Adjustable asymmetric-resistance upper body exerciser

A device for exercising a user's upper body, including a waist mountable assembly secured about the waist of the user, a frame member extending from the belt and including a proximal and a pair of distal ends, wherein the distal ends are located to the rear of the user and below a transverse plane of the user generally including the belt. A flexible cord member is associated with each distal end and coupled to a pair of hand attachment elements. A resistance force is transferred by the cord member for providing a force opposing exercise movement of each hand attachment means during use, the force generally directed to the associated distal end of an extending portion of the frame member during use.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to an exercise device, and more particularly
 to an upper body exercise device including a belt portion that is worn
 about a user's waist.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 Devices and methods of use for exercising the upper body are well known.
 Many devices provide upper body exercise while the user is walking,
 running, or performing other physical activity. For many people, physical
 fitness activities include running, jogging, and skating, which are
 predominantly lower body intensive activities. Although these lower body
 intensive activities improve cardiovascular fitness and exercise the lower
 body, they fail to provide substantial exercise for the upper body.
 Equipment to be used during any of these lower body intensive activities
 must be easily portable.
 Examples of such devices, include:
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,432 to Gvoich which discloses an upper body exercising
 belt comprising a plurality of flexible housings having bores slidingly
 mounted on a waist-encircling belt, a flexible inelastic rope passing
 through a series of guide tubes mounted in the bores of the housings, and
 variable resistance means mounted to the bores;
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,395 to Miller, et al. which discloses an adjustable
 asymmetric resistance upper body exercise device;
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,707 to Bosch which discloses an exercise device
 including an elastic cord attached to a belt or other device worn at the
 waist of the user;
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,647 to Castellanos which discloses an elastic
 resistance exercise device secured at the waist of the user;
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,173 to Hopkins, Jr. which discloses a portable elastic
 exercising device having a single length of elastic cord passed through a
 flexible sheath to encompass a user's waist;
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,873 to Corn which discloses an adjustable asymmetric
 resistance upper body exercise device;
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,223 to Block which discloses an adjustable asymmetric
 resistance upper body exercise device; and
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,688 to Davies which discloses an adjustable asymmetric
 resistance upper body exercise device.
 SUMMARY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 Addressing the deficiencies of the conventional art, the instant invention
 resolves the problems in an efficient, and cost effective manner. The
 instant invention, when used in conjunction with lower body activities,
 such as running, walking, in-line skating, etc., affords simultaneous
 exercise of both upper and lower body muscle groups. Beneficial aspects of
 this combined upper and lower body exercise are well appreciated, and
 include cardiovascular and overall musculature improvements.
 One particular advantage of the exercise device of the present invention
 includes the provision of adjustable and even resistance throughout the
 entire range of motion of the user's arm. The adjustability of the
 resistance allows the user to select a different degree of difficulty from
 one workout to the next, or even to adjust the level of difficulty during
 the workout.
 A further advantage of the present invention is the single point resistance
 adjustment device, which allows the user to quickly and efficiently adjust
 the level of resistance to arm motion.
 Further advantages of the present invention include the provision of a
 resistive force which is nearly constant through a predetermined range of
 motion. The present invention additionally directs the resistive force
 opposing motion of the arm toward a point of origin which lies in a
 natural parallel sagittal plane including the user's shoulder. The point
 of origin is proximate to the natural, relaxed arm position at the side of
 the user. Resistance to motion of the arm thus is directed to a natural
 location, improving the comfort and efficiency of the exercise. In
 addition, the arm is subject to a force vector tending to direct the arm
 motion in a stress-efficient path of motion.
 It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an exercise device
 that places the point of origin of all force vectors of the cords aligned
 in parallel saggital planes containing the user's shoulders and behind the
 user and below the users waist (proximate the natural, relaxed arm
 position of the hand).
 Still other objects and advantages of the present invention and methods of
 construction of the same will become readily apparent to those skilled in
 the art from the following detailed description, wherein only the
 preferred embodiments are shown and described, simply by way of
 illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention.
 As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different
 embodiments and methods of construction, and its several details are
 capable of modification in various obvious respects, all without departing
 from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be
 regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 An exercise device according to the present invention is illustrated in
 FIGS. 1-5, as numeral 10. Exercise device 10 includes a belt assembly 12
 including a belt 14 adapted to be secured about the waist of a user
 through a securement structure 16. Securement structure 16 may include
 alternative known approaches to coupling the belt assembly 12 to a user,
 e.g., belt fasteners and hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro.RTM.. As
 illustrated in FIGS. 2-7, the securement structure 16 is preferably
 disposed at the front side of the user. Opposite the securement structure
 16 of the belt assembly 12 is a lumbar support member 18 which may include
 a foam element 20 for contacting the lumbar region of the user during
 device 10 usage. Together, the belt assembly 12, securement structure 16,
 and lumbar support member 18 encircle the waist of the user to couple the
 device 10 to the user during an exercise activity.
 Lumbar support member 18 may be a substantially rigid element, being formed
 from a high density polymer material such as a reinforced fiber epoxy
 matrix. Disposed upon the rear side of the lumbar support member 18 is a
 frame member 22 being coupled to the lumbar support member 18 at a
 proximal end 24 and including a pair of distal ends 26. Frame member 22
 includes a downwardly directed trunk element 28 and a variable tension
 mechanism 30. Frame member 22 further includes a pair of extension arm
 members 32 outwardly and transversely extending from the trunk element 28
 toward distal ends 26. Extension arm members 32 are preferably hollow to
 operatively receive a cord 36 as described hereinafter. The length of the
 extension arm members 32 can be adjustable so that the user can determine
 the most comfortable or effective placement and direction of the
 frictional force developed by the device 10.
 Disposed at the pair of distal ends 26 defined by the extension arm members
 32 are a pair of pulleys 38. Pulleys 38 are swivelably coupled through a
 coupling 40 at or near the distal ends 26 of the extension arm members 32.
 A flexible, substantially nonstretchable cord 36 is threaded through the
 pulleys 38 and passes through the interior of the extension arm members
 32. Additionally, flexible cord 36 is entrained about the variable tension
 mechanism 30 to provide a degree of resistive force during usage of the
 device 10. It is not critical that the cord 36 be reeved through pulleys
 38 at the extreme ends of the extension arm members 32, as long as the
 cord 36 be generally freely slidable for movement in relation to the
 extension arm members 32. For example, the pulleys 36 may be replaced with
 polymer blocks or other low friction sliding surfaces.
 Still referring to FIGS. 1-5, the flexible cord 36 is secured at either end
 to a hand coupling structure 40. Hand coupling structure 40 includes a
 rigid, substantially cylindrical hand grip element 41, though alternative
 hand coupling structures 40 may include flexible grips, etc. Hand coupling
 structures 40 each further include a cord length shortening device 42
 which permits the user to adjust the cord 36 to a preferred length.
 Preferably, the variable tension mechanism 30 provides an adjustable
 resistance force when the cords 36 are outwardly pulled by a user
 extending the hand coupling structure 40. The preferred variable tension
 mechanism 30 may vary the resistance force over a range of resistance
 forces, from substantially no resistance to a maximum resistance force
 using a tension adjustment knob 44. The preferred variable tension
 mechanism 30 provides an adjustable frictional force. Additionally, since
 forces of the user are transferred through the single cord 36, the user
 may practice the invention in a bi-directional resistance force mode by
 resisting the movement of opposite arm motions.
 Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, the invention may be practiced during a variety
 of well known recreational activities, such as walking depicted in FIG. 2,
 running as depicted in FIG. 3, or inline skating, as depicted in FIG. 4.
 It may be appreciated that the present invention may also be practiced
 while performing additional activities.
 Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, shown is a rear elevational and top plan
 views, respectively, of the exercise device 10 as preferably associated
 with a user during exercise. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the distal end
 portions 26 of the extension arm members 32 are aligned in right and left
 parallel sagittal planes 46, 48 of the user. In one embodiment of the
 present invention, the extension arm members 32 may be telescopically
 coupled to the frame member 22 so that the length of the extension arm
 members 32 may be selectively adjusted so that the distal ends 26 are
 approximately equally spaced with the shoulder width of the user.
 FIG. 7 illustrates a range of operational movement of the user's arm during
 exercise with the exercise device. 10 The range of motion 50 of the device
 is approximately defined as an arcuate portion of a normal arm swing
 movement, i.e., the normal arm swing motion of the user. The point of
 resistance provided by the exercise device is approximately the distal end
 26 of the extension arm members 32 where the cord 36 is coupled. As
 illustrated, the distal end 26 is preferably approximately an arm length
 away from the user's shoulder.
 Referring now to FIG. 8, a detailed cross sectional view of the adjustable
 tension device 30 is illustrated. Adjustable tension device 30 may be used
 to selectively control the frictional forces coupled through the flexible
 cord 36 to the user's arms. Adjustable tension device 30 includes a shaft
 52 having a first end 54 and a second threaded end 56, a spring element
 58, a thrust bearing element 60, a spool element 62 having an interiorly
 carried divider plate 64, a plurality of friction plates 66, and a knob 44
 coupled with the second end 56 of the shaft 52. As knob 44 is tightened to
 draw closer the first end 54 of the shaft 52, an increasing frictional
 force is developed by the friction plates 66 to increase the resistive
 force of the exercise device 10. Divider plate 64 is slidably received
 within the spool 62 and functions to separate the differently directed
 portions of the cord 36 to minimize the opportunity for entanglement of
 the cord 36. Those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that a
 variety of approaches, designs, or techniques may be utilized to implement
 the adjustable tension device 30 of the present invention.
 Other methods of construction and components are also envisioned. The above
 described embodiments of the invention are merely descriptive of the
 principles of the present invention and are not to be considered limiting.
 Further modifications of the invention herein disclosed will occur to
 those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed
 to be within the scope of the invention.