Exercise device

• US 4,787,630 A
• Filed: 04/14/1987
• Issued: 11/29/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pehr, Harold T., Robert Watson
• Original Assignee: Pehr, Harold T., Robert Watson
• Inventors: Watson, Robert, Pehr, Harold T.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/038,321
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 272/146, 272/97, 272/114, 272/115, 272/33 R, 272/144, 272/DIG. 4, 272/132, 272/134, 272/901, 272/142, 128/25 R, 128/253, 128/26
• US Class Current: 482/146
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/14 Platforms for reciprocating rotating motion about a vertical axis , e.g. axis through the middle of the platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/16 Platforms for rocking motion about a horizontal axis , e.g. axis through the middle of the platform; Balancing drums; Balancing boards or the like exercising apparatus with cantilevered support elements pivoting about an axis A63B22/0056; other exercising apparatus for improving balance A63B26/003
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/02 posture

Abstract

An exercise device including rotatably interconnected base and platform assemblies. The base assembly is adapted to rock back and forth on a floor or other horizontal surface and a person using the device stands, sits, kneels or lays on the platform assembly. The device is adjustable whereby the permitted range of movement can be widely varied. Ropes, springs, elastic cords or poles can be grasped by a person using the device for balance and for upper body exercise.

Claims

1. An exercise device, which comprises:

(a) a base assembly including a base plate with upper and lower surfaces;

(b) a platform assembly including a platform plate with upper and lower surfaces;

(c) a bearing connected to said base plate upper surface and said platform plate lower surface, said bearing being adapted to permit rotational movement about a rotational axis extending in a direction substantially normal to said base and platform plates and to maintain said base and platform plates in substantially parallel, spaced relation;

(d) stop means adapted for limiting the rotational movement of said platform assembly relative to said base assembly and comprising a stop lug mounted on said base plate upper surface and a stop pin projecting downwardly from said platform plate lower surface and adapted to engage said stop lug;

(e) said platform plate including a plurality of spaced stop pin receivers extending between its upper and lower surfaces and arranged in a circular pattern around said rotational axis; and

(f) said stop pin comprising a shank adapted to be slidably and removably received in a respective stop pin receiver, a head and a pull tab received on said shank below said head and adapted to engage said platform plate upper surface.

2. The exercise device according to claim 1 which includes:

(a) a rocker bar mounted on the baseplate lower surface and projecting downwardly therefrom whereby said base assembly can be rocked, said rocker bar including a convex, semi-cylindrical contact surface.

3. The exercise device according to claim 2, which includes:

(a) said rocker bar having a pair of upwardly-projecting rocker bar pins; and

(b) said baseplate having a plurality of opposed pairs of rocker bar pin receivers open at said baseplate lower surface and adapted to removably receive said rocker bar pins.

4. The exercise device according to claim 1, which includes:

(a) handle means; and

(b) handle connector means connected to said handle means and said platform plate whereby said handle means is adapted to be positioned in spaced relation from said platform plate.

5. The exercise device according to claim 4 wherein:

(a) said handle connector means comprises a resilient, tensile member.

6. The exercise device according to claim 1, which includes:

(a) a pair of poles adapted to be grasped by a person using said exercise device for engagement with a floor surface on which said exercise device is placed.

7. The exercise device according to claim 6 wherein each pole includes:

(a) a hollow outer section with an aligned pair of receivers;

(b) an inner section telescopically received in said outer section and including a plurality of aligned pairs of fastener receivers;

(c) a pair of tips each mounted on a respective section; and

(d) a mechanical fastener extending through said outer section receivers and a pair of inner section receivers.

8. An exercise device, which comprises:

(a) a base assembly including;

(1) a baseplate with opposite sides, opposite ends and upper and lower surfaces;

(2) a rocker bar mounted on said baseplate lower surface and projecting downwardly therefrom whereby said base assembly can be rocked; and

(3) a stop lug mounted on and projecting upwardly from said baseplate upper surface;

(b) a platform assembly including;

(1) a platform plate with opposite sides, opposite ends and upper and lower surfaces; and

(2) a plurality of spaced stop pin receivers extending between said platform plate upper and lower surfaces;

(c) a bearing connected to said baseplate upper surface and said platform plate lower surface, said bearing being adapted to permit rotational movement about a rotational axis extending in a direction substantially normal to said base and platform plates and to maintain said base and platform plates in substantially parallel, spaced relation; and

(d) a stop pin removably received in a respective stop pin receiver and projecting downwardly from said platform plate lower surface, said stop pin being adapted to engage said stop lug.

9. The exercise device according to claim 8, which includes:

(a) a pair of said stop pins each having;

(1) a shank adapted to be slidably and removably received in a respective stop pin receiver;

(2) a head connected to said shank;

(3) a pull tab mounted on said shank and engaging said head, said pull tab being adapted to engage said platform plate upper surface; and

(4) a lower end projecting downwardly from said platform plate lower surface and positioned in spaced relation above said baseplate upper surface.

10. The exercise device according to claim 9, which includes:

(a) a pair of said stop lugs; and

(b) each said stop lug having a stop pin receiver adapted to receive a respective stop pin lower end.

11. The exercise device according to claim 8, which includes:

(a) handle means; and

(b) connector means connected to said handle means and to said platform assembly whereby said handle means is adapted to be positioned in spaced relation from said platform assembly.

12. The exercise device according to claim 11, which includes:

(a) a pair of side loops each mounted on a respective platform plate side;

(b) a pair of end loops each mounted on a respective platform plate end;

(c) a pair of said handle means; and

(d) a pair of said connector means each comprising a flexible member attached to a respective loop.

13. The exercise device according to claim 8, which includes:

(a) said rocker bar having a pair of upwardly-projecting rocker bar pins; and

(b) said baseplate having a plurality of opposed pairs of rocker bar pin receivers open at said baseplate lower surface and adapted to receive said rocker bar pins whereby said rocker bar can be positioned at a plurality of locations on said baseplate lower surface.

14. The exercise device according to claim 8 wherein:

(a) said platform plate includes a thickened center portion whereat a portion of said platform plate lower surface is positioned below the remainder of said platform plate lower surface; and

(b) said bearing is mounted on said platform plate center portion.

15. The exercise device according to claim 8, which includes:

(a) a pivot bolt receiver extending through said baseplate and said platform plate, said pivot bolt receiver having a countersunk portion open at said platform plate upper surface;

(b) a pivot bolt extending through said pivot bolt receiver and including a head;

(c) said countersunk portion receiving said bolt head; and

(d) a nut threadably mounted on said bolt below said baseplate lower surface.

16. The exercise device according to claim 8, which includes:

(a) a pair of poles each adapted to be grasped by a person using said exercise device and engage a floor surface on which said exercise device is placed.

17. The exercise device according to claim 16 wherein each said pole includes:

(a) a hollow, outer section with a pair of aligned fastener receivers;

(b) an inner section telescopically received in said outer section and including a plurality of aligned pairs of apertures;

(b) a fastener extending through said outer section receivers and a pair of inner section receivers; and

(c) a pair of elastomeric tips mounted on said inner and outer sections respectively.

18. An exercise device, which comprises:

(a) a base assembly including;

(1) a baseplate with opposite sides, opposite ends and upper and lower surfaces;

(2) a plurality of opposed pairs of rocker bar pin receivers in said baseplate and open at the lower surface thereof;

(3) a rocker bar including a convex, semicylindrical contact surface and a pair of upwardly-projecting rocker bar pins adapted for removable placement in said rocker bar pin receivers; and

(4) a pair of stop lugs each mounted on and projecting upwardly from said baseplate upper surface and including a respective upwardly-open stop pin receive, each said stop lug being mounted adjacent a respective baseplate side;

(b) a platform assembly including;

(1) a platform plate with opposite sides, opposite ends, upper and lower surfaces and a downwardly-projecting thickened center portion;

(2) a plurality of stop pin receivers extending through said platform plate between its upper and lower surfaces, said stop pin receivers being positioned in a substantially circular pattern in spaced relation around said rotational axis;

(3) a pair of side loops each mounted on a respective platform plate side; and

(4) a pair of end loops each mounted on a respective platform plate end;

(c) a pivot bolt receiver extending through the centers of said baseplate and said platform plate in alignment with said rotational axis, said pivot bolt receiver including a countersunk portion open at said platform plate upper surface;

(d) a pivot fastener including a pivot bolt rotatably received in said pivot bolt receiver and having a head received in the pivot bolt receiver countersunk portion and a nut threadably received on the pivot bolt below the baseplate lower surface;

(e) a bearing assembly centered on said rotational axis and including a lower half mounted on said baseplate upper surface, an upper half mounted on said platform plate lower surface below said platform plate thickened center portion and a plurality of ball bearings received between said bearing assembly halves;

(f) a pair of stop pins each including a shank, a head, a pull tab mounted on said shank below said head and a lower end, each said stop pin being adapted to be received in a respective stop pin receiver with said lower end thereof positioned in spaced relation above said baseplate upper surface;

(g) a pair of ropes each including a proximate end connected to a respective loop and a distal end; and

(h) a pair of poles, each including;

(1) an inner section with a plurality of fastener receivers;

(2) a hollow outer section telescopically receiving said inner section and including an aligned pair of fastener receivers;

(3) a pair of tips each mounted on a respective section; and

(4) a mechanical fastener extending through said outer section receivers and an aligned pair of inner section receivers.