Patent Application
20190308065
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of exercise equipment of existing art and more specifically relates to exercise equipment for use on the abdomen.
Abdominal exercises are those that affect the abdominal muscles which also may be referred to stomach muscles and/or abs and abdominal exercises are generally useful for strengthening and toning the abdominal muscles. Such strengthening and toning is useful for improving performance with certain sports, reducing back pain, and for withstanding abdominal impacts. It has been disputed whether abdominal exercises actually reduce the amount of abdominal fat, however, an improved posture and tighter abdominal cavity is often associated with a smaller abdominal size. Commonly a large abdomen may be attributed to diastasis recti.
Diastasis recti can be defined as a gap between the two sides of the rectus abdominis muscle, which may create a protruded abdominal area. Diastasis recti may appear as a ridge running down the midline of the abdomen, anywhere from the xiphoid process to the umbilicus. It may become more prominent with straining and can disappear when the abdominal muscles become relaxed. Abdominal exercise aids in the decrease of the diastasis recti, however, many individuals may not have the time or means to specifically exercise such muscles.
A major limitation associated with abdominal exercise is that it often requires a user to be present at a health club or gym to use and maintain specific equipment. Also, much equipment is often cumbersome and/or bulky. Another limitation is that the use of much of the available abdominal exercise equipment requires the user to dedicate time and space to abdominal exercise. Therefore, a suitable solution is desired. Electronic devices that stimulate the abdominal area by electric current are available, but often times such devices can be painful and difficult to maintain.
U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0066462 to Cohen relates to an exercise belt for stomach muscles. The described exercise belt for stomach muscles includes a mechanical device for stimulating stomach muscles, the device comprising a belt-like element sized to be worn with a section thereof adjacent the stomach muscles of the wearer, the belt being associated with a motor and a power element for driving the motor, the motor being mechanically linked to means for intermittently tensioning at least the section to repeatedly intermittently press against the stomach muscles of the wearer in order to stimulate the muscles to contract as a reaction and in anticipation of the repeated intermittent contact.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known exercise equipment art, the present disclosure provides a novel abdominal exercise system and method. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an efficient and effective abdominal exercise system and method.
An abdominal exercise system is disclosed herein. The abdominal exercise system includes an isometric flex-board, and a rear-support-belt, preferably the isometric flex-board is oval in shape and is configured to fit a user's body. The isometric flex-board includes an exterior-surface and an interior-surface, a right-side, and a left-side; with the left-side and the right-side each including slot-openings and a plurality of apertures, with the slot-openings configured to allow vertical movement of the front-support. Also, the isometric flex-board is preferably constructed from a polycarbonate material. The rear-support-belt includes an outside-surface, an inside surface, a left-portion, and a right-portion; with the left-portion and the right-portion each including adjustment-straps that are insertable into the slot-openings on the right-side and the left-side of the isometric flex-board to removably couple the rear-support-belt and the isometric flex-board together and provide adjustability to the abdominal exercise system for the user to produce an isometric abdominal exercise.
The isometric flex-board and the rear-support-belt, when coupled together, are wearable about an abdominal area of the user, with an orientation between the belly button and rib cage of the user, to provide resistance to the abdominal area to provide a muscle exercise to the user by the user flexing the abdominal area against the resistance.
The adjustment-straps are constructed from a non-elastic material configured to be placed upon a back of the user such that the adjustment-straps are concealable under an article of clothing upon use. The adjustment-straps also and include a hook-and-loop fastener to provide adjustability in relation to the isometric flex-board. Also, the adjustment-straps are removably adjustable in relation to the rear-support-belt.
The isometric flex-board includes a plurality of front-apertures configured to increase airflow, comfort, and produce the desired flexibly without decreasing the structural integrity of the isometric flex-board during use. Similarly, the rear-support-belt includes a plurality of rear-apertures configured to increase airflow and comfort during use. Further, the interior-surface of the isometric flex-board and the inside-surface of the rear-support-belt preferably includes a moisture wicking material.
According to another embodiment, a method of using an abdominal exercise system is also disclosed herein. The method of using an abdominal exercise system includes a first step, providing an abdominal exercise system; a second step, placing the system around an abdominal area of a user; a third step, adjusting adjustments-straps of the system to fit the user; a fourth step, providing resistance to the system by the user by flexing abdominal muscles; and a fifth step, removing the system from the abdominal area of the user.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, an abdominal exercise system and method, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to exercise equipment for the abdomen and more particularly to an abdominal exercise system and method as used to improve the means for exercising by providing a device to exercise and tone the abdominal muscles of a user without the need for a gym, health club or bulky equipment. The present invention is superior to other systems in that it effectively provides adjustable back support during use to provide exercise to abdominal muscles for users of different sizes and/or shapes while allowing the user to perform additional functions while exercising the abdominal muscles. Generally, by supporting the back, the abdominal exercise system helps to support the remainder of the body including the muscles in the stomach (i.e., abdominals). The abdominal exercise system includes size adjustability.
The arrangement of the size adjustment of the abdominal exercise system allows a range of sizes to be accommodated. Ideally, embodiments of the abdominal exercise system may be available in multiple overall sizes to accommodate very large or very small users; each main size would accommodate many in-between-sizes of individual users. The abdominal exercise system may be constructed from thin, breathable cloth to provide additional comfort to the user by the potential reduction of sweating (by the user) and to allow the abdominal exercise system to be less intrusive.
Preferably, the abdominal exercise system would also ideally come in natural skin tone colors so it can be worn under normal, everyday, clothing. The front may be comprised of a hard plastic-material to maintain tension on the user's abs; with a soft, thin, padding on the backside to maintain comfort. Once the device is in place, the abdominal exercise system can be used by pushing stomach muscles outward and the elastic bands may create tension which stimulates and provides resistance to the abdominal muscles. This motion over time may allow the user's abdominal to develop and reduce the user's waistline.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
Also included may be rear-support-belt 130, rear-support-belt 130 including outside-surface 132, inside surface 134, left-portion 136, and right-portion 138; with left-portion 136 and right-portion 138 each including adjustment-straps 140 that are insertable into slot-openings 120 on right-side 116 and left-side 118 of isometric flex-board 110 to removably couple rear-support 130 and isometric flex-board 110 together and provide adjustability to abdominal exercise system 100 for the user. Adjustment-straps 140 may be constructed from a non-elastic material, such that they may provide resistance, and configured to be placed upon the back of the user such that adjustment-straps 140 are concealable under an article of clothing upon use. Rear-support-belt 130 may further include patch 166 such that a logo or other similar images may be affixed to rear-support-belt 130.
Isometric flex-board 110 and rear-support-belt 130, when coupled together, are wearable about an abdominal area of the user, with an orientation located between the belly button (i.e., navel) and the rib cage. Abdominal exercise system 100 may be wearable about the abdominal area of the user to provide resistance to the abdominal area to provide a muscle exercise to the user by the user flexing the abdominal area against the resistance. Isometric flex-board 110 and rear-support-belt 130, when coupled together, are wearable about then abdominal area of user to produce an isometric exercise for the user.
Isometric flex-board 110 and rear-support-belt 130 may be constructed from a foam material to improve comfort during use. Further, isometric flex-board 110 may include a plurality of front-apertures 162 configured to increase airflow and comfort during use as well as producing the desired flexibly without decreasing the structural integrity of isometric flex-board 110; similarly, rear-support-belt 130 may include a plurality of rear-apertures 164 configured to increase airflow and comfort during use. Interior-surface 114 of isometric flex-board 110 and inside-surface 134 of rear-support-belt 130 may include a moisture wicking material.
Isometric flex-board 110 and rear-support-belt 130 may each include neoprene (or other suitable material) for comfort. Additionally, isometric flex-board 110 may be constructed from a semi-rigid-plastic material (e.g., polycarbonate, etc.), in some embodiments. Alternate embodiments may include other materials, dependent upon user preferences and manufacturability. As such, a polycarbonate material may be 3/16″, or other suitable thickness to provide the desired flexibility and rigidity. Also, each or either of isometric flex-board 110 and/or rear-support-belt 130 may include a removable and washable cover (not shown).
Adjustment-straps 140 may include a hook-and-loop fastener to provide adjustability in relation to isometric flex-board 110. Also, adjustment-straps 140 may be removably adjustable in relation to rear-support-belt 130. Embodiments also include adjustment-straps 140 that may be removable and replaceable. Additionally, adjustment-straps 140 may include button fasteners to provide adjustability, in certain embodiments.
The system 100 may be constructed from flame-retardant materials, in some embodiments; other embodiments may include system 100 constructed from anti-fungal materials. Also, system 100 may be constructed from a body-tone colored material configured to be unnoticeable beneath an article of clothing.
According to one embodiment, abdominal exercise system 100 may be arranged as a kit 105. In particular, abdominal exercise system 100 may further include a set of instructions 155. Instructions 155 may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of abdominal exercise system 100 such that abdominal exercise system 100 can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner.
It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for method of using an abdominal exercise system [NOTE: e.g., different step orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc.], are taught herein.
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
