Rubber band musculoskeletal exercise device

• US 7,998,041 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rob Lee Johnson
• Original Assignee: Rob Lee Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Rob Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): BAKER, LORI LYNN
• Application Number:
  US11/454,495
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 482121-130, 482/139, 482/148, 482907-908
• US Class Current: 482/124
• 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 21/4025 Resistance devices worn on the user's body A63B21/065 takes precedence

Abstract

A shell harness comprises particular harness slots for an attachment and a detachment of rubber bands. The rubber bands are covered with a protection sleeve that traps the band and slows it down in an event of a break. The rubber bands are connected to foot straps with stirrups that also comprise a vinyl hose. A hollow, cylindrical hand grip is comprised at an end of the rubber bands too after they are interlaced through the harness.

Claims

1. A human musculoskeletal exercising apparatus comprising:

a harness configured to conform over a wearer'"'"'s shoulder forming a water resistant shell exterior, the harness comprising;

two side panels having slots formed therein, the side panels each having a ventral side and a dorsal side, the side panels configured in a curved manner to cover a wearer'"'"'s front and back sides of the shoulder wherein the ventral side of the side panel covers part of the front side of the wearer and the dorsal side of the side panel covers part of the back side of the wearer, the slots arranged along the panels such that at least one slot is positioned on the ventral side of the side panel and at least one slot is positioned on the dorsal side of the side panel;

at least one rubber band connected to said harness, wherein said rubber band is attached or detached at a first end by interlacing a light, medium, or heavy rubber band through slots formed by the harness, wherein the band is threaded through at least one slot in the ventral side of the side panel and the dorsal side of the same side panel, such that band is configured to loop over the top of the wearer'"'"'s shoulder when the apparatus is worn, forming one part of the band emerging from the front of the wearer'"'"'s shoulder and one part of the band emerging from the back of the wearer'"'"'s shoulder; and

the rubber band connected to through handles or to foot straps, wherein the band'"'"'s connection to the foot strap or through handle completes a loop around the shoulder to the foot strap or handle and back the shoulder, wherein when the foot strap or through handle is pulled by the user, the apparatus forms two lines of tension from the shoulder to either the through handles or foot straps via two parts of the band, one emerging from the front of the wearer and one emerging from the back of the wearer;

wherein said human musculoskeletal exercising apparatus is adapted to be worn on the body in a manner such that the user can get a feel for constant dynamic motion while ballistically stimulating and strengthening the muscles of the upper and lower body.

2. The exercising apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rubber band is secured to said harness by a load tie wrap and further wrapped around a vinyl tube such as to prevent damage to said rubber band during tensioning.

3. The exercise apparatus of claim 2, wherein said rubber band is connected to said foot straps by a vinyl tube nylon loop formed by threading or sewing.

4. The exercise apparatus of claim 2, wherein said handles have a single slot or track in which to receive the rubber band and allow it to be seated in cylinder in stirrup type fashion, and wherein said rubber band is connected to said handles by stretched through slots formed in said handles.

5. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said water repellent shell harness is manufactured by water jet.

6. The exercise apparatus of claim 4, wherein said handles are comprised of a hollow cylinder having a foam or sponge hand grips on an exterior surface for comfort and cleanliness.

7. The exercise apparatus of claim 4, wherein said rubber band can be pulled through said hollow cylinders in a manner that is accessible at either distal end of the cylinder.

8. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rubber band further comprises a protection sleeve made of a closed cell sponge rubber material that traps the rubber band and slows down the velocity of the rubber band in the event of a break.

9. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said rubber bands are provided, each said rubber band formed of a continuous loop, rubber material formed in seamless layers such as to form a continuous loop with first and last layers finished on different planes at least 3 inches apart to form a 1 piece band with no week weak spot.

10. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said harness further comprises secondary, removable shoulder pads.

11. The exercise apparatus of claim 3, wherein said foot straps comprise a secondary barrier layer forming a wear-resistant, impact and abrasion and cushioning sole pad element.

12. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein said barrier layer is formed by dipping in multi-purpose rubber or plastic coating.

13. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the band comprises a first band, the first band connected to a handle, and the apparatus further comprising a second band threaded through slots on the same side panel as the first band, and emerging from slots adjacent the first band, wherein the second band is connected to a foot strap, wherein the connection completes a loop around the shoulder to the foot strap and back to the shoulder, and wherein the band'"'"'s connection to the foot strap completes a loop around the shoulder to the handle and back to the shoulder, wherein when the foot strap is pulled by the user, the apparatus forms two lines of tension from the shoulder to either the through handles or foot straps or both, via two parts of the band, one emerging from the front of the wearer and one emerging from the back of the wearer.

14. The exercise apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second band emerges from slots below the first band on the dorsal and ventral sides of the side panel.

15. The exercise apparatus of claim 13, wherein first and second bands are threaded through slots on both side panels forming four loops.