Exercise devices – Hand – wrist – or finger
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-10
2001-06-05
Yu, Justine R. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
Hand, wrist, or finger
C482S049000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241637
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to exercise devices, and more particularly to an exercise device for developing the muscles associated with the hand and fingers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, many individuals have focused attention on total body development through personally tailored diet and fitness programs. This is evident from the growth in fitness centers, retail sales of equipment for use at home and in physical fitness programs, and media attention to the growing public awareness of the need for proper diet and exercise and the benefits to be derived therefrom.
Today, fitness centers and retail stores are well-equipped with free weights and body building machines. They also generally include apparatus and other facilities for aerobic conditioning including stationary bicycles, stair steppers, and running machines. In addition, fitness centers are well known for specialized programs of fitness training.
Despite the wide range of equipment and programs, exercise devices for development of the hands, fingers and forearms have been largely ignored. It is notable that, despite the many expensive devices commonly found in fitness centers and retail stores, it is difficult to find equipment for increasing the strength and flexibility of the hands, fingers and forearms even though such development is important for properly utilizing the free weights and body building machines such as those commonly found in fitness centers. Even when provided, however, the development and implementation of exercise devices for the hands and fingers has lagged in comparison to other exercise devices.
One well known hand exerciser includes a pair of handles joined together at corresponding ends by a coil spring. Another well known hand exerciser consists of a simple rubber ball that is squeezed by the hand of a user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an exercise device that is aesthetically pleasing, compact, and essentially self-contained. An exercise device according to the invention comprises a housing having at least one wall portion defining a hollow interior, at least one aperture extending through the wall portion, and at least one elongate rod having opposite ends and a center section located between the opposite ends. The center section of the at least one rod is normally located within the hollow interior and is adapted for slidable movement through the at least one aperture when the rod is pushed or pulled by a user. Filler material is located within the hollow interior. The filler material comprises a plurality of solid particles in frictional engagement with the elongate rod to thereby resist sliding movement of the rod through the at least one aperture.
In one embodiment, the housing is substantially of hollow spherical construction. The rod preferably includes an enlarged section positioned either at the center section of the rod or at one or both ends of the rod. The enlarged section has a cross dimension that is larger than a cross dimension of the aperture to thereby prevent separation of the rod from the housing.
In another embodiment, the housing includes a front end portion, a rear end portion spaced from the front end portion, and a continuous wall portion extend between, and connected to the front and rear end portions to thereby form the hollow interior. Preferably, first and second spaced apertures extend through each of the front and rear end portions with a first rod extending through the first apertures of the front and rear end portions and a second rod extending through the second apertures of the front and rear end portions. A piston head may be located within the hollow interior and connected between the first and second rods.
There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter which will form the subject matter of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the preferred embodiments may readily be used as a basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions since they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 940744 (1909-11-01), Smith
patent: 1044018 (1912-11-01), Calvert
patent: 4538806 (1985-09-01), Wilkerson
patent: 4830364 (1989-05-01), Wexler
patent: 5533949 (1996-07-01), Hwang
Fridman Lawrence G.
Yu Justine R.
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