Patent Application
20170252597
The present invention relates to exercise and physical therapy equipment, and particularly to devices that provide resistance for training muscles and connective tissue.
Resistance bands typically comprise elastic tubing or a flat elastic band that provides a resistive force when stretched. Previously implemented resistance bands comprising elastic tubing require a user to grip a handle fixed to an end of the elastic tubing to stretch the resistance band. Resistance bands comprising a flat elastic band require the user to grasp the flat band in a closed first to stretch the band. Both types of resistance bands require the user to possess a level of dexterity and/or grip strength to grasp and stretch the resistance band. However, some people may lack the dexterity or grip strength necessary to grasp and/or stretch the resistance band. Moreover, the orientation of the handle on the end of the elastic tubing type resistance band is fixed, limiting the muscle groups and the connective tissue trained by stretching the resistance band.
A resistance band according to the present application may be used to train muscles and connective tissue for exercise or rehabilitative purposes. The resistance band includes one or more apertures through which a person may extend their hands, digits, and/or wrists for providing a secure connection between the person's arm and the resistance band without a handhold or a grip. The one or more apertures provide one or more connection points that allow a person to stretch, twist, or otherwise actuate the resistance band without requiring the user to grip a handhold on or attached to the resistance band.
A resistance band 10 according to a first embodiment is shown in
The resistance band 10 includes a first plurality of apertures 18 disposed closer to the first end 14 of the main body 12 than the second end 16. The resistance band 10 may include a second plurality of apertures 20 disposed closer to the second end 16 of the main body than the first end 14. The first plurality of apertures 18 may have an orientation and/or arrangement corresponding to the first hand of the user (e.g., left hand of the user, as shown in
The first plurality of apertures 18 comprises a first hand aperture 22 sized and shaped to allow insertion of the first hand. When the first hand is inserted therein, the first hand aperture 22 may stretch to allow all or part of the first hand to be inserted therein. When the first hand is partially inserted therein (i.e., around a palm and a back of the first hand), the first hand aperture 22 may elastically contract to fit around and conform to the shape around the palm and the back of the first hand. When the first hand is completely inserted through the first hand aperture 22, the first hand aperture may elastically contract to tightly fit around a wrist at the base of the first hand. The first hand aperture 22 may have a round or elliptical shape for supporting a wrist or a hand positioned therein. The first hand aperture 22 extends completely through a thickness of the main body 12.
The plurality first apertures 18 may also include one or more apertures for receiving fingers of the first hand. Each of the plurality of first apertures 18 extend completely through the thickness of the main body 12. One or more finger apertures 24A-24D may be located adjacent to the first hand aperture 22, each of the one or more finger apertures being sized and shaped to receive a single finger of the first hand. The one or more finger apertures 24A-24D are spaced apart from the first hand aperture 22 at a distance such that each single finger of the first hand may reach a corresponding one of the one or more finger apertures when the first hand is inserted into the first hand aperture. When more than one of the finger apertures 24A-24D are included in the plurality of first apertures 18, the included finger apertures may be consecutively arranged one next to the other according to an intended hand orientation of the resistance band 10, as described below. In some embodiments, less than four of the finger apertures 24A-24D may be included in the plurality of first apertures 18.
The plurality of first apertures 18 may also include a thumb aperture 26 for receiving a thumb of the first hand. The thumb aperture 26 is sized and shaped to receive a thumb of the first hand. The thumb aperture 26 is located adjacent to the first hand aperture 22 and positioned relative to the one or more finger apertures 24A-24D according to the intended hand orientation of the resistance band 10. The thumb aperture 26 is spaced apart from the first hand aperture 22 at a distance such that the thumb may reach the thumb aperture when the first hand is inserted into the first hand aperture and the fingers are inserted into the finger apertures 24A-24D. The thumb aperture 26 may be spaced apart at a distance closer to the first hand aperture 22 than the one or more finger apertures 24A-24D. The thumb aperture 26 is disposed on a side of the plurality of first apertures 18 closest to a middle M of the main body 12.
The second plurality of apertures 20 comprises a second hand aperture 28 sized and shaped to allow insertion of a second hand. The second hand aperture 28 is substantially identical to the first hand aperture 22 described above. The second plurality of apertures 20 may include one or more finger apertures 30A-30D each substantially identical to a corresponding one of the one or more finger apertures 24A-24D included in the first plurality of apertures 18. The second plurality of apertures may include a thumb aperture 32 for receiving a thumb of the second hand. The second plurality of apertures 20 may be arranged to mirror the orientation and the arrangement of the first plurality of apertures 18.
The plurality of first apertures 18 are oriented and/or arranged to receive corresponding portions of the first hand when the first hand is in a specific orientation. The plurality of second apertures 20 are also oriented and arranged to receive corresponding portions of the second hand when the second hand is in a specific orientation. In the resistance band 10 of the first embodiment, for example, the plurality of first apertures 18 are oriented and arranged so that the user's left hand engages with the resistance band when the left hand is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the main body 12. The plurality of second apertures 20 are oriented and arranged so that the user's right hand also engages with the resistance band 10 when the right hand is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the main body 12.
In some embodiments, the plurality of apertures may be oriented and arranged to receive corresponding portions of a hand in a different orientation than the plurality of first apertures 18 or the plurality of second apertures 20. A resistance band 40 shown in
The first plurality of apertures 42 includes one or more finger apertures 48A-48D disposed closer to a middle M of the main body 46 than a first hand aperture 50. The first plurality of apertures 42 may also include a thumb aperture 52 arranged toward a first side edge 55 extending along a length of the main body between the first end 43 and the second end 45. The first plurality of apertures 42 are arranged such that the user may insert a left hand in the first hand aperture 50 and one or more fingers in the one or more finger apertures 48A-48D with the palm of the left hand facing toward the first end 43. Each of the first plurality of apertures 42 are sized and shaped substantially identical to corresponding ones of the first plurality of apertures 18 of the resistance band 10.
The second plurality of apertures 44 includes one or more finger apertures 54A-54D arranged closer to the middle M of the main body 46 than a second hand aperture 56. The second plurality of apertures 44 may also include a thumb aperture 58 arranged closer to the first side edge 55 than the second hand aperture 56. The second plurality of apertures 44 are arranged such that the user may insert a right hand in the second hand aperture 56 and one or more fingers in corresponding ones of the one or more finger apertures 54A-54D with palm of the right hand facing the second end 45.
In another embodiment shown in
The first plurality of apertures 64 includes a first hand aperture 68 disposed closer to a middle M of the main body 62 than the one or more finger apertures 70A-70D of the first plurality of apertures. The first plurality of apertures 64 may also include a thumb aperture 72 disposed between the first hand aperture 68 and a first side edge 74 of the main body 62.
The second plurality of apertures 66 includes a second hand aperture 76 disposed closer to the middle M of the main body 62 than the one or more finger apertures 78A-78D of the second plurality of apertures. The second plurality of apertures 66 may also include a thumb aperture 72 disposed between the second hand aperture 76 and the first side edge 74.
In further embodiments, the apertures in the resistance band may have other orientations and/or arrangements than those shown in the resistance bands 10, 40, or 60. The resistance band may have a first plurality of apertures and/or a second plurality of apertures oriented diagonally with respect to the length of the main body of the resistance band. For example, the first plurality of apertures 18 of the resistance and 10 could be arranged such that each of the first finger apertures 24A-24D and thumb aperture 26 are rotated clockwise by 45° about the first hand aperture 22. Similarly, the second plurality of apertures 20 could be arranged such that each of the second finger apertures 30A-30D and the thumb aperture 32 are rotated counterclockwise by 45° about the second hand aperture 28. Therefore, the left and the right hands of the user would be rotated inward toward the middle M to engage with the resistance band 10. Alternatively, the first plurality of apertures and/or the second plurality of apertures could be oriented diagonally outward away from the middle M of the resistance band.
One or more of the finger apertures may be sized and shaped to receive more than one finger of a hand. A resistance band 80, for example, may have a first plurality of apertures 82 including a first aperture 84, as shown in
The resistance band 80 may have a second plurality of apertures 88 disposed closer to an opposite end of the resistance band than the first plurality of apertures 82. The second plurality of apertures 88 may include a third aperture 90 sized and shaped substantially identical to the first aperture 84. An orientation of the third aperture 90 may mirror an orientation of the first aperture 84 about a middle M of the resistance band 80. The second plurality of apertures 88 may also include a fourth aperture 92 sized and shaped substantially identical to the second aperture 86. The orientation of the fourth aperture 92 may mirror the orientation of the second aperture 86 about the middle M of the resistance band 80. The second plurality of apertures 88 may include a thumb aperture 87 that is substantially identical in size and/or shape to the thumb aperture 32.
The first aperture 84 and the second aperture 86 shown in
The resistance band may have more than four finger apertures per each hand aperture. A resistance band 100 has a first plurality of apertures 102 including a plurality of digit apertures 104A-104N concentrically arranged around a first hand aperture 106, as shown in
The first hand aperture 106 has a rounded shape allowing rotation of the first hand therein. The plurality of digit apertures 104A-104N are arranged partially surrounding the first hand aperture 106. The plurality of digit apertures 104A-104N may be arranged in an annular shape around the first hand aperture 106 in this fifth embodiment. In other embodiments, the plurality of digit apertures 104A-104N may be arranged in an oblong shape around the first hand aperture 106. In further embodiments, the plurality of digit apertures 104A-104N may completely surround the first hand aperture 106.
The resistance band 100 may also include a second plurality of apertures 110 positioned closer to a second end 112 of the resistance band opposite to the first end 108. The second plurality of apertures 110 may include a plurality of digit apertures 114A-114N arranged around a second hand aperture 116. The second plurality of apertures 110 may mirror the arrangement of the first plurality of apertures 102 about the middle M of the resistance band 100. The second plurality of apertures 110 are substantially identical to the first plurality of apertures 102 in other respects, so further discussion thereof is omitted.
The resistance band may have more than two pluralities of apertures in some embodiments. Resistance band 120 has a first plurality of apertures 122 located closer to a first end 124 of the resistance band 120 than a second end 128, as shown in
Resistance band 120 may have a third plurality of apertures 130 located closer to the second end 128 than the first end 126. The resistance band 120 may also have a fourth plurality of apertures 132 located closer to the second end 128 of the resistance band 120 than the first end 126. The fourth plurality of apertures 132 may be located closer to the middle M of the resistance band 120 than the third plurality of apertures 130. The orientation and/or arrangement of the third plurality of apertures 130 may mirror an orientation and/or arrangement of the first plurality of apertures 122 about the middle M of the resistance band 120. The orientation and/or arrangement of the fourth plurality of apertures 132 may mirror orientation and/or arrangement of the second plurality of apertures 124 about the middle M of the resistance band 120. Third plurality of apertures 130 and the fourth plurality of apertures 132 each include a second hand aperture 131 and at least one digit aperture 133. The third plurality of apertures 130 and/or the fourth plurality of apertures 132 may have an arrangement and or orientation similar to the plurality of apertures described above. The third plurality of apertures 130 may have a different arrangement and/or orientation than the fourth plurality of apertures 132.
The more than two plurality of apertures allows a user to engage a first hand and/or a second hand with the resistance band 120 at different locations along the length of the resistance band. When the first plurality of apertures 122 and/or the second plurality of apertures 124 have a different orientation and/or arrangement than the third plurality of apertures 130 and/or the fourth plurality of apertures 132, the user may engage the first hand with the resistance band 120 at a different orientation and/or arrangement than the second hand to train different muscle groups and/or connection tissue groups.
Various embodiments of the invention are described above in the detailed description. While these descriptions directly describe the above embodiments, it is understood that those skilled in the art may conceive modifications and/or variations to the specific embodiments shown and described herein. Any such modifications or variations that fall within the purview of this description are intended to be included therein as well. Unless specifically noted, it is the intention of the inventor that the words and phrases in the specification and claims be given the ordinary and accustomed meanings to those of ordinary skill in the applicable art(s).
The foregoing description of various embodiments of the invention known to the applicant at the time of filing the application has been presented and is intended for the purposes of illustration and description. The present description is not intended to be exhaustive nor limit the invention to the precise form disclosed and many modifications and variations are possible in the light of the above teachings. The embodiments described serve to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed for carrying out the invention.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.).
