MANUALLY OPERATED HEAVY TRAINING ROPES FOR EXERCISE WITH FLEXIBLE GRIP HANDLES AND RETAINING COLLAR

Abstract

A non-covered and a covered heavy training rope has a flexible, non-slip, foam grip handle and a steel retaining collar that secures the handles to the rope. The grip handles can be applied to the ends of the rope using a lubricating adhesive/epoxy to create a form fitting, flexible, non-slip gripping surface that secures the rope ends while allowing for more natural motion of the wrist while absorbing sweat from the hands, decreasing slipping, improving the grip and extending the overall training time, intensity and conditioning benefits. The retaining collar (ferrule) can be placed over the open end of the foam grip handle and mechanically crimped onto the grip and rope, securing the handle to the rope. The foam grip handle, adhesive and retaining collar greatly improve the overall durability, functionality, professional appearance and marketability, thereby creating the first commercial quality heavy training rope with a handle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to training ropes and, more particularly, to a manually operated heavy training rope for exercise having flexible grip handles and a retaining collar.

As is common practice, heavy training ropes are anchored in the center using a pole or other type of smooth, solid anchor surface. Users place both ends of the rope in their hands and stretch out the rope while leaving some slack. Users then make a variety of waving, circular or slamming type motions for a set duration of time, rest then repeat for multiple sets. These heavy rope exercises greatly affect the user's arms, core, hips, legs, muscular endurance and cardiovascular system while burning a high number of calories at the same time.

The most commonly used poly ropes are white and either made from 100% polypropylene material, which tend to be stiff, not flexible enough and fray easily. The 50-50% poly/cotton blend loose lay rope is primarily used for splicing, tugging and securing for the marine/boating industry. When this boating blend is used for exercise, the three strand loose lay can “hockle” (yarns or thread become twisted and fall apart with use). Also, due to the higher percent of outer cotton surface material, this type of rope becomes frayed more easily or gets “pulls” which eventually breaks down the rope and negatively affects the appearance and longevity of the rope, especially if the rope is repetitively hit and scraped against the ground or abrasive surface. With regular indoor or, especially, outdoor use, the poly ropes can become soiled, dirty and frayed.

The poly and manila ropes come on a six hundred foot coil and must be cut using a hot knife or by hand. They are made with multiple fiber strands, three main strands that are laid or twisted together using a machine process. It is necessary to secure the ends of the rope and the most common ways of doing this is by either taping the ends with duct tape, or using a plastic heat shrink end cap to keep the rope from coming unraveled. Once a rope unravels, it is very difficult to re-twist the rope by hand back to its original shape and functionality. The hard plastic end caps are ridged and slippery which makes for a poor gripping surface, especially as hands perspire. Most users are forced to choke up and hold onto the rope above the cap to get a more secure grip. By doing this, it lowers the intensity of the training by shortening the rope length. Also, the duct tape becomes sticky and breaks apart after a short amount of time. With constant use and over time, the end cap glue can break down and may cause the caps to slip off, causing the rope to unwind and making the rope unusable.

The manila rope can be messy and shed many fibers, requiring users to sweep the floor after use. For this reason, it is recommended that the manila rope be used only outdoors. Manila fibers can be abrasive while handling and splinters can happen, which can be dangerous for users because the rope is chemically treated with a petroleum based mineral oil product. This petroleum creates an oily feel and also puts off a gasoline type odor when new. In addition, surface fraying is common with repetitive impact on the ground or other outdoor training surfaces. If the rope is used or left outside and becomes wet, shrinkage of up to 10% may occur, thereby decreasing the overall weight and training benefit of the rope. Manila rope also tends to retain dirt and debris during outdoor use which, if brought back inside, creates more clean-up for the user.

The poly and manila ropes are normally secured or anchored around a pole or some other type of smooth, round, fixed point. Wrapping and un-wrapping the rope around the anchor point takes additional time and effort. This method of anchoring causes friction and wearing in the center of the rope, especially if the rope is anchored around a rough surface, such as a tree, a square object, or if anchored around something that is thin with an edge that can cause the fibers to be cut and the rope to be ruined.

As can be seen, there is a need for an improved heavy training rope design that overcomes many of the issues encountered with conventional training ropes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a training rope comprises a length of rope; and a flexible, non-slip PVC foam grip handle attached to each end of the length of rope.

In another aspect of the present invention, a training rope comprises a length of rope; a flexible, non-slip PVC foam grip handle attached to each end of the length of rope; a crimped ferrule disposed over the open end of the grip handle, securing the grip handle to each end of the length of rope; and a protective cover disposed over the length of rope.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a training rope comprises a length of rope; a flexible, non-slip foam grip handle attached to each end of the length of rope; a protective cover disposed over the length of rope; a chafe guard disposed in a central portion of the length of rope; and a strap loop attached to the chafe guard.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heavy training rope attached to a support according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed side view of a handle portion of the heavy training rope of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the handle portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detailed, partially cut-away perspective view of a chafe guard portion of the heavy training rope of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a detailed perspective view showing a heavy training rope according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a non-covered and a covered rope solution having a flexible, non-slip, foam grip handle and a steel retaining collar (ferrule) that secures the handles to the rope. The non-covered custom blend of poly combo rope made of 80% polypropylene core yarn and a 20% polyester outer yarn has a special tight lay of the rope so that the three strands will remain firm and stay tight during use, reduce outer surface fraying while increasing the difficulty of the training. The foam grip handles can be made in various sizes, such as 1.5 inch and 2 inch sizes and are 6¼ inches to 7 inches in length to fit onto the ends of the rope. The grip handles can be applied to the ends of the rope using a lubricating epoxy and replaces the hard and rigid conventional plastic end caps or duct tape, thereby creating a form fitting, flexible, non-slip gripping surface that secures the rope ends while allowing for more natural motion of the wrist while absorbing sweat from the hands, decreasing slipping, improving the grip and extending the overall training time, intensity and conditioning benefits. A stainless steel retaining collar (ferrule) can be placed over the open end of the foam grip handle and mechanically crimped onto the grip and rope, securing the handle to the rope. The foam grip handle, epoxy and retaining collar greatly improve the overall durability, functionality, professional appearance and marketability, thereby creating the first commercial quality heavy training rope with a permanent handle.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 6, a training rope 10 can include a rope component 12 having handles 14 disposed on each end thereof. The handles 14 can be made from a flexible material, such as a polyvinylchloride (PVC) foam. The PVC foam grip handles 14 can come in various diameters, such as 2 inch and 1.5 inch diameters to fit onto the ends of the rope and can be, for example, from about 6¼ inches to about 7 inches in length to best facilitate different rope or hand size. The handles 14 can be applied to the ends of the rope 12 using a lubricating adhesive, such as an epoxy, and replaces the hard and ridged plastic end caps and or duct tape conventionally used, thereby creating a form fitting, flexible non-slip gripping surface that secures the rope ends while allowing for more natural motion of the wrist and while absorbing sweat from the hands, decreasing slippage, improving the grip and extending the overall training time, intensity and conditioning benefits.

A stainless steel retaining collar 16, also referred to as a ferrule 16 can be placed over the open end of the foam grip handle 14 and mechanically crimped onto the grip handle 14 and rope 12, securing handle 14 to the rope 12. The foam grip handle 14, adhesive and retaining collar 16 greatly improve the overall durability, functionality, professional appearance and marketability, thereby creating the first commercial quality heavy training rope with handle.

A protective cover 24, such as a water resistant nylon cover, can be sewn into a tubular shape of varying lengths and placed over the manila or poly rope 12, which protects the rope 12 from becoming dirty, fraying, or wet and can easily be cleaned after use. The protective cover 24 is also available in a variety of colors and can be branded or personalized with school or organizational colors, embroidery, screen printing or brand label. The protective cover 24 can include a built-in chafe guard 20 and anchor strap 18 that enable a user to quickly attach the rope 12 to an anchor point 22 via a carabiner 28, for example, using either the strap 18 or chafe guard 20 while protecting the cover 24 from friction damage and save time from wrapping the rope 12.

The protective cover 24 comes in varying lengths and encases the 1.5 and 2″ poly or manila rope. The cover 24 can be first sewn inside out into a tubular shape then the anchor strap can be sewn into the chafe guard. Then the chafe guard 20 can be sewn into the center of the cover 24 and the whole thing is reversed. The protective cover 24 can then be slid manually over the rope using a custom made metal sleeve, wire and cable puller device.

To make the training rope 10, in one embodiment of the present invention, the retaining collar 16 can be made from a strong material, such as stainless steel and can be applied over the rope end and cover then the cut rope ends are secured with a flexible adhesive applied onto the inner plastic end cap which will bond the inside of the cover to both ends of the rope helping to keep the cover secured onto rope. Four inches of the tubular fabric end is then spray glued inside and onto the outside surface of fabric then folded over onto itself for glue to adhere, and then additional duct tape is applied over folded portion for added strength. The handles are filled with a flexible rubber type of adhesive which acts as a lubricant and then slid into place over the cover and rope ends. The retaining collar is then slid over the open end of the foam grip handle then crimpled onto the grip and rope. A brand label can then be applied around the rope just below the grip and collar.

The chafe guard 20 can be made from, for example, a Codura nylon webbing material. For 1.5″ rope, the chafe guard 20 can be made from a 13″ long by 7″ wide material. The 2″ rope uses a 13″ long by 8½″ wide material. This material is cut to size then hot knife sealed on one side so that it doesn't fray during use. A nylon webbing anchor strap 18 can be made from material that is 18″ long by 1″ wide for 1.5″ rope and 19½″ long by 1″ wide for 2″ rope. The anchor strap 18 can be sewn around the center of the flat chafe guard and a loop is made in the anchor strap using a box tack seam. The chafe guard materials are then sewn into a tubular shape using half inch seams. This chafe guard is then reversed inside out and both ends are sewn onto the inside out nylon tubular cover. While the above refers to particular sizes and dimensions for the chafe guard and anchor strap, other sizes may be used in the present invention, depending upon the particular application.

The chafe guard 20 and rope 12 can be placed around a secured anchor point 22 which will protect the nylon cover 24 and the rope from chafing and fraying. The built in nylon anchor strap 18 with its looped end can be easily secured and quickly attached to a mounted eye hook using a carabineer or other type of hardware attachment. In some embodiments, a second loose anchor strap can quickly be wrapped around an anchor point like a pole or other sturdy object instead of wrapping the entire rope. This loose strap is then attached to the built in strap using a carabineer which will not only save set up time but will protect the rope and cover from any possible friction or repetitive wear damage. The loose and built in strap together will extend the rope length by up to 13″ which will increase overall training intensity and allow the rope to move in a more dynamic natural motion.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a rope 26 may be used to form the heavy training rope of the present invention which can be used uncovered. The handle 14 and ferrule 16 may be applied and used similarly to that described above.

While the Figures show the ferrule 16 in place on both the covered rope 12 and uncovered rope 26, the handles 14 may be attached and applied to the ends of the rope 12, 26 without the use of the ferrule 16.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A training rope comprising:

a length of rope; and

a flexible, non-slip foam grip handle attached to each end of the length of rope.

2. The training rope of claim 1, further comprising a protective cover disposed over the length of rope.

3. The training rope of claim 1, further comprising a ferrule disposed about an open end of the grip handle, securing the grip handle to each end of the length of rope.

4. The training rope of claim 1, further comprising a chafe guard disposed in a central portion of the length of rope.

5. The training rope of claim 4, further comprising a strap loop attached to the chafe guard.

6. A training rope comprising: a length of rope;

a flexible, non-slip foam grip handle attached to each end of the length of rope;

a ferrule disposed about an open end of the grip handle, securing the grip handle to each end of the length of rope; and

a protective cover disposed over the length of rope.

7. The training rope of claim 6, further comprising a chafe guard disposed in a central portion of the length of rope.

8. The training rope of claim 7, further comprising a strap loop attached to the chafe guard.

9. A training rope comprising:

a length of rope;

a flexible, non-slip foam grip handle attached to each end of the length of rope;

a protective cover disposed over the length of rope;

a chafe guard disposed in a central portion of the length of rope; and

a strap loop attached to the chafe guard.

10. The training rope of claim 9, further comprising a ferrule disposed about an open end of the grip handle, securing the grip handle to each end of the length of rope.