Slant-board exercising device

• US 5,672,144 A
• Filed: 05/15/1995
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward M. Hulme
• Original Assignee: Edward M. Hulme
• Inventors: Hulme, Edward M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crow, Stephen R.
• Application Number:
  US08/440,834
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 482/52, 482/140
• US Class Current: 482/140
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/50 Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0211 moving torso with immobilized lower limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0458 Step exercisers without moving parts with movable steps A63B22/04

Abstract

An exercising article which may be in kit form for converting a step board exercising member into a slant board exercising device by the rearrangement of the separate end supports of the step board member in relationship to the top platform which they support and the addition of a knee restraint adapted for connection to one or both of the end supports.

Claims

1. A kit for forming a slant board exercising device consisting of a step board and a knee restraint, said step board in turn comprising a pair of separate end supports adapted for longitudinal spacing from each other and a platform adapted for support by said supports and in turn adapted for longitudinally spanning the space between said supports, said knee restraint having opposed first and second ends with said first end including means for attachment to at least one of said end supports and the second end having means for simultaneously contacting upper surface portions of the exerciser'"'"'s lower thighs when the exerciser downwardly reclined upon said platform with said platform in turn supported at one end thereof by at least one of said end supports, said platform having a flat upper surface and a lower concave surface including end pockets for receiving the support portions of said end supports, said end supports having upper portions defined by an upstanding boss and said end portions further including lower concave surfaces forming a secondary pocket wherein said end supports interfitted with each other with the boss of the lowermost first end supported extending into and received by the secondary pocket of the second end support positioned thereabove and the boss of the second end support received by the pocket of the step board end proximal thereto wherein both of said end supports are in superposed relationship to each other and in turn support said one end of said platform, said knee restraint including an elongated flexible strap terminating at its upper end in a transversely oriented bar adapted to span the exerciser'"'"'s lower thighs with the proximal strap portion passing between the exerciser'"'"'s knees and further including a loop at the lower strap end, said loop encircling a portion of at least one of said end supports which in turn are interfitted with each other and are positioned at said one end of said platform for connection thereto, said loop having the same orientation as said strap and both said loop and said strap having adjustment means for adjusting the loop size and the strap length respectively, said knee restraint being of two-piece construction wherein the bar terminates at the end of one piece and the loop terminates at an end of the other piece and the two pieces are joined centrally by means of a ring and snap fastener.

2. The method of converting a step board exercising member to a slant board exercising device including the provision of an exercising article wherein the step board exercising member is of the type wherein the step board comprises a pair of separate end supports adapted for longitudinal spacing from each other and a platform adapted for support by said supports and in turn adapted for longitudinally spanning the space between said supports and wherein said platform is in turn adapted to be supported at one end thereof by at least one of said end supports and wherein said end supports have upper portions defined by an upstanding boss and said end portions further including lower concave surfaces forming a secondary pocket wherein the boss of said at least one end support may be received by the pocket of the step board end proximal thereto, and wherein the exercising article comprises a knee restraint having opposed first and second ends with said first end including means for attachment to at least one of said end supports and the second end having means for simultaneously contacting upper surface portions of the exerciser'"'"'s lower thighs when the exerciser is downwardly reclined upon said platform and wherein said knee restraint includes an elongated flexible strap terminating at its upper end in a transversely oriented bar adapted to span the exerciser'"'"'s lower thighs with the proximal strap portion passing, between the exerciser'"'"'s knees and further including a loop at the lower strap end, said loop adapted to encircle a portion of at least one of said end supports for connection thereto, said conversion comprising encircling said loop about a portion of at least one of said end supports for connection thereto and thereafter placing said at least one end support beneath one end of the step board only, such that the boss of said end support is received by the pocket of the step board end proximal thereto and the strap upwardly outwardly extends from said proximal end of the step board such that the step board is supported by said end support at one end thereof and solely by the surface on which both the step board and support is supported at the other end so that the step board subsequently assumes a slanted orientation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising nesting two of said supports together to form a nested stack and then placing said proximal end of the step board on top of said nested stack so as to increase the resultant incline of said board.