US20110269607A1

US20110269607A1 - Shoulder exercise equipment

Info

Publication number: US20110269607A1
Application number: US13/121,537
Authority: US
Inventors: Hyung Yong Choi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-10-02
Filing date: 2009-09-28
Publication date: 2011-11-03
Also published as: WO2010038959A3; KR100909190B1; JP2012504453A; CN102170943A; WO2010038959A2

Abstract

Provided is shoulder exercise equipment including: a cylinder-shaped rod having a circular cross-section; and two twist grips that are symmetrically mounted in both ends of the rod in which the twist grips comprise a slide portion that slidably moves in the form of a wave along the lengthy direction of the rod, respectively. Accordingly, the shoulder exercise equipment enables users to easily exercise muscles of the moderner's shoulder, back, or rear neck that is not frequently used, to thereby effectively relax and to strengthen the weakened muscles, and to thus mitigate or prevent diseases such as a frozen shoulder or turtleneck syndromes from which modern people can frequently suffer due to fixed life patterns as well as provide an exercise effect.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to exercise equipment, and more particularly, to shoulder exercise equipment that is configured to enable a user to strengthen muscular strength of user's arms and shoulders and to stretch the user's arms and shoulders.

BACKGROUND ART

As the name implies, a disease that is called a frozen shoulder had been known as one of degenerative diseases of aging in the past. A majority of moderns sit at a desk to work and thus have regular life patterns that lead to use the body's muscles mainly in one direction only toward the front. Accordingly, the frozen shoulder has become one of diseases that frequently appear in the moderns long since.
In addition, a disease that is called a turtleneck syndrome has been also widely known among modern diseases that occur when users work for a long time in a prone position where the shoulder and neck forward toward the front without any movement.
These diseases such as the frozen shoulder and the turtleneck syndrome are symptoms that occur due to ill-balanced development, stiffness, or degeneration of the body's muscles that are not used in various directions but is used for long only at a biased state in one direction by the simple life pattern, both of which do not only cause considerable pain but also become a cause of the secondary disease such as abnormal weakness of the muscles that are not used or a herniated cervical disc.
In order to alleviate these symptoms, it is desirable to prevent stiffness and degradation of muscles by increasing the use of muscles in the direction where the muscles are not used. Postures of stretching patient's arms upwards with his or her hands clasped so as to link the fingers of both hands behind his or her back, or stretching his or her back can be simply helpful to alleviate the symptoms. However, actions and postures that can be achieved by only a so-called bare-hands stretching exercise are limited. Therefore, it is not easy for general persons to relax any stiff muscles or to perform well-balanced muscle strengthening exercises with only a bare-hands stretching exercise. Meanwhile, exercise equipment for strengthening the muscles such as dumbbells and grasping power reinforcing implements, or for stretching for use in the health clubs is known in various forms, but most of the exercise equipment is focused on strengthening of the muscles in a particular region of the body. In addition, most of the exercise equipment requires expensive equipment and a large space. As a result, no compact type exercise equipment has been provided for relaxing the muscles of the stiff back, the rear neck or the shoulder and for strengthening the muscles that are not used.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide shoulder exercise equipment that is configured to effectively relax muscles of the moderner's shoulder, back, or rear neck that is prone to stiffen, and configured to simultaneously strengthen the muscles, to thereby mitigate or prevent diseases such as a frozen shoulder or turtleneck syndromes.
To accomplish the above objects of the present invention, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided shoulder exercise equipment comprising:
a cylinder-shaped rod having a circular cross-section; and
two twist grips that are symmetrically mounted in both ends of the rod in which the twist grips comprise a slide portion that slidably moves in the form of a wave along the lengthy direction of the rod, respectively.
In this case, each twist grip comprises;
a fixed portion whose inner circumference matches the outer circumference of the rod and on the outer surface of which a cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface and a sectional stopper that is protruded in a terraced form at the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface are formed, in which slide supporting projections that are protruded outwards are further formed on the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface so as to be fixedly combined with the rod; and
the slide portion whose inner circumference matches the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface of the fixed portion and on the inner circumference of which waveform grooves are formed in which the slide supporting projections can be inserted into the waveform grooves, and that is mounted to slidably move on the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface.
Alternatively, the cylinder-shaped rod comprises waveform slots that are symmetrically formed at the lateral surfaces of both ends of the rod and that penetrate both sides of the rod at corresponding positions around the center of a circular cross-section of the rod, respectively, and each twist grip whose inner circumference matches the outer circumference of the rod and on the inner circumference of which slide supporting projections that can be respectively inserted into the waveform slots are formed, in which the slide supporting projections are mounted on the outer circumference of the rod in a structure that the slide supporting projections that can be respectively inserted into the waveform slots.
Preferably, the shoulder exercise equipment further comprises: a fixing holder that is mounted adjacent to one end of each twist grip so as to stop sliding movement of the twist grips that are slidably mounted along the waveform slots.
Moreover, the shoulder exercise equipment further comprises: a fixed handle that is fixedly mounted at either end of the rod.
Moreover, the cylinder-shaped rod is configured to comprise two parts formed of a first rod part and a second rod part in order to adjust the entire length of the cylinder-shaped rod, in which the cylinder-shaped rod is configured in a structure that one end of the first rod part is inserted into one end of the second rod part, and a female/male screw type combiner is formed in the inside of a connection portion of connecting the first rod part and the second rod part, to thereby control the overall length of the rod by adjusting an insertion depth of the first rod part.
Preferably, a male structure of the female/male screw type combiner is mounted so as to move within a certain section and a spring is provided at the lower portion of the male structure, so that the rod can be elastically extended and contracted in the case that external force is applied to the rod in the lengthy direction of the rod even at a state where the entire length of the rod has been controlled.
Furthermore, a rear neck massaging unit is mounted at the longitudinal center of the rod.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the preferred embodiments thereof in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of shoulder exercise equipment according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the shoulder exercise equipment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a twist grip of the shoulder exercise equipment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially sectional perspective view of a slide portion of the shoulder exercise equipment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of shoulder exercise equipment according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a partially exploded perspective view of the shoulder exercise equipment of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views for explaining operations of a twist grip of the shoulder exercise equipment of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a combiner of the shoulder exercise equipment of FIG. 1 or 5; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of shoulder exercise equipment according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinbelow, shoulder exercise equipment according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of shoulder exercise equipment according to a first embodiment of the present invention, among the first and second embodiments of the present invention.
The shoulder exercise equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention is identical to that of the second embodiment of the present invention, in a functional aspect that gripped portions of twist grips 20 slidably move in the form of a wave along a rod 10, in the case that a user performs a twist operation at a state where he or she has gripped the twist grips 20 with both hands, but the former differs from the latter more or less in a configurational aspect for realizing corresponding functions.
As shown in FIG. 1, the shoulder exercise equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes: a cylinder-shaped rod 10 having a circular cross-section; and two twist grips 20 that are symmetrically mounted in both ends of the rod 10 in which the twist grips 20 includes a slide portion 210 that slidably moves in the form of a wave along the lengthy direction of the rod 10, respectively.
In order to allow the gripped portions of the twist grips 20 slidably move in the form of a wave along the rod 10, the twist grips 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention are implemented as shown in FIG. 2, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 2, each twist grip 20 includes: a fixed portion 220 that is inserted into the outer circumference of the rod 10 and whose inner circumference is fixedly mounted on the outer circumference of the rod 10. The fixed portion 220 includes a cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface 221 that is formed of a cylindrical outer circumference and a sectional stopper 222 that is protruded in a terraced form at the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface 221.
Slide supporting projections 21 that are protruded outwards are further formed on the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface 221 of the fixed portion 220 so as to be fixedly combined with the rod 10. This slide supporting projections 21 play a role of performing functions of supporting and guiding slide movement of a slide portion 210.
The slide portion 210 is formed in a pipe form having an inner surface corresponding to the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface 221 of the fixed portion 220, so as to slidably move in the form of a wave on the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface 221 of the fixed portion 220. In addition, waveform grooves 211 are formed in the intaglio process on the inner circumference of the slide portion 210 in which the slide supporting projections 21 can be inserted into the waveform grooves 211.
An example of coupling the waveform grooves 211 with the slide supporting projections 21 can be found through FIG. 3 that shows a lengthy rectangular cross-section of the state including the supporting projections 21. In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, since slide portion 210 is mounted on the fixed portion 220 at a state that the waveform grooves 211 accommodate the supporting projections 21, the slide portion 210 becomes a state capable of slidably moving on the fixed portion 220 according to a guide of the slide supporting projections 21 that have been engaged with the waveform grooves 211.
The movement of the wave form of the slide portion 210 is achieved by the waveform grooves 211 that are formed on the inner surface of the slide portion 210. These waveform grooves 211 can be found clearly through FIG. 4 showing the perspective cross-section of the slide portion 210.
Meanwhile, the sectional stopper 222 is needed in order to limit a movable section of the slide portion 210. The sectional stopper 222 plays a role of preventing the slide portion 210 that is slid in one direction from being escape from the slide supporting projections 21. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the sectional stopper 222 is provided in one direction of the sliding section of the slide portion 210 and a fixed handle 30 is mounted in the other direction of the sliding section of the slide portion 210. Accordingly, it is possible to make the fixed handle 30 configured to play a role of the sectional stopper 222.
The fixed handle 30 also plays a role of adding a variety of functions to the shoulder exercise equipment according to the purposes of the present invention. The detailed structure and function of the fixed handle 30 will be described later in more detail.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of shoulder exercise equipment according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the shoulder exercise equipment according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes: a cylinder-shaped rod 10 having a circular cross-section; and two twist grips 20 that are symmetrically mounted in both ends of the rod 10; and fixed handles 30 that are fixedly mounted on both ends of the rod 10.
In other words, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the twist grips 20 play a role of performing functions of the slide portions 210 of the first embodiment of the present invention. The sliding movement of the twist grips 20 is achieved by the structure of the rod 10 and interactions with the rod 10 to be described later.
In order to stop the transfer of the twist grips 20 that slidably move along the rod 10, it is desirable that a fixing holder 25 is further mounted adjacent to one end of each twist grip 20.
FIG. 6 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a configuration of the twist grip 20 that slidably moves along the rod 10 in more detail.
As shown in FIG. 6, a waveform slot 15 that is made of a throughhole shape of a curved slot is formed at the lateral surface of the end of the rod 10 where the twist grip 20 is mounted. The waveform slot 15 is symmetrically formed at the lateral surfaces of both ends of the rod 10 around the center of a circular cross-section of the rod 10, respectively. Meanwhile, in the case of the twist grip 20 that is mounted on the outer surface of the rod 10, the inner surface of the twist grip 20 is formed in correspondence to the outer surface of the rod 10, to thereby make the twist grip 20 mounted on the rod 10 in the form of surrounding the rod 10. In this case, the slide supporting projections 21 that are inserted into the waveform slots 15 are protrudingly installed in both opposing sides of the inner surface of the twist grip 20. As a result, in the case that the twist grip 20 is mounted in a structure that the slide supporting projections 21 are inserted into the waveform slots 15, the twist grip 20 can slidably move on the surface of the rod 10 according to a guide of the waveform slots 15.
In other words, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the twist grip 20 is mounted on the rod 10 in a state where the slide supporting projections 21 that are protrudingly installed in the inner side of the twist grip 20 are inserted into the waveform slots 15. Thus, in the case that a user performs a twist operation of twisting the twist grip 20 at a state shown in FIG. 7, the twist grip 20 moves to the lengthy direction of the rod 10 according to the guide of the waveform slots 15, and simultaneously rotates around the rod 10.
Since two twist grips 20 having the above-described configuration are mounted in the direction of both ends of the rod 10, a user who uses the shoulder exercise equipments according to the first or second embodiment of the present invention can exercise in a manner of gripping the twist grips 20 with both hands of the user.
For example, when a user turns the twist grips 20 in operation of twisting the wrist at a state where he or she has held the twist grips 20 by stretching his or her arms out to the direction of the back, both the rectilinear movement to the lengthy direction of the rod 10 and the rotational movement to the direction where the twist grips 20 rotate around the rod 10 occur mutually symmetrically in the twist grips 20, to thereby make muscles of both wrists, arms and shoulders that have been used to grip the twist grips 20 effectively exercised. As a result, the posture of stretching his or her arms out to the direction of the back can be easily maintained, to thereby provide a basic stretching effect for muscles of the shoulders and back, and to further obtain a muscle reinforcing effect of reinforcing various kinds of muscles by the rotating and sliding operations of the twist grips 20.
Meanwhile, it can be seen that the fixed handles 30 that are different from the twist grips 20 can be mounted in both ends of the rod 10, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6. The fixed handles 30 are fixedly mounted in both ends of the rod 10, respectively, to thus maintain a fixed state differently from the twist grips 20 that slidably move within a certain section on the rod 10 to thus give a unique exercise effect, and to thereby allow a user to pursue enhancement of the muscular strength through an action similar to that of rowing a boat. The fixed handles 30 further include extra finger holes 35, respectively, to thus enable the user to grip the fixed handles 30 firmly with his or her hands or to turn his or her shoulders freely at a state where his or her fingers are lightly inserted into only the finger holes 35, and to thereby help relief of the stiffened shoulder muscles and enhancement of the muscular strength.
Meanwhile, when making an exercise by using the fixed handles 30, it is desirable that the shoulder exercise equipment further includes fixing holders 25 that are fixing units for fixing the twist grips 20 at a state where the slide supporting projections 21 of the twist grips 20 are positioned at the end of the waveform slots 15, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8, in order to stably secure the twist grips 20 that are not used. As shown in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8, the fixing holders 25 can be configured to secure the twist grips 20 by a screw coupling manner along the screw threads formed on the surface of the rod 10.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a combiner for coupling the rod 10 of the shoulder exercise equipment according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1 that is the representative drawing of the first embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 5 that is the representative drawing of the second embodiment of the present invention, the rod 10 can be implemented into a coupling of two rod parts that are basically separable in which one rod part is inserted into the inner diameter of the other rod part, in order to control the entire length of the rod 10. These two rod parts are interconnected at a connection portion 40.
In other words, it is desirable to adjust the length of the rod 10 depending on user's physical conditions. For this purpose, the rod 10 is divided into first rod part 11 and second rod part 12 in which the end of the first rod part 11 is inserted into the inner diameter of the second rod part 12. In this case, a screw type combiner can be applied for the inner side of the connection portion of the first rod part 11 and the second rod part 12, in order to adjust the length stably and easily. In other words, as shown in FIG. 9, a male screw structure 50 is mounted in the inner side of the first rod part 11, and female threads that are engaged with the male screw structure 50 are provided in the inner side of the second rod part 12, to thereby firmly coupling the first and second rod parts 11 and 12 and simultaneously provide a function of adjusting the length of the rod 10 according to a degree of tightening the male screw structure 50 into the female threads.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 9, a spring 60 is mounted at the lower portion of the male structure 50. Accordingly, the rod 10 can be extended and contracted within a certain section by user's force even at a state where the male screw structure 50 has been tightened into the female threads. As a result, the present invention provides advantages capable of obtaining a further exercise effect and an additional buffering effect.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of shoulder exercise equipment according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
The structure of the shoulder exercise equipment according to the third embodiment of the present invention is almost the same as that of the second embodiment of the present invention, but the former differs from the latter in a viewpoint that the shoulder exercise equipment according to the third embodiment of the present invention further includes a rear neck massage unit 70 at the center portion of the rod 10. In addition, the feature of the can be easily applied to the shoulder exercise equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
In the case that a user grips the shoulder exercise equipment according to the third embodiment of the present invention at the back of the neck, the rod 10 can be positioned at the rear neck portion. In this case, the rear neck massage unit 70 shown in FIG. 10 can be placed on the neck portion, and can be used as an exercise combined massage purpose or a dedicated massage purpose. Accordingly, the shoulder exercise equipment according to the third embodiment of the present invention can be usefully utilized as an apparatus of relaxing the stiff muscles of the rear neck portion and smoothing blood circulation. As shown in FIG. 10, the rear neck massage unit 70 can be formed to include a number of massage protrusions. Of curse, a conventional vibration function can be added to the shoulder exercise equipment according to the present invention.
As described above, the present invention has been described with respect to particularly preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it is possible for one who has an ordinary skill in the art to make various modifications and variations, without departing off the spirit of the present invention. Thus, the protective scope of the present invention is not defined within the detailed description thereof but is defined by the claims to be described later and the technical spirit of the present invention.
Effects of the Invention
By the above-described configuration, the shoulder exercise equipment of the present invention has the following effects.
Firstly, muscles of the back, shoulders, and neck portion that are not well used can be easily used through the shoulder exercise equipment according to the present invention, to thereby relax rigidity of the muscles and strengthen the weakened muscles and to thus mitigate or prevent diseases such as a frozen shoulder or turtleneck syndromes from which moderner frequently suffer according to simplified life patterns as well as provide an exercise effect.
Secondly, a stretching action and a muscle strengthening action that are not easy to make an exercise with only free gymnastics, can be done through various applications such as a rowing action.
Thirdly, a massage function is added for the shoulder exercise equipment according to the present invention, to thereby enable users to take various and comprehensive measures for stretching, muscle strengthening, massaging, and preventing disease such as frozen shoulder.

Claims

1. Shoulder exercise equipment comprising:

a cylinder-shaped rod having a circular cross-section; and

two twist grips that are symmetrically mounted in both ends of the rod in which the twist grips comprise a slide portion that slidably moves in the form of a wave along the lengthy direction of the rod, respectively,

wherein the twist grips comprise:

a fixed portion whose inner circumference matches the outer circumference of the rod and on the outer surface of which a cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface and a sectional stopper that is protruded in a terraced form at the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface are formed, in which slide supporting projections that are protruded outwards are further formed on the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface so as to be fixedly combined with the rod; and

the slide portion whose inner circumference matches the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface of the fixed portion and on the inner circumference of which waveform grooves are formed in which the slide supporting projections can be inserted into the waveform grooves, and that is mounted to slidably move on the cylinder-shaped outer circumferential surface.

2. Shoulder exercise equipment comprising:

a cylinder-shaped rod having a circular cross-section; and

wherein the cylinder-shaped rod comprises waveform slots that are symmetrically formed at the lateral surfaces of both ends of the rod and that penetrate both sides of the rod at corresponding positions around the center of a circular cross-section of the rod, respectively, and each twist grip whose inner circumference matches the outer circumference of the rod and on the inner circumference of which slide supporting projections that can be respectively inserted into the waveform slots are formed, in which the slide supporting projections are mounted on the outer circumference of the rod in a structure that the slide supporting projections that can be respectively inserted into the waveform slots.

3. The Shoulder exercise equipment according to claim 2, further comprising:

a fixing holder that is mounted adjacent to one end of each twist grip so as to stop sliding movement of the twist grips that are slidably mounted along the waveform slots.

4. The Shoulder exercise equipment according to claim 1, further comprising: a fixed handle that is fixedly mounted at either end of the rod.

5. The Shoulder exercise equipment according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder-shaped rod is configured to comprise two parts formed of a first rod part and a second rod part in order to adjust the entire length of the cylinder-shaped rod, in which the cylinder-shaped rod is configured in a structure that one end of the first rod part is inserted into one end of the second rod part, and a female/male screw type combiner is formed in the inside of a connection portion of connecting the first rod part and the second rod part, to thereby control the overall length of the rod by adjusting an insertion depth of the first rod part.

6. The Shoulder exercise equipment according to claim 5, wherein a male structure of the female/male screw type combiner is mounted so as to move within a certain section and a spring is provided at the lower portion of the male structure, so that the rod can be elastically extended and contracted in the case that external force is applied to the rod in the lengthy direction of the rod even at a state where the entire length of the rod has been controlled.

7. The Shoulder exercise equipment according to claim 1, further comprising: a rear neck massaging unit that is mounted at the longitudinal center of the rod.

8. The Shoulder exercise equipment according to claim 2, further comprising: a fixed handle that is fixedly mounted at either end of the rod.

9. The Shoulder exercise equipment according to claim 2, wherein the cylinder-shaped rod is configured to comprise two parts formed of a first rod part and a second rod part in order to adjust the entire length of the cylinder-shaped rod, in which the cylinder-shaped rod is configured in a structure that one end of the first rod part is inserted into one end of the second rod part, and a female/male screw type combiner is formed in the inside of a connection portion of connecting the first rod part and the second rod part, to thereby control the overall length of the rod by adjusting an insertion depth of the first rod part.

10. The Shoulder exercise equipment according to claim 2, further comprising: a rear neck massaging unit that is mounted at the longitudinal center of the rod.