Exercise device

Abstract

Disclosed is an exercise device including flexible suspension unit, a mass, a fastening element and optionally a separate grip, wherein: a) the flexible suspension unit, elongated and thin in shape, are connectable at the level of at least a first end to the fastening element and at the level of an opposite end to one of such components; b) the mass has a through hole through which the suspension unit passes, the through hole being provided with a first opening and a second opening; and c) the fastening element can be blocked on the body of the mass.

Claims

1. An exercise device (1) comprising: flexible suspension means (3) elongated, the flexible suspension means (3) being thin in shape and made of an elastic material; a mass (4) having a body; and a fastening element (5) that can be blocked on the mass (4), the mass (4) has a through hole (6) through which said flexible suspension means (3) pass, said through hole (6) being provided with a first opening (8) and a second opening (9), wherein the fastening element (5) comprises a hollow piece (10) that can be inserted in said through hole (6) and that is provided therein with at least one cavity (12) in which at least one portion of a part of the flexible suspension means (3) inserted into the through hole (6) is housed, wherein the fastening element (5) is separable into two parts (5, 5) with respect to a plane parallel to a major axis of the fastening element (5), and wherein the flexible suspension means (3) comprises a single element bent and having a first end (3a) and a second end (3b), each of the first and second ends (3a, 3b) being fastened in the at least one cavity (12) of the fastening element (5).

2. The exercise device (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least an end of the hollow piece is provided with an abutment element (11) that abuts against an area surrounding at least one of said first and second openings (8, 9) of the body of the mass (4).

3. The exercise device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flexible suspension means (3) have, at a level of or close to at least one of the first and second ends (3a, 3b), a blocking element (7) adapted to constrain the flexible suspension means (3) to the fastening element (5).

4. The exercise device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the flexible suspension means (3), at least close to or at a level of the first end (3a), are hollow so as to house the blocking element (7).

5. The exercise device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the blocking element (7) is a ball.

6. The exercise device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flexible suspension means are provided with a slider (18) that delimits a portion of the suspension means that acts as a grip.

7. The exercise device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flexible suspension means (3) are bent in a U-shape and wherein the at least one cavity (12) of the fastening element (5) has at least two seats (12, 12), each of the at least two seats housing one of the first and second ends (3a, 3b) of the flexible suspension means (3) bent in a U-shape, and separated by a dividing wall (19) that extends along a direction substantially parallel to ire a major axis of the fastening element (5).

8. The exercise device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the flexible suspension means (3) have, at a level of or close to at least one of the first and second ends (3a, 3b), a blocking element (7) adapted to constrain the suspension means (3) to the fastening element (5), and in which the dividing wall creates at least one narrowing in the at least two seats (12, 12) to prevent sliding of the blocking element (7).

9. The exercise device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the mass (4) is a spheroid body.

Description

(1) Further features and details of the invention will be better understood from the description below, provided by way of non-limiting example, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a representation of a sectional front view of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a representation of an exploded view of the device according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a representation of an assembly method of the device according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a representation of a detail of the device according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5 is a representation of a sectional front view of the device according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is an exploded representation of a detail of the device according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 is a representation of a detail of the device according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 5;

(9) FIG. 8 is a representation of a perspective view of the device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

(10) FIG. 9 is a representation of a sectional front view of the device according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 8.

(11) With reference to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 1 indicates the exercise device as a whole according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(12) In conformity with the invention and as illustrated in FIG. 1, the exercise device comprises a grip 2, suspension means 3, a mass 4 and a fastening element 5. The fastening element 5 comprises a hollow piece 10 and an abutment element 11.

(13) The suspension means 3 have a blocking element 7 at the level of, or at, a first end 3a thereof.

(14) The suspension means 3 or at least their first end 3a, or the portion close to this end, can be hollow or solid. Depending on whether the suspension means 3 are hollow or solid inside, this blocking element 7 can be on the inside (as illustrated in FIG. 2) or on the outside (not illustrated in the figure) of the suspension means. The element 7 is, for example, a ball or the like.

(15) This blocking element 7 cooperates with the fastening element 5 to connect the mass 5 to the suspension means 3.

(16) The mass 4 has a body with a through hole 6 that, typically, passes through the center of the body. The hole 6 has two openings, defined first opening 8 and second opening 9. The body can take a spheroid shape flattened at the two poles.

(17) The fastening element 5 also consists of a hollow piece 10 that, at the level of one of its two ends, ends with an abutment element 11.

(18) In another variant of the invention, not illustrated in the figures, the fastening element comprises only the hollow piece 10 and is blocked in the body of the mass by means of an abutment obtained at the first opening 8 of the through hole 6.

(19) As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hollow piece 10 has smaller width dimensions than the through hole 6, so that it can be inserted into this hole 6. Moreover, its length is less than or, preferably, approximately equal to, the length of the hole 6. Typically, the hollow piece 10 has a cylindrical shape.

(20) Moreover, the hollow piece 10 has a through cavity 12 for the purpose of housing a part of said suspension means 3. The through cavity 12 ends leading, on one side, into the first opening 8 and, on the opposite side, into the second opening 9.

(21) The major axis of the through cavity 12 coincides with the major axis of this hollow piece 10. Typically, the cavity 12 has a cross section, i.e. with respect to a plane substantially perpendicular to the major axis 12, of circular shape.

(22) In particular, the portion of the cavity 12 with major diameter is the portion closest to the abutment element 11. Therefore, the end portion 12b has a diameter with a section of larger dimension with respect to the dimension of the section of the portion 12a.

(23) Moreover, the diameter of the section of the portion 12a has a smaller dimension than the diameter or width of the blocking element, while the diameter of the section of the portion 12b has a larger dimension than the diameter or width of the blocking element 7. This difference in dimension of the diameter of the cavity 12 allows the blocking element 7 to be inserted into and to slide only in the end portion 12b, but not in the portion 12a of the cavity 12. Therefore, this measure allows the suspension means to be fastened in the hollow piece of the fastening element.

(24) As can be seen in FIG. 4, the abutment element 11 typically has the shape of a circular ring.

(25) As can be seen in FIG. 1, said abutment element 11 rests against the area surrounding the second opening 9 of the body of the mass 4. Therefore, this element prevents the fastening element 5 from sliding completely in the hole 6 of the body of the mass 4.

(26) According to a particularly preferred embodiment, this fastening element 5 has a slot 16 along the whole of said element, as can be seen in FIG. 4. More precisely, this slot 16 runs continuously both along the hollow piece 10 for the whole of its length and along the ring of the abutment element 11 for the whole of its width.

(27) As can be seen in FIG. 4, this slot 16 has a depth that extends from the lateral surface of the fastening element 5 to its cavity 12. Consequently, the depth of the slot 16 is equal to the thickness of the abutment element 11, while in the hollow piece 10 it is equal to the thickness of the wall of the cavity 12.

(28) Preferably, the slot 16 has a rectilinear course.

(29) The slot 16 allows part of the suspension means 3 and, if present, the blocking element 7 to be inserted into the cavity 12 of the fastening element 5.

(30) According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, close to and at the level of the first opening 8 of the body, this cavity 12 is wider with respect to the cavity below and, typically, takes the shape of a countersink 14. This countersink 14 allows a greater angle to be achieved between the suspension means 3 and the mass 4 during specific movements, such as rotation, of the mass carried out during use of the exercise device according to the present invention.

(31) According to another variant of the invention, the suspension means 3 consists of a single element bent in a U-shape and having its second end 3b fastened in the through cavity 12 of the fastening element 5.

(32) In this variant, the grip 2 consists mainly of the curved portion 2a of this bent element and is preferably delimited by a slider 18 comprising two through holes, through each of which each arm 3c, 3d of the element bent in a U-shape passes. The slider 18 is preferably movable along the two arms 3c, 3d, so that its position along said arms can be adjusted.

(33) According to an embodiment of this variant, not illustrated in the figures, the cavity 12 has a single seat in which the end part of the two arms 3c, 3d of the U shape formed by the suspension means 3 is housed. Close to the end 3a, 3b, each of the arms is provided with the blocking element 7, for example is hollow inside, so as to allow a ball 7 to be housed in each said arm. The cavity 12 has a protrusion that projects toward the inside of the cavity 12. This protrusion acts in cooperation with said blocking elements 7 so as to prevent the suspension means from sliding in the cavity 12 toward the first opening 8 of the mass 4. This protrusion can be localized in any area of the cavity 12, close to or distanced from the abutment element 11.

(34) Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 5. According to said variant, as shown in FIG. 7, inside the fastening element 5, the cavity 12 has two seats 12, 12, each housing the end part of an element of the suspension means, for example of the two arms of the U shaped formed by joining two mutually parallel elements of the suspension means 3. The two seats are separated by a partition 19 that extends along a direction substantially parallel to the major axis of the hollow piece 10. The partition has the function of narrowing the width of the seat so as to prevent sliding of the blocking elements 7 in the cavity 12.

(35) Preferably, as shown in FIG. 6, the fastening element 5 is separable along the centerline plane into two portions 5, 5 substantially mutually symmetrical.

(36) The advantage of a device in which the suspension means of elastic type consist of at least two parallel elements is that of allowing a higher load, i.e. a mass of greater weight, to be applied with the same elastic resistance of each element of the suspension means. Vice versa, with the same load applied, it would be possible to use elastic suspension means with lower elastic resistance. Besides allowing the use of masses of different weight, the aforesaid variant allows a reduction of the movements of the mass caused by elastic elongation of the elastic means, without changing the aforesaid elastic means.

(37) A possible assembly method of the device according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3. Once the end part of the suspension means 3 has been inserted, optionally with its grip 2, into the fastening element 5, the grip 2, if present, and the suspension means 2 are inserted into the second opening 9, then into the through hole 6 of the body of the mass 4 and made to exit through the first opening 8. Finally, the mass is made to slide until the second opening 9 of the mass 4 is resting against the abutment element 11 of the fastening element 5.

(38) Another possible assembly method of the device according to the present invention, as mentioned previously and illustrated in FIG. 6, comprises moving the separable parts of the fastening element 5, or of the hollow piece, away from each other, inserting the suspension means 3 into the seats of the through cavity 12, then moving the parts toward each other and closing them again and, finally, inserting the fastening element with the suspension means 3 into the mass 4 through the second opening 9.

(39) As can be noted from the attached FIGS. 1 to 7, in the variants of the device described above, during use, the mass 4 is positioned so that the through hole 6 is substantially vertical. Therefore, in these variants the first opening 8 remains closer to the grip of the exercise device, while the second opposite opening 9 is at a greater distance from said grip.

(40) A further variant of the device according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

(41) In this variant, the fastening element comprises two parts 5, 5 mutually separable along the major axis, i.e. along a direction S illustrated in FIG. 9. As can be seen in this figure, a portion 12, 12 of the cavity 12 is obtained in each part. An end segment of the ends 3a, 3b of the suspension means is inserted into each of said portions 12, 12. More precisely, said suspension means 3 comprise a closed element whose ends 3a, 3b are each inserted into the through hole 6 through a respective opening 8, 9. A grip 2, in the form of sleeve, is inserted onto the suspension means 3.

(42) As can be noted in FIGS. 8 and 9, in this variant of the device, the mass 4 is arranged so that the through hole 6 is substantially horizontal in a position of use of the device. The two branches 3c, 3d of the suspension means exit from the openings 8 and 9 and converge toward the grip 2.

(43) Blocking of the suspension means 3 in the parts 5, 5 of the fastening element takes place in a manner similar to the variants described previously. In particular, the portions 12, 12 of the cavity 12 have sections of different dimension so as to retain the blocking element 7 at the ends 3a, 3b of the suspension means 3.

(44) Said ends 3a, 3b are inserted into the portions of cavity 12, 12 through an inlet facing the outside of the through hole. According to a preferred variant, each part 5, 5 has, at an end facing the outside, an abutment element 11 adapted to abut against the area surrounding said first and second opening of the mass 4, respectively.

(45) Preferably, the parts 5, 5 of the fastening element area equipped with connection means adapted to maintain them joined when they are inserted into the through hole 6. According to a preferred variant, said fastening means comprise magnets 20 arranged at the inner end of the parts 5, 5, opposite the outer end.

(46) To assemble the device according to this variant, the ends 3a, 3b of the suspension means are inserted into and blocked in the respective cavities 12, 12 of the separable parts 5, 5. Subsequently, the parts 5, 5 are inserted into the through hole 6, along a direction I, each through a respective opening 8, 9 until the inner ends of said parts are in contact or sufficiently close to be maintained close to each other by the magnets 20.

(47) The exercise device according to the present invention can be manufactured in various materials. The material varies depending on the component. For example, the fastening element 5 can be made of materials such as metal, wood and preferably plastic material, while the grip can be made of a material selected from leather, elastic material, or natural, artificial or synthetic fiber, or of one of the aforesaid materials for the fastening element 5.

(48) In particular, the suspension means 3 are well known in the art. There are many embodiments that may, merely to indicate a few examples, consist of a single or multi-material fiber, or two or more mutually woven or parallel fibers with bonds that allow them to slide with respect to one another, etc. The single multi-material fiber can have a structure of the core-covering type, or the like.

(49) Preferably, the suspension means 3 are at least partially covered with a covering sheath 17.

(50) In the embodiment illustrated, the fastening element 5 is produced in one piece, for example by molding of plastic material. However, it can also be produced by assembling the pieces, two or more, of which it is composed.

(51) Similarly, the grip 2 and the suspension means 3 can be produced separately and then assembled, or be produced in one piece.

(52) A further advantage of this exercise device is that it is modular and can be put together at the time of use. Therefore, this device can be assembled with the most suitable components, for example with reference to the dimensions and weight of the mass, depending on the person who will be using it.

(53) The invention has been described purely for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, according to some preferred embodiments. Therefore, a person skilled in the art can make modifications or variations, all of which are considered as falling within the scope of protection of the present invention.