Adjustable exercise device and a device for adjusting an exercise device

• US 7,927,256 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sequential Holdco LLC
• Original Assignee: SPRI Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Niederlander, Gregory, Flentye, Herbert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganesan; Sundhara M
• Application Number:
  US11/381,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20060189449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 482/52, 482/142, 482/19, 482/26, D21/336, 248/346.5, 248/188.2, 108/106, 446/117
• US Class Current: 482/52
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0458 Step exercisers without moving parts with movable steps A63B22/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/908 Adjustable

Abstract

An adjustable exercise device that includes one or more inclined riser blocks for readily elevating and inclining a platform to enable stepping and other exercises to be readily performed on an inclined platform. The inclined riser blocks may be matingly engageable with the bottom of the platform to elevate and incline the platform. The inclined riser block may include a top face matingly engageable with the bottom of the platform, a bottom face, and a central portion extending between the bottom and top faces and having a front and rear, the central portion increasing in thickness from the front to the rear. The top face extends at an incline.

Claims

1. A kit for providing alternative adjustability to an aerobic exercise device including:

(a) a platform having a substantially flat top surface and a bottom defining a recess, and (b) a pair of riser blocks having top faces matingly engageable with the bottom of the platform to elevate the platform above a support surface so that the top surface of the platform extends above the support surface, the kit comprising a pair of inclined riser blocks, each inclined riser block comprising;

(a) a top face with at least one protrusion forming an interlocking surface matingly engageable with the recess defined by the bottom of the platform whereby the top face stably supports the platform;

(b) a bottom face matingly engageable with the top face of a respective riser block;

(c) a central portion extending between the top and bottom faces of the inclined riser block and having a front and a rear, the central portion increasing in thickness from the front to the rear; and

(d) whereby the top face extends at an incline with respect to the bottom face so that the top surface of the platform can be inclined relative to the support surface, and

wherein the inclined riser blocks are matingly engageable with the bottom of the platform at two alternative positions of the inclined riser blocks to incline the platform alternatively along a width or a length of the platform.

2. The kit of claim 1 wherein the central portion of each inclined riser block includes an axis extending from the front to the rear of the central portion, the axis extending perpendicular to the length of the platform when the inclined riser block is matingly engaged with the bottom of the platform at a first position of the inclined riser block, and the axis extending parallel to the length of the platform when the inclined riser block is matingly engaged with the bottom of the platform at a second position of the inclined riser block.

3. The kit of claim 2 wherein each inclined riser block further includes a plurality of dimples receivable by a plurality of slots defined by the platform to matingly engage the platform and the inclined riser block.

4. The kit of claim 3 wherein each inclined riser block further includes a plurality of dimples, a first plurality of the dimples receivable by slots of the platform to matingly engage the inclined riser block with the platform at the first position of the inclined riser blocks, a second plurality of the dimples receivable by slots of the platform to matingly engage the inclined riser block with the platform at the second position of the inclined riser blocks and wherein the first plurality of the dimples is a different set of dimples than the second plurality of dimples.

5. The kit of claim 1 wherein the protrusion defines an aperture and the aperture is closer to the front than to the rear.

6. The kit of claim 1 wherein the top face is inclined at an angle in the range of about 17 degrees relative to the support surface.

7. Means for alternatively adjusting an aerobic exercise device including:

(a) a platform having a substantially flat top surface and a bottom defining a recess, and (b) a plurality of riser blocks having top faces matingly engageable with the bottom of the platform to elevate the platform above a support surface so that the top surface is above the support surface, the adjusting means comprising at least one inclined riser block matingly engageable with the platform for elevating the platform and inclining the top surface of the platform relative to the support surface in alternative orientations, the inclined riser block including;

(a) a top face with at least one protrusion forming an interlocking surface matingly engageable with the recess defined by the bottom of the platform whereby the top face stably supports the platform;

(b) a bottom face matingly engageable with the top face of the riser block; and

(c) a central portion extending between the top and bottom faces of the inclined riser block and having a front and rear, the central portion increasing in thickness from the front to the rear; and

(d) whereby the top face extends at an incline with respect to the bottom face so that the top surface of the platform can be inclined relative to the support surface, and

wherein the inclined riser block is matingly engageable with the bottom of the platform at two alternative positions of the inclined riser block to incline the platform alternatively along a width or a length of the platform.

8. The adjusting means of claim 7 wherein there are two inclined riser blocks and wherein one of the inclined riser blocks is elevated above the other inclined riser block by at least one of the riser blocks when the platform is inclined along the length of the platform.

9. The adjusting means of claim 8 wherein each inclined riser block includes a plurality of dimples receivable by slots defined by the bottom of the platform to matingly engage the platform and the inclined riser block.

10. The adjusting means of claim 7 comprising a pair of inclined riser blocks wherein one of the inclined riser blocks is matingly engageable with the platform adjacent a first end of the platform and the other inclined riser block is matingly engageable with the platform adjacent a second end of the platform.

11. In combination with an aerobic exercise device comprising (a) a platform having a substantially flat top surface and a bottom defining a recess and having a length and a width, and (b) a pair of riser blocks having top faces matingly engageable with the bottom of the platform to position the platform at a first position where the platform is elevated above the support surface and the top surface is parallel to the support surface, means for alternatively adjusting the exercise device between the first position, a second position where the platform is elevated above the support surface and the top surface is inclined relative to the support surface along the width of the platform, and a third position where the platform is elevated above the support surface and the top surface is inclined relative to the support surface along the length of the platform, the alternative adjusting means comprising a pair of inclined riser blocks, each inclined riser block including:

(a) a top face extending at an incline with at least one protrusion forming an interlocking surface matingly engageable with the recess defined by the bottom of the platform whereby the top face stably supports the platform;

(b) a bottom face matingly engageable with the top face of the riser block;

(c) a central portion extending between the top and bottom faces of the inclined riser block and having a front and rear, the central portion increasing in thickness from the front to the rear and defining an axis extending from the front to the rear; and

(d) whereby the top face extends at an incline with respect to the bottom face so that the top surface of the platform can be inclined relative to the support surface, and

wherein each inclined riser block is matingly engageable with the bottom of the platform at two alternative positions of the inclined riser block to incline the platform alternatively along a width or a length of the platform.

12. The adjusting means of claim 11 wherein the inclined riser blocks are matingly engageable with the bottom of the platform at two alternative orientations of the inclined riser blocks relative to the platform, the axis of each inclined riser block extending perpendicular to the length of the platform when the exercise device is in the second position, and the axis of each inclined riser block extending parallel to the length of the platform when the exercise device is in the third position.

13. The adjusting means of claim 11 wherein each inclined riser block further includes a plurality of dimples receivable by a plurality of slots defined by the platform to matingly engage the platform when the exercise device is in the second and third positions.

14. The adjusting means of claim 11 wherein one of the inclined riser blocks is engaged with and elevated by at least one of the riser blocks when the exercise device is in the third position.