Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing weight resistance
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-20
2004-07-27
Lucchesi, Nicholas D. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing weight resistance
C482S072000, C482S135000, C482S141000, C482S145000, C482S904000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06767314
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an exercise apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exercise apparatus of the type wherein the user exerts muscle effort against the user's own body weight resistance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The United States Department of Health and Human Services has reported that as many as 250,000 human lives are lost annually in the United States as a result of a sedentary lifestyle or a lifestyle lacking in physical activity.
1
Indeed, lack of physical activity is now considered as important a risk factor for heart disease as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cigarette smoking, not because physical activity is a potent panacea, but because the number of inactive or sedentary people is so large.
2
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention further report that inactivity resulting from a sedentary lifestyle contributes to approximately one-third of all heart-disease related deaths and costs billions in medical care every year.
3
It has long been understood and it is now more or less undisputed that regular moderate physical activity and exercise can convey many important health benefits. From a public health standpoint, an increase in physical activity provides some level of protection from heart disease, hypertension, adult-onset diabetes, certain cancers, osteoporosis, depression, and premature aging, to name but a few ailments.
4
In an effort to enable the public to increase its collective level of physical activity, myriad exercise apparatuses have been developed. Of the myriad exercise apparatuses that have been developed, many comprise a translational support platform or carriage for supporting the weight of a positioned user, which platform or carriage is selectively inclinable and which positioned user may dynamically move the weighted support platform or carriage to and fro by way of cord/pulley means for movement. Furthermore, it is noted that many of the exercise apparatuses comprising translational, inclinable, user-bearing carriages, are foldable or collapsible for easy storage or shipment of the respective exercise apparatus. Several of these known apparatuses are described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,327 ('327 patent), which issued to Thiede, discloses a Pull Type Exercising Device. The Pull Type Exercising Device comprises a pair of deck portions selectably disposed in extended end-to-end relation for use and which may be stored or shipped in adjacent relation. One end of the extended deck is supportable on the ground or floor with the opposite end thereof detachably engaging a selectable rung of a support ladder. A carriage travels along rails on the extended deck, and the carriage is movable with respect to the deck by means of pulleys connected thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,404 ('404 patent), which issued to Martucci, discloses an Exercise Device. The Exercise Device comprises adjustable, variable length tracks having a first end supported on a supporting surface, and the other opposite second end being supported by a track elevator, for supporting the tracks in angular relation with the supporting surface. A carriage is movably mounted on the tracks for supporting the body weight of a user. Exercise-enabling structure is mounted in the area adjacent the second end whereby a user positioned on the carriage may engage the exercise-enabling structure and dynamically place his or her body weight in to and fro motion along the tracks via the carriage, thereby enabling exercise of every major muscle group. The Exercise Device may be further outfitted with cord/pulley means for movement for further enabling exercise of select muscle groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,801 ('801 patent), which issued to Campanaro et al., discloses an Isotonic Exercise Unit wherein a pair of rigidly connected spaced rails are selectively elevated at one end to define an incline. A flat carriage is rollable on the rails and further comprises pulley lines and a foot retainer for drawing the carriage and the body of a positioned user upward along the incline by the physical exertion of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,124 ('124 patent), which issued to Mahnke, discloses a Pull Type Exercising Device. The Pull Type Exercising Apparatus comprises an inclined track assembly, the upper end of which comprises a pair of lockable guide sleeves, which telescopically receive the legs of a U-shaped track elevator member. Movement of the guide sleeves up and down the legs of the elevator member varies the angle of inclination of the track assembly. The user thus may position himself or herself on a carriage and exert forces against his or her own weight by pulling or pushing the carriage along the inclined track assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,564 ('564 patent), which issued to Jaconsen, discloses an Adjustable Incline Traveling Platform Exercise Apparatus. The Adjustable Incline Traveling Platform Exercise Apparatus comprises a wheeled rolling platform which moves on an inclined frame and includes an adjustable arm cord mounting assembly. The arm cord mounting assembly includes a pair of elongated arm cords each entrained over a fixed pulley mounted in each adjustable upright corner post. An anchoring device attaches the cords to the mobile platform. The platform moves on the frame against a resistance force provided by the body weight of the user positioned on the platform and the upward angled slope of the incline frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,571 ('571 patent), which issued to Stevens, discloses a Folding Exercise Machine. The Folding Exercise Machine comprises a frame with parallel rails and a glide board slidably mounted upon the frame. The glide board further comprises a plurality of wheels defining concave surfaces in rolling engagement upon the parallel rails. The user, after positioning himself or herself upon the glide board, operatively moves the glide board by engaging cord/pulley means for movement and exerting muscular effort against the user's own body weight resistance. The Folding Exercise Machine has folding structure intermediate the length of the parallel rails.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,955, which issued to Westfall et al. and assigned to Total Gym Fitness, Ltd. of West Chester, Pa., discloses a Collapsible Exercise Device. The Collapsible Exercise Device, more commonly known in the marketplace as the TOTAL GYM brand exercise apparatus, teaches an exercise apparatus comprising a vertical support member, first and second sets of rails adjustably supported by the vertical support member, a user support platform with rollers engaging the first and second sets of rails, pulley means, and cable connector means extending through the pulley means and connected to the user support platform. The cable connector means thus allow a user, positioned atop the user support platform, to dynamically vibrate the weighed support platform to and fro along the first and second sets of rails. To enable further exercise, the Collapsible Exercise Device may further comprise a foot rest at one end of the second set of rails, a foot harness attached to the cable connector means, and footholder or pull-up bars attachable to the first set of rails. As suggested by its title, the Collapsible Exercise Device is foldable to allow for easy storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,369, which issued to Rasmussen, discloses a Fitness Sled Exercise Machine. The Fitness Sled Exercise Machine comprises frame members which support a rail, which rail is attached to a foldable frame standard. The rail directs and contains the reciprocal travel of a body bearing carriage. Machine motion is vibrational in nature, beginning at a point of origin, translating to a point of differing elevation, and returning to its point of departure. A user employs muscular effort of the arms or legs to move the carriage against gravitational forces. A system of levers, pulleys and lines function to convert arm and leg muscular forces to carriage motion. The frame standar
Hwang Victor
Lucchesi Nicholas D.
Meroni & Meroni P.C.
Meroni, Jr. Charles F.
Scott Christopher J.
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