Exercise device for the upper body attachable to a bicycle.

Abstract

An exercise device for allowing performance of an upper body exercises by an intended user having a hand using a fixed bicycle having at least one pedal. The device comprises: a handle graspable by the hand; a pedal attachment removably attachable to the pedal; and a spacing element extending between the handle and the pedal attachment.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the general field of exercise and is particularly concerned with an exercise device for the upper body attachable to a bicycle.

BACKGROUND

Stationary indoor cycling is a popular activity. This activity can be either performed alone or in group indoor cycling classes. While efficient at maintaining or enhancing the cardiovascular system of the cyclist, and also in stimulating the musculature of the lower body, stationary bicycling is relatively inefficient at exercising the upper body. Therefore, either the indoor cycling participant will neglect his upper body, or he will have to perform other exercises for the upper body.

Stationary bicycles including handles that can be moved using the hands, also named upper body ergometers, have been proposed. However, these bicycles are typically relatively complex and relatively expensive. In addition, they require a dedicated device. This is inconvenient for many users who perform stationary indoor cycling sessions by propping their own road or mountain bicycle on a suitable stand.

Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved device for allowing performance of an upper body exercise using a fixed bicycle. It is a general objective of the present invention to provide such an improved device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a broad aspect, the invention provides an exercise device for allowing performance of an upper body exercise by an intended user having a hand using a fixed bicycle having at least one pedal. The device comprises: a handle graspable by the hand; a pedal attachment removably attachable to the pedal; and a spacing element extending between the handle and the pedal attachment. In addition to being beneficial for the upper body musculature, it has been shown that an upper body pedaling motion is also beneficial for cardiovascular health and conditioning.

Advantageously, the proposed exercise device is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and is usable with most, if not all, common stationary bicycles, either directly or by simply replacing the pedals thereof. Also, the proposed exercise device can be used in structured exercise sessions alternating between upper body and lower body exercises. Typically, the proposed exercise device is easily and rapidly attached to pedals are attached therefrom, which allows for a smooth flow between the upper and lower body exercises. Shorter transition times between upper and lower body exercises can also be advantageous in certain exercise modalities to maintain a relatively high heart rate even during the transition so that no significant rest effect is produced by the transition.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1, in a perspective of view, illustrates an exercise device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2, in an alternative perspective view, illustrates the exercise device shown in FIG. 1 with a handle grip thereof removed;

FIG. 3, in a side elevation view, illustrates the exercise device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the handle grip removed;

FIG. 4, in a top plan view, illustrates the exercise device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 with the handle grip removed;

FIG. 5, in a perspective view, illustrates an exercise device in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6, in an alternative perspective view, illustrates the exercise device shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7, in a top plan view, illustrates the exercise device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6; and

FIG. 8, in a side elevation view, illustrates the exercise device shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, there is shown an exercise device 10 for allowing performance of an upper body exercise by an intended user having a hand (both not shown in the drawings) using a fixed bicycle (also not shown in the drawings) having at least one pedal 12, shown schematically in FIG. 3 detached from the exercise device 10. The bicycle can be a dedicated stationary bicycle or a road or mountain bicycle propped on a suitable stand. Typically, the bicycle include a pair of pedals 12, each of which is provided with a suitable clipless attachment mechanism for attaching thereto a complimentary pedal cleat secured to a shoe (all not shown in the drawings). Such pedals 12, clipless attachment mechanism, cleats and shoes are well known in the art and will therefore not be described in details herein.

The exercise device 10 includes a handle 14 graspable by the hand, a pedal attachment 16 removably attachable to the pedal 12 and a spacing element element 18 extending therebetween. The pedal attachment 16 is shaped similarly to cleat of a shoe used with conventional clipless pedals 12. The pedal attachment 16 is therefore attachable to the pedal 12 in a conventional manner using movements similar to those performed using the foot of the intended user when the shoe is attached thereto. In some embodiments, the pedal attachment 16 is removably secured to the remainder of the exercise device 10, for example with screws, to allow removal therefrom to replace a worn out pedal attachment or to change the type of pedal attachment 16, depending on the specific commercially available pedal 12 used.

It should be noted that while only one exercise device 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the exercise device 10 is typically usable in a pair of exercise devices 10, one being the mirror image of the other, each attachable to a respective pedal 12.

In a specific embodiment of the invention, the handle 14 is substantially U-shaped and defines handle first and second ends 20 and 22. The handle first end 20 is a free end. The spacing element 18 extends from the handle 14 substantially adjacent the handle second end 20 and substantially perpendicular to the handle 14. It should be noted that this specific configuration of the handle 14 is convenient as it allows people having different shoulder widths to use the same exercise device 10. However, other configurations of the handle 14 are within the scope of the invention. In some embodiments of the invention, the spacing element 18 extends integrally from the handle 14 and both are formed by bending a tube of a suitable material, for example is suitably rigid metal.

Since the pedals 12 in a conventional bicycle are spaced apart by only a relatively small distance, which is typically much smaller than the shoulder width of the intended user, it is advantageous to have the exercise device 10 configured so that the handles 14 are laterally offset relative to the pedal attachment 16 when attached to the bicycle to generally align the handles 14 with the shoulders of the intended user. To that effect, the spacing element 18 can define spacing element first and second segments 26 and 28 extending respectively from the pedal attachment 16 and the handle 14, and a link 30 extending therebetween. The spacing element first and second segments 26 and 28 have for example substantially parallel orientations with the spacing element first segment 26 offset laterally from the spacing element second segment 28 opposed to the handle 14. The link 30 extends obliquely or perpendicularly between the spacing element first and second segments 26 and 28 and the entire spacing element 18 is typically in a single plane.

In some embodiments of the invention, grip 24 (omitted from FIGS. 2 to 4) is provided over the handle 14 and, in some embodiments not shown in the drawings, over at the link 30. The grip 24 is provided for enhancing friction between the hand of the intended user and the exercise device 10. The grip 24 is made of any suitable material, such as for example rubber or a foam and can be removable from the handle 14 or permanently fixed thereto.

In some embodiments, an abutment plate 34 extends substantially perpendicularly from the spacing element 18 opposed to the handles 14, substantially adjacent the pedal attachment 16, and is for example welded thereto. The abutment plate 34 simulates the bottom of a shoe so that mechanical coupling between the exercise device 10 and the pedal 12 is similar to that between a conventional shoe and the pedal 12. Also, the abutment plate 34 may be used to facilitate attachment of the exercise device 10 to the pedal 12 by pressing thereonto. In some embodiments, the abutment plate 34 is provided with suitably positioned screw holes allowing attachment of the pedal attachment 16 to the abutment plate 34 using screws. The pedal attachment 16 may be a conventional pedal attachment 16 mountable to cycling shoes for use with clipless pedals. In this case, the abutment plate 34 includes holes positioned to allow attachment thereto of pedal attachments 16 corresponding to one or more type of commercially available pedal attachment 16.

In use, the intended user first pedals on the bicycle in a conventional manner. It should be noted that the intended user may or may not wear special cycling shoes including a cleat. Indeed, many pedals 12 are configured to be used on one side thereof with conventional flat sole shoes, and to be used on the other side thereof with a cleated clipless pedal shoe.

When transition to upper body work is desired, the intended user dismounts the bicycle and attaches one of the exercise devices 10 to each pedal so that the handles 14 are laterally outwardly positioned relative to the pedal attachment 16. If required, the resistance exerted on the pedals 12 may be adjusted in a conventional manner. Afterward, the intended user may operate the exercise device 10 by gripping the handles 14 to pedal the bicycle. It should be noted that since the pedals 12 of a bicycle are offset by 180 degrees, the exercise device provides a reciprocating moment in which the two exercise devices 10 attached to each pedal 12 are also offset by 180 degrees in their movement. In other words, the exercise devices 10 move in opposite directions.

When transition back to lower body work is desired, the intended user simply detaches the exercise devices 10 from the pedals 12 and pedals on the bicycle in a conventional manner. In this manner, upper and lower body exercise can be as alternated during a single exercise session quickly and efficiently.

FIGS. 5 to 8 illustrates an alternative exercise device 110 that is typically used as a single unit, as opposed to the exercise device 10 that was used in pairs. To that effect, the exercise device 110 includes a pair of handles 14 extending from an alternative spacing element 118.

The spacing element 118 includes spacing element first and second segments 126 and 128 extending from each other. The spacing element first segment 126 is substantially rectilinear and the pedal attachment 16 is secured thereto opposed to the spacing element second segment 128, as is the abutment plate 34.

The spacing element second segments 128 is substantially U-shaped and opens away from the spacing element first segment 126. The spacing element second segment 128 defines two ends 134 and 136 and the handles 14 extend from the spacing element second segment 128 at a respective end 134 and 136 thereof. The spacing element first and second segments 126 and 128 are coupled to each other substantially midway between the two ends 134 and 136 of the spacing element second segment 128.

The exercise device 110 is usable similarly to the exercise device 10, except that only one exercise device 110 is attached to a single pedal 12 of the bicycle to perform the upper body exercise. Therefore, when the exercise device 110 is used, both arms move in phase.

In some embodiments of the invention, a kit including two mirror image exercise devices 10 and one exercise device 110 is sold as a unit and used to perform different upper body exercises, depending of which one or ones of the exercise devices 10 and exercise device 110 is or are used.

Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of preferred embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An exercise device for allowing performance of an upper body exercises by an intended user having a hand using a fixed bicycle having at least one pedal, said device comprising:

a handle graspable by said hand;

a pedal attachment removably attachable to said pedal; and

a spacing element extending between said handle and said pedal attachment.