CA2020184A1 - Exercise device - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE:
A portable multi-purpose exercise device utilizing a means to provide passive resistance to the device and the exerciser.
The device is comprised of two cooperating arms pivotally linked near one end, handles at the non-linked ends and with a variable resistance means attached to and located between both arms. This device has been designed to be versatile in use, accommodating many types of exercises, yet remaining very portable.

Description

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
This invention relates to portable, versatile exercise equipment that is used in the performance of a multitude of exercises.

BACKGROUD OF THE INVENTION:
Over the past several years, regular exercise has become increasingly popular with all age groups in North America and in many other parts of the world. Such exercise is done for both enjoyment and for the purpose of increasing fitness. Exercise may include sports such as tennis, hockey, football and cycling.
lt may also include more repetitive type motion that is generally considered body conditioning more than it would be considered sports. Repetitive exercise could include jogqing, swimming, rowing, progressive training with weights, etc. These exercises would typically be aimed at increasing or maintaining a level of fitness. Progressive resistance training, which generally involves working various parts of the body against the resistance provided by a machine or free weights, has become very popular unto itself and/or as an activity to supplement sports participation.
Due to the type of lifestyles that many now lead, people who wish to perform regular exercise have a difficult time doing so due~ to such reasons as lack of time, lack of space, lack of money, difficulty in accessing exercise equipment, etc. As a result, many people do not exercise as regularly or in the manner they would prefer or enjoy.
There is a large and still growing need for exercise equipment that provides a full range of exercises in an "all-in-one" piece of equipment. Such a piece of equipment must be easy ~ 2020~ 8~ ;

to use, conducive to performing the type of exercises it is designed for and versitile. Additionally, there is a need for equipment that overcomes the high cost and inconvenience of exercising at a public or semi-private facility. Many people would prefer to exercise in the privacy and convenience of their own home. This generally requires that any equipment used be low cost and compact. Lastly, there is a need for exercise equipment that is portable in that it can be easily carried or transported by one person from one location to another. This would accomodate a person on a business trip, vacation, etc.
Exercising with free weights or with a weight machine are among the earliest forms of resistance exercising. It is usually necessary to have a large variety of weights available. This ,, , takes up space and is expensive. Another alternative is to have a weight set such that the amount of weight can be changed " . , between exercises, but this interrupts the exercising process from one exercise to the next. Furthermore, exercising with weights can easily lead to injury. Free weight and weight machines are examples of a type of apparatus that provide active resistance to exercise. Basically, this means that the resistance provided by the weight is continuous during the exercise and the resistance would require active movement of the :,:
~ body part doing the exercise to stop the motion. More force than ~ -~
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the actual weight is required to move the weight, and equal force as the weight is required to hold it stationary, and even some ~ -force acting against the weight is required to put it down unless .
it is permitted to free fall.
There is a need for exercise equipment that can provide passive resistance to motion as opposed to active resistance such -' 21~20~ ~

as free weight. Exercise equipment that fulfills this need is basically safer and less likely to cause injury. A passive resistance apparatus uses friction or fluidic resistance to resist movement. An example of such a device is a cable and pulley exerciser. The pulley is adapted to receive the cable and the cable also passes a frictional device designed to resist movement. The resistance is only generated as movement is created. In this way, the user only experiences resistance over the range they wish to move and, since the resistance is generally proportional to the amount of movement, they ,perform the exercises with only as much resistance as can be safely handled. Another example of passive resistance exercise is a machine that uses fluid resistance in the form of hydraulic cylinders to resist motion. Such machines normally only accomodate one type of movement and, therefore, several different machines are generally required to exercise various parts of the body. These types of machines are becoming more popular in public and semi-private exercise facilities. However, private use is still quite limitod ~due to expense and lack of versat~ ity. It is~ believed that an affordable passive resistance exercise resistance machine that accommodates several different types of exercises at varying resistance is necessary and would be popular.
A passive resistance exercise machine is viable as a form of progressive resistance training. Progressive resistance training involves performing repetitive exercise against a resistance. As a person`s strenght increases, the number of repetitions ~ .
performed would be increased or the resistance is increased in .

order to retain the same number of repetitions.
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Other factors that influence the acquisition and use the exercise equipment are the facts that many people wish to exercise at home, they desire a machine that will allow them to exercise many body parts and they want to use equipment that is of a newer technology. An important factor is the adjustability of a machine to allow the user to select the desired resistance to the exercise movement. The resistance may be selected depending on the strength of the individual, the amount of work desired, and on the type of exercise being performed. Resistance may be very low for someone such as an elderly person to very high for a trained athlete. Also, there must be adaptability or ajustability in terms of the range of motion of the exercise apparatus to accommodate different types of exercises. In order to gain overall accommodation of different resistances and ranges of motion, it is necessary that the means of providing resistance ., ,,., ;,::
be highly adjustable.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART~
~: Over the past several years, free weight has been one of the -~`
most common and available forms of providing resistance to a person when exercising. Such free weight include barbells and ;~
dumbbells. They co~e in~v,ariety of weights o,r are adjustable in that weight can be added or removed as required. Free weight is used for a number of different types of exercises including light ~
exercise, aerobic exerc~ise and general toning. It can also be ~ -: used for moderate to very heavy exercise for strength and muscle building.
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An apparatus that can be used in place of free weight is a ~-weight machine. Typically, weight machines have one or more 4 .

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stacks of weights and the desired weight can be selected. Weight machines are usually one of two types. The first type allows a number of exercises to be performed at it, the other type allows ;~
only one specific exercise be performed at a station. In either .. , ~ -case, the exercise is typically performed by using a lever or cable means to move the weight. ;~

A number of passive resistance devices have been developed ~ ;r-in the past, and, like most passive resistance devices, they are either too cumbersome to be easily transported or too restrictive in the number of exercises offered.
U.S. Patent 3,912,265 to MUIR discloses a fluid flow resistance exerciser adding an operating arm and base arm. The base arm extends at it`s lower end into a pair of support feet.
The feet are secured to a fixed base large enough to preclude the device from tipping over during use. Connected between the base arm ~and the operating arm is a fluid flow resistance means which is designed to resist relative movement between the operating arm .
-.:: :, and~;the base arm. Thç fluid flow resistance is not readily adjustable in terms of the resistance it provides or in terms of altering the position thereof, so as to provide variable ;~
resistance.
U.S.~ Patent l 4,~18,14Q !to BROWN disc,loses a p,hysical exercising apparatus having a carrier member and a lever ~
~pivotally attached thereto, with a cylinder device attached --`
therebetween in order to resist relative rotational movement between the carrier member and the lever. The carrier member is ~ ~ ~ ......
designed to attach to a track, with the track secured to ~;
something such as a wall. It is contemplated that only the lever ~ be ~nterfaced by someone exercising with this piece of equipment.

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The piston is adjustably locatable at one end onto the lever.

U.S. Patent 4,813,667 to WATTERSON discloses an exerciser ,: :- .:
having a frame member with a pair of levers attached rotatably thereto. Between the frame member and each lever is an hydraulic cylinder that resists the relative rotational movement of the j,~
levers with respect to the frame member. This piece of exercise `~
equlpment can be used for rowing or cross country skiing type exercises. '~
U.S. Patent to MARSHALL discloses a combination rowing machine and chest exerciser comprising a slide rail having a ' sliding seat attached to it. It also has a pair of poles ~ ,' attached pivotally to a cross bar which joins the poles and attaches them to the rail. Each pole moves pivotally with '~
respect to it`s rail and the relative movement there between is :
restricted by a piston. Each plston is attached in an adjustable relation to each of the poles.
U.S. Patent 4,746,115 to LAHMAN discloses an exercising device with a controllable force pattern having pneumatic ayllnder member attached at one end to a large frame and in adjustable relation to a pivoting rail at the other end. The rail is attached pivotally to the large frame. The pivoting rail is moved,~up,ward by,l~fti~g,the bar. A rolljer located on" a triangular swinging frame glides along the pivoting rail which in turn raises the triangular swinging frame upward. This movement is resisted by the pneumatic cylinder member.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION~
~ It is the basic object of the present invention to provide a passive resistance exercise apparatus for use in exercising almost any part of the body, and also to provide a range of ' - :' , 6 2 ~

resistance to motion such that the proper resistance can be selected depending on the ~xercise being performed and on the needs and desires of the person performing the exercises.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that allows progressive resistance exercises to be performed, and that is embodied in a compact format that can be easily stored or readily transported by an individual.
The present invention provides an apparatus that is adapted to allow selectively variable resistance to movement, specifically movement to exercise. More particularly, it provides an apparatus that is adapted to allow passive resistance to exercise. The exercise apparatus is intended to be used for a number of different exercises and to provide whatever resistance and range of motion is necessary for the particular exercise.
The apparatus has two arms rotationally attached to one another near one end of each arm, and handles located near the ; other end of each arm. The unattached ends of the arms are moved apart by holding on to each handle, typically with one`s hands or feet, and separating the bars apart or moving the bars together, depending on the exercise being performed. The exercise motion is resisted by a passive resistance device attached between each i of the arms'. Typi~ally, ~a~filuidic damper such as a pistoni is used. It is also possible to use an active resistance means, such as a spring, either separately or in conjunction with a passive resistance means.
An important feature of the invention is that the apparatus .: ~
allous variable resistance for each exercise. Resistance variance is accomplished in one of two ways. The first way is by adjusting the resistance means with respect to the location on .'' ., -- 202~1 g~ ` ~

the two arms to which it is attached. Placing the resistance means nearer the attached ends of the two arms provides less resistance than placing the resistance means nearer to the handle ends of the arm. ~referably, one end of the resistance means is :~ .
placed nearer to the attached ends of the arms, and the other ~;
end of the resistance means is placed nearer the handle end of the arms such that the two arms may be collapsed together.
The second method of varying the resistance is to permanently attach a variable resistance means to each of the arms with one end of the resistance means placed nearer to the handle end of one of the arms and the other end of the resistance means placed nearer the attached end of the arms such that the two arms may be collapsed together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: ~
~n exercise appartus as herein described is of a size such ~ ~ !
that it is readily portable. Drawings of two variations in size are provided.
Embodiments of this invention will now be described by way of example in association with the accompanying drawings, in ; which~
Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus in a closed ;
posltion;
Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus in an open position; :~
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 show one size of the apparatus being used for various exercises;
Figure 8 shows a variation of the apparatus (in size, ~ ~ :
not structure) enabling it to be used for another type of exercise. ~ --. ~ :.

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DETAILED DESCRIP~ION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS~
Reference will now be made to Figure 1 which shows the exercise apparatus 20 being supported at both ends by the horizontal surface 22. The exercise apparatus comprises a first cooperating arm 24 and a second cooperating arm 26 joined in rotatable relation to one another at one end of each of the two arms. There is a connecting means 28 rigidly attached to one of the two cooperating arms and rotatably attached at 30 to the other cooperating arm. In the preferred embodiment, connecting means 28 has a small pad 32 on the end thereof to protect the horizontal surface it is resting on.
At the other end of the first cooperating arm 24 is a first handle means 34 which is connected in slideable relation thereto. The first handle means 34 is connected to a fastening means 36 which is slideably located on the first arm 24.
Fastening means 36 is clamped in a position on the first cooperating arm 24. A variety of means could be used such as a snap clamp, a lever clamp, or a threaded tightening clamp such as ciamp means 38.
~ In a similar manner, the second cooperating arm 26 has a second handle~means 40 attached in a slideable ,relation thereto.
Fastening means 42 is clamped into position on the second ., cooperating arm 26 by a clamp fastening means. Again a variety ~ ;~
of clamping means may be used.
The first (34) and second (40) handle means may also be `~
rotational to the axis of the respective cooperating arms. Such .
rotation would encourage a user to provide substantially equal :
force to the handle at any given time during an exercise, or the . `' ~

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handle would rotate. A handle configured thusly would also be lockable such that it would not rotate if desired by the user.
The first handle means may have a rotating grip 39 placed on it. Such free rotation of the grips precludes the wrists from having to change angle or the hands from having to slide around the handle means during an exercise movement.
The second handle means 40 may be a handle means similar to the first handle means 34 or may be in the form of a base means that is pivotally connected to the fastening means 42 and extends outwardly therefrom. The base means terminates in a flat portion 44 that is adapted to be in intimate contact with a generally flat receiving surface such as the horizontal surface 22. The flat portion 44 is also adapted to receive the sole area of the user`s feet or shoes in order that the base means is held securely in place on the horizontal surface 22.
The resistance means 50 -- which is the preferred embodiment is a fluidic damper (i.e., a piston), is attached at one end in a slideable relation to the first cooperating arm 24 and, at the other end, in a slideable relation to the second cooperating arm 26.
The connection to each cooperating arm is made by fastening means~52 andl54. ~hese fastening means work in a similar manner to the previously described fastening means 36 and 42. Other types of fastening means could, of course, be used. The resistance means 50 is attached pivotally to each of the fastening means 52 and 54. In use, the fastening means 52 and 54 are secured to the first coooperating arm 24 and the second cooperating arm 26 respectively. As shown in Figure 2, when the first and second cooperating arms are moved apart, the resistance :' ~, 2 0 2 ~

means 50 extends correspondingly.
Reference will now be made to Figure 3 which shows a person in both a crouching position 70 and a standing position 72. The person has grasped the exercise apparatus 2~ by the handle 34 and has lifted the handle while going from a crouch position 70 to a standing position 72. The first cooperating arm 24 and the second cooperating arm 26 have an angularly displaced by such lifting of the first handle means 34. Furthermore, the piston 50 has been lengthened because it is tightly connected to the two cooperating arms. The piston 50 has also provided the passive resistance to motion of the apparatus during the standing and lifting steps.
As stated earlier, Figures 4 through 8 describe a variety of exercises that can be accomplished using the present invention.
There are a number of other exercises that can be accomplished by this invention. These diagrams are intended only to illustrate a few exercises for the purpose of example.
It should also be noted that Figure 8 shows use of the apparatus of the present inventi.on in a somewhat different manner. ~It has been noted earlier that the apparatus may be made smaller in size than as suggested by Figures 1 to 7; and moreover, that the,lapparatus need not be supported against the floor (or a wall) during its use. In this case, the apparatus is :::
held in free space for purpose of exercises such as a chest ~:~
press, and is usually lighter and more compact in size. :~
Other modifications and alterations may be used in the design and manufacture of the exercise apparatus of the present `~
; invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.
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Claims (22)

1. An exercise apparatus comprising:
a first cooperating arm and a second cooperating arm joined in angularly adjustable relation one to the other, said first cooperating arm having a first end and a second end and said second cooperating arm having a first end and a second end;
a first handle means located near said first end of said first cooperating arm and a second handle means located near said first end of said second cooperating arm; and movement resistance means for resisting the relative angular displacement of said first cooperating arm and said second cooperating arm, wherein said movement resistance means is adapted to provide passive resistance.

2. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said movement resistance means is adapted to provide selectively variable passive resistance.

3. The exercise apparatus of claim 2, wherein said movement resistance means is attached at one end in moveable relation to said first cooperating arm and attached at the other end in moveable relation to said second cooperating arm.

4. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said passive resistance means is a fluidic damper.

5. The exercise apparatus of claim 4, wherein said fluidic damper is a piston.

6. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said movement resistance means is adapted to resist movement in one direction.

7. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said movement resistance means is adapted to resist movement in two directions.

8. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first cooperating arm and said second cooperating arm rotate in pivotal relation one to the other.

9. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and the second arms are attached to one another by a pair of linking arms.

10. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and the second arms are attached to one another near the second end of each respective arm.

11. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first handle means is held in pivotal relationship to said first cooperating arm.

12. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second handle means is held in pivotal relationship to said second cooperating arm.

13. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second handle means, is a base means and is adapted to be in intimate contact with a generally flat receiving surface.

14. The exercise apparatus of claim 13, wherein said base means is generally flat and is adapted to receive a user's feet, so that said base means is held securely in place on said receiving surface.

15. The exercise apparatus of claim 13, wherein said base means is held in pivotal relation to said second cooperating arm.

16. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, having handle grips located on said first handle means and in rotatable relation thereto.

17. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first handle means is movable along said first cooperating arm.

18. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second handle means is movable along said second cooperating arm.

19. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first co-operating arm is collapsable and extensible in length.

20. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second co-operating arm is collapsable and extensible in length.

21. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said exercise apparatus is adapted to be rigidly secured to a horizontal surface.

22. The exercise apparatus of claim 13, wherein said base means is adapted to be rigidly secured to a vertical surface.