GB2146910A

GB2146910A - Apparatus for physical exercise

Info

Publication number: GB2146910A
Application number: GB08325610A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Mcnulty; Garry Richards; Keith Hollinshead; Dennis Ian Varey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-09-24
Filing date: 1983-09-24
Publication date: 1985-05-01
Also published as: GB8325610D0

Abstract

The apparatus comprises an exercise bar (5) pivoted to a wall- mounted pillar (2), a bench (7) attached to the pillar below the exercise bar, and a single- or double-acting hydraulic damper (6) which resists a pivoting force applied to the free end (16) of the exercise bar by a user. The damper (6) can be arranged selectively to act between respective sides of the exercise bar (5) and different respective positions on the pillar (2) to offer resistance for pushing exercises and pulling exercises respectively. The apparatus can be stowed flat against the wall (3) when not in use, the bench (7) lying flat against the pillar (2) with the exercise bar (5) and damper (6) lying parallel to the pillar, between the latter and the bench. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for Physical Exercise The present invention relates to apparatus for physical exercise, and is concerned with apparatus particularly, but no exclusively, for domestic use.

Various types of physical exercise apparatus intended primarily for domestic use are known which reiy on a combination of weight exercises.

Such apparatus, sometimes termed a "home gymnasium", usually comprises a relatively bulky frame incorporating a bench and supporting exercise weights which are raised and lowered by a user sitting or lying on the bench. The weights may be carried by a bar-bell which rests in a cradle on the frame and is lifted clear of the frame in use, or they may be carried by a slider or pivoting arm attached to the frame and operated by the user through a pulley system orthe like.

The use of movable weights in one form or another renders the apparatus noisy to use and, because of the weights involved, is a potential cause of injury to an inexperienced user or, for example, children interfering with the apparatus. Due to the fact that such weights basically allow only pushing exercises, the known apparatus have restricted numbers of exercise positions, so-called "stations", in which a user can exercise, making them of limited use. Moreover, the bulky nature of the frame means that such apparatus is not particularly convenient for domestic use without special adaptations to the room of use.

The object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for physical exercise, of the "home gymnasium" type, which, compared with known apparatus of this type, is safer to use, has more exercise stations, is quieter in operation, and is more compact and thus more suitable for domestic use, while being sufficiently robust for professional, gymnasium use.

Accordingly, the present invention provides apparatus for physical exercise, including an exercise bar pivoted at one end to a support about a substantially horizontal axis, and a fluid damper acting between the support and a position intermediate the ends of the exercise bar, the damper offering resistance to the pivoting of the exercise bar by a user applying force to the free end of the bar.

The use of a fluid damper in the present apparatus avoids the need for weights and allows the performance of pushing and pulling exercises since the damper can resist upward and/or downward oscillations of the exercise bar. This latter feature provides the apparatus with more exercise positions than the known apparatus of "home gymnasium" type. As well as being inherently safer, the absence of weights in the present apparatus renders it quieter in use and, due to the elimination of the need for a support frame for the weights, considerably more compact than the prior art. The quietness and compact nature of the apparatus makes it particularly suitable for domestic use, although it can be used in gymnasia and the like.

The absence of weights and a support frame has the additional advantage of facilitating the packaging and sales distribution of the present apparatus, rendering it cheaper two buy than the conventional "home gymnasia".

Although the support may be free-standing and of adjustable height, in a preferred embodiment the support comprises a pillar fixable to a wall or the like and the said one end of the exercise bar is pivoted to the pillar at a selected one of a plurality of selectable positions spaced along the pillar, the damper being connected between a selectively variable position intermediate the ends of the exercise bar and another selected one of said plurality of positions along the pillar.

The pillar may be fixed to a wall or the like in such a position that the user sits, kneels, or lies on the floor to perform the various exercises. In the preferred embodiment, however, the apparatus further includes a bench which is attached to the pillar below the exercise bar and damper so as to project substantially perpendicular to the pillar. The bench may be free-standing, having anchoring means for securing it to the pillar so that it does not move away from the latter in use. More preferably, the bench may be releasably attachable to the pillar at one end and may have a support leg (preferably folding or pivoted) at its opposite end, the bench being attachable at or near the lower end of the pillar so as to project therefrom in the position of use and being stowable flat against the pillar in an out-of-use position.In the out-of-use position, the said one end of the exercise bar is re-positioned on the pillar so that the bar and damper assume a position substantially parallel to the pillar, between the latter and the bench. Alternatively, the damper and bar may be removed for separate stowage when the apparatus is not in use.

The damper is preferably constituted by a hydraulic damper which is connected at respective ends to the exercise bar and the support or pillar, and which may be single-acting or double-acting. In a preferred embodiment, a single-acting damper is used, the damper being arranged to act between one side of the exercise bar and one position on the support or pillar to offer resistance for pushing exercises. The damper may be easily re-arranged to act between the opposite side of the exercise bar and another position on the support or pillar to offer resistance for pulling exercises. Alternatively, two single-acting dampers may be used, the dampers being arranged to offer resistance respectively for pushing exercises and pulling exercises, so as to avoid the need to re-arrange the aforesaid single damper for different types of exercises.These two dampers may act in the same direction as each other and be disposed on opposite sides of the exercise bar, or may be oppositely-acting and disposed on the same side of the bar relative to the support or pillar.

in some examples, the damper may be provided with variable flow restricting means so that, for example, the resistance afforded by the damper can be increased as a training programme proceeds.

The force may also be increased by the provision of one of more additional dampers acting in parallel with the original damper. Alternatively, or in addition, the damper may include, for example, a three-way valve so that it can be selected to be single-acting in one direction or the other, or double-acting. The valve may be provided in the piston or in a by-pass between the two sides of the piston.

In addition to any adjustment of the resistive force permitted by the damper itself, in the preferred embodiment this force may also be adjusted by altering the position of the connection of the damper along the exercise bar and/or by altering the distance between respective points of attachment of the bar and the damper to the pillar.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a side elevational view of the apparatus according to the present invention in its position of use.

The drawing shows apparatus for physical exercise, generally indicated 1, of the "home gymnasium" type, that is, of the type which enables the performance of a number of different exercises on the same apparatus. The apparatus 1 includes a channel-sectioned pillar 2 about 1220 mm in length, which is fixed vertically to a wall 3 in a secure manner, with its lower end about 480 mm above the floor 4. The pillar 2 has a plurality of longitudinally equi-spaced pairs of holes defined by the opposing sides of the channel, respective selected pairs of these holes serving for the attachment of an exercise bar 5, a hydraulic damper 6, and an exercise bench 7 to the pillar 2.

The bench 7 comprises a cushion 8 which is carried by a channel-sectioned longitudinal member 9 of a simiiar length to the pillar 2. One end of the member 9 is releasably attached buy a bolt 10 or the like to the lowermost pair of holes in the pillar 2 so that the bench 7 projects substantially perpendicular to the latter in the position of use, as shown.

Adjacent its opposite end, the bench 7 has a pivoted, channel-sectioned support leg liThe bench 7 may be positioned at a higher position of use by using a pair of holes above those at the lower end of the pillar 2. In some cases, the support leg 11 may be extendible to accommodate a greater adjustment of the bench height than can be accommodated by pivoting of the leg 11 to a steeper angle. The bench 7 is provided with a foot-strap 12 for certain exercises.

The exercise bar 5 is esesntially Y-shaped in this example, comprising a channel-sectioned portion 13 pivotally attached to the pillar 2 at one end 13A by means of a locking pin 14 or the like which passes through the selected pair of holes in the pillar 2, and a handlebar portion 15 with a pair of diverging arms having hand-grips 16 at their ends. The exercise bar 5 has an overall length of about 560 mm and a width at the hand-grips 16 of about 960 mm.

The channel-sectioned portion 13 of the exercise bar 5, like the pillar 2, has a plurality of longitudinally equi-spaced pairs of holes, a selected pair of which serve for the pivotal anchoring of one end of the damper 6 in a releasable manner by means of a bolt or the like. The opposite end of the damper 6 is similarly attached to the pillar 2 by means of the respective selected pair of holes. The damper 6 is single-acting, offering resistance to its extension stroke which corresponds to an upward rotation of the bar 5 away from the bench 7, and having a free return. In this example, the damper 6 has a stroke of some 280 mm and a bore of 35 mm.

In use of the apparatus 1, a user sits or lies on the bench 7, making use of the foot-strap 12 if required, and pushes on the exercise bar 5 by means of the hand-grips 16, to cause upward rotations on the bar 5 away from the bench 7 against the resistance of the damper 6. In order to perform pulling exercises, the damper 6 is released from the exercise bar 5 and the pillar 2 and re-attached in the positions shown in broken outline, so as to resist downward rotations of the exercise bar 5 toward the bench 7. In some cases, the exercise bar 5 and damper 6 may be released from the pillar 2 as a unit and re-attached in the inverted position shown, to achieve the same end.

The resistive force of the damper 6 can be adjusted by altering the position of attachment of the respective end thereof to the portion 13 of the bar 5: the closer the end of the damper 6 to the handlebar portion 15, the greater the force required to overcome the damper. The resistive force can also be altered by increasing the distance between the positions of attachment of the exercise bar 5 and damper 6 to the pillar 2.

When not in use, the apparatus 1 can be stowed flat against the wall 2 in an out-of-use position which,togetherwith its compactness when in use, renders it particularly suitable for domestic use, even in relatively small rooms such as bedrooms. In this out-of-use position, the end 13A of the exercise bar 5 is detached from its position of attachment of use and re-attached at a higher position on the pillar 2 whereby the portion 13 of the bar 5 and the damper 6 are housed in the channel of the pillar 2.

The bench 7 is detached from the lower end of the pillar 2 and hung by its foot-strap 12 from the exercise bar 5 at the junction of the portions 13, 15 thereof, so that it lies flat against the pillar with its cushion 8 facing outwardly, concealing the portion 13 ofthe exercise bar 5 and the damper 6. The leg 11 is folded substantially flat against the bench 7, the channel-section of the leg 11 embracing the member 9 of the bench 7.

It is envisaged that the apparatus 1 may be connected with computer means (not shown) arranged to provide an indication of the training achievements or progress of the user relative to a programmed series of exercise steps or a complete training programme.

Claims

1. Apparatus for physical exercise, including an exercise bar pivoted at one end to a support about a substantially horizontal axis, and a fluid damper acting between the support and a position intermediate the ends of the exercise bar, the damper offering resistance to the pivoting of the exercise bar by a user applying force to the free end of the bar.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support comprises a pillarfixableto a wall orthe like and the said one end of the exercise bar is pivoted to the pillar at a selected one of a plurality of selectable positions spaced along the pillar, the damper being connected between a selectively variable position intermediate the ends of the exercise bar and another selected one of said plurality of positions along the pillar.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein it further includes a bench which is attached to the pillar below the exercise bar and damper so as to project substantially perpendicular to the pillar.

4. Apparatus claimed in claim 3, wherein the bench is releasably attachable to the pillar at one end and has a pivoted support leg at its opposite end, the bench being attachable at or near the lower end of the pillar so as to project therefrom in the position of use and being stowable flat against the pillar in an out-of-use position in which the said one end of the exercise bar is re-positioned on the pillar so that the bar and damper assume a position substantially parallel to the pillar, between the latter and the bench.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pillar is channel-sectioned so as to accommodate at least a part of the exercise bar in the out-of-use position.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the damper is constituted by a hydraulic damper connected at respective ends to the exercise bar and the support or pillar.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the damper is single-acting and can be arranged selectively to act between one side of the exercise bar and one position on the support or pillar to offer resistance for pushing exercises and between the opposite side of the exercise bar and another position on the support or pillar to offer resistance for pulling exercises.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the damper is provided with variable flow restricting means so that the resistance afforded by the damper can be varied in accordance with a programme of training.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the damper includes a three-way valve so that it can be selected to be single-acting in one direction or the other, or double-acting.

10. Apparatus for physical exercise, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawing.