Multipurpose Grip and Method of Making Same
A grip suitable for use with exercise equipment including a foot cradle, a handle and a connection element, wherein the ends of the foot cradle and the ends of the connection element are secured together and disposed within the handle.
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Grip: a device by which a person physically interacts with a mechanism such as an exercise apparatus.
Handle: a component of a grip, generally tubular, sized and shaped for grasping by a person's hand.
Foot Cradle: a component of a grip, generally webbing, sized and shaped to support a person's foot or lower leg.
Strap: a length of material substantially longer than its width, having length edges and width edges, and made, for example, from webbing, rope, wire, chain, etc.
Strap end (end of strap): a portion of a strap that extends from its end edge.
Connection element: a component of a grip by which the grip connects to another mechanism or device.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION/BACKGROUNDThe present invention relates to grips, such as grips for use with or as part of exercise apparatus and, in particular, grips that include both a handle and a foot cradle, and methods of constructing same.
Grips having a handle and a foot cradle are well known in the art and commonly include a rigid tubular handle and at least two straps, commonly webbing, the latter as a foot cradle and the former as a connection element. In some prior art grips, the ends of straps that form the foot cradle and connection element are typically joined to form a closed loop, with the joined ends hidden from view by being located inside the handle. This configuration is not only time-consuming to manufacture, but where the straps are of bulky webbing (which is common), the inside diameter of the handle must be large enough to accommodate all the strap materials (the connection element strap and the joined ends of the foot cradle strap) that must fit inside. This either requires a handle with a thinner wall (which is less sturdy), or a handle having a larger outer diameter, which is not ergonomically optimal for all users. The method steps of connecting straps described herein remove excess air and compress all the fibers of the connected components down to a much smaller diameter than those systems previously known, which allows connected straps to be installed in much smaller diameter tubes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides various embodiments of a grip (and methods for making same) with a foot cradle and a connection element that are integrated with and supported by a handle with no requirements that the handle have dimensions other than those that are determined optimal based on ergonomics.
One of the benefits of the configurations and processes described below is the ability to offer different diameter grips of different wall thickness for the same strap materials while keeping the outside appearance the same. Furthermore, the connected ends of the foot cradle strap are disposed and reside out of sight entirely within the tubular grip handle. The process described below also greatly facilitates the manufacturing of the grip by eliminating the need to feed strap material through a handle or force connected material ends through the handle. In addition, it is possible, with the embodiment described below, to provide space within the handle for placement of other components, such as biometric devices or the like.
In one configuration, a multipurpose grip comprises a rigid tubular handle, a connection element, and a cradle strap; wherein a portion of the cradle strap and a portion of the connection element are secured together forming a joined end; and wherein the joined end is disposed within said handle. In another embodiment, the multipurpose grip of has a second portion of the cradle strap and a second portion of the connection element secured together, forming a second joined end which is also disposed within the handle.
In another embodiment, the cradle strap and the connection element are the same strap; wherein a different embodiment the cradle strap is a different strap than the connection element.
In one embodiment, a first crimping sleeve surrounds the first joined end and a second crimpling sleeve surrounds the second joined end.
In an embodiment, the tubular handle has an inside diameter and each of the first and second crimping sleeves, before being disposed in the handle, has a flared portion greater in diameter than the inside diameter of said tubular handle.
In yet another embodiment, each of the first and second crimping sleeves has a knurled portion greater in diameter than the inside diameter of the tubular handle.
In still another embodiment, the first end portion of a strap and said second end portion of a strap are end portions of a single strap, while in a different embodiment, the first end portion of a strap and the second end portion of a strap are end portions of two different straps. In one embodiment, the single strap is a length of rope, and in a similar embodiment, the rope is sufficient in length to form a Lark's knot.
The description below includes the embodiments pointed out above as well as others.
Where like elements appear in different Figures, they are given the same reference designation.
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The handle 12 can be made from plastic, metal, wood or any other material that is rigid, durable and strong enough to retain its structural integrity under loads greater than 200 pounds.
In one embodiment, the foot cradle 13 is a strap 15 having a first end portion 21a and a second end portion 21b and preferably, but not necessarily, formed of a webbing material that can comfortably support a foot at its heel or instep (not shown) and connection element 14 is a strap 19 having a first end 23 and a second end 24.
Connection element 14 can be a single strap 19 (
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Of course, various changes, modifications and alterations in the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof. As such, it is intended that the present invention only be limited by the terms of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A multipurpose grip comprising:
- a rigid tubular handle;
- a connection element; and
- a cradle strap;
- wherein a portion of said cradle strap and a portion of said connection element are secured together forming a joined end; and
- wherein said joined end is disposed within said handle.
2. The multipurpose grip of claim 1 wherein a second portion of said cradle strap and a second portion of said connection element are secured together forming a second joined end; and
- wherein said second joined end is disposed within said handle.
3. The multipurpose grip of claim 2 wherein said cradle strap and said connection element are the same strap.
4. The multipurpose grip of claim 2 wherein said cradle strap is a different strap than said connection element.
5. A multipurpose grip comprising:
- a rigid tubular handle having ends;
- a connection element having a first end portion of a strap and a second end portion of a strap;
- a cradle strap having a first end portion and a second end portion;
- wherein said first end portion of a strap and said first end portion of said cradle strap are secured together forming a first joined end;
- wherein said second end portion of a strap and the second end portion of said cradle strap are joined together forming a second joined end; and
- wherein said first joined end and said second joined end are disposed within said rigid tubular handle.
6. The multipurpose grip of claim 5 further comprising:
- a first crimping sleeve surrounding and compressing said first joined end; and
- a second crimping sleeve surrounding and compressing said second joined end.
7. The multipurpose grip of claim 6 wherein said tubular handle has an inside diameter and wherein each of said first and second crimping sleeves, before being disposed in said handle, has a flared portion greater in diameter than the inside diameter of said tubular handle.
8. The multipurpose grip of claim 6 wherein said tubular handle has an inside diameter and wherein each of said first and second crimping sleeves has a knurled portion greater in diameter than the inside diameter of said tubular handle.
9. The exercise grip of claim 5 wherein said first end portion of a strap and said second end portion of a strap are end portions of the same strap.
10. The exercise grip of claim 5 wherein said first end portion of a strap and said second end portion of a strap are end portions of two different straps.
11. The exercise grip of claim 9 wherein said single strap is a length of rope.
12. The exercise grip of claim 11 wherein said length of rope is sufficient in length to form a Lark's knot.
13. The exercise grip of claim 9 wherein said same strap is a length of webbing.
14. The exercise grip of claim 5 wherein said connection element is comprised of two separate straps.
15. The exercise grip of claim 11 further comprising:
- one or more loops of rope extending from an end of said rigid tubular handle.
16. A method of constructing a grip having a rigid, tubular handle having an inside diameter and an outside diameter, a connection element having ends, and a foot cradle strap having ends the steps comprising:
- joining the ends of the connection element to the ends of the foot cradle strap to form two joined ends and;
- securing the joined ends within the handle.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the connection element is a length of rope long enough to form a Lark's knot.
18. The method of claim 16 where the foot cradle strap is a length of webbing.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of joining the ends of the connection element to the ends of the foot cradle strap comprise:
- disposing one end of the connection element and one end of the foot cradle strap in a first crimping sleeve;
- disposing the other end of the connection element and the other end of the foot cradle strap in a second crimping sleeve;
- reducing the diameter of at least a portion of the first crimping sleeve whereby the two strap ends in the first crimping sleeve are compressed and secured together;
- reducing the diameter of at least a portion of the second crimping sleeve whereby the strap ends in the second crimping sleeve are compressed and secured together.
20. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of joining the ends of the connection element to the ends of the foot cradle strap comprise:
- disposing one end of the connection element and one end of the foot cradle strap in a first crimping sleeve;
- reducing the diameter of one end portion of the first crimping sleeve while the other end portion of the first crimping sleeve is not reduced, whereby a flare having a diameter greater than the inside diameter of the handle is formed at the other end portion of the first crimping sleeve;
- disposing one end of the connection element and one end of the foot cradle strap in a second crimping sleeve;
- reducing the diameter of one end portion of the second crimping sleeve while the other end portion of the second crimping sleeve is not reduced, whereby a flare having a diameter greater than the inside diameter of the handle is formed at the other end portion of the second crimping sleeve.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 29, 2015
Publication Date: Oct 29, 2015
Applicant: WOSS ENTERPRISES LLC (Antioch, CA)
Inventors: Steven Albert Storum (San Carlos, CA), Wolfgang Ott (Antioch, CA)
Application Number: 14/699,577