Ergonomic strap for weight lifting and fitness exercises

Abstract

This invention relates to an ergonomic strap for weight lifting and fitness exercises, comprising a first strap for encircling a wrist, a second soft strap, facing the wrist, attached to the first strap, a third strap incorporating a Velcro fabric, attached externally to the first strap and a fourth strap secured to the first and third straps under an inclination of 45 degrees; such an inclination precludes the portion of the fourth strap, facing a palm, during wrapping around a weight lifting bar, to form several consecutive loops, so that a succeeding loop does not overlap a preceding loop, thereby a helical wrapping is resulting; i.e. the inclination of the fourth strap at 45 degrees, prevents a part of the fourth strap that is closest to the wrist, from overlapping itself.

Claims

1. An ergonomic strap for weight lifting and fitness exercises, designed for right and left hands, a right hand design being a mirror image of a left hand design and, comprising, in combination, a first strap made of a durable and flexible material with one top and one bottom rough surfaces and having a length configured to form a loop encompassing a wrist of a user and to extend beyond; a rigid buckle through which one end portion of said first strap is inserted and then folded back upon itself and stitched; a second strap made of a soft material and constituting an internal, cushioning component of said ergonomic strap; said second strap having a width commensurate with a width of said first strap and a length for enabling to circumferentially surround and directly contact the wrist; said second strap being superposed on said first strap and stitched together; a third strap, congruent with said first strap, starting in proximity of said rigid buckle and extending along said first strap; said third strap being superimposed on said first strap, said third strap and said first strap being stitched together at their extremities; said third strap being constituted by a fabric strip with hooks and loops and includes a first, long zone starting in proximity of said rigid buckle and formed by loops, followed by a second, short zone formed by hooks; said third strap, being constituted by said fabric strip with hooks and loops, is used to keep said ergonomic strap secured to the wrist during use, or assembled during storage; and a fourth strap having a zone commensurate with a width of a palm of a user and being made of a durable and flexible material with rough, opposite/external sides; said fourth strap having one end inserted between and stitched to said first and said third straps; said fourth strap configured to be positioned with respect to said first strap as to be, during a spiral wounding about a weight lifting bar, engageable by a thumb and a juxtapositioned index finger of a user, a position which corresponds to an inclination of 45 degrees of said fourth strap with respect to said first strap; a thin, narrow, elastic band, being transversely positioned on said bottom rough surface of said first strap and having ends of the elastic band attached to said first strap, said elastic band being positioned in a zone corresponding to an intersection of said long zone and said short zone; wherein when said ergonomic strap is not in use and already assembled, an end of said fourth strap is inserted through and secured in a space available between said thin, narrow, elastic band and said bottom rough surface.

Description

III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctively claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. The invention, however, both in structure and operation, may be better understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the subjoined claim and the accompanying drawings of which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a spread out of ergonomic strap, viewed from the top;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a longitudinal cross-section along line X-X shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged view of zone A, depicted in FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates an enlarged view of zone B, depicted in FIG. 2;

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates the underside view of FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 6 shows the ergonomic strap, already attached to wrist, but before wrapping;

(8) FIG. 7 shows the ergonomic strap with the first loop wrapped around the weight lifting bar; and

(9) FIG. 8 shows the ergonomic strap with several, consecutive loops wrapped around the weight lifting bar.

IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(10) The present invention relates to an ERGONOMIC STRAP FOR WEIGHT LIFTING AND FITNESS EXERCISES, further named, for the simplification of the specification, ergonomic strap, and generally designated by reference numeral 10.

(11) Ergonomic strap 10 that is designed and produced for right and for left hand, a right hand design being a mirror image of a left hand design and, conversely, comprises, in combination, a first strap 100, made of a durable and flexible material and having a top rough surface 110 and a bottom rough surface 115; first strap 100 has a width of approximately 2 in. and a length, first, suitable to form a loop encompassing a wrist of a user and, second, to extend beyond; a rigid buckle 120 for inserting throughout one end portion of first strap 100; after the one end portion of first strap 100 passes through rigid buckle 120, it is folded back upon itself and stitched; a second strap 200, made of a soft material, such as, for example, neoprene, constitutes an internal, cushioning component of ergonomic strap 10; second strap 200 has a width commensurate with the width of first strap 100 and a length for enabling to circumferentially surround and directly contact the wrist; second strap 200 is superposed on first strap 100; first strap 100 and second strip 200 are fasten together with stitches (not shown); a third strap 300, basically congruent with first strap 100, is starting in proximity of rigid buckle 120 and extends along first strap 100; third strap 300 is superimposed on top rough surface 110 of first strap 100, third strap 300 and first strap 100 being fasten together, at their extremities, with stitches (not shown); third strap 300 is constituted by a fabric strip with hooks and loops (Velcro) and includes a first, relatively long zone LZ starting in proximity of rigid buckle 120 and formed by loops, followed by a second, relatively short zone SZ formed by hooks; third strap 300, constituted by a fabric strip with hooks and loops, is used to keep ergonomic strap 10 secured to the wrist during use, or assembled during storage; and a fourth strap 400 having a width of approximately 1.5 in. and a convenient length for enabling to wrap in a helical manner about a weight lifting bar or alike WB, thus covering a zone commensurate with a width of a palm of a usual user and being made of a durable and flexible material with rough, opposite/external sides RF; fourth strap 400 having one end inserted between and secured with stitches (not shown) to first and third straps 100 and 300; fourth strap 400 being so positioned with respect to first strap 100 as to be, during a spiral wounding about weight lifting bar WB, easily engageable by a thumb and a juxtapositioned index finger of a user, a position which corresponds to an inclination of 45 degrees of fourth strap 400 with respect to first strap 100; such an inclination precludes the portion of fourth strap 400, that faces a palm of a user, during wrapping around a weight lifting bar, to form several consecutive loops, so that a succeeding loop does not overlap a preceding loop, thereby a helical wrapping is resulting; i.e. the inclination of strap 400 at 45, instead of a usual inclination at 90 degrees, prevents a part of the strap 400 that is closest to the wrist, from overlapping itself over the first loop when wrapped around weight lifting bar WB; due to a rough contact between the loops, namely by one of the pair of rough opposite sides RF and weight lifting bar WB, an enhanced friction engagement occurs; simultaneously, another one of the pair of rough opposite sides RF, that is in direct contact with the palm of a user, enables an improved handgrip; and a thin, narrow, elastic band FB, being transversely positioned on bottom rough surface 115 of first strap 100, and having extremities attached to first strap 100, is situated in a zone corresponding to an intersection of long zone LZ and short zone SZ; when ergonomic strap 10 is not in use and already assembled, an end of fourth strap 400 is inserted through and secured in a space available between thin, narrow, elastic band FB and bottom rough surface 115.

(12) As required, a detailed embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.