GB2445924A - A weight for an exercise ball - Google Patents

Abstract

A weight for an exercise ball comprises a weight in the form of a spiral which may be inserted into the ball via the valve. The weight falls to the bottom of the ball, eliminating unwanted movement.

Description

I

Spiral weight insert for a Swiss ball

Background of the invention

The present invention relates to Swiss balls which are also known by a number of different names including exercise ball, gym ball, core ball, pilates ball, sports ball, fit or fitness ball, stability ball, physio ball, therapy ball, yoga ball, balance ball or body ball.

Swiss balls are well knowii in the art of exercise and fitness and typically comprise a plastic or rubber outer shell in the form of a large ball, typically 55 to 75cm in diameter that is inflated to a pressure such that the ball can support the weight of an average adult without being greatly deformed.

A benefit of exercising with a Swiss ball is that the body responds to the instability of the ball to remain balanced, engaging more muscle groups to do so. Over time these muscles become stronger. The core body muscles -the abdominal muscles and the back muscles -are most frequently targeted in Swiss ball fitness programs.

There exists a common problem with Swiss balls for which the present invention provides a solution. Swiss balls are often used in fitness as part of an exercise routine, part of which is done using the balls and part of which is done not using the balls. The problem occurs when the balls are not being used for a part of the routine. The balls have a significantly spherical shape and therefore when they are placed in a position for temporary storage they tend not to stay in this position. Instead they roll around the floor and away from the position in which you place them. This can lead to several problems.

Firstly it interrupts your exercise routine when you have to chase your ball and spend time keeping it in position. It also may interfere with the routine of other people who may be working close by in the gym.

In addition, it is unsafe to have a ball rolling around out of control in a gym environment where heavy weights are being lifted and heavy machinery is being used.

There have been attempts to solve this problem. One attempt involves adding a base to the ball to stop it rolling away. A disadvantage of this is that although a base limits the rolling of the ball, it also prevents the exerciser from using the ball as a free ball and therefore eliminates the benefits gained from the instability of the ball.

Another solution is outlined in the following. US Pat. No. 2005/0107229 entitled Partially Stabilized Exercise Device' to Wickens issued 19th Nov 2003. In this solution, a loose filler is disposed within the ball which settles to the bottom of the ball, holding it in place when the ball is not in use. A disadvantage to this is that inserting loose items such as sand can be very tricky and very messy.

Objects and advantages of the invention An object of the invention is to provide a spiral weight insert which comprises one solid section and can be easily inserted into a Swiss ball. This overcomes the problems above since it has the advantage of being simple to insert. It is in one solid piece rather than being loose items so insertion is not a messy process.

Another object of the invention is to keep the Swiss ball from rolling away when not in use by providing sufficient weight inside to hold it in place.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention there is provided a spiral weight insert for a Swiss ball comprising a solid length of material in the shape of a spiral, the length having cross section such that it can be inserted through the valve of a Swiss ball.

Preferably the spiral shape is formed in a plane.

Preferably the length of material can be flexed with external forces and regains the original spiral shape when external forces are removed.

Preferably the length has cross section that is uniform and circular.

Preferably the length of material is made from plastic, metal or a combination thereof.

Preferably the length spiral shape is not limited to circular.

The spiral weight insert is essentially a long thin length section of plastic, metal or some other material that has been formed into a spiral. Its use is to be inserted into Swiss balls through the same valve that is used to inflate the balls. Therefore the cross section of the spiral length has to be smaller than the diameter of the valve hole.

Typically the valve hole is just over 5nun in diameter. Thus an example cross section for the length section is a circle having a diameter of 5mm.

A Swiss ball is partially or wholly inflated and the bung removed temporarily. The spiral weight is fed into the ball through the valve. To achieve this the spiral needs to have flexibility to be unwound slightly to facilitate being fed into the ball. The very nature of the spiral shape means there is sufficient flexibility to stretch it out and feed the spiral into the ball. When it has been completely fed into the ball the bung is re-applied. More air can be added to the ball if needed. Due to its elastic nature, the spiral weight reforms the original spiral shape inside the ball when no external forces are causing it to be stretched out.

The spiral weight acts under the forces of gravity and falls to the lowest point inside the ball, acting as a weight. Unwanted movement of Swiss balls can be due to a number of reasons including small imperfections in the ball, imperfections in the floor or air currents. This causes unwanted rotation and movement. Generally however the forces involved are small and the weight of the spiral weight will therefore be more than sufficient to prevent such unwanted movement.

As a user moves and rolls the ball, the spiral weight can move on the inner surface of the ball continually reassuming the lowest point. Whilst the weight of the spiral is effective at minimising the movement of the ball on a flat surface, it does not appreciably affect the instability that a user experiences when exercising with the Swiss ball.

As mentioned the spiral weight is not rigid but has flexibility. The central spiral turns are able to flex slightly in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the spiral to form a greater contact with the ball thus providing an increased stability.

The mass of the spiral weight can be increased by providing a spiral with a longer length and therefore greater spiral diameter or by using more dense materials.

Conversely the mass can be decreased by using a shorted length or using less dense materials.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows typical Swiss ball with valve.

Figure 2 shows the top view of the spiral weight insert.

Figure 3 shows the side view of the spiral weight insert on a flat surface.

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view from the side of a Swiss ball taken through the centre with the valve at the top.

Figure 5 shows the spiral weight insert being inserted into the Swiss ball of figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a side view of the spiral weight insert fully inserted into the Swiss ball of figure 4.

Figure 7 shows a top view spiral weight insert fully inserted into the Swiss ball.

Description of the preferred embodiments

In figure 1 a Swiss ball 10 is shown with valve hole 11. This is a typical Swiss ball and is substantially spherical with a valve to facilitate inflation of the ball and a bung (not shown) to prevent air from escaping when the ball is inflated.

Figure 2 shows the top view of the spiral weight insert 12 and figure 3 shows a side view of the spiral weight insert 12 on a flat surface. These show that the spiral weight insert 12 has a spiral shape formed in a plane. A long thin length of material is formed into a spiral shape with many turns. This is the natural state for the spiral weight insert 12 when no external forces are acting. The spiral has sufficient flexibility to uncoil under external forces such as when someone uncoils it by pulling it, and sufficient elasticity to recoil when those forces are removed. Suitable materials for the spiral weight insert 12 would therefore be plastics or metals which exhibit elastic properties when formed in a spiral shape.

In figure 4 a cross sectional view of a Swiss ball 10 is shown. The valve 11 is poisoned at the top of the ball. Figure 5 has the same Swiss ball configuration and shows how the spiral weight insert 12 can be inserted into the ball 10 through the valve 11. Due to the elasticity of the spiral, the end of the spiral can be unwound slightly to facilitate the insertion of the end of the spiral weight insert 12 through the valve 11. As shown, for the end of the spiral weight insert 12 to fit through the valve 11, the cross sectional width of the spiral length has to be smaller in size than the valve 11 opening. The spiral weight insert 12 is fed into the Swiss ball 10 through the valve 11. When it is completely within the ball 10 the bung (not shown) can be inserted into the valve 11 to stop air from escaping. More air can be added to the Swiss ball 10 if required. The spiral weight insert 12 acts under the forces of gravity and falls to the lowest point within the ball 10.

In figure 6 a side view of the Swiss ball 10 can be seen where the spiral weight insert 12 is shown occupying the lowest point in the Swiss ball 10. A side view of the spiral weight insert 12 is shown. Here the inner turns of the spiral have flexed slightly in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the spiral i.e. downwards so that they establish a greater contact with the ball 10. Figure 7 shows a top view of the same configuration. The spiral weight insert 12 can be seen in the normal spiral configuration when viewed from above. This increased contact of the spiral weight insert 12 with the ball 10 gives the ball 10 a greater stability when not being used.

As a user moves and rolls the ball 10, the spiral weight insert 12 is free to move on the inner surface of the ball 10 continually falling to the lowest point. Having the spiral weight insert 12 within the ball 10 does not have a noticeable impact when exercising with the ball 10 since the spiral weight insert 12 is not significantly heavy. However, the weight is sufficient to hold the bali 10 in place and prevent unwanted movement when not being used.

In a further embodiment, multiple spiral weight inserts 12 may be added to the ball 10 using the method already described. Multiple spiral weight inserts 12 will lead to an increased mass within the ball 12 and therefore an increased stability of the ball.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the cross section of the spiral length could be circular, square, rectangular, oval or some other shape.

Also, although the spiral shape has been shown to be substantially circular it is not limited to this. A spiral can be any shape with multiple turns each with decreasing diameter towards the centre of the spiral and possible shapes include squares or triangles among others. Also, the spiral could be wound tight such that the spiral turns are in contact with one another or wound loose such that they are not. Materials for the spiral length could vary and include materials other than plastic or metal. Other modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims (7)

1. A spiral weight insert for a Swiss ball comprising a solid length of material in the shape of a spiral, the length having cross section such that it can be inserted through the valve of a Swiss ball.

2. A spiral weight insert for a Swiss ball according to claim 1 where the spiral shape is formed in a plane.

3. A spiral weight insert for a Swiss ball according to any preceding claim where the length of material can be flexed by external forces and which regains the original spiral shape when external forces are removed.

4. A spiral weight insert for a Swiss ball according to any preceding claim whose length has cross section that is uniform and circular.

5. A spiral weight insert for a Swiss ball according to any preceding claim where the length of material is made from plastic, metal or a combination thereof.

6. A spiral weight insert for a Swiss ball according to any preceding claim whose spiral shape is not limited to circular.

7. A spiral weight insert for a Swiss ball as described herein with reference to and as shown in figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.