Patent Application
20080200319
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to exercising machines and more particularly to an exerciser with the bent legs of a person supported on an upper portion of the exerciser by hanging in performing exercise.
2. Description of Related Art
It is recognized that people spend more time in standing or sitting than lying during 24 hours of a day. Thus, certain portions of the body may bear more weight than other portions according to medical knowledge. Further, incorrect sitting positions may cause discomfort and even diseases after a long period of time. Thus, many physicians recommend persons excluding pregnant women or young children to stand upside down for some time a day as a form of exercise.
Exercisers are well known in the art in which there are two types of exercisers related to upside down exercises as detailed below. The first one is a clamp like exerciser having a pair of hooks. The hooks are suspended from two bars sufficiently high above the ground and are adapted to fasten the feet of an inverted person. However, the load of the exercise concentrates on the feet and adjacent muscles. Thus, the feet are susceptible to being hurt.
The second one is an inversion type exerciser widely employed in exercise clubs. The exerciser comprises a lever like bench. A person may lie on the bench with the feet being fastened. Next, the bench clockwise turns about 90 degrees to cause the head upside down. The second one is more advantageous than the first one. However, it limits the extent of exercise.
The invention seeks to provide a novel type of exerciser with the bent legs of a person supported on an upper portion of the exerciser by hanging in performing exercise so that body weight does not concentrate on a small body portion during exercising and a sufficient degree of exercise can be executed.
It is therefore one object of the invention to provide an exerciser comprising a calf support disposed a predetermined distance above a reference ground; and a foot support including a frame obliquely upwardly extending from one end of the calf support, and two cylindrical foot supporting members fixedly secured to both sides of the frame, wherein the tops of the feet of an inverted person are urged against the foot supporting members, the backs of the calves and the knees are urged against the calf support, and the remaining portions of the body are disposed between the calf support and the reference ground in performing exercise.
In one aspect of the invention there are further provided a base rested on the reference ground, and a shank mechanism having an upper end adjustably secured to the calf support and a lower end secured onto the base.
Preferably, an angle of the calves with respect to the thighs is about 90 degrees in performing exercise.
Preferably, the foot support is telescopic for fitting different individuals with various leg lengths.
In another aspect of the invention there are further provided two parallel substantially garble shaped tubes extending upward from rear portions of the base respectively. The hands can hold the garble shaped tubes in performing exercise.
Preferably, the shank mechanism is telescopic for fitting different individuals with various heights.
In a further aspect of the invention there is further provided a U-shaped handle bar having padded hand grips on both end portions, the handle bar having a midpoint fixedly secured to the shank mechanism. The provision of the handle bar aims at facilitating a person to use the exerciser or leave same after use as well as hold same in executing a body twisting exercise.
Preferably, the telescopic shank mechanism is hydraulic.
Preferably, the telescopic shank mechanism is pneumatic.
Preferably, the telescopic shank mechanism is electrical.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The base 10 is supported on a flat surface, such as a floor. The base 10 comprises two long bars 11 and 12, a short bar 13 at both ends interconnecting the long bars 11 and 12 proximate the front end together to define a U-shaped space 14, and two substantially garble shaped tubes 15 and 16 extending upward from rear portions of the long bars 11 and 12 respectively.
Referring to
The calf support 30 is mounted on a top of the shank mechanism 20 and is above the space 14 by a sufficient height. In detail, the calf support 30 comprises an elongate underlying supporting member 31 having a pivot (not numbered) pivotably secured to an upper end of the sliding tube 21 by a pin 24, and another member (not numbered) fixedly secured to an upper end of the bolt 26; a plate 33 secured onto the supporting member 31, and two elongate padding members 32 mounted on the plate 33. By configuring as above, an angle of the calf support 30 with respect to the shank mechanism 20 is slightly adjustable.
The foot support 40 comprises a bar shaped frame 41 including a support bar 411 having a lower end fixedly secured to a front portion of the supporting member 31 and a plurality of spaced holes (not numbered) formed lengthwise along an upper portion, an outer sliding tube 412 slidably put on the upper portion of the support bar 411, and a set pin 413 mounted on the sliding tube 412 and adapted to insert into one of the holes of the support bar 411 for securing the sliding tube 412 and the support bar 411 together (i.e., length of the telescopic frame 41 is adjustable); and two spaced cylindrical foot supporting members 42 fixedly secured to both sides of the frame 41 and each including a pad (e.g., foam) 421 formed therearound.
A first exercise may be performed by using the exerciser as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Alternatively, the shank mechanism 20 may be eliminated by mounting the calf support 30 directly on the ground.
Still alternatively, both the base 10 and the shank mechanism 20 can be eliminated in other embodiments with the calf support 30 and the foot support 40 directly mounted on a wall and disposed sufficiently high above the ground.
Still alternatively, the shank mechanism 20 can be implemented as a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical one. Further, the hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical device for activating the shank mechanism 20 is well known in the art. Thus, a detailed description thereof is therefore deemed unnecessary.
While the above embodiment discussing an angle of the calves with respect to the thighs about 90 degrees is only a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is contemplated that an angle of the calves with respect to the thighs is in a range between 40 degrees to 145 degrees.
To summarize, the invention provides an exerciser for exercising the whole body except the feet. Also, some components of the exerciser are telescopic so as to adjustably position to fit different individuals with various heights and weights.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.
