EXERCISE PAD ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A method of exercising is provided for using an exercise pad assembly. The exercise pad assembly includes a pair of panels that are each positionable on a support surface thereby facilitating a user to place the user's feet thereon. A sheet is coupled to each of the panels and the sheet abuts the support surface. The sheet is comprised of an elastomeric material to frictionally engage the support surface. The sheet inhibits the panels from sliding along the surface when the user slides the user's feet along the panels for the purposes of exercise. The method includes steps of positioning the exercise pad assembly, sliding a user's feet on the exercise pad assembly, and storing the exercise pad assembly.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

I hereby claim the benefit under 35 U.S.C., Section 120 of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/885,903 filed Feb. 2, 2018, which in turn claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 119(e) of U.S. Provisional application 62/499,697 filed Feb. 3, 2017.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The disclosure and prior art relates to exercise devices and more particularly pertains to a new method of using an exercise device to exercise when the user is seated or lying down.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising use of a pair of panels that are each positionable on a support surface thereby facilitating a user to place the user's feet on the panels. A sheet is coupled to each of the panels and the sheet abuts the support surface. The sheet is comprised of an elastomeric material to frictionally engage the support surface. Thus, the sheet inhibits the panels from sliding along the support surface allowing the user to slide the user's feet along the panels for the purposes of exercise.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercise pad assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a method of using the exercise pad assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 7 thereof, a new exercise device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the exercise pad assembly 10 generally comprises a pair of panels 12. Each of the panels 12 is positioned on a support surface 14, such as a floor, a bed, an article of furniture and any other support surface. A user 16 slides the user's feet 18 along the panels for the purposes of exercise. Each of the panels 12 has a first surface 20, a second surface 22 and a peripheral edge 24 extending therebetween. The peripheral edge 24 corresponding to each of the panels 12 has a first lateral side 26, a second lateral side 44, a front side 28 and a back side 30. Moreover, the first surface 20 corresponding to each of the panels 12 angles downwardly toward the first lateral side 26 of the corresponding panel to define a chamfer 32 on the corresponding panel 12.

A sheet 34 is coupled to each of the panels 12 and the sheet 34 abuts the support surface 14. The sheet may fully cover the panels 12 or partially cover the panels 12 and the sheet 34 is comprised of an elastomeric material. Thus, the sheet 34 frictionally engages the support surface 14 thereby inhibiting the panels 12 from sliding along the support surface 14. In this way the panels 12 remain stationary when the user 16 slides the user's feet 18 along the panels 12. The sheet 34 has a primary surface 36 and a secondary surface 38, and the second surface 22 corresponding to each of the panels 12 is coupled to the primary surface 36 of the sheet 34 having the sheet 34 covering each of the panels 12. Additionally, the secondary surface 38 of the sheet 34 engages the support surface 14 when the panels 12 are positioned on the support surface 14.

The first lateral side 26 of each of the panels 12 is aligned with each other and is spaced apart from each other to define a fold space 40 between the panels 12. Each of the panels 12 is positionable in an unfolded position having the first surface 20 corresponding to each of the panels 12 being oriented coplanar with each other. Additionally, each of the panels 12 is positioned in a folded position having the sheet 34 being compressed between the panels 12. The chamfer 32 on each of the panels 12 inhibits the first lateral side 26 of each of the panels 12 from engaging each other when the panels 12 are positioned in the unfolded position. In this way fingers or the like are inhibited from being pinched between the panels 12 when the panels 12 are positioned in the unfolded position.

An optional strip 42 may be provided and the strip 42 may be coupled between each of the panels 12 such that each of the panels 12 is foldably coupled together. The strip 42 may be positioned on the first surface 20 corresponding to each of the panels 12. The strip 42 may extend between the front side 28 and the back side 30 corresponding to each of the panels 12 and the strip 42 may be oriented to extend across the fold space 40. The strip 42 may curve upwardly across the fold space 40 when the panels 12 are positioned in the unfolded position. Moreover, the strip 42 may be stretched between the panels 12 when the panels 12 are positioned in the unfolded position.

In use, the panels 12 are positioned in the unfolded position and the panels 12 are positioned on the support surface 14 having the sheet 34 lying on the support surface 14. The user 16 places the user's feet 18 on the panels 12 and user 16 slides the user's feet 18 along the panels 12. In this way the user 16 may slide the user's feet 18 along the panels 12 while seated for the purposes of exercising the user's feet and legs. The user 16 can press the user's heels against the panels 12, the balls of the user's feet and the user's feet 18 can be positioned on the panels 12 in any selected orientation to engage different muscle groups in the feet and legs. Moreover, the sheet 34 inhibits the panels 12 from sliding along carpet, other floor treatments, fabric upholstery on furniture, and any other material associated with the support surface 14. Additionally, the panels 12 are positioned in the folded position for storage. Consistent with the above, the exercise pad assembly 10 provides for a method of exercising 50 as shown in FIG. 7. The method of exercising 50 includes an initial step 52 of having the exercise pad assembly 10. A setup step 54 incorporates positioning of the exercise pad assembly 10 on the support surface 14 with the second surface 22 of the panels 12 facing downwardly towards the support surface 14. An exercising step 56 incorporates positioning of the user's feet onto the first surface 20 of the panels 12 and sliding the user's feet along the first surface 20. The exercising step 56 may incorporate angling of the user's feet relative to the lateral sides of the panels 12 and moving the user's feet in a linear, arced, or circular motion. The exercising step 56 may also incorporate pressing of the heel, ball, toes, medial lateral side or exterior lateral side of each of the user's feet into the panels 12 to enhance stretching of muscles in the user's foot and/or leg. The method 50 utilizing the exercise pad assembly 10 facilitates exercise of the feet and legs in compact spaces such as within public transport. The method 50 further includes a storage step 58 after the exercising step 56 wherein the exercise pad assembly 10 may be folded into a compact position and stored in a small space to facilitate carrying of the exercise pad assembly while not in use.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

1. A method of exercising, the steps of the method comprising:

having an exercise pad assembly comprising a pair of panels, each of said panels being configured to be positioned on a support surface, and a sheet being coupled to each of said panels wherein said sheet is configured to abut the support surface, said sheet being comprised of an elastomeric material wherein sheet is configured to frictionally engage the support surface thereby inhibiting said panels from sliding on the support surface;

positioning the exercise pad assembly on the support surface; and

exercising by sliding of at least one of a user's feet on the exercise pad assembly.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said panels has a first surface, a second surface and a peripheral edge extending therebetween, said peripheral edge corresponding to each of said panels having a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a front side and a back side, said second surface corresponding to each of said panels angling downwardly toward said first lateral side of said corresponding panel to define a chamfer on said corresponding panel, the steps of the method further comprising

the positioning step incorporating positioning of the first surface of each panel facing the support surface; and

the exercising step incorporating sliding of the at least one of the user's feet on the second surface of at least one of the panels.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said sheet has a primary surface and a secondary surface, said first corresponding to each of said panels being coupled to said primary surface of said sheet having said sheet covering each of said panels, said first lateral side of each of said panels being aligned with each other and being spaced apart from each other to define a fold space between said panels, the steps of the method further comprising storing the exercise pad assembly by folding the panels into a compact position and placing the exercise pad assembly into a storage space.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein each of said panels is positionable in an unfolded position having said second surface corresponding to each of said panels being oriented coplanar with each other, the step of positioning the exercise pad assembly further comprising unfolding the panels and positioning the second surfaces of the panels to be coplanar over the support surface.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the steps of the method further include each of said panels being folded having said sheet being compressed between said panels, said chamfer on each of said panels inhibiting said first lateral side of each of said panels from engaging each other when said panels are positioned in said unfolded position wherein said chamfers are configured to inhibit fingers from being pinched between said panels when said panels are positioned in said unfolded position.