WO2003105964A1

WO2003105964A1 - Training device

Info

Publication number: WO2003105964A1
Application number: PCT/NL2003/000430
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ronald Raôul LAMBERT
Original assignee: Lambert Ronald Raoul
Priority date: 2002-06-13
Filing date: 2003-06-13
Publication date: 2003-12-24
Also published as: AU2003277228A1; NL1020853C2

Abstract

Training device consisting of a tubular body which is closed off and provided with handles on both sides. An aperture is present for introducing a liquid such as water therein. According to the invention the tubular body consists of a tube film of PE rubber elastomer. In particular, a mono-layer film is used consisting of a mixture of isotactic polypropene and linear low-density polyethylene.

Description

Training device

The present invention relates to a training device comprising a tubular body, wherein the ends are closed off and provided with handles, where the tubular body is provided with a closable filling aperture for the introduction of a fluid, which tubular body comprises a tube of plastic film material.

Such a training device is known from US 4659078. Such a training device is for example partially filled with water and the user grips both ends in order then to make swinging movements in all directions with the tubular part. It has been found that in this way it is possible not only to develop the muscular strength of the user but also the motor coordination. In this operation it is very important that there is a clear feedback from the water which hits one end of the tube film and the hands and thus the arms and the remainder of the user.

It is the object of the present invention to improve this "feeling" experienced by the user so that the training can be carried out even more effectively. In a device described above this object is realised in said plastic film comprises elastic PE film. It has been found that the "feeling" for the user is considerably improved by using an elastic film material. In this way the use of the device becomes more enjoyable and it is possible to carry out more complicated exercises with it. This device can thus be used to improve the hitting movement of golfers. In this way the golfer's coordination is improved while at the same time his hitting power increases as a result of practice with the training device according to the invention. It is also possible, however, to further develop other complicated movements. Tennis players are one example. Other applications are patients who have or are likely to get RSI symptoms. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the plastic film comprises a PE rubber elastomer.

The film is preferably a mono-layer film, with the film being made from a mixture which comprises a homopolymer and/or a copolymer of propene and a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). The homopolymer of propene is preferably isotactic polypropene. The copolymer of propene is preferably an ethylene-propene copolymer or norbornadiene derivative, butadiene, isopropene or hexadiene. The linear low-density polyethylene is preferably a copolymer of ethylene and a C₃-Cι₂ α-alkene such as propene, 1-butene, 1-hexene and 1-octene, with the C₃-Cι₂ α-alkene content preferably being 0.5 to 20% by weight. The linear low-density polyethylene is preferably produced by a polymerization method in which a metallocene compound is used as catalyst. The mixture can contain other polyalkenes, such as polyisobutene, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinylchloride and copolymers of ethylene and vinyl acetate or ethylene vinyl alcohol. The film can be monoaxially or biaxially oriented. The mixture preferably also contains additives such as anti-blocking agents, antioxidants, colorants, fillers, processing aids, UN-protecting agents, lubricants and surfactants. Examples of such additives are silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, polydimethylsiloxane, talc, wax, stearates, resins with a low molecular weight and tackifiers. The mixture can be modified by, for example, corona treatment, electron beam irradiation, gamma radiation treatment or microwave treatment. According to a further embodiment of advantage, the plastic film comprises a tube film. That means that a longitudinal seam is imperceptible or barely perceptible, and so the water or other liquid can move to and fro unimpeded.

According to a further embodiment of advantage, the tubular body is provided at one end with a loop connected to said tubular body, while a (movable) handle is furthermore attached. The user puts the loop around his wrist, and the user then takes hold of the handle. It has been found that in this way a better grip is obtained. More particularly, the handle is movably fitted to the end of the tube, relative to the wrist loop, and so the user can make individual adjustments. By providing the wrist loop with a thickening near the connection end of the loop it was possible to prevent movement of the handle. For optimal gripping the handle preferably consists of a rubbery material, in particular SBS rubber.

According to a further embodiment of advantage, the aperture is provided with a sealing cap or plug, and the edge of the aperture is provided with snap closure devices interacting with the cap or plug. The invention also relates to a method for the manufacture of a training device, involving the provision of a tubular elastic PE film, the fitting of a transverse seal near the ends thereof by heat-sealing, and the fitting of handles near the ends. The invention will be made clearer below by means of an example illustrated in the drawings. In these:

Fig. 1 shows in elevation the training device according to the invention; and Fig. 2 shows a part of the device according to the invention gripped by a user. In the figures the training device according to the invention is generally referred to by 1. This consists of a tubular body of polyethylene material and more particularly a mono-layer film of a mixture of isotactic polypropylene and a linear low-density polyethylene. Colorants can be present in order to give the tubular body a colour, such as blue for example. An organic pigment which is free of heavy metals can be used for this purpose. The tubular body 2 is a seamless tube film. This is folded back near the ends and the folds are indicated as 7. A joint 9 is then applied by heat-sealing. This extends over the whole width of the tube film, so that near the ends the tube film is given a kind of U shape (see right end, Fig. 1). A wrist loop 8 is fitted in the space delimited by the folded part 7. A handle 4 which preferably consists of a plastic foam is fitted movably over the end of the tubular film 2. In the right-hand part of Fig. 1 this handle 4 is moved to the left, while the handle 3 in the left-hand part of Fig. 1 is shown in the user position. This user position, however, is dependent on the user's wishes. By providing a thickening at the connection of the ends of the wrist loop 8, it was possible to obtain an end stop for the handle. A reinforcement around an aperture in the tube film, to which a cap indicated as 6 is snap-fitted, is indicated as 5.

In Fig. 2 a part of the device 1 according to the invention is illustrated near one end thereof. Handle 4 is movable to and fro in the direction of the arrow 10. The wrist loop 8 is shown around the wrist 11 of the arm 12 of the user. It has been found that by use of the materials described above for the tubular body the water or other material which is put in the film "rolls" better in the tube. This is possibly related with the apolar behaviour of the elastomer material used for the tubular film. The elasticity provides some absorption of the shock which arises as a result of the fact that the water hits one end of the tube film. It is important that the tube film is not stiff, as a result of which the effect of the presence thereof is limited as much as possible. The thickness of the tube film material will be chosen in accordance with the application. For professional use very small thicknesses of material can suffice, but this has a negative effect on useful life. The thickness will be increased for less professional use. Partly because of the absence of a longitudinal seam, optimal properties of the tubular body 2 are obtained. It has furthermore been found that because the material according to the invention of the tubular body 2 has elastic properties, the danger of breaking and cracking, as known with devices according to the prior art when the wall thickness of the tubular film is reduced, decreases. As a result it is possible to obtain the same useful life with a smaller wall thickness, i.e. with improved properties of the training device.

The sealing of the ends can be carried out in any way known in the prior art. For example with a magnet sealer, where a sealer is driven by a coil. It must be clear, however, that other possibilities such as gluing also fall within the scope of the present invention. This and further variants which immediately occur to persons skilled in the art fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Training device (1) comprising a tubular body (2), wherein the ends are closed off and provided with handles (3, 4), where said tubular body is provided with a closable filling aperture (5) for the introduction of a fluid, which tubular body comprises a tube plastic film material, characterized in that the plastic film comprises elastic PE film.

2. Training device according to Claim 1, where the plastic film comprises a PE rubber elastomer.

3. Training device according to one of the preceding claims, where the plastic film comprises a mono-layer film.

4. Training device according to one of the preceding claims, where the film comprises a mixture of a homopolymer and/or copolymer of propene and linear low-density polyethylene.

5. Training device according to Claim 4, where said homopolymer of propene comprises an isotactic polypropene.

6. Training device according to one of the preceding claims, where the plastic film comprises a tube film.

7. Training device according to one of the preceding claims, where said body is provided at one end with a loop (8) connected to said body, where a handle is attached movably to the end of said body.

8. Training device according to one of the preceding claims, where said filling aperture is provided with a closable plug (6), which plug and aperture are provided with interacting snap closure devices.

9. Method for the manufacture of a training device, involving the provision of a tubular elastic PE film, the fitting of a transverse seal near the ends thereof by heat-sealing, and the fitting of handles near the ends.

10. Training device according to Claim 9, involving the fitting of wrist loops on the ends.