Abstract:
An abdominal exercise device has an elongated body with a first seating end having a tailbone pad mounted thereon, adjacent a raised second lumbar support end. The lumbar support end has a multi-curved upper surface, including a concave portion between raised side rails that conforms to the lumbar region of a person&#39;s body to allow the person to achieve a better, more comfortable workout, with accelerated and improved results.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This present invention relates generally to exercise devices, and more particularly, to an improved abdominal exercise device having a radiused lumbar support to prevent subluxation of the spine and contribute to a better and more comfortable workout. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     As is well known, strong abdominal muscles are desirable for aesthetic and health reasons. Therefore, many persons perform “crunches” or sit-ups while lying flat on the floor or a mat to strengthen their abdominal muscles. This form of exercise, however, puts strain on the lower back and can result in injury if not performed properly. 
     To overcome this problem, numerous devices have been developed for use by a person while exercising, including devices for use while performing “crunches” or sit-ups. Examples of such exercise devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. D385,741, D407,256, 1,904,039, 4,752,067, 5,273,510, 5,431,618, 5,474,513, 5,647,829 and 5,882,284; as well as International Patent publication WO 96/36401. 
     However, none of these known devices appear to have met with commercial success. This is probably due to the fact that the known devices do not properly support the lumbar region of the back or are unduly complex and not easy to use. Furthermore, many of the known devices are too bulky and expensive. 
     Therefore, there still exists a need in the art for an exercise device to strengthen the abdominal muscles that is inexpensive, effective and easy to use, and that supports the back while providing a better and more comfortable workout, which produces improved results. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified exercise device. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified abdominal exercise device. It is a further particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified abdominal exercise device having a radiused lumbar support. And, it is yet a further particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified exercise device having a compound-curve lumbar support with side rails to increase pressure on the abdominal muscles to provide an improved workout. 
     These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an abdominal exercise device having a body with a flat front extending portion including a tailbone pad, secured to a raised rear portion having a compound-curve lumbar support with raised side rails, which device provides better and more comfortable back support to a user to thereby provide an accelerated abdominal muscle workout that produces superior results. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an abdominal exercise device of the present invention showing the tailbone pad and compound-curve lumbar support area; 
     FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the device of the present invention resting on a flat surface, with a person, shown in broken line, lying in a supine position thereon to start an abdominal crunch, sit-up, or the like; 
     FIG. 3 is a side-elevational view of a device of the present invention, showing the person in broken line in a raised position, during an abdominal exercise; and 
     FIG. 4 is a further side-elevational view, similar to FIG. 3, with the person lying with their lumbar region completely against the lumbar support of the device. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide for an improved and simplified abdominal exercise device generally indicated at  10 . The device  10  preferably has an elongated body  12  comprised of a first, front or seating portion  14  and a second, rear or lumbar support portion  16 . The seating portion  14  includes a flat bottom surface and a flat top surface having a plurality of buttons or pads  18  formed thereon or secured thereto, for comfortably supporting the buttocks of a person seated or lying thereon. Additionally, to increase the comfort of a user during use, substantially centrally of the first portion  14 , adjacent a front wall  20  of the second portion  16 , the first portion is provided with a raised tailbone pad  22 . The tailbone pad  22  may be of any desired shape and size, but is preferably triangular shape, about ⅜″ thick and about {fraction (2 l/2)}″ long. 
     It is to be understood that the device  10  may be made of any suitable lightweight, but firm and strong material, such as neoprene and polyethylene. The overall size and shape of the device  10  may be tailored to fit different sized persons, but in a preferred embodiment is about 24″ in length, 6.5″ high and 14″ wide. The seating portion  14  is preferably about ⅓ the length of the device  10 , or about ½ the length of the lumbar support portion  16 . For example, first portion  14  can be about 8″ long and the second portion  16  about 16″ length. Additionally, the inner curved portion of the lumbar support is about 5″ high. 
     As shown in the drawings, the second or lumbar support portion  16  is formed with the front wall  20  angling upwardly and joining a top curved portion  24 , which is in turn connected to a downwardly sloping wall  26 . The front wall  20 , top curved portion  24  and sloping top or upper wall  26  are enclosed by raised side rails  28 ,  30 , connected to flat, outer sides or walls  32 . The second portion  16  ends or terminates in an outer end  34  that is preferably curved, and in a preferred embodiment is about 1.33 inches high. Therefore, the sloped top wall  26  slopes downwardly from a height of approximately 5″ to a height of 1.33 inches or at about a 0.267 ratio. 
     As best shown in FIG. 1, the front wall  20  and the top surface of the second portion  16  are curved or radiused in two directions, so as to slope in from, or form a concave area between, the side rails  28 ,  30 . This concave area also extends from the top curved portion  24  to the outer end  34 . The side rails preferably vary in width from a maximum of about 2″ at the top, adjacent curved portion  24 , to approximately 0 before they meet or reach the seating portion  14  and the outer end  34 . 
     The radius of the top portion  24 , from the front wall  20  to the downwardly angled or sloping wall  26  is approximately 5″, centered 4″ or about ¼ of the way from the abutting end of the seating portion  14  (see broken line radius in FIG.  4 ). 
     Turning now to FIGS. 2-4, the use of the device  10  will now be described. The device  10  is placed on a flat or planar surface and a person  36  then lies on the device with their buttocks resting on the seating portion  14 , their tail bone on pad  22 , and their back, or at least the lumbar region thereof, supported by the front wall  20 , top curve  24  and the downwardly angles or sloping wall  26  (see FIG.  2 ), This provides the best support to the lumbar region of the person  36 . Additionally, the person will be guided or firmly held between the ribbed side rails  28 ,  30  and the inwardly curving or concave portions of the lumbar support section on the front wall  20 , top curved wall  24  and downwardly sloped top portion  26 , during the performance of a crunch or a sit-up (see FIGS.  3  and  4 ). 
     There has thus been described a novel and unique abdominal exercise device that provides improved support to the lumbar region of a person so as to increase pressure on the abdominal muscles during use, to thereby accelerate or intensify muscle fatigue. The device prevents subluxation of the spine by providing greater support to the back of a user and produces faster results while providing a better, more comfortable workout. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.