EP0329608B1 - Exercising device - Google Patents

Abstract

The exercising device serves for the targeted training of individual groups of muscles. It preferably has two spring bodies which each have a gripping element at the end. The gripping elements of one spring body are arranged at the ends on a rod-shaped spring element and the gripping element of a second spring body, arranged at the ends on a rod-shaped spring element, is designed so as to be insertable in the gripping element of the first spring body. In this manner, the device can be loaded accordingly to tension and/or pressure. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to the field of physical culture and relates to a training device for the actuation of certain muscle groups, for example from the arm-shoulder girdle-arm area or from the pelvic area, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Muscle training devices are usually used for the targeted actuation of muscles or muscle groups under difficult conditions that lie outside the usual movement sequences. The aim of this project is to use the motor organs of the body as evenly as possible and to compensate for hierarchically related inequalities in muscle use that are habitually developed. Since muscles have always been related to masculine aspects and, moreover, the majority of muscle training devices are designed to achieve above-average muscle performance, the usual, known training devices clearly show this, development of training devices for use in the feminine field was pretty much lacking. In a favorable case, the same devices for men were offered in a weaker embodiment for women, without possibly even considering different needs.

This can be clearly seen, for example, from the fact that muscle training devices that are supposed to steel the biceps, which are usually spiral spring devices for pulling apart with both hands or for bending (nowadays they are also elastic bodies), are offered in lower strength levels for women . Now everyone knows that overdeveloped biceps in women are not valued either by those themselves or by men. These types of devices are clearly unsuitable for the average woman who wants to keep fit.

It should also be noted that the muscle training devices designed for masculine needs do not require inconsiderable hand strength to operate the desired muscle groups on the rest of the body, hand strengths that are also undesirable in feminine use. Last but not least, when converting different levels of power, the devices are tailored to the male understanding of technology and the changeover process, which often requires a lot of force, is rarely the subject of much thought by the device inventor. This is an aspect that must be taken into account for a muscle training device that is adequate for women.

In addition, a training device designed to strengthen certain muscle groups should not also serve to strengthen other muscle groups that are not included. An all-rounder entices unclean training, which means that a more convenient, easier training process is preferred to your own procedure and that you work only insufficiently with the suitably targeted muscle group. This is the case, for example, with a device based on a stiff spiral spring, which can be bent, pulled and also pressed at will. These more unspecific devices may be very popular, but that doesn't make their way of working more specific.

Muscle training devices that work with deformation that can be achieved with force give rise to complaints again and again because of injuries. No wonder that if, for any reason, anchoring or the hand strength diminishes and the force stored in the device is suddenly released, the most unpredictable accidents happen. Here, too, the all-rounder with its potential dangerousness is not advantageous. It is therefore imperative to design a device so that accidents cannot occur at all; even if a lot of strength should be stored in it.

A muscle training device is known from US Pat. No. 3,268,225, in which a spring body that can be subjected to tension and pressure is coupled to a spring element that can only be subjected to tension by means of a single pair of handles. Both spring elements are rigidly coupled to one another and, taken together, have a different effect depending on whether they are subjected to tension or pressure.

The disadvantage of this muscle training device is that it can only develop the force from both spring elements in one direction. Only the force of a single spring element acts in the other direction. This means that it cannot be set to different power levels.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device which meets feminine needs, works specifically, is absolutely harmless, does not require any special manual strength and does not require any strength or any technical understanding when switching to other strength levels.

A device type of such a device is defined in claim 1. The inventive features are listed in the characterizing part.

Fig. 1

zeigt im Längsschnitt ein Druckfedergerät mit drei Druckfederstäben.

Fig. 2A und Fig. 2B

zeigen das Gerät gemäss Figur 1 in seinen Teilen, das heisst in zwei Kraftstufen zerlegt.

Fig. 3

zeigt das Gerät gemäss den Figuren 1 oder 2 als Zugfedergerät mit drei Zugfederstäben.

With the help of the figures listed below, various embodiments of this type of muscle training device according to the invention, which embodiment is to be a model for further variants, are discussed in detail.

Fig. 1

shows in longitudinal section a compression spring device with three compression spring bars.

Figures 2A and 2B

show the device according to Figure 1 in its parts, that is disassembled into two power levels.

Fig. 3

shows the device according to Figures 1 or 2 as a tension spring device with three tension spring bars.

To anticipate it right here; the two parts of the device, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, can, depending on the embodiment, be combined to form a compression spring or tension spring device. The difference in length of the individual part with only one spring element compared to the individual part with two spring elements can either already be provided in the configuration or can be brought about by pulling the spring apart. Thus, the two parts of the device can be used individually in one case and assembled into two different devices in the other case. It is therefore unnecessary to worry about certain proportions. The middle part can be designed as a tension rod or a compression rod, in the event that no spring preload of the middle part (individual rod) is desired, or it can be used both as a compression rod and as a tension rod if a spring preload is desired or at least tolerated.

The device can be used to train in 3 stages, both on tension and on pressure. So you have the choice between six options and, it will be shown in the following description that the change of the power levels can be accomplished exactly as required according to the position of the output, easily, simply and without any special effort.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment, which is designed as a compression spring device, in particular for strengthening the chest muscles (pectoralis major) and the shoulder girdle (deltoids and trapezoids) secondary, as well as to strengthen the pelvic muscles (iliacis) in particular and the inner leg muscles (rectum internum, Sartorius, aductorius) secondary. The device is pressed together with both hands for the upper parts of the body and with both knees for the lower parts of the body. For this use, the device can only be designed for pushing, i.e. not for pulling. Above all, it is expressly not designed for bending. This avoids that on the one hand not muscle groups other than just the targeted ones are stimulated to an increased performance and on the other hand that the device is not made suitable for a use other than the intended one.

For safety reasons, the spring travel is very short, as it turned out that long spring travel does not bring any additional benefit. This increases the operational safety of the device, since the potential energy that can be stored in a spring material results from the product of spring travel multiplied by the spring constant. A spring travel of 1/2 to 2 cm is completely sufficient and also helps to simplify the construction. Of course, spring material is not just a metallic (tension or compression) spring, the spring material can also consist of any suitable elastic material that can be pressed and / or pulled.

The device consists of the following main parts: spring elements 1, 2, 3 and handle elements 12, 30, these are the handles of spring elements 1 and 2, or handles of spring element 30. The spring elements are arranged here in one plane. The handle elements are essentially ring-shaped and have a soft curve. Such a toroid is very pleasant to touch and there are no special hand forces to hold the device during operation necessary. The grip element and spring element together form the spring body 1, 2 or 3.

Figures 1A and 2B show the device disassembled into two force levels. For this purpose, two groups of spring bodies that can be separated from one another are each shown individually. One spring body has two spring elements 1, 2 and the other spring body has a spring element 3. The force distribution here can be, for example, 2: 1.

Both spring bodies 1, 2 and 3 have the desired, rounded handles 12 and 30, which can be inserted into one another in the manner shown. The handles 12 are designed as toroids, on the circumference of which two spring elements are attached at an angle of 180 degrees. The concave curvature on the spring element side is designed such that a trumpet-shaped handle 30 of the other spring body, convexly curved at the front, can be used. The concave curvature of the handle 12 on the inside, in which the trumpet-shaped handle 30 engages axially, secures the inserted spring body 3 against radial sliding out when the device is in use. As can be clearly seen here, the changeover from one force level to the other can be carried out by simply removing the spring body group 3 from the spring body group 12 without special force and without special knowledge. A spring body can be separated from the other spring body and used individually by gently pushing it in or out.

This makes it possible, for example, not only to use the individual strength levels, but because you have two devices in this way, you can combine the training in such a way that pelvic muscles and pectoral muscles can be trained together without the specific mode of operation of the device and its like Questioning effect. Both elements work in the same way, only in different power levels.

As can be seen from FIGS. 2A, B, there are sectional drawings, the spring bodies are designed in a known manner. The spring elements stressed by pressure consist of a compression spring 6, which are arranged in a telescopic tube. The telescopic tube consists of two tubes 8,8 'pushed into each other, which are secured against pulling apart and thus exposing the springs, for example by a simple twist lock with slot and cam (stop). 2A and 2B, flanges 10 and 10 'are indicated, which in the simplest way prevents a telescopic tube from being pulled out of the other. The round handle elements are arranged at the ends of these two tubes. In their shape, as mentioned, they are trumpet-shaped or ring-shaped (toroidal) parts, the trumpet-shaped part of one being able to be inserted into the inner part of the other. The telescopic parts can be covered with a bellows 7.

The spring element, tube and spring, is preferably covered with a bellows. Since the spring travel is short, as I said, about 1/2 to 2 cm, the bellows is not exposed to any major mechanical loads. In order to rule out device damage in the event of unintentional bending, in particular of the device part with only one spring element, a tube wall thickness is selected which can withstand such buckling forces. The material of the tubes is preferably plastic. On the one hand, this allows a device of relatively low weight and yet sufficient strength to be produced, and on the other hand, the device is therefore quiet (no squeaking noises). The helical compression spring is preferably made of metal. However, it can also be a rod-shaped, elastic body with a sufficiently high elsaticity value. The feather work should be approximately 10 to 20 kp / cm. However, this is only a guideline, which can be extended upwards and downwards accordingly.

Figure 3 shows the device as it is assembled for pulling. It should be noted here that the device described above, which is only intended for exercises with pressures, can be a completely independent device with which a similiar exercise form but with pulling is not provided. However, if the variant is to be realized with an additional possibility of pulling, then both handle gates 12 must be broken open at their circumference in order to be able to insert the rod-shaped spring element as shown in FIG. 3. In order to be able to insert the device part 3 into the device part 1, 2 easily and without special force, slots in the two grip rings on the same side and on the opposite sides have been found to be equally usable. The device part 3 is, for example, clamped between the index and middle fingers, pulled apart a little and the device part 1, 2 is gently pressed against it with the thumbs in order to push the rod-shaped spring part through the slots. If you then let go of the device, the two parts 3 and 1,2 sit inside each other and can now be pulled apart. In this way, the coupling is as easy as with the device for pressing.

In the case of a device which is only designed for pulling exercises, the middle spring body 3 is preferably designed somewhat longer than the spring bodies 1, 2. Since special emphasis is placed on short spring travel, insertion into the toroids can be made easier by the "compensatory" extension. In the case of a combined device, that is to say one for pulling and pushing exercises, the spring bodies are of the same length, as is also the case with the device which is only intended for pushing exercises the case is. Since you are free to choose the spring force, you will design the middle spring body in a tension training device in such a way that it is easy and simple to use, as described above. There is no need to describe how the spring element of the trainer has to be anchored in the grip region in order to absorb the tensile force.

The handles 12 and 30 of the devices are pleasantly rounded and preferably made of a tough plastic. It is very inexpensive if the same material is used for the telescopic tube and the attached handle. A telescopic tube part with a handle can consist of a molded part, so that only the spring or the elastic part has to be anchored, if necessary, anchored, the bellows pushed over and the other telescopic tube part inserted and locked to complete the device.

Of course, another embodiment may have springs or elastic parts of different spring constants that can be exchanged or used by the user, with which an entire exercise program can be performed. This is useful if you only have to start with very reduced strength at the beginning. When the muscles recover, the device can then simply be "strengthened" without having to buy a new device.

Claims (9)

1. Training apparatus for the planned strengthening of individual muscle groups with at least two detachably interconnectable spring bodies (1, 2, 3), one of the spring bodies (1, 2) having at least one spring element (6) more than the other spring body (3) and each spring body is positioned between at least two gripping parts (12, 30), which are designed in such a way that the gripping parts (30) of one spring body (3) and the gripping parts (12) of the other spring body (1, 2) so cooperate in a first position that the spring elements can be jointly compression stressed and that in a second position they cooperate in such a way that the spring elements can be jointly tensile stressed.
2. Training apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping parts (30) of the first spring body have a concavely shaped portion and/or a convexly shaped portion and the gripping parts (12) of the second spring body are toroidally shaped, the inner region of the toroidal gripping part having a concave cavity in such a way that the convexly shaped portion or the concavely shaped portion of the gripping parts of the first spring body, insertable from either the one or the other side, into the inner region of the toroidal gripping parts fit into the concave cavity.
3. Training apparatus according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that on the toroidal gripping parts (12) of the first spring body (3) are arranged two spring elements (6, 6) and on the concavely/convexly shaped gripping parts (30) of the second spring body (1, 2) is arranged one spring element (6).
4. Training apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the two spring elements of the second spring body are at an angle of approximately 180° on the gripping part and the spring element of the first spring body is positioned in the centre of the gripping part.
5. Training apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the toroidal gripping part (12) of the second spring body is not closed, so that the spring element of the first spring body can be brought into the centre of the toroid.
6. Training apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first spring body with the convex portions of its gripping parts is inserted into the inner portions of the toroidal gripping parts of the second spring body.
7. Training apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first spring body with the concave portions of its gripping parts is inserted in the inner portions of the toroidal gripping parts of the second spring body.
8. Training apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the spring element (6) of the spring body is an elastic body.
9. Training apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the spring element (6) of the spring body is a metal or plastic spring.

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