Patent Application
20180200571
The present invention relates generally to fan abdominal muscle strengthening apparatus, and more particularly to an abdominal muscle strengthening apparatus which allows the user to perform plurality of abdominal exercise to strengthen various abdominal muscles by using body weight resistance training from the push and lift motion.
Exercise is an important aspect of maintaining a person's general health. Exercise promotes confidence and provides energy to a person, as well as, tones and strengthens muscles. While a majority of exercises are performed without the aid of equipment, exercise equipment assists in prompting proper form for performing the exercises. Proper form allows the person to gain the most from the exercises, as performing the exercise with proper form engages all of the targeted muscles for the exercise. Thus, the person is able to maximize the potential of their exercise. This abdominal contraction exercise training method is design to work the entire ab and core group using resistance bodyweight training from the weight of the legs on the foot pedals to generate the resistance force when pushing the rod downward, and providing the resistance tension to the workout so the user get the most of their ab and core workout effectively.
Some may argue that core strength, abdominal and oblique muscles, is one of the most important muscle groups to strengthen. Having good core strength helps to prevent injuries, protects inner organs and the central nervous system, assuages back pains, promotes good posture, and gives a sense of confidence to a person.
There is a need to develop an abdominal strengthening apparatus to overcome the above problems by offering a unique and effective bodyweight training to engage the abdominal and core methods.
The present invention allows a user to perform sitting crunches. The present invention provides resistance to the sitting abdominal crunching motion in order to maximize the strengthening potential for exercising the user's core muscles.
In view of the foregoing, an embodiment herein provides an abdominal strengthening apparatus with rocking base.
An embodiment herein describes an abdominal strengthening apparatus. The apparatus comprising a rocking base with resistance bracket, a supporting member, a handlebar and a foot supporting bar. The rocking bar comprises a first tilting rod and a second tilting rod. The first tilting rod and the second tilting rod are connected coaxially of both the tilting rods to a mounting rod at one end. The connection to adjustable tube is made via a bracket and a plurality of screws. The bracket comprises a plurality of holes for insertion of the plurality of screws. The supporting member comprises an adjustable tube and the mounting rod. The handlebar is adjacently connected to the adjustable tube and is positioned opposite to the rocking base, along the adjustable tube. The handlebar has at least two positions. The foot supporting bar is attached with a pair of foot paddles along the foot supporting bar in opposite direction. The foot paddles and coaxial connection to the mounting rod remain in same plane.
In one of the embodiment, the adjustable tube is mounted to “V” shaped handle. In an embodiment, the adjustable tube is mounted to “T” shaped handle. In another embodiment, the first and second tilting rod of the rocking base are upwardly curved and joined at both end having maximum distance in middle forming a rolling support on ground for partial rolling and tilting.
In one of the embodiment, the space formed between the first and the second tilting rod is convex. In an embodiment, the upper curvature formed of the first and second tilting rod is concave. In another embodiment, the periphery of the curved tilting rod rolling and tilting effect with handle and foot movement. Yet in another embodiment, the adjustable tube is telescopically engaged with the mounting rod.
In one of the embodiment, the mounting rod and the foot-supporting bar are positioned opposite to each other along the rocking base. In an embodiment, the foot pedals are positioned opposite to each other along the foot-supporting bar. In another embodiment, the apparatus has a rotation mechanism. The rotation mechanism is mechanically integrated along the adjustable tube and is positioned between mounting rod and handlebar, a rotation axis of the rotation mechanism being collinear to the mounting rod.
In one of the embodiment, the mounting rod is connected to the rocking base through the rotation mechanism, wherein the rotation mechanism is positioned opposite to the adjustable tube alone the mounting rod. In an embodiment, the adjustable tube comprises a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion. In another embodiment, the first tubular portion telescopically engaging the mounting rod and the second tubular portion is connected to the handlebar. The first tubular portion is hingedly and adjacently connected to the second tubular portion.
In an embodiment, the tension cord further comprises a first cord and a second cord. The first tubular portion is hingedly and adjacently connected to the second tubular portion. The second cord end is internally mounted to the second tubular portion. In another embodiment, a pair of V shaped hand grips is fixed to the handlebar, the hand grips are positioned opposite to each other along the handlebar. In another embodiment, the base of the abdominal strengthening apparatus is a rocking base. In another embodiment, the base of the abdominal strengthening apparatus is a stationary base. In another embodiment, first position of the handlebar is U-shaped. In another embodiment, the second portion of the handlebar is T-shaped.
In one of the embodiment, the rocking base supports apparatus positioned on a level ground and floor. In another embodiment, a rocking base mechanism comprises first pushing the handle grip downwards then by moving the back of the rocking base downwardly to force the front of the rocking base to lift upwardly and finally by creating the resistance to the exercise by using the legs weight of a user. In another embodiment, the apparatus comprises a 3 holes U shaped bracket to offer three 3 different level of resistance tension.
In one of the embodiment the bracket is located, at the coaxial position at which both the tilting rods are connected to mounting rod. In an embodiment, the three different resistance tensions are a light tension, a medium tension and a hard tension. In another embodiment, the light tension is achieved when U shaped bracket is adopted to connect rocking base to mounting rod through back hole. In another embodiment, the middle tension is achieved when U shaped bracket is adopted to connect rocking base to mounting rod through center hole. In another embodiment, the hard tension is achieved when U shaped bracket is adopted to connect rocking base to mounting rod through front hole.
These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications
The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, in which:
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein
The embodiments herein achieve this by providing an abdominal strengthening apparatus with rocking base.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the rotation mechanism allows the supporting member to be rotated, such that the user is able to engage the oblique muscles effectively by rotating the user's torso during the abdominal crunching motion. The mounting rod is pivotably connected to the first tilting rod and second tilting rod through the rotation mechanism. The rotation mechanism is positioned opposite to the adjustable tube along the mounting rod. A rotation axis of the rotation mechanism is collinear to the mounting rod. As the user grasps the handlebar and presents the downward force onto the supporting member, the user is able to rotate the user's torso from side to side in order to engage the oblique muscles during the abdominal crunching motion, strengthening the oblique muscles as the supporting member rotates along with the user's motion.
In
The adjustable tube allows the user to change the length of the supporting member to accommodate the height of the user. The adjustable tube is telescopically engaged with the mounting rod such that the user is able to adjust the length of the supporting member between discrete heights. The adjustable tube is positioned opposite to one end of both the tilting rods, along the mounting rod, such that the handlebar is able to be conveniently accessed by the user. The handlebar is adjacently connected to the adjustable tube in order to allow the user to grasp the present invention and make use of the user's own body weight to provide a downward force on the supporting member. The handlebar is positioned opposite to both the tilting rods along the adjustable tube in order to transfer the downward force along the supporting member.
In an embodiment the apparatus comprises of a U shaped bracket. The mounting rod and both the tilting rods are joined by a U shaped bracket, wherein the bracket comprises 3 holes for three different level of resistance tension at three different positions. The bracket is located, at the coaxial position at which both the tilting rods are connected to mounting rod. The position of rocking base can be changed by changing position of screw at three different holes of bracket at coaxial position along the mounting rod. The increase and decrease of resistance tension is achieved by moving three different position of point of connection of the rocking base. The three different resistance tensions are a light tension, a medium tension and a hard tension. The rocking base is attach to mounting rod by back hole to bring light tension resistance, to center hole to bring medium tension and to front hole to bring hard tension.
The foot-supporting bar supports the user's feet during implementation of the present invention. The foot supporting bar is connected to the second end of both the tilting rods. The mounting rod and the foot-supporting bar are positioned opposite to each other. As the downward force from the user is placed on the supporting member, the first tilting rod and second tilting rod rotates along the ground level or floor in order to simultaneously raise the foot-supporting bar. Thus, through the downward force from the user's weight, the user's knees are forced towards the user's chest while the user's chest is motioned towards the user's knees, engaging the user in a abdominal crunching motion to engage the user's core muscles.
In another embodiment the adjustable tube comprises a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion, the first tubular portion telescopically engages the mounting rod. The second tubular portion is connected to the handlebar. In one embodiment of the adjustable tube, the first tubular portion is hingedly and adjacently connected to the second tubular portion such that the second tubular portion is able to be positioned between the mounting rod and the rocking base. The first tubular portion and the second tubular portion allow the adjustable tube to be foldable for storage or transportation by allowing the handlebar to be positioned between the rocking base and the mounting rod. When user pushes the rod downward and legs lift up, forcing the upper abs and obliques and lower abs and obliques abdominal and core muscle group to fully contract, that's how the exercise is created.
The rocking base of the apparatus works by using user own body weight from the legs on the foot pedals, using the force to contract the abdominal muscle group when push the V Handle Grip downward.
Rocking base provides strengthening of abdominal muscle better than static base by pushing down the V handle grip downward it force to lift up to legs upward creating the abdominal muscle group contract from the upper and lower abdominal and oblique muscle group, same exercise technique apply when pivoting the handle grip to contact the oblique muscle group. (Push the run the shoulders to perform the oblique muscle exercises). Same procedure is applied when T BAR-handle grip is used.
In an embodiment, the stationary base is alternatively used in abdominal strengthening apparatus. The stationary base comprises a first base member, a second base member, and a mounting bracket. The first base member and the second base member provide structural support for the present invention. The mounting bracket supports the rocking base. The first base member is perpendicularly connected to the second base member. The second base member is terminally positioned to the first base member, such that the first base member and the second base member form a stable base for the present invention. The mounting bracket is centrally connected along the first base member. The tilting arm is pivotably connected to the mounting bracket, such that the mounting rod is able to translate towards or away from the stationary base in order to allow the user to perform sitting crunches. The tilting arm is positioned co-planar to the first base member such that the tilting arm is positioned above the first base member. The tilting arm is connected to the mounting bracket between the foot supporting bar and the mounting bracket, such that the mounting bracket is a fulcrum for the tilting arm.
In one embodiment, the mounting bracket is permanently connected to the first base member. The mounting bracket is welded onto the first base member in order to retain the connection between the mounting bracket and the first base member.
In another embodiment of the mounting bracket is removably connected to the first base member. The removable connection between the mounting bracket and the first base member allows for the stationary base to be disassembled and stored more conveniently. The configuration also allows the stationary base to be modular such that the mounting bracket is able to be replaced if the mounting bracket were to fracture or otherwise inoperable. The mounting bracket comprises a first bracket member, a second bracket member. The first bracket member engages the second bracket member about the first base member. The tilting arm is positioned between the first bracket member and the second bracket member such that the tilting arm is able to pivot about the pivotable connection between the tilting arm and the mounting bracket.
In one of the embodiment, an elastic resistance mechanism provides tension between the stationary base and the foot-supporting bar. The elastic resistance mechanism is mounted to the stationary base. The elastic resistance mechanism is selectively tethered to the foot-supporting bar. In another embodiment, the elastic resistance mechanism is mounted onto the first base member. As an example of this embodiment, the elastic resistance mechanism is an elastic cord and a hook. The hook is adjacently connected to the first base member opposite to the mounting bracket. The elastic cord is selectively tethered between the hook and the foot-supporting bar, such that the user is able to add or remove the resistance in accordance to their preference. In another embodiment, the elastic resistance mechanism comprises a pulley. The pulley is mounted onto the second base member. The pulley rotatably engages the elastic cord in order to reduce friction and to redirect the direction of force along the elastic cord. As the foot-supporting bar is forced away from the stationary base as the user forces weight onto the mounting rod, the elastic cord resists the force from the user's weight in order to engage the user's core abdominal muscles to a greater extent than the user's weight alone.
In another embodiment of the elastic resistance mechanism, the elastic resistance mechanism is an elastic ring. The elastic resistance mechanism is mounted across the second base member, such that the elastic ring is oriented parallel to the foot-supporting bar. A hook is centrally mounted onto the foot-supporting bar and the hook is oriented towards the stationary base. The elastic ring is selectively engaged with the hook such that the user is able to add or subtract resistance in accordance to their preference by tethering the elastic ring to the hook or removing the elastic ring from the hook. As an additional means of providing resistance to the user, one embodiment of the present invention allows the user to adjust the fulcrum point of the mounting bracket onto the tilting arm. In one of the embodiment, the apparatus comprises a pivoting pin, the mounting bracket comprises a support aperture, and the tilting arm comprises a plurality of moment-adjusting apertures. The plurality of moment-adjusting apertures allows the user to discretely adjust the fulcrum point along the tilting arm, such that the amount of force on the mounting rod to raise the foot-supporting bar is increased or decreased in accordance to the user's preference. The plurality of moment-adjusting apertures laterally traverses into through the tilting arm. The plurality of moment adjusting apertures is centrally positioned along the tilting arm. The plurality of moment-adjusting apertures is positioned perpendicularly to the mounting rod. The plurality of moment-adjusting apertures is offset from each other. A selected aperture of the plurality of moment-adjusting apertures is concentrically positioned to the support aperture. The pivoting pin engages the selected aperture and the support aperture in order to support tilting arm and allow the tilting arm to pivot on the mounting bracket.
Further in accordance to the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a locking pin in order to secure the adjustable tube onto the mounting rod. The mounting rod comprises a height fixing aperture and the adjustable tube comprises a plurality of unting apertures. The locking pin secures the adjustable tube onto the mounting rod through an aperture of the plurality of mounting apertures and the height-fixing aperture. The plurality of mounting apertures laterally traverses through the adjustable tube. The plurality of mounting apertures is positioned opposite to the handlebar along the adjustable tube, and the plurality of mounting apertures is offset from each other in order for the user to position the adjustable tube at discrete heights. The height-fixing aperture laterally traverses through the mounting rod. The height-fixing aperture is positioned opposite to the tilting arm along the mounting rod in order to effectively engage the plurality of mounting apertures. The height-fixing aperture is concentrically positioned to a selected aperture of the plurality of mounting apertures. The locking pin engages the selected aperture and the height-fixing aperture in order to secure the adjustable tube at a discrete height for the user to comfortably implement the present invention.
In one of the embodiment, the present invention comprises a magnetic sensor, a permanent magnet, and a computing device. The magnetic sensor, the permanent magnet, and the computing device allow the user to keep track of repetitions and time performing the exercise. The permanent magnet is adjacently connected to the tilting arm. The permanent magnet is positioned between the foot supporting bar and the mounting bracket. The magnetic sensor is mounted onto the stationary base. The magnetic sensor is electronically connected to the computing device. This configuration allows a magnetic field exerted by the permanent magnet to be assessed by the magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor, the permanent magnet, and the computing device are in a repetition detection state when the permanent magnet is positioned adjacent to the magnetic sensor and the permanent magnet is magnetically engaged with the magnetic sensor. When the magnetic sensor and the permanent magnet enter the repetition state detection state, the magnetic sensor transmits an output to the computing device to increment a repetition counter.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the output display is electronically connected to the computing device in order to display the repetition counter value or the elapsed exercise time to the user accordance. The output display is centrally connected to the handlebar such that the user is able to easily view the number of repetitions for the exercise they have completed or the elapsed exercise time on the output display. Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
As mentioned, there remains the foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
This application repeats a substantial portion of prior application Ser. No. 15/187,564, filed on Jun. 20, 2016, and adds disclosure not presented in the prior application. Because this application names the inventor or at least one joint inventor named in the prior application, it may constitute a continuation-in-part of the prior application. Should applicant desire to claim the benefit of the filing date or the prior application, attention is directed to 35 U.S.C. 120, 37 CFR 1.78, and MPEP § 211 et seq.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62231629 | Jul 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15187564 | Jun 2016 | US |
| Child | 15917872 | US |
