GB2507523A

GB2507523A - A refillable elongate container exercise aid

Info

Publication number: GB2507523A
Application number: GB1219664.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Leare
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-11-01
Filing date: 2012-11-01
Publication date: 2014-05-07
Also published as: GB201219664D0

Abstract

A refillable elongate container 4 exercise aid having a resiliently deformable outer and a sealable inner, wherein the outer includes an aperture 1 providing access to the inner and the outer has two faces at least one of which includes handling means 7. Preferably the aid is rectangular in plan. Optionally, the aid may be rolled along the long side and the aperture can be closed by a flap 8. The exercise aid can include buckle portions 5,6 for retaining the aid when rolled and lanyard attachment points 3.

Description

PATENT APPLICATION

OF

CHRISTOPHER LEARE

FOR

AN EXERCISE AID

According to the present invention there is provided an exercise aid, more particularly a flexible portable exercise aid suited to multi-muscle exercise regimes.

Background of the Invention

Exercise is of increasing importance to growing numbers of users in many societies as work and employment moves away from more manual activities to more sedentary occupations.

In the past manual activities were commonplace in life and a spread of activities ensured that muscle groups on the user's body were exercised and developed, ensuring a higher level of fitness and general wellbeing.

Many of today's exercise regimes and apparatus concentrate on multiple muscle groups in order to replicate this preferred situation. However often such apparatus is inflexible and/or

not portable.

The present invention arose in response to a need for a flexible means of providing varying levels of activities in relation to various muscle groups.

Prior Art

Accordingly a number of documents have been filed in the past in an effort to solve the same or similar problems, including the following: International Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application WO 2010 076 541 (SAVARY) which disclosed a punching bag including a body made of a flexible casing and an inner space containing a filling means wherein the inner space is hermetically sealed and the casing is made up of a plurality of parts of heat-weldable plastic material and the filling means comprises ballast and a pressurised gas.

However such a device is not portable or otherwise suitable for flexible training.

Training bags are known, such as a disclosed in GB 2 474 062 (BOOTH et al) which are portable and provide means for performing multi-functional training and exercise. BOOTH in particular allows for use of a variable number of inner bags so as to vary resistance, all inner bags containing the same volume but a range of weights.

Granted European patent EP 1 501 611 (BELLAMY et al) discloses a weight comprising an elongate cylindrical flexible-walled bag filled with a flowable solid and having at least two axially spaced handles Both BOOTH and BELLAMY provide solutions lacking in flexibility and portability.

In contrast therefore the current invention provides a means of permitting multi-muscle training in a plurality of locations and in relation to a myriad of different exercise attitudes.

In particular such a means is required to be portable, flexible and easy to use in relation to different environments, wherein transport between such* environments is facilitated and storage between uses is facilitated.

-Sum mary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided an exercise aid comprising: a refillable elongate container defined by a resiliently deformable outer and a sealable inner; wherein said outer includes an aperture providing access to said inner through said outer; and said outer includes two faces and at least one side wherein the faces and the at least one side are fixedly arranged with plural opposing means to permit handling and support of the container when filled; and carrying of the exercise aid when the container is not filled and the outer is deformed for storage and transport.

In preferred embodiments the container has a waterproof inner, wherein said inner prevents moisture passing to the outer; in order that a user is thereby enabled to fill the container with filling of choice and local availability, foi example sand, mud or water. In this way the uèer may travel to a remote destination, for example by running, jogging or walking, and set up the aid for use at said location.

Preferably therefore the aperture is sealable so as to prevent passage of filling from the inner through the aperture. Suchwise the aperture may provide a waterproof seal in some preferred embodiments, whereas in other embodiments a seal sufficient to block substantially block passage of sand or small granular filling may be sufficient.

Ideally said aperture is provided with a closure mechanism that permits closure to be accomplish simply and efficiently and without significant alteration to the aid function. In this way the aid can be used after closure without concern over aperture opening during handling or otherwise presenting interference to said handling.

In preferred embodiments said handling is facilitated through a plurality of means arranged about the faces and side(s) of the container, wherein preferred embodiments of the aid take shape in use as a rectangular planar device with the container centrally located; wherein four sides are defined and two opposing faces when the container is filled.

In preferred embodiments therefore the faces include means for the user to hold and handle the aid, namely and typically a plurality of straps, handles or grips spaced apart about the faces; and the four sides provide a plurality of spaced lacunae, handles, grips or straps so as to allow the user to hold, handle or manipulate the aid. Said means or grips are ideally arranged so as to allow multiple grip positions or manipulation attitudes.

Ideally all such handles are resiliently deformable so as to permit sçlective use and avoid disturbance to the user when the aid is stowed or deformed for storage or transport.

Advantageously the means also include lanyard attachment points so as to permit the user to carry the aid in a stowed position or arrangement, for example about the user's back or otherwise on a strap.

Such means or points are advantageously arranged so as to be available when the aid is stowed or otherwise deformed for storage and transport; whereas the other means, or handles, are advantageously available for use when the aid is opened from stowage and in which condition the container is filled or may be filled.

In some embodiments when the container is filled the outer is stretched out, wherein on emptying the outer is deformed or is capable of deformation. For example in some embodiments filling of the container may prompt or enable the container to provide structural strengthening to the aid, such as whereby a skeleton of the container is filled before a body is filled so as to ensure that during handling the aid is less liable to deform or otherwise be made difficult to handle.

In other embodiments in addition or the alternative structural strengthening may be included in the aid so as to allow the aid to be strengthened in some orientations even when the container is empty and wherein the aid is capable of deformation as the container is deformed when empty. For example ribbing may be included transverse to a direction of deformation denying deformation in a transverse or orthogonal orientation, but allowing controlled deformation appropriate to stowage. In this way deformation may be facilitated to permit easy and quick stowage after training and onwards travel.

In some embodiments rolling deformation of the aid may be preferred wherein the container is deformed progressively so as to ensure that fillers are displaced during stowage, minimising dhances of damage or problems during prolonged periods of stowage.

Once stowage has been accomplished preferred embodiments of the aid include supplementary means to permit securement of the deformed container and br aid. Said means may double as means for. handling of the tilled container and aid of carrying of the emptied container and aid.

In some embodiments the container may include multiple chambers so as to be possible of independent and unilateral filling, to further promote flexibility. In addition or the alternative means may be displaceable, detachable or attachable separately so as to provide additional flexibility in arrangement or training attitude.

Reference will now be made to a preferred embodiment of the aid, shown in a number of figures, in which: Brief DescriDtion of the Figures Figure 1 shows an isometric view of the aid with aperture opened for filling, from an underside; Figure 2 shows a side view of the aid as shown in Figure 1 with container filled and aperture open; Figure 3 show a view from above and below of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, with aperture open for filling; And Figure 4 shows a view from an end of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, distal to the aperture.

Detailed Description of the FiQures

With reference to the Figures wherein all like parts assume like numerals, filling is added to the container 4 through the aperture 1. The aperture I is then sealed by a zipper mechanism (shown as 100 in Figure 3a) situate on the periphery of the aperture 1 and container 4.

After use of the zipper the flap 8 is used to close over the aperture 1. In this way the zipper and flaps may combine to seal the aperture 1 with maximal effectiveness.

The flap 8 is ideally secured by use of a mechanism such as hook and loop portions (shown as 101 in Figure 3a) like VELCRO (Trade Mark) or clips, press studs, buttons or detent mechanism.

The flap 8 in this way may be secured to the container 4 so as to ensure the flap 8 and consequently the aperture 1. does not interfere with operation or handling of the aid when in use for training.

In particular in the pictured embodiment the flap 8 closure means that handling means, or handles, 2 may be available on both shorter sides of the aid equally, with minimal likelihood of disruption to the closure of aperture 1 and accordingly with minimal chance of disturbance of filling of the container 4.

Handling means are further provided on the container 4 or face of the aid so as to improve exercise or training range. Said face handling means comprise a plurality of training grips 7 so as to maximise training flexibility. In Figure 3a the opposing face 40 may be seen with an orthogonal set of grips 70, to further maximise flexibility dependant on which face of the aid is used.

In order to allow storage and transport of the aid the container 4 has a deformable nature, being ideally formed in a synthetic plastics or other flexible fabric. The container may be multiple chamber, ribbed or multi-cell in order that ribbing may be accomplished such as with a dividing structural skeleton.

In further embodiments the periphery 9 may provide structural strengthening purposes, wherein for example the periphery includes segmentation and overlapping sections which may be incrementally bent into accurate shapes that are disposed to remain in set positions.

Said periphery 9 in addition or the alternative may be liable to deform more readily along shorter sides 20 including handles 2 than longer sides 30 including lanyard attachment points 3, which points 3 permit attachment of a lanyard or strap (not shown) in order that the aid may be carried.

The aid is stowed far carrying by rolling along the longer sides (30) so that the points 3 are always available.

When the aid is rolled up and stowed, there is provided a securing mechanism comprising mutually engaging buckle portions 5,6 to encircle the stowed or rolled aid.

The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of invention.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realised that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

*Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention.

Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims 1 An exercise aid comprising: a refillable elongate container defined by a resiliently deformable outer and a sealable inner; wherein said outer includes an aperture providing access to said inner through said outer; and said outer includes two faces and at least one side wherein the faces and the at least one side are fixedly arranged with plural opposing means to permit: 1) Handling and support of the container when filled; 2) Carrying of the exercise aid when the container is not filled and the outer is deformed for storage and transport.
2 An exercise aid according to claim 1 wherein the aid is substantially rectangular in plan, defining two long sides and two short sides.
3 An exercise aid according to claim 2 wherein the means for handling and support of the filled container are on the short sides and face, and the means for carrying on the long sides.
4 An exercise aid according to claims2 or 3 wherein the aid may be deformed by rolling along the long sides.
An exercise aid according to any of claim 1 or claim 2 to 4 wherein the aperture is closed by means comprising a flap.
6 An exercise aid according to any of the preceding claims wherein the means for carrying includes a displaceable lanyard or strap.
7 An exercise aid according to any of the preceding claims wherein a mechanism is included for securing the aid after the outer has been deformed for storage and transport.S An exercise aid with reference to the figures.