Multi-dimensional abdomen exercise machine

An exercise machine applicable for strengthening a user's abdominal muscles is described. The exercise machine can include a track frame having a higher end and a lower end. Kneeling assemblies may be mounted on parallel gliding rails of the track frame to receive the knees from a user to make movements up and down between the lower end and the higher end of the track frame. A rotationally adjustable armrest holder may be adjustable rotationally mounted on the upper end of the track frame. The armrest holder can be oriented towards a direction having an angular relationship with an axis of the track frame between the lower end and the higher end. The armrest holder may capable of supporting the arms of the user making the movements with a twisting effect according to the angular relationship.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to physical training machines, and in particular, exercise machines structured for exercising the abdominal muscles of a user.

BACKGROUND

With the growing awareness of health problems caused by lack of exercise, popularity of exercising machines has been continuously increasing. Typically, these machines are designed to focus movements of specific parts of the body. For example, abdominal machines may be structured to induce body exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles.

Existing abdominal machines, however, are usually designed based on variations of sit-ups exercises. Effective abdominal exercises may require a combination of movements involving muscles of different parts of the body including the waist, legs, etc. Although there are many exercising machines available for exercising different parts of the body, these multipurpose exercising machines are usually heavy and expensive devices. Further, these devices are often directed for a user to perform one dimensional exercise movements at a time.

Therefore, traditional abdomen machines are not effective to facilitate a user to exercise abdomen muscles in a multi dimensional manner.

SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIPTION

An exercise machine applicable for strengthening a user's abdominal muscles in a multi-dimensional manner (e.g. allowing rotational movements and back and forth line movements at the same time) can include a track frame having a first elongated gliding rail and a second elongated gliding rail in parallel. The track frame can have a higher end and a lower end. A first kneeling assembly can be movably mounted on the first gliding rail. A second kneeling assembly can be movably mounted on the second gliding rail. The first and second kneeling assemblies may be capable of receiving the knees from a user to make movements up and down between the lower end and the higher end of the track frame with the first kneeling assembly gliding along the first rail and the second kneeling assembly gliding along the second rail. A rotationally adjustable armrest holder may be mounted on the upper end of the track frame. The armrest holder can be oriented towards a direction having an angular relationship with an axis of the track frame between the lower end and the higher end. The armrest holder may capable of supporting the arms of the user making the movements with a twisting effect according to the angular relationship.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth, such as examples of external surfaces, named components, connections between components, etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known components or methods have not been described in detail but rather in a block diagram in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Further specific numeric references such as first, second, third, etc., may be made. However, the specific numeric references should not be interpreted as a literal sequential order but rather interpreted as references to different objects. Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. The specific details may be varied from and still be contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1is a perspective view of an embodiment of an exercise machine assembly. Exercise machine (or device)100can include a track frame115having a pair of elongated gliding rails, e.g. a first rail and a second rail disposed in parallel. Track frame115can have a higher end affixed with support frame153and a lower end having foot base125resting on a floor. Support frame153may provide elevation from the floor for the higher end of track frame115. In one embodiment, support frame153may include upright105standing upwardly on support base107resting on the floor. Gliding rails of track frame115and upright105may be attached with each other via coupling rod113.

Exercising machine100may include kneeling support117movably mounted on track frame115. Parallel gliding rails of track frame115may extend between the higher and lower end of track frame115in a curved or straight manner. For example, the parallel gliding rails may be shaped concavely, convexly or in other applicable non-straight forms to allow movement of kneeling support117along the gliding rails in multiple dimensions.

Exercise machine100may include a rotationally adjustable armrest holder101mounted on the upper end of track frame115to support the arms of a user moving along track frame115. Armrest holder101may be configured as a rotating disk orientable towards various directions to form different angular relationships with a longitudinal direction (e.g. along an axis between the higher end and the lower end) of track frame115. For example, adjustment knob119may be provided to allow the user to adjust the amount of rotation needed for armrest holder101. The possible amount of rotation may be selected from predetermined configurations, such as 0 degree, left/right 30 degrees, left/right 60 degrees or other applicable degrees of rotation. The angular relation may incite a twisting effect on a user using armrest holder101while making movements along track frame115.

In some embodiments, armrest holder101may include handle bar103extended towards a front direction of armrest holder101to allow hand grabbing from a user of exercise machine100. Armrest holder101may include two elbow pads111aligned with or extending handle bar103shaped to receive the elbows from the user grabbing handle bar103. Armrest holder101may be equipped with display109to indicate amount of rotation configured for armrest holder101with respect to track frame115. For example, display109may include a digital display device, such as LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display or other applicable display mechanisms, to output an angular value indicating the angular relationship between the front direction of armrest holder101and the movement direction of kneeling support along a longitudinal axis of track frame115.

In one embodiment, kneeling support117may include a first kneeling assembly117aand a second kneeling assembly117bmovably mounted separately on the gliding rails of track frame115. Kneeling support117may be capable of receiving the knees from a user using exercise machine100to make movements up and down between the lower end and the higher end of track frame115. First kneeling assembly117aand second kneeling assembly117bmay move (or glide) together or separately along the gliding rails of track frame115to allow the user to move two legs, each resting on separate kneeling assemblies117a,117b, together in one direction or separate in two opposite directions longitudinally along gliding rails of track frame115.

Each kneeling assembly117a,117bmay separately include rotationally adjustable kneeling pads155a,155b. For example, keeling assembly117amay affixed with kneeling pad155aoriented toward a first direction forming a first angle with an axis of track frame115. Keeling assembly117bmay affixed with kneeling pad155boriented toward a second direction forming a second angle with the axis of track frame115. In one embodiment, the first and second angles may be substantially equal in size when kneeling pads155a,155bmove in parallel together to provide an additional twisting effect on a user making the movement along track frame115.

In one embodiment, kneeling assemblies117a,117bmay include a coupling control mechanism to detachably couple kneeling assemblies117a,117bsuch that kneeling pads155a,155bcan move in parallel oriented towards a common direction to cause the additional twisting effect. Alternatively, the coupling control mechanism may decouple kneeling assemblies117a,117bto allow each kneeling assembly to glide along separate gliding rails of track frame115in opposite directions.

Kneeling assemblies117a,117bmay separately include mounting brackets movably mounted on corresponding gliding rails of track frame115. For example, kneeling assembly117bmay include mounting bracket121and rotationally adjustable kneeling pad155battached to mounting bracket121via a surface of mounting bracket121. As a result, kneeling pad155bmay rotate with respect to a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the surface of mounting bracket121.

In another embodiment, exercising machine100can include track frame115having a pair of elongated gliding rails in parallel. Track frame115may have a higher end and a lower end. Exercising machine100may include a pair of gliding structures117a,117bmovably mounted on the gliding rails. Gliding structures117a,117bmay include kneeling pads155a,155bcapable of receiving the knees from a user to make movements with gliding structures117a,117bgliding along the rails. Kneeling pads155a,155bmay be adjustably oriented towards a first direction forming a first angular relation with an axis, for example, between the lower end and the higher end of track frame115.

Exercising machine100may include rotationally adjustable armrest holder101mounted on the upper end of track frame115. Armrest holder101may be oriented towards a second direction forming a second angular relationship with the axis of track frame115. In one embodiment, armrest holder may be capable of supporting the arms of the user making movement along track frame115with a twisting effect according to the first angular relationship via gliding structure117and the second angular relationship via armrest holder101with respect to the axis of track frame115. Support frame153may be coupled to the higher end of track frame115to provide support from a floor to cause track frame115to tilt upwards from the floor while the lower end of track frame115rests on the floor.

FIG. 2is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of an exercise machine assembly as shown inFIG. 1. For example, track frame115may include binding plate127fixedly attached to the gliding rails at the higher end of track frame115. Rotational movement of an armrest holder, such as armrest holder101ofFIG. 1, may be constrained along a surface corresponding to binding plate127.

An armrest holder may include handle bar103, elbow pads111and display109fixedly attached to mounting bracket169. Adjustment knob119of an adjustment fastener may allow rotational adjustment of mounting bracket169around a center of binding plate127. In some embodiments, binding plate127may be configured with multiple coupling holes129, for example, equally spaced circularly (or via other applicable angular position arrangements) around the center of binding plate127. The armrest holder may be secured to binding plate127with an adjustment fastener locked through one of coupling holes129via adjustment knob119.

In one embodiment, the axis of track frame115and the orientation (or direction) of the armrest holder may form an angle over the surface of binding plate127. Display109may indicate an angular value of the angle representing the orientation of the armrest holder. Possible orientations of the armrest holder may be pre-configured corresponding to multiple coupling holes129around the center of binding plate127. An adjustment fastener with adjustment knob119may be fastened to one of coupling holes129to select a corresponding angle to orient the armrest holder with respect to the axis of track frame115.

Kneeling assemblies, such as kneeling assemblies117a,117bofFIG. 1, can include slide bracket137attached with one or more wheels151slidably attachable to an elongated gliding rail of track frame115. A coupling control mechanism via control bracket157can fasten two slide brackets137to move together or separately along track frame115.

In one embodiment, kneeling assembly can include kneeling pads155a,155baffixed with sliding brackets137via plates145. Plates145may include curved tracks149which can be a hollow cut to allow rotational or curved position adjustment over slide brackets137. For example, kneeling pads155a,155bmay be attached to slide brackets137with adjustment knobs123which may be secured in positions along curved tracks149to rotate kneeling pads155a,155bto a desired direction.

FIGS. 3-6show configuration examples for an exercising machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. Turning now toFIG. 3, for example, left and right kneeling pads of kneeling support117can move up and down side by side in contact with gliding rails of track frame115. Kneeling support117may be aligned or rotated (or oriented) 45° (or other applicable degree) clockwise to the right or counterclockwise to the left of the longitudinal direction of track frame115.

The configuration combination of armrest holder101and kneeling support117may provide a variety of exercising options for a user making movements along track frame115. For example, armrest holder101may be rotated 30° (or other applicable degrees) clockwise to the right with respect to track frame115while kneeling support117is separately configured.FIG. 4shows a configuration with armrest support101rotated 60° clockwise.FIG. 5shows a configuration of armrest support101rotated 30° counter clockwise to the left with respect to track frame115.FIG. 6shows an exemplary configuration of armrest support101rotated 60° counter clockwise to the left. Other combination of rotational configurations of armrest101and kneeling support117may apply.

In some embodiments, armrest holder101may be preconfigured with a first number of rotation configuration options, such as +30° (to the right), −30° (to the left), 60° (to the right), −, 60° (to the left), and 0 (aligned). Alternatively or optionally, kneeling support117may be separately preconfigured with a second number of rotation configuration options, such as 45° (to the right), −45° (to the left), or 0 (aligned). As a result, a user may choose one of the combined 15 (the first number times the second number) possible combinations to perform exercise movements. Further, the user can optionally move left kneeling pad and right kneeling pad of kneeling support117separately in different directions (e.g. with one leg moving up while the other leg moving down along track frame115).

FIGS. 7-9show exemplary indicators indicating various degrees of rotation between an armrest and a track frame in one embodiment of the present invention. Turning now toFIG. 7, for example, armrest holder101may be configured to align with a track frame, such as track frame115ofFIG. 1. Indicator109of armrest holder101can indicate a 0 degree of rotation (e.g. alignment).FIG. 8shows an exemplary indicator109indicating a configuration of armrest holder101rotated 30° to the right of a longitudinal direction of a track frame.FIG. 9shows an exemplary indicator109indicating a configuration of armrest holder101rotated 60° to the right of a track frame.

FIG. 10shows an armrest rotatably mounted to a track frame according to one embodiment of the invention. For example, armrest101may be mounted on binding plate127of track frame115. Upright105may be coupled with track frame115via coupling rod113and coupling pin159to provide elevation support to the higher end of track frame115.