WO2012001536A1

WO2012001536A1 - Exerciser for training in the aquatic environment

Info

Publication number: WO2012001536A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/050744
Authority: WO
Inventors: Monica Vincenza Spagnuolo
Original assignee: Monica Vincenza Spagnuolo
Priority date: 2010-07-02
Filing date: 2011-02-23
Publication date: 2012-01-05
Also published as: SM201000093B; SM201000093A

Abstract

The present invention refers to an exerciser (1) comprising a pole (2) and a base (3) in turn comprising a support platform (5), a hollow protuberance (7), a support system (9,11) and an anchorage system (13), said exerciser (1) being provided for carrying out fitness exercises in an aquatic environment and swimming practice, and it can be mounted, demounted and remounted, as well as easily moved, depending on whether it must be used or maintained in storage.

Description

"Exerciser for training in the aquatic environment"

DESCRIPTION

Field of the Art

The present invention refers to an exerciser for carrying out fitness exercises in an aquatic environment and swimming practice .

More precisely, the present invention refers to a demountable exerciser for carrying out fitness exercises in an aquatic environment and swimming practice.

Prior Art

In order to undertake physical activity in an aquatic environment, numerous exercisers are known, including step, treadmills and bike; analogously, for swimming practice and the development of underwater capacities, exercisers are known such as boards, pull-buoys, arm supports, belt supports and ankle supports.

Among the exercisers available up to now and mentioned above, some have the disadvantage of being heavy, bulky, complex and generally quite costly, whereas others have the disadvantage of deteriorating in rather brief time periods, and in some cases not ensuring sufficient hygiene levels for the user. There is also an exerciser for land activities such as "Pole Gym" and "Pole Dance"; such exerciser, which allows training by utilizing one's own body weight via the assumption of aerial positions, is substantially constituted by a pole which can be fixed at its ends to the floor and to the ceiling of a room. Or, such exerciser is equipped with a suitably heavy pedestal in a manner such that the structure is capable overall of supporting the weight of the user' s body together with the force of gravity.

However, this exerciser cannot be easily moved, depending on whether it must be used or stored in storage; in addition, this exerciser involves a highly aerobic activity and a training program which burns a lot of calories, and thus results suitable for trained users who lack any pathology. There is still the need, therefore, to identify an exerciser for exercises in an aquatic environment which overcomes the drawbacks of the known solutions.

Description of the Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an exerciser for exercises in an aquatic environment which can be mounted, demounted and remounted, in addition to easily moved, depending on whether they must be used or kept in storage .

Further object of the present invention is to provide an exerciser for exercises which can be used by any user type in an aquatic environment, by utilizing the user's own body weight.

Further object of the present invention is to provide an exerciser for exercises an aquatic environment which is sufficiently light, not very bulky, simple and economical as well as durable and hygienically reliable.

The aforesaid objects are obtained with the exerciser according to the present invention which advantageously comprises a pole and a support platform for said pole which can be assembled together when the exerciser must be employed and which can be dismantled when said exerciser must be stored.

Advantageously, moreover, said exerciser can be easily moved depending on whether it must be used or stored in storage. Advantageously, moreover, said exerciser is suitable for exercises in an aquatic environment since it provides for a suitable anchorage system of said platform to the floor of the swimming pool, which ensures that the exercise equipment has suitable adherence and thus stability during use.

The exerciser according to the invention can be used by most users (however it is not suitable for pregnant women and for users with shoulder or neck pathologies) since the body weight is sustained by the thrust of the water and the hydrodynamic activities are assisted by the massaging action of the water itself; in addition, it possesses all the desired characteristics: lightness, little bulk, simple structure and manageability, inexpensiveness , strength and quality of cleaning as well as stability during use.

Summary Description of the Figures

The invention will now be described with reference to the following figures, provided as a non-limiting example, in which :

- FIG. 1 is a front view of the exerciser according to the invention ;

- FIG. 2 is a bottom view of FIG 1; and

- FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG 1.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

With reference to Figure 1, it is observed that the exerciser 1 according to the present invention comprises a pole 2 and a base 3.

Said pole 2 is substantially constituted by a bar with tubular shape, and is preferably made of stainless steel, preferably of AISI 316 steel; said pole 2 preferably has a height equal to about 2 meters and a diameter equal to 4 centimeters.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, it is observed that said base 3 in turn comprises a support platform 5, a hollow protuberance 7, a support system 9,11 and an anchorage system 13; said base 3 preferably has circular form and preferably has a diameter equal to 80 centimeters.

Said support platform 5, it too preferably with circular form and preferably made of plastic material that is resistant to corrosion and oxidation, preferably made of polyethylene, defines the tread surface suitable for carrying out the support exercises, deambulation and running in place; the main object of said support platform 5 is to render safe and comfortable the use of the exerciser 1 by the user.

As will be clear to the man skilled in the art, said base 3 can have, as required, different geometric forms, for example square, pentagonal or generically polygonal form; with the variation of the form of said base 3, the form of said platform 5 will also vary in a consistent manner, as might said support system 9,11.

With reference to Figures 1 and 3, it is observed that said hollow protuberance or cup 7 is adapted to receive said pole 2 and to maintain it in a vertical position, also since a connection system is provided for, e.g. a screw, between said base 3 and said pole 2; said hollow protuberance 7 is preferably made of stainless steel, preferably AISI 316 steel, and preferably has a height of 15 - 20 centimeters and a diameter equal to 4.5 centimeters.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown) , said hollow protuberance 7 is provided with a very limited height, at most 10 centimeters, for the purpose of facilitating the stacking of the bases 3 and thus facilitating their maintenance in storage; according to this alternative embodiment, said connection system is preferably obtained by means of threading of said hollow protuberance 7 and said pole 2.

Said hollow pole 7 is fixed to said support system (9,11) with known means, e.g. by means of welding.

Providing for said hollow protuberance 7 allows assembling and disassembling the components of said exerciser 1, in such a manner making it demountable; of course, the fact that the exerciser 1 is demountable ensures that it also occupies a smaller or in any case limited space when it is placed in storage .

Said support system 9,11 is fixed to said support platform 5. In the preferred embodiment illustrated herein, said support system in turn comprises a circular ring 9 and a cross 11 with four arms 11a, lib, 11c, lid inscribed in said ring 9; said support system 9,11 is preferably obtained in stainless steel, preferably AISI 316 steel.

Said four arms 11a, lib, 11c, lid of said cross 11 are preferably perforated in order to allow the water to penetrate to their interior, thus constituting an additional weight which cooperates with the maintenance of the exercise equipment immobility.

As will be clear to the man skilled in the art, said support system 9,11 can have, as required - in addition to a different shape as provided for above - multiple crosses 11, and hence multiple arms 11a, lln, or said arms 11a, lln can be differently positioned.

Said anchorage system 13 is fixed to said support system 9, 11.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated herein, said anchorage system 13 comprises a multiplicity of suckers 13 distributed along said circular ring 9; preferably, said suckers 13 are positioned in a symmetric manner so as to ensure that the exerciser 1 has the best adherence to a reference surface, for example the bottom of a pool, and hence maximum stability during use; preferably, there are eight of said suckers 13, four of which positioned at the vertices of each arm 11a, lib, 11c, lid of said cross 11 and the other four positioned at the 45° angle between two contiguous arms 11a and lib, lib and 11c, 11c and lid, lid and 11a of said cross 11; said suckers 13 are preferably fixed to said support system 9,11 by means of pins or similar fixing means, preferably obtained in stainless steel, preferably AISI 316 steel, which thus ensure an optimal immobility as well as the possibility to substitute the suckers 13 if they are damaged. As will be clear to the man skilled in the art, said anchorage system 13 can comprise means different from suckers; there can also be a different number of said means, which can also be differently positioned.

Said anchorage system 13 will have to be sized in a suitable manner in order to support the force applied by the user to the end of the pole 2 opposite that inserted in the hollow protuberance 7, possibly also taking under consideration the pool bottom type, e.g. PVC or ceramic tiles; nevertheless, said anchorage system 13 will have to be easily releasable from the bottom of the pool, i.e. it will have to be removable without the aid of particular tools.

The maintenance of said pole 2 in perfectly vertical position will also represent the guarantee of the correct execution of the exercises by the user; indeed, considering the pole 2 as a lever, the equilibrium condition, i.e. the absence of bending, is obtained when the sum of the moments of the forces applied thereto is equal to zero. It is wished to underline that if an analogous exerciser is employed without the support offered by the thrust of the water, said exerciser would be bent or even overturned due to the weight of the body of the user together with the force of gravity, or a considerably heavy base would be necessary, which would prevent the movement thereof.

In addition, in order to facilitate the movement of the exerciser, particularly aboveground when it must be transported into storage, it is possible to provide for a movement system (not shown), e.g. by means of small wheels or sliding blocks; naturally, said movement system will be housed, by means of known systems, inside the platform 5 in a manner so as to not interfere with the anchorage system 13 when the exerciser 1 is positioned in water for use. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the exerciser 1 has a weight of about 20 kg, thus ensuring its improved manageability.

The exerciser according to the invention allows attaining a wide series of benefits: the toning up and strengthening in particular of the abdomen and arm muscles, cardiovascular development, the development of neuromuscular responses such as balance, coordination, power and agility, the improvement of muscular-tendon flexibility and the synergistic massage of the water on the tissues.

In addition, the exerciser according to the invention can be advantageously employed by all the novice athletes engaged in "Pole Gym" land activities, those who are not yet experts in the use of holds and positions which on land could be dangerous or particularly difficult to sustain for a musculature that is not yet sufficiently well-toned; it can also be employed by high-level athletes who suffered accidents and who must restart their activity without overly loading the articulations, with the support of the water.

In addition, the exerciser according to the invention can also be employed for acquiring good swimming ability; in particular, the exerciser is used by a beginner user as a support for descending towards the bottom of the pool and as a grip for the gradual, guided return upward, or possibly in emergency situations.

Both for exercise use and for learning use, the exerciser is used by gripping the pole 2 with the hands; according to the use type, then, one can provide for multiple grips adapted for achieving the pre-established object such as, for example, the folded or extended flag position, or setting the feet in the base position on the platform 5.

As an alternative to the above-illustrated preferred embodiment, the base of the exerciser according to the present invention can be entirely made of metal material, preferably stainless steel, preferably AISI 316 steel, by means of molding in a single piece, with or without crosses inscribed in the perimeter of the base itself.

As was partly anticipated, the man skilled in the art can easily obtain numerous variants of the present invention, e.g. by providing for a base with polygonal form, with a congruous number of inscribed arms, or an anchorage system that is different from that illustrated, or a pole of telescopic type, or even by adding a movement system, e.g. via small wheels or sliding blocks, in order to further facilitate the transfer of the exerciser from storage to the edge of the pool and vice versa; in addition, the size of the various components can be varied with respect to those reported herein for the preferred embodiment of the invention, in order to better adapt the exerciser to different exercises and/or users; finally, other structural materials can be employed with respect to those indicated above as an example, even if they will be selected from among those having characteristics suitable for use in water, and specifically from among those resistant to corrosion and to oxidation .

As is clear from the description, the exerciser according to the invention has numerous advantages, including lightness, little bulk, mounting and demounting simplicity, manageability and transportability, inexpensiveness , strength and cleanliness as well as stability during use and the possibility of use by any user except pregnant women and users with shoulder and neck pathologies.

Claims

1. An exerciser (1) comprising:

a pole (2 ) , and

a base (3) in turn comprising a support platform (5), a hollow protuberance (7), a support system (9,11) and an anchorage system (13) .

2. An exerciser (1) according to claim 1, wherein said hollow protuberance (7) comprises a connection system between said base (3) and said pole (2) .

3. An exerciser (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said hollow protuberance (7) is fixed to said support system (9, 11) .

4. An exerciser (1) according to claim 1, wherein said support system (9,11) is fixed to said support platform (5).

5. An exerciser (1) according to claim 1, wherein said anchorage system (13) is fixed to said support system (9,11).

6. An exerciser (1) according to claim 5, wherein said anchorage system (13) comprises multiple suckers (13).

7. An exerciser (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said anchorage system (13) is distributed on said support system

(9,11) in a symmetric manner, so as to ensure that the exerciser (1) has the best adherence to a reference surface.

8. An exerciser (1) according to claim 1, wherein said support system (9,11) is perforated in order to increase the immobility of said exerciser (1) .

9. Use of said exerciser (1) in order to carry out fitness exercises in an aquatic environment.

10. Use of said exerciser (1) in order to carry out swimming practice .