PERSONAL TRAINING DEVICE

Abstract

A personal training device is disclosed. The training device includes an obstruction body designed to block a region of a user's line of sight and a fastening system configured to attach the obstruction body to the user. The obstruction body is meant to be attached on the upper-chest region of the user, thus leaving an abdomen region substantially free of contact from the training device. The training device can be used in different activities such as sports like soccer or hockey and musical instruments like piano and guitar.

Claims

1. A personal training device for enhancing motor skill development of a user acting on an object used in a sport, the personal training device comprising: an obstruction body comprising: a contact surface adapted to contact an upper-chest portion of the user, the upper-chest portion spanning between a bottom section of the neck and an upper section of the pectoralis muscles; a bottom surface extending from a bottom part of the contact surface and positioned to leave an abdomen of the user substantially free of contact; and an opaque top surface extending from an upper part of the contact surface and extending forward to provide a visual obstruction region that produces a non-viewable zone below the obstruction body in which the user can act on the object; and a fastening system for biasing the contact surface against the upper-chest portion.

2. The personal training device according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface spans across the upper-chest portion between the shoulders of the user.

3. The personal training device according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface contacts the upper-chest portion above the nipples of the user.

4. The personal training device according to claim 1, wherein the obstruction body comprises a foam core.

5. The personal training device according to claim 4, wherein the foam core is composed of a washable material able to dry without forming mold.

6. The personal training device according to claim 4, wherein the obstruction body comprises a fabric liner covering the foam core, and wherein the fabric liner is removable from the foam core.

7. (canceled)

8. The personal training device according to claim 6, wherein the fabric liner is composed of a flexible/stretchy flexible and/or stretchy material.

9. The personal training device according to claim 4, wherein the foam core is rigid/flexible.

10. The personal training device according to claim 4. wherein the foam core is a one-piece unit. 11, (Currently Amended) The personal training device according to claim 1, wherein the fastening system comprises a strapping assembly arranged to extend from the obstruction body around a back of the user.

12. The training device according to claim 11, wherein the strapping assembly comprises a right shoulder strap, a left shoulder strap, a lower center strap and an upper center strap.

13. The training device according to claim 12, wherein each strap of the strapping assembly is provided with a first end and a second end, the first end of the left and right shoulder strap being attached to the contact surface of the obstruction body and the first end of the upper center strap being attached to the bottom surface of the obstruction body.

14. (canceled)

15. The training device according to claim 13, wherein the first end of the shoulder straps and the first end of the upper center strap are securely attached to the fabric liner by at least one seam.

16. The training device according to claim 13, wherein the first end of the lower center strap is adjustably secured to one of the shoulder straps, allowing the lower center strap to slide along a length of the shoulder strap in order to adjust to the user.

17. (canceled)

18. The training device according to claim 13, wherein the second end of the shoulder straps is provided with a shoulder-strap fastening mechanism configured to secure the second ends of the shoulder straps to one another, and wherein the second end of the center straps is provided with a center-strap fastening mechanism configured to secure the second ends of the center straps to one another.

19. The training device according to claim 18, wherein the fastening mechanisms comprise a male and a female snap clip, the male snap clip being configured to engage and he removably secured within the female snap clip.

20. The training device according to claim 13, wherein the shoulder straps are configured to: extend over the user's respective left and right shoulders; cross one another in the back of the user; and wrap around the user on opposite sides to meet in front of the user.

21. The training device according to claim 12, wherein each strap of the strapping assembly has an adjustable length to adjust/tighten around the user.

22. (canceled)

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25. The personal training device according to claim 1, wherein the obstruction body has a wedge-shaped cross-section tapering inwardly in a forward direction.

26. (canceled)

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54. A method for enhancing motor skill development of a user acting on an object used in an activity, the method comprising the steps of: providing the user with a personal training device as defined in claim 1; fastening the personal training device to the user using the fastening system; and making the user handle the object used in the activity in the non-viewable zone defined by the training device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a training device according to a possible embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the training device of FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a side view of the training device of FIG. 1.

[0029] FIG. 4 is an elevated view of the training device of FIG. 1.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a dropped frontal view of the training device of FIG. 1.

[0031] FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the training device of FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a training device in an assembled configuration according to an embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 8 is an illustration of a user wearing a training device while performing an activity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] As will be explained below in relation to various embodiments, a personal training device for enhancing motor skill development of a user acting on an object used in an activity, such as a sport is described. The training device includes an obstructing body that is mounted to a chest of the user so as to block the user's view of the object upon which he is acting. The obstructing body can be fastened to the user using a plurality of straps arranged to extend from the obstructing body and around the upper body of the user. The training device can be used in different activities including sports and musical instruments where the user would be tempted to look at the object he is handling.

[0035] It should be understood that as used herein, the expression motor skill development can refer to the process of learning how to control movements of certain parts of the body. As such, it should be understood that enhancing motor skill development can mean to improve or refine the user's ability to control his movements with reference to the sport being played or the object being handled. The object being handled by the user depends on the sport being played and generally refers to anything that is normally visible and/or tangible, for example, if the user is playing soccer, the object being handled is a soccer ball. Therefore, the expression acting on an object can reference any action done, being done, or to be done to the object by the user. For example, the soccer player can kick, tap, roll, pass or stop the soccer ball among many other possible actions.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, a personal training device 10 in accordance with a possible embodiment is shown. The training device 10 is configured to enhance motor skill development of a user handling an object by obstructing a view of the user in order to make him focus on his surroundings rather than on the object he is handling. The training device 10 of the present embodiment comprises an obstruction body 12 designed to block a portion of the user's line of sight and a fastening system 14 configured to securely fasten the obstruction body 12 against the user for effective use of the training device 10 in an activity.

[0037] In this embodiment, the obstruction body 12 comprises an inner core 16 (FIG. 6) which can be made of a foam-like material therefore defining a foam core 17. It should be understood that the expression foam can mean a lightweight solid material. In a possible embodiment, the foam-like material of the foam core 17 is suitable to be washed and reused as the inner core 16 of the obstruction body 12. As such, the foam-like material can dry substantially fast and without forming mold, for example, the foam-like material can be an open-cell foam adapted to allow air to circulate therethrough. In this embodiment, the foam core 17 can have any suitable density so as to be as light as possible so as to not hinder the user in his activities. In some embodiments, the inner core 16 can be rigid enough so as to retain its general form after sustaining an impact, and can be flexible enough so that the user would not be damaged by the inner core 16 if such an impact would occur. Furthermore, the inner core 16 can be made up from a one-piece unit, or it can alternatively be made up from multiple pieces adjacent to one another.

[0038] According to one possible embodiment, the inner core 16 is covered by an outer liner 18 designed to protect the inner core from damage through daily use/wear or any outside forces. The outer liner 18 can be made from a fabric material therefore defining the outer liner 18 as a fabric liner 19. In this embodiment, the outer liner 18 can be flexible and/or stretchy in order to adjust to the shape of the inner core 16 and withstand outside forces such as the aforementioned impacts without tearing or breaking. For example, the fabric comprising the fabric liner 19 can be made from synthetic fibers such as nylon, acrylic or polyester. Alternatively, the fabric liner 19 can be made from softer materials such as wool, silk or any other suitable fabric. In some embodiments, the outer liner 18 is made from hypoallergenic material so as to be suitable for use by as many people as possible. Furthermore, the outer liner 18 can be configured to be removably attached to the inner core 16 in order to be able to replace the inner core 16 with a new/better one when needed. In other possible embodiments, the inner core 16 and the outer liner 18 can be made of any suitable materials, and the outer liner can be fixedly attached to the inner core 16.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 2, the obstruction body 12 comprises a rear surface (also referred to as a contact surface) 20 configured to contact an upper-chest region of the user. More specifically, the rear surface 20 contacts the user's collarbone and spans across the user's pectoralis muscles. In other words, the rear surface 20 contacts the user's collarbone and extends (e.g., extends substantially vertically) between the neck and the pectoralis muscles. In this instance, the expression pectoralis muscles should be given its common meaning, and therefore refers to muscles pertaining to the chest/breasts of the user. In some embodiments, the rear surface 20 does not contact nor extends over a lower section of the pectoralis muscles (i.e., remains substantially above the nipples) and spans across the upper-chest region between the shoulders of the user. In other words, in some embodiments, the rear surface 20 extends between the neck and an upper section of the pectoralis muscles, without contacting a lower section of the pectoralis muscles. This configuration makes the training device gender-friendly by allowing the device to be comfortably worn by both men and women as the training device 10 is designed to rest on the collarbone of the user off the top of the breasts. It should be understood that the expression upper section of the pectoralis muscles means the section of the pectoralis muscles that is located substantially above the nipples. Similarly, it should be understood that the expression lower section of the pectoralis muscles means the section of the pectoralis muscles that is located substantially under the nipples.

[0040] Now referring to FIG. 3, the obstruction body 12 comprises a top surface 22 which extends forwardly from an upper part of the rear surface 24. In some embodiments, the top surface 22 is opaque in order to effectively provide a visual obstruction for the user. In this instance, the expression opaque should be understood as meaning that the top surface 22 is not transparent and therefore does not allow light to pass through. When using the training device 10, the top surface 22 of the obstruction body 12 defines a non-viewable zone below the obstruction body 12, The non-viewable zone will be explained in more detail further below. Referring now more specifically to FIG. 4, the top surface 22 has a generally stadium-like shape when viewed from above and comprises a front section 26 and a back section 28. In this embodiment, the back section 28 of the top surface 22 comprises a rear edge 30 and two side edges 32 extending forwardly from the rear edge 30, each side edge 32 respectively defining a corner 34 with the rear edge 30. Additionally, each corner 34 can have any suitable angle so as to effectively block the user's line of sight of the object he is handling. Alternatively, the top surface 22 can have other shapes like a square, a rectangle, a circle, a triangle or any other suitable shape.

[0041] In the present embodiment, the obstruction body 12 also comprises a lower surface 36 (also referred to a bottom surface) as illustrated in FIG. 5, extending from a lower part of the rear surface 38. In some embodiments, the lower surface 36 is designed to leave an abdomen of the user substantially free of contact. It should be understood that the term abdomen refers to the area of the user's body which is located between his waist and his pectoralis muscles. As such, it should be understood that substantially free of contact means that the obstruction body 12 would only contact the user's abdomen in some cases such as when exaggerated movements are performed (e.g., rolling on the ground). Furthermore, the lower surface 36 can be substantially flat and define the lowest portion of the obstruction body 12 such that the portion of the user located beneath the lower surface 36 is substantially free of contact. In some embodiments, the lower surface 36 extends from the rear surface 20 which contacts the upper-chest region of the user, substantially above the nipples, as described above. Therefore, it should be understood that the lower surface 36 does not extend below the nipples of the user. This configuration of the obstruction body 12 gives the user generally full unrestricted body motion when performing activities while wearing the training device 10. For example, movements like bending forward, twisting your core and high-knee running, to just name a few, are unhindered by the use/presence of the training device 10.

[0042] Still referring to FIG. 5, in addition to FIG. 3, the obstruction body 12 comprises a forward surface 40 configured to join the top surface 22, the lower surface 36 and the rear surface 20 together. In the present embodiment, the forward surface 40 is curved in order to correspond with an outer edge of the top and lower surfaces, all the while contacting a left edge 42 and a right edge 44 of the rear surface 20.

[0043] Now referring to FIG. 6, a cross-section of the obstruction body 46 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the obstruction body 12 has a wedge-shaped cross-section tapering inwardly in a forward direction from the rear surface 20. More specifically, the top surface 22 and the rear surface 20 form an acute angle 48 therebetween. In a possible embodiment, the acute angle 48 can vary between 60 and 80 degrees but can alternatively be of any suitable degrees. Furthermore, the lower surface 36 and the rear surface 20 form a generally perpendicular angle 50 therebetween. In other embodiments, the obstructing body 12 can have any suitable shape cross-section and the angle defined between the lower and the rear surfaces can be of any suitable degrees. According to one possible embodiment, the obstruction body 12 can have a width between 0.1 and 1.0 meters, and a forward length between 0.1 and 1.0 meters. In other embodiments, the obstruction body can have any overall dimensions suitable for the activity being performed by the user, as long as the view of the object the user is handling remains obstructed by the obstruction body 12.

[0044] According to one possible embodiment, the fastening system 14 includes a strapping assembly. The strapping assembly can include a plurality of straps 52 arranged to extend from the obstruction body 12 around the user, thus securing the obstruction body 12 to the user. In this embodiment, the plurality of straps 52 comprises a system of four straps: a pair shoulder straps 54 and a pair of center straps 56. More specifically, the pair of shoulder straps 54 includes a right shoulder strap 58 and a left shoulder strap 60, and the pair of center straps 56 includes a lower center strap 62 and an upper center strap 64. In other embodiments, the fastening system 14 can include any suitable number of straps disposed in any suitable manner to secure the obstruction body 12 to the user.

[0045] Each strap of the pair of shoulder straps 54 is provided with a first end 66, 67 designed to be attached to the rear surface 20 of the obstruction body 12. In this embodiment, the pair of shoulder straps 54 is fixedly attached to the outer liner 18 covering the inner core 16 of the obstruction body 12. Referring more specifically to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the first end of the right shoulder strap 66 is fixedly attached to the right-hand side of the rear surface 68 while the first end of the left shoulder strap 67 is fixedly attached to the left-hand side of the rear surface 70. In one embodiment, the shoulder straps 54 are attached to their respective positions on the rear surface 20 by at least one seam. In some embodiments, the shoulder straps 54 are attached by multiple seams on respective left and right-hand sides of the rear surface 20. The seams can be arranged to extend from the lower part of the rear section 38 all the way to the upper part of the rear section 24. In other possible embodiments, each shoulder strap can be attached to the rear surface 20 by two seams located respectively at the lower part of the rear section 38 and at the upper part of the rear section 24 with no seams in between. Moreover, the shoulder straps 54 can be arranged to extend between the upper and lower parts of the rear surface multiple times as to have several plies of the shoulder straps attached thereto. Other attachment means or configurations could be used to attach the shoulder straps 54 to the obstruction body 12.

[0046] Each strap of the pair of center straps 56 is also provided with a respective first end 72,74. The first end of the upper center strap 72 is fixedly attached to the obstruction body 12, more specifically, the first end of the upper center strap 72 is attached to the outer liner 18 covering the inner core 16 of the obstruction body 12. In some embodiments, the first end of the upper center strap 72 is attached to the lower surface 36 of the obstruction body 12 by at least one seam and is positioned substantially in the middle thereof. In other embodiments, the upper center strap 64 can be attached elsewhere on the lower surface 36, for example, it can be attached near the rear surface 20 or completely at the opposite near the forward surface 40. In this embodiment, and as illustrated on FIG. 1, the first end of the lower center strap 74 is slidably secured to one of the pair of shoulder straps 54. The lower center strap 62 is configured to slide along a length of the shoulder strap on which it is attached by looping the first end 74 around one of the shoulder straps and securing it to the lower center strap via sowing. Other means can be used to secure the lower center strap 62 to the shoulder strap like using staples for example. This design of the lower center strap 62 permits the training device 10 to be adjusted and secured to a plurality of body types and sizes.

[0047] Now referring to FIG. 5, in the illustrated embodiment, the fastening system 14 includes a first fastening mechanism 76. More specifically, the first fastening mechanism is a shoulder-strap fastening mechanism 78 designed to secure the shoulder straps to one another. The shoulder straps 54 are provided with a second end 80, 81 which includes the shoulder-strap fastening mechanism 78. In this embodiment, the shoulder-strap fastening mechanism 78 is designed to secure the second ends of each shoulder strap 80, 81 to one another. For example, and without being limitative, the shoulder-strap fastening mechanism 78 can comprise male and female snap clips, the male snap clip being designed to be removably secured within the female snap clip. In one embodiment, the second end of the right shoulder strap 80 can be provided with the male snap clip while the second end of the left shoulder strap 81 can be provided with the female snap clip. Alternatively, the second end of the right shoulder strap 80 can be provided with the female snap clip while the second end of the left shoulder strap 81 can be provided with the male snap clip. As mentioned above, other fastening mechanisms could be used to secure the shoulder straps to one another.

[0048] The fastening system 14 further includes a second fastening mechanism 82. In the present embodiment, the second fastening mechanism 82 is a center-strap fastening mechanism 84 designed to secure the center straps to one another. Each strap of the pair of center straps 56 is provided with a second end 86, 87 which includes the center-strap fastening mechanism 84. In this embodiment, the center-strap fastening mechanism 84 is designed to secure the second end of each one of the pair of center straps 56 to one another.

[0049] Similarly to the shoulder-strap fastening system 78, the center-strap fastening system 84 can comprise male and female snap clips to secure the second end of each one of the pair of center straps 56 together. The second end of the upper center strap 86 can be provided with the male snap clip or the female snap clip while the second end of the lower center strap 87 can be provided with the corresponding female snap clip or male snap clip. Other fastening mechanisms can be used to secure the second ends of the straps to one another, for example, a fastening mechanism comprising magnets, Velcro or zippers could be used.

[0050] In this embodiment, each strap of the plurality of straps 52 has an adjustable length in order to allow the user to adjust, tighten or loosen each strap individually around his body.

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a method for securing the obstruction body 12 to the upper-chest region of the user using the fastening system 14 is described. First the user can position the obstruction body 12 to have the rear surface 20 contact his upper-chest region. While maintaining the obstruction body 12 in the aforementioned position, the user can then extend the right and left shoulder straps 58, 60 over his respective right and left shoulders. With the help of another person or by working with a single hand, the user can then wrap the pair of shoulder straps 54 around opposite sides of his body in order to have the second end of each shoulder strap 80, 81 meet in front of him. More specifically, the user can wrap the right shoulder strap 58 around a left side of his upper-body and wraps the left shoulder strap 60 around a right side of his upper-body. In this configuration, the shoulder straps cross each other in the user's back, which can thus provide better stability for the obstruction body 12. When each shoulder strap is wrapped around the user's body, the user can then secure both ends of the shoulder straps to one another using the shoulder-strap fastening mechanism 78. Once the shoulder straps are secured together in front of the user, the lower center strap 62 can be slid along the length of the shoulder strap on which it is attached around to the front of the user in order to align the pair of center straps 56 together. The user can then secure both ends of the center straps to one another using the center-strap fastening mechanism 84. Finally, the user can adjust the length of the plurality of straps 52 in order to improve the support of the obstruction body 12 and increase overall comfort when using the training device 10.

[0052] As mentioned hereinabove, the top surface 22 of the obstruction body 12 can be designed to block a portion of the user's line of sight by providing a visual obstruction region which defines the non-viewable zone 90. When the user is wearing/using the training device 10 in the context of a task or activity, the object the user is handling during his chosen activity is meant to be located in the non-viewable zone 90 so as to eliminate the user's urge to look directly at the object being handled. Simultaneously, the training device 10 defines a viewable zone. The viewable zone includes elements not located in the non-viewable zone 90, elements on which the user can concentrate during the activity. This is designed in such a way to help improve the muscle memory of performing the activity, while allowing the user to concentrate on other elements involved in the activity or the task at hand. For example, the user can wear the training device 10 while practicing certain sports like soccer or hockey. The training device 10 blocks the user's line of sight with the soccer ball or hockey puck, forcing the user to handle the object without looking at it, thus enhancing his skills in the activity. Furthermore, since the user is not looking at the object being handled, he can focus on his surroundings and be more alert to dangers or opportunities such as other players on the field. Alternatively, the training device can also be used in the music industry to help the user learn to play a musical instrument like the piano or the guitar. For example, the piano player wearing the training device is prevented from looking at his hands and instead can concentrate on his tablatures during his performance.

[0053] It will be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure that there is provided a personal training device which enhances motor skill development of a user by obstructing the view of the user in order to make him focus on his surroundings rather than on an object he is handling. However, the scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

[0054] It should also be understood that the elements of the drawings are not necessarily depicted to scale, since emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the elements and structures of the present embodiments, the drawings can be interpreted as being to scale but should not be limited as such. In the present description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, namely so as to not unduly burden the figures with several references numbers, not all figures contain references to all the components and features, and references to some components and features may be found in only one figure, and components and features of the present disclosure which are illustrated in other figures can be easily inferred therefrom. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures are optional, and are given for exemplification purposes only.