Sporting and exercising device having a spring portion with...

Exercise devices – Involving user translation or physical simulation thereof – Bouncing device

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C482S079000, C482S121000, C036S007800, C036S114000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06436012

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention:
The present invention relates to a sporting and exercising device having an upper foot-receiving portion, and a lower spring portion including an upwardly arched upper spring layer, a downwardly arched lower spring layer, and an intermediate, generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member.
2. Brief description of the prior art:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,148 granted to Denis Naville on Jul. 1
st
, 1997 describes a sporting and exercising device comprising an upper foot-receiving portion and a lower spring portion. The spring portion consists of an upper spring layer arched upwardly, a lower spring layer arched downwardly, and an intermediate elastic plastic strap. A first end of the plastic strap is connected to both a first end of the upper spring layer and a first end of the lower spring layer, and a second end of the plastic strap is connected to both a second end of the upper spring layer and a second end of the lower spring layer. First and second resilient shock absorbing bodies are mounted longitudinally spaced apart from each other on the top face of the plastic strap. Similarly, third and fourth resilient shock absorbing bodies are mounted longitudinally spaced apart from each other on the bottom face of the plastic strap. The resilient shock absorbing bodies prevent the spring portion to collapse after a certain deformation by compression has been reached.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for mounting shock absorbing bodies on an intermediate, generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate, generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member having an adjustable resistance to tension.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of mounting a resilient shock absorbing body on a generally flat member made of substantially elastic material. According to this method, an opening having a peripheral contour is made in the generally flat member, and a needle extending across the opening from the peripheral contour is formed in the substantially elastic material of the generally flat member. In the shock absorbing body are made an annular groove and a hole opening in the annular groove for receiving the needle. The needle is inserted in the hole of the shock absorbing body and, then, the annular groove of the shock absorbing body is positioned on the peripheral contour of the opening.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of the method of the invention:
a first annular lip is formed on one side of the annular groove and a second annular lip on the other side of the annular groove of the shock absorbing body; and
a first face of the generally flat member is recessed around the opening to receive the first annular lip, and a second face of the generally flat member is recessed around the opening to receive the second annular lip.
The present invention also relates to a generally flat member of substantially elastic material capable of receiving a resilient shock absorbing body formed with an annular groove and a hole which opens in the annular groove. The generally flat member comprises an opening having a peripheral contour for receiving the annular groove of the shock absorbing body, and a needle formed in the substantially elastic material of the generally flat member. This needle extends across the opening from the peripheral contour for insertion in the hole of the shock absorbing body.
The present invention is further concerned with a resilient shock absorbing body capable of being mounted on a generally flat and substantially elastic member formed with an opening having a peripheral contour and a needle extending across the opening from the peripheral contour of this opening. The resilient shock absorbing body comprises an annular groove to receive the peripheral contour of the opening, and a hole which opens in the annular groove for receiving the needle.
Still further in accordance with the invention, there is provided a sporting and exercising device comprising an upper foot-receiving portion, and a lower spring portion fastened to the foot-receiving portion and comprising (a) an upper spring layer arched upwardly and comprising first and second opposite ends, (b) a lower spring layer arched downwardly and comprising first and second opposite ends, (c) an intermediate, generally flat elongate member made of substantially elastic material and having first and second opposite ends, (d) a first connecting member for connecting the first end of the intermediate member to both the first ends of the upper and lower spring layers, and ( e) a second connecting member for connecting the second end of the intermediate member to both the second ends of the upper and lower spring layers. The improvement of the sporting and exercising device comprises:
the intermediate member having first and second, longitudinally spaced apart openings each having a peripheral contour, a first needle made in the substantially elastic material and extending across the first opening from the peripheral contour of said first opening, and a second needle made in the substantially elastic material and extending across the second opening from the peripheral contour of the second opening;
a first resilient shock absorbing body having a first annular groove for receiving the peripheral contour of the first opening, a first hole which opens in the first annular groove for receiving the first needle, a first protuberance extending toward the upper spring layer, and a second protuberance extending toward the lower spring layer; and
a second resilient shock absorbing body having a second annular groove for receiving the peripheral contour of the second opening, a second hole which opens in the second annular groove for receiving the second needle, a third protuberance extending toward the upper spring layer, and a fourth protuberance extending toward the lower spring layer.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of this sporting and exercising device:
the first needle extends from the peripheral contour of the first opening toward the first connecting member, and the second needle extends from the peripheral contour of the second opening toward the second connecting member;
the first and second openings are adjacent to the first and second ends of the intermediate members, respectively;
the first opening is generally rectangular with rounded comers, the peripheral contour of the first opening comprises one side opposite to the first connecting member, and the first needle extends from the center of this side generally centrally of the first opening toward the first connecting member;
the second opening is generally rectangular with rounded comers, the peripheral contour of the second opening comprises one side opposite to the second connecting member, and the second needle extends from the center of this side of the peripheral contour of the second opening generally centrally of the second opening toward the second connecting member;
the intermediate member has a longitudinal axis and is lying into a first plane, each protuberance of the first and second shock absorbing bodies has a trapezoidal cross section in a second plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the intermediate member, and a second generally semielliptical cross section in a third plane perpendicular to both the first and second planes; and
the intermediate member comprises a central section made of at least one helical spring, and two spaced apart tongues interconnected by the helical spring(s), and wherein at least one of the two spaced apart tongues comprises a set of longitudinally spaced apart holes for hooking one end of each helical spring whereby the tension in the helical spring can be changed by changing the hole of the set to which the end of the helical spring is hooked.
According to the invention, there is provided a generally flat and su

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