Exercise bench

• US 6,117,051 A
• Filed: 01/12/1999
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Indian Industries Incorporated (Escalade Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Suarez Corporation Industries
• Inventors: Campitelli, Frank, Suarez, Benjamin D., DeMatteis, Greg A.
• Primary Examiner(s): DONNELLY, JEROME W
• Application Number:
  US09/228,738
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 108/91, 108/53.1, 108/53.3, 108/186, 446/168, 446/173, 446/476, 482/51, 482/52, 482/130, 482/142, 482/144
• US Class Current: 482/51
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/078 Devices for bench press exercises , e.g. supports, guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4029 Benches specifically adapted for exercising for bench press exercises A63B21/078
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4037 Exercise mats for personal use, with or without hand-grips or foot-grips, e.g. for Yoga or supine floor exercises mats for absorbing shocks A63B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0458 Step exercisers without moving parts with movable steps A63B22/04

Abstract

An exercise bench assembly having at least one leg block and a platform. The leg block has a pair of opposing laterally directed projections and the platform has a pair of projection receiving slots for respectively receiving the projections so that the platform can be supported by the leg block. The projections and the projection receiving slots have cooperating arcuate shapes to allow rotation of the platform with respect to the leg block.

Claims

1. An exercise bench assembly comprising a first leg block having a top, a bottom and two opposing laterally directed projections, a second lea block having a top and a bottom, and a platform having a first pair of projection receiving slots, each slot in communication with a lower edge of the platform and adapted to receive one of the laterally directed projections of the first block so that the platform can be supported by said first leg block, said first leg block and said second leg block being adapted to cooperate with each other so that the second lea block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said first leg block.

2. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, wherein said second lea block has a first interlocking element and said first leg block has an interlocking element adapted to cooperate with said first interlocking element of said second lea block so that said second leg block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said first leg block.

3. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 2, wherein said first interlocking element of said second lea block is a raised boss on the top of said second leg block and the interlocking element of said first leg block is a boss receiving recess on the bottom of said first leg block.

4. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, wherein each slot and its corresponding projection have cooperating arcuate shares, the arcuate shares being effective to allow rotation of the platform with respect to said first lea block.

5. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, wherein each projection has a shoulder portion.

6. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 5, wherein each projection receiving slot is contoured to receive a shoulder portion.

7. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a cushion attached to said platform.

8. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, wherein a bottom of the platform defines a cavity sized to receive an upper surface of said first leg block.

9. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of said first leg block has a raised boss.

10. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, further comprising third and fourth leg blocks.

11. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 10, wherein said four leg blocks can be stacked so as to support a first end of the platform, and wherein a second end of the platform is supported by a ground.

12. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 7, wherein said cushion is a rolled-up mat attached to one end of said platform.

13. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 6, wherein said platform has four side walls having outer surfaces, and wherein each shoulder portion does not extend beyond the outer surface of its respective side wall.

14. The exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first leg block has an upper surface having a raised boss and a lower surface having a boss receiving recess.

15. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, said platform having a first end and a second end, said platform having a first portion adjacent said first end and a second portion adjacent said second end, said second portion having a bottom, said first pair of slots being provided in said first portion, said second portion having an interlocking element adapted to cooperate with said second leg block so that said second portion can be supported by and mechanically interlocked with said second leg block.

16. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 15, wherein the interlocking element of the second, portion is a recess in the bottom of the second portion adapted to receive all or a portion of the top of said second leg block.

17. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a third leg block having a top and a bottom, said second leg block and said third leg block being adapted to cooperate with each other so that the third leg block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said second leg block.

18. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 17, wherein said third leg block has a first interlocking element and said second leg block has a second interlocking element adapted to cooperate with said first interlocking element of said third leg block so that the third leg block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said second leg block.

19. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 18, wherein said first interlocking element of said third leg block is a raised boss on the top of said third leg block and said second interlocking element of said second leg block is a boss receiving recess on the bottom of said second leg block.

20. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a third leg block having a top and a bottom and a fourth leg block having a top and a bottom, said platform having a first end and a second end, said platform having a first portion adjacent said first end and a second portion adjacent said second end, said second portion having a bottom, said first pair of slots being provided in said first portion, said second portion having an interlocking element adapted to cooperate with said third leg block so that said second portion can be supported by and mechanically interlocked with said third leg block, said third leg block and said fourth leg block being adapted to cooperate with each other so that said fourth leg block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said third leg block.

21. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 20, wherein said second leg block has a first interlocking element and said first leg block has an interlocking element adapted to cooperate with said first interlocking element of said second leg block so that said second leg block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said first leg block, and wherein said fourth leg block has a first interlocking element and said third leg block has an interlocking element adapted to cooperate with said first interlocking element of said fourth leg block so that said fourth leg block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said third leg block.

22. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 21, wherein said first interlocking element of said second leg block is a raised boss on the top of said second leg block, the interlocking element of said first leg block is a boss receiving recess on the bottom of said first leg block, the interlocking element of the second portion is a recess in the bottom of the second portion adapted to receive all or a portion of the top of said third leg block, the first interlocking element of said fourth leg block is a raised boss on the top of said fourth leg block and said interlocking element of said third leg block is a boss receiving recess on the bottom of said third leg block.

23. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, wherein said second leg block has a pair of opposing laterally directed projections, said platform has a top surface, and said platform has a second pair of projection receiving slots each of which is in communication with a lower edge of said platform, said second pair of slots being spaced apart from said first pair of projection receiving slots, said second pair of slots being adapted to engage said pair of projections of said second leg block so that said first leg block can engage and support a first portion of said platform while said second leg block engages and supports a second portion of said platform.

24. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 23, each of said first and second leg blocks being adapted to be provided on a substantially planar support surface such that the platform can be mounted on the first and second leg blocks with the first pair of slots engaging the first leg block projections and the second pair of slots engaging the second leg block projections with said top surface of said platform being substantially parallel with said substantially planar support surface.

25. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 24, further comprising a third leg block having a top and a bottom and a fourth leg block having a top and a bottom, said first leg block and said third leg block being adapted to cooperate with each other so that the third leg block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said first leg block, said second leg block and said fourth leg block being adapted to cooperate with each other so that the fourth leg block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said second leg block.

26. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 25, wherein said third leg block has a first interlocking element and said first leg block has an interlocking element adapted to cooperate with said first interlocking element of said third leg block so that said third leg block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said first leg block, and wherein said fourth leg block has a first interlocking element and said second leg block has an interlocking element adapted to cooperate with said first interlocking element of said fourth leg block so that said fourth leg block is stackable beneath and mechanically interlockable with said second leg block.

27. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 26, wherein said first interlocking element of said third leg block is a raised boss on the top of said third leg block, the interlocking element of said first leg block is a boss receiving recess on the bottom of said first leg block, said first interlocking element of said fourth leg block is a raised boss on the top of said fourth leg block, and the interlocking element of said second leg block is a boss receiving recess on the bottom of said second leg block.

28. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 17, wherein each slot and its corresponding projection have cooperating arcuate shapes, the arcuate shapes being effective to allow rotation of the platform with respect to said first leg block.

29. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, wherein said platform has four side walls having outer surfaces, and wherein each laterally directed projection does not extend beyond the outer surface of its respective side wall.

30. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 5, wherein each projection receiving slot is contoured to receive and engage (a) at least a portion of a shoulder portion and (b) at least a portion of the laterally directed projection adjacent the shoulder portion.

31. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 25, wherein the first, second, third and fourth leg blocks are substantially identical in size and shape.

32. An exercise bench assembly according to claim 1, wherein said second leg block has two opposing laterally directed projections, wherein said first leg block has a projection receiving channel in communication with a lower edge of the first leg block, the projection receiving channel being adapted to receive a laterally directed projection disposed on said second leg block so that said first and second leg blocks are stackable.