Exercise devices – For foot or ankle – Foot pedal pivots about single horizontal axis
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-29
2004-03-23
Donnelly, Jerome W. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
For foot or ankle
Foot pedal pivots about single horizontal axis
C482S079000, C482S124000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06709369
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to exercise apparatus and more particularly to an exercise apparatus for conditioning and strengthening calve muscles of a user.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In the hectic modern day life style, experience by many people, it is often difficult to find either the time or the motivation to exercise. Of course exercise is yields great physical and mental benefits to those that do exercise. However, under the constraints of modern day life styles, exercise regimens are usually avoided due to the expense and hassle of joining a gym. In an effort to avoid the expense and hassle of gyms many people opt to exercise at home. However, home exercise regimens are limited by the space available and the expense of purchasing individual pieces of equipment. Due to this dilemma many people either do not exercise at all or only perform a few isometric exercises which isolate certain muscle groups. One of the most popular muscle groups to isolate and exercise, for aesthetic reasons among others, are calf muscles. Unfortunately, calf muscles do not respond well to isometric exercises as they do with resistance exercising. Therefore, it would be a benefit to have an exercise device which is light weight and easy to use at home. It would be a further benefit to have an exercise device which is inexpensive. It would be a further benefit to have an exercise device which allows for resistance training of the calf muscles.
A number of arrangements have been suggested in the prior art for providing exercise devices to overcome the objectional features of identifying a convenient and effective exerciser device for toning and strengthening calve muscles. Among these are the exercise device described by Mikell in U.S. Pat. No. 2,467,943 discloses a pair of rigid foot engaging rod member in which the members are disposed beneath the toes and immediately back of the ball of the user's foot. Attached to the rod members are a spring and a spacer unit connected to a knee harness. However, the Mikell disclosure is silent with regards to a riser extension unit attached to the bottom rear portion of a foot plate so that the user may be able to rock the foot plate up and down while maintaining contact with a floor surface with the bottom of the riser extension unit. Other disclosures including: the ankle and foot exercise apparatus disclosed by Williams in U.S. Pat No. 4,371,161; the night splint for a foot described by Miller in U.S. Pat. No. D434,504; the calf exerciser described by Scott in U.S. Pat. No. D320,825; the exercise device disclosed by Robles in 5,489,251; the exercising device for the fingers, wrist and forearm disclosed by Kauffman in U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,154; and the passive exercising device disclosed by Hajianpour in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,595 all suffer the same disadvantages and limitations as noted above.
While all of the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a riser extension unit attached to the bottom rear portion of a foot plate so that the user may be able to rock the foot plate up and down while maintaining contact with a floor surface with the bottom of the riser extension unit that would specifically match the user's particular individual needs. The above-described patents make no provision for a riser extension unit attached to the bottom rear portion of a foot plate so that the user may be able to rock the foot plate up and down while maintaining contact with a floor surface with the bottom of the riser extension unit.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved exercise apparatus that can be used for improving muscle tone and strength in a user's calve muscles. In this respect, the exercise apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed having a riser extension unit attached to the bottom rear portion of a foot plate so that the user may be able to rock the foot plate up and down while maintaining contact with a floor surface and the bottom of the riser extension unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An exercise apparatus is described which when used can improve the muscle tone and/or strengthen the calve muscles of a user. The exercise apparatus comprises a riser extension attached to the bottom end portion of a foot plate in which the user may exercise the calve muscles by rocking the foot plate up and down while maintaining contact with a floor surface with the riser extension. The exercise apparatus also comprises a means for securing the users foot onto the foot plate. A thigh harness is connected to the foot plate with at least one tension member which provides resistance to the users efforts in rocking the foot plate up and down.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known type exercise devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved exercise apparatus, which will be described subsequently in great detail, is to provide a new and improved exercise apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a riser extension attached to the bottom rear portion of a foot plate. The foot plate having a means for securing the users foot onto the foot plate. Resistive force is provided by at least one tension member attached between the foot plate and a thigh harness.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution of the art may be better appreciated.
The invention may also include a U-shaped brace attached to the bottom front portion of the foot plate, a pair of pivot plates attached to the U-shaped brace, a pair of straps for securing a desired tension between the thigh harness and the foot plate. There are of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved exercise apparatus that has all the advantages of the prior art exercise apparatus and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved exercise apparatus that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved exercise apparatus that has a low cost of
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