Exercise furniture

• US 6,306,067 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chris Gizas
• Original Assignee: Chris Gizas
• Inventors: Gizas, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, VICTOR KENNY
• Application Number:
  US09/329,377
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 482/99-103, 482/79, 482/130, 482/133, 482/138, 482/139, 482/142, 482/904, 601/24, 606/242
• US Class Current: 482/102
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 9/002 with exercising means or having special therapeutic or ergonomic effects
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0601 Special physical structures of used masses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/154 using special pulley-assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/04 incorporated in beds, sofas
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0355 A single apparatus used for either upper or lower limbs, i.e. with a set of support elements driven either by the upper or the lower limb or limbs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/904 Removably attached to wheelchair, home furnishing, or home structure

Abstract

An exercise apparatus may be built into a couch or other seating assembly. The seating assembly may have a pair of side structures and a seating area between the side structures. The seating assembly may be a couch having a rear face, a pair of arms and a seating area between the arms sized to seat at least two people. A case is mounted alongside one of the side structures of the seating assembly. A cable is routed through the seat assembly to the case. This cable has one end routed to emerge through the seat assembly for pulling exercises. An adjustable weight is mounted in the case and coupled to the cable. The weight can be lifted in response to pulling of the cable. The adjustable weight is accessible in a region that is spaced from the rear face of the couch to avoid any need for clearance behind the couch in order to gain access to the adjustable weight.

Claims

1. An exercise apparatus comprising:

a seating assembly having a pair of side structures and a seating area between said side structures, said side structures comprising a pair of arms each having an inside and an outside;

a case mounted alongside one of said side structures of said seating assembly, said case comprising means for storing exercise accessories;

a cable routed through said seat assembly to said case, said cable having a pair of ends routed to emerge through said seat assembly for pulling, said pair of ends emerging separately from the inside of respective ones of said arms above the seating area, the ends of said cable each terminating in a loop;

a pair of handles separately and detachably connected to the pair of ends of said cable, said handles each having a clasp for releasably engaging the loops at the ends of the cable;

a pair of upper pulleys mounted in said case, said cable being routed to loop through said case to form a bight, said cable extending upwardly from said bight to loop over said upper pulleys; and

an adjustable weight mounted in said case and coupled to said cable to be lifted in response to pulling of said cable.

2. An exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said seat assembly comprises a couch.

3. An exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said arms comprise:

a pair of stops separately mounted in different corresponding ones of said arms for preventing the ends of said cable from entering said arms and becoming manually inaccessible.

4. An exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said case has a door for granting access to said weight.

5. An exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said case is taller than said side structures.

6. An exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bight is routed through said case for supporting and lifting said weight.

7. An exercise apparatus according to claim 6 comprising:

a reversing pulley mounted on said weight for receiving and guiding said bight of said cable.

8. An exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said weight comprises:

a header mounted to reciprocate vertically in said case; and

a plurality of plates adapted to be selectively carried by said header.

9. An exercise apparatus according to claim 8 comprising:

a pair of tracks mounted in said case for guiding said header, said header having a rod, said weight having a plurality of annular plates adapted to be manually placed around said rod.

10. An exercise apparatus comprising:

a seating assembly having a pair of side structures and a seating area between said side structures, said side structures comprising a pair of arms each having an inside and an outside;

a case mounted alongside one of said side structures of said seating assembly, said case comprising means for storing exercise accessories;

a cable routed through said seat assembly to said case, said cable having a pair of ends routed to emerge through said seat assembly for pulling, said pair of ends routed to emerge separately from the inside of respective ones of said arms above the seating area, the ends of said cable each terminating in a loop;

a pair of handles separately and detachably connected to the pair of ends of said cable, said handles each having a clasp for releasably engaging the loops at the ends of the cable;

an adjustable weight mounted in said case and coupled to said cable to be lifted in response to pulling of said cable, said cable being routed to loop through said case and form a bight for supporting and lifting said weight;

a pair of upper pulleys mounted in said case, said cable extending upwardly from said bight to loop over said upper pulleys

a lower pair of transition pulleys mounted in said case, said cable extending downwardly from said upper pulleys, and around said transition pulleys, for one of said transition pulleys said cable extending under the seating area to one of said side structures.

11. An exercise apparatus comprising:

a seating assembly having a pair of side structures and a seating area between said side structures;

a case mounted alongside one of said side structures of said seating assembly;

a cable routed through said seat assembly to said case, said cable having one end routed to emerge through said seat assembly for pulling;

an adjustable weight mounted in said case and coupled to said cable to be lifted in response to pulling of said cable; and

a line connected to said cable and routed under the seating area to emerge outside that one of the side structures opposite said case at an elevation suitable for leg exercises.

12. An exercise apparatus comprising:

a couch having a rear face, a pair of arms and a seating area between said arms sized to seat at least two people, said arms each have an inside and an outside;

a cable being routed through said couch to emerge from said couch near said arms for pulling, said cable having a pair of ends routed to emerge separately from the inside of respective ones of said arms above the seating area;

an adjustable weight coupled to said cable to be lifted in response to pulling of said cable, said adjustable weight being accessible in a region that is spaced from the rear face of the couch to avoid any need for clearance behind said couch in order to gain access to said adjustable weight, said cable being routed to form a bight for supporting and lifting said weight; and

a pair of upper pulleys for guiding said cable, said cable extending upwardly from said bight to loop over said upper pulleys.

13. An exercise apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said arms comprise:

a pair of stops separately mounted in different corresponding ones of said arms for preventing the ends of said cable from entering said arms and becoming manually inaccessible.

14. An exercise apparatus according to claim 12 comprising:

a pair of handles separately and detachably connected to the pair of ends of said cable.

15. An exercise apparatus according to claim 12 comprising:

a line connected to said cable and routed under the seating area to emerge outside one of the arms at an elevation suitable for leg exercises.

16. An exercise apparatus comprising:

a couch having a seating area sized to seat more than one person, said couch comprising a pair of arms each having an inside and an outside;

an engagement means mounted at least partially inside said couch and having a distal end adapted for reciprocation, said engagement means comprising a cable having a pair of ends routed to emerge separately from the inside of respective ones of said arms above the seating area;

an exercise means coupled to said engagement means for applying a force to said distal end in order to exercise one who reciprocates said distal end, said exercise means including an adjustable weight coupled to said cable to be lifted in response to pulling of said cable, said cable being routed to form a bight for supporting and lifting said weight; and

a pair of upper pulleys for guiding said cable, said cable extending upwardly from said bight to loop over said upper pulleys.

17. An exercise apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said cable is routed at least partially inside said couch to emerge for manual grasping.

18. An exercise apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said arms comprise:

a pair of stops separately mounted in different corresponding ones of said arms for preventing the ends of said engagement means from entering said arms and becoming manually inaccessible.

19. An exercise apparatus according to claim 16 comprising:

a pair of handles separately and detachably connected to the pair of ends of said engagement means.

20. An exercise apparatus according to claim 16 comprising:

a line connected to said engagement means and routed under the seating area to emerge outside one of the arms at an elevation suitable for leg exercises.