US20090017996A1

US20090017996A1 - Stretch and press portable gym

Info

Publication number: US20090017996A1
Application number: US11/688,855
Authority: US
Inventors: Terry Hopson Chic
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-07-11
Filing date: 2007-07-11
Publication date: 2009-01-15

Abstract

An exercise device is provided having a handle assembly movably jointed to a hook assembly having a pivoted foot. In use, two of the devices are caused to engage a door frame by way of said hook assembly in horizontally separated juxtaposition. The exercising person grips both handle assemblies and then leans forwardly or rearwardly to cause his or her body weight to provide a resistive force for repetitive exercise movement.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a portable light weight exercise device, and more particularly relates to a portable device intended to be hand-gripped and employed preferably as a pair of identical units.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The health benefit of physical exercise activity that strengthens muscles and improves joint and cardiovascular function is well established. Most exercise devices involve repetitive movement of a force through a distance. The force, usually measured in pounds, is often a weight which represents a gravimetric force, or a resilient member that produces force by way of reversible bending or elongation. A compendium of exercise devices is presented in the year 2007 catalog of Power Systems of Knoxville, Tenn. Most of such devices are intended for use within a properly equipped indoor facility, and are not amenable to use by a traveling person whose exercise activity may be restricted to a hotel room. For example, it is not feasible to travel with heavy weights such as barbells. Other exercise devices may be of cumbersome size, or require anchoring installation or accessory equipment such as floor mats. Although certain exercise devices, such as hand grip exercisors are suitable for use by a traveling person, they provide a limited range of exercise activity and minimal adjustability of force level.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a light weight portable exercise device for accomplishing a diverse range of exercise activity.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device of the aforesaid nature that facilitates exercise activity without requisite accessory facilitating equipment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an exercise device of the aforesaid nature which permits adjustable force level.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above and other beneficial objects and advantages are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by an exercise device comprising:

a) a handle assembly comprised of a rigid tubular handgrip member and a tether loop of compliant non-elongatable construction slidably retained by said handgrip member,
b) a hook assembly comprised of a rigid flat structural member having a substantially straight shank portion extending to a proximal extremity, and an arcuate portion opposite said proximal extremity and terminating in a distal extremity, and a securing foot pivotably attached to said distal extremity and adapted to move in a path parallel to the plane of said structural member, and
c) connecting means providing movable joinder of said tether loop with the proximal extremity of said structural member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of an embodiment of the exercise device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows upon the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of the exercise device 10 of this invention is shown comprised of handle assembly 11 joined by connecting means 12 to hook assembly 13.
Handle assembly 11 is comprised of tubular handgrip 14 of circular cylindrical configuration having a length, measured between opposed open extremities 15, of between 4 and 5½ inches, and an outside diameter of about one inch. Said handgrip member is preferably fabricated of rigid plastic material. A tether loop 16 of compliant non-elongatable construction is slidably retained by handgrip 14. Said tether loop is preferably constructed of high strength belting material made of synthetic fiber. The belting is preferably formed of a single length of such belting. The extremities of said length are preferably caused to point in the same direction, and the portion of the belt adjacent said extremities are sewn together to form a tongue region 17.
Hook assembly 13 is comprised of a rigid flat structural member 18 having a substantially straight shank portion 19 extending to proximal extremity 20, and an arcuate portion 21 opposite said proximal extremity and terminating in distal extremity 22. Structural member 18 is preferably fabricated of a monolithic piece of sheet steel of about ⅛ inch thickness. The length of said structural member may range between about 7 and 8 inches. The curvature of said arcuate portion is substantially circular, having about 180 degrees of circular curvature between distal extremity 22 and the site of emergence of said arcuate portion from said shank portion.
A securing foot 24 is attached by pivot pin 25 to distal extremity 22 in a manner to permit rotative movement in a path parallel to the plane of structural member 18. A resilient coating is preferably associated with the face 27 of securing foot 24. In its maximal rotative position, as shown in FIG. 1, face 27 is located between about 2½ and 4½ inches from shank portion 19.
Connecting means 12 may be a split ring connector or carabineer clip that penetrates apertures in the tongue region of said tether and proximal extremity of shank portion 19 of said hook assembly, thereby providing pivotal joinder of the handle assembly and hook assembly.
In operation, arcuate portion 21 is caused to embrace the door jamb or framing of a door, or a vertical rung of a staircase railing. In the case of a door framing 29, shown in phantom outline in FIG. 1, foot 24 is brought into abutment with the framing to provide a secure grip. The exercising person, employing a pair of exercising devices of this invention, holds onto handgrips 14 and leans either forward or backward. The extent of leaning, based in part upon the person's foot position, determines the magnitude of pulling or pushing force that is applied in going from the leaning to an erect position, said force being a percentage of the person's body weight.
In other modes of use, the paired devices may be secured to the top of a door frame or other overhead structure to permit chin-up exercise. Curling exercises and still other modes of use are possible.
The device of this invention would be sold as a kit comprising two identical exercise devices and instruction material in the form of a printed manual or a computer disc.
While particular examples of the present invention have been shown and described, it is apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention in its broadest aspects. The aim of the appended claims, therefore, is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. An exercise device comprising:

a) a handle assembly comprised of a rigid tubular handgrip member and a tether loop of compliant non-elongatable construction slidably retained by said handgrip member,

b) a hook assembly comprised of a rigid structural member having a shank portion extending to a proximal extremity, and an arcuate portion emergent from said shank portion opposite said proximal extremity and terminating in a distal extremity, and a securing foot pivotably attached to said distal extremity and adapted to move in a path parallel to the plane of said structural member, and

c) connecting means providing movable joinder of said tether loop with the proximal extremity of said structural member.

15. The exercise device of claim 14 wherein said handgrip member is of circular cylindrical configuration.

16. The exercise device of claim 15 wherein said tether loop is comprised of a single piece of high strength belting material made of synthetic fiber.

17. The exercise device of claim 16 wherein said single piece of belting has two extremities which point in the same direction and are sewn together to form a tongue portion.

18. The exercise device of claim 17 wherein said arcuate portion has about 180 degrees of circular curvature.

19. (canceled)

20. A kit comprised of two exercise devices of claim.

21. An exercise device comprising:

a) a handle assembly comprised of a rigid tubular handgrip member of circular cylindrical configuration and a tether loop of compliant non-elongatable construction fabricated of a single piece of high strength belting having two extremities which point in the same direction and are sewn together to form a tongue portion, said tether loop being slidably retained by said handgrip member,

b) a hook assembly comprised of a rigid flat structural member having a substantially straight shank portion extending to a proximal extremity, and an arcuate portion having about 180 degrees of circular curvature emergent from said shank portion opposite said proximal extremity and terminating in a distal extremity, and a securing foot pivotably attached to said distal extremity and adapted to move in a path parallel to the plane of said shank portion, said foot having a face having a resilient coating.