Exercise device and method
An exercise device includes an upper frame supporting a seat back, the seat back enabling support of a torso of a user. A lower seat includes a lower frame that is pivotally mounted to the upper frame. The lower frame includes front and rear support wheels for contact with a supportive surface; and an arcuate member is secured to the upper frame substantially opposite to the seat back. The device also includes a tension arm with a first end movably mounted to the upper frame and a second end movably supported on the supportive surface by a roller or wheel. A tension band is mounted at one end to the tension arm between the first and second ends of the tension arm and at its opposite end to the lower frame by an anchor bar, which is pivotally mounted to the lower frame.
The present invention generally relates to exercise equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to light weight systems of physical exercise that stress the extensor muscles of the lower body and trunk.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONExercise devices are becoming an increasingly more important part of our lives. As our society becomes more technologically advanced, we become more sedentary. Therefore we must rely on equipment to provide our muscles and organs with the stimulation necessary to maintain a healthy existence. Much of the equipment available is large, inexpensive and not practical for the average consumer to have in their home. Gyms and health clubs are not available to many people, especially in rural areas. In addition, with our busy lives, many simply do not have time to drive to the gym to exercise and return to home or work. As an alternative, home fitness products are inexpensive, lightweight products that offer an alternative to the traditional iron. These products must be functional, versatile and inexpensive to obtain and maintain.
Weight loss is a key issue with most Americans. As such, a useful product must exercise the larger muscles in the body, specifically the extensor muscles of the hips and legs. These are the most powerful muscles in the body and can therefore do the most work. Increased work done by the body is extra energy expended. Therefore given a constant dietary intake this results in weight loss. In order for this to happen, the product must be used. A product that is too large and bulky, or where the user must sit on the ground to use it, is not found to be popular with the typical consumer. They like to be in a chair-like device, off the floor, where they can perform perform the exercises and when finished, pick the machine up and roll or carry it away.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect, the invention features an exercise device with an upper frame supporting a seat back, the seat back enabling support of at least a portion of a torso of a user. A lower seat includes a lower frame that is movably or preferably, pivotally mounted to the upper frame. The lower frame includes a front support and a rear support for contact with a supportive surface (the floor); and an arcuate member secured to the upper frame substantially opposite to the seat back. When a force is exerted on the seat back toward the arcuate member, the upper frame translates up and back, rolling on the arcuate member while the front support remains in contact with the supportive surface and the rear support is elevated from the supportive surface.
A tension arm may be included that has a first end movably mounted to the upper frame and a second end movably supported on the supportive surface. This movable support is preferably by use of a rolling element such as a wheel, bushing roller and a ball bearing. A tension band is preferably used in conjunction with the tension arm. It is releaseably mounted to the tension arm, optimally between the first and second ends of the tension arm by use of a band receiver, and also to the lower frame. A spring clip may be used to releaseably secure the tension band to the tension arm. The tension band may be attached to the lower frame by way of an anchor bar, which is optimally pivotally mounted.
Handles may be mounted to the upper frame adjacent to the lower frame. In addition, a set of upper handles may be mounted to the upper frame, a distal end of said upper handles positioned adjacent the head of a user as they would be positioned on the device. A headrest may be included that is adjustably mounted to the upper frame.
An exercise device will optimally include a pair of arcuate members spaced adjacent to one another and positioned such that there is a greater distance between the arcuate members father away from the upper frame relative to nearer the upper frame. The device may include a plate receiver mounted to the upper frame, thus enabling weight plates to be received thereon. This plate receiver is optimally positioned near the lower frame and most importantly positioned on a portion of the device that includes vertical movement during an exercise. A cover comprised of a high friction material is optimally placed on the arcuate members to insure a high frictional force between the supportive surface and the arcuate member.
In another aspect, the invention includes a method of exercising including providing a device as previously disclosed and seating a user on the lower seat with the back of the user against the seat back. The user extends his legs and hip joints, pushing the seat back toward the arcuate member, rolling back on the arcuate member and elevating a lower portion of the upper frame while extending the body of the user. If a tension arm is provided, the method may include displacing the tension arm and elongating the tension band, thereby increasing work done by the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe foregoing and other objects of this invention, the various features thereof, as well as the invention itself, may be more fully understood from the following description, when read together with the accompanying drawings, described:
For the most part, and as will be apparent when referring to the figures, when an item is used unchanged in more than one figure, it is identified by the same alphanumeric reference indicator in all figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention is an exercise device that enables a body extension movement and is convertible to a flat bench for multiple exercises. The basic version of the device 12 is shown in
Another key element in this version of the invention is also shown here. A tension arm 24 is movably mounted to the device 12 behind the seat back 14. This arm 24 is supported by a support 26, preferably in the form of a wheel or roller as shown here. The support 26 is supported on the floor on which the device 12 sits and translates away from the seat back 14 as the device 12 rolls back on the arcuate members 18. When this happens the tension bands 28 elongate, thus work is done. Different tension bands 28 can be used for varying the resistance. For example, the different tension bands 28 can be made thicker, of different materials, etc.
In
Another aspect of the invention illustrated here is an adjustable headrest 36. The headrest 36 is comprised of a head pad 38 and a male post 40. The male post 40 is telescopically received by the upper frame 30 and secured in a desired position by placement of a pin in one of the tube holes 42, which is received in a corresponding one of a plurality of spaced apart holes (not shown) in male post 40. Additional holes 44 are used to secure the seat back 14 to the upper frame 30. The versatility of the movable headrest 36 is another advantage to more adequately fit a variety of physical types of users.
Another view of this embodiment is shown in
The tension bands 28 are mounted between the tension arm 24 and the lower frame 34. The lower frame 34 acts as an anchor to provide a reaction force to the tension applied by the tension bands 28 when they are stretched due to the displacement of the tension arm 24 when in an extended (rolled back) position. To aid in the alignment of the tension bands 28 with minimal axial slippage and associated wear, an anchor bar 50 is provided. The anchor bar 50 is pivotally mounted to the lower frame 34 and therefore acts as an extension of the lower frame 34. The anchor bar includes a band receiver 52 in the form of a rod that accepts the end of the band 28. The anchor bar 50 is shown here to be pivotally mounted to the lower frame 34 at the axis of the wheel, which is the rear support 48. This is a design choice and considered to be the preferred embodiment, but that precise location of the mounting of the anchor bar 50 to the lower frame 34 is not considered critical to the invention. The ability of the anchor bar 50 to move or pivot relative to the lower frame 34 is of value in that as the device 12 is extended backward, the positions of the tension bar 24 relative to the lower frame 34 and relative to the upper frame 30 both change. The rotational displacement of the lower frame 34 relative to the band 28 can be great. When the band 28 is under tension this load produces a great deal of friction on the band receiver 52. The band 28 is traditionally a molded rubber bar, with holes to receive the band receiver 52. This is not a good bearing surface. A better bearing can be provided in the pivotal attachment of the anchor bar 50 to the lower frame 34, thus reducing wear on the band 28, increasing its functional life and reducing its likelihood to inadvertently come off during the exercise session. Also regarding safety, a cover 53 comprised of a high friction material is optimally placed on the arcuate members 18 to insure a high frictional force between the supportive surface and the arcuate member. This reduces the likelihood of the device 12 slipping when used and makes it reduce noise and potential damage to the floor.
The starting position of the device 12 is shown in
The final position is shown in
The device 12 is shown in the elongated or extended position in
Shipping size is another issue to home fitness products. In many cases it is desirable for the product to ship in a “knocked down” state requiring some assembly by the user. The value of the knock down products as to the shipping costs is greatly reduced, which can be passed on to the consumer as a lower sale price. In doing this, it is desirable to design the components so that they take up a minimal amount of carton size without compromising the function of the product.
Stability of the device while in use is always an issue of concern. The base must be wide enough to allow for normal side-to-side forces without tipping the device over. This is ever apparent when getting on to or exiting the device. The applicants addressed this issue in several ways. A top or plan view of the device 12 is shown in
The second feature is the width of the supports 26 on the tension bar 24. These supports 26 are purposefully positioned to add to the stability of the device, both in a starting position (as when entering and exiting the device 12) and in an extended position as when being used. This support width also aids in stability in case only one of the tension bands 28 would be used. The eccentric load on the frame members would be decreased by the increased width of the supports 26 on the floor.
A partially exploded view of the device 12 is shown in
An alternative to the preferred embodiment is shown in
A second alternative to the preferred embodiment is shown in
Claims
1. An exercise device comprising:
- an upper frame;
- a lower frame movably mounted to the upper frame and including a front support and a rear support adapted to contact a supportive surface;
- a seat back secured to the upper frame;
- a lower seat secured to the lower frame; and
- an arcuate member mounted to said upper frame substantially opposite to said seat back to permit rolling of said exercise device on said arcuate member when a force is exerted on said seat back in a direction toward said arcuate member, whereupon said rear support is elevated from the supportive surface.
2. An exercise device as in claim 1, further comprising a tension arm with a first end movably mounted to said upper frame and a second end adapted to be movably supported on said supportive surface.
3. An exercise device as in claim 2, wherein said second end is adapted to be movably supported on the supportive surface by use of a rolling element.
4. An exercise device as in claim 3, wherein said rolling element includes a roller selected from the group consisting of a wheel, a bushing roller and a ball bearing.
5. An exercise device as in claim 2, further comprising a tension band releaseably mounted between said tension arm and said lower frame.
6. An exercise device as in claim 5, further comprising an anchor bar pivotally mounted to said lower frame, for mounting said tension band to said lower frame.
7. An exercise device as in claim 6, wherein said anchor bar includes a band receiver adapted to receive one end of said tension band.
8. An exercise device as in claim 5, wherein said tension band is releaseably mounted to said tension arm at a position between said first end and said second end of said tension arm.
9. An exercise device as in claim 5, further comprising a band receiver for mounting said tension band to said tension arm.
10. An exercise device as in claim 5, further comprising a spring clip used to releaseably secure said tension band to said tension arm.
11. An exercise device as in claim 1, further comprising a set of lower handles mounted to said upper frame adjacent to said lower frame.
12. An exercise device as in claim 1, further comprising a set of upper handles mounted to said upper frame, distal ends of said upper handles positioned adjacent the head of the user positioned on the device.
13. An exercise device as in claim 1, further comprising a headrest adjustably mounted to said upper frame.
14. An exercise device as in claim 1, wherein said arcuate member includes a pair of arcuate members spaced adjacent to one another and positioned such that there is a greater distance between the arcuate members farther away from said upper frame relative to nearer said upper frame.
15. An exercise device as in claim 1, further comprising a plate receiver mounted to said upper frame for enabling weight plates to be received thereon.
16. An exercise device as in claim 1, further comprising a plate receiver mounted on said device and positioned near said lower frame.
17. An exercise device as in claim 1, further comprising a plate receiver positioned on a portion of said device that vertically moves during an exercise.
18. An exercise device as in claim 1, further comprising a cover on a portion of said arcuate member, for providing a high friction contact between the supportive surface and said arcuate member.
19. An exercise device comprising:
- an upper frame supporting a seat back, the seat back enabling support of at least a portion of a torso of a user;
- a lower frame supporting a lower seat, the lower frame being pivotally mounted to said upper frame and including a front support and a rear support adapted to contact a supportive surface; and
- an arcuate member secured to said upper frame substantially opposite to said seat back to permit rolling of said exercise device on said arcuate member when a force is exerted on said seat back in a direction toward said arcuate member, whereupon said front support remains in contact with the supportive surface.
20. An exercise device as in claim 19, further comprising a tension arm with a first end movably mounted to said upper frame and a second end adapted to be movably supported on said supportive surface.
21. An exercise device as in claim 20, wherein said second end is adapted to be movably supported on the supportive surface by use of a rolling element.
22. An exercise device as in claim 20, further comprising a tension band releaseably mounted between said tension arm and said lower frame.
23. An exercise device as in claim 22, further comprising an anchor bar pivotally mounted to said lower frame, for mounting said tension band to said lower frame.
24. An exercise device as in claim 23, wherein said anchor bar includes a band receiver adapted to receive one end of said tension band.
25. An exercise device as in claim 22, further comprising a band receiver for mounting said tension band to said tension arm at a position between said first end and said second end of said tension arm.
26. An exercise device as in claim 22, further comprising a spring clip used to releaseably secure said tension band to said tension arm.
27. An exercise device as in claim 19, further comprising a set of lower handles mounted to said upper frame adjacent to said lower frame.
28. An exercise device as in claim 19, further comprising a set of upper handles mounted to said upper frame, distal ends of said upper handles positioned adjacent the head of the user positioned on the device.
29. An exercise device as in claim 19, further comprising a headrest adjustably mounted to said upper frame.
30. An exercise device as in claim 19, wherein said arcuate member includes a pair of arcuate members spaced adjacent to one another and positioned such that there is a greater distance between the arcuate members farther away from said upper frame relative to nearer said upper frame.
31. An exercise device as in claim 19, further comprising a plate receiver mounted to said upper frame for enabling weight plates to be received thereon.
32. An exercise device as in claim 19, further comprising a plate receiver mounted on said device and positioned near said lower frame.
33. An exercise device as in claim 19, further comprising a plate receiver positioned on a portion of said device that vertically moves during an exercise.
34. An exercise device as in claim 19, further comprising a cover on a portion of said arcuate member, for providing a high friction contact between the supportive surface and said arcuate member.
35. For use with an exercise device including an upper frame and a lower frame movably mounted to one another, the upper frame having a seat back secured thereto, and the lower frame having a lower seat secured thereto, the lower frame including a front support and a rear support adapted to contact a supportive surface; and an arcuate member mounted to said upper frame substantially opposite to said seat back, an exercise method comprising the steps of:
- seating a user on said lower seat with the back of the user against the seat back;
- extending the legs and hip joints of the user, thereby pushing said seat back in a direction toward said arcuate member; and
- rolling back on said arcuate member and elevating a lower portion of said upper frame while extending the body of the user.
36. A method as in claim 35, wherein said device further includes a tension arm with a first end movably mounted to said upper frame and a second end movably supported on said supportive surface and a tension band releaseably mounted between said tension arm and said lower frame, said method further including the step of:
- displacing said tension arm and elongating said tension band, thereby increasing work done by the user.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 14, 2004
Publication Date: Aug 18, 2005
Inventors: Howard Frost (Colleyville, TX), Lin Feng (Tai-Ping City)
Application Number: 10/778,736