Exercise device and kit

• US 6,692,415 B1
• Filed: 07/06/1999
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ALL Pro Exercise Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Edith Winston
• Inventors: Winston, Edith
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamilton, Lalita M.
• Application Number:
  US09/347,533
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 482/121, 482/45, 482/50, 482/107, 482/46, 482/82, 482/122, 482/44, 482/106, 482/108, 482/126, 482/49, 482/93, 482/124
• US Class Current: 482/126
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0004 Exercising devices moving as a whole during exercise bar bells or dumb bells A63B21/072; on wheels A63B22/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00043 Exercising devices consisting of a pair of user interfaces connected by flexible elements, e.g. two handles connected by elastic bands skipping ropes A63B5/20; resilient elements A63B21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00061 Replaceable resistance units of different strengths, e.g. for swapping
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0552 Elastic ropes or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0557 Details of attachments, e.g. clips or clamps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/06 User-manipulated weights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4017 to the upper limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4035 for operation by hand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4043 Free movement, i.e. the only restriction coming from the resistance A63B21/00043, A63B21/072 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

A handle for use with an elastomeric tube in a resistance exercise device is generally U-shaped with a grip removably secured between opposite ends of the handle. A frusto-conical throat is defined through the nadir of the U-shape and receives one end of the tube. A retainer ball of greater diameter than the tube is inserted into one diametrically stretched end of the tube. The diameter of the retainer ball is smaller than the large diameter proximal end of the throat but greater than the small diameter distal end of the throat. With the end of the tube stretched about the retainer ball, the ball compresses the tube wall against the frusto-conical throat wall with a force that increases as the tension in the tube increases (i.e., as the tube is pulled distally). As a result, the tube is prevented from becoming loose and becoming disengaged from the handle during use. Alternatively, a collar may be disposed about the tube distally of the retainer ball to prevent the retainer ball and surrounding tube portion from distally traversing the throat, thereby securing the tube to the handle. In yet another manner, the throat may include various configurations to provide a fitted engagement with the retainer ball and surrounding tube portions. The handle structure is preferably sold as part of a kit, and can be modified so that a second weighted bar, parallel to the weighted grip, can be removably connected between the arms of the U-shaped handle.

Claims

1. An exercise device of the type in which an elastic band is removably secured at its ends to respective handles, the handles being adapted to be held in respective hands of a user of said device when exercising, said device comprising:

in each handle;

a retaining channel for receiving an end of said band; and

a generally cylindrical grip configured to be removably attached to said handle and adapted to be held in the closed hand of the user of said device, said grip having a weight of at least one pound; and

wherein said grip comprises a replaceable weight disposed in a hollow cylindrical tube; and

retention means securing respective ends of said band in said retaining channel of each handle.

2. The exercise device of claim 1 wherein said band is a hollow tube of resilient material and predetermined inside and outside diameters when in a relaxed, diametrically unstretched state, and wherein said retention means comprises:

a channel defined in each handle for receiving a respective end of said tube extending through the channel, said channel having a proximal end disposed proximate said grip and a distal end disposed remote from said grip, said channel having a defining wall with a transverse cross-section at least slightly larger than the predetermined outside diameter of said tube;

a stop member of larger transverse dimension than said both the transverse cross-section of said channel-defining wall and said predetermined inside diameter of said tube, said stop member adapted for insertion into a proximal portion of the tube projecting proximally from said channel such that the stop member transversely resiliently stretches the outside diameter of said tube to a dimension larger than the cross-section of said channel-defining wall and said tube resiliently conforms to and engages said stop member.

3. The exercise device of claim 2:

wherein said channel-defining wall has a generally frusto-conical configuration with a larger diameter at said proximal end than at said distal end;

wherein said stop member is generally spherical and the transverse dimension of said stop member is a diameter; and

wherein a transverse portion of said stop member is smaller than the diameter of said channel-defining wall to permit a portion of the tube conforming to said stop member to enter said channel at said proximal end.

4. The exercise device of claim 3 wherein said grip hollow cylindrical tube of said grip is a cushioned cover.

5. The exercise device of claim 4 wherein said cover is plastic foam and has a series of generally circumferential ribs defined therein to facilitate gripping by the hand of a user of the device.

6. The exercise device of claim 5 wherein said grip has an axial length of approximately twelve centimeters, and a diameter including the finger grip of approximately 3.4 centimeters.

7. The exercise device of claim 1 wherein said weight comprises a weighted cylindrical member circumferentially surrounded by said hollow cylindrical tube, and wherein said hollow cylindrical tube is a cylindrical cushioned cover.

8. The exercise device of claim 7 wherein said cover is plastic foam and has a series of generally circumferential ribs defined therein to facilitate gripping by the hand of a user of the device.

9. The exercise device of claim 8 wherein said grip has an axial length of approximately twelve centimeters, and a diameter including the finger grip of approximately 3.4 centimeters.

10. An exercise device kit sold as a unit comprising:

at least one tubular resilient band capable of being resiliently stretched axially in response to axially directed forces applied thereto;

a plurality of handles, each handle including;

a retaining channel for receiving an end of said band; and

a generally cylindrical grip configured to be removably attached to said handle and adapted to be held in the closed hand of the user of said device, said grip having a replaceable weight of at least one pound disposed in a hollow cylindrical member; and

retention means adapted for insertion into said tubular band for securing respective ends of said band in said retaining channel of each handle.

11. The exercise device kit of claim 10 further comprising a second tubular resilient band capable of being resiliently stretched axially in response to axially directed forces applied thereto and to be used interchangeably with said at least one tubular band, said second tubular band having a different resistance to axial stretching than said at least one tubular band.

12. The exercise device kit of claim 10 wherein said weight comprises a weighted cylindrical member and said hollow cylindrical member is a cylindrical cushioned cover;

and wherein said cover is plastic foam and has a series of generally circumferential ribs defined therein to facilitate gripping by the hand of a user of the device.

13. The exercise device kit of claim 12 wherein each grip has an axial length of approximately twelve centimeters, and a diameter including the finger grip of approximately 3.4 centimeters.

14. The exercise device kit of claim 12 wherein said weighted cylindrical member is a replaceable weight, and further comprising a plurality of said replaceable weights each weighing a different amount.

15. A method of assembling an exercise device comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting an axially resiliently stretchable tube to each of two handles by inserting respective ends of the tube through a distally tapered throat defined in each handle, and inserting respective stop members into the tube at each tube end to prevent removal of the tube from each handle throat;

(b) weighting each handle to a total weight of at least one pound by removably attaching a weighted member as a part of a cylindrical grip to each handle; and

(c) covering the grip of each handle with a cylindrical cushion.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said tube is diametrically resiliently stretchable and has predetermined inside and outside diameters when in a relaxed, diametrically unstretched state, wherein each stop member is ball-shaped having a diameter larger than at least a portion of said throat, and wherein step (a) includes the steps of:

projecting each end of said tube through a proximal end of a throat in a respective handle;

at each proximally projecting end of the tube, inserting one of said ball-shaped stop members into the tube by resiliently stretching the tube diametrically such that the tube substantially envelopes the ball-shaped stop member; and

at each handle, distally pulling said tube such that a portion of the tube enveloping the ball-shaped stop member resides within a proximal section of the throat to engage the tube in the throat.

17. An exercise device comprising:

an interchangeable generally tubular resilient band of predetermined transverse cross-section providing a particular resistance for exercising muscles of a user; and

a plurality of handles and corresponding connecting structures for removably connecting each end of said band to a corresponding handle, wherein each said handle and corresponding connecting structure includes;

a base having a distally tapered channel defined therein for receiving a corresponding band end, wherein a transverse cross-section of the channel distal portion is at least as large as said predetermined cross-section of said band and less than a transverse cross-section of the channel proximal portion;

a plurality of arms, each arm having a distal portion joined to said base;

a hand grip weighing at least one pound configured to be removably attached to said handle and extending between said arms for facilitating manipulation of that handle by said user said grip comprising a replaceable weight disposed in a hollow cylindrical tube; and

a stop member substantially enveloped resiliently within said corresponding band end and including a proximal section, a distal section and an intermediate section disposed between said proximal and distal sections, wherein a transverse cross-section of said intermediate section is greater than said transverse cross-sections of said band, said proximal and distal sections and said channel distal portion and less than said transverse cross-section of said channel proximal portion, wherein said stop member intermediate section is configured to abut the channel interior and compress band portions surrounding said stop member intermediate section against walls of said channel in response to said band being pulled distally through said channel, thereby removably securing the band to that handle.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said channel of each said handle and corresponding connecting structure is generally frusto-conical.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein said stop member and channel are configured to removably secure said band end to said handle and facilitate replacement of said band with a second band having a different tensile strength.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein said replaceable weight comprises:

a grip bar extending between said arms and weighing at least one pound; and

said hollow cylindrical tube comprises

a foam covering disposed over and enclosing said grip bar to facilitate gripping of said handle during exercise.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein at least one handle and corresponding connecting structure further includes a grip bar interchange mechanism to removably connect said grip bar to said arms and facilitate replacement of said grip bar with a second grip bar having a different weight to adjust exercise device resistance.

22. In an exercise device including an interchangeable resilient band to provide resistance for exercising muscles of a user, a method of adjusting exercise device resistance, wherein an exercise device handle includes a base having a channel defined therein, arms having their distal portions joined to said base and a grip weighing at least one pound disposed in a hollow cylindrical cushion tube and removably connected to said handle between said arms for facilitating manipulation of the handle by the user, said method comprising the step of:

(a) removing said grip from said handle and removably connecting to said handle a second grip having a weight greater than one pound to adjust exercise device resistance.

23. In an exercise device employing a generally tubular resilient band of predetermined transverse cross-section to provide resistance for exercising muscles of a user, a handle and corresponding connecting structure for removably connecting an end of said band to said handle comprising:

a base having a channel defined therein for receiving said band end, wherein a transverse cross-section of the channel distal portion is at least as large as said predetermined cross-section of said band and less than a transverse cross-section of the channel proximal portion;

a plurality of arms with each arm having a distal portion joined to said base;

a hand grip weighing at least one pound configured to removably attached to said handle and extending between said arms for facilitating manipulation of said handle by said user said grip comprising a replaceable weight disposed in a cylindrical cushioned tube; and

a ball resiliently inserted within said band end and including a first ball section for placement externally of said channel and a second ball section for placement within said channel, wherein said second ball section includes a transverse cross-section greater than said transverse cross-sections of said band and said channel distal portion and less than said transverse cross-section of said channel proximal portion to abut proximal portions of channel walls and compress band portions surrounding said second ball section against said walls in response to said band being pulled distally through said channel, thereby removably securing the band to the handle.

24. In an exercise device including a generally tubular resilient band of predetermined cross-section to provide resistance for exercising muscles of a user, a method of removably connecting an end of said band to an exercise device handle, wherein said handle includes a base having a channel defined therein, arms having their distal portions joined to said base and a weighted grip removably attached to said handle and disposed in a hollow cylindrical tube for weighing at least one pound and facilitating manipulation of the handle by the user, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) inserting the band end proximally through the channel, wherein channel wall proximal portions are smooth and include rounded proximal channel edges and a transverse cross-section of the channel distal portion is at least as large as said predetermined cross-section of said band and less than a transverse cross-section of the channel proximal portion;

(b) resiliently inserting a stop member within said band end, wherein said stop member includes a proximal section for placement externally of said channel and a distal section having a transverse cross-section greater than said transverse cross-sections of said band and said channel distal portion;

(c) pulling said band distally through said channel such that said stop member distal section abuts channel wall proximal portions;

(d) compressing band portions surrounding said stop member distal section against said smooth and rounded channel wall proximal portions via said stop member distal section to removably secure the band to the handle in response to said band being pulled distally through said channel; and

(e) reducing band wear during said compression by arranging said smooth and rounded channel wall proximal portions to provide a smooth surface with rounded proximal channel edges against which said surrounding band portions are compressed by said stop member.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said stop member includes a ball, and step (b) further includes:

(b.1) resiliently inserting said ball within said band end, wherein said ball includes a diameter greater than said transverse cross-sections of said band and said channel distal portion;

step (c) further includes;

(c.1) pulling said band distally through said channel such that said ball abuts channel wall proximal portions;

step (d) further includes;

(d.1) compressing band portions surrounding said ball against said smooth and rounded channel wall proximal portions via said ball to removably secure the band to the handle in response to said band being pulled distally through said channel; and

step (e) further includes;

(e.1) reducing band wear during said compression by arranging said smooth and rounded channel wall proximal portions to provide a smooth surface with rounded proximal channel edges against which said surrounding band portions are compressed by said ball.