Abstract:
Weights for adjustable attachment to a body for the purpose of exercise, health, convalescence, therapeutics, massage and/or introduction of liquids to the skin or body. Ability to fill container weights with liquids, gels or solids to attain different weights for different parts of the body.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to the field of weights attached to people and/or animals and in particular such weights attached for the purpose of exercising and/or massaging the muscles and/or other sections of the body. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    For a variety of reasons it can be necessary or desirable for animals to have weights attached to their bodies. This can be a treatment by a veterinary doctor or by the animal owner who determines that the animal would benefit from such weights. In this application for this invention, reference is generally made to animals although the invention can also apply to humans. 
         [0003]    It is often desirable to cause an animal to do more exercise than just walking naturally. Weights added to the body of the animal increase the beneficial effects of walking. Massage of the body or limbs while walking can have added beneficial effects of muscle toning and/or fat reduction. Ailments known to humans and animals, like heart problems, muscle weakness or excess fatty tissue can be alleviated by causing the body to exercise with weights, especially where such weights are attached to that part of the body that needs to be strengthened. 
         [0004]    Another example of such a need for weights for an animal is where the animal had a broken leg and the bone has healed but the muscle needs strengthening. Weights attached to such a leg assist the healing process and strengthen weak muscles. Also, in a case such as this, the addition of massage, benefits and speeds recovery of such a weakened muscle. 
         [0005]    Another example could be where an animal has excess fatty tissue on its body and it is determined that the animal should lose some of the fat. When the animal wears weights especially when walking or other exercise, it will lose fat faster than without wearing weights. Here again, it is well known in the art, that massage has the effect to help to reduce excess weight. 
         [0006]    The massage effect can enhance the use of the weights but in some instances is not beneficial and therefore in this invention the massage effect is optional. 
         [0007]    Until the revelation of the present invention, the use of weights on animals has been cumbersome. Often the weights are not adjustable but even when they are adjustable, they are not attachable locally on a particular limb, when that is desirable. Most of the previous art has the weights fixed on a vest that is worn by the person or animal. This has the disadvantage of applying the weight to a relatively large section of the body and not to a specific limb that needs strengthening. Furthermore, such a vest does not have a beneficial massage effect. Indeed, it is designed to have as little rubbing effect as possible as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,213 quoted hereinafter where it speaks of a blanket-type member having a cushioning effect for the comfort of the animal. The inventors of the present invention found that by having a massage effect (which has a soothing and beneficial effect and not an abrasive effect) was an enhancement to the effects of the weights thereby encouraging the healing, muscle building and/or slimming effects. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,912,976 issued to Everett reveals an exercise harness for an animal which comprises three elements: (a) a web of flexible material adapted to be affixed to the body animal of the in a region adjacent to the animal&#39;s front legs and/or rear legs; (b) at least one strap, connected to the web and adapted to retain the web on the animal; and (c) a measured weight attached to the web by a holding device, such as a pocket, clip or the like. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,213 issued to Petronio reveals a blanket-type member supports weights in either a fixed or variable relation and is disposed on the back of an animal for training and conditioning purposes. The blanket-type member has a cushioned undersurface for the comfort of the animal and is disposed on the animal&#39;s back over an undercover to prevent chafing and the like as the animal moves about with the blanket-type member on its back. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,917 issued to Massey (U.S. Class 2/102) reveals a variable weighted vest for use in exercising, such as jogging, skating, bicycling and horseback riding. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,620, which was issued to Debski (U.S. Class 272/119), reveals an exercise vest that has interconnected watertight compartments that define a vest for supporting a fluid weight medium from the shoulders and about the upper torso of a human exerciser. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,302, which was issued to Watson (U.S. Class 2/102), reveals a weighted training vest having constant weight distribution. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,012, which was issued to Egbert (U.S. Class 272/119), reveals a weighted exercise vest that selectively allows weight capsules to be inserted into vest pockets. The vest is designed to allow free movement of the arms and is adapted to be worn while participating in conventional athletic activities, such as volleyball, basketball, racquetball, tennis and the like. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,387 which was issued to Zakrsewski reveals a weight vest incorporating means for wearing an adjustable amount of weight for purposes of weight resistance training. 
         [0015]    Finally, US Patent Application No. 20030177984 reveals elongated weights which are hollow tubes, such as vinyl or plastic tubes, that may be filled with material such as sand or other granular material, or liquid material. The tubes may be permanently sealed after being filled with weighting material, or may be openable and closable so that a user, may, as desired, empty, fill, or partially fill the tubes. 
         [0016]    These and related patents and patent applications reveal a variety of methods for applying weights to bodies but none of them combine the benefits of weights with massage as is revealed in the present invention 
         [0017]    The present invention comes to combine the benefits of a flexible adjustably weighted device that can attach to any part, limb or body of an animal or person using same, with, optionally, an adjustable massage effect. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview, or framework, for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description serve to explain the principles and operations of the invention. 
         [0019]    The present invention comprises a container or bag or series of bags of various sizes and shapes, which can be strapped or otherwise attached to the animal. 
         [0020]    One aspect of this invention calls for two tiers of bags or other kind of container. Alternatively, there could be one bag or container that is divided into two separate compartments, the upper section and lower section. The upper one (those furthest from the body) having all or some of the said bags or containers filled to create the desired weight. These bags or containers would be attached to the upper side of the belt, or the upper side of the single bag or container. The lower layer, being adjacent to the body, made of a bag or series of bags or containers where all or some of them can be filled with liquid and/or air. These lower layer of bags or containers have a three fold purpose, namely, to help grip the limb or body so that the whole device stays in place during movement of the body, secondly to add weight and thirdly to create the massage effect when desired. These lower layer bags or containers can have an extra protrusion or protrusions that could be inflatable together with the bag or container or independently of the bag or container. The main purpose of the said protrusion would be to increase the effect of the massage. 
         [0021]    The whole device of bags or containers is made in different sizes so that it fits around the part of the particular limb that will most benefit from the said weights and/or massage. 
         [0022]    In another aspect of this invention, each bag or container of the upper layer, has a removable bung toward its top for inserting liquid, gel, dry sand or other suitable material, into the bag and another removable bung towards its base for removing the said liquid, gel, dry sand or other suitable material. The desired weight can thereby be easily achieved and if needed, the weight can be increased, decreased or redistributed with ease. 
         [0023]    The bags or containers can be calibrated into liters or parts of liters. When water is the liquid inserted into the bags or containers, every liter represents a kilogram of weight. When other substances are used then their weight/volume ratio can be established and written on the device of this invention, to ease the calculation how much weight is being applied at any time. 
         [0024]    In yet another aspect of this invention, the bags or containers are filled and sealed. They therefore have a pre-determined weight and can be attached or removed as desired. The overall weight applied to the body or limb, can be adjusted by adding or removing the said sealed bags or containers. The said attachment is by fitting into pockets made for that purpose, velcro type hooks or any other suitable method. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain, by way of example only, the principles of the invention: 
           [0026]    FIG. A is a diagram of a belt of this invention with fixed weight bags attached. 
           [0027]    FIG. B is a diagram of a belt of this invention with refillable weight bags and air/massage bags attached. 
           [0028]    FIG. C is a diagram of a dog with this invention around its neck. 
           [0029]    FIG. D is a diagram of a horse with this invention attached to its leg. 
           [0030]    FIG. E is a diagram of a dog with various options of this invention, including attachment of different kinds of weights to different parts of the animal&#39;s body. 
           [0031]    FIG. F is a diagram of a vest for use by humans showing the front side with one kind of weight and the backside with another kind of weight, as will be described below. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0032]    As will be appreciated the present invention is capable of other and different embodiments than those discussed above and described in more detail below, and its several details are capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the embodiments set forth below are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
         [0033]    FIG. A is a diagram of the weight belt  100  and its closing device  104 . The belt  100  closes by any suitable means for example, buckle and clasp or velcro type attachment. The size of the belt could vary to fit any part of the body or limb. The bags  102  are of various sizes and are fixed weight bags. They are attachable and detachable for the purpose of placing the required weight on the animal. The method of attachment of the bag  102  to the belt  100  can be by any suitable means, for example, closeable pockets or velcro type of attachment. 
         [0034]    FIG. B is a diagram of the weight belt  100  of this invention with weight bags  110  that have a filling bung  112  and an emptying bung  114 . These bungs are to stop up the holes through which the weighting material (for example water, gel, sand or the like) is inserted and extracted according to the weight required. The weight bags  110  are on the outside of the belt  100 , which is the side furthest from the body of the animal. 
         [0035]    On the inside of the belt  100  are affixed the air bags  120  which could have a valve  122  for filling the said bags with air and letting out the said air when necessary. These air bags  120  perform up to three functions namely, firstly, to grip the animal&#39;s limb firmly and prevent the belt  100  from moving from its designated place while the animal is in motion. Secondly, to massage the animals body or limb at the place of contact with the bags. This massage effect is achieved by means of the pressure created against the body or limb of the animal by the bulging inflated bag. These air bags  120  are pressed onto the animal&#39;s body or limb by the weights  110  and when the animal walks or otherwise moves, the massage effect occurs. 
         [0036]    The said massage effect can be intensified by the air bags  120  having protrusions  124  that rub against the animals body or limb. These protrusions can be part of the bag  120  and therefore inflate together with the bag  120  or alternately, they can have a separate filling valve and then be inflated independently of the main bag  120 . 
         [0037]    FIG. C is a diagram of a dog with weights and massage devices of this invention attached around its neck  150 . As the dog moves the said weights move back and forth pressing down on the massage devices which are next to the body of the dog, thereby creating the massage effect. 
         [0038]    FIG. D is a diagram of a horse with the said weights  160  attached around its ankles. 
         [0039]    FIG. E is a diagram of an animal wearing various embodiments of this invention. There are refillable containers  200  of various sizes. Also, a tubular shape with calibrations  202  to show the quantity or weight of liquid or other material in the container. The underside of the said weights  204  can comprise bags or containers of air with or without protruding parts to increase the massage and gripping effect. What is shown in FIG. E  204  is the inside view of the weights that are on the other side of the animal as if the body of this section of the animal were transparent. 
         [0040]    FIG. F is a diagram of a vest  218  worn by a person with calibrated containers  220  on the reverse side and removable weights  222  on the front side. Such weights  222  can be moved to any part of the checkered area of the vest or have more weights added or removed as desired by the user.