GB2031285A - Physical exerciser - Google Patents

Abstract

An exerciser for pull and push exercises has handgrips (13, 17) at the ends of a telescopic system for guiding movement of the handgrips towards and away from one another. The handgrips are connected by two elastically deformable rods (22) which provide the pull elements and the spring element of the exerciser resisting movement of the handgrips together. The handgrip (13) is formed as a composite moulded plastics member (14) with an end of the telescopic system, which member (14) carries a scale and indicator (21) operated by a tube (15) which slides therein. The scale indicates which exercise should next be performed dependent on the contraction achieved in the previous exercise. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Physical exerciser This invention relates to a physical exerciser.

Such exercisers are known in which both pulling and pushing exercises can be carried out using a single exercising appliance to exercise all the muscles of the body. Previously these have comprised a pair of telescopically arranged metal tubes having hand grips at their outer ends and means for resisting movement together of the hand grips. Puli elements have connected the handgrips on opposite sides of the tubes such that pulling apart of the pull elements acts to move the handgrips together and compress the spring. In one form the pull elements have been lengths of rope which have been easily flexed and resistance to movement together of the handgrips was substantially completely by a coil spring in the tubes.In another form the pull elements have also provided the spring means resisting movement together of the handgrips since they have comprised elastically deformable rods.

An object of the present invention is to provide an exerciser which can be used for pulling and pushing exercises but is easier and cheaper to manufacture.

The present invention concerns the type of exerciser having pull elements in the form of elastically deformable rods.

By eliminating the need for a spring within the telescoping guide members it is possible to reduce the diameter and cost of the guide members.

Conventionally the tubes forming the guide members have been of metal and it has proved, in practice, extremely costly to manufacture two or more telescoping metal tubes having sufficient size and strength to contain a spring and having sufficiently close tolerances to slide smoothly without allowing relative rocking or pivotting.

Even where the metal tubes are smaller due to the elimination of the central spring manufacture of closely interfitting metal tubes has proved expensive, and the invention in its preferred form uses only one metal tube.

Thus in one aspect the invention provides an exerciser comprising a pair of handgrips guided for movement towards and away from one another by telescoping parts, in which at least one of the handgrips is formed as a composite member with one of the telescoping parts. Preferably said composite member is of moulded plastics material being formed in two pieces connected to abut one another in a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the exerciser. A pair of elastically deformable rods connect the handgrips externally of the telescopic system as described above.

By combining one of the handgrips with a telescopic part the composite member can be of moulded plastics material and only a single metal tube is required which slides in the composite member.

Preferably, the composite member has a scale mounted thereon and has a longitudinal slit and an indicator member projects through the slit to the exterior of the member to cooperate with the scale, the indicator being moved by the end of the inner telescopic part to indicate the degree of contraction of the exerciser.

With advantage the scale is printed to indicate which exercise the user should perform next, dependent on his performance of the preceding exercise.

In a further aspect the invention provides a physical exerciser comprising a pair of handgrips, a telescopic system for guiding movement of the handgrips towards and away from one another, spring means resisting movement of the handgrips towards one another, pull elements connecting the handgrips on opposite sides of the telescopic system, and a co-operating scale and indicator arranged to indicate which exercise the user should next perform depending on the contraction achieved in the previous exercise.

One embodiment of physical exerciser in accordance with the invention, will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a plan view of an exerciser, Figure 2 is a view of the other side of the exerciser of Figure 1 , the lower half of the figure being in plan and the upper half of the figure having parts cut away, Figure 3 is a plan view of the inside of one half of the composite member of the exerciser of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale, Figure 4 is a plan view of the inside of the other half of the composite member, Figure 5 is an axial section through the parts of Figures 3 and 4, Figure 6 is a section on the line VI--VI through the parts of Figures 3 and 4, Figure 7 is a section on the line VIl-VIl of Figure 3 also showing pivot members mounted in the composite member, Figure 8 is a plan view of a slider element on an enlarged scale, and Figure 9 is a side view of the slider element of Figure 8 together with a section of an indicator element mounted thereon.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 the exerciser comprises a telescopic system with handgrips at its ends, the system acting to guide movement of the handgrips towards and away from one another along the axis 1 2 of the system. The handgrip 13 at one end is formed as part of a composite member 14 which also forms part of the telescopic system since it receives within it a metal tube 1 5 and guides the tube for said axial sliding movement. The othethandgrip 1 7 is attached to the other end of the tube 1 5. Both handgrips are moulded to accommodate the fingers and have a good grip as seen in Figure 7.

The composite member is moulded of plastics material and is formed in two halves 18, 19 screwed together so that they abut in a plane containing the axis of the exerciser. As seen particularly in Figure 6, the interior of the composite member 1 4 defines a passage 1 6 for guiding axial sliding movement of the tube 15. In this exampie the external diameter of the tube is 1 6mm and the diameter of the passage is 1 6.2 + 0.2mm. This provides exceilent guiding of the tube and composite member for relative sliding telescopic movement but is far cheaper to produce than two telescoping metal tubes having sufficient strength and close tolerance.

The half 18 of member 14 is formed with a longitudinal slit 20 and an indicator extends through the slit to the exterior of the member and includes a pointer 21 which cooperates with a scale (not shown) stuck on the composite member. The scale and indicator together may indicate the degree of contraction of the exerciser.

Preferably the scale will indicate which exercise the user should next perform depending on the degree of contraction he achieved in the previous exercise.

A pair of elastically deformable rods 22 arranged symmetrically on opposite sides of the tube 1 5 connect the handgrips 1 3 and 1 7; These rods provide the spring element of the exerciser, resisting movement of the handgrips towards one another. They are preferably formed of glass fibre reinforced plastics material, with advantage containing at least 60% by weight glass fibre and surrounded by a sheath in the form of a shrunk on tube. The rods also provide the pull elements of the exerciser.

The ends of the rods 22 are pivotally mounted in the handgrips as best seen in Figures 2 and 7.

The handgrip end of the half 18 of the composite member is formed internally with a pair of upstanding tapped projections 24 which receive screws 25 which extend through the half 19 and act to secure parts 18 and 19 together. A bush 26 is located around each screw 25 and located around the bushes are moulded plastics pivot members 27. Each pivot member 27 is thus arranged to swivel about an axis 28 of one of the screws 25 which extends normal to the axis 1 2.

Each pivot member 27 has a channel 29 which receives an end of a rod 22. Each rod 22 has a circumferential groove adjacent its ends and is retained in a pivot member 27 by means of a r- sectioned clip which locates over the rod and engages recesses in the pivot member. The sides of the composite member are open so that the rods can bow outwards as the rods are pulled apart with the ends swivelling about the axes 28.

The parts 18 and 19 of the composite member are additionally secured together by screws 32 adjacent the inner end.

The handgrip 16 at the other end of the exerciser is similarly formed in two sections of moulded plastics material secured together by screws 31 surrounded by bushes carrying pivot members 27 which receive the ends of the rods.

The tube 12 is formed adjacent one end thereof with a semi-circular circumferential groove and the handgrip 1 6 has a part which engages in this groove to retain the handgrip.

It will be appreciated that when the handgrips are gripped and pushed together the rods bow outwardly resisting the movement together of the handgrips. Alternatively, the centres of the rods may be gripped and pulled apart thus moving the handgrips together. Immediately the pushing or pulling forces relax the exerciser springs back to its rest position owing to the elasticity of the rods.

The exerciser may be initially assembled with a slight tension or bow in the rods. The rods could be made of metal and could be of coiled construction.

Located within the composite member 1 4 is a slider 33 seen in Figures 8 and 9. This member has an undulating lower plate 33A which slides on the interior moulding of part 1 9 with a sufficient degree of friction to stop it moving unless pushed and has an upstanding pin 34 which projects through the slit 20. Adjacent the base of the projection 33 is a groove 35 in which locate clip members 36 of the indicator pointer 21. The slide is pushed by the end of tube 12 as exercises are performed and remains in the position of greatest contraction achieved by the user until reset by him at the start of another exercise.

By recording the degree of force and recommending the next exercise, which always takes account of the degree of force shown, the training thus osciilates about a standard, which is the optimum at the time for the person training.

The training adapts itself accurately to the person according to his consititution, age class and progress in training. Consequently, there is no longer monotony in training, since the training programme changes for the person training from time to time. The person training approaches his regular training with great interest, since he is keen to know what training will be recommended to him this time. If he is in top form, he carries out heavy exercises. If he sometimes feels rather weak, he still does not have to abandon his training, the device then recommends him lighter exercises. Weak persons are no ionger subject to excessive demands and professional sportsmen do not suffer from under-training. Weak points of the body are automatically trained more frequently, until their improved performance enables heavier exercises to be carried out, which are then immediately indicated by the device.

Claims (8)

1. A physical exerciser comprising a pair of handgrips located at the ends of a telescopic system for guiding movement of the handgrips towards and away from one another, and a pair of elastically deformable rods connecting the handgrips such that movement together of the handgrips causes the rods to bow outwards and outward pulling of the rods moves the handgrips together, the rods providing resistance to movement of the handgrips towards one another, and in which one of the handgrips is formed as a composite member including one end of the telescopic system.

2. An exerciser according to Claim 1 in which the rods are of glass fibre reinforced plastics material containing at least 60% glass fibre.

3. An exerciser according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the composite member is of moulded plastics material and defines an axial passage for receiving a tube forming another member of the telescopic system.

4. An exerciser according to Claim 3 in which the composite member is formed in two parts which are joined to abut one another in a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the exerciser.

5. An exerciser according to any of Claims 1 to 4 in which the outside of the composite member carries a scale and including an indicator member operated by a part of the telescopic system which is slidable within the composite member and arranged to co-operate with the scale to indicate the degree of contraction of the exerciser.

6. An exerciser according to Claim 5 in whic the indicator comprises a pointer connected to a slider member arranged to slide within the composite member and be abutted by the end of a tube extending into the composite member.

7. An exerciser according to any preceding claim having a co-operating scale and indicator which together indicate which exercise should next be performed dependent on the degree of contraction achieved in the preceding exercise.

8. An exerciser substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.