosed invention is to provide a device to work out the lower back.
The object of the disclosed invention is to provide a device for two exercises in one device with the device providing two unique features each specific to each exercise.
The object of the disclosed invention is to provide a device for doing core exercises with a easy to carry device that doesn't scratch the floor its placed on.
The object of the disclosed invention is to provide a device that won't roll away Unlike an exercise ball.
The object of the disclosed invention is to provide a device for continuously supporting the head and neck and provide the benefits of an exercise ball (stability) during abdominal and lower back muscles exercise.
The object of the disclosed invention is to provide side handle bars that can be attached/detached and rotated around to various positions or pulled outward or upward to any desired width or height.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed an exercise apparatus specifically geared to develop and firm the abdominal muscles in the shape of a semi-sphere ball for frontal (face down) or backside (face up) usage comprising:
a semi-sphere base made of elastic material that allows for the safe tilting of said device without creating harm to the flooring underneath;
a seat connected to and on top of the semi-sphere base, the seat having two half circular cutouts on lateral sides opposite to each other; and
a hand bar removably attached at its two terminal ends to the seat, the hand bar having a headrest attached thereto at its center;
whereby a user sits on the seat pad on top of the seat and semi-sphere base with his head resting on the headrest and his hands grasping the single hand bar doing the rocking motion to exercise his abdomen.
Moreover, the exercise apparatus further comprises a pair of side handles, each is configured to attach to the side wall of the seat around each of the half circular cutouts, wherein a person can lay stomach placed on top of the seat and grip the adjustable handle bars set at user adjust preferred position to do lower back exercises by extending the back. The side handle bars can be rotated around to various positions or pulled outward or upward to any desired width or height.
The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals.
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The round seat 3 is further connected to the top of a semi-sphere base 4 as shown in
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The core exercise equipment 100 may further comprise a soft pad 8 on top of the seat 3 to provide comfort to the user. The top of the seat 3 and bottom of the pad 8 have matching fastening means to engage each other. The fastening means includes but is not limited to fabric fasteners such as Velcro™ hook and loop. The thickness of the pad 8 may vary.
The hand bar 1 and headrest 2 may be built as a single unit and it is structured so as to attach and detach from the top of the seat 3 of the core exercise equipment 100. This single hand bar 1 and headrest 2 has the function of allowing the user of the core exercise equipment 100 to sit on the seat pad 8 and lean backwards in a half reclining position to make a rocking motion so as to exercise the abdominal muscles. Furthermore, the semi-sphere base 4 allows for a natural rocking motion and assists in the rocking motion to crunch the abdominal muscles. The seat 3 is connected to the top of semi-sphere base 4 by any suitable attachment means including but not limited to threaded fasteners and adhesive bonding.
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The single hand bar 1 can be composed of plastic, metal (such as steel and/or aluminum), composite fibers or any other material that is slightly bendable and able to retain its bent shape without breaking due to constant handling.
The core exercise equipment 100 of the present invention further comprises other components when assembled can be used to do other exercise.
The core exercise equipment 100 further comprises a pair of adjustable side handles 10, each of which includes a ring 11 with a central hole 12, and a disc 13 with a bar 14 along its central line (or diameter).
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The disc 13 having a size matched with the central hole 12 of the ring 11 has threads 19 to engage the threads 20 on the interior side wall of the ring 11 so that it can be inserted into the ring 11 and the height and direction of the side handle bar 14 can be adjusted by rotating the disc 13 relative to the ring 11.
The disc 13 with the bar 14 can be detached from the ring 11 and turned upside down with the bottom of the disc 13 facing up and the bar 14 facing down as shown in
It is also noted here that such a core exercise equipment 100 can be used in a physical fitness center or in the privacy of a home and stored within a closet.
While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes of the form and details of the apparatus illustrated and in the operation may be done by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. An exercise apparatus specifically geared to develop and firm abdominal and lower back muscles in the shape of a semi-sphere ball for frontal (face down) or backside (face up) usage comprising:
- a semi-sphere base, the semi-sphere base includes a top flat layer made of rigid material and a semi-sphere ball made of elastic material that allows for the safe tilting of said device without creating harm to the flooring underneath;
- a seat connected to and on top of the semi-sphere base, the seat having two half circular cutouts on two locations opposite to each other;
- a seat pad attached to a top of the seat; and
- a hand bar removably attached at its two terminal ends to the seat, the hand bar having a headrest attached thereto at its center;
- whereby a user sits on the seat pad on top of the seat and semi-sphere base with his head resting on the headrest and his hands grasping the single hand bar doing the rocking motion to exercise his abdomen.
2. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single hand bar is removably attached to the seat using an attachment means selected from the group consisting of threaded fastener and riveting.
3. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hand bar may be a single unit or made of two equivalent bars and arranged in parallel.
4. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hand bar can be composed of materials selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, and composite fibers.
5. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hand bar has a rubber wrapping at its center portion to ensure a firm grip and prevent the hands from sliding and the head-rest has a felt surface to cushion any pressure to the head.
6. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pair of adjustable side handles, each is configured to attach to a side wall of the seat around each of the half circular cutouts, wherein a person can lay stomach placed on top of the seat pad and grip the adjustable side handles set at user's preferred position to do lower back exercises.
7. The exercise apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of the adjustable side handles includes a ring with a central hole and a disc with a bar along its central line, the ring having threads on its interior side wall, the disc having threads on its side wall to match with the threads of the ring, the disc with the bar can removably insert into the central hole of the ring and engage the ring via threads.
8. The exercise apparatus of claim 7, wherein the seat has two holes on the side wall around each of the half circular cutout and each of the pair of adjustable side handles further includes two poles, the side handle is attached to the seat by inserting the two poles into the two holes and secured by a locking mechanism and a distance between the two side handles is adjustable.
9. The exercise apparatus of claim 8, wherein the side handle bars can be rotated around to various positions or pulled outward or upward to any desired width or height.
10. The exercise apparatus of claim 9, wherein a position of the disc with the bar relative to the ring can be adjusted by rotating the disc relative to the ring via threads and secured by a suitable locking mechanism.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 15, 2014
Publication Date: Jul 16, 2015
Inventor: Robert Baschnagel (Garden City, NY)
Application Number: 14/155,399