Exercising apparatus

An exercising apparatus designed to fit around a seat includes a frame that is adapted to be secured to a support. The frame is a U-shaped configuration with a lateral open area to receive the seat into the frame. One or more arms are coupled to the frame about one or more pivots. Further, the pivots allow a pivotal motion of each of the arms when a force is exerted thereto by a user. One or more resistance devices coupled to the frame and the arms, which provide resistance to the pivotal motion of each of the arms. The resistance devices, which may be a hydraulic or pneumatic piston and cylinder, may include a spring to bias the arms toward their initial, upright position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to an exercising apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to an exercising apparatus designed to fit around a seat, such as a toilet seat or a wheelchair.

Various types of exercising apparatus are known in the art that are intended for indoor use. Typically, an exercising apparatus includes a frame standing on a floor on which resistance delivery systems are attached and the resistance delivery systems provide resistance to a force applied by a user. Further, the frame has a seat or a bench attached to it on which the user may sit or lay down depending upon the exercise to be performed.

Conventional exercising apparatus with an attached seat is suitable to use for the intended exercise; however, such an exercising apparatus occupies a relatively large space. Moreover, a separate room or a large area is required for the exercising apparatus. Further, such exercising apparatus does not have provision for a user in a wheelchair or on a toilet seat to exercise without getting up out of the seat.

In light of the foregoing, there is a need for an exercising apparatus that is easy to fit around an existing seat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an exercising apparatus that is designed to fit around a seat.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an exercising apparatus that is designed to fit around a toilet seat.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an exercising apparatus that is designed to receive a wheelchair.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an exercising apparatus designed to fit around a seat. In one configuration of the apparatus, the seat is a toilet seat. The exercising apparatus includes a frame adapted to be attached to a support through one or more attachment devices. The support may be a wall or a base member or the seat. One or more arms are pivotally coupled to the frame through one or more pivot joints. The pivots allow a pivotal motion of each of the arms when a user exerts a directional force on the arms. The user may sit on the seat and exert the directional force on the arms.

One or more first resistance devices are attached to the frame and the arms. The first resistance devices provide resistance to the pivotal motion. The resistance may be increased or decreased based on the convenience of the user. The exercising apparatus includes one or more handgrip members that are releasably attached to each of the arms. One or more shafts protrude from the arms and are attached to the handgrip members. These shafts extend or retract based on a linear axial movement of the shafts with respect to the arms. The linear axial movement of the shafts provides proper hand positioning of the user during exercise. In addition, the exercising apparatus includes one or more second resistance devices inside the arms, which are attached to the shafts. These second resistance devices provide resistance to the linear axial movement.

In another configuration, the exercising apparatus is designed to receive a wheelchair. This exercising apparatus includes a frame with a U-shaped configuration and a lateral open area to receive the wheelchair into the frame. The frame is mounted on a base and attached to a support. In a particular embodiment, the frame is secured to the base through a base plate. In this embodiment, the base plate receives the wheelchair and is secured in place on the base by the weight of the user.

The present invention concerns various aspects of an exercising apparatus of the aforementioned type. In a first aspect of the invention, means are provided to adjust the resistance applied to the arms, against the directional force applied by the user. As will be explained in detail below, the resistance is adjusted by adjusting the position of a “control point”; that is, the point at which a resistance device is coupled to the arm. This adjustment, which can be easily made by the user by turning a knob, changes the distance of the control point from the pivot point of the arm, thus changing the mechanical advantage of the resistance device.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a locking mechanism for adjustably limiting the range of motion of the arm about their pivot points. In this way, the range of motion can be adjusted to fit the needs of the user, so that the user need not stretch beyond a comfortable limit when exercising with the arms. The locking mechanism may be operated to constrain only one end of the range of motion of an arm about its pivot, or constrain both ends of the range of motion. In a particular embodiment, where the resistance device comprises a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder with an internal piston, the locking mechanism includes a device, attached to the cylinder, for limiting the motion of the piston within the cylinder.

According to another aspect of the invention, each arm of the exercise device is provided at its end with a handgrip member to be gripped by a user which is moveable to, and lockable at, at least two different positions with respect to the arm. For example, the handgrip member may be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the arm to its most convenient angular position for the user. In a preferred embodiment, the handgrip member may be rotated to a first position directed toward the user or to a second position directed away from the user.

The mechanism for locking and retaining the handgrip member includes two tubes, arranged coaxially and surrounding with the arm and the stem of the handgrip member, respectively, which tubes have mating services for engaging one another and limiting their respective movement.

Still another aspect of the present invention relates to the pivot joint used for each arm of the exercise machine. This pivot joint comprises a casing having a first opening accepting a tubular portion of the arm and a second opening accepting a tubular portion of the frame. An internal rotatable joint is provided between the two portions. This joint has an axle aligned with and extending between the tubular portions of the arm and frame, without intersecting either portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the description herein for embodiments of the present invention, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of components and/or mechanisms, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that an embodiment of the present invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other apparatus, systems, assemblies, methods, components, materials, parts, and/or the like. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not specifically shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of embodiments of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an exercising apparatus designed to fit around a seat. Various embodiments of the invention provide an exercising apparatus that includes a frame, one or more arms and one or more resistance devices. The frame is secured to a support. The frame has a U-shaped configuration to receive a seat into the frame. The arms are pivotally coupled to the frame at one or more pivots. A pivotal motion is provided to each of the arms about the pivots with the frame, when a user exerts a directional force on the arms. The resistance devices are coupled to the frame and the arms and provide resistance to the pivotal motion. Retraction devices return the arms to their initial positions after they have been moved by the user.

Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the invention that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever feasible and convenient, same reference numerals are used in the figures and the description to refer to the same or like parts. The drawings are in a simplified form and not to scale. For purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms, such as top, bottom, left, right, up, down, over, above, below, beneath, rear, and front may be used with respect to the drawings. These and similar directional terms should not be strictly construed to limit the scope of the invention. In addition, words such as couple, connect, and similar terms with their inflectional morphemes are used interchangeably, unless the difference is noted or made otherwise clear from the context. These words and expressions do not necessarily signify direct connections, but include connections through mediate components and devices.

FIGS. 1-3illustrate the configuration of the exercise apparatus designed to fit around a toilet seat and be operated by a user while sitting on this seat.FIGS. 4-8show the configuration of the exercise apparatus designed to be operated by a person while sitting in a wheelchair. The two configurations are similar in many respects and, in particular, they are similar with respect to the aspects, features and mechanisms to which the present invention relates.

Generally, the first configuration shown inFIGS. 1-3comprises a frame102adapted to surround a toilet and be attached to a wall by brackets201aand201bdirectly behind the toilet. The brackets can be adjustable, for example, in the manner shown inFIG. 10. In this arrangement, a tubular member202ais fitted within the frame tube102and is adjustably fixed therein by an expansion joint203a. The opposite end of the tube202ais attached to the bracket204awhich, in turn, is attached to the wall.

Returning toFIGS. 1-3, it may be seen that the exercise apparatus comprises arms103aand103bwhich are pivoted with respect to a tubular portion of the frame102by pivot joints105aand105b, respectively. The structure of each pivot joint will be described below in connection withFIG. 9.

The spacing between the arms103aand103bmay be adjusted by loosening screws109ain the pivot joint and rotating the arms about their axis which passes through the pivot joints and then retightening the screws.

Handgrip members104aand104bare provided and, as shown inFIG. 2, can be extended upward or downward with respect to the arms103aand103b, respectively, in which they are coaxially inserted. This extension affords an additional mode of exercise for the user. As will be described below in connection withFIG. 9, a resistance device is provided within each arm to act against the force applied by the user to extend or retract the handgrip member.

In addition, it may be seen that the handgrip members104aand104bmay be rotated in position either toward or away from the user. When the handgrip members are in their retracted position, as shown by solid lines inFIG. 2, they are prevented from rotating about the longitudinal axis of the arm by interlocked mating portions of the tube sections106aand106b.

FIG. 3shows a piston and cylinder device301awhich provides resistance to the force applied by the user to the arm103a. This resistance device is attached at one end to a tubular portion of the frame102and is attached at the opposite end to a mechanism for adjusting the distance from a control point to the pivot joint105aof the arm103a. The mechanism, comprising elements401a,403a,404aand405awill be described below in connection withFIG. 12.

The movement of the arm103aabout the pivot joint105ais limited by the path of travel of the piston within the cylinder301a. This path of travel, which is shown inFIG. 3as an 85° arc from the vertical to the forward position, may be adjusted and limited by adjusting the position of a thumbscrew306a. This mechanism for adjusting the limit of travel of the arm will be described in detail below in connection withFIGS. 13 and 14. Suffice it to say, at this point, that the arc of movement of the arm is limited by the piston and cylinder at both ends of its travel: from the vertical to a position away from the vertical that is selectable by the user.

FIG. 7shows how a user, who in this case sits in a wheelchair, may exercise by moving the arms up and down.FIG. 6shows how the user may exercise by moving the arm103aforward.FIG. 8shows how a user may operate the exercise device with the direction of the wheelchair reversed within the apparatus.

FIGS. 9 and 9aillustrate with arrangement which enables the handgrip member104ato move axially upward and downward (or outward and inward) with respect to the arm103a. As is shown here, the downwardly extending portion of the handgrip104ais connected by a sleeve507ato a co-axial stem506awhich slides within the tube of the arm103a. The stem506ais maintained in alignment with the arm tube103aby a Teflon coated piston504awhich slides within the tube103a. A piston/cylinder arrangement502ais connected between the arm103aand the stem506aof the handgrip member104aby means of coupling devices501aand503a, respectively.

FIG. 9also shows the structure of the pivot joint105a. As is illustrated there, the pivot joint comprises a casing105ahaving first and second openings, accommodating the tubular portions of the arm103aand the frame102, respectively. These tubular portions are held in place by set screws108aand109awhich clamp the casing tightly about the arm and frame, respectively.

The two portions of the casing112aand114aare rotatable with respect to each other about a central axle formed by a screw116a, fixed in position by the set screw118a.

FIG. 11shows the arrangement of a piston and cylinder301awith an internal spring303awhich serves as the combined resistance and retraction device of the exercise apparatus. This device301ais pivotally attached to the frame at one end309aand pivotally attached to a resistance force adjusting device at its opposite end308a. The oil within the cylinder flows freely past the piston when the piston travels on one direction (the retraction direction) but is partially blocked when the piston travels in the opposite direction (the resistance direction).

Motion of the piston is limited at the end of its travel within the cylinder by a locking screw306a, which may be adjusted in position at the frame-connected end of the cylinder.

FIG. 12shows the mechanism for adjusting the leverage of the piston and cylinder301athat provides both the resistance force and retraction force applied to the arm102a. This mechanism comprises two parallel bars403aand404awhich are pivoted with respect to the arm102aand the cylinder301aat points408aand308a, respectively. The bars are maintained in parallel relationship by a pin405aand a threaded bolt402ahaving a knob401aat the top. The pin405ais rigidly connected to the upper bar403abut slides in an opening within the lower bar404a. The bolt402ahas a mating screw thread with the upper bar405a, and is rotatably retained by flanges407ain an opening in the lower bar404a. When the knob401ais rotated, turning the bolt402a, the distance between the upper and lower bars is either increased or reduced, depending upon the direction of rotation. Since the upper bar is fixed with respect to the arm at the pivot point408a, such knob rotation changes the distance of the lower bar404afrom the pivot joint105a, thus changing the length of the lever arm of the piston/cylinder301a.

FIGS. 13 and 14show in detail the locking mechanism for limiting range of arm movement in the first embodiment (FIG. 13) and second embodiment (FIG. 14), respectively. As explained previously in connection withFIG. 11, the locking screw306amay be moved either to the right or to the left along a slot311aand set to limit the end travel of the piston, thus limiting the end travel of the arm103a.

Finally,FIGS. 15a-15dshow the mating surfaces of the upper and lower tubes106aand107a, respectively, which constrain the angular position of the handgrip member.FIGS. 15aand15bshow the parts as separate, whereasFIGS. 15cand15dshow the parts in mating relationship. As indicated inFIG. 15d, the tubes are fastened to the arm and handgrip member, respectively, by pins108a.

FIG. 15eshows the lower tube107ain isometric view, making visible the mating surface152(also identified inFIGS. 15aand15b, respectively). The mating surface152of the tube member107ahas a vertical slot which prevents the handgrip member from rotating when the upper tube member106ais in mating relationship with this lower tube member. This constrains the handgrip member to be either in one of two angular positions which are separated by 180° with respect to each other.