Exercise devices – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-11
2001-10-30
Donnelly, Jerome W. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
Miscellaneous
C482S132000, C482S140000, C601S019000, C601S063000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309331
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to exercisers, and more particularly to an abdominal exerciser.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Massaging device has been disclosed in the prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 1,936,022 issued on Nov. 21, 1933 to J. V. Hunt. The device comprises a ball held in a semi-spherical frame equipped with a handle that can be manually grasped for applying pressure with the ball, for example on a person's abdominal area. A motor mounted inside a casing attached to the frame allows for vibration of the ball on the abdominal area, where an alleged fat reduction in this area. However, this apparatus is disadvantageous in that it does not fully exercise the abdominal muscles, and one is required to manually hold the device while applying pressure on his abdominal area for the device to have an effect: this can become uncomfortable and tedious, with little or no effective results in abdominal muscles strengthening.
Reducing apparatus has been disclosed in the prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 2,466,470 issued on Apr. 5, 1949 to G. G. Norris. The apparatus comprises a resilient sphere, which can be rolled on a flat surface or on a concaved transversed member disposed along a wall. Areas of the body such as hips and waist may be reduced of excessive fatness through the action of the body part while in contact with the sphere. However, the sphere of this apparatus does not have a free-rolling action and the apparatus is not stand-alone in that for the sphere to have an effect a minimum of two points of contact must be given to the sphere to keep it balanced; this requires the user to constantly change position, which can become discomforting and troublesome.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an abdominal exerciser that obviates the above noted disadvantages.
An object of the present invention is to provide an abdominal exerciser that allows for a simple way to exercise a person's abdominal muscles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an exerciser for reducing purposes, on which a body part such as the abdominal, waist and/or hips can be applied for pressuring, massaging, rolling and pounding actions.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an exerciser to which a person can adapt various level of pressure.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a stand alone exerciser liberating arms and legs which can be mounted at various angles on a more sophisticated structure alone or together with other similar exercisers to ease and facilitate the use by the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an exerciser that is easy to build, manufacture and maintain, and adaptable to various comfort level by using adaptable balls and with or without an absorbing material installed below the exerciser.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and a careful consideration of the following description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention consists of an abdominal exerciser device comprising a self-standing casing member with an essentially upwardly oriented cavity, at least three ball bearing members secured into the cavity of the casing, and a ball removably engaging the cavity and rollably engaging the bearing members, said casing member includes a top cover member having an essentially circular opening of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the ball and engaged by said ball.
Preferably, the bearing members are all coplanar, said bearing members engaging said ball at their respective apex point and said apex points forming a plane intersecting said ball at mid depth of said cavity.
Preferably, the exerciser device further includes a bottom bearing member located at a closed end of said cavity and rollably engaging said ball.
Preferably, there are eight bearing members and said cavity has an essentially circular opening of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of said ball, the depth of said cavity being essentially equivalent to the radii of said ball, thereby having essentially half of said ball engaged into said cavity, and the other half protruding out of said casing member.
Preferably, the opening being essentially centered with respect to said bearing members, the depth of said cavity being essentially equivalent to the radii of said ball, thereby having essentially half of said ball engaged into said cavity, and the other half protruding out of said casing member.
Additionally, the casing member may further includes additional essentially upwardly oriented cavities, at least three additional ball bearing members for each of said additional cavities and respectively secured therein, and one additional ball removably engaging each one of said additional cavities and rollably engaging its respective additional bearing members, said cavities being in close proximity to each other, said top cover member having additional essentially circular opening of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of said balls and each engaged by a respective one of said balls.
Also, at least one exerciser device may be combined and mounted onto a rigid frame structure member, said structure member being adapted to support a user in a pre-determined position into which said exerciser devices are positioned for said balls to apply pressure at the hip, waist and/or abdominal regions of said user.
Preferably, the exerciser devices are flexibly mounted onto said structure member using absorbing members, thereby providing some provision for shock absorption by said exerciser devices.
Preferably, the absorbing members are resilient flexible pads onto which said exerciser devices are mounted on.
Preferably, the frame structure member includes a user seat slidably mounted onto an essentially horizontal beam, said exerciser devices mounted on the sides of said beam apply pressure on the waist and hip body parts of said user.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1936022 (1933-11-01), Hunt
patent: 1947042 (1934-02-01), Glennan
patent: 2466470 (1949-04-01), Norris
patent: 2797685 (1957-07-01), Packwood
patent: 2988084 (1961-06-01), Douglas
patent: 4326508 (1982-04-01), Stauffer
patent: 5027795 (1991-07-01), Kato
patent: 5105802 (1992-04-01), Pokorny
patent: 5145474 (1992-09-01), Moore
patent: 5702354 (1997-12-01), DeSpain et al.
patent: 5833587 (1998-11-01), Strong et al.
Amerson Lori Baker
Donnelly Jerome W.
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