Floor borne fitness apparatus with variable step heights

• US 5,269,735 A
• Filed: 07/16/1992
• Issued: 12/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Werner Pfitzenmeier
• Original Assignee: Werner Pfitzenmeier Verwaltungs GmbH
• Inventors: Pfitzenmeier, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARAGLIO, DONNA
• Application Number:
  US07/914,986
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 272/34, 272/51, 272/52, 482/34, 482/51, 482/52, 482/96, 482/143, 482/144, 482/140, 482/142, 472/106-115, 472/135
• US Class Current: 482/52
• 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 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0458 Step exercisers without moving parts with movable steps A63B22/04

Abstract

A floor-borne fitness apparatus with variable stepping heights includes an upper stepping floorboard and substructural parts which can increase the height and/or the inclination of the floorboard. The apparatus has at least one attachment element which can cooperate with an exercise expander band. The floorboard cooperates with the substructural parts in such a way as to form a positively engaging support unit. Such construction prevents the unintended tilting of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A floor-borne fitness apparatus, comprising:

a footboard, having;

a substantially flat upper side,

opposite end faces extending substantially transverse to said upper side,

a bottom side extending between said opposite end faces, and

at least one arc-shaped recess formed in said bottom side adjacent to one of said end faces; and

a plurality of separate arc-shaped substructural parts adapted to be placed one on top another for varying an inclination of said footboard, each of said plurality of substructural parts, having;

an upper convex arc-shaped surface complementary to said arc-shaped recess and adapted to be received therein, and

a lower concave arc-shaped surface, substantially identical to said arch-shaped recess, for receiving the upper convex arc-shaped surface of another of said plurality of substructural parts.

2. The floor borne fitness apparatus of claim 1, further wherein:

said footboard has a center arc-shaped recess having a radius which is smaller than that of said at least one arc-shaped recess; and

one of said plurality of separate arc-shaped parts have, at an apex of said upper convex arc-shaped surface, an arc-shaped build-up-complementary to said center arc-shaped recess and adapted to be received therein whereby, upon stacking of aid separate substructural parts in a center of said footboard with said one of said plurality of separate substructural parts being on top, said fitness apparatus functions as a roker having an adjustable height.

3. The floor borne fitness apparatus of claim 1, further comprising two support edges defined at last partially by said opposite end faces;

and

two pairs of legs formed of an antiskid material and arranged at opposite ends of said two support edges.

4. The floor borne fitness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said footboard has spaced side faces extending between said opposite end faces and wherein said at least one arc-shaped recess is formed in said spaced side faces.

5. The floor borne fitness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said footboards and said substructural parts have corresponding rectangular shapes.

6. The floor borne fitness apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of said plurality of separate arc-shaped parts comprises:

two horizontal support portions extending outwardly on opposite sides of an arc-shaped portion thereof, each of aid horizontal support portions having upper and bottom surfaces;

two support legs formed of an antiskid material and located at opposite ends of the bottom surface; and

tow depressions formed in the upper surface precisely above said support legs for receiving respective support legs of an above-located substructural part.

7. The floor borne fitness apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one attachment element secured to said footboard, said fitness apparatus further including, in combination, an exercise assist means attachable to said footboard.

8. The floor borne fitness apparatus of claim 7, wherein said bottom side of said footboard has an additional recess and said attachment element comprises a lug secured in said recess, and said exercise assist means comprises expander band mans securable to said lug.

9. A floor borne fitness apparatus, comprising:

a footboard having;

a substantially flat upper side,

opposite end faces extending transverse to said upper side,

a bottom side and an ac-shaped recess formed in said bottom side adjacent to one of said end faces and having a first radius, and

a center arc-shaped recess formed in said bottom side in a center of said footboard and having a second radius smaller than said first radius, and

variable height convexly arc-shaped substructural means for varying one of inclination and height of said footboard and having;

an upper convex arc-shaped surface complementary to said arc-shaped recess and adapted to be received therein, and

a convex arc-shaped buildup formed at an apex of said convex arc-shaped surface and complementary to said center arc-shaped recess, whereby said variable height arc-shaped substructural means can be arranged at one of said one end face and the center of said footboard.

10. The floor borne fitness apparatus of claim 9, further comprising at least one attachment element secured to said footboard, said fitness apparatus further including, in combination, an exercise assist means attachable to said footboard.

11. The floor borne fitness apparatus of claim 10, wherein said bottom side of said footboard has an additional recess and said attachment element comprises a lug secured in said recess, and said exercise assist means comprises expander band means securable to said lug.

12. The floor borne fitness apparatus of claim 9, wherein said footboard is box-shaped.