AB challenger exercise apparatus

• US 6,299,570 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edgar Lim
• Original Assignee: Edgar Lim
• Inventors: Lim, Edgar
• Primary Examiner(s): Donnelly, Jerome W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amerson, Lori
• Application Number:
  US09/422,671
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 482/148, 482/33-34, 482/36-38, 482/41-42, 273/1.5 A, 273/1.5 R, 273/368, 273/406, 273/396-402, 273/371, 273/397, 273/394, 273/26.R, 273/36.A, 273/390-1, 273/85.C, 273/105.2, 273/85.R, 273/85.E, D21/48, 108/131, 108/133, 272/101-103, 473/497, 473/447, 434/248
• US Class Current: 482/148
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00047 Exercising devices not moving during use benches A63B21/4029; isometric exercising devices A63B21/0023; step exercisers A63B23/0458; walk exercisers A63B23/0464
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/06 User-manipulated weights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4034 for operation by feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4035 for operation by hand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0211 moving torso with immobilized lower limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0227 moving torso or lower limbs laterally, i.e. substantially in the frontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/12 for upper limbs or related muscles, e.g. chest, upper back or shoulder muscles bench press exercises A63B21/078; for teaching music G09B15/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1209 Involving a bending of elbow and shoulder joints simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/083 for basketball

Abstract

The exercise apparatus the AB Challenger Apparatus, is an exercise device which is comprised of light cylindrical straight and curved components, which are easily assembled by the use of cylindrical joints. The apparatus described herein is particularly recommended for strengthening all abdominal muscles, serratus anterior, chest muscles, anterior deltoids, flexor groups of the hand and leg muscles.

Claims

1. An exercise apparatus for strengthening muscles, said exercise apparatus comprising:

(A) a base, said base comprised of rigid cylindrical components, said cylindrical components spaced along a flat rigid horizontal supporting surface and interconnected to balance said exercise apparatus, said base comprising

(1) at least two parallel anterior-posterior base bars, each said parallel anterior-posterior base bar having an upper surface and a lower surface,

(2) a horizontal base bar, said horizontal base bar having a first end and a second end, said horizontal base bar connected to each said parallel anterior-posterior base bars by said first end and said second end, said horizontal base bar resting upon said supporting rigid horizontal surface,

(3) at least two upwardly protruding vertical basketball hoop support bars,

(a) each said upwardly protruding vertical basketball hoop support bar having an upper end and a lower end,

(b) each said lower end frictionally and reversibly attached in a vertical perpendicular orientation to a corresponding parallel anterior-posterior base bar along said upper surface,

(B) an adjustable horizontal footstand bar, said footstand bar comprising a first end and second end,

(1) said adjustable horizontal footstand bar supported at said first end and said second end by a first adjustable vertical footstand support bar and a second corresponding adjustable vertical footstand support bar,

(C) a second portion of said exercise apparatus, said second portion further comprising

(2) a horizontal basketball hoop support bar, said horizontal basketball hoop support bar having a first end and a second end, each said end attached to an upper end of a corresponding upwardly protruding vertical basketball rim support bar,

(3) at least two devices for reversibly adjusting the vertical height of said horizontal basketball hoop support bar, above said rigid horizontal flat supporting surface,

(4) a common stem,

(a) said common stem being at approximately a right angle to said horizontal basketball hoop support bar,

(b) said common stem protruding anteriorly across said horizontal basketball hoop support bar, said common stem connected to said horizontal basketball hoop support bar,

(5) a plurality of prongs, each said prong connected to said common stem,

(6) a plurality of basketball hoops, each said basketball hoop attached to a corresponding backboard, each said backboard connected to a corresponding said prong, each said basketball hoop comprising

(a) a spring attachment, each said spring attachment preventing a ball from bouncing from said basketball hoop,

(7) swivel members, each said swiveling member connected to a corresponding said prong, each said swivel member rotating a said basketball hoop laterally,

(8) an anterior-posterior length adjustor bar, said anterior-posterior length adjustor bar connected to said common stem, said anterior-posterior length adjustor bar reversibly adjusting the anterior-posterior position of a basketball hoop,

Whereby said base is attached to said upwardly protruding vertical basketball hoop support bars, said upwardly protruding basketball hoop vertical support bars supporting said horizontal basketball hoop support bar and providing adjustment of vertical height of said basketball hoops, said common stem functionally connected to swiveling members and said anterior-posterior adjustor bar, by which said basketball hoops are adjusted to a predetermined position.

2. The exercise apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said exercise apparatus is comprised of polyvinyl chloride angled connectors, removable tee-joint connectors and polyvinyl chloride cylindrical piping, said polyvinyl chloride cylindrical piping comprising color coding for proper assembly, said joints being disconnected from said cylindrical components for portability of said exercise apparatus.

3. The exercise apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said swiveling mechanism within said swivel member comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, said swiveling mechanism further comprising a screw and interlocking teeth, said screw penetrating said lower surface and said upper surface, said screw tightening or loosening said interlocking teeth to loosen or tighten said basketball hoops.

4. The exercise device as described in claim 3, wherein said common stem and said basketball hoop prongs are connected to a U-shaped lower basket ball hoop support bar.

5. The exercise device as described in claim 4, wherein said each spring attachment is attached at the bottom of each said corresponding basketball net.

6. The exercise device as described in claim 5 wherein each said basketball hoop vertical height adjustor bar comprises a length and an upper end and a lower end, each said basketball hoop vertical height adjustor bar further comprising

(A) two generic pinhole sets in two linear alignments along the length of each said basketball hoop vertical height adjustor bar respectively and between said upper end and said lower end,

(B) each said basketball hoop vertical height adjustor bar being slidably attached within one said hollow t-joint connectors at said upper end of each said upwardly protruding basketball hoop vertical support bar,

(1) each said basketball hoop vertical height adjustment bar being adjusted manually by pulling vertically from within each upwardly protruding vertical basketball hoop support bar to a second predetermined vertical height,

(2) said horizontal basketball support bar being raised approximately the same number of pinholes on each upwardly protruding vertical basketball hoop support bar during said manual adjustment,

(a) said second predetermined vertical height being mechanically maintained by a long metal pin within each said basketball hoop vertical height adjustor bar,

(b) each said long metal pin penetrating said predetermined pinholes within each corresponding basketball hoop vertical height hoop adjustor bar.

7. The exercise device as described in claim 6 wherein said horizontal basketball hoop support bar is connected to said upwardly protruding basketball hoop vertical support bars by a combination of threaded screws and said tee-joint connectors.

8. The exercise device as described in claim 7 wherein said swivel member is physically contiguous with a single swivel adjustor,

(A) each said prong entering a 45 degree joint connecter, each prong contiguous with a corresponding swivel adjuster attachment,

(B) each said swivel member further comprising a moveable joint and tooth members for loosing said joint member from a predetermined position.

9. The exercise device as described in claim 8 wherein each said vertical footstand support bar comprises a vertical footstand adjustor bar,

(a) each said vertical footstand adjustor bar further comprising two sets of generic pinholes in vertical linear alignment,

(b) each said vertical footstand adjustor bar comprising an upper end,

(c) each vertical footstand adjustor bar being adjustable by the user manually pulling each said vertical footstand support bar to a new predetermined height,

(d) each said vertical footstand support bar comprising an elongated rounded end pin,

(i) said elongated rounded end pin being thrust through said corresponding pinholes along each corresponding vertical footstand height adjustment bar,

(ii) said round ended elongated metal pins preventing slippage of said horizontal footstand support bars by at least two supporting t-joint connectors on either said end of said horizontal footstand support bar.

10. The exercise device as described in claim 9 wherein each said basketball hoop pivots upwardly along a corresponding hinged clasp on each anterior surface of each said backboard.

11. An exercise apparatus for strengthening muscles, said exercise apparatus comprising:

(A) a base, said base comprised of rigid cylindrical components, said cylindrical components spaced along a flat rigid horizontal supporting surface and interconnected to balance said exercise apparatus, said base further comprising;

(1) at least two parallel anterior-posterior base bars, said anterior-posterior base bars each comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, said parallel anterior-posterior base bars resting upon a horizontal flat rigid supporting surface,

(2) a plurality of upwardly protruding hollow cylindrical joints, said joints attached at an approximate right angle to said upper surfaces,

(3) a horizontal base bar, said horizontal base bar having a first end and a second end, said horizontal base bar connected to each said parallel anterior-posterior base bars by said first end and said second end respectively, said horizontal base bar resting upon said supporting flat rigid horizontal surface,

(4) two upwardly protruding vertical basketball hoop support bars,

(a) each said upwardly protruding vertical basketball rim support bar having an upper end and a lower end,

(b) each said lower end frictionally attached in a vertical male/female orientation to each said parallel anterior/posterior base bar within a corresponding upwardly protruding cylindrical hollow joint,

(i) each said upper end at an approximate right angle to said parallel anterior/posterior base bars,

(ii) each said upwardly protruding vertical basketball hoop support bar comprising one vertical basketball hoop adjustor bar at each said upper end,

(B) an adjustable horizontal footstand bar, said footstand bar comprising a first end and second end,

(a) said adjustable horizontal footstand bar connected and supported at its first end and its second end by a first corresponding vertical footstand support bar and second corresponding vertical footstand support bar,

(b) each said vertical footstand support bar being vertically adjustable by a vertical footstand adjustor bar, each said vertical footstand support bar connected to said horizontal footstand bar by a corresponding tee-joint connector, each said vertical footstand support bar connected to a corresponding said anterior-posterior bar,

(C) a second portion, said second portion comprising,

(2) a horizontal basketball hoop support bar, said horizontal basketball hoop support bar having a first end and a second end, each said end attached to an upper end of a corresponding upwardly protruding vertical basketball hoop support bar,

(3) a common stem, said common stem comprising a four member prefabricated connector,

(a) said common stem rigidly positioned at and connected to, at approximately a right angle, said horizontal basketball hoop support bar,

(b) said common stem protruding anteriorly across said horizontal basketball hoop support bar at approximately said midline of said horizontal basketball hoop support bar,

(4) at least three prongs, said prongs attached to said common stem through said four member prefabricated connector, said prongs protruding anteriorly to said horizontal basketball hoop support bar, each said prong connected to one corresponding extension bar,

(5) at least two lateral basketball hoops and one central basketball hoop,

(a) each said basketball hoop being attached to one backboard,

(b) each said backboard connected to one corresponding said extension bar,

(c) each said extension bar being connected to one corresponding said prong, each said prong attached to said four member prefabricated connector,

(6) at least three swiveling members, each said swiveling member attached to a corresponding said prong, each said swiveling member designed to laterally rotate each said lateral basketball hoop to a second predetermined position,

(7) an anterior-posterior length adjustor, said anterior-posterior length adjustor attached to said common stem, said posterior/anterior length adjustor reversibly adjusting the anterior/posterior position of said central basketball hoop, said anterior posterior length adjustor comprising a series of linearly aligned openings through which a pin is inserted,

Whereby said base attaches to said vertical footstand support bars which support said horizontal footstand bar, said horizontal footstand, said horizontal footstand bar supporting a user'"'"'s feet during use, said upwardly protruding vertical football hoop support bars supporting said horizontal basketball hoop support bar, said common stem attached to said horizontal basketball hoop support bar connected to said basketball hoops through said four member prefabricated connector, said prongs attached to said swiveling members, and said posterior-anterior length adjustor, so that said basketball hoops can be manually adjusted vertically, laterally, and posteriorly-anteriorly.