Patent Grant
11857820
[NA]
The present invention is in the field of isometric resistance exercise devices or tools and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for working the arms, hands, wrists, shoulders, and fingers.
In the art of isometric muscle exercises, there are many types of exercise resistance devices or tools. The concept of working muscles against resistance is quite common and includes forms of weightlifting like curls, forms of band stretching like leg extending, forms of shoulder strengthening, etc.
A challenge in the art is that many band resistant tools or flexible ring tools that are gripped on opposite sides are narrow in general scope relative to which muscle groups can be worked, often requiring a person who wishes to work on multiple muscle groups, for example, arm, wrist, fingers, and shoulders to have handy several differing devices. Another challenge is that these tools are not readily adjustable relative to set resistance force in a way that provides a seamless graduation from little or no resistance upward on a scale to maximum resistance.
Many resistance tools that are adjustable require manual disassembly of one or more components and reassembly of those components to present an altered level of force resistance of the tool. Additionally, most bans resistant tools are restricted as to turn ratio, wherein only a single rotation may be made in one direction or another, while maintaining constant and consistent resistance. Other challenges with current art isometric exercise equipment are materials related, simply that many materials used for bands and core flexibility rings, for example, are subject to damage by the sun and undesirable changes (weakening) in resistance capability of the device due to repetitive use or overuse over an extended time. Therefore, what is clearly needed is a grip and twist apparatus that eliminates or reduces the challenges in the art cited above.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an isometric exercise tool is provided including an elongate left handle form having a central opening placed longitudinally there through and a bore space provided concentric with the through opening, the bore space opening out at one end of the handle form and terminating before the interfacing end of the handle form, the left handle form including a piston form serving as the interfacing end of the handle form, an elongate right handle form having a central opening placed longitudinally there through and a bore space provided concentric with the through opening, the bore space opening out at one end of the handle form and terminating before the interfacing end of the handle form, the right handle form including a ring housing serving as the interfacing end of the handle form, the ring housing having an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter of the piston form to receive the piston form concentrically therein, an axle shaft disposed longitudinally through the central openings through the left and right handle forms, the axle shaft including an external thread pattern disposed at one end and a pressure plate having a central opening placed there through disposed at the other end, the pressure plate disposed over the axle shaft orthogonal to the axle shaft and welded or otherwise fixed thereto, at least one compress able spring or set of compress able springs having an outer diameter just smaller than the inner diameter of the bore space of the right handle form, the spring or spring set fitted over the axle shaft at the threaded end, an adjustment turn handle including a handle knob and a smaller diameter handle stem with a central opening placed there through the center opening including a female thread pattern matching the external thread pattern on the axle shaft, and a friction-resistive material disposed to and fixed around the bottom of the bore space in the left handle form and disposed to and fixed around the bottom of the ring housing of the right handle form, whereby an operator may set the level of resistive force of the exercise tool by advancing the adjustment handle a distance over the thread pattern on the axle shaft to compress the spring or spring set roughly the same distance, the compression force translating through the axle shaft to the piston form and pressure plate in tandem causing directly proportional compression force of the piston form and pressure plate against the disposed friction-resistive materials.
In one embodiment, the left and right handle forms are tapered conically downward from the interface in assembly to the free ends of the handle forms. In one embodiment, the axle shaft includes a catch pin pressed or otherwise inserted through an opening placed orthogonally through the axle shaft and fixed thereto, the length thereof extending past the diameter of the axle shaft on opposite sides, and a catch pin slot provided in the bottom center of the ring housing on the right handle form, the catch pin slot extending a depth into the material and having a sufficient slot length and slot width to receive the catch pin locking the right handle form to the axle shaft and preventing rotation of the handle form about the axle shaft.
In one embodiment, the exercise tool further includes an annular sleeve having a cut length, an outside diameter, and a wall thickness, and a washer having an outside diameter similar to or the same as the annular sleeve, a thickness, and an inside diameter just larger than the outside diameter of the axle shaft the sleeve inserted into the bore space of the right handle form followed by the washer the aggregate serving as a filler of space in the bore and a hard stop against the spring or spring set.
In one embodiment, the handle stem of the adjustment turn knob includes a plurality of ring grooves having a uniform depth and placed about the outer surface of the handle stem the grooves equally spaced apart along the handle stem to mark off travel distance of the adjustment handle.
In one embodiment, the friction-resistive materials are rings having an outside diameter, an inside diameter, and a thickness, the rings fixed in place at the bottom of the center bore of the left handle form opposite the pressure plate of the axle shaft, and at the bottom of the ring housing of the right handle form opposite the piston form of the left handle form. In one embodiment, the resistive material is a fibrous synthetic rope material. In another embodiment, the friction resistive material is a solid form of material having friction resistive attributes or characteristics. In a variation of the embodiment, the resistive material disposed in the left handle form bore space is seated into an annular depression at the bottom of the center bore.
In one embodiment, the isometric exercise tool further includes a frictional bearing unit disposed over the axle shaft, the bearing unit comprising two washers and a bearing plate disposed there between, the bearing unit abutting the end of the handle stem of the adjustment handle on one side and the spring or spring set on the other side.
In one embodiment, there is a spring set including a large diameter spring placed over a smaller diameter spring, the smaller diameter spring having a longer overall uncompressed length than that of larger diameter spring. In one embodiment, the left handle form, the right handle form, and the adjustment handle are fabricated of a lightweight aluminum material. In a variation of this embodiment, the left handle form, right handle form, and adjustment handle have knurled outer peripheral surfaces. In a preferred embodiment, the force resisted is a bidirectional twisting force exerted upon the left and right handle form.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for exercising one or more muscle groups using an isometric exercise tool, the isometric exercise tool having a left handle form interfaced to a right handle form over an axle shaft locked to the right handle form, the axle shaft supporting a pressure plate, a compress able spring or set of springs, and a compression adjustment handle threaded onto the axle shaft and abutting the compress able spring or spring set, the pressure plate adjacent in assembly to a friction-resistive material fixed on the left handle form, the left handle form including a piston form interfacing with a ring housing on the right handle form, the piston form adjacent in assembly to a friction-resistive material fixed on the right handle form, the method including (a) turning the compression adjustment handle to advance the handle along the threads of the axle shaft the compression handle compressing the spring or spring set to compress the pressure plate and piston form in tandem against the friction resistive materials, (b) gripping the left handle form and the right handle form and twisting the forms in opposite direction, (c) determining if the level of force resistance set by the adjustment handle is correct for the exercise, (d) if the level of force resistance set in (c) is not correct, advancing or retarding the compression adjustment handle and repeating step (b), and (e) if the level of force resistance set in (c) or corrected in (d) is correct, repeating step (b) for a number of repetitions.
In one aspect of the method, the friction-resistive materials are rings having an outside diameter, an inside diameter, and a thickness, the rings fixed in place at the bottom of a center bore of the left handle form opposite the pressure plate of the axle shaft, and at the bottom of the ring housing of the right handle form opposite the piston form of the left handle form. In one aspect of the method, there is a spring set including a large diameter spring placed over a smaller diameter spring over the axle shaft, the smaller diameter spring having a longer overall uncompressed length than that of larger diameter spring. In one aspect, in (a) the handle is turned clockwise to increase compression.
In one aspect of the method in (c) the determination of the level of force resistance is made as a result of practicing (b) ad mentally quantifying the force resistance level. In one aspect of the method, (b) is bypassed in process and determination of the level of force resistance in (c) is achieved by visualizing a linear gauge of equally spaced grooves provided about a stem of the adjustment handle the grooves subsequently aligning with the end of the right handle form while advancing the adjustment handle over the threads on the axle shaft to increase compression force and therefore force resistance of the exercise tool.
In various embodiments described in enabling detail herein, the inventor provides a unique isometric force resistive exercise tool that enables working various groups of upper body muscles at graduating force resistance levels by using a single hand-operated adjustment interface. A goal of the invention is to provide a resistance tool that may be used work the hands, wrists, fingers, arms, and shoulders without device modifications. It is a further goal of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus of resistive force adjustment of an isometric exercise device that enables smooth granular graduation on a scale from little to no force resistance level to a maximum achievable force resistance level. A further goal of the present invention is to provide an isometric exercise device for working the various muscle groups described above that contains durable components resistive to wear and weathering. The present invention is described using the following examples, which may describe more than one relevant embodiment of the present invention.
Grip twist assembly 100 includes a right handle form 102 having a like tapered and elongated, substantially hollow body as handle form 101. Right handle form 102 includes a materially contiguous ring housing 103 open at the free end thereof and adapted to receive the piston form of left grip handle form 101 in a slip fit and concentric relationship. Left handle form 101 and right handle form 102 may be fabricated of a durable lightweight aluminum and crafted into form by machining process. Left handle form 101 and right handle form 102 are held together in assembly by a threaded longitudinal axle shaft (not visible).
Right handle form 102 is open at the end opposite ring housing 103 and is adapted to receive the stem portion 105 of a force resistance adjustment knob 104 in a slip fit and concentric relationship. Adjustment knob 104 has a hollowed interior (bore not visible) including interior threading at the end of stem 105 that may be threaded onto the end of the axle shaft holding left handle form 101 to right handle form 102. Adjustment knob 104 and stem 105 are in this embodiment, materially contiguous and like the handle forms may be fabricated from a durable lightweight aluminum crafted into form by machine process. Although not visible in this view, the axle shaft extends through a central opening in the piston form of the left handle form and is welded to an annular pressure plate that is somewhat larger in diameter than the diameter of the opening at center of the piston form.
Grip twist assembly 100 may include friction-resistive materials disposed within ring housing 103 and within the bore of left handle form 101 ahead of the pressure plate (internal components not visible). Twist grip assembly 100 includes a surface knurling 106 in this embodiment to aid in a no slip grip of the respective handle forms 101 and 102. The tapered handle forms 101 and 102 when assembled present an opposing taper down having the largest diameter at ring housing 103 and tapering down to left handle grip knob at the end of handle form 101 and to the stem (105) receiving end of handle form 102. Adjustment handle 104 may interface with a pair of industrial springs placed over the axle shaft and contained in the hollow longitudinal bore within handle form 102 along with a polymer sleeve and a polymer washer serving as a spring compression stop.
In full assembly, left handle form 101 and right handle form 102 may be rotated against friction force that is fully adjustable by threading on or threading off adjustment handle 104 relative to the axle shaft. Stem 105 of adjustment handle 104 may include three or more annular grooves referred to herein as gauge rings 107. Gauge rings 107 may be equally spaced apart and the distance between each ring-to-ring may represent a threading travel distance relative to adjustment handle 104 being advanced over the external trading of the axle shaft. In this embodiment, an operator may turn adjustment handle clockwise to increase back pressure of a piston form face and the face of the pressure plate against the friction-resistive materials fixedly disposed at the bottoms of respective bores in each handle form. Turning adjustment handle 104 counterclockwise reduces back pressure against the resistive materials alluding to decompression of the industrial springs inside the assembly.
An operator may grip the respective handle forms and may rotate them in opposite directions against a previously set resistance level visible by the travel distance of adjustment handle stem 105 into the receiving end of handle form 102. The opposing taper or conical profile of the assembled handle forms provides a comfortable grip with gloves or bare hands. In use, an operator my set a resistance force using the adjustment handle 104 and perform repetitive grip and twist motions against the resistive friction force created by the back pressure urged by spring compression against a stop. In this embodiment, a user may make unlimited rotations in a same direction, on either the right or left side of the device. This is a marked improvement over devices known in the art, as most are limited to a single rotation in any direction before having to rotate in the opposite direction.
The operator may vary the held position of twist grip tool or assembly 100, for example working it horizontal to the operator's stance or vertical to the operator's stance encompassing the shoulder muscle group as well as the forearms, biceps, wrists, and hands. An operator may start at a previously set level of small force resistance and adjust the tool to a next level of force resistance between repetitions. Adjustment handle 104 enables micro-granular levels of force resistance from zero to maximum force resistance where the industrial springs are at full compression (designed amount), which proportionally increases the friction resistance against the resistive materials within the tool. In one embodiment, twist grip assembly may be manufactured for different levels of strength by selecting a gauge for the industrial springs and or shortening the length that the springs might be compressed.
However, this should not be construed as a limitation to the practice of the present invention. The outer shell of the grip and twist assembly 100 may be shaped in other geometric forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Ring housing 103 has the largest diameter of the grip twist assembly at approximately three inches followed by the left handle grip knob 108 having approximately a two and three-eights-inch diameter, which is the same diameter in this example as the highest point of right handle form 102. Handle stem 105 is the smallest diameter of the outwardly visible features of grip twist assembly 100 at approximately one and one-eight inches in diameter. All of the visible forms of grip twist assemble 100 are held in concentric relationships including the internal components described in more detail below.
A centrally disposed axle shaft 201 is provided to hold the handle forms together in an assembly. Axle shaft 201 extends from a threaded connection to adjustment handle 104 (connected at stem 105) through a central bore opening provided through center of the solid material features of the handle forms and into a lager bore space 200 that bottoms out some distance behind solid piston form 210 that interfaces with ring housing 103. A smaller amount of a friction-resistive material 209 may be fixedly disposed around the bottom of bore 200 in the form of a ring of friction resistive fibrous material or solid form. In a preferred embodiment, resistive material 211 and resistive material 209 are the same material. However, that should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.
Axle shaft 201 extends through a disc form pressure plate 208 and may be welded to a backside of pressure plate 208 to stabilize the plate. Pressure plate 208 may be a disc form with an internal threading that may be threaded over axle shaft 201 to a position on the threads and then welded thereto. Bore 200 may be capped at the end of Left handle form 101 using a plastic cap that may be snapped into the diameter of the bore. Similarly, a plastic end cap may be provided to cap the opposite center-bored end of the grip twist assembly 100 at the end of adjustment handle 104.
In this embodiment, a catch pin 212 is provided and pressed through axle shaft 201 presenting orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of axle shaft 201. Catch pin 212 may be welded into place and has a length longer that the diameter of axle shaft 201 extending beyond the shaft on opposite sides. A catch pins slot is provided at the bottom of ring housing 103 by machine process to a depth into the center opening for the axle shaft and of a length to fully secure the length of catch pin 212. Catch pin slot 213 may capture catch pin 212 in order to secure the catch pin therein on both sides of the shaft and therefore lock axle shaft 201 to right handle form 102 in correct assembly of grip twist tool 100 preventing handle form 102 from rotating about axle shaft 201.
A large diameter industrial spring 204 is provided and placed over axle shaft 201 and is contained within a center bore placed into right handle form 102 and bottoming out some distance before ring housing 103. The center bore in right handle form 102 may be the same diameter of bore 200 in the left handle form 101. A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or nylon sleeve 202 is provided as a bore space filler material or spacer enabling more material to be removed from handle form 102 to reduce material weight in line with handle form 101 and center bore 200.
Smaller diameter industrial spring 205 may be placed over axle shaft 201 against flat nylon washer 203 abutted against the forward rim of nylon sleeve 202. Larger diameter industrial spring 204 may be placed over both the axle shaft 201 and the smaller diameter spring 205 abutting against the same nylon washer 203. In one embodiment, smaller diameter industrial spring 205 is longer than larger diameter spring 204 and during force resistance adjustment, may be the first spring compressed for a specific distance before both springs are compressed. The open face of adjustment handle stem 105 abuts one of pair of steel washers 207 placed over axle shaft 201 and sandwiching a flat bearing disc 206. Industrial springs 204 and 205 may abut the first steel washer 207 with the smaller spring 205 being compressed against the washer before the larger spring 204 contacts the washer. In this view, both larger spring 204 and smaller spring 205 are in a state of compression due to clockwise advancement of adjustment handle 104.
In general, use of grip twist assembly 100 involves adjusting the level of force resistance characterized herein as an adjustable level of a resistive state of the assembly relative to force required to grip and twist the left and right handle forms in opposite directions. Adjustment handle 104 may be turned clockwise to increase this level of force resistance, or counterclockwise to reduce the level of force resistance. Placing the industrial springs 204 and 205 under compression using the adjustment handle 104 to advance over axle shaft 201 causes piston form 210 of left handle form 101 to compress against friction-resistive material 211. At the same time, pressure plate 208 compresses against friction-resistive material 209 requiring more twist force to twist the respective handle forms relative to one another.
In one embodiment, axle shaft 201 includes an external thread pattern 303 at the end opposite the adjustment handle. In this embodiment, pressure plate 208 may have a female matching thread pattern and may be threaded onto the end of axle shaft 201 before being welded thereto by applying a weld cap 301 via a welding process. Although friction-resistive material 209 is depicted on axle shaft 201 adjacent to and abutting pressure plate 208, the depiction is logical only. In actual practice the resistive material 209 is disposed at the bottom of the center bore space 200 of the left handle form 101. In one embodiment, friction-resistive material 209 may be placed in a relative shallow counter bore placed at the bottom center of the bore space and fixed therein by gluing the material in place for example. In dissemblance of the grip twist assembly, axle shaft 201 is removed from the left handle form without friction-resistive materials 209 separating from the left handle form.
Spring set 401 may be compressed against a bearing component 402 (analogous to washers 207 and bearing plate 206 of
Distance B may represent the shortened length of spring set 401 in a maximum state of compression. Any state of compression of spring set 401 is translated to axle shaft 201 and causes equal pressure (EP) of pressure plate 208 acting against resistive material 209 disposed at the bottom of the center bore in the left handle form (
The amount of force resistance set for the grip twist assembly references the level of twist resistance created by adjustment handle 104 compressing spring set 401 any amount along adjustment handle travel distance A translating to compression distance A in spring set 401. The level of force resistance created by turning adjustment handle 104 clockwise may depend somewhat upon the selected gauges of the springs in spring set 401 and somewhat on the friction resistive attribute of the selected friction-resistive material(s) chosen for the assembly. In one embodiment, adjustment handle 104 may be temporarily locked in place on the external thread pattern of axle shaft 201 with a handle turn-lock mechanism (not illustrated) to prevent an undesired change in force-resistant level set by the adjustment handle while working the grip twist assembly.
One with skill in the arts will recognize that the outer handle forms of a grip twist assembly like assembly 100 may be designed differently and that the overall length attribute of such an assembly may be different and further, that the overall amount of force resistance an assembly is capable of may be derived in part by materials selection of a spring set, selection of the resistive materials used, and in part by the travel/compression distance afforded in the adjustment handle relative to the axle shaft thread pattern length that may be navigated. Therefore, the grip twist isometric fore resistant exercise tool of the present invention may be provided in different models or designs with differentiating levels of capability relative to force resistance. Design metrics may include changing length of handle forms, changing diameter and taper metrics of handle forms, changing surface metrics of handle forms with respect to operator grip metrics, and so on.
Adjustment handle 604 including adjustment handle stem 605 may be analogous with handle 104 and handle stem 105 of
Assembly 600 may be a product of a straight handle design with no taper, the handle forms generally being larger diameter forms than with other device models. In this design different muscle groups may be worked as a result of the much shorter design length and perhaps larger diameter handle forms. The outer surface of adjustment handle 604 may be knurled for improving grip. In this embodiment, a different grip enhancing pattern may be leveraged in substantially parallel ridges 606 provided in the outside surfaces of the handle forms over a section of or over all of the form surfaces.
In this embodiment, the ring housing may have the same outside diameter has the right handle form 602 and may not be discernible from a vantage point the outside of the handle form. The piston form of left handle form 601 may also be sized in diameter to fit inside the ring housing on the right handle form. Friction resistance material may be disposed at the back of the ring housing on the right handle form. The pressure plate and friction resistance material in the left handle form may be analogous to that described in
In this straight design, all of the annular components have the same uniform outside diameter with the exception of ring housing 703 having a larger diameter. The general profile of grip twist assembly 701 is a straight non-tapered profile. Left handle form 701, right handle form 702, and adjustment handle knob 704 all include a knurl pattern to aid in a slip resistant grip by the operator. Ring housing 703 is a contiguous extension of right handle form 702 and receives a piston form (not visible) contiguous to the left handle form 701. Adjustment handle 704 including handle stem 705 and ring gauge grooves 707 are analogous to the descriptions of counterpart elements described in reference to
It will be apparent with skill in the art that the grip twist isometric workout tool of the present invention may be provided using some or all the elements described herein. The arrangement of elements and functionality thereof relative to the invention is described in different embodiments each of which is an implementation of the present invention. While the uses and methods are described in enabling detail herein, it is to be noted that many alterations could be made in such details of construction or design and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The present invention is limited only by the breadth of the claims below.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3830493 | Miller | Aug 1974 | A |
| 4337937 | Lopez | Jul 1982 | A |
| 4643417 | Nieman | Feb 1987 | A |
| 5776034 | Stamler | Jul 1998 | A |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220355149 A1 | Nov 2022 | US |
