The present invention provides novel methods and apparatus for adjusting the length of a resistance band portion of an exercise apparatus.
Current resistance band exercise apparatus generally have a fixed-length resistance band that spans a space between two user parts of the exercise apparatus, such as between two handles that are grasped by the hands of the user, and then the users hands move over a given range of motion, which requires a given amount of effort by the user to stretch the resistance band. Over time the user becomes more fit or desires to exercise another part of their body, thereby necessitating a desire by the user to increase the effort needed to stretch the band over the same range of motion. Thus, current technology provides, according to one technique, a clip mechanism at the user handle which allows the user to add additional resistance bands in parallel, or to disconnect the thin low-resistance resistance band and connect in its place a thicker, higher-resistance resistance band. A serious problem with such techniques is that they require disconnection and re-connection of resistance bands from their attachment to the exercise apparatus. Requiring disconnection and re-connection is extremely dangerous, since if the band is able to be disconnected and re-connected by the user, it can also unexpectedly become disconnected at an inopportune time and thereby cause serious bodily injury to the user or those around the user by the handle or the tube moving at great speed through the air and hitting someone in the face or eye, etc. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are 10,000 resistance band injuries every year, and this is totally unacceptable. A way must be found to provide a safer resistance band exercise device.
A new and safe resistance band exercise apparatus particularly well adapted for use for physical fitness and physical therapy, is shown and described in our issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,735 (hereinafter referred to as our '735 patent), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
As shown and described in our '735 patent, the safe resistance band exercise apparatus includes a center chute portion having at each of its opposed ends a fixed length of resistance band for connecting each of its opposed ends to a user grasped handle portion.
A need exists for a safe way to adjust the force/effort the user must exert to move the handles over a given range of motion, without requiring the user to disconnect and re-connect resistance bands to and from their attachment to the exercise apparatus
The present invention meets such a need. Described herein is an adjustable tension device for use to adjust a length of the resistance band that spans a space between two user parts of the exercise apparatus, such as a handle that is grasped by the users hand, and a second part which may be a second handle or user part which is held at a fixed position, such as under the users foot. Adjustment of the length of the resistance band that spans the two parts, changes the amount of effort/force the user must exert when moving the parts over a given range of motion.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the adjustable tension device of the present invention comprises a friction device that releasably engages the resistance band at the point of its connection to the handle or the second part, thereby changing the working length of the resistance band. In a preferred embodiment, the second part is the center chute of an exercise apparatus as shown in our forenoted U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,735 and in
Thus, a user force adjustment is provided that does not require disconnection of the resistance band from the exercise apparatus. As noted above, a force adjustment that requires disconnection of the resistance band from its attachment to the exercise apparatus is extremely dangerous, since if the band is able to be disconnected, it can also unexpectedly become disconnected at an inopportune time and thereby cause serious bodily injury to the user or those around the user.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a handle adapted to be grasped by the user of the exercise apparatus is also engaged with the resistance band by a slideable coupling so that the handle can freely slide along a length of the resistance band up to the current position of the friction device. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a center chute portion of the exercise apparatus is also engaged with the resistance band by a slideable coupling so that the center chute portion can freely slide along a length of the resistance band up to the current position of the friction device.
An adjustable end point of the resistance band is formed where the adjustable tension device releasably engages the resistance band, thereby adjusting the position of the handle portion or center chute portion along the length of the resistance band. By adjusting the position of the handle portion or center chute portion along the length of the resistance band, the resistance offered by the band over a give range of motion is changed, increased or decreased, depending up whether the length of the band was decreased or increased, respectively.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, one of the handle or center chute portion of the exercise apparatus integrally includes therewith the friction device, as described in more detail below.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an elastic resistance band exercise device is provided, comprising;
an elastic resistance band having first and second opposed ends, where each of the first and second ends is coupled to a respective one of a first and second user portion so that a user can stretch said elastic resistance band over a range of motion and thereby establish a range of elastic tension between said first and second user portions;
wherein said coupling at at least one of the user portions is via a sliding coupling formed by said resistance band passing through an opening attached to the user portion; and
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the sliding coupling comprises a tab affixed at one of the user portions, which tab has an opening formed therein through which the elastic resistance band passes through.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the tab is formed by two layers of material, where a grommet is positioned in said tab to form a first opening of said sliding coupling and where a second opening of said sliding coupling is a channel formed by a space bound between the two layers of material, an outer edge of the grommet and an end of the tab.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the first and second openings cooperate to form the friction device.
These and other aspects of the present invention will be described in greater detail below.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments and details of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the invention.
Various embodiments of the present invention provide a novel device for adjusting the length of a resistance band. The device finds applications in fields such as physical fitness, exercise and therapy apparatus.
While the following text may reference or exemplify specific components of a device or a method of utilizing the device, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to such particular references or examples. Various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, in view of practical and economic considerations, such as the concentration of graphene oxide and the shear rate for forming emulsion.
The articles “a” and “an” as used herein refers to “one or more” or “at least one,” unless otherwise indicated. That is, reference to any element or component of the present invention by the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude the possibility that more than one element or component is present.
The term “about” as used herein refers to the referenced numeric indication plus or minus 10% of that referenced numeric indication.
As noted above,
Typically, the elastic band material 8 is formed of surgical tubing or other elastic, resistive material, such as “Thera-Bands”®.
Additionally, center chute 10 may include a strip of flexible material sewn or otherwise affixed to its center, which material aids in the mounting of the center chute 10 to a fixed position, such as a door, as more fully described in our '735 patent.
Referring again back to
Construction:
As shown generally in
Alternatively, instead of using the grommet 14 to determine the diameter of channel 20, it may be advantageous in some embodiments to stitch or use some other means to form the channel 20, instead of the grommet, thereby allowing more freedom of where to position the grommet 14, without affecting the diameter of the channel 20.
In one embodiment of the invention, shown in
Although in the illustrated embodiment channel 20 is formed in a tab 12 connected to the center chute 10, channel 20 could be formed in a tab connected to the handle portion 6 of the resistance band device 4.
In accordance with the present invention, the hole in the grommet forms a slidable coupling of the resistance band 8 with the center chute 10 (or in an alternative embodiment, handles 6). As will be described in more detail below, the channel 0 forms a friction device which cooperates with the grommet to releasable engage bands 8 at a user adjusted position.
Assembly:
A free end (not shown) of the resistance tube 8 is threaded from the handle (not shown), through grommet 14, and then into a first end of channel 20. At a second end of channel 20, tube 8 is stretched open using a spreader tool and a stopper bead 24 is inserted therein. The diameter of stopper bead 24 is sufficiently greater than the diameter of channel 20 and the hole in grommet 14, so as effectively form a conventional stop which prevents the end of tube 8 having the stopper bead 24 from re-entering channel 20.
In Operation:
Once assembly is complete, the exercise apparatus 4 is provided to a user who can, as noted in our USP '735, stand on the center portion and while grasping the handles 6, move the handles in an up and down motion, thereby getting exercise or physical thereby in a safe way.
If the user desires to adjust the amount of effort to move the handles over a given range of motion, the user merely needs to adjust the friction device which cooperates with the sliding coupling of the band 8 to the center chute 10.
This is accomplished as follows: As shown in
Accordingly, a tension adjustment for the exercise apparatus 4 is formed by this arrangement, since a user can merely use the technique shown in
Depending upon the coefficient of friction of the materials used to construct the grommet, the web material and the outer surface of the resistance band/tube, the friction can be overcome when sufficient force is applied to the adjustable friction device.
This overcoming of the friction is actually a safety feature in the current environment, since if after the user has adjusted the length of the band, if the user grasping the handle stretches the tubing more than a given amount, such as 250%-400% (depending on the coefficient of friction of the materials), the resistance band will start to slide in the channel, thereby reducing the tension in the band, and helping prevent a sudden snap due to overstretching. Additionally, the reduction in tension caused by slippage of the band in the channel will probably be noticed by the user, who will then realize that they are overstretching the tubing.
In a similar manner,
a length of line 504 that passes through the hole in grommet 14 and which has a wedge-shaped stopper 502 at one end and an attachment tine 506 which is secured to tab 12 by forcing time 506 through a small hole, not shown, in tab 12, so as to secure line 504 to tab 12 in a conventional manner. Once the user slides tube 8 within the hole in grommet 14 to determine a desired length of tube 8 between the center chute 10 and the handle 6, the user merely pulls on line 504 so as to jam wedge 502 against tube 8 where tube 8 enters the hole in grommet 14, thereby releasably fixing tube 8 at the desired position. To release tube 8, the user merely pulls on wedge 502 to move it away from grommet 14 and its engagement with tube 8.
It will be understood by those of skill in the art that numerous and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention described herein are illustrative only and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § (119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/358,004, filed on Jul. 3, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2017/040624 | 7/3/2017 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2018/009489 | 1/11/2018 | WO | A |
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