FRICTION-STABILIZED BACK AND SHOULDER STRETCH BAR FOR USE IN A DOORFRAME

Abstract

A friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar to facilitate a plurality of stretches, including “kitchen sink stretches” to prevent and treat conditions such as neck and back pain. In use, the friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar is not mounted to a door frame, but instead includes two friction-based stabilizers for use with door frames and entryways. The stretch bar can be made in lengths to fit within standard door frame widths, or can be made to be length-adjustable. The friction-based stabilizers are at opposite ends of a handlebar of the stretch bar, the handlebar having gripping regions or grips that can be: cushioned vertical grips with finger grooves, custom grip attachments, and/or handlebar curvature gripping areas with neutral wrist placement. The handlebar can be made from structurally reinforced plastic, and can have custom over molding or a covering and/or padding made from one or more resilient materials.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to apparatuses for performing back and shoulder stretches, and more particularly to back and shoulder stretch apparatuses for use with a door frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Back pain is very common. About 90 percent of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives, and half of working adults experience chronic back pain. Back pain is a major contributor to missed work and disability. Back pain can also greatly inhibit one's ability to exercise, enjoy recreation and travel, or just perform domestic duties.

People with back pain often try many remedies and therapies, including physical therapy, swimming, stretching, hot/cold packs, magnetic devices, as well as nutritional supplements, meditation, and even psychological counseling.

People seeking relief from back pain have tried stretching out their back using various devices. For example, an inversion table can be used to stretch out the back by hanging upside-down from their ankles. However, inversion tables are typically bulky, heavy, non-portable, and complex to use. They can be dangerous when used incorrectly, and can be beyond some people's budget.

Other devices for reducing and/or avoiding back pain include standing desks and walking treadmill desks. These devices are typically very expensive, are not portable, and take up a lot of space. They are also often ineffective in many cases of back pain.

To alleviate back pain due to sitting, many people have resorted to memory foam cushions, but these usually provide only temporary relief.

Some people try using foam rollers for relieving back stress. Although foam rollers are inexpensive and portable, further back injury can result if the user has any significant back ailments and is not familiar with how to properly use a foam roller.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The back and shoulder stretch bar of the invention is a small, simple, inexpensive, and portable device that can be used in any standard doorway.

When used correctly, the back and shoulder stretch bar can be used as a simple and effective solution for people experiencing back pain and discomfort by facilitating stretching exercises that involve the lower-back, the upper-back, and the shoulders.

The stretching exercises made possible by back and shoulder stretch bar provide pain relief throughout an entire day, both preventatively and therapeutically.

The user pulls on the bar while doing stretches, such as the Kitchen Sink Stretch, which keeps the pads pressed against the wall, thereby creating static friction that keeps the pads from sliding up or down the wall.

An embodiment of the back and shoulder stretch bar includes a 36 inch solid bar of polypropylene plastic that is 1 inch in diameter. The bar has two pairs of 90° bends in mirror symmetry about a center of the bar. The bar has a rubber pad at the right and at the left end. Both pads are pressed against the door frame to hold the bar in place due to static friction of the pads when pressed against the door frame as a user pulls backward and performs stretching exercises.

The two pads can have a layer of foam rubber material that essentially prevents the bar from sliding down the door frame, while the user performs each stretch, also protecting the door frame from damage.

The back and shoulder stretch bar can also have two 6 inch long rubber grips that make gripping the bar more comfortable and secure while performing the stretch exercises.

A general aspect of the invention is a friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar for use in a doorframe. The stretch bar includes: a substantially rigid handlebar configured to be gripped while in use, and configured to span a width of a doorframe, the handlebar having a right end and a left end; and a right friction-based device attached to the right end, and a left friction-based device attached to the left end, each friction-based device configured to resist slippage along the door frame when pulled against the doorframe while in use.

In some embodiments, the substantially rigid handlebar includes: a first pair of bends; a straight section after the first pair of bends; and a second pair of bends after the straight section, the second pair of bends being a mirror image of the first pair of bends.

In some embodiments, each bend is 90 degrees.

In some embodiments, the right and left friction-based devices include at least one of: rubber, silicone, silicone rubber, foam rubber.

In some embodiments, the substantially rigid handlebar includes:

• • two gripping devices symmetrically located between the right end and the left end of the substantially rigid handlebar, each gripping device attached to the substantially rigid handlebar, each gripping device configured to provide a place to comfortably and securely hold onto the substantially rigid handlebar.

In some embodiments, the substantially rigid handlebar includes:

• • two gripping regions symmetrically located between the right end and the left end of the substantially rigid handlebar, each gripping region configured to provide a place to comfortably and securely hold onto the substantially rigid handlebar.

In some embodiments, each gripping region is 5 inches to 7 inches long.

In some embodiments, the substantially rigid handlebar is 24 inches-38 inches long.

In some embodiments, the substantially rigid handlebar is made from one of: polypropylene, aluminum, steel, wood, plastic, fiberglass.

In some embodiments, the substantially rigid handlebar is one inch in diameter.

In some embodiments, the substantially rigid handlebar is configured to be adjustable in length so as to accommodate a variety of door frame widths.

In some embodiments, the substantially rigid handlebar is made from structurally reinforced plastic.

In some embodiments, the substantially rigid handlebar includes a central curvature that is slightly bowed so as to provide a neutral wrist angle when gripped.

In some embodiments, the handlebar includes symmetric bifurcations which support vertical grips.

In some embodiments, the handlebar includes two attachable vertical grips.

In some embodiments, the right friction-based device and the left friction-based device each include a convex surface which promotes static frictional contact, regardless of the angle of pulling force application during use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many additional features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following description, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of an embodiment of the friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar of the invention, showing a handlebar having right and left friction elements to resist slippage down the door frame when pressed in use against the doorframe, also showing two gripping elements for comfortably and securely holding onto the handlebar.

FIG. 1B is an isometric view of another embodiment of the friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar, this embodiment having all the elements of FIG. 1A, further including a spring-loaded button for adjustment of a separation distance between the two friction elements so as to accommodate a variety of door frame widths.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment of the friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar of FIG. 1, showing the back and shoulder stretch bar in position pressed against a far side of a door frame by pulling the stretch bar against the door frame from a near side of the door frame so as to perform a kitchen sink stretch.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of the friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing the back and shoulder stretch bar in the position shown in FIG. 1, and pulled rightward by a person performing a kitchen sink stretch on the right side of the door frame so as to press the stretch bar against the left side of the door frame.

FIG. 4A is a top view of an embodiment of a plastic structurally-reinforced handlebar without additional over-molding, grip elements, friction enabling elements, or stabilizing elements.

FIG. 4B is an isometric view of the embodiment of FIG. 4A having additional over-molding, molded grip elements, and two friction stability elements.

FIG. 5A is a top view of an embodiment of a friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar having rounded right angle bends.

FIG. 5B is a top view of an embodiment of a friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar having rounded obtuse angle bends.

FIG. 5C is a top view of an embodiment of a friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar having sharp obtuse angle bends.

FIG. 6A is a top view of an embodiment of a friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar having a counter-bowed curvature along a central region of the handlebar.

FIG. 6B is a front view of another embodiment having a bifurcated handlebar with integral vertical grips within the bifurcated handlebar.

FIG. 6C is an isometric view of yet another embodiment having two attachable vertical grips along a substantially straight handlebar.

FIG. 7A is a close-up isometric view of an embodiment of a friction stabilizing element of the invention with optional padding.

FIG. 7B is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 7A, showing the optional padding as a compressible layer configured to form a rollable contact surface that can dynamically conform to a surface of the doorframe of FIGS. 2 and 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1A, an embodiment 100 of the friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar is shown having a handlebar 102 that has two grip elements 104 which are symmetrically spaced on the handlebar 102. The handlebar 102 also has two distal portions 106 which each include two complementary bends 108, and which each begin beyond the grips 104 of the handlebar 102. The distal portions 106 terminate in friction-enabled stabilizers 110, each configured to brace against a doorframe 200 (FIG. 2).

Referring to FIG. 1B, another embodiment 112 is shown with essentially the same features as the embodiment 100 of FIG. 1A, further including a width adjustment feature 114 in the handlebar 102′. The width adjustment feature 114 includes a spring button 116 and three holes 119, 120, and 121, so that the left portion 115 of the handlebar 120′ can fit telescopically within the right portion 117, and the handlebar 120′ can be locked at a width by the spring button 116 extending through one of the three holes 119, 120, or 121, each hole corresponding to a width of a door frame. The left portion 115 is shown inserted into the leftmost end 118 of the right portion 117. In addition, the left portion 115 can be separated from the right portion 117 for storage of the embodiment 112′ of the friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar.

With reference to FIG. 2, the embodiment 100 of FIG. 1A is shown from above, the friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar being pressed against a doorframe 200 by a user performing a “kitchen sink stretch” (not shown). When pressed against the doorframe 200 by the user pulling against the handlebar 102 using the handle elements 104, a substantial coefficient of static friction is induced so as to substantially resist movement of the friction-enabled stabilizers 110 along the doorframe 200, both vertically and horizontally.

A doorframe 200 typically has a width range of 30 inches to 36 inches, and the embodiment 100 can be made to fit within a variety of standard door frames, or can include an adjustment feature, such as the adjustment feature 114 of FIG. 1B so as to be width adjustable.

The handlebar 102 of the embodiment has a diameter between 45 mm and 55 mm to accommodate average adult hand sizes, but can be smaller, such as for children, or larger, along with possibly recessed grips 104. The suggested measurements are for a diameter of round cross-section embodiments of the handlebar 102 and grips 104, although departures from a round cross-section can also be useful, such as oval, triangular, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, for example.

Referring to FIG. 3, the embodiment 300 is shown in use by a user 302 during a “kitchen sink” stretch while braced against a doorframe 304. The embodiment 300 has only bare grip areas 306 of the handlebar 308, the grip areas 306 being not cushioned or textured or covered, and being of the same material as the entire handlebar 308.

In yet other embodiments (not shown), the grip areas 306 can include at least one of: heat shrink wraps, TPE over-molds, grips with finger grooves, and gel/foam cushioning materials, for example.

The application of coatings to grip areas 306 is also possible, including at least one of: moisture wicking coatings, slip resistant coatings, and friction burn prevention coatings, for example.

With reference to FIG. 4A, the embodiment 400 of the invention is here made of a plastic (such as, at least one of: PVC, ABS PC, and rigid Nylons, for example). The embodiment 400 could alternately be made from at least one of: metals (aluminum, iron, various alloys, for example), wood, plastics, graphene, organic polymers, synthetics, and composites, for example.

The embodiment 400 made from plastic exploits injection molding and a material- saving reinforced structure. Other possible structures can be chosen so as to add structural reinforcement, save further material, and vary the shape of the handlebar, for example. While the material-saving reinforced structure shown in FIG. 4A can support a pull force of 2500 Newtons with a wall thickness of 0.1 inches, a normal pull force associated with common stretches is around 600 Newtons, which suggests a broad range of viable material choices and wall thicknesses would be effective.

With reference to FIG. 4B, the embodiment 400 of the invention is shown with an additional handlebar over-molding 402, the additional handlebar over-molding 402 being interrupted at symmetric intervals by cushioned grips 404, and the additional bar over- molding 402 terminating in additional rigid friction-enabled stabilizer over-moldings 406. While the bar over-molding 402 can be rigid (such as a plastic-on-metal over-molding, for example), or semi-rigid (such as vulcanized rubber on metal over-molding, for example), this variety is of a softer over-molding of a type including at least one of: thermoplastic- elastomers and other elastomers, foams, silicones, and organics such as liquid wood, for example.

It will be apparent to one of skill in the art that replacement of the over-molding process with another process that provides a different aesthetic, or provides another user- friendly texture to any portion of the invention can be implemented, such as wrapping, sleeving, adhesion of separate components, and milling, for example. Since exterior materials conceivable for use are not limited to over-molding materials, other materials can be used, such as: stuffed sleeves of leather, gel surfaces, reflective coatings, grit coatings, and organic foams, for example.

Referring to FIG. 5A, 5B, and 5C, three embodiments 500, 502, 504, respectively, are shown with notable differences in bends 506, 508, 510, respectively. The bends 506 of FIG. 5A are of rounded 90-degree corners, while the bends 508 of FIG. 5B are more obtuse, which illustrates that various degrees of roundedness and various angles of deviation are possible.

Further, FIG. 5C illustrates an embodiment without roundedness, having only sharp bends 510. The bends 510 indicate separate hollow metal tubes can be assembled by a process that includes at least one of: welding for direct securement, inner joints for indirect securement, and couplings with terminals for additional coupling elements (such as at least one of: screws, bolts, and retaining pins, for example.

With reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C, three embodiments 600, 602, and 604 are shown, each with a different handlebar structure 606, 608, 610.

The handlebar 606 of FIG. 6A has a central curvature that is slightly bowed so as to provide a neutral wrist angle along the grip areas 612 of the embodiment 600. Thus, FIG. 6A illustrates one of many possible shapes of the handlebar 600, including curvatures configured to provide various ergonomic benefits, and varied exercise outcomes, for example.

The handlebar 608 of FIG. 6B includes symmetric bifurcations 614 that are joined by two parallel component bars 616 which support the integral vertical grips 618. The handlebar 608 is one of many possible embodiments having a plurality of integral vertical grips 618, or grips fixed symmetrically at non-vertical angles, the grips also possibly having one or more of a variety of ergonomically configured grip surfaces and grip contours.

The handlebar 610 of FIG. 6C includes two attachable vertical grips 620 which can be attached to and detached from the handlebar 610. Grips 620 can be secured at symmetrical locations 622 along the main body 624 of the handlebar 610 using at least one of: clips, bolts, and sleeves, which can be cooperative with at least one of: pins, sockets, and screws, for example. The grips 620 can be secured at a variety of rotational orientations (tilts) about the central axis of the main body 624.

Referring to FIG. 7A, a friction-enabled stabilizer 700 is shown that includes: padding 702, an over-mold frame 704, and a distal portion 706, which is similar to a distal portion 106 of the embodiment 100 of FIG. 1.

Alternatively, the frame 704 of the friction-enabled stabilizer 700 can be made using a process other than over-molding (such as at least one of: adhesion, screws, pins, clamps, sleeving, for example). The frame 704 can be removable.

A friction-enabled stabilizer 700 can be secured to the distal portion 706 using methods other than encapturement, such as at least one of: joining ends directly with screws, indirectly joining ends to an intermediary component by welding, joining ends with an adjustment section (114; FIG. 1B), and joining ends with complementing geometry which does not encapture, for example.

The frame 704 can be made of materials of varying hardness (such as at least one of: metal, rigid nylon, TPE, and gel, for example) and can be the only component to make direct contact with a doorframe 202 (FIG. 2).

FIG. 7A shows a distal portion 706 that has a rectangular cross section, which corresponds to the dashed line 708 of FIG. 7B (showing the distal portion 706 encaptured by the frame 704).

FIG. 7B is a side cross-sectional view that shows a curved surface 710 of the surface of the frame 704 of the friction-enabled stabilizer 700. Padding 702 is affixed to the curved surface 710, such that the padding 702 is the surface that makes static frictional contact with the doorframe 202 (FIG. 2). The padding 702 on the curved surface 710 presents a convex surface which promotes static frictional contact regardless of the pulling force application angle applied by the user when using the stretch bar of the invention. The padding 702 can be made from materials that exhibit various degrees hardness, such as at least one of: rigid silicone, TPE, and gel, for example.

Other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed. Accordingly, the above description is not intended to limit the invention, except as indicated in the following claims.

Claims

1. A friction-stabilized back and shoulder stretch bar for use in a doorframe, the stretch bar comprising:

a substantially rigid handlebar configured to be gripped while in use, and configured to span a width of a doorframe, the handlebar having a right end and a left end; and

a right friction-based device attached to the right end, and a left friction-based device attached to the left end, each friction-based device configured to resist slippage along the door frame when pulled against the doorframe while in use.

2. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid handlebar includes:

a first pair of bends;

a straight section after the first pair of bends; and

a second pair of bends after the straight section, the second pair of bends being a mirror image of the first pair of bends.

3. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein each bend is 90 degrees.

4. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the right and left friction-based devices include at least one of:

rubber, silicone, silicone rubber, foam rubber.

5. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid handlebar includes:

two gripping devices symmetrically located between the right end and the left end of the substantially rigid handlebar, each gripping device attached to the substantially rigid handlebar, each gripping device configured to provide a place to comfortably and securely hold onto the substantially rigid handlebar.

6. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid handlebar includes:

two gripping regions symmetrically located between the right end and the left end of the substantially rigid handlebar, each gripping region configured to provide a place to comfortably and securely hold onto the substantially rigid handlebar.

7. The stretch bar of claim 6, wherein each gripping region is 5 inches to 7 inches long.

8. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid handlebar is 24 inches-38 inches long.

9. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid handlebar is made from one of:

polypropylene, aluminum, steel, wood, plastic, fiberglass.

10. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid handlebar is one inch in diameter.

11. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid handlebar is configured to be adjustable in length so as to accommodate a variety of door frame widths.

12. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid handlebar is made from structurally reinforced plastic.

13. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid handlebar includes a central curvature that is slightly bowed so as to provide a neutral wrist angle when gripped.

14. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the handlebar includes symmetric bifurcations which support vertical grips.

15. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the handlebar includes two attachable vertical grips.

16. The stretch bar of claim 1, wherein the right friction-based device and the left friction-based device each include a convex surface which promotes static frictional contact, regardless of the angle of pulling force application during use.