Abstract:
The present invention is a gimbled push-up bar assembly mounted upon a rotatable hinge, thereby providing instability in three dimensions for which a user will have to compensate in use. The bar may be locked into two dimensions by the use of a lock pin, or may freely move in all three dimensions. Handgrips are provided which are bent downwards to provide guards for a user&#39;s hands when in the free-motion configuration. The bar itself is removable from the hinge and stand assembly and may be used as a stable push-up bar assembly, resting on the guards.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Application claims priority on prior filed U.S. provisional application No. 61/824,036, filed May 16, 2013, and incorporates the same by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of exercise devices and more particularly relates to a push-up bar assembly adaptable to different styles of push-ups. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Physical fitness is an ideal that has been held in high esteem since before humankind became civilized. In earlier days, being fit enabled an individual to better provide and work for a family or tribe. As time advanced, and sedentary lifestyles became more and more common, physical fitness has lost the immediate survival advantage, but has been indicated as a factor in overall health. Also today, athletes train physically regularly in order to maintain optimum and superior performance standards. In order to attain these goals, many devices, machines, appliances and constructs have been developed to engage the human body, or individual parts thereof, in a manner to increase the effectiveness of training. 
         [0004]    On family of items that is used as training aids is used for an exercise commonly known as a “push-up”. The push-up has a number of forms, but the primary form involves an individual lying prone on a surface and using his or her arms to raise the individual&#39;s torso, all the while maintaining a stable and rigid back so that the individual pivots like a lever on his or her toes. The individual then lowers his or her body back towards the surface and repeats the process. The push-up tends to work the arm, shoulder and chest muscles as the motion is repeated and the abdominal and back, or “core,” muscles as these muscles are used to maintain proper form against gravity. Various modifications have been developed to increase or decrease the difficulty of a push-up or change the focus of the muscle groups worked in the exercise. Devices used to modify a push-up are usually in two forms: push-up bar assemblies and push-up handles. A push-up bar assembly is a raised bar that is positioned upon the surface, which the individual grasps while doing a push-up. Push-up handles are hand grips which contact the surface under the individual. Usually, either of these devices may be used to impart instability on the individual, and in so doing increase the effort of the core muscles and the arm muscles in order to maintain an appropriate push-up form. However, there has been a lack of simple push-up devices which are adaptable for increased or decreased stability and also for providing an adaptable support for users to then exercise specific muscle groups like the shoulders, which are heavily used in various styles of wrestling and other sports. 
         [0005]    The present invention is a push-up bar assembly that is eccentrically mounted in a manner to provide instability and adaptability to an individual when preforming a push-up. The bar is mounted upon a pivot hinge located upon a base in a manner to allow free rotation along a z-axis. It is also pivotably mounted in the pivot hinge so as to allow rotation about an x-axis. This second rotational direction may be blocked by a pin so that only rotation about the z-axis is possible. Handgrips may be provided to the bar so that different hand holds may be employed and thereby modify the basic exercise to target individual body parts, such as the shoulder region. 
         [0006]    The present invention represents a departure from the prior art in that the push-up bar assembly of the present invention allows for greater versatility in an individual user&#39;s exercise routine. It allows an individual user to determine a degree of instability in the bar so as to encourage the exercise of core and other muscles as the user maintains stability and also allows for various styles and techniques to be used in performing push-up exercises and in so doing the targeting of specific muscle groups. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of push-up bar assemblies, this invention provides an adaptable push-up bar assembly for increased exercise utility. As such, the present invention&#39;s general purpose is to provide a new and improved push-up bar assembly that is eccentrically mounted. 
         [0008]    To accomplish these objectives, the push-up bar assembly comprises a stable base which may be positioned upon a given surface and a pivot hinge protruding up therefrom. The pivot hinge is mounted in a manner to allow it to rotate about a first axis. A crossbar is mounted within the pivot hinge in a manner to allow it to rotate on a second axis, generally perpendicular to the first axis. This rotation about the second axis may be optionally blocked and handles may be added for user convenience and safety. 
         [0009]    The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow. 
         [0010]    Many objects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. 
         [0011]    Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. 
         [0012]    Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0013]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of the push-up bar assembly. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation of the push up bar of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a front elevation of the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the cross-bar utilized in the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a front elevation of the cross-bar utilized in the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation of the cross-bar utilized in the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of a handle bar utilized in the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a front elevation of a handle bar utilized in the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a side elevation of a handle bar utilized in the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the base utilized in the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a front elevation of the base utilized in the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  is a top plan view of a floor beam utilized in the base of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a front elevation of floor beam utilized in the base of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is a front elevation of a support beam utilized in the base of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 15  is a top plan view of a support beam utilized in the base of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 16  is a front elevation of the pivot hinge utilized with the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1   
           [0030]      FIG. 17  is a side elevation of the pivot hinge utilized with the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 18  is a top plan view of the cradle of the pivot hinge of  FIG. 16 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 19  is a top plan view of the cradle base of the cradle of  FIG. 18 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 20  is a side elevation of a cradle wall of the cradle of  FIG. 18 . 
           [0034]      FIGS. 21-28  are various elevation and perspective views of the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 1  in use. 
           [0035]      FIG. 29  is a perspective view of an alternate bush-up bar assembly. 
           [0036]      FIG. 30  is an exploded view of the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 29 . 
           [0037]      FIG. 31  is an exploded view of the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 29 , with a lock block installed. 
           [0038]      FIG. 32  is a perspective view of the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 29  assembled, with the lock block installed. 
           [0039]      FIG. 33  is a partial top plan view of the base or the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 29 . 
           [0040]      FIG. 34  is a perspective view of the lock block utilized in the push-up bar assembly of  FIG. 29 . 
           [0041]      FIG. 35  is a top plan view of the lock block of  FIG. 34 . 
           [0042]      FIG. 35  is a front elevation of the lock block of  FIG. 34 . 
           [0043]      FIG. 37  is a side elevation of the lock block of  FIG. 34 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0044]    With reference now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the push-up bar assembly is herein described. It should be noted that the articles “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used in this specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. 
         [0045]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , the push-up bar assembly  10  has four major components: a cross-bar  12 , two optional handles  14  mounted upon opposite ends of the cross-bar  12 , the base  16  and the pivot hinge  18 . The cross-bar  12 , shown in FIGS,  4 - 6 , is a simple, cylindrical bar with two side-by side bores  23 , 25 . Bore  23  is a pivot bore and is positioned, ideally, in the middle of the bar  12 . Bore  25  is a lock bore and is located proximately to one side of the pivot bore  23 . Ideally, both ends of the cross-bar  12  will feature handles  14 . Handles  14  ( FIGS. 7-9 ) may be of any shape, but the preferred handle  14  will have two parallel hand-holds  42 , 46  extending from opposite ends of the handle body  44 . Each hand-hold should terminate in a foot  41 , 47  that is bent downward from the respective hand-hold  42 , 46 . These feet  41 , 47  will interact with the surface, either as a support or as a safety block, as the cross-bar  12  rotates upwards and downwards about the push-up bar assembly  10 . 
         [0046]    The base  16 , shown in  FIGS. 10-15  may be of any suitable construction so as to hold the pivot hinge  18  and thus the cross-bar  12 . One embodiment of the base  16  is a simple square pedestal formed of four floor beams  62  with four support beams  64  emanating from the corners of the pedestal. The support beams  64  each have a concave upper end  66  so as to collectively form a socket  68  in which the hinge pin  18  may be inserted. 
         [0047]    The pivot hinge  18 , shown in  FIGS. 16-20  is a simple cradle  88  mounted upon an axle  82 . The axle  88  is inserted in the socket  68  formed by the four support beams  64 . This construction then allows the cross-bar  12  to rotate above the base  16 . The cradle  82  is formed from three parts, a cradle base  86  and two cradle walls  84 . Each cradle wall  84  features a pivot hole  83  and a lock hole  85  which correspond to the pivot bore  23  and lock bore  25  of the cross-bar  12 . The cradle may be formed by attaching the cradle base  86  and two cradle walls  84  together, having been formed discretely from each other, or the cradle may start as one piece of material that is bent into the desired shape. 
         [0048]    For assembly ( FIG. 3 ), the handles  14  are attached to either end of the cross-bar  12 , ideally in a manner that the handles  14  will mirror each other. 
         [0049]    The cross-bar  12  is then mounted in the cradle  88  of the pivot hinge  18  by passing a pivot pin  15  through the pivot holes  83  of the cradle and the pivot bore  23  of the cross bar  12  and the pivot pin  15  may then be fastened in a manner that allows the cross-bar  12  to pivot in the cradle  82 . After the base  12  is assembled, the pivot hinge  18  is positioned in the socket  68  and, ideally, secured. Padding may be used on the cross-bar  12  for comfort and to limit accidental access to the pivot hinge  18 . 
         [0050]    In use, ( FIG. 21 ) the push-up bar assembly allows rotational motion about two axes. The first axis, the “Z-axis,” is defined by the axle  82  and extends roughly vertically from the center of the push-up bar assembly  10  and is essentially fixed in relation to thereto. The second axis, the “X-axis” is directionally defined by the pivot pin  15  and is directionally similar to the user&#39;s body  100 . A lock pin  19  may be used to prevent rotation about the X-axis by simply inserting it through the lock holes  85  and the lock bore  25 . When locked, a user may execute a common push-up ( FIGS. 22 and 23 ) with little additional difficulty. However, when unlocked, the user  100  must maintain even weight on the cross-bar  12  in order to execute a common push-up. Alternatively, the user  100  may perform push up variants with a cross-bar handle  14  touching the surface  110 , so as to focus on the shoulder muscles ( FIGS. 24-26 ). The user  100  may also, whether locked or not, freely rotate the cross-bar  12  about the Z-axis, as shown in  FIG. 27 . The cross-bar  12  may also be removed from the base  16  and placed directly on the surface  110 , supported by feet  41 ,  47 , in an elevated position as a regular push-up stand,  FIG. 28 . 
         [0051]    Construction of the push-up bar assembly is easily accomplished with any suitable sturdy material. The preferred embodiment utilizes tubular steel for the base  16 . Cross-bar  12  and handles  14  may be tubular steel or steel rods. The pivot hinge  18  is also ideally formed of metal, such as steel. Each piece may then be powder coated for a finished and polished look and feel. A foam cushion may be positioned over the cross-bar  12 , in particular where it joins the pivot hinge  18 , so as to cushion and protect the user in the event of accident. The lock pin  19  and pivot axle  15  may be simple metal pins and may be secured to the assembly by any means known or later discovered. 
         [0052]    In an alternate embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 29-37 , a cross-bar  120  has only a pivot bore  122  and a lock block  124  is provided. Lock block  124  ( FIGS. 34-37 ) is essentially a table  126  with two edge legs  128 . The edge legs extend below and above the table  126 , with the part above the tables terminating in a concave edge  129 . An alternate pivot hinge is also provided. Cradle walls  184  only feature a pivot hole  185  while cradle base features two slots  187  for receiving the bottom portion of lock block edge legs  128 . In use, the pivot pin  115  is removed from the cross-bar  120  and the cross-bar removed from the cradle  188 . Lock block  124  is positioned in the cradle  188  with the lower portion of its edge legs  128  inserted in slots  187 . Cross-bar  120  is then returned to position and pivot pin  115  replaced. Cross-bar  120  then rests in the concave edges  129  of the lock block  124  and is prevented from rotation in the x-axis. Lock block  124  is also prevented from being removed from the pivot hinge cradle  188  by the cross-bar  120 . By forcing removal of the cross-bar  120  from the assembly in order to lock it in place or unlock it, risk if injury due to pinching by the pivot hinge  180  and cross-bar  120  is reduced. It is, of course, readily understood that instead of merely extending the legs, the entire upper body of the lock block could be a concave surface that would interface the cross-bar  120 , but this uses more material. 
         [0053]    An alternate base  160  may also be utilized. This alternate base  160  features four intersecting arms  162  with a central support  164  at their intersection. Pivot hinge is positioned in this central support  164  and may or may not be permanently affixed therein. This base should also be made of suitably sturdy materials, such as steel or other metals. 
         [0054]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred.