Patent Application
20130210593
The present disclosure relates to methods of exercising and to exercise apparatuses for carrying out those methods.
One of the consistent challenges in the fitness industry is devising exercise methods and apparatuses that allow the user to achieve maximum, diverse fitness effects by performing exercises in comfortable positions. For example, a type or set of exercises may be particularly attractive and beneficial to the user if it provides strengthening, toning and cardiovascular benefits.
A popular type of exercise equipment provides a carriage mounted on a track for sliding or rolling movement along the track. Depending on the particular variation, the carriage may be connected to a resistance system including one or more resilient members, such as springs or bungee cords, (or alternatively, gravity) which bias the carriage towards a particular position. The carriage may also be connected to pull cords that are trained over a pulley system, allowing the user to move the carriage by pulling the pull lines. The user exercises with such an apparatus by using the arms or legs to move the carriage along the tracks. Sliding-carriage multi-function exercise equipment of this type typically includes a foot rest, foot bar, trampoline, pedal, or other structure against which the user can push off.
The present disclosure relates to a versatile exerciser and method of use.
According to an embodiment, an exerciser includes a frame assembly, and a movable user support disposed on the frame assembly, constructed and arranged to support an exercising person and allow the exercising person to move while in supported relation on the movable user support, with an extremity of the exercising person free to be moved with respect to the movable user support. The exerciser also includes a ballet barre assembly. The ballet barre assembly includes a ballet barre positioned to be engaged by the extremity of the exercising person supported on the movable user support, and support structure configured to support the ballet barre at a fixed position that is at least 60 centimeters above a plane of movement for the movable user support.
According to another embodiment, an attachment is for an exerciser of the type including a movable user support disposed on a frame assembly and constructed and arranged to support an exercising person and allow the exercising person to move while in supported relation on the movable user support, with an extremity of the exercising person free to be moved with respect to the movable user support, and a mounting structure disposed on the frame assembly. The mounting structure of the exerciser is constructed and arranged to detachably mount the attachment to the frame structure. The attachment includes a ballet barre positioned to be engaged by the extremity of the exercising person supported on the movable user support. The attachment also includes support structure configured to support the ballet barre at a fixed position that is at least 60 centimeters above a plane of movement for the movable user support.
According to another embodiment, a method of enabling a person to exercise includes providing a movable user support which supports an exercising person and allows the exercising person to move while in supported relation on the movable user support, with an extremity of the exercising person free to be moved with respect to the movable user support. The method also includes providing a ballet barre spaced from said movable user support in a position to be engaged by the extremity of the exercising person supported on the movable user support. The ballet barre is configured to be supported by a ballet barre assembly at a fixed position that is at least 60 centimeters above a plane of movement for the movable user support. Movement of the movable user support is either in a first direction towards the ballet barre, or in a second direction away from the ballet barre.
Other aspects of the inventive concept will become apparent from the following description.
The present disclosure will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which like numerals represent like features throughout the figures, and in which:
The frame assembly 12 includes a frame 18, which is adapted to support the movable user support 14, with the user supported thereon. In some embodiments, the frame 18 may be positioned on a stand 20, which is adapted to connect to the frame 18 to hold the frame 18 in a generally horizontal plane above a support surface on which the exerciser 10 is positioned. As is shown in
Depending on the embodiment, the frame 18 and stand 20 may be separable, so that the exerciser 10 can be stored easily. Additionally, the stand 20 may be omitted or sold separately, particularly if the height provided by the stand 20 is not required for the exercises that are to be performed. Moreover, it may be desirable to construct the stand 20 such that one end is wider than the other.
The frame 18 is comprised of two generally parallel support tracks 30, connected and braced by a number of cross members. Each of the support tracks 30 has a generally C-shaped cross-section, such that each support track 30 defines an interior track 32, in the shape of a channel, which is adapted to receive engaging portions of the movable user support 14. The engaging portions of the movable user support 14 in this embodiment are rollers 33 (shown in phantom in
Although rollers 33 are used in the illustrated embodiment, a number of bearings and other movement support structures are known in the art, and any one of these known types of bearings may be used in place of the rollers. For example, instead of rollers, blocks of low-friction material may be used, and the interior tracks 32 in the support tracks 30 may be lubricated in order to facilitate sliding movement with reduced friction.
The support tracks 30 may be continuous bars that run the length of the exerciser, or they may be comprised of sets of shorter bars which are secured together by welds or fasteners. As shown in
In alternative embodiments of the invention, the support tracks may have a substantially rectangular cross section, and a movable user support with rollers or other movement support structures may be configured so as to rest on top of the support tracks, rather than engaging inside tracks defined within them. The precise manner of engagement of the movable user support and the support tracks can be of various configurations as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
Several body-engaging components are mounted on the movable user support 14 so as to facilitate the body positioning of the user for certain exercises. In an embodiment, two padded shoulder blocks 44, one on each side of the movable user support 14, extend vertically, and are positioned so as to engage the upper portion of the user's torso (i.e., at the collarbone or shoulder region) when the user is lying prone or supine on the movable user support 14, so as to prevent the user from sliding relative to the movable user support 14 in a direction away from the ballet barre assembly 16. The shoulder blocks 44 may be removably attached to the movable user support 14, for example, by a threaded connection.
A padded head rest 46 may also be mounted on the movable user support 14, so as to receive the head of a user when the user's torso is positioned on the movable user support 14. In the position illustrated in
The exerciser 10 also carries a resilient resistance system coupled to the movable user support 14. The crossbar 34 proximate to the footrest has several slots 60 formed in it. Each slot 60 in the crossbar 34 is sized and adapted to accept one end of a tensile resilient resistance element 62. A bracket on the underside of the movable user support 14 (not shown in the Figures) includes a corresponding set of slots 60, each slot 60 adapted to accept the other end of a tensile resilient resistance element 62. In this embodiment, the crossbar 34 and bracket of the movable user support 14 each include four slots 60; however, the number of slots 60 may be selected arbitrarily, depending on the total desired resistance, the width of the crossbar 34 and bracket, and the total amount of space required for each tensile resilient resistance element 62. The exerciser 10 may be operated with any number of tensile resilient resistance elements 62 installed in the slots 60.
The tensile resilient resistance elements 62 illustrated in
The exerciser 10 of
From the pulleys 58, the pull lines 56 extend towards the ballet barre assembly 16, and are coupled to user grips 70 at their ends. Between the ends of the pull lines 56 and the user grips 70, take-up fittings 72 are provided. Each take-up fitting 72 has a number of holes 74 formed in it, such that if the pull lines 56 are too long, they may be wrapped around and through the take-up fittings 72 to reduce their effective lengths. When the user grips the user grips 70 and causes the pull lines 56 to extend, he or she is working against the force bias provided by the tensile resilient resistance elements 62. The arm exercise system, including the pull lines 56, pulleys 58 and associated structures may be omitted in various embodiments.
In some embodiments, the ballet barre assembly 16 may be adjusted to be engaged by the feet of a user, as in a conventional foot bar, so that a user of the exerciser 10 may push off of the ballet barre assembly 16 to move the movable user support 14 in the opposite direction, away from the ballet barre assembly 16. As used herein, the term “feet” may refer to both of the user's feet together or to one individual foot, and exercises using the feet described herein may be performed with one foot, each foot alternately, or both feet simultaneously.
By the operation of the resilient resistance system, the movable user support 14 is constructed and arranged to absorb the energy of movement of the user on the movable user support 14 in a direction away from the ballet barre assembly 16 and to convert that absorbed energy into a movement toward the ballet barre assembly 16.
The user may control the degree of resistive bias by changing the number of tensile resilient resistance elements 62 that are connected between the crossbar 34 and the movable user support 14. The pull lines 56 are constructed and arranged such that forces applied in a direction toward the ballet barre assembly 16 by the user's arms are converted into movements of the movable user support 14 away from the ballet barre assembly 16. Alternatively, the user may control the position of the movable user support 14 solely by flexure of the legs against ballet barre assembly 16.
When the user is lying on the movable user support 14 in a supine position with his or her head on the head rest 46, the user's feet are free from the movable user support 14, and extend in a direction toward the ballet barre assembly 16. As can be seen in
In the illustrated embodiment, the support legs 100 are coupled to one another by a connecting bar 130. Although optional, in such embodiments the connecting bar 130 may provide planar stability for the ballet barre assembly 16. Additionally, by coupling the support legs 100 together, there may be less of a chance that one of the support legs 100 could be misplaced if decoupled from the ballet barre 80, as described in greater detail below. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the ballet barre 80 is coupled to the support legs 100 by a pair of extension legs 140, which are configured to extend from the support legs 100 to extend the ballet barre 80 to varying heights above the endpiece 37. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment the extension legs 140 are slidably received within the support legs 100, so that the ballet barre 80 may be supported above the endpiece 37 by both the height of the support legs 100 and an extended amount of the extension legs 140. To secure the extension legs 140 at a desired amount of extension from the support legs 100, one or more engagement mechanisms may be provided to secure the extension legs 140 relative to the support legs 100. In the illustrated embodiment, extension knobs 150 are provided, each associated with each extension leg 140 and support leg 100. As shown, the extension knob 150 has a pin end that may extend through an aperture 160 in the support leg 100 to an associated portion of the extension leg 140. In some embodiments, an engaging portion of the extension knobs 150, such as the pin, may press against the extension legs 140, so as to frictionally secure the ballet barre 80 to the a desired height above the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14. It may be appreciated that in some embodiments other engagement mechanisms may be utilized in lieu of the extension knobs 150, such as clamps, compression collars, or engagement pins. In some embodiments, the engagement mechanism may have a quick release for rapid adjustment of the height of the ballet barre 80.
As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the extension legs 140 contain a plurality of apertures 160 therein, configured to receive the engaging portion (or pins) of the extension knobs 150. By receiving the engaging portions of the extension knobs 150 in associated ones of the plurality of apertures 160, the extension legs 140 may be secured to the support legs 100 at a variety of positions, to raise the ballet barre 80 to associated heights relative to the support legs 100. Increments between the apertures 160 on each extension leg 140 may vary across embodiments, and may correspond to different increases in height for the ballet barre 80. As indicated above, however, it may be appreciated that in some embodiments the adjustment may be infinitely variable (i.e. with a frictional engagement between the support legs 100 and the extension leg 140), and not reliant on incremental adjustments from spaced engagement regions, such as the plurality of apertures 160. It should be appreciated for this disclosure that the term “adjustment structure” as used herein may refer to a combination of apertures 160 and the extension knobs 150, a frictional engagement, or any other structure allowing the height of the ballet barre 80 to be selectively fixed at a desired height.
In the illustrated embodiment of
While in the embodiment of ballet barre assembly 16, the extension legs 140 are received within the support legs 100, it may be appreciated that in other embodiments the converse may be true. For example,
In some embodiments, such as that those illustrated in
In accordance with various embodiments of this disclosure, the ballet barre can be raised to approximately waist height of a standing user. It may be appreciated, however, that in various embodiments a user of the ballet barre may alternatively use the ballet barre while standing on the movable user support 14, or while standing on the support surface on which the exerciser 10 is residing. As such, it may be appreciated that ballet barre assemblies 16 and 170 are configured to selectively raise ballet barres 80 or 200 to varying waist heights of users standing adjacent to the exerciser 10 (e.g., when the frame 18 is raised above the support surface by the stand 20), or users standing on the movable user support 14, by positioning extension legs 140 or 190 relative to support legs 100 or 180. For example, in various embodiments the ballet barres 80 or 200 may be raised so as to be selectively fixed at a position that is greater than approximately 60 centimeters above the support surface. In an embodiment, the ballet barres 80 or 200 may be raised so as to be selectively fixed at a position that is greater than approximately 60 centimeters above the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14, which may be more than 60 centimeters above the support surface, due to a height of the frame 18 (and the stand 20, where present).
In more specific embodiments, the ballet barres 80 or 200 may be raised so as to be selectively fixed at a position that is greater than approximately 75 centimeters above either the support surface or the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14. In some embodiments the ballet barres 80 or 200 may be fixed at respective positions that are as high as approximately 130 cm above either the support surface or the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14. For example, in some embodiments, the ballet barres 80 or 200 may be raised so as to be fixed at respective positions that are between 60-130 centimeters above either the support surface or the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14. In more specific embodiments, the ballet barres 80 or 200 may be selectively fixed at respective positions that are between 80-100 cm above either the support surface or the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14. In more particular embodiments, the ballet barres 80 or 200 may be supported approximately 90 cm above either the support surface or the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14. It may be appreciated, however, that the ballet barres 80 or 200 may also be adjusted from such waist-height positions to either a greater or lesser height. Such adjustability may allow for a greater number of exercises to be performed on the exerciser 10 coupled to the ballet barre assemblies 16 or 170, as described in greater detail below.
As indicated above, in some embodiments the top plane of movement may be raised above the support surface for the exerciser 10 by the stand 20. Accordingly, it may be appreciated that in some embodiments the ballet barre assemblies 16 or 170 may be configured to support the ballet barres 80 or 200 at various heights inclusive or exclusive of the stand 20, so that a user of the ballet barres 80 or 200 may position the ballet barres 80 or 200 at a desired height regardless of whether the frame 18 is positioned on the stand 20. For example, in an embodiment where it is desirable to support the ballet barres 80 or 200 at a variable height approximately between 50-100 cm above the support surface, with the stand 20 raising the top plane of the movable user support 14 approximately 35-45 cm above the support surface, the ballet barre 80 or 200 may need only be supported approximately 5-65 cm above the top plane of movement for the movable user support 14 cm to cover the same range, and thus the ballet barre assemblies 16 or 170 may be configured as such. In still another embodiment, the ballet barre 80 or 200 is not adjustable on the ballet barre assembly 16 or 170, but is instead fixed at a location that is at least 60 cm above the top plane of the movable user support 14.
It may additionally be appreciated that ballet barre assemblies 16 and 170 optionally extend outward to opposing sides beyond the pair of extension legs 140 or 190. For example, illustrated in
Depicted in
While in the embodiments of the ballet barre assemblies 16, 170 illustrated above, a minimum extension of the ballet barres 80, 200 may be determined by the length of the support legs 100, 180, it may be appreciated that in other embodiments a greater range of motion for the ballet barres may be facilitated by alternative support assemblies. For example,
In the illustrated embodiment, such releasable fixing is facilitated by the engagement of adjustment knobs 290, positioned on the slidable barre supports 270, with apertures 300 formed on the stationary supports 260. While in some embodiments the adjustment knobs 290 may include threaded fasteners that extend into the apertures 300, in other embodiments the adjustment knobs 290 may frictionally engage the stationary supports 260, or may include quick-release pins. By releasing the adjustment knobs 290, a position of the ballet barre 280 relative to the endpiece 37 of the exerciser 10 may be modified, by raising or lowering the slidable barre supports 270 on the stationary supports 260. In the illustrated embodiment, a crossbar 310 connects the support legs 250, which may prevent the stationary supports from separating if the ballet barre 280 (and the slidable barre supports 270) are removed therefrom. It may be appreciated that in some embodiments the slidable barre supports 270 may be removed from the stationary supports 260 by raising the slidable barre supports 270 to the top end of the stationary supports 260, where there may be no obstruction preventing their removal. In other embodiments, however, a crossbar or other engaging piece may prevent removal of the slidable barre supports 270. In some embodiments, the ballet barre assembly 240 may be considered or otherwise be part of a tower configuration. It may be appreciated that in some embodiments the adjustment knobs 290 may extend directly through the stationary supports 260 into the ballet barre 280, such that the ballet barre 280 is coupled directly to the stationary supports 260, without engagement through the slidable barre supports 270.
In some embodiments, the ballet barre supports 350 (and thus the ballet barre 360) may rotate to either side of the stationary supports 340 (i.e. either towards or away from the frame assembly 12 of the exerciser 10). It may be appreciated that where the ballet barre 360 is rotated away from the frame assembly 12, a user may engage the ballet barre 360 while standing on the same support surface that the exerciser 10 is positioned on. As such, in some embodiments a height that the ballet barre 360 may be raised to, as described in greater detail below, may again be relative to the support surface for the exerciser 10, instead of relative to the top plane of movement for the movable user support 14.
Similarly to the ballet barre assemblies 16 and 170, the ballet barre assembles 240 and 320 are configured to selectively raise ballet barres 280 or 360 to waist height of a user of exerciser 10 standing adjacent thereto, either on the movable user support 14 or on the support surface. For example, in various embodiments the ballet barres 280 or 360 may be raised so as to be selectively fixed at a position that is greater than approximately 60 centimeters either above the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14 or above the support surface. In more specific embodiments, the ballet barres 280 or 360 may be raised so as to be selectively fixed at a position that is greater than approximately 75 centimeters above the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14 or above the support surface. In some embodiments the ballet barres 280 or 360 may be fixed at positions that are as high as approximately 130 cm either above the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14 or above the support surface. For example, in some embodiments, the ballet barres 280 or 360 may be raised so as to be fixed at a position that is between 60-130 centimeters above either the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14 or the support surface. In more specific embodiments, the ballet barres 280 or 360 may be selectively fixed at a position that is approximately between 80 and 100 cm above the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14 or the support surface. In more particular embodiments, the ballet barres 280 or 360 may be supported approximately 90 cm above either the top plane of movement of the movable user support 14 or the support surface. It may be appreciated, however, that the ballet barres 280 or 360 may also be adjusted from such waist-height positions to either a greater or lesser height. Such adjustability may allow for a greater number of exercises to be performed on the exerciser 10 coupled to the ballet barre assemblies 240 and 320, similarly to those described above.
While in some embodiments, such as those depicted above, the ballet barre assemblies may be installed at the endpiece 37 of the exerciser 10 (such that the movable user support 14 is biased towards the ballet barre thereof), in other embodiments, a ballet barre assembly may be additionally or alternatively installed at the endpiece 36, such that the movable user support 14 is biased away from the ballet barre thereof. For example,
In an embodiment, elements of ballet barre assembly 380 may be generally similar to one or more of ballet barre assemblies 16, 170, 240, or 320, as described above. In the illustrated embodiment, ballet barre assembly 380 is generally similar to ballet barre assembly 16, and is configured to support a ballet barre 390 above a top plane of movement for the movable user support 14 by a vertically extending support 400. In various embodiments, the ballet barre 390 may be generally similar to the ballet barres 80, 200, 280, or 360. In the illustrated embodiment of the ballet barre assembly 380, the vertically extending support 400 includes support legs 410 that engage the exerciser 10, and may be generally similar to support legs 100. While in some embodiments support legs 410 may be non-removably attached to endpiece 36, in other embodiments support legs 410 may be removably attached. In the illustrated embodiment, the support legs 410 are received in receptacles 110 of the endpiece 36, and another pair of the securing knobs 120 are provided and associated therewith, so as to engage the support legs 410 to selectively prevent or otherwise hinder removal of the ballet barre assembly 380 from the remainder of the exerciser 10.
In the illustrated embodiment, the support legs 410, like the support legs 100, are coupled to one another by a connecting bar 420. Although optional, in such embodiments the connecting bar 130 may provide planar stability for the ballet barre assembly 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the support legs 410 of the ballet barre assembly 380 include thereon the pullies 58 supporting the pull lines 56, allowing the ballet barre assembly 380 to replace that function of the upright bar 66.
In the illustrated embodiment, the ballet barre assembly 380 may be otherwise similar in function and operation to the ballet barre assembly 16. For example, extension legs 430 may be slidably received in the support legs 410, and may be secured by engagement knobs 440, which may pass through a portion of the support legs 410 to engage a corresponding region of the extension legs 430. Furthermore, in some embodiments, apertures or other engagement regions, such as apertures 450 in the illustrated embodiment, may be formed in the extension legs 430, to receive an engaging portion of the engagement knobs 440. As above, in various embodiments other engagements may be utilized in lieu of the engagement knobs 440, including but not limited to pins, clamps, or compression collars, to fix the extension legs 430 relative to the support legs 410. As above with ballet barre assembly 16, in some embodiments the engagement between the support legs 410 and the extension legs 430 may include a quick release mechanism for rapid adjustment of the height of the ballet barre 390. In other embodiments, the ballet barre assembly 380 may be otherwise similar in function and operation to the ballet barre assemblies 170, 240, or 320. Likewise it may be appreciated that the ballet barre assembly 380 may either be engaged by a user supported by the movable user support 14, or by a user standing on the support surface supporting the exerciser 10, and that a height of the ballet barre 390 may be adjusted accordingly depending on the user's size, body type, comfort preference, or so on, as well as accounting for presence or absence of the stand 20.
It may be appreciated that materials utilized in the exerciser 10 and in ballet barre assemblies such as ballet barre assemblies 16, 170, 240, 320, or 380 may vary across embodiments. In particular, in various embodiments one or more components may be constructed of metal, wood, plastic, elastomer, or any other appropriate material. In some embodiments, for example, the ballet barres 80, 200, 280, 360, or 390 may be constructed generally of wood, while other components of the ballet barre assemblies 16, 170, 240, 320, or 380 may be constructed generally of metal and/or plastic. It may also be appreciated that the components of the exerciser 10 and the ballet barre assemblies 16, 170, 240, 320, or 380 may be formed or otherwise assembled by any suitable process. For example, components may be integrally formed together, welded together, coupled by machine elements or adhesion, or so on. Additionally, components of the exerciser 10 and the ballet barre assemblies 16, 170, 240, 320, or 380 may variously be hollow or solid in their construction or configuration
As may be appreciated from the descriptions above, the exercisers including the ballet barres according to the present inventive concepts provide numerous advantages. For example, the user can perform exercises in a supine or prone position, which is usually at least perceived to be more comfortable by the user. Additionally, the type of exercises that can be performed on exercisers according to the invention may have cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility benefits. Furthermore, certain known types of exercises, such as Pilates exercises, or other ballet exercises, may be performed on exercisers according to the invention, if desired by the user.
Although certain embodiments have been described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that modifications may be made within the scope of the claims.
