EXERCISE DEVICE

Abstract

A exercise roller device including a center roller portion provided with shaped end roller portions, and the center roller portion provided with a centered circumferential groove. A method of making the exercise roller device.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. An exercise roller device, comprising: a rigid or substantially rigid inner roller; and a soft or resiliently deformable outer roller provided on the rigid or substantially rigid inner roller, wherein the exercise roller device comprises a center cylindrical-shaped roller portion connected to opposite end roller portions.

17. An exercise roller device, comprising: a rigid or substantially rigid inner roller; and a molded soft or resiliently deformable outer roller provided on the rigid or substantially rigid inner roller, wherein the exercise roller device comprises a center cylindrical-shaped roller portion connected to opposite end roller portions.

18. An exercise roller device, comprising: a rigid or substantially rigid inner roller; and a soft or resiliently deformable outer roller overmolded onto the rigid or substantially rigid inner roller, wherein the exercise roller device comprises a center cylindrical-shaped roller portion connected to opposite end roller portions.

19. The device according to claim 16, wherein the cylindrical-shaped roller portion is provided with a centered circumferential groove.

20. The device according to claim 16, wherein the cylindrical-shaped roller portion is provided with end roller portions provided at respective opposite ends of the cylindrical-shaped roller portion.

21. The device according to claim 16, wherein the exercise roller device is constructed as a single integral unit when assembled with no moving parts.

22. The device according to claim 16, wherein the outer roller and the inner roller are fixed relative to each other.

23. The device according to claim 16, wherein the inner roller has a solid construction.

24. The device according to claim 16, wherein the inner roller is a non-solid construction.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein the inner roller is molded in a manner to provide a structure having at least one selected from the group consisting of separate layers, voids, cells, and/or cavities.

26. The device according to claim 16, wherein the outer roller is made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

27. The device according to claim 16, wherein the inner roller is made of one selected from the group consisting of plastic, nylon, and composite material.

28. The device according to claim 16, wherein the outer roller is smooth.

29. The device according to claim 16, wherein the outer roller is textured.

30. The device according to claim 16, wherein the end roller portions having a particular shape, including one selected from the group consisting of cylindrical-shaped, parabolic-shaped, and nose cone-shaped.

31. The device according to claim 17, wherein the end roller portions having a particular shape, including one selected from the group consisting of cylindrical-shaped, parabolic-shaped, and nose cone-shaped.

32. The device according to claim 18, wherein the end roller portions having a particular shape, including one selected from the group consisting of cylindrical-shaped, parabolic-shaped, and nose cone-shaped.

33. The device according to claim 16, wherein an outer surface of the exercise roller device is defined by an outer surface of the soft or resiliently deformable outer roller and a portion of an outer surface of the rigid or substantially rigid inner roller.

34. The device according to claim 32, wherein a center portion of the outer surface of the exercise roller device is defined by the portion of the outer surface of the rigid or substantially rigid inner roller.

35. The device according to claim 33, wherein the soft or resiliently deformable outer roller comprises one or more outer panels.

36. The device according to claim 34, wherein the one or more outer panels is multiple panels.

37. The device according to claim 35, wherein the multiple panels are of a same size and shape.

38. The device according to claim 16, wherein the outer roller is connected to the inner roller in a manner to prevent disconnection between the outer roller and the inner roller.

39. The device according to claim 16, wherein the exercise roller device is configured to prevent rotation between portions of the exercise device when assembled.

40. The device according to claim 3, wherein the soft or resiliently deformable outer roller is a single piece.

41. The device according to claim 16, wherein the rigid or substantially rigid inner roller is made of one selected from the group consisting of plastic, nylon, and composite material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0050] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercise roller device.

[0051] FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the exercise roller device shown in FIG. 1.

[0052] FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the exercise roller device shown in FIG. 1.

[0053] FIG. 4 is a top planar view of the exercise roller device shown in FIG. 1.

[0054] FIG. 5 is a bottom planar view of the exercise roller device shown in FIG. 1.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a left side elevational view of the exercise roller device shown in FIG. 1.

[0056] FIG. 7 is a right side elevational view of the exercise roller device shown in FIG.

[0057] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another exercise roller device.

[0058] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the disassembled exercise roller device shown in FIG. 1, to illustrate its construction.

[0059] FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing the exercise roller device shown in FIG. 1 positioned under the back between the shoulders of a user.

[0060] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a further exercise roller device.

[0061] FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the exercise roller device shown in FIG. 11.

[0062] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an even further exercise roller device.

[0063] FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of the exercise roller device shown in FIG. 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] An exercise roller device 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 thru 7. The exercise roller device 10 comprises a cylindrical-shaped center roller portion 12 and end roller portions 14, which can have a particular shape (e.g. cylindrical-shaped, parabolic-shaped, nose cone-shaped). The center roller portion 12 can be provided with a centered cylindrical-shaped portion 15 located within a circumferential groove 16 (e.g. V-shaped, modified V-shaped, U-shaped, modified U-shaped groove 16). The cylindrical-shaped center roller portion 12 can be of a greater diameter compared with the centered cylindrical-shaped portion 15.

[0065] The surface of the exercise roller device 10 is provided with a pattern of grooves 17 as shown. The grooves 17 can be closed-looped (e.g. circles, ovals, modified ovals), or can be open-looped (e.g. curves, straight portions). The pattern of grooves can be located in the surface of the outer roller (e.g. in a first surface layer only, in first and second surface layers, or deeper) of the exercise roller device 10. The grooves 17 are shown as being a pattern of separated and/or spaced apart grooves.

[0066] Another exercise device 110 is shown in FIG. 8. The exercise roller device 110 comprises a cylindrical-shaped center roller portion 112 and end roller portions 114 having particular shape (e.g. cylindrical, parabolic-shaped, nose cone-shaped). The center roller portion 112 is provided with a cylindrical portion 115 located within a circumferential groove 116 (e.g. V-shaped, modified V-shaped, U-shaped, modified U-shaped). The cylindrical-shaped center roller portion 112 can be of greater diameter compared with the centered cylindrical-shaped portion 115.

[0067] The exercise roller device 110 is provided with a pattern of grooves 117 as shown and different from the pattern of grooves compared to the exercised roller device 10 shown in FIG. 1. The grooves 117 are shown as being a pattern of connecting or interconnected grooves.

Method of Making Device

[0068] As shown in FIG. 9, the exercise roller device 10 can comprise an inner roller 18 and an outer roller 20.

[0069] The inner roller 18 comprises two (2) half inner roller portions 18a, 18b connected together. The roller portions 18a, 18b are molded (e.g. injection molded) and made of plastic material (e.g. nylon material).

[0070] The upper inner roller portion 18a fits over a peripheral flange 22 of the lower inner roller portion 18b for connecting the edges of the inner roller portions 18a, 18b together during assembly of the inner roller 18 and reinforcing the edges thereof in the assembled article.

[0071] The inner roller portions 18a, 18b have the same or similar inner reinforcing structure to be defined with reference to the inner roller portion 18b. As shown in FIG. 9, the inner roller portion 18b comprises a center longitudinal rib 24 connecting to multiple transverse ribs 26. The number of longitudinal ribs (e.g. one (1) longitudinal rib shown) can be decreased (i.e. none) or increased, and the number of transverse ribs can be decreased or increased (e.g. eight (8) shown). The ribs 24, 26 interconnect with each other (e.g. formed interconnected during molding), and also connect to and support the shell 28. The ribs 24, 26 and shell 28 define a plurality of cavities, voids, and/or cells 30 providing multiple hollow portions of the inner roller 18. This rib type construction reinforces the shell 28 of the inner roller 18 making the inner roller 18 substantially rigid, stronger, and more durable while reducing the weight and material required to make same.

[0072] The inner roller portion 18a is provided with molded recesses 32 in the surface thereof. The molded recesses includes a hole at the bottom of the recess (not shown) for accommodating the heads of screws 34 when the inner roller 18 is assembled together.

[0073] The inner roller portion 18b is provided with molded round bosses 36 each having a hole for receiving the free ends of the screws 34 to anchor same therein.

[0074] The inner roller portions 18a, 18b are provided with centered ridge halves 38 defining a circumferential ridge 40 when assembled together. The circumferential ridge 40 defines the center cylindrical portion 15 in the assembled exercise roller device 10.

[0075] The outer roller 20 comprises four (4) separate outer roller panels 42 to be supported (e.g. connected, attached, layered) on the assembled inner roller 18. The outer roller panels 38 are connected to the inner roller 18, for example, by adhesive and/or mechanical connection (e.g. fastening or coupling). The inner edges 42a of the outer roller panels 38 abut up against the side edges of the circumferential ridge 40, when assembled onto the inner roller 20 to provide a smooth seamless transition and outer surface of the exercise roller device 10.

[0076] Alternatively, the circumferential ridge 40 is eliminated, and the inner edges 42a are modified to abut against each other at the center of the exercise roller device 10, again providing a smooth seamless transition and outer surface of the exercise roller device 10.

[0077] The outer roller panels 42 are resiliently deformable, and, for example, are molded (e.g. injection molded) using plastic material (e.g. thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material).

[0078] Alternatively to the above construction, after the inner roller 18 can be assembled, and then the outer roller 20 can be overmolded onto the inner roller 18 (e.g. by insert molded) to complete the assembly.

[0079] The exercise roller device 10 can be made by making the inner roller 18 and the outer roller 20. For example, the half portions of the inner roller 20 are injection molded from plastic material. The two half portions of the inner roller are then assembled together, and secured using the screws 34.

[0080] The outer roller panel portions 42 can be made, for example, by injections molding. The outer panel portions 42 can be a single layer or multiple layer of the same or different materials. For example, an inner panel of stiffer plastic material can be molded, and then a more resilient or softer outer panel or layer is overmolded on the inner panel (e.g. by insert molding). The made outer roller panel portions 42 can then be assembled onto the assembled inner roller 18 (e.g. by adhesive, taping, heat welding, mechanical fastening).

[0081] Alternatively, the inner roller 18 is assembled, and then the outer roller 18 is overmolded onto the inner roller 18 (e.g. by insert molding). As a further alternative, the inner roller 18 is injection molded as a unit or made from a perform or block of material (e.g. machined), and then fitted with outer roller panel portions 42, or overmolded with the outer panel 20.

Use

[0082] As shown in FIG. 10, the user places the exercise roller device 10 on the floor and lies on the device so that the device is centered on the user back and aligned with his or her spine as shown. The user then moved back and forth sideways to roll the exercise roller device between the floor and his or back. This exercise is performed with care, and limited physical activity.