Exercise devices – Support for entire body of user
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2002-05-14
Donnelly, Jerome W. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
Support for entire body of user
C482S140000, C482S130000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06387024
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND —FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates generally to exercise machines for body weight resistive exercises and to the method of exercising wherein the gross body movements of the body through a desired range of motion are governed by the specific forces, specific physiology and specific mechanics of human movement.
BACKGROUND —PRIOR ART AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, physical therapists and sports trainers alike have been emphasizing the use of natural, multi-joint, functional and biomechanically specific body weight resistive exercises in the routines that they design. However, most physical therapy patients and beginning exercisers are not in condition to handle their own body weight with proficiency usually due to one or more of the following factors: (1) injury, (2) lack of strength in a particular muscle group, (3) gross weakness of the entire body, (4) excessive body weight. Therefore, there is a need for a mechanism that can create a sense of less weight. However, on the other end of the spectrum, avid exercisers and elite athletes may have strength training requirements that exceed the use of just their own body weight. Therefore, there is a need for a mechanism that can also create a sense of added body weight.
Exercise devices for resisting a person performing exercises and particularly adding resistance to body weight resistive exercises is well known in the prior art. For example see U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,359 to Simmons and U.S. Pat. No.5,669,860 to Reyes. Exercise devices for assisting a person performing body weight resistive exercises is also known. These known body weight assisting exercise devices typically only provide assistance. Therefore, when a person can perform the exercise without assistance, these assisting devices provide no means for resisting the exerciser and allowing for the realization of further strength gains past their own body weight.
An exercise device for the use of assisting or resisting a plurality of exercises is also known. This U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,914 to Bushnell is a device that can do this but the method in which it was conceived is entirely different than the present invention. Bushnell uses rubber bands to contact the dorsal and or ventral parts of the torso while it moves with the body through a range of motion.
The present invention has found a way to assist a user during exercise through a desired range of motion of the exercise while also providing a means for resistance should the user chose to perform resistive exercises. The present invention is a variable gravity machine that contacts the user in the same anatomical sites as Bushnell, however, the difference being that it has a pivotally mounted guide arm that is acted upon to provide force in a particular direction according to the desired use.
The present invention provides a means of exercising wherein the gross body movements of the body during exercise are Kinesiologically Correct, meaning they are governed by the specific forces, specific physiology and specific mechanics according to the natural movements of the body when effected by gravity. The body is supported during the body weight resistive exercise in such a way that the body is maintained in a position the body naturally tends toward when unassisted during a body weight resistive exercise. The exercises performed with the variable gravity machine are gross body movements, multi-joint exercises and provide for either assistance through a desired range of motion or with an adjustment of the guide arm, provide added resistance through a desired range of motion. It is accomplished by the way in which the user interfaces with the machine. In performing assistive exercises, wherein the weight of the user's body is made lighter, the user's body is being pushed upon by the guide arm of the machine while force is being applied to the guide arm through a bi-direction force transferring means. In performing resistive exercises, wherein the weight of the user's body is made heavier, the user is pulling upon or harnessed to the guide arm of the machine while force is being applied to the guide arm through a bi-directional force transferring means.
The force can be provided by a variety of force engines. The force engine comprises a force production mechanism and a force transferring means in which the force is created by the force production mechanism and transferred to the guide arm of the machine by the force transferring means. Examples consist of an iron disk plate on the end of a pivotally mounted weight arm (as seen in the related U.S. Pat. Noland et al and U.S. Pat. Mclaughlin et al. and Hammer Strength® type machines); the weight from a selectorized weight stack; or any other weight assembly, as seen in most Nautilus® type exercise machines.
The present invention can use any type of force engine, one being a bi-directional cam that can be mounted to the machine on the side or in the middle of the weight stack embodiment as seen in the prior art multi-hip machine. Also related are the biceps curl/triceps extension, leg curl/leg extension machines and the Nautilus® type back extension/ab crunch machines. The second being the adjustable angle bi-directional torque producing guide arm and weight arm unit as seen in the prior art of Noland et al. and particularly by Tuff Stuff® and Body Solid® which are arm and leg machine variants that are not subject to the present invention. These machines are used only to produce a resisting force for arm or leg exercises. The third being a bi-directional cam and under carriage pulley mechanism as seen in the prior art of Nautilus® Power Plus® line of exercise equipment. The Power Plus® by Nautilus ® only moves in one direction unlike the present invention embodiment related to the form, which rotates in two directions. The fourth being a bi-directional cam attached to a lever arm as seen in the biceps curl and triceps extension machines of the Hammer Strength® line. These machines only move in one direction to provide resistance for arm exercises. The present invention utilizes similar force production mechanisms as the prior art but it is tailored so it can rotate in two directions. The fifth being a retrofit to a electro mechanical (for example Cybex® Cybex® division of Lumex® device. These devices are widely used by physical therapists mostly for single joint exercises such as arm or leg exercises. A greater object of this invention is that it will allow physical therapists to perform body weight resistive exercises with special populations. It may be possible that this retrofitting technology may be able to give physical therapists another tool to help severely injured people. A sixth force production mechanism is the preferred embodiment of the invention, a gas spring and dial plate mechanism. The dial plate is comprised of circumferentially drilled periphery holes with one end of the gas spring connected to a notched slot in the dial plate. The notched slot allows for selection of varying force created by the gas spring.
GENERAL OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is the greatest general object of the present invention to provide a greater and more medically accepted exercise and rehabilitation technology. It is another general object of the present invention to combine age old functional body weight resisted exercises with the applicant's technology. It is still another general object of the present invention to reduce the art of exercise and rehabilitation to its simplest form. It is still another general object of the present invention to realize a greater scope in the art and science, which can be characterized as Kinesiologically Correct™ . Additionally, this can further be explained as the performance of body movements that are specific to the natural movements of the body, both physiologically and mechanically, as opposed to the prior art, which only can claim that it is correct mechanically. Still further explained as specific muscles or muscle groups moving with the specific forces that they synergistically provide in
Barnes Neal
Monti Jonathan H.
Donnelly Jerome W.
Welsh & Flaxman LLC
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