Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing resilient force resistance
Patent
1996-11-22
1997-12-23
Reichard, Lynne A.
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing resilient force resistance
482126, 482129, A63B 2102
Patent
active
057002320
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an exercise apparatus.
A large variety of home exercise equipment is currently available. This varies from complete home gyms, which include relatively unwieldy and expensive weight-based exercising equipment, to light, portable and relatively cheap exercising devices, such as the Bullworker.RTM., which are often limited as regards the range of exercises that can be performed on them.
One common type of home gym apparatus is in the form of an inclined sliding bench which relies on springs and/or body mass for exercising the various muscle groups. The inclined bench-type apparatus has limitations as regards portability. Further, although different spring combinations are possible for providing different resistive forces, the selection and adjustment of the springs is typically a relatively laborious process.
German Patent No. DE 3800035A1 discloses an exercise apparatus comprising an elongate spacer element in the form of a pair of spaced apart poles which serve as guides for a pair of carriages which are mounted slidably to the poles. Each of the carriages supports a handlebar, and a series of elastic bands are anchored to the handlebars and extend around pulleys at opposite ends of the exercise apparatus. The elastic bands are used to provide a resistive force against movement of the carriages along the poles. A pull compensation bar extends transversely through apertures in the poles, and can be used to vary the effective length and thus the tension in the elastic bands. Anchoring means in the form of a ceiling hook or a wall plate may be mounted to either end of the apparatus for enabling it to be mounted to a fixture such as a ceiling or a wall. This enables either a pushing or a pulling force to be applied to the handlebar against the variable resistive force.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an exercise apparatus comprising an elongate spacer element having first and second ends, guide means extending along the length of the spacer element, a carriage mounted slidably to the spacer element for movement between the first and second ends along the guide means, at least one handlebar supported on the carriage, resistance means for applying a resistive force against movement of the carriage as it is displaced long the spacer element in a first direction, the resistance means comprising a plurality of elastic resistance elements extending between the carriage and a fixture on the spacer element, varying means for varying the resistance of the resistive force, and anchoring means mountable to either of the first and second ends for enabling either a pushing or a pulling force to be applied to the handlebar against the variable resistive force when moving the carriage in the first direction characterised in that selector means are mounted on the carriage for selectively engaging with or disengaging from the carriage a preselected number of resistance elements, the anchoring means include at least one footrest extending transversely relative to the spacer element from whichever of the first and second ends is selected, and the footrest or footrests define a pivot axis and are arranged to provide a temporary anchoring support against movement of the handlebar when the feet of a user are positioned over the footrest or footrests, so as to allow the elongate spacer element to pivot in a substantially vertical plane about the pivot axis at its first or second ends, as the handlebar is moved in the first direction against the variable resistive force.
In a preferred form of the invention, the resistance means comprises a plurality of resistance elements extending between the carriage and a fixture on the spacer element, and selector means for allowing a preselected number of the resistance elements to be engaged for varying the overall resistance of the carriage as it is displaced along the spacer element.
Preferably, first and second mounting means are provided on the first and second ends of the spacer element for detachably mo
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Clausen Anthony Robin
Wesson Albert Norman
Clausen Anthony Robin
Reichard Lynne A.
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