GB2249487A - Exercising apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The exercising apparatus has a frame and a footing 16 at a lower end of the frame on which a user can place his foot when the footing rests en a supporting surface such as the floor. A hand support 14 is provided at the upper end of the frame on which a user can lean when the frame is upright and the user stands alongside the frame with his foot on the footing. At least one elastic band 28 is looped about spaced pulleys 22,24 on the frame. The stability of the frame during exercise is maintained by the user who applies a reaction force to the frame as he exercises by stretching the band against its resilience. The frame may be C or I shaped. A footplate (40, fig 5) may clip to the lower crossbar 16. <IMAGE>

Description

EXERCISING APPARATUS THIS invention relates to an exercising apparatus.

In the modern age of fitness consciousness, there is a constant demand for gym equipment. It would be particularly advantageous to provide gym equipment which is compact and relatively inexpensive but which nevertheless provides the user with a wide choice of beneficial exercises.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such gym equipment.

According to the present invention, there is provided an exercising apparatus comprising a frame, a footing at an operatively lower end of the frame on which a user can place his foot when the footing rests on a supporting surface such as the floor, a hand support at an operatively upper end of the frame which a user can grasp manually when the frame is upright and the user stands alongside the frame with his foot on the footing, and at least one elastic band which is looped about spaced pulleys on the frame, the stability of the frame in use being maintained by the user who, with his foot on the footing, applies a reaction force to the frame as he exercises by stretching the band against its resilience.

In one embodiment of the invention, the frame has spaced, parallel crossbars and a spine spanning between the crossbars with the crossbars and spine defining a shape, C-shape or I-shape. In each of these cases, the band is looped about spaced apart pulleys on the spine, one of the pulleys being mounted pivotally in a manner allowing to act as a direction changing pulley.

In another version of the invention, the frame has a rectangular shape with two crossbars joined by spaced apart spines, separate bands being looped about spaced apart pulleys mounted on the respective spines.

The footing may be in the form of a flat plate attachable to an operatively lower one of the crossbars, or it may be constituted by the operatively lower crossbar itself.

One end of the band may anchored to the frame and the other, free end can carry an attachment point at which a handle can be attached for engagement by the user.

Alternatively, the end of the band can be formed into a loop serving as a handle.

In this specification, the term "handle" is used broadly to cover a hand-engagable handle as well as a strap or the like which can be engaged by the user's foot or ankle.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an exercising apparatus of the invention; Figure 2 shows a view of a second form of exercising apparatus of the invention; Figure 3 illustrates one exercise which can be performed with the apparatus seen in Figure 1; Figure 4 illustrates another exercise that can be performed with the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 6 shows a handle which can be used in place of the ankle strap seen in Figure 5.

Referring to Figure 1, an apparatus 10 of the invention has a Z-shaped frame 12 composed of a first crossbar 14, a second, parallel crossbar 16 and a spine bar 18 which spans between the crossbars 14 and 16. The cross-bars are sheathed by rubber sleeves 20. The crossbars 14 and 16 and the spine bar 18 are formed in one piece by appropriate bending of round section steel tube.

The apparatus 10 seen in Figure 1 has an overall height, measured from crossbar to crossbar, of about 750mm and it will be appreciated that the apparatus is accordingly extremely compact.

Mounted on the spine bar 18 near to the crossbar 14 is a first pulley 22. Mounted on the spine near to the other crossbar 16 is a second pulley 24 which is carried by a bracket 25. The bracket 25 is connected pivotally to a further bracket which is in turn connected pivotally to the spine bar 18 by a transverse pin 27. It will be appreciated that this configuration enables the pulley 24 to act as a direction changing pulley.

The apparatus 10 seen in Figure 1 includes an elastic band 28 which has one end fixed to the spine bar at a point 30 (see Figure 5 which shows the corresponding connection point in the third embodiment). The elastic band is then looped about the pulleys 22 and 24. Near to its free end, the band 28 carries a stop 30. Beyond the stop, the end of the band 28 passes through a plastics sleeve 37. An eyelet 29 is fixed to the extreme end of the band 28 by means of a ferrule 31, and a hook 33 is connected to the eyelet 29. As illustrated, the end portion of the band can be looped back on itself, with the hook 33 hooked to the band at a position close to the stop 30, thus forming a closed loop 35 that in practice serves as a handle.

Figure 3 shows the apparatus 10 of Figure 1 arranged on the floor with the crossbar 16 at the bottom and the crossbar 14 at the top. The pulley 24 is in this case at the bottom. The user stands with one foot on the crossbar 16, which thus serves as a footing and grasps the upper crossbar 14 with his hand. The user arranges the loop 35 about his ankle as illustrated and exercises his upper leg, stomach and buttock inuscles by alternately moving his other leg against the resilience of the elastic band 28, and then allowing the band to relax.

Figure 4 shows the frame 12 inverted relative to Figure 3, with the crossbar 14 at the bottom. In this case, the pulley 24 is near the top. The user stands with one foot on the crossbar 14, which in this acts as the footing, and grasps the upper crossbar 16 with one hand as illustrated. He grasps the loop 35 in his free hand and exercises the appropriate arm muscles by alternately raising his arm against the resilience of the elastic band 28, and then allowing the band to relax.

The two examples described above with reference to Figures 3 and 4 are but two of the wide range of exercises that can be performed with the apparatus 10. In each case it will be seen that the frame 12 is unstable and is incapable of standing on its OWIL During exercising, the user applies, with his hand, a reaction force to the frame to hold it in position as the band is alternately stretched and relaxed.

It will be appreciate that with foot pressure applied to that crossbar which, is depending on the exercise, acts as the footing of the apparatus, the frame 12 will be able to swing back and forth to some extent during exercising while the lower crossbar is nevertheless anchored to the ground against lateral movements. Thus the user is able to swing the frame 12 back and forth as required to maintain both his own stability and that of the frame 12 during exercising.

The ability of the pulley 24 to operate as a direction changing pulley is considered to be advantageous, since the user is not limited to movements of his leg or arm in any particular direction. The user can choose which specific muscles are to be exercised by merely changing the direction in which he moves his leg or arm to stretch the band 28, with the pulley 24 permitting a wide range of possible choices.

While the apparatus is primarily intended for use by women wishing to exercise various body muscles, and particularly thigh and buttock muscles when used in the manner depicted in Figure 3, it may equally well be used by men.

Figure 2 illustrates a second apparatus of the invention which has many similarities to the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 4. In Figure 2, like numerals are used to designate corresponding components.

In Figure 2, the Z-shaped frame of Figure 1 is replaced by a C-shaped frame 12 composed, once again, of crossbars 14 and 16 and a spine bar 18 formed in one piece by appropriate bending of round steel tube. Once again, there are pulleys 22 and 24, with the latter pulley capable of acting as a direction changing pulley. There is once again a loop 35 formed by the free end of the elastic band 28. Aside from the fact that the frame 12 is C-shaped as opposed to Z-shaped, this embodiment operates in the same way as the first embodiment.

Figure 5 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention. Like numerals are once again used to designate corresponding components. In this case, the frame 12 is Ishaped as opposed to Z- or C-shaped. The crossbars 14 and 16 in this case span over the respective ends of the spine bar 18. In this embodiment, the crossbars and spine bar are separate components connected together to form the desired I-shape by means of appropriate tubular connectors. The crossbars and spine bar can be made of aluminium in the interests of lightness.

The apparatus of Figure 5 includes a separate footplate 40 which has arcuate arms 42 projecting from it. The arms can be clipped to the crossbar which is, for the time being, the lower crossbar, on opposite sides of the junction between the spine bar and the crossbar. During exercising, the user stands with one foot on the footing defined by the footplate 40, the connections between the arms 42 and the crossbar permitting the frame 12 to swing back and forth as described above.

In Figure 5, the free end of the elastic band 28 carries a stop 44 which is too large to pass back through the pulley 24 and the stop carries an eyelet 46. A handle 48 in the form of an ankle strap can be hooked to the eyelet 46. The ankle strap consists of a length of strong webbing material carrying at its ends the mating parts of a VELCRO-type fastener. In order to perform a leg exercise such as that depicted in Figure 3, the user loops the strap about his ankle and fastens the VELCRO-type fastener. He then commences exercising in much the same way as in Figure 3, with the difference that his other foot now stands upon the footplate rather than directly on the lower crossbar.

Figure 6 shows an alternative handle 50 which can be hooked to the eyelet 46 in place of the ankle strap. Clearly the handle 50 is to be used in arm exercises such as that depicted in Figure 4.

In another embodiment, not illustrated, the invention contemplates a frame 12 which is rectangular, with two parallel crossbars joined to one another by spaced apart spine bars. In other words, the frame is formed as an endless rectangular loop. The loop can be made of appropriately bent round cross-section steel or aluminium tube. Pulleys corresponding to the pulleys 22 and 24 and bands 28 can be provided on either or both of the spine bars. With pulleys and bands on both spine bars, the user will have the choice of which band to exercise against. The user may, for instance, attach both bands to his ankles so as to be able to switch rapidly from the exercising of one leg and its associated muscles to the other, without first having to detach the band from one ankle and attaching it to the other ankle.

It is to be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the use of an elastic band of any particular shape or material, but may be put in to effect using any suitable elongate resilient member or members.

Claims (12)

1.

An exercising apparatus comprising a frame, a footing at an operatively lower end of the frame on which a user can place his foot when the footing rests on a supporting surface such as the floor, a hand support at an operatively upper end of the frame which a user can grasp manually when the frame is upright and the user stands alongside the frame with his foot on the footing, and at least one elastic band which is looped about spaced pulleys on the frame, the stability of the frame in use being maintained by the user who, with his foot on the footing, applies a reaction force to the frame as he exercises by alternately stretching the band against its resilience and allowing the band to relax.

2.

An exercising apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the frame has spaced, parallel crossbars and a spine spanning between the crossbars.

3.

An exercising apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the crossbars and spine define a Z-shape.

4.

An exercising apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the crossbars and spine define a C-shape.

An exercising apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the crossbars and spine define an I-shape.

6.

An exercising apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the band is looped about spaced apart pulleys on the spine.

7.

An exercising apparatus according to claim 6 wherein one of the pulleys is mounted pivotally to the frame and is capable of permitting the band to be stretched in any one of a number of different directions.

8.

An exercising apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the footing is constituted by the operatively lower crossbar itself.

9.

An exercising apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the footing is in the form of a flat plate attachable in pivotal fashion to an operatively lower one of the crossbars.

10.

An exercising apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one end of the band is anchored to the frame and the other, free end of the band in use is formed into a handle in the form of a loop.

11.

An exercising apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein one end of the band is anchored to the frame and the other, free end of the band carries an attachment point to which a handle can be connected.

12.

An exercising apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1, Figure 2 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.