BAR SHAPING TRAINING APPARATUS

Abstract

A bar shaping training apparatus for enabling a gymnast to perform bar shaping exercises or drills. The training apparatus may include a base framework having opposed side rails and a plurality of support members extending therebetween. The base framework May include a pad and provides support for other components. The training apparatus may include a core block attached atop the base framework and includes a body member having an upper surface with an upwardly ascending angle. The training apparatus may include an outer cover concentrically larger than the core block and defining an open bottom for covering for receiving the core block therein. At least the core block is constructed of a foam material that provides both resilience and rebounding in use by a gymnast.

Claims

1. A bar shaping training apparatus comprising: a base framework having a first side rail and a second side rail opposite said first side rail and a plurality of support members spaced apart from one another and extending between said first and second side rails; a core block that includes a bottom wall and a block body having a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said core block having an upper surface situated along upper edges of said side walls and extending at a rearwardly ascending angle; a top pad situated atop said block body; wherein said block body defines at least one channel extending laterally between opposed side walls; wherein at least one of said support members extends through said at least one channel and at least one of said support members is positioned forwardly of a front end of said core block.

2. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising an outer cover having a pair of side walls and a top wall extending between peripheral upper edges of said pair of side walls such that the outer cover is concentrically larger and congruent to a configuration of said core block, said outer cover defining an open bottom and open interior area for receiving said core block therein.

3. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the core block includes a rear end that is opposite the front end, the upper surface extending in an upward angle from the front end toward the rear end.

4. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 1, wherein: said core block defines at least a pair of channels extending laterally between opposed side walls; and at least a pair of said support members extends through said at least a pair of channels of said body member.

5. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 1, wherein: the support member that is positioned forwardly of the front end of said core block is adjacent said bottom wall; and the support member that is positioned forward of the front end includes a tubular configuration and has dimensions indicative of a gymnastics bar.

6. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the sidewalls of the core block each defines an inset area adjacent the bottom wall, each inset area having a recessed configuration that is complementary to a respective side rail of the base framework.

7. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said core block includes a pair of side pads each having an inner surface coupled to a respective sidewall as a core block, each said inner surface defining an inset area adjacent the bottom wall, each said inset area having a recessed configuration that is complementary to a respective side rail of the base framework.

8. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said core block and said top pad are constructed of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) foam having high rebound and shock deflection characteristics.

9. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 2, wherein each sidewall of said outer cover includes at least one hand strap.

10. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said bottom wall of said core block includes at least one non-skid pad.

11. A bar shaping training apparatus comprising: a base framework having a pair of oppositely disposed side rails and a plurality of support members spaced apart from one another and extending between said pair of side rails; a core block coupled to said base framework and extending upwardly therefrom, said core block including a bottom wall and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said core block having an upper surface situated along upper edges of said side walls and extending at a rearwardly ascending angle; a top pad situated atop said upper surface; and wherein the core block includes a rear end that is opposite the front end, the upper surface extending in an upward angle from the front end toward the rear end. wherein the pair of sidewalls of the core block each defines an inset area adjacent the bottom wall, each inset area having a recessed configuration that is complementary to a respective side rail of the base framework.

12. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 11, wherein: said core block defines at least one channel extending laterally between opposed side walls; and at least one of said support members extends through said at least one channel and at least one of said support members is positioned forwardly of a front end of said core block.

13. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said core block includes a pair of side pads each having an inner surface coupled to a respective sidewall of the core block, each inner surface defining an inset area adjacent the bottom wall, each said inset area having a recessed configuration that is complementary to a respective side rail of the base framework.

14. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said core block and said top pad are constructed of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) foam having high rebound and shock deflection characteristics.

15. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said bottom wall of said core block includes at least one non-skid pad.

16. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising an outer cover having a pair of side walls and a top wall extending between peripheral upper edges of said pair of side walls such that the outer cover is concentrically larger and congruent to a configuration of said core block, said outer cover defining an open bottom and definse an interior area for selectively receiving said core block therein.

17. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 16, wherein each sidewall of said outer cover includes at least one hand strap.

18. The bar shaping training apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said core block and said top pad are constructed of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) foam having high rebound and shock deflection characteristics.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1a is a front perspective view of a bar shaping training apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 1b is a perspective view of the training apparatus as in FIG. 1a;

[0014] FIG. 1c is an isolated view on an enlarged scale taken from FIG. 1b;

[0015] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the training apparatus as in FIG. 1a

[0016] FIG. 3a is a perspective view of a base framework illustrated apart from said training apparatus as in FIG. 1a;

[0017] FIG. 3b is an exploded view of the base framework as in FIG. 3a;

[0018] FIG. 4a is a front perspective view of a bar shaping training apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 4b is perspective view of the base framework illustrated apart from the modified training apparatus as in FIG. 4a.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0020] A bar shaping training apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The bar shaping training apparatus 10 includes a base framework 20, a core block 30 and an outer cover 40 arranged in such a manner as to enable multiple bar body shaping drills by a gymnast.

[0021] The bar shaping training apparatus 10 is built atop and supported by the base framework 20. The base framework 20 may include a first side rail 21a and a second side rail 21b that is laterally displaced from, parallel to, and opposite the first side rail 21a. In an embodiment, a plurality of support members 22 extends between the first and second side rails, the support members being spaced apart from one another such that a robust framework is formed by connection between the side rails and support members. In an embodiment, one or more support members may comprise or include a hook and loop material complementary to other hook and loop material that may be included on an upwardly attached component to enable selectively removable coupling therebetween as will be described in greater detail later. In addition, the plurality of support members 22 may include different constructions and configurations. For example, some support members 22 may have a planar or flattened configuration while other support members may have a tubular or bar-like configuration.

[0022] In another aspect, the bar shaping training apparatus 10 may include a core block 30 that may be mounted atop the base framework 20. More particularly, the core block 30 may include a bottom wall 31 having a generally flat or planar surface and a block body 32 that extends upwardly from the bottom wall 31 at a rearwardly ascending angle (FIG. 2). Further, the core block 30 has a front end 30a and a rear end 30b that is opposite the front and 30a and the core block 30 has an upper surface 30c that extends in an upward angle from the front end 30a extending toward the rear and 30b (FIG. 2). In use, the angle of the upper surface 30c models to a gymnast a desirable bar shaping position. Stated another way, the core block 30 includes a pair of side walls 34 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 31 and having configurations complementary to the ascending angle of the upper surface 30c. In an embodiment, the upper surface 30c extends between upper edges of the pair of side walls 34, respectively.

[0023] In an embodiment, the core block 30 includes a top pad 33 mounted atop the upper surface 30c, the top pad having a configuration that is congruent and complementary to the upper surface. Preferably, both the core block 30 and the top pad 33 have a solid configuration constructed of a its foam material. More particularly, at least the top pad 33 is constructed using EA 30 foam. Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA30) foam is a lightweight foam, generally suited for most applications where a closed cell foam with high rebound and shock deflection is required. EVA foam sheets have high levels of thermal insulation against heat and cold, waterproof properties meaning minimal water absorption and have superb strength and tear resistance. EVA foam is suitable for a wide range of applications such as under spring floors in gymnasiums, yoga blocks, camping mats, pool mats, spa covers and boat fenders/bumpers.

[0024] In another critical aspect, the sidewalls 34 each define an inset area 36 adjacent the bottom wall 31, each inset area 36 having a recessed configuration and a configuration that is complementary to the first side rail 21a and second side rail 21b of the base framework 20, respectively. In other words, the side rails are designed to fit tightly to the sidewalls 34 of the core block 30, all of which will then be hidden or covered by the side pads 35 (FIG. 2).

[0025] Further, the core block 30 may include a pair of side pads 35, an inner surface of each side pad being coupled to the side walls 34, such as with glue. Preferably, each side pad 35 constructed of a padded material such as foam Inner surfaces of the side pads 35 may define inset areas 35a that are complementary to a configuration of respective side rails of the base framework 20. Also as shown in FIG. 2, the core block 30 defines at least one channel 37 (and preferably a pair of laterally spaced apart channels) that extend between the inset areas 36 on either sidewall 34, each channel 37 being configured to receive a support member 22 when the base framework 20 is coupled to the core block 30.

[0026] With further reference to the base framework 20, at least one (and, preferably, two) support member 22 is configured to extend through the at least one channel 37 (and, preferably, two channels) whilst an additional one of the support members 22a is positioned forwardly of the front end 30a of the core body 32 of the core block 30. In a preferred embodiment, the support member 22a that is positioned forward at the front end 30a may have a tubular configuration and dimensions indicative of a gymnastics bar. In an embodiment, the support member 22a may have a wooden construction.

[0027] In an alternative or modified embodiment (illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b), the forward support member of the framework 20 may have a modified configuration and will, for the sake of clarity, be referred to with a primed reference character 22a. Having a construction that is substantially similar to the forward support member 22a described previously, the modified forward support member 22a has a lengthened construction. More particularly, the forward-most portion of the framework 20 itself may have an angled or offset portion and the forward support member 22a extends between forward-most ends of the offset portion. In use, the modified or enhanced surface area that a gymnast may grasp is enhanced when training with the bar shaping apparatus 10.

[0028] In another critical aspect, the bar shaping training apparatus 10 may include an outer cover 40 having a configuration so as to cover the core block 30, i.e., the outer cover 40 defines an open bottom such that the core block 30 may be selectively and removably received into the outer cover 40. More particularly, the outer cover 40 may include a pair of sidewalls 41 and a top wall 42 extending between peripheral upper edges of the pair of sidewalls 41. Stated geometrically, the outer cover 40 is concentrically larger and congruent to a configuration of the core block 30 and defines an open bottom so that the core block 30 may be entirely received into an interior area defined by the walls of the outer cover 40.

[0029] The bar shaping training apparatus 10 includes a few additional structural details. Namely, each sidewall 41 of the outer cover 40 may include at least one and, preferably, a pair of laterally spaced apart hand straps 42 by which the outer cover 40 may be separated from the core block 30 by a user. Further, there may be a zipper 44 positioned on the outer cover that is also available for securing or releasing the outer cover 40 from the core block 30. In addition, the outer cover 40 may include a rear wall 45 having a non-skid pad 46. Similarly, the bottom wall 31 of the core block 30 may also include at least one non-skid pad 39.

[0030] In use, a bar shaping training apparatus enables a gymnast to practice and refine their body positions and transitions between different shapes. More particularly, the bar shaping training apparatus 10 may be oriented in a variety of positions such that an aspiring gymnast may grip the support member 22a while the gymnast's body may be suspended in midair or resting atop the top pad 33. With a properly configured apparatus, body shaping exercises can be done slowly so as to teach maintaining good posture and control.

[0031] It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.