Balanced support structure of aerobics step

Abstract

A balanced support structure of an aerobics step contains: a body, a limitation ring, and at least one base. The body includes a step face and a receiving groove. The receiving groove has an opening, and the body includes a fixing groove. The limitation ring includes a circular orifice which has a large-diameter segment and a small-diameter segment, the small-diameter segment having a diameter that is less than the diameter of the large-diameter segment, and the large-diameter segment is in communication with the opening. The at least one base includes a holder, and each of the at least one base includes a column which has a spherical knob, wherein a diameter of the spherical knob is equal to or is less than a diameter of the receiving groove, and the diameter of the spherical knob is more than the diameter of the small-diameter segment of the circular orifice.

Claims

1. A balanced support structure of an aerobic step comprising: a body made of stiff plastic and being elongated, the body including a step face defined on a top of the body, a receiving groove formed as an opening on a bottom of the body, and a fixing groove formed on the bottom of the body outside the opening of the receiving groove; a limitation ring made of flexible material, the limitation ring including a circular orifice defined inside a rim of the limitation ring, wherein the circular orifice has a large-diameter segment and a small-diameter segment, the large-diameter segment of the circular orifice having a larger diameter than a diameter of the small-diameter segment of the circular orifice, and wherein the large-diameter segment of the circular orifice is in communication with the opening of the receiving groove of the body; and at least one base made of stiff plastic and including a holder, the at least one base including a column extending from a center of the holder, the column of the at least one base including a spherical knob formed on a top thereof, wherein a diameter of the spherical knob is equal to or is less than a diameter of the receiving groove of the body, and the diameter of the spherical knob is more than the diameter of the small-diameter segment of the circular orifice of the limitation ring; wherein the spherical knob of the at least one base is configured to be rotatably accommodated into the receiving groove of the body and is limited by the circular orifice of the limitation ring, and wherein the spherical knob is configured to make contact with and is limited by the circular orifice of the limitation ring to avoid removal from the body, and wherein the at least one base is two bases, wherein the body includes two positioning grooves formed on two opposite ends of the bottom of the body, wherein the two bases are configured to be connected on the two opposite ends of the bottom of the body respectively, and the columns of the two bases are configured to be inserted into the two positioning grooves of the body with the spherical knobs respectively, wherein the two bases are configured to be placed on a ground, thus allowing the user to perform aerobic exercise.

2. The balanced support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body further includes multiple engagement grooves surrounding the two positioning grooves, the holder of each of the two bases has multiple retainers arranged on a respective top thereof and surrounding the respective column, and the multiple retainers of each of the two bases are configured to be retained in the multiple engagement grooves of the body individually.

3. The balanced support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step face of the body has a decoration sheet formed thereon.

4. The balanced support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving groove of the body has a defining face formed therein, and the spherical knob of each of the two bases has a contact plane defined on a respective top thereof.

5. The balanced support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the limitation ring is made of rubber.

6. The balanced support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible material is made of thermoplastic rubber (TPR).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the exploded components of a balanced support structure of an aerobics step according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing the exploded components of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing the assembly of a part of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is another cross sectional view showing the assembly of a part of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is also another cross sectional view showing the assembly of a part of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 6 is another cross sectional view showing the exploded components of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the operation of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(8) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the operation of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(9) FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view showing the operation of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(10) FIG. 10 is another perspective view showing the operation of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(11) FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the operation of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(12) FIG. 12 is another cross sectional view showing the operation of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(13) FIG. 13 is also another cross sectional view showing the operation of the balanced support structure of the aerobics step according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(14) FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view showing the exploded components of a conventional aerobics step.

(15) FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view showing the operation of the conventional aerobics step.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(16) The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

(17) With reference to FIGS. 1-6, a balanced support structure of an aerobics step according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a body 10, a limitation ring 20, and at least one base 30.

(18) The body 10 is made of stiff plastic and is elongated, the body 10 includes a step face 11 defined on a top thereof, and the step face 11 has a decoration sheet 111 formed thereon, the body 10 includes a receiving groove 12 formed on a bottom of the body 10 along an imaginary spherical surface 12A, wherein the receiving groove 12 is equal to or is less than a hemisphere, the receiving groove 12 has a defining face 121 formed on a top thereof and has an opening 122 defined on a bottom of the receiving groove 12. The body 10 includes a fixing groove 13 formed on the bottom thereof outside the opening 122 of the receiving groove 12. The fixing groove 13 is circular, the body 10 includes two positioning grooves 14 formed on two ends thereof respectively, and the body 10 includes multiple engagement grooves 15 surrounding the two positioning grooves 14.

(19) The limitation ring 20 is made of flexible material, and the flexible material is rubber or thermoplastic rubber (TPR), wherein the limitation ring 20 is fitted and is adhered in the fixing groove 13 of the body 10. The limitation ring 20 includes a circular orifice 21 defined inside a rim of the limitation ring 20, the circular orifice 21 has a large-diameter segment 211 and a small-diameter segment 212, wherein the large-diameter segment 211 of the circular orifice 21 has a larger diameter than a diameter of the small-diameter segment 212 of the circular orifice 21, and the large-diameter segment 211 of the circular orifice 21 is in communication with the opening 122 of the receiving groove 12 of the body 10.

(20) The at least one base 30 is made of stiff plastic and includes a holder 31, each of the at least one base 30 includes a column 32 extending from a center of the holder 31, the column 32 has a spherical knob 321 formed on a top thereof, wherein a diameter D1 of the spherical knob 321 is equal to or is less than a diameter D2 of the imaginary spherical surface 12A, the diameter D1 of the spherical knob 321 is more than a diameter D3 of the small-diameter segment 212 of the circular orifice 21 of the limitation ring 20. In addition, the spherical knob 321 has a contact plane 3211 defined on a top thereof, and the holder 31 has multiple retainers 33 arranged on a top thereof and surrounding the column 32.

(21) The defining face 121 of the receiving groove 12 of the body 10 and the contact plane 3211 of the spherical knob 321 of each of the at least one base 30 are configured to limit a lowest height of the aerobics step.

(22) With reference to FIGS. 7-9, when doing exercises, the two bases 30 are connected on the two ends of the bottom of the body 10 respectively, and two columns 32 of the two bases 30 are inserted into the two positioning grooves 14 of the body 10 with two spherical knobs 321 respectively, wherein the multiple retainers 33 of each base 30 are retained in the multiple engagement grooves 15 of the body 10 individually so that the two bases 30 support and lift the body 10 on the ground, thus allowing a user to step on the body 10 to do aerobic exercise by changing postures and moving his/her hands.

(23) As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, when doing balanced exercise, a base 30 is connected on a center of the bottom of the body 10, the spherical knob 321 of the base 30 is rotatably accommodated into the receiving groove 12 of the body 10 and is limited by the circular orifice 21 of the limitation ring 20 by using the limitation ring 20, wherein the spherical knob 321 contacts with and is limited by the circular orifice 21 of the limitation ring 20 to avoid removal, and the base 30 supports the body 10 so that the body 10 swings along the spherical knob 321 of the base 30, hence the base 30 is erected on the ground so that a user stands on two ends of the step face 11 of the body 10 with two feet to keep balance of the body 10 and to limit a rotation angle of the body 10 by abutting the bottom of the body 10 against the multiple retainers 33 of the base 30.

(24) Thereby, the balanced support structure of the aerobics step of the present invention has advantages as follows:

(25) 1. When doing the balanced exercise, the spherical knob 321 of the base 30 is rotatably accommodated into the receiving groove 12 of the body 10 and is limited by the circular orifice 21 of the limitation ring 20, thus avoiding removal and being easily portable.

(26) When doing the balanced exercise, the spherical knob 321 of the base 30 is rotatably accommodated into the receiving groove 12 of the body 10 and is limited by the circular orifice 21 of the limitation ring 20 so as to produce a damping effect and to keep the balance of the body 10, thus allowing a user to stand and maintain balance on the body 10 easily.

(27) While various embodiments in accordance with the present invention have been shown and described, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.