Exercise Handle for Fully Looped Elastic Resistance Bands

Abstract

An exercise handle to be used with fully looped elastic resistance bands comprising of the following features: an open concave channel spanning the length of a cylindrical form with two ends that allows for easy and intuitively attaching/removing the form from the band, a generally ergonomic form between the two ends of said cylindrical form, and additional features on either end of the form to protect the users hands from the band while gripping and performing exercises with the handle.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Application type: Provisional

Application title: Loop Elastic Resistance Band Handle

Application No. 62/957,244

First named inventor: Jacob Dennison Byrne

Receipt date: Jan. 5, 2020 (The fifth day of January, 2020)

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR

As a current student studying industrial design at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, after I had my provisional application accepted for this invention I decided to upload my design process to my public design website (https://jdbyrne.design/) to use as promotional material for myself as a designer. Here, I show the where the idea for the invention originated from, addressing the current competition, my initial and refined sketches and drawings, prototypes, interviews, and manufacturability. The title of the invention on my website is referred to as the “Bandle” which is what I intend to call the product once I begin manufacturing and advertising for sale. Below and on the next page I show a couple screenshots of said website, where the above content can be found. (See Image 01 and Image 02)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention is an ergonomic handle designed to ease the use of endlessly looped elastic resistance bands by means of an open channel spanning the length of the handle where the elastic resistance band can easily be placed and removed from.

Description of Related Art

A) Other relatable exercise handle inventions are used with elastic cables that have two ends, rather than a fully looped elastic band that will be used in mine. (See Image 03 or patent: U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,637) While these handles are well designed to work with cable styled elastic workout bands, there is a lack for a handle to be used along with a fully looped elastic resistance bands. These types of fully looped elastic bands are heavily used by consumers among varying industries (at home, public gyms, personal trainers, physical therapists, etc.) which makes me fully believe that a handle designed specifically to be used with them will be widely accepted and appreciated.

B) U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,727 B2 (see Image 04) is very similar to the invention that I wish to create. It even seems to be similar in that the exercise handle could be used with a fully looped elastic band that would be set within a channel in the handle. The way that I see my invention being different is that in my invention, at no point in the handle does the handle fully lock the band in place. As in the channel that houses the band is open. In the text content and drawings of U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,727 B2 covers, it seems that the area in which the user grips the handle fully wraps around the band. This can be seen in drawing FIG. 36-C (see Image 05). This makes the handle permanently attached to the band, where as with my invention the handle could be easily removed from the band when needed.

C) There are current handles designed to be used with a fully looped elastic band however, are attached via the means of a clip or external mechanism. (See Image 06 or patent: U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,505) While this does attatch the handle to the fully looped elastic band, it does have some downfalls that my invention makes up for:

1) The only point of contact between the handle and the loop is the small surface area of the clip. This can easily cause the handle to slide up and down on the elastic band while in use which can cause discomfort, poor form during exercise, and even injury if slipped too far. My invention addresses this issue by having a far larger surface area (the concave channel) that is always in contact with the band. Thus having a firmer grip.

2) Again, having such a small surface area that is in contact with the band can cause excess wear and tear on the band, especially if the clip is made with a harsh material such as metal which it most likely is. This can eventually cause the band to break which will almost certainly result in injury to the user or others nearby. It also shortens the overall lifetime of the band.

3) Having to include a separate mechanism that allows for the handle to connect to the band requires a more extensive manufacturing process that requires more raw materials to be consumed, a higher cost per product, potentially environmentally harmful practices, and an overall lengthier creation process. My invention's natural form allows it to seamlessly be connected to the band without any additional mechanisms to be added. This form is easily manufacturable by means of four total mold parts and can be efficiently made via injection molding. Preferably with a material that is eco friendly, such as 100% recycled HDPE.

D) There are other relatable weight bearing handle inventions that are designed to be attached to a loop but are used in different instances such as aiding in carrying grocery bags (see Image 07 or patent: U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,324 B1). These are similarly shaped and have a similar usage however, would not be able to be used to aid in the use of fully looped elastic resistance bands. This is due to:

1) The channel, being designed to accommodate grocery bags, is not large enough to hold the thickness of elastic resistance bands.

2) Since grocery bags do not cause any skin irritation, the inventor did not need to incorporate forms at either end of the channel to protect the users hands from rubbing against the grocery bag. Where as in my invention, there will be areas on either end to help keep the band off of the users hands during use to insure comfort.

E) So far the only product I have seen on the market that is similar to the product I have invented is the CLENCH Fitness Band Handle, which has seemed to be on the market since 2018. (See Images 08, 09, and 10) This product does intend to aid in the use of fully looped exercise handles however, is different from my invention in the following ways:

1) The elastic band is not set inside of a channel within the handle. Rather, it is fed along the outside of the handle and aligned using a couple “U” shaped aligners that stick out perpendicular to the handle. While this can work for only using one handle on a thin band, the user will run into issues if they wish to go heavier and use thicker bands as the user will be limited to what can fit flat within the “U” shaped aligners. Where as with my invention, the user can fold the band in half lengthwise and place into the open channel to accommodate larger bands.

2) The placement of the “U” shaped aligners also causes the band to be placed on the outside of the handle, resulting in a larger diameter that the user will need to grip.

2) These “U” shaped aligners make for an overall larger product, which asks for a larger amount of unnecessary material to be consumed in manufacturing that wouldn't need to be with my invention.

3) The CLENCH Fitness Band Handle has a series of sub handles on either end of the main handle that can be used in certain exercises. However, I see these as simply over complicating a product that can otherwise be much simpler and intuitive to use. The exercises promoted with these handles can be easily executed perfectly with two of my handles side by side or potentially two of theirs side by side, if they rethought their “U” shaped aligners which currently restrict this. These sub handles are also very small, do not keep ergonomics in mind, and have the potential to be uncomfortable under heavy resistance or by those with delicate hands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

1) The present invention will be an ergonomic handle with an incorporated concave channel having two ends, allowing an endlessly looping elastic resistance band to be set inside of.

2) The present invention will be ergonomically shaped, to insure a familiar and comfortable feel when being gripped by any user. This may or may not include a texture and/or overmold added to the exterior to aid in ergonomics.

3) The present invention will have form features at either end of the channel to assist in keeping the endlessly looping resistance band off of the skin of the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 01) This shows a three quarter perspective view of an example of a handle that could exist as an invention under this nonprovisional patent application.

FIG. 01-A) Pointing to the channel feature of the handle that the fully looped elastic band could be placed inside of.

FIG. 01-B) The ergonomic nature of the handle.

FIG. 01-C) Features that help keep the fully looped elastic band off of the skin of the user.

FIGS. 02 & 03) Orthographic front and side views of the handle in FIG. 01.

FIG. 04) Showing an example of how a fully looped elastic band can be easily placed within the handle.

FIGS. 05, 06, 07, & 08) Showing examples of how a user can interact with the handle in conjunction with a fully looped elastic band.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF IMAGES

Image 01) referenced in STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR. this is a screenshot from the inventors personal website. screenshot from: https://jdbyrne.design/bandle

Image 02) referenced in STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR. this is a screenshot from the inventors personal website. screenshot from: https://jdbyrne.design/bandle

Image 03) cover of U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,637 for reference in DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART (A)

Image 04) cover of U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,727 B2 for reference in DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART (B)

Image 05) FIG. 36C of U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,727 B2 for reference in DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART (B)

Image 06) cover of U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,505 for reference in DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART (C)

Image 07) cover of U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,324 B1 for reference in DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART (D)

Image 08) screenshot showing clenchfitness.com activity via wayback machine for reference in DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART (E)

Image 09) screenshot showing product from: https://clenchfitness.com/ for reference in DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART (E)

Image 10) screenshot showing product from: https://clenchfitness.com/ for reference in DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART (E)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an ergonomically shaped handle that can be easily attached and detached to endlessly looped elastic resistance bands through the inclusion of an open channel located between the first and second end of the handle. This invention has been created to keep the user from having to grip the elastic resistance band itself, which is known to cause skin irritation, pinching, and general discomfort. Fully looped elastic bands have been proven to serve many benefits, which is why they are still being used dispite these downfalls. Since fully looped elastic bands are still a heavily used piece of equipment in public and private gyms, personal training practices, and especially in physical therapy practices (were users hands may already be delicate and sensitive to begin with) I'm inclined to believe that this invention will serve a good purpose and have a high demand. Again, what differs this invention from current inventions is the concave channel with two ends that the endlessly looped elastic band can easily be set inside of. This makes attaching the handle to the fully looped elastic band easy, intuitive, and makes the product more easily manufacturable when compared to handles that require additional mechanisms (such as clips and or hooks) to be attached to the elastic band. On either end of the channel, the present invention may incorporate additional forms that help insure the band does not touch the users hand while performing certain exercises with the invention. The exterior of the invention may also incorporate a texture (such as sandblasting) or a separate overmolded material to aid in grip and comfort.

Claims

1. An ergonomic exercise handle to be used with fully looped elastic bands, the handle comprising:

Element A) An elongated cylindrical form with a first end and a second end, with an open channel spanning from the first end to the second end.

Element B) Additional and/or removed mass on the exterior of said elongated cylindrical form between the first and second ends that improve ergonomics

Element C) Additional mass on the first and/or second ends of said elongated cylindrical form with purpose to keep users hands safe.

2. The handle of claim 1 further comprising: a textured and/or overmolded exterior to exist between the first end and second end of said elongated cylindrical form to aid in grip.

3. The handle of claim 1 further comprising: a separate elongated tube-like sheath with a central cavity that can wrap around said elongated cylindrical form between the first and second end. Said sheath can freely rotate about the same centerline of the said elongated cylindrical form. This so that a person can grip the sheath and allow for the handle of claim 1 to rotate freely within the said elongated tube-like sheath.

4. The handle of claim 1 further comprising of a mechanism to close said channel to lock the fully looped elastic band into the cavity of the channel, thus turning the said elongated cylindrical form into an elongated tube-like form with a central cavity spanning from the first end to the second end.