Flip and grip handle system for lateral pulldown exercise machine

Abstract

A gripping assembly for a lateral pulldown exercise machine, having: a swivel link connected to a center mount, wherein the swivel link is adapted to be pivotally connected to a pulldown arm of a lateral pulldown exercise machine; an outwardly extending arm connected to the center mount for performing wide-angle grips; an inwardly extending arm connected to the center mount, wherein the inwardly extending arm is rotatable between a forwardly angled position and a backwardly pointing position; and a climb hold attached to the center mount.

Claims

1. A lateral pulldown machine assembly, comprising: a lateral pulldown machine having a pivoting lateral pulldown arm; and a pair of gripping assemblies connected to the pivoting lateral pulldown arm, each gripping assembly comprising: a center mount; an outwardly extending arm connected to the center mount; an inwardly extending arm connected to the center mount, the inwardly extending arm having a gripping handle, wherein the center mount comprises a two part rotational mount assembly connected to the inwardly extending arm such that the inwardly extending arm is rotatable between a forwardly angled position at which the gripping handle points towards the lateral pulldown exercise machine and a backwardly pointing position at which the gripping handle points away from the lateral pulldown exercise machine, and wherein the two part rotational mount assembly permits the gripping handle to rotate such that the gripping handle is parallel to the ground in either of the forwardly angled position or the backwardly pointing position; and a swivel link connected to the center mount, wherein the swivel link is pivotally connected to the pivoting lateral pulldown arm of the lateral pulldown exercise machine, and wherein the gripping handle is parallel to the ground while the lateral pulldown arm pivots, wherein the swivel link hangs straight downwardly when suspended from the pivoting lateral pulldown arm of the lateral pulldown exercise machine.

2. The lateral pulldown machine assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a climbing mount attached to the center mount.

3. The lateral pulldown machine assembly of claim 1, wherein the forwardly angled position of each gripping handle of the respective inwardly extending arm of the pair of gripping assemblies is positioned at an angle to one another.

4. The lateral pulldown machine assembly of claim 1, wherein the backwardly pointing position of each gripping handle of the respective inwardly extending arm of the pair of gripping assemblies is positioned generally parallel relative to one another.

5. The lateral pulldown machine assembly of claim 4, wherein the backwardly pointing positions of the gripping handles of the respective inwardly extending arms are sufficiently far enough apart to provide clearance for a user's head therebetween.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lateral pulldown machine in a raised position equipped with the present Flip and Grip handle assembly (showing the inner set of handles rotated to an angled forward position).

(2) FIG. 2 corresponds to FIG. 1, but with the pull down arms lowered.

(3) FIG. 3 corresponds to FIG. 1, but with the inner set of handles shown rotated to a position where they instead point backwardly.

(4) FIG. 4A is a top plan view showing the inner handles in the forwardly angled position in FIG. 1.

(5) FIG. 4B is a top plan view showing the inner handles in the backwardly pointing position in FIG. 3.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a user grasping the inner set of handles (when the handles are in the position shown in FIG. 3.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a user grasping the inner set of handles (when the handles are in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a user grasping the outwardly extending set of handles.

(9) FIG. 8A is an exploded view of the mounting system for the present gripping handle assembly, showing its mounting onto an arm of the Lateral Pulldown machine.

(10) FIG. 8B is an exploded view of the present gripping handle assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(11) FIG. 1 shows a lateral pulldown machine 10 with its arms 20 in the raised position. The present gripping assembly 40 is attached to each of arms 20. FIG. 2 shows the position of arms 20 after a user (not shown) has been seated and pulls down on arms 20. As can be seen, there is a left-handed gripping assembly and a right-handed gripping assembly. The left and right handed gripping assemblies are therefore mirror images of one another.

(12) As shown in more detail in the attached figures, assembly 40 comprises: a center mount 42; an outwardly extending arm 43 connected to center mount 42; and an inwardly extending arm 44 connected to the opposite side of center mount 42. Inwardly extending arm 44 is rotatable between a forwardly angled position 44A (as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 4A and 6), and a backwardly extending position 44B (as seen in FIGS. 3, 4B, and 5).

(13) Also included is a swivel link 48 connected to center mount 42 wherein the top end of swivel link 48 is adapted to be pivotally connected (at point 49) to an arm 20 of lateral pulldown exercise machine 10. Since swivel link 48 is pivotally connected to arm 20, assembly 40 then simply hangs straight downwardly when suspended from arm 20 of the lateral pulldown exercise machine. Importantly, as the user pulls down on assembly 40, swivel link 48 will pivot (around point 49) such that assembly 40 can hang straight downwardly, and not simply rotate together as a unit with arm 20. In addition, however, assembly 40 can be pushed somewhat back and forth (i.e. rotated somewhat around point 49) to accommodate bending movement of the user's shoulders and elbows, should a small amount of such back and forth movement be desired.

(14) As seen in FIG. 4A, when inwardly extending arms are in the forwardly angled position 44A, then the inwardly extending arms are positioned at an angle to one another. Conversely, as seen in FIG. 4B, when inwardly extending arms are in the backwardly angled position 44Bm then the opposite inwardly extending arms are generally parallel to one another. The advantage of the arm position shown in FIG. 4B is that arms in position 44B are sufficiently far enough apart to provide clearance for a user's head there between (thus allowing the user to pull farther downwardly on rotating arms 20).

(15) In summary, the user of the present system advantageously has many different options when holding onto the gripping handles of assembly 40. For example, the user can hold the outwardly extending handles 43 for a wide-grip pull down (FIG. 7). Alternatively, the user can hold the inwardly extending handles 44 in their forwardly rotated position 44A (FIG. 6) or in their rearwardly rotated position 44B (FIG. 5). Alternatively, the user may instead simply grab onto climbing mounts 45 (to pull down on a textured rock-type surface).

(16) When using a lateral pulldown machine with the present pivotal lateral pulldown arm assembly, the user stands and grips one of the exercise handles incorporated in the present assembly 40. Next, the user sits down with his/her legs under some type of stabilizing pad for support. The user then performs the exercise by pulling the handles down to chin level and repeating. Advantageously, the present system provides gripping pull down handles permitting a user to perform wide grip pulls ups (using outwardly extending handles 43 or inwardly extending handles in position 44B), or more narrow grip chin ups (using inwardly extending handles in position 44A).

(17) FIGS. 8A and 8B are exploded views that show additional details of the pivoting connection at point 49. These exploded views that shows additional components of assembly 40, including housing 50, bearings 52 and 54, end cap 56 and nut 58. In preferred aspects, the two-part rotational mount assembly 47 permits inwardly extending handle 44 to rotate by 90 degrees (such that handles 44 are positioned parallel to the ground in either of positions 44A or 44B). Handle 44 can extend from a housing 70 (which is connected to housing 71 by bushing 71, washers and end cap 72). Similarly, handle 43 can extend from center mount 42. Handle 44 can be formed from a handle 73, finishing ring 74, hand grip 75 and end cap 76. Similarly, handle 43 can be formed from a handle 80, finishing ring 82, hand grip 84 and end cap 86.