CA2280407A1

CA2280407A1 - Push-up exerciser

Info

Publication number: CA2280407A1
Application number: CA002280407A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Yvan Cournoyer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-08-11
Filing date: 1999-08-11
Publication date: 2001-02-11

Abstract

The exerciser has a pair of straight posts having lower footrests for resting on the ground, and upper shoulders for abutting against a wall, with both posts being substantially parallel and inclined in an operative position of the exerciser. The posts are provided with notches distributed along their length, in which a push-up bar may be inserted for support of the push-up bar at a selected height over ground. The posts are telescopic, so as to allow the length thereof to be adjusted, and further to facilitate the storage of the exerciser.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION: PUSH-UP EXERCISER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to exercisers, and more particularly to a push-up exerciser.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
United States patent No. 4,923,194 issued in 1990 to C.W. Montgomery shows an inclined exerciser device including a pair of spaced apart, arcuate posts which each rest on 1 0 the ground at their front extremities. The posts are linked at their rear extremities by a ground-engaging plate. A transverse cross-bar extends from one post to the other and can slide along parallel inclined segments thereof, to be releasably fixedly installed at a selected position therealong. Thus, the height of the cross-bar can be adjusted. A person may then use the bar to perform push-up or pull-up exercises, the level of difficulty of the exercises increasing as the 1 5 cross-bar is lowered.
One problem with the exerciser shown in the Montgomery patent is that it is rather cumbersome. Indeed, due to the inclined segments of the supports posts, a relatively long floor area is required to install the exerciser. However, this design or configuration of the Montgomery exerciser is desirable for its purpose, since not only push-ups but also pull-ups are 2 0 performed on the exerciser. The pull-ups require a longer exerciser due to the position of the person who is engaged further between the supports, under the cross-bar. Also, weaker persons, such as persons recovering from physical indispositions, or persons simply wanting easier push-up exercises, may want to exercise by performing push-ups in near-vertical positions; the Montgomery exerciser does not allow push-ups to be accomplished in a near-vertical position, unless a very large frame is provided to allow the person performing push-ups to be in a near-standing position, in which case the exerciser takes on excessively large proportions to maintain a suitable stability. Moreover, to store the Montgomery exerciser in an uncumbersome fashion, it has to be disassembled, which includes that several elements thereof have to be released from each other, including the cross-bar from the posts, and the posts from the base plate. The removal of the cross-bar from the inclined post segments includes removing attachment members (springs).
United States patent No. 5,527,242 issued in 1996 to R.B. Gangloff shows, in the embodiment of figure 4 of the Gangloff patent, an exerciser including a cross-bar which can engage horizontally aligned inclined slots in upright support posts. The support posts engage a base plate which is also cumbersome.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved push-up exerciser.
It is another object of the present invention that the exerciser be uncumbersome when stored.
2 0 It is another object of the present invention that the exerciser may be operatively installed in a relatively small floor area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a push-up exerciser for allowing a person to perform push-ups, said exerciser comprising:
- a pair of distinct, substantially straight, elongated posts defining lower ends having footrests for vertically resting on the ground, and upper ends having shoulder rests for horizontally abutting against a wall in an operative inclined position of said exerciser in which said posts are substantially parallel to each other;
- a transverse push-up bar;
- load-bearing supports located on each of said posts, said push-up bar releasably engaging 1 0 substantially horizontally aligned load-bearing supports on each said posts for releasably supporting said push-up bar over ground at a selected position along said posts.
Preferably, said posts are provided with a number of notches forming said load-bearing supports, said push-up bar engaging selected horizontally aligned notches in said posts.
Preferably, said posts are provided with a number of frontwardly opened and 1 5 frontwardly upwardly inclined notches forming said load-bearing supports, said push-up bar engaging selected horizontally aligned notches in said posts.
Preferably, each said post is telescopic to allow length adjustment thereof.
Preferably, each said post has a bottom sleeve portion and an upper portion telescopingly engaging said sleeve portion, said post further comprising stopper members for 20 releasably fixing said upper portion relative to said sleeve portion at a selected position.
Preferably, said push-up exerciser further includes a transverse spacer bar releasably and fixedly linking said posts to each other.
Preferably, said push-up exerciser further includes a transverse spacer bar releasably and fixedly linking said posts to each other, each said post comprising longitudinal tracks engaged by said spacer bar and said stopper members for selective adjustment of the positions of said spacer bar and of said stopper members along said tracks.
Preferably, said push-up exerciser further includes a pair of handles fixedly and releasably attached to said push-up bar, for allowing either said push-up bar or said handles to be grasped, thus helping to prevent wrist strain by providing alternate hand positions on said exerciser.
1 G The present invention also relates to an exerciser for performing push-ups comprising a pair of straight posts having lower footrests for resting on the ground, and upper shoulders for abutting against a wall, with said posts being substantially parallel to each other and inclined in an operative position of said exerciser, said posts being provided with a number of load-bearing supports distributed along their length, said exerciser further comprising a push-1 5 up bar engaging selected horizontally aligned load-bearing supports in said posts for supporting said push-up bar at a selected height over ground, said posts being telescopic so as to allow the length thereof to be adjusted, and further to facilitate the storage of the exerciser.
Preferably, said load-bearing supports are notches made in said posts in which said push-up bar is engageable for support thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the annexed drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the exerciser of the invention;
Figure 2 is a exploded perspective view of the exerciser of figure 1;
Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of area III of figure 2;
Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of area IV of figure 2;
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the exerciser of the invention operatively resting against a wall, with a person being schematically shown in full lines and in dotted lines in two push-up positions respectively; and Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the push-1 0 up bar of the exerciser of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
Figures 1-4 show a push-up exerciser 10 according to the invention, which comprises a pair of elongated, straight support posts 12, 14 each having a lower sleeve portion 1 5 12a, 14a and an upper portion 12b, 14b telescopingly slidable in their respective sleeve portions 12a, 14a. Posts 12, 14 are identical, and hereinafter, for clarity of the description, reference will only be made to post 14, although it must be understood that post 12 is included in this description.
The upper portion 14b of post 14 has a main body 16 having a generally 20 rectangular cross-section, and a longitudinal frontwardly projecting fin plate 17 is integrally attached on an intermediate portion of the front face of main body 16.

Sleeve portion 14a is cross-sectionally U-shaped and, as shown in figure 3, defines a web portion 15a and two side plates 15b, 15c to form a frontwardly opened channel, in which is slidable the rectangular main body 16 of upper portion 14b which is sized to fit in the channel-shaped sleeve portion 14a. Longitudinal flanges 18, inwardly located on an intermediate portion of the side plates 15b, 15c of the opened sleeve portion 14a, partially close the channel-shaped sleeve portion 14a to prevent the upper portion 14b from being accidentally frontwardly released from their engagement inside sleeve portion 14a; the post upper portion 14b being provided with lateral longitudinal flanges 18a which engage the flanges 18 of sleeve portion 14a for this purpose. When the post upper portion 14b slides inside sleeve portion 14a, 1 0 the fin plate 17 frontwardly extends between flanges 18, and between and parallel to the sleeve portion side plates 15b, 15c.
Post 14 is provided with longitudinal tracks, and more particularly sleeve portion 14a has symmetrical inner and outer tracks 20, 20 and upper portion 14b also has symmetrical inner and outer tracks 22 (with the inner track being concealed in the drawings). The inner and 1 5 outer tracks 22 of post upper portions 14b are engaged by stopper members in the form of screwable knobs 24, 26 engaging bolts 28, 30, the latter being slidable inside track 22 and being rotationally motionless due to their square neck portion snugly sliding in track 22, as known in the art. The position of the knob and bolt assemblies 24, 28 and 26, 30 is manually adjustable by unscrewing knobs 24, 26 to slide them along tracks 22, and thereafter by screwing them to 2 0 releasably fix their position. Thus, the length of post 14 can be adjusted by sliding upper portion 14b down into sleeve 14a, until the knobs 24, 26 abut against the upper edges of the side plates 15b, 15c of sleeve portion 14a, with knobs 24, 26 being fixedly installed at a selected position to allow selective adjustment of the length of post 14.
The side plates 15b, 15c of the post sleeve portion 14a are provided with a number of equally-spaced, frontwardly-opened notches 31a distributed along their length. Each notch 3Ia on side plate 15b is horizontally aligned with a corresponding notch 31a on side plate 15c. The post upper portion 14b is also provided with notches 31b located on longitudinal fin plate 17, with notches 31b also being equally spaced-apart, the spacing between notches 31b further preferably being equal to the spacing between notches 31a, as shown in the drawings.
Also, notches 31a, 31b are preferably slightly frontwardly upwardly inclined, as illustrated.
1 0 Post 14 has a pivotable footrest 32 at its lower end which defines a substantially flat underface, and which is attached to post 14 with a pair of bolt and knob assemblies 34, 35 such as the ones 24, 28 and 26, 30 described hereinabove. This allows footrest 32 to be pivoted into a desired angular position relative to post 14, and then fixed in this position, or alternately to freely pivotally engage the tracks 20 of post 14 if the knob 35 is not tightened, so as to allow 1 5 post 14 to be freely pivotable about footrest 32 when it rests on the ground. Preferably, the footrest underface is provided with a friction pad 33, to prevent accidental slipping of footrest 32 on the ground.
Post 14 further has an upper shoulder member 36 at its upper end which is fixedly attached at the upper extremity of the post upper portion 14b. Shoulder member 36 has an 20 arcuate outwardly-facing abutment surface 38, as suggested in figure 4, and engages a longitudinal rear track 39 located rearwardly of the post upper portion 14b (figure 4).

A spacer bar 40 links posts 12, 14 to each other, to prevent one post from accidentally sliding away from the other. The use of spacer bar 40 is not compulsory, and it is envisioned that a simpler embodiment of the invention be provided where the spacer bar 40 would not be present. As shown in figures 2 and 3, spacer bar 40 is engaged at one bored and threaded extremity by a square-necked bolt 46 which in turn engages the inner track 20 of post 14, with a pair of threaded rings 42, 44 allowing the spacer bar to be tightened between the posts 12, 14 by screwing ring 42 along bolt 46 and against bar 40, and ring 44 along bolt 46 and against post 14. Spacer bar 40 is similarly attached to post 12 at its opposite extremity.
A push-up bar 50 is installed so as to bridge the posts 12 and 14 in a manner 1 0 described hereinafter. In use, as shown in figure 5, posts 12, 14 are to vertically rest on the ground G with footrests 32, and horizontally abut against a wall W with shoulders 36. Thus, posts 12, 14 are substantially parallel to each other and inclined in an operative position of exerciser 10. Push-up bar 50 is inserted into and rests on selected horizontally aligned notches 31b and/or 31 a of posts 12, 14, so as to support push-up bar 50 over ground.
Push-up bar 50 can 1 5 be manually gripped, as shown in figure 5, to perform push-ups. By selecting different notches 31a, 31b to be engaged by push-up bar 50, the vertical height of bar 50 can be selected to adjust the degree of difficulty in performing the push-ups.
If push-up bar 50 is positioned at the level of the posts sleeve portions 12a, 14a, then the posts upper portions 12b, 14b have to be positioned either:
2 0 a) so as to horizontally align the notches 31a and 31b respectively of the posts lower sleeve portions 12a, 14a and upper portions 12b, 14b, fin plates 17 then being located in an unobstructive position between side plates 15b, 15c of the sleeve portions 12a, 14a since push-up bar may then engage both the notches 31a and 31b on each post 12, 14; or b) so as to vertically upwardly clear the notches 31a of the posts sleeve portions 12a, 14a, fin plates 17 then being located in an unobstructive position over the engaged notches 31 a.
One particular advantage brought about by the present invention is that little floor area is required by the mostly vertical push-up exerciser 10. Indeed, since the push-up exerciser rests against the wall, it takes up little space when compared to prior art self-standing exercisers which rest on the ground often by means of a ground-engaging plate or several spaced-apart feet which take up a relatively large floor area for maintaining a suitable stability.
1 0 Furthermore, the push-up bar 50 of the exerciser 10 of the present invention can be installed high over ground, e.g. at shoulder height as shown in figure S, without compromising the stability of exerciser 10 as could be the case with prior art self-standing exercisers, and without taking up more floor space. Thus, exerciser 10 can be used with the push-up bar 50 located high over ground, for example for persons with physical indispositions who would not be able to 1 5 accomplish push-ups with the push-up bar located at a lower position, or for persons simply desiring to perform push-ups with a higher positioned push-up bar.
Another advantage of the exerciser 10 of the present invention is that it may be easily disassembled to be stored, especially with an embodiment of the invention where the spacer bar 40 is not used. Indeed, the push-up bar 50 has simply to be retrieved from their 2 0 supporting notches 31a and/or 31b, and the support posts 12, 14 and the push-up bar 50 may then be stored directly. The length of the support posts 12, 14 can be shortened before they are carried or stored. Thus, only several straight elements, namely the two support posts 12, 14 and the push-up bar 50, possibly together with the spacer bar 40 if the latter is used, can be handled by a single person to be carried and stored in an uncumbersome fashion when exerciser 10 is in a disassembled condition.
Figure 6 shows that the push-up bar 50 may be provided with a pair of handles 52, 54 selectively positioned along bar 50, e.g. at each extremity. Set screws 56, 58 releasably fix handles 52, 54 at their selected positions on bar 50, with handles 52, 54 having a rear sleeve portion 60, 62 for sliding engagement along push-up bar 50. Handles 52, 54 allow the person using exerciser 10 to perform push-ups with different hand positions, i.e.
either grasping push-up 1 0 bar 50 or handles 52, 54. These different hand positions help reduce wrist strain.
It is understood that any other modifications which have not been disclosed herein but which do not deviate from the scope of the present invention, are considered to be included herein.
For example, it is envisioned that the push-up bar supporting notches 31a, 31b 1 5 be replaced by outwardly projecting studs for supporting the push-up bar, or any other suitable load-bearing support.
Also, the upper shoulder rests could be in the form of a rounded upper portion of the support posts 12, 14, instead of distinct elements 36 attached to posts 12, 14. Generally, any suitable surface adapted for horizontal abutment against a wall would be acceptable as shoulder 2 0 rests.

Claims

I CLAIM:

1. A push-up exerciser for allowing a person to perform push-ups, said exerciser comprising:
- a pair of distinct, substantially straight, elongated posts defining lower ends having footrests for vertically resting on the ground, and upper ends having shoulder rests for horizontally abutting against a wall in an operative inclined position of said exerciser in which said posts are substantially parallel to each other;
- a transverse push-up bar;
- load-bearing supports located on each of said posts, said push-up bar releasably engaging substantially horizontally aligned load-bearing supports on each said posts for releasably supporting said push-up bar over ground at a selected position along said posts.

2. A push-up exerciser as defined in claim 1, wherein said posts are provided with a number of notches forming said load-bearing supports, said push-up bar engaging selected horizontally aligned notches in said posts.

3. A push-up exerciser as defined in claim 1, wherein said posts are provided with a number of frontwardly opened and frontwardly upwardly inclined notches forming said load-bearing supports, said push-up bar engaging selected horizontally aligned notches in said posts.

4. A push-up exerciser as defined in claim 1, wherein each said post is telescopic to allow length adjustment thereof.

5. A push-up exerciser as defined in claim 4, wherein each said post has a bottom sleeve portion and an upper portion telescopingly engaging said sleeve portion, said post further comprising stopper members for releasably fixing said upper portion relative to said sleeve portion at a selected position.

6. A push-up exerciser as defined in claim 1, further including a transverse spacer bar releasably and fixedly linking said posts to each other.

7. A push-up exerciser as defined in claim 5, further including a transverse spacer bar releasably and fixedly linking said posts to each other, each said post comprising longitudinal tracks engaged by said spacer bar and said stopper members for selective adjustment of the positions of said spacer bar and of said stopper members along said tracks.

8. An exerciser as defined in claim 1, further including a pair of handles fixedly and releasably attached to said push-up bar, for allowing either said push-up bar or said handles to be grasped, thus helping to prevent wrist strain by providing alternate hand positions on said exerciser.

9. An exerciser for performing push-ups comprising a pair of straight posts having lower footrests for resting on the ground, and upper shoulders for abutting against a wall, with said posts being substantially parallel to each other and inclined in an operative position of said exerciser, said posts being provided with a number of load-bearing supports distributed along their length, said exerciser further comprising a push-up bar engaging selected horizontally aligned load-bearing supports in said posts for supporting said push-up bar at a selected height over ground, said posts being telescopic so as to allow the length thereof to be adjusted, and further to facilitate the storage of the exerciser.

10. An exerciser as defined in claim 9, wherein said load-bearing supports are notches made in said posts in which said push-up bar is engageable for support thereof.