This invention relates to a turnable exercise apparatus which has an upright structure that allows the user to perform both upper and lower body exercise routines while in a generally lying down position. This feature allows for a more comfortable and better upper and lower body workout than provided by more conventional combination exercise devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,472, U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,525, U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,841, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,120, which were all issued previously to the inventor, Gary Johnston, demonstrate similar types of exercise devices. However, they do not provide as much turnabiltiy as the invention described herewith, and thus do not provide as well of a complete exercise routine.
It is the object of this invention to provide an exercise apparatus which may provide the user a well balanced upper and lower body combination exercise routine. The main purpose of this application is to demonstrate an apparatus which performs the stated function, and to demonstrate the many options and configurations this apparatus may take on.
Briefly stated, the apparatus that forms the basis of the present invention comprises a frame structure means, an upper body engagement means, and a lower body engagement means. The upper body engagement means and the lower body engagement means are both mounted upon the frame structure means. Also, an optional resistance means may be supported by the frame means, and operatively connect to the upper body engagement means and/or the lower body engagement means.
The design of the apparatus is such that the upper body engagement means is comprised of two handle assemblies, each assembly pivotally mounted to the frame structure means so that the end the user engages with their hand pivots in the generally forward and backward directions, and the opposite end of the assembly pivots in the generally upward and downward directions. The lower body engagement means is pivotally mounted to the frame structure means such that it may pivot not only in the forward and backward directions, but also in the side directions. The upper body engagement means is operatively connected to the lower body engagement means so that pivoting movement in the upper body engagement means produces pivoting movement in the lower body engagement means, and vice versa. The user will position themselves in a generally lying position on the frame structure means, and engage both the upper and lower body engagement means to operate the device. The user may pivot or turn the upper body engagement means, and resist this motion with the lower body engagement means, or they may pivot or turn the lower body engagement means and resist this motion with the upper body engagement means. A conventional type of resistance component may be added to the apparatus to provide an external resistance to the pivoting motion of the upper and lower body engagement means. Other obects, features, and advantages for this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims, references being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts of the several views.
Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction or arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description, and not limitation.
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Thus as the right hand engagement member 22A is pulled backward by the right hand of user, the associated right curved member 24A will move upward. Since right curved member 24A of the upper body engagement means 20 is in contact with the right curved member 33 of lower body engagement means 30, right curved member 33 will also move upward, causing the support structure 32 of upper body engagement means 30 to pivot to the left. Also, since left curved member 24B of the upper body engagement means 20 is in contact with the left curved member 34 of lower body engagement means 30, left curved member 34 will also move upward when the user pulls back upon the left engagement engagement member 22B with their left hand, thus causing the support structure 32 of upper body engagement means 30 to pivot to the right.
Since the support structure 32 of the upper body engagement means 30 is mounted to the lower body assembly connector 14, and lower body assembly connector 14 is pivotally mounted to base structure 11 using mount structure 15, the support structure 32 may also pivot in the foward and backward direction as the support structure 32 pivots in the side directions. If the lower body assembly connector 14 is rigidly mounted to the mount structure 15, instead of being pivotally mounted, the support structure 32 may only pivot in the side directions. This greatly increases the flexibility of the apparatus. The user may engage the leg engagement assembly 31 of lower body engagement means 30 with the general thigh area of the leg, and provide resistance to the pivoting motion of the handle assemblies through their lower body muscle groups.
The opposite may also hold true. The user may engage the leg engagement assembly 31 of upper body engagement means 30, and produce the pivoting motion of the support structure 32 of upper body engagement means in the foward, backward, and side directions. Again, the directions of pivot will depend upon whether or not the lower body connection assembly is rigidly or pivotally mounted to the mount structure 15. Thus, the user may engage the right and left hand engagement members with their hands, and provide resistance to the pivoting motion of the lower body engagement means with their upper body muscles.
As may also be seen, pulling backward upon right hand engagement member 22A will cause the support structure 32 of lower body engagement means 30 to pivot to the left. This causes left hand engagement member 22B to move in the forward direction. The opposite holds true in that pulling the left hand engagement member 22B in the backward direction will cause right hand engagement member 22A to move forward. However, the user may also pull backwards upon both the right and left hand engagement members 22A and 22B at the same time, and if the lower body assembly connected 14 is pivotally mounted to mount structure 15, the support structure 32 of upper body engagement means 30 will pivot backward. The user may pull backward upon the right and left hand engagement members 22A and 22B with a different force, so that the support structure 32 of lower body engagement means 30 may pivot backward and also towards the side of the smaller force.
As mentioned previously, it is desirable that both the right and left curved members 24A and 24B of the upper body engagement means are separate components which rotatably mount to the end of right and left support members 23A and 23B. It is also preferrable that right and left curved members 33 and 34 of lower body engagement means are separate components which rotatably mount to the support structure 32 of lower body engagement means 30. This is so that as the respective right and left curved members come in contact with one another, they roll against one another, and create a smooth motion. However, it is possible that the curved members 24A and 24B be an actual part of the support members 23A and 23B, and the curved members 33 and 34 be an actual part of support structure 32, but the movement of the respective curved member against one another will more than likely not be as smooth.
It is also possible to have an external resistance means operatively connected to the upper body engagement means and/or the lower body engagement means, to provide an external resistance to the pivoting motion of the right and left handle assemblies 21A and 21B, and the support structure 32. This may be any of the more common types of resistance components, such as a magnetic or electromagnetic flywheel, and have a convetional type of resistance knob. For example, a chain and sprocket assembly may mount to the apparatus, with one sprocket mounted on support structure 32 so that as the support structure 32 moves in the side directions, the sprocket will cause another sprocket, which is rigidly mounted to the resistance component, to also turn. The resistance component will also turn, and the amount of resistance in the resistance component can be varied by the resistance knob. The resistance component would need to be secured to the frame structure means so that it does not pivot in the side directions, but does pivot in the forward and backward directions. This could be accomplished by having an extended lower body assembly connector 14, upon which the resistance component would mount. The resistance component would pivot in the forward and backward directions, in conjunction with the lower body assembly connector. The resistance component would not pivot in the side directions, since the lower body assembly connector 14 does not pivot in the side directions. Therefore resistance will be felt by the user as they pivot both the upper and lower body engagement means, since they are operatively connected to one another.
It is also possible to have changing contours on the curved members of the upper body engagement means and/or the lower body engagement means of the original version of the flexible exercise apparatus. This would allow the velocity and acceleration at which the hand engagement assemblies and the support structure pivot vary during the operation of the apparatus.
Many variations of the turnable exercise apparatus exist, along with the configurations described above. While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation, and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.
This invention is a Continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/966,077, filed Oct. 14, 2004, which itself is a Continuation application of U.S. Pat. No. 6,921,358, which issued Jul. 26, 2005.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10966077 | Oct 2004 | US |
Child | 11528956 | Sep 2006 | US |