INSERT FOR USE WITH A RESISTANCE BAND ASSEMBLY AND A METHOD OF USING THE SAME

• US 20150126347A1
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kayezen, LLC
• Original Assignee: Arqex Outdoor Fitness Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Cesaroni, William C., Ghassemian, Morad, Mathews, Brian W., DiMonte, Eugene L., Lenz, Steven M., Kaye, Eric A., Zielke, Donovan D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,682,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/129
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2023/006 for stretching exercises
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00065 by increasing or reducing the number of resistance units
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00069 Setting or adjusting the resistance level; Compensating for a preload prior to use, e.g. changing length of resistance or adjusting a valve
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0442 Anchored at one end only, the other end being manipulated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/055 extension element type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0555 Details of the rope or band, e.g. shape or colour coding
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0557 Details of attachments, e.g. clips or clamps
• 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 23/03508 For a single arm or leg, A63B21/0726 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/03541 Moving independently from each other A63B22/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1209 Involving a bending of elbow and shoulder joints simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1218 Chinning, pull-up, i.e. concentric movement

Abstract

An exercise device including a housing with first and second ends and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween. A bore is defined in the housing and a disc member is located within the bore. The disc member includes a side surface extending between first and second surfaces, said side surface being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis. An aperture is defined in the disc member and extends between the first and second surfaces. The aperture is bounded and defined by a face that extends between the first and second surfaces of the disc member. A friction-reducing material is provided on the face. A first resilient member extends between the first and second ends of the housing and passes through the aperture. An aperture adjustment member may be engaged with an enlarged end of the resilient member to retain the same in the aperture in the disc member.

Claims

1. An insert for use with a resilient member in a resistance band assembly, where the resilient member includes a shaft having a first end and a second end;

a base;

an aperture bounded and defined by a face of the base; and

a friction-reducing material provided on the face;

said friction-reducing material being adapted to contact the shaft of the resilient member when the shaft extends through the aperture.

2. The insert as defined in claim 1, wherein the friction-reducing material is applied as a coating on the face of the base which defines the aperture or is bonded to the face.

3. The insert as defined in claim 1, further comprising a washer located within a hole defined in the base between the first and second surfaces;

and wherein the washer defines the aperture having the face with the friction-reducing material applied thereto; and

the face defining the aperture in the washer is adapted to contact the shaft of the resilient member.

4. The insert as defined in claim 1, where the entire base is comprised of the friction-reducing material.

5. The insert as defined in claim 1, wherein the base comprises:

a disc-shaped member having a first surface and a second surface;

wherein the face which defines the aperture extends between the first and second surfaces of the disc-shaped member and the friction-reducing material provided on the face also extends from the first surface to the second surface.

6. The insert as defined in claim 5, wherein the disc-shaped member includes a peripheral outer wall which extends between the first and second surfaces thereof;

and the aperture is located a distance inwardly from the peripheral outer wall.

7. The insert as defined in claim 6, wherein the disc-shaped member is adapted to be received within a bore of an exercise device'"'"'s housing;

and the first and second surfaces of the disc-shaped member are adapted to be oriented at right angles to a longitudinal axis of the housing; and

a plurality of apertures are defined in the disc-shaped member, with each aperture extending between the first and second surfaces thereof; and

each of said apertures is bounded and defined by a face that extends between the first and second surfaces and at least some of the faces which define the apertures are provided with a friction-reducing material thereon.

8. The insert as defined in claim 7, wherein the plurality of apertures is arranged in a pattern and comprises a central aperture being surrounded by plurality of satellite apertures;

and wherein the satellite apertures each have friction reducing material provided on the faces which defines them; and

each satellite aperture is adapted to receive one of a plurality of resilient members therethrough.

9. The insert as defined in claim 8, wherein the face which bounds and defines the central aperture is free of the friction-reducing material.

10. An aperture adjustment member for use in a resistance band assembly, the aperture adjustment member comprising:

a frustoconically-shaped member having first end and a second end;

a bore defined by an interior surface of the frustoconically-shaped member and extending between the first and second ends thereof;

wherein the bore tapers from the first end to the second end and is adapted to receive an enlarged end of a resilient member therein.

11. The aperture adjustment member as defined in claim 10, wherein a first region of the interior surface defines a portion of the bore at the first end of the frustoconically shaped member;

and

a friction-reducing material is provided on the first region;

said friction-reducing material being adapted to contact a shaft of the resilient member which extends outwardly from the enlarged end.

12. The aperture adjustment member as defined in claim 10, wherein the friction-reducing material is applied as a coating on the first region or is bonded to the first region.

13. The aperture adjustment member as defined in claim 10, where the entire frustoconically-shaped member is comprised of the friction-reducing material.

14. An exercise device comprising:

a housing having a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween;

a bore defined in the housing and extending between the first and second ends;

a disc member located within the bore and between the first and second ends thereof;

said disc member having a first surface and a second surface which are oriented at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the housing; and

an aperture is defined in the disc member and extends between the first and second surfaces an oriented generally parallel to the longitudinal axis;

said aperture being bounded and defined by a face that extends between the first and second surfaces; and

wherein a friction-reducing material is provided on the face; and

a first resilient member extending between the first and second ends of the housing and passing through the aperture.

15. The exercise device as defined in claim 14, wherein the friction-reducing material coats the face of the disc.

16. The exercise device as defined in claim 14, wherein the friction-reducing material is bonded to the face.

17. The exercise device as defined in claim 14, wherein the friction-reducing material is provided on a washer inserted into the aperture, where the washer is adapted to be disposed between the face and the shaft of the resilient member.

18. The exercise as defined in claim 14, wherein the disc member is fabricated from a friction-reducing material.

19. The exercise device as defined in claim 14 wherein the disc member includes a plurality of apertures which extend between the first and second surfaces of the disc member;

and

a plurality of resilient members; and

wherein at least some of the plurality of apertures receive one of the plurality of resilient members therethrough.

20. The exercise device as defined in claim 14, wherein the plurality of apertures includes a central aperture and a plurality of satellite apertures;

and the plurality of apertures is arranged in a pattern with the central aperture being surrounded by the satellite apertures; and

wherein each of the satellite apertures receives one of the plurality of resilient members therethrough; and

the central aperture is free of resilient members.

21. The exercise device as defined in claim 20, wherein the faces which define the satellite apertures are all provided with the friction-reducing material and the face which defines the central aperture is free of the friction-reducing material.