Compliant body-pressing exerciser

• US 6,702,726 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asia Regent Limited
• Original Assignee: Asia Regent Limited
• Inventors: Lin, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amerson, L
• Application Number:
  US10/037,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 482/148, 482/140, 482/132, 482/142, 482/121-130, 446/220
• US Class Current: 482/148
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2023/006 for stretching exercises
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/027 using player's own weight, e.g. on a platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0442 Anchored at one end only, the other end being manipulated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0557 Details of attachments, e.g. clips or clamps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/154 using special pulley-assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0214 Kneeling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0233 in 90/90 position, like on a chair
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0257 prone
• 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 23/0233 Muscles of the back, e.g. by an extension of the body against a resistance, reverse crunch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/035 for limbs, i.e. upper or lower limbs, e.g. simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 26/003 for improving balance or equilibrium balance beams A63B4/00; apparatus for rope dancing A63B7/08; balancing drums, balancing boards or the like A63B22/16

Abstract

A compliant body-pressing exerciser is adapted to be detachably coupled to a seat frame, and includes a bowl-shaped lower member and a dome-shaped upper member formed respectively with upper and lower surrounding edge portions that engage each other and adapted to contact the ground and compliantly press against a user'"'"'s body. A height of the upper member is larger than that of the lower member. A shortest one of radial distances measured from a central point to the lower surrounding edge portion is not less than the height of the upper member so as to lower the gravity center of the exerciser.

Claims

1. A compliant body-pressing exerciser adapted to be detachably coupled to a seat frame, comprising:

a bowl-shaped lower member adapted to contact the ground and including an upper surrounding edge portion, and a lower rounded wall extending downwardly and convergently from said upper surrounding edge portion and terminating at a lowermost spot which is adapted to contact the ground when said exerciser is not in use; and

a dome-shaped upper member adapted to compliantly press against a user'"'"'s body, and including a lower surrounding edge portion which is disposed to engage said upper surrounding edge portion and which is associated with said upper surrounding edge portion to form a reference plane that is adapted to be disposed parallel to the ground, and an upper rounded wall which extends upwardly and convergently from said lower surrounding edge portion and which terminates at an apical spot, said apical spot cooperating with said lowermost spot to define a central line that is normal to and that intersects said reference plane at a central point, said bowl-shaped lower member and said dome-shaped upper member being configured such that a first height which is calculated from said apical spot to said central point is larger than a second height which is calculated from said lowermost spot to said central point, and such that a shortest one of first radial distances measured from said central point to said lower surrounding edge portion is not less than the first height.

2. The exerciser of claim 1, wherein the second height is not larger than ⅔

of a shortest one of second radial distances measured from said central point to said upper surrounding edge portion.

3. The exerciser of claim 1, wherein said dome-shaped upper member further includes a plurality of protrusions disposed on and extending outwardly from said upper rounded wall.

4. The exerciser of claim 1, wherein said lower rounded wall has a plurality of friction ribs formed thereon and adjacent to said lowermost spot.

5. The exerciser of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of lugs disposed on and extending radially and outwardly from one of said upper and lower surrounding edge portions, and angularly displaced from one another, each of said lugs having an eyelet disposed therein; and

a fastening cord disposed to pass through said eyelets and adapted to be fastened to the seat frame.

6. A compliant body-pressing exerciser assembly comprising:

a seat frame having a bottom wall with a periphery, a surrounding wall extending upwardly from said periphery of said bottom wall to surround a middle line and to terminate at a surrounding upper peripheral edge portion, and an inner concave portion disposed to extend from said surrounding upper peripheral edge portion downwardly and toward the middle line so as to form an inner concave surface which confines an accommodation space; and

a compliant body-pressing exercising member detachably retained in said accommodation space, and including;

a bowl-shaped lower member adapted to contact the ground, and including an upper surrounding edge portion which is disposed on said surrounding upper peripheral edge portion when said bowl-shaped lower member is retained in said accommodation space, and a lower rounded wall which extends downwardly and convergently from said upper surrounding edge portion and which terminates at a lowermost spot that is adapted to contact the ground when said exercising member is not in use, and

a dome-shaped upper member adapted to compliantly press against a user'"'"'s body, and including a lower surrounding edge portion which is disposed to engage said upper surrounding edge portion and which is associated with said upper surrounding edge portion to form a reference plane that is adapted to be disposed parallel to the ground, and an upper rounded wall which extends upwardly and convergently from said lower surrounding edge portion and which terminates at an apical spot, said apical spot cooperating with said lowermost spot to define a central line that is normal to and that intersects said reference plane at a central point, said bowl-shaped lower member and said dome-shaped upper member being configured such that a first height which is calculated from said apical spot to said central point is larger than a second height which is calculated from said lowermost spot to said central point, such that a shortest one of first radial distances measured from said central point to said lower surrounding edge portion is not less than the first height, and such that a shortest one of second radial distances measured from said central point to said upper surrounding edge portion is not less than the second height.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said inner concave surface has a surrounding lower peripheral edge portion surrounding the middle line and disposed opposite to said surrounding upper peripheral edge portion to confine an opening for passage of said lowermost spot when said bowl-shaped lower member is retained in said accommodation space.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said compliant body-pressing exercising member is made of a deformable material, said inner concave surface having a first curvature, said lower rounded wall having a second curvature less than the first curvature so as to be deformed to contact tightly said inner concave surface when said dome-shaped upper member is pressed.

9. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said exercising member further includes a plurality of lugs disposed on and extending radially and outwardly from one of said upper and lower surrounding edge portions, and angularly displaced from one another, each of said lugs having an eyelet disposed therein;

said seat frame further including a plurality of anchoring members disposed on said surrounding wall, and a fastening cord disposed to pass through said eyelets and fastened to said anchoring members.

10. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said seat frame further includes a plurality of support leg members disposed on and extending downwardly from said surrounding wall to support said seat frame on the ground.

11. The assembly of claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of pulleys mounted on said bottom wall of said seat frame and angularly displaced from one another along said periphery, and an elastic band trained on said pulleys and having two ends which are disposed radially and outwardly of said periphery and which are provided respectively with two handgrips configured to be retained radially and outwardly of said periphery.