PORTABLE EXERCISE SEATING DEVICE

Abstract

A portable exercise seating device having a top surface and a bottom surface and a peripheral edge. The top surface being defined as the surface that a person is seated upon. The bottom surface being defined as the surface that is laid upon the chair. The portable exercise seating device is comprised of any pliable material or combination thereof so that it can be folded or rolled into a smaller size for storage and portability. The portable exercise seating device also including at least one attachment feature located along the peripheral edge for removably attaching a resistance element to the portable exercise seating device.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to a portable exercise device that one may sit upon and at least one resistant element can attach to, thus allowing for strengthening of the various muscles groups thru multi axial stretching of the various parts of the body against a resistant force.

2. Prior Art

There are many types of exercise equipment that exist that aid in toning and strengthening the various parts of the body. In recent years there has been a shift toward more versatile and portable equipment that can be easily used and conveniently stored. One category of such exercise equipment includes those that utilize resistance “bands” made from latex or some other combination of elastic elements. These particular exercise devices rely on anchoring or attaching the resistance band to the equipment so that a person can utilize the resistance band and commence doing various exercises.

Prior art discloses the many designs for such exercise devices that have been proposed through the years:

U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,056 issued to Cataldi Jr. et al. discloses an exercise device for attaching elastic bands comprising a pad assembly that is secured with a Velcro type hook and loop system to a strap assembly which is attached around the seat portion of a chair.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,260 issued to Rovinsky et al. discloses an exercise device that includes an exercising element and an element for connecting the exercising element to the vertical support of an office chair.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,445 issued to Rovinsky et al. discloses an exercise device that has a rigid frame mountable to a central column of a chair and a plurality of exercising elements connected with the rigid frame.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,900 issued to Mankovitz discloses an exercise apparatus for attachment to an office chair having a plurality of resilient members also attached to a foot support bar for exercising.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,935 issued to Clark et al discloses a portable exercise kit capable of attaching to an office chair post and chair back. Elastic straps are then attached to the apparatus for use in exercising.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,553 issued to Mongelluzzo et al discloses an office desk chair having at least one attachment point for an elastic member to be used for exercising.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,500,104 issued to Roland Wayne Rich discloses a seat exercise device capable of attaching to a chair or seat. Elastic straps are then attached to the frame of the apparatus for use in exercising.

Although there have been many solutions proposed for office and home exercise equipment, many solutions are rather limited in there convenience and rely on equipment that is not easily portable, or can be very costly. Although the basic principle of easily exercising is highly beneficial to the health and wellbeing of many an individual, the circumstances may be that an individual cannot utilize the capability of the exercise equipment that is currently on the market.

Many such equipment is highly specialized to a specific requirement, such as being physically attached to an immobile object such as a seat, a doorway, or another apparatus specifically designed for exercising. These may also require additional assembly of components to function. Considering the health risks associated with certain groups such as office workers, frequent travelers, the elderly, etc. . . . the equipment offered in the market is rather limited in the portability offered and in the ability of a consumer to discretely exercise in a casual manner.

The object of the described embodiments of the invention is to provide an appealing, convenient, easily portable, yet effective means of exercising various parts of the body utilizing the invention along with resistance elements.

SUMMARY

A portable exercise seating device for placing beneath a person's posterior and utilizing a person's weight to inhibit movement of the seating device when forces are applied to the seating device when the individual is exercising. The portable exercise seating device is to be made of any pliable material or combination thereof that can be folded or rolled so as to make storage convenient. The portable exercise seating device also including at least one attachment feature to removably attach at least one resistant element that the user can utilize in exercising.

DRAWINGS

Figures

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the portable exercise seating device.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the portable exercise seating device folded or rolled for storage.

FIG. 3 is a view of the portable exercise seating device placed upon a chair with a person sitting upon the device and a utilizing a removably attached resistance element to perform leg exercise.

FIG. 4 is a view of the portable exercise seating device placed upon a chair with a person sitting upon the device and a utilizing a removably attached resistance element to perform arm exercise.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view showing various embodiments of the attachment feature for removable attaching a resistance element to the portable exercise seating device.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view showing another embodiment of the portable exercise seating device comprising a raised portion toward the rearward peripheral edge.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view showing another embodiment of the portable exercise seating device showing the material including the top surface and the material including the bottom surface forming a pocket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Preferred Embodiments

Figs. 1-7

Referencing the drawings contained herein, the corresponding parts being identified numerically the same as those in the following description. FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 show the first embodiment of portable exercise seating device 1 as well as all the features described below. FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 show the various embodiments of the portable exercise seating device 1 as described below.

A portable exercise seating device 1 having a top surface 2 and a bottom surface 3 and a peripheral edge 4. The top surface 2 being defined as the surface that a person is seated upon. The bottom surface 3 being defined as the surface that is laid upon the chair. Portable exercise seating device 1 is comprised of any pliable material or combination thereof so that it can be folded or rolled into a smaller size for storage and portability and also have sufficient strength so as to resist failure when forces are applied to the portable exercise seating device 1 while exercising. The portable exercise seating device 1 also including at least one attachment feature 5 located along the peripheral edge 4 for removably attaching a resistance element 6 to the portable exercise seating device 1.

FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 show the first embodiment of portable exercise seating device 1. The first embodiment comprising a round eyelet 7 attached to the portable exercise seating device 1 along the peripheral edge 4 as an attachment feature 5 for removably attaching the resistance element 6 to the portable exercise seating device 1.

FIG. 5 shows various embodiments of portable exercise seating device 1 in respect to the various attachment features 5 for removably attaching a resistance element. The second embodiment comprising an elongated attachment feature 8 attached to the portable exercise seating device 1 along the peripheral edge 4 for removably attaching stoppered resistance element 6 to the portable exercise seating device 1. A third embodiment comprising a ring feature 9 attached to the portable exercise seating device 1 along the peripheral edge 4 for removably attaching the resistance element 6 to the portable exercise seating device 1. A forth embodiment comprising an elongated attachment feature 10 attached to the portable exercise seating device 1 along the peripheral edge 4 for removably attaching the resistance element 6 to the portable exercise seating device 1.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the portable exercise seating device 1 wherein the portable exercise seating device 1 comprises a raised portion 11 located towards the rearward peripheral edge 4. The raised portion 11 of the portable exercise seating device 1 inhibits forward movement of the portable exercise seating device 1 while a person is seated upon it and when forces are applied to the forward peripheral edge 4, such as when a person is doing leg stretching exercises.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the portable exercise seating device 1 wherein the material including the top surface 2 and the material including the bottom surface 3 form a pocket 12. The pocket 12 may be used for storage.

The portable exercise seating device 1 described above can be fabricated from any suitable pliable material or combination thereof and utilizing the attachment features described in the above embodiments or any equivalents thereof by using the typical manufacturing methods common to the industry.

Operation

In the embodiments of the portable exercise seating device 1 described above, the bottom surface 3 is laid upon a seat so that the peripheral edges 4 including the attachment features 5 are oriented in a convenient position so as to easily attach a resistance element 6 when a person is seated upon the portable exercise seating device 1. When a person is seated upon the portable exercise seating device 1 a person's weight inhibits movement of the portable seating device 1. A resistance element 6 can be attached to an attachment feature 5 along the peripheral edge 4. A person then can utilize the invention along with resistance elements, allowing for strengthening of the various muscles groups thru multi axial movement of various parts of the body against a resistant force while in a seated position. After exercising, the resistance elements 6 can be unattached from the portable exercise seating device 1. The portable exercise seating device 1 can then be folded or rolled into a smaller size for storage and portability.

Advantages

The main objective of the embodiments of the portable exercise seating device described above is to provide an appealing, convenient, easily portable, yet effective means of exercising various parts of the body utilizing the invention along with resistance elements. Many people spend long hours in the seated position, be it at work, home, or traveling. Unfortunately this may lead to health complications due to long periods of inactivity, especially in the lower extremities of the body. Long flights are notoriously associated deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a life threatening condition where blood clots form due to this inactivity. This is also true of many people that are immobile for long periods of time due to various medical or physical reasons, such as injury or age. Over 2 million people a year are diagnosed with this condition. The portable exercise seating device described above is a simple yet effective method to discretely exercise in an environment such as an office, airplane, etc. . . . that is not suitable for the exercise equipment currently offered in the market. The portable exercise seating device is easily portable and convenient because it can be folded or rolled into a smaller size for storage and carried with a person while traveling. When a person wishes to exercise, the portable exercise seating device is simply laid upon the seat and resistance elements are attached to the invention. A person then can sit upon portable exercise seating device and commence to discretely exercise. This is especially beneficial in an office environment in that utilizing the invention to exercise the lower extremities can be done without drawing attention to oneself when compared to other equipment that is available, such as the pedal exercisers, or more complicated equipment that may be unsightly and not necessarily conform to an office environment.

The portable exercise seating device is more convenient and versatile than other exercise equipment in that the portable exercise seating device can simply be laid upon any type of seating, from office chairs, car seats, airplane seats, couches, upon a bed, or any other place that a person may sit upon, without any complicated additional equipment or assembly. It is inherently more economical to manufacture due to its simple yet effective design and because the portable exercise seating device requires no additional components for assembly or use other than attaching the resistance elements.

Conclusions, Ramifications, and Scope

Thus the reader will see that the portable exercise seating device as described above has defined advantages in allowing people to utilize the invention along with resistance elements to discretely and effectively exercise in many environments that normal exercise equipment would not be suitable for, such as offices. The invention also has added advantages in that it is easy to store away and is readily portable so that it can be taken with a person while traveling. This can be especially important considering the invention may be a viable deterrent to limiting the occurrence of particular medical conditions, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition that affects many travelers worldwide and can be deadly. The portable exercise seating device can also be an important and economical tool in the rehabilitation of individuals with special needs such as the elderly and others that have limited mobility or access to specialized equipment. The portable exercise seating device can be easily manufactured at a low cost using basic manufacturing principals that are common to the industry.

While the above description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as to limiting the scope of the described embodiments, but rather as an example of the preferred embodiments. Thus the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

1. A portable exercise seating device comprising of:

a) an exercise seating device including a top surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral edge;

b) said exercise seating device comprising at least one pliable material;

c) said exercise seating device comprising at least one attachment feature located along said peripheral edge for removably attaching a resistance element.

2. The portable exercise seating device of claim 1, wherein said exercise seating device comprises a raised portion located toward the rearward peripheral edge.

3. The portable exercise seating device of claim 1, wherein said pliable material including said top surface and said pliable material including said bottom surface form a pocket