Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing resilient force resistance
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-18
2003-07-01
Donnelly, Jerome W. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing resilient force resistance
C482S142000, C482S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06585626
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to exercisers and more specifically to exercisers including separate moving assemblies enabling a user to perform various different exercises.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recent years have seen an increasing awareness of the benefits of physical exercise and widespread use of exercisers. The therapeutic value of progressive resistance exercises has long been recognized. Exercising muscles against progressively increasing resistance not only results in added strength and endurance in the muscles, but also in a more efficient functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
Nowadays, various types of exercisers have been suggested which use elastomeric members, such as resistance bands, to provide non-gravity resistance to the performance of the exercises.
One such exerciser is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,167 issued to Piaget et al. The exerciser taught by Piaget et al. includes a first set of bungee cords for providing resistance to the movement of first and second hand grips and a second set of bungee cords for providing resistance to the movement of a leg actuated member. Each bungee cord of each set is removably secured between a fixed terminal and a movable terminal such that a selected number of first bungee cords provides resistance to the movement of the hand grips independently from the resistance a selected number of second bungee cords provided to movement of the leg actuated member. Varying the resistance by using bungee cords as taught by Piaget et al. involves adding or subtracting individual bungee cords to the exerciser, which can be both burdensome and time consuming. Further, since each bungee cord is a separate unit, the bungee cords can be lost or misplaced, or strewn about the environment of the exerciser in a manner to create substantial tripping hazards.
Another exerciser that uses bungee cords is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,566 issued to Whitcomb. The exerciser taught by Whitcomb includes a single set of bungee cords for selectively providing resistance to the movement of handle grips or to the movement of a leg actuated unit, each of which are connected to opposite ends of the bungee cords. Whitcomb provides an exercise machine having a single set of bungee cords, which may be moved into different exercise positions. The resistance of the bungee cords can be varied by selectively connecting a number of the bungee cords of the set to either the hand grips or the leg actuated member. The bungee cords are not removed from the exercise machine during normal usage as described in Piaget, thus eliminating the possibility to be lost or tripped over. Even though the exercise machine is relatively versatile, it includes numerous pivotally movable components, which can be relatively bulky and can require many steps to maneuver the exercise machine into various positions for effecting the different modes of exercise. These extra steps require extra time to move the exercise machine between different positions and can significantly lengthen the workout. Thus, the ability to effect different exercises quickly is greatly desirable and helps to reduce unnecessary time between exercises.
Consequently, there exists a need in the art to provide an exerciser which is cost-effective, convenient for transportation, versatile, and capable of providing variable resistance without removing components thereof.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to achieve the aforesaid improvement. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, this objective is achieved by providing an exerciser which features a frame assembly including a lower frame portion that is constructed and arranged to be stablely supported in an operative position on a horizontal surface. First and second rigid upright support members is fixed at lower end portions thereof on the lower frame portion and extends upwardly from the lower frame portion when in the operative position thereof. A user support assembly is operatively connected with the lower frame portion. The user support assembly is constructed and arranged to support a user thereon.
The first and second rigid upright support members has first and second rigid upper free end portions respectively configured to curve upwardly from the lower portions thereof in outwardly diverging relation with respect to one another. First and second moving assemblies is disposed in normal inoperative positions with respect to the user support assembly. Each moving assembly is constructed and arranged to be manually engaged and individually manually moved away from the normal inoperative position thereof into a desired extended position by a user supported on the user support assembly.
The first and second moving assemblies comprise first and second upper pulley members rotatably mounted on the upper free end portions of the first and second rigid upright support members. First and second lower pulley members are rotatably mounted on the frame assembly at fixed positions below the upper pulley members and first and second flexible elongated structures trained around the lower pulley members. The first and second flexible elongated structures extend upwardly over the first and second upper pulley members respectively and then downwardly toward the lower frame portion.
Movement preventing structures on the lower frame portion are operatively associated with terminal portions of the first and second flexible elongated structures and extend downwardly from the first and second upper pulley members. The movement preventing structures are constructed and arranged to prevent upward movements of the terminal portions. First and second user hand grip units is connected with first and second end portions of the first and second flexible elongated structures. The first and second user hand grip units extend outwardly from the lower pulley members in positions to enable a user supported on the user support assembly to move the user hand grip units away from inoperative positions thereof into desired extended positions.
The first and second flexible elongated structures include first and second bungee cords constructed and arranged to resiliently resist movement of the user hand grip units and the end portions of the flexible elongated structures away from the inoperative positions thereof into desired extended positions. The first and second bungee cords are further constructed and arranged to resiliently return the user hand grip units to the inoperative positions thereof when no longer moved by the user.
The present invention may be applied to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/738,317 filed concurrently herewith and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The incorporated disclosure provides an exerciser which comprises an upright frame assembly, first and second moving assemblies, a third moving assembly, first, second and third connecting terminals and a pair of resilient resistance structures. The upright frame assembly is constructed and arranged to be disposed in an operative position supported on a horizontal surface. The upright frame assembly has a user support assembly constructed and arranged to support a user thereon.
The first and second moving assemblies are disposed in normal inoperative positions with respect to the user support assembly and are constructed and arranged to be manually engaged and individually manually moved away from the normal inoperative position thereof into a desired extended position by a user supported on the user support assembly.
The third moving assembly is disposed in a normal inoperative position with respect to the user support assembly. The third moving assembly is constructed and arranged to be engaged and moved away from the normal inoperative position thereof into a desired extended position by a user supported on the user support assembly.
The first, second and third connecting terminals are connected to the first, second and third moving assemblies, respectively, so that the first and third connecting t
Donnelly Jerome W.
Stamina Products Inc.
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