GB2617535A

GB2617535A - Exercise apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2617535A
Application number: GB2117804.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Okine Reginald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-12-09
Filing date: 2021-12-09
Publication date: 2023-10-18
Also published as: GB202117804D0; EP4444436A1; WO2023105241A1

Abstract

Exercise apparatus comprises a base 12 and a platform 14, suitable for receiving at least one of a user’s feet, pivotally mounted thereon. The base 12 has a planar lower surface, and the platform 14 is moveable between a stowed configuration in which the plane of the platform 14 is parallel to the plane of the lower surface of the base 12 and a deployed configuration in which the plane of the platform 14 can be inclined with respect to the plane of the lower surface of the base 12. The platform 14 preferably pivots relative the base 12 and receives two feet of a user. The platform 14 may be formed of two platforms that move independently. The base 12 may include an attachable weight (80, Fig. 5) and the platform 14 may include a handle.

Description

EXERCISE APPARATUS

The present invention relates to exercise apparatus. More particularly the present invention relates to exercise apparatus for exercising a user's core body muscles.

Lower back pain (LBP) is a major health problem, having a substantial effect on peoples' quality of life and placing a significant economic burden on healthcare systems and, more broadly, societies. A primary cause of lower back pain is weak core muscles.

A well-established method of exercising abdominal muscles is the so-called situp. This classic exercise is performed by lying on one's back and lifting the torso, making use of the user's own bodyweight to strengthen and tone the core-stabilising muscles of the body. Situps recruit a number of muscles including rectus abdominis, obliques and transverse abdominis, hip flexors, neck muscles and the like.

One issue with performing situp exercises is providing an anchor for a user's lower limbs, particularly feet, against which the exercise can be better performed to isolate and concentrate the effort on those core muscles required for supporting posture and a user's lower back.

Known methods include the participation of another person to hold onto and anchor another person's feet to enable them to perform a situp or else use a device to perform the same function. The use of a device is particularly beneficial when exercising alone.

Known devices tend to have a means to secure the device to a fixed structure, for example a door or door frame, and a means to interface with a user's feet, such as a T-bar having deformable foam or the like to provide a little more comfort to a user when operating the device.

Such devices suffer from requiring a fixed structure to anchor to and dictate the orientation of a user's foot that doesn't allow for varied foot positions which would assist in recruiting different muscles depending on the orientation and in varying degrees.

In addition, it would be beneficial if the device could perform more than one exercise function and/or be portable.

It would be advantageous to overcome or alleviate one or more of the problems

associated with the prior art.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided, exercise apparatus comprising a base having a substantially planar lower surface, a platform for receiving at least one foot of a user that is moveably mounted on the base, wherein the platform is moveable from a stowed configuration in which the platform is substantially parallel to the plane of the lower surface and a deployed configuration in which the platform is inclined to the plane of the lower surface.

The platform is preferably pivotally mounted to the base. The platform may accommodate two feet of a user.

The base may be centrally located and the platform pivotally mounted by means of pivots disposed either side of the base.

The apparatus may comprise two platforms, one for each foot which are moveably independently of one another but can be fixed in a desired orientation to facilitate more variable exercise routines.

The base may have means for mounting weight so that the weight of the apparatus may be varied according to, for example, the body weight of a user to improve the exercise experience.

The weight may be received by the base of the apparatus.

The weight may be retained by nay suitable means. Advantageously, the retaining means disposed on the apparatus may receive and retain the weight by means of magnetism. The weight or the retaining means may comprise one or more magnets. Advantageously, the base comprises a retaining member for receiving and retaining at least one weight. The retaining member may comprise a metal member.

The weight may be in the form of one or more weighted plates. Weighted plates may be received on the base and stacked on top of one another until the desired total weight is achieved for a given exercise.

The pivots may permit a number of predetermined configurations of the platform relative to the base to facilitate different exercises. The platform may have three configurations: the first being parallel to the lower surface of the base; the second being inclined substantially 60 degrees to the plane of the lower surface of the base; the third being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the lower surface of the base.

The first, second and third configurations may be used for sit up exercises whilst the third configuration may facilitate the use of the device for weight training and/or efficient storage.

The apparatus may comprise one or more supports to support the platform in a given configuration.

Advantageously, the one or more supports may comprise a fin shaped to support the platform when in its second configuration, wherein an element of the support rests on the surface on which the base is placed and helps resist the platform pivoting between the second and first configuration.

s The one or more support may comprise at least one substantially triangular fin.

Advantageously the one or more support comprises three substantially triangular fins.

More advantageously, the apparatus comprises two supports each associated with one side of the platform and disposed adjacent to the pivot.

The apparatus may be portable. The apparatus may comprise means to facilitate portability, such as at least one handle. The handle may be integrally formed in the platform and/or the base.

The apparatus may comprise two or more handles so that different weight liftin exercises can be more easily performed.

The apparatus may comprise means for retaining a foot on the platform. The means for retaining a foot on the platform may comprise one or more straps. The straps may have means for adjusting their length to accommodate different sized feet or footwear. The strap may comprise a buckle and/or hook and loop adjustment means.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference 20 to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows an apparatus in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a plan view from above of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the apparatus of Fig. 1 from below; Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 shows the apparatus of Fig. 1 carrying additional weights; Fig. 6 shows the apparatus of Fig. 1 in a deployed configuration; and Figs. 7 a to c show a sectional view of the base of an apparatus according to the present invention.

Figs. 1 to 4 show exercise apparatus 10 having a base 12 and a planar platform 14 pivotally mounted thereon.

The base has a planar lower surface 16, a rear face 18 inclined to and extending upwardly from the lower surface,an inclined front face 22, side faces 24, 26 and upper surface 28.

The platform is pivotally mounted at one end by two pivot points 30, 32 either side of the base on the side faces 24,26 respectively. The platform can be pivoted from a stowed configuration in which the plane of the platform is parallel to the plane of the lower surface of the base and a deployed configuration in which the plane of the platform can be inclined with respect to the plane of the lower surface of the base.

The platform 14 has a generally 'U-shaped' body whose free ends 40,42 are pivotally mounted to the base 12.

Distal to the pivot points 30,32 and located on the platform 14 are handles 44, 46, 48 integrally formed in the platform in the form of elongate cut-outs. These cut-outs may serve two functions. They may facilitate the apparatus to be carried, to facilitate portability, and/or provide different grip positions for a user to use the apparatus for strength/resistance training in lieu of a dumbbell or the like.

The platform is capable of adopting three configurations relative to the base and achieves this by pivoting about pivot points 30,32. The first is shown in Figs. 1 to 5 where the plane of the platform is parallel to the plane of the lower surface of the base. The second configuration is where the platform is inclined to 60 degrees relative to the plane of the lower surface of the base; and, the third configuration is where the platform is perpendicular to the place of the lower surface of the base. The pivot points are locked into the three configurations by means of a releasable locking pin mechanism that is biased in its locked configuration wherein two pins, one to engage with each pivot, are biased into the locked configuration where the pins are received in complementarily shaped bores to releasably lock the platform into a given configuration. The bias may be a spring.

To unlock the mechanism, handle 20 -which has an elongate body from which two pins extend substantially perpendicularly from either end -is pulled away from the base to overcome the bias of the spring, disengaging the locking pins from the pivots. The platform is then free to rotate about the pivot points until the desired configuration is achieved at which point the locking pins engage the complimentarily shaped bores and are received therein to lock the platform in the desired configuration.

Located on the platform either side of the base are two foot straps 50,52 that provide 20 a means to secure a user's foot to the apparatus. Each strap has means for varying its length to accommodate differing sized feet and/or footwear.

Each strap is received in a pair of spaced apart slots 60, 62 and 60', 62'.

Platform 14 has a planar upper surface 80 and a planar lower surface 82. Disposed on upper surface 80 are a series of parallel grip members 84 for providing additional grip to the foot of a user.

Downwardly depending from the lower surface 82 are disposed two sets of fins 86, 88. Each set comprises three generally triangular fins 90 whose function is to serve as supports when the platform is in its second configuration, 60 degrees to the plane of the lower surface of the base, to assist in preventing the platform from moving into another configuration. In use for situps, the platform may be inclined to the degree desired and a user may place their feet on the platform and retain them in place using the adjustable straps. In this way multiple foot/lower leg positions can be accommodated to exercise to differing extents areas of the core whilst also anchoring the feet in one position to facilitate the situp movement.

The upper surface of the base has a circular recess 70 for receiving circular weights.

These weights can be retained by an upstanding lip 72 and/or magnetic means.

Disposed in recess 70 is a circular ring of metal 74, one member of a mating pair for releasably securing weight to the base.

Fig. 5 shows the apparatus 10 where the recess 70 receives and cradles a plurality of weights 80. This ensures that the base is adequately weighted to resist movement when a user performs a situp or else can be used for resistance training using one of the grip positions outlined above.

The weights have magnetic material integrally formed or secured thereto to cooperate with the circular ring of metal 74. Thus the weights can be releasably secured to the base of the apparatus.

To release and undock the weights, a lever 76 is provided which assists in creating separation between the weights and the ring to diminish the magnetic attraction between ring and weights to facilitate their removal from the apparatus.

The present invention may also be used to perform deadlifts, bicep curls, and other resistance training exercises.

Fig. 6 shows the apparatus in a deployed configuration where the platform 14 is inclined 60 degrees relative to the lower surface of the base.

Fig. 7 a shows a sectional view of the apparatus. Extending across the base is a cylindrical elongate member 100 that is rotatably mounted in the base 12 and received by a complementarily shaped trough 102. At either end of cylindrical member 102 are complementarily shaped cut outs to receive the platform 14 mounts which form the pivot points 30,32. The cylinder member 100 is arranged to rotate in the trough to facilitate the pivot movement of the platform.

Associated with the cylindrical member 100 are two elongate locking pins 110, 112 that extend from handle 114.

The pins 110,112 are biased into an engaged configuration with complementarily shaped apertures in the side wall of the cylindrical member to releasably secure the cylindrical member in a given orientation within the trough.

If the handle to which the pins are operatively connected is moved away from the base, once the spring bias has been overcome the pins are disengaged from the cylindrical member and permit the cylindrical member to freely rotate. A subsequent configuration of the platform may then be adopted and the handle released to permit the pins to engage another set of apertures in the cylindrical member which corresponds to a different configuration and orientation of the platform relative to the base.

In this embodiment, there are 3 pairs of apertures around the circumference of the cylindrical member each pair corresponding to a given predetermined configuration of the platform relative to the base.

While the invention has been described in detail, modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. Such modifications are also to be considered as part of the present invention. In view of the foregoing discussion, relevant knowledge in the art and references or information so discussed above in connection with the Background of the Invention, the disclosures of which are all incorporated herein by reference, further description is deemed unnecessary. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the invention and portions of various embodiments may be combined or interchanged either in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention.

Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Although selected embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail, it may be understood that various substitutions and alterations are possible. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings may recognize additional various substitutions and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and as defined by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1.An exercise apparatus comprising a base having a substantially planar lower surface, a platform for receiving at least one foot of a user that is moveably mounted on the base, wherein the platform is moveable from a stowed configuration in which the platform is substantially parallel to the plane of the lower surface and a deployed configuration in which the platform is inclined to the plane of the lower surface.
2. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the platform is pivotally mounted to the base.
3. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the platform to accommodates two feet of a user.
4. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the base is centrally located and the platform pivotally mounted either side of the base.
5. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of the previous claims comprising two platforms, one for each foot which are moveably independently of one another to facilitate more variable exercise routines.
6. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the base has means for mounting weight so that the weight of the apparatus may be varied according to the body weight of a user to improve the exercise experience.
7. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the apparatus is portable.
8. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 7 having a carry handle.
9. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of the previous claims having at least one handle disposed in the platform.
10. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of the previous claims having means for retaining a foot on the platform.
11. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the means for retaining a foot on the platform may comprise one or more straps.
12. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the straps have means for adjusting their length to accommodate different sized feet or footwear.
13. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of the previous claims comprising means for carrying additional weight.
14. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 13 having a mount for receiving additional weight located on the base.
15. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the mount receives weight plates.
16. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein the means for receiving additional weight further comprises one member of a mating pair 15 to releasably secure the weight to the apparatus and the weight comprises the other member of the mating pair.
17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the mating pair comprises a magnetic member.
18. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the means to releasably 20 secure the weight to the apparatus comprises a magnet and/or strap.