PILATES REFORMER EXERCISE MACHINE

• US 20100279834A1
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Rooks
• Original Assignee: Michael Rooks
• Inventors: Rooks, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,152,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/142
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2026/006 with feet supports below their pivotal point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00069 Setting or adjusting the resistance level; Compensating for a preload prior to use, e.g. changing length of resistance or adjusting a valve
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/022 with springs acting at different parts of the stroke
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0552 Elastic ropes or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4017 to the upper limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0087 with a seat or torso support moving during the exercise, e.g. reformers A63B22/0076 takes precedence

Abstract

A reformer includes a combined mount that serves to attach and support a foot bar assembly, a jump board, and a spring bar. The combined mount is easily and quickly attached to a side rail of a frame of the reformer. A carriage of the reformer include a combined wheel axle and strap attachment point, which eliminates the need for a separate strap attachment bracket. The carriage also include side wheels which are mounted on the sides of the carriage, and which are biased outward so that they contact the side rails of the frame of the reformer.

Claims

1. A combined mount for a reformer, comprising:

a plate of rigid material;

a foot bar mounting hole located at a top portion of the plate; and

a plurality of spring bar mounting apertures located at a lower portion of he plate.

2. The combined mount of claim 1, wherein a slot is located in a central portion of the plate, the slot extending rearward from a front edge of the plate, and wherein each of the spring bar mounting apertures comprises a depression cut downward into the bottom edge of the slot.

3. The combined mount of claim 2, wherein sidewalls of the spring bar mounting apertures are angled towards a rear of the plate.

4. The combined mount of claim 2, wherein a bottom portion of each of the spring bar mounting holes comprises a rounded surface.

5. The combined mount of claim 2, wherein a bottom portion of each of the spring bar mounting holes comprises a flat horizontally extending surface.

6. The combined mount of claim 1, further comprising a brace bar depression formed on a top edge of the plate adjacent a rear of the plate.

7. The combined mount of claim 6, wherein the brace bar depression comprises a downwardly sloped surface that extends downward and rearward from a front edge of the bracebar depression, and an upwardly extending stop formed at a rear edge of the bracebar depression.

8. The combined mount of claim 1, further comprising a jump board slot located at a rear portion of the plate.

9. The combined mount of claim 1, wherein the jump board slot comprises a generally rectangular slot that extends from a top edge of the plate part way down the plate.

10. The combined mount of claim 1, wherein the jump board slot is formed along the rear edge of the plate.

11. A carriage for a reformer, comprising:

a base plate;

a plurality of bottom wheel mounting brackets attached to a bottom surface of the base plate along two opposite sides of the base plate;

a plurality of bottom wheels, wherein one bottom wheel is mounted on each bottom wheel mounting bracket;

a plurality of side wheel mounting brackets attached to the base plate along the two opposite sides; and

a plurality of side wheels, wherein one side wheel is mounted in each side wheel mounting bracket, wherein the side wheels are configured to contact side edges of a mounting from which the carriage is mounted upon.

12. The carriage of claim 11, wherein each side wheel mounting bracket includes a biasing element that biases its side wheel outward from the side of the base plate.

13. The carriage of claim 11, wherein each bottom wheel mounting bracket includes an axle bolt that is used to mount its bottom wheel to the bottom wheel mounting bracket, and wherein an inner side of each axle bolt includes an attachment point that is configured to be attached to a strap of the reformer that causes the carriage to move with respect to a frame of the reformer.

14. The carriage of claim 13, wherein each axle bolt comprises an eye bolt, and wherein the eye end of each axle bolt is oriented towards a central portion of the base plate.

15. The carriage of claim 11, further comprising:

an upholstery backing plate that is attached to the base plate with a plurality of fasteners; and

an upholstery section attached to a top of the upholstery backing plate.

16. The carriage of claim 15, wherein the upholstery section comprises:

a plurality of padding layers mounted on a top of the upholstery backing plate; and

a cover layer mounted on a top of the plurality of padding layers, wherein edges of the cover layer are fixed to the upholstery backing plate.

17. The carriage of claim 16, wherein the plurality of padding layers comprises:

a first padding layer mounted on top the upholstery backing plate;

a second padding layer mounted on top of the first padding layer, wherein the second padding layer is harder than the first padding layer; and

a third padding layer mounted on top of the second padding layer, wherein the third padding layer is harder than the first padding layer, but softer than the second padding layer.

18. A handle for a strap of a reformer that moves a carriage of the reformer relative to a frame of the reformer, comprising:

an arched portion formed of a semi-rigid material;

an attachment bolt mounted at a top of the arched portion, the attachment bolt being configured to couple to the strap of the reformer; and

a grip portion mounted between ends of the arched portion, the grip portion including;

a central bolt running through the center of the grip portion;

a non-moving pipe that surrounds the central bolt and that is sandwiched between the ends of the arched portion, wherein the central bolt and a corresponding nut screwed to a threaded end of the central bolt draw the ends of the arched portion against ends of the non-moving pipe; and

a moving pipe that surrounds the non-moving pipe, wherein a length of the moving pipe is smaller than a length of the non-moving pipe, and wherein an inner diameter of the moving pipe is greater than an outer diameter of the non-moving pipe such that the moving pipe is free to rotate with respect to the non-moving pipe.

19. The handle of claim 18, wherein the arched portion is formed of two separate layers of semi-rigid material which are not fixed to each other.

20. The handle of claim 18, wherein the arched portion is formed of two separate layers of leather which are not fixed to each other except where the attachment bolt and the grip portion pass through the two layers of leather.