Patent Application
20190299076
N/A
This application relates to grip strength training, particularly grip strength training for the sport of rock climbing.
The following is a listing of relevant prior art:
In sports such as climbing, it is important to develop and maintain grip strength. This is best done by climbing. However, making it to the crag or a climbing gym on a consistent basis is not always possible. In response to this difficulty, equipment that can be used as an alternative to actual climbing has been developed. One such piece of equipment is the hangboard. A hangboard is a molded shape that is mounted over a door frame or directly to a wall and contains various grips and ledges that a climber can hang from in order to strengthen their grip.
Hangboards while useful, are not without some drawbacks. Hangboards can only be used for bodyweight resistance training. This makes them an inadequate tool for novice climbers who cannot yet hold their own bodyweight. Additionally, hangboards are monolithic, the grips and ledges on hangboards are not interchangeable. If a climber desires to train on a type of grip that is not on their hangboard they will have to purchase a different hangboard with the desired type of grip.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,468,805 to White (2016) and 20060079380 to Wells (2006) attempt to overcome some of the drawbacks of the hangboard. These devices are not permanently mounted like a hangboard and as such allow a climber to use non bodyweight resistance. However, these devices, like hangboards, are monolithic molded shapes lacking the ability to change grips.
In accordance with one embodiment, the grip strength training device is comprised of a cubic shape wherein each face has a threaded hole whereby grips, weight, etc, may be affixed to the device.
The grip strength training device is modular. While its difficult to grip shape allows the device to be used independently, various climbing holds (grips) can be attached to the device. This allows for a broad range of exercise intensity to be achieved. In addition to being able to attach climbing holds, eye bolts can be attached to the grip strength training device. This allows the device to be used for bodyweight training by fastening the device to an overhang via an eye bolt. Alternatively, the device could be attached via eye bolt to a weight plate or to a weighted cable pulley system enabling non-bodyweight resistance exercises. This modularity and adaptability to numerous exercises and grips sets the grip strength training device apart from the prior art.
The grip strength training device is composed of a multi-faceted body having one or more holes drilled into each facet. These holes allow attachment of implements to aid in grip strength training.
One embodiment of the grip strength training device is illustrated in
The device may be gripped directly or any kind of 212 climbing hold may be affixed to the device as shown in
The grip strength training device may be made from wood, steel, aluminum, polyurethane resin or any other material of suitable strength. Because the device may be made from different kinds of materials, the process of fabrication may vary depending on the material. The method for creating the device from metals such as steel or aluminum are as follows:
A pattern of the device is machined out of a block of metal. A cast is then made from the pattern. Molten metal is poured into the cast and allowed to solidify. ⅜″ holes are drilled and tapped in to the resulting casting.
This embodiment of the grip strength training device is composed of a pyramidal frustum body with 101 ⅜″ threaded holes in each of its six faces. The facets of this embodiment are not perpendicular to each other.
Like the embodiment shown in
Thus the reader will see that the above embodiments of the grip strength training device provide a modular platform that facilitates a broad range of grip exercises. These embodiments allow for the attachment of many different kinds of climbing holds that enable climbers of a broad range of skill levels to develop their grip strength. Furthermore, via the use of implements such as eye bolts, the above embodiments allow for a variety of different exercise styles not limited to bodyweight resistance training, weighted resistance training, and weighted pulley system training.
While the above descriptions contain many specificities, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope, but instead as illustrations of just two of many possible embodiments. For example alternative shapes for the body of the device are possible. These include prismatic shapes such as rectangular prism, hexagonal prism, etc. Other possible shapes include polyhedrons such as octahedron or dodecahedron. These shapes could come in a variety of sizes as well in order to accommodate larger or smaller attachments. The material of manufacture could also have many alternatives. The device may be composed of metals such as aluminum or steel, but also wood, polyurethane resin, or other materials of suitable strength.
Accordingly, the scope should not be determined by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
