Aerobic climbing step/bench

• US 5,275,579 A
• Filed: 10/28/1992
• Issued: 01/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William T. Wilkinson
• Original Assignee: William T. Wilkinson
• Inventors: Wilkinson, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSO, LAURA K
• Application Number:
  US07/967,711
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 482/51, 482/52, 248/161, 248/157, 297/439
• US Class Current: 482/52
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/20 Chairs or stools with vertically-adjustable seats tables with variable height A47B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/50 Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0458 Step exercisers without moving parts with movable steps A63B22/04

Abstract

An aerobic climbing step/bench includes a base in the form of a horizontal platform having a downwardly extending apron. Height adjustability is achieved by the use of detachable legs which are mounted to the base by the interengagement of mounting elements on each leg and complementary mounting elements on the base so that the legs can be slideably engaged in a locking position with the base and slideably detached from the base.

Claims

1. An aerobic climbing step/bench device comprising a base, said base consisting of a horizontal platform having a periphery formed by opposite ends and intermediate sides with a downwardly extending apron, at least two sets of mounting members in said base, each of said sets of mounting members comprising at least one member associated with said base at opposite portions of said periphery, a leg for each of said sets of mounting members, each of said legs having complementary mounting members for sliding engagement with said mounting members whereby each of said legs may be selectively deteachably mounted to said base to provide said platform with at least two levels of height adjustability ranging from a low height when said apron is placed directly on a support surface and wherein there is at least one other height level in accordance with the selective mounting of said mounting members, each of said sets of mounting members comprising at least two vertically parallel members, said mounting members and complementary mounting members being selectively tracks and ridges or ridges and tracks, said mounting members being associated with the inner surface of said apron on said opposite intermediate sides thereof near the ends of said periphery, and said legs being inserted into the central portion of said base until said mounting members and complementary mounting members are aligned whereupon each of said legs may be in sliding engagement with said apron to slide each of said leg toward its respective end of said periphery.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein there are at least three mounting members and complementary mounting members in each of said sets, and each of said sets including two aligned members.

3. The device of claim 2 including a mat, said mat being dimensioned to be at least as large in area as said base whereby said mat provides at least one additional height adjustments by use of said mat alone and by the mounting of said base upon said mat.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said mat comprises at least two panels with each set of adjacent panels joined by a flexible hinge.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein each of said panels is a size to permit said mat to be folded and inserted within said apron in the space between said legs when said mat is in its nonuse storage condition.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein said device provides a step/bench having height resulting adjustability in the range of two inches to fourteen inches.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said height adjustability includes a two inch height when said mat is used as said step/bench in its unfolded condition, a second position of four inch height resulting when said mat is used in its folded condition a third position of six inch height when said base is used as said step/bench without any legs, fourth, fifth and sixth positions of eight, ten and twelve inch heights resulting in accordance with the selective engagement of said mounting members and said complementary mounting members and a seventh position of fourteen inch height resulting when said base and said legs are positioned on said mat when said mat is on its unfolded condition.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said mounting members and said complementary mounting members include complementary projections and notches for locking said legs in place.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said mounting members and said complementary mounting members include complementary projections and notches for locking said legs in place.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said mounting members and said complementary mounting members include complementary projections and notches for locking said legs in place.

10. An aerobic climbing step/bench device comprising a base, said base consisting of a horizontal platform having a periphery formed by opposite ends and intermediate sides with a downwardly extending apron, at least two sets of mounting members in said base, each of said sets of mounting members comprising at least one member associated with said base at opposite portions of said periphery, a leg for each of said sets of mounting members, each of said legs having complementary mounting members for sliding engagement with said mounting members whereby each of said legs may be selectively detachably mounted to said base to provide said platform with at least two levels of height adjustability ranging from a low height when said apron is placed directly on a support surface and wherein there is at least one other height level in accordance with the selective mounting of said mounting members, each of said sets of mounting members comprising at least two vertically parallel members, said mounting members and complementary mounting members being selectively tracks and ridges or ridges and tracks, said apron being an outer apron, and said base including an inner apron having walls parallel to and spaced from corresponding walls of said outer apron, said mounting members being on said walls of said inner apron and said outer apron, said outer apron having an opening in one of said intermediate walls and being closed at the opposite portion of its opposite intermediate wall whereby said legs may be mounted through said opening in said intermediate wall.

12. An aerobic climbing step/bench device comprising a base, said base consisting of the horizontal platform having a periphery formed by opposite ends an intermediate sides and said base having downwardly extending sides and a bottom surface, mounting members formed in said base by an opening forming two parallel walls upwardly from said bottom surface at two spaced locations of said base, a first set of legs for each of said locations, each of said first set of legs having complementary mounting members for engagement with aid mounting members of said base whereby said platform is provided with at least two levels of height adjustability wherein there is one height level when no leg is mounted to said base and said base is placed directly on a support surface and there is at least one other height level in accordance with said legs being mounted to said base, and said mounting members and complementary mounting members comprising ridges and tracks or tracks and ridges which are engaged with each other by a sliding movement of each of said legs between a respective set of said two parallel walls.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein projections and notches are provided on said mounting members and complementary mounting members for locking said legs in place.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein said pairs of walls and said legs include plural sets of mounting members and complementary mounting members to provide height adjustability in accordance with which mounting members and complementary mounting members are engaged.

15. The device of claim 12 wherein said legs comprise a first elevation set of legs, including a second elevation set of legs, said first set of legs having mounting members, and said second set of legs having complementary mounting members for selective engagement with said mounting members of said first set of legs to provide a further height level.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein said pairs of walls and said legs include plural sets of mounting members and complementary mounting members to provide height adjustability in accordance with which mounting members and complementary mounting members are engaged.

18. The device of claim 15 wherein said legs comprise a first elevation set of legs, including a second elevation set of legs, said first set of legs having mounting members, and said second set of legs having complementary mounting members for selective engagement with said mounting members of said first set of legs to provide a further height level.

16. An aerobic climbing step/bench device comprising a base, said base consisting of a horizontal platform having a periphery formed by opposite ends and intermediate sides with a downwardly extending apron, said base having a pair of parallel generally vertically depending walls at opposite portions of said periphery, each of said pair of walls having inner surfaces disposed toward each other, at least one wall of each of said pair of walls being an inner surface of said apron, at least one of said inner surfaces of one of said pair of walls having mounting members in the form of tracks or ridges, a leg for each of said pair of walls, each of said legs having complementary mounting members in the form of tracks or ridges, at least one of said mounting and complementary mounting members being of elongated form, each of said legs being selectively detachably mounted to said base by slidably moving said leg with respect to its said pair of walls so that said mounting and complementary mounting members are in sliding engagement with each other to provide said platform with at least two levels of height adjustability ranging from a low height when said apron is placed directly on a support surface and wherein there is at least one other height level in accordance with the selective mounting of said mounting members, and said mounting and complementary mounting members being engaged by a sliding movement of said respective leg in a straight line direction.

19. The device of claim 16 wherein said base includes a recessed portion extending beyond its mounting members to center mount said legs by permitting said legs to be disposed in said recess and slid into sliding engagement with said mounting members.