Exercise devices – Support for entire body of user
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-24
2001-05-15
Yu, Justine R. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
Support for entire body of user
C482S132000, C482S907000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231489
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to exercise equipment and more particularly to an exercise device for stretching and strengthening spinal muscles and ligaments and related muscle groups.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The spine is made up of twenty four vertebrae that are separated by discs and held together by muscles and ligaments. The discs are soft elastic structures primarily made of cartilage. Discs act as shock absorbing cushions between the vertebrae. The spinal cord runs through a hole in each vertebra of the spine and these holes are collectively referred to as the spinal canal. Some of the nerves of the spinal cord extend outwardly therefrom, passing between the vertebrae and traveling to the arms, shoulders, torso and legs. Most back pain is due to pressure on a disc and/or irritation of the ligaments and muscles around the disc. Pressure on a disc can result in pressure on a nerve or nerves of the spine which can also cause back pain.
Individuals with poor posture and/or weak back muscles and ligaments frequently place excessive pressure on the discs and nerves and related soft tissues of the back. This pressure or compressive force on the discs, nerves and other soft tissues of the spine can result in back pain and damage to the discs, but can be alleviated or prevented entirely by proper stretching of the spine and by increasing the strength and flexibility of the muscles and ligaments that hold the vertebrae in place.
Because the spine is flexible and capable of bending forwardly, rearwardly and from side to side, a complete exercise program for the spine and back should incorporate all four of these movements. More specifically, the spine should be stretched in these four directions to increase flexibility and to strengthen and condition the ligaments and other connective tissues which hold the vertebrae together and the spine should be strength by moving the spine in these four directions against a resistance or opposing force. Bending the spine rearwardly a proper degree is especially valuable for relieving pressure on the discs. The ideal exercise equipment for stretching and strengthening the spine should facilitate these movements. A back conditioning and strengthening exercise device should also help the user strengthen and related muscle groups such as the neck muscles, abdominal muscles, arms muscles and legs muscles.
Exercise equipment heretofore has not provided a complete exercise program for the spine. Examples of exercise equipment can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,573,485; 5,634,887; 5,324,247; and 5,795,276, but none of the devices disclosed in these patent references provides stretching and strengthening of the back and spinal muscles in all four spinal directions or complete strengthening and conditioning of related muscle groups.
A need exists for an exercise device that can provide a user with a complete exercise routine for stretching and strengthening the spinal muscles and related muscle groups and disc decompression.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To meet the need expressed above, the invention provides an exercise device comprising a frame structure constructed and arranged to be supported in an operative position on a horizontal surface so as to extend longitudinally therealong. An exercise support is fixedly mounted on one longitudinal end of the frame structure in a position spaced above the horizontal surface when the frame structure is supported thereon in an operative position. A seat is carried on the one end portion of the frame structure in longitudinally spaced relation with respect to the exercise support. A plurality of rollers made of yieldable material are rotatably supported on the frame structure in an upwardly arched array. The upwardly arched array extends longitudinally upwardly from the seat and the arches downwardly toward an opposite longitudinal end of the frame structure to rollingly support a user thereon.
The exercise support is constructed and arranged to enable a user to engage his feet with the exercise support or to grip his hands on the exercise support. The seat has a downwardly inclined position enabling a user to accomplish back decompression, lower back or side stretches while supported supine, prone or on a side, respectively, on the seat and the rollers with the user's feet engaging the exercise support or to accomplish lower back strengthening exercises while supported prone on the seat and rollers with the user's hands gripping the exercise support with outstretched arms.
The seat is releasably retainable on the frame structure in a range of positions including the downwardly inclined position and a level position wherein the seat extends generally horizontally. When the seat is in its level position, the user can accomplish lower back strengthening exercises by supporting his chest on the seat and holding onto the exercise support with outstretched arms to permit his legs to be moved in the air.
The frame structure supports a pair of laterally spaced opposite end hand grips disposed in a position to enable a user to accomplish lumbar stretches wherein the user supports his torso above the rollers by engaging his knees on the seat in its level position and by holding onto the opposite end hand grips with outstretched arms.
The range of positions of the seat also includes an upwardly inclined position wherein the seat inclines upwardly with respect to the level seat position. The upwardly inclined seat position enables the user to accomplish lower back or abdominal stretches wherein the user is supported on the seat and on the adjacent rollers in a generally seated position with his feet in the air or supported by the exercise support, respectively.
The frame structure supports laterally spaced seat adjacent hand grips carried by the frame structure adjacent the seat in a position enabling a user seated on the seat and on the rollers adjacent the seat with the seat in its upwardly inclined position and while facing away from the exercise support, to reach down and grip the seat adjacent hand grips to hold his body position while he moves his legs in the air.
The frame structure supports laterally spaced intermediate hand grips carried by an intermediate portion of the frame structure in an upper back strengthening position. The intermediate hand grips enable a user positioned with his back engaging the rollers, his head and shoulders on a floor pad extending from the opposite end of the frame structure and his legs extending upwardly in the air, to reach down below the rollers that are supporting his back and grip the intermediate hand grips conveniently with both hands. This allows the user to retain his head, shoulders and back in the upper back strengthening position while he moves his legs in the air.
The exercise support is in releasably locked engagement with the frame structure to allow the exercise support to be released from locking engagement therewith and moved with respect thereto in a generally longitudinal direction and then relocked to accommodate the arm length and leg length of the user.
The exercise device can be easily moved by the user when the device is in its operative position and can also be easily folded to a folded storage position for easy storage in the home or shipping. More specifically, the exercise device includes rollable members mounted at the opposite longitudinal end of the frame structure which enable the user to easily move the exercise device when the same is in its operative position. The rollable members are constructed and arranged to allow a user to grasp the exercise support and pivot the one longitudinal end of the frame structure upwardly with respect to the horizontal surface about the rollable members and then push or pull on the exercise support to roll the frame structure in a desired direction.
The exercise device includes hinge structure to provide the folding movement of the frame structure between the operative position and the folded storage position in which the frame structure extends generally vertically with respect to
Brugman Marjolein
Lin Newton
McBride Robert W.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Stamina Products Inc.
Yu Justine R.
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