PROSTRATE GRABBLING EXERCISE APPARATUS

• US 20100248919A1
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitcrawl (Shanghai) Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lisha Zhou
• Inventors: Zhou, Lisha, Rao, Minghu
• Granted Patent: US 7,998,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/139
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/008 using hydraulic or pneumatic force-resisters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/02 using resilient force-resisters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/154 using special pulley-assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/001 by simultaneously exercising arms and legs, e.g. diagonally in anti-phase A63B22/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/203 in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0219 on hands and knees
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0222 moving torso and lower limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0233 Muscles of the back, e.g. by an extension of the body against a resistance, reverse crunch

Abstract

A prone crawling exerciser comprises upper limp support, left and right leg slides, track means and pulley and cable means, wherein, left and right leg slides each is mounted with wheels; track means comprises two parallel left and right tracks and track brackets, left and right tracks mounted on track brackets with a space from ground, upper limp support located on left and right track or track brackets; left and right leg slides are mounted on left and right tracks and are able to slide on left and right tracks through said wheels; pulley and cable means comprises pulley and cable, said pulleys mounted on track means, said cable reeving about said pulleys connecting at least left and right leg slides. This invention enables users to simulate an animal prone crawling motion. With its adjustable loading, it is suitable for various kinds of users with different physique and age, even for the upper limb disabled person. The user can specifically exercise his lower back and abdomen, pelvis and lower limbs with different load.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A prone crawling exerciser, comprising:

an upper limb support;

left and right leg slides;

a track system; and

a pulley and cable system;

wherein the left and right leg slides are each mounted on wheels;

wherein the track system comprises two parallel left and right tracks and track supports, wherein the left and right tracks are mounted on the track supports, and wherein the left and right tracks are spaced from underlying ground by the track supports;

wherein the upper limb support is mounted on the track system;

wherein the left and right leg slides are mounted on the left and right tracks and are configured to slide on the left and right tracks by the wheels; and

wherein the pulley and cable system comprises a plurality of pulleys and at least one cable, wherein the pulleys are mounted on the track system, and wherein the cable reeves about the pulleys so as to connect at least the left and right leg slides.

13. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 12, wherein upper limb support comprises:

left and right arm slides and wheels mounted on the left and right arm slides;

wherein the left and right arm slides are further mounted on the left and right tracks and are configured to slide on the left and right tracks by the wheels; and

wherein a cable of the pulley and cable system connects the left and right arm slides and the left and right leg slides.

14. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 12, wherein the upper limb support comprises:

an upper support carriage, left and right elbow support pads, and left and right handlebars;

wherein the upper support carriage is mounted on the track system;

wherein the left and right elbow support pads and left and right handlebars are mounted on the upper support carriage and are located above left and right tracks; and

wherein a cable of the pulley and cable system connects the left and right leg slides.

15. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 12, wherein the upper limb support comprises:

left and right arm slides, upper support carriage, left and right elbow support pads, and left and right handlebars;

wherein the upper support carriage is mounted above the track system;

wherein the left and right elbow support pads and the left and right handlebars are mounted on the upper support carriage and located above the left and right tracks;

wherein the left and right arm slides are mounted on wheels by which the left and right arm slides are configured to slide on the left and right tracks; and

wherein a cable of the pulley and cable system reeves about the pulleys and connects the left and right arm slides and the left and right leg slides.

16. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 15, wherein the left and right arm slides each comprise a soft lining handgrip.

17. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 12, wherein left and right leg slides each comprise a soft lining knee pad mounted at a front portion of each leg slide and a footplate mounted at a rear portion of each leg slide, wherein the footplate can be adjusted forward or backward based upon the length of a user'"'"'s leg.

18. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 12, wherein the plurality of pulleys in the pulley and cable system comprise:

at least two front pulleys mounted at a front portion of the left and right tracks;

at least two rear pulleys mounted at a rear portion of the left and right tracks;

at least four middle pulleys mounted in a middle of the left and right tracks, wherein at least two of the middle pulleys are mounted along the same axle;

wherein the cable in the pulley and cable system reeves about the plurality of pulleys and connects the left and right arm slides and left and right leg slides and enables the left and right arm slides and the left and right leg slides to move to and fro on the left and right tracks either in phase or in opposite directions.

19. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 14, wherein the upper carriage comprises adjusting holes configured to adjust the position of the left and right elbow support pads and the left and right handlebars forwards and backwards, and further comprises adjusting holes to adjust the position of left and right elbow support pads and left and right handlebars upwards and downwards.

20. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 12, wherein the left and right leg slides each comprise an adjustable resistance mechanism including at least one of air cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, a helical spring, and counter weights.

21. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

first stop blocks at a rear portion of each of the left and right leg slides; and

second stop blocks at a rear portion of the left track and the right track;

wherein the first and second stop blocks are configured to absorb shock and limit the distance of travel of the left and right leg slides;

wherein the first and second stop blocks are adjustable forwards and backwards.

22. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 17, wherein each of the knee pads is mounted onto the surface of the left and right leg slides with a selected height and forms an angle (a) with the surface of left and right leg slides.

23. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 14, wherein the upper carriage comprises a display comprising microcomputer programming mounted on the top of upright bar.

24. The prone crawling exerciser as claimed in claim 14, wherein the left and right handlebars each comprises a hand pulse sensor.

25. A method of providing an exercise apparatus, comprising:

providing an upper limb support;

providing left and right leg slides;

providing a track system; and

providing a pulley and cable system;

wherein the left and right leg slides are each mounted on wheels;

wherein the track system comprises two parallel left and right tracks and track supports, wherein the left and right tracks are mounted on the track supports, and wherein the left and right tracks are spaced from underlying ground by the track supports;

wherein the upper limb support is mounted on the track system;

wherein the left and right leg slides are mounted on the left and right tracks and are configured to slide on the left and right tracks by the wheels; and

wherein the pulley and cable system comprises a plurality of pulleys and at least one cable, wherein the pulleys are mounted on track system, and wherein the cable reeves about the pulleys so as to connect at least the left and right leg slides.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein upper limb support comprises:

left and right arm slides and wheels mounted on the left and right arm slides;

wherein the left and right arm slides are further mounted on the left and right tracks and are configured to slide on the left and right tracks by the wheels; and

wherein a cable of the pulley and cable system connects the left and right arm slides and the left and right leg slides.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the upper limb support comprises:

an upper support carriage, left and right elbow support pads, and left and right handlebars;

wherein the upper support carriage is mounted on the track system;

wherein the left and right elbow support pads and left and right handlebars are mounted on the upper support carriage and are located above left and right tracks; and

wherein a cable of the pulley and cable system connects the left and right leg slides.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the upper limb support comprises:

left and right arm slides, upper support carriage, left and right elbow support pads, and left and right handlebars;

wherein the upper support carriage is mounted above the track system;

wherein the left and right elbow support pads and the left and right handlebars are mounted on the upper support carriage and located above the left and right tracks;

wherein the left and right arm slides are mounted on wheels by which the left and right arm slides are configured to slide on the left and right tracks; and

wherein a cable of the pulley and cable system reeves about the pulleys and connects the left and right arm slides and the left and right leg slides.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of pulleys in the pulley and cable system comprise:

at least two front pulleys mounted at a front portion of the left and right tracks;

at least two rear pulleys mounted at a rear portion of the left and right tracks;

at least four middle pulleys mounted in a middle of the left and right tracks, wherein at least two of the middle pulleys are mounted along the same axle;

wherein the cable in the pulley and cable system reeves about the plurality of pulleys and connects the left and right arm slides and left and right leg slides and enables the left and right arm slides and the left and right leg slides to move to and fro on the left and right tracks either in phase or in opposite directions.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the left and right leg slides each comprise an adjustable resistance mechanism including at least one of air cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, a helical spring, and counter weights.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

providing first stop blocks at a rear portion of each of the left and right leg slides; and

providing second stop blocks at a rear portion of the left track and the right track;

wherein the first and second stop blocks are configured to absorb shock and limit the distance of travel of the left and right leg slides;

wherein the first and second stop blocks are adjustable forwards and backwards.