Gymnastic equipment

• US 8,771,154 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Technogym SpA
• Original Assignee: Technogym SpA
• Inventors: Fedriga, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): CROW, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US13/084,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20110251023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 482121-130, 482/148, 482/907, 482/92, 482/91
• US Class Current: 482/122
• 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 21/026 Bars; Tubes; Leaf springs A63B21/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0414 with both ends stationary during the actual exercise, i.e. moving only at intermediate locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/169 for anchoring on or against a wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/09 Adjustable dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/04 Bow shooting

Abstract

A gymnastic equipment (1) comprising a frame (10), a load group (20) carried by the frame (10) in a given manner; the load group (20) comprising an elongated elastic body (30) connected to the frame (10) and a flexible member (40) connected to the elastic body (30) in a given manner; the elastic body (30) comprising an arch (30) delimited by two respective end portions (32) (33), each of which being designed to couple with the flexible member (30) in such a manner as to maintain this latter tensioned both at rest and in use, during the execution of a training exercise.

Claims

1. An exercise device (1) comprising:

a frame (10),

a load group carried by said frame (10);

said load group (20) including an elongated arch-shaped elastic body (30) connected to said frame (10) and a flexible member (40) connected to said arch-shaped elastic body (30);

wherein said arch-shaped elastic body (30) includes a first end portion (32) and a second end portion (33), and wherein said flexible member (40) is coupled between said first end portion (32) and said second end portion (33), respectively, so as to maintain said flexible member (40) tensioned both at rest and in use, during the execution of a training exercise;

a coupling means (12) for coupling said frame with an intermediate portion (36) of said arch-shaped elastic body;

said coupling means (12) including a base (120) adapted to couple rigidly to a fixed body (P)(W);

wherein said load group includes a handle member (34) associated with said flexible member (40) to facilitate the gripping thereof according to a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis (41) of said flexible member (40), so as to facilitate the application of a tensile stress to said elastic body (30) during the execution of a training exercise;

wherein said intermediate portion (36) of said arch-shaped elastic body is substantially equidistant from said respective end portions (32) (33);

wherein said coupling means (12) includes a guiding member (124) coupled rigidly to said fixed body (P)(W) and a slide (126) coupled to said guiding member (124);

wherein said arch-shaped elastic body (30) is connected to said slide (126) for adjusting an arrangement of said arch-shaped elastic body (30) along said guiding member (124); and

wherein said arch-shaped elastic body (30) is connected to said slide (126) through a second joint (18) for allowing transverse movements of the arch-shaped elastic body (30) relative to said guiding member (124).

2. An exercise device according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means (12) includes a rod (122) extending from said base (120).

3. An exercise device according to claim 2, wherein said rod (122) is telescopic so as to allow the adjustment of a respective longitudinal extension thereof.

4. An exercise device according to claim 3, further comprising first blocking means (50) adapted to fix a longitudinal extension of said telescopic rod (122);

said rod (122) including at least one first element (14) and one second element (14′

), elongated and mutually coupled in a longitudinally slidable manner, and including at least one first and one second holes (15)(15′

) oriented transversally to said rod (122);

said first blocking means (50) including at least one first pivot pin (52) adapted to engage said transverse first and second holes (15)(15′

) to block reciprocally said first element (14) and second element (14′

) in axial direction.

5. An exercise device according to claim 3, wherein said arch-shaped elastic body (30) is connected to said rod (122) through a first joint (16) adapted to allow transverse movements of said arch-shaped elastic body (30) relative to said rod (122).

6. An exercise device according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means (12) includes an articulated four bar linkage (60) arranged between said arch-shaped elastic body (30) and said guiding member (124) to adjust a distance between said arch-shaped elastic body (30) and said guiding member (124).

7. An exercise device according to claim 1, wherein said guiding member (124) includes at least one elongated cylindrical body (128) oriented according to a direction (D);

said slide (126) including a sleeve (127) coupled to said cylindrical body (128) in a freely axially slidable and freely rotatable manner, to rotate, in use, said arch-shaped elastic body (30) relative to said cylindrical body (128).

8. An exercise device according to claim 1, wherein said second joint (18) is of the rotoidal type.

9. An exercise device according to claim 1, wherein said flexible member (40) is substantially non extendable and includes a respective working length (LU) determined by said end portions (32)(33).

10. An exercise device according to claim 1, wherein said flexible member (40) includes a first and a second end (42)(43) stably connected respectively to one of said first and second end portions (32)(33).

11. An exercise device according to claim 9, wherein said flexible member (40) includes at least one third end (42′

) connected to said arch-shaped elastic body (30) in a slidable manner between said first and second end portions (32)(33) through the use of a carriage (72) coupled to said arch-shaped elastic body (30) in a freely slidable and transversely selectively blockable manner, to allow to vary at will said working length (LU) and the entity of the load acting on said handle (34).

12. An exercise device according to claim 10, wherein said flexible member (40) is connected to said arch-shaped elastic body (30) through the interposition of a winder (80) to allow to vary at will the extension of said working length (LU) of said flexible member (40) and the entity of the load acting on said handle (34).

13. An exercise device according to claim 6, wherein said articulated four bar linkage (60) includes a plurality of levers (62), each of which being coupled to said slide (126) or rotatably to each other two by two through rotoidal pairs (64);

at least some of said rotoidal pairs (64) including a blocking unit (66) suitable to fix an inclination of a said lever (62) respective to said slide (126), or of two levers (62) coupled rotatably to each other, in a stable manner.

14. An exercise device according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said blocking units (66) includes an elastic member (68) suitable to exert an adjustable elastic strength, which, in use, contrasts a relative movement of the corresponding coupled members.

15. An exercise device according to claim 1, wherein said arch-shaped elastic body (30) includes a pair of arms (90), each of which is connected to said intermediate portion (36) through a hinge (92);

a pair of elastic members (94), each of which is arranged between each said arm (90) and a plate (91) associated to said intermediate portion (36) so as to engage angularly the corresponding said arm (90) and, therefore, to give stiffness to said arch-shaped elastic body (30) as a whole and a given tension to said flexible member (40).

16. An exercise device according to claim 15, wherein each said elastic member (94) includes a torsion spring (94) and wherein the torsion spring (94) includes a respective end element (95) connected to said plate (91) and a further end element (96) connected to the corresponding said arm (90);

each said further end element (96) being connected to said plate (91) in a fixed and selectively rotatable manner to allow to rotate each said further end element (96) axially around the axis of the spring (94) to set a torque exerted by said spring (94) and therefore a value of said tension acting on said flexible member (40).

17. An exercise device according to claim 1, further comprising a crossbow-shaped member (100) shaped similarly to said arch-shaped elastic body (30), stably coupled to this latter close to said intermediate portion (36) and including longitudinal extension globally approximating a longitudinal extension of said arch-shaped elastic body (30);

said crossbow-shaped member (100) including a pair of arms (101) extending at opposite sides from said intermediate portion (36) and the crossbow-shaped member (100);

coupling means (104) being provided to couple transversally said arch-shaped elastic body (30) with said crossbow-shaped member (100).

18. An exercise device according to claim 17, wherein said coupling means (104) includes, for each said arm (101), a pivot pin (106) and is designed to connect transversally in a close manner said arch-shaped elastic body (30) and said crossbow-shaped member (100) in a given position relative to said intermediate portion (36) to combine flexural stiffness of the arch-shaped elastic body and of said crossbow-shaped member (100).

19. An exercise device according to claim 17, further comprising a plurality of crossbow-shaped members (100′

) carried in a close manner by said frame (10) next to said intermediate portion (36);

each said crossbow-shaped member (100′

) being determined by two respective free ends (120), each of which including a third through hole (122);

said third holes (122) obtained at the same side relative to said intermediate portion (36) being mutually concentric so as to be connected by a transverse member (124);

said arch-shaped elastic body (30) including, for each said end portion (32)(33), a fourth through hole (35) arranged in a position, which can face said third holes (122), so as to be connected to one or more of the crossbow-shaped members (100′

) through said transverse member (124) so as to adjust at will a stiffness of said arch-shaped elastic body (30).