Exercise devices – Sit up device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-10
2001-11-27
Donnelly, Jerome W. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
Sit up device
C482S148000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06322484
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to exercise equipment and more particularly to an ergonomically designed abdominal exercise device for performing set-ups or crunches that includes a rigid base/frame assembly, a user support cushion assembly, two adjustable stretch bands, two leg/arm strap assemblies each including a detachable base/frame attachment fastener at one end and a user adjustable extremity fastening belt at the other end, and eight adjustable spring assemblies each interconnected between a top support plate of the rigid base/frame assembly and one of two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates of the user support cushion assembly; the rigid base/frame assembly including a rigid base structure having a top surface and four tubular frame members each rigidly affixed to and extending upwardly from a separate corner of a rectangular base structure support frame upon which the rigid base structure is mounted; the rigid base frame assembly having two spaced pairs of leg/arm strap assembly connecting rings provided at each opposed end thereof to which the detachable base/frame attachment fastener of the leg/arm fastener straps are attachable; the user support cushion assembly including two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates that are connected by a center hinge and which are each hingedly connected at an opposite end thereof to the top ends of two of the four tubular frame members and a user support cushion formed of open cell foam and bonded to and covering the top surfaces of the two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates; each of the two adjustable stretch bands being adjustably connected between a respective pair of top ends of the four tubular frame members to which an opposite end of a back cushion support plate is hingedly connected; each of the eight adjustable spring assemblies including a support spring, a spring bottom end retaining cup having a cavity within which a bottom end of the support spring is secured and a bottom cup structure rigidly affixed to the top surface of the rigid base structure and a spring top end retaining cup assembly rigidly affixed to a bottom surface of one of the two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates and having a spring holding mechanism including a spring top end receiving cavity and a spring securing pin insertable through the sidewalls of the spring top end retaining cup assembly and the spring top end such that the user can select the length of the spring top end held within spring top end receiving cavity and thereby adjust the effective spring distance between the top surface of the rigid base structure and the bottom surface of the respective rigid, contoured back cushion support plate.
BACKGROUND ART
in order to maintain a firm abdomen, it is important to properly exercise the correct muscle groups by doing abdominal crunches, sit-ups and the like. Although doing these exercises on a flat mat or floor surface can be effective, performing these exercises on a flat surface can be uncomfortable and also ends to cause the exerciser to perform the exercise improperly in an effort to relieve the discomfort caused by performing the proper muscle movements on a flat surface. It would be desirable, therefore, to have an abdominal exercise device that included a bendable, contoured, cushion surface upon which the user could properly perform sit-ups, stomach crunches, etc. It would be further desirable to have such an exercise machine that further included strap assemblies and elastic resistance bands to allow the user to perform other exercises.
GENERAL SUMMARY DISCUSSION OF INVENTION
It is thus an object of the invention to provide an abdominal exercise device that includes a rigid base/frame assembly, a user support cushion assembly, two adjustable stretch bands, two leg/arm strap assemblies each including a detachable base/frame attachment fastener at one end and a user adjustable extremity fastening belt at the other end, and eight adjustable spring assemblies each interconnected between a top support plate of the rigid base/frame assembly arid one of two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates of the user support cushion assembly; the rigid base/frame assembly including a rigid base structure having a top surface and four tubular frame members each rigidly affixed to and extending upwardly from a separate corner of a rectangular base structure support frame upon which the rigid base structure is mounted; tie rigid base frame assembly having two spaced pairs of leg/arm strap assembly connecting rings provided at each opposed end thereof to which the detachable base/frame attachment fastener of the leg/arm fastener straps are attachable; the user support cushion assembly including two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates that are connected by a center hinge and which are each hingedly connected at an opposite end thereof to the top ends of two of the four tubular frame members and a user support cushion formed of open cell foam and bonded to and covering the top surfaces of the two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates; each of the two adjustable stretch bands being adjustably connected between a respective pair of top ends of the four tubular frame members to which an opposite end of a back cushion support plate is hingedly connected; each of the eight adjustable spring assemblies including a support spring, a spring bottom end retaining cup having a cavity within which a bottom end of the support spring is secured and a bottom cup structure rigidly affixed to the top surface of the rigid base structure and a spring top end retaining cup assembly rigidly affixed to a bottom surface of one of the two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates and having a spring holding mechanism including a spring top end receiving cavity and a spring securing pin insertable through the sidewalls of the spring top end retaining cup assembly and the sprints top end such that the user can select the length of the spring top end held within spring top end receiving cavity and thereby adjust the effective spring distance between the top surface of the rigid base structure and the bottom surface of the respective rigid, contoured back cushion support plate.
Accordingly, an abdominal exercise device is provided. The abdominal exercise device includes a rigid base/frame assembly, a user support cushion assembly, two adjustable stretch bands, two leg/arm strap assemblies each including a detachable base/frame attachment fastener at one end and a user adjustable extremity fastening belt at the other end, and eight adjustable spring assemblies each interconnected between a top support plate of the rigid base/frame assembly and one of two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates of the user support cushion assembly; the rigid base/frame assembly including a rigid base structure having a top surface and four tubular frame members each rigidly affixed to and extending upwardly from a separate corner of a rectangular base structure support frame upon which the rigid base structure is mounted; the rigid base frame assembly having two spaced pairs of leg/arm strap assembly connecting rings provided at each opposed end thereof to which the detachable base/frame attachment fastener of the leg/arm fastener straps are attachable; the user support cushion assembly including two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates that are connected by a center hinge and which are each hingedly connected at an opposite end there to the top ends of two of the four tubular frame members and a user support cushion formed of open cell foam and bonded to and covering the top surfaces of the two hingedly connected, rigid, contoured back cushion support plates; each of the two adjustable stretch bands being adjustably connected between a respective pair of top ends of the four tubular frame members to which an opposite
Amerson Lori Baker
Breaux Joseph N.
Donnelly Jerome W.
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