EXERCISE DEVICE FOR USE WHILE SEATED

Abstract

A muscle toning device, attached to a chair, underneath the sitting surface of the chair, comprising: an exercise resistance device storing an elastically extendable, elongate resistance element; a user handgrip means, the elongate resistance element being attached at its second distal end to the user handgrip means; at least one guide comprising a first bearing and guidance channel, for locating and guiding the elongate resistance element; characterised in that the muscle toning device further comprises at least one second bearing, about which the elongate resistance element turns, wherein the second bearing is laterally translatable, the laterally translatable bearing being anchored to the exercise resistance device by an elastically expandable attachment means, such that when a pulling force is applied to the elongate resistance element, the laterally translatable bearing is caused to move in the direction of said pulling force.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A muscle toning device comprising: an exercise resistance device including a first handgrip means, a second handgrip means, a first elongate elastic resistance member, a second elongate elastic resistance member, and a third flexible elongate member, all the elongate members comprising proximal and distal ends, the distal ends of the first and second elongate elastic resistance members being attached to the first and second handgrip means respectively; wherein the first handgrip means comprises means to store a length of the third elongate member.

15. The muscle toning device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first handgrip means provides co-operative attachment means to attach the proximal and distal ends of the third flexible elongate member.

16. The muscle toning device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second handgrip means comprises releasable attachment means to releasably attach the distal end of the third flexible elongate member.

17. The muscle toning device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first handgrip means comprises a core around which the third elongate member is storable.

18. The muscle toning device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first handgrip means comprises a core around which the third elongate member is storable.

19. The muscle toning device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: a mounting plate including a plane of a bottom surface thereof; a first arm and a second arm extending the mounting plate in opposing directions; a first bearing surface operably associated with the first resistance member, and second bearing surface operably associated with the second resistance member, the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface each being displaceable in the plane of the bottom surface of the mounting plate; a first spring configured the first bearing surface to the second arm, and a second spring configured to anchor the second bearing surface to the first arm.

20. The muscle toning device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the mounting plate including a first blocking member configured to prevent the first bearing surface from being pulled beyond a perimeter of the bottom surface of the mounting plate, and a second blocking member configured to prevent the second bearing surface from being pulled beyond the perimeter of the bottom surface of the mounting plate.

21. The muscle toning device as claimed in claim 19, wherein a first arm bearing surface is fixed to a distal end of the first arm, and a second arm bearing surface is fixed to a distal end of the second arm, the first arm bearing surface and the second arm bearing surface each rotates about an axis parallel to the plane of the bottom surface of the mounting device, with the axis being perpendicular to a length of the first arm and second arm, respectively.

22. The muscle toning device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the first resistance member runs beneath the first arm bearing surface and is held in place by a first bridge fixed to the distal end of the first arm, and wherein the second resistance member runs beneath the second arm bearing surface and is held in place by a second bridge fixed to the distal end of the second arm.

23. The muscle toning device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the first bridge and the second bridge form a closed-loop passage or guidance channel through which the first resistance member and the second resistance member passes, respectively.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0044] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings:

[0045] FIG. 1 depicts a mounting plate according to the invention.

[0046] FIG. 2 depicts a cross section of a mounting plate with arms according to the invention.

[0047] FIG. 3 depicts a mounting plate with arms, bearings, exercise material and handgrips according to the invention.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows the bearings of FIG. 3 in more detail.

[0049] FIG. 5 depicts a cross section of a mounting plate with arms, bearings and a cover, according to the invention.

[0050] FIG. 6 depicts a bottom view of an arm with an arm bearing, spring, handgrip, and exercise material, according to the invention.

[0051] FIG. 7 depicts a side view of an alternative embodiment for an arm comprising a rotatable, slidable, perpendicular extender, according to the invention.

[0052] FIG. 8 depicts a pair of handgrips according to the invention.

[0053] FIG. 9 depicts a handgrip according to the invention.

[0054] FIG. 10 depicts a chair to which an exercise device according to the invention is mounted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] FIG. 1 depicts a mounting plate 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. It is depicted in an ‘in-use’ orientation, that is, the orientation it will have when attached to a chair in a normal usable position. Throughout this specification, terms which assume an orientation (such as ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘top’, ‘bottom’, etc.) should be taken to assume this same in-use orientation, even though—for illustrative purposes—some features are depicted upside down in later figures.

[0056] The mounting plate 1 has a top surface, a bottom surface and two side surfaces. In this embodiment, the top surface is split into two parts, defining a central gap. This may be useful, for example, when mounting the mounting plate on a pedestal chair with a back connector on the underside which might otherwise interfere with mounting.

[0057] The mounting plate should be rigid. Preferably it should be made of metal. Most preferably it is made of aluminium.

[0058] The top surface is at least partly covered with a touch fastener 2, in this case a hook and loop fastener. In use, this co-operates with a corresponding touch fastener on the underside of the seat of a chair. The inventor has found that most types of chair have at least a small area on the underside of their seats which are substantially flat. This is the preferred place for the corresponding touch fastener to be fixed, by any conventional method. The ‘footprint’ of the mounting plate is preferably no greater than a piece of A5 paper folded into thirds. That is, the footprint is preferably no greater than about 150 mm by 70 mm. Surprisingly, the inventor has found this to be a large enough interface to secure an exercise device of this kind to most kinds of chair. Most chairs have a flat area underneath the seat of at least this area. This is almost inevitable, given the parameters of the size and shape of most human bodies.

[0059] The side surfaces have slots 3 through which arms (not shown in FIG. 1), are inserted. They also have anchoring means 4 to which exercise material 5 is anchored by a manually releasable frictional engagement. The exercise material 5 will be described in more detail below, but generally consists of an elongate piece of resilient, extendable material, such as an elastic cord, against which a user pulls during exercise. Preferably, the exercise material is formed from tubular elastic material. EPDM is particularly suitable, since this material is latex-free and therefore suitable for use by people with latex sensitivities. Such material has a finite working life, and will need replacing from time to time. By anchoring the exercise material 5 by wrapping around and through a series of slots and holes 4, it is held securely in use, but easy to remove and replace when needed.

[0060] The bottom surface optionally has variable position arm securing means 6, depicted as regularly spaced holes in FIG. 1.

[0061] Using a hook and loop fastener, or other touch fastener, makes the device very easy to retrofit, especially given the common flat area beneath most seats observed by the inventor, and very easy to attach and detach.

[0062] FIG. 2 depicts a cross section of an upside down mounting plate 1 to which arms 7 are mounted according to a first method. The arms 7 are slidably held within a housing 10 fixed or integral to the mounting plate 1, and connected by a device 11 which causes a second arm 7 to slide in or out when a first arm 7 is caused manually to slide in and out. This can be effected by any conventional means as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, such as a device similar to a curtain draw cord mechanism.

[0063] FIG. 3 depicts the underside of the bottom surface of the mounting plate 1, with arms 7 attached. First and second bearings 8 are disposed on the underside of the bottom surface of the mounting plate 1. The bearings 8 are displaceable in the plane of the bottom surface of the mounting plate 1, being anchored to respective arms 7 by elastic means 9, in this case by first and second springs 9. Preferably the arms are made of plastics material. Most preferably they are made of copolymer acetal.

[0064] The bearings may be roller bearings, or pulleys. More preferably, they may be low friction, static surfaces about which the exercise material can slide. Copolymer acetal is particularly suitable for the bearing surfaces because of its self-replenishing friction reduction properties. An example of a static bearing is depicted in FIG. 4.

[0065] First and second lengths of exercise material 5, anchored to respective side surfaces as depicted in FIG. 1, run from their anchor points, across the underside of the bottom surface of the mounting plate 1, around respective bearings 8, back across the underside of the bottom surface of the mounting plate 1, along respective arms 7, and attach to respective first and second handgrips 12. The exercise material 5 is preferably elongate elastic tubing.

[0066] The handgrips and the attachment of the exercise material 5 is not shown in detail in this figure for the sake of clarity. Both will be depicted more clearly in later figures, including the static bearing surfaces 16 and the bridge means 17.

[0067] In use, a user seated on a chair to which the mounting plate 1 is mounted, will lean down to the side, grasp each handgrip 12 and pull. This will cause both the exercise material 5 and the springs 9 to extend, so that the exercise material extends from underneath the seat due both to the fact that its length is expanding and its feeding bearing 8 is moving in the direction of extension, thus also moving the store of exercise material to the edge of the underside of the seat. The inventor has found that this method of feeding out the exercise material is more effective than having a static store beneath a seat and relying solely on the stretchiness of the material.

[0068] First and second blocking members 13 prevent an overenthusiastic user pulling the bearings 8 beyond the perimeter of the underside of the bottom surface of the mounting plate 1.

[0069] FIG. 5 depicts a sideways cross section of a mounting plate 1 of the invention, again upside down. Arms 7 are inserted, and mounted according to a second method. This method makes use of the mounting holes 6 depicted in

[0070] FIG. 1. As is clear in FIG. 1, multiple mounting holes 6 are provided, and consequently different arm 7 extensions can be selected. First and second screws or bolts 14 are each inserted through a fixing hole in a respective arm 7, and then through a selected one of the mounting holes 6 in the bottom surface of the mounting plate 1, and secured in place by conventional means.

[0071] A cover 15 is secured over the bearings 8, beneath the bottom surface of the mounting plate 1, in order to help prevent their vertical displacement. In a preferred embodiment, the cover 15 is made from polyester fabric, and is attached to the underside of the device. The attachment may, for example, be effected by buttons cast into the resin of the device, and button holes disposed around the perimeter of the cover. Ideally, the whole mechanism is covered, up to the end of the arms.

[0072] FIG. 6 depicts a bottom view the distal end of an arm 7 in more detail. A distal end of a spring 9 is attached close to the distal end of the arm 7 (the proximate end of the spring 9, the reader will recall, is attached to one of the bearings 8). An arm bearing 16 may fixed to the distal end of the arm 7, or may be integral to the end of the arm. This may be in the form of a pulley or roller bearing in some embodiments, but is preferably a static, low friction surface about which the exercise material 5 can slide. The exercise material 5 may run beneath arm bearing 16, in which case it should be held in place by a bridge 17, fixed to the distal end of the arm 7, and passing under the exercise material 5 between the arm bearing 16 and the handgrip 12. The bridge 17 forms a closed-loop passage or guidance channel through which the exercise material 5 passes. This prevents the exercise material 5 from simply falling off the arm bearing 16 due to gravity (the reader will recall that the arm is depicted upside down). The inventor has found that this additional bearing 16 configuration provides a smoother extension of the exercise material, and also allows for a greater extension, because it avoids the exercise material 5 being pulled around a sharp edge. The inventor has also found that the bridge 17 also directs or guides the exercise material 5 when it is subject to a downward pull, for example when exercising the lower limbs. The bridge, therefore, also acts as a static bearing over which the exercise material 5 slides, since in this case the exercise material 5 does not slide around the arm bearing 16 but around the bridge 17, which may be configured to provide greater resistance. Providing increased friction in such circumstances is advantageous because exercises of the lower limbs generally require more resistance and less extension.

[0073] FIG. 7 depicts an alternative embodiment for the end of the arm 7. In this embodiment, an arm extender 17 is slidably and (optionally) rotatably inserted into the distal end of the arm 17. The arm extender 17 has a substantially 90-degree bend along its length, such that it extends the arm 7 not only outwards but also in a selected direction perpendicular to the length of the arm 7.

[0074] Although it is depicted pointing downwards, it is envisioned that in use it would generally point substantially upwards. This may be useful when the underside of the seat of a chair, to which the device is attached, is much lower than the top surface of the seat of the chair.

[0075] The arm bearing 16 is attached to the perpendicular section of the arm extender 17, and the exercise material 5 runs underneath it (that is, between the bearing and the arm extender). An optional support means or receiving means 18 may be provided for the handgrip 12 at the distal end of the arm extender 17.

[0076] FIGS. 8 and 9 depict a preferred embodiment of a handgrip 12 according to the invention in more detail. The handgrip 12 comprises a rigid body attached at a first end to the exercise material 5, and further attached to a length of joining material 20.

[0077] The joining material is a flexible, elongate body, preferably of tubular construction. It may alternatively be a strap. It may be elasticated but this is not essential.

[0078] The joining material 20 is looped at its first end 21, and this loop may pass through two attachment holes 22, in order to attach the joining material 20 to the handgrip body 19. The skilled person will appreciate that any number of conventional attachment means may be used, all of which are within the scope of the invention, but the inventor has found this to be a particularly effective and cost-saving arrangement.

[0079] Multiple sets of attachment holes 22, or other suitable attachment means, may be provided so that more than one piece of joining material 20 can be attached. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8 for joining material 19, and in FIG. 9, the first end loop 21 may simply loop around the rigid transverse member 25, as will be described below for the second end loop 27. Thus, two means of attaching joining material are depicted.

[0080] The handgrip body is attached to the exercise material 5 by means of attachment rings 23, through which the exercise material 5 passes, before engaging with a frictional groove and, if necessary, knotted to achieve a secure attachment. Other attachment arrangements may be used within the scope of the invention, as will be clear to the skilled person, but this is an effective and inexpensive arrangement.

[0081] A winding region 24 is built into the rigid body. This is generally narrower than the rest of the body. When the joining material 20 is not in use, it can be wound around the winding region to be stored out of the way, as shown in FIG. 9, with the second end loop 27 securing the winding in place around ring 23.

[0082] A loop securing region comprising a rigid transverse member 25 is provided at the second end of the rigid body. This is wider than the rest of the body, protruding laterally on from both sides of the body. These protruding members of the rigid transverse member 25 may optionally be bridged by an arcuate member 26. This has ergonomic and safety advantages, as will be clear to the skilled person.

[0083] FIG. 8 also depicts a second length of joining material 19, attached to a second handgrip, in order to form a larger loop, which can be used for lower body exercises among other things.

[0084] The advantage of this arrangement is that it is easy to slide the second loop 27 off the rigid transverse member 25 when required, but because the in-use tension vector will always be in a different direction to the sequence of force vectors required to remove the second loop from the loop securing region 25, it will not come loose inadvertently during use.

[0085] The second loop should be wide enough to fit around the rigid transverse member 25, unless the joining material 20 is elasticated, in which case it should be large enough to be stretchable without excess effort to the required width.

[0086] Another advantage of the second loop at the second end 27 of the joining material 20 is that it can be used as a build in ‘handgrip’ by the user, giving additional options for exercise activities without using a second rigid handgrip 12.

[0087] The mounting plate 1 is designed to fit beneath the top surface of the seat of most chairs, because most chairs have a small flat area beneath the top surface of the seat to which a touch fastener can be attached, to which, in turn, the mounting plate 1 can be attached. The inventor has found that on most chairs this small flat area is at least the size of an A5 sheet of paper, folded into thirds (approximately 148×70 mm). For chairs with fabric undersides, not suitable for supporting a touch fastening for the mounting plate 1, the inventor has devised an adapter (not shown in the figures) suitable for substantially all such chairs, to increase the versatility of the invention further.

[0088] The adapter grips or clamps onto the underside of a chair, without damaging the under-cloth. The two clamping jaws are biased towards one another, to maintain frictional engagement with the sides of a chair, by a simple elastic loop arrangement encircling them. The adapter provides a rigid surface to which a touch fastener can be adhered which corresponds to and co-operates with the touch fastener on the mounting plate.

[0089] FIG. 10 depicts a chair 43 from either a front or rear view, with an exercise device according to the invention mounted beneath the seat 44. In use, a user will sit on the seat 44, grasp one or both handgrips 12, and pull on them against the resistance of the resilient exercise material 5 and springs 9. Alternatively, the user may form a closed loop of the exercise material 5 and the joining material 20, connecting the two handgrips 12 together using the strap or tubing of the joining material 20, and use this for resistance exercises of, for example, the legs, as well as to extend the range of possible upper body exercises. The chair may be configured to receive the mounting means 1 by having a touch fastener fixed on the underside of its seat 44.

[0090] The inventor has found that a hook and loop touch fastener is secure enough for the purposes of this invention when acted upon by a shear force directed no more than 39-degrees from the plane of the hook and loop fastener. This is why the mounting plate 1 provides a vertical spacer between the underside of the seat 44 (the plane of the hook and loop touch fastener) and the plane of the exercise material. If the device is being used to exercise the lower legs, by connecting the handgrips 12 together by means of the strap or tube, the force on the hook and loop touch fastening interface between the underside of the seat 44 and the mounting plate 1 will still not be greater than 39-degrees downwards from the plane of the fastening, and so the device will remain secure.

[0091] Although the invention has been described in some detail by means of these embodiments, the foregoing is by no means limiting. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims.